Battling Destiny (The Piper Anderson Series Book 6) (11 page)

“That sounds good,” Piper agreed, and Jules sighed with relief that Piper wasn’t letting her attitude get in the way of Tabitha’s gracious offer.

As they all hit the sidewalk, Tabitha put her phone to her ear and gave an abrupt order to someone. “Piper, there will be a car here for you in just a few minutes. They’ll take you back to your hotel and then over to the house for you to settle in. Jules and I will likely be late so the cook will fix you dinner.”

Without waiting for Piper to respond, Tabitha and Jules were ducking into the waiting car and the driver was closing the door behind them.

“She means well,” Jules explained as she fastened her seatbelt and slipped her lipstick from her purse. She’d gotten out of the habit of reapplying regularly and now she was forcing herself to make it a priority again.

“She seems sweet, just not accustomed to this type of lifestyle. I’m sure it’s not how she grew up.”

“If you only knew how she grew up you’d never look at her the same way. She’s been through hell. As a matter of fact she was still going through it when we met her.” Jules smacked her lips together smearing the red lipstick and tucked it and her mirror away again.

“Like what?” Tabitha asked, looking genuinely interested in what Jules had to say.

“It’s kind of a long story, but she grew up in New York City. She was completely poor and badly abused. When she got older, the man she believed to be her father killed her mother and nearly killed her. That scar she mentioned was from him. He carved a number into her thigh. She was relocated to Edenville where I grew up. The problem was that man wasn’t done with her. She and I became friends and in order to get to her, he kidnapped me. I have that same scar on my leg now. I hate it.”

“You won’t have to hate it for much longer. I’m going to get you in touch with my plastic surgeon. No one should have to be reminded of something so horrific. I can’t believe you were kidnapped. What happened to the man?”

“He was killed. It was really crazy for a while. I didn’t think Piper would survive it. And if she did I certainly didn’t think she’d go on to live such a normal life. She married my best friend, Bobby, and she’s going to school to help other children who are dealing with abuse. It’s remarkable really.”

“I’d say it is,” Tabitha smiled. “It’s remarkable you’ve remained friends with her. It sounds like she’s brought quite a bit of chaos to your lives.”

“She’s brought a lot of good things too,” Jules defended. “We’re all very close now. My mother has taken everyone under her wing. Piper and Bobby are godparents to Frankie. We have a very good life in Edenville.”

“I have no doubt you do. It’s likely great for you and Michael, but have you thought about how it is for Frankie?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I just see you and think how much potential you have. You fit right in here. You’re gorgeous, smart, and very sophisticated. You don’t seem to be reaching your potential in Edenville. What opportunities are there really for someone like you?”

“None,” Jules admitted, staring down at her chipping nail polish. It had been so long since she’d gone to the salon and had them done. She’d had to settle for painting them herself during Frankie’s much too short naps.

“I’m sure Frankie could do well in a place like this. My children went to the best schools, saw the best doctors, and have benefited greatly from that. You know Josephine had a terrible speech delay. If not for the incredible intervention she received she’d never be as successful as she is today. Have you given thought to where Frankie will go to school?”

“She’s just a baby,” Jules shot back, missing her daughter immensely at the moment.

“Here she’d already be on a waiting list for kindergarten. The private schools are incredibly competitive. Now, because she is a Cooper, she’d have no problem getting in. There would be very little in this city she couldn’t do with that last name. She could travel the world and so could you.” Tabitha’s face was lit with a kind of excitement that made Jules imagine what her life could be.

“Our home has been in Edenville. My mother is there. Piper and Bobby are there. I can’t imagine leaving them,” Jules explained. But the truth was she
could
imagine it. She had been since she tried on that dress a little while ago.

“It’s a big city and we have plenty of property. It’s not as though they couldn’t spend time out here, too. You’re thinking too much about logistics and how that works with your life today. You’re thinking plane tickets and hotels. You need to be thinking private jets whenever you like and guesthouses. I’m not foolish. I understand that our life is a bit extravagant. But the benefit to that is limitless possibilities for accommodating anything.”

“I suppose I never really thought about that. I guess if it meant we’d be able to spend time in both places or family could come to us whenever they wanted, I wouldn’t mind being out here.”

“I can’t think of a thing in the world that would make me happier. We genuinely need Michael to run some of these business issues and the charities. We can’t do it without him. But it doesn’t mean he needs to be here all the time. You could spend summers here and winters down there. It’s just something to think about. Michael isn’t open to it right now, but I don’t think he’s really thinking about Frankie’s future or even your happiness. You deserve to hop on a plane next week and spend the afternoon in Rome with Josephine and me while we pick out jewelry for the wedding. Frankie should be going to the best pediatrician with state of the art technology. I think deep down Michael knows that, but he likely doesn’t want to take you from your home.”

“Like you said, though,” Jules cut in, “it’s not as though home is that far away. Or that people couldn’t come spend time with us whenever they wanted. It wouldn’t be impossible to make it work. It’s certainly something to think about.”

“I’m so glad you feel that way. Now that I’m here with you I can’t imagine not having you, Frankie, and Michael in our lives on a more regular basis. Now the only thing we have to do is figure out how to convince Michael that letting Josephine and me back into his heart is the right thing to do. I know he’s never forgiven me for supporting my husband, but his father and I were married for thirty-four years. We were best friends. Having to choose between them was an impossible task, and I knew that Michael would land on his feet no matter what he did. His father needed me more,” Tabitha croaked as a stray tear trailed down her face. She reached in her bag and grabbed a lace-trimmed handkerchief to dab at the wetness.

Jules reached her hand out and clutched Tabitha’s shaking shoulder. “I completely understand. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in that position. Michael will come around. I believe that.”

As the car slowed to a stop at a glass front building, Jules let her mind spin through all the ways she could help mend this broken family. Wasn’t that what this group had done all along? Hadn’t so many hearts been reunited through their efforts over the years? Surely Michael’s family could be just one more wounded little birdy that they all nursed back to health.

The door to the car was pulled open, and like a switch being flipped off, Tabitha managed to regain her bubbly composure as she clasped the hand of a man helping her out of the car. And just like that, the whirlwind of pampering began. Before Jules could blink there was a sparkling water in her hand and the earthy smells of an upscale spa took over her senses.

“Get ready, dear,” Tabitha squealed as she looped her arm around Jules. “You’re about to have a life-changing experience.”

Jules clutched the plush robe that had just been handed to her and she chanted silently:
I deserve this. I’ve earned this.

Michael pushed another stack of paperwork to the side of his father’s desk. He was making progress. Slowly but surely he was filing forms and understanding the depth of the problems his father had created. It was ugly, but as the clock above the door chimed eight thirty at night, he knew he had to take a break. He’d promised to talk to Jules tonight and explain more about his reasoning for keeping her from this place and why they needed to leave as soon as they could. She deserved that from him. And he hadn’t held Frankie since just after lunch; the smell of her powdery skin was still lingered on the collar of his shirt.

As he pushed the large chair away from his desk he heard the familiar coo of his daughter’s voice echoing up the hallway. Perfect timing. He got to his feet and headed for the door. Expecting to see his wife he peeked his head out playfully, ready to kiss her. Instead he was met with Piper’s extended hand shoving his face away.

“What are you doing?” she croaked as she pushed his face back a little and adjusted Frankie on her hip.

“I thought you were Jules,” Michael muttered, rubbing his cheek and extending his arms to take Frankie. His heart flooded with much missed happiness as she nearly leaped into his arms.

“Jules is still out with your mom. I thought she’d be home from the spa by now, but I guess they must have gone somewhere after.” Piper wrung her hands nervously as she spoke.

“You were supposed to stay with her. I told you how conniving my mother is. You can’t let her get her claws in Jules.”

“I didn’t want Frankie to be put to bed by some stranger. I knew you were busy trying to get the hell out of here. Plus I’m not sure there is all that much I can do to keep Jules from falling for your mother’s attempts to impress her. Once she bought her a five thousand dollar dress this morning for your sister’s engagement party everything I was saying fell on deaf ears. Jules is not pretentious or anything, but she’s damn tired and you put her through the wringer coming out here. It’s not taking very much to get her all caught up. You know as well as I do that Edenville has always felt too small for her. She loves this stuff, and she’s finally getting a taste of it.”

“So, what, you’re giving up?” Michael asked, starting his tone rough and then softening the edges as he thought of his daughter in his arms.

“No, I’m letting you know that it’s not going to be as simple as just telling Jules that your mom has an agenda or that she’s selfish. You’re going to need to really explain to her what’s going on here.”

“I was going to tonight but I guess my mother is keeping her out late to try to keep me from doing that. But come tomorrow morning everything will be different.” Michael squeezed his daughter a little tighter as she rested her tired head on his shoulder.

“And what exactly happens tomorrow?” Piper asked, looking skeptically up at Michael.

“I’m going to take a play from my mother’s book and see how she likes it. She won’t know what hit her. Then she’ll realize trying to get to me through Jules won’t work.”

“Your mother doesn’t strike me as someone to back down just because her first plan doesn’t work. She wants you here. She wants you running all this so she doesn’t lose what she has, am I right?”

“Yes, but I have no intention of staying here and paying for my father’s crimes. I won’t turn into him. I won’t watch my wife get sucked into the wake of my mother’s insanity and selfishness. I’m ending this now. All of it.”

“It sounds like you’re starting a war.”

“I’d fight a war to keep them safe. I know this is a different kind of danger than you’ve had in your life, and maybe it doesn’t seem as bad, but it’s just a different kind of bad; trust me. My mother will stop at nothing to keep this life going, but what she doesn’t understand is there is no way to maintain the charade anymore. They got too greedy and it was all falling apart long before my father died. His death was just the tipping point. This was a long time coming.”

“Is that why you left? You knew it wasn’t sustainable?” Piper patted Frankie’s back gently and Michael watched as the baby’s eyes fluttered heavily, weighed down by the sandman.

“I left because my father betrayed me, and I couldn’t look at him the same way again. I idolized him, and he ripped my heart out and stomped on it.” The heaviness of this topic wasn’t Michael’s style. He was the one who broke tension through jokes and levity. Luckily he and Piper were a lot a like.

“Geesh, the guy I thought was my father only tried to stab me a couple times. He never tried to rip my heart out,” she joked.

“The only thing we can do,” Michael whispered, watching his daughters eyes finally close as she fought to stay awake, “is do a better job than they did. This baby is never going to go through any of that. She belongs in Edenville. We all do. We’re better there. Now I need you to keep doing your best to keep Jules focused. Things are going to blow up tomorrow. I need her to come out on my side.”

“I’m sure she will. Your mom might be good, but not that good. Jules loves you and she’s not going to take your mother’s side just because she spent one day at the spa.”

“Don’t underestimate her or the spa. That place messes with your head.”

“I never pegged you for a pedicure kind of guy,” Piper joked quietly as Michael handed her back a sleeping Frankie.

“I’m embarrassed how well I know my way around a spa. I think I missed the deep sea mask the most when I left for Edenville.”

“You are so lucky Bobby isn’t here to listen to this. You’d never live it down.”

“Joke all you want. When we’re all old I’ll be the only one without wrinkles. Then who will be laughing?”