I found my voice first. “Jamison and I have grown really close to Selah in a very short time. But our adoption application is for a baby.”
Jamison added, “We’d hoped to name the child after a special friend we lost recently.”
“I understand it’s bold of me to ask you to consider this,” Grace said.
“And we’re incredibly honored,” I replied.
“Don’t be honored. And don’t feel pressured. Please, just think about my request.”
We nodded.
“Thank you. For everything.” She yawned. “I should rest.”
“Is there anything else we can do for you or Selah?” Jamison asked.
“Yes. After you’ve come to a decision about Selah, you know where to find me.” She closed her eyes.
Jamison and I left Grace’s room and stood in Selah’s doorway. She glanced up from her small desk. “I’m still working on the letter. I’ll bring it to dinner.”
Jamison’s voice quivered. “We’ll pick you up at the usual time.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
We started to leave.
Selah pointed under her bed. “Do you want to see my box?”
“We’d love to,” I replied.
Selah retrieved it and motioned for us to sit on either side of her on the bed. After opening the box, she displayed each item as if it were a rare gem. “Here’s my fish eye, the piece of gold from the buried treasure, and the crown from my uncle.” She placed the plastic crown on her head.
“It becomes you,” Jamison said.
She nodded her agreement and the crown slipped down over her eyes. After Jamison repaired the damage, she unveiled the next items. Holding up a fish’s fin, she said, “A mermaid gave this to me at the lake.”
“It’s beautiful,” I replied.
Next, Selah showed us a photo of a tall, thin, friendly-looking young man sitting next to her on a sofa. “That’s my uncle. He’s in heaven now. And here’s a cross from Reverend Gertrude, ribbons I won at spelling bees, and medals from the science fairs.” She added, “This is the ribbon for winning the food contest here.”
“Very impressive,” Jamison said.
Then she took out the last item. It was a miniature of an angel playing a harp. “We got them in Sunday School. The teacher said the angel watches over people. I gave one to Mom and another to my uncle.” She held out her hand. “You can have this one.”
Jamison shook his head. “We could never accept such an amazing gift.”
“Please, take it.” Selah was adamant.
I asked her, “Why do you want us to have your angel?”
“So the angel will protect you when I’m not there.”
I turned away so Selah couldn’t see the tears in my eyes.
Jamison took the angel. “Thank you for this very special gift. We’ll keep her on our night table so she’ll always look out for us.”
Selah seemed relieved. After putting her treasures in the box, she slid it back under the bed.
My stomach growled.
“It’s been a while since lunchtime.” She went to her desk and opened a cracked drawer. “Do you want to share a granola bar?”
We nodded.
Selah divided the bar into three pieces. We thanked her and ate. She said, “I got them from the restaurant. I’ve been giving them to Mom so she feels better.”
“Good idea.”
When we were finished, Selah said, “Do you want me to read to you?”
Jamison asked her, “Do you have a favorite book?”
She pointed to a storybook in her narrow bookshelf.
“How about if we read it to you?”
“Okay.” Selah fetched the book and handed it to Jamison. “Don’t move.” She was back in a few moments with Jameo. “He wants to hear the story too.” She plopped the stuffed elephant down at the edge of the bed.
“Won’t your mom miss him?” I asked.
“She’s taking a nap.”
Jamison said, “Always a good thing to do in the afternoon.”
Selah nodded and sat on the bed between us. Jamison and I read the story, each of us performing different character voices. Selah rested her head on Jamison’s shoulder, and she took my hand. When we finished the story, Selah was asleep. Jamison and I rose gently, unfolded the blanket on the bed and placed it over Selah, and tiptoed out of the room.
We walked back to the log cabin like zombies. After placing the angel on the night table in our bedroom, I returned to the living room and sat on the sofa. “Selah is a remarkable little girl, and Grace is an astoundingly courageous woman.”
“Agreed.” Jamison joined me on the sofa. “Grace seems focused solely on Selah’s well-being. I’m flattered her plan includes us.”
I nodded. “And we’ve sure grown close to Selah.”
“But it’s only been a few days.”
“Which is enough time for us to realize Selah is an amazing little girl who revels and thrives in our company.”
“As we do in hers.”
I took his hand. “I can see the three of us together as a family.”
“So can I.” He squeezed my hand. “And it would be good for Selah to live with people she trusts. Parents who care about her.”
“We certainly have the spare room in our house.”
“And Selah loves the resort,” Jamison said with a smile.
“We have the means to raise a child.”
“Which is why we filled out the application and profile with the adoption agency.”
“For a baby,” I said.
“Who we want to name Nolan in his honor,” Jamison replied.
We stared at each other.
I broke the silence. “Selah is eight years old.”
Jamison nodded. “It may not be easy to take care of a little girl.”
“True. We’ve been reading about raising a baby.”
“But raising any child isn’t easy.”
“And we could start reading books about raising a little girl.” I brought his hand to my chest. “Would you be happy with Selah as a part of our family?”
“Definitely. How about you?”
“It would be wonderful.”
“But what about our plans to adopt baby Nolan? With both of us working, as well as owning the resort, I can’t imagine at this point we’d have the time for two children.”
I kissed his hand. “Good point. But we haven’t heard from the adoption agency.”
“That doesn’t mean we won’t in the future.”
“Right.”
He wrapped his arms around me. “It seems we have a big decision to make—one that will affect our lives and Selah’s.”
I placed my head on his chest and took in his woodsy scent. “What do you want to do?”
He kissed the top of my head. “Let’s think about it some more.”
“Okay.” As I rested in Jamison’s arms, I thought about Jamison, Selah, and me as a family. The story where Jesus tells his mother that John is her son too popped into my head, followed by the story where Jesus asks all the little children to come to him. I prayed silently, asking for a sign to help us make the right decision.
In my peripheral vision, I noticed my watch. “We’re supposed to meet Armando Caro in five minutes!”
Chapter Eight
JAMISON AND I ran out of the log cabin and hightailed it to the administrative building, where we found a strikingly handsome, strapping man in a cerulean suit giving my name to the receptionist. Hurrying over to him, I said, “Armando Caro?”
“That’s me.”
“Welcome to Nolan Giorgio’s. I’m Theo Stratis, and this is my husband, Jamison Radames.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
After we shook hands, Jamison and I led Armando to the conference room, where we sat on wide leather chairs at a long table. Armando immediately dove into his pitch for us to leave behind oil for wind and solar power.
When he was through, I said, “I’m i
mpressed with the projected financial savings over time, the environmental impact on the resort, and the positive influence on our customers’ health and well-being.”
Jamison concurred. “We will definitely discuss this with our head manager.”
“Wonderful.” Armando added, “Can I meet him?”
I smiled. “As a matter of fact, we’d like to introduce you to him.”
“Great. Let’s do it.” He started to rise.
I motioned for him to sit. “Before we do, we need to come clean about something.”
“Clean energy. I like the sound of that.” Armando revealed a sexy smile between two captivating dimples.
After he was seated again, I said, “I have a confession to make. We spoke to some people from your past.”
He nodded. “You mentioned my father.”
Jamison replied, “And your old employer at the real estate office in Reading, your ex-husband, and your sister.”
Armando ran a hand through his wavy black hair. “You talked to Merton Fogelman, Oliver, and Natalia?”
We nodded.
He whistled. “Your background checks are really thorough.”
I explained, “We were looking for you.”
“But I left numerous messages.”
“Which I’m ashamed to admit I ignored.”
Armando’s dark eyes narrowed. “Then why were you trying to find me?”
I replied, “Our friend, the manager at the resort, mentioned you to us.”
Jamison added, “His name is Asher Hillel.”
The color drained from Armando’s full cheeks. “Asher is your manager?”
“Yes.”
“And he spoke about me?”
I nodded. “He told us how close you two were in the Navy—for eight years.”
Armando sighed. “That was a long time ago.”
“Not for Asher. And I suspect not for you either.” I explained, “Your ex-husband told us the reason your marriage ended.”
Armando rubbed his forehead. “I didn’t realize I’d be talking about this here.”
Jamison replied quickly, “And we apologize for putting you on the spot and becoming involved in your personal life.”
I interjected, “It wasn’t our intention to pry. We just wanted to help our friend, who really needed to find you. When we spoke with Oliver, he confirmed your feelings for Asher.”
“Oliver’s a great guy, as I’m sure you found out.” Armando chuckled ironically. “But I botched things up, still obsessed with the memory of someone who sold me out in the Navy.”
“That’s just it.” I explained, “Asher didn’t give your name to the Naval inspectors.”
“They told me he did.”
“And they told Asher you gave his name.”
“What?”
Jamison explained, “You and Asher were tricked by unscrupulous administrators of a devious policy into admitting your status as gay sailors. Thereby terminating your career in the Navy.”
“And ending your relationship with the man you loved.”
Armando sat back in his chair, dumbstruck. “All these years, I thought….”
I said, “You thought wrong.”
Armando asked, “Does Asher know about this?”
Jamison replied, “He will soon.”
“And Asher wants to see me again?”
“Very much,” I replied.
His face softened. “It’s been so many years. But I never stopped thinking about Asher.”
“And you’ve been in his thoughts too.” I added, “And in his heart.”
“Can I see Asher now?”
“In just a moment.” I tented my fingers. “As I mentioned, we spoke with your family too. Your sister blames Asher for ending your marriage to Oliver.”
Armando groaned. “Blame runs rampant in my family.”
“True.” Jamison added, “Your father blames himself for the distance between you two.”
“He said that?”
Jamison nodded.
“When I was discharged from the Navy, my father called me a disappointment, hurling cherry-picked Bible quotes at me like a televangelist. He never looked at me the same way again after that, and I lost my respect for him too. It hurts to know the sight of you makes your father cringe.”
I said, “And you haven’t been in touch with your family for two years.”
Armando sighed. “Deep inside, my father and sister are good people. They’re just very… different from me.”
Jamison said, “Your father isn’t well.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“And he wants to mend things with you.”
Armando grimaced. “He’s ashamed of his son. How do you mend that?”
I replied, “By realizing that nobody is perfect. And life is full of misunderstandings, as you and Asher found out.”
“My father and I can’t communicate.”
Jamison leaned toward Armando. “That’s what I thought about my brother—until my husband forced us to talk.”
I said, “Armando, like Jamison and his brother, you and your sister were once close.”
Armando frowned. “That was a long time ago.”
“Then you two have a lot of catching up to do.”
Jamison smiled at him. “Your family would very much like to see you.”
Armando didn’t seem convinced. “They told you that?”
Jamison and I nodded.
I asked, “Will you visit them?”
Jamison said, “You can tell them about the new clients you have at Nolan Giorgio’s.”
“And about your reunion with Asher,” I said.
“And what really happened to you both in the Navy all those years ago,” Jamison added.
After a few moments, Armando said, “All right. I’ll head to Altoona tomorrow morning.”
Jamison and I exhaled.
Armando said, “But I don’t know how things will go down.”
I smiled. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.” I stood. “Now, are you ready to see Asher?”
“Yeah, I am.” Armando joined me. “Funny world, huh? I came here about work, and I met two people who want to help solve my personal problems.”
As Jamison rose, he and I shared a smile.
We led Armando down the hallway. Jamison waited outside with Armando as I knocked on Asher’s open door and entered.
Asher looked dapper as usual in his business suit. He sat behind his desk staring blankly at his computer screen.
I cleared my throat.
His green eyes focused on me. “Theo, any word about Armando?”
“There’s someone here to see you. But first, I should return this.” I handed him the old picture of him and Armando in the Navy. Then I leaned out of the doorway and motioned to Jamison. He escorted Armando inside.
Asher gasped, rocketing to his feet. “Armando?”
Armando’s handsome face was filled with love. “It’s me, Asher.”
Jamison and I faded toward the door.
Asher and Armando stood face-to-face. Asher spoke first. “It’s good to see you, Armando.”
“It’s good to see you too, Asher.” Armando blurted out, “Back in the Navy, they told me you gave them my name.”
“I didn’t.”
“I know that now.”
Asher countered with, “They said you offered my name.”
“That was a lie. We were set up.”
“I believe you.” Asher seemed ready to explode with affection for the man.
“But even when I thought you named my name, I never hated you.”
“That’s good.” Asher smiled. “I never hated you either.”
“I’m glad.” Asher blinked back tears. “I’m really happy you’re here.”
“Me too.” Armando swallowed hard. “All these years, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
“I never stopped thinking about you either.” Asher showed him the old photo.
Armando gl
anced at it. “That’s us.”
Asher nodded. “We were so young.”
“And so much in love.”
Jamison patted my shoulder, and we left Asher’s office. As we approached Phoenix Brand’s office, I noticed the door was somewhat ajar. I tugged on Jamison’s arm and we watched from the corridor.
Kendall, wearing spandex shorts and a honeysuckle tank top, sat on the desk.
Phoenix, in his dark blue suit, paced the room. “I know we’ve spent a great deal of time together these last few days. And I’m flattered you want to have a relationship with me—only me. It’s encouraging that you spoke with your brother to get his advice on how to have a successful relationship.” He hurried to his desk, pointing to the computer screen. “But my chart comparing our personality traits proves unequivocally that we would be a disaster as boyfriends. True, I’ve missed you like crazy when we were apart. Yes, you’re a wonderful, nearly perfect guy. And I feel happy, no, giddy, actually wildly elated when I’m with you. However, due to our various differences, I have to say goodbye and never see you again.”
Kendall stood, placed his arms around Phoenix, and they shared a deep, passionate kiss.
When they parted, Phoenix said, “We dress so differently!”
“I’ll buy a suit and loan you my tank tops.” Kendall kissed his neck.
“I was raised by strict parents.”
“I’ll tell my parents to get stricter with me.” Kendall nibbled on his ear.
“Our past relationships have failed.”
“That’s because we hadn’t met each other yet.” Kendall gazed into his eyes. “I’ve never wanted to settle down before.”
“Can you do it now?”
“If you help me.”
After another kiss, Phoenix said, “I never thought I’d have a relationship again. I’m absolutely terrified.”
Kendall nodded. “I’m terrified too.”
“So, what are we going to do?”
Kendall smiled from ear to ear. “Be terrified together?”
“It’s a date.”
They melted in each other’s arms.
Jamison and I smiled, then backtracked to Asher’s office door. Since Asher’s administrative assistant wasn’t there, we peeked inside to find Asher and Armando in a heated embrace. As we headed down the hallway, I said to Jamison, “Maybe we should change the name of the resort to Honeymoon Hotel.”
Finding Armando (Found At Last Book 2) Page 11
