by Sonja Gunter
“Fine, we’ll be on the ground in a few minutes.” Philip strolled the aisle and made some last-minute checks before going back to the cockpit.
Rane watched Philip close the door. He had come out earlier while Mark was in the shower. He didn’t mention anything to her, only asked if he could get her anything. Declining, she went and sat down to look out the window again.
She really did love Mark!
How was she going to let him know she felt the same way?
Reaching up, she kissed his neck below his ear and then whispered, “Mark, I love you, too.”
Chapter 38
The plane didn’t pull into a gate, as commercial planes would have. Instead, it stopped in front of a hangar. When they departed the plane, a limo was waiting and Philip was already standing next to it with the car door open for them.
“How many limos do you own?” Rane asked, curious.
“A few. Some are rented, but this one is mine.”
Once they’d landed, Rane decided it was better to keep to small talk than to discuss their declaration of love for each other.
“Are you ready to do some shopping?” Mark asked.
“Shopping?”
“Yes, remember we have the mall staying open for you,” he smiled, and stopped next to her.
“Do you usually shop this way? I mean, do you have to shop when the mall is closed?” Rane asked.
“Sometimes, or I have a personal shopper bring the items to my home or office. You would think I would be safe in a mall. Who would know me in a mall? Right, but it never fails someone recognizes me and then it becomes a mad house. Philip has outlawed those types of pleasure trips,” he said as they arrived at the mall entrance.
“We’re here. Are you ready to have some fun? I’m going to do some shopping, too, since we have the store to ourselves. You’ll need a cocktail dress for tomorrow night. Casual outfits and swimsuits are optional.”
“Oh, are you planning on swimming or skinny dipping?”
“That’s why I said they are optional,” he said with a lascivious grin.
“I see what’s on your mind.”
“I want you to pick out anything you might want but most of all have fun,” Mark finished as Philip opened the door and ushered them into the store.
Several employees were waiting inside when they entered. An older man with dark brown hair stepped forward and extended his hand to Mark.
“Mr. Christmenn, I’m Mr. Russell the store manager. It’s a pleasure to see you again. I hear you just landed. May we get anything for you or your guest to drink or eat?” he asked while shaking Mark’s hand.
“Good evening, Mr. Russell. Thank you again for opening your store for us. We shouldn’t take up much of you or your employees’ time tonight. Yes, we could use some water and soft drinks when you get a chance,” Mark said and placed his hand in the small of Rane back. “Mr. Russell, this is Ms. Schoen and she is the main reason we’re here tonight. I whisked her away from Minneapolis on short notice. We’ve come down here empty handed.”
Rane extended her hand. “I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Russell. I would also like to thank you for your services tonight.”
“Mrs. Little will be able to show Ms. Schoen around and help her pick out all the items she will need.”
As if on cue a middle-aged woman with short, curly black hair, stepped forward.
“Have fun,” Mark said.
“Okay,” Rane said.
In a daze, she followed Mrs. Little to the BCBG Maxazria department. She had to be dreaming, she felt like Julia Roberts in the movie Pretty Woman, which happened to be her most favorite movie. She’d thought it only happened in the movies. Val was going to be so jealous. She took out her cell phone and sent Val a text message.
Guess where I am?
I give up.
Val’s text came with a smiley face at the end.
Dillard’s in Florida.
No way.
This time her text had a shoe and a heart symbol.
Yes way. LOL.
Thor is fine. Stay in touch this time. TTYL.
Added to this message was a real picture of Thor sleeping next to Val.
TTG.
Rane tucked her cell phone away and let Mrs. Little show her all kinds of clothes. Soon she’d made purchases from panties, bras, sunglasses, makeup, to clothes for dinner, to lay out in the sun, and even a suitcase for traveling back home. Mrs. Little had turned out to be great and they’d had so much fun she didn’t realize so much time had gone by until Mark appeared.
“Are you ready to leave?” Rane asked. “What time is it?”
“Almost midnight. The question is, are you ready to leave?”
“Yes, we’re finished here.”
Rane turned to Mrs. Little and said, “Thank you for all your help.”
“Ms. Schoen, it has been my pleasure. Enjoy your stay in Florida. If you don’t need anything else, I’ll be on my way.”
“No, I think I have everything. Thank you for your time.”
“Make sure to stop by again on your next visit,” Mrs. Little said and turned away.
“Mark, I had so much fun! It was unbelievable. This is better than shopping the normal way.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”
Rane continued to chatter all the way down to the main level and to the door.
Mr. Russell stood at the door ready to let them out of the store. “Goodnight, Ms. Schoen, goodnight, Mr. Christmenn. The other item, I’ll have delivered in the morning. Call if you need anything else.”
As they exited the store once again the limo was there waiting with the door open. She could see all the packages lying on the seats. They barely had enough room to sit when Mark folded her into his arms and gave her a deep and passionate kiss.
“What was that for?” she asked breathlessly.
“I missed you. It’s about an hour ride to Marco Island. Rest here against me if you get tired.”
“I might be able to stay awake but I’m not going to guarantee it. I am tired.”
“If you fall asleep, I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
He slouched down to get a comfortable position for the both of them. Like last night he knew the moment she fell asleep and he was able to close his eyes, too.
“Rane, wake up. Rane. Rane, we’re here.”
Mark spoke softly as he woke her. He saw her eyes flutter open, only to close again. The humidity and the smell of saltwater overwhelmed him as soon as Philip opened the door. It was something that always made him feel at peace. He carefully detached himself from Rane’s arms and slid out. He then reached back inside, lifted her out, and carried her inside the house and up the stairs to the master bedroom.
She murmured words about a couple of minutes but never fully opened her eyes. He could tell she was exhausted. So, he undressed her for a second time that night, enjoying every second of touching her skin. He was tempted to awake her slowly to a blissful feeling but gave in, telling himself he had all weekend. Mark lovingly tucked Rane in and only gave her a kiss, then left and went back downstairs.
All their purchases filled the entryway. She’d done some damage. Mark heard footsteps. He turned and saw Rita, his housekeeper, and Philip.
“Rita, please put all the purchases in the guest bedroom,” he said.
“Yes, sir. It’s good to see you,” Rita said and picked up the bags and headed up the staircase.
“Philip, we need to talk.” He turned and blurted, “I’m in love with Rane.”
Mark stood back and watched as Philip did a double-take and stopped in mid-stride. He saw that he had Philip’s full attention now as he defended his heart-felt announcement.
“Did I hear you right? Now you’r
e saying you love her? Before, it was I think I love her.”
“Yes. Yes, I know I love her. And I told her that too.”
“You said it to her?” Philip asked.
“Yes.”
“What did she say? What did she do?”
“Nothing, at first, and then when we were getting ready to land she told me she loved me. Philip, I know she is the one I met on the plane all those years ago. I can tell. It’s a feeling. I knew something was different with her. Now as I think about it, it’s the same feeling I had all those years ago.”
“If you’re so convinced she is the one you’ve been looking for all this time, what do you want me to do?” Philip asked. “I can run another check on her.”
“I want to meet her grandmother. I remember what the young girl’s grandmother looked like. She isn’t likely to have changed that much over the years. I’ll talk to Rane in the morning about going to visit her today. Even if Rane doesn’t turn out to be the girl, I’m going to propose to her. I’ve arranged for the ring to be delivered here in the morning.”
“All right, I’ll make plans to leave mid-morning.”
“Philip?” Mark watched as Philip turned when he called his name. “Thanks for being there for me.”
“You owe me big time for this. I can’t think of what I’m going to charge you yet but whatever it is, you can be sure it’s going to be big. I think it’s time I got a Jaguar, or maybe my own house in the Bahamas, or . . . I know, a million dollars?”
Philip ambled out of the room still spouting ideas.
Mark observed Philip leave then smiled too. He took a couple of deep breaths and headed back to the bedroom to the woman he loved.
Chapter 39
Rane awoke with the feel of a hand on her breast for the second time in two days. This time she didn’t want to scream. She wanted only to snuggle closer to the warm body. She lay there going over everything in her mind from the last twenty-four hours. It all seemed a blur.
She was in Florida. In Mark’s house, and she’d woken next to him for the second time in a day. She felt his hand caress her breast and turned toward him to find blue eyes staring at her.
“I warned you before, I’m not nice in the mornings,” she whispered.
“And I told you I am,” Mark said then captured her lips.
He took his time awakening her desire. He wanted to fully enjoy the intimacy of waking up next to the woman he loved. It was the most powerful feeling he’d ever experienced. Only in his early college days had he allowed himself to sleep with anyone all night long.
The feel of Rane’s arms wrapped around him and her response to his slightest touch heightened his passion. They enjoyed a slow, but satisfying morning of making love. When their heartbeats had slowed to normal, he got off the bed and dragged Rane with him into the shower. With the water running all over their bodies, he didn’t think he’d ever experienced something quite so erotic and arousing.
“Rane . . .”
With the water and the shower walls as their bed, they made love again. After they’d satisfied each other, Rane pushed him out.
“Go, so I can shower in peace.”
“Fine, be that way. There’s always later.”
However he stayed in the bathroom to watch her distorted figure through the glass door for a little while, still not believing he’d found the girl he’d been looking for all these years. Taking one last aching look, he reluctantly left. He needed to get downstairs and wait for the special package to arrive.
Still thinking she was in some sort of parallel universe and she was going to wake up back at home just like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Rane finished her shower.
She loved Mark. And he loved her. What else could she wish for in life?
Walking into the bedroom with a large fluffy bath towel wrapped around her, she saw all the clothes she’d picked out last night laying on the bed. Looking in all directions, she couldn’t find Mark. She let the towel drop and quickly dressed in one of her new outfits, a teal and yellow-flowered Ralph Lauren sundress.
She wondered what Mark had scheduled for them today. The sun streaming through the picture windows revealed it was going to be a glorious day.
Maybe they’d be able to go to the beach. On the other hand, would he say we’re flying down to the Florida Keys for dinner?
Following the smell of food and the aroma of coffee, Rane made her way to the kitchen, a spacious open area where she found Mark seated at a table in the sunroom. It had all glass windows and a sliding door that opened to a patio, filling the room with Florida morning sunlight.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“I thought we already had breakfast,” she said in a flirty voice. “Are you sure you’re still hungry?” She grinned when he almost choked on the food in his mouth and motioned for her to sit down.
Yes, she was still hungry, and it wasn’t for food alone.
“You are a devil in disguise. Not only are you not nice in the morning, you are direct and to the point. That is an extreme combination. You could’ve given me more warning.”
She saw Mark’s eyes twinkle and his lips had curled into an inviting smile as he handed her the bowl of eggs and the plate of bacon.
Mark watched her devour her breakfast in silence. Seeing that she was almost finished, he decided it was time to ask her about going to her grandmother’s house. Taking a breath to manage his racing heart, he asked, “I was thinking since we are so close to your grandmother’s house you might like to visit her and your mother today?”
Rane’s fork stopped midway to her mouth. “That would be so nice. Grandma Gretta will be so surprised. I haven’t had a chance to come down here since my mother came down to live with her. Could we really go see her?”
“Yes, whenever you’re ready to go.”
“I’m ready now.”
She shoveled some more eggs in her mouth, grabbed a couple of pieces of bacon, and stood.
“Slow down.” He said with a laugh. “I’ll call Philip to bring the limo around front. We’ll leave in about fifteen minutes.”
“Sorry, I’m forgetting my manners. You’re going to love Grandma Gretta. I think we’ll miss my mother. She has to work on Saturdays.”
“Maybe we should invite them to dinner tonight. I know several excellent restaurants in downtown Naples.”
“You would do that?” Rane asked with uncertainty.
“Yes, and I had better call Philip if we want to leave on time. Finish your breakfast and meet me out front. I need to check on a few things.”
Standing, he bent down and gave her a kiss on her cheek before walking out of the room.
She enjoyed the view of the Gulf for a moment, which was just as beautiful as she remembered. She couldn’t come up with any words to describe what she saw as she gazed out at the water and the morning sun. From the landscape, she couldn’t tell if Mark’s house was north or south of the public beach.
Since she’d been asleep when they had arrived, she couldn’t be sure. Plus it had been several years since she had been to Tiger Tail Beach. Rane was tempted to walk outside to get her bearings. She took a guess, assuming they might be in the restricted part of the beach.
As a teenager, she had never been able to cross over the line. There had been guards posted by the invisible line and they knew everyone who lived in the area. If they didn’t recognize you, they asked for your card showing you were a visitor or an owner in order to cross back into the area.
Sometimes when she would come to the beach, she made sure she could see everyone who left this protected area to see if that boy would walk out to the public beach.
The sound of a door closing brought Rane back to the present. Clearing her thoughts, she grabbed her can of Coke, which Mark had so thoughtfully set out on th
e table, and walked out to the foyer.
“Are you ready?”
“I need to go upstairs for a moment. Then I’ll be ready to go,” she said, and vanished up the stairs.
Mark waited patiently by the front door and patted his front pocket with a smile. It was going to be a win-win situation for him with an answer soon to his twenty-year-old quest close at hand. He felt rejuvenated. Even if his suspicions turned out to be wrong, he was still going to ask Rane to marry him.
Chapter 40
They arrived at the Ruby Lakes community in Naples in about forty minutes. Mark made an effort to engage Rane in a conversation but she only gave him one-word answers. He could tell she was excited to her Gramma Gretta. The limo had barely come to a complete stop when she opened the door and ran out to her grandma’s front door.
She rang the doorbell and turned toward Mark. He made it just in time as the door opened.
Rane let out a squeal of joy at the sight of her gramma.
“Gramma Gretta!”
“Ro, is that you sweetie?”
“Yes, it’s me Grams, and I’ve brought someone with me today.”
“Come on in and get out of the sweltering heat. A friend? Is it Val? I haven’t seen her in a long time,” Gramma Gretta said as she held open the door wider.
“No, Grams, Val didn’t come this time. She’s cat-sitting Thor for me. You’ve never met this friend,” she said, while giving her Gramma a huge welcoming hug and a kiss.
“His name is Mark.” She moved a little, so Gramma Gretta could see him. “Gramma Gretta, this is Mark. Mark, this is my Gramma Gretta,” Rane stated and stepped back after she made the proper introduction.
“Gramma Gretta, I’m very pleased to meet you,” Mark said.
He couldn’t stop himself from staring at the woman. Then he smiled.
Damn. He’d been right.
The woman who’d greeted the girl so long ago stood before him now. Gramma Gretta had changed very little with age. She now had more extra gray hairs, her face had more wrinkles, but she was definitely the woman the girl from the plane had hugged on that day.