A Diamond In The Rough (Evian, Ivy) Chapter 38
by EvianForever
The next morning, Whitney looked at the lavish living room. Everything
around her was beautiful but it seemed forbidding, like Buckingham Palace.
She wondered if Mr. Crane--her father--would mind if she made some suggestions
to make it more homelike.
"Then again Mom is sure to do something about this sooner or later. From
what I've seen, Father would let her do anything she wanted," Whitney smiled.
"I don't remember Daddy being so indulgent with Mom. I love seeing her this
happy."
Walking back to her room, she opened the closet to reveal the numerous
outfits that her father bought for her. She never had so many clothes from
one shopping trip and she was a bit giddy about it. "I know he feels badly
about the time we missed, and this is his way of showing it. It's wonderful
that he would care about my feelings that much."
Holding up a new angora sweater, Whitney's eyes danced happily. She was
going to like being the daughter of a Crane.
Karen read the text message on her cell phone and smiled. She looked at
Ally and nodded.
"Tammy Chandler will meet us at the security gate in about 10 minutes."
"Just like that? After only one text message from you she drops whatever
she's doing to come help 'smoke out' Russell?" Ally was incredulous.
" I told you she doesn't tolerate scum. Especially wife-beating scum."
"We have to do this by the book Karen. We can't have some gun-happy vigilante
blow him away because--"
"Ally, she won't blow him away! But she's an excellent bounty hunter and
she knows what she's doing."
" I just don't like someone else coming in when we can handle this ourselves.
And what will Mr. Crane say?"
"He wants us to protect Dr. Johnson. And Julian won't care if I called
someone else in on the case."
"Julian, again, is it? Don't you think you are taking this way too personally?"
Ally stared at her friend. Karen's face was flushed and her eyes were wide.
"No, I'm not. I'm just doing my job Ally. I would expect you to know the
difference."
"I'm not so sure. "
"Well believe what you want."
Ally rolled her eyes.
"Let's just go meet this Tammy character." The two women walked over to
the security gate, where a beautiful African-American woman leaned against
the hood of her silver Mercedes coupe. Her brown eyes appraised Ally for a
moment before focusing on Karen.
"Karen, good to see you again," she said. "I understand there is a punk
who hits women that we have to catch."
"Thanks for coming Tammy. Tammy, this is my partner Ally Morgan." Karen
gestured toward Ally.
"Pleasure. Now let's get to work." Tammy walked toward the door to the
security shack, a bewildered Karen and Ally following her.
Julian traced Eve's delicate features with his finger. He could hardly
believe that the woman he loved and longed for was in his bed, sleeping
peacefully. And she was there because she wantedto be. The thought overwhelmed
him momentarily, and he closed his eyes as the joyous feeling coursed through
him.
No more would he dream of his Eve. She was his and now he had a daughter
to love...life was perfect. Or almost perfect. He would not rest until Dr.
Eve Johnson would become Dr. Eve Crane.
"We'll be so happy my love. I won't have to dream of you the way I did
when I was was that terror of an ex-wife of mine...my life was such a misery
without you."
Flashback
"Julian, we have to get Theresa Lopez-Fitgerald out of Ethan's
life! She is nothing but a conniving troublemaker!" Ivy snarled at him.
"It takes one to know one, as the saying goes my dear wife," Julian
drawled. "Wouldn't your time be better spent at the spa, or the country club?"
"I'm serious Julian. She wants to have Ethan and the Crane fortune!
I won't allow it to happen!"
"Considering that you are married to a Crane yourself, after being
a mere governor's daughter, I would think you would sympathize with the poor
girl's plight. You were quite the social climber as I recall." Julian laughed
at Ivy's reddening face.
"Your father and mine arranged our marriage, Julian. If I had had
my way, the man I would be married to would be the polar opposite of you!"she
hissed.
"And you would know all about polar, Ivy dear. You were the inspiration
for Hans Christian Andersen's Snow Queen."
Ivy stood up in a rage.
"Perhaps you aren't the one to arouse any warmth in me, Julian.
Not that I ever wanted you to," she hurled at him.
"As we have a son together, I daresay I did do so at least once,
my dear wife." Ivy suddenly smirked, and Julian raised an eyebrow. "Penny
for your thoughts."
"Oh no, Julian. I'm Mrs. Julian Crane so my thoughts are worth so
much more than a penny. And you would be so interested in them."
"Such as?"
"None of your damned business, Julian!" With that Ivy left the room,
and Julian went straight for the brandy decanter. Pouring himself a drink,
he shook his head. He hated the very sight of Ivy, and cursed himself anew
for marrying her.
"If I had only not married that ice-cold wench Ivy Winthrop," he
lamented. "Why would I ask her to be my mistress? Eve was perfect in every
way and I loved her so." He drained his snifter in one gulp. "Now I am in
unholy matrimony with the most frigid woman to ever walk the earth. "
He shivered in disgust.. "Perhaps I deserve this fate for treating
Eve so shamefully. She was so strong...and so right to walk away from me.
Wherever she is, I pray that she is happy and has the love that she deserves."
Julian walked over to the stereo and put a cassette in the player. As the
enchanting voice emanated from the machine, he closed his eyes .
"I miss you Eve...I've always missed you."
End Flashback
Julian sighed as he remembered the long loveless years without his Eve.
Had he to do it all over again he would have married Eve after the first night
they spent together. He would have loved and cared for her the way she deserved
to be.
"That bastard Russell would never have laid a finger on her," he growled
to himself. "And if Ivy thinks she can use him to squeeze any money out
of me, she is more foolish than I gave her credit for."
Eve stirred in her sleep. Julian held his breath in anticipation but was
disappointed when she merely turned over. He sighed, plainly wishing she
would awaken but perceptive of her need for rest.
"With everything that has happened the last few days, and the way we loved
one another last night--" he smiled at the memory--"she needs to get her
sleep. Though I daresay that I will be hard put to keep my hands off of you
for long."
The insistent ring of his cell phone interrupted Julian's amorous line
of thought. Julian scowled at the nerve of someone intruding on his reverie
of Eve.
"This had better be important," he muttered as he arose from the bed. He
walked toward the bureau where his phone lay and snatched it up. "Julian
Crane," he barked.
"Ah, the melodious tones of my former husband. Yet another reminder of
why I divorced you." Ivy's annoying voice came across the line.
"Your memory apparently has faded along with your so-so looks, Ivy. I divorced
you because you were and are a deceitful duplicitous bitch."
"Semantics, Julian."
"What the hell do you want Ivy? And if you are calling to make more demands
for my money, you are wasting your time."
"At least $25 million of that is due me, Julian. Why not make your life
and the life of your lover and daughter easier by just paying me?"
"You really have lost your mind if you think that you are any kind of threat."
"TC Russell attacking your wife is no idle threat, Julian. Didn't he already
slap her around a bit before? It will seem like old times if he gets his
hands on her again," Ivy grinned as she baited him.
"I would kill him and ten men who resembled him before I would let him
harm a hair on Eve's head!" Julian growled into the phone. "And I would
take great delight in strangling your worthless neck if he steps foot on
my property."
"So I will take that as a no for my alimony Julian?"
"Go to hell, Ivy!" Julian angrily disconnected the call. Ivy and that brute
TC would have to be dealt with immediately, he seethed. "I'll call Kathy
and see what is going on with the bodyguards," he said aloud.
"Bodyguards?" Julian turned around to face a stunned Eve. "Why are you
talking about bodyguards, Julian.?
"Nothing, my love. I was saying that--"
"You went ahead and hired the bodyguards after I told you not to, didn't
you? Oh Julian, why would you lie to me about that?" Eve cried. " I told
you that I didn't want people following me or prying into my private life!"
"Darling, it was for your own good! Ivy has managed to locate TC and has
been using him as attempted leverage to get me to pay her alimony!" Julian
pleaded. "I didn't want any harm to come to you so I procured the guards
to protect you!"
"Julian, you lied to me! When I asked you about it before, you said you
didn't get anyone! Now I find out that you went behind my back and did it
anyway!" Eve flared. "How can I trust you again after you lied to me?"
"Eve I wanted to keep you safe from that madman! Yes I lied but it was
to make certain you were safe--please don't shut me out!" Julian begged.
His eyes widened as Eve wrapped the sheet around her and strode toward the
bathroom in the suite. "Eve, answer me please--don't do this!" Eve slammed
the door shut. Julian knocked at the door but Eve would not answer or come
out.
Dejected, Julian went to sit on the bed and held his head in his hands.
What was he to do now?