“It definitely would have eased the pain you’ve been in all these years. Your mother and I thought you were suffering from a different kind of heartbreak when you returned from college. We know young love can be difficult.”
Young love. It wasn’t any better when you got older, either.
“So I have one more thing to say before we get back on the road.”
Oh, not more. She really couldn’t take any more tonight. Her brain was on overload, still trying to process the news regarding the store.
“I know you said things between Jon and you are over. And I will respect your decision, as your happiness means everything to me. But I really want you to think things through before totally calling it quits. True love does not happen all the time, and for many of us it only comes once in a lifetime. So be sure you have all your facts this time. Don’t assume anything. Ask questions if you don’t know the answer, don’t guess the answer. You know a lot about many things, but you need to learn something about men.”
“And what is that?” She was afraid to even ask.
“We aren’t mind-readers. We don’t always say the things we should or tell you how we really feel, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have those feelings. Your mother and I have been married for thirty-five years now, and do you know what she tells me each day?”
“What?”
“That I need to work on communicating with her more. After all this time, she still wants me to tell her the same stuff I’ve been saying for years.” He laughed softly. “Sometimes I purposely forget just to keep things interesting.”
She couldn’t help but laugh with him. Everyone knew after thirty-five years of marriage her parents were still in love. But still working on communication—who would have thought that? There was one major difference between their situation and hers—they loved each other. She loved Jon, but he had never indicated any such feelings for her.
Kissing her father on his cheek again, she said, “Dad, thank you for everything. For this ride home, for all your advice, and most of all, for loving me the way you do. I’m lucky to have you both.”
Her father’s eyes watered a bit as he said, “No, Lizette, we’re the lucky ones. Now let’s get home.”
When she had landed, all she’d wanted was to go straight to bed, pull the covers over her head, and never come out, pretending these last thirty days had never happened. After talking with her father, she felt like a weight had been lifted off her, one she’d carried for five years. She had been freed from guilt she shouldn’t have felt in the first place. All she wanted to do right now was rush into her mother’s arms and tell her how much she loved her.
“Dad, do you think we could stop by your house first? I would love to see Mom, too.”
“Oh, sweetheart, your mother said she was going to bed early. How about you plan on being at our house for dinner tomorrow night around six? Would that be okay?”
“Yeah, I forgot how late it was. Tomorrow sounds perfect. Tell Mom I’ll bring dessert.”
“I will. And don’t forget—brownies are my favorite,” he said, laughing.
Chapter Twenty-five
The rest of the ride home was spent in light conversation and laughter. As her father turned onto her driveway, he said, “You’ve had a long trip today. How about I bring you your luggage tomorrow so you can just go in and relax? There can’t be anything in there that can’t wait a few more hours. You look exhausted.”
She couldn’t argue with that. She hadn’t slept much since the night she spent with Jon in Tokyo. “You’re right. I’ll see you tomorrow night for dinner anyway. I can grab my luggage then. Good night, and drive home safely.”
“I will,” he said as she got out of the car and made her way to the porch.
There may have only been five steps leading to her porch, but after sitting for as many hours as she had, it felt like a hundred. Once she reached the front door, she stopped and thought, it’s good to be home. It was going to be different from here on out, but she was where she belonged.
Fishing through her purse for her keys, she was glad she had forgotten to turn off her porch light when she left. It was wasting electricity—something she never did—but at the moment it was coming in very handy. And a quick glance at the rest of the house confirmed it was the only light she had left on. Finally she found her keys and opened the front door. As soon as she stepped inside she dropped her purse on the table next to the door. Each step took more effort than the last. Just a few more to the couch, she thought. She might not get off it for the next twelve hours.
She entered the living room and flipped the switch, illuminating the dark room. She gasped at what greeted her. The entire room was filled with dozens of red roses, and there in the middle of them stood Jon.
Was her mind playing tricks on her? Was he really here, in her home? “Jon?”
“Hello, Lizette.” He didn’t move, nor did she.
“What are you doing here? How did you get in my house?”
“Your parents have a spare key.”
“My parents?” What did her parents have to do with him intruding in her house?
“Yes, your parents. Your father was kind enough to drop me off here after you called him for a ride from the airport.”
Her head was spinning. He had been with her parents? None of this made sense. “Jon, I don’t understand what’s going on here. Why were you with my parents? And what on earth made them willing to give you my spare keys? I hope you didn’t bully them,” she said accusingly. “They are good people, Jon.”
“Yes, they are. I had some things I needed to discuss with them before I saw you. There were some things I wanted to clear up.”
“You shouldn’t have involved them in our business.”
“Can we please stop talking about your parents for one minute? I’m not here to talk about them. I’m here to talk about us.”
“Us? I didn’t know there was an us,” she said with her arms crossed over her chest.
“Well, I deserve that. I’m sorry I led you to believe there wasn’t an us. That wasn’t my intention. I’m here to rectify my mistake.” Jon walked over to where she stood, reached into his pants pocket, and pulled out a small box. Then, slowly, he bent on one knee, looked her in the eyes, and asked, “Lizette Burke, will you marry me?”
Her heart almost stopped. Jon was here, proposing to her. She wanted to scream, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” and then kiss him endlessly. But she didn’t. There was still one thing he hadn’t said. She paused and stared into his eyes, looking for the confirmation. Waiting to hear the one thing he had yet to say. It may have only been seconds but felt like hours standing there in front of him.
“Lizette, I know I should have told you this before. I love you, and I know you love me, so I ask again, will you marry me?”
Finally, the words her heart yearned to hear.
A smile came across her face as she reached her left hand out to him and half sobbed her response. “Yes, Jon. Yes, I will marry you.”
He slipped the five-carat diamond onto her finger, rose from his knee, and drew her to him, kissing her tenderly. “I promise I will make you the happiest woman who ever lived, Lizette.”
She returned his kisses and said, “You already have.”
Jon wrapped his arms around her and swung her in the air, almost knocking over the roses that filled the room. As he placed her back on her feet, he stroked her cheek, then tipped her head back to meet his gaze again. “I love you Lizette.”
Tears poured down her cheeks as the words brought her more joy than anything else ever had. “I love you too, Jon.”
He pulled her tight in his arms and held her as though he would never let her go. As he stepped back and loosened his hold on her, he said, “I’m sure you’re exhausted—we both had a long flight. Why don’t we get you to bed so you can get some sleep?”
She smiled at him and said, “I half agree with you. Let’s go to bed. We can always sleep late tomorrow.”
Jon
scooped her up in his arms and followed her directions to her bedroom. There he stood and slowly undressed her, then himself.
“It has been a long flight, Jon, and I could use some assistance washing my back. Care to join me in the shower?”
“Oh, my sweet Lizette, that is an offer I’ll never refuse,” he said, giving her bottom a light tap before she scooted ahead of him.
They made love until the sun was ready to rise for another day. It was a magical night neither of them would forget, but eventually they were overcome by exhaustion and slept, holding each other close.
Later that afternoon they woke to the buzzing of his cell phone. “Is it all set?” was all he said when he answered. “Thanks. I should be back in the office in a couple of days. Let me know if anything comes up that needs my attention.”
“Everything okay?” she asked.
Rolling over to kiss her awake, he answered, “It’s all set. Matt handled it.”
“I know you have a business to run in New York and I work here—well, not really, since you relocated me a few weeks back,” she teased him. “What I’m trying to say is, we never talked about living arrangements.”
“You don’t like the penthouse?” he asked.
Shaking her head, she admitted, “No. It’s beautiful, and probably has one of the best views in the city, but it’s not me. I’m not a big-city girl—well, not full-time, anyway. I always dreamt of raising a family in a house, not a penthouse. You know, with a yard, a swing set, maybe a dog?”
He raised himself onto one elbow so he could see her better. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Most women would have loved to live in the heart of New York City, spending their days shopping, but not Lizette. She was rooted here, driven by something much more substantial, and that was one of the reasons he loved her.
“I know this will be hard for you to believe, but I didn’t grow up in a big city either. We didn’t have a swing set in our yard, but there was a park down the street. My early years were wonderful, filled with bike rides, playing ball with my father, and my mother doing her best to raise me with manners.”
“I think she did a wonderful job.”
“Some people might disagree with you. But you know the saying—love is blind.” He laughed.
“It sounds like you had a childhood very much like my own.”
He thought back to how everything had seemed perfect when they were all together before his father had passed. It was the kind of childhood everyone should have, and what he wanted to give to his own children. “I want that for our kids as well. I’m sure it’s obvious to you that your home is . . . well, too small. I thought for sure one of us was going to fall out of that shower last night. I think we need to find a place together, something that works for us both. What do you say?”
Hugging him tightly, she said, “It sounds wonderful.”
“Don’t get too excited, we still need to negotiate on the dog.” He laughed.
“We’ll see about that. I always wanted a puppy growing up, but my parents were too busy with the store. I promised myself when I had my own family, my children would have the pleasure of playing with their own dog.”
“It’s not the playing with the dog that concerns me, it’s what they leave behind.” He laughed again. “Oh, speaking of your parents, they mentioned last night they’re expecting us for dinner tonight. Even though I’m totally enjoying spending the day in bed with you, I already promised we would be there at six.”
She turned and looked at the clock. “It’s only one in the afternoon. What’s your rush?”
“Oh, trust me, I have no intention of rushing anything this afternoon. However, I don’t want to be late for dinner with my soon-to-be in-laws.”
Just the sound of the word in-laws brought a smile to her face. She quickly jumped from the bed and said, “Oh, I’ve got things to do. I promised my father I would bring brownies for dessert.” Without looking back, she grabbed her robe and headed to the kitchen.
Jon lay on the bed, enjoying the sound of clanking pots and pans as she rushed around the kitchen baking. Picking up his cell phone, he dialed Matt. “We are on for six.”
Chapter Twenty-six
The brownies were perfect. It was funny how such a simple thing made her father so happy. She took extra care to plate them, as she knew this was going to be a special dinner. She knew Jon and her parents had met, but this was the first time she and Jon would sit down together with them as a truly engaged couple. Looking at her ring, she thought, Mom is going to hit the floor when she sees this.
Jon was dressed and waiting for her in the living room. Somehow that man always had a pressed suit and clean shirt waiting for him. Someday she would need to learn the art of being so prepared.
As she entered the room, clean and dressed, he turned to greet her. A smile lit his face as he looked her over from top to bottom. She gave a little spin and asked, “How do I look?” She knew what he thought, but wanted to hear the answer anyway.
Her light sundress flowed as she paraded in front of him. “You look like an angel . . . my angel.” He kissed her cheek. “And just in case you haven’t noticed, I love it when you wear your hair down like that. It makes me think of how beautiful it looks spread across the pillow when I make love to you.”
“Don’t start something you can’t finish, Jon. We don’t want to be late.”
He laughed and said, “I have every intention of finishing when we get home tonight.”
As they left the house, she noticed his car wasn’t there. “Guess we’re taking my car,” she said. As she went to pull out her keys, a stretch limo pulled up in front of her house. Turning to Jon, she said, “Or not.”
He guided her to the limo. When they sat down, her cell phone sounded. It was her father. “Hello, Dad, we haven’t forgotten. We’re just leaving now.”
“Oh good, glad I caught you. You mother burned dinner so we changed the plans. How about we meet at the Main Coach Lodge? They have the best prime rib around. How does that sound? Would that be okay for you two?”
She guessed her mother was nervous about tonight, because she never burned dinner. “Whatever works for you will work for us. We’ll see you there in about fifteen minutes.” Turning to Jon, she said, “Sorry, but it looks like we’re eating out, if that’s okay.”
“I don’t care as long as I’m with you.” He kissed her forehead, and she gave the driver their new destination.
They pulled up to the restaurant exactly fifteen minutes later. “I hope my parents called ahead. This place is packed tonight.”
“I’m sure your father took care of everything.”
The limo dropped them off at the entrance. Jon held the restaurant door open for her. She smiled and placed one last kiss on his cheek before entering.
“What was that for?”
“Because you are wonderful and because I love you.”
He smiled at her and they headed inside. She had been here on several occasions for dinner as well as a few weddings. It was a beautiful restaurant, and she was happy her father had chosen this location.
They were met by the hostess, who informed them their table was ready. They could go right in, and someone would seat them. As she turned the corner to enter the dining area, she realized the hostess had made a mistake and directed them to someone’s private celebration. The room had been arranged so the dance floor was exposed. The tables were decorated with beautiful floral centerpieces and had people sitting around them. In the middle of the room was a small, intimate table that must have been set for the guest of honor. She stopped in her tracks and was about to turn around and inform the hostess of her error when she noticed her parents standing in the dining area, with another woman who looked vaguely familiar. As she looked closer, she realized the other woman must be Jon’s mother. Before she could say a word, the crowded dining room started to clap and cheer at their arrival. What was going on here? Scanning the room, she saw her friends, including Ma and the bo
ys, coworkers from Another Chance, and other family members. She also noticed Jon’s friends who she had met at the charity event—Drew, and Ross. Elaine was there, standing with Jon’s friend Trent. There were many others she didn’t recognize and could only assume Jon knew them.
She turned to Jon and noticed he didn’t seem surprised. “Jon? What’s going on here? What is all this?”
Kissing her on the cheek, he said, “What a woman like you deserves—an engagement party so we can celebrate with the people who mean the most to us.”
“Are there any more secrets you are keeping from me?”
“Everyone has a secret. But there is one thing that is no secret, and that is how much I love you.”
She fought back the tears that threatened to pour down her cheeks. “Mr. Jonathan Vinchi, I love you too.”
He kissed her again and said, “Now let’s go and enjoy our party.”
Together, hand in hand, they entered the room. It was the start of what promised to be a beautiful life together.
The End
Don’t miss Trent and Elaine’s story in The Billionaire’s Masquerade!
Sign up for Jeannette’s newsletter today and be emailed when a new book is released!
Sign up by clicking HERE
The Billionaire’s Masquerade
Betting On You Series
Book Two
Playboy billionaire, Trent Davis, never wakes up next to the women he takes to bed, and every tabloid in New York City knows it.
Elaine Manning’s reputation means everything to her, and she refuses to be his latest conquest. All bets are off when she accepts an once-in-a-lifetime job offer, the only catch being the identity of her boss: Trent Davis.
The Billionaire's Secret (Betting on You Series: Book One) Page 18
