Chasing Vivi(58)

"It looks lovely on you, dear," Sara says.

Then they hand Prescott an envelope. I'm sure it's money or stocks or  something. He sticks it in his pocket after he thanks them profusely and  hugs both of them.

Not much later, the doorbell rings, and Sara claps her hands. "Oh, good,  that will be Melinda and Robert. They're on time for a change."

Melinda is related to Prescott on Sara's side. Sara had a cousin who  passed and it's her daughter. She usually comes for Christmas dinner  every year. She was present for the debacle last year. Prescott is fond  of Melinda and Robert. They're older, in their forties, and live farther  out than here, so he doesn't see them often.         

     



 

After all the introductions are made, we sit around and talk before an  impressive dinner is served. Sara laughs when I compliment her on the  wonderful meal. "Oh, darling, you must tell my lovely cook, Letty, who's  been with us for years now. Bless her, she came in today because you  really wouldn't want to eat my cooking."

Prescott laughs. "Oh, I don't know. Those hot dogs you made last year  were pretty darn good." They fill me in on the meal they ate after his  dad acted like an ass.

"Well, I love hot dogs."

Sara leans forward conspiratorially. "I do too, but don't tell anyone." Then she winks. I laugh at her.

"Grand can't cook, so don't ever let her try to fool you. One time she  tried to make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I almost choked to  death," Prescott says.

"You too?" Melinda asks. "I thought I was gonna die. There was so much  peanut butter on the thing it got jammed in my throat. I didn't know  what to do."

"Exactly! I'd taken a huge bite and you know how peanut butter is. It  was all gobbed up in my mouth, so I couldn't spit it out. A nightmare.  Never again."

"Thank you. I did that intentionally so you two would never ask me to make a lunch for you again."

I'm sitting and observing the exchange. Sara is in heaven. She adores these two and loves to be the center of their attention.

"Prescott, I can't wait for you and Vivi to have kids. I'll make that child one, too."

Whoa. Again? She's sure set on us having children. Has Prescott shared  something with her? My eyes dart to him and his are glued to me. A smile  tugs at the corners of his mouth like he actually enjoys this idea.  Maybe I do too, but I don't know if I can admit it quite yet.

After dinner, we all decide we're not quite ready for dessert, so we go  and sit in the large living room where a huge fire is burning. The snow  has continued to fall all day and by now there's a fair amount on the  ground. I peek out the window and gaze at it longingly.

"Want to go out and play?" Prescott asks.

"I don't know. I don't really have any boots."

"Grand does. She'll let you borrow some."

When I'm appropriately dressed in Hunter Boots and a warm weatherproof  jacket, Prescott and I go out for a romp in the snow. He takes me out  back where the gardens are in the summer and we hold hands as he  explains where Sara's different flowers are.

"In the winter she spends time in the city, but when the spring hits,  you can find her right here, on her knees, digging in the dirt."

"Really?"

"Yes, and her flowers are unreal. I can't wait to show you. She'll have  to tell you what she plants because I'm not good with flower names. But  she sets it up so there's always something in bloom. You'll love it."

We're about to head back in when he bends down and throws snow in my  face. It escalates into a war, but I'm no good at making snowballs, so I  jump on him instead. We both fall to the ground, me on top, and it ends  up in a kissing session.

"I like snowy Vivi."

"Mmm, so do I. This is fun."

"I'll have to take you ice skating," he says.

"I've never been. Is it fun?" I ask.

"Yeah, if you don't fall too much."

"Are you any good?"

He waggles his brows. "I can hold my own, though I'd never score a goal."

"Could you prevent me from falling?"

"Sure, if you don't do anything wild."

I brush his hair back. "No, just a plain old-fashioned fall."

"Hmm, maybe I want you to fall. Hard."

"What do you mean?"

"For me."

Grabbing his bottom lip with my teeth, I say, "Already have."

After I let it go, he says, "Good, because you know I've fallen for you, too. I'm so in love with you, Vivi Renard."





Chapter 35





Prescott





I hadn't planned on telling her again, but it was as good a time as any. The smile I received in return was worth every word.

"I'm in love with you, too," she says. Then she gives me a loud smacking  kiss and giggles like hell. It's the first time she's actually said the  words and not just insinuated them, and I feel like I've been  sucker-punched. It takes me a moment to recover.

"I think they heard that all the way inside."

"Great. That was my plan."

"I guess we should go back in."

Vivi gives me a huge smile. "Guess we should. I need to tell Sara I'm in love with her grandson."         

     



 

"You do that." I can't wipe the smile off my face.

I help her up and brush the snow off her. Then we walk back holding  hands. What a weird thing to do. I've always hated this kind of crap and  now it's all I want to do.

We eat our desserts sitting around the fire and soon after, Melinda and  Robert take off for home. We promise to get together soon.

Grand and Vivi sit close and chat. I hear something about flowers.  Vivi's probably asking about the gardens. Granddad and I discuss a  little business and suddenly there's a loud commotion at the front door.  I look up to see my father rushing into the room, shouting. What the  hell is he doing here?

"Isn't this a cozy sight?" he snarls. "I know what you're up to. Isn't  it enough that you kicked me out of the company? But now you're planning  on kicking me out of my own home-the home I raised you in? The home  your mother and I shared. Prescott, I don't know what's gotten into you,  but is this a way to repay the man who raised you, who made all kinds  of sacrifices for you?"

I sit, rigid as stone, mentally ticking off the things he just said to  make sure I heard them correctly. Then I take a few deep breaths to get  my thoughts lined up.

"You must be delusional," I begin. "First off, the house isn't yours and  it never was. Second, you were kicked out of the company because of  your own poor decision-making. Third, you do know what's gotten into me.  It's that lying wife of yours. If you'd bother to fact check, you might  figure a lot out. Why don't you start with the pool boy down in West  Palm?" I shake my head in disgust. "And finally, these fine people in  here raised me, not you. They're the ones who did the sacrificing, not  you. I have nothing further to say to you. Leave now." By the end, my  voice is booming.

He glares at me. "You're nothing but-"

"Yeah, I know. A disappointment. You want to know something? You're a  bigger disappointment as a father and quite frankly you make me sick.  You let my mother down. You verbally abused her. You knew she was  depressed, you knew she needed help, and you did nothing, and for that I  hold you personally responsible for her death. You knew you weren't my  biological father and yet you did nothing. You sat there and watched her  spiral toward her demise all because you wanted to benefit financially.  Doesn't that make you a big man? Aren't you proud of yourself? I was  going to wait until after the holidays to discuss this with you, but now  that you're here, you should plan on vacating my house by next week.  Now get out of here."

Evil spews from his eyes as he raises a fist. "You'll regret this one day. Mark my words."

"I seriously doubt it."

He storms out and I stare at the empty space in front of me. Then a  vision fills that space. Vivi kneels before me. "Are you okay?"

I lift her off her knees and pull her into my arms. "I am now. Your face, your presence is what I need."

Her arms wind around me. "I'm yours. Always."

It's not really the place or time, but I don't give a damn. Grabbing her  cheeks, I kiss her. Then I hear Granddad clear his throat and Vivi  pulls away, nervous laughter bubbling out of her.

Grand claps her hands. "It's so nice to see such a happy ending to a bad  interruption. But, Scotty, are you really going to force him to move  out so soon? You know he can drag his feet if he wants to. You might be  in for a battle."

"I do know, and I was talking off the top of my pissed-off head. I  really don't care when he moves out. I'm selling the place anyway. I'd  never live there with the memories I have."

Vivi squeezes my arm, giving me her support.

"He could claim squatter's rights or something equally ridiculous," Grand says.

I blow that one away. "He won't because I'd sue and he won't want his name dragged through the mud or the press."