All the Pretty Poses (5 page)

CHAPTER EIGHT- Kennedy

As I shower and dress, I still question the
wisdom of taking Reese up on his offer. It’s a golden opportunity.
All I have to do is just resist him long enough to make it off that
boat and get what I came for.

Just
resist him.

Like it’s that easy.

Right.

Impulsively, I decide to visit Tanny. All my
life, she’s been my go-to person for advice. And comfort. And
trustworthy friendship. Growing up at the back edge of Bellano with
my foster father, Hank, in the grounds keeper’s cottage left me
with little in the way of playmates or companions that lived
nearby, so Tanny was it.

And Reese.

For a while.

Out of habit, I drive around the property and
park at my old house, one that now sits empty since Malcolm hired a
company to care for the grounds. I walk the old, familiar trail
through the woods, the one that bursts into the lush grass
surrounding Bellano, right behind the garage at the kitchen
door.

I rap my knuckles on the screen and wait for
a response. Tanny is an early riser, but even if she weren’t,
eleven is plenty late for an impromptu visit.

Within a minute, I hear the click of a lock
and the wooden door swings open, revealing Tanny’s smiling face
behind the screen between us.

“I was wondering when I’d see you,” she says
with a smile, flipping the latch on the screen so that I can
enter.

“What made you think I’d come today?” I ask
as I enter the kitchen. It smells just like it always has, like a
mixture of something sweet baking, coffee and Malcolm’s pipe
tobacco. It’s the most comforting aroma in the world.

“Yesterday was hard for all of us. In all
kinds of different ways,” she adds meaningfully, sending me a
knowing look over her shoulder as she pours me a cup of coffee.

“Tanny, it was awful! He saw me dancing the
other night. That was bad enough, but then to have to see him and
talk to him…and for him to ask me to work on his boat…”

She turns around at that. “He asked you to
work on his boat?”

“Yes. In exchange for getting me an audition
with the Altman troupe. Can you believe that?”

Her smile is slight. “Yes, actually I can.” I
don’t ask what she means by that. “Have you decided what you’ll
do?”

I sigh and circle my fingers over one
throbbing temple. “I think so. I’m not sure it’s the
right
thing, but I just can’t see me letting an opportunity like this
pass me by.”

Tanny nods her head, sipping her coffee and
holding her tongue.

“I mean, I got over Reese a long time ago.
And this is work. Not to mention that it could mean a totally
different future for me.”

“That, it could,” she agrees.

“Right?” I ask, looking for her validation
and her encouragement, and maybe someone to tell me I’m doing the
right thing.

“Will you be able to live with the regret of
not
taking this chance?”

“I learned a long time ago that I can live
with a lot of regret and still survive, Tanny. But the thing is, do
I need to? Can this really be as amazing as it seems? Or is it too
good to be true?”

“What, exactly, are you worried about,
Kennedy?” Tanny asks, setting her mug down and taking my free hand
in both of hers.

“Oh, Tanny. I’m worried about
me.
I
buried that poor girl who we all knew a long, long time ago,
but…”

“But what? If you buried her, then there’s
nothing to worry about, is there?”

“I wouldn’t think so if I just didn’t feel
so…so…”

“So what?”

“So drawn to him. God, it’s like no amount of
hate can kill what he does to me. What he’s
always
done to
me. But I know I can’t trust him. He
is
a man, after all.
Even if he makes me feel like no man ever has.”

A look of sadness comes across Tanny’s face.
“Despite everything you’ve been through, despite all the reasons
you have for feeling the way that you do, you can’t go through life
thinking you’ll never find a man you can trust.”

“It wouldn’t be the end of the world.” I try
to keep my expression as unaffected as possible. But, like always,
Tanny sees right through it.

She reaches over to squeeze my fingers. “But
it’s in all of us to want to find someone to share our lives with,
to find someone to trust and love. Maybe you more than most.”

“The girl in me used to think so, but
now…”

“Maybe this will be good for you, Kennedy.
Maybe you need to get some closure. For that girl you buried.
And
for the woman who took her place. You didn’t become your
strong self by hiding from adversity. You got this way by facing
it. By overcoming. Don’t let the past color your future. You’re too
smart to let that happen.”

All my waffling seems silly now. “You’re so
right, Tanny.” Impulsively, I lean over and hug her slight frame to
mine. “He’s just a man.
One man
who I used to know. He has
no control over me unless I give it to him. I have nothing to fear.
He’s simply bringing me one step closer to my dream. That’s
all.”

“One step closer to your dream,” Tanny
repeats, patting my cheek reassuringly. The funny thing is, I get
the feeling that she’s speaking about much more than just my
dancing.

CHAPTER NINE- Reese

I head to Bellano a few minutes before the
reading of the will. As I’m pulling into my old spot beside the
garage, I see the flash of a familiar chestnut head ducking into
the woods to my right.

Kennedy. She’s been on my mind so much for
the last thirty-six hours; I’d recognize that head anywhere
now.

I’m curious as to why she was here, but I’m
also ten times more distracted than I was to begin with. Knowing
she’s in the forest right now…so near the place where I took her
virginity all those years ago…all alone in the privacy of the
trees… God, it makes me throb—the desire to taste how time has
matured and sweetened that delectable body of hers.

Damn.

With a muffled growl, I get out of the car
and head around to the kitchen entrance. I glance up at the window
as I approach the steps. Force of habit. But this time Tanny
is
standing there, like she used to be, smiling at me as I
ascend the stairs.

If I had to guess, I’d say she’s still in the
kitchen after having talked to Kennedy.

“Good morning, handsome boy.” Tanny greets me
with a smile, a kiss to the cheek and a cup of coffee as I walk
through the door.

“Good morning,” I reply, returning her
gesture. The smell of garden flowers drifts up to tickle my nose
and remind me of all the happy childhood memories I have with
Tanny. When I lean back to look down at her, her blue eyes are
shining brightly. Happily. She looks more like herself—younger,
attractive, loving. Maybe the worst of Malcolm’s death has passed.
“You’re looking well.”

She smiles, glancing down at her crisp white
blouse and navy blue slacks, and brushing away an imaginary piece
of lint. “Why, thank you. I’ve been called in for the reading of
the will as well, and I…I…”

I curl my fingers around her thin upper arms.
“It’ll be fine, Tanny. I promise.” Her smile is only a little sad
today.

“I know it will, my sweet. One way or the
other.”

I take a sip of my coffee. “So, have you had
company this morning?”

“As a matter of fact I have,” she confirms.
“And now I get some more. My two favorite people, two days in a
row. I couldn’t be happier.”

“Yes, I thought I saw Kennedy leaving. What
did she want?”

Tanny laughs. “She was just visiting. Is that
allowed, Mr. Nosey?”

I smile, wanting to press her for
information, but knowing I’d better not. Tanny is the type of
person that needs a soft approach. To be such a sweet and loving
woman, she can be quite stubborn when she decides she doesn’t want
to do something. Despite her appearance, she’s a tough woman, so I
can’t come at her straight on. “I’m sorry. Of course it is. I
haven’t kept up with Kennedy much in the last several years, so I
was just curious. That’s all.”

“She’s been doing just fine. Couldn’t be
prouder of the young woman she’s become. She went through pure
hell, but she didn’t let it break her. She’s made of stronger stuff
than what it looks like.”

“Pure hell? What’s that all about?” That
piques my curiosity even more.

Tanny begins to shake her head. “Those aren’t
my stories to tell. If you really want to know, you’ll have to ask
her yourself. Even then, I’m not sure she’d want you to know.
That’s for her to decide.”

Now I
really
want to press her, but I
know it won’t do me any good. Tanny has a fierce sense of loyalty.
Normally, that extends to me, but it also extends to Kennedy. I
know this from years gone by. So, between the two of us, she’ll
betray neither one.

Damn.

“Well, I’m sure I’ll find a chance. She’ll be
working for me on one of my cruises.”

“She will, will she?” Tanny asks with a sly
grin.

I falter for a split second. “Yes. Or did she
tell you something different?”

Tanny’s grin melts into a kind smile. “No,
she didn’t tell me any different. I just don’t think you should
make too many assumptions or take too many things for granted with
her. She’s not the same girl you knew all those years ago,
Harrison.”

“She’s an adult, Tanny. I’m sure she is
perfectly capable of making decisions for herself. And dealing with
the consequences.”

“Maybe
she’s
not the one I’m worried
about
.”

********

I glance at my watch again. Along with Tanny,
myself and my father, there are various other attorneys and
representatives present. We are all waiting, albeit impatiently,
for Malcolm’s lawyer to arrive. He’s nearly twenty minutes late
already. At this rate, I’ll be leaving before he even gets
here.

Across the table, I see my father glance at
his watch within seconds of me glancing at mine. I resist the urge
to curl my lip at our likeness. I don’t
want
to be anything
like him. But I am. I know I am. To some degree, it was inevitable.
I learned from him. From watching him, listening to him, being
around him. It’s times like this when I see the similarities and I
abhor every single one of them. I just haven’t yet found a good
enough reason to change things. After all, Henslow Spencer is very
successful. And, at this point, that’s my biggest
motivator—
having
more,
achieving
more,
being
more. Just…more.

With a muffled thump, the door behind me
opens. I don’t turn to see who entered. I just know it had better
be the lawyer or I’m outta here.

A robust man wearing a wool jacket with
leather on the elbows makes his way to the only empty chair at the
round mahogany table. He sets his briefcase atop it, making eye
contact with each of us and nodding a silent greeting. After he’s
retrieved a thick manila folder from inside his case, he snaps shut
the locks and sets it on the floor, clearing his throat before he
begins.

“Sorry for the delay, gentlemen. There were
some…last-minute details that needed my attention, but now I’m
ready to execute this, the last will and testament of Malcolm Henry
Spencer.”

No one speaks as he opens the folder and
rifles through papers, pulling out one document with a light blue
backing.

As he begins formally reading the will, I
suppress the urge to sigh in bored frustration. It’s not that I’m
not grateful for whatever my uncle Malcolm left me. I was closer to
him than practically anybody for the first half of my life. It’s
just that I have other things—and other people—on my mind, making
it hard for me to sit patiently through something like this when
I’d much rather be sitting across from Kennedy. Watching her.
Studying her. Formulating a plan for getting her back in my bed
with the greatest speed.

Mr. Bingham gets my full attention with the
mention of my name.

“In deference to Mr. Harrison Spencer’s
departure schedule, I’ll begin with the family estate known to all
as Bellano. Per Malcolm’s wishes, ‘The estate will be left, in
equal parts ownership, to my nephew, Harrison Ronaldo Spencer, or
his closest living relative, and Mary Elizabeth Spencer or her
closest living relative. All decisions regarding the grounds, the
estate holdings and the upkeep will be made jointly, with the
exception of the presence of Mrs. Judith E. Tannenbaum, whom I
hereby grant a life estate at Bellano’.”

When Bingham pauses to continue, hushed
whispers break out around the table. I’m as surprised as everyone
else to hear that Malcolm left Bellano to me, but, also like
everyone else, I’m
very
surprised to hear of a female
Spencer relative being named as well. Since its existence, Bellano
has never been left to a woman, much less one who no one has ever
heard of
.

It’s my father who finally asks the question
on everyone’s mind. “Who, exactly, is Mary Elizabeth Spencer?”

Mr. Bingham glances nervously around the
table. “Malcolm had this codicil drawn up just weeks prior to his
death. I was out of town, so my partner did the work for him.
Unfortunately, being unfamiliar with the family, he didn’t get any
more information on Ms. Spencer, so I’m still in the process of
locating her.”

“Well, you’d better make quick work of it,
Bingham, because if you can’t produce this supposed heir, a woman
with whom none of us are familiar, you can bet your ass I’ll be
contesting this will. Bellano is the Spencer family home, and it
will stay with the
real
Spencers if I have to take it to the
Supreme Court to see that it does.”

I catch movement from the corner of my eye
and glance over to see Tanny drop her head and close her eyes. I’m
sure she’s thinking it’s a shame that grown men have to act like
this only days after the death of a loved one. And over
possessions, no less. It makes me feel ashamed for being so much
like my father.