Tragically Flawed Read online

  “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

  “Riviera, thank you for surviving and thank you for loving me. I remember a while back, my mother read me this quote and I’ve always remembered it. She said, ‘If there is love in your life, it can make up for most things that are missing. If you don’t have love, no matter what else you have, it will never be enough.’ I never took it to heart until I thought I’d lost you. It’s so true, Riviera. I’d rather be poor and have nothing at all if I can have you in my life than live a day without you. With your love, I have everything I’ll ever need.”

  “Shan, kiss me. I’ve missed you so damn much and I don’t want to go another minute without tasting you.”

  He leaned onto his side and touched his mouth to hers. “I’m here and I’ll always be here, Riv. Just call out and I’ll come running.”

  She put her head against his neck. “I’ve missed sniffing you.”

  She felt his chest shake as he laughed. “And I missed your bunny nose in my neck. Go to sleep, love, and just think—you don’t have to wake up early.”

  “Hmm, that sounds so nice. Will you make me pancakes for breakfast?”

  “Um, I’ll try, but I may have to go pick some up. No hands, remember?”

  “Oh yeah,” she let out a bubble of laughter. “I forgot.”

  *****

  The next morning, Shan’s phone woke them up. It was Drexel wanting to come over.

  “Dude, we’re still in bed. What time is it?”

  “Ten. I’m bringing pancakes and coffee.”

  Shan laughed. “If you’re bringing pancakes, you get a pass.”

  Shan looked at Riviera and told her breakfast was about to arrive. She smiled and stretched.

  “Can you help me to the bathroom?”

  “Anything for you.”

  He picked her up and carried her as she protested.

  “I really just wanted you to hand me my crutches. I’m going to have to learn to walk on my own, you know.”

  “I want to spoil you. Please let me,” he begged.

  He was so hard to resist. Riviera did her morning routine as Shan watched her, smiling. Then she shooed him away so she could have a moment of privacy.

  “Why are girls so weird about that?” he huffed as he walked out.

  When she was finished, she hobbled out on her crutches and he was waiting for her.

  “I am dying to take a shower,” she commented.

  “I’ll help you as soon as Drexel leaves.”

  “How will you help me? Your hands are broken. I think I need Amie.”

  He paused for a moment and then said, “You’re probably right. Maybe I can hire someone to come in and help you since both of us will be out of commission. I have to wear these things for four weeks.”

  They started laughing as the doorbell rang. Drexel walked in and wanted to know what was so funny. When they told him, he only said, “Don’t look at me for help with that. But I do have an idea. Veterinarians use boot covers when their large animals go into labor. Maybe you can order some of those and put them over your cast. They’re plastic and have elastic on the top so they’d keep it dry in the shower.”

  “That’s a great idea. I’ll see if I can find some.”

  They ate breakfast while Drexel gave them a rundown on Jasper. As soon as he was released from the hospital, he would have a court hearing and his trial date would be set. He was being charged with domestic abuse, kidnapping, assault and battery of an aggravated nature, and attempted murder. He was also being charged with the assault and battery of Shan. Shan raised his brows at that and Drexel said he allegedly charged Shan when they tried to rescue Riviera. Shan smiled.

  As for Marsha Sue, she had evaded the law. She was now wanted by the FBI for kidnapping, assault and battery of an aggravated nature, and attempted murder. Riviera was positive it had been Marsha Sue who drugged her that terrible day. The other piece of incriminating evidence was that the hair sample found in Riviera's car matched others that were found in Marsha Sue's house. Her unidentified accomplice was free for now, but hopefully they would find him when she was apprehended. They'd tracked down the money transfers to a Michael Johnson, but it was an alias, so they were still trying to locate the real person.

  “You’ll both have to go to the trial. Jasper’ll raise all sorts of hell about us, Shan, so you’ll have to keep your mouth shut. It’s our word against his. Understand?”

  “Oh yeah. No problem there.”

  “Will you be there?” Riviera wanted to know.

  “Yeah. I’ll be subpoenaed, I’m sure.”

  “Thank you, Drexel. For finding me. And getting there in time.”

  “Yeah. I second that.”

  “It’s what you hired me to do. I take my job pretty damn seriously.”

  “I’m just glad Gray found you,” Shan said.

  The two men shook hands. Drexel rose and Riviera asked him, “So where to now?”

  “Back to Denver until my next case pops up.”

  “Well, if you get bored, come and hang out with us. You can always ski,” Riviera offered.

  “I might take you up on it,” he said.

  After he left, Shan said, “When he first got here, I thought he was a jerk, but he really grew on me.”

  “Was it because he saved my life?”

  Shan grinned. “Probably.”

  Chapter Twenty Nine

  Vacation In Paradise

  Three Months Later

  It was a bright sunny day and the water was as clear as Shan’s ice-blue eyes. Riviera looked through her mask as she floated atop the turquoise ocean, checking out the beautiful sea life as it swam by her. She reached out to touch a grouper, amazed by the beauty of its colors. As she kicked her feet, she smiled as she caught a glimpse of Shan swimming next to her. He made a goofy face and she sputtered as she laughed. Water flooded her mask, so she had to roll on her back and remove the darn thing so she could see again.

  Shan followed her lead and took off his own mask.

  “You have to stop that! Every time you do that, I laugh too hard and almost end up drowning.” She now had a severe case of the giggles.

  He laughed along with her. “Come on, babe, let’s go back to the boat.”

  They were taking a seven-day island-hopping cruise around the Virgin Islands aboard a private yacht. After a ton of research, Shan decided this would be the perfect vacation for the two of them. Her cast had come off the month before and the doctor gave them his blessing. She wasn’t allowed to do any strenuous activities, so the yacht was the perfect getaway for them.

  They swam back to the boat and one of the crew was waiting on the rear platform, ready to assist her back on board.

  “Have I told you how spoiled I’m feeling?” she asked.

  “I think you may have mentioned it.”

  “Miss, may I get you something to drink?”

  “Yes. I would love one of those fruity umbrella drinks,” Riviera replied.

  “Honey, you have to give him a little more direction than that.” Turning to the crewman, Shan said, “Why don’t you bring us both some painkillers.”

  “Yes, sir. Coming right up.”

  “Painkillers?”

  “Yeah. You’re going to love them.”

  Riviera laughed. “So, what’s on the agenda for tonight?”

  “The sunset and then lobsters by candlelight, followed by a gorgeous naked woman in bed.”

  “Hmm, sounds like fun.”

  “Oh, it will be. I promise,” he winked.

  They walked to the front deck and took seats on the lounge chairs, and were treated to a magnificent view. Soon, their painkillers arrived and Riviera knew she was in heaven.

  She took a sip of her frozen drink. “This is excellent!”

  “Told you.”

  They sipped their drinks and listened to music as they held hands. Shan glanced at Riviera, watching as she drank, keeping an eye on her glass as he smiled.

  W
hen her drink only had about a quarter remaining, the music changed and Crazy Love by Van Morrison came on. Shan got out of his chair and moved next to Riviera’s, going down on one knee.

  “You give me crazy love, Riviera. Now drink up so you can kiss me.”

  She looked at him oddly but maybe it was because she recognized something in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. She tipped the glass and emptied it but heard something clink in the process. Looking in the glass, she saw a ring at the bottom. Lifting her eyes to Shan, she saw him grinning.

  “Don’t you want to see what’s in there?”

  She dumped the contents into her palm and started laughing. “Oh my God! You didn’t.”

  When she looked at him, all laughter had disappeared, and in its place was a love so clear, it shot straight through her heart and down to her toes.

  He took her hand in his. “Riviera, I make this promise to you today and that is to love you with everything I have forever. My love for you grows stronger every day and I can’t bring myself to think about spending a moment of my life without having you as a part of it. Will you make me the happiest man in the world by being my wife and partner and sharing my life with me?”

  She took a deep breath and nodded. “I will, only if you’ll do the same for me because my life is empty without you. I love you, Benjamin Shandon.”

  He kissed her before she could even get his whole name out. “Will you let me put your ring on your finger?”

  “Please.”

  He slipped it on and she couldn’t stop staring at it. It was so perfect. An oval diamond sat horizontally on a wide band of beautiful engraved scrollwork. Inside he had engraved, My Life, My Love, My Partner.

  “Shan, it’s perfect. I think it’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. Except for one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s a little sticky,” she said, laughing.

  Shan laughed along with her. “If you don’t like it as your engagement ring, you can wear it on your right hand and we’ll get you a different one. I had it designed because it reminded me of the scrolls you were painting the first day we met.”

  She threw herself at him. “It’s the best. I love it and wouldn’t trade it for anything. Thank you. Can you take me inside now? There are some things I’d like to do that wouldn’t be appropriate here,” she said, kissing him.

  “It’s okay, babe. Everyone’s gone for the afternoon. They took the dinghy and went ashore until five. We can do whatever we want. We’re all alone.”

  “Well, in that case,” she said as her hand slipped down his shorts.

  “Wait, I think this top needs to come off first,” he said as he untied her string around her neck.

  Within several hours, they’d christened every room on the yacht.

  And no sooner had their spent bodies screamed for food did the crew return from their afternoon ashore.

  During their lobster dinner under the stars, the talk was of wedding plans. They decided that since Riviera didn’t have family she wanted to include, a destination wedding was in order. The question now would be where would they have it.

  Shan had done a bit of traveling during his youth and college summers, but Riviera had never gone anywhere.

  “You get to decide, babe. Where would you like to go?”

  “I’m not sure. Any suggestions?”

  “Oh, plenty. Italy, France, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Tahiti, New Zealand …”

  “New Zealand?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Have you ever been there?”

  “No, but Gray has and said it was phenomenal.”

  “Maybe there.”

  “And you would want to invite my family and Amie, right?”

  “Well, I’d like Sarah and Geordie too. And maybe Jenny.”

  “I’m not saying we can’t do it, but that’s a long way for them to travel for a wedding.”

  Riviera frowned and Shan quickly interjected, “How about this? What if we were to get married up on the mountain somewhere late summer? When all the wildflowers are in bloom and the weather is absolutely at it’s best. We could invite everyone and have an intimate dinner with drinks and even dancing if you’d like. Then the next day, you and I could go to New Zealand for a three- to four-week honeymoon.”

  “Three to four weeks?”

  “It takes a couple of days to get there, you know, and when we’re over there, we could take a side trip to Australia too.”

  “Three to four weeks?”

  “It’s our honeymoon, babe.”

  “But Shan, that’s expensive.”

  “Riviera, we have a lot of money. Don’t you know that by now? I’m wealthy, which means you’re wealthy, and soon you’ll be sitting damn pretty in your own right. We can more than afford it, honey.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes! And the way we’re getting married, we won’t be spending money on a huge wedding.”

  She looked at him shyly and said, “This is strange for me. I’ve always had to worry about money.”

  “You don’t anymore. So please promise me you won’t.”

  “Okay.”

  He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her palm. Then he pulled her to him. “What?”

  “I want you over here, close to me.”

  She laughed as she walked over to him. “I am close to you. I’m sitting across a tiny table from you.”

  “That’s too far.”

  He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her. “I always want you right here, where I can hear and feel your heartbeat, among other things.” He laughed as he pinched her on the butt. Then he became serious again. “When I thought I’d lost you … when I thought I’d never hear your heartbeat again, I didn’t want to go on, Riviera. I knew my life would be sunless without you. You brighten everything for me. My world was lifeless and dull before I met you. But then you came into my life and painted it with your love, illuminating everything in it.”

  Riviera placed the tiniest kiss on the corner of his mouth. “Shan, when Jasper had me, I didn’t think I would live. My biggest regret wasn’t that I was going to die. It was that I never told you how much I loved you and that it was you who made me believe in myself. That’s why I’ve been saying it to you every day. And it’s why I’ll keep saying it until the day I die. Life goes by too fast and I don’t ever want to have regrets about things I didn’t tell you. You mean more to me than anything else in this world. Without you, I would still be that trembling mess of a girl, afraid of her own shadow, afraid to face her demons. You’re the reason I’m strong enough to take on the world. I would never have been able to start my own business if it hadn’t been for you.”

  “Yes, you would. You’re the one with all the talent.”

  “Maybe. But I was too afraid to do anything about it.”

  “It doesn’t matter now. Look where we both are today. We’re both stronger because we have each other. No matter where we are in life, I know it will always be perfect if we’re together.”

  Riviera gave a little laugh and Shan asked, “What’s so funny?”

  “I never thought of myself as the cheesy type, but damn. You make me want to say all kinds of cheesy things all the time.”

  He gave her one of his half smiles. “Riviera, you’re not the only one. There isn’t enough time for me to tell you all the cheesy things I’ve felt about you. For instance, how I just told you how you brighten my life—well, that first day I saw you, it felt like you hit me with a dose of that sunshine. You set me on fire and I’m still on fire for you. I’ve told you before that you destroy me, and you do. I can look at you and I think I have it together, but you bring me apart at the seams … I literally fray when I’m even close to you.” He ran his hand through her hair. “It goes beyond anything I ever imagined. But the sex … fuck, Riviera, can I just say …”

  She put her fingers on his lips, stopping him. “Shut up and kiss me, damn it!” It wasn’t a gentle kiss but
one of passion through which they shared their thoughts with lips and tongues. They kissed under the stars, knowing they had many more nights like these to look forward to.

  The End

  About The Author

  A.M. Hargrove lives in South Carolina with her husband and family. After spending years in the corporate world, she now enjoys writing fiction while she is fully caffeinated. She also thinks coffee and chocolate should be added to the USDA food groups. Oh, and ice cream too!

  Acknowledgements

  First, I’d like to thank my family, especially my husband, Henry, for all his support during my writing frenzy. He puts up with an absentee wife on many days. Thank God he likes to play golf!

  There are so many other people on this list of thanks, so let me just start at the top. Thank you Jennifer Sommersby Young for editing this book. Even though my eyes spun at light speed when I received this manuscript back from you, you amazed me by your insight and knowledge. You’re brilliant and I hope to keep learning more and more from you.

  Thanks to all my girls on Annie’s Fan-Attic’s. You are all so awesome for pimping me every chance you get. I heart every one of you to the moon and back and I don’t know what I’d do without you.

  I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for those special bloggers out there. You make all this possible, so my heart’s with all you ladies: Kat Grimes, Kristie Wittenberg, Amanda Clark, Terri Thomas, Alana Rock, Andrea Stafford, Mandy Anderson, Tana Troniak, Simone Smith, Ena Burnett, Laura Thomas, Jenn Smith, and Tess Watson. I know I’ve probably missed some of you, and I’m so sorry if I did. Just know that I appreciate every one of you more than I can ever say and I honestly don’t know how you do what you do.

  This wouldn’t be complete without recognizing some special friends who I bounce ideas off of, and occasionally use as therapists. So thank you Lila Felix and Michelle Leighton. And thank you Rebecca Ethington for hanging out with me at UtopYa this year. Can’t wait until 2014!

  I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the amazing Jessica Estep and K.P. Simmons at InkSlinger PR. All the footwork Jessica has done for me over the last few months makes me want to go out and buy her a new pair of shoes. You ladies are the best!