“No,” he said adamantly. “Not unless you stop hurting my father. Sign the papers, Mother,” he demanded, a sudden maturity -- and coldness -- to his tone.
Marissa looked up at her handsome son, who’d grown into a fine young man. She pulled the papers from the slit in the thick envelope and creased them open on the stainless steel table. A noise behind them made them all turn around.
It was Loretta. Loretta looked at Umberto’s face, swollen with tears. She looked at the shapely woman with the long, flowing blonde mane. It was the same lady in the marital photo album that Alonzo had neglected to show her, but that she’d discovered on her own while retrieving blueprints of the restaurant from the chest he’d directed her to one evening.
It was Marissa Thornton alright … Alonzo’s wife.
Loretta finally looked at Alonzo, as tears filled her own eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she said to the three of them. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”
“No intrusion at all, sweetheart,” Alonzo said, reaching up for her hand. “This is Marissa,” he said. “My soon-to-be ex-wife. She flew into town to sign the divorce papers I sent her.”
Loretta came down the stairs and placed her hand in Alonzo’s.
Marissa looked at both of them with sudden understanding now. She looked at the papers and hurriedly scribbled her name on them. After handing them to Alonzo, she pursed her lips and tried to smile a little. “Good luck, Alonzo,” she said, half glancing at Loretta.
Turning back toward Umberto, she tried to embrace him again, but he stepped back from her.
“I will be in touch soon, Son,” she said. Pulling the large, black sunglasses down over her tearing eyes, she left the restaurant as quickly as she’d come.
“I won’t hold my breath,” Umberto said.
Alonzo and Loretta went to him and embraced him as his body began to heave with uncontrollable emotion.
Chapter 20
A little while later, the restaurant had reached a calm and the wait staff was closing up. Umberto and Terrell hopped in Alonzo’s truck and headed for the little pool hall in town.
Loretta and Alonzo sat out back on the verandah of the restaurant in two pillowed loungers.
“Congratulations on a successful opening,” he said. “I’m very proud of you.”
“Thank you, Alonzo. I couldn’t have pulled it off without your help -- and your mailing list,” she smiled.
“No thanks necessary. That’s what I’m here for, to help you, to be by your side. I hope you know that.” He reached out for her hand.
“I do,” she said, placing her hand in his. Loretta had no idea Alonzo had served Marissa with divorce papers, though in retrospect, she knew that’s the kind of man he was -- a doer, not a talker.
“Come home with me tonight,” Alonzo said. “I miss you.” His strong fingers rubbed the top of the hand.
“I miss you, too,” she said.
“What do you miss?” he flirted.
“I’ll show you when I’m in your bed,” she said with a chuckle.
“Is that a yes to my invitation?”
“Yes, it is,” she said with certainty. “But not tonight. After the boys leave.”
Alonzo looked over at her, imaging their bodies meeting again after what seemed like forever.
“Okay,” he said. “I can wait.”
They sat on the verandah talking for a long time as the staff finished closing up.
“Are you okay?” she asked during a long moment of silence. Loretta knew he was thinking about what had transpired earlier with Marissa.
“I’m okay. I’m just worried about Umberto,” he said, concern filling his dark brows.
“He’ll be okay, with time,” Loretta offered. She reached back over and put her hand on his arm. “Do you really think Marissa will keep in touch with him?”
“Past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior,” he said, rubbing his stubbly chin. “So, to be honest, I really doubt it.”
“I was afraid of that,” Loretta said. “You know, you might want to get him into some therapy, Alonzo. He’s going to need to talk to a professional, especially after her reappearing tonight.”
“I know,” he said. “I’ve already thought of that, but I don’t like too many people in family business, you know.”
“I know,” she said, his desire for privacy being one of the things she appreciated about him. “I’ll ask Velma for a referral,” Loretta said.
Alonzo didn’t say anything, and Loretta noticed his silence on her offer.
“Speaking of Velma, something’s been on my mind lately,” Loretta said. “I just feel like something’s going on with her that she’s not telling me.”
“What do you mean?” Alonzo asked. “She seemed fine tonight.”
“I know, but it’s just a feeling.”
“What do you mean exactly?” he asked.
“Well, remember you said you had that feeling about her and Malachi, the feeling that maybe he hadn’t left her at all?”
“Yes?”
“What exactly did you mean by that?”
“I don’t know, maybe I was stretching,” Alonzo said. “But not long after Velma announced that Malachi had left her, she actually seemed happier than ever. Almost too happy.”
“What, are you saying you think she did something to him, Alonzo?” Loretta asked.
Alonzo looked at Loretta, surprised her mind would venture in the same direction his had ventured. Velma was a nice lady; smart and well respected in the community, but it didn’t escape Alonzo that she was a little different than others. There was something about her that seemed a little off-center at times.
“I don’t know if I’d go that far,” he said, downplaying his own inklings that could, in fact, be way off-base. He knew how close Velma and Loretta were and he didn’t want to speculate that far, out loud.
One of the staff members peeked out back. “Excuse me, Ms. Devon, we have a question about closing out the register?”
“I’ll be right there,” Loretta said to the girl wearing the long white apron.
“Yes, Ma’am.” The girl darted back into the restaurant.
Loretta stood up and gave Alonzo a curious glance, thinking about Velma. “Like I said before, people cope with things in different ways,” she said.
“That’s true,” he said. “It could just be mid-life, you know. Just keep an eye on her, be there for her, which I know you will,” he said, catching Loretta off guard and pulling her down into his arms in the chair to steal a kiss. “I need you to be here for me tonight, though,” he said.
“Alonzo Thornton,” she said blushing as she stood up, glancing around to make sure no one had seen them. “Soon, I promise.”
She gave him a chastising stare.
“No one saw us,” he chuckled.
Loretta wagged her finger at him, smoothed her dress, and disappeared into the restaurant.
It was the Tuesday evening after the grand opening, the day after the Labor Day holiday. The boys had left, and Alonzo and Loretta were spending the night together for the first time since she’d told him they could only be friends.
She knocked on the door of his estate home.
“Come on in,” he said, opening the door wide for her. He was wearing dark slacks and no shirt.
“Excuse my appearance,” he said. “I was just getting ready to hop in the shower before you came. There was an emergency in one of the equipment rooms that I had to rush over to look at, so I’m running a little late.”
“No problem, take your time,” she said.
“Why didn’t you use your key?” he asked, as he poured them a brandy. Loretta sauntered over to her favorite spot in his home and peered out the tall, mahogany, oval- shaped windows overlooking the grounds.
“Well, because, technically we’re still friends,” she teased.
“Nonsense, Loretta,” Alonzo said. “I’ve filed for divorce.”
“I know, but you’re still married,” sh
e said playfully.
Alonzo played her game. He slammed the brandy decanter down on the table. Loretta thought it would shatter all over the floor. He gave her an intense stare and stormed toward her.
“I’m going to show you how married I feel,” he said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her hard.
“Alonzo,” she started, no longer able to resist him. Her body gave into his firm grip and his hungry mouth. Alonzo skillfully pulled her skirt from her waist, unhooked her bra, and eased her lace panties down over her full bottom.
Unable to control the lust coursing through her, Loretta sank down onto the couch into his arms. Within moments, she was straddling his throbbing loin, loud whimpers of passion escaping her as she bounced up and down on his full, veined hardness.
Lust, passion, longing pulsated from them as they reveled in their bodies coming together again.
After lying exhausted in each other’s arms on the deep couch, they took a long, hot shower in his master bath.
Alonzo couldn’t help rising again as he bathed Loretta’s naked frame. He inched up behind her wet body and kissed her on the shoulders. The feel of his throbbing groin against her made her smile. He gently eased into pulsating womanhood from behind. Stroking her gently as he massaged her firm breasts with his powerful hands, she clung to the wet tiles and let out cries of passion.
“You’re the only woman for me,” he said as he felt her body tightening around his fullness.
“And you’re the only man for me, Alonzo,” she whimpered as she moved to his rhythm. Alonzo stroked in and out of her eagerness as he felt her body open and rain around him.
His strokes grew more hurried after he knew his Loretta had been satisfied.
Loretta arched her body even more and moved faster to keep up with his pace.
Alonzo’s body tightened and exploded inside of her, leaving her full of his hunger and love.
Chapter 21
Almost a year had passed since the grand opening, and the restaurant and vineyard were both thriving. A new, premier Thornton Vineyard wine had taken off, to Alonzo’s delight, and Umberto had announced he’d be coming home to learn the ropes and begin taking over some of the responsibilities of managing the business after all.
That did Alonzo’s heart good.
His son had announced he would be gone for long spells sometimes when he had concerts to participate in, but he’d be home most of the time.
“That’s fine, Son,” Alonzo said to him, elated his son had decided to be part of the family business. “That’s just fine.”
Alonzo had fully moved back into the estate home at the back of the vineyard, and the property at the front of Thornton Vineyard was being remodeled for Umberto’s eventual move in.
The divorce had been finalized, and to Alonzo’s surprise, Marissa had been keeping in constant touch with Umberto. She’d even visited him on campus several times, and she and her son were attending family counseling together in effort to start building a mother-son relationship.
Terrell had finished Basic Training and was stationed at his new Navy base in Southern California. The base was almost six hours away, but Loretta was glad her son was stationed in the same state, at least for the time being.
Umberto and Terrell had been keeping in touch, and a close bond was developing between the young men.
Brianna’s boyfriend had proposed to her, just as she’d expected, but Brianna came to visit Loretta on the vineyard, choosing to take a hiatus from John so she could get her head together. After graduation, she flew out to Bordeaux Valley and spent a month helping out in the restaurant alongside her mother.
Loretta was thankful Brianna wanted to take some time before giving John her answer.
In the end, Brianna decided not to marry John, because they had different ideas about how their marriage would work. John wanted her to start having children right away, and he didn’t want her to work, which did not set well with her. Brianna wanted a career. She planned to fulfill her dream of opening a string of hair salons before she settled into being a wife and mother.
This made Loretta very happy.
“Sweetheart, if he loves you, he’ll understand and he’ll wait,” she reassured her daughter.
***
Velma finally sought psychiatric help. But she knew she couldn’t tell the therapist what she’d done, though Malachi’s death had truly been an accident. But, through counseling, she was coming to terms with why she did what she did.
She worked through her issues of dealing with the abandonment she felt when her own father walked out on her and her mother when she was just a girl. As a result, she couldn’t let Malachi go; she didn’t know how to cope with that pain.
But now, she was ready.
Early one morning, before dawn, she guided her small yacht out into the ocean, well beyond the coastline, until land was barely visible. After holding a private ceremony for Malachi against the strong winds, she poured her husband’s ashes into the Pacific and watched as the powerful waves took them deep into its bowels.
Looking up to the heavens, Velma asked for God’s forgiveness for the lies she’d told about her husband’s disappearance. She knew God heard her, but deep inside, she also knew she’d have to pay for her sins.
It didn’t matter though; she was ready. Because after truly grieving her loss, she finally felt free.
Chapter 22
One evening after making love, Loretta and Alonzo were lying in his bed, talking. Loretta glanced up at him.
He was doing it again … staring at her, studying.
“Why do you stare at me when you think I’m not looking at you?” she asked.
There was a long silence.
“I know you see me,” he said. “I can feel you, Loretta. I can feel your eyes even when they are not directed at me.”
She blushed.
“Why do you have that effect on me?” she asked, trying to hold back the familiar warm smile she could never contain around him.
He chuckled at her blushing again.
She swatted him playfully on his broad chest.
“I have that effect on you because you love me,” he bent down and kissed the tip of her nose. “And because you know I love you, too,” he said, tilting her chin so their eyes could meet.
Loretta devoured him with her eyes. Care, trust, respect, and passion were pouring out of her as their eyes danced to a silent rhythm that only mounting love could create.
“I do love you, Alonzo,” she said. “More and more with each passing day.”
He folded her naked body into his arms.
“Then be with me,” he said.
“I am with you.”
“No, stay with me, from this day forward,” he said. Alonzo stared down at her with an intensity she hadn’t seen before. “Marry me, Loretta.”
Surprise and joy engulfed her as she lost herself in his eyes. They were full of everything in her own heart. “I thought you’d never ask,” she smiled.
Alonzo let out a long, slow breath, happiness bounding out of him as he embraced his lover, his love, the woman who would be his wife forever.
“You’ve given me life, Loretta,” he said, tears rimming his lids.
“And you, me,” she said.
“God, woman, I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.”
Loretta parted her lips to accept his tender, probing kisses as he towered his broad frame over hers. She opened her thighs to accept Alonzo’s strong body as he gently entered her searing wetness over and over again.
After they made love, her body relaxed against his as he pulled her deeper into his solid embrace. They cuddled in bed for the rest of the evening, planning their future at Thornton Vineyard.
The End
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From This Day Forward: Multicultural Romance Page 11
