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Derrick took a step closer to her, feeling her tense a bit, and removed the sunglasses from her face. “Better?” he asked, making absolutely no attempt to cover the smirk on his face. He then pulled the hat from Taylor’s head and ran his fingers through her blond waves. The feeling of her silken strands was better than any cashmere or satin Derrick had ever touched. They stood silently, taking each other in.
“There you are!”
Both Taylor and Derrick jumped from the shrill intrusion of Marty’s voice.
“Christ, Derrick, don’t keep her here in the garage all damn night,” Marty chastised, pulling Taylor forward. “God, give him a few more minutes and he probably would have jumped you on the hood of a car!” she told Taylor.
Taylor smiled at Marty, but she turned over her shoulder as she was propelled forward. “Come on, Derrick,” she called, holding out her hand to him.
Derrick smiled and took it. “Coming, my love,” he said, kissing her hand and enjoying the momentary glare Taylor gave him.
* * *
Taylor had vowed neverto step foot in this mansion again.
This was yet another thing she had not wanted to let happen that was happening.
Taylor went along willingly with Marty, but she had felt so much better when Derrick was with her. He was the only one who really understood and the only one who was breathing confidence into her when she doubted. He could read her and knew when to shut her questioning mind down, and reluctantly, she needed him.
“Let’s go get you some tea. I can’t believe that Cedric is dead!” Marty rambled on as they went. “How just like him to ruin your trip!” Taylor smiled at Marty; it seemed she had competition for being Cedric’s biggest hater.
In a blur, Taylor accompanied Marty and Derrick up the elevator, and they were now entering the luxury kitchen. A familiar figure turned as they came in, and Taylor stopped in shock.
“Nan?” she asked quietly.
“Taylor?” returned the woman who was before Taylor, her voice breathless and disbelieving. Not even a second went by before Taylor was enveloped into the arms of the softly rounded woman. “I thought I would never see you again, lass,” Nan cried into Taylor’s hair, her Irish brogue so familiar and comforting.
And Taylor returned the tears. Nan had worked at her family’s home for as long as she could remember, but when her grandfather died, Cedric had fired Nan and all the staff that had been with the Preston family forever.
“I didn’t know where you went,” Taylor sobbed at Nan. Taylor had been so overwhelmed at the time, she didn’t know some staff was gone until months later.
“I came to work here after, well—” Nan stopped, took a breath, and then hugged Taylor tight to her again. “Oh, I thought you’d never come back. When you left, oh, when you left …” Nan rambled in between tears.
“I’m back,” Taylor said, her head still buried into Nan. She leaned back. “I missed you. I’m sorry I didn’t try to find you …”
“Shhhh. It’s okay, my dear,” Nan soothed in her soft Irish accent. “I am just so glad you’re back.” She held Taylor back in her arms, swaying like a mom as Taylor fiercely returned the hug. When she looked up and saw Derrick, she looked surprised. “Derrick! Well, lad, I had no idea you were here. I thought … that is, last I knew you and my Taylor …” Nan’s voice trailed off.
The blush in her cheeks and the loss for words was telling to Derrick. Nan was vocal, really vocal; she didn’t care about saying what was on her mind. So, for her to hold her tongue meant she must be protecting someone, and it wasn’t Derrick.
“Uh, yeah, well, Taylor and I—”
“Derrick and I reconnected a couple of years ago,” Taylor finished. “We’ve been seeing each other for a while.”
“Show her, Taylor,” Marty said in a stage whisper, about to pop from the excitement.
“Oh, yeah, uh, now we are, uh … he gave me this,” Taylor pulled her hand out and showed Nan her ring, unable to find the word “engaged” in her vocabulary.
Nan’s eyes widened, and her lips moved, but words didn’t leave them. Her eyes jumped from Taylor to Derrick and then back to Taylor. “Taylor, my goodness. Are you sure? Are you happy?” she asked in utter disbelief.
“Yeah,” she said, but it sounded hesitant. Then she smiled wide, “I’m very happy, Nan. He makes me happy—he understands.”
Nan looked between the two again, unconvinced, “Okay, my dear. As long as you’re happy.”
“I am,” Taylor said again, nodding.
“Well, then let me get you kids something to eat,” Nan announced, turning back toward the kitchen.
“Oh no, Nan, you don’t have to,” Taylor said.