by Carla Fredd
And he was.
"Anna May, are you asleep?" Ric's husky voice pierced the silence in their bedroom. Exhausted, they lay in a spoonlike fashion on the bed.
"Mmm."
Ric tightened his arm around her waist. "Don't fall asleep. I've got something to tell you." He would have taken a deep breath, but he was too tired. He wasn't too tired to be afraid.
"Mmm."
He put his fears aside then said, "Anna May, I love you."
He felt her body stiffen against his, then slowly she turned to face him with his arm resting on her waist
"What?" Her voice sounded hoarse and scratchy. The look in her eyes was that of wonder and surprise.
"I said I love you," he replied.
She wrapped her arm around him, then caressed his side before smoothing her hand over his hip. Anna May smiled a tired smile then pinched him.
"Aw! What was that for?" he asked.
She caressed his hip, and he could see the tears in her eyes. "That's for telling me you love me when I'm too tired to do a darn thing about it."
"You don't look like you're tired and," he said pressing her hand on his hip, "you don't feel it."
He was right. All remnants of sleep had vanished when he'd spoken those three words. Slowly she caressed his hip, letting her finger glide along his waist, his shoulders, and finally his jaw. With her thumb she traced the line of his lips. "I've waited so long to hear those words from you. Say them again."
"I love you," he said then kissed her thumb.
"Again," she whispered.
Leaning forward, he kissed her lips, once, twice, over and over until she lost track of time. With each kiss, he whispered the words she longed to hear. "I love you."
The aroma of baked pork chops greeted him as he entered the kitchen. The past two weeks had been the most wonderful time of his life. It was as if admitting his love to Anna May had changed him. And it had. Warren noticed the change the following Monday and asked him what happened because he was smiling too much. He'd caught Mrs. Jones's puzzled gaze on a few occasions. Had loving his wife changed him so much? Yes, he was sure it had.
The radio played a soothing classical melody, and the dinner table was set for two. However, Anna May was missing from the room. He placed his overcoat on the back of the chair and his briefcase on the floor.
Silently she entered the room.
"Hi there, handsome. I didn't hear you come in," she said as she embraced him.
How could he have lived so long without this? he wondered and leisurely enjoyed her kiss. When he finally lifted his head, he was gasping for breath. He felt like this every time he was near her. The love and passion they shared seemed so perfect, so right. At times when he was alone, he wondered if there was some dark cloud waiting just around the corner to destroy what they'd discovered. He suppressed the thoughts, but they would surface again.
"Dinner's almost ready," she said breathlessly.
"I'll be right back," he replied then kissed her lips again before going upstairs to the bedroom. He'd definitely changed, he thought, as he replaced his suit and tie for jeans and a sweatshirt. Before he'd married Anna May, he would have taken off only his suit jacket when he came home. In the past two weeks, eight pairs of blue jeans had appeared in the closet. Living with her had mellowed him. He spent fewer days working at home. Instead they'd fight over the remote control and watch a movie as they cuddled on the sofa. He smiled. He couldn't remember a time when they'd made it through a complete movie without finding something else to distract them. Usually each other.
She'd placed dinner on the table when he returned. They said grace and began to share the things that were happening on their jobs.
"We finally resolved the labor problem in California, so I won't have to go back anytime soon," he said.
"Good, you need a break."
"I don't know about a break. I'll be acquiring another company here in Atlanta called Wilson and Wilson. Taking it over could be just as time consuming."
"Really? Why?" she asked buttering her roll.
Ric cut his pork chop before replying. "The company's about to go bankrupt, and that's usually complicated as it is. But since it's my stepfather's ... no, now it's my brother's firm, there's going to be some hard feelings."
"Can't you do anything to help him? What about your brother? What's going to happen to him?"
Ric felt as if she'd slapped him. Her barrage of questions and negative body language emphasized the disapproval he'd heard in her voice. "Can't I do anything to help him? This is a business deal, not a charity case," he said as he put down his fork. His appetite was gone.
"But he's your brother. Surely you're going to help him," she said.
"I am helping him. As a shareholder, Adam will get a dividend at the end of the quarter when I buy the company. As it is, he wouldn't get anything. It's a good company, and with more capital it will be profitable within a year. Buying it is a good business decision."
"But it's a stinking personal decision. I would never leave either one of my brothers hanging like you're about to do to yours."
"Anna May, I don't know the man. He might as well be a stranger on the street."
"But he's not a stranger, he's family—and you don't treat family that way. Why don't you partner with him or loan him the money until he can get back on his feet? You said the company will be profitable in a year."
"Damn it, Anna May, this is business."
"No, it's not. It's family. I can't let you treat family like that."
"You don't even know the man."
"No, but I'm going to. He's a part of your family like Betty Steward is family."
He felt anger boiling up inside of him. He folded his napkin and dropped it on the table. "Let it alone, Anna May. I don't know him, and he doesn't know me. Let's leave it like that. This is my business, not yours." He rose from the table and walked upstairs to the attic. He needed to release some anger and hammering nails seemed like an excellent idea.
Anna May watched him leave the kitchen. She'd seen Ric angry before, but rarely had she seen him this angry. Well, she was angry, too. Ric had told her in no uncertain terms to butt out. She was his wife, his family. What made him think that she'd let him do something that would hurt him in the end?
With a huff, she began to clear the table. Why couldn't he see that hurting his brother's business would hurt him? He needed to resolve his relationship with his brother. If he didn't the past would continue to be like a lock and chain around his heart, and even though he said he loved her, there would be some part of him that he would always hold back.
She wasn't about to let it happen. The sound of hammering filtered down to the kitchen. She wanted to go upstairs and talk some sense into him. Instead, she went to the telephone and called the Stewards. Betty Steward answered on the second ring.
The next day Anna May met Mrs. Steward for lunch at the 57th Fighter Group restaurant, which was adjacent to a small airport. This meeting was very important because even though they'd made up last night, Ric's past would always be like a ticking bomb waiting to explode. Ready to destroy her marriage and therefore kill all hopes of ever having a child.
The waitress led her to a table near the large window where diners could watch company planes and private jets take off and land. Betty Steward sat at the table, watching an old plane taxi down the runway. The older woman smiled. "I love watching the old planes. They have character."
Anna May sat down and watched in silence as the plane became airborne.
When they could no longer see the plane, Mrs. Steward turned from the window. "Thank you for indulging me."
"It's no problem, ma'am. Thank you for agreeing to see me so soon after your vacation. You must be tired."
"No. I'm quite rested. When John and I go on vacation, we go to rest. Resorts in Arizona are expensive in the winter, but they know how to pamper their guests. But you don't want to hear about my vacation—what can I do for you?"
Anna
May waited until their server left. "I want to know about Ric's parents. What were they like? Especially his mother. Why would she leave her son with his grandmother?"
Mrs. Steward shook her head. "Pauline was a beautiful woman and she wanted beautiful things. I think she married my brother because he was in the army and was making a decent living. Pauline was poor growing up. So money was always important to her. Even in high school she was always trying to fit in with the well-to-do. When that didn't work out, she went after my brother. When they started dating, I tried to warn Trevor about her, but he was so in love with her. They were married right after high school. Then Ric came along, and Trevor was killed four years later."
She paused when their lunch arrived. "From what I understand, she met one of her old well-to-do classmates, Evan Wilson, a few years later. When she had Wilson's son, she sent Ric to live with her mother."
"But why?" Anna May asked.
"I don't know, child," she said. "But I do know that it broke Ric's heart to leave his little brother. That grandmother of his was very vocal about him always asking to see Adam when he came to live with her. When he came to live with us, I offered to take him to see his mother and brother, but he didn't want to have anything to do with them." Mrs. Steward smiled a sad smile. "He didn't want to have anything to do with us, either."
Anna May pushed her food around on her plate. This was worse than she had thought. "I want to help Ric and Adam get to know each other, Mrs. Steward. I think he has to come to closure with his brother before he can truly love someone."
Mrs. Steward frowned. "I think you're right, but how are we going to get Ric to see it?"
Anna May shook her head. "I don't know, but I've got to think of something soon. Ric plans to let his brother's company go bankrupt then buy it. That'll probably kill any chance of getting the two brothers to get to know each other."
"You're right, that would definitely kill any relationship between them," she said then stared out the window.
"If I could loan the money to Adam, I would. Ric told me the company would be profitable in a year."
"How much money does he need?"
Anna May stated the amount.
"I could loan him the money," Mrs. Steward said softly.
"What? Mrs. Steward, that number is in the millions," Anna May said sure that she'd been misunderstood.
"I heard you, and I can loan him the money. Ric has been sending John and I money for years. We don't need it, and Ric won't take it back, so it's just sitting there."
Stunned couldn't begin to describe the feeling she was experiencing. This sweet, grandmotherly looking woman had millions "just sitting there" as she'd put it. "So let me get this straight—you've got the money to lend, and you're willing to lend it to Adam Wilson?"
"Yes, that's right."
Anna May stared at her in disbelief. "Mrs. Steward, you're amazing."
"No, dear, I'm hungry."
They ate in a comfortable silence. Anna May was worried. She knew it was right to help Adam Wilson, but she didn't look forward to telling Ric what she was doing. One thing was certain. He was going to be furious.
He'd been mad at her before, but she'd never done something that totally defied his wishes. An old saying came to mind: better to ask forgiveness than permission. She hoped Ric would be very forgiving.
Adam Wilson remained skeptical until he'd received confirmation from his banker that the electronic fund transfer had occurred. Two days ago Anna May Justice walked into his office and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. She'd arrange a loan to bail out his company, becoming his temporary partner until he paid off the loan, and in return he had to get to know his brother.
He'd thought she was joking at first. Who in their right mind would loan him money? But the way she'd talked to him about Ric made him take notice. Her love for him was plain to see, but he was still skeptical.
"The Justice Company declined my offer to partner with them. Why should you loan the money to me?"
"I'm not the Justice Company. Ric has no clue what I'm doing. I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do. I was raised to believe family always helps family. When I married Ric, you became a part of the family. "
Adam smiled as he remembered the handshake that finalized the partnership. Now his company was cash-rich and he planned to expand upon that and make it the most profitable it had ever been.
"How's it going, son?" Evan Wilson said as he strolled into Adam's office.
"I'm great. Business is great. How's retirement, Dad?" he asked glancing at his father's attire. He looked like he'd just stepped off the golf course.
"Fine. Just fine. But if you need any help here, I'm available."
Adam smiled. "I don't think I'll be needing your help, Dad. My new partner has been help enough."
"Partner? Who's your partner? I never had a partner—why do you need one? I would have helped you."
Adam watched his father practically puff up with pride. He hadn't asked if the company needed the partnership. All his father was interested in was pride. "My partner prefers to remain a silent partner until the official announcement is made."
"You mean you don't want to tell your own father?"
"Nope. Now if you'll excuse me, Dad, I have a business to run."
Across the city, in an old-money neighborhood, Evan Wilson felt his blood run cold as he hung up the telephone. Adam really thought he could keep this type of information from him.
"Justice," he said in disgust. His son had partnered with Ric Justice. Cold, hate-filled rage filled him. There was no way in hell he was going to let Ric Justice have his company. He'd destroy it first. He stared out of the window and planned.
Anna May was a bundle of nerves. She had to tell Ric that she and his aunt had basically undermined his business. She couldn't put it off. It would be in the business section of tomorrow's newspaper because she'd written the press release herself.
As she paced back and forth across the kitchen floor, she prayed that Ric would understand. Eventually.
She jumped at the sound of the garage door opening. A few minutes later Ric walked inside. "Hello," she said nervously.
"Hi," he said then kissed her cheek.
"Dinner's ready whenever you are."
He rubbed his chin. "I think I'll skip dinner tonight. I'm too tired."
Skip dinner! No. Not tonight. "I've got to tell you something," she said in a panicked rush.
He raised his brows and studied her face. "Okay," he said as he sat down at the dining table.
Anna May sat opposite him with her hands on the table. She watched her hands tremble but took a deep breath. Just tell him. Just tell him. "Tomorrow Wilson and Wilson will make an announcement. They have a new partner."
"What?" He straightened his shoulders. Almost all traces of fatigue had been erased. "Who partnered with Wilson and Wilson?"
Anna May stared at her hands. She felt her heart pound with apprehension.
"Anna May, who's the partner?" he demanded.
Slowly she lifted her gaze to meet his and said softy, "I am."
Rising to his feet, he glared down at her. "I don't believe this." His voice was filled with icy rage.
"I couldn't stand by and not help him. He's family."
"Family! Hell, up until a few weeks ago, you didn't know the man existed. Now he's family. I want you to call off the deal." His eyes conveyed his anger, rage, and determination.
She rose slowly, her legs nearly shaking. Anger she'd expected, not the kind of simmering rage she saw on his face. "Why? Why don't you want me to help him?"
"Just do it, Anna May. Break the partnership," his voice boomed.
"I'm not going to do it," she said with quiet dignity.
"So you've chosen Adam over me?" he asked.
"That's childish, Ric. This is about helping family, not about choosing one brother over another," she cried.
He stared at her from across the room. Slowly his expression changed from rage to a
n icy mask. It was as if he'd shut down his emotions. Cold and unyielding, he'd become like the Ice Man his business rivals called him. Without a word, he walked to the door.
"Where are you going, Ric? Don't leave like this." Her voice filled with anguish.
"I'll be back for my things later," he said without emotion.
"I love you, Ric."
He paused at the door for a moment then walked out.
"Men are scum. Each and every one of them," Marianne said with utter conviction.
It was Janet's turn to host the Ladies' Club. Anna May thought she would feel a little strange coming to her house as a guest. But she didn't feel anything at all. She could pinpoint the exact time she stopped feeling. It was when Ric said to her, If her actions represented love, then she could keep her love. He'd been so cold, so icy, so filled with rage when he made that statement—and she truly believed he meant every word. His actions confirmed it. He hadn't returned home in a month.
"You say that every time your ex tries to weasel out of paying child support. All men aren't scum," Janet said from the one end of the sofa.
"They are too scum," Marianne replied then pointed to Janet. "Didn't you just break up with your boyfriend, Miss Thang? And you"—she pointed to Raina—"isn't your boss married and trying to hit on you?"
"Yes, but—" Raina said only to be interrupted when Marianne pointed to Anna May.
"I don't even have to say what Ric is like. The no good so-and-so. I still think we should find him and beat him up."
"Marianne, you talk too much," Raina said nudging her ribs. Raina sat on the sofa between Marianne and Anna May. It was a good thing Janet sat next to Anna May because if she'd been close enough to Marianne, Janet probably would have done more than nudge her in the ribs.
Raina had felt Anna May tense at the mention of her husband's name.
"I'd better go," Anna May said as she came to her feet.
Raina glared at Marianne.
