Alex considered her request a moment and then smiled. "I think it's a wonderful idea. I'm all for it, love."
"I'm hoping that when I tell my mom that we're getting remarried, it'll take some of the sting out of my not being pregnant. Frankly, I'm worried about how she's going to take the news. She really had her heart set on becoming a grandmother. I mean she practically willed it to happen."
"Your mother is nothing if not determined. I'll say that for her."
"Yes, she is. And she can be as exasperating as anything. But I love her and Dad just the same. They've done their best over the years to make me into a good, decent person. And for the most part, I think they've succeeded."
"Oh, they've definitely succeeded," he agreed, kissing her lips.
Reaching out, Lisa clasped Alex's member in her hand and felt it harden instantly. "Mmm. Someone seems interested. Are you interested, Alex?"
"Stop, Lisa! You're torturing me." He groaned aloud. "It's been a long time, and I don't think I can take too much more of your teasing."
She smiled seductively and whispered, "So who said you have to wait? Just because I'm out of commission, doesn't mean you have to suffer, if you know what I mean. Do you know what I mean?"
As she continued her ministrations, Alex started to breathe hard, and Lisa kissed him with all the pent-up love and emotion she felt. "I love you, Alex, and I'm going to show you just how much."
Trailing kisses down his neck, chest and stomach, Lisa paused.
"Lisa," he choked out.
She proceeded to show him exactly what she meant.
14
Clasping her sister's hand tightly, Lisa sucked in her breath, trying desperately to calm the nervous butterflies beating against the sides of her stomach like an out-of-control KitchenAid mixer.
She and Francie were standing on the front porch of their parents' home, summoning up the courage to go in and face Josephine with the news that Lisa wasn't pregnant.
Lisa had brought Francie along for moral support, but so far, her sister's words of encouragement hadn't made her feet budge an inch.
"Mom's going to be so upset, Francie. I don't know if I can do this." Lisa wrung her hands nervously.
Go figure, but it was the one time in her life that she didn't want to make her mom crazy.
"Maybe she won't be," her sister said, a mysterious smile touching her lips. "Besides, she'll be thrilled when you tell her that you and Alex have reconciled and are going to remarry in a church."
"Yeah, that should go over really well. She'll probably put Father Scaletti on my back and have him harass me for going against my Catholic upbringing. I'll have to say ten Hail Marys and call him in the morning."
The door opened while the two were still debating the merits of staying or leaving, and Josephine stared at her daughters with a puzzled expression, wiping her hands on the apron around her waist.
"I thought I heard voices. Why are you two girls standing out here on the porch? You don't need an invitation to come in. This will always be your home. Come inside before the neighbors think I'm a terrible mother. You know how Mrs. Cicarelli likes to talk."
"Hi, Mom!" Lisa said, bussing her mother's cheek and trying to look as if nothing was wrong. "Nice to see you. How are you doing? You look nice today."
Josephine narrowed her eyes, gazing intently at her youngest daughter. "What's wrong? You don't usually kiss me and pay me compliments."
Then she turned to look at her other daughter, who was grinning from ear to ear. "What's going on, Francie? Come in and tell your mother everything. Grandma's resting so don't talk too loudly. It's much better when the old lady stays asleep. That woman drives me nuts."
Lisa rolled her eyes at Francie, but said nothing.
They followed their mother into the kitchen and took a seat at the old table, where Josephine placed a plate of chocolate-chip cookies and a pitcher of milk before them, as if they were still little girls who had just returned home from school.
"Don't eat too much or you'll spoil your dinner."
They looked at each other and grinned, and then Lisa said, "Mom, I've got some good news and some bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"
Josephine plopped down into the chair next to her, and her hand went over her heart. "I'm not sure my heart can take any bad news right now. Give me the good news first. Then we'll see about the other."
Lisa sucked in her breath, then released it. "Alex and I are back together. We're going to get remarried." If such a thing was possible, since they were still legally married.
Clapping her hands together, then crossing herself, Josephine leaned toward Lisa and hugged her. "I have prayed many nights for this. I'm so happy for you. Wait till your father and grandmother hear. They will be overjoyed."
"Thanks, Mom!"
"I will call Father Scaletti right away and make the arrangements. The wedding shouldn't be too big, but—"
Lisa shot Francie a knowing look. "Mom, we're not getting married in the Catholic Church. Alex isn't Catholic, so we thought it would be better to get remarried in a nondenominational church."
Josephine's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "What does that mean? You want to get married in a church that has no religion? What kind of ceremony would that be? If it's not a Catholic ceremony, it won't be sanctioned by the church."
"It's the kind we want, Mom, and it has already been decided."
"And this is the good news?" Josephine threw her hands up in the air, looking heavenward for guidance. "I'm afraid to ask what the bad news is."
"Mom," Francie interjected, "you should be happy that Lisa and Alex want to renew their wedding vows in church. It doesn't matter what kind it is. You and Dad and the whole family will get to be there this time, and you can wear that dress you bought for one of my first three weddings. You know how you've been dying to wear the pink taffeta again."
Josephine considered the statement. "That's true. But still…I don't know what the Father will say when he hears. He's very strict about such things. I might lose standing in the church, be kicked off the women's altar guild."
"He'll say God bless Alex and Lisa for marrying before God," Francie replied, and Lisa's eyes widened appreciatively, wondering where her sister came up with such good stuff. "That's what he'll say."
"You're right. It's a blessing, no matter the church. So what's the bad news? Do I need to take my heart medicine first?"
"You don't take heart medicine, Mom. You just take baby aspirin, like the rest of the world. It's a preventive measure. You don't have a heart condition," Lisa reminded her mother.
"Okay, so I don't have a heart condition…yet. But you can't trust those doctors. Most of them are quacks. The outrageous money they charge, and for what?" she asked no one in particular, crossing her arms over her chest.
"What's this bad news you have to tell me?"
"I'm not pregnant. I got my period."
Her mother's face fell, and for a moment Lisa felt terrible about disappointing her.
"You're sure?"
"Of course, I'm sure. I got my period two days ago. I'm not going to have a baby. You'll have to wait a while longer to be a grandmother."
Josephine's eyes filled with tears and she reached for her hankie, wiping them away. "But I was so sure. How could this have happened? Dio! We are cursed."
Reaching out, Lisa drew her mother to her and tried to comfort her. "I'm sorry, Ma. I know how much you wanted me to have a baby, but I warned you not to get your hopes up. The good news is that now that Alex and I are back together, I'll probably get pregnant some day, though not right away. We want to wait awhile, enjoy being married to each other."
"And this is supposed to make me feel better?"
Lisa shrugged. "It's the best I can do, Ma."
Francie sat silently, waiting for her turn to speak.
When Lisa looked over at her sister and noticed her grin, she shook her head in chastisement. "This is not a very amusing matter, France. I don't th
ink you should be laughing. Mom's upset enough as it is."
"I'm not smiling about that, you dolt. I have some news that might make Mom feel a whole lot better."
"What?" Josephine wanted to know. "You and Mark have bought a house in Bucks County and now you're moving away. Is that supposed to make me feel better? I'm losing my girls. I'll have no one left." She started crying again.
Francie waited a brief moment, and then blurted, "I'm pregnant! I'm going to have a baby."
Lisa screamed, jumping up from her chair and hugging her sister. "Oh, Francie, I'm so happy for you and Mark. Congratulations! You've wanted this for so long."
"Mom?" Francie asked when her mother remained silent and still as a granite statue.
Lisa turned to find Josephine looking somewhat dazed. In fact, the woman looked downright catatonic, and she knew immediately that something was terribly wrong. "Mom, are you all right?"
"Get some water," Francie ordered. "I think Mom's going to faint."
And then she did.
Josephine keeled over and passed out right at the table, her head lolling forward to rest on the plate of chocolate-chip cookies.
"Oh, my God! I hope I haven't killed her," Francie said, staring at her mother in disbelief. "I'll never forgive myself, after all the trouble I put her through over those weddings."
"You haven't. Mom just got overloaded with too much news. She didn't have time to digest it all." Lisa patted her mother's hand and soon the woman opened her eyes and lifted her head; there were chocolate chips melted into her forehead.
"Here, drink this. It's water. It'll make you feel better."
Josephine shook her head and cookie crumbs went flying. "I'm fine. It's just such a shock—first your news and then Francie's. You girls will be the death of me one of these days. I've been telling you that for years."
"Then God won't have to take you," Lisa pointed out with a smile.
"Come here," Josephine ordered Francie. "Let me hug you and feel my granddaughter."
"We don't know if it's a girl or a boy yet, Mom," Francie said. "I'm not sure you should be referring to the baby as your granddaughter. What if it's a boy?"
"Oh, it's definitely a girl," Josephine replied with conviction. "Only girls can make me go crazy and light-headed," she said, and both sisters laughed.
"Guess we deserved that," Lisa said, and Francie nodded.
"So, Mom, are you happy now that both your daughters are married and that you're going to be a grandmother?" her eldest daughter wanted to know.
Josephine nodded. "I'm going to church right now and light candles. I will pray and give thanks to the Almighty. And I will make another donation to Father Scaletti, to thank him for his help."
"Father Scaletti?" Lisa rolled her eyes. "What did he have to do with anything? If you want to make a do-nation to anyone, you should make it to Mark. He's the one who got Francie pregnant."
"Don't be too sure. Prayer changes things. It was God who decided that your sister should have a child, and He made it so. Father Scaletti is my spiritual advisor, and as such, should get some of the credit."
"You may be right, Mom. I prayed a lot over the last few weeks, too," Francie said.
"Yeah, same here," Lisa agreed.
But she wasn't going to admit that she'd prayed not to be pregnant, and for her period to be over early so she could have passionate sex with her husband again.
For some reason, she didn't think her mother or Father Scaletti would appreciate that.
"God, Lisa, I've been dreaming about this day for weeks, only it seemed like years. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold out. After all, I'm only a mere mortal."
Smiling, Lisa approached the hotel bed, wearing her sexy new outfit. "You like?" She pirouetted about, pleased to see the response she'd been expecting.
"Yes, but I'd much prefer to see you naked. Not that your outfit is hiding much, and not that I'm complaining. You've got the most perfect body and exquisitely beautiful breasts, which I love to admire."
"Instead of your admiration, Alex, I'd much rather have you take these off of me, preferably with your teeth and preferably very quickly. It's been a while for me, too."
"Mmm. What a perfectly delicious idea." Alex made short work of removing the lingerie, then gazed lovingly at his wife. "You are truly the most beautiful woman alive, and I am the luckiest man on this planet."
"And you are, without a doubt, the horniest man on the face of this earth, Alexander Mackenzie."
He kissed her nose. "I won't deny that, but I meant every word I said."
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Lisa pulled Alex toward her and kissed him, deeply and thoroughly, inserting her tongue into his mouth and flicking it in and out, while teasingly moving her hips against his.
"I don't think we're going to need a whole lot of foreplay, Alex," she said in a husky whisper.
Inserting his hand between her thighs, Alex discovered she was wet and ready for him. He kissed her again, and then slowly and torturously trailed his lips down her neck, stomach and abdomen, until he reached the juncture of her thighs.
Lisa felt as if she had died and gone to heaven, as Alex loved her with his mouth and tongue, flicking the tiny bud until she wanted to scream. "I can't take much more, Alex. Please!"
Ignoring her pleas, he kissed her breasts, drawing the nipples between his teeth, and then sucking on them until she groaned. "Alex! Quit torturing me."
"I love you, Lisa," he whispered in her ear as he gently spread her legs and slid fully inside her.
"Oh, my!" Lisa said. "I'd forgotten just how wonderful this felt."
"I didn't," he said, moving deeper and harder until she was writhing on the bed and had to anchor herself by gripping the sheets.
If only it were as easy to hang on to her control!
"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Lisa climbed toward the heavens, coming up to meet Alex's thrusts, over and over again, until with one final push they finally climaxed together and slowly fell back down to earth.
Replete, they collapsed in each other's arms. There was silence, except for the sound of their heavy breathing as their hearts slowed to a normal rhythm.
"I love you so much, Alex. I'm sorry we were apart for so long."
"Shh! We're together now, love." He kissed her forehead, hugging her close. "Let's not talk of the past, but only of our future together. We have our whole lives ahead of us now, Lisa, and we won't screw it up this time. I promise."
"And will you always love me, no matter what?"
Alex leaned on his elbow, propping his head on his hand and gazed into her eyes. "Of course, I will. But are you trying to warn me about something? I'm not sure I like that mischievous smile you're wearing."
Lisa grinned, caressing his cheek. "No, nothing specific. But I'm sure I'm going to annoy you at sometime in the future and I just want to be able to remind you that you promised to love me, no matter what."
"In the immortal words of Billy Joel: I love you just the way you are."
"Oh, Alex, you make me so happy."
"Good. Now you can make me happy by not talking and kissing me again. I haven't had my fill of you yet."
Lisa glanced down to notice that was quite true and grinned. "I think I'm going to like this do-over marriage of ours, Alex. In fact, I'm certain of it."
15
"I can't believe it's all over with."
Lisa leaned back against the bed pillows in their hotel suite at the New York City Four Seasons, and sighed deeply before taking a sip of champagne. The wedding and reception had gone off without a hitch, and she was vastly relieved.
"Me, either," Alex admitted, taking his wife's feet onto his lap and rubbing them. "Your mother was like a whirlwind, running here and there, shouting out orders to everyone. She should have been a Broadway director."
"Get used to it. That's not going to change." Lisa smiled, adding, "I thought your parents were going to come unglued when Father Scaletti showed up at our wedding. The look on their fa
ces was priceless."
"Well, they weren't quite sure if he was there to perform the ceremony or not. My mom's found a kindred spirit in Josephine, I'm afraid. They're both rather manipulative."
"Rather manipulative. Ha! That's a good one."
"I see your point."
"Well, now we can just relax and enjoy our honey-moon in the Bahamas tomorrow and not have to worry about a thing."
Except Lisa was worried.
Her mother had looked so distraught when she'd waved goodbye to them after the reception. Josephine rarely cried, and lately she'd been shedding tears and leaking like a sieve. It was very uncharacteristic behavior for her mother.
"I know this is a horrendous favor to ask considering it's our wedding night, but would you mind terribly if I called my mom? I'm worried about her."
Alex smiled, stood, and then kissed his wife. "I'll go take a shower and be right back. You call your mom and put your mind to rest."
She sighed. "I love you."
He grinned. "Yeah. And in a few moments you're going to show me just how much."
"I can't wait," she said, reaching for the phone on the bedside table.
It was late, about eleven o'clock, but Lisa figured her mom would still be up, rehashing all the details of today's events with her dad. Her father, of course, would doze off during her recitation and not hear most of what Josephine had to say, but she'd be content anyway, in the telling of it.
Her mother answered the phone on the third ring. "Hi, Mom. It's me, the new bride."
"What is it? What's wrong? Did you and Alex have a fight already? Please don't tell me this. I haven't even paid the caterer yet."
"Relax, Mom, there's nothing wrong. Alex and I are fine. It's you I was worried about. You looked sad when I left, so I wanted to call and make sure you're okay—and to tell you thanks for everything you did."
"The wedding and reception were beautiful. And it was really nice of you to let Leo participate. He's always wanted to be a flower girl." The pansies had been a nice touch, though a bit overt, in Lisa's opinion.
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