Page 38 of Trade It All (The Barrington Billionaires 3)
Stopping within inches of her sculpture, Willa placed Lexi’s hands on one of the figures. Lexi explored it then said, “Is it you? I love it.”
Willa’s heart pounded joyfully as her sister seemed to genuinely appreciate the work. “Touch what she’s looking at.”
Lexi ran her hand down the surface across from her and traced the raised image on it. “Is it a mirror?”
“Yes. I tried to raise the outline of it so it would be three dimensional. What do you feel?”
“It’s you, but it’s different. So this is how you see yourself?” She felt the scar and followed it down the front of the image then moved back up to the expression on the woman’s face. “Yes, that’s perfect. You should be proud of who you are. You’re beautiful, scars and all.”
“Now follow her hand.”
Lexi returned her touch to the figure and traced her arm down to her hand. She smiled as she explored how it was clasping another hand. She followed the other arm up to that figure’s face. “That’s me on the other side of the mirror.”
“Yes.”
Lexi ran her hands over both the figure on the other side and its reflection in the mirror. Her voice thickened with emotion. “I don’t know that I’m quite as strong as you think I am, but I try.”
Lexi’s instant understanding of what Willa had tried to capture, along with her willingness to experience it, gave Willa happy goosebumps. We’re back.
Willa removed Lexi’s blindfold. “You are every bit as beautiful and strong. If you ever doubt that, look at this. Look at us and know how much I love you and value you in my life.”
Lexi took a moment to appreciate the combination of painting and sculpture then wiped away a tear and hugged Willa. “I don’t know what to say. This is so beautiful.”
“Just tell me you love it,” Willa said softly. Her sister’s opinion mattered. It always had and it always would.
“Now I know where you’ve been hiding lately. I thought maybe you were hooking up with someone again and didn’t want to tell me.”
Willa hugged her sister back. “We’re beyond that.” As she said the words she realized how much she meant them. Lexi had never meant to hurt her and had simply tried to fix the situation. The past had no hold over them anymore. “Besides, I’m taking a break from relationships for a while.”
“Have you talked to Lance at all?”
Willa stepped back and shook her head. “Not since I asked him to stop sending flowers, which he still does—every day—and the bouquets keep getting bigger and bigger. It makes it hard to move on.”
Lexi pressed her lips together briefly then said, “Do you have to move on? Have you considered picking up the phone and letting him explain?”
Willa clasped her hands in front of her. I thought she understood. It hurts too much. “He doesn’t need to. I know him. He got scared. We have a chemistry that makes both of us stupid when we’re together, but we also have a pattern I don’t want to go through again. I hand him my heart on a platter, and he runs for the hills. He did it ten years ago. He did it again at Cape Cod. When I’m with him I don’t care about the future or if he’ll leave me. All I care about is how good it feels. But when he leaves me, it hurts so much. I can’t do it again. I can’t put myself through that kind of pain again.”
Lexi sighed audibly. “I hear that and completely understand. We’re good right now—you and I?”
“Absolutely.”
“If I ever screw up again, you’ll forgive me, right?”
“What did you do, Lexi?”
“Nothing. Just remember that I love you.”
Don’t panic. She has learned her lesson. She wouldn’t get involved again. “Please tell me you’re not planning to help me with something. Everything is fine. Work. My life. Don’t do anything.”
“It’s not me.” She waved a hand in air while looking a little offended. “Kenzi asked if we could fly down to Florida to check out some wedding sites with her and Dax. I told her we would.”
Willa let out a sigh of relief. “That’s it?”
Lexi shrugged. “I should have asked you before saying you’d go. Kenzi mentioned you weren’t returning her calls. I know you’ve had a lot on your mind lately, but this will be good for us. We’ve always said we’d go to Florida together. Now we will.”
A memory of their parents promising to take them on a Florida vacation went through Willa’s mind. She gripped Lexi’s hand. “Let’s go to Disney while we’re there. It’ll be amazing. A dream come true.”
“Let’s hope it lives up to expectations,” Lexi said vaguely. Then smiled. “So, you’re in?”
“I’m in,” Willa said and thought of something else. “Are you up to the flight?”
“For something like this, I guess I have to be. Besides, we’ll be in Dax’s private plane. I’m sure they serve martinis.” Lexi studied Willa’s face for a moment then asked, “You do want to go, don’t you?”
“Of course.” Willa did, but she couldn’t help but think about the last person she’d spoken to about that trip. Lance. Willa was relieved to be in a good place with her sister again—and excited they would finally take the trip they’d talked so much about as children—but a part of her wished she could share it with Lance.
Stop.
He’s not part my life.
Not anymore.
And I’m okay.
Kind of.
In a courtyard of Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort, Lance paced back and forth. He double-checked that the two-carat engagement ring was still in his suit breast pocket. Thank God. It is there. At least I didn’t screw that part up. He took a deep calming breath. The actual proposal wasn’t what he was having second thoughts about, but rather the delivery.
After the discussion with his family, he’d decided to ask Willa to marry him in a place she’d told him she’d always wanted to go. He’d felt it was important to bring Lexi. Willa’s dream had been to go to Disney with her, so he wanted to make that happen. He also wanted them to move forward together. First, Willa’s dream. Next, helping Willa heal her family.
My family.
After he married Willa, Lexi would be family.
I hope I don’t fuck this up.
No, Lance was certain he’d chosen the right venue.
What he questioned was his decision to tell “Uncle” Alessandro about his plans. Asher had said they’d truly appreciated being there when he’d proposed to Emily, so Lance knew it would be a kind gesture to invite them to this too.
Two people became fifty. Fifty became one hundred. Lance had imagined a simple event. Simple. Small. Now it included a ballroom full of guests, a Cinderella-style horse-drawn coach Alessandro had commissioned—despite Lance’s protests—a patio where, if everything went perfectly, he would propose . . . while fireworks went off in the background. Not simple.
Alessandro Andrade had most of his family with him and what appeared to be every child in the New York area. They were well dressed but running wild on the lawns and taking turns going around the property in Cinderella’s coach.
Lance’s father came to stand beside him. “I’m glad you invited the Andrades. Your mother has grown closer to them this past year. She’s always felt she didn’t have family beyond us, but her sister’s children adore her. This was good.”
“It’s not quite how I imagined it,” Lance said, loosening his tie with one finger. “I hope it’s not too much.”
“The coach might be,” Dale said with a smile. “None of this matters or will determine her answer.” He tapped his son’s chest. “What’s in here will. Tell her you love her. Willa’s no stranger to loss. She needs to know you’re in this for the long haul. No matter what. Don’t do this if there is any question in your heart if she’s the one for you. But if you know she is, let yourself enjoy this. Today is a day you’ll describe to your children, and God willing, your children’s children. Make it a good story.”
Lance looked around with fresh eyes. Every single person t
here, all one hundred of them, had come to celebrate Willa being asked to join his family. He smiled.
Alessandro came over to join them. “The waiting is the hardest part, no?” He shook hands with Dale and then Lance.
Lance nodded. His stomach was still doing flips. “I hope she says yes.”
Alessandro clapped a hand on his back. “Don’t worry, if she says no, we’ll do this again and again until she changes her mind.”
Dale laughed. “He’s serious.”
With a carefree shrug, Alessandro said, “The secret to a lasting marriage is to not give up on each other no matter what.” He snapped his fingers. “And always please her first.” He smiled. “Forget that and you’ll be down the hall wondering how you got your own bedroom.”
Lance exchanged a look with his father then burst out laughing, and his nervousness fell away. “I feel prepared for marriage now. Thank you, Alessandro.”
