I do not own Passions, or the website realtor.com. I did use it once for a math assignment in High School, which is how I found it.
Author's Note: I changed the last paragraph of chapter 25. I wrote it at two o'clock in the morning, and when I read it over, I hated the way that I ended it! I changed it a later that day, but just in case you read it before then, I wanted to let you know. Read, enjoy, and review!
Chapter 26- Looking Back and Looking Forward...
Ethan walked aimlessly around the grounds of the mansion. He didn't know what to do with himself, since he usually was working at this time of day. He wondered where his life had gone so awry. Sitting against a tree at the edge of the woods, he pondered over the events that had happened over the past few years.
What would my life be like if I had just married Theresa? What If I hadn't let my pride get in the way? Would I be happy?
He knew the answers to all of those questions and all the others that floated through his mind every day. If he had married Theresa Lopez Fitzgerald when he had the chance, he would be living his dream.
Ethan wished he had had the guts to take that leap of faith that she had begged him to take earlier that year. He wished that he hadn't taken the safe road by marrying Gwen. He had tried to convince himself that he loved Gwen more than Theresa, but deep inside, he knew different. He had known that fact when he proposed, while planning their wedding, even when he had said 'I do'.
He remembered simpler times, before his life started to spin out of control. He had such a happy childhood here in this house, the Christmas', the birthdays, all filled with joy. When had everything gone so wrong?
He already knew the answer to that question too. The day this downward spiral started was the day that stupid tabloid told the world he wasn't a Crane.
Fox had just been settling into his new office on the fifteenth floor when there was a knock on the door, and his twin sister poked her head in. "What do think, little brother?" She asked, walking over to his desk and sitting down in his chair.
Fox grinned at her as she began to spin in circles. "I must say, I didn't think that I was going to come back here to work after the last time, but you and Grandfather made me an offer that I couldn't refuse."
Kate stopped spinning, digging her heels into the plush carpet. "It feels good to stick it to Ethan and make some cash at the same time, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, it does." He replied, leaning on the edge of his desk. "Was this part of your master plan, or just something you did on a whim?"
"Whim."
"How did you think of it? It was brilliant, really."
"Thank you." Kate said. "I thought so too. We have Mother to thank for it. She gave me the idea."
Fox raised an eyebrow. "How did mother give you the idea? Why would she want you to fire Ethan and give his job to me?"
"Well, to be more accurate, I guess that Theresa had a part in it too. That day that Mother came to see me, Theresa said something that sparked my epiphany."
"And what, pre tell, did my lovely girlfriend say to do that?"
"She made me realize that Ethan was the key to Mother's heart. To hurt Ethan is to hurt Mother."
"Very intelligent. Use a pawn to get the queen." Fox laughed. "I love it."
"I thought you would." Kate again stopped spinning, looking at him. "I have a question."
"Shoot."
"How serious are you about Theresa?"
"I have to say, at first, I was only dating her to get over someone else, but then, I don't know. She is amazing, I really care about her. Maybe even love her. Why?"
"Okay, I have a suggestion, and trust me, I know something that you don't, and won't quite yet. This is to everyone's advantage."
Fox looked at Kate, confused. "What do you want me to do?"
Theresa was coming back from the daycare center, where she had just spent her lunch hour with her son. She was so proud of him. They had been reading a book together, and he had only had trouble with a few words. Little Ethan was so smart, and she was lucky to have him back where he belonged, living with her.
Theresa only wished that they weren't living in Chad and Whitney's apartment. She hoped that they wouldn't be there for very much longer; she knew that Whitney would never send her own godson out into the cold, but Theresa didn't want to be a burden on her anymore. Whitney and Chad had been kind enough to let her stay with them rent free after Rebecca had evicted her family from their home.
But now, Theresa had a good job, and was making money. She sat down at her desk and pulled up an online real estate site. She was going to find another place to live, an apartment, maybe even a house, so Mama could come and live with them, and not have to live in the Bennett B & B.
She was so absorbed in her search that she didn't even hear her office door open. Fox stood in the doorway, not wanting to disturb her. Whatever she was doing must be important, she had that determined look on her face. He wondered how long it would take before she realized he was there.
Several minutes past, and Theresa hadn't found anything on that site. She sighed, getting ready to search for a new place to search, when she looked up, and saw Fox standing in the doorway.
"Hi beautiful." He greeted her. Fox walked over to her, leaning in for a kiss.
"How do you like being a part of the work force?"
"There are some perks to the job."
"Like what?"
"Being near you, of course."
Theresa smiled. "Good answer."
Fox looked at her computer screen. "Why are you on realtor.com?"
"If you must know, I'm trying to find a new place for Little Ethan and me to live. I can't impose on Chad and Whitney much longer, it wouldn't be right." She explained.
Fox looked a little confused. "Why wouldn't it be right?" He asked her.
"I moved in with them when I didn't have a job, or a home. I have a good job, thanks to your sister, and now I need to get a place to live. Whitney and Chad don't need a child living in the apartment."
Fox grinned and pulled an envelope out of his pocket. "Maybe you should look at this before you go online again." He told Theresa, placing in her hands.
She looked at him, and then opened the envelope. She pulled out several official looking documents, and gasped when she read a word appearing on one of them.
He had just given her a deed.
Not just any deed, she realized, but the deed to her mother's house, the one that Rebecca had stolen from her family. "How?" She asked in disbelief.
"Kate got it back, I don't know how, but ours is not to question my sister." Fox explained with a grin. "She has her ways."
Theresa scanned the paper, noticing that the deed was now put in her mother's name. She couldn't wait to go and tell Mama that they had gotten their home back. This was incredible.
"Theresa, there's more." Fox said, indicating to the other papers on her desk. She picked up another document, and realized that it was another deed. She looked down at the owner's names, her eyes growing wide.
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Foxworth Crane were labeled as the owners.
Hank was released from the hospital at noon that day. He had gone back to his apartment to shower and change. An hour later he was on his way over to Crane Industries, getting ready to surprise Kate. She thought that he was being released later on.
Stepping out of the elevator, he walked down to the end of the hall to her office. Knocking on her door, he was barely inside when Kate threw her arms around him.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, pausing to kiss him. "I thought you said you were getting out at seven."
Hank grinned. "I got out early for good behavior," he joked. "I just had to see you; I missed you when you left last night."
Kate smiled softly. "I missed you too."
He kissed her forehead lightly. "Did I ever tell you how glad I am that you decided to give me another chance? I love spending time with you, I'm glad we're dating."
Kate closed her eyes. Last night had been life altering for her. She had let herself cry in front of him. She never did things like that. It wasn't her style. Kate felt like Hank Bennett was taking a sledgehammer to the walls that she had built to guard her heart. There was only one thing she could do; she knew it was the right thing.
"I don't want to date you." She said softly.
"What?" Hank looked at her, startled by her revelation.
"I said, I don't want to date you."
Author's Note: I changed the last paragraph of chapter 25. I wrote it at two o'clock in the morning, and when I read it over, I hated the way that I ended it! I changed it a later that day, but just in case you read it before then, I wanted to let you know. Read, enjoy, and review!
Chapter 26- Looking Back and Looking Forward...
Ethan walked aimlessly around the grounds of the mansion. He didn't know what to do with himself, since he usually was working at this time of day. He wondered where his life had gone so awry. Sitting against a tree at the edge of the woods, he pondered over the events that had happened over the past few years.
What would my life be like if I had just married Theresa? What If I hadn't let my pride get in the way? Would I be happy?
He knew the answers to all of those questions and all the others that floated through his mind every day. If he had married Theresa Lopez Fitzgerald when he had the chance, he would be living his dream.
Ethan wished he had had the guts to take that leap of faith that she had begged him to take earlier that year. He wished that he hadn't taken the safe road by marrying Gwen. He had tried to convince himself that he loved Gwen more than Theresa, but deep inside, he knew different. He had known that fact when he proposed, while planning their wedding, even when he had said 'I do'.
He remembered simpler times, before his life started to spin out of control. He had such a happy childhood here in this house, the Christmas', the birthdays, all filled with joy. When had everything gone so wrong?
He already knew the answer to that question too. The day this downward spiral started was the day that stupid tabloid told the world he wasn't a Crane.
Fox had just been settling into his new office on the fifteenth floor when there was a knock on the door, and his twin sister poked her head in. "What do think, little brother?" She asked, walking over to his desk and sitting down in his chair.
Fox grinned at her as she began to spin in circles. "I must say, I didn't think that I was going to come back here to work after the last time, but you and Grandfather made me an offer that I couldn't refuse."
Kate stopped spinning, digging her heels into the plush carpet. "It feels good to stick it to Ethan and make some cash at the same time, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, it does." He replied, leaning on the edge of his desk. "Was this part of your master plan, or just something you did on a whim?"
"Whim."
"How did you think of it? It was brilliant, really."
"Thank you." Kate said. "I thought so too. We have Mother to thank for it. She gave me the idea."
Fox raised an eyebrow. "How did mother give you the idea? Why would she want you to fire Ethan and give his job to me?"
"Well, to be more accurate, I guess that Theresa had a part in it too. That day that Mother came to see me, Theresa said something that sparked my epiphany."
"And what, pre tell, did my lovely girlfriend say to do that?"
"She made me realize that Ethan was the key to Mother's heart. To hurt Ethan is to hurt Mother."
"Very intelligent. Use a pawn to get the queen." Fox laughed. "I love it."
"I thought you would." Kate again stopped spinning, looking at him. "I have a question."
"Shoot."
"How serious are you about Theresa?"
"I have to say, at first, I was only dating her to get over someone else, but then, I don't know. She is amazing, I really care about her. Maybe even love her. Why?"
"Okay, I have a suggestion, and trust me, I know something that you don't, and won't quite yet. This is to everyone's advantage."
Fox looked at Kate, confused. "What do you want me to do?"
Theresa was coming back from the daycare center, where she had just spent her lunch hour with her son. She was so proud of him. They had been reading a book together, and he had only had trouble with a few words. Little Ethan was so smart, and she was lucky to have him back where he belonged, living with her.
Theresa only wished that they weren't living in Chad and Whitney's apartment. She hoped that they wouldn't be there for very much longer; she knew that Whitney would never send her own godson out into the cold, but Theresa didn't want to be a burden on her anymore. Whitney and Chad had been kind enough to let her stay with them rent free after Rebecca had evicted her family from their home.
But now, Theresa had a good job, and was making money. She sat down at her desk and pulled up an online real estate site. She was going to find another place to live, an apartment, maybe even a house, so Mama could come and live with them, and not have to live in the Bennett B & B.
She was so absorbed in her search that she didn't even hear her office door open. Fox stood in the doorway, not wanting to disturb her. Whatever she was doing must be important, she had that determined look on her face. He wondered how long it would take before she realized he was there.
Several minutes past, and Theresa hadn't found anything on that site. She sighed, getting ready to search for a new place to search, when she looked up, and saw Fox standing in the doorway.
"Hi beautiful." He greeted her. Fox walked over to her, leaning in for a kiss.
"How do you like being a part of the work force?"
"There are some perks to the job."
"Like what?"
"Being near you, of course."
Theresa smiled. "Good answer."
Fox looked at her computer screen. "Why are you on realtor.com?"
"If you must know, I'm trying to find a new place for Little Ethan and me to live. I can't impose on Chad and Whitney much longer, it wouldn't be right." She explained.
Fox looked a little confused. "Why wouldn't it be right?" He asked her.
"I moved in with them when I didn't have a job, or a home. I have a good job, thanks to your sister, and now I need to get a place to live. Whitney and Chad don't need a child living in the apartment."
Fox grinned and pulled an envelope out of his pocket. "Maybe you should look at this before you go online again." He told Theresa, placing in her hands.
She looked at him, and then opened the envelope. She pulled out several official looking documents, and gasped when she read a word appearing on one of them.
He had just given her a deed.
Not just any deed, she realized, but the deed to her mother's house, the one that Rebecca had stolen from her family. "How?" She asked in disbelief.
"Kate got it back, I don't know how, but ours is not to question my sister." Fox explained with a grin. "She has her ways."
Theresa scanned the paper, noticing that the deed was now put in her mother's name. She couldn't wait to go and tell Mama that they had gotten their home back. This was incredible.
"Theresa, there's more." Fox said, indicating to the other papers on her desk. She picked up another document, and realized that it was another deed. She looked down at the owner's names, her eyes growing wide.
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Foxworth Crane were labeled as the owners.
Hank was released from the hospital at noon that day. He had gone back to his apartment to shower and change. An hour later he was on his way over to Crane Industries, getting ready to surprise Kate. She thought that he was being released later on.
Stepping out of the elevator, he walked down to the end of the hall to her office. Knocking on her door, he was barely inside when Kate threw her arms around him.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, pausing to kiss him. "I thought you said you were getting out at seven."
Hank grinned. "I got out early for good behavior," he joked. "I just had to see you; I missed you when you left last night."
Kate smiled softly. "I missed you too."
He kissed her forehead lightly. "Did I ever tell you how glad I am that you decided to give me another chance? I love spending time with you, I'm glad we're dating."
Kate closed her eyes. Last night had been life altering for her. She had let herself cry in front of him. She never did things like that. It wasn't her style. Kate felt like Hank Bennett was taking a sledgehammer to the walls that she had built to guard her heart. There was only one thing she could do; she knew it was the right thing.
"I don't want to date you." She said softly.
"What?" Hank looked at her, startled by her revelation.
"I said, I don't want to date you."