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Chapter 1:
Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald looked out the window of the cabin he was renting and noticed the snow falling. He was mesmerized as he watched the fluff fall to the ground. It was just flurries for now, but the weather report on the radio said that it was expected to get much worse. He hated to leave now, but if he wanted to get home for work before the morning he should leave before the blizzard set it. He came here to escape the publicity for the trial that was to start tomorrow morning. He was a juror. Even cops didn’t get out of Jury duty. He was surprised that he was even picked. He though for sure the defense would ax him, but they didn’t. He wasn’t exactly sure why.
He cleaned his things out of the cabin quickly and got into his jeep. He cleaned the snow that had already accumulated on it and hopped in. As he backed up he glanced at the full gage. He had enough to get him into the nearest town but he would have to stop and fill up there. As he headed down the dirt road he noticed the snow getting heavier and heavier. It was going to be a long trip home.
Sheridan Crane started this morning like she did every morning with a run. No matter the weather, not even snow was going to stop her. It makes her feel energized and ready to start the day. And she needed all the energy she could find today. She would be returning to Paris tomorrow just as her father wished. She didn’t want to, she wanted to stay in Harmony, but she never went against daddy’s wishes. So back to Paris with her. After he decided she was to go back, after only a day of being home, she needed to get away. She couldn’t be in the same house with him until her return flight. Her friend and confidant in the states had arranged for her to rent a cabin in the mountains. Away from civilization.
Now she had become to realize that maybe a run hadn’t been a smart idea. The snow just kept falling and she was so far from her cabin she couldn’t see it anymore. Nor could she see her footprints that would lead her back. She sighed in frustration as she headed for what she thought would lead her to the road. But truth be told it was hard to see three inches in front of her. She began to become frightened.
Luis had made it a couple of miles down the road when the weather had suddenly taken a turn for a worse. He realized that he shouldn’t take the chance and drive any further. He couldn’t see a car length in front of him. He slowed and pulled to the side of the road making sure to put the flashers on. He sat in his car searching for his hat and mittens. He planned to try and walk back to the cabin. He wasn’t going to be going anywhere tonight. He got out of the car and noticed something moving along the other side of the road.
"Hey" he yelled not quite sure if it was human.
"Hello?" the voice called back. "Keep talking so I can find you"
"Ok. My name is Luis. Umm what else am I supposed to say?" he yelled.
"Nothing I’m here" she announced triumphantly. "Hi Luis, I’m Sheridan. Nice weather we have here huh?"
"You could say that"
"Please tell me you live near here. I have no idea where my cabin is"
"I was staying a couple of miles down the road. That way I think" he said pointing down road.
"Yeah and I think I am staying somewhere that way" she laughed. "Is that your car?"
"Yep, want to go inside?"
"I thought you’d never ask"
The rushed into the car which was quickly becoming buried. Luis restarted the car and the heat came pouring in. They both welcomed it and let out a sigh. They both wondered how long the would be stuck with this friendly stranger.
Chapter 2:
Sheridan took her mittens off and rubbed her hands in front of the heat. She then took off her hat and shook out her short blonde hair. She normally would have been embarrassed, she didn’t have on any make up and her hair was matted to her head, but this was an extreme situation and it would have to do. Luis kept glancing over at her as she made herself comfortable. She just looked back and smiled.
"What were you doing out there anyway?" Luis finally broke the silence.
"Running" she said simply.
"In this? What are you nuts?"
"It didn’t start out like this. Why were you driving in it?" she spat back.
"Ok, ok point taken"
"I’m sorry I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just scared. What’s going to happen to us? Who’s going to find out here? We are in the middle of nowhere"
"Look if it makes you feel any better I am a cop. I am trained to handle emergency situations"
"You think this is an emergency?" she sputtered quickly.
"Calm down, not yet it isn’t but it could be. I just wanted you to know I can handle things" he said soothingly.
"You’re really a cop?"
"Yep" he reached in his back pocket and pulled out his badge.
"You’re right that did make me feel better. Thank you for telling me"
Sheridan was still frightened and couldn’t seem to shake it so she asked Luis to just talk to her. Tell her a story, anything. She wanted to hear his voice. Something about it soothed her and made her feel safe. Luis seemed really nice and she was glad she was stuck with him and not with some pervert or murderer. Luis thought it was cute when she asked him to talk to her. She was obviously was scared to death and with good reason. If the snow didn’t let up soon they could be in serious trouble. He started to tell her a story of when he was young and his father took him on a fishing trip for the first time. He had gotten so excited when he caught a fish he stood up and started to jump. Before his father could warn him to stop he fell out of the boat and into the water. But he never did let go of the pole and when he got back in the boat he reeled it in. It was a small sunfish but he was so proud of it. After he finished the story he looked over at Sheridan. She had fallen asleep. He was glad, he didn’t want her to see him worry. That and he didn’t have another story to tell her. An hour or so later, when they were both asleep, the car started to sputter. There was a large bang causing them a to both shoot open there eyes.
"What was that Luis?" Sheridan asked, her voice trembling with fear.
"Damn!" Luis yelled. "I can’t believe I let that happen"
"What Luis? What’s wrong?"
"We’re out of gas" he said bluntly.
"No more heat" she gasped. "We are going to freeze to death. No one is ever going to find us. I don’t want to die Luis"
"I am not going to let anything happen to you ok. We will be fine"
"How can you be so confident?" he voice was still laced with trepidation.
"There is something you should know about me. I am always right" he smiled cockily at her. "Just calm down. I’ll think of something"
Luis sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. He kept trying to come up with a solution to their problem. Nothing seemed to come to him too. The car continued to cool off rapidly and he opened his eyes to notice Sheridan putting her hat and mittens back on. He needed to think of something fast.
"That’s it!" he yelped with excitement.
"What?"
"Signal flares! I have some in my back seat" he jumped over his seat and dug in the back. He came back up to the front with an orange gun and two flares. He unrolled the window and stuck his arm out. He pulled the trigger and the flare shot out above them. It exploded and Sheridan bubbled with hope.
"That’s genius Luis"
"I just hope they can see it in this storm"
"You really know how to shatter dreams don’t you?" Sheridan slumped back in her seat. "Now we just sit and wait?"
"Yep. I’m sorry I don’t have better news. But hey I did find this back there. I forgot about it" he threw a gray wool blanket at her. It was think and warm. Soon she was warm but she saw Luis continue to shiver. She slipped into the back seat.
"Come here" she ordered. He hopped in the back seat with her. "Closer" he moved towards her and she covered both of them with the blanket.
"Thank you" he smiled at her.
"You’re welcome"
She snuggled closer to him. The heat he was producing was just too appealing. He opens his arms to her and she rested her head on his chest. He didn’t know why but he kissed her on the top of her head trying to relax her. It seemed to work too, she sighed in appreciation. As another hour passed the temperature continued to plummet. Sheridan was now sitting in his lap, arms around his neck. Her icy breath was doing things to him he shouldn’t be thinking about at this moment. He should be concentrating on a way to get them out of here, but she seemed to have other plans.
"Ok Luis, I know this is going to sound really out there but here me out. But I am cold and desperate and if I die I want to die with a smile on my face"
"I don’t think I am going to like where this is going"
"Oh your going to like it I promise" she began to kiss his neck causing a groan to slip from his lips. "See"
He thought about it for maybe a nanosecond and then decided he had nothing to lose. She was beautiful, probably the most beautiful person he had ever met, and she was right they could die here tonight. He wanted his last memory to be a good one too. He lifted her chin and crushed his lips to hers. If they were going to die tonight they would definitely be happy.
Chapter 3:
Sheridan lay on top of Luis warm and content. She had never known it could be like that. She wondered if it were the circumstances or the man. Luis also was still caught in the euphoria this escapade had produced. Never in his life had he experienced something that wonderful. The blanket was covering both of them. Shedding their clothes might not have been the smartest thing in the world, but they were both warm now.
"Luis, I don’t want you to think I am always like this. This is way out of character for me"
"Me too. But don’t worry I don’t think any less of you. The situation is extreme and needed intense measures"
"That was intense alright" she smiled remembering the passion they shared. "Luis can you do something for me? To make me feel better about this situation"
"Sure. If I can"
"Tell me your last name"
"Lo…" he was interrupted by sirens. "Did you hear that?"
"It sounded like a fire truck"
Luis threw his boxers on quickly and jumped back into the front seat. Again he opened the window and fired the last flare. Sheridan started to put on her clothes. Luis joined her, kissing on the cheek. He told her they were going to be saved. He got his clothes on too and became elated when the sirens began to get closer. They got out of the car and stood on top of it, making it easy for them to be noticed. The bright red truck spotted them and slowed. They got into the truck and were whisked to the hospital. They told them they were fine but the firemen insisted they be check out. They didn’t have much of a choice so they went along for the ride. Luis and Sheridan both gave numbers of people to call to tell them they were ok. The nurses took care of it as they were checked out. The snowing had stopped so both Sheridan and Luis had people coming to pick them up. Gwen rushed into the hospital searching for Sheridan. How had she gotten herself into trouble this time? She found Sheridan sitting on an examiner’s table in a hospital gown.
"Sheridan, Oh my god are you ok?" Gwen hugged her tightly.
"Yes I am fine" Sheridan assured her.
"What happened?"
"I just got caught in the storm"
"Just? How did you survive the cold?" Sheridan reddened at the question.
"It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later. Can you just get me out of here?"
"Yeah I’ll go get the release papers" Gwen came back with a clipboard and a nurse. "Here you go sweetie"
"Thanks. Can you drive me to the airport?"
"You’re still going back to Paris? Maybe you should wait"
"No. I’m fine and I am leaving as planned. Just let me get dressed and I’ll be ready to go"
Hank walked into the hospital shortly after Gwen. He had come to pick up his best friend Luis. The receptionist sent him in the right direction and he found Luis signing his release papers. Luis caught eye of Hank as he walked down the hall.
"Just in time buddy" Luis said as he finished his signature.
"What happened to you this time?" he asked slapping his buddy on the back.
"I was driving home and I got caught in the blizzard. My jeep is still out there somewhere"
"You always manage to have the best adventures Luis"
"You’ll never know how good this one was" he said under his breath. "Let’s get out of here. I want to get some rest before the trial starts tomorrow"
"You’re always thing about work Luis. Live a little"
If Hank only knew how far from the truth he was. Luis’s thoughts right now were far from work or jury duty. They were on the blonde he had just spent the past hours with. The blonde who he shared the most erotic experience of his life with. But that wasn’t it. They seemed to connect in that moment. And it was that connection that he would remember for the rest of his life. He wanted to go say goodbye to her before he left. To make sure she was ok, and just to see her one more time. He told Hank he would be right back and went in search of her. He found her putting on her coat.
"Hey" she whirled around, startled be his entrance.
"Hi" she smiled at him.
"You ok?"
"Yeah, I’m fine. You?" she ached for him to put his arms around her, but he kept his distance.
"Yep. I think your idea for staying warm saved us form frost bite" he saw her cheeks suddenly turn crimson. He reached out and took her hand is his. "I’m sorry I didn’t mean to embarrass you"
"No Luis, it’s fine. Do you regret what we did?" she asked hoping that he didn’t cause she sure as hell didn’t. It meant more to her than he would ever know.
"No. I couldn’t regret anything that magical. It was so much more than two people needing to stay warm" he answered honestly. She wanted to jump in his arms and kiss him all over. He felt something more too and her heart started to flutter. "Look if you don’t mind I would like to see you again" Luis put his heart on his sleeve.
"Luis, I would love to" she didn’t get a chance to tell him the awful truth.
"Great" he said cutting her off.
"No, please believe me when I would say I would like to but that just isn’t possible" she wanted to be possible more than anything she did and she couldn’t stand to see the hurt in his eyes.
"Oh I see" he said casting his eyes to the ground.
"No Luis, you don’t understand. I am going to Paris"
"Well can I see you when you get back?" he asked hopefully.
"I live in Paris" she said sadly.
"Oh" was all he could say.
"If the circumstances were different I…" why did she have to go to Paris? She didn’t want to, more than ever now, but it was her father’s orders.
"You don’t have to explain. I understand. Goodbye Sheridan. It was nice to meet you"
"You too Luis. I wish things could be different"
"Me too" he kissed her on the cheek and left the room just as Gwen came back in.
"Who was that?" Gwen asked her eyes following him as far as she could see.
"It doesn’t matter. Come on I need to catch my flight"
Gwen took Sheridan to the airport as Hank took Luis back to Harmony. Sheridan said her goodbyes to Gwen and got on the plane. Luis on his way home so he could get to work. They were both on their way back to their old lives wishing things could be different.
Chapter 4:
***Six Weeks Later***
Gwen Hotchkiss dialed quickly as she could. She couldn’t wait to tell her best friend the news. Sheridan would never believe it. Gwen felt like a heel though. Since she dropped Sheridan off at the airport six weeks ago she hadn’t talked to her. She had been a bit preoccupied. But she was ready to gravel for his misdeeds and beg for forgiveness. She needed Sheridan to be back in Harmony in four months no matter what it would take. After pressing the last number the phone began to ring.
"Allo?" Sheridan answered the phone.
"Allo Sheridan, je suis désolée que je ne vous aie pas téléphoné bientôt. Veuillez me pardoner"
"Gwen? Why aren’t you speaking English and of coarse I forgive you"
"Sorry" she laughed. "I wanted to practice my French. How did I do?"
"Not bad, but you don’t need to be formal with me. So what’s up? I missed talking to you. What happened to our weekly phone calls?"
"I’ve been a little busy lately" Gwen gushed.
"With what?" Sheridan probed.
"Sheridan, I’m getting married!" she blurted out.
"You’re engaged?" Sheridan asked in shock.
"Yes" she said excitedly.
"Again?" she asked remembering Gwen’s three other engagements.
"It’s different this time" she promised.
"Where have I heard this before. I remember something about Gregory Humphrey, my nephew Ethan, and William McCollum. How is it different?"
"Hank isn’t a stuffy country clubber. Hank is actually fun to be around. Oh wait, not that Ethan is stuffy or not fun. I am just going to shut up now"
"It’s ok. Ethan is a bit stuffy and can be a bit rigid. So when is the big date?"
"June 1st"
"Gwen that is only four months away! How are you going to have the formal wedding you always wanted in four months?"
"So much has changed Sheridan. I actually went to a bar and liked it"
"That’s good Gwen" Sheridan chuckled.
"So will you come home and help me? I need my matron of honor here to keep me sane"
"Gwen I don’t know if you want me to stand up with you. I’m going to be all fat"
"What are you talking about?"
"I’m pregnant Gwen" Sheridan confessed.
Hank walked into the police station on a mission. He was going to corner his best friend and talk to him. Luis was missing in action lately. All he seemed to do was work and sleep. But Hank wanted to talk and Luis wasn’t going to get away this time. Hank knew he wasn’t around much lately but he was going to get to the bottom of Luis’s problem and tell him the good news. He saw Luis at his desk so he plopped on top of it so Luis couldn’t see his work. That way he had to pay attention to Hank.
"Hey there buddy" Hank greeted Luis.
"Hank, you’re sitting on my case" Luis said roughly.
"Look Luis we need to talk"
"I’m fine Hank" he tugged at the folder.
"Yeah whatever. But I wanted to tell you something"
"What’s that?" Luis finally gave up on work and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms on his chest.
"I’m getting married" he said happily.
"Is she pregnant?"
"No! And I can’t even believe you would think I would marry someone because I got her pregnant. I love Gwen"
"I’m sorry Hank, I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately. Congratulations"
"Thanks. Luis something has been eating at you since the trial. What happened?"
"Nothing happened at the trial Hank. I promise"
"Then what is it? Come on, I am really worried about you. And I can’t have my best man walking around like a zombie"
"Your best man"
"Yep the job is yours but only if you tell me the truth"
"Fine ok. Do you remember when I got caught in that blizzard?"
"Yeah Luis, I picked you up"
"Well I wasn’t in my car alone"
"Oh really?" Hank’s ears perked up.
"There was this woman named Sheridan stuck with me. And since then I can’t stop thinking about her. The only problem is I don’t know her last name or anything. All I know is she lives in Paris"
"France?"
"No, Paris, Texas. Of coarse France"
"That was six weeks ago. You have to get over it man. You were with her for like six hours tops"
"We did a lot in that time"
"You dog! You had sex with her didn’t you?"
"It was more than just sex to me Hank and that’s the problem"
Sheridan hung up the phone with Gwen. She promised that she would be home soon. But first she would have to tell her family her delicate situation. She told Gwen that she had to wait for the baby to grow so more so an abortion wouldn’t be an option. For she knew if she told her father now he would force to have one. And this baby was all that she had to keep her connected to the tall, dark, and handsome man that flooded her thoughts daily. She wished she knew how to get in touch with him. She knew he had a right to know that he was going to be a father. But all she knew was that his name was Luis and he was a cop some where in New England. She was scared to raise this baby alone but she refused to give it up. She hoped the baby had his eyes.
Luis agreed to be Hank’s best man. Unfortunately though Luis was going undercover for what could end up being months, and he didn’t have time to meet Gwen first. He promised to be back as soon as possible and help with the wedding plans. He was genuinely excited for his friend. Hank never was the type to settle down but this woman seemed to have him under some spell. It was definitely love. He gathered the files he would need to take with him and left the station. It was off to Boston for who knows how long.
Chapter 5:
***Three months later***
Luis walked into the book café finally relaxed. After three long months the case he had been on had finally been cracked. He was sick of Boston. Well the city itself wasn’t so bad, but it was so rustle and bustle. He liked the calmness of small town life. He was meeting Hank and his fiancée for coffee and an update on the wedding. He was pleasantly surprised it was still on. Hank deserved the best and it finally looked like he was going to get it. Hank had wrote him letters updating him and given them to his police chief brother to give to Luis. Hank seemed like a little kid at Christmas, so excited. He ordered his black coffee and sat and waited. He didn’t wait for long when Hank burst through the door followed closely by a lovely strawberry blonde. Hanks walked over and gave Luis a manly hug. Hank introduced Gwen to Luis and left them to get coffee. Luis kept staring at Gwen, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they had met before. Gwen on the other hand knew exactly why. They had met before, well walked past each other was more like it.
"Is there something wrong Luis?" Gwen asked knowing why he was staring at her strangely.
"You look familiar. Do I know you?" Luis gazed at her intently.
"I just must have one of the familiar kind of faces" Gwen changed the subject quickly. "You and Hank have been friends for a long time huh?"
"Practically since birth" Luis sipped on his coffee.
"The you probably know some embarrassing stories about him"
"Too many to count" Luis confessed, but at the moment Hank returned.
"But he isn’t going to tell you a single one of them" Hank kissed her on the cheek as he sat.
"Oh I will, just not now. She needs to know what she is getting into Porky" Luis chuckled and Hank shot him an evil glance.
"Porky?" Gwen inquired. "Oh now I am intrigued"
"You need to know nothing about that Honey"
"I’ll find out" she laughed.
"How are the wedding plans coming?" Luis helped his friend by changing the subject.
"Great" Gwen gushed. "Everything is really coming together"
"That’s wonderful to hear"
"But Luis, it is great to have you here. My best friend got in yesterday and she is going to meet us soon. It wouldn’t have been the same without the two of you. We talk about each of you all the time"
"Thanks Gwen. I can see why Hank likes you so much"
"I don’t just like her buddy. I love her" Hank announced sweetly.
"Such a sweetheart" she patted Hank on the cheek. "Oh I see Sheridan outside. I need to go talk to her a second" Gwen rushed from the table.
"Sheridan? Her friend’s name is Sheridan?" Luis asked hesitantly.
"Yeah Luis, there is something we need to talk about. You know that woman you got stuck with in your car, and you couldn’t stop thinking about three months ago?" Luis nodded unable to speak. "She’s Gwen’s best friend"
"This is uncanny. This is great. This is amazing" Luis got more and more excited.
"Luis, slow down. There are some things you don’t know"
"Like what?"
"Like Sheridan is Sheridan Crane. Of thee Cranes. Her brother killed your father"
"She had nothing to do with that Hank. We were just kids"
"But if you were to get involved with her do you think her father would approve? He isn’t the nicest man"
"Involved with her? I don’t even know her. I just want the chance to" Luis admitted.
"There is one more thing"
"Later" Luis interrupted. "They’re coming in"
"Okay" Hank groaned.
Gwen rushed outside to meet Sheridan and stopped her from going inside. Sheridan looked confused as to why Gwen was blocking her way to the door. She wanted a muffin and it was dangerous keeping a pregnant woman from food.
"Gwen, what’s going on?" Sheridan questioned.
"There is something I have to tell you"
"What is it? I’m hungry Gwen"
"Luis is inside with Hank"
"Luis? My Luis?" Gwen nodded. "Why is he with Hank?"
"He’s Hank’s best friend and best man"
"Does he know about me?"
"He probably does now"
"Gwen how long have you known? Were you ever planning on telling with me?" Sheridan asked full of rage. A mood swing was now in full affect.
"Calm down Sheridan. It’s not good for the baby"
"Oh god, the baby! Does he know? Does he know I am pregnant with his child?"
"No, made Hank promise not to tell him that it was his. But I wanted him to warn him of your condition"
"Well come on, there is so much we need to talk about. So much I need to tell him"
"You’re not mad at me are you?"
"I’ll get over it" Sheridan gave Gwen a hug.
Sheridan walked into the café and locked eyes with Luis. She saw him look her up and down and when he reached her stomach his eyes bulged. Obviously Hank hadn’t gotten to that part yet. He just stared at her belly, as she got closer. Hank and Gwen excused themselves unnoticed. Luis pulled out a chair for Sheridan and she sat down. He then sat down across the table from her. They still hadn’t said a word. Luis didn’t know what to say and neither did Sheridan.
"You’re pregnant" Luis stated as if she didn’t have a clue.
"I know" she faked a laugh. "And it’s yours" Sheridan blurted out not sure how else to tell him. Luis had just taken a bite of a pastry and began to choke. "Luis, Luis! Are you okay?" she rushed behind him and started to pat him on the back. Luis recovered from his trauma and turned to her. Again he just stared at her stomach, almost as if she didn’t exist. But she didn’t mind, she knew he was adjusting to the shock. Sheridan began to giggle. And he looked up at her, his eyes filled with confusion. "The baby’s kicking" she took Luis’s hand and pressed it to her stomach. He felt the baby kick and a smile broadened across his face.
"This is amazing" he sighed.
"Yeah" she smiled. Then she walked over and sat back down. "So I guess we have a lot to talk about"
"That’s for sure" Luis took a sipped his coffee and got ready for something that was going to change the rest of his life.
Chapter 6:
Sheridan and Luis sat alone at their table in the book café. Sheridan eyed Luis’s half eaten muffin. She knew they had so much to talk about but that muffin look so damn inviting. She licked her lips in anticipation. Luis had been watching her and he just laughed. He thought about how all the stereotypes were right, all pregnant woman think about is food.
"Are you hungry?" Luis asked trying not to laugh.
"Starving" she admitted. "Can I please have some of your muffin?"
"No" Luis said flatly as he got up. "I’ll get you your own. Be right back" he kissed her on the cheek as he passed. He returned with a muffin of her own. As soon as he put it in front of her she started to devour it. It was half gone by the time he was seated again. "I guess you weren’t lying" he couldn’t help but laugh this time.
"God, I must look like a pig" she said as her face turned pink. "I know you want to talk but can…"
"Finish your muffin first" Luis interrupted.
"Thank you" she continued to eat. The waitress came up to the table and placed a drink in front of her. "What’s this?" she asked Luis.
"I thought you might need a little more than a muffin so I got you a fruit smoothie too. But I thought you might like the muffin right away before you gnawed off your fingers"
"You’re hysterical. Do you know that? But thank you, it was really sweet"
"So can we talk now?"
"Right you probably have a lot of questions huh?"
"You could say that"
"Ok. Well this little bundle" she rubbed her stomach as she talked. "was conceived the night of the blizzard. And before you ask it’s yours. I wasn’t with anyone for months before you and there definitely wasn’t anyone after you"
"Sheridan I wasn’t going to ask. I have no reason to think that you weren’t truthful with me"
"I know, but it had to be said. I didn’t want you to ever wonder. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner but I had no way to get in touch with you. All I knew was your name was Luis and you were a cop in the states" tears began to spill on her cheeks.
"Hey, it’s ok. We didn’t exactly exchange numbers before you left. Please stop crying" he pleaded.
"I’m sorry I’ve just been so emotional lately" she wiped her tears.
"I’d say you have a right to be. Not knowing if you had to raise a kid by yourself and just being pregnant has to takes its toll on you"
"Thank you for understanding Luis"
"Lopez-Fitzgerald"
"What?"
"My last name. Lopez-Fitzgerald. Sheridan Crane"
"How?…"
"Hank told me"
"Right. Can you believe our best friends are getting married? How strange is that? It is like destiny or something that we were going to meet again"
"You sound like my little sister. You have to meet her while you’re here. She’d love you. By the way how long are you staying in the states anyways?" he asked hoping she would say forever.
"Until after the wedding"
"You can’t go back to Paris. I want to be in my child’s life" he said angrily.
"Luis, please calm down. Can we go somewhere a little more private and talk about this? Please" she begged not wanting to cause a scene.
"Yeah, we can go to my house. Some of my family might be there but I’m sure they can leave us alone"
"You have a family? I don’t want to cause problems for you and your wife" she said sadly knowing that Luis would now never be hers.
"No!" Luis said quickly. "You misunderstood. I still live with my Mom and brother and sister. I’m not married" he corrected her.
"Oh" she said relieved. "Then let’s go"
They left the book café and Sheridan followed Luis in her car. He tried to get her to ride with him, but she refused. He tried to throw in the pregnancy clause, but she said being pregnant didn’t affect her driving abilities. As long as she could still get behind the wheel she would drive herself. She didn’t like people taking care of her. She had to care of herself her whole life, she wasn’t ready to let someone else help. They reached his house and he jumped out of his jeep and ran to her car. He helped her out and steadied her, he didn’t need to be so protective of her, but he obviously cared about the child growing inside of her so she would indulge him. They walked past his jeep and Sheridan couldn’t help but look in the back seat.
"Yeah I got it out of the snow" he said as if he could read her thoughts. "And I can’t get in it without thinking of you"
"Can’t get the regretful memories out of your head?"
"How could I regret something like that? It was amazing and you know it sweetheart" he said as he nuzzled his nose into her cheek and the playfully nipped at her earlobe.
They finally entered the house because some spring rain started to fall on them. They were greeted by his mother, who was at the kitchen table reading the paper. She looked up at her son and smiled and then passed him and her smile got bigger.
"Miss Sheridan?" Pilar asked in disbelief.
"Pilar?" she pushed past Luis and hugged her.
"You two know each other?" Luis just gazed at them.
"Yes Luis, I still worked the mansion when Sheridan was a girl. They sent her to Paris for school and we lost touch. I am surprised she still remembers me"
"Remember you? Of coarse I do. You were always there for me. Trying your hardest to make me just a little bit happy. I will always be thankful to you for that"
"It was nothing" Pilar finally realized that Sheridan was pregnant when the initial shock of her being there ware off. "Please sit down" she motioned to the table.
"You two are just alike. What are you going to do when I blow up like a balloon? I am only five months along. I am going to get a lot bigger"
"Can I get you something Miss Sheridan? Juice, water?"
"Some water would be wonderful, but please drop the Miss. You don’t work for my family anymore and you shouldn’t have called me that in the first place"
"Always so sweet" Pilar placed a glass of water in front of Sheridan and kissed her cheek. Luis remained near the door, leaning against it. He watched the two exchanged words and was glad his mother liked Sheridan so much. "Now where is your husband? And how do you know my son?" Pilar sat at the table with her.
"I’m not married Pilar" Sheridan admitted.
"What does Alistair have to say? He can not be happy that you are pregnant and not married"
"He doesn’t know yet. And I am so happy to see you are not holding what Julian did against me. I’m sorry for your loss and that I have such a horrible brother" Sheridan tried but she couldn’t keep a few tears from escaping.
"You were in Paris when it happened dear and you have a heart of gold. I don’t hold your brother’s misdeeds against you" Pilar reached across the table and took Sheridan’s hand in hers.
"Thank you. And Luis and I, well we know each other because…" she looked at Luis and he nodded in approval. "He’s the baby’s father"
"Dios Mijo! How? Sheridan I thought you lived in Paris"
"I do" she said ashamed to tell her what happened in that jeep.
"Mama" Luis walked to the table. "Sheridan just got back from Paris and we have a lot to talk about"
"Of coarse. Why don’t you two go in the living room. Miguel and Theresa should be home from school soon and I want to start dinner. You will stay won’t you Sheridan?"
"Sure, if Luis wants me to"
"She’ll be here mama" he reached his hand out and Sheridan accepted it. They made their way into the living room to finish their talk.
Chapter 7:
Sheridan sat on the couch and Luis sat next her. They had a lot to work out tonight. Luis hoped that they would come to some sort of agreement on her staying in Harmony. That way he could be in his child’s life and hopefully hers too. They both looked at each other unsure of how to go about this. Unsure how the other felt, but it was time to put the cards on the table.
"Luis, I know you want to be in this baby’s life, but I can’t stay here" Sheridan started.
"Why? I know Harmony can’t be as exciting as Paris but you could at least give it a shot" he said not knowing her true reasons.
"You don’t understand. I have always wanted to come back here. I remember living in Harmony as the best times of my life"
"Then why not stay here?"
"It’s not my decision. My father doesn’t want me here. When we met I was coming home to stay. I was sick of being away from my best friend and nephew. But my father refused to let me. He ordered me to go back to Paris. He would have married me off to some rich, boring, lifeless man. I was safe in Paris. I didn’t want to go into a loveless marriage"
"That’s why you had to leave for Paris so suddenly. It didn’t have anything to do with me"
"No of coarse not Luis. I wanted to see you again so much. You were so sweet to me in the car. Trying to keep my mind off of what could happen to us. I still remember the story about your dad and the fishing trip. I just didn’t know my brother killed your father at the time. I am soo sorry"
"No don’t start that again. My mother was right it is not your fault. So stop acting like it is. Now back to you and me. If you had been able to stay would you have gone out with me?"
"In a heartbeat" she admitted.
"Will you go out with me tomorrow night?"
"I would love to, but I am trying to keep a low profile. I don’t want my father to know I am here"
"You’re that afraid of him?"
"I always have been. He can do so much. I don’t want to risk the baby’s life"
"Do you want me to go with you? We could tell him together" he offered.
"NO! Luis promise me you will stay away from him. He will eat you alive" her eyes were full of fear.
"Ok, I will stay clear of your father" he lied. He had every intention of going to him and asking him for her hand in marriage. He was going to keep her in town. Although he couldn’t resist sealing his promise with a kiss, which she gladly accepted.
Miguel and Theresa came into the room. They were laughing about something someone did at school. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Luis kissing some mysterious woman. They laughed even harder when Luis saw them standing in the doorway. He broke from the kiss quickly and tried to look like the big brother he should be.
"Hi guys. How was school?" Luis asked trying to avoid the questions that danced in their eyes.
"I thought it was fun, but not as much as it looked like you were just having" Miguel teased.
"You’re going to pay for that"
Luis jumped from the couch and started chasing Miguel around the room. He finally caught him and put him in a headlock. Theresa tried to get past Luis and into the kitchen. But he grabbed her with his free hand pulled her close too. They were all laughing and Sheridan just watched on. She thought about how wonderful a father Luis was going to be. She couldn’t take that away from him. She decided right then that she was going to fight to stay in Harmony. Luis introduced Sheridan to his brother and sister. They both thought she was very nice and then went upstairs to do their homework before dinner.
"You’re going to be a terrific father" she told him as he sat down with her again. She scooted closer to him and he took her in his arms.
"If I get the chance" he said sadly.
"You will. I promise. I’m staying here"
"Really?"
"Really" he kissed her forehead and squeezed his arms tighter around her.
"I’m glad you are staying. I want the chance to get to know you just as much as the baby"
"You mean that?"
"I don’t lie" he pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it.
Pilar had come into the room to announce that dinner was ready, but now she didn’t have the heart to do it. She looked on as Luis embraced Sheridan and felt that they were some of the lucky ones. They would experience true love and the just found it. She didn’t want to interrupt a moment like this. They seemed so content and she couldn’t do anything but watch them and remember that she was this way with Martin.
"Whatever Pilar is making smells wonderful" she said still snuggled into his chest.
"Is that all you ever think about?" he chuckled and Pilar couldn’t help but join in. Luis and Sheridan turned their heads to notice her watching them.
"Dinner is ready Sheridan" Pilar watched Sheridan bounce to her feet and Pilar and Luis laughed harder.
"Great let’s eat" she said happily tugging at Luis.
"We better find her or she will start looking at us like we are Christmas turkeys" Pilar laughed again and then went upstairs to gather Miguel and Theresa.
"You will always look good enough to eat to me" Sheridan whispered in Luis’s ear. "And food isn’t the only thing pregnant women crave" she winked, gave him a slap on the butt, and walked into the kitchen. Luis groaned and followed her like a lost puppy.
Luis, Pilar, Theresa, Miguel, and Sheridan sat around the table and enjoyed their meal and conversations. They talked about Luis and his job and the undercover case he had just cracked. Sheridan was proud of him for getting the bad guy in the end but the fact that he could have been hurt scared her more than it should have. Sure she was carrying this man’s child but it was a product of an extreme circumstance. She shouldn’t be feeling something for Luis. They hardly knew each other. But the fact was she did feel something. And that scared her even more. She knew Luis was stuck with her now and she knew for a fact that he would take of his responsibilities. But she didn’t want to be one of his responsibilities, she wanted his love. And she was sure she would never get it. Overcome with emotion, tears started to slide down her cheek. Luis looked at her and instantly felt a pang in his heart. He hated to see her hurting.
"Sheridan, what’s wrong?" Luis leaned to her and whispered. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I’m fine" she lied. "I just need some air. Excuse me everyone"
Sheridan practically ran to the door and once outside she let the tears flow freely. It was just like it would always be. She would be loved out of obligation. Her father loved her because she was his daughter and now Luis would love her to be near his child. She didn’t even doubt he would ask her to marry him just so he could spend every moment with his child. She wasn’t going to let that happen. She wouldn’t marry someone that didn’t love her. She had spent her life avoiding that and wouldn’t succumb to that now. She didn’t hear Luis come out and join her. There was still a light spring rain and Sheridan didn’t seem to care or notice. He put his arms around a shivering Sheridan trying to warm her.
"What is it Sheridan?" he asked.
"I have to go" she said suddenly and then hurried to her car.
"Where are you going?" he asked grabbing her arm.
"Back to Paris. I can’t stay" she tried to free her arm.
"You can’t go!" he said forcefully.
"You can’t tell me what to do" she said stubbornly.
"You can’t leave me again" he said trying to bring her close to him.
"Luis you just don’t want to lose your child. You don’t give a damn about me so stop. Don’t worry I am not going to keep you from its life. The baby deserves you and your love"
"I care about you too!"
"Luis, you’re hurting me. Please let go"
Sheridan knew he would. He had a good heart and wouldn’t want to hurt a woman. She ran to her car hopped in locking the doors so he couldn’t get at her. Luis sighed knowing he was defeated. He didn’t know why she was doing what she was but he sure as hell didn’t want to lose her again. But it didn’t look like he was going to get a choice in the matter.
Chapter 8:
Sheridan reached towards her ignition only to find her keys not there. She had left them in her purse which was now conveniently in Luis’s house. She smacked her hands against the steering wheel and looked as Luis smirked at her and leaned back against her house. Luis laughed, maybe he did have a choice in the matter or maybe someone was looking out for him. Whatever the reason he was glad she couldn’t run away.
"Are you going to sit in there all day?" he egged her on.
"If I want to" she said stubbornly.
"I see you have a pigheaded side to you"
"You’re not going to get me out of here using flattery" she spat back.
"Come on Sheridan, get out of the car" he started to demand but then changed his tune. "Please" he was pleasantly surprised when she unlocked the door and swung it open.
"You win" she huffed.
"It wasn’t a contest" he said flatly. "Now let’s get you out of the rain"
"Don’t feign your concern for me"
He tried to put his arm around her but she shook it off. He opened the door for her and she walked in. Pilar and the kids had finished dinner and cleaned up and the kitchen was empty for them to talk. The first thing Luis did was grab her purse. She wasn’t going to try and run again. Not while he had her keys.
"Give me my purse" she demanded.
"Ok" he fished out her keys first and then handed her the purse.
"The keys too"
"No way. So you can run again? I don’t think so" he rebuffed. "We need to talk"
"So talk" she sat down and threw her purse on the table.
"What’s going on with you? Is this a mood swing or was this afternoon a mood swing? You seemed to like to be around me and now you can’t seem to get rid of me fast enough"
"I just came to a realization"
"And what was that?"
"That I needed to get out of here before I got hurt"
"I would never hurt you"
"Not intentionally no, but without realizing it I think you might"
"How?" Luis finally sat with her instead of leaning on the counter.
"Luis, I have always been loved because of obligation. It would be that way with you too. You might think you like me and want to get to know me better but is it only because I am carrying your child. It has nothing to do with me"
"It has everything to do with you. Don’t you remember me trying to ask you out before you left for Paris?"
"Yes"
"There wasn’t a baby then, just you. The baby is just an added bonus"
"You really mean that?"
"I told you I don’t lie" he reached over the table and covered her hands with his. "Look there is a lot of things we need to work out and try out. It might not work out, but we owe it to ourselves to try. We could miss out on something amazing if we don’t"
"You’re right"
"I know"
"So sure of yourself"
"Why not, I am always right"
"You’re such a jerk" she teased.
"So about that date tomorrow night, will you come out with me?"
"Ummm" she furrowed her brow pretending to be deep in thought. "If we stay out of highly public places than yes"
"What if I come over to your place and fix you dinner?"
"That’s going to be kind of hard"
"Why?"
"I am staying in a hotel"
"You’re not anymore" he said quickly. "You’ll stay here" he said without giving her a choice.
"You need to stop that Luis. I might be pregnant but I can make my own decisions" she said in a way that wasn’t meant to be forceful but would still get her point across.
"You’re right"
"Meaning you’re wrong?" she quickly jumped in. He shot her a funny look and nodded conceding.
"So will you please stay here instead of the hotel? Mama always cooks and I will wait on you hand and foot. What could be better than that?" Luis asked and then flashed her his best puppy dog eyes.
"Oh that’s not fair. Our child better not learn that or I will never be able to say no"
"So does that mean you’ll stay?" he asked hopefully.
"Under some conditions"
"And they are"
"You being my personal servant is nixed. I want to be able to do things for myself. You can’t be Mr. Worry wart all the time"
"Is that all?"
"For now yes"
"Then I have one condition of my own. You have to tell you father about the baby. Before it’s born. And can we find out what it is so I can stop calling it it"
"Yes of coarse. I have an ultrasound next week. About my father though…
"
"Sheridan you can’t avoid him forever. Don’t you want him at our wedding?"
"Our wedding?"
"Yep. Yours and mine, but we are going to wait until this big boy pops out so he can be there"
"Boy? Luis you sure are grasping at straws"
"I can dream can’t I? I don’t think I could handle a little you running around" she swatted at his hand.
"You ARE a jerk, but I still like you"
Pilar had come in the kitchen then and noticed that Sheridan and Luis looked to be on better terms than when she saw them out the window. She was happy for them but was concerned that they were still in their wet clothes.
"You two really should change your clothes" she scolded. "I think we can find you something to wear Sheridan"
"I’m fine really Pilar" she tried to assure her, but Pilar would hear nothing of it.
"I won’t have you getting sick Sheridan. Luis take her upstairs and find her something"
"Yes mama" Luis replied before Sheridan could argue again. They got up from the table headed in the direction of the stairs. "By the way mama Sheridan is going to be staying with us for awhile. I didn’t want her staying at a hotel"
"Of coarse Luis. I am happy to have her"
Luis led her to his room and sat her on his bed and began to search his drawers.
"No offence, but I don’t think you will fit into Theresa’s or Mama’s clothes so mine will have to work"
"Are you calling me fat?" she tested him.
"Not fat, pregnant" he answered without thinking.
"Good answer" he handed her a pair of sweats. "Harmony PD huh?"
"Sorry I don’t have any Donna whoever but it is dry"
"I wouldn’t ask for more" she smiled. "Where can I change?"
"Here" he waited for her reaction, thinking she would tell him to go to hell and give her some privacy but she started to change in front of him. "I’ll go" he suggested.
"You’ve seen me naked before" she reminded him.
"I know but this is different"
"Luis you are going to see a lot more of me in the delivery room. So I suggest you get used to it"
"I’m never going to get used to the fact that I get to see you naked" he admitted.
"God you are too sweet for your own good. What am I going to with you?"
"Kiss me?" he asked sheepishly as she stood there in just her shirt.
"You can’t kiss me from way over there" she beckoned him.
He closed the gap and the kissed sweetly and slowly. This kiss was tender and beautiful. It was nothing like their previous ones. They were hot and lust driven but this one held more emotions, affection and possibly love. They broke apart and Sheridan finished changing. As she brought the sweatshirt over her head she took in a deep breath. Mostly she smelled detergent but he was in there lingering. She knew she was going to sleep well tonight. They talked for a while about Gwen and Hank’s wedding. They called them and planned to meet to work on the plans. Sheridan also agreed to talk to her father. They talked into the night way past Sheridan’s bedtime. When she told Luis this laughed, then apologized and then said he would leave her to sleep. He was planning on sleeping on the couch. She agreed it was best for the time being, but he shouldn’t get used to it. He kissed her on the cheek and left her to sleep. As he lay on the couch he thought about all he had learned about her in that talk. Her mother died giving birth to her and she was told him she was scared she might die too. He also learned that she could fly a plane and loved to dance. She told him if he wanted to dance with her it better be soon otherwise junior would have other plans. He didn’t ever remember laughing so much in one night. She had a way of making him want to cry and laugh in the same moment. The more time he spent with her the more sure he was that he was going spend his lifetime with her. His last thought before falling asleep was that he hoped she kept her word. He didn’t want to be sleeping on the couch for much longer.
Chapter 9:
*** One Month Later ***
Luis yelled upstairs to Sheridan. She was still getting ready for the wedding and they had to be there in five minutes. She had to put on her dress and take it off so many times to go to the bathroom. She refused to let it get wrinkled. They were about to leave when she had to use the bathroom again. Luis finally heard her coming and he jumped on the couch and grabbed a book. He flipped it open and pretended to read.
"Very funny" she said when she saw him. "It would have been more convincing if the book was right side up"
"Are you ready?"
"Yep"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes I am sure Luis. Let’s get to the church"
Sheridan and Luis made it to the church in record time. Hank grabbed Luis as soon as he got in the door and Sheridan heard Gwen yell to her. They quickly kissed each other and went to their separate rooms. Sheridan hurried along as she followed Gwen’s voice. She didn’t need directions to the room Gwen was providing them.
"You’re late" Gwen huffed.
"Sorry. I was having issues" Sheridan apologized.
"The peeing thing again?"
"It never stops" she confessed causing Gwen to laugh.
"So ok. I have something borrowed, something blue, and something new. Where is my something old?" she panicked.
"Nervous much? Calm down Gwen"
"Sorry I just want everything to be perfect"
"I know you do hon. Here I brought you something" she handed Gwen a small box. Gwen opened it and started to cry. She held out the antique bracelet. It was gold and had sapphires in it. "Something old" she said proudly.
"Thank you" she placed it around her wrist.
"It was my grandmothers. I wanted you to have it"
"But Sheridan don’t you want to wear it on your wedding day?"
"You can let me borrow it" she smiled. "Plus I don’t plan on being married anytime soon" she admitted.
"I thought things were going well between you and Luis. What happened?"
"Same old thing. I know he puts up a good front but I know he is just in this for the best of the baby. And the more I think about it the more I know it is not what I want"
"How can you not want Luis?" she looked at herself in the mirror happy with what she saw.
"That’s the problem. I do want him. More than anything in the world. But if he doesn’t want me than I can’t ever truly be happy and how can that be good for the baby?"
"Sheridan, have you been talking to your father again? Last time you came home from a visit with him you told Luis to go to hell for doing this to you and then you remembered you came on to him. All that happened because your father poisoned your mind"
"No I haven’t seen him since then. This is all my doing" she paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. "I am going back to Paris in the morning"
"Sheridan, you can’t go. I don’t want my best friend so far away" Gwen argued.
"I am not going to stay. I just need some time alone and away from Luis. He could use some time away from me too. I will be back before the baby is born. I know he wants to be there and I can’t deny him that"
"If you care about him so much why don’t you stay and fight for him?"
"He doesn’t want me Gwen. Let’s drop this ok. This is supposed to be your big day. A happy time! You’re getting married to the man of your dreams"
"I know" Gwen screamed. "Aren’t you proud of me I am going through with it this time!"
"Yes. Hank is a wonderful man. And you have the blizzard to thank for that. If Luis and I hadn’t gotten stuck you wouldn’t have had to come pick me up and met Hank in the waiting room"
"God sure does work in mysterious ways doesn’t he?"
"Yeah he does" she said sadly. And then organ music started. "That’s our cue. You ready?"
"As I’ll ever be"
Hank dragged Luis into the room where he was getting ready. Hank was pacing the room like a maniac. He was fidgeting with anything he could get a hold of and look as if he was going to get sick from nerves.
"You look tense buddy. What’s up?" Luis asked standing in front of him so he would stop pacing.
"What if Gwen walks out on me?"
"She loves you man, get a grip"
"Get a grip he says. She has done three times before" he pointed out.
"But she has never gotten to the ceremony before" Luis rebuffed.
"Ok, you’re right. I’m better now"
"Sure you are" Luis laughed. "Hank, can I ask you a question?"
"You just did" he chuckled.
"This is serious"
"Yeah ok. Shoot"
"How did you propose to Gwen?"
"You thinking about proposing to Sheridan?" he asked and watched Luis fish into his pocket and pull out a ring. "I guess so"
"Don’t worry I wasn’t going to overshadow your big day, but I was thinking it might happen while you were on your honeymoon. I don’t know how much longer I can wait"
"You have it bad for her don’t you?"
"In the worst way. I need her. She is the most amazing person I have ever met. So how did you do it?"
"It was nothing special or romantic. We were at the carnival on the pier and I put a quarter in one of those machines that spits out the eggs with something inside. Well inside was a ring and I thought why the hell not. So I asked her to marry me"
"You didn’t have it planned?"
"Nope, if I did I probably would have chickened out. The next day we shopped for the real ring and the rest is history. She still wears the other ring sometimes but it barely fits her pinky. But this is me and you definitely need a plan. Something with a lot of candles etcetera"
"Thanks for the help" he said sarcastically.
"Anytime buddy, anytime" Hank looked at his watch. "It’s time. Let’s get this show on the road. I’ll see you up front man"
Luis watched Hank bound out of the room. Luis was to walk Sheridan down the isle and then stand with Hank. Hank’s brother Sam and Gwen’s brother Kevin were also in the wedding. Along with Gwen’s cousin Susan and Hank’s little sister Lori. Kevin and Lori walked down followed by Sam and Susan. Then it was Luis and Sheridan’s turn. They linked arms and waited for their turn.
"If I haven’t told you yet today, you look beautiful" Luis praised her.
"Thank you" he said quietly. She didn’t want his compliments it was going to make her leaving harder.
"What’s wrong? You seem a million miles away"
"I am just thinking about something. I’m sorry"
"Something I can help with?"
"No" she said her voice hardly audible.
"Ok, but we are going to talk later. I can tell you are keeping something from me"
Sheridan just nodded. She didn’t want to cause a scene at her best friends wedding. Finally it was their turn to take the isle and the walked together smiling. Luis’s was real, Sheridan had to force hers. The ceremony was beautiful and Gwen did come down the isle and follow through with the nuptials. Next to come was the reception. But there would be one less person there. Sheridan took Gwen aside after the wedding during pictures and told her she was leaving as soon as everyone left the church. Gwen was disappointed Sheridan wouldn’t be at the reception but she knew it was something her friend needed to do. She would tell people she wasn’t feeling well and they would understand. Sheridan was after all six months pregnant. Hopefully that would buy her some time with Luis too. Gwen had no doubt he would go look for her. The pictures were taken and Luis looked around for Sheridan. Gwen told him she took the car to go home and get some medicine. She also said Sheridan wanted him to take the Limo with the rest of the wedding party and not worry about her. Luis couldn’t help but worry. He didn’t know why but he didn’t quite believe Gwen’s story but he chalked it up to her being on a wedding high. He got in the Limo and was off to the reception with everyone else.
Chapter 10:
*** Two Months Later ***
Luis dialed Hank and Gwen’s number just like he did every morning. He sat at the table drinking his coffee and he called them hoping they had heard from Sheridan. She had left for Paris two months ago and still hadn’t come back. Or even contacted him. They only way he heard that she was ok was through Gwen. And she didn’t get a lot of information either.
"Hey Luis" Hank answered knowing it would be him. Caller ID is a wonderful technology.
"Any news?" they always skipped the formalities.
"I’ll put Gwen on" Luis heard the rustle of the phone and then heard Gwen.
"HI Luis"
"So I take it she called. I only talk to you when she does"
"She called last night" she informed him.
"And?" he waited impatiently.
"Same story she is fine, the baby is kicking up a storm, and she still won’t tell us her number or address"
"I wish caller ID worked internationally" Luis said in despair.
"Actually Luis, she isn’t in Paris anymore. Her number came up on the caller ID and it was a Boston number"
"She’s back?" he was floored.
"She always said she would be. Luis she knew you wanted to be there when the baby was born. She wouldn’t take that away from you"
"She tool herself away from me why would this be any different" he said harshly. Gwen knew she hurt him more than she would ever realize. "Give me the phone number Gwen" he ordered.
"Luis, don’t do anything stupid"
"Gwen!" his patience was gone.
"Ok, it’s 555-7892. The number came up as The Regent Hotel. Luis don’t scare her away. I want her here as much as you do"
"Gwen how would you feel if Hank disappeared for two months and wouldn’t even call you"
"You love her don’t you?"
"With all my heart and soul" he admitted.
"Ok, you can never tell her I told you this but she left because she thought you didn’t truly love her. And she was so in love with you she couldn’t see straight"
"How could she think that?"
"Did you ever tell her you loved her?" she asked knowing the answer, Sheridan had told her as much.
"Not in so many words" Luis could see where this was going. He wasn’t good with talking to people about his feelings.
"Her father has never once told her he loved her, EVER. She doesn’t think any man can love her without strings attached. To her, your string is the baby"
"Thanks Gwen, I needed to hear that. If you hear from her again don’t tell her I know she is back. Please"
"You got it Luis. Now go find her"
Luis hung up without saying goodbye. He wrote his mother a note and was out of the door in a flash. He was on his way to Boston.
Sheridan sat in her hotel room reading a book on childbirth. She hadn’t taken any classes and that scared her. She was scared enough that she would die in labor and not being prepared acres her more. So she read every book she could find. She had gotten back to the states yesterday, and called Gwen and Hank last night. She asked how Luis was and they told her the same thing. All he did was work. It was his escape. She thought about calling him but she couldn’t, not just yet. She would return to Harmony tomorrow and call him from there. Maybe she would just show up at the station and surprise him. But did he even want to see her. But of coarse he would want to know how Junior was doing. She had convinced him at the ultrasound that the baby being a surprise was better. But he still refused to call the baby it, so they called the baby Junior instead. No matter what they named this kid she had a feeling that its nickname would always be Junior. She kind of liked that though, it proved Luis loved the baby. She was getting tired so she put the book down and laid her head against the pillow. She was asleep within seconds.
Luis hightailed it to Boston. He knew he was breaking the law but he couldn’t let Sheridan slip away again. They still had a month before the baby was due and he wanted to have things patched up before then. He pulled into her hotel parking lot and shut off the engine. He had no idea what he was going to say to her but he didn’t have time to think. He needed to see her and make sure she was ok and hold her in his arms. He didn’t care if she didn’t want him to, he was going to hold her and tell her how much he loved her no matter how much she didn’t want to listen. He walked into the lobby and over to the receptionist.
"May I have Sheridan Crane’s room number please?" he asked politely.
"Is she expecting you sir?"
"No" he replied.
"I’m sorry sir, but I am going to have to call and announce you first"
"No, please don’t. She won’t want to see me. I’ll just go. But can you tell me something? Have you seen her, does she look healthy. Does the baby seem ok?"
"You’re the babies father I take it. Yes she seems healthy, but very sad all the time. Are you sure you don’t want me to call her, she might see you" the woman offered.
"Thank you but no. She won’t see me. She has been hiding from me for two months in Paris. She just got back"
"I’m sorry sir. Do you want me to tell her you stopped by?"
"No thank you. But thank you for offering" Luis left the desk struggling to come to terms with defeat. She would have to pick a hotel with top-notch security. He went back to his jeep and just sat in it. He didn’t know what he was going to do next.
Sheridan woke up and was hungry. What a big surprise. She was always hungry. She decided against room service and the hotel restaurant. She wanted to get out for a while. She never was a homebody. She pushed herself up fixed her hair and makeup and took the elevator to the main floor. She walked up to the receptionist to ask if she had any messages. She knew she wouldn’t. No one knew she was here, but there was always the possibility Gwen had *69-ed her or they had caller ID.
"Good afternoon Miss Crane" she greeted Sheridan warmly.
"Do I have any messages?"
"No, I’m sorry, but there was a gentleman here to see you"
"Did he leave his name?" Sheridan panicked, who would come see her?
"No, but I do believe he was the babies father. He wanted to know if you were well"
"When did he leave?" she asked hastily.
"About twenty minutes ago"
"I need to check out immediately. And please if he comes back don’t tell him I have done so. Let him believe I am still here"
"As you wish Miss"
Sheridan went back to her room and collected her things. She then got her car out of the garage and took off. She was still hungry so she decided to eat before she went wherever. She picked on of her favorite restaurant and went inside. She had a craving for Chinese.
Luis was in luck. He was still in his car when he saw her pull out of the garage. He pulled out of the lot slowly and followed her. He was surprised when she pulled into a restaurant parking lot. He let her pull in and circled the block not wanting her to see him. He pulled into a strip mall across the street and left his car there. She would recognize it no doubt. He crossed the street and thought about going in the restaurant and confronting her, but he didn’t want to make a scene. He then had a brilliant idea, but he would have to make sure it would work first. He walked up to her car which she had luckily parked in a dark corner. He then touched it, no alarm went off. He then jiggled the handle, still nothing. Finally he picked the lock and hid in the back seat. He knew he was taking a risk, but she was worth it. No one seemed to see him though. Now all he had to do is wait for her to come back.
Sheridan enjoyed her meal and asked for seconds to take with her. She knew she would be hungry again soon. Junior didn’t like to go to long without food. She paid and left a tip and was off. She still wasn’t sure where she was going to go or why she was so afraid to see Luis. She opened her car door and started the engine. She just started driving she didn’t know where nor did she care. The car just started to drive itself. She finally blinked and realized where she was headed. She was on some of the back highways to Harmony.
"Fine" she started to talk to herself. "I’ll go back to Harmony. If Luis is in Boston, I’ll go home and talk to him when he gets back. God I miss him" she confessed.
"I missed you too"
Luis said as he popped out of the back seat. Sheridan screamed in terror and lost control of the car. The car was sent careening into a nearby tree.
Chapter 11:
Luis was still crouched on the floor when they hit the tree. He got thrown against the back of Sheridan’s seat but that was all. Luis jumped up and looked in the front seat. Sheridan groaned as she came too, her face resting on the airbag. The tree had hit the front passenger side. If anyone had been in that seat they would have been in trouble but the rest of the car seemed to be in tact.
"Luis?" Sheridan asked as she remembered what caused the accident.
"Are you ok?" he asked getting out of the car and opening her door.
"I think so" she said shakily.
"And Junior?" he asked rubbing her tummy and it kicked in response. "Ok mad as hell at me for almost getting us all killed, but still kicking like the soccer player he is going to be"
"Yes SHE has a right to be mad. What the hell do you think you were doing?"
"I’m soo sorry I didn’t mean for this to happen. I just needed to see you. And I knew you wouldn’t want to see me"
"It’s ok Luis. We are all ok, but don’t you think it would have been safer to pop out at a stoplight?"
"You said you missed me though. I missed you so much too, I couldn’t sit there any longer"
"You weren’t supposed to hear that"
"But the point is I did"
They were both still standing outside the car. There was still a wall up between them and Luis was fighting to take it down. Every time he moved closer to her, she moved farther away. He was getting frustrated with the games she was playing.
"Sheridan, come here. I need to make sure you are ok" he said angrily.
"I told you I was fine Luis" she spat back. And then it happened. Junior got sick of its parents fighting. "Oh god!" Sheridan sank to her knees. Luis rushed to her side scared to death.
"What’s wrong?" he asked as he helped her to her feet.
"I think I am in labor"
"Are you kidding me? It’s too early" he protested.
"Labor can be started by stressful situation. And what do you think I car wreck is?" she yelled as another contraction started.
"I see Junior wants out and he means business"
"Yes SHE does. God you did this to me Luis I am going to kill you!"
"I love you too" he smiled at her. He helped her into the backseat of her rental car.
"What?" she thought she was hearing things.
"I know this might not be the best time to tell you this but I love you. And not because I have to or because of the baby. I love you for you and that is it. Here I have proof" he handed her the engagement ring he had bought for her.
"Luis it’s beautiful. Oh not another one!" she screamed. "When did you buy it?"
"Before you left for Paris. I was going to propose but then you left me" he cast his eyes downward and tried to mask his pain.
"I hurt you when I left? I can see it in your eyes. How can I hurt you when you do care?"
"I am NOT your father and I do care! I love you, no matter how much you chose not to believe it. I do, I love you Sheridan"
"Stop, ok just stop!" she screamed at him. "I know you’re lying because no man will ever love me for me. I’m cursed! Oh god make them stop!" another contraction took over her body.
"Ok Sheridan I don’t want you to think I am being to forward, but I have to look up your skirt now. I have to see how dilated you are" she just nodded in agreement. "Ok, um Sheridan do you have your cell phone with you? We need an ambulance right away"
"I don’t have one yet" she cried. "Is something wrong with the baby?"
"No, no, no" he assured her. "It’s just that you are going to have this baby and within a matter of minutes"
"Luis, I can’t have this baby here. What if something goes wrong? Luis I don’t want to die"
"Sheridan do you remember when I told you I am trained to handle emergency situations? Well childbirth is one of them. The baby and YOU will be FINE. I promise"
"Are you sure?" she cried.
"I never lie" he assured her.
"I know. Oh god it hurts. I love you Luis. Please take care of our baby"
"You are going to be here and take care of him with me. I love you too, I promise I will always love you" he looked at her cervix again. "Ok, Sheridan I can see the head now. I need you to push"
"I can’t Luis" she cried. "I am so weak"
"No you aren’t. You are the strongest woman I know. Now you need to try"
Sheridan pushed and pushed and Luis guided out their baby into the world. Finally the baby was free. Luis cleared its mouth and it stated to cry. As soon as Sheridan heard its wails tears flowed freely from her eyes. Luis wrapped the baby in his coat and set it in Sheridan’s arms. A police cruiser joined the scene just in time to see the happy family.
"You win" was all Luis said and Sheridan smiled brightly.
"I knew she was going to be a girl" she kissed her head.
"And the cavalry has arrived. See I told you everything was going to be fine"
"And you don’t lie" she smiled again. "Luis?"
"Yeah?" the ambulance came up to their car.
"Can I have my ring?" She asked her eyes full of hope.
"You want it?" Luis asked digging in his pocket. She nodded and held out her left hand. "You got it" he slipped it on her finger.
The paramedics were now on the scene and had mother and daughter strapped in and ready to go. Luis sat next to them and the ambulance speed to the hospital. He ran his fingers through Sheridan’s hair. He smiled as he watched her their daughter.
"You did great back there" he said as he kissed both of them on the forehead.
"So did you" she said weakly. "Luis, can I suggest a name?"
"Of coarse" he intertwined his fingers with hers.
"You won’t laugh?"
"As long as you don’t suggest Junior no. I think she deserves a real name"
"Well…" she began.
"Spit it out"
"Mercedes"
"You want to name her after a car?" he tried his hardest not to laugh.
"Well I did give birth in a Mercedes and she was conceived in a jeep. I see a pattern here" she giggled.
"You’re right. Mercedes it is then. Can I suggest a middle name?" he said with a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.
"I don’t know if I want to know. Blizzard? Snowflake? TREE? Am I getting close here?" she couldn’t help but laugh. She was truly happy, something she had never felt before in her life.
"No not quite. I was thinking Cupid" he started to bust a gut. "She did bring us together"
"Cute very cute. Do you have any real suggestions?" he furrowed his brow as he pondered.
"You know I was sure she was going to be a boy so I always thought we would name him Luis junior"
"So that’s why you always called her Junior"
"A guy can dream can’t he? But I love Mercedes all my heart. I wouldn’t trade her for anything. She is our little miracle, our angel"
"We’ll just have to try again for junior"
"You mean that?"
"We are getting married aren’t we?" she asked with a sexy smile inviting him to kiss her, which he did only to be interrupted by their little one. "I think she wants a full name Luis"
"How about Mercedes Arella Lopez-Fitzgerald"
"Arella? It is pretty but what does it mean?"
"It means she is an angel messenger. She was determined to bring us together. She obviously had an order from a higher power"
"It’s perfect Luis. She’s perfect. Ten fingers, ten toes and a head of dark brown hair. She’s going to be heartbreaker"
"Oh no we have a long time before any of that. How about we concentrate on opening our eyes first, isn’t that right junior"
"I knew it!" Sheridan exclaimed. "No matter what name we gave her she is always going to be junior"
"We might have all girls, someone has to be"
They arrived at the hospital and were declared healthy. Luis stayed over night at the hospital with Sheridan and the baby. He awoke every time Sheridan needed to feed her. He wanted to witness every moment. He didn’t want Sheridan to ever feel alone again. Sheridan realized that once she opened her heart and let Luis’s love invade her there was no better feeling. She knew loved her for her and that Mercedes only made him love her even more. She looked over at Mercedes sleeping in her bassinet and Luis sleeping in a chair and thought about in nine months how wonderful her life had become. And it started with getting stranded in the blizzard.
THE END
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