Dallas reached into his inside pocket, snatched out a pen and scribbled on the blank side of a business card he pulled from the opposite inside pocket. He slipped it to the man and said, “Send the invoice to my accountant. You’ll get your money.”
“Cool. Thanks. The name’s Bill,” he said, reaching into his jacket and handing a card to Dallas. “She said if there were any new developments, she wanted me to come right away, and I’ve been trying to get ahold of her for the last week.” He kept his grip on one of the edges of the envelope. “These are sealed and they’re for her eyes only.”
Bill walked away, stuffing Dallas’ card inside his camera bag. Paul walked up to Dallas. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sure,” he answered with his gaze following Bill’s journey to where all the other photographers had congregated. “Dude just handed these to me. They’re for Tori.”
Paul held out his hand, “Why don’t you let me hold those for a minute?”
“Naw. I need to know what’s going on now.” Dallas pivoted and went to the private area right off from the ballroom. His father was right on his heels and closed the door behind them.
Dallas broke the seal and slid out a set of photos that made his heart stop. Picture after picture. Photo after photo. All of Alicia. A pregnant Alicia. He shuffled through each one, then shuffled through them again before he pivoted and dashed toward the door.
“Dallas, wait—” Paul began, but Dallas was already out the door. He went to the arch and scanned the group of photographers, though he couldn’t see the man who’d given him the photos. Whipping out his cell, he dialed the number on the photographer’s card. “Meet me in front. Now!”
Bill broke through the crowd, threading his way up front saying, “Excuse me. Pardon me. Let me through” along the way. When he finally stood in front of Dallas and Paul, he asked, “What can I do for you?”
“You can tell me where these were taken,” Dallas demanded, holding up the stack of pictures.
Bill drew back, his beady eyes darting from Paul to Dallas as he said, “How much are you willing to pay?”
“How much are you enjoying your teeth?” Dallas growled.
“She’s in Chicago,” he answered right away. “But she won’t be there long,” he added. “I saw her schlep in some boxes. The packing kind. That’s why I wanted to get the pictures in.”
Dallas turned the moment he felt a hand on his shoulder. Anna glanced at the photo in his hand and covered her mouth. She looked up at him, taking in his thunderous expression. “Son ...”
“The woman is carrying my child, Mom. And Tori knew!”
Her hand slipped down to his arm. “There’s no guarantee that she’ll take you back.”
“I’m not looking for guarantees. I’m just looking for what’s mine. It’s as simple as that.”
“So what are you going to do about today?” his mother asked. “What about the wedding?”
“What do you think?” he asked. “The wedding’s off!”
“Dallas, wait!” they chorused, as Dallas stomped through the ballroom.
There was no way to stop his determined steps and within seconds, he was standing under the arch where he and Tori were to recite their vows in just minutes. Dallas held up a hand to silence everyone. “People, I’m going to say two things. First, thank you for coming out to support what should have been a beautiful day. And second, I apologize, because there won’t be a wedding today.”
Chatter filled the room and the reporters stepped forward.
“Does it have anything to do with the pictures your holding?” one bold, crew-cut sporting reporter asked. “Did you catch your fiancée in a compromising position?”
The many cameras in the room started rolling.
“Dallas,” Paul whispered his son’s name and gripped his arm, “speak to Tori. You have to go to Tori before you say anything else.”
He nodded and turned toward his guests, “Please, everyone,” he said, raising his voice to speak over the loud din. “Stay, enjoy the food and party ‘til you drop.” He gestured to the table in the rear overflowing with beautifully wrapped boxes. “Please be sure to take your wedding gifts back with you. Once again, I apologize.”
As he turned toward the anteroom, James Mitchell blocked his path. “You low down, dirty motherfucker,” he growled, shaking his fist in Dallas’ face. “How can you do this to my little girl?”
“Your little girl has a lot to answer for, Mr. Mitchell,” Dallas answered. He then shifted his gaze to Bernice, who parted her mouth to take him on. “I suggest you get out of my way before you see what kind of ass I can really be.”
James blanched and stepped to the side. Bernice struggled at first but finally clamped down on what she was about to spit out.
Tori sprinted up the aisle, her form-fitting lace dress raised about her ankles as she hiked in four-inch satin-covered heels. Her bridesmaids—Dallas’ sister, two classmates, and a cousin—trailed behind her.
“You’re telling everyone the wedding’s off?” she shrieked.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the side room, away from the cameras and curious stares.
“Dallas! What’s going on?” But before he could answer, Tori’s eyes focused in on the pictures he held.
“Oh, my god!” Her golden skin went practically white in two seconds.
“You’ve known all this time,” he accused.
“She didn’t want you to know where she was!” Tori countered. “She doesn’t want to come back to you.”
Rage shot through him faster than he could put it in check. “You’ve spoken to her?”
Tori lowered her gaze to the plush carpet, and it was just the thing he needed to confirm his suspicions. He shoved the envelope in her hands. “Next time, pay your hired hands, and your dirt will stay underground.”
“Dallas, it wasn’t anything like that!” Tori answered, trying to get a hold of his lapel. “She told me that she never wanted to see either one of us again. I only had him taking pictures so I’d know she was all right. After that one time, she didn’t talk to me again. She won’t take my calls or anything!”
There was a soft knock on the door and before either could say anything, Reverend Braxton stuck his head inside. “This is just a minor obstacle,” the reverend said as if he knew what was going on. “Your mother told me, but just know that you’re being tested. You can get past this. I believe—”
“Reverend, now is not the time,” Dallas snapped, and the pastor frowned as he stepped back outside of the room. Turning back to Tori, he said, “You know what this means?”
“It doesn’t mean anything. She doesn’t want to be with you. How many times does she have to leave you for you to believe that?”
“I’ll never believe that,” he said, brushing past her. When he stepped back out into the ballroom, the cameras were rolling.
Tori was right behind him as he pushed his way past his guests, ignoring their questions and statements.
Behind him, Tori cried out, “When she doesn’t want you, there’s no coming back to me!”
He swung around, taking in the angry lines of her face in a single glance. “Tori, that has never been the threat you thought it was. You might want to call Max in again. But I advise you not to get pregnant by him because your child will have to stand in line after his first ten kids.”
Her eyes widened in horror.
“Oh, damn. You didn’t know about that either?” Dallas taunted, then turned to the musicians, whose eyes were on the same spot as everyone else. “Fellas, now would be a good time to play something with an upbeat.”
They struck up a Jodi Whatley classic—“I’m Looking for a New Love”—as Dallas made his way down the aisle and out the door before anyone could stop him.
Chapter 39
Same day—7:32 p.m.
Chicago, Illinois
Dallas knocked on the door for what seemed an eternity. Alicia cracked it open to see him standing on the other side,
still wearing his black tux. Her eyes widened in shock as she tried to angle herself so the door hid her round figure. Dallas pushed past the opening and faced her full on.
Alicia looked absolutely gorgeous, though her eyes were filled with sadness. As much as he wanted to rant and rave, he didn’t have the heart. Evidently, she had been hurting as much as he had.
He held out his arms. Moments ticked by, and Alicia didn’t make a move. She looked up at him, silently pleading with him not to make her life any more complicated.
Finally, she made a timid move forward and then another. Soon her head was laid against the soft beat of his heart. He scooped her up, carried her with him to the sofa and cradled her in his arms. The time for questions would come much later. Right now, all he wanted to do was hold her.
Dallas rubbed a hand over the small swell of her belly and smiled. The television was tuned to ESPN, where the anchor was reporting on the ill-fated wedding of Dallas Avery.
“That’s Dallas Alexander,” he said to the TV.
Alicia looked up at him. “What happened?” she whispered.
“Four words: I love you, Alicia.”
She splayed a hand over his chest as she whispered back, “I love you, Dallas.”
And for the time being, he knew that was all that either one of them needed to know.
* * *
Dallas awakened a few hours later with Alicia still in his arms. She stirred and snuggled closer to him, and he stroked a hand over her belly. “I looked for you, you know.”
“I thought that you would.”
“I thought you’d left the country.”
“I was going to, until I found out about the babies.”
“Wait, hold on. Babies?”
She nodded with a grin. “Twins.”
“And so I changed my name; that’s why you couldn’t find me. I changed it to Alicia Alexander.”
Dallas frowned, but then quickly, he smiled. “You chose my father’s name.”
“Yes, because I wanted the twins to have a part of you, even if we weren’t together.”
“Twins,” he whispered, and then Alicia laughed as he pumped his fist in classic Tiger Woods style. “Yes!” Then he was serious again. “Are you all right?” he asked. “I mean I know you didn’t want to be pregnant. You were worried ...”
“I was, but there wasn’t an alternative for me. I found out that I was pregnant right when I left, and I couldn’t bring myself to …” She shrugged. “I just couldn’t. They would be the only part of you I would have.”
Dallas pressed his forehead to hers. “Thank you. Thank you, baby.” He kissed her cheek, but then, he pulled back. “So why did you leave? And when you found out that you were pregnant, why didn’t you come back?”
Alicia looked away, and when she focused on him again, he was taken aback by the look in her eyes. “I was so angry with you,” she said hoarsely. “You stayed there … and you slept with Tori.”
“I fell asleep,” he countered. “But I didn’t have sex with her.”
“Dallas, come on, you’ve never lied before,” she said, her tone suddenly abrasive. “I saw the picture.”
Dallas angled so that they were eye to eye. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“She texted a picture of you holding her that night and—”
“And I didn’t touch her!” Dallas said between his teeth. “We talked, she was upset, I held her, and we fell asleep. But, I promise you, I didn’t have sex with her that night. I have never had sex with that woman!” Then he grimaced, realizing those weren’t the best choice of words.
“I think Bill Clinton wore that line out.”
“Alicia, you know me enough to know that I wouldn’t lie,” he said. “If I do some shit, I own up to that! Tori is still a virgin. The most she did was give me hand jobs or head, and that was long after you left.” Dallas made Alicia look into his eyes. “I promise you that we didn’t do anything that night..”
“But, you were marrying her?”
Dallas looked out of the window at the panoramic view of the Chicago skyline. His hand stroked the smooth, silky skin of her arms. “Yeah, I was. But not because I loved her. She stayed beside me when you left. She was there when I broke down and couldn’t think straight. She helped me get back on my feet and I was grateful.”
Alicia nodded. “Your investigator couldn’t find me, but Tori’s found me four months ago.”
“I found out today. Right before the wedding.”
“Ah,” Alicia said, understanding it all now. “Well, there’s something you should know. I’d only been gone a month when she came to see me.”
“She didn’t tell me that.”
“Well, she did. She flew here to Chicago, found me and practically begged me to come back. She said you needed me. She admitted that you needed me more than you ever needed her.”
Dallas opened his mouth then closed it.
“I told her that what we had was over,” she whispered. “I told her that you and I would never be together and that you two were meant to be together.”
“Well now, I feel a little bad about running out on her today, but I had to come to you. She had to know that.”
“And, I feel bad about telling her to go back to you because the truth is, I never stopped loving you. And once I found out that I was carrying these babies ... Dallas, I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right, baby.” He kissed her temple. “But I feel like putting you over my knee and spanking that ass.”
“Negro, I’d like to see you try,” she playfully shot back.
“But not with my children in here.” He closed his eyes and stroked the taut skin that stretched across her belly.
These were his children. This was his woman.
He thought about the prayers he’d said that morning and everything had been answered.
“Well, there’s only one thing left to do,” Dallas said.
Alicia frowned until Dallas, still clad in his tuxedo rolled off the sofa and knelt on one knee.
“Alicia, will you marry me? Be my wife, my friend, my lover, the mother of my children?”
A tear spilled down her cheeks.
“Pretty please, with me on top,” he said, giving her a playful pout.
“With me on top,” she corrected.
“Baby, I’ll take you whatever way I can get you.”
Dallas kissed the tip of her nose, and she said, “Yes, Dallas, I’ll marry you.”
The swell of joy he felt at that moment, couldn’t be put into words. It wasn’t something he could buy or lease, it was the type of love that a man had to earn and maintain. And he would do everything in his power to make sure that she realized she didn’t make a mistake by taking this chance with him.
“Can we go to Vegas tonight?” he asked, planting a kiss on her shoulder. “You know, before something else happens … like changing your mind.”
“I’m not going to change my mind,” she whispered.
“You promise?”
“I promise,” she said, giving him a megawatt smile.
“My dad’s private jet is at the airport. We’re going to get this thing done.” Realizing it sounded more like a command, he quickly added, “Please?”
Alicia’s lips spread into a slow smile. “I’ll change my clothes.”
Dallas stood and did his best—and possibly his worst—imitation of the Godfather of Soul. Because he really did feel good.
Chapter 40
Saturday, June 15—3:01 p.m.
Fort Worth, Texas
A week later, Dallas and Alicia were back in Texas, traveling down an all too familiar road for him, but not so much for Alicia. She focused on the rural surroundings, checking out the two-story homes up and down Billingsley Lane and along the townhouses stretched out on Murray Avenue.
“Dallas, this isn’t the way to our house,” she said, shifting her gaze to him.
“I want you to meet my father before we go home.”
Her head wh
ipped to him. “Don’t you think you should phone first?”
Dallas frowned at the concern in her voice. “He told me I can come by anytime.”
She grimaced at that statement. “I’m sure he meant after you gave him notice.”
“Sometimes surprises are good,” he said, grinning as he made it to the circular drive leading to the sky cottage. “You were surprised to see me, right?”
Alicia remained silent for a few moments, but when she took in the structure, her eyes widened. “This looks like our house! Same material, but with three levels instead of just the one.”
“My father’s firm built the house we live in. But this one came first.”
Alicia gripped his arm, holding him in place as she said, “Dallas, why don’t you just call him and tell him we’re out here.”
“I,” he whipped out a set of keys, “have these.”
She looked at the set and back to him. “He must trust you an awful lot.”
“He does. We’re building a great relationship.” Dallas jumped out of the car, then trotted around to open the door for her. Moments later, he was entering the code on the keypad of his father’s place.
“Dad!” he called out as he led Alicia through the entry and up the stairs. A thump and then a quick scramble caught their attention as feet hit the floor and a sudden yelp floated down the stairs.
Alicia froze at the top of the entry stairs. “That wasn’t your father, was it?”
Dallas frowned and shook his head. “He couldn’t hit a note that high.”
“See, I told you we should’ve called,” she warned, elbowing him in the side.
“He said he never has female company here,” Dallas protested. “And he doesn’t go to bed this early.”
“We’ll come back later,” Dallas yelled, following Alicia back to the staircase.
“No, that won’t be necessary,” Paul Alexander said, making it down to the first level, his bare feet slapping against the bamboo floors. He grinned at the woman standing next to Dallas. “You must be Alicia.”
“And that must be … Mama?” Dallas said, bucking his eyes at the familiar figure ambling behind his father.
Open Door Marriage Page 24