But right now it seems he’s flipped my entire world upside down and I don’t see any switches anywhere to flick and make things right side up again.
And that’s all I want, because all I want is him.
But now I have no one, and he’s left with only his sister after his mother passed away from cancer two years ago.
So I’m in this big, bad world alone and he’s close to it too.
Even though my dad’s out there somewhere the chances of me finding him are practically nil. I don’t make enough money to hire a private investigator and I sure don’t have enough saved up to stay down in Brazil looking for him.
This really sucks.
And as much as I hate to feel sorry for myself, I realize that’s exactly what I’m doing.
I exhale hard and look at the mess.
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” I say aloud for no one to hear but me.
“And unless Vitor makes a miraculous appearance sometime soon, well then it looks like I’ll be going tomorrow…out of here and right back home.
I’ll have the weekend and then it will be time to go back to work, submit my article that’s due plus the extra one I’ll have about the Kenoa resort, and by the middle of next week things will be how they always have been.
But at least I’ll have the memories of my time here and the man who told me I was his…and I was for a few short days.
I just wish it was truly forever because I really believed with all my heart that it was.
CHAPTER 17
Vera
Knock. Knock. Knock.
My eyes move from my clothes to the door.
“Room service,” the voice says, but it’s clearly not Vitor’s.
I go to the door and open it, seeing the young man from the reception.
“Hello. I hope I’m not disturbing you,” he says.
“No, not at all. I was just about to start packing. Anything to put that off sounds good to me.”
“You’re leaving us?”
“Tomorrow’s my check-out day.”
“Oh, well I hope you’ll reconsider,” he says.
I’m not really sure how to answer.
“Here’s some chocolate mousse cake to help you change your mind,” he says sliding a beautiful sterling silver dessert cart into view.
“Oh wow. Thank you,” I say.
“It’s my pleasure. And it’s on the house,” he says as he hands me the plate. “And I also wanted you to know that Vitor has returned and he would like to see you.”
“Vitor’s back?”
“Yes, he’s in the back garden awaiting your arrival.”
I pause, again not sure what to say. “I’m…” I pause.
“If you could at least just show your face it would be great.”
I can see the nervousness in the young man’s face.
“Vitor insisted I come, didn’t he?”
“He didn’t exactly insist, but I feel like it would be very beneficial for my job security if you could at least go to the garden to see him.”
“Okay,” I say. “Did you bring a fork?”
“Oh yes,” he says pulling a fork and a spoon from the cart. “Which do you prefer?” he asks.
“Which do you prefer?”
“Ummm. I’m more of a fork person.”
“Great because I like spoons,” I say taking the spoon and handing him the fork. “It’s been a pleasure to see your smiling face in the lobby each and every day. Please have one bite with me,” I say. “And then I’ll go down to the garden.”
I know customer service people, especially waitresses, waters, and people that work in hotels often are asked to meet a lot of ridiculous demands. I want to show him how much I appreciate what he’s doing and hopefully put him at ease in the process.
He takes the fork and I clink it with my spoon as if in a toast. He laughs and so do I.
I really love the good-natured and positive vibes of all the people in the country and no matter what happens I’m always going to take that with me.
Brazil is famous for a lot of things, but to me it’s their optimistic people that make this country so special.
And one person in particular is the most special and he’s waiting for me in the garden.
We chew our cake and I put the piece into the small fridge knowing I’m going to want it later. It’s absolutely delicious.
We take the elevator down and when we arrive in the lobby he points me towards the direction for the garden.
“Good luck” he says as if he knows.
“Thank you. And good luck to you just in case we don’t see each other again.”
“I think we will. I know Vitor wants that,” he says with a smile. It doesn’t feel like the words the henchman of a mob boss would say in some mafia movie, but it could almost be taken that way, even though I’m not sure what to make of this little late night rendezvous.
Nor do I understand why he left with a bag and now he’s back already.
And why didn’t he just come up to my room himself?
The moment I step outside and see the rose petals on the path I know.
He has another beautiful surprise up his sleeve…for me.
I follow the trail all the way to a small iron park bench that sits right smack dab in the middle of the garden and sit.
I have no idea what all these flowers are but they smell incredible and I swear I even hear the light chirp of a bird that’s either nocturnal or just awake for some reason. I also hear a babbling brook and see a small waterway running underneath the bench.
I didn’t even realize it until just now but the bench is sitting on glass. Very lovely.
“It’s you,” a voice says and my head shoots up from looking in-between my feet to the man standing in front of me.
Goosebumps cover me immediately as I feel my blood rush through my body.
“I knew it. After all these years. You’re so…perfect,” he says.
I go to stand, but I can’t. My whole lower body seems frozen, and most of my upper body too.
But not my eyes, because I feel a tear run down my cheek at the sight of the man I flew over twelve hours and multiple countries to find.
The odds were next to nothing, but somehow, someway we beat the odds.
“Dad,” I say.
He walks over toward me and suddenly my body works again as I stand from the bench, feeling my knees wobble but my willpower is too much as I will my way towards him and throw my arms around him.
“Oh baby,” he says. “I was looking for you. I never stopped looking for you.”
And I can’t stop crying.
“Sorry,” I say a full minute later when I pull my head from his chest realizing how wet I made his shirt.
He’s about six inches taller than me, bronzed, and in incredible shape. It must be all that surfing.
“How did you know?” I ask.
“I just always had a hunch. The way your mother clammed up when I’d ask certain questions. The way she’d cut me off entirely. I knew there was more to the story and the only thing I could think of was you. It had to be you. It was always you,” he says causing my chest to heave and my mouth to make gasping sounds as I suck in air.
“I knew it too. That’s why I came here.”
“God, I’m so glad you did. I’m so glad I finally found you, or you found me, or we found each other. Whatever. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that we’re together…thanks to this man,” he says.
“What man?” I say and my dad motions with his head to the side.
My eyes track over and I see Vitor standing back in the distance just observing with his hands calmly clasped in front of him as he watches over us.
“Thank you,” I mouth nearly silently.
“Some freaking helicopter kept flying low along the coast and next thing I know there’s some guy hanging out the side yelling with a bullhorn asking if anyone knew a David Rodgers. I thought I was in trouble for something, not tha
t I’ve done anything wrong.”
“He yelled with a bullhorn out the side of a helicopter?” I say smiling.
“Yeah, he’s crazier than I am. Who in the hell is he by the way?”
“I am,” Vitor says taking a step forward. “The man who’s reuniting his family after all these years.”
“His family?” my dad says.
“Yes, because in about five minutes either we’ll be soon next-of-kin or your observation that I’m crazy will be spot on, but any way you slice it I’m absolutely crazy about your daughter.”
And if seeing my father for the first time wasn’t enough Vitor drops to a knee and pops back the lid to a tiny black box, and even though it’s night and I’ve been crying it doesn’t take much to see that the diamond is absolutely gorgeous…and huge.
“Oh my god,” I say.
“Beautiful. When I first laid eyes on you I told you you were mine. You’re the one and only for me. The only woman I will ever share my most intimate and important moments with for as long as I live. And this is the next intimate moment in our chapter together. I want you here, in my country, safe in my arms forever. I want to build a family with you and so much more. You mean everything to me and I want the entire world to know now and always. But first I want you to know that I love you and I want to be with you forever. So please, make me the happiest man to ever set foot on this beautiful earth, and make it even more beautiful as we walk together, side by side, forever. Will you join me forever as my wife? Will you marry me?”
I nod. “Yes. Yes! Yes!!!” I say and my arms go from being wrapped around my father to Vitor taking my hand and sliding the ring on. It’s so heavy I’m going to have to learn to compensate for it or else I’m going to look like a human version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
And then I throw my arms around Vitor as he scoops me up off the ground and holds me in mid-air as my legs wrap around him and my lips find his.
“Can somebody please tell me what the heck’s going on?” my dad asks.
The two of us just bust out laughing.
EPILOGUE
Vera
Three weeks later
My phone beeps and I see the notification from Jetset Girl Magazine.
I click on the link and am taken to the article I wrote for them, my last.
It’s about that resort called Kenoa…the one where Vitor and I became one for the first time. A moment, and a memory, I will never forget.
And I can see it in my writing, just how happy I am.
And the main reason why is because I wrote it after I had my two men in my life…my dad and my love.
It was kind of funny telling Vitor that I was down here to do a review of his hotel and that he “had to” comp me for it. We both got a good laugh out of that one.
My friend back home had a key to my apartment and I asked her to take the final five hundred dollars out of my panty drawer and use it to pay another month’s rent…and tell the owner at the same time that I was giving my notice.
My friend was happy to do it, partly because she’s my friend and partly because she’s my same size.
I thought it was the least I could do, especially considering I wasn’t going to need my winter clothes anytime soon.
“Ready for another lesson,” the voice behind me says as I type out the end to chapter twenty-three in my travel novel that I’ve always wanted to write.
“Wow, time really does fly when you’re having fun,” my dad says. “And we’re going to have a lot of fun out there today on our boards. I think you’re ready to try a shorter board today…something a little more performance oriented.”
“Yay!” I say as I clap my hands together and push the top of my laptop down, putting it into sleep mode.
My dad leans in and kisses me on the top of my head. “It’s so amazing to finally have you in my life,” he says.
“Hey! Hey! Hey!” a voice booms out from behind the both of us. “That’s my woman you’re kissing,” Vitor says, mostly joking, but I can still sense the possessiveness in his voice.
“Hey buddy, I made her so I get a few pecks on the head or the cheek now and again,” my dad jokes. “Plus it’s Brazilian culture to give kisses on the cheek.”
“But you’re not…,” Vitor begins before remembering my dad did indeed get his Brazilian citizenship years ago and now he can sponsor me for citizenship, although that won’t be necessary after Vitor and I’s wedding.
And I’ve got a surprise for Vitor after our surf lesson.
Our wedding might just qualify as a shotgun wedding after what the doctor told me this morning.
That’s right. And to make this miracle of a life even more of a fairy tale…it’s twins.
Life just can’t get any better, and that includes my dad. Instead of jumping from job to job like the hippy I tease him for being, now he has a steady job here at Vitor’s resort. Guests had been asking about taking surf lessons and exploring the area a bit more and it’s something my dad knows a lot about, can talk about all day, and absolutely loves doing.
And now he’s getting paid for it.
And knowing Vitor, and seeing how my dad reacted last payday, Vitor’s being extremely generous with my father.
We’ve still got a lot of catching up to do, and I know there’s still a lot to learn about Vitor, but isn’t that what life’s all about?
It’s about the journey.
And my journey has taken me here, to the quaint beach town that I’m totally in love with, because I’m in love with the man who’s my king here.
“Hello Vera,” Victória says appearing out of nowhere. “Can I join you guys for the surf today?”
“Of course!” I say getting up and giving her two kisses.
“So your sister gets to kiss her, but I don’t?” my dad teases.
“That’s different,” Vitor says. “But still…Victória, we need to talk about that going forward.”
Victória slaps Vitor on the arm and we all break out laughing, except Vitor.
I just love that I’m going to be a part of this family and that more accurately our families are going to come together and become one.
And tonight I get to tell everyone how I get to add to the family…times two.
Because today will be my last time surfing with everyone until after the twins are born. The waves are so small today that there’s no way I’ll even come close to falling off my board. Plus I’m just riding for fun. I’m not doing any crazy tricks or anything like that.
Because I already pulled the biggest trick, the biggest heist, in Brazilian history.
I came down here and made the Brazilian Bad Boy mine.
Mine all mine. My possessive Brazilian.
EXTENDED EPILOGUE
Vera
Seven years later
“I caught it dad!” Vinicius says as he rides a wave into shore.
“Nice one! Hurry and paddle back out and get another one, son.”
“I caught it grandpa!” Viviane, his twin sister says as she rides a wave into shore right behind him.
“Nice one! Hurry and paddle back out and get another one, beautiful,” my father says.
Vinicius was born first and Viviane right after. Maybe that’s why Vinicius seems to be just a bit ahead of her in just about everything, and why he always insists he’s her older brother and that it’s his duty to protect her.
Or maybe it has something to do with his proud papa and his gushing grandpa. They both love nothing more than to talk about the kids…make that brag about them. And I’m so glad that they have two men in their lives who are there to help them, pick them up when they fall, and show them the way.
And I’m always here to balance them out with a woman’s perspective on things.
But luckily we all see eye to eye on just about everything. As a matter of fact I can’t remember the last time we didn’t…except maybe my last birthday when Vitor insisted we take a three month round the world trip making sure to stay at as many luxury hot
els as we could to soak in all the ambiance, study their designs and use of eco-friendly materials and maybe get some other business ideas along the way.
And we did…some.
Possessive Brazilian: An Older Man Younger Woman Romance (A Man Who Knows What He Wants Book 75) Page 7
