Chapter 84
It was two days after Christmas and four days before the wedding. Olivia sat in her office chewing on the end of her pen. She had been trying to write her vows for weeks. She knew what she wanted to convey but couldn't get the words to come out right. Her nerves were running rampant through her body. She wasn't nervous about marrying Natalia, that was the one thing she was certain of, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with that woman. No, she was nervous about making a fool out of herself at the ceremony. For the first time she was marrying for the right reasons and she wanted it to be perfect. Not her fumbling for her words like an idiot.
For what felt like the hundredth time that morning, she crumpled up the piece of paper she'd been writing on and tossed it into the trash can muttering curse words under her breath. As Olivia huffed out a breath, Natalia came waltzing into her office.
"Something bothering you Ms. Spencer?" She asked with amusement.
"Nothing at all. What can I do for you Ms. Rivera?" She questioned back, rising from her seat to meet Natalia in front of her desk for a quick kiss.
"Mmmhmm. I heard you mumbling in here. What's wrong honey?"
"Nothing, really. Now, what is it that my lovely bride to be needs from me?"
"Fine, I'll let it go, for now. I need you to review the new employee expectations for the Chicago staff before I email them out and start setting up interviews with the members that would like to return to the hotel."
"Sweetheart, you don't need me to do that, I trust you and they are your employees too. If you think you got everything we wanted in there, then that's good enough for me."
"Olivia, I know you have all this faith in me, and I appreciate it, but I'm not there yet, I would prefer you take a look before I send it out. Please."
"Okay, if it will make you feel better I will review it."
"Thank you. Now, I also need you to sign the payroll and we have a meeting in twenty minutes."
"Okie dokie then." Oliva took the two files from Natalia's hand and set them on her desk. "How about we set these here, and I will look over both after our meeting and for the next twenty minutes…." She took Natalia's hand and led her to the couch, sitting down and pulling Natalia into her lap. "We can pretend that we don't have a hotel to run and make out like horny teenagers." She said, wiggling her eyebrows.
Natalia laughed and playfully slapped Olivia's arm. "You are a horny teenager, but I love you anyway." She leaned forward and placed a sweet kiss to Olivia's lips. Olivia quickly wrapped her arms tighter around the woman on her lap and deepened the kiss. The two were soon lost in each other, kissing with fever. That is until two voices sounded from the doorway.
"Ewe." Rafe and Ava said in unison.
"Do you two ever stop?" Rafe asked, not really caring just loving to give his mother's a hard time.
"Did you two forget we have a meeting?" Ava questioned, pretending to be appalled by their behavior.
"No, we don't stop and no we didn't forget the meeting. Did you two forget that we are the owners of this fine establishment and can be late if we so choose. And knocking is a thing you know." Olivia countered with a smirk.
"Yeah, and if the door was shut we would have. Anyways, here's the notes Rafe and I put together for today, would you like to look over them before we go?" Ava asked.
"Nope, this is all you and your assistant. Natalia and I are just going to sit back and watch."
"Mom, I'm not her assistant yet, maybe you or Ma should be next to Ava." Rafe said. It was his first meeting with the staff and he was nervous. He was still training with Natalia and didn't feel ready to stand with Ava and address the employees.
Olivia gently removed Natalia from her lap and walked over to her son, she placed her hands on both of his shoulders and met his eyes. "Rafe, you can do this. Ava will handle most of the talking, you just need to be ready with anything she forgets and add anything you feel needs to be added. This is an easy meeting. We are just going over the New Year's plans, and changes being made with the department heads. I know you can do this. Okay?"
"Okay. Thanks mom. Thanks for having faith in me."
Olivia kissed his cheek. "No need to thank me. You are doing a great job; I think when we come back after the wedding you will be ready to officially take your place as Ava's assistant. You are just like your Ma. Now, let's go so we're not late."
The four made their way to the conference room where their meeting was being held. Olivia and Natalia sat off to the side while Ava and Rafe took their place at the front. Olivia and Natalia spent the entire meeting eyeing each other and watching in awe as their children directed their staff. For Olivia it was a dream come true. She was so proud watching her kids take the reins. She knew now that they were ready and she and Natalia could go full steam ahead with further expanding their brand now that their kids could hold down the fort.
Once the meeting was over, the four Spencer-Rivera's headed down to the watershed for lunch. After placing their order, Olivia looked over at Ava and Rafe. "You two did an amazing job, I couldn't have done it better myself."
"Thanks mom." Ava said with a smile.
"Yeah, thanks mom." Rafe added.
"So, I wanted to speak with the two of you about something."
"What's up?" Ava inquired.
"Well, when I bought the Chicago property, I was also looking at a second one in St. Louis. After the purchase in Chicago, I spoke with the owners in St. Louis and they agreed to hold off until after the new year and the grand re-opening in Chicago to sell. That way I could get things settled before taking on a third hotel. I was unsure about it, but after seeing you two work so seamlessly together, the way Natalia and I do, I think it's a real possibility."
"Are you sure mom? It won't be too much for you?" Ava questioned.
"Well, it's currently closed, so we wouldn't have to worry about dealing with staff like in Chicago. We could make the purchase and remodel and then staff from scratch."
"That all sounds good, but mom, what about your heart? You were so stressed when you bought the hotel in Chicago that you almost died." Rafe said with a hitch in his voice.
"Guys, this is different. What happened in Chicago isn't because I bought another hotel. That was going to happened no matter what. As for the stress, yes I had a lot going on here, plus the problems we were having in Chicago, worrying about the wedding and the holidays, plus everything that was going on at home. It's not so stressful now. I have you two to run things here, Chicago will be finished and completely staffed, the holidays are over, and Natalia will be my wife so no wedding stress. The only thing that will still be happening when we go look at this property is the renovations on the barn and I don't have to worry about that because I trust Josh and it's your house Ava, not mine, you can stress about it. Plus, Ma will be with me for everything because she will officially be co-owner of SRHR." She explained.
"What do you think Ma?" Ava asked.
"I think your mother is right. There won't be nearly as much going on, you two are taking over most of the day to day here, and as she said, I won't leave her side for a minute. This is what your mom wants. She wants to fully franchise the Beacon, make it a household name. With you two taking over here, and Andrew seems competent in Chicago, she and I can focus on acquiring more properties and making her dreams come true. I would never want to hold her back from that, and I promise, I won't let anything happen to her."
"You're sure? You're up for this mom, taking on another property already?" Rafe asked.
"I'm sure. It might not be easy, and it will take some adjusting, adding a third property, but as a family we can do this. Spencer-Rivera Hotels and Resorts is our family's business, and I want to grow it as big as we can. This property is listed at a steel of a price and it's in a prime location. Ma and I are going to look at it after the opening in Chicago, if we like it, I think we are going to buy it and really be on our way to making SRHR a chain."
"Well alright, if you're sure." Ava said.
"Yeah mom, go for it." Rafe added.
Olivia and Natalia looked from their children to each other, sharing a brief kiss as their meal was placed in front of them. The four continued to chat about hotel business as they ate their lunch and then went their separate ways for the afternoon.
Later that afternoon, Olivia found herself again at a loss with her vows, after checking in with Natalia and Ava, she decided she could head out early for the day. She headed home, to the house where their love truly started to grow. She sat down in the living room and looked around at the house that she and Natalia made into a home. Just as she started to write, Sam appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
"Hey, sis. Whatcha doing?"
"Attempting to write my vows. I'm not having so much luck though."
"Well, what seems to be the problem?"
"I'm not sure. I know what I want to say, it's just, everything I write sounds so pedestrian. I want them to be perfect, Natalia deserves that."
"Livvie, quit thinking so hard. Just write what's in your heart. Let it guide you. I see the love you two share. I've never seen you like this Livvie. You'll say the right thing when the time comes. Just quit trying to write with your head and listen to what's inside you. Think about all the love you feel for her and then just let it flow."
Olivia sat quietly for a moment, just letting her love for Natalia wash over her. She closed her eyes and laid her head back in the couch. When she opened her eyes she felt relief wash over her. She knew exactly what to say. "Thanks Sammie."
"Any time sis. I need to run into town for a few things, can I borrow your car?"
Olivia raised an eyebrow at that. "You better not put a scratch on my new car."
"I won't I promise. I'll be back by dinner. Love you Livvie."
"I love you too Sammie."
Sam grabbed the keys and headed out the door as Olivia sat up to write her vows. Sam was right, she needed to listen to her heart. She grabbed her pen and pad and began to write with ease, the words just flowing onto the page.
Sam had picked up the few things he needed and decided to stop at Company for a coffee before heading back to the farmhouse. As he walked in, Buzz greeted him a smile. He took a seat at the bar and ordered a coffee from Blake. He was looking over the paper and sipping on his coffee when the bell above the door dinged. He turned his head to find none other than Frank Cooper walking through the door.
Frank had a smile on his face as he stepped behind the counter to pour himself a cup of coffee, he noticed Sam sitting there and walked over. "Hey Sam, it's been a long time since you've been around here, what brings you to town?"
"Hello Frank. I came in to spend Christmas with Olivia and the girls and am staying through the wedding." He replied with an edge to his tone.
"Oh, right. I guess I should have figured that's why you're here." Frank's voice dripped with distain.
"Yes, you should have. I hear you're not so thrilled with who my sister is about to marry."
Frank's face paled a little. "Well, uh, you know, I'm just not sure Olivia is right for Natalia."
"And why is that Frank?"
"Um, you know, I'd rather not talk about it."
"Oh, come on, we're just a couple of guys having a conversation. So, what's your problem with Olivia and Natalia?"
"Well, I don't know if you know the whole story, but Natalia was dating me when Olivia swooped in and confused her, messed with her mind. Your sister has a way of doing that."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, it is. You know what she did to me and my father. I don't want to see Natalia get hurt."
"Well, from what I see, they seem to genuinely love one another. They seem happy, and from what I hear, my sister is not the one Natalia needs to worry about hurting her."
"Hey now, I'm not sure what you heard, but I didn't hurt Natalia." Frank growled.
"I saw the marks, and the fear in her eyes at just the mention of your name. Now you listen to me Frank and you listen good. For the first time my sister is actually happy, she's in love and she's content with her life. If you do anything to mess that up, to hurt her or Natalia, I swear to God they will never find you. Do I make myself clear?" Sam stated, leaning in close to Frank's face.
"Are you threatening me Sam?"
"Not at all, just think of it as a brother looking out for his sister. No threat just me expressing my concern for my sister and her fiancé."
"Natalia has nothing to fear from me, it's Olivia she needs to worry about."
Sam grabbed Frank by the front of his shirt and pulled him forward. "You need to lay off Liv. Natalia doesn't belong to anyone, she chose Livvie, you need to let it go man." He released Frank's shirt and shoved him back, standing to leave.
Frank came around the corner and grabbed his arm. "Hey, you just assaulted an officer of the law, put your hands behind your head."
"What the fuck, are you serious right now? I grabbed your damn shirt."
"Yes, I'm very serious." Frank growled, starting to cuff Sam.
Buzz and Blake heard the commotion and came out from the kitchen. "What the hell is going on here?" Buzz questioned.
"I am making an arrest." Frank answered.
"What did he do Frank?"
"He assaulted me." Frank answered coldly.
"I fucking grabbed your shirt and gave you a shove, you're just doing this because I told you to back off Liv and Natalia."
"Is that true Frank?" Buzz questioned.
"It doesn't matter. Putting your hands on an officer is against the law and I'm taking him in."
"Wait a minute Frank. This is ridiculous." Buzz said stepping in front on the two men.
Blake was already on the phone to Olivia as Frank glared at his father and walked around him and out the door.
Olivia looked at her phone and debated whether or not to answer. Deciding it could be about the wedding she answered. "Olivia Spencer."
"Olivia, you better get down to the station quick."
"Why? What's going on?"
"Frank just arrested Sam."
"What? Why?"
"I don't really know. Buzz and I were in the kitchen, we heard loud voices and came out to find Frank cuffing Sam, something about Sam pushing him."
"What the hell is Frank's problem. I'm on my way…shit, I don't have a car. Can you call Doris and ask her to meet me down there? I'm gonna have to wait for Natalia to come pick me up."
"Sure Olivia."
Olivia hung up and dialed Natalia. "Hey honey." Natalia answered. "I was just about to grab Emma and head home. Ava and Rafe are going to stay a little late and finish up a few things."
"Yeah, um, could you ask Jane to keep Emma a little late and have Ava get her when she and Rafe head out. I need you to come get me from the house and take me to the police station."
"Why? What happened?"
"That fucking bastard Frank arrested Sam."
"What?"
"Yeah. Can you just come get me? I don't really know what happened."
"Of course. I'm on my way. I love you."
"Love you too."
The two hung up and Natalia drove as fast as she could on the winter roads. She got to house where Olivia was already waiting on the porch. The two headed back to town to get Sam from the Springfield Police Department.
Olivia walked in, her heels clicking on the floor. She spotted Frank and made a bee line straight for him. "What the hell Frank?"
"Hello Olivia."
"Don't hello me Frank. Why the hell did you arrest my brother?"
"I cannot share that information with you."
"Oh, cut the crap Frank. Just take me to him."
"I don't think that's such a good idea, you seem a little upset."
"Upset, of course I'm upset Frank. You arrested my brother just to get a rise outta me."
"I did no such thing. Not everything is about you Olivia."
Before Olivia could respond, Doris walked up to them. "What seems to be the problem here?"
Olivia spun to her friend. "Chief ass hat here arrested Sam just to try and ruin my wedding to Natalia."
Doris looked to Frank. "Is that what happened?"
"Of course not."
"Then what did happen?"
"Mr. Spencer got angry and assaulted an officer. I cuffed him and brought him in."
"Who did he supposedly assault?"
"Me."
"Really. Okay then." She glanced towards Olivia before walking back to the holding cell. "Come on Olivia, let's go see what Sam has to say about this."
Olivia smirked at Frank as she passed. The two women making their way back to speak with Sam.
Natalia walked up and stood in front of Frank. "Why are you doing this?"
"I'm just doing my job Natalia."
"Oh, and are there any marks where Sam 'assaulted' you?" She asked, making air quotes around the word assault.
"Well, no, but…"
"But what Frank? Did he hit you? Hold you in place while you pleaded with him to let you go?"
"No but…"
"Then what did he do Frank? If he deserved to be arrested I assume he must have hurt you in some way?"
"Well, he uh…he…"
"Yes?"
"He grabbed my shirt and pushed me, after he threatened me."
"Really, and that warrants getting arrested?"
"I am an officer of the law Natalia, I had to."
"No, you didn't. You wanted to hurt Olivia, try and stop our wedding. You saw an opportunity to, once again, abuse your power as police chief and you jumped on it. You know Frank, I think our deal is off, Olivia and Rafe are both willing to take their chances if it gets you off the force at the very least. A man like you shouldn't wear a badge."
"No Natalia you can't. I'll lose my job and possibility do time."
"Well, you see Frank, I just don't care. You arrested a man for shoving you. I still have marks from you and you're walking around free. You chose to do this Frank, you keep trying to stop me from marrying Olivia, show me you're better than her, but all you've shown me is exactly the kind of person I never want to be with. Good luck with the review board Frank, I'll be asking Doris to have you arrested now." Without so much as another look, Natalia walked off towards Olivia and Doris.
Frank stood stunned for a moment and then ran after her. "No Natalia wait. I'll let him out, no harm no foul."
Olivia heard them and turned to face them. "What's going on?"
"Frank has just agreed to let Sam go. He won't even receive a verbal warning for this. Isn't that right Frank?" Natalia answered her.
"Um yeah, that's right. Every thing's good." Frank grabbed his key and opened the cell. "I'm sorry Sam, it was wrong of me to bring you down here."
"Yeah, it was." Sam sad as he grabbed his sisters arm and walked away with Natalia following.
Doris turned her face to Franks. "You better get your shit together Frank, all I need is one good reason and you'll be outta here for good. Leave the Spencer-Rivera family alone. It's over Frank, just let it go." Without further word she headed out to join the Spencer-Rivera's.
Once they reached the parking lot, Olivia stopped their movement. "What did you say to him?" She asked Natalia.
"I simply made him see the error of his ways." She answered with a sweet smile.
"Mmmhmm. Not buying it. What did you say?"
"I'd also like to know that." Doris added looking at Natalia.
"Okay, so maybe I threatened to take our chances with a trial over what happened before Christmas."
"You're the one who didn't want to take that risk in the first place." Olivia said.
"I know." Natalia stated with her innocent smile as she walked towards the car.
Olivia stood slack jawed for just a moment before jogging to catch up with her. "You really do have the devil in you Rivera."
"Wait, she bluffed him into releasing Sam?" Doris questioned.
"Yup." Olivia answered.
"Wow. Didn't think you had it in you." She said smiling at Natalia.
"There's a lot you don't know about me." Natalia simply stated, climbing into the driver seat of her Equinox.
Sam smiled wide at his new sister-in-law. "I'm gonna walk to Company and get Liv's car, I'll meet you guys at home." He turned and started walking away.
"You hold onto that one Spencer." Doris called as she too walked off.
Olivia leaned into the open car door and brought herself face to face with Natalia. "You surprise me every day babe."
"Well…" Before she could finish her thought, she found herself silenced by soft lips on top of hers. The two kissed in the parking lot of the Springfield PD for long moments. This kiss was for the pure joy they felt in the company of one another. No matter what was going on in their lives, as long as they had each other and their family, everything would work itself out.