Greater Than Rubies, a Novella inspired by the Jewel Trilogy

by Hallee A. Bridgeman

  “I will stand by your side in sorrow or in joy.”

  “I will comfort and encourage you.”

  “I will support you in all that you do.”

  “I will laugh with you and cry with you.”

  “Above all, I will honor and respect you as your loving wife until death us do part.”

  “This is my solemn vow.”

  Abram smiled so big Robin wondered if his face would crack. He turned to Tony. “Will you, Antonio, take this woman, Robin, to be your beloved bride? Will you love and cherish her, protect and provide for her, in good times and in bad, in times of failure and in times of triumph, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, and – forsaking all others – remain true and faithful to her for as long as you both shall live?”

  Tony squeezed Robin’s hand. “I will.”

  “Then in the presence of God and all those gathered here, repeat this solemn vow which you will uphold from this day forward,” Abram said. “I, Tony, promise you, Robin, that I will give you my heart and my life.”

  Tony spoke the words clearly, his strong voice ringing through the church. As he repeated the vows he had written for her and with her, she felt tears burning her eyes and furiously blinked them back afraid makeup would run if she let them fall. Every sentence he spoke, she fell more and more in love with him.”

  “I will stand by your side in sorrow or in joy.”

  “I will care for you and protect you.”

  “I will support you in all that you do.”

  “I will laugh with you and cry with you.”

  “Above all, I will love and cherish you as your adoring husband until death us do part.”

  “This is my solemn vow.”

  The look on his face was intense, making her believe him, telling her that he would treasure her love.

  Abram said, “May I have the rings?”

  Barry and Maxine both stepped forward to release the rings off of Isaac’s pillow. She handed Abram Robin’s ring, and Barry handed Abram Tony’s ring. As soon as he was released from ring duty, Isaac dropped his pillow and ran to the front row where his oldest brother sat. Robin could see Peter roll his eyes as a thousand people chuckled.

  Abram laughed and then said, “Robin, place the ring upon Tony’s finger and repeat after me.”

  Robin took the ring from Abram and mimicking her moves from the night before, placed it on Tony’s finger and said, “With this ring I thee wed.”

  Abram nodded and said, “Tony, place the ring upon Robin’s finger and repeat after me.”

  Tony gently held her hand and slid the band of sapphires and diamonds onto her left finger. He looked into her eyes and said, “With this ring I thee wed.” Just for her benefit, he whispered, “Again.”

  Robin laughed. Abram paused and nodded, and a man and woman took the stage, getting the microphones from the appropriate place and moving to stand in front of the audience. When they started singing, “When God Made You,” Tony and Robin walked hand in hand to a table that had two lit candles and a third unlit. They each took a candle, and together lit the third one, then extinguished the original two, symbolizing the coming together as one.

  They moved back to their positions in front of Abram. As the song ended, he said, “By the power vested in me by the Creator of marriage and the church of God, and in accordance with the laws of the state of Massachusetts and these United States, I now pronounce you husband and wife. What God has joined together, let no one put asunder. You may now kiss your bride.”

  Tony stepped closer and put his hands on her shoulders. When his lips met hers, the audience around them faded away and she felt a warmth flood her body straight through her heart. She put a hand on the back of his neck and willed him closer even as he pulled back. He smiled and lifted her left hand, kissing her knuckles right above her rings. She reached for her bouquet from Maxine, then she and Tony turned around, hand in hand, and faced the congregation. For the first time, Robin looked around and saw every seat full, even in the upper balcony. She squeezed Tony’s hand harder, and he laced her fingers with his.

  Abram said, “Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you for the first time ever, Mr. and Mrs. Antonio Viscolli.”

  THE END

  TRANSLATION KEY

  buon san Valentino – happy St. Valentine’s day

  capisce – understand, comprehend

  cara – dearest, darling, beloved

  figlio – son (esp. beloved male child)

  Lei parla Italiano – Do you speak Italian

  Napoli – Naples, Italy

  magnifico – magnificent

  non ne parlano – don’t speak it (don’t mention it)

  mi fratello – my brother

  mia cara – my dearest, my darling, my beloved

  qualunque – any (whichever, whatever)

  spiegare – explain

  Te amo con tutto il cuore e con l’anima – I love you with all of my heart and soul

  EXCERPT: SAPPHIRE ICE

  Enjoy this special excerpt from Sapphire Ice.

  OBIN stopped near him to grab a carafe of coffee. “How did we manage to get the early shift, Clarence?”

  He winked and whispered conspiratorially. “Tell me about it. I have my lunch patrons’ whole lives memorized, but I only know half the people out there.” He looked over her head to the head table. “Boston’s royalty is here.”

  Robin was too tired to even be intrigued by Clarence’s abnormal awe. “Maybe we can get Stanley a jester’s hat,” she whispered back, then pushed open the door to the dining room and forced a serious expression onto her face. The door swinging shut cut off his choking laughter.

  The dining room was packed with people, seated at tables of eight. The restaurant was closed for the meeting, and it surprised her to see so many people there. But then, most of the customers weren’t members and wouldn’t get many opportunities to dine at Benedict’s, especially for free.

  She was given the head table to serve, and knew some of them as regular lunch patrons. She addressed those she knew by name, and tried to discretely read the name tags of those she didn’t. Methodically, she worked her way down the long table, pausing to chat when it was required, fetching drinks as they were needed.

  “Mr. Riley, it’s good to see you again. I think it’s been several weeks,” she said, speaking to the president of the Chamber.

  “I’ve been on vacation, Robin. Have you ever been to Greece?”

  She smiled and filled his coffee cup. “Not yet, but I want to go someday.”

  “Beautiful country, dear. If you ever get the opportunity, don’t pass it up.”

  “If a trip to Greece ever falls into my lap, I’ll remember your advice.” She moved to the next person while Riley continued to speak.

  “Tony, if you’ve never had Robin here serve you, you’ve been missing out on the best that Benedict’s has to offer.”

  “Yes. I think I’ve heard something similar about her before.”

  The smooth voice seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. She took her attention from the cup and lifted her head, her eyes crashing into a pair of black eyes that seemed to look all the way inside of her, instantly learning all her secrets. “I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said.

  Tony felt deep shock when he’d seen Robin enter the dining room. He’d had time to recover as she worked her way to him, and had nearly gained back enough self control to not show any outward reaction as she leaned in from behind him to pour his coffee. He had already had his normal morning quota of two cups, but allowing her to serve it gave him a chance to have her stop at his shoulder. As she completed her task, he caught her scent, something exotic and spicy, entirely feminine. Then she met his eyes and he thought that his heart would beat itself out of his chest.

  When she looked away, it broke the spell, but a tremor in his hand that he neither liked nor appreciated remained. He was better prepared when she looked directly at
him again, and concentrated fully on keeping his brain functioning.

  “Do I know you?” She asked, her voice soft so as not to carry.

  He kept his voice as soft as hers. “Not officially.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t … ” her eyes skimmed his name tag, “I don’t recall meeting you, Mr. Viscolli.”

  His teeth flashed white against his olive skin. “I unofficially met you last night.”

  Panic skirted up her spine and she looked around the room. Lowering her voice even farther, she leaned closer so that he could hear her. “Please, don’t say anything. I … we can’t … I mean, another job … ”

  He placed a hand on her wrist, startling her. His hand felt rough, but warm. Warm enough that it sent heat up her arm, causing her to flush. “So, what you’re saying is that your job may be in my hands.”

  The flush that covered her cheeks was no longer from heat, but from the anger he saw flash in her eyes. “Release me, sir.” She bit out.

  He didn’t think he could. “What would you do to keep your job, I wonder?”

  She could never take him on in a game of cards. Every cruel thought in her imagination seared right through her sapphire eyes and bored into his, which he struggled to keep impassive. Still, she maintained her cool façade, something he deeply admired amidst his mirth. Tony carefully bit down on the inside of his lip to keep himself from laughing at her next words. “I don’t play those games, Mr. Viscolli. Remove your hand, or else I’ll remove it.”

  He shifted his grip until his fingers encircled her wrist. They overlapped on the thin bones, and this time he did chuckle. “You think you could?”

  In a panic, knowing how long she was taking with this customer, she glanced up and spotted Clarence watching her. Baring her teeth, she leaned close to this man’s ear and whispered. “I can and I have, on men bigger than you. Are you willing to test me?”

  With a grin, he reluctantly let her go. It was that or drag her into his lap, and he didn’t think anyone in the room would appreciate that too much. “Perhaps another time I’ll take you up on your challenge.”

  Unable to stand the thought of leaving him with the last word, she leaned forward again, barely speaking above a whisper. “If the thought of seeing you again didn’t repulse me, Mr. Viscolli, I’d almost look forward to it.”

  With that she moved on down the table, ignoring his chuckle that followed her parting shot. She found it especially challenging to keep a polite smile on her face and make inane chatter with the other patrons as she continued to serve while seething inside. How dare he?

  She headed back into the kitchen to get more coffee and Clarence immediately intercepted her. “Did you have a problem with that man, Robin?”

  Out of earshot of the customers, she was able to slam things around, surprised that she didn’t break the glass coffee carafe. “Nothing I couldn’t handle,” she said, slamming the top back on her serving container.

  He gripped her elbow and kept her from reentering the room. “I know that sometimes customers might get a little – well – fresh with some of our girls, but I wouldn’t want to think that you might have – albeit unintentionally – insulted one of them.”

  She bared her teeth at him. “Did he look insulted?”

  “No, but you looked insulting, and I’m concerned because I’ve never seen you act that way before.”

  She slammed the coffee onto a counter and stepped closer, until she could poke his bony chest with her finger. “I didn’t like the way he looked at me, I didn’t like the way he touched me, and I didn’t like what he implied when he spoke to me.” When he flinched, she realized what she was doing and stepped away from him, drawing in a deep breath to calm down. “Now, you’ve had your little ‘chat’ with me. Do you intend to speak with him?”

  Clarence’s face fused with color. “Robin, do you have any idea who that is out there?”

  “I don’t quite have the approbation for most of our patrons as you do, because I truly don’t care.” She grabbed the pot of coffee and pushed open the door.

  He took insult at her words, as was her intent, though she regretted it the second his face fell. She paused and went back into the kitchen. As she opened her mouth to retract it, he straightened, stiff as a board, and put a regal tone in his voice. “That is Mr. Antonio Viscolli. He is one of the stockholders of this club, and is hosting this morning’s breakfast. If you would like to lodge a formal, written complaint, I will entertain reviewing it, but in the meantime, you are here to serve, so I suggest you return to your post.” He looked her up and down, his expression hinting that he didn’t much care for what he saw. “Unless, of course, you’d like me to have someone else wait the head table. I’m sure that any server out there would be happy to trade places with you.”

  Oh, what a tempting notion. She considered it, very seriously, for several breaths. Ultimately, she decided that trading tables would most certainly give Viscolli a great deal of satisfaction, a game point. No, she’d serve him, and do a heck of a good job at it. “That won’t be necessary, sir. I’m fully capable of performing all of my duties.”

  His face softened, momentarily. “I know. Now, get back to work.”

  Not wanting to leave things tense with someone she considered a friend, she paused to make one of her normal parting remarks. “Purple and green,” she said. At his confused look, she continued, “with bells. For Stan’s hat.”

  His mouth twitched as he fought the smile and waved her away.

  If you missed Sapphire Ice, part 1 of The Jewel Trilogy, buy it now in Paperback or eBook.

  O Robin Bartlett, men were nothing more than violent users. After a hair-raising childhood, Robin and her two younger half sisters battled simply to survive. Determined to give her sisters a very different life from that of their mother; to never have to rely on a man for anything, she worked two jobs and put them both through college, while accepting help from no one. Her heart had turned to ice. She had no use for men or God.

  Antonio “Tony” Viscolli grew up on the streets, homeless. At seventeen, he entered a downtown church with the intent of casing it, but found himself on his knees at the altar. Lovingly fostered by the youth minister, Tony learned about God. Striking out on his own, he let God lead him to eventually become a very successful businessman. In a fallen world, Tony was a gem.

  When Tony bought the restaurant where Robin bartended, she immediately resented his intrusion into her well ordered, but exhausting, life. She suspected his offering her special attention and constant kindness was merely his way of expecting something from her in return, something she wasn’t willing to give.

  Tony knew God had led him to Robin. Would she ever allow herself to trust him? Could she ever allow herself to trust God? Or would the winter of their tragic youth rise from the shadows of the past and freeze any chance at happiness?

  EXCERPT: EMERALD FIRE

  Enjoy this special excerpt from Emerald Fire.

  AXINE rolled over in the bed. As the blankets slipped off, she felt cool air on her shoulders. While her partially asleep brain pondered that, she tugged the sheets back up to cover herself and her ring caught a thread on the blanket.

  Her ring?

  Maxine’s eyes flew open as memories of the night before flooded her mind. She whipped her head around. The bed next to her was empty, the pillow indented from where her husband’s head had recently lain.

  Her husband!

  Alone in the bedroom, she lifted her left hand and stared. There sat the ridiculously enormous, preposterously expensive platinum ring, encrusted with emeralds and diamonds, that the man with whom she had been engaged for less than two hours before their wedding ceremony had picked out for her. When he slipped it onto her finger, he’d said something about the color of her eyes. Seconds later, he’d kissed her.

  After a cursory glance around the room to be certain she was actually alone and the bedroom door was shut, she threw the covers off and rushed to the closet, looking for anything to wea
r. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a sweater and dashed to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her. She leaned against the closed door for a moment while her heart raced and her mind reeled.

  What in the name of all things holy had they done? Rather, what had she done?

  With a few flicks of her wrist, she turned the water on for a shower and stopped to look at herself in the mirror. She lifted her fingers to her mouth and traced lips swollen from his kisses. Her green eyes sparkled like the emeralds on her finger. Normally, her olive complexion needed the help of cosmetics to bring out any kind of rosy flush. This morning, however, her cheeks looked rosy, flushed. She felt warm inside despite the morning chill.

  In her entire adult life, no other man had ever even so much as kissed her. Not once. Many men had tried to taste her mouth, but whenever they’d gotten close enough, panic would rise up and make her push them away. That typically ended the relationship. The ones who suffered that humiliation soon learned that it wasn’t a onetime thing and very quickly gave up trying. As she stepped under the warm spray of water, she thought back to the night before and to her complete lack of fear.

  Her husband of less than twelve hours – her husband didn’t frighten her at all. When he kissed her, it occurred to her that she felt absolutely none of her normal panic. Instead what she felt was warmth, excitement, attraction. He made her feel safe. He made her feel … loved.

  “Husband and wife,” the Elvis impersonator had proclaimed with a shimmy and a shake. Then her husband had slowly leaned in close and taken her lips with his strong, masculine mouth as if they were the most delicate rose petals. Her knees had vanished and she felt his arm around her waist holding her up, lifting her, supporting her as she kissed his heavenly mouth.

  Then, here, in this hotel suite last night on the very top floor of the Las Vegas casino, her husband had let her lead the way. It was as if he sensed that she needed to be able to control all of the activity. She never had to say anything to him or explain her fear. He just accepted her hesitations or kissed her through them. He slowly coaxed and guided and offered until she accepted. It had been so wonderful, so beautiful, that he had held her to him with her head cradled against his broad, thick chest and his strong arms around her while she wept at the beauty of it.