Joey still looked like he wanted to push past Liz and head upstairs, but he stayed in the kitchen. Liz continued.
“Joey, he came for me. Ty is here for me, asking me to give him a second chance. If you needed one, wouldn’t you want Jenna to give you a second chance? Think of how you feel about your wife, Joe. I feel the same about Ty.” Liz paused, watching Joey’s face. “Joe, things are different, okay? You told him to get help and he did. He’s not the same man he was two months ago. It’s okay, Joey.” She hugged him and kissed his cheek. Joey hugged her back. Liz looked at Vinnie and smiled. Vinnie was smiling, too.
“All right. Let me see if I can stave off any assassinations from the living room gang. That is, if there’s anything left of Ty by the time Angie gets done with him.” With that, Liz headed out towards the living room. Two furry blurs bolted by Liz and fled in terror for the safety of upstairs. In pursuit was a determined toddler. Liz intercepted Vincent Joseph DiNardo and scooped him up.
He looked at Liz, a huge smile on his face. “Kitties!” announced Little Vinnie.
“Yup. Those were kitties and you’ve probably seen the last of them for today.” Liz said. “Where’s Mumma?”
Little Vinnie pointed towards the living room and Liz carried him in that direction where Jenna, John and Millie sat in the middle of what looked like a toy factory explosion. She shook her head at the sight.
“Guess I don’t need to tell you to make yourselves at home. Mrs. DiNardo,” Liz took on a mock severe tone. “Haven’t we warned you about Salem’s leash laws? Next time, he goes to the pound.” Liz handed Little Vinnie to his mother.
Millie was looking hard at Liz, suspicion all over her face. “You didn’t open the door. I had to let everyone in.”
Liz looked back at her. “I was getting dressed.”
Millie arched an eyebrow. “Nice dress. Kind of fancy for a backyard barbecue, isn’t it, Liz?”
Liz folded her arms and shrugged. “I didn’t have anything else.”
“Where’d the second kitten come from, Liz? Last time I checked, you only had Dodger.”
“Got a do-it-yourself cloning kit from an infomercial. It was a lot cheaper than buying another kitten from Corey. All you need is a little kitten spit and you’re in business. His name’s Norton, by the way.”
Millie ignored the humor. “There’s a car just like Ty’s parked out front and it appears to be full of clothes just like yours.”
Liz remained cool. “And now you know why I only had this to wear. Someone broke in while I was in the shower. I guess the thief didn’t like periwinkle blue.”
Millie was still undeterred. “For someone who’s been suffering badly from a broken heart, you look pretty chipper right now.”
John chimed in, “She looks like she just got extremely well…”
“Not in front of the baby, John!” Jenna yelped.
Liz shrugged again. “In the words of Abraham Lincoln, folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
Millie said nothing, but Liz could see the mental wheels turning. Jenna held up the “In Need of Good Home” sign, keeping it away from her destructive son. “Liz, what’s this?”
“It’s a joke to go with Norton. Furry face and a hard luck story.”
“So Ty has a beard now?” Millie asked innocently.
“He did, but he shaved, AW DAMMIT!” Liz had walked right into Millie’s trap.
“Lizabetta! Language!” from the kitchen.
“Sorry, Angie!” Liz threw up her hands. “Yeah. Ty showed up this morning. We talked…”
Millie snickered. “Looking at your face, I’ll bet that’s not all you did.”
Liz ignored her. “Anyway, the bottom line is that we’re getting back together.”
The three adults regarded her silently. Their emotions ranged from disbelief and bewilderment to frustration and anger at Liz’s apparent folly.
Millie asked quietly, trying to keep control, “Why?”
“Because we love each other too much to be apart,” Ty answered, stealing up behind Liz and encircling her waist with his arms. He kissed the side of Liz’s face. “Two months of misery was about all either of us could take.”
Ty smiled at Millie, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Liz prayed that she wasn’t going to have to choose between her love and her friend.
“I’m sorry I missed your wedding, Millie and John. Congratulations. We’d be disappointed if you missed ours,” Ty very casually dropped the bomb.
Millie shot a startled look at Liz. “You’re getting married?”
Liz nodded. She felt Ty’s grip tighten, lending her support. “It’s a shotgun wedding. Ty says he’s pregnant.”
It took a minute, but people started to laugh. Millie hugged Ty, whispering something Liz couldn’t hear, but it made him relax and return the embrace. “Wait a minute.” Angie spoke and the room fell silent. “Where’s the ring?” She looked at Ty. “I don’t see a ring on that girl’s finger and let me tell you, Tyrone, you’d better give her a good one.”
Liz held up her hands. “So, we’ll take care of that later.”
Angie was adamant. “I refuse to believe the Kissing Bandit here is serious until I see a ring.” The others nodded their agreement.
“C’mon you guys. This is supposed to be a private, intimate moment between my fiancé,” Liz savored the phrase, “and me. We don’t need an audience.”
“Wrong!” Millie contradicted. “My engagement was public. It’s payback time, Gardner. I want to see this happen.”
Liz smiled back at her, “Up yours, Mrs. Reynolds.”
Ty handed Little Vinnie to his grandmother and reached into his pocket. Liz felt her chest getting tight.
Ty knelt before Liz and with a smile that was almost shy, he deftly thumbed open the box. Taking Liz’s left hand, Ty kissed it, then said as he slid a ring onto her finger. “It would give me tremendous honor and lifelong pleasure if you, Elizabeth Duer Gardner, would be my wife.”
Liz was dumbfounded. The emerald cut blue diamond ring they had seen on their first date was now on her hand. It sparkled in its platinum setting, the smaller blue-white diamonds adding their own glints.
“I don’t know what to say.”
Ty was looking in surprise at the ring. “I thought it was going to have to be sized.” He looked up into Liz’s eyes. “I guess it was meant to be yours.”
Ty stood up and lifted Liz’s hand to his lips, kissing it again, his eyes never leaving Liz’s. No one else in the room made a sound. Nobody wanted the moment to end.
Ty held out her hand. “This is you,” he said, pointing to one of the side stones. “This is me,” pointing to the other side stone, “And this” he touched the blue of the center stone, “is we.” Liz just threw herself into his arms and held onto him as tightly as possible. Ty returned the embrace as fervently. “Don’t leave me again, Love,” he whispered. “It’ll kill me.”
“It would kill me, too,” she whispered back. “It nearly did this time.” And they tightened their grip on each other.
“Shit.”
“John! Language!”
“Sorry, Angie.” Everyone looked at John. “I told a friend of mine that I knew a nice girl for him. He was planning to drop by to meet Liz.” John looked sheepish. Millie pinched him. Hard.
Liz felt Ty’s body stiffen. “John, you’d better call your friend off right now or my honeymoon is going to be conjugal visits at the state pen.”
John headed for the phone as fast as he could.
Still holding tightly to Liz, Ty called after him, “What does this friend of yours do?”
“He’s my insurance agent.”
Liz had to tighten her grip on Ty to keep him from charging. “Down, Boy. Don’t make me get a tranquilizer gun.” she said to him. Ty relaxed, but he still glared in the direction of the kitchen.
Little Vinnie piped up from Angie’s arms, “Hungry. Kitties?”
“I hope those were two separate th
oughts,” said Angie. “Men, you’re working the grill. Girls, we’re doing everything else. As usual. You two,” she pointed at Liz and Ty, “break it up, just for a little while.”
They let go of each other reluctantly. “Why is it that men are always in charge of the barbecue?” Ty mused.
“It’s one of those Y chromosome things, like the Three Stooges and knowing every sports statistic,” answered Liz.
Ty laughed, “What’s on the second X chromosome?”
“Shoes and being able to differentiate among 500 shades of beige.”
Angie bustled out of the kitchen with a platter piled high with marinated steaks. She handed her burden to Ty. “Here, be a good boy and go cook. I’m taking your girl and we’ll be talking wedding.”
Ty smiled, “Yes, Angie.” He leaned over and kissed Angie on the lips, then kissed Liz one last time before heading out the door. The two women watched him go.
Still watching Ty talking with the other men on the patio, Liz asked Angie, “All’s forgiven?” She could see Angie’s nod out of the corner of her eye.
“He told you.” Angie nodded again. They finally turned to look at each other as Liz continued. “I don’t think Vinnie’s ever regretted giving you a second chance. And that was what, 18 years ago? You’ve managed to stay sober and with the love of your life, huh, Angie?”
“I couldn’t have done it without him,” Angie admitted. “That man gives me strength. I thank God every day for his love.”
“I knew you’d understand.” As they headed for the kitchen, Angie remarked thoughtfully, “That man of yours is looking pretty good, Lizabetta. If it wasn’t for Vinnie,…”
Liz interrupted, “You’re not the only one with a big knife, Angela. Stick with Vinnie.”
After the meal, the clean-up and the departure of the guests, Liz and Ty stood hand in hand out on the patio looking at a summer night sky, full of stars and the sliver of a waxing moon. They were silent, just enjoying the moment and the joy of being together. Behind the screen door of the house, they could hear the kittens playing together, the sounds of wrestling punctuated with squeaks. Ty spoke. “You know, we could catch a flight to Las Vegas and by this time tomorrow, we’d be married.”
Liz just said, “No.”
Ty looked at her and smiled as he slipped his arm around her waist. “Long engagement? We’re not teenagers, Liz.”
She leaned her head against him. “I know, but we have all the time we need. I will marry you if it’s tomorrow or ten years from now.” He pulled her in closer.
“I don’t want a big wedding, but I don’t want to elope, either. I want our friends to share the moment with us and most of all,” Liz tilted her face up to kiss Ty, “I want to see your face as I come down the aisle.”
They kissed for a moment or two, then Ty broke it off. “I forgot. I need to make a phone call.” Liz started to protest, but Ty shook his head. “I should have done this earlier today, but I forgot. I have to call my sponsor.” Liz shut her mouth. Ty took her hand and led her back into the house.
As Ty made his way to the phone in the kitchen, Liz hung back in order to give him privacy. She sat on the floor next to the kittens, tempting them to pounce on her hand. Dodger seemed particularly attracted to her new ring, batting at it as she wiggled her hand. Norton contented himself with batting at Dodger. They weren’t Beanie, reflected Liz, nor would they ever be. He had been unique and she still missed him. But these little guys clearly had charm and character of their own. Norton, after an especially energetic pounce on Dodger, sat back and yawned, showing tiny little teeth. Liz picked him up and settled him in her lap. Norton rolled onto his back and purred loudly as Liz scratched and rubbed his striped little tummy. Dodger settled himself with licking her spare hand, also purring as loudly as he could.
Ty walked up and gently tapped Liz on the shoulder. “You’re wanted on the phone, Sweetheart,” he said as he scooped Norton out of her lap. “I’ll take care of the boys.” He helped Liz scramble to her feet.
Liz headed for the kitchen, her curiosity fully aroused. Why would Ty’s sponsor want to talk to her? She picked up the phone.
“This is Elizabeth Gardner.”
“I just wanted to congratulate the bride,” came back Frank McCafferty’s voice.
Liz shook her head, “You sneaky, deceitful, poker-faced, black-robed son of a…”
“You leave my mother out of this, Liz,” the judge interjected with a chuckle. “Or I’ll lay a contempt charge on you.”
Liz was bewildered. “Why didn’t you say something? You listened to me breaking my heart often enough. Why couldn’t you at least tell me he was all right?”
McCafferty became serious. “Now, Liz, I can’t break confidentiality with AA members, especially the ones I’m sponsoring. I promised Tyrone I’d keep an eye on you for him if he’d promise not to contact you until he’d been through the program. And give me some credit for being an old man who’s been in love himself. The two of you needed this time without each other. It was painful and I had a tough time watching you go through it, but I think your relationship will be better for it. Now, I get to perform the ceremony, right?”
Liz was laughing, “Do I have a choice?”
“Not if you want to keep your job as my star clerk.” McCafferty changed his tone. “Seriously, it’s been a long day for me sitting by the phone waiting. I expect you at work on Tuesday with a big smile, like you’ve been very thoroughly…”
“I get the picture, Judge,” Liz interrupted. “How can I ever thank you for everything?”
“Just take care of each other. Now, hang up and go back to your man.” With that, McCafferty hung up. Liz stood in the kitchen for a few minutes just thinking. Her man. Once again, Ty was her man. She was so lost in thought, she didn’t notice him approaching. He leaned on the wall, watching her face. Liz looked at him and smiled.
Ty asked, “Everything okay?” He took her hand.
Liz looked at their clasped hands. “I still want my clothes back. And I’m willing to bet you’re planning to spend the night.” Ty nodded, watching her face.
Liz looked at him. “Let’s go to bed.”
Later, when Liz was sure that Ty was sleeping, she reached out and put her arms around him, drawing her body closer to his. She could feel Ty stir slightly, snuggling himself up to her in his sleep. Liz softly kissed his cheek. Ty responded with a deep sigh and a smile, still sound asleep. Liz laid her head on the pillow and let sleep claim her, too.
Yes, everything was okay.
These Foolish Things Page 23
