Chapter 2

Harvey concentrated on eating the meal, acutely aware of being watched. His mother had greeted him at the doorway as if he was the long-lost prodigal son and made him feel like a jerk who did not deserve anything good. His father had not behaved any better but had pulled him in for a hug and insisted on hearing about his week.

Now, they were watching him, and he felt they were looking for signs of unwell.

Pushing away his plate, he lifted his head and turned to look at them. "Okay, let's have it." His resigned tone had his mother smiling sweetly as she nodded at the maid to remove the plates.

"We missed you."

"We are entitled to." His father added.

"You saw me last Sunday." Harvey pointed out, looking at his brother, who was sipping wine and being no help.

"And we cannot help but feel we should see you more often. Ah, look, darling. Antoine made your favorite dessert. Apple crumble pie."

"What a surprise." He nodded to the maid, who set the plate before him. "Speaking of which- "Picking up his dessert fork, he directed a look to his mother. "I would appreciate it if, in the future, you are going to send someone over to rummage through my things; you will at least alert me first."

"Hilda said you were running out of underwear."

"Mother- "

"I am not going to apologize for being a caring mother," she told him, sniffing.

"I am thirty-two years old and certainly do not need you taking care of me. Silas might need that sort of thing- "

"Hey! The fact that you had nothing clean in either your drawer or your closet says otherwise."

"I picked up some new stuff just before work." He protested.

"That's your solution? Go out and buy new underwear when you run out instead of doing laundry?"

"I don't have time- "

"Precisely." Julia dug into her apple crumble as if the matter was settled. "Hilda will be going over to tidy up once a week. You insisted on moving out of your home, but that does not mean we will stop caring about what happens to you.

You don't have the time to tidy up, and Hilda does not mind. Coming home to a clean house or trailer is something to be grateful for."

Harvey eyed her in frustration. "And if I threaten to move into one of the apartments?"

"Then I will drive Hilda there myself to perform her duties."

Picking up his wineglass, he tried to outstare her, but he was the first to look away, his eyes catching his dad's amused look. "Can't you talk to her?" He demanded.

"I happen to agree with her son. Now, eat up your dessert. Antoine prepared it especially for you."

Giving up, he did just that.

*****

"You are spending the night." Julia's joy knew no bounds as she bustled into his old bedroom suite armed with fresh towels and washcloths.

"It's just one night," Harvey warned. "And you and Dad somehow managed to twist my arm. That said, I am going to be leaving here at the crack of dawn- "

"I will apprise Antoine to make certain he has coffee and a full breakfast to take with you_."

"Mother- "

"No." Putting the towels on the sofa, she came to sit on the edge of the bed next to him. "I am allowed to fuss now and then. I don't see you enough, darling, and worry about you." Lifting a hand, she tucked back tendrils of long dark hairs from his face.

He did not like to be touched; she knew that and only tolerated it from his family. "You are not going to take that away from me."

Biting off a sigh, he trained his silver eyes on her face and felt the affection and love swelling inside his chest.

They had both taken a chance on him, even after how he behaved growing up. They had shown him a love beyond anything he had ever seen. He supposed he could allow her to fuss over him; it's not like it happened frequently.

"You are right." He smiled at her, one hand gently cupping her face. "You are quite the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." He grinned as the flush stained her porcelain cheeks.

"Go on with you." She closed a hand over his and held it there, eyes shimmering with tears. I will let you get some sleep." She seemed reluctant to let him go but managed to get off the bed and go to take up the towels. I will see you before you leave."

He did not bother arguing because he knew it would not make a difference.

"Thanks."

He watched her put away the towels and leave the room. Rising, he took a few steps until he was in the middle of the room. The board floors had the highest sheen, the pale blonde wood reflecting the recessed lights surrounding the concave roof.

It had been him since he arrived at the manor, and he recalled the first time he entered the long circular driveway and how awed and impressed he had been by the rolling hills and the lush green grass.

He had done his very best to appear nonchalant and bored, telling himself that there was no way these rich folks would keep him for the long stretch. When he was shown into his suite of rooms and told that he could redecorate it any way he wanted to, he did not believe them and thought it was a test.

Shaking his head, he undressed and put on an old sweat and t-shirt in deference to his family. Some of his clothes were still hanging inside the closet, and the place was just how he had left it, except that it was kept tidy.

He was about to leave the enclosed balcony when he heard the doors opening.

"Goddammit!" he swore ripely. "Now I distinctly remember why I moved the hell out of here. Can't a man get some peace?"

"I am not going to apologize," Silas said with a grin as he entered the room. "I need to talk to you about something, and now that you are here- "

"I am not here; I am over at my place, enjoying a smoke before turning in, so you can just turn right back around and- "

"It's important, brother."

Harvey eyed him balefully, realizing that Silas had inherited their mother's intractability. There was no moving him if he did not want to be moved.

"Make it quick."

Settling on the sofa near the fireplace, he adjusted the folds of his robe and started to fidget with the tassels.

"Oh, please don't be hesitant now." Harvey's deep voice rang with sarcasm. "You stormed here without invitation, so you might as well get on with it."

"I have a favor."

"Okay." Pulling up an overstuffed chair, he straddled it and gave his brother his attention. "I am listening."

"My appointment is coming up, and I want everything to be perfect."

"Nothing ever is."

"As perfect as it can be." He corrected. "To do that, I need to get through the marriage ceremony. That's the only thing I don't have any confidence in." he took a deep breath. "I have been studying the rules and how to perform the ceremony, but I need to finetune it. The only way I can do that is to perform the ceremony."

Harvey stared at him for a few seconds before it dawned on him what he was asking.

"Hell no."

"I haven't asked you a favor- "

"You want to use me as a guinea pig, and the answer is a resounding no. I hate going into chapels, and marriage is not something I am contemplating now. Not until I absolutely must do so. Now, if there is nothing else- "

"It would not be a real wedding- "

"I gathered that."

"Because I am not ordained as a minister- "

"I don't care. Ask someone from the congregation."

"I am asking you because you are my brother."

Harvey hated when he did that, and the entire family seemed to have a knack for striking at the heart of him. It was times like these that he wished they had left him at the damned home.

"When?" He asked tersely, wishing his brother to perdition.

"A day in the week."

"You do realize that I work, don't you?"

"You can take a day."

A frown touched his forehead. "The damn thing is going to take all day?"

"No. But I want it to be like a typical ceremony. We will begin at ten in the morning and finish in precisely thirty minutes. I have asked Mother and Dad to "

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I want it to be as normal as possible- "

"So, you are inviting our parents. Who else? The men I am working with? Some of the members from our club? The board?"

"A few friends and several people from church." Silas continued, undaunted by the forbidding expression on his brother's face. "This is of the utmost importance to me, and I have never really asked you for a favor- "

"Stop right there."

"Well, not recently, anyway." Leaning forward, Silas's face took on an earnest expression that weakened Harvey even more. "I need this."

"Who is the lucky bride?"

"Kendra."

"Who?"

"She owns the flower shop on Maple- "Silas stopped when he started to shake his head. "We went there to pick up a bouquet for Mother on Mother's Day." He continued in exasperation. "You asked her the difference between the bluebells and the hydrangea, and she explained it to you."

"Mother's Day was how many months ago?"

"She is beautiful, polite and patient." Silas continued dryly. "And not your type, so you do not remember her."

"There you go. She has agreed to this?"

"Yes."

"Then I guess I am in." Harvey looked at him quizzically. "Are you sleeping with her?"

"What? No!'

"You sound besotted, brother, and that protestation was slightly over the top. I am guessing you have not even asked her out yet."

"It's not like that," Silas muttered, pushing to his feet. "I will leave you to get some sleep."

"Perhaps you should jump straight to the part where you take her to bed," Harvey called after him, grinning when the only response was slamming his doors.

"The things I do in the name of love." He murmured wryly.

*****

"I cannot thank you enough for agreeing to do this." Silas stepped out of the way as she put a pot of flowers on a side table.

"Stop thanking me." Kendra gave him a distracted smile and tried to stem the shiver of foreboding she had started to feel ever since she agreed to the sham ceremony. It did not feel right somehow, and the fact that she would be standing next to a man she did not like inside the chapel where she always felt so close to God was making it worse.

But Silas was so sweet and earnest, and she wanted to help him achieve his goals. It would be over in thirty minutes – just half an hour of her time, something she could spare.

"I know it's an inconvenience, and you don't exactly like my brother- "

"Nonsense," Silas told him firmly, putting a smile on her lips. "He just gets used to a little, that's all."

"He can be a lot." Silas agreed, peering at her anxiously. "I just want you to be as comfortable as possible, and I cannot thank you enough for doing this – " Laying a hand on his arm, she shook her head. "It's nothing. I won't have to wear white and a veil, do I?"

Silas gave a relieved laugh. "Just a nice dress will do. I will have Arnold taking pictures for my report."

"It sounds real enough," Kendra murmured, feeling the instinctive warning again.

"I want it as real as possible, if you know what I mean. There will be the wedding march and the organist playing to accompany you down the aisle. And a bouquet you are most fond of. I am paying for it, of course."

"I will take care of it. Now leave me to do some work."

"It starts at ten sharp." He reminded her.

"I will be there on time."

"Good." Looking around, he pointed to a bouquet of yellow roses. "I think those would do very well in Mother's Salon. I will take it with me."

Kendra wrapped up the sale and turned the floor over to her assistant. She entered her tiny office, closed the door, and sat at her desk.

She had no idea why she was feeling this sinking in the pit of her stomach. She had agreed to the sham ceremony to help a friend who also happened to be her minister. Silas had been so kind to her that it would have been churlish for her to refuse his request.

Maybe the thought of standing in any chapel with that churlish man and pretending to pledge the rest of her life to him made her feel slightly ill.

Or she had planned her wedding down to the last detail, minus her parents' absence. It could also be that November had been the month they had both succumbed to the tragic vehicular crash that had left her an orphan and alone in the world.

When her world fell apart, she was twenty-two, and things had never been the same. She was still living in the same exclusive and secluded neighborhood, but she had sold the house she had grown up in, only leaving it when she had to go out of state for college.

She had only kept a few personal reminders of her life back then. The church and her relationship with God had saved her from going out of her mind.

The floral shop had been a passion of her mother's. After the tragedy, she abandoned all thoughts of going into interior design and decided to run the place herself. It would have been her mother's wish, and she would not be the one to disappoint her.

Leaning back, she closed her eyes and willed the worry away. It was just a favor to a friend, nothing more, and there was no need to get so worked up about it.

*****

"Hey, Blackwood!"

"Yea!"

"We have water coming up over the east section."

"What the hell am I supposed to do about it?"

"You are the rich boy with the fancy education; I was told to come and fetch you," Jack said with a grin.

"I was just about to take my smoke break."

"Those fancy cigars can wait. Real men smoke cigarettes, the cheap stuff."

"Which is a surefire way of getting lung cancer," Harvey said dryly as he put away the drill he had been using on the wall.

"You are wealthy enough to afford those fancy doctors. It shouldn't be a problem where you are concerned."

"Prevention is better than cure, and if you refer to my financial status one more time, you will be eating your food with a straw."

Jack only grinned at him, dancing out of the way as Harvey bounded down the steps. All around, the sound of construction going on filled the air. Five houses were already up and roofed, with the walls sheet racked and ready to be plastered.

It was a lovely neighborhood with houses and people living there. The place was in high demand because of the level of security offered.

Harvey had been part of the crew for ten years since he left college and did a stint in the corporate office. It had taken him a month to realize that he was not cut out for the office, and after several long and drawn-out arguments with his dad, he had won the battle. Gregory Blackwood reluctantly agreed to let him make decisions about his future.

"It does not take away from the fact that you are the heir- "

"Both of us."

"Yes. But you are the firstborn."

Harvey had not bothered to mention that Silas was blood, which meant he was entitled to the money. It would have pissed the old man off more and started another argument.

He was working somewhere he loved and earning a salary like an ordinary guy, even if his name was Blackwood. The men had realized that he was not just the son of the men they were employed, and he was not there to spy on them and report to his father.

He spoke up when he saw something he did not like and minded his own business. They also knew he did not suffer fools gladly and was not afraid of anything or anyone.

He drank with the crew and was unafraid to climb up on top of a roof, no matter how high. He was on time and knocked off whenever the others did, except when he had something to do.

"You called?" Sauntering around the side, he saw his supervisor soaked from head to foot, his face florid with frustration.

"It's the second damn time this is happening. "

"I would say the water line is too near to the foundation. We must turn off the main pipe and get Ramirez out here."

"Which is going to take a day or two." Pulling his shirt over his head, John wrung it dry and rubbed his hands over his arms.

"Not if we have him come out immediately and take the time to deal with it."

John gave him a hopeful look.

"No."

"You are the only one he listens to."

"That's because you all give him grief about his Mama."

"The guy lives in the basement of his mother's place-"

"He loves her."

"You adore yours and yet found the strength to move out of that fancy place of yours."

"You know what? For that remark, you are dealing with Ramirez yourself." "Come on, Harv. We need to get this thing halfway up by tonight. Please."

Shaking his head, Harvey dug his phone from the pocket of his denim and made the call.

*****

"I find myself wishing that this was a real ceremony," Julia confessed to her husband as they prepared to go out for the evening.

"You had better not let our son hear you say that," Gregory warned with an indulgent smile as he came up behind her and closed the clasp of her emerald necklace. His arms came around her waist, their eyes meeting in the mirror.

They had waited years when it seemed as if the good Lord would never allow them to have children, and he had watched helplessly as his wife became more and more despondent when nothing happened.

Then they had both decided to give a child a home and had gone to the children's home downtown. At first, they had thought about getting a newborn, but she had fallen in love with the little dark-haired boy, and the decision had been made.

Reaching up a hand, she touched his dear face. "I want to see him settled, darling. He showed no interest in learning of his biological parents- "

"And you took it upon yourself to find out. "

"Only to discover that the woman who gave birth to him had been little more than a child who overdosed on drugs."

"And the man who fathered him had been another teenager who had run away from home."

"And who got mixed up with the wrong crowd and was gunned down." Julia turned to face her husband, a troubled look on her face. "I realize I didn't do him any favors where that was concerned."

Cupping her face between his palms, he smiled at her gently. "It does not matter how he came about; he is ours."

"Yes," she said fiercely. "He is."