“Good. That’s what I wanted to hear.”
Garrett looked up with a start, watching as Matthew rose from his chair. Five o’clock shadow sprinkled his cheeks and jaw, and his hair was not at all arranged into his normal coif. He came nearer to Garrett, watching the stunned man with a serious expression.
“What?” asked Garrett, bewildered.
“I wanted to hear that from you. If you’re hell bent on my daughter, you’d better be worth it. She’s a special girl; she loves as deep as the ocean and just as thoroughly. Don’t for a moment think you’ll be able to treat her like you did Elizabeth. Before you say anything yes, I know she deserved it. I’ve been married for twenty-five years. Deserving a punishment isn’t what you think about when you think about your wife. You think of her as a partner. Keep Sarah as a partner and an equal. Don’t you ever make her cry, and don’t you ever hurt her.”
“I’d… I wouldn’t–”Matthew stopped in front of the still-floundering man, and put his hands on both shoulders. He squared Garrett, and looked into his eyes with a frown. For a moment, it looked as if he might simply be sizing up his friend. Garrett searched for words, anything in response. In fact, he was so busy thinking and floundering for a response, he didn’t see Matthew’s fist until it was too late.
Matthew’s closed fist connected with his mouth, and Garrett immediately saw stars from the impact. His body twisted, and he staggered, before falling on his rear. Pain lanced from his lip up to his right ear, and he could taste blood. The sting of a split lip alerted him to where the blood was most likely coming from. Garrett touched his mouth, fingers probing carefully at his teeth. He couldn’t feel any loose ones, thank goodness.
He looked up at Matthew, who was shaking his fist. It had been a long time since either of them had hit anyone, and the man was clearly regretting it. He grimaced, eyeing knuckles that were slightly bloodied now. When he was finished, he used the opposite hand to offer Garrett a hand up.
Garrett took it, letting Matthew hoist him up. He cleared his throat once he was on his feet, and sniffed. For whatever reason, a punch in the mouth always made his nose and eyes run. He waited for Matthew to speak before he dared. He didn’t know exactly how the man was feeling, though he suspected that he wasn’t as upset as Garrett had thought.
“That was for fucking my daughter.” Matthew said matter-of-factly.
“Feel better now?”
“A bit.”
“...so we’re still friends?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Good. Because I’ve got a favor to ask of you.”
Matthew eyed Garrett with a look of utter incredulity. His lips quirked into a deep frown and he glared at the man for a long moment. Matthew motioned for the chairs, heading back towards the one he’d been in before he’d gotten up to punch Garrett in the mouth. Garrett followed suit, though he stayed a pace or two to the right and behind Matthew just in case the man decided to swing at him again. One punch was warranted; multiple were not.
As the men settled into their chairs, Garrett waited. He could be a patient man when he wanted to be, and if he were to get the answer he wanted from his longtime friend, he’d need to be extremely patient. Matthew would do things exactly as fast as he wanted to.
“What can I do for you, Garrett?”
“I’d like to ask for your blessing. I want to ask Sarah to marry me.”
Garrett saw the fist coming this time, and caught it with a grin. He eyed the older man, and shook his head, holding the straining fist in his hand without letting him go. He wasn’t about to be hit a second time, and he met Matthew’s eyes with that same message. The first one is free, old friend, and only the first one.
Matthew pulled his hand away and squeezed his temples, a blustery sigh escaping his lips. “You’re telling me you came here to ask for her hand in marriage, only hours after your first divorce was finalized.”
“Yes.”
“That’s very stupid.”
“Yes.”
“I’d think it was an insult, you know.”
“If I weren’t the stupid one between us, you sure would.”
“Garrett, this is serious. It has serious repercussions.”
“I know. I’d take a bullet for her. That has never changed. I’ll never find anyone I’d be happier with, and you know it.”
“Oh, I know. I suspected. She cried throughout your whole wedding, your reception. She was a teenager. She was horrified. It was days before she started to come out of her funk.”
Garrett’s heart hurt a bit at the memory of Sarah’s tears as she watched the wedding procedure; it had been something he’d gone over in his mind again and again. He had hurt her that day, and it would be something he’d regret for the rest of his days. No matter how long he loved her, he had hurt her.
“I know. She told me now. I didn’t realize it then. I knew…she was special, but I believed it was because she was your daughter. She’s meant the world to me for a long time, but now…she means my future, too. I love her, Matthew. I don’t deserve her, I know that. I tried to leave her and I couldn’t. I love her, and that… that isn’t a big enough word, either.”
Matthew watched his old friend for a long moment, gave a long sigh, and nodded.
“I give my blessing, Garrett, but only if you treat her well. She is more precious than any amount of money, or any company, or otherwise. I need you to know that. I need you to make sure she knows that. I don’t want to ever hear you’ve made her cry.”
Garrett’s lips twitched into the candid, small smile he almost never gave. Tears had sprung to his eyes at some point, and when Matthew finally had given his blessing, Garrett didn’t know what to do. He’d thought it a long shot, to come here and ask his longtime best friend to give away his daughter; yet Matthew had, knowing full well that Garrett would do everything in his powers to treat her well. He had expected not only to lose a friend, but be humiliated, hurt, abandoned. It was no secret that Garrett had no family; Matthew and Trisha were as close to family as he’d had in the many years he’d spent looking for his own. Now, they would be a family by marriage, and somehow that made his heart ache for something he’d never known he wanted.
“If you ever call me ‘dad’ or ‘father-in-law,’ I’ll make sure I punch your teeth right down your throat,” Matthew remarked, a stern glare on his face. Someone else might believe he was serious, but Garrett knew better. He certainly wasn’t going to show emotion, especially not when Garrett could feel the single tear slide down his own cheek. He wiped at it with his sleeve, clearing his throat audibly.
“I won’t. Promise,” he said simply, his voice still raw.
Matthew nodded, his facial expression softening into something less stern. Though his mind seemed to shift to another subject.
“I have to ask. What happened? With Elizabeth?”
“She’s been arrested for conspiracy to murder. Her agent was apprehended by the police, but just barely. If he had been lucky, he would have gotten away. The police caught him with a random search. He came to my office, shot my receptionists. I… I hadn’t thought they’d be in danger, and I should have said something. I made sure their families and final expenses were well taken care of, but I feel as if there was more I should have done. “He was arrested, as was Elizabeth. They caught her as the plane was about to head for the runway. She was charged, booked into jail, and her bail was too high for any of her three boyfriends to afford. However, her three boyfriends didn’t seem to want to afford it, either.”
Matthew gave a little chuckle and nodded, a small smile on his lips.
“I can’t really feel sorry for them, you know. I did let them keep the things she bought them.”
“You’re a nicer man than I would’ve been.”
“Only sometimes.”
Garrett smiled a little, and shook his head. He stood, and Matthew did as well, aware that Garrett had to go already. He knew his friend, and he certainly hadn’t asked for his blessing without plans
to ask Sarah soon. He gave his friend a hug, patting him on the shoulder.
“Let me walk you out.”
As Garrett left the property, he wondered just how life would change. He’d been great friends with the Hemmings, and now he would be family. Garrett smiled to himself at the thought as he dialed the only Bvlgari jeweler he knew.
19
Everything was as ready as it was going to get; after all, he’d done everything he could to prepare for this moment. He’d planned more elaborate things, but after Matthew’s punch in the mouth, he’d decided it wasn’t going to look good getting photographs taken with a fat lip. Instead, he’d have to change his plans.
He knew he’d wanted her to know she meant the world to him, and his intentions were clear and noble ones. She’d stayed with him despite himself, despite the woman that had nearly been his end, and despite the world that seemed hell bent on driving them apart. Despite all rises and falls, Sarah had been a woman he could only dream of having. He’d been so very desperate to tell her how much she meant to him, and that he planned to cherish her in all the ways she so deserved.
Yet even as he drove to the restaurant he’d planned to surprise her at, he felt as if he were doing something wrong. Despite Matthew’s blessing, despite everything, he wondered if he could do better for her some other way. He wondered if perhaps she deserved someone better. He pushed the thought from his head; there were so few people that knew her as well as he did, and less that would protect her as tirelessly as he would.
He pulled into the valet parking and handed his car over, and checked in with the front desk. From there he inspected the booth, and then told the waitress his plan. She gave him a big smile and nodded, asking if he would like photos of the event, which he’d almost forgot could be captured. When he agreed, she was kind enough to tell him she’d do her best not to get the fat lip in the picture. Garrett flushed, but thanked her.
He went outside after that, standing in the court of the Italian restaurant he’d picked. It was one she’d always wanted to go to, and had said she simply didn’t have the time. Garrett was waiting when her car pulled up. He came to her door and opened it, escorting her out of it. He was excited to see just how she’d done herself up, and when he saw her, she of course did not fail to take his breath away.
She wore a maroon-red high-necked gown, and though it was sleeveless, it seemed appropriate for every occasion from office work to an awards show. It was complemented with a silver bracelet, and charcoal gray pumps. She looked marvelous as always, her hair in a loose braid and her lips in a smirk at the sight of him. He was happy to offer his arm and lead her into the restaurant.
As they made their way to the table, he could feel Sarah’s fingers gently dig into the arm of his sleeve. When he turned to eye her, she frowned at him; this place was new, and there were so many people here. Did he think it was a good idea to be seen together? Garrett didn’t assuage her guilt yet, but once they got to the booth he’d made sure they would have privacy; he let her know that there would be no issue with the paparazzi today. She gave him a trusting smile, and as they perused the menu they chatted idly.
Garrett of course had a much harder time chatting while he carried such a big burden. He waited until she’d decided, changing her mind three or four times until he made sense of the menu for her. She’d always been a divisive eater, and so when she was interested in eating, he wanted to do his best to encourage her to try something new. He finally told her to try the seafood fettuccine, and she reluctantly agreed to do so, as she could compare it to her favorite restaurant.
“I know it’s Christmas Eve,” Garrett began, “But I’d like to take you out for a bit longer. I know your parents have a holiday party, but I’d love to go ahead and skip it this year.” “Do you think it’s a good idea? I know my dad is...a bit unhappy with you.”
“What? Nah, he’s perfectly happy now that he’s punched me in the mouth.”
“It could have been worse. He could have actually broken something.”
“He thought about it, believe me.”
Garrett couldn’t remember being so nervous when he’d proposed to Elizabeth, and the thought of that woman was almost enough to rob him of the happiness he felt now. He didn’t need to think of her, though the fact he’d been less nervous then made him feel as if he were making the right choice this time. He knew it would be his last proposal, for sure.
They ate in relative silence, a mark of just how good the food was. Occasionally Sarah threw him appreciative, happy glances; clearly, the food was up to her high standards of Italian cuisine, and Garrett was pleased. As they grew full, the conversation lapsed easily into talk of work and Sarah’s new position until Garrett turned the conversation towards the future and what she wanted.
“What I want? Umm, I want a career, kids…a yard, a dog, the whole nine yards. You can imagine.”
“I want that too, you know.”
“Do you?”
Sarah bit her lip, something flashing across her eyes, something that had Garrett worried. As he watched, she reached out to take his hand, her expression becoming slowly more anxious.
“Garrett…I think we need to talk,”
“About?”
“The future. Us.”
Garrett’s heart began to thud against his chest, and a sense of dread settled on him like a shawl. Was she about to tell him she didn’t want him now? Had he misjudged their affections as simply a young girl’s affection? He tried not to allow her to see the fear he held so close, and squeezed her hand.
“Go ahead, what’s on your mind?”
For a long moment she remained silent, her eyes studying him. They slowly dropped to the spot where their hands were interlocked, and she played gently with the table cloth with her other hand. What had made her so nervous? Garrett tried not to rush her, but his fear was still a real and palpable one.
“You see, I don’t really know how to explain this. I felt so sick the other day; I just didn’t know what it was from. I just sort of...assumed it was due to stress. It persisted, so I went to the store and…well, I don’t know how to say this.”
For a horrible moment she paused, and Garrett felt his heart sink.
“I’m pregnant.”
The silence between them echoed as the realization dawned on him. He could see her fear, her tears welling in her eyes, and for a moment he thought she might leave the table. He knew what he had to do, then. He let his hands slip from hers, and offered a small smile. As he fished the tiny box from his shirt, he began to slide from his chair and went down on one knee at her side.
“Sarah, nothing would make me happier in the entire world then for you to not only bear my child, but become my wife. Would you marry me, and do me the incredible honor of becoming Mrs. Sarah Skjaervo?”
He held out the ring box, opening it to reveal a platinum gold ring encrusted with tiny ruby roses, their petals emerald. The centerpiece was a beautiful selection of diamonds cut into the shape of a rose.
"Yes! Yes, oh yes!" Garrett scooped her into his arms and she hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, Sarah. Thank you for doing me the honor of both becoming my wife and having my child."
Garrett's words were hoarse as he tried to hide the tears he knew would come. He didn't want to cry; he wanted to look happy, and Sarah was crying enough for the two of them. He kissed her neck, and whispered in her ear, "I thought I’d ask now, since I saw you start to cry. I figured you'd appreciate only crying once."
Sarah gave a little choked laugh and squeezed him tighter. "You're such a jerk."
Garrett chuckled, and kissed her again. “I know. Now let's go home so I can have my wife.” His voice rumbled, and suddenly Sarah seemed eager to leave as well.
Garrett stopped to speak to the waitress, who asked for his number to send the pictures she’d snuck. He was grateful she’d thought of it, and when he saw them his lips turned up at the corners. They tipped the waitress, and while Sarah was still admiring her
ring they headed outside into the Christmas Eve snow. Garrett had sent her town car away, knowing full well he’d want her to come with him. He’d made special arrangements to have a limousine dropped off for his driver, and found it in the parking lot. He opened her door for her and they climbed in. Garrett told his driver they were heading home, and rolled up the partition.
Sarah snuggled up against his side, her fingers sliding between his and her head resting gently on his shoulder, contented to be so close to him. Her hand slid to rest on his thigh, the ring twinkling merrily on her finger. As they both watched the light refract on the delicate ring, Sarah moved her hand over the seam along the crotch of his pants, earning her a sharp inhale from Garrett.
“We don’t have to wait until we get home,” she told her husband-to-be quietly. Garrett rocked his hips into her hand and eyed the partition when Sarah squeezed again, her fingers slipping up from where they gripped him to slip up to his button and fly, undoing them both. She had no qualms about slipping her hand into his fly, her lips tracing his now racing pulse at his throat. A coy smile slid across her lips as she let her teeth rake gently across his skin.
“You could have me now, you know,” she murmured in sultry tones. Garrett groaned, his hips giving the smallest of bucks as her fingers circled his growing erection, and he rested his head back against the seat.
“Minx. How am I going to keep up with you?”
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
Garrett turned more in his seat, and as much as her hand would allow so that he could kiss her, his tongue tangling with hers. He kissed her until she was whimpering, moaning for him, and he’d grown hard from her attentions. Garrett didn’t bother to do more than open his pants as Sarah pulled her dress up and aside. He pulled her close, pressing her down against the cushions of the back seat.
Sarah was quick to reach for his throbbing length, guiding it easily into her sex with a relieved whimper. She groaned, arching her back and throwing her head back as he took her.
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