by Beth Ciotta
Hell. Rudy fingered the collar of his blue oxford, loosened his tie. “Do you mind if I say good-bye to Jean-Pierre in private.”
Jake jumped on the diversion. He nabbed Afia’s hand and tugged her toward an ice cream vendor. “Come on, baby. I have a craving for Rocky Road.”
Rudy smiled at Afia’s befuddled expression, tamped down the guilt. This charade was for her benefit. And selfishly, he preferred Jake’s “long-distance relationship” over Jean-Pierre’s “we’re taking a break.”
He blew out a nervous breath and joined Jean-Pierre near the line of passengers waiting to pass through the metal detector. He looked fiercely edible in his thigh-hugging jeans, black-and-white striped shirt, and blazing orange jacket. Like a sixth member of the Fab Five. He’d fit right into the west coast scene. Rudy covered his anxiety with a forced smile. “All set?”
Jean-Pierre nodded, hiked his carry-on higher on his shoulder. Tears welled in his long-lashed eyes. “This is not easy.”
Rudy’s throat constricted. “Frankly, it sucks.” An awkward moment passed before he got the nerve to ask what he’d been dying to know for days. “Can you ever forgive me?”
Jean-Pierre grasped his shoulder, his gaze wise beyond his years. “You were forgiven the moment you walked into my room and looked at me with those tortured eyes, Bunny. This is not about infidelity. This is about trust and respect for one another’s feelings.”
Rudy nodded. “You don’t trust me. I understand.”
Jean-Pierre quirked a sad smile. “How is it that you are so attuned to other relationships and not your own? It is you who lacks trust. Trust in me, in our love. You who chose to avoid confrontation rather than placing a simple phone call to let me know you weren’t dead on the highway.” He softened his voice, his gaze. “It is you who lacks the courage to embrace what you fear most. Perhaps you should stop looking to books for the answers, and look into your heart.”
Rudy stared at Jean-Pierre, his throat clogged with the words he longed to say, but couldn’t. Tears burned his eyes as he damned his crippling insecurities.
“Should you attain enlightenment, you know where to find me.” Jean-Pierre glanced over at Afia, smiled, waved, then kissed both of Rudy’s cheeks, squeezed his hand. “Au revoir, Bunny.”
He died a thousand deaths as he watched Jean-Pierre pass through security and beyond to the gate. “No, not good-bye,” he whispered. “Until we meet again.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to postpone this trip?”
Lulu smiled at her sister. “I’m sure.” Why postpone the inevitable? She’d known it was only a matter of time before Sofie got the itch to leave town. She knew she craved validation and fame. Where better to pursue stardom than Hollywood? “If you have to go to Los Angeles, I feel better knowing you’ll be rooming with Jean-Pierre. Maybe his friend can introduce you to the right people. You know what they say.”
“It’s all in who you know.”
Lulu shrugged. “Sad but true. The bonus is that you are young, beautiful, and talented.”
Sofie laughed. “You just described three-quarters of the women who frequent Hollywood casting calls.”
“Yes, but you’re special.” And she hoped Sof found happiness and peace of mind soon.
“You’re my sister. You’re prejudiced, but thank you.” She reached out and tugged on one of Lulu’s pigtails. “Speaking of special, what about you? Promise me you’re not going to continue to fret over that stalker freak.”
Lulu rolled her eyes, trying to make light of the difficult subject. “Which one?”
Sofie smirked. “You know which one. The one you stabbed. The one who gives you nightmares.”
Her cheeks burned. “It’s a struggle, but I think I’m coming to terms.”
“Anthony said the same thing.” Sofie shifted on her spiked heels. “He’s kicking himself for being a blind fool. Personally, I’m over the moon that he had no knowledge of the smuggling ring. The good news is, he broke off with his wacky fiancée for good.” She angled her head, “Speaking of break-ups, please tell me you’re going to work things out with Murphy. If someone looked at me the way he looks at you—”
“What about Joe?” She couldn’t bear to think about Murphy. Not now. Not when she was saying good-bye to another loved one. Sofie and Jean-Pierre were relocating to California, Viv to Florida. The sadness was almost unbearable.
Sofie arched a brow. “What about him?”
“Well, I sensed, I thought maybe—”
“Forget it. If I never see that arrogant prick again, it will be too soon.”
“If you say so,” Lulu said, unconvinced.
Sofie glanced across the airport, moistened her lips. “Let’s not drag this out, Lu. I hate mushy good-byes.” She hugged Lulu tight, then kissed her cheek and hurried toward the security line. “I’ll call you when I get there.”
Eyes swimming with tears, Lulu lifted her hand and waved as Sofie disappeared. “Love you.”
“I love you, too, tiger.”
His voice flowed over her like warm honey and sunshine. Her skin prickled with anticipation. She turned and faced Murphy, her heart missing several beats before racing uncontrollably. She’d only been away from him for four days. It felt like eternity.
“I just thought I should say it aloud, get it out there, in case ‘you and no other’ was too subtle.”
She clasped a hand over her throat, speechless. The sights and sounds of the bustling airport dissolved into a quiet blur. She saw Rudy, Jake, and Afia in the distance. They waved, then, as a tight trio, exited through the main doors, leaving her alone with Prince Charming and her fractured fairytale romance.
He held out a package, a big square box wrapped in pink and white polka-dot wrapping paper, and topped with a curly pink and purple bow. “I bought you something.”
She stood there like an idiot, tongue-tied and staring, her emotions spinning like a tornado.
He grasped her elbow and led her toward a row of empty seats.
She plopped her butt in a chair before her knees gave way.
He sat next to her, placed the gift on her lap, and smiled as she fumbled with the wrapping.
Her hands trembled as she lifted the lid. She stared down at the contents, disbelieving. “A poodle purse.”
“I had a hard time finding one. Sofie suggested a toy store.”
She glanced sideways, furrowed her brow. Sofie knew he was coming?
“I needed to ask her your shoe size.”
She pushed aside more tissue paper. Pink high-tops.
“A much easier find.”
Other men might’ve bought her chocolates or roses. A former Marine, a fearless bodyguard, had cruised the mall for a poodle purse and pink sneakers. His thought-fulness turned her brain to mush. She couldn’t form a coherent sentence. Thank you would be a start, but even that lodged in her throat.
He took her hand and rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. “I love you, Luciana. I’ll never get over you. I’ll never love anyone as completely and genuinely as I love you.”
Humbled and overwhelmed, her emotions continued to spin, fast and furious. “Oh, Colin.”
“If it’s my job, all you have to do is say the word. I don’t have to work as a protection specialist. I have investments, income. Say the word and I’ll walk away.”
She snapped out of her daze, deeply affected by his proposition. “I don’t want you to walk away. I admire what you do. You protect people from harm. You fight evil. That’s important, and I know now that battles can’t always be won with words.”
“Wow. Okay. So it’s not my job.” He blew out a breath, rubbed his forehead. “Ah, hell. Is it because I said I wanted four or five kids? Jake said you had a problem with being around babies. Is it that you don’t want children? You’re so wonderful with kids. I just assumed—”
“Sometimes what you want and what you can have are two different things.” Her eyes overflowed.
He thumbed away her tears and r
egarded her with tenderness and confusion. “You’re talking to a man, honey. We’re not as sensitive and attuned as women. You’re going to have to spell it out.”
“I’m infertile.” The words scraped past her throat, but now that they were out she felt incredibly relieved. “I don’t know why. Ten percent of infertile women never know the cause. I just know that Terry and I tried for years, and even with the help of medication, nothing ever happened.”
He scraped a hand along his jaw. “Maybe it was him.”
She cocked a weepy smile. “His girlfriend’s pregnant.”
He nodded, processed. “I don’t want to minimize your … ”
“Flaw.”
“You’re not flawed, goddammit.” He tempered his frustration, kissed her hand. “You’re perfect. Stubborn, impetuous, and sometimes infuriatingly naïve, but otherwise perfect.”
She laughed. “Gee, thanks.” She marveled that he’d taken her news so well. Then he blew her mind completely.
“Haven’t you ever thought about adopting? Surely you don’t love Sofie any less because she’s your half sister. Bogie and I aren’t blood, but tell us we’re not brothers and we’d have to fight you.”
She swiped away tears, her heart full. “You’d consider adoption?”
He stood and nailed her with a look that brooked no argument. “Don’t move.”
She sat there for five minutes, staring at her purse and shoes, wondering how she could have had so little faith in herself, in Colin. She felt strangely disconnected. Euphoric. And without the aid of Ecstasy. Joy bubbled within her as she contemplated forever with Colin Murphy.
“Hell, yes, I’ll consider adoption,” he said, picking up the conversation and startling her out of her thoughts. He reached for her hand and tugged her to her feet. “There are countless children around the world who need a loving home. Trust me, I know. I’ve seen them. And for the record, I don’t give a damn about age or race.” “Oh, Colin … I … I …”
“Not one for small talk, are you?” he teased with a smile.
“I’m overwhelmed,” she said in a rush. “I’ve never felt this way, and I know I’ll never feel this way again. I was afraid …” Fear is not an option. “I love you, Colin. I love you so much, it’s disorienting.”
“Good to know.” His eyes twinkled with relief and mischief. “Means the odds are in my favor.” He held up two boarding passes. “We can be in Vegas in a few hours. Viv’s already there. Sofie can hop a puddle jumper.”
She blinked up at him, her heart tripping in her constricted chest. “What are you saying?”
“That I don’t want to live apart for the next six months to a year while I court you with the intension of asking you to marry me. When it’s right, it’s right. I’m asking now.” He smiled down at her, his heart and soul in his eyes. “Will you marry me, Luciana?”
She framed his face in her hands, kissed him with all the love in her heart, then eased away and wrapped her hand around the boarding passes. “Life’s short. Live large. No regrets.”
He smiled. “OohRah.”
