He thinks all of this is cute!
"I told him no," she answered simply.
If it had been a twinkle, it instantly faded as disillusionment set in. "Okay," was all he said, but his tone of voice said so much more.
"It’s the truth." Dominique lifted a shoulder.
"So you’re saying, while I love you with all my heart, you don’t feel the same," Joshua concluded, looking away.
"No." She paused. She felt the tears rising as she searched her mind for the right words. "I’m saying that it doesn’t matter how much we love each other. It would never work. You and I would never work."
Joshua raised a hand to caress her cheek. "I meant what I said," he said softly, gazing into her eyes with more compassion than she had dreamed possible. "I love you. And if you love me, that’s all we need. We can make it work. Whatever problems we may have, we can work through them together. That’s what true love is all about."
"I--I wish I could believe that." Dominique turned away, choking on the lump of tears in her throat.
"Then why can’t you?" He stepped closer until they were once again face to face.
"We’re too different Joshua," she cried. "And, in case you’ve forgotten, you can’t handle my career."
Joshua slammed his fingers through his already ruffled dark hair. "You’re right, I don’t like it. That’s no lie. But I can learn to accept it," he added in sheer determination.
"Can you learn to see me for me and not Margot?" Dominique tilted her head. It was the first time she had spoken his deceased fiancée’s name, but the woman had preyed on her thoughts constantly since the moment she had learned of her.
Joshua slowly closed his eyes. His chest rose and fell in a slow, deep sigh. When he opened his eyes again, the pain was apparent, as well as the shock of her words. "You know about Margot?"
She nodded.
"How much do you know?"
"Everything, I think."
"I need to sit down." Joshua said absently. Taking her by the hand, he led her to the sofa.
"I know that she was your fiancée, that she was carrying your child, that she was a bartender and that she was killed in a fight that broke out at her bar," Dominique answered once they were seated.
"Then you pretty much know everything." Joshua sighed. "Your boss told you?" Again, she nodded.
"I’m sorry. I should have told you the other night when you asked. I just didn’t feel it was the right time."
"It’s all right. I understand," Dominique said softly.
"I would like to tell you now--in my own words--if you’re willing to listen."
"I am." She needed him to tell her. She needed to hear the truth from his own mouth.
"Margot and I were engaged for almost a year," Joshua began, leaning back on the sofa. "We met our senior year of high school and got engaged right after graduation. At that time, the legal drinking age was eighteen, which also meant you only had to be eighteen to serve alcohol. Margot began working at the bar right before we met, and she loved it. It was what she wanted to do. I was young. I knew I had loads of money waiting for me in the bank. So I blew off college and decided to devote my entire life to her."
Squeezing Dominique’s hand, he continued. "Although neither one of us would really have had to work, she insisted on doing it anyway. Working made her feel more complete. I tried to get her to find another job, at least a better bar, but she refused. She felt she had something to offer the deadbeats that came in that place. In the end, she gave them her life and the life of our unborn child."
His voice cracked. He swallowed hard, preventing the tears that threatened to fall. "I was devastated by her death and even more by the death of our child. I was lost, lonely. I began going to every bar in town, taking home bartenders, sleeping with them, desperately trying to find another Margot."
"But you didn’t," Dominique said, finally finding the courage and control to speak. He had been through so much. The story had stung when she had heard it from Leanne but hearing him tell it--with all the compassion, all the lost love--it broke her heart.
Joshua shook his head. "All I succeeded in finding was more misery and a terrible attitude toward women bartenders."
"I guess that’s understandable." Dominique winced in resentment. If it weren’t for all the women who were in the profession for the wrong reasons, she wouldn’t be going through all this hell.
"No, it’s not," Joshua countered, turning on the sofa to face her. "It’s not right, because I almost allowed those ill feelings to ruin my love for you. I have things in my past, Dominique. I’ve been hurt. I made more wrong decisions in dealing with that pain than I care to admit. There will always be a place in my heart for Margot and the child we never had. But you--I love you more than I ever thought I could. You make me feel things that even she couldn’t."
A tear slid down Dominique’s cheek. For the first time, she could read his mind. He did love her. He did want to be with her.
"I can’t live without you, Dominique," Joshua whispered. He pulled her closer to him, brushing his lips across her forehead. "Please don’t make me."
"You sure are talking a long time." Dominique gazed up, forcing a smile.
"I’m talking eternity." His eyes serious, he raised her hand to his mouth and kissed. "Marry me, Dominique."
~ * ~
Six Months Later
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Joshua, you may kiss the bride."
With great care, Joshua lifted the veil covering Dominique’s face. Slowly, their lips met in a wonderful, firework-exploding kiss for all to see. An eruption of applause broke out behind them.
"Hey, save that stuff for your honeymoon," Natalie yelled, causing a blast of laughter to explode among the four bridesmaids.
Turning to the crowd, Joshua held Dominique’s hand high in the air as they descended the aisle of white satin-like material.
Dominique’s eyes glistened with tears of happiness. Joshua’s parents had accepted the news of their plans to marry far better than she had expected. After a long talk with their son, they had actually been overjoyed with the news. Constance had even stepped up to the plate to plan the wedding immediately--insisting the event be held in their backyard.
Joshua’s family had done a fabulous job with the decorations for the wedding, transforming the backyard into a shrine of romantic symbolism. They had abandoned the tradition of only virgin weddings being white. After all, as Constance said, it was the twenty-first century. Who held to tradition these days?
White magnolias draped, hung, and poked out from everywhere; the patio was lined with ribbons and lace. Tiny white lights sparkled in the trees. They had spared no expense. From the three-tier wedding cake to the elegantly catered refreshments, the entire event had certainly cost a bundle. Still, it was the most gorgeous scene she had ever laid eyes on. There was only one thing that could have made the day even better--if her father could have set aside his stubbornness to be there to walk her down the aisle. That privilege, instead, had been taken by Mitchell Divine.
Stopping at the end of the aisle, they shook hands with the many guests in attendance, thanking them for their voices of congratulations and for joining them on their festive day. Then Dominique remembered the figure standing in the shadows that she had spotted out of the corner of her eye when she was walking down the aisle at the beginning of the ceremony. Quickly, she scanned the audience of guests until she spotted that figure again, still planted in the same spot. Squinting, she arched her neck forward until the figure came into focus. Her heart stopped. Her breath caught in her throat. It couldn’t be. Could it?
Slowly, the figure sauntered toward her, coming into view, and proceeded until he came within inches from her. With a nod and a soft hello, he addressed Joshua, then returned his attention to Dominique, who gazed at him through tear-filled eyes. Without a word, he reached out, lacing his arm in hers, and began leading her back up the aisle to the archway. Once there, he gently spun her to face him.
His deep blue eyes glistening with tears, he placed a finger under her chin and kissed her softly on the lips.
"I’m sorry I didn’t make it in time to do that when it really counted."
"But you’re here, and you’ve done it now," Dominique choked out. "That’s all that matters." Tears gushing from her eyes, she stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed for dear life. "Thanks, Dad."
"I love you, honey," her father whispered.
"And I love you."
They held each other for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, pulling himself from her embrace, he gazed down at her, a smile curving his lips. "I should get you back to your new husband now."
Reaching to wipe the tears from her face, Dominique returned his smile as they descended the aisle once again. Joshua stood exactly where she had left him, now talking with her mother. Slowly, Dominique allowed her father to lead her back to her husband.
"I believe this belongs to you now," her father said, holding out her hand for Joshua to take.
Clearing her throat, Dominique struggled to regain her composure. "I see you’ve met my mom," she said, pulling Joshua closer to her. "This is my father, Henry Gabor. Dad, this is Joshua Divine."
Henry shook hands with Joshua. "You were right, I would have never been able to forgive myself if I had missed this special day in my daughter’s life. Thank you."
Dominique glared at the two men in confusion.
"And thank you for taking the time to listen to what I had to say." Joshua nodded. Glancing at Dominique, he added, "And deciding to be here for your daughter."
Dominique’s gaze danced from her father, to Joshua, to her mother, who simply smiled, and back again. "Would someone mind telling me what’s going on here?"
"Let’s just say your new husband made me see how stupid I was acting and what I was missing out on," Henry answered with a sigh. Placing a gentle hand on Dominique’s shoulder, he said, "I’m sorry for everything, sweetheart."
"So--so am I," Dominique stammered, still stunned. "But how…"
"I got your father’s number from your aunt and called him," Joshua explained with a lift of one shoulder. "In summary, I talked, he listened, and here we are today. Let’s just leave it at that for now."
"Grandpa!" Kalvin’s shrill blasted through the chatter of the back yard. Within seconds, he had dashed across the yard, jumped up, and landed in his grandfather’s arms.
"We’re going to give the two of you a few minutes alone," Dominique’s mother said to her and Joshua with a wink. "Come on you two, let’s go find something to drink."
Dominique watched as her parents scurried away with her son.
"Are you all right?" Joshua asked softly when they were out of sight. He stepped in front of her, grabbing both of her hands in his.
"I’m fine," Dominique sniffled. "Better than fine, actually. I’m the happiest woman in the world, and I owe it all to you."
"I love you, Mrs. Divine," Joshua whispered. A sly grin spreading across his face, he slid a hand down to her tummy, making a quick glance around to be sure no one was watching or listening. "Both of you."
Startled, Dominique’s eyes widened in shock. "You know!" she gasped.
"I guessed." He shrugged. "Dr. McKnight’s office called while you were out yesterday. You left your checkbook on the counter."
Dominique breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness! I didn’t know what had happened to it. But still, how did you know? Surely they didn’t tell you. They would be violating all kinds of laws."
"They didn’t tell me. I figured it out all by myself. I know Dr. McKnight is an OBGYN. You never said anything about going for a regular check-up. Then I realized you’ve had this special glow about you the last few weeks. The kind of glow that women get…"
"When they’re pregnant," Dominique finished for him. She had never experienced so many mixed emotions as she had when her doctor confirmed what she had already suspected to be true. She was pregnant. While she had been delighted to hear the news, she had also been a bit fearful of telling Joshua. They had only decided they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. They had yet to discuss those lives involving any other child but Kalvin. What he would think, how he would feel, how he would react, had plagued her from the moment she’d heard the news. "I’m six weeks," she confirmed. "I’m sorry I didn’t tell you yesterday the instant I found out, but I wanted to surprise you. I had planned to tell you when we were alone tonight. I guess double protection is a sensible precaution after all."
"Yeah, good thing we slacked off on that." Joshua grinned.
"So you’re not mad?"
"Mad! Honey, you and that little boy over there--" He pointed across the yard to where Kalvin stood with her parents, both he and her father fidgeting uncomfortably in their tuxedos. "--have made me the happiest man alive. And now we’re going to have a baby! I couldn’t ask for more."
"Well, there is more," Dominique said with a dazzling smile. "I want you to know, I’ve told Leanne I’m taking a leave of absence. At least until after the baby is born." She used her finger to push a strand of unruly dark hair out of her new husband’s eyes.
"You know you don’t have to do that," Joshua said softly. He knew why she had come to her decision. It was out of respect for him--his feelings and fears. While he had learned to accept her career, she still held his interest in top priority.
"I know," Dominique tilted her head. Rubbing her belly, she added, "But I want to. Our future means more than our past."
THE END
The Devine Babysitter Page 16
