Beauty and the Beast by Laurel Cain Haws

power-of-attorney that those funds were to be used for the benefit of your community at the discretion of myself, you, and Vincent. It is apparent that her priorities had changed radically over the past few years, because her investments were in a shambles. I took the liberty of having my investment broker, Sandra Goldman, go over all of Cathy’s holdings. She has reinvested almost everything in a new portfolio which is now producing healthy returns. Anyway, there is no reason for anyone in your world to ever want for anything again, and you will be able to pay your Helpers.”
    Father shook his head. “I’m overwhelmed! Please be sure to set up accounts with everyone who has been providing supplies to us, Peter.
    Peter smiled, “Already done, Father.”
    As Vincent slept, he dreamed.
    He found himself in a white mist with a small figure coming through the mist toward him. It was Catherine, dressed in a delicate white wedding gown beaded with natural pearls, trimmed at the neckline and at the ends of the long elegant sleeves, with intricate white lace. Her
    light brown hair was swept up and adorned with one each of the white and red roses from the bush on her balcony. She reached for him, and he took her small hands in his huge ones and saw that he was wearing a white ruffled formal shirt and a black velvet vest over black formal dress pants and black boots. On her left ring finger was the most beautiful set of crystal wedding rings he could ever have imagined, and his left ring finger also wore a much larger masculine crystal ring. He recognized that the crystals were from the Crystal Cavern. He looked into Catherine’s blue-green eyes, bent over to kiss her, and awakened with a start.
    Vincent sat up on the edge of his bed, closed his eyes, and put his head in his hands. When he could bring himself to look up, he saw that Mary had fallen asleep in the new rocker, and Little Jacob was sound asleep in his bassinet. Pretty eighteen-year-old Brooke, with her wavy shoulder-length brown hair, was standing in the doorway with a baby bottle of milk. “Am I disturbing you, Vincent?”
    Vincent answered, “Not at all, Brooke. Come on in.”
    Brooke went on, “Peter sent another bottle of breast milk for Little Jacob’s feeding, and I was hoping to give it to him.” Almost on cue, as if he knew, even in his sleep, that it was feeding time, Little Jacob stirred and then fussed.
    Vincent smiled, “That would be wonderful, Brooke. It
    was such a blessing that Peter found a woman who had lost her baby and was generous enough to donate her milk to Little Jacob. Perhaps you could feed him and then watch over him for a little while, so I can take Mary to her chamber and put her to bed. She has worn herself out fretting over me.”
    Brooke lit up with a smile, “Sure! I’m going to change him first, though, before I feed him.” She reached for the pile of diapers under the bassinet.
    Vincent was momentarily alarmed when it occurred to him that Catherine’s rose was no longer in his hand.
    When he found it safe in its pouch, he realized Diana must have put it away after he fell asleep, and he smiled. Then he stood up and stepped over to the bassinet. He took the bottle of milk from Brooke, so she could change the baby. Suddenly, Catherine’s face, eyes closed in death, was clear in his mind, and he heard her voice distinctly, “Vincent! Where are you?” He closed his eyes in pain and laid the bottle on the table.
    Brooke looked at him in alarm. “Vincent, are you all right?”
    Vincent smiled softly at her concern. “I’m all right, Brooke. Don’t worry.”
    As Vincent stepped over to the rocker and picked Mary up in his arms, Brooke stopped what she was doing and stared in disbelief at the beautiful rocking chair. “Is that the rocking chair Cullen made?”
    Vincent chuckled at the same look he and Diana had
    shared over that chair, “It sure is.”
    Brooke was mesmerized by it, “I had heard that he was working on