By Saturday afternoon, everything was set. Charlie would drive George and Wilma into the city for the party. His parents were flying into Chicago late tonight. His mother had been so excited when he called that she would probably have it in the newspapers even before AJ could tell Chanti. Neither parent questioned the fact that he had only known Chanti a month because they had gotten married after only a two-week courtship, and had been happy for over fifty years. He wanted Chanti to meet them, even though he already knew they would love her as much as he did.
As he rounded the corner and pulled into the parking lot of the Mori building, he dialed Chanti’s number but she didn’t answer. He knew she hadn’t gone home, so that left her office, the apartment, or, knowing her, she was down at the Atrium helping the committee members decorate. He smiled, his heart going a hundred miles an hour, hoping he could manage to hold off his surprise until just the right moment.
* * *
Chanti’s mind was on AJ even as she helped the women arrange tables, put decorations on the gigantic tree Davey Zook had brought, and finish wrapping some of the presents to put under the tree. She had thought about calling him several times, but didn’t want him to think she was nagging him for a declaration. It was just that since she had finally given her heart, she wanted to barrel ahead full speed to marriage, a family, and spending the rest of her life with him.
As frustrated as she was, she still trusted him. She had learned early in their relationship that he was a good man. In fact, her heart had probably known even before her brain had been willing to accept the emotions that always surfaced when they were together. So she would wait. He would be here, if not today, then by party time tomorrow. She had to believe that.
It was late by the time the decorating was done, the pizza boxes cleared away and everyone shown to the elevators to leave for home, and she still hadn’t heard from him. Feeling restless, she wandered between the decorated tables and the trees and plants normally in the Atrium, ending up standing in front of the Christmas tree, looking up at the huge gold star twinkling at the top. The lights blinked brightly and she smiled, inhaling the scent of pine, remembering the Christmases gone by with her parents.
Life is a cycle, Wilma always said, and Chanti was excited and just a little scared to begin as her parents had done – falling in love, marrying, and hopefully having a family. She closed her eyes to make a wish.
Before she could even form a thought, rough hands jerked her back, one strong arm circling her waist and another around her neck, cutting off her air.
“I told you what would happen if you didn’t pay me,” the voice growled in her ear.
Chanti reacted on instinct, grabbing his arm and bending forward, hoping to throw him over her back. All she managed was a tighter hold on her as he circled around as though looking for something.
“He was supposed to meet me,” he mumbled.
Oh, God, if someone else came down here, she wouldn’t have a prayer of getting out of this alive. With all her strength, she thrust her elbow back into his ribs at the same time she stomped on his foot. In the instant his arms loosened, she twisted away.
Sucking in a breath, she stumbled around the closest table, hoping to put something between her and her attacker.
“You!” She stared into the angry face of Neil Tillman, her former promotions man.
For every step he took in her direction, she countered. She didn’t dare take her eyes off him, afraid he would jump across the table at her.
“Bitch! I want my share!”
She shook her head, confused. “Share of what?”
“It was my error in the original ad that caused this entire ruckus. I’ve been watching. Once that reporter wrote that stupid story for the paper, Mori sales have skyrocketed. You owe me!”
He was crazy. How had she never seen it?
“You tried to kill me,” she whispered, incredulous that anyone would willingly hurt another human being.
“Tonight, I’ll finish the job.”
Before she could turn and run, he had snagged her arm across the table and began pulling her toward the fountain. She dug in her heels to no avail, and when she scratched his arm with her free hand, he backhanded her so hard she saw stars. She struggled to regain her balance but he jerked her arm and she stumbled, landing on the stone ledge of the fountain.
Tillman wasn’t a large man, but the more she struggled, the stronger he seemed to be.
“If I can’t have it, you’re not going to benefit from the fruits of my labors,” he shouted at her before he grabbed a fistful of hair and plunged her head into the blue water of the fountain.
Oh, God, I can’t die without seeing AJ one more time. That thought ran in crazy circles as Chanti held her breath until she thought her lungs would burst.
Suddenly she was yanked out of the water, her hair still in his fist so tightly it made her eyes swim. She gasped for breath.
“Take a big one because it will be your last!”
“No, wait. I…” she didn’t have time to say more as he shoved her head toward the water again. The fountain was deep enough that even when Chanti put her arms out in front of her, she couldn’t touch the bottom with more than her fingertips and that wasn’t enough to keep her from being pushed under.
* * *
“AJ, I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.” His voice was shaky and far away, but it gave Chanti the strength to struggle. She would not die at the hands of a madman! With a burst of adrenaline, she started swinging her arms, jerking her body back and forth to get free.
“Whoa, sweetheart. It’s me, AJ.” Hard arms locked around hers until she quit struggling and realized she could breathe. When she slowly opened her eyes she found AJ crying, his head bent close to hers.
“You saved me,” she whispered, rubbing her face against his chest, realizing they were both soaking wet.
“I almost let you drown!” he growled, hugging her tighter, rocking her back and forth on his lap.
She lifted her head. “Why would you say that?”
“I should have been here. I should have known it was Tillman. I should…”
She stopped him with a kiss; a wet, tearful, glad-to-be-alive kiss. “It’s okay. We’re okay.”
AJ helped her to her feet and to the rocker glider nearby when the elevator dinged and several police swarmed the atrium. Chanti tried not to look where Tillman lay unconscious, his arm bent at an awkward angle.
She closed her eyes, not wanting to relive those terrible moments when she thought she would drown without ever seeing AJ again. She clutched his hand and refused to let go, even when the detective asked him to step to the side.
AJ looked down at her, and when she met his gaze, he squeezed her hand and told the officer if he wanted to question them, it would be together.
“I knew something was wrong when the security guard, Wade, tried to stop me from crossing the foyer to take the elevator to Chanti’s office.”
“That’s the man sprawled on the floor upstairs?” The detective grinned.
Chanti gasped, glancing quickly over to where Tillman lay. “Are they…?”
“No ma’am,” the detective told her. “Your boyfriend has a hell of a right hook, but both will survive to stand trial.”
Chanti started shivering; cold to the bone not only from the water but also from the shock of knowing two of her own employees would want to hurt her.
“Detective, if you don’t need anything else from Ms Morrison, I need to get her home. She’s had quite a shock and is still soaking wet.” Someone had brought them blankets, but Chanti couldn’t seem to get warm.
“We’ve got the culprits, and will do the preliminary reports. Anything else can just wait until after the holiday,” the detective replied. “Personally, I have the next week off and don’t want to deal with scum like this during my vacation.” He smiled at Chanti and AJ. “Just one more question, though, if you don’t mind.” He was looking right at Chanti.
> “Of course,” she replied, huddled inside her blanket.
“Several of the officers in our unit have heard about the party you’re giving the children tomorrow. We thought we’d help, if you’d like.”
“We have it covered,” AJ began.
“We would love to have you come.” Chanti managed to wiggle one arm out from under the blanket. She shook the detective’s hand. “Thank you so much for today.”
“We didn’t do much except for the cleanup. Anderson, here,” he nodded at AJ, “pretty much took care of things.”
“I know, and I plan on thanking him, too,” she looked up into dark brown eyes, “as soon as he gets me home.”
Chapter 16
Any thoughts of lovemaking were tossed aside as Chanti fell into bed exhausted from her ordeal. AJ had to force her to take a shower to get warm because she said she didn’t particularly want to get into water again. Finally, he stripped down and stood under the warm spray with her, just holding her close.
As soon as he had her tucked into bed, he stepped into the small efficiency kitchen and called his dad’s cell phone, explaining briefly why they wouldn’t make it over to the hotel tonight to meet them. His dad promised not to tell his mom the details because both men knew she would worry endlessly, even though the danger had passed. After AJ hung up, he called downstairs on the house phone to make sure Roman was on duty at the security office and that everything was locked up tight, then he crawled into bed with Chanti.
She mumbled in her sleep and started to struggle when he tugged her to him, but the instant he whispered her name, she quieted. It was much later before AJ could finally sleep, still troubled by the events of the day.
He had wanted to tear Tillman limb from limb when he saw the man holding Chanti under the water. The red haze that filled his vision and the anger that consumed him would probably have caused him to commit murder if he hadn’t heard Chanti cough behind him when he was pummeling Tillman. Just that small sound was enough to stop him.
He curled tighter against her, inhaling her scent as he looped a leg over hers. Even though the danger was past, his heart raced with the thought of what could have happened. Chanti had kept telling him how wonderful he was for saving her life, but he still felt guilty. If it took the rest of his life, he would make it up to her. She was the center of his universe.
“I love you, Chantilly Lace,” he murmured as he finally drifted off to sleep.
* * *
“You’re smothering me,” Chanti complained in the morning, struggling to get out from under AJ, who laid half way across her like a blanket. When she managed to roll to the side, he tugged her back before she could get a foot on the floor.
“Come here,” he pulled her close. “You need your rest.”
She flopped onto her back, staring at the ceiling. She didn’t want AJ to feel guilty. He had gotten to her in time, and that was all that mattered. The problem hadn’t been his in the first place, and she had tried to explain that to him last night, but he wouldn’t listen. Deciding to use her Board of Directors voice, she turned her head to look him right in the eyes. His dark gaze, lids sexily droopy from sleep, almost made her forget what she was going to say.
“You are not responsible for what happened.”
He frowned at her words. “I should have better protected someone I care about.”
She gave him a soft smile. It was so wonderful to feel protected; to have someone love her the way he did. Still… “You can’t be around twenty-four seven.”
“Sure I can.” He was totally serious and Chanti had a moment of panic. She struggled again and this time he released her. When she was standing at the foot of the bed with some distance between them, she could think a little clearer.
“This is not going to work if you insist on being my shadow. I’m CEO of a business, AJ, and as such have things to do.”
He crawled out of bed and came to stand right in front of her. “Yeah, so, what are you trying to say? You don’t want to spend time with me?”
She rolled her eyes. “You know better than that. I just need—”
He cut off her words with a kiss that was so sweet, so hungry that Chanti forgot everything except her need for this man in her life.
When he finally released her from the kiss but not from his arms, she was dazed. Would he always be able to knock her totally off center with just a kiss? She certainly hoped so.
“I almost lost you yesterday, Chanti. Just give me a little time to regroup, okay?” He tilted her chin up until all she could see was him; his sweet mouth, his dark chocolate eyes that could see into her soul.
As much as she wanted to assert herself, she couldn’t hurt him in that way. “Promise you’ll at least let me have some personal time in the bathroom?”
He started to protest, then seemed to understand what she was saying, and smiled. “As long as whenever it involves the Jacuzzi tub, you let me join you.”
“I can live with that.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed him, then raced for the bathroom and locked the door behind her. “But this just isn’t one of those times!”
* * *
AJ made Chanti promise not to leave the building while he went downstairs with the videoconferencing technician. Since the party started in a couple of hours, Chanti had no problems with that, and she made him promise not to tell Jake or Annie what had happened. She didn’t want to worry them when there was nothing they could do because the problem had been solved.
Roman was pulling a double shift, and Chanti had called Jake and asked him to be there early to help the security guard check everyone who came to the doors. There were the caterers, the committee members, the animal shelter people and at least two deliveries of goodies that Chanti could remember. And all that would happen before the busloads of children arrived.
Chanti happily dressed as Mrs. Claus in a long red dress with a white ruffled apron around her waist. She pulled her hair up in a neat bun and pinned a stem of holly just to the side of center. She was too excited to sit around her apartment so she took the elevator to the atrium level as soon as she was ready.
The place was already a bustle of activity. The ladies on the committee were all there, setting out a few additional decorations, putting bows on the dog and kitten kennels, and making last minute adjustments.
Annie hurried over when she saw her. “You like great!” her assistant said. “Is AJ playing Santa Claus?” she asked, giving Chanti’s outfit a glance.
Chanti laughed. “I wanted him to, remember, but he adamantly refused. Charlie is coming up to do it. Speaking of, have you seen AJ?” Even though she had told him she was perfectly all right, being back in the atrium gave her a shaky feeling. At least today she wasn’t alone.
“He’s over there with Mrs. Langford,” Annie pointed. “Oh, there’s Jake with the rest of the food. That means the kids will be arriving any minute!”
Annie hurried off and Chanti wandered over to the far side of the atrium where a hallway led to additional offices. Several people were putting information out on the tables that had been lined up against the walls.
“Hey, sweetheart, you look great!” AJ came up and kissed her cheek. He looked divine in black slacks and a crisp white shirt, open at the throat. From the looks of his hair, she knew he had been wearing his cowboy hat until recently and when she glanced down, his boots shone. She smiled. He would forever be a cowboy at heart; but he was her cowboy, and she no longer feared he would leave for Texas and take her heart with him.
“What is all this?” She nodded to the tables.
“A job bank among other things,” AJ answered. “While the kids are partying, their parents can visit with employment companies, social services, and community resource people, hopefully to provide them with some of the things the kids asked for.”
“What?”
“You know. In addition to parents needing jobs, or better jobs, there were requests for wheelchairs and handicap access, health issues—”
�
�I understand that, but how on earth did you manage to find all these people and get them here?” Chanti was so totally amazed she couldn’t take it all in. This party had become so much more than she had first envisioned.
“There’s always at least one woman in any town who knows everybody and everything. I just had to find her. Martha Langford is our ‘impossible committee’ chair.”
Chanti’s heart overflowed with love as AJ smiled at her. “You are so totally wonderful,” she said softly.
“I get it from my parents,” he replied with a shrug. “And speaking of, I would like you to meet them.” Before Chanti could agree to take a trip to Texas, he took her hand and led her over to where a tall, well-dressed couple stood visiting with Annie. “Mom and Dad, this is Chantilly Morrison.”
His parents were here in Chicago?
“Chanti, Bob and Rose Anderson, from the Rockin’ A ranch outside of Houston, Texas.” She could hear the pride in his voice as he introduced his parents. She tried to swallow and speak, still confused as to how all this had come about.
“A real pleasure to meet you, Miss Morrison,” Bob said, touching his forehead and Chanti just knew he would normally be tipping a cowboy hat, just like his son.
“We are delighted,” his mother said, enveloping her in a hug. Chanti could feel her eyes mist; it had been so long since she had felt a mother’s embrace.
“Welcome,” Chanti managed to stammer, “to Chicago and to Mori Cosmetics. I’m sorry if I seem confused, but…”
“I know,” Rose said, “it must have been horrid, but we’re so glad to have you in the fam—”
“They came in last night,” AJ interrupted his mother, “so I had to call and tell them what happened.” He threw his parents a glance that Chanti couldn’t interpret. “We’ll have more time to visit later.”
Just at that moment, the elevator doors opened to the first wave of children, all laughing and talking at once, and any chance to visit was lost. For the next few hours, Chanti gave herself over to the role of Mrs. Claus, delighting the children with stockings full of treats, helping them fix plates of hot dogs and chips, wiping up chins and dribbles. All the parents received baskets of holiday food and coupons for additional gifts and services. Her committee had done a spectacular job gathering so much, not to mention the generosity of the community.
If Wishes Were Magic Page 15
