Forever My Soldier (Love Conquers Life Book 3) (18 page)

“Good now that I ate something.”

He looks over her chart. “How’s your head?”

“I have a slight headache, but it’s not too bad.”

He flashes a light in her eyes, checks her vital signs, and says, “You’re free to go. However, you need to take it easy today, and if your headache gets any worse you need to come back in.”

“You don’t have to worry. I’m sure my fiancé will be glued to my side.”

I grin. “You better believe it.”

The doctor nods. “I’ll have the nurse bring you your things. Good luck to you.”

Bella hands me a bag with everything Patty needs to go home comfortably. “You’re the best,” Patty tells her as the room clears out.

She peels the blanket off and slowly shifts in the bed so I can help her get dressed. A few minutes later, she signs the papers the nurse has brought in and we all walk out the door. Sandra had my car brought to the hospital last night, so I give the valet my ticket and he brings the car around.

Once my car pulls up, Sandra says, “Do you want me to come over?”

“Tomorrow. I want to take the day off, so why don’t we work on the wedding?”

“Okay, I will see you tomorrow,” Sandra says as I help Patty into the Jeep.

I close her car door and both her parents ask me to let them know if anything changes. Of course I promise to let them know immediately. “I really think she’s going to sleep most of the day, but I’ll check in with you both later.”

Patty rolls down the window so Bella can say goodbye while Derek shakes my hand. “Let us know if you need anything.”

“Thanks, I will.” I climb into the driver’s seat so I can get my girl home.

Chapter 17

Patty

It’s been a few weeks since I was hospitalized for being drugged at the New Year’s Eve party and I’m back to being myself. The police caught the guy who managed to drug me, and he confessed to accepting a bribe from Joan. The only problem we have now is that Joan is on the run. The man that helped her is in jail and will be there for quite a while. Since he confessed and made a plea deal, I won’t have to face him in court. Both Carter and I are quite happy about that. Carter has had constant security on me since that night to ensure I’m safe, and no one is allowed near me unless we know who they are.

Although she agrees that it’s much needed, the security has my mother a bit batty with the wedding planning. We all sat down and figured the wedding out and then I gave my mother free reign to do whatever she wanted within my guidelines. Bella, my mom, Mia, and I have all gone dress shopping. The colors have been chosen, and I helped with the menu. Other than that, I put her in charge of making sure everything runs smoothly, and she could not be happier. I told her to make sure I had a fun DJ and she ended up hiring Jake from the New Year’s Eve event, which I was fine with.

She’s due here any minute to pick up Bella and I to go cake tasting together. She insists that I have a say in what my cake looks and tastes like.

“Baby, I have to go to work,” Carter says from the other room.

I walk out. “Have a good day, honey. I’ll meet you back here later for dinner.”

I pull on the collar of his shirt, pressing my lips to his in a heated kiss. He’s been treating me with kid gloves since that night, and I’ve had enough. I want my man back, and tonight I’m going to show him how much I miss him. He wraps his hand around my back as I lick his lips. He opens, giving me full access, and I pour all I have into this kiss. I need him to know I’m ready and I want him.

He pulls away. “Are you trying to make it hard for me to leave?”

“No, I’m trying to give you something to look forward to when you get home.”

He gives me a dirty grin. “Really? Dinner and dessert?” He asks as I lick my lips and nod. “I’m already starving, but I have to go to work. I have a meeting with that guy from the toy drive today. I’ll see you tonight.” He lifts my chin. “Please be careful while you’re out today,” he says as he kisses me gently.

I roll my eyes. “I will.”

As he walks out the door, he calls back over his shoulder, “Have a good day.”

I sit at the snack bar with my cell phone and a cup of coffee, waiting for my mother to text me that she’s here. The baker that we are going to see is going to show us some samples, and we’ll decide what the cake will look like.

I open my Facebook to find more well wishes from my fans. I’ve already told them I’m home and fine, but the messages keep coming. I open my email to find a message from the editor telling me I’ll have my second round edits any day and she’s wondering if I’m up to going through them. I think to myself,
Are you kidding? Send them over. I’m bored out of my mind
, but I don’t tell her that. I quickly respond, telling her I’m fine and to send them over.

As I’m closing my email, I receive the text I’m waiting for, so I take my stuff and hurry downstairs. My two security guys are waiting for me when I get down there to escort me to my mother’s car, where she and Bella are already waiting. As I get into the car, one of my guards is talking to my mother’s driver to get the details of our day. They then both rush off to their car so they can follow discreetly as we go about our day.

“How are you, darling?” My mother asks as I get settled.

“I’m fine, Mother. I heard from the editor today. My next round of edits is coming next week. I’m happy to have something to work on since there isn’t much left to do for the wedding.”

“That’s exciting!” Bella says as she leans over to hug me.

“It is. How are things with you?” I ask her.

She lets out a deep breath. “This guy stalking me is driving Derek crazy. He left flowers and a typed note on my car the other day at Derek’s house, which means he knows where I’m staying. Unfortunately, the police still have no idea who it is because he does everything so carefully.”

“Creep,” is all I can manage because I don’t even know what else to say.

“I know, right? Derek is so glad you have security because now my guy is watching us as well as your two guys.”

“I have hired extra security for the wedding, and they’ve been informed that no one gets in without the special invitation that I’ve created. Everyone who RSVPs is getting a special card in the mail that they are required to bring with them. It’s very standard for the wedding of a high profile couple.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m not high profile. You and Richard are.”

“Darling, you are more high profile than you think. You are a bestselling author and my daughter. That makes you high profile.”

“Okay, Mother.”

Bella giggles. “You’re going to have a gorgeous wedding, and I can’t wait to see everything your mother has planned.”

“Hopefully we’ll be planning yours next,” my mother says to Bella.

Bella freezes. “I haven’t even agreed to live with him yet, never mind marry him.”

Now it’s my turn to giggle. “Don’t rush her, Mother,” I say as I get a dirty look from Bella for my laugh.

We pull up to the huge bakery, and a minute later one of my security guards is opening the door and ushering us inside. They’re so serious all the time and hardly say two words to me. It’s so weird. I might have to talk to Carter about finding a better fit for me.

Once we’re inside, we find Mia is already here and waiting for us. “Hello, ladies. Are we ready to have some sweets?” she asks with a huge smile.

I wrap my arms around her and give her a big hug. “How are you, Mia?”

“I’m well, sweet girl. How are you?”

I smile. “I’m great! Thanks, and yes, I’m ready for some sweets.”

We’re all ushered to a sitting area, and once we’re seated a woman approaches us. “Hello, ladies. My name is Connie, and I’m going to be serving you a variety of different cakes to taste test today. Once Patricia has picked the combination she likes, we’ll look at some designs and get her cake ordered, but first I want to offer you some coffee or tea to have with your cake.”

We all tell her what we would like to drink, and then I thank her before she walks off to get our beverages. This is a lot nicer than I thought it was going to be, but then again I should have known better because my mother set it up. She’s probably paying a fortune for this. She and my father have agreed to split the cost of the wedding and won’t allow Carter or I to pay a penny of it. Connie arrives with our drinks on a tray and tells us she’ll be back in a minute with our first cake combo.

Mia asks my mom, “So, what do you have left to do for the wedding?”

“Not much. I’ve already sent the invitations, and I’ve ordered the cards they will have to bring with them in order to get in. Dresses are bought, I’ve ordered the flowers, and the church is set.” My mother shrugs.

I look at Mia. “My mother’s driver has gotten us the limos through his company since we usually use them anyway.”

“I guess all I have left to do is pick a photographer,” My mom tells us.

“Hey, how about Kelly?” I ask Bella. “Can she handle a wedding my size?”

“I don’t know since she photographs models. That may be a bit different from a wedding. I can ask her, though.”

Mia smiles. “Can I take care of the photographer? I have a friend of mine who takes beautiful pictures, and she’s been doing it for years.”

I turn to my mother and wink because I can tell Mia’s really excited to be able to take care of something. “Sure, you can take care of the photographer. Let us know if she happens to be booked and we need to find someone.”

“I got it. Don’t you worry about a thing. If she can’t be there, she’ll get me someone awesome, I can promise you that.”

Connie has come over with our first round of cake, and it’s a chocolate cake with peanut butter filling. I think it’s delicious but it isn’t very elegant to go along with the rest of my wedding. We try a coffee cake, a country spice cake, black and white raspberry cake, and midnight classic. She tells us it’s time to move onto some more basic fruit or mousse filled cakes. Connie wants to bring us more, but I couldn’t eat another sweet if I wanted to.

After filling up on cake, I make my decision. “I would like to go with the white raspberry cake, please.”

She claps her hands, excited. “That’s one of our top picks. I’m sure your guests will love it. Let me get you ladies some water, and when I return we can talk about what you want it to look like.” She takes the tray of empty plates to the back room and returns with a tray of five waters.

Thirty minutes later, the girls have helped me pick what I want for a cake and Connie has taken all the notes she needs. I have way too many people for the cake design I’ve chosen, so they’re going to have sheet cakes in the back to account for the amount of guests.

“Thank you so much for your time today, Connie,” I say as we all stand to leave.

“You’re most welcome, Patricia,” she says as she gently shakes my hand. When we get to the door where one of my security guards is standing, my mother’s car is pulling around to pick us up. The guard looks around, opens the door to the shop, and escorts us back to the waiting car, but a ton of media pop out of nowhere, blocking the car, asking questions.

“Patricia, did you pick your cake?”

“Yes, I have, but as I told some of you earlier, I will not have media at my wedding.” That’s when I notice this is some of the media that was working with Joan. I pull my security guard down and inform him of what I think is going on.

“Why won’t you allow the media there?” one of them yells out.

“We simply would like our wedding to be a private event for friends and family.”

“No, it’s because she’s a selfish, backstabbing, two faced bitch.”

I smile because Joan, who was trying to get close to me by pretending to be with the media, blew her own cover. One of my guards pulls her from behind while the other calls the police.

Now the media has turned on her, and I announce, “You see, ladies and gentleman, you were being used by this woman all along. Fortunately for us, we will no longer have to deal with her because she’ll be going to jail for a long time. Have a nice life, Joan.” My guard looks at Mia. “Ma’am, are you okay to get to your car?”

“I’ll be fine. You go take care of my daughter-in-law.” She hugs me. “I’m so happy for you. It’s over.” She smiles at me and sashays off to her car as the police show up to arrest Joan.

My guards push through the crowd of people, helping me into the car along with my mother and Bella. As soon as the doors are closed, we are whisked away from the scene. My mother tells her driver to drop Bella off first, and as she does Bella takes out her phone.

“I’m texting my security guy to let him know we’re going there next,” Bella says. “I hate that I have to do this, but this guy is scaring the shit out of me.”

“Bella, language,” my mother scolds.

“Sorry, Sandra, but it’s true.”

“I know sweetie, but don’t let him change who you are.” She gives her a warm smile.

We pull up to Derek’s house, and as we do Bella’s security guard is there waiting for us. He opens the door for Bella. When he does, I notice something on her front porch.

“Look,” I say, nodding to the porch.

“Stay here,” he tells Bella. “I only pulled up a minute ago and didn’t see that sitting there.”

He walks to the front door to see what’s there. “It’s just flowers,” he shouts, waving Bella to come on over. We hug quickly, and she runs past the flowers and into the house. Her guard is already on the phone, reporting the delivery, when we leave to go back to my house.

On the way, I text Carter to let him know what happened, and I fill my mother in on my dinner plans with Carter tonight. I’m excited to make him a nice dinner. I leave out my plans to seduce him with the strawberries, whip cream, and chocolate pudding I bought for after dinner. My mother tells me that she’s already filled Richard in on what happened, and she’ll keep me posted on what he says.

As we’re pulling up to my house, I thank my mother for a nice day out then give her a hug and kiss goodbye. She makes me promise to have lunch with her next week, and I happily agree, telling her to make it late in the week so I can get through my edits first. My guard opens the door as the other stands by the other side as I climb out.

“Ma’am, let’s get you inside,” one of them says as he starts urging me toward the door.

As we walk through the door, I groan in frustration. “What is your name?”

“Colin, ma’am,” he says, looking really confused.

“Great. I’m Patty or Patricia. Now you can stop with the ma’am crap.”

“Ma’am, we’re not allowed to call our clients by their first name,” he says plainly.