His Redemption
Page 25
When he pulled up to his house hours later, his driveway was full and all the lights seemed to be on. Based on the noise and the silhouettes of bodies moving about in his living room he had a full house. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why. He climbed out of his truck and waited until his friend pulled up behind him and climbed out before he headed up the walk to the door.
“Looks like a party.” Devon commented.
Tony just grinned. “Yup, come on in. I can’t wait for you to meet Sarah and the family. I give you fair warning, you are going to be fed until you pop. Both our moms have been cooking and planning for days now and this is only day-one of the festivities. Wait until Sunday.”
“Why what’s happening then?”
His grin grew even bigger then. “My wedding.”
Epilogue
Sarah cuddled next to her new husband and sighed contentedly. It had been a long couple of weeks but there had been so much to do, they barely had time to breath. Tony chuckled and gave her an affectionate squeeze.
“Tired, Baby?”
She nodded. “A little, your child seems determined to drain all my energy.”
“Have I told you how much I appreciate you? I know I put you through a lot and now with the baby I can’t imagine it’s been a picnic for you.”
Glaring at him, she sat up. Sliding her leg over his she straddled him. Tony let his hands slide up her back the way she liked but stopped his exploration when he saw her frown. She cupped his face in her small hands forcing him to focus on her words.
“I want to get something straight right now Mason. I do not want to spend the rest of my life with a subservient man. Do you understand me?”
Now he was frowning. “What are you talking about? I just don’t want you to think that I don’t appreciate the sacrifices you are making for me and the trouble I’ve caused you.”
“That’s exactly what I am talking about, Tony. Do you think I see myself as better than you in some way? Am I giving off this vibe like I think you should grovel at my feet because I stuck by you during one of the most difficult times of your life?”
He didn’t say anything but she could tell she wasn’t getting through to him. She lowered her head in frustration. What would it take to get through to this man? She met his gaze once more. “I don’t want a pussy for a husband. I fell in love with a strong, willful, determined man and that’s the one I want to spend the rest of my life with- the real you. Not the groveling apologetic person you are now. That’s not you. You don’t ever have to apologize or make excuses to me for who and what you are. I love everything about you, even when you’re being a royal pain in my ass. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Tony made a sound that came out half outraged half amused at her use of vulgarity. It sounded more like something he would say. “When did you learn to talk like that?”
She gave him a smug smile. “You aren’t the only one with a past you know.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
She moved off his lap and left the room. A few minutes later she returned carrying a large photo album. After dropping the heavy volume in her new husband’s lap she rejoined him on the couch. Tony lifted the cover and started to leaf through the pages. At first he wasn’t sure what he was looking at. It appeared to be a bunch of guys all dressed in biking gear. Some of the photos appeared to be group photos of a team all dressed in similar colors, red black and blue. But as he studied them more closely, there was one biker that seemed to show up in all of them. He thought it was a guy that Sarah had documented, over what could have been, years. There were team photos as well as some fantastic aerial shots of the rider doing handstands as he flew over a mound of dirt. One photo showed the bike and rider upside down looking over the ground before hopefully coming to a safe landing. Finally, he came to a few more shots where the rider was wearing the same uniform with company sponsor logos prominently displayed all over the arms and chest. This time the rider wasn’t wearing his helmet. Instead, she carried it tucked under an arm.
Shock registered on his face as Tony looked at his new wife then back at the photo. A younger version of Sarah looked back at him. The biker he had started feeling jealous about was actually Sarah. “That can’t be you.”
“Why can’t it?” She asked.
“What-? How?”
“I got into the sport when I was about eight years old. There weren’t a lot of girls in my neighborhood growing up and the only way I could get the guys to let me hang out with them was to do the things they liked to do.”
She pointed to the book. “This was what they did. It started off with the guys building ramps on the street and jumping them but it didn’t take long before we all realized that because I was so small I could jump a lot higher than them. Soon they started coaching me and I was doing all kinds of tricks. My mother nearly had a heart attack the first time I showed her what I was doing and I had to beg and plead for her to get me a better bike or even let me keep riding. But she relented.”
“So, why don’t you still do it?”
“It’s not exactly a safe sport for pregnant women.”
He poked her. “Don’t be a smart-ass.”
She grinned glad to see the old Tony had finally come back to her. “I was in a really bad accident and they made me stop. I lost control of my bike during an aerial stunt and came down hard. I broke a few bones and well-”
She shook her head at the memory. “I had never heard my father so upset. I knew my mother was going to lose it but my father had never put his foot down so hard about anything. I think that was the last time my parents ever spoke to each other until recently and they both ordered me to stop riding. It took me several months to recover but by then I’d lost my nerve and didn’t want to do it anymore. So instead of fighting them I sold my bike and gear. The only reminder I have left of that time in my life is this photo album.”
“And that’s how you learned to swear like a sailor?” He teased.
“That’s how I learned to get along better with guys then girls. Also, it’s why I never really dated in high school. They were all like my big brothers and looked out for me, even after I stopped riding. I think one of the reasons I felt so comfortable with you from the start was because of my old friendships. The guys are all gone now, after school we pretty much scattered but I get a call from them every now and then.”
After a long nostalgic moment she cleared her throat. “So, have I made my point? I don’t want you putting me on some pedestal. That’s too much pressure. I’m human just like you. I’m not some saint. I make mistakes and I do on occasion forget I’m a lady and cuss, like a sailor. Can you accept that? Can you accept me warts and all?”
He dragged Sarah back across her lap and planted a deep kiss on her lips. “Of course I can.”
“Good then be you, the real you. You already know how much I love you and I know you’re not perfect. But I also know you aren’t a wimp either. As someone once said to me, I wouldn’t respect you if you lacked confidence.”
Tony’s expression turned smug as he remembered. “Told you so.”