by Toni Jackson
He placed his fork down carefully beside his plate and took a deep breath. “Well, when I left the service, I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do, but I knew I needed to work. I answered an ad in the paper and got a position working at this small manufacturing company. I learned a lot from the owner, Kevin Turner. I worked hard and learned the ropes and discovered I had a knack for the business.” He shrugged.
“When he decided to retire, I bought out the company.”
“You were paid that well?” Tina asked, curious.
He shrugged and gave her a tiny smile. “Well enough. But remember, I had just gotten out of the service.” Clasping his hands together, he avoided her eyes. “I didn’t have anything else to spend money on. Food, clothes,” he shrugged. “What can I say, I’m low maintenance.”
Dani kicked Tina under the table. “And then?”
“I changed some things around. Took some risks that Mr. Turner wasn’t ready to take. Before I knew it, we needed to expand. Someone recommended that I talk to Sean and here I am.” Picking up his drink again, he stared at Tina. His gaze dared her to comment. Wisely, Tina stayed silent.
“Small world, isn’t it.” Sean lifted his glass in a toast. “To old friends and new opportunities.”
Each one raised their glasses and took a sip. They were all surrounded by opportunities.
Alexander kept making eye contact with Tina, only to have her turn away each time. She had changed in some ways, but not much. She still had the same bronzed skin and dark red hair. But her posture changed. She sat tall and assured of her place in the world. At least on the outside.
Tina was no longer the young girl he knew who hid her sadness behind a vivacious personality. Here was a woman who was in control of herself and her future. Nothing he saw made him think she was still carrying the pain of her father’s negligence. He was pulled from his reverie by Sean’s voice.
“Although the company was initially located in Texas, Alex has decided to move the headquarters to Virginia. In Springfield”
Tina nearly choked on the sip of wine she just swallowed. That was the last thing she expected to hear. “So you’re moving back to the area for good?”
“Yes.” Alex noticed the glance she exchanged with Dani. There had always been a silent language of communication between the two of them. It always made him feel like an outsider. They had a bond no one could ever come between. He wondered if Sean had experienced it yet.
Deciding to forgo dessert, everyone rose after Sean paid the check and made their way towards the front of the restaurant. Sean’s car glided to the curb, a tall man stepping from behind the driver’s side to open the rear door.
Alex’s fist clenched when he noticed Tina smiling at the driver. They had been separated for years, but he was still possessive. She was his. Now to just get her to understand that.
“Tina? Perhaps you would like to walk along the pier with me for a little while? I’m stuffed. Unless I walk some of this off, I’m going to be miserable.” He turned towards Dani and Sean. “If it’s okay with you, of course. I’ll make sure she gets home safely.”
Tina bit her lip. There was a lot they needed to discuss. She just hadn’t planned for it to be now. There was no point in putting off the inevitable. Pushing him away tonight would just make him more determined.
“It’s okay guys,” Tina told them before either could speak. “We can catch up on old times.”
“You’re sure,” Sean asked, frowning.
Tina nodded. “Yes. It’s fine. I trust him with my life.”
Sean held out his hand to shake Alex’s. “Fine. Alex, I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.” Alex nodded.
Dani walked over and hugged both of them. “It’s good to see you again, Alex. Tina, I’ll call you in the morning.” That was code for I’ll grill you tomorrow.
Once Sean and Dani had gotten into the car and left, she turned to Alex. “Just to warn you, these aren’t my walking shoes.”
Alex glanced down to look Tina’s sexy peep toe ankle strap pumps. The heel placed her slightly above his shoulder.
Smiling, he grabbed her hand. “We won’t go far. My driver should be here soon.”
Tina nodded and followed him to a little bench that sat to the right of the restaurant. The sun had set, but the moon hung high and full in the sky, giving them a beautiful view its reflection on the water. They sat facing the water until the silence became unbearable.
Alex spoke first, his voice low and controlled, even though she could hear the emotion beneath. “I never understood why you pushed me away. For years, I thought about what I could have done differently. And then, one day while I was deployed, I realized that none of it was ever about me. That every man in your life would be compared to your father. That he had damaged something inside of you that would let you trust a man to be there for you.”
A glance from Tina told him that he had hit on the problem. He knew that Tina and her father weren’t close. It never seemed to be important to understand their relationship when he was younger. Now, he had to comprehend the problem. She needed to heal from the scars of her past before they could start on their future…together.
He sucked in a deep breath and asked the question that plagued him all night. “Is there a special man in your life right now?”
Tina shook her head. “No.”
The relief that flowed through his body made him light headed. “I had hoped once everything was settled with my company, I would be able to get in contact with you. To see if we could…hell, I don’t know what I thought.” His shoulders sagged. “All I know is that you have always been it for me. I won’t lie and say I’ve been a saint since we’ve been apart, but at one point, you were willing to commit to me. To spend the rest of your life with me. I’m not asking for that right now. I think we should get to know each other…that we learn each again.”
A thousand memories flooded through Tina. Them together at school, the beach, dragging Dani away from sculpting. The men she had met since she walked away from him never measured up, never made her feel that she was the most beautiful woman in the world.
And yet…
And yet there was something in her that wanted to hold back, wanted to curl up into a ball and hide away from the world.
Sensing the struggle inside her, Alex gripped her chin and turned it towards him. “You don’t have to make a decision now. I know it’s a lot. We haven’t seen each other in years, and here I am trying to push my way back into your life after a few hours. Maybe we can just start off with a movie or something?”
His touch calmed her. The outside changed. On the inside, he was still the boy she fell in love with as a teenager.
She beamed. “Maybe.” Leaning forward, she placed a gentle kiss on his lips.
The slight contact made her shiver. There was still chemistry between them, strong and sure. It was no surprise when Alex brought her lips back to his, drinking in the knowledge that the attraction, the fire, was still there.
The buzzing of his cell broke them apart. Reaching inside his suit jacket, he pulled out his phone and checked the call. Sitting back, he exhaled and smiled. “Our ride is here.” Holding out his hand, he helped her from the bench, rubbing his thumb against her palm, loving the feel of her soft skin against his.
Tina curled her hand into his and stood, following him as he turned and headed towards the front of the restaurant, still holding her hand. His driver stood by the car, holding the door open for them. As they passed the driver, Alex said, “We’re going to take Miss Diaz home first.”
He quirked an eyebrow at Tina, waiting for her to give the driver her address. She rattled off the address and settled back in the seat. This was a different man. More confident. More…everything.
“Here,” he said, handing her his phone. “Put your number in.”
At his quizzical look, she pulled out her phone and entered his. They rode in silence the rest of the trip, hands linked.
Chapter 6
Sean fired off questions the moment the driver closed the door to the limousine. Since she didn’t want the driver to overhear, she put off the discussion until they reached home. Sean wasn’t happy with the decision but agreed. Even after they arrived home, Dani wouldn’t mention anything until they had checked on their six-month-old daughter, Lily. Once inside their room, she relaxed and turned to her husband with a smirk. This was the side she never let anyone see.
The playful one. The tease. That was for him alone. Whenever they stepped into their bedroom, the tension always heightened.
Dani smiled as spoke. “No, he’s not an ax murderer or some shyster. He’s Tina’s ex-boyfriend – actually, ex-fiancé.”
“Tina was almost married?” His arms dropped to his side.
Dani laughed at the shock on Sean’s face. She slithered out of her dress, letting it pool at her feet, loving how his eyes darkened as he pulled the tie from around his neck.
There was also the distraction Dani was providing as she stripped out of her bra. His focus was split. Part of him wondered how long it would take to get her into bed, while the other part was listening to her talk about Tina.
“I know, hard to believe isn’t it?” She groaned in relief when she removed the three-inch heels Sean insisted went with the dress.
“So what happened? Did he leave her at the altar?” Sean’s face darkened.
“No. Tina that ran. She was head over heels for him, but she has trust issues when it comes to men. Her mother died when she was eleven, and her father became distant. Well, about six months after the funeral, he brought another woman home. To live. That’s when Tina learned the truth. There had been someone else while her mother was sick.
“The woman took over the house and her father took the woman’s side in everything. He acted like Tina wasn’t even his daughter anymore. So, when my mother died, she came to stay with me. The house was mine free and clear, so she stayed here and took classes while I went off to school. I came home whenever I could. Weekends, whatever.”
Sean took a seat beside her on the bed. “So where does Alex come into this?”
“It seemed like they had always been together. During elementary school, they were joined at the hip. In middle school, they started going out on dates. And by high school? They were always disappearing somewhere. When Tina came to stay with me, their relationship got deeper if that’s possible. He was with her whenever I couldn’t be home.” She inhaled. “And then Tina got pregnant.”
Sean’s eyebrows rose, but he stayed silent.
“They were going to get married, but Tina was scared. She was convinced Alex only wanted to marry her for the baby. She was so stressed, she miscarried. Alex wanted to marry her anyway, but she pulled away. Completely. She wouldn’t return his calls. Wouldn’t talk to him if he came by. Finally, he stopped trying. There were rumors he went in the Marines, but we never knew for sure. We haven’t heard from him until today.”
Sean rubbed her back. The two of them were sisters in all ways but blood. His concern right now was for Tina.
“Do you think he would try to do something to get back at her?”
“Ha! No way. I could tell by the way he was watching her that he still loves her. If we hadn’t been there, there’s no telling what would have happened.”
“As much as I love you?” he asked, nibbling on her neck.
Giggling, Dani fell back on the bed, opening her arms to Sean. “Almost.”
Chapter 7
The luxury of his hotel room faded into the background as Alex paced the room. He came straight in and stripped down, his clothes feeling like restraints. Strolling into the outer room in just a loose pair of pajama pants, he opened the bottle of brandy from the bar and poured a small shot. Hopefully, it would help him to relax.
The spectacular king sized bed in the bedroom of his suite called to him, but he was still too wound up to sleep.
He never in a million years expected to see Tina tonight. Dozens of scenarios had played through his mind over the years of how he would react when they met again, and all of them flew out his head the moment he saw her. There was never any question of him someday returning home, so the chances of them running into each other were always high. He just thought he would have more time to prepare himself.
His plan had been to come back and pray Tina was still living here and unmarried. Of course, all of this was after he had everything up and running with the new headquarters.
And after talking to his mother.
She had been crazy about Tina from their first meeting and even planned their wedding. Even after everything that happened, she wasn’t mad at her. But it had saddened her that he felt the need to leave.
She would be delighted to know that he would be back here for good. Then he could work on her red-headed grandchildren…
Aside from his mother, he cut all ties when he left. A dumb move. They could have helped him keep up with Tina. At the time, his focus was to get as far away from Tina as possible. He had wanted no reminders of his past.
But the memories were there.
They never left.
Memories of auburn hair spread across the pillow as they explored each other. Tina’s green eyes, hazy with passion as she gave herself to him. Barely adults, but knowing that they existed only for each other. The shock of knowing they had created another life. The pain he felt on the baby’s loss and wanting to build a life with Tina, regardless.
Even if they never had any children, she was the only woman he wanted. He knew she had reservations. Hell, he watched how her father acted as though she wasn’t there growing up and how he was never there for her. Why should she have believed that he would be any different, especially as young as they were?
But he was here now. Maybe it was fate that pushed them apart and brought them back together.
Now he just had to just convince her.
He stretched out on the bed before reaching over to turn out the lamp. The darkness surrounded him, but he wasn’t sleepy. It was going to be a long night.
Moonlight bathed Tina’s room in a soft glow. The light filtered through her eyelids, keeping her from finding comfort in sleep. She tossed back the comforter and stalked over to the windows to close the blinds. It muted the moonlight, but it still peeked through the slats. At least instead of daylight, it felt more like late afternoon. She slid between the covers, turning her back to the window and pulling the covers over her head.
She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind, but it wasn’t working. She counted sheep, cataloged the new shipments coming into the gallery, and her old favorite, attempting to identify sculptures with traits found in the classical Roman era – usually guaranteed to put her to sleep immediately. But twenty minutes later, she was still wide awake.
Flopping onto her back, she pushed back the covers. Tonight she had received the shock of her life. It was no good pretending she could just dismiss it and go on with her life.
It took all of her willpower not to jump up from the table and run to him. She needed to talk to Dani, but a quick glance at the clock told her that Sean wouldn’t appreciate it. Even if she was awake, they were probably busy making a brother or sister for Lily.
Alex still looked good. No. Better than good. His time in the military showed in the broader shoulders and arms. He used to have a slim build, wiry but strong. Now he filled out the suit jacket he wore to perfection.
His confession kept spinning through her mind. For ten years, her body continued to remember his touch and craved it. She never stopped loving him. It was only her head that had trouble with running back to him with open arms.
Did he know how she still felt about him? A relationship like theirs happened once in a lifetime, and she was the fool that pushed him away. The guilt ate at her. What if he had died in the service and she never got this second chance? Should she welcome him back with open arms? Hold him at a distance until she was sure?
The ringing of her phone startled her and saved he
r from trying to force a decision. She bit her lip when Alex’s name appeared on the screen. Why was he calling her this late? Swiping her finger across the screen, she hesitated a moment before speaking.
“Hello?” The silence was broken by his deep, raspy tones coming across the line.
“Tina? I’m sorry. I - I shouldn’t have called you this late, but I couldn’t sleep. And I wondered if you were having the same problem.”
Pretending she had been asleep would be childish. Hopefully, at this stage in her life, she was beyond that. Seeing her tonight had to be a shock to him as well.
“No.” she sighed. “I was awake.”
“Were you by chance thinking of me?” He teased.
“Hmpf. That’s pretty arrogant, isn’t it? I could have been thinking about any number of things. Like, how good my Lobster Bisque tasted.”
There was a short silence before he replied. “Ok. I’ll give you that. The food was excellent. But not enough to keep me awake.”
Switching the phone to her other ear, she smiled. “I guess that would be a bad sign if the food kept me awake, huh?”
“I think we could definitely take that as a bad sign.”
Warmth washed over him as her laughter drifted through the line. They had always been able to communicate. Even now, it felt like he had only been gone a day and not the years that had separated them. “I haven’t seen my mother yet, but I did talk to her and let her know I was in town. The first thing she asked was if I was going to try to find you.”
“Oh my god! Are you serious?” Her groan drifted through the line. “You know, most mothers hate everyone their son brings home.”
“Not my mom. She always loved you. I got lectures every day on how I should have tried harder to work things out with you.”
Tina sobered. “It wasn’t your fault. I was so scared. We had been together a long time. I thought you felt obligated to take care of me.”