A White Picket Fence Page 12

  “Oh, that’s unfortunate. Your father was looking forward to spending time with him.”

  “My father?” Lina paused with a pair of Phil’s socks in her hand. “What are you talking about?”

  “I thought I told you he was coming with me.”

  “Coming with you?” Lina sat down on the edge of her bed. “Coming with you to my house?”

  “Yes. He’s visiting for the weekend. He got in last night.”

  “He’s staying with you?” Lina asked incredulously, having a hard time comprehending what she was hearing. “Drew is staying at your house with you?”

  “Yes, Lina. We have three children together. I think it’s acceptable for him to spend the night.”

  “Does his wife know he’s staying with you?”

  “He’s divorced. I thought you knew that.”

  “No, I didn’t know that.” Lina looked towards the door as Phil entered the room. “Mom, I have to go. We can talk when I get back.”

  “I thought I’d have a barbeque Sunday night. He’d love to see you and Phil.”

  “I don’t know. I have a lot going on right now.”

  “Lina, he’s your father.”

  “I’m not getting into this with you right now. I will talk to you when I get back.”

  “I need to talk to you about a beginner’s astrology class Katie is interested in taking.”

  “Mom, no. You know how we feel about that. I’m going to be late. I’ll talk to you when I get back.”

  “It’s something she’s very interested in,” Alice insisted.

  “I’m not sure how that’s possible, considering you aren’t supposed to be showing her any of that stuff, but I’m not getting into it right now. Phil is home, and I need to finish getting ready. Thanks again for taking care of the kids,” Lina said before ending the call.

  “You’re not ready?” Phil asked. He looked pointedly at her open suitcase as he walked towards his wardrobe. “You said on the phone you were ready.”

  “I’ll be ready before you finish changing,” she answered. “That was my mom. My father is going to be staying here with her this weekend. I think they’re a couple.”

  Phil turned back to her. “We don’t even know him. I don’t want him staying in my house.”

  “What do you think he’s going to do?”

  “I have no idea,” he said shortly. “You don’t have a problem with him being around the kids?”

  Lina considered the question. “No. Maybe it will be interesting for them.” She turned back to the suitcase on the bed. “He is their grandfather.”

  “Your mom knows to stay in the guest room, right? I don’t want him in this room.”

  “He’s a professor, Phil. Not a thief. But yes, my mom always stays in the guest room.”

  “The man abandoned his family and isn’t fit to step in this house. If he’s still here when we get back, I’ll tell him that personally.”

  The wedding was being held at the Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia, a two-hour drive from Lina and Phil’s home in Maryland. Like Wayne and Diane, they decided to go up a day early to enjoy dinner at the Inn’s five-star restaurant and hopefully some quality time together away from children, computers and cell phones.

  “The two of you seem normal, happy,” Diane commented when the men went out onto the balcony to enjoy cigars. They were in Lina and Phil’s private cottage where they’d come after dining together in the Main Inn.

  “If I don’t think about her we are. I’m not sure how I’ll be tomorrow. I just can’t believe she’s coming, knowing I’ll be here.”

  “It’s very nervy,” Diane agreed. “Just remember that it’s over, and he’s yours.”

  “And therein lies the problem,” Lina said as she stared into her wine glass. “He is mine, and he was when she decided to sleep with him. I’m not sure if I’m capable of spending an entire evening around her without confronting her.”

  17

  Lina pressed her lips together in an attempt to blend her lipstick as she stepped back from the mirror. She looked about as good as she could, she decided. Her makeup brought out her large eyes and high cheekbones, and her thick, dark hair fell in soft waves around her bare shoulders. She wore a sleeveless gold-and-beige Mandalay dress, which hugged her slim figure and accentuated her curves. It was a perfect balance of sexy and sophisticated.

  “Is everything okay in there?” Phil’s voice preceded the sound of his knuckles tapping the door lightly. “I have a gin and tonic out here for you.”

  Lina opened the door. “I need you to zip me up.”

  “Wow,” he said, his eyes traveling over her. “You’re stunning.”

  “It cost you two thousand, seven hundred dollars.” It was four times more than she had ever spent on a dress, but after seeing her reflection in the dressing room mirror and hearing Diane’s urging, she decided to splurge.

  “It was worth it,” he said.

  She took the glass from his hand and took a sip as he zipped her dress. “I want you to point her out to me.”

  “Lina—”

  “I don’t want to be caught unaware.” She took another swallow from her glass.

  “Please don’t get drunk.”

  “You gave me the drink.” She felt strangely calm, the nervousness from the prior days gone.

  “I realize that, but you’re gulping it down.” He watched her finish it.

  “Thank you.” She held out her glass.

  “I’m having a hard time gauging your mood. What’s going on in your head?”

  “Nothing. You look handsome.” Lina ran her hand over the lapel of his jacket. In a custom-cut black tux, white shirt and black tie, his looks could rival a movie star’s.

  “You’re making me nervous. Did you take something?” He tilted his head slightly as he looked into her eyes.

  “No, I didn’t take something. What would I have taken?”

  “Promise me you aren’t going to seek her out.”

  She met his eyes. “I promise.”

  He squeezed her hands. “Lina, I’m a partner. Half the guests probably work for me. You need to behave.”

  “I promised. And what do you think I’m going to do?”

  “I have no idea, but you seem off.”

  “I’m not off. If anything, I’m on.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Remember the girl you met all those years ago? The one we lost that night?”

  He drew in a breath, squeezing her hands. “We didn’t lose her. She’s standing right in front of me.”

  “But we lost part of her—the tough part, the part that was never afraid. Do you remember her?”

  “Yes.” His voice was hesitant, unsure.

  “I don’t think she was lost. I think she was just buried.”

  About two hundred white wooden chairs faced a simple white arbor covered in green ivy with dozens of candles to the left and right. Lina and Phil were seated on the bride’s side midway down and towards the center aisle, beside Wayne and Diane. Despite a light breeze, Lina knew the men were warm in their tuxedo jackets. It was a black tie affair, and she let her eyes wander over the guests, amused at how it was acceptable for the men to dress exactly the same, while women were expected to wear unique dresses.

  They were surrounded by familiar faces. All Phil’s partners and their significant others were in attendance, as well as at least two dozen associates. The bride had come to the firm after graduating from law school five years earlier and was popular among her colleagues.

  “She’s two rows up and three seats to the right of yours,” Phil whispered, not long after they took their seats, his warm breath tickling her ear.

  Lina followed his direction, her heart pumping a little harder as she focused on the back of a blonde head. And then the head was turning, and she watched as Kim’s eyes zeroed in on Phil. Kim openly stared at him for seconds before her gaze slid to Lina.

  Their eyes met and held. Lina unconsciously l
ifted her chin, not looking away as the other woman blatantly looked her over, and then Kim’s eyes returned to Phil momentarily before she turned back around. Lina released her breath. Kim looked sophisticated and cultured in a classic black strapless dress, no evidence yet of her pregnancy, a string of pearls her only jewelry, her shoulder-length hair cut in long layers. She didn’t look like the type of woman who would settle for the mistress role. She was beautiful.

  “Lina?” Phil whispered, and she realized everyone was standing. She came to her feet and turned to watch the bride and her father making their way down the aisle. She felt the warmth of Phil’s palm as he rubbed his hand over the bare skin of her upper back. “I love you,” he said against her ear. “Only you.”

  A cocktail party in an outdoor garden followed the ceremony, and Lina sipped her wine as she searched the gathering for Kim. “Forget about her, Lina,” Phil whispered against her ear. “Pretend she isn’t here.” They were part of a large group, which seemed to consist entirely of the senior members of the firm and their dates.

  “Where is she?”

  “I have no idea.” He kissed her cheek as he stroked his hand down her arm. “And I don’t care.”

  A question directed at Phil moments later had the conversation turning to lacrosse, and Lina used it as an excuse to separate Diane from the group. “Did you see her staring at me during the ceremony? As if I was the one intruding? There is no way I can go this entire evening without saying something to her.”

  “Let her stare. You’re clearly the one he wants. This is the longest he’s gone without touching you since the ceremony began, and that’s only because his arms aren’t long enough. The man can’t keep his hands off you. That dress was worth every penny.”

  Lina’s gaze shifted to Phil, who was in the midst of telling a story that had the attention of the group around him. Diane was right. She was the one he wanted, but that didn’t make Kim’s presence any more palatable. He said something that elicited shouts of laughter from the group around him, and then he was excusing himself and crossing to her and Diane. “Everything okay?” He ran his hand along the small of Lina’s back to her hip.

  “We’re fine,” Diane assured him. “Just a little girl talk.”

  “Do you need the ladies’ room?” His eyes were on Lina.

  “No.”

  “Why don’t you walk with me?”

  “No thanks,” Lina said, and when he hesitated, she laid her hand on the lapel of his jacket and leaned into him, brushing her lips over his cheek. “I’ll behave. I promise.”

  He caught her lips in a slow kiss. “I’ll be right back.” He kissed her again before walking off.

  “That was perfect,” Diane said.

  “What?” Lina didn’t take her eyes from Phil, watching him wind his way through the crowd, patting a few backs before exiting the room and disappearing from sight.

  “She was watching when he kissed you.”

  Lina slid her half-eaten plate towards Phil, knowing he would finish the remaining food. The band was surprisingly good, the venue was beautiful, and if it weren’t for the presence of his ex-mistress, Lina probably would have been enjoying herself. But with Kim Ryan two tables over, Lina felt a rising anger that seemed to increase with each glass of wine.

  “No, thank you.” Phil covered Lina’s glass when a waiter attempted to pour her more wine.

  “What are you doing?” Lina frowned at him.

  “You’ve had enough.”

  “What I’ve had enough of is her staring at you,” Lina whispered. “And she had the nerve to smile at me twice.

  “Stop looking over there.”

  Lina couldn’t seem to stop herself. And in addition to looking at her, she was imagining her having sex with Phil. She took a deep breath and reached for her wine glass, but then remembered it was empty. “I want another glass.”

  “No.” He curved his arm around her shoulders and lowered his mouth to her ear. “She’s trying to get to you. Don’t give her what she wants.”

  Lina met his eyes. “I hate her.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “When I promised not to seek her out, I didn’t know she’d be goading me all night.”

  “Why don’t we dance?” He nodded towards the dance floor, which was beginning to fill up. “Come on.” He came to his feet. “I promise to try to keep up,” he teased.

  Lina swayed slightly as she came to her feet, and Phil clasped both her arms. “I’m fine,” she assured him when she saw the concern in his eyes. “I just got up too fast.” She was tipsy, not drunk, and she knew she’d be fine on the dance floor.

  They danced for forty minutes, only taking short breaks for Phil to remove his jacket and then tie, moving together effortlessly across the dance floor. For the first time all evening, Lina stopped thinking about Kim.

  She bumped hard into someone to her left. “Excuse me,” she said breathlessly, and found herself face-to-face with Kim, standing in the center of the dance floor with bodies jostling them from all directions. “Get away from me, you whore,” Lina hissed.

  Kim’s eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly regained her composure, and a smile came to her lips as her eyes flicked dismissively over Lina. “Your husband couldn’t get enough of me.”

  Lina swung back her hand and then, for the first time in her life, struck another human being, slapping Kim hard across the face.

  18

  “Slow down or let go of my hand,” Lina said as Phil practically dragged her down the cobblestoned path towards their cottage. “I can’t walk this fast in heels.”

  Phil slowed his stride, but the hold on her hand remained firm. He didn’t say a word until the front door closed behind them. “What in the hell, Lina?” he exploded, turning to face her. “You can’t just hit people.”

  “Obviously, I can,” Lina said as she stepped around him. “I just did.”

  “I know you did,” he said, following. “Everyone in that room is going to know about the affair now.” He tossed his jacket on a chair and then roughly ploughed his fingers back through his hair. “Jesus Christ!”

  “I’d do it again.” She removed one sandal and then the other. “Did you hear what she said to me?”

  “You called her a whore. That’s what I heard.”

  “It’s the truth. She is a whore. And she was baiting me all night.”

  “You assaulted her in front of two dozen witnesses. She could have you arrested.”

  “It would be worth it.”

  “I’m going to go check on her—make sure she doesn’t call the police.”

  “No!” Lina followed him towards the door. “If you go to her, I’m leaving.” There was no way she was going to sit in the cottage by herself while he comforted that woman.

  He turned back to her. “Lina, I know you’re upset, but I need to do this. It’s for your protection.”

  “No! She wants to hear from you. She wants to know you care, and if you care about her, you don’t care about me. You need to choose.”

  “There’s no choice. There was never a choice, and you know it.”

  “Then there’s nothing else to say.”

  “Lina—”

  “Do you know how hard that was? Having to see her tonight? How do you think you would have felt if there was a man in there I—”

  “Okay, okay.” He took her hands. “I’m sorry. Don’t get upset. I’m not going anywhere.” He wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sorry.”

  Katie pushed through the crowd of bodies as she made her way to the back of the house. It was after 11:00 p.m., but with her parents away she didn’t feel pressured to make her curfew. Her father told her to stay in for the weekend, but he neglected to tell her grandma, so when Emma texted her about a party she and Ryan were going to, she decided to tag along, figuring her father would be too busy at the wedding to check on her. She’d even risked having her first beer since coming off restriction, knowing her grandma wouldn’t scrutinize her like her dad
did when she got home.

  She had no idea where Emma was, but she needed air, so she stepped out onto the back deck. That was when she saw Matt. He was leaning back against the deck rail, talking to a girl who was standing too close to just be a friend. Not the blonde she usually saw him with, but one who looked equally sleazy with short shorts and a tight T-shirt.

  Katie hesitated, not sure if she should interrupt him, but then Matt noticed her, and she knew it would be odd if she walked by without acknowledging him. “Hey.”

  “Hey.” His eyes flicked over her and then his attention returned to the girl before him, effectively dismissing Katie.

  When the other girl slipped her hands up his chest, Katie quickly looked away and rushed back into the house, bumping into a boy who was coming out. “Sorry,” she mumbled as she stepped around him. She made her way to the other side of the kitchen where a drinking game was in full swing. “Can I play?”

  Katie was drunk. Not so drunk she didn’t know what she was doing, but drunk enough to not care about the repercussions. “Again?” She looked across the table at the boy who slid a shot glass to her. “I just drank.”

  “I picked you,” he said. “So you have to drink again.”

  Her mind was fuzzy, so she wasn’t sure about the rules or even the game they were playing. “That’s not fair. Make someone else.”

  “I get to pick whoever I want, and I pick you.”

  “Are you trying to get me drunk?”

  “Maybe.” He smiled.

  She shook her head. “Give me a truth or dare instead.”

  “That’s not what we’re playing. Drink it or give up your seat,” another boy demanded.

  “No, it’s okay,” the original boy said. “I dare you to kiss me.”

  Katie squinted her eyes as she looked at him. He was cute, and he wasn’t choosing the sleazy girl on the deck over her. “I can’t reach you.”

  “Come here.” He pushed back his chair.

  Katie stood, and the room spun momentarily, but as soon as she got her bearings she stumbled around the table and dropped down into his lap. “Hi.” Up close he was even cuter. “What kinda kiss do you want?”