She lowered her head to kiss him one last time before slowly sliding over his heated body and standing to her feet. Tony smiled as he watched her leave the room, then breathed a sigh of relief and thanksgiving as he thought of all the years he had to look forward to with Sarah, his Sarah. They would make beautiful babies together some day. With her stormy eyes and his dark hair, her intelligence and his determination, their kids would be the luckiest people on the planet. He would make sure that every day his family knew how much he loved and cared for them and do his absolute best to be a good provider.
Knowing he would need to get going, Tony headed to his dresser to find clean underwear for after his shower. As he was shuffling things around looking for his black dress socks to go with his one good suite, his hand landed on a small jewelry box he had nearly forgotten was in his possession. A memory stirred and he reached for it. He opened it already knowing what was inside- his grandmother’s engagement ring. It was slightly old fashioned; a one and a half carat marquis cut diamond solitaire in an antique yellow gold setting. He wasn’t even sure the thing would fit but if Sarah liked it he could always have it resized. He set the box down on his dresser and headed for the other bathroom to shower and dress for dinner. He would take Sarah to the nicest place he could find on such short notice and give her the ring then.
“Oh, Tony.” Sarah cried with delight as she held open the box later that evening and spied the ring inside. She looked up at him then. Joy shone brightly in her eyes making her look even more beautiful.
“It was my grandmother’s.” He explained. “I wanted you to have it. If you like it, that is.” He quickly added. She reached up to stroke his freshly shaven cheek.
“How could I not want it? This is so much better than anything I could ever have imagined, thank you.” He took the ring from the box and slid it on her finger. It fit perfectly and a moment later she was in his arms oblivious to the claps and admiring glances from the other people around the restaurant.
She hugged Tony fiercely. “I love you so much.”
He brushed a hair behind her ear as he looked down at her. “It was the least I could do seeing as how you’ve already made me the happiest man in the world by agreeing to marry me. I love you too Baby, always.”
Chapter Fifteen
“You’re what?!” Christy demanded after Tony had made his general announcement.
The day had been full of endless speculation as every staff member noticed and commented on Sarah’s new jewelry. She was not at the store when he’d decided to tell everyone the news. Instead she’d gone over to the other mall store to check on how well things were going with the final touches being put in place for their grand re-opening. The minute the door had closed behind her several of the guys had cornered him and demanded he fess up. Tony laughed and tried to feign ignorance, badly.
“What are you talking about?”
“Come on man.” Jimmy demanded. “We already know you and Sarah have been seeing each other. We just want to know why she’s suddenly sporting a shiny new diamond ring.”
“Actually, it’s not new at all.” He commented but this just earned him a look.
“Would you believe it was her birthstone?” He tried again.
“Do we look that dumb?” Ted asked.
Sighing, Tony told them all to meet him after work at the register. He planned to make one big general announcement and hope that would be the end of it. Now, he stood looking into the eyes of a very pissed off employee as if she had a personal stake in his future with Sarah. He ignored her indignant reaction and grinned. He was practically floating on air right now and not even her snotty attitude was going to put a damper on it. He was in love and marrying the woman of his dreams.
“I said, Sarah and I are getting married.”
She eyed him for a long moment with her arms crossed and a scowl marring her face. “She’s pregnant isn’t she? Honestly Tony, this is the new millennium. Just because you knocked some girl up does not mean you have to tie your life to hers. Let her have the kid and you can have visitation rights. Don’t let her trap you like this. Besides, for all you know the kid might not even be yours. Wait and find out.”
Anger flared in his eyes. He forced himself to take a deep breath then released it slowly before he did something he would regret but Jimmy was quick to intervene. “You’re way out of line Christy. Any fool can see they're nuts about each other. Besides, Sarah doesn’t deserve your attitude. She's been nothing but nice and friendly to all of us. Sure, she’s made us all work a little harder but we’re not doing anything Tony wouldn’t have and we’re making a hell of a lot more money in commissions since she’s started working here. She’s a good person and you have no right to spout your crap because you’re jealous. Take that Jerry Springer shit somewhere else.”
The last statement had some of the other employees snickering. She turned indignant. “I am not jealous of that short, ugly black girl. She’s just some cheap piece of trash trying to force Tony into a marriage he probably doesn’t even want. I can’t imagine what his parents are going to say when he tells them. They’ll probably be horrified.”
That did it, good mood be damned. Tony was done with Christy once and for all.
“That’s enough.” He roared.
“I’m tired of your shit. I’ve given you chance after chance to get your act together but that hasn’t happened. If anything you’ve gotten worse. I’m not going to give you another opportunity to hurt Sarah not with your words or yet another so called accident. You’re fired.”
“Yeah right.” She snorted.
He folded his arms then, flexing his muscles and scowling in a way that reminded everyone of the man he used to be before Sarah had tamed him. His eyes matched his tone, flat and cold. “I mean it. I thought things would be awkward when you decided to stay on after I ended things with you last year but I never expected you to act like this. Why can't you accept the fact that whatever we had is over? I've moved on and so should you. Get the hell out of my store and don’t ever come back. You’ll get your last check in the mail.”
Face flaming she threw all caution to the wind. “I’m gonna get you for this Tony. Just wait and see. You’ll regret you ever dumped me and took up with that –”
Lori moved in took her by the arm and led her to the door interrupting her rant. “Calm down Christy. You don’t mean those things. You owe Sarah and Tony more respect than that.”
Christy pulled out of her grasp and spun around to address the crowd that was frowning at her. "No, I don’t and neither do any of you. She’s a black, man-stealing bitch and he’s an unfaithful whore willing to sell him himself to anyone willing to pay. If you don’t believe me go on line and look up the name Dusty Rhodes. He’s a porn star people!”
Tony froze and it was all he could do not to wrap his hands around her throat for exposing him like that. “That was a long time ago.”
“Three years is not that long ago.” She insisted.
There was silence as she cast her gaze at every single person standing there. Finally, Jimmy spoke sounding bored. “That’s none of my business and if it’s true so what? I’ve known Tony a lot longer that you and I have nothing but respect for him.”
He turned to look at the small group. “Does anyone here have a problem with my friend’s past?” A beat of silence passed before each member shook their head.
“Nah”
“Not really.”
“You’re still a good guy Tony. We don’t care.”
“I thought he looked familiar. Go Tony!”
Jimmy turned back to her. “There you see? None of us is perfect. We all have something we aren’t exactly proud of but you were wrong for putting his business out there. It wasn’t your place. Tony’s right. Get the hell out of here. No one wants to work with someone so vindictive. It brings everyone else down and life is hard enough without people like you around to make it worse.”
∞∞∞
“I can’t believe you fire
d her.” Sarah said as she relaxed next to Tony that night. “I mean I can believe it but why now?”
“She’s been begging for it for a while now. I just couldn’t stand the way she was acting. It was seriously affecting the rest of the team. You saw it.” He said.
“I know but I still can’t help feeling a little bad about all of it.”
“It's her own fault.”
“Maybe, but everything she did was to get you back. She couldn’t help wanting to be with you any more than I could even if her methods were- you know.”
“Evil.” He supplied
Sarah wrapped her arms around him. She was seriously warming to the idea of becoming his wife. It was as if the moment she made the decision to accept his proposal a switch had been turned off and all her uncertainties about them just seemed to melt away. Sarah was happier than she’d ever been and no longer worried about showing it, which in turn made seemed to make Tony even happier. Despite their decision to tie the knot, she had opted to move in anyway and had worked hard over the last few days to give his home her feminine touch. The changes were subtle. She didn’t want to completely take over but her stamp had definitely been left all around the place.
He grinned at her comment. “I’m glad to hear you’re finally willing to admit how much you wanted me back then.”
“Yes, Tony I wanted you desperately." She gushed and tickled him reducing him to a ball of arms and legs as he fought to cover his more vulnerable spots.
Finally she grew serious. "I tried to hide my growing attraction to you but you made it so hard. You were just so sweet and caring and you made me feel safe. Falling for you was easy but I was afraid. I’ve never been in love before and knowing my history with men I didn’t want to get hurt.”
He tugged her close and kissed her. “I know Baby. I was only teasing. I love the fact that you’re so much more open now about us. You don’t have to be afraid to show your feelings for me. I’m not here to hurt you. I only want to love you and take care of you.”
“That’s what I want for you too. “
“Oh, I forgot to tell you the best part.”
“What’s that?”
“Christy told everyone about my movie career.”
Sarah’s blood boiled at that. “What the hell?! Are you alright? Did anyone say anything?”
Tony’s response was to kiss her forehead and grin like an idiot. “I love that about you. Most women would be terrified at how this would make them look but instead, your first thought was to worry about me. Believe it or not no one seemed to care. If anything it made her look worse to the group. I think we’ve finally seen the last of Christy.”
Chapter Sixteen
Lorraine Fournier opened the door to see who was standing on her front porch. As the door swung open she sucked in a wild breath as she took in the sight of a man she hadn’t seen in so very long. He wore a white dress shirt with black pleated slacks and Italian leather shoes. The body was still as she remembered, long and lean at nearly six feet. The man’s thick hair had turned from black as a raven’s wing to a distinguished looking salt and pepper at the temples. The face had taken on a few lines but to her they made him look even more handsome than the man she’d once loved to distraction. He took a step towards her peering at her with those bluish-gray eyes- eyes that looked so much like her daughter’s.
“Nicholas,” she gasped. “Is that really you?”
He pushed the door closed behind him. “Lorraine, you are still as beautiful as I remembered.”
In a flash her hand came up to connect solidly with his face. In rapid fire French she began telling him in exact detail just what a big jackass she thought he was. With as much venom as she could muster she vented twenty years of anger, hurt and betrayal. All the lonely nights and heartbreaking days left alone to care for their child by herself came spewing forth in a volcano of words and emotion.
“How dare you come here after all this time! You're not welcome here after the way you treated me and your daughter, throwing us away like we were so much garbage. If you are looking for Sarah you’re wasting your time. She is a grown woman and no longer needs her Daddy to take care of her. Even if she did, she could do without your lies and tricks.”
He made no move as he let his former wife continued to berate him. When she finally wound down several minutes later he gently took her hand in his. It had always been so much smaller than his and it amazed him even now that such delicate looking hands could be so strong and capable. “It was never my intention to hurt you, Love.”
“Then why did you leave me to marry someone else? Did you honestly think I could forget you that easily? I put all my trust in you. You promised you would never hurt me but the minute saw something new and shiny you went after it like a toddler with no impulse control. You left me to take care of our daughter alone and never once did you ever take the time to tell me why. Instead all I got was a check like that was supposed to make it all better. I didn’t want money I wanted you. I needed you. Do you have any idea at all how hard it was to take care of a small child while running a restaurant? I was in over my head and you promised to be there to help.”
“I had little choice back then.” He confessed. “I loved you so much there was nothing I wouldn’t have done for you. Neither of our families wanted to accept us and there are things I never told you. I realize on the surface it looks bad but if you give me the chance I would like to tell you what really happened.”
“Just tell me one thing.” Lorraine demanded.
“Anything, Cherie, just as long as you give me the chance to make it better- to explain what really happened.”
“Did you willingly leave me and your daughter to marry another woman?”
Nicholas took a deep breath and prayed that his next words would be enough to allow him to stay and explain. “Not the way you think.”
He waited expecting her to slap him again or at the very least throw him out but she surprised him when she merely folded her arms. “I’m listening.”
He gave her a suspicious look not quite trusting her suddenly calm demeanor. As quickly as he could he began his explanation. “I voluntarily married another woman -yes but it was not because I loved her or had even stopped loving you. As you recall, I was called back home when my father had his heart attack.”
She nodded and he continued.
“I found out then that we were no longer legally married. Rene’ had convinced a friend in the government to annul our marriage without our knowledge. When I found this out and threatened to go home to you to marry you again he explained that he would cut me off financially if I did not agree to leave you alone and marry his friend’s daughter. I argued with him and explained that we had a child and that by doing what he did he’d rendered my daughter, his only grandchild, a bastard. He did not seem to care. He told me that regardless of what he did he would not give me the money I needed to support my family unless I did what he wanted. I had no other choice. I loved you and Sarah too much to let you struggle with money while you were forced to raise our child alone. I thought that even if I could not be here physically, I could at least be here in spirit. I agreed to marry Andrea but my father was not aware of the fact that we had agreed to a marriage in name only. She had no wish to marry me any more than I wanted to marry her. She was in love with another man but her father had deemed him unsuitable since the man was his business rival and a married one at that. She was pregnant with their first child at the time but was fearful of what that would mean if their relationship was ever found out.”
Nicholas looked deep into Lorraine’s eyes urging her to understand. “I never deliberately set out to hurt you Lori. You were the only woman I have ever loved. It was difficult at times but in my heart I knew it was worth it to know I was providing for the two women that mattered most to me.”
“You forgot one important fact though, Nicholas. You never included me in the decision making process. I was never told about any of this. I deserved to know what was g
oing on in my life and have some say in it. Instead you took it upon yourself to decide was what best for me, for us. What I got was instead was a call from you informing me we were no longer married and that you were planning to remain in France. There was no apology, no I love you but things aren’t working, nothing. I was left to wonder about the real reason you left me, especially when I found out later that you married Andrea after all. I can’t tell you how much it hurt me to hear that. Up until that moment I’d always believed our love was special, that it was strong enough to last through whatever life threw at us but I was wrong. I put my trust and faith in you and you betrayed me. You taught me I should never trust the pretty lies of a man claiming to love you and because of that I have never been with another man.”
The words poured from her even as her eyes flooded with long overdue tears. Nicholas stood there taking her verbal bullets as his due. “I am so sorry Lori.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Why not? You used to love when I called you that.”
“I loved it when my husband called me that. You are not my husband. You- you’re, I don’t know what you are but you are not the man I knew at all. I’m not sure I ever knew you.”
He took a step closer to her and tried to enfold her in his arms. “You’re wrong. No one else ever understood me the way you used to. It is what I loved most about you, what I still love about you.”
“You don’t love me. You haven't spoken to me in almost twenty years. Besides, aren't you still married?”
He shook his head. “We divorced years ago.”
“That figures. What does this make your third failed marriage?”
“No, I told you there has never been another since you. I tried to forget you and hoped you had done the same but I cannot. It didn’t take me long to come to the realization that you are the only woman I am destined to love. My only regret is that I could not spend the last nineteen years with you. I wish I’d done things differently back then but I’m here now and I don’t believe for one minute that it’s too late for us.”
His Redemption Page 18