Battling Destiny (The Piper Anderson Series Book 6) (7 page)

“I guess we could come by for a little while. I’d like a chance for Frankie to meet her aunt as well.” Jules looked down at her baby and struggled with the thought of facing Michael again.

“Josephine will be over the moon when she meets you both. She adores Michael and wants him to be happy. Please bring your friends as well. They are all welcome.” Tabitha, seemingly rebounded from her emotional shock, made her way to the door.

“Thank you very much. We’ll come for lunch then.”

“A car will be here to pick you up at noon. One of my drivers will come and help you bring the baby and her things.”

“I’d like to bring something. What will we be having? I could bring a dessert.” Though Jules knew she wouldn’t be whipping anything up in a hotel she thought it rude to show up empty-handed.

“What’s your favorite food, dear? My chefs can make anything you like. No need to bring anything. Everything will be handled.”

“I’m a down-home country girl at heart. I like any kind of southern cooking. I couldn’t pick a favorite really.”

“Don’t you worry about a thing. You just get in the car when it comes to get you and the rest will work out.” She leaned in and hugged Jules who entered the embrace stiffly, but then gave in. She needed a good hug tonight. “All of this will work out, and we’ll be a big happy family.”

Michael checked his phone again to see if Jules had replied to any of his text messages or calls. He had barely slept because the look on Jules’s face had haunted him most of the night. Getting out of bed and facing the sun was making him feel sick to his stomach.

For the hundredth time the screen on his phone was still blank. Sending her away, begging her to leave the event, had ripped out his guts, but he didn’t know of any other way. He wanted desperately to keep Jules from being pulled into this life he hated. The last thing he wanted was for her to be like a flimsy house in the wake of his mother’s tornado: ripped up and destroyed. He was counting the minutes until he could get on a plane and get the hell out of here. Even though Jules had told him he wouldn’t be welcomed back he had to believe he could explain and then, with time, she’d forgive him. He needed to believe that, or he’d go mad.

“Michael, you remember Isobel Corey from the Gazette?” Michael’s mother hummed in her fake singsong voice as she approached him in the entryway of her home with the familiar woman in tow.

“Vaguely,” Michael retorted flatly as the woman stretched her hand out for him to shake. “I recall years ago you wrote a piece on me proposing to Elizabeth even though that never happen. It caused quite a few problems for me, especially with her parents.”

“People want a juicy story, Mr. Cooper. I think you can understand that, being from such a prominent family.” Her pink shimmery lips curled into a devilish smile. Isobel met all the stereotypes of a society reporter. From her power business suit to her over-styled blond hair. She was not a person; she was a persona.

“Is that what brings you here this morning? Hunting a hot story? I have to warn you, I’m not some kid anymore. I know my way around a libel lawsuit these days.” Michael pulled his phone from his pocket, and checked for a response from Jules, and when there was still nothing he busied himself with scrolling through email. He wouldn’t give his mother or Isobel much of his attention if he didn’t need to. His flight was in four hours, which was all he’d focus on.

“I
am
writing an article, but I’m sure you’ll like this one. It paints you as the prodigal child returning to swoop in and take the helm after your father’s unexpected death. It might also mention something about you being the most eligible bachelor in the city.” Her smug smile had Michael clamping his jaw down so tight his teeth ground together audibly.

“Your accuracy is as astounding as usual,” Michael hissed as he began to walk away, no longer caring about keeping up appearances. Let them call him a jerk. Let people start asking questions about the perfect Cooper family falling apart. Once people started digging into his father’s illegal business practices and embezzling, the house of cards would fall anyway. Why should he bother trying to hold it up in the meantime?

Before he could reach the hallway the loud chimes of the doorbell rang. The doorman, Ben, a man he’d known since he was five years old, scurried obediently past him toward the door. It was enough to slow Michael down, though he had no intention of stopping. It wasn’t until he heard his mother’s greeting that he froze in his tracks.

“Jules, you’re here,” she squealed, and Michael thought for sure he’d heard her wrong. It couldn’t possibly be his wife here in his parents’ home. His mother couldn’t possibly know her name or have invited her here. But he knew full well, with his mother, anything was possible. When he spun around he saw Jules’s fire red hair glimmering in the sunlight that streamed in behind her from the open door. Then in stepped Piper, holding Frankie in her arms. This was his worst nightmare come to life. With all his might he’d tried to keep these worlds from colliding, and now he could see he’d failed. His attempts had been no match for his mother’s reckless selfishness.

“Hello Tabitha,” Jules replied, and it nearly took Michael’s feet out from under him to know his wife was on a first name basis with his mother.

“And who’s this?” Isobel asked, her journalistic inquisitiveness taking over and ignoring any regard for privacy.

“This is my daughter-in-law, Michael’s wife, Jules. And this,” Tabitha cooed as she scooped Frankie into her arms, “is my granddaughter, François. Isn’t she gorgeous?”

At that sight, the ringing in Michael’s ears stopped and his seething anger took over. He marched toward his mother and plucked his daughter away. It had been hard to send Jules away last night, damn near impossible. But staring at the plump cheeks of his daughter and her red ringlets of hair, he knew he’d be sending no one away this morning. The smile that spread across the baby’s face at the sight of her father was undeniably sweet. Though everything felt like it was crashing down around him, there was shelter beneath his daughter’s little laughter.

“How in the world did you keep this quiet?” Isobel asked, punching something into her phone as she spoke. “You’ve fallen off the radar here and reemerge with a wife and daughter. People are going to go mad for this story. You’ll be on the cover of the paper tomorrow. I can get a photographer here in an hour.” Like a shark who’d gotten a whiff of blood across the ocean, the reporter was racing toward her prey.

“No,” Michael boomed. “We’re not posing for photographers and becoming tomorrow’s gossip. We’re eating lunch and leaving. My family isn’t staying in Ohio.”

“Do I sense some bad blood?” Isobel asked, with a raised eyebrow as her fingers froze on the keypad of her phone.

“Not at all,” Tabitha cut in and put her arm around Jules. “You know how private Michael is about his personal life. He doesn’t want his beautiful wife’s face splashed across every paper tomorrow morning.”

“Even without photos the story is going to run. I’d be mad not to be the one to break it. It’s the media age, Michael.” Isobel’s apology was nothing but empty words as she tossed her phone back in her bag. “Sorry I can’t stay for lunch now, Tabitha, but I have work to do. I’ll show myself out.” Not seeming to mind looking ridiculous or rude, Isobel broke into a near sprint as she headed out the door.

“Perfect, Mother. I’m sure that timing was no coincidence. Nothing you do ever is,” Michael growled and then stopped suddenly as his daughter yanked on his ear and giggled again. It was damn hard being angry when he was holding the best thing that had ever happened to him.

“Jules,” Michael started as he realized there was so much he wanted to say, but none of it was something he’d like to share in front of his mother. Now as his sister came running down the steps, skipping two at a time, he knew the conversation would need to wait.

“Are they here? Is this my niece?” Josephine shrieked as she nearly bowled Michael over to get to the baby.

“Yes dear, this is your niece and your sister-in-law, Jules,” Tabitha explained, tightening her grip on Jules’s shoulder. Jules was smiling broadly, clearly unaware of the danger these people carried with them. Michael glanced over his shoulder at Piper whose expression was flat as she took in every word passing between them.

That was what had made Michael and Piper great friends in the first place. A healthy skepticism and an ability to read between the lines of a conversation was something they both did well. Jules, on the other hand, gave everyone the benefit of the doubt.

“I can’t believe you got married and had a baby and didn’t tell us. Who does that?” Josephine asked as she scooped Frankie out of Michael’s arms and began planting kisses on her chubby cheeks.

“It doesn’t matter, we’re all together now and that’s what counts. Everything else can be worked out. Now lunch is about to be served,” Tabitha announced through her plastered-on smile.

“I need to talk to Jules,” Michael insisted.

“There will be plenty of time after lunch for that. I don’t want the food to be cold.” Tabitha began walking with her arm around Jules, ignoring Michael’s words.

“Mother, I don’t care about the damn food. I need to speak to my wife in private.” Michael’s booming voice was not something Jules had heard frequently. He knew that, and judging by the look on her face, she didn’t like it.

“Michael, we can talk right after lunch. Don’t be so rude.” Jules tilted her head and raked over him with her eyes as though he were suddenly a stranger.

“That’s right,” Tabitha smiled, turning and hugging Jules tightly. They all headed toward the large dining area, and Michael hung back for a moment to catch Piper’s ear.

“This is bad,” he said in a grumbling whisper. “She doesn’t understand what’s going on here.”

“That’s because you left without telling her. You didn’t tell any of us,” Piper whispered back, her face washed with worry.

“We’re leaving after lunch. All of us are getting on a plane and getting the hell out of here. I need you to help make sure that happens.”

“Fine. But why?” Piper asked, staring up at Michael.

“Because you trust me.”

Seeing Michael holding Frankie had settled the rough seas of Jules’s heart for a moment, but the tide turned again when she heard him bark madly at his mother. Since she’d met him, Michael had been a constant beacon of self-control. He maneuvered situations with the utmost respect for people. Yet he was treating his own mother like garbage. Tabitha was right, something was very wrong with him.

All thoughts of Michael evaporated for a moment as the two large doors to the dining room were opened by white-gloved men in tailored suits. The room was massive and embellished with gold trim and scrawling floral patterns across the walls. The length of the table was greater than Betty’s entire kitchen and dining room combined. With dark mahogany furniture and tall, elegant centerpieces, the room looked fit for royalty.

Jules had daydreamed many days away, thinking about eating in a room like this. She was one of those small town girls with big city tastes. When other girls were playing with dolls, she was cutting out clothes from fashion magazines and mixing and matching designs. Rather than being boy crazy, for years Jules was clothes crazy. She drooled over fashion and as she got older that morphed into interior design as well. Though she could never afford it, that never stopped her from imagining it as a part of her life. 

“In honor of Jules I had Genevieve prepare some southern dishes I’m sure you’ll love. Perhaps even as much as your mother’s.” Tabitha gestured to each chair letting everyone know his or her place. “You’ll be here by me, Jules, and Michael you’ll be across over there.”

Jules watched as Michael ground his teeth together and rolled his eyes. She couldn’t believe how different and disrespectful he was being and she was actually glad not to be sitting next to him.

“You can put the baby right here.” Tabitha smiled widely as she gestured toward a cream-colored highchair.

“That’s a Bebe-Alesio highchair, isn’t it? They’re imported from Italy. I heard they only made a hundred of them,” Jules swooned, running her hand along the fabric seat as though she were touching a treasure.

“It is,” Tabitha said with a breathy laugh. “You really know your designers. I can tell you have wonderful taste.”

“I’m a little bit of a fashion addict.” Jules felt her cheeks flush as she slid Frankie into the beautiful plush seat.

“Have you spent much time in Paris? The dresses there are head and shoulders above anything you can find in the States.” Josephine took a seat next to Michael, and Piper sat on the other side of Tabitha. Jules felt a lump grow in her throat as she tried to answer Josephine’s question.

“I haven’t been to Paris. I’d love to go someday.” Jules took the napkin that was elegantly folded into some kind of bird and opened it as she placed it across her lap. She knew her cheeks were now burning fire engine red.

“We’ll have to all see Paris this summer. It’s a wonderful place for Frankie to visit, and you and I can meet with some designers for some special tailor-made dresses.” Tabitha patted Jules’s leg and then waved for the men in the corner of the room to start serving.

“I wouldn’t have anywhere to wear designer dresses,” Jules said, clearing her throat. “Back in Edenville we don’t have many galas. Since I’ve had Frankie I’m lucky to get out of yoga pants on an average day. I love beautiful fashion, but I don’t wear it. Admiring it in magazines is about as close as I get.”