A Fresh Start
Chapter One Hundred Forty Two
Sam comes back into the room after calling Ava. Did you get in touch with her?" Jeffrey asks.
"Yes." She replies, walking over to the bed.
"Is she coming?" Jeffrey asks, as Sam sits down beside him.
"She'll be by in the morning."
"Okay." He says, as she takes his free hand, moving her thumb over his wedding band, while he watches her. "Pulling his hand free, he tucks some of her hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for tonight to end like this."
"I don't care about that." She says, fighting back tears. "We'll spend the night at the house when you're better." She says, swallowing around the lump in her throat.
"Go ahead and let it out." He says softly.
She looks up. "I was so scared. I knew something was wrong." She says, reaching up and wiping tears from her eyes.
He moves over gently and then says "Come up here."
"You're hurt."
"I'm fine and you need me to hold you, so come up here." Sam move up to the bed, lying down beside him carefully as he lifts his arm. Putting it around his shoulders, he pulls her to him. Slowly he feels her relax. Relief fills her and she begins to cry. He gently kisses the top of her head, allowing her to release the tension that's been inside her since she talked to him after the accident. She snuggles in closer to him. She's thankful that she can hear his hear and feel his heart beating beneath her cheek.
"What are you thinking?"
"I was thinking that I'm glad that I can feel and hear your heart beating. And then I was thinking about that boy's mother. And I can't imagine what she's feeling right now. How do we protect our kids and still let them be themselves. I'll die if something like this would happen to our child."
"Our little boy or girl will be fine. We'll teach them to think about things, but even with that they're going to do things that will put them in danger. And when they do they will learn a lesson from whatever they did and not do it again." Jeffrey says, as Dr. Stephens and a couple nurses come into the room.
"Mr. … Jeffrey, we've got a room upstairs for you, so we're going to move you up there."
"Do you really need to admit me? I feel fine." Jeffrey says, as Sam sits up.
"Yes, they do." Sam says, before Dr. Stephens can reply.
"I'm…."
"You're staying overnight." Sam says, getting off the bed.
"Where are you going to stay?"
"I'm staying with you."
"You can't rest if you're here and that's not good for you."
"I will be fine. I want you here to help do what we were just talking about, so you're staying overnight and I will rest as long as I'm with you."
"Okay." Jeffrey says, giving up.
Sam moves out of the way, letting the nurse and orderly move Jeffrey to a gurney and then she follows them out of the room.
Billy pulls up to Cross Creek around six o'clock. After he left Sam's house he went to Lewis to research adding a design department to Lewis as he suggested to Ava. It seemed like a good idea at the time but now he was convinced it was. None of the construction companies offered that type of service along with the contractors they used to build with. In his hand was a folder that he had of information from his research. When he reaches the front door he's about to knock when Reva opens the door. "I saw you pull up." She says, stepping back.
He goes in as Josh walks in from the study. "Billy." He says.
"Hi, where's Rusty and Hawk?"
"Rusty took him over to Oakdale." Reva says, walking into the living room with Billy following her and Josh following him. "Do you want something to drink?" She asks.
"No, I wanted to talk to ya'll about Lewis."
"What about it?" Josh asks, sitting down on the couch with Reva beside him.
"We finished Jeffrey and Sam's house. The construction phase of it at least."
"Who does she have as a designer?" Reva asks.
"I was thinking we could offer Lewis."
"Lewis, we know nothing about interior design." Josh says.
"We can learn." Reva says.
"None of the other firms in town offer this with their portfolio. It would give us an edge for certain jobs." Billy says.
"Lewis is a construction company, not interior design." Josh says.
"I spent all afternoon doing research on this. It wouldn't take much for us to get started. We are already in the right position to do it."
"So, we're one stop shopping for construction and decorating." Josh says.
"In a way, not every job will take this service, but a lot of people will. While our contractors are working on building the structure our designer could be working with the client to design the interior. Think about all the money that clients spend, hiring and outside firm or designer to decorate after we've finished the building. That's money we could get and no one else is doing it this way."
"Who's going to run this department?"
"I thought Ava…."
"Ava." Josh says, getting up. "I see what this about."
"What?"
"You want to start this new department to make points with Jeffrey by making his daughter the head of a department you thought up."
"Ava did a really good job with Sam's office and she did it on a very short amount of time. I didn't even think about the fact that she's Jeffrey's daughter when I offered her the position."
"You offered her the position for a department we don't even have active and may not have active." Josh asks, pacing back and forth.
"Josh calm down and listen to what he's saying. This might be a good idea. Don't turn it down because he asked Ava to head the department and because you have personal feelings against her father."
"I'm not doing that, but we're not running a charity either."
"Ava is well qualified for the job we …."
"You gave her that job."
"I offered it to her because she is qualified and I asked her to decorate Sam's office because I thought she would be able to do it and she did a wonderful job. She has great tastes, just like Olivia, and no matter what Olivia may or may not be she has wonderful tastes, look at the Beacon. I acted…."
"On guilt."
"I've got nothing to feel guilty for. If anyone should feel guilty it should be you. You're the one that's insisting the Jeffrey not be told the truth, for whatever reason, I don't know because you've never explained it to either of us."
"Reva knows the reasons I don't want Jeffrey told about this."
"And I've told you that you have nothing to worry about but you refuse to listen to me. There is absolutely no way I would leave you for Jeffrey."
"You don't want him told because you're afraid Reva would leave you for him." Billy asks, looking at Josh.
"She's been with you and HB, what's another Lewis?"
"Joshua Lewis, you are absolutely the stupidest man I've ever known." Reva says, standing up.
"Then you tell me you don't think he's an attractive man."
"Of course he's attractive."
"See." Josh says, in a tone that says I have every reason to think what I think.
"That doesn't mean I'm going to try to or want to jump him every time I see him." Reva says. "He's your brother."
"So was Billy and HB was my father and you…."
"There were different circumstances and we were different people then and now. You're forgetting one very important element in this whole thing; Jeffrey is completely and totally in love with his wife. And if you would stop and looks at the situation you would realize that even if I did want something to happen with him, it wouldn't because he's not interested, period."
"Jeffrey, would take anything that's offered to him?"
"Like HB." Billy says.
"My father…."
"Our father was a womanizer and we both know it."
"He loved…."
"He loved your mother. I'm sure he did, but that didn't stop him from looking the other way and sampling other things, now did it."
"And Jeffrey is just like him and you want me to just step back and let him take my wife. I won't do it."
Reva gets up and goes over to him. "Arrgh, you don't listen, do you. You've got it in your head that I'm going to leave you for him. But I won't because I don't want Jeffrey. I never have wanted Jeffrey and I never will want Jeffrey. And right at this moment I don't want you either." She says, turning to walk out. She stops and turns to Billy. "I vote we start the interior design department. I think it's a good idea and I think you're right. It will set us apart from the competition. So do whatever you need to do start the department."
Josh looks at her, shocked that she would effective tie his hands. Lewis was a family owed business, in every sense of that phrase and each business decision was made through a vote. Eventually Bill would be brought in to vote but right now the major decisions were decided by them. "Thank you." Billy says, nodding as Reva glances at Josh before she leaves the room. Josh looks at Billy and then leaves the room, following Reva. Billy turns around and leaves.
After they have Jeffrey settled Sam crawls onto the bed, lying down beside him. "I didn't want tonight to be like this." Jeffrey says, playing with her hair. "I wanted us to be in our house. I wanted us to eat dinner and then I wanted us to dance and I wanted to sing and play for you and then I wanted to take you upstairs and make love to you."
"You can still sing for me." Sam says, slowly moving her hand over his chest, being careful not to put any pressure on it.
"I was going to play on… my guitar." Jeffrey says, remembering for the first time that the guitar was in the truck.
"I know that's why you went to the loft."
"No, my guitar was in the truck."
"I'm sure Frank got everything out of it."
"It was the guitar you bought me, the new one. We have to get it back."
"I'll call Frank and make sure he got everything out of the truck." She says, sitting up. Pulling her phone from he pocket, she dials the number for the Springfield police department.
After a couple rings, the desk sergeant picks up. "Springfield Police Department." He says.
"This is Sam O'Neill, is Frank Cooper still in?"
"I believe he is, ma'am."
"Could you connect me to his desk?"
"Yes ma'am." The desk sergeant says, putting her on hold, he connects the call.
"Springfield PD, Frank Cooper." Franks says, looking over the report for Jeffrey's accident.
"Frank, it's Sam."
"Is everything okay?"
"Everything is fine, they've admitted Jeffrey for observation. He should be able to go home in the morning. The reason I'm calling, is Jeffrey had a guitar in the truck tonight. Did you get that out when you removed his personal effects?"
"Nothing was taken from the truck. It was towed to the impound lot. "
"How do I get in touch with them?"
"They're closed for the night. I can go over there after my shift and look myself."
"I would appreciate that. I bought that guitar for a wedding present. It's very important that we get it back."
"I'll go by as soon as I file the report on the accident."
"Thank you, Frank. Could you take it to Ava's and tell her that I'll pick it up later."
"Yes, I've got to go to Company anyway."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Sam hangs up and turns to Jeffrey. "He's going to go down to the impound yard and get it himself."
"Good." Jeffrey says, sighing with relief. "Did you eat before you came here?"
"No, I was waiting for you."
"You need to go get you something to eat."
"I'm fine."
"You have to eat."
"What about you?"
"I'm not hungry."
"You need to eat too. The medication they've put you on isn't supposes to be taken on an empty stomach." Sam says, getting off the bed. "So, I will go to Company and I'll get us both something to eat."
"How are you going to bring it back up here. You can't bring in outside food."
"Let them try to stop me." She says, leaning over to kiss him as he smiles. "I'll be back in a little bit."
"Okay." Sam leaves as Jeffrey settles back into the bed, closing his eyes as she walks out the door.
James walks up to Olivia's door. Knocking lightly he steps back and waits for her to open the door. "Emma, you need to start your homework." Olivia calls, opening the door.
"Hi." James says.
She blinks in surprise before she says. "Hi."
"I came to see if you could have dinner with me."
"I have Emma, and she has to get her homework done."
"After the homework, and she can go with us."
"It's a school night."
"Her sitter…."
"Can you give me an hour, hour and a half? And I'll meet you downstairs and we can get something to eat at Olivia's."
"Okay." James says, smiling. "I'll see you then.
Two hours later, Olivia is walking down to the lobby. She has just put Emma to bed after spending the last hour and a half working on homework and getting Emma bathed and in the bed. Leaving a glass of water on the stand beside her bed, she told her that she would be downstairs if she really needed her and to call the front desk.
Olivia's didn't close for another hour but as she reaches the lobby, she immediately notices that something wasn't right. Most of the lights in the restaurant were dimmed and as she got closer she soon realizes that there weren't any customers or staff in the restaurant. She's about to turn around and ask one of the staff where everyone was when James walks out carrying two plates. "It's okay." He says, as she jumps. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"Where is everyone?"
"I booked the restaurant for the rest of the night."
"You booked the restaurant for the rest of the night, why?"
"So we could be alone and talk."
"I'm not a patient for you to try to fix."
"I'm not trying to fix you. I want to know more about you." James says, putting the plate down and then walking over to her.
"Why do you care?"
"I told you. I've been where you are." James says, taking her hand and leading her over to the table. Pulling out her chair, he holds it for and then walks around table to the other side. "When I left for Europe after Sarah wouldn't come with me. I wanted to hurt everyone. I immediately got involved with someone, and I pretended that I was everything she wanted me to be and that she was everything I wanted her to be.
Eventually reality set in, and I quickly became tired of the pretense but instead of admitting what was happening, I blamed all of my problems on her and I did whatever I could to hurt and humiliate her, until she left. And I kept repeating that same pattern until I realized that I was only hurting myself by never letting anyone else in. And after Sarah's mother left me, I decided to change and I did."
"How is that anything like what Jeffrey has done to me?"
"Jeffrey decided to be with someone else, so did Sarah. Now I never tried to hurt her physically because of that choice, but I hurt all the women after her because I would not let them into my heart, and closing myself off to love because of one lost love helped no one."
"I've had other relationships besides Jeffrey. I was engaged to married a wonderful guy before I broke it off because of him."
"Did Jeffrey force you do that?"
"No, I was my choice to break the engagement to Buzz. I was so confused and mixed up after I found out about Jeffrey and then Ava. I felt pulled in two different direction. Here I was engaged to a wonderful man, a man that loved me, but my mind was fixated on Jeffrey and I didn't understand why, especially given the fact that I was told he was the one that raped me that night and that repulsed me even more. The night I broke the engagement with Buzz I had finally admitted to myself that I didn't see Jeffrey as the man that had raped me and that I was strongly attracted to him. So I told Buzz I couldn't marry him until I had worked through this thing with Jeffrey, and we started dating."
"And what happened?"
"We would go out. He took Ava and I to one of his shows and it was cool to see him up there, but I felt detached from it. I didn't feel like I should feel watching my boyfriend on stage performing. And I didn't feel like I should feel when all the women would crowd around him afterwards."
"Did you and he ever…?"
"No, that's another thing. I couldn't do it. As much as I told myself that I didn't see him as the man that raped me that night when we would even get close to going there, I pulled away. But when someone else wanted his time, I was so jealous. That's why he eventually broke it off. He caught me arguing with Cassie about her asking him to contact William on her behalf. I didn't want him spending time with anyone else but I couldn't let him spend his time with me the way we should be doing it."
"And why do you think it would change now?"
"I don't know. I've never been good at sharing and playing with others. And I guess the thing that bothers me the most is the fact that he took the choice away from me. He broke it off with me. I vouched for him after the Governor named him mayor again and I thought that if I did that, he would realize that I really did want to be with him and come back, he didn't. Instead he went to San Cristobel, found undeniable proof that he wasn't the one that raped me that night and then he went to DC and found a long lost love."
"It sounds like to me that you still want him to pay the price for a crime he didn't commit. He wasn't responsible for what happened to you that night."
"He wanted…."
"No matter what his intentions were that night, he didn't act on them. And I think apart of you can't forgive yourself for your part in what happen and you want him to be right there with you, feeling guilty and miserable."
"Really, so what do you know about it? This didn't happen to you." Olivia snaps. He sits there without replying. "Well, you're not going to say something."
"What is there to say? You're right, it didn't happen to me. Listen, I don't want you to feel like you have to defend yourself, because I'm not here to judge you. I only want you to see that what you're doing to yourself when you attack your daughter and her father every time you're around them."
Olivia gets up and walks away from the table. He sits there watching her. "I can't help it." She says, softly. "They're both happy. I know Jeffrey loves her. And I know she loves him. I see them, and then I think about what my life has been and it's that way because of that one night, that one night that I can't go back and change."
James gets up and walks over to her, putting his arms around her, he simply holds her. "It's okay to be jealous." He says. "It's how you handle that feeling that matters."
"Well, lately I haven't handled it too well."
"There's always tomorrow." James says, releasing her and taking her hand. "Let's eat." He says, leading her back to the table.
"So, how did you pull this off?"
"I spoke with the manager. I told him what I wanted to do and then I paid him to allow me to have the restaurant for the rest of the evening."
"Did you have this planned when you came up to my room?"
"I had spoken to the manager. After you said to give you an hour, I told him and we stayed opened until you called to tell me you were on your way down. Luckily there weren't that many guest in the restaurant when the manager announced that the restaurant would be closing early for the evening so we were able to clear the place quickly."
"So, who did the cooking?" Olivia asks, looking down at her plate.
"I told the chef what to prepare and he did it. I know it would have been more impressive if I told you that I cooked it myself, but I'm afraid I can't even make toast." James says, taking a sip of wine. "I did however pick out the wine from your cellar."
"And you did all of that just to talk to me?"
"Yes."
"And now that we've talked, and we're eating, what do you plan to do after that?"
"Whatever you want to do my dear." James says, as she looks at him. "Tell me about your relationship with Richard."
"Richard was a fantasy since I was a very young girl. I actually met him the night I met Jeffrey and Edmund. I was impressed but Jeffrey paid me more attention. But after I got pregnant and my mom died, I had to support my brother and sister, I went to work at the palace and we sort of became friends and after a while I developed a crush, but he looked at me like a young girl he knew. He liked me but when Reva came on the scene he fell for her."
"And you weren't hurt by that."
"Yes, but he was the Prince, what could I do. I needed the job I had at the palace. Marissa was grown by that time, but I still had Sam to raise. I was going to the university. I needed that job, so I stayed in the shadows and I became friends with Reva, or Princess Catherine as we called her. And then she got pregnant and Richard was absolutely devoted to her and Jon."
"What happened, what made her leave?"
"She came to me one night and she me told that she had found out that someone was trying to harm Jon, She wouldn't tell me who, but she begged me to take Jon and hide him until she returned. She made me promise to tell no one where Jon was, absolutely no one until she returned. I kept that promise. I never said a word and day in and day out I watched Richard fall further and further apart. After a while he began to lean on me, talk to me, and all the old feelings I had for him resurfaced and then one day he asked me to accompany him to a state function and I accepted. Things went from there and before long, he asked me to marry him and I accepted. We were going to make our official announcement the week after his return from a State visit to France when Reva showed up in San Cristobel again."
"Why didn't you go after Reva like you've gone after Jeffrey?"
"I don't know, maybe I was a little scared of Richard and what he would do. Maybe I knew that it was all an fantasy and that I was a stand in for Catherine and maybe I felt guilty because I could have ended Richard's suffering years before, but I didn't, either way once Richard found out that I had known all along where Jon was and I hadn't told him, he was rightly furious and that was the end of our relationship."
"And then he married Cassie."
"Yes."
"And you weren't jealous of her."
"Maybe a little bit, but there was too much there for Richard and I to ever be anything. Cassie was someone he had no connection to."
"She's Reva's sister."
"Yes, and they're alike in many ways, but Cassie's also her own person too. I understood why he fell for her. Richard loves saving people and Cassie needed him. They need each other. I never really needed him and by the time Richard was in love with Cassie, I had moved on myself."
"To whom."
"Reva's ex."
"So, you and Cassie both have been involved with Reva's ex's?"
"Yes, I've never thought about that, but we have. When I was with Josh, I wanted to save him from Reva's dysfunction. I was never really his wife, not totally. That's part of the reason I slept with Alan. Josh is a good man, he didn't deserve what Alan and I did to him."
"What did you do?"
"We tried to destroy him. I did it because I was tired of fighting the ghost of Reva. Alan did it because there's always been animosity between the Lewis's and the Spaulding's. When it came right down to it, I couldn't go along with Alan." Olivia says, looking at him.
One of the cooks comes out of the kitchen. Clearing the table, he asks. "Would like dessert now?"
James looks at Olivia. "I'm fine." She says
"We'll have it later." He says.
"Yes Sir." He nods, returning to the kitchen.
"So, what do you want to do now?"
"Do you feel like a walk?" Olivia asks.
"Sure." James says, getting up. He walks around the table, holding her chair, he helps her up and then taking her arm he leads the way out of the restaurant.
They walk out to the garden and slowly they walk through, enjoying the coolness of the night and the sounds surrounding them. After a while, Olivia feels herself relax. Moving closer to him, he releases her hand. Putting his arm across her shoulder, he pulls her to him. Putting her arm around his waist, she lays her head on his shoulder. After a few minutes, she says. "Thank you."
"For what?""
"For dinner…." She's quiet and James seems to know that she wants to say more so they keep walking. "And thank you for not judging me."
"You're welcome, but I'm not here to judge you."
"What are you here for?"
"What do you want me to be here for?"
She stops walks and turns to him. "I'm not sure." She says, looking out at the lake. "You know in a few more weeks we won't be able to walk like this."
He reaches up and brushes back her hair, tucking it behind her ear. "I'm not here to push you into anything."
"But you want us to be more than just business partners."
"We can be whatever you want us to be, but yes I am attracted to you."
She looks at him for a moment and then she leans in and kisses him. He takes a step closer to her. She can feel the heat radiating from him and she steps closer to him, her breasts brushing against his chest. Reaching for her, he puts his arm around her waist, loosely holding her and allowing her control. Reaching up, she wraps her arms around his neck. He tightens his arm, pulling her against him as he buries his fingers in her hair. They both feel their hearts begin to pound.
The distant voices of guests walking through the other parts of the garden breaks through the desire burning through them, Olivia pulls away, knowing that she was about to loose herself in his kiss. She sucks in a deep breath and whispers. "You're hypnotic." He laughs softly.
"Maybe you need someone to hypnotize you."
She looks up and smiles. "And you think you're going to be the one that does that?"
"I don't know, will I?"
"Let's walk." Olivia says, realizing that were treading on very thin ground. She pulls away from him.
"Are you afraid that your guest will see you kissing me?" He asks, holding onto her.
"I am the owner."
"You're a woman first. A very beautiful woman that needs someone to love you exactly as you are."
"And will you do that?"
"I might, if you let me." James says, taking her hand and leading her down the path they were on.
Olivia looks at him before she turns her attention back to the lake. For several moments they walk until she releases his hand and slips her arm around his waist. They walk for a little longer before Olivia says. "I need to get back."
"Okay." James says and they walk back towards the Beacon.
Olivia's is closed when they walk into the lobby. Olivia pulls her arm from his waist, but he reaches to stop her, pulling her against him, as she looks up. "You've got nothing to hide." He says softly.
They walk across the lobby, arms around each other. Olivia could feel her heart pounding against her chest. She feels like everyone's eyes are on her and almost expecting someone to jump out and accuse her of cheating on Jeffrey. She laughs softly as that thought enters her head. James looks down. "What?"
"It's nothing, just something I thought."
"What?"
"I was thinking that I feel like everyone is watching us and then I was wondering if they think that I'm cheating on Jeffrey."
"Do you think you are?"
She's quiet for a few moments and then she looks up and answers him honestly. "No, I don't."
"Then it doesn't matter if they think you are."
They walk upstairs and he walks her to her door. When they get there, she stops outside and turns to him. "Thank you for dinner and thank you for listening."
"You're welcome." He says, reaching to lightly caress her cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yes." She replies, reaching to open the door as he steps away. She hesitates for a moment before she turns back to him. "Do you want to come in?"
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yes."
"You realize that if I come in we may…."
"Yes."
"What about Emma?"
"She has her own room."
"And what about tomorrow morning?"
"We'll deal with that then. I want you here tonight." She says quietly as he walks back to her.
"If you want me here, I'll stay." He says, as she opens the door. They walk in and he closes the door behind them.