Here's Part 3 of this AMAZING series!! Enjoy!!
Chapter 1
She was the most beautiful vision he’d ever seen as she walked down the aisle on Ethan’s arm. Even after all this time, Sheridan still managed to take his breath away when she walked in the room. Their eyes met, and there was no mistaking the intense connection that had always been there between them. Her dress was simple eloquence, and the high waistline managed to hide her pregnancy nicely. He still couldn’t believe how quickly they had managed to put this wedding together. When Father Lonigan had fallen and broken his ankle, and was unable to perform the wedding ceremony, Sheridan had asked Father Anthony to marry them. After all, he had been such a positive force in her life, and it was because of him that she had gotten the strength to take her life back.
The wedding party consisted of Miguel as his best man, with Sam and Chad as groomsmen and Gwen as maid of honor with Theresa as a bridesmaid. Everything turned out just as Luis had pictured it. All their family, and friends filled the church, and since it was an evening ceremony, the altar was ablaze with candlelight. As they approached the end of the aisle Ethan kissed Sheridan on the cheek and presented her to Luis. Luis took her hand, and they walked over to the kneeling bench, as Father Anthony began the wedding Mass. Their vows were spoken, and they reaffirmed their love and commitment to each other. As Luis escorted Sheridan down the aisle, they both beamed with happiness. There was a horse-drawn carriage to take them to the reception. They had both agreed that they wanted it to be at the youth center, because it held so many special memories for them both.
When they arrived at the youth center, everyone gasped in surprise. Sheridan and Theresa had done a beautiful job of transforming the place into a magical fairyland. There were potted trees, with tiny white lights, and round tables with skirted tablecloths for the guest to sit and enjoy the large buffet. There was even a section designated as the dance floor, where Sheridan and Luis would enjoy their first dance together. The flower arrangements were beautiful, picking up the tones of the wine colored velvet bridesmaid dresses. Since it was close to Valentines Day, it was reason for a double celebration of love. When it came time for Sheridan and Luis to dance the first dance, he led her to the dance floor, as the strands of “Imagine” filled the air.
When Luis saw tears in Sheridan’s eyes, he said, “I hope those are happy tears, because I would hate to think that marrying me would make you cry,” he teased.
“Oh believe me, they are happy tears. Everything is so beautiful Luis. I couldn’t have dreamed of a more perfect wedding. I just can’t tell you how much this means to me, that you thought of us getting married again.”
“You deserve it………., we deserve it. Everybody should have his or her special day be more that standing in front of a Justice of the Peace. I know this is probably nothing compared to the Crane’s usual standards, but I think everything turned out really nice.”
“I think everything is perfect. I’m way past the point of caring about Crane standards, because Crane standards come with a price. Sell your soul for the good of the family, and everything shall be handed to you on a silver platter. Sorry Luis, but that is a very lonely existence that I don’t want any part of. I finally learned to like myself…. I’ve never been so happy, and you and the twins are the icing on the cake of my wonderful life.”
“So….. I was wondering how long we had to stay at this thing, before we can take off for the honeymoon?”
“Luis, you act like we’ve never been together before, this should be old hat to us by now,” Sheridan said laughing.
“Well…… this is a first. We never had a wedding reception before, and we never had a honeymoon the first time.”
“Are you kidding? We slept with the pillow mound between us for months. I never told you this before, but I used to curse that thing every night.”
“Oh yes, the pillow mound, how could I forget? I really hated that thing Sher.”
They both laughed, and he kissed her. “You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen, I love you Sheridan.”
“Oh Luis….. I love you so much.”
Chad tapped Luis on the shoulder, “so Luis, do you mind if I dance with your beautiful bride?”
“Sure buddy, but only if you promise not to keep her long. I’m kind of partial to having her in my arms,” Luis said kissing her on the cheek, and relinquishing his hold on her.
As they were dancing, Sheridan said, “I want to thank you Chad for agreeing to stay at the house, and take care of Ace, while Luis and I go away for a few days.”
“Hey, no problem, after all, you saved my life, and helped bust the case wide open. I’m just glad they were able to pick up Frankie and his goons.”
“And Julian……….?” There, she finally brought up the subject, that they both had skirted around since Julian’s revelation about Chad being his son.
“Yeah, good old Julian….. Sheridan, do you really think your brother was telling the truth? I asked Dr. Russell, but she claims she doesn’t know what Julian is talking about.”
“It’s hard to tell with my brother, but I think you owe it to yourself to find out the truth, and I promise you, I’ll help anyway I can.”
“Now that Julian has fled the country, it’s going to be a little hard to do. But I got to tell you Sheridan, if it turns out that this is true, are you ready to accept me as your nephew?”
“I will admit that this will be an adjustment, but not because of the reason you think. It’s because its just kind of strange to find out I may have another nephew after all this time. But, you’re a good man Chad, and I would be proud to call you part of my family. I’m committed to helping you find out the truth.”
“Thank you Sheridan, and I appreciate you not telling Ethan just yet. I don’t want him to know until we find out if it’s true or not.”
“Well I don’t like keeping things from him, but I will respect you’re decision to keep quiet until we find out the truth.”
“I knew Luis picked a good woman. He’s a very lucky man.”
“Thank you……”
Just then Sam interrupted Chad to claim a dance with the bride, and after about an hour, Luis decided he was done being gracious. He wanted to be with his wife. They did the garter ritual, and Chad caught it, while Theresa caught the bouquet. Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time, but Luis wanted to be alone with Sheridan.
“Come on beautiful,” Luis said whisking her away to the cake table. “Let’s cut this thing and get out of here.”
“Only if you tell me where you’re taking me on this little honeymoon trip you have planned for us.”
“I can’t, because it’s a secret, but I promise you’ll know soon enough.”
After they cut the cake, and shared a few more dances, they bid everyone goodbye, and made their escape. They were on the road driving up the coast, when Sheridan again pleaded with Luis to tell her where they were going.
“I promise, you’ll know soon, but I can just about guarantee that you’ve probably never known anyone that has had a honeymoon like this.”
“Luis….. this is killing me. Don’t you know that pregnant women need to be catered to,” she whined.
“Don’t use that frail pregnant women thing with me,” he teased. “Now, since I have to keep my eyes on the road, why don’t you lean over and give me a kiss?”
When they finally arrived at their destination, Sheridan sat there speechless, when she saw where they were. There, on a secluded stretch of beach, on a small peninsula, stood a quaint lighthouse. There was something about it that presented such a welcoming feeling, and Sheridan fell in love with it instantly.
“Oh Luis, are we really going to spend our honeymoon here? I love lighthouse’s, how did you know?”
“I love lighthouses, but I had no idea that you did too Sheridan. Does that mean that you’re happy about it, because I was a little nervous that you would think it was a silly idea for a honeymoon.”
“I can’t wait to see the inside. How did you ever find this place?”
“The lady at the travel agency found it for me. It’s a summer home for some people that live in Boston, and they will rent it out in the winter months to a select few. I knew we couldn’t go too far because of the babies, but I wanted something a little special. When she found this place, I thought it would be fun to live in a lighthouse for a few days.”
“Luis this is the best. Come on I’m dying to check it out.”
When they got to the door, Luis unlocked it and they stepped inside to see a roaring fire in the fireplace, a bowl of fruit, and a platter of cheese. There was even a bottle of wine for Luis and a bottle of sparkling grape juice for Sheridan. Sheridan couldn’t believe that Luis had gone to so much trouble getting the place ready. The inside of the lighthouse was absolutely charming. It was done understandably in a nautical theme. There was an intricate model ship collection on the mantel; rich blue braided rugs on the hardwood floors and all the artwork consisted of black and white etchings of seascapes and lighthouses that contrasted nicely with the stark white walls. In the center of the room was a spiral staircase leading to the upper floor, and Sheridan was anxious to see upstairs.
“Luis this is perfect,” she said wrapping her arms around him. “How did you ever manage to get this ready?”
“There’s a caretaker, and he agreed to have all this ready for us. He’s a nice old guy named Walt. I’ve talked to him on the phone a couple of times. He told me he lives up the road from here.”
“Well we should do something special for Walt, since he was kind enough to do all this for us.”
“Ok,” he said giving her a kiss. “We’ll do something nice for Walt, but right now I just want to concentrate on you and me, and our honeymoon night.”
“Will you get our bags, and take them upstairs, and then I can slip into something honeymoonish.”
Just then they heard a knock on the door. Luis opened it and there stood an elderly gentleman, and he introduced himself as Walt. He was very kind, and already had their bags at the door. Luis apologized to him for having to carry their heavy luggage.
“No problem, I may be old, but I’m still fit as a fiddle. I was a fisherman for fifty years, and I still have some pretty strong arms from pulling in those heavy nets for so many years. I just want to make sure you and the Mrs. are comfortable, and to see that you relax and enjoy your honeymoon. I’ll just leave your bags…….. unless there’s something else you need?
“No thank you Walt,” Sheridan said taking his hand. “You have been so kind to do all this for us.”
“No problem Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald, the owners pay me a monthly salary to keep the place up.”
“Still this was beyond the call of duty, and my husband and I are very grateful.”
“You two just have a great time, and just give me a call if you need anything.”
They both thanked Walt again before he left, and Luis took their bags upstairs, with Sheridan following close at his heels. The upstairs was furnished much like the downstairs, but the big Rice bed was placed away from the circular wall. There was a second set of spiral stairs that led up to the third level that housed the light. When Sheridan asked if they needed to make sure the light was turned on, he laughed and told her that they put them on timers now. Embarrassed, she pushed him out of the room, to change into her white negligée. Luis went downstairs, lit candles, put on some romantic music, and waited in anticipation for Sheridan to come down. When she finally made an appearance, she took his breath away as she walked down the steps. Her long white satin gown hugged her body, and the gown displayed a generous portion of her breast. The matching robe was open and flowing behind her, and he never wanted her more then he did right now.
“My God Sheridan, you are so beautiful.”
“I’m glad you think so, because my intention was to wow you.”
“Oh, sweetheart, I’m beyond wow, I’m more like totally blown away by you right now.”
He hadn’t noticed before, but Sheridan had a package behind her back. “Here I bought you a little something for tonight. I hope you like it,” Sheridan said, handing him the package.
“Sheridan, I thought we’d agreed that we wouldn’t give each other presents for our wedding. I feel terrible, because I didn’t get you anything.”
“What are you talking about? It was your idea for us to get married again…… to have a real wedding in a church with our family and friends. This whole honeymoon was your idea, and it’s perfect. Besides, this is really no big deal, I just thought you would look handsome in it.”
He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss, and opened the package. Inside was a black silk robe that looked and felt very expensive. “Sheridan, this is so amazing. Thank you, I love it,” he said giving her another kiss.
“Good, then why don’t you go upstairs and put it on.”
“I’ll go right now.”
As he was walking up the steps clutching his robe, Sheridan called out to him. “Oh Luis………. make sure you don’t wear anything under that.”
“Oh, I didn’t plan on it.”
While Luis was gone, Sheridan prepared a little love nest for them in front of the fire. She threw some big pillows down, and set the wine and food within reach. When she heard a noise, she turned around to see Luis coming down the steps, looking incredibly sexy in the black robe. He looked like a rugged hero from one of those romance novels, and Sheridan had to smile when she remembered her fantasy that day in the Boston Police Department. The man was so hot; she felt the heat starting to fill her just looking at him.
“What are you smiling about? Do I look ridiculous? I’ve got to tell you Sher, I’m not use to wearing fancy things like this, but it does feel good against my body.”
His body…….. Sheridan thought to herself, is the most exciting thing she’d ever seen. “I’m smiling, because I was thinking about a fantasy I had about you once, and you definitely don’t look ridiculous. In fact, you look good enough to eat.”
“Ohhhh,” Luis groaned. “You need to stop talking that way, or I’m not going to last too long.”
“Come here and sit beside me,” she said patting the space beside her.
He sat down beside her, and she poured him a glass of wine. “So my incredibly handsome husband, shall I feed you?”
“Oh yeah, I could definitely go for that.”
“Good,” she said, and she got up to a kneeling position, and removed her robe. Tiny straps that weren’t doing much to provide support held up her gown. “It’s a little warm by this fire.”
“You can say that again, because I’m about ready to incinerate. Just what were you planning on feeding me, because right now I wouldn’t mind feasting on something other than food.”
She didn’t answer him, but she gave him one of her sexy little smiles, and dipped a strawberry in the bowl of whipped cream. She leaned over to feed him, and a little glob of the cream dripped off the berry, and landed on her breast. That was way too much for him to resist, and he leaned over and licked it off. Sheridan felt a bolt of heat shoot through her starting at the point where his lips met her skin. Even in her aroused state, she didn’t back down from her mission to get the strawberry in his mouth. If she really thought about it, she supposed she was setting him up, when she purposely dragged the berry across his lips, leaving a tempting bit of cream there for her pleasure. As he chewed his treat, she took the liberty of licking his bottom lip. He pulled her head down, and kissed her passionately, and all thoughts of feeding him strawberries floated out of her head. The only thing she could think about right now, was how good he looked in that black silk robe,………. and just how bad she wanted to see him out of it.
Chapter 2
Luis was going crazy…….. he wanted her so badly. He was ready to take her right then, but he had a stronger urge to savor the moment, and give her as much pleasure as possible. He pulled her down, so that she was laying on her back, and lowered her straps down, moving her gown down around her waist. He caressed her breast…… the curve of her waist, and her rounded belly. His hand moved to the bottom of her gown, sliding the satin fabric up her thigh, delighting him with the view of her long shapely legs. She was like Venus, lying there with one leg bent at the knee, almost completely naked; the white satin bunched up around her waist. She reached out for him, but he smiled and gently pulled her arms away. She gasped when he lifted his wineglass, and poured some of the dark liquid over the top of her body.
Dear God….. was he trying to drive her insane? She feared she would climax right then, if he started to lick the wine off her body, and she cried out when she felt his hot tongue caressing her flesh. She watched his sensuous mouth as he traced the drops of wine with his tongue. Down his lips moved, over her shoulder, along the side of her breast, under it, then up to capture the hard sensitive peak and draw it deeply into the heat of his mouth.
“Luis………,” she called out in a ragged voice. “I don’t think I can take much more,” she protested, but at the same time she cupped his head bringing it closer.
His only response to her plea was to caress her thigh…….. touch her there, in that special place. Finally he whispered, “open your legs sweetheart, I want to kiss you there too.”
“Oh God………..” The things he was doing to her……….. She had never been so excited, so embarrassed, and so totally caught in his web of desire. It was too much, too intense, and she cried out as he sent her over the edge. She lay there trying to catch her breath, feeling spent, but still wanting him. Their eyes connected, and his hot smoldering look told her everything she needed to know. Aroused again, she pulled him down to her, and they kissed deeply, ravenously, and with all the passion inside of them. She wrapped her leg around him, and forced him over on his back, and began planting kisses on his chest through the opening of his robe. She couldn’t help it, she had no control, and her hand slipped down to caress him, rubbing the silk over his arousal. He groaned as her hands worked the knot of the sash holding his robe together. The way she looked at him made him even harder, and when she ran her tongue around the rim of her lips and lowered her head, he pulled her head up and looked into her eyes.
“No Sher……..”
“Why not?”
“Because……. I’ll never last.”
“But that’s the point.”
“I want to be inside of you.”
“You will be…….”
He couldn’t let her…….. he was too hot,……. too ready, and he pulled her up on top of him so that she was sitting astride his hips, and slipped inside her. She was so surprised, and the look on her face was priceless. She must have adjusted quickly to his fullness, because she began moving on him, and his hands encircled her waist, pulling her toward him. As they rode out the storm, she leaned down and kissed him just as pure ecstasy exploded within them.
Later, after they had eaten their fill of fruit, bread and cheese. Sheridan ran her finger down his chest. “You know Luis, pretty soon I’ll probably be too big for us to make love the conventional way. I guess we’ll have to get creative.”
“Well you know what they say, where there’s a will there’s a way.”
“You know I have my appointment next week, and they should be able to determine the sex of the babies. Are you excited Luis?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve never been more excited…… well I take that back,” he said kissing her. “There is nothing more exciting then being with you. But hey, finding the person you love, and having children with that person. Isn’t that what it’s all about?”
“Thank you again Luis for the beautiful wedding, the reception, and now the honeymoon. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day……. I love you.”
“Hey sweetie, you helped too, but you’re right, everything was perfect, is perfect. Next year at this time, after the babies are old enough to stay with mama, I’m going to take you to Spain, and you Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald, are going to be my tour guide.”
“You are so sweet. I can’t wait to show you Spain.”
“So, what do you want to do now?”
“Well, I guess we could go to bed…...,” she said with an impish smile.
“Yeah, I think we should go to bed.”
The next afternoon they were still in bed, curled up in each other’s arms. They had just made love, and both were extremely contented. Sheridan was kissing Luis’ neck, and he stroked her face, and lifted her chin to kiss her on the lips.
“You know Luis……… we haven’t had any clothes on since we arrived last night, not one single time…………”
“Yeah…….I know. Isn’t it great?”
“What I was trying to say, is I think we’re been very bad.”
“Yeah……..I know, isn’t it great?”
“You’re terrible,” she said, laughing.
“Yeah……..I know. Isn’t it great,” he said pulling her into a passionate kiss.
“So, what do you want to do tonight? I could take you out to dinner. Walt said there's some great seafood places around here.”
“Well…….we could go out, but then we’d have to get dressed.”
“Naaaa,” they both said at once, and they started to laugh.
Suddenly, they heard a loud knocking on the door downstairs. Luis looked at Sheridan confused, and she shrugged her shoulders, moving her head back and forth. Luis got up and walked over to the window, pulling the curtain back to look down at the ground.
“It’s Walt, and he’s holding a bucket.”
“A bucket?”
“Yeah, I better go down and see what he wants.”
“I’ll come with you,” she said shrugging into her robe.
Luis slipped a pair of jeans on, and pulled a sweater over his head, and started downstairs, with Sheridan right behind him. He walked over to the door, and opened it, while Sheridan hung back, hidden in the background, because she embarrassed to have Walt see her in her robe at this time of day.
“Hi Walt, what brings you here,” Luis said grinning.
“I’m sorry to bother you and the Mrs. on your honeymoon, but the wife thought you might enjoy these. That way you won’t have to bother going out tonight.”
Luis almost laughed out loud over that bit about not going out tonight. If he only knew that they had just had that very conversation right before he showed up. Luis looked into the bucket surprised to see two very large lobsters. “Wow…… Walt, these are some beautiful lobsters. Please let me pay you for these.”
“No, I wouldn’t dream of taking money for these. Just consider it a wedding present from me and the wife.”
“Thank you so much Walt. That’s very generous of you. I promise you, that we are going to enjoy these very much.”
“Good……..well I better be getting home. The Mrs. gets antsy when I’m gone to long. You two have a good evening.”
“You too Walt, and please thank your wife for us.”
Luis closed the door, and looked over to Sheridan, “you’ve got to come over here and look at these lobsters. You’re not going to believe how big they are.”
“I can’t…..”
“What do you mean, you can’t? I thought you loved lobster?”
“I do…….. It’s just that I have a aversion to seeing my dinner when it’s still among the living.”
Luis laughed. “You’re joking right?”
“No, I’m not joking, and don’t laugh. It makes me sad to look at their little faces, knowing what’s going to happen to them.”
Luis put the bucket down, and walked over and pulled her in his arms, giving her a soft kiss. “You’re adorable.”
“So are you,” she said smiling. “That’s why I know you’re going to cook tonight.”
“Like there was ever any question about that,” he laughed.
The following days passed much too quickly, and tonight was their last night at the lighthouse. The room was bathed in candlelight creating a romantic setting for the two lovers. Sheridan was sprawled atop of Luis with his arms encircling her. He kissed the top of her head, as he ran his hand over the satin smooth skin of her back. She lifted her head to stare into his beautiful amber eyes.
“I can’t believe this is our last night here. The days just flew by, but they were the sweetest days I’ve ever spent.”
“They definitely were sweet, but I feel bad that I didn’t take you out anywhere. We brought all those clothes, and it turns out we didn’t even need them.”
“I don’t care that we didn’t go out, because this was perfect just the way it was.”
“Still………., wait I have an idea.” He lifted her off of him. “Come on, put something on your feet. I’m going at least show you a view,” he said hopping out of bed.”
“Luis what are you up to?”
He pulled a thick pair of socks out of his suitcase, and pulled them on. He found another, and walked over and put them on her feet. She stared at him like he had lost his mind, when he pulled her up to a standing position.
“Luis?”
“Come on.” He said pulling the down comforter off the top of he bed.” He wrapped the comforter around his shoulders, and came up behind her to enclose her within the folds, creating a snug cocoon for them. “Start up the stairs……. I’ll be right behind you.”
“But where are we going?”
“To the top of the lighthouse.”
“But, we’ll freeze up there.”
“I promise, I’ll keep you warm.”
When they reached the top, they found a room that contained the electrical mechanism to power the light. Luis found a door that opened up to a walkway that surrounded the light. Even through there was a railing for protection, Luis choose to lean against the light with Sheridan’s back pulled against his chest. With the heat of the light, and the comforter wrapped around them both were quite warm despite the winter night.
“So what do you think of the view Sheridan?”
“It’s amazing,” she said watching the waves crash against the jagged rocks. “I feel like we’re the only two people in the world.”
“You forgot, the babies are here too,” he said rubbing her belly.
“Ahh, the babies. How could I forget about our babies? The most precious gift from our love.”
“Yeah,………and the next biggest moment in our lives.”
“You know Luis, I was really sad about leaving this place. I was hoping we could just escape from the rest of the world, and freeze this moment in time. But you know, you just reminded that one of the most important things in our lives is about to happen, and I wouldn’t stop that for the anything in the world.”
When they arrived home the next day, Ace greeted them enthusiastically. He ran out to the car barking his welcome. Sheridan squatted down, and gave him a hug. Luis looked up to notice Chad approaching.
“Would you look at that Chad, Ace doesn’t even know I’m alive when Sheridan’s around.”
“Yeah, what ever happen to that man and his dog thing?”
“So I trust everything went ok while we were gone,” Luis said shaking Chad’s hand.
“Everything went just fine. So……. how was the honeymoon trip? Where did you guys end up going?”
“Well,” Sheridan said taking Luis hand. “Luis took me to the most romantic lighthouse.”
“Wow, a lighthouse. So what did you two do all week in a lighthouse? When he saw Sheridan’s red face, he said, “never mind, sorry I asked.
“Chad we really appreciate you staying at the house, why don’t you stay for dinner?”
“Well Sheridan I wouldn’t want to put you out. With you just getting back and all, you probably have unpacking to do.”
“Don’t worry Chad, you won’t be putting Sheridan out at all, since I’ll probably be doing the cooking.”
“Now stop it Luis, I cook sometimes.”
“See how fast the honeymoon is over Chad?”
“Hey, I ain’t saying a word,” Chad said.
“You have to stay Chad so we can discuss our plan to figure out if Julian was telling the truth.”
“Well there you have it Chad. Don’t ever argue with Sheridan when she has a plan.”
The next day at Dr. Ramsey’s office Sheridan lay there, while Luis stood by her side holding her hand. The doctor was looking at the monitor, not saying a word, and Luis and Sheridan were dying with anticipation. Finally, the doctor looked up giving them a huge smile. “Now Luis, if I tell you the sex of your babies, you’re not going to faint on me again are you?”
“No doctor,” Luis said red-faced.
“So Dr. Ramsey, please don’t make us wait any longer,” Sheridan said.
“It looks like you’re going to have one of each, a little girl, and a little boy.”
Chapter 3
Sheridan was actually cooking dinner that evening. She checked the casserole in the oven, and was happy to note that it smelled delicious. Maybe this time she had finally succeeded in making something that Luis could eat, that wouldn't have to be chased down by a large drink of water. Pilar had given her the receipt because it was one of Luis’ favorites. Even though she had walked her through the whole thing over the phone, she was still proud of her accomplishment. She just wished Luis would get home. When they arrived home after the doctor’s appointment, he had told her that he had an errand to run, and that he would be home in time for dinner. What was this mysterious errand about? Just as she was mixing up the salad, she heard Luis walk through the front door. Dying from curiosity, she ran into the living room to pump him for information, and saw that he was loaded down with shopping bags and boxes.
“Luis……. what is all this?”
“Check this out Sheridan,” he said opening a shopping bag. “I found this little shop down by the wharf that has nothing but teddy bears. They had teddy bears in all shapes and sizes, and every color you can imagine,” he said pulling out a brown teddy bear in a little police uniform. “Isn’t this the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?”
“Luis, this is precious. I can’t believe you found one dressed up like a police man,” she said touching the little hat on its head. “What a perfect gift for our little boy.”
“If you think that’s good, look at this.” Luis pulled out a white teddy bear dressed in a pink dress with a crown on its head. “I fell in love with this one because it reminded me of my princess,” he said touching her cheek.
“I’m not sure if I should be flattered or insulted,” she said laughing.
“Don’t be…. our little girl is going to be a princess just like her mother.”
“Knowing you she’ll be a spoiled one too. So what else do you have in all those bags?”
“Oh…… let’s see. I have books, and look at these little outfits I found. A little sailor dress and the matching sailor suit for the boy.”
“These are all so sweet Luis. Now we just need to get the nursery finished so we have someplace to put this stuff.”
“Is there anything I can do to help with the nursery?”
“Well actually your mother and Theresa are helping me, and I think we have everything under control. Now if you’d like to sew the balloon shades……”
“No thanks, I think I’ll let you ladies handle the balloon shades.”
Just then the timer on the oven went off. Luis looked at her with a shocked look on his face. “Is that the timer on the oven? I didn’t even know you knew how to use it,” he teased.
“It is the timer on the oven, and that wasn’t very funny Luis. I’ll have you know that I made one of your favorite dishes, and the last time I checked, it smelled delicious.”
“Then maybe we should eat, because I’m starving,” he said rubbing his stomach. “This shopping for baby stuff is tiring. I don’t know how you women can do it all day.”
“It’s just a special ability that women are born with,” she laughed. “Come on, I don’t want dinner to burn.”
Sheridan sat there and stared at Luis as he took his first bite, praying that it tasted good. He was chewing,……. swallowing,……….. no funny faces,………… no drinks of water. She was so nervous, and she wished he’d say something. “Well?”
“This is good. No, this is great. It taste like mama’s.”
“Well that’s probably because she walked me through the whole thing over the phone. I did the salad all by myself, but I must confess I cheated on the rolls. I used the kind that pop out of a can. After my last disaster with dough, I figured I better not risk it.”
“I don’t care if mama did walk you through it, I’m very proud of you. But you know, I love you whether you can cook or not.”
“Really?”
“Really………. Now lean in a little so I can reach your lips.”
Later, after dinner they were cuddled up on the sofa playing with the teddy bears, when Luis pulled out a small box and handed it to her.
“Luis, what is this?”
“Well that is the reason I originally went out today. The baby stuff just kind of happened, and once it started I lost control,” he smiled. “Open it.”
“Ok,” she said excitedly. She tore the paper off to find a jeweler’s box. When she opened it, she found a delicate gold locket in the shape of a heart. “Luis…….. this is beautiful. I love it.”
“I figured you could put a picture of little Sher on one side, and a picture of little Luis on the other. Look at the back. I had something engraved on it.”
When Sheridan turned it over and saw LLF + SLF, she smiled. “Now you need to carve this in that tree at Lover’s Point, and scratch out those other initials…….. But, seriously Luis, this is beautiful, and I will treasure it always. Will you help me put it on?”
Luis felt clumsy with the delicate clasp, but finally managed to get it opened and secured around Sheridan’s neck. She got up and walked over to the mirror to admire her gift, and Luis stepped up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her.
“You are so good to me Luis.”
“Well, if I am, it’s because I love you, and you are the mother of my children.”
She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you too, and I can’t wait until the babies get here. I finally feel like for the first time in my life I have a true family.”
“We will always be a family, you, me and soon our children.” He leaned in and kissed her. “Why don’t you go upstairs and get ready for bed, and I’ll take Ace out for his walk, and join you in a little bit.”
“Ok, but promise you won’t be long?
“I promise, I’ll be back before you know it.”
Sheridan went upstairs and undressed and slipped on her robe. She stood in front of the mirror and turned sideways. She couldn’t believe how much bigger she was. Why did her belly seem to expand over night? She thought it would be more of a gradual thing. “Well little ones,” she said rubbing her tummy. “Mommy is getting bigger every day, and that makes me very happy, because that means you’re growing. Your daddy and me love you very much, and we can’t wait for you to arrive in this world…..” Sheridan looked up to see Luis standing in the doorway with a sappy smile on his face. “Where you listening to me?”
“Yeah,” he said walking towards her. “Do you always talk to the babies?”
“Sometimes. Do you think I’m strange?”
“No, I think you’re sweet.”
“Luis, do you still find me attractive?”
“Where is this coming from? Of course I do, I think you’re beautiful.”
“Even when I’m fat.”
“What are you talking about? You don’t have any fat on you, and if you’re referring to your belly, I happen to think it’s sexy.”
“Luis, will you make love to me?”
His only response was to pull her into a hungry kiss. He slipped her robe off, and picked her up to carry her to the bed. She lay there on her side, and watched as he peeled away his clothes, admiring his lean wiry body. His muscles rippled with his every movement, and when he lay down beside her she caressed his back, and planted kisses on his neck and chest. The hard evidence of his attraction was there between them and she touched him. His skin was hot, and smooth, and pulsing in her hand. His groan only added fuel to her fire, and she stroked the flames until his hot, wet kiss rendered her senseless. Finally he pulled away, and cupped her chin tenderly, stroking her cheek with the pad of his thumb.
“Sweetheart, are you trying to unman me?
“Never,” she said in a throaty whisper. “That would only hurt me.”
He laughed and gave her a soft kiss. “You are insatiable, but I promise I’ll do my best to keep you satisfied.”
“Then you need to quit talking,” she said as she pulled his head forward, touching her lips to his.
A shudder rippled through her when he began to suck on her bottom lip, while at the same time his fingers probed the sensitive area between her legs. Oh God, he was torturing her. She trembled, and cried out as she arched against him, and then his fingers moved away, to be replaced by the hot, searing part of him. He filled her completely, and she cried out again. He was gentle, yet she still felt his strength and power, and the passion only he could ignite. He swept her away, higher and higher, until she thought she couldn’t bear it any longer……. yet she did, until everything exploded. He soon followed, and his loud cry echoed throughout the room.
As soon as they were able to breath normally again, he turned her so that her back was flush with his chest, and wrapped his arms around her. His hand was on her belly, and they both felt the flutters at the same time.
“Oh God Sher, I think the babies moved!”
“I know. Isn’t it beautiful……..?”
“Yeah so beautiful, but you don’t think they’re upset because……. well you know, because I came to visit?
She laughed softly. “Oh, I think they like it when their daddy comes to visit, because they know it makes mommy happy.” It was then that she saw them. When had he brought them there? The two little teddy bears were on the dresser with their backs turned toward them. She started to laugh, and when he saw what she was looking at, he started laughing too. She told him he was crazy, but cute, and he told her that his mission in life was to keep her happy.
A few days later Sheridan and Chad were having breakfast at the Book Café. They had agreed to meet so they could discuss a plan to investigate Julian’s claims of being Chad’s father. Chad’s desperate determination to get to the truth about his true parentage really struck a cord with Sheridan, and her heart went out to him. Her own childhood had been very lonely, but at least she had known her parents, had known a mother’s love for a short time. She couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for him, growing up not knowing where he came from. It must have been a very lonely existence for him, and even though her circumstances were much better then his, she could still relate to loneliness.
“So Chad, you’re the investigator, where do we start?”
“I think the first place to start is to talk to people that knew Julian around that time. Maybe somebody can give us a clue about the woman that Julian was seeing at the time…… the women that could be my mother. Is there anything you can remember Sheridan, anything that could shed some light on this?”
“I was just a little girl at the time Chad, although I have heard stories that Julian was quite the player in those days. What am I saying, he still is? But, since we know your mother was of color, that should narrow our search.”
“Maybe we should start with some of the people that lived here in Harmony at the time. I bet Chief Bennett and Coach Russell could give us some clues as to who Julian was seeing at that time.”
“I doubt it Chad. My brother was, and still is a snob, and I can’t imagine him even mixing with any of the local Harmony residents, unless they were part of the country club set.”
“Well, what about Pilar? She’s known and worked for the Cranes for years. She had to have heard something that could give us some clues.”
“I hate to say it Chad, but I think that might be another dead end. Pillar worked for the Winthrop’s at the time, and she didn’t come to work at the Crane mansion until after Ivy and Julian got married.”
“Damn…… somebody has to know something……”
“My father was the master of conspiracy, and he had all the money and power in the world to make secrets disappear. I’m ashamed to admit it, but my father was also a bigot Chad, and I can’t believe that he would leave loose ends for anyone to discover that there was a black Crane grandchild. You know Chad, if it is true that you are Julian’s first born, you could be entitled to a lot of money. That fact alone, would have made my father more determined to hide the truth.”
“I don’t want any of the Crane money. I just want the truth about my parents.”
“I know that, but Chad you are forgetting about one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Eve Russell…….. “
“But I asked Dr. Russell, and she said she didn’t know what Julian was talking about. Why would she lie about that?”
“I don’t think Eve would do anything intentional to hurt you, but maybe she knows more then she’s saying. Maybe this woman that’s your mother was a friend of hers, or even a sorority sister……… Who’s to say that she’s scared to say something because my father or Julian’s threatened her? There had to be some reason Julian mentioned Eve’s name.”
“Your right, and I think you and I should go pay a visit to Dr. Russell right now.”
“Ok, who’s driving?”
When they arrived at Eve’s office she was with a patient, but her nurse told them that Eve had some free time after this appointment to see them. To say that Eve was surprised to see them both there together was an understatement. Sheridan noticed the way Eve began to ring her hands, and she could tell by the look in her eyes that she was very nervous.
Chad spoke. “So Dr. Russell, are you sure that you can’t tell us if what Julian said is true? Am I his son, and do you know who my mother is?”
“I’m sorry Chad, but I really don’t have any idea what Julian Crane is talking about. I’m not even sure that you should believe anything he says. I would help you if I could, but I don’t know anything.”
“Listen to me Eve,” Sheridan said. “Are you sure you don’t know anything? I mean if there is some reason that you aren’t talking, because my father or Julian has threatened you in some way, I promise you don’t have to worry.”
“I’m sorry Sheridan, but I don’t know anything.”
Just then Eve’s nurse interrupted to say that her next appointment was there. Sheridan and Chad said goodbye, and Sheridan drove Chad back to the Book Café to get his truck. The drive back was silent; both lost in their own thoughts. When they arrived, Chad looked over at her, disappointment written all over his face.
“Chad I know you’re discouraged, but I promise that we will find out the truth.”
“How Sheridan? We just keep coming up with dead ends.”
“Because………. I have a feeling that Eve is not telling the truth, and we need to find a way to make her come clean.”
Chapter 4
Luis was not a happy man. The last thing he wanted to do tonight was get dressed up and go to some fancy event at the country club, and the only reason he even considered it was to support Sheridan. After the scandal broke about the Cranes, and their involvement in the drug trade, Sheridan was working very hard to shed some positive light on the Crane family business again. She told Luis that since part of the Crane fortune was amassed from illegal gain, she was going to make sure the money went to a good cause. At least it would not be only the country club set, because Sheridan had wanted this charity event opened to everyone in Harmony. The Russell’s, the Bennett’s and even mama would be there. He was struggling with his bow tie, and after several attempts he was ready to give up. “Damn.”
“Hey handsome, it looks like you could use some help there.”
Just the sound of her voice made him smile, and the scent of her light perfume assaulted his senses. He turned around, and the site of her took his breath away. She was dressed in Grecian style silver blue gown that left one shoulder bare. It hugged her curves, but the front the gown was cut to accommodate her pregnancy. The color brought out the brilliant blue of her big eyes, and something about those eyes of hers could always pull him in like a magnet.
“Wow, you look beautiful.”
“And you better quit giving me that sexy smile you do so well, or we’ll never make it to the benefit tonight,” she said smiling as she walked up in front on him. “Let me do this.” She pushed his hands away so she could tie his bow tie, and he was enjoying the way her breast brushed up against his chest. When she completed her task, she started to move away, but he caught her arms, and started to trail kisses on her neck and shoulder.
“Luis……. behave. If you don’t stop that we are going to be late.”
“Why don’t we stay here, and I can figure out how to get you out of this dress.”
“You know how to get me out of this dress, so don’t pretend that you’re not already an expert at it.”
“Oh come on,…….. please?”
“Normally I like it when you beg, but this is my benefit and I have to be there.”
“Alright, but only for you.”
Luis watched as Sheridan pulled a pair of long white gloves that reached above her elbow. A mental picture of her wearing nothing but those gloves flashed through his mind. He had to get himself under control, because he had a long night ahead of him. He just wanted to know who the idiot was that said the love life was boring after marriage, because when he was around Sheridan, that’s all he could think about.
“Luis……….. are you coming?”
“Bad choice of words.”
“What?”
“Never mind…….. let’s go.”
On the way to the country club Sheridan couldn’t stop thinking about Chad’s situation. She hated to be unfair, but she knew Eve was holding back the truth. She knew a lot more about Chad’s paternity that she was letting on.
“Luis, have you ever known Eve Russell to be duplicitous?
“From what I know of Eve she has always been a good wife and mother, and she’s a very respected doctor. Why are you asking?
“Because I just have this very strong feeling that she’s not being truthful about this whole Chad paternity thing, but she keeps denying she knows anything.”
“Why do you think she’s not telling the truth?”
“She just acted so strange when Chad and I were asking her questions the other day. I could just tell by her body language that something wasn’t right.”
“Look Sheridan, I’ve always known Eve Russell to be a stand up person, but sometimes people act out of character if their in a threatening situation. Maybe you’re just approaching this from the wrong angle.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well if Eve is lying, it’s obvious she’s not going to give anything up so try a different approach.”
“Ok, I’m listening.”
“Well the way I see it, you have two people, besides your absentee brother that claim to know about Chad’s past, and that was Chystal Harris and Orville Perkins. Chystal is dead………
“I still feel terrible about that poor woman’s murder.”
“Look Sheridan, I admit you were being stubborn, but you had no way of knowing that the drug cartel would shoot Chystal thinking it was you.”
“I know, but I still can’t help feeling responsible…………. oh never mind, just finish what you were saying.”
“I think Orville is our best hope. The only problem is, he hasn’t been seen since he was released from the hospital. But how far could he be? I say we start with Senior Citizens communities, and Nursing Homes.”
“Wait a minute, did I just hear you say we? Does that mean you’re going to help us?”
“Sure, why not? My case load is light right now, and besides somebody has to keep an eye on you.”
“Thank you Luis,” she said leaning over to kiss his cheek. They were at a stoplight, so Luis took advantage of her nearness and pulled her into a hot, passionate kiss. They were making out like a couple of teenagers, when somebody blowing their horn brought them abruptly out of their interlude. They both cracked up laughing when the driver passed them and yelled for them to get a room.
When they arrived at the benefit, things were already in full swing, and Sheridan grumbled that she should have been there sooner to greet the guest. The first people to approach them were the Bennetts. Sam shook Luis’ hand, and kissed Sheridan on the cheek, and Grace hugged her excitedly.
“Sam told me the wonderful news about the babies being a boy and a girl. You two must be on cloud nine.”
“Oh believe me we are. We still haven’t come back down to earth yet,” Luis said slipping her arm around Sheridan’s waist.
“Luis has been so wonderful. The day we found out the sex of our babies he went shopping, and came home presents for all of us. He was so cute.”
“Sheridan, you are going to ruin my image if you don’t quit telling people about that,” Luis said red-faced.”
Sam raised an eyebrow, “Whoa buddy, you are far gone……. I was excited about my kids being born too, but shopping?”
“Sam stop teasing Luis, I think it’s sweet. Now why don’t you two guys go get us some drinks, while I have a talk with Sheridan.”
After Sam and Luis left, Grace led Sheridan over to a table so they could sit down. Sheridan was dying of curiosity about why Grace want to talk with her. “So Grace what did you want to talk to me about?”
“Well…… Pilar, Eve and I were talking the other day, and we decided we would love to throw you a baby shower. So if you agree, we can start making plans.”
“Grace, that is so nice of you, I’m touched. Of course I’ll let you throw me a shower,” she said teary-eyed. One lone tear escaped and ran down her cheek, and Sheridan brushed it away. “Sorry, I seem to be a little emotional these days.”
“Don’t apologize Sheridan, being pregnant has a way of doing that to you.”
“It’s not just that Grace. I can’t get over the fact that after all the pain my family has caused; you all still embrace me. I guess I grew up in a world where people were only nice when they wanted something from you, so true kindness is still a little overwhelming to me.”
“Well we all grew up in a world where you judge a person on their character, and not by the sins of their father. Besides, from what I hear, your mother was a very kind and giving person.”
“Oh, she was. I’ll never forget the way her face lit up when I walked into the room. I always knew that she truly loved me, and that’s the way I want my children to feel about me.”
Just then the guys came back with their drinks. Luis handed Sheridan a glass with a reddish colored liquid with an umbrella on the top.
Sheridan eyed the drink speculatively. “What’s this?”
“It’s a Shirley Temple, why is there a problem?”
“No, it’s perfect,” she said winking at Grace. “But it would be even more perfect if my handsome husband would ask me to dance.”
“Oh, I can do that.” Luis helped Sheridan out of her chair. “If you two will excuse us……..”
“No problem,” Grace said. “Because my handsome husband is going to dance with me too.”
Luis led Sheridan out onto the dance floor and pulled her closely into his arms. “I am so glad you suggested this,” he said staring into her eyes.
“Oh really, and why is that?”
“Because now I have the perfect excuse to hold you in my arms.”
“Yes, it is nice, but you better stop looking at me that way, or I’m going to pull you into the nearest linen closet.”
“You don’t have to convince me, let’s go.”
“Down boy, I was just teasing. I’m sorry, I should know better then to joke with you when you in one of these moods, which by the way is about ninety percent of the time.”
“Are you complaining………?”
“Never, it’s just that sometimes we do have to go out in public and act respectable. So, with that in mind, I think we should change the subject.”
“If you insist, I guess I can act respectable for a couple of hours. So, what were you and Grace talking about?”
Her face lit up, and her beautiful smile was enchanting. If she only knew that this change of subject did nothing to deter from his wanting her. “Grace said that, her, your mother and Eve would like to throw baby shower for me. I just couldn’t believe it, I was so touched.”
“Why can’t you believe it? Mama has always loved you, and I don’t see any reason why Eve and Grace wouldn’t feel the same way about you. I guess I haven’t completely deprogrammed you, but Sheridan…….. when are you going to learn that you deserve happiness and kindness? I know you have had some terrible experiences, but there are still good people in the world.”
“I know that Luis. I guess sometimes old habits die-hard. Still……… I really feel terrible now for thinking that Eve is lying, but I just can’t seem to shake it.”
“Who knows Sheridan? Maybe you’re right, Eve may have some skeletons in her closet. If she is keeping secrets, she needs to come clean, because things like that can only hurt you in the end.”
“I just wish she would, because Chad deserves to know the truth, and I just want him to be happy.”
“Well speaking of Chad, he appears to be very happy right now.”
Sheridan looked over and spotted Chad dancing with Whitney Russell. She could tell by the look on his face that he was crazy about her. Why did she have a bad feeling about this? It was obvious that Chad was in love with Whitney, and she wanted happiness for him, but still………..
“Oh no, I can see those wheels turning in that pretty head of yours. You shouldn’t scrunch your forehead up like that, it will give you wrinkles,” he teased. “Don’t you approve of a relationship between Chad and Whitney?”
“It’s not that I don’t approve……. It’s just……… never mind, I’m being silly.”
“Are you sure everything is ok?”
“Yes like I said before, I’m just being silly…………. Oh there, I see Ethan. Do you mind, I really need to speak with him about something. Why don’t you ask Pilar to dance?” With that she touched Luis’ cheek, and went off to claim Ethan for a dance.
Sheridan grabbed Ethan and pulled him onto the dance floor. She asked him if he had any free time the next day to handle a legal issue for her. When she saw the concerned look on his face, she told him not to worry, and that she just wanted to set up a trust fund for the twins. When the song ended, she was just pulling away to go find Luis when she spotted him across the room, and what she saw sent her reeling. Beth Wallace had her arms wrapped around him like an octopus, and their bodies were so close together, you couldn’t have gotten a tread between them.
Sheridan turned, and started to walk that way. “What the hell? Where did she come from?”
Ethan grabbed him arm, and pulled her back. “Sheridan, calm down or you are going to cause a scene, besides getting all worked up can’t be good for the babies.”
“Don’t pull that on me Ethan, my babies are a lot stronger then that, and that woman has a lot of nerve. So let go of me Ethan, or I’m going to cause a scene right here in the middle of the dance floor.”
Ethan let go of her arm, and watched open mouthed as Sheridan strutted over to the embracing couple. As she drew closer to them, Sheridan could tell Luis was trying to push Beth away from him, but the woman just kept hanging on for dear life. Well, she was just going to have to do something about this situation, and Beth was going to regret the day she had messed with her man. She was practically standing on top of them when she said, “Beth……. are you suddenly afflicted with some crippling decease that prohibits you from standing on your own? Sheridan felt a smidgen of satisfaction at the way Beth hopped back out of Luis’ arms like he had burned her.
Oh God, Luis thought, running his hand through his hair. Now what was he going to do? Sheridan looked like she was going to tear Beth’s head off, and he knew he needed to defuse this situation before she blew. No one knew her temper better then he, and his gut told him that in her present mood, Beth didn’t stand a chance in hell. Even now, he couldn’t believe the way Beth had surprised him, and threw herself in his arms. As first he was too shocked to push her away, but once reality suck in, he realized that she was a little tipsy. He just hoped to God Sheridan didn’t get the wrong impression, because he had not welcomed Beth’s advances. Especially when she had asked him to meet her later, in the special place they use to go as teenagers. The woman wasn’t right, did she really think he would cheat of Sheridan, especially now with the babies on the way? He had just been ready to set Beth straight when Sheridan had blown in like hurricane.
“You’re not saying anything Beth, I guess that same decease had also affected your vocal cords as well.” Sheridan was smiling, but it was a very dangerous smile.
“Sheridan………”
“Don’t speak for her Luis, she’s a big girl. So Beth is there some reason you’re hanging all over my husband?”
“I……I was just catching up with Luis. I’ve been out of town for a long time. I was taking care of my sick mother."
Beth’s words were innocent enough, but the way she was looking at Sheridan sent a chill down Luis’ back. Luis knew that there was no love lost between the two of them, but the look she gave her was almost chilling. Sheridan must have noticed it too, because she leaned into him, and Luis thought the best thing was to get them away from each other.
“Well Beth, it was really nice to see you again, but I think they’re playing our song, so if you’ll excuse us,” Luis said pulling Sheridan away.
As they walked onto the dance floor, Sheridan turned around to give Beth one last look, and it unnerved her to still see that look in Beth’s eyes. She felt so much calmer when Luis pulled her in his arms.
“You know Luis, your ex-girlfriend not only has a lot of nerve, but she’s creepy too.”
“I’m not trying to make excuses for her, but she’s been through a lot with her mother over the last year, so I guess…….”
“Look, I feel bad for her mother, but that doesn’t give her an excuse to throw herself all over you that way. Don’t deny that hug she gave you was more than innocent.”
"I’m not denying that Beth was aggressive, but I hope you don’t think that I was a willing participant?”
“No, I saw you trying to uncoil her, but it still makes me angry that she would do that when she knows you’re a married man, …………a married man with twins on the way no less.” What was she saying, she thought, Luis was hot, especially dressed in a tuxedo the way he was now. Maybe she was jealous, maybe she was feeling a little less confidant because she was loosing her slim figure, but she suddenly felt a need to be alone with him. She moved her body closer against his, “I was wondering if you wanted to go home and roll around in bed together?”
He flashed her a heart-stopping grin, and said, “Oh yeah… and I think you should know that I have some big plans for those long white gloves………”
Chapter 5
Luis led Sheridan up to their bedroom and sat her down in the skirted chair, in the corner of the room. He sensed that she was feeling a little insecure right now, so he was determined to prove to her that as far as he was concerned, she was still the most beautiful and sexy woman he had ever seen. If he had his way, there would be no doubt in her mind before this night was over. He started to remove his clothes, and she asked him just what it was that he was up to.
“Well……. I decided that since you had a stressful day that you needed some Luis Therapy.”
“Oh,” she said smiling. “And what exactly is Luis Therapy?”
“Love games baby, love games,” he said grinning. He had finished undressing and was down on his knees removing her shoes.
She laughed out loud. “So far, I’m liking this Luis Therapy,” she said checking out his body. “What game are we playing now?”
He pulled her to her feet and started to take off her gown. “This one’s called Strip Poker.”
“Oh really? I don’t remember you dealing me any cards.”
“We’re going to skip that part of the game and just move on to the end,” he said as her dress fell in a puddle at her feet. The only thing remaining on her body was her long white gloves.”
Luis ran his hands up her arms. “You look so sexy wearing these gloves.”
“I’m glad you like them, because I also have a pair in black.”
“Oh my, maybe we can make Wednesday’s Black Glove night.”
“What about Thursday’s?”
“White Glove night.”
“And Friday’s?”
“Oh Friday’s we do the Pearls.”
“What’s left for Saturday’s?”
“Combo Night.”
“And what does Combo Night consist of?”
“All three.”
They both giggled over that one, as he backed her up against the bed, and lowered her down gently. He followed her down and gave her a soft kiss that quickly built into an inferno. He finally pulled away, fearing that he would lose it right then if he didn’t stop.
“Oh Luis,” she said breathlessly. “Please don’t stop.”
“But don’t you want to see what other games I have planned for you?”
“No…….I mean yes. That is, if I can last that long. Ok what’s the next game?”
“It’s called Connect the Dots.”
“Connect the Dots? Now that could be interesting, maybe you should explain that one to me.”
“Well,” he said running his finger between her breast, “I mark all your pleasure points with a kiss, and then I trace a line between them with my………..”
He didn’t finish, he just showed her. Oh God………. , his lips……….., his tongue. Was that even legal? He was driving her crazy. He knew her body so well, and she loved the way he worshiped it. He made her feel so cherished and loved. Nirvana was the only word she could think of to describe what it was like being with him. By the time he was finished, she was panting and wanting.
“You’re so beautiful Sher, and it drives my crazy to watch the way you respond to me. Are you ready for the next game?” His seductive voice did nothing to lessen her ardor.
“I don’t know if I could handle any more of this Luis Therapy. Sometimes I wonder if you’re too good to be true, but even if this will kill me, I’m ready to continue with the next game.”
“I knew you would be a trooper. Are you ready for Blind Man’s Bluff?”
“Most definitely, because right now I’m ready for anything.”
He slowly moved the glove down her arm, kissing her skin as it became exposed. After he pulled it free from her hand, he tied the glove around her eyes blindfolding her. He said he had to leave her for a few minutes, but made her promise to lie there and think about what he was going to do to her. Was he crazy? That’s all she could think about. She felt totally vulnerable not being able to see, and her other senses became heightened. Her body felt hard with sexual tension in anticipation of what he had planned for her. When she heard him walk back into the room, she became afraid, but not because she didn’t trust him. She was afraid she would go over the edge and never return. She felt him get on the bed and her heart beat faster. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, she was completely unprepared when the drops of warm oil hit her body. She moaned when his hands covered her body everywhere massaging her tummy,……….. her breast,………. between her legs. Oh God, he was saying the most erotic things to her. He turned her sideways, so that her body was flush against his chest in a spoon fashion. She could feel the evidence of his arousal behind her, and she leaned back, pressing herself fully against him. It was his turn to moan and she gasped when he slipped inside her from that very position, and he proceeded to take her over that edge, never to return.
Later, after they were breathing normal again, Sheridan finally had the strength to remove the blindfold. She rolled over so that she was facing Luis again. The look in his soulful eyes melted her. She traced his face with her finger, and kissed him softly on the lips.
“Well…….. as much as I enjoyed the Luis Therapy, I think you need to rename it to the Luis Olympics, and believe me you scored a perfect ten in every category.”
“Sweetheart, you can call it anything you want, as long as it makes you happy. By the way, you look adorable lying there with one glove on. Is this your impression of Michael Jackson,” he said teasing her.
She laughed, holding out her arm so he could remove her remaining glove. “By the way, you never told me what you called the closing ceremonies?”
“Oh, I call that Candyland, because you are sooooo sweet.”
“And you are so corny, but you are the most wonderful husband a woman could ask for?”
“Oh, and what makes me so wonderful?”
“Because, you always know exactly what I need, and you always do everything you can to make me feel special.”
“That’s because you are special. I love you more then anything in the world, and I want to make sure you never forget that.”
“Just remember those words when I look like a beached whale.”
Sheridan signed and dated the documents, and handed them back to Ethan. At Ethan’s advise, they had decided to set up the Trust in mutual funds, and that way by the time the children turned eighteen, the return of the investment should be even greater then the already sizable amount they had started with.
“So you don’t foresee any problems with the Trust when the children turn eighteen?”
“Not at all. These things are pretty cut and dry, but I do have to say Sheridan, that I’m a little surprised that Luis agreed to go along with this. This is a hell of a lot of money we’re talking about.”
“Well…………”
“Oh no, please tell me that you discussed this with Luis?”
“Not exactly, but I promise I’ll tell him about it tonight.”
“I don’t pretend to be an expert on Luis, but you of all people should know that he is not going to be happy that you did this without discussing it with him first. I’ll be honest with you Sheridan, if I were in his place, I would not be very pleased.”
“Thanks Ethan, you’re supposed to be on my side.”
“You know this is not a matter of sides, but these are his children too, and he has a right to know about any financial plans for their future.”
“Of course he does, and I have every intention of telling him about this. I imagine he’ll be a little upset at first, but I’m sure I can get him to come around. I know Luis is a proud man, but I can’t believe he wouldn’t want his children to have the best.”
“Do me a favor and call me right before you tell him, so I can slip my ear plugs in, because I have a feeling that we’ll hear the explosion all over Harmony.”
“Very funny Ethan, you’re a real confidence booster.”
Sheridan was pacing the floor. Luis had just phoned to tell her he was on his way home. He had driven to the capital today to close out some details on a case, and told her not to bother with dinner because he would just grab something on the way home. She remembered Ethan’s words from earlier that day, and had a sinking feeling that he was probably correct about Luis’ reaction. Maybe she had made a big mistake. She should have discussed this with him first, but a part of her was also convinced that Luis would want all the opportunities possible for their children. She just wished he would arrive home so she could get this over with. The sooner they had this discussion, and put it behind them, the better.
As nervous as she was, she still couldn’t help but feel happy when he finally walked in the door. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him closely. She just needed this connection with him before she dropped the bomb about the twin’s Trust Funds.
“Wow……., now this is the kind of greeting I could get use to every night,” he said kissing her on the lips.
She returned his kiss passionately, and when they finally separated, she pulled him back into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re home. Did you have a good day?”
“It was uneventful, but that was probably a good thing, because I couldn’t stop thinking about you and our time last night.”
“You thought about me?………”
“Of course, do you find that strange?”
“No, I think its sweet.”
“Sheridan, is something the matter, because you seem a little distracted?
“Are you hungry? Why don’t I make you a sandwich, I’m sure you must be starved.”
“Sheridan, I told you I would grab something on the way home. Why are you being so evasive all of a sudden?”
She lowered her head, staring at the floor, “I need to talk to you Luis……. but………..” Oh God, she was working herself a state.
“Sheridan come on, nothing is so bad that you can’t talk to me about it. Come over here and sit down.”
She decided that her best course of action was to just get the papers and show him, and then they would be able to discuss this in a rational matter. She walked over to the desk and handed him the legal-size envelope.
Fear shot through him when he looked down at the envelope she just put in his hands. The time she asked him for a divorce flashed through his mind, and his hands started to shake. “What is this Sheridan?”
She saw the fear in his eyes, and knew exactly what he was thinking. She needed to reassure him. “Luis, I promise this has nothing to do with a divorce. Just read the papers.”
He opened the envelope and pulled out the papers and began to read. Sheridan watched his face, hoping to get a clue as to what he was thinking. As he read on, his face became more stoic and unreadable, which scared her more than his anger did.
“Luis?…………”
He finally looked her in the eyes, and that’s when she knew that his present reaction to the papers was just the calm before the storm. A little shiver went through her, and she clutched the arm of the sofa, preparing for the worst. Damn, she wished he would just say something, because this waiting was killing her. And when he finally opened his mouth to speak, she held her breath waiting……….”
“What the hell could you have possibly been thinking, Sheridan? Damn it! You don’t discuss things with me any more?”
“Please Luis, don’t yell. I’m sorry…….. I know I should have discussed it with you first, but I guess I knew you would react this way.”
“So you thought it would be better to sneak around behind my back, and then tell me about it?”
“I wasn’t trying to sneak around behind your back, I just……….. I just wanted to do something good for our children. Come on Luis, I have all this money, and what good is it if I can’t share it with our children.”
“Doing something good for them is one thing, but making them multi-millionaires when they turn eighteen is another. Do you have any idea how this makes me feel? To know that I could never give my children that kind a money in a lifetime, and mommy just hands over millions of dollars after graduation, as she sends them off on their grand tour of Europe.”
“Come on Luis, if this is just a pride thing for you, then you need to get over it and think of what’s best for the children.”
“This is so much more then a pride thing Sheridan. I want my children to grow up and know the value of a dollar. I want them to know that if they want things in life, they have to work hard for them. I’ll be damn, if my kids are going to turn out to be snobby, rich, and totally oblivious to other people’s feelings.”
“Oh, like me? Is that what you’re saying Luis? That you don’t want our children to turn out like their mother?”
“You know I don’t mean that at all. I would be proud to have my children grow up to be like you, it’s your family’s traits that I don’t want them have.”
“Well as despicable as my family is, just remember I am a Crane, and there’s no getting around that.”
“Funny……… I thought you were a Lopez-Fitzgerald now.”
“I am………, but I can’t just change the way I grew up because you say so. It’s not that easy Luis. I love our life,……….our home. I love you, but I just don’t understand why you would want to deny our children that kind of security when it’s so easily attainable?”
“If you don’t understand why this is a problem Sheridan, then I have to wonder if you know me at all? The real issue is that you didn’t bother to discuss this with me before you set up this Trust. How did you think I was going to react? Did you think that you could just bat those big blue eyes of yours, and I would give in to you, like I usually do? Well I’m sorry Sheridan, but this time it’s different.”
“What do you mean, you always give in to me? If my memory serves me correctly, you’re too stubborn to give in to anybody, because you always think you’re right.”
“Well I guess your memory isn’t serving you too well these days, because I can see you’ve conveniently forgotten about the time when you moved back into the Crane mansion, against my better judgement, and I gave into you. Oh, and let’s not forget about the time when you asked my if you could go out on a date with another man. Now you tell me what other husband would let his wife do that? Oh, that’s right I was the husband that let his wife do that…….”
“How dare you! You know very well that I did that for us……….. so that we could be together, and I think you’re the one that doesn’t know me at all if you don’t see that. Oh………, I can’t talk to you anymore about this……….” She turned, and ran up the stairs crying.
“Sheridan, come on.” He turned and ran up the stairs after her. She had slammed the bedroom door, and when he tried to open it, he discovered that it was locked. “Come on Sheridan, open the door, we need to talk about this. Please sweetie, I know that if we just talk about this we can work this out. ”
“Go away Luis,” she said sobbing. “I can’t talk to you right now, so please just leave me alone.”
Luis leaned his head against the door for a minute, and then turned and walked into the guestroom slamming the door behind him.
Chapter 6
Sheridan would give anything for a cup of coffee right now, but she knew that the caffeine would not be good for the babies. She had just spent the third sleepless night in a row, and she knew she couldn’t go on like this, especially for the sake of her babies. How had things gotten this bad? Since the night of the argument, her and Luis had lived like polite strangers. Her eyes started to well up with tears thinking about their current situation. It was so hard to believe that with all the adversity they had overcome to be together, that they could not get through this. Luis had tried to get her to talk several times, but she kept telling him that she wasn’t ready, and he had been patient and left her alone. But how long would his patience last before he told her to get out of his life? If she really analyzed it, she knew deep down that the reason she wasn’t ready to talk to him was because this whole mess was her fault. She really had no defense for her actions, except that she hadn’t thought about the repercussions, and what kind of a defense was that? Luis had not hesitated in the past to bring up her inclination to jump into things without thinking first. But, maybe she wouldn’t be that way if he wasn’t always so unbending. She couldn’t go on like this for much longer. She missed him so much, but she was also scared to face the things about their relationship that needed to be addressed. Somebody had to make the first move. The question was…….. did she have the courage to be the first one to do it?
Luis swore out loud when he burnt his tongue on the hot coffee. Maybe the pain was not so bad after all, because at least it reminded him that he was not a zombie, and was still among the living. He hadn’t had a decent nights sleep in several days, and he was getting grumpy. He had tried to reach out to Sheridan, to get her to discuss their situation, but she just closed up on him, and said she wasn’t ready to talk about it. The only reason he didn’t push her was because he was concerned about her delicate state. He knew she couldn’t be sleeping either, because he had noticed the dark circles under her eyes, but the worst part was the sadness he saw there too. He was still mad as hell that she had chosen to set up the trust for their children and had failed to discuss it with him first, but he also understood why she might have been afraid to confide in him before hand. He knew that he could be a narrow-minded jerk sometimes, but still……. he had thought they had come so far. He thought that she felt she could trust him. He knew that the differences in their backgrounds would rear its ugly head sooner or later, but he had grown complacent since they had been so happy. It had happened a few times in the past, but nothing of this magnitude, and damn it, he wanted it to be over. He missed her like crazy, and he had to find a way for them to get past this. They had so much to look forward to with the birth of their twins, and this was supposed to be a special time for them. He was determined to find a way for them to get through this, he just didn’t know how.
Sheridan watched out the window as Luis drove away. She couldn’t believe that she had hid up here like a coward this morning, so she wouldn’t have to face him. What was wrong with her? She loved him so much, yet she couldn’t think of a thing that would put this right. She got dressed for her appointment with Dr. Ramsey, but she was not looking forward to it. Luis had been in the habit of going on her doctor’s appointments with her, and it would feel strange not to have him there. Well the important thing was the health of her babies, and she was going to do everything she could do to make sure they were all right. When she arrived at the doctor’s office the nurse led her to an exam room and took her vitals. She told Sheridan that Dr. Ramsey would be in to see her in a few minutes.
Dr. Ramsey walked in and looked around surprise written on her face. “Where’s your husband today? I hope he’s all right.”
“Yes, Luis is fine. He just had some business to take care of today.”
“Well, I wish he were here because I’m not happy with what I’m seeing here, and I need to tell him to keep you in line.”
“What do you mean doctor? Are the babies all right?”
“I suspect that they’re fine, but I won’t know for sure until I check you out. The reason I’m not happy is because you’re blood pressure is up a little, and I can see that you haven’t been getting enough rest. Is there something going on that you need to talk about?”
“I’ve just had a few problems at home, but everything is under control.”
“You better be telling me the truth Sheridan, or I’ll put you on restriction if you don’t get more rest. And another thing, you will go on bed rest if I see that blood pressure get any higher. Just to be of the safe side, I’m going to get a sample to make sure I don’t see any protein in the urine.”
“Protein? What are you talking about Dr. Ramsey? I’m really getting scared here.”
“Calm down Sheridan, I just want to make sure you don’t have a condition called Eclampsa.”
“Eclampsa? What does that mean? Are my babies in danger?”
“Sheridan we don’t even know if you have the condition, and if turns out that you do we can treat you.”
“And if I’m not treated?” Sheridan noticed Dr. Ramsey’s hesitation. “Please tell me?”
“Well, if it gets out of control it could not only put the baby at risk, but the mother as well.”
“Oh God……….” Sheridan said, clutching her stomach.
“Please stop worrying, I have a good feeling everything will be fine. Now……….. let’s get that test so we can put your mind at ease.”
Sheridan breathed a sigh of relief as she drove home. It had turned out that she didn’t have Eclampsa, and the babies were fine. She had however, gotten another lecture from Dr. Ramsey about getting more rest, and watching her stress. It was clear that she had to get her act together, because she had her babies to think of, and she wouldn't let anything to happen to them.
When Sheridan pulled up in front of the house, she saw that Luis was home, and Chad’s truck was also parked out front. At least if Chad was there, he could act as a buffer between her and Luis. Maybe she could relax enough to get some much-needed sleep tonight. When she walked through the front door, Luis and Chad were sitting in the living room watching a Boston Celtics game. Luis noticed her and got up to help her with her packages. She had stopped on the way home from the doctor’s appointment to pick up some things for the babies’ room.
“Here Sheridan, let me help you with those. Where have you been? I was getting a little concerned when you weren’t home.”
“I had a doctor’s appointment, and then I stopped to get these things for the babies’ room because Pilar is coming over tomorrow to help me.”
“Oh my God, your doctor’s appointment. I completely forgot about that being today. I’m sorry Sheridan, but why didn’t you mention it to me this morning?”
“Well…….. I…….. I didn’t remember until the last minute myself.”
Luis put his hands on her arms. It was the first physical contact they had since the argument. “So, how did it go? Is everything all right?”
“Everything’s fine……. Let’s talk about this later. We don’t want to bore Chad with the mushy baby stuff.” She pulled away from him and walked over to Chad. “So Chad, this is a nice surprise, what brings you by?”
Chad looked noticeably uncomfortable, and a bit tongue tied, when Luis stepped in. “Don’t you remember Sheridan? You invited Chad over for dinner tonight.”
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry Chad. It completely slipped my mind. Oh no…….. I don’t have anything but eggs……..”
“Don’t worry about it. If this is a bad night, we can do it some other time.”
“No, of course not Chad, I’ll think of something. I know…….., we can order Chinese food. They don’t deliver out this far, but Luis can pick it up.”
“Really…….. I don’t want to put you to any trouble……..”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Luis doesn’t mind, do you?”
“No, not at all. Give me your orders, and I’ll call it in.”
After Luis placed the order, he told them that he was going to take off, when Chad jumped up and told Luis he would ride along. They rode in silence for a while, when finally; not being able to contain himself any longer Chad spoke. “Do you mind telling me just what the hell is going on?”
“What do you mean Chad?”
“Don’t play dumb Luis, I know better than that. Look……. I don’t make it a habit of getting into other folks business, but the tension between you two back there was so thick, you could cut it with a buzz saw. I mean, come on Luis….. the woman is pregnant, and she looks real shaky right now. In fact, you don’t look so good yourself.”
“You don’t think I know that Chad? Normally I’d tell you to mind your own damn business, but to tell you the truth I need to talk with somebody, because I just don’t know how to handle this anymore.”
“Good, maybe it will be better to get it off your chest. You two are good people, and I really hate to see anything come between you.”
Luis proceeded to tell Chad all the details the led up to the present riff in Sheridan and his relationship. He poured out his anger, and also his concern for Sheridan’s state of mind. His frustration became more apparent as the facts unfolded.
Chad contemplated everything Luis had told him, and finally he spoke. “Do you love her?”
“What?……. Of course I do more then anything in the world. But sometimes I wonder if it’s enough to get past these social barriers between us.”
“So you’re just going to throw in the towel, because you’re both too scared to face your problems? That’s just crap Luis, and you know it.”
“Hell no, I don’t want to give up on us, but what am I supposed to do? I try to get her to talk about it, and she just keeps shutting me out.”
“Well maybe your just giving up too easily, because sometimes it’s safer than opening yourself up to the painful process of healing. Here’s what I think, and you can take it or leave it, but what ever you decide to do, you better hurry up and do it, because if you two continue to go on like this, pretty soon it’s going to become a comfortable habit. One day you’re going to look at each other and wonder why in the hell you got together in the first place. Is that what you want this to turn into?”
“God no, we went through too much to be together.”
“Good, I was hoping you would say that. Look man, I completely understand why you’re pissed off that Sheridan didn’t discuss this whole trust thing with you first. I would feel the same way, but what you need to concentrate on is why she felt she couldn’t come to you in the first place. You know it’s funny that you keep spouting off that your problems stem from the fact that you come from different worlds, but from what I see is, it’s not your differences that are keeping you apart, it’s your similarities.”
“What are you talking about Chad? That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it? Look, I think the world of you two, but you are both stubborn, opinionated, and just too damn proud. I know this, because Whitney and me have the same problem, but at least I recognize it. We all have our demons, and sometimes its easier to put up a protective shield, then to admit that your not perfect, so you close yourself off to the people that you love, because the only thing you see is that you were let down in the past. I’ve learned one thing, and that is this whole pride thing isn’t worth losing somebody that you love.”
“So, how do I reach her?”
“Come on man, you got to figure out some of it on your own,” Chad said with a toothy grin.
Luis grinned back. “Since you know so damn much, maybe I should let you pay for dinner.”
Later at dinner, Luis surprised Sheridan with the news that he had located Orville. He had tracked him down in one of the new Assisted Living communities. Luis said that him and Chad were going to go there tomorrow morning to see if they could talk with Orville.
“That’s wonderful news, I’m going with you.”
“Look Sheridan, I appreciate all you help, but I don’t think it’s necessary for you to go.”
“But why not Chad? I have to go, you need me.”
“Sheridan, I think you should stay home and rest. Besides, I thought mama was coming over tomorrow.”
“She won’t be here until after lunch, so I’ll be free in the morning to go with you two.”
“Sheridan, don’t you think Orville might feel a little overwhelmed if we all converge on him,”
“Oh, I’m positive he will, that is why I’m going to be the one to talk to him. Alone.”
“Now, wait a minute Sheridan, I know you want to help, but Orville doesn’t even know you. I think I should talk to him.”
“But Chad, you told me yourself that Orville would only elude to things, and he never would tell you anything of any value. And well……. I don’t mean any offense Chad, but you come off as a little aggressive sometimes when you’re after something. You probably frightened the poor old man.”
“Ouch, you must be my aunt, because you only say those things about people when your related,” Chad said laughing. “I guess I may as well let you try, because I sure haven’t gotten very far with Orville in the past.”
“Good,” Sheridan smiled. “I knew you would see it my way.”
Luis watched the exchange between Sheridan and Chad, and he had to admit he was envious. From the minute that Sheridan had heard that Chad might be her nephew, she accepted him immediately. He was happy for them, but he wished that she would smile at him that way again.
They all agreed to meet in the morning, and Luis and Sheridan walked Chad to the door. After Chad left, Sheridan said good night, and started for the stairs when suddenly she clutched her stomach.
“Oh my God…….”
Luis ran over to her. “What is it Sheridan? Are you alright?”
Suddenly a brilliant smile broke out on her face. “Oh Luis, feel.” She took his hand and put it on her stomach. “Can you feel it? The babies are kicking.”
“Yeah, I can feel it,” he said excitedly.
“They sure are feisty. I guess they took issue with the Chinese food,” she said laughing.
“Wow, my little girl is going to be a football player just like her brother.”
“I don’t think so. In case you’re wondering those are ballet kicks.”
“Well they must have gotten tired from so much practice, because they’ve stopped.”
“Yeah, I guess they did.” Suddenly, the smile faded from her face, and it was obvious that she remembered their current situation, because her whole demeanor changed. “Well………, I’m exhausted, I think I’ll go up to bed.”
As she walked up the steps, Luis almost called her back, but as hard as he tried, the words just wouldn’t come out of his mouth. He silently cursed himself a hundred times over for being such a coward.
Chapter 7
On route to see Orville, Chad sat in the back seat of Luis’ jeep and observed Luis and Sheridan. It was obvious from their behavior toward each other that they still hadn’t mended the breech between. What was wrong with these two? He had never seen two people more in love, but they both had a big problem, and that was their foolish pride. If they didn’t do something soon, he was going to lock them in a room together, and not let them out until they straightened this whole mess out. But for now, he had to concentrate on getting information from Orville. He hoped that Sheridan would have better luck then he had in the past, but if Orville was off in “that little place” that he escaped to sometimes, he doubted that Sheridan would be able to make sense out of what he was saying. He had been searching for the truth for so long, that sometimes it seemed impossible that he would ever find out who his parents were. If Julian Crane was his father, then who in the hell was his mother? He found it hard to believe that Julian would have relations with a woman of color, but one never knew what these rich folks would do. Knowing the scum Julian, he probably looked at it as some kind of a trophy.
They all walked into the lobby and a receptionist was able to tell them what apartment Orville lived in. Chad and Luis agreed to wait in the reception area, but as Sheridan started to leave Chad gave her a warning that Orville was not always lucid. After Sheridan walked off, Chad gave Luis one of those “what the hell are you thinking” looks, but Luis ignored him, asking if Chad thought it would be safe for Sheridan to be alone with Orville. Chad had a feeling that Luis was not in the mood to talk about his marriage woos right now, so he wisely let it drop. He assured Luis that he had never known Orville to be dangerous, just a little unfocused at times.
Sheridan knocked on the door, and waited for Orville to answer. After what seemed like forever, he finally opened the door. He looked her up and down, and broke out into a huge smile.
“Wow, are you an angel?”
“No, I’m not an angel,” Sheridan said smiling.
“Then you must be from Meals on Wheels.”
“I’m afraid not, but I did bring you a box of chocolates.”
“Please come in and sit down. I don’t get many visitors these days.”
“Thank you, Mr. Perkins, I’d like to come in and visit with you for a while.”
“Please call me Orville. Everyone else does, well except in the old days everyone called me Scat.”
“That’s an interesting nick name. How did you get it?”
“You know……, I don’t really remember. It must have started back in the days when I had my jazz band.”
“Oh really, I hadn’t realized that you were a musician Orville?”
“Oh yeah, most of my life, and I was a damn good one too. Sorry about the language Ms………… I’m sorry, but I forgot your name.”
“Oh, you didn’t forget, I just haven’t gotten a chance to introduce myself yet.” Sheridan held out her hand to shake Orville’s. “My name is Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald. That is my married name, but before I married my last name was Crane.”
Orville’s eyes got big as saucers, “Did you say Crane? Are you talking about THE Cranes?”
“Yes Orville, my father was Alistair Crane, and my brother is Julian Crane.”
“You seem kind of young to be a sister to that one.”
“Well, I came along rather late in life, my mother was rather frail.”
“So why are you here?”
“I’m sorry to intrude on you, but I need to ask you some questions.”
“What kind of questions,” Orville said skeptically.
“I need to know if you remember anything about my brother Julian? This would have been around twenty years ago. Did you know my brother at that time?”
Orville got a far away look on his face, as if he was thinking of another time. “Yes, I remember he came in the club quite a bit for a time. Then…….., he just stopped coming. She was so upset………, thought Julian Crane didn’t care about her anymore………, but if you ask me he never cared about her to begin with, and I told her so.”
“Who Orville, who is this woman your talking about?”
Either Orville hadn’t heard her question, or he completely chose to ignore it, but the statement he made next certainly got her attention. “Are you going to have a baby?” Orville looked down at Sheridan’ tummy. “You know, she was going to have a baby too.”
“Who was going to have a baby? Was it the woman my brother was seeing at the time?”
“Yep, we had some pretty great nights at the Blue Note. She could sing like a Nightingale. We should have stayed in Boston…….. should have never come to Harmony to do that gig………. only made things worst…….”
“Orville, is this Blue Note in Boston?”
“Yep, we should have just stayed there, but she was determined to see that brother of yours……..”
“Orville, please tell me this woman’s name…...”
“Are you sure you’re not from Meals on Wheels, I’m starving?”
“Orville, who was the woman that wanted to see my brother?”
“What did you say your name was again? You sure look like an angel…….”
Orville must have gone into one of his non-lucid moments that Chad had warned her about. It was obvious she was not going to get any more information out of him, and she didn’t want to badger the poor man. He almost seemed protective of this woman, and she highly doubted that he was going to tell her who she was. But the good news was, she did find out some very important information, but it looked like they were going to have to take a trip to Boston to get the rest of their answers.
Pilar watched as Sheridan with shaky hands poured more tea. She had been acting withdrawn ever since her arrival. She had tried to put up a brave front, but Pilar could tell that something was terribly wrong. She had always been able to tell when Sheridan was upset about something. Even when she was a little girl, she had not been good at hiding it when something was bothering her. What if there was a problem with the babies? She needed to get her to open up, because this terrible anxiety was not healthy for her or the little ones.
“Miha what is wrong? I can tell you are very upset about something.”
Sheridan looked up with tear filled eyes. “Oh Pilar, I’ve made the biggest mess of everything. Luis and I had the biggest argument the other night….. and now we are barely speaking ……. It’s all my fault.”
Pilar pulled her in her arms. “Come now Sheridan, you must calm down for your sake and the sake of the babies. I can not believe that this is so terrible that it can not be fixed.”
“Oh Pilar, Luis was so angry. I had Ethan set up a Trust for the twins that would be theirs when they turned eighteen, but I didn’t discuss it with Luis first, and now he is so angry because he thinks I was sneaking around behind his back.”
“Sheridan I know my son is very proud and stubborn, but he loves you very much, and I am sure that Luis wants to work this out.”
“He did want to talk about it, but I just clamed up, because even though I don’t think I did anything wrong when I set up the Trust, I was wrong for not discussing it with Luis first. I have no defense for that, and I just can’t bear getting into another argument with him about it.”
“You can not continue to let this go on. I can see it is taking a tow on you. Is this really worth the risk to your unborn children or to your own health and well being?”
“Of course not. I would do anything for my babies, and as stubborn as your son can be sometimes, I love him very much,” she said wiping her tears away.
“Luis was devastated when his father left, and he had to take on so much responsibility at such an early age. I feel guilty that so much pressure was put on him, and because of that I fear he has lost a part of his youth. I’m not trying to make excuses for him, but he doesn’t know any other way but to take care of those that he loves.”
“Oh Pilar, please don’t feel guilty. Luis loves you, and as much as my heart goes out to him for all of his sacrifices, I also think that this is part of why he turned out to be such a wonderful man. I couldn’t have ask for a better husband, and I know he’ll be a wonderful father…….”
“Do you hear yourself Sheridan? It is so obvious that you are deeply in love with my son, and I know that he loves you too. So why are you putting yourself through this?”
“Oh Pilar, I do love Luis. So much………”
“Then you must end this, both of you.”
“How Pilar?”
“You just have to tell him how you feel, and I think that Luis will surprise you. But as long as you continue to bury your head in the sand, and not face the problem, nothing will ever be accomplished. Sheridan………., I love you like a daughter and I can not stand to see you hurting like this…… so please, take the first step, and Luis will follow. After all, those beautiful babies need both of you.”
Luis decided it was time to put an end to this madness. He was not going to sleep in the guestroom one more night. He was not going to run and hide anymore, because he loved his wife, and if he had to court her again, then that’s what he would do. When he pulled up in front of the house, he had to sit there for a minute and collect himself. He couldn’t believe how nervous he was. He was determined that he was not going to let her reject his efforts this time. When he finally got the courage to go into the house, the most wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen assaulted him. He decided to investigate the reason for this wonderful smell. As he walked by the dining room he noticed that the table was set, and lit candles made for a very romantic setting. He had to shake his head and look around to make sure he hadn’t walked into someone else’s house. He was still standing there staring in amazement when he heard her walk up behind him. He didn’t have to turn around to confirm that it was she, he just knew because in spite of everything he was still so in tune with her……..with her scent.
“Luis?”
He turned around and the site of her made him week in the knees. She gave him a shy smile, and he had to use every once of his will power not to pull her in his arms. “Everything looks beautiful,” he said pointing to the table, but he was looking at her. “What is that amazing smell coming from the kitchen? You’re really getting the hang of this cooking thing.”
“Well, don’t give me too much credit,” she said smiling softly. “Remember your mother was here today.”
“Still, everything is perfect,” he said staring into her eyes. “Here, I brought these for you.” He handed three red roses.
“Oh Luis……. they’re beautiful,” she said smelling the gentle fragrance.
“Yeah well………., one is for you and the other two are for the twins.”
The tears started to flow from her beautiful eyes, and suddenly she was in his arms, clinging to him like her life depended on it. “Oh Luis, I’m so sorry……. I’m just so sorry.”
“Shhhhhh…………, It’s alright baby. I’m the one who’s sorry. I promise we’re going to work everything out.” It felt so good to have her in his arms again. He brushed her tears away, and kissed her on the forehead. When her tears subsided, Luis reluctantly pulled away from her, and gave her a little smile. “Since you went to so much trouble, why don’t we sit down and eat, and then we’ll talk.”
And talk they did. They both decided together that the Trust would become available on the twins twenty-first birthday. It would also be divided into smaller portions that would be disbursed only at five-year intervals. They also decided together, that the twins would not be told about the Trust until they turned twenty-one, that way they would not be discouraged from furthering their education. Luis told Sheridan that because of the way they were raised, they would probably always have some differences, however it was important to keep the lines of communication open, so they could work through these issues together as a team, and Sheridan readily agreed. As they finished cleaning up from dinner, all was well at the Lopez-Fitzgerald household.
Luis turned Sheridan toward him, and traced her face with his index finger. “You look so tired sweetheart. Let me take you to bed.”
“I’d be crazy to turn down an invitation like that,” she said pulling him into a kiss.
He couldn’t help it, the lure of her sweet kiss was too much, and he responded passionately. But finally, his concern for her welfare won out over his need for her. “Sheridan, you need to stop tempting me. We have plenty of time to make love after you get good nights sleep, and to tell you the truth, I’m pretty exhausted myself. I discovered that I don’t sleep very well when I don’t have you lying next to me.”
“All right Luis, I’ll concede this time, but you better be prepared to make up for it tomorrow.”
She giggled when he picked her up and carried her upstairs. When they got to their bedroom he set her down on her feet. “So are you going to undress me, and tuck me in?”
“Oh I see what you’re up to,” he said flashing her a grin. “You don’t think I can restrain myself if I undress you?”
“Well………, if I was a betting person……….”
“You act like I’m some oversexed maniac that can’t keep my hands off of you.”
“I’d be disappointed if you could.”
“Well, as much as I want to make love to you, I think I’m strong enough to refrain for one night. Even if it seems like forever since we made love. Now let me get you a nightgown,”
“But Luis, I haven’t worn a nightgown since I moved back home.”
“Well you’re going to wear one tonight, because I’m not that noble. In fact, do you still have the ugly white virgin nun thing?”
“You burned it, don’t you remember?”
“Oh right, well I’m sure we can find something here,” he said pulling open the drawer. He rifled through her gowns until he found one that was relatively modest. When he turned around, she was standing there naked. His hands were shaking, but he knew he could do this. He quickly slipped the gown over her head, and pulled back the covers for her.
Sheridan walked over, climbed in bed, and leaned back against the headboard watching him as he undressed, exposing his gorgeous body to her. She was disappointed when he left his boxers on, but she was determined that they wouldn’t be on long if she had her way.
“Luis, why are you just standing there? Aren’t you coming to bed?”
He walked over, a spectacle look on his face, and crawled in bed beside her. If they didn’t touch too much, he figured he could make it through the night with his sanity still intact. But, that was not to be his fate, because she curled up beside him, rubbing her body against his.
“Sheridan, you’re not making this very easy on me.”
“I’m sorry Luis, I’m cold, and I need your body heat,” she said innocently.
“Go to sleep Sheridan, please.”
“I’m trying, but I can’t seem to get comfortable.” She nuzzled up beside him wrapping her body over his. It was then, that she brushed up against his erection. “Whoops”,
He groaned, and pulled her face to his, and the look of lust in his eyes sent a little shiver through her body. Suddenly, he leaned over and gave her a kiss that was so hot it made her toes curled.
“Ok, this is the way it’s going to be,” he said in a husky voice. “You will stay in bed tomorrow and get some rest.”
“Anything you say Luis. Now that we have that established, will you shut up and kiss me just like you did before.”
“Sure, let’s get rid of this thing first,” he said ripping her gown off until it lay in tatters about her naked body. His boxers followed, and then he proceeded to plant some of those toe-curling kisses all over her body.
“Oh…… yes Luis……...”
Chapter 8
Sheridan opened her eyes slowly, squinting from the bright sunlight. When she was finally able to adjust and focus, she saw a pair of brown muscular legs standing beside the bed. Her gaze moved up his finely chiseled thighs………. and she sucked in her breath at the arresting sight peeking out from under the tray he was holding. Sheridan unconsciencesly licked her lips, and when Luis saw her gesture, his reaction was immediate.
“Oh my……., did you bring me breakfast?”
“It’s more like lunch, have you noticed the time?”
“Honey, when your standing in front of me like that I don’t’ seem to notice anything but you.”
Luis put the tray down and sat on the edge of the bed next to her. She sat up so that she was eye level with him, and the sheet dropped down around her waist. He leaned in and his lips touched hers hungrily, and she opened up letting him have everything.
“If we make love, your food is going to get cold,” Luis said, finally managing to drag his lips away from hers.
“Let’s see,” Sheridan said contemplating the choice. “Cold food, or hot man. I choose hot man.”
Luis laughed, as he crawled under the covers with her, and snuggled up against her. “Did I tell you how much I missed you?”
“No………, but you can show me right now,” she said as she kissed his chest.
“How’s this?”
She watched as his large hand cupped her, and his long fingers were doing the most amazing things to her. Oh God, only he could touch her like this, and cause this liquid heat that inflamed her body. She wanted to touch him in the same way, and she brought her hand between them, drew a line down his middle, and traced over the tightly knotted muscles of his belly. He groaned when she touched him, wrapped her hand around him, and stroked. The look he gave her took her breath away. It was filled with so much love and passion, that she felt she would be swallowed up in the emotion. Suddenly, it was as if he couldn’t take anymore, his lips formed over hers, and she burned to the pleasure of his tongue, wet, hot, probing deeply into her mouth. The kiss must have affected him the same way, because she could feel him grow even harder in her hand. It was heady…….sexy……..hot, and she didn’t think she could ever get enough of him.
Luis wanted her so badly. He was so crazy in love with her, and just seeing her now, her beautiful eyes filled with love for him, was overwhelming to him. Her reaction to the way that he was touching her and the way she touched him was a combination that would send even a sane man over the edge. There was something so beautiful and precious to him when he gazed at the curve of her belly, knowing that their children grew inside her, that it almost brought tears to his eyes. But…….., it was also just as sexy, and he wanted her now, so badly. He positioned her so that he wouldn’t put his weight on her belly, and slipped into her silken flesh. He then proceeded to show her just how much he had missed her.
Later, as they munched on the cold food, Sheridan finally asked what time it was. When Luis told her it was after noon, she hopped out of bed. “Why didn’t you tell me it was so late?”
“Because, remember you promised me last night while trying to seduce me that you would get some rest today. That’s why I purposely let you sleep in.”
Sheridan laughed. “Oh, like I really had to try. You were like putty in my hands Agent Lopez-Fitzgerald.”
Luis got out of bed and came up behind her slipping his arms around her waist. “Ok, I admit that there is not much I can deny you, but you can at least pretend that I’m still the man of the house,” he said laughing.
“Oh, you’re very much the man……, my man,” she said, as she turned around wrapping her arms around his neck. “Why don’t we take a shower, and then I think we could use a nice long walk.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. We could use some exercise that doesn’t involve being in a reclining position,” he teased.
“Come on,” she said pulling him along. “You can wash my back, but you know before long you’re going to have to wash my feet, because I’m not going to be able to bend down that far.”
It was a beautiful sunny winter’s day, and Sheridan and Luis decided to take a walk through the woods, since the snow was beginning to melt. Ace was off in a Canine training class at the State Police training facility, and wouldn’t be back for another week. Sheridan wanted to check out the hot spring, but Luis refused to let her get in it at this time of year.
“You know Luis, I really miss Ace. When his career as a police dog is over can we adopt him?
“Sure, I’m glad you feel that way, because I was going to suggest the same thing to you.”
“I’ll bet he will be very protective with the children, since he acts that way about me.”
“Not as protective as their father’s going to be.”
“Come on Luis, you have to let them have some fun,” she teased.
“You know something Sheridan? You’re cute when you’re trying to be funny,” he said sarcastically. But then he leaned in and gave her a kiss.
“Well all kidding aside, I can’t wait until the babies are born. You know Luis, I’ve never even met them yet, but I already love them so much. It’s not like I even had to think about it, because it just feels so natural. I feel them moving inside me, and knowing that they came from our love makes me truly believe in miracles.”
“I know, I love them too. Just like I love their mother. That must be so amazing to feel them moving inside of you, and I want you to know how much I appreciated what you did the other night.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well even though we were in a bad place, you still let me share that moment when the babies kicked and I knew right then, in that moment, why I love you so much.”
She wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him close. “I love you too Luis and I would never let you miss one moment in our children’s lives.”
Luis kissed her and rubbed her tummy. “You know………, I think it’s time we started thinking about names for these little sweethearts.”
A pair of cold eyes watched them from a concealed place among the evergreens. So they were going to have a baby. Such a touching scene, but it didn’t change anything. Some day an opportunity would come along, it may not be soon, but they would pay.
Suddenly, Luis had a strange feeling, almost like someone had walked over his grave. He looked around, but saw nothing but the beautiful scenery that surrounded them.
“Honey, what is it? You have the strangest look on your face."
“I don’t know…….., just a feeling. Let’s go back to the house."
The next morning Luis and Sheridan picked Chad up at his apartment for a road trip to Boston. Their plans were to look up this Blue Note to see if they could find any information that would lead them to the mysterious woman in Julian’s past.
Chad was happy to see that Luis and Sheridan had kissed and made up, because they were certainly acting very loving toward each other today. If Sheridan were truly his aunt, that meant that the twins that she carried would be his cousins. He hoped so much that it was true, because that would mean that he finally had a family. He wasn’t especially happy that someone like Julian Crane was his father, but Sheridan and Ethan came with that package and they were good people. Sheridan had been so warm and accepting of him, and it made his heart feel good. He just hoped that they could find some answers today, just something that would lead to the identity of his mother.
Since they had no idea where this Blue Note was, Luis suggested that they look in the phone book. Unfortunately, the phone book showed no listing for a club called the Blue Note. They also called information; just to make sure there was nothing there either. When they came up empty, Sheridan suggested they go somewhere to have lunch and figure out what their next step should be. When the waiter came up to their table to take their order, Chad got an idea.
“Have you lived in Boston you’re whole life?” Chad asked the waiter.
“Sure, I was born and raised here. Why do you ask?”
“I was wondering if you ever heard of a club called the Blue Note?”
“Let’s see……….., Blue Note. No, I’m afraid I’ve never heard of that place. Of course, clubs come and go all the time around here. When was this place supposed to be around?”
“Well, we know it existed at least twenty years ago,” Luis said.
The waiter laughed. “Twenty years? Man, I’m only nineteen; I wouldn’t have a clue about some club way back then. You know, I bet Mrs. Wintergreen knows. She knows just almost everything about Boston history.”
“Wintergreen,” Sheridan said raising her eyebrows. “Who is this Mrs. Wintergreen, and where can we find her?”
“Mrs. Wintergreen owns this place. She took over the business when her husband died. She’s been around a long time, maybe she can help you.”
“Is this Mrs. Wintergreen here now,” Luis asked?
“Sure, she’s back in the office. I’ll go get her, but I should warn you, that once you get her talking, she might not shut up. The woman loves to talk, if you know what I mean.”
Sheridan smiled, “it sounds like this Mrs. Wintergreen just might be able to help us.”
They gave their orders to the waiter, and he left to get Mrs. Wintergreen. About ten minutes a heavy-set woman that looked to be in her sixties came walking toward their table. She introduced herself as Amelia Wintergreen, and took a seat at their table. “So Bobby tells me you folks want to ask me some questions.”
Chad spoke first, “Yes Mrs. Wintergreen, we were wondering if you ever heard of a place called the Blue Note? We know it was around about twenty years ago, but we couldn’t find a listing in the phone book.”
“First off, call me Amelia. I loved my husband very much, but never did like that last name he saddled me with. But………., to answer your question, I do remember the Blue Note. That was the best place in Boston to go hear jazz about twenty years ago, but that place has been gone for about fifteen years now.”
“What happened to the place,” Luis asked?
“They demolished that whole block to put up some office building. The people that owned those places made a killing selling to those high price developers.”
“Do you know anything about the owner of the Blue Note? Could you give us a name, possibly tell us where we might find him,” Sheridan asked?
“Sure, his name is John Parker, and he opened up a new place after he sold out. I don’t get out much anymore, this place keeps me busy, but I heard that the new club has some pretty good jazz acts. The place is called Jazz Flavors, and it’s over on Fourteenth Street.”
After Amelia left to go talk with some other customers, the waiter brought their food. Since the jazz club wouldn’t be open until that evening, they decided that they would go get a hotel room, so they could spend the night in Boston. Luis noticed how tired Sheridan looked, and suggested that she get some rest before they went out that night. He said that he would stay with her, but she told him that he should probably go out site seeing with Chad, because if he were around she wouldn’t be able to get any sleep.
Luis kissed her goodbye. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay. I’m sure Chad will be fine on his own for the afternoon.”
“No, you better go with Chad, but you don’t have to stay out all afternoon, and maybe we could have a little time together before we go to Jazz Flavors tonight.”
Luis grinned, and kissed her again. “I promise I’ll definitely be back in plenty of time so we can chrisen this king size bed in here.”
“You better go right now, or I’ll forgo my nap, and get you in that bed right now.”
Refreshed from her nap, and sated from a session of lovemaking with Luis, Sheridan was looking forward to their evening out. She was hoping that they would be able to find out some information from this John Parker. Luckily, since they hadn’t brought clothes for an overnight trip, she had been able to purchase some things in the boutique in the hotel. She had found a little black dress that was cut with a high waist, and the hot look Luis gave her told her she looked good.
When they arrived at Jazz Flavors, they found a table in the corner, and Chad decided to go to the bar and inquire if the owner was there. He came back with a dejected look on his face.
“What’s wrong Chad? What did you find out?”
“It turns out that this John Parker died about five years ago. His son runs the place now.”
“Oh no,” Sheridan said. “Is he here now, maybe he can tell us something.”
“Yeah, the bartender said he was here, and he would send him over to our table when he finished up with some business.”
“Well, I think while we’re waiting, I’ll go to the ladies room. Luis will you order me a club soda?”
“Sure sweetie, don’t take too long,” he said giving her a quick kiss on the lips.
After Sheridan left, Chad laughed and said, “I told you to make up, not make out.”
“Always the comedian,” Luis said rolling his eyes.
On her way to the ladies room Sheridan noticed that the walls were covered with photographs of famous people that had visited the club. Sheridan was impressed by the pictures of movie stars and famous athletes poised with a man she assumed to be the owner. She was ready to move on, when one picture caught her eye, and she couldn’t believe what she saw. It was a picture of Julian when he was much younger, and he was sitting at a table with the same man in all the pictures. But it wasn’t the man that she was interested in. There were also two women in the photo, one was a pretty blond, and the other was a very young Eve Russell.
Chapter 9
Sheridan couldn’t believe her eyes. She didn’t recognize the blond woman, but she would know her brother anywhere and there was also no mistaking that the other woman was Eve. So Eve had lied, just as she suspected, but why? What secret was Eve harboring about her relationship with Julian back in those days? Was she a friend of the woman that was Chad’s mother or worst…….. She didn’t even want to think about the implications of Eve being Chad’s mother. My God, the ramifications would shatter so many people’s lives. Her heart went out to Chad, just thinking about his reaction. If he was Eve’s son, that would mean that he’s in love with his own sister. She just couldn’t believe that Eve was the kind of person that would abandon her own child, especially to a life on the streets. She sat down on one of the chairs in the lobby, trying to collect her thoughts. She was sitting there rubbing her temples when Luis found her.
“Sheridan,” Luis said, concern in his voice. “What’s the matter, are you sick?”
She lifted her troubled eyes to him. “No, I’m not sick, at least not physically. I’m just heartsick………. Oh God Luis,” she said wrapping her arms around him.
“Sheridan, what has gotten you so upset? Did somebody say something to you? You were fine when you left the table.”
“No Luis, it’s something I saw that has gotten me so upset.” She got up and pulled him over to stand in front of the picture she had seen earlier. “You’re not going to believe this.”
She could tell by the look on Luis’ face that he was as shocked as she was. But he added another piece to the confusing puzzle, when he recognized the blond woman. “I know her Sheridan, that’s Crystal. The woman that the drug cartel killed thinking it was you.”
“Are you sure,” Sheridan said in a shocked voice?
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure, but I only saw her in a body bag. Chad knew her, and I’ll bet he can identify her as Crystal.”
“Oh God Luis, this gets more convoluted by the minute. What if Eve is Chad’s mother? How are we going to tell him this Luis?”
“I know it’s a bad scene all the way around, but as hard as it’s going to be to tell Chad, he deserves to know the truth. Especially if Eve is his mother, he can’t go on having feelings for Whitney. Besides, we still don’t know for sure that Eve is Chad’s mother. That picture just isn’t proof enough.”
“Your right Luis, we still don’t know anything for sure. What are you doing out here anyway?”
“I started to worry when you didn’t come back. You do have a habit of getting yourself into some pretty bad scrapes sometimes,” he teased.
“Well, I still haven’t made it to the ladies room. Will you wait for me, so we can walk back together.”
“You just try to get rid of me.”
When they arrived back at the table, Chad was already deep in conversation with a gentleman that they could only assume to be John Parker’s son. He stood when he noticed them approach the table.
“Hello, welcome to Jazz Flavors, I’m Jack Parker.”
Luis shook his hand, and after introducing themselves, they all took their chairs again. The man was quite charming, and told them that his father had passed away about five years ago, but he would try to answer any questions they might have. He also said that he really didn’t know much about his father’s business when he owned the Blue Note.
“I was wondering,” Luis asked? “Were all the pictures on the wall in the lobby taken here?”
“Oh no, my father had quite the following back in the days when he owned the Blue Note. He brought all those along when he opened this place. Is there something specific you were wondering about?”
“No thank you,” Sheridan said. “We really don’t want to take up anymore of your time.” Jack told them to enjoy their evening and left.
“Why did you send him away Sheridan? We don’t know anymore then when we came in here. Maybe the guy had some information for us.”
“Because Chad, we did find out some information. Maybe you should come out to the lobby, and we’ll show you what we’re talking about.”
Puzzled, Chad followed them out to the lobby, and Sheridan pointed to the picture on the wall of Julian, Eve, and Crystal. Chad stared at the picture in complete shock, and finally he sat down in the same chair Sheridan had vacated earlier.
“What the hell can this mean? Dr. Russell……., Crystal? Do you think Doc Russell is the woman we’ve been looking for? Could she be my mother?”
Luis took a seat beside Chad. “Look Chad, the only thing that this proves is that Julian and Eve knew each other twenty years ago, and that Eve also knew Crystal. There is no sense in jumping to conclusions before we talk with Eve.”
“Yeah, and what makes you think she’ll tell the truth this time? She’s lied in the past,” Chad yelled.
“She can’t lie anymore Chad. All three of us saw the picture so there’s no way for her to deny it any longer.”
Chad suddenly stood up, and looked directly at Sheridan. “Oh my God…………, Whitney.”
The look on his face broke Sheridan’s heart, and she pulled him into a hug. “I promise it will be alright Chad. Just like Luis said, this picture only proves that they all knew each other. Let’s not jump to conclusions until we know everything.”
Later, on the way back to the hotel, Chad brought up something that added another puzzling element to the case. He pointed out the fact that the night Crystal was murdered, she was on her way back from her hotel with some papers about his paternity, but nobody was ever able to locate those papers. Even the hotel clerk from Crystal’s hotel, said he had seen her come back, and leave right away holding a large envelope in her hand, yet the papers were never found with her body.
Luis spoke up. “Wait a minute. Eve was the coroner that night. She was alone with Crystal’s body, and had every opportunity to take those papers. So, the question is, why would Eve be so desperate to make sure nobody saw what was in that envelope?”
“But, once again we have no proof that Eve took those papers, but I’d bet my paycheck that she did it,” Chad said with disgust.
“I still believe that deep down Eve is a good person, and maybe she has reasons for trying to cover this up. I’m not saying it’s right, I’m just saying that we should try to be sensitive to her. How do we know that Julian, or worst Alistair wasn’t threatening her. They never played by any rules. Look at what they did to try and keep Luis and I apart. Eve helped me figure out the true source of my terrible nightmares, and I owe her for that, but Chad this is in your court now. You have to make the decision on how you want to proceed with this.”
“I don’t know Sheridan. My mind is still trying to process all this garbage. I just don’t know what I’m going to do if I find out that Whitney is my sister. I need some time to think about all this.”
“Of course Chad. Just know that I will support you in whatever you decide.”
“Thanks Sheridan, that means a lot to me.”
Later while lying curled up in Luis’ arms, Sheridan felt like the luckiest person in the world. She couldn’t imagine what poor Chad was going through right now. Just the thought of giving up the person you love, with no hope of ever having a future with them had to be eating him up inside. She heard Luis’ even breathing as he slept beside her, and just the sound of it made her feel so secure. Thank God, there was nothing that could tear Luis and her apart, because she knew she could never go through being without him a second time.
Needless to say, it was a very quiet trip back to Harmony the next day. That is, until Luis’ and Chad’s cell phones rang at the same time. They were both talking with animated voices, and it was hard to understand what was going on. When they finally hung up, things didn’t become any clearer. The only thing she could understand was airport, and Julian.
“Stop!” Sheridan yelled. When Chad and Luis both clamped their mouths shut, surprised by her outburst, she said, “will somebody please tell me what is going on?”
“Your brother Julian, has been caught and arrested. Apparently, he flew in on the Crane jet, and walked off the plane like he owned the place. Airport security spotted him and called the police. Sam has him locked up right now at the Harmony Police station. The DEA and the State Police are ready to converge on him and Chad and I have to go there. I’ll dropped you off at the house before we go to the police station.”
“Oh no you’re not. I’m going too, because even though he’s my brother, I still want to see Julian behind bars. In fact the only reason I would want to stop at home would be to get my camera.”
“Look Sheridan, this has already been a long day, and it’s going to be a long night. I think you should get some rest. You are pushing yourself way too hard.”
“Luis, I appreciate your concern, but wild horses couldn’t keep me away from that police station. I promise when I get tired I’ll go home and go to bed.”
“I suppose that the only way I can get you to relent is to tie you up.”
“We’ll try that later, when you get home,” she whispered in his ear. Did Luis actually look embarrassed?
The police station was a mass of confusion when they arrived later. Julian and his two high priced lawyers were all shouting at the same time, and poor Sam was trying his best to maintain order. They all stopped and stared when the three of them walked in. Chad walked over to where Julian was handcuffed to a chair and got right in his face.
In a controlled voice he said, “I just want to know if you were telling me the truth about being my pops?”
Julian looked mortified. “You’re the cop, why don’t you figure it out,” Julian snarled.
“Look you son-of-a-bitch,” Chad said grabbing Julian by his shirt collar. Luis and Sam had to pull him off of Julian. “Just let me have him for about five minutes. I’ll get the bastard to tell me the truth.”
“Oh, now who’s calling who a bastard,” Julian said snidely.
“Why you…………..”
“Forget it Chad, he’s not worth it. We’ll find another way of finding out the truth without him.”
“Well, well, if it isn’t my sister, the traitor. I still can’t get over how much you have demeaned yourself. I can just picture the scene now, barefoot, pregnant and standing on the front porch with an old sofa, and a broken down car in the yard. Father must be rolling over in his grave.”
Luis felt her body tense, and she was just getting ready to bolt forward, when he held her back. But he couldn’t stop her from talking. “I never thought I’d say this about my own brother, but I hope they lock you up for the rest of your life and throw away the key. Because of you my husband could have died, not to mention the attempt you made on Chad’s life, and this is someone you claim to be your son. My God, Julian, how could you let father turn you into this hateful wretch of a person? Mother is the one rolling over her grave because of what you’ve become.”
“Always on you soap box aren’t you? Just remember you don’t have such a squeaky clean past yourself.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? I don’t have any secrets Julian.”
Julian gave her a sinister smile, “Oh, we’ll just see about that.”
Why did she suddenly feel a cold chill? She wanted to get out of there, and asked Luis is she could take his jeep. He gave her the keys and told her he would have one of the guys give him a ride home. He walked her to the door, and pulled her around to face him.
“Sheridan, did Julian upset you?”
“No Luis,” she said giving him a quick smile. “I guess I’m more exhausted then I thought. I just want to go home, soak in a hot tub, and crawl into bed. The only thing that would make it better would be for you to be there too. Do you think you’ll be long?”
“I don’t know, it depends on how long it will take to process Julian. I’m not really sure yet what agency has more rights to him. There will be a lot of paperwork to go through, but I promise I’ll be home as soon as I can. Just make sure you lock all the doors.”
“Well I guess I’ll see you when you get home.” They shared that special smile meant only for each other, and Sheridan turned and walked out the door.
Sheridan must have been more tired that she thought, because when Luis came in much later that night, she didn’t even stir when he got into bed and pulled her in his arms. He envied her, because the way his mind was working in over-drive, he doubted that he would be able to sleep at all. He was deeply concerned that Julian Crane was going to get out of this unscathed, and that fact make him madder than hell.
Sometimes he wondered if certain people were exempt from justice, even when all the cards were stacked against them. It must have been pure exhaustion that eventually sent him into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Sheridan sat the tray on the table beside the bed, and leaned over and kissed a sleeping Luis on the lips. His arm snaked out and pulled her in closer, and he deepened the kiss. “Wow, you sure are a sight for sore eyes,” he whispered in a husky, sleep-laden voice.
“My poor baby, I didn’t even hear you come in last night. How did everything go with Julian?”
“Oh, it was a three ring circus. Julian claims that he knows nothing about drugs at Crane Industries, and that he was out of town on an extended business trip.”
“What a damn liar. How does he explain the trucks bringing the drugs there, and what about the locked room?
“He denies everything, and we don’t have one shred of physical evidence to prove that those drugs were ever inside of Crane Industries, so that could blow our whole connection between your brother and Frankie and the drug lab. Everything went down before we got a chance to get anything to connect Julian to the drug lab.”
“But he can’t possibly talk his way out of trying to kill Chad. They knocked him on the head, and left him for dead. How does Julian explain that?”
“He said that his security people were only trying to protect him from what they considered an assignation attempt, because Chad was holding a gun on him.”
“What about Frankie and the other guys that got arrested with the drugs? Can’t they testify that they were taking orders from Julian?”
“Either they were threatened, or Julian paid them a lot of money, because they all claim that they were working on their own, and do not know Julian.”
“This is just great. So now what happens?”
“Well, Julian will go in front of the Judge, and he’ll decided if there’s enough evidence to hold Julian over for trial.”
“So what are the chances that Julian will go to trial.”
“I’d say slim to none.”
“I’m so sorry Luis. Maybe some miracle will happen, and Julian will finally pay for all his crimes.”
“Well sweetie don’t count on that happening anytime soon. So……., what’s that on that tray over there?”
“I actually made you breakfast. Now, before you get excited, it’s just cereal, and toast. I did manage to slice up some banana’s for the top.”
“Thank you, but I have a problem with you serving me in your robe,” he said in a teasing voice.
“Well I’m afraid that I’m not quite as brave as you are. I really don’t trust myself being around hot appliances without any clothes on,” she laughed.
“Will you at least sit with me while I eat my breakfast. I would really like your company.”
“How can I say no when you ask so sweetly.”
Luis had finished his breakfast, and was sipping on his coffee, when he brought up the fact that they had never finished their conversation on baby names.
“I was thinking Luis, why don’t you pick out the girl’s name, and I’ll pick out the boy’s.”
“I don’t know honey, do you really trust me with something so important?”
“Of course I do, you are their father. So do you have any ideas,” she asked excitedly?
“Let’s see…………, a girl’s name. What about Beth?”
If looks could kill, Luis would have been a dead man. “Beth! I can’t believe you would use that woman’s name in my house, let alone suggest that we name our little girl that.”
Luis laughed out loud. “You know I was just teasing. I love to see that fire in your eyes when you get angry.”
“Well if you ever bring up Beth’s name again in the same sentence with our little girl, you will have a fire all right, it will be in your groin. And you better……..”
She never got a chance to finish her sentence, because Luis pulled her into a passionate kiss. If only he would have figured out a lot sooner that the best way to silence her was to kiss her senseless.
Chapter 10
Sheridan knew exactly what Luis was up to, but she didn’t care as long as he kept kissing her like this. He didn’t know it yet, but she still planned on getting him back for that Beth comment. But God, when he did those things with his lips, it was really hard to think about revenge. The man really knew how to make love, and she was so happy that she was the recipient of his special talent. Oh yes…….., he was undoing the knot on the satin sash that held her robe together. She felt the slippery material fall away from her body to be replaced by his lips trailing kisses from her mouth, down her neck, and finally to her breast. When he captured her nipple in his mouth, she pulled him closer, running her fingers through his hair. His hand slid up the length of her inner thigh………., his fingers caressed her………., teased her……….., entered her………
A soft cry ripped from her lips. “Luis, make love to me now.”
“Are you sure? You were pretty angry…….”
“Now, Luis,” she commanded.
He smiled, as he slipped inside her silky flesh. “Your kind of bossy aren’t you?” His voice was soft………, sexy.
She closed her eyes and savored the feel of him, “I just know what I want.”
They were lying on their sides, facing each other, and as Sheridan looked over his shoulder she caught their reflection in the mirror over the dresser. It was so arousing to feel him…………, watch him. The muscles in his back flexing with each thrust…………, her nails raked down the sides of his back, to cup his tight bottom. He was gentle, but she could still feel his power. Her long leg was wrapped around him, pulling him closer. The combination of everything together was euphoric, and her climax came quickly and violently. Luis wasn’t far behind her, and they both were left panting, their hearts beating wildly in their chests. Luis’ lips brushed across her forehead, as he hugged her close.
“Are you still mad at me?”
“Maybe a little, but………”
“But what?”
“I’m still crazy in love with you,” she said with a sexy little smile.
He leaned in and gave her an open-mouthed, penetrating kiss, and she responded with equal vigor. “I’m crazy in love with you too,” Luis mumbled against her lips.
The District Attorney had requested a Discovery hearing and it had been determined by the Judge that the case against Julian Crane would be held over to go before the Federal Grand Jury. Testimony would be given at that time and the Grand Jury would determine if there were enough evidence to bind Julian over to a court trial. Luis was please that they had even gotten as far as the Grand Jury, but he didn’t have a lot of confidence that the case would ever go to trial.
The Grand Jury convened several weeks later, and Luis, Sheridan, and Chad sat in the courtroom anxiously awaiting the verdict, but at the same time dreading the jury’s decision. Luis and Chad had both given very convincing testimonies, but now everything was resting on whether the jury felt there was enough evidence to hold Julian over for trail. It seemed as if the whole town of Harmony had shown up to see the outcome, and the media was so thick around the courthouse, it had been a challenge getting through them. Sheridan couldn’t help but steel a glance at Ethan. She knew he was torn, still having a hard time believing his father would do something so despicable, but Ivy sat beside him not even trying to hide her pleasure at Julian’s possible downfall. At least Julian had spent the last several weeks in jail, when his attorneys had failed to prove that he was not a flight risk. That alone was reason enough for celebration.
Earlier Luis and Chad had almost been thrown out of the courtroom when Julian’s lawyer had argued that both agents involved in the case had personal grudges against the defendant, so any testimony they gave was tainted. But none of that mattered now, because the decision was made and they all waited in anticipation as to what Julian’s fate would be.
“I’m so sorry Luis,” Sheridan said later on the drive home. “I can’t believe they just let Julian get off. He probably paid somebody off.”
“Even if he did Sheridan, it’s my fault. Face it, I failed to get concrete evidence to tie Julian to the drug smuggling. So I guess your brother’s reign of terror continues.”
“Look Luis, I truly believe that you reap what you sow, and I think that someday Julian will get what he deserves. I just want him to stay away from us and our children. The only problem is that I’m still working part time at Crane Industries, so I’ll have to see him.”
“Sheridan, you know how I feel about that. I don’t mind if you want a career of some kind, but I hate the fact that you’re at Crane Industries. I know it’s your family’s company, but I just think being associated with that place means trouble.”
“I understand what you’re saying Luis, but I’m not going to let Julian drive me away. I want to make sure that Crane Industries continues to operate legitimately.”
“Honey, that’s very noble, but I doubt anyone can stop that bastard from doing anything.”
“Well, after the twins are born, it won’t be an issue. I decided to be a stay at home mom for a while. I think I’m going to have enough on my hands just taking care of two babies.”
“Now that is the best news I’ve heard all day. I’ve worked really hard on my macho, controlling thing, and I’ve been trying to support you in your career decisions, but I am very happy that you decided to stay home with the children.”
Sheridan smiled, and put her hand on Luis’ leg. “You have been a good boy, and I’m very proud of you.”
“Do I note a hint of sarcasm in your voice,” he said smiling?
“Never……… I was just trying to lighten our conversation. Frankly, I’m sick to death of my brother, and I just want to focus on the good things in our life.”
“Speaking of good things, I think I’ve decided on a name for our little girl.”
Sheridan’s face lit up. “Oh Luis, that’s great because I’ve picked a name too. Tell me, tell me,” she said excitedly.
“Well, there’s a story I never told you about. I hadn’t thought about it in years, but when I was a little boy and we were living in the cottage on the Crane Estate, I was out playing one day, and even though mama told me never to play in the gardens, my curiosity got the better of me……….”
“You being courious, now I find that hard to believe.”
Luis laughed. “Ok, so it’s in my nature. Anyway, I crawled through the bushes and into the gardens one day, and I couldn’t believe that anything could be that beautiful. I was so amazed by the smells and all colors. I saw this bed of lilies, and I didn’t even stop to think that I would get into trouble, I just wanted to pick some for mama. Well needless to say, the gardener caught me, and had me by the ear, when your mother came to my rescue.”
“Luis, I never knew you met my mother.”
“Well, like I said, I forgot about it until recently, but the only way I knew it was your mother is because the gardener called her Mrs. Crane. She had the kindest eyes and she intervened and told the gardener to let me have the lilies. I still got into trouble when I got home, and even though I explained that the nice lady gave them to me, mama and papa were still very angry.”
“Luis, that’s a sweet story, but I don’t know what it has to do with a name for our little girl?”
“Because, I know how much you loved your mother, and I wanted to honor her in some way, so I came up with the name of Lily Katherine.”
“Oh Luis……..” Her eyes welled up with tears; she was so touched by Luis’ gesture. “That is a beautiful name, and I love you for thinking of my mother.” She wiped a tear away. “Lily Katherine will be perfect with the name I picked.”
“So tell me, I’m dying of curiosity here.”
“Well, since you told the story behind your decision, I think I should tell you mine. Did you know that we had a family connection as far back as the Revolutionary War? When Luis shook his head no, Sheridan proceeded. “I didn’t know about the connection until recently, but Pilar told me a story once when I was a little girl, and I never forgot about it. There was a beautiful young woman, and her father was very rich, and loyal to the Crown, but she believed that the Colonies should have the freedom to govern themselves. Well she met a handsome young man in the militia, and she lost her heart to him. They admitted their love for each other, and they planned on being married when he returned. So he sailed away to make his fortune and his ship was lost at sea. She never married, and spent the rest of her life staring at the sea, waiting for him to come back to her. I was looking through some old Crane papers, trying to research the history of our family, when I discovered that the names of those two star crossed lovers were Sarah Crane and Luke Fitzgerald.”
“Are you serious? I never had any idea that our families had a connection that far back?”
“Yes, and I always thought it was saddest story. So I decided that since Luke Fitzgerald lost his life when he was such a young man, and he was your ancestor, that I would name our son after him, and maybe his spirit would live on through him. So that’s why I choose the name of Lucas Martin.”
Luis put his hand over Sheridan’s hand. “You are pretty amazing, do you know that? That means so much to me, and I’m glad that you remembered papa. Wow…….., Luke and Lily Lopez-Fitzgerald. I like that, and at least now we have something to call them besides little girl and little boy.”
Chad stopped by later that night, and they shared their news about the baby names. He too was amazed that there was a connection between the Cranes and Lopez-Fitzgerald’s that far back. He told Luis and Sheridan that it was time that he filled in his piece of the Crane family history, and he was ready to pursue the truth behind his paternity.
“I’m glad you made the decision to continue the search Chad, but you do realize that the chance that Julian is your father is pretty strong. Are you ready to deal with that Chad?”
“As much as I dread the fact that Julian may be my father, I’m trying to look at the positive side of this. If I get Julian, I also get you and Ethan, and I couldn’t ask for better people to be my family.”
“I guess you should start with Eve again. Hopefully, if you tell her you’ve seen the picture, she will tell you the truth this time.”
“Well Sheridan, I was kind of hoping that you would go with me to see Eve. You know how my temper gets sometimes, and maybe I need somebody there to keep me calmed down.”
“Of course I’ll go with you Chad, you just tell me when, and I’ll be there.”
“Thanks Sheridan, you have been great through this whole thing. I can see why my buddy here married you.”
“Well it had to be my gracious personality,” Sheridan teased. “It certainly wasn’t my cooking ability.”
“Speaking of food,” Luis said. “I’m cooking dinner tonight, how would you like to stay?”
“That would be great, but next time I’m taking you two out to dinner, after everything you’ve done for me.”
“Well Chad, the way Sheridan and I see it, that even if you’re not related to Sheridan by blood your still like family to us.”
Chad looked embarrassed. “I’m starting to realize that I’m a pretty lucky guy after all.”
When confronted by Chad and Sheridan, Eve started to shake. Her trembling hand moved up to push a strand of hair out of her face, and Sheridan could see the tears starting to form in her eyes. She had tried to deny any knowledge of knowing Julian in the past, but Sheridan had told Eve they saw the picture of her, Julian, and Crystal together all those years ago at the Blue Note.
“I’m so sorry Eve. I promise that we are not here to harass you, it’s just that Chad wants to get to the truth, and so far you’re our best lead.”
“But I…………”
“Please Dr. Russell, I can’t go on living with these lies any more, I’ve got to know who my moms and pops are.”
“If I tell you this story, I need both of you to promise that you will never tell anyone about what I’m going to say. I’m trying to protect my family, and I won’t have them hurt.”
“I won’t say anything Eve, but I would like your permission to tell Luis, since he saw the picture too. He won’t say anything I promise.”
“I guess that would be alright, since he did see the picture, but you need to make sure he understands how important it is that this never become public knowledge.”
“You can trust Luis, I’m sure of it Eve.”
Eve took a sip from her coffee, and her hand was shaking so bad some of the dark liquid spilled over the top. “Oh God, I don’t know where to begin. I had a bit of a wild time in my youth and I was attending Radcliff at the time, and I had always had this secret dream to become a singer. So, even knowing my parents would never approve I auditioned at the Blue Note and got the job. That’s where I met Crystal, she was a singer there too. Well......., Julian came into the club one night and he made it very clear that he was interested in me. He was different back then, and he began to wine and dine me. Well……….., to make a long story short, we became intimate, and then I discovered I was pregnant.”
“With Julian’s child,” Sheridan said in an astonished voice?
“Yes……….., it was Julian’s child.”
“Dr. Russell, are you trying to tell me you had a baby with Julian Crane? Oh my God, are you my mother?”
“No, I can’t be your mother Chad, because my baby died.” Eve was opening sobbing now, and Sheridan stepped up to comfort her.
“Eve, I’m so sorry, I know how that feels,” Sheridan said hugging her.
“He was so beautiful Sheridan. I even got to feed him and then they came in and told he had died. It was the most terrible day of my life.”
“Dr. Russell, I’m sorry that your baby died. I can’t imagine how painful that would be for you, but why did Julian Crane say he was my father if the baby you had together passed on?”
“Chad, I don’t know why he would say something so cruel. Julian has turned into a vindictive, hateful man. I’m sorry Sheridan, but it’s true. I’m afraid your father’s influence totally corrupted him.”
“There is no need to apologize Eve. I suffered first hand at the cruelty of my father and brother. To this day I blame my miscarriage on them.”
“I have to ask Dr. Russell, why didn’t you admit to knowing Crystal? You stood over that poor woman’s dead body, and you acted so removed.”
“I couldn’t admit to knowing Crystal. I’m not proud of it, because I did feel terrible about her death, but she was a link to a past that I wanted to bury and I couldn’t risk TC finding out.”
Sheridan was shocked. “You mean you never told TC that you had a baby…….., that you were involved with Julian?”
“You don’t understand Sheridan. TC hates Julian, and if he were to find out about my past, he would kill him. I couldn’t bear it if TC had to go to prison for the rest of his life.”
“There’s one more thing I have to know. When you were standing over Crystal’s body did you take the pa……..”
“Chad,” Sheridan interrupted. I think we should leave now. Eve I’m so sorry we had to make you relive such a painful time in your life, but when we saw that picture, we had to know the truth.”
“I understand Sheridan, but you must promise not to tell anybody about what I told you today.”
“Other than Luis, no one will hear this from us. Come on Chad, let’s leave. I’m sure Eve has patients to see.”
After they left Eve’s office, Chad pulled Sheridan aside. “Why wouldn’t you let me ask Dr. Russell about Crystal’s papers?
“Because Chad, I’m not entirely convinced that Eve’s baby died.”
Chapter 11
To say Chad looked shocked would have been an understatement. Sheridan didn’t feel that the hospital hallway was the place for this conversation, so she suggested that they talk about this in the car. Chad contained himself just long enough for them to get in and seated.
“Sheridan, what the hell did you mean back there? Are you saying that Eve is lying about her baby dying?”
“No, I don’t think Eve is lying, but what I do think is that there is a very strong possibility that Eve was made to believe her baby died.”
“But why would anyone want to do anything that cruel?”
“Two words Chad, Alistair Crane.”
“Yeah, that makes sense. The powerful Alistair Crane would never want to claim a black baby in the family. But I see him as the type to have someone permanently removed, not left alive to show up one day and upset his world."
“You’re probably right about that Chad, but maybe Alistair thought the baby was dead. I don’t know……., maybe this is all speculation on my part, but something inside tells me that there is a lot more to this story then we know.”
“God Sheridan, this whole thing is killing me. Ever since we saw that picture I’ve been avoiding Whitney, because it tears me up inside to think she could be my sister. I know this sounds cruel, but back there when Dr. Russell said her baby had died, I almost felt relief, because that meant that Whitney and me were not brother and sister. To believe that what you say is true would put me right back to square one. I still don’t know if Whitney is my sister. Maybe it would be better to just let this thing drop. You know, what you don’t know……….”
“You can’t just pretend that the possibility that you are siblings doesn’t exist. You know you would always wonder, and how could that not become an issue in your relationship?” Sheridan became pensive for a moment. “I just thought about something Chad. Do you remember when Luis had Eve check the DNA samples on the man who claimed to be Martin Fitzgerald?”
“Whoa……. Sheridan. I see where you’re going with this, but this isn’t some criminal investigation. In a situation like this you would have to have permission from the parents to run a DNA test. They would have to agree to give you samples, and I don’t see Dr. Russell or Julian just handing them over.”
“Maybe we could get samples from them without their knowing it.”
“Sheridan, this isn’t some soap opera. What are going to do, knock them out to get blood samples, or better yet just rip a chunk of their hair out?”
“All right, I see your point but…………., I can be very inventive when I put my mind to it,” she said with a gamine smile.
Chad shook his head. “I can see my man Luis had his job cut out for him being married to you.”
The next morning, Sheridan watched Luis put his gun in the holster strapped around his ankle. She hated it that he had to carry that thing around, but she supposed it was a necessary evil that went along with his job. He looked up, and noticed her staring at him.
“Do you have something on your mind, or are you just checking me out,” he teased?
“Both,” she said walking up and putting her arms around him. I was just thinking about how much I hate it that you have to carry that gun around. I know you need it for your job, but I can’t help but feel like it could bring trouble.”
“Sheridan,” he said pulling back and looking in her eyes. “I’m a cop, and I’ve been trained with weapons, I’m not careless with a firearm.”
“I know, but I hate guns. Just promise you’ll be careful, because I want to make sure my babies father is around to watch them graduate from high school.”
“Speaking about trouble,” Luis said, his eyes raking her from head to toe. “I can see by the way you’re dressed that you’re going to the office. You haven’t seen Julian since the trial and I’m concerned about how he will react to you.”
“I’m not afraid of that bully, besides Ethan told me Julian flew to the West Coast to calm down some of the investors, after all the bad publicity. I don’t think you need to worry about me running into Julian today.”
“Well beautiful, I have to go, but I’ll meet you later today at Dr. Ramsey’s office.”
“But I thought you had a stake out or something today. Are you sure you can make my appointment?”
“Hey,” he said brushing a stray curl away from her eye. “There is no way I’m going to miss it. Now, give me a kiss so I can get to work.”
Sheridan checked her watch, and was shocked by the time. She hadn’t realized it had gotten so late. If she didn’t hurry she was going to be late for her appointment with Dr. Ramsey. She had just opened the bottom desk drawer to get her purse when she heard the door to her office open. She looked up and gasped out loud when she saw Julian standing there. She hadn’t meant to show any weakness in front of him, but she was unprepared for his unexpected appearance.
“Wha……… what are you doing here Julian?
“I think the real question is…….., what are you doing here?”
Even though she was shaky, she managed to answer in a calm voice. “I work here Julian, or have you been away so long that your memory has gone?”
“No, I haven’t forgotten. But that is no longer the case. I want you to pack your things and get out of here. You are no longer a part of this company, in fact you are no longer a part of the Crane family.”
“Who do you think you are Julian? Father left me voting shares in Crane Industries, and you can’t just kick me out of the family just like that.”
“Oh,” he snarled. “Just watch me. You have gone too far this time, and you are no longer considered a member of the Crane family. You are no longer aloud on this property, or the Crane Estate.”
Sheridan laughed out loud. “Don’t threaten me Julian. You forgot that father made Ethan the heir apparent, and you have no say in any of this. In fact, you’re lucky you’re not rotting away in some prison somewhere.”
Maybe she had gone too far that time, because Julian’s eyes filled with such hatred, that Sheridan stepped back from him. “It’s all you’re fault for marrying that low life Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald. You brought this plague on our family by letting him in. I will never forget what it felt like to be in that filthy jail for all those days.”
“You brought that on yourself Julian. Don’t you dare blame Luis or me for anything that happens to you.”
“DON’T BLAME HIM? There is no one else to blame. He has been out to get us from day one, and you were foolish enough to marry the man that wants to destroy us. Well, sister dear, you made your choice and now you are cut off without a dime of Crane money. Let’s see how long you survive living off of the lousy pittance Luis’ manages to bring home in his paycheck.”
“You know what…….., I could care less, because I don’t want any of the Crane money. You forget Julian, that mother left me quite comfortable when she passed away.”
Julian smiled evilly. “There are all kind of judges and attorney’s across this state that will gladly come up with a way to strip you of mother’s inheritance for the right amount of money.”
Now Sheridan was livid, blinded by rage, and sick of Julian’s threats. “If you even dare to touch what rightly belongs to my children, you won’t live to see another day.”
“Children? Is that what they call little half-breeds these days?”
That was all he had to say, and she went over the edge. She had warned him before about saying terrible things about her children and that last remark had been the last straw. “You bastard!” She leaped forward punching Julian in the stomach, scratching him, trying to claw his eyes out. He fought too, and pushed her so hard that she flew into the desk and slammed her back with such a force it took her breath away. Unable to stand from the jolt of it, she slithered to the ground moaning with pain.
“See what happens when you act like a screeching fishwife,” Julian said adjusting his tie. Now……., as soon as you can pick yourself off the floor, I want you out of here,” he said as he sauntered out, slamming the door.
Luis was growing more concerned as the minutes ticked by. Where was Sheridan? She would never be this late for her doctor’s appointment. He dialed her cell phone, but she had either turned it off, or……… Damn, his gut feeling was telling him that something was wrong. Sometime, he wondered if his gut feeling was a blessing or a curse. He told Dr. Ramsey’s nurse that he was going to look for Sheridan, and if she showed up there to have her call him on his cell phone.
Luis decided to follow the same route that Sheridan would have taken from Crane Industries. If she had car trouble he would see her along the way. As he drove, he saw no sign of Sheridan or her car, so he went directory to Crane Industries. When he drove up in the parking lot he saw her car parked in one of the executive parking spots. Even more concerned, he ran into the lobby, only to be stopped by the Security Guards.
“Let me through, I’m looking for my wife,” Luis said trying to shake loose from them.
“Sorry Mr. Lopez-Fitzgerald, but we have strict orders from Mr. Crane not to let you enter the building.”
“That’s insane, my wife works here, and if you don’t mind I’m a little concerned about her, so take your damn hands off of me.”
“Sorry, but Mr. Crane said that after today, she is not allowed back in the building either.”
“Well she’s here now damn it, and I think something might be wrong with her. So if you just let me through to get her, we’ll both get the hell out of here. My God, she’s pregnant with twins, will you give me a break.”
“All right, but we’ll just escort you to make sure there is no trouble.”
“Whatever……., knock yourself out,” Luis said heading for the elevator, with the guards close at his heals.
When they reached Sheridan’s office, Luis’ blood ran cold when he saw her on the floor in front of her desk. “Oh God Sher, what happened to you?” He ran over and squatted down beside her.
“I hurt my back, and with the added weight of the babies, I can’t seem to get up on my own,” she said through tear filled eyes.
“Listen to me Sheridan, can you move your hands and feet? What about the babies, do you feel anything strange?”
“Yes, I can move them, and I think the babies are fine, they were kicking a little while ago……., please Luis if you just help me, I think I can get up.”
“No, I don’t want you to move. You never know with a back injury.” Luis looked at one of the guards. “Don’t just stand there, call 911!”
“Luis, I don’t think that’s necessary…..”
“Sheridan, you have to let them at least look at you. They will be able to transport you to the hospital without causing you further injury. How did this happen sweetie,” he said stroking her hand?
She hesitated, knowing his temper where Julian was concerned, but she couldn’t lie to him either. “I had a huge argument with Julian, and he said something just terrible…….., well, I got so angry I started hitting him, and he pushed me against the desk……”
“And the bastard just left you here on the floor? I’ll kill him when I get my hands on him!”
“Please don’t say that Luis. I want you to promise me that you won’t do anything crazy to Julian?”
The paramedics arrived right then, so Luis never did give her a promise. They examined Sheridan, and even though they felt there was no permanent damage, just as a precaution they took special care moving her to the gurney, supporting her neck in the process. They allowed Luis to accompany Sheridan in the ambulance, and when they arrived at the hospital, Eve meant them in the emergency room. She asked one of the nurses to call Dr. Ramsey, and started an examination on Sheridan.
“So Eve is Sheridan going to be alright?”
“Well, from what I can tell, things look good, but we won’t know for sure until we can do some further test. Dr. Ramsey should be here soon to check on the twins. I have to ask Sheridan, how did his happen?”
“I’ll tell you how it happen Eve,” Luis answered for her. “That bastard Julian pushed her against the desk and just left her there on the floor.”
“He what? Sheridan, this is serious, and I think you should let me call Sam, so you can file charges against Julian.”
“No Eve, I would like to just let this drop…..”
“Sheridan, you can’t let Julian get away with it, Eve’s right you need to press charges.”
“Please just let this drop. You know it wouldn’t do any good, and it would only bring more trouble to us. To be honest, I did exasperated things when I started hitting Julian. I just want a peaceful life with my husband and my children. I don’t want them born into a stressful situation.”
Just then Dr. Ramsey walked into the examining room. “So Sheridan,” she said looking at the chart. “I heard you had a fall. Let’s get you upstairs so I can examine you, and I also want to so an ultrasound.”
Luis held Sheridan’s hand as they waited for Dr. Ramsey to come back and tell them the results of the test. He couldn’t wait to get Julian alone somewhere, because unlike Sheridan, he was not ready to let this drop. He still couldn’t believe the low-life bastard would just let her lie there when he had no idea what the extent of her injuries were. But beating the crap out of Julian was going to have to wait, because right now he had to concentrate on helping Sheridan get better.
Dr. Ramsey finally walked back in the room. “Ok, I have some good news, and some bad news. First off, both of the babies are fine…… their heartbeats are normal, and the from what I saw on the ultrasound, these little ones could run circles around us.”
“What’s the bad news, Doctor?”
“You have injured your back, but it appears to be only a deep muscle bruise, probably from when you hit the desk. I don’t see any reason why you won’t be fine in a few weeks. However………, until you are back to normal, I want you on bed rest.”
“Bed rest? But Doctor you said that babies were fine, I don’t understand why I have to be on bed rest.”
“Sheridan, you are pregnant with twins, and I don’t have to tell you about the extra weight you are carrying around in the front of you. You need all the support your back can give you. Do you really want to risk injury to your babies, because right now you can’t even stand up.”
“Don’t worry Dr. Ramsey, I’ll make sure she stays in bed until her back gets better.”
“I think I’ll keep you in the hospital over night just for observation, and if everything goes alright, I’ll release you tomorrow, to bed rest.”
“Can Luis stay with me?”
“Sure, I don’t see any reason why he can’t,” Dr. Ramsey said smiling. “I’ll be in to check on you tomorrow morning, and I’ll sign the release papers then.”
Down the hall, Eve was catching up on some paperwork, and she still had one more patient to check on before she left for the day, so the interruption of the ringing phone did not please her. “Dr. Russell.”
“Is this Dr. Eve Russell,” an elderly woman’s voice asked?
“Yes, who am I speaking with, please?”
“My name is Martha Harris………. I’m Crystal’s mother.”
Eve panicked why would Crystal’s mother want to speak to her? “I’m sorry, but I can’t talk to you now.”
“Please, it’s very important that I speak to you Dr. Russell…….”
“I’m sorry…….,” Eve said as she hung up the phone.
Chapter 12
Sheridan pushed the OFF button and threw the remote on the coffee table. There was nothing to watch on television, and she was going stark raving mad just sitting here. She had already read every book and magazine in the house, and she watched every video they owned twice now. She knew she was driving Luis crazy with her constant whining, but she just couldn’t seem to control herself. The poor guy had made the mistake of giving her a bell to ring whenever she needed anything, and she had a feeling that before long it would be out in the woods, or smashed under the tire of his jeep. But in spite of her childish behavior, he had still been very attentive and sweet, but the man was only human, and she didn’t know how much longer he would last before he blew up. Even poor Ace, who had stuck to her like glue in the beginning, was finding excuses to go outside more often. Nothing like driving your whole family, away and she had a feeling that if Luke and Lily were able, that they would probably go outside and play too. Damn that Julian, this entire thing was his fault, and she couldn’t wait for the day when he got what he deserved.
Luis had set up a little office in the dining room so he could catch up on some case notes while Sheridan was recuperating. She was driving him crazy, but he couldn’t find it in his heart to be mad at her. He knew it couldn’t be fun to be stuck lying around all day, depending on other people for the things you needed. Even if she was waited on hand and foot growing up, she had become pretty independent since their marriage. It was difficult knowing she was in pain, and there was nothing he could do for her, except for some occasional ice packs. Dr. Ramsey would not even allow her to take aspirin because of the babies, so she was forced to live with the pain. Every time he saw that dark purple bruise on her back, his temper would flair out of control. He couldn’t wait for the day when he could beat Julian to a pulp for what he had done to Sheridan, but right now she needed him, and he was not leaving her side.
Speaking of Sheridan, she was being awfully quiet in there, so he decided to go check on her. When he walked into the living room and saw her lying on the sofa crying, he ran over to her. “Sheridan, what is it? Are you in pain? Do you want me to adjust your pillow for you?”
“No………., I’m not in pain, I just feel bad for you,” she said wiping a tear away.
“For me? Sweetie what are you talking about?”
“Because you have been so sweet and patient with me, and I’ve been nothing but a whiney baby. I’m so sorry Luis.”
“Look, I understand how frustrating this must be for you. I know if I was in your position, you would probably have already shot me. But things are looking up, your back is getting better every day, and you’ll be up and around before you know it.”
“Well, I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate you……. Ouch!”
“See, you’re back is giving you pain.”
“It’s not my back Luis,” she said smiling. “I’m not sure if it’s Luke or Lily, but one of them keeps kicking me in the ribs today.”
“God,” Luis said running his hand through his hair. “It just occurred how really miserable you must feel.”
“But you know something Luis? I welcome this kind of pain, because it means that our babies are all right, and I thank God that they weren’t hurt from my fall.”
“Me too, because if something would have happened to Lily or Luke, your brother would not be alive today. Damn, I still want to kill that bastard.”
"Please Luis, don’t even say it. You can’t let Julian drive you to do something that would only hurt you in the end. If you kill Julian and you have to go to prison, what would happen to us, to our children? I made the mistake of letting Julian get to me and I could have lost our babies because of it, and I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if that would have happened.”
“Don’t blame yourself Sheridan. I don’t care what you did; he had no right to push you like that. My God, you are pregnant, and he just left you there on the floor without a second thought. There is no defense for that kind of low-life behavior.”
“Luis, let’s not talk about Julian any more. I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself, and concentrate on the good things in my life.”
Luis smiled. “Oh…………, and what are the good things?”
“You,” she said stroking his cheek. “And Luke and Lily of course.”
Both were pleasantly surprised when Pilar showed up a while later with arms loaded down with some heavenly smelling dishes. Pilar sent Luis out to the car to get some things for Sheridan she had brought from the Crane mansion.
Pilar took a seat by Sheridan, and took her hand. “So miha, how are you feeling?”
“I’m doing better everyday, but I’m not sure if poor Luis is going to survive. I haven’t been the most model patient, I’m afraid.”
“Sheridan, Luis loves you, and I’m sure he understands that you’re in pain, and not yourself.”
“Yes, your son is a very good man Pilar. I feel so lucky to have him in my life, and I know he’s going to be a wonderful father.”
“Oh yes, how are my precious grandchildren?”
Sheridan smiled. “You’re precious grandchildren are feisty. One of them has found a new game of kicking my rips.”
“I see they take after their father. Luis was terrible about doing that to me. He use to keep me awake at night, and one time he kicked so hard Martin felt it. In case you haven’t noticed, my son doesn’t have the smallest feet.”
“Well then I’m afraid our children don’t have a chance, because I don’t have the smallest feet either,” Sheridan said with a grin.
Luis walked in carrying a box in his hands. “So what are you two talking about,” he said setting the box down.”
“Pilar and I were just discussing the size of the twin’s feet.”
Luis looked confused. “What?”
“Never mind, what’s in the box?”
“Oh yes Luis; bring that over in front of Sheridan. I found these up in the attic at the Crane estate, and I thought you would be pleased to see them.”
When Sheridan opened the box, she was shocked and excited when she saw the contents. “Oh my God Pilar……………., I can’t believe you found my old sketchbooks. I thought father threw these away years ago,” she said running her hand over the smooth surface of the cover.
“I never knew you were an artist Sheridan. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I wouldn’t exactly call me an artist. I used to draw for hours when I was a little girl. My bedroom had the best light in the house, so I would sit in there and draw all my imaginary friends. They would always have such grand adventures in my head, so one day I decided to put them all on paper.”
“So……, why did you stop? I can tell it gave you so much pleasure.”
Sheridan’s smile faded. “Because father told me it was foolish to spend my time on pursuits that I had no talent for. He ordered the servants to get rid of my sketchpads and pencils, and I never saw them again.”
Luis looked at Pilar and shook his head. That bastard Alistair Crane had no business being a father. It made him mad as hell to think of the way he had abused Sheridan. He may not have abused her physically, but the mental abuse must have been terrible for her. He couldn’t imagine being so lonely, that you would have to make up a bunch of imaginary friends to play with, and then the son-of-a-bitch even took that away from her. He hoped his black soul was rotting in hell right now. “So sweetie, are you going to show me your sketches?
“Maybe later,” she said changing the subject. “ Pilar, since you made all this wonderful food for us, I hope that you’re going to stay for dinner.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t. I need to get back to town, so I can help Father Lonigan with bingo night at the parish recreation room, but I will come back to see you in a few days,” she said giving Sheridan a kiss on the cheek. She hugged Luis, and bid them goodbye.
After Pilar left, Luis said he was going to warm up the food she brought and went to the kitchen. Sheridan took that opportunity to open her sketch book, and it brought a smile to her face when she saw all the characters she had drawn all those years ago. When Luis came back, she was flipping through the pages, and he walked over and sat down beside her.
“So, are you going to let me look? I’ve been dying to see these drawings.”
“Promise me you won’t make fun? After all, I was only a little girl when I drew these;” she said handing him the sketchbook.
Luis studied the drawings of the animated characters, and he was amazed by the maturity of her talent at such a young age. “Sheridan, these are amazing.”
“Are you serious? You’re not just saying that to me feel good because I’ve had a bad day?
“I promise you that I am really impressed. This is like a little storybook and I can’t believe how much detail you put into these. Why haven’t you done any drawing since then?”
“Actually when I lived in Paris, I did sketch some, but I didn’t think I had any talent, so I didn’t pursue it.”
“Why, because you believe that garbage Alistair fed you. Sheridan, you could have been Monet, and it wouldn’t have made a bit of difference. He was a bitter old man that took sick pleasure making his children feel inferior. Don’t waste your talent because his words mean nothing, and you don’t deserve it.”
“You know Luis, maybe I will do some drawing now that I’m going to be laid up for a while. You know I’m getting more excited the more I think about this.”
“Good, because I think drawing would be the perfect way to fill your time so you’re not so bored.”
“So, now that we decided I’m going to start drawing again, I think I’m going to need some nourishment so I can pick up the pencil.”
“Ok, I get the hint,” he said smiling. “Dinner is coming right up.”
Several weeks later Sheridan’s back was feeling normal again, but since she no longer had a job at Crane Industries, she was finding herself spending her days on her drawing. She had decided to redo some of the illustrations that she had done as a child and make them into a book for Luke and Lily. She hadn’t showed them to Luis yet, because she wanted to surprise him with it when she had it completed. She had just decided to take a break when the phone rang. “Hello.”
“Sheridan.............?”
“Eve, is that you?” You’re voice sounds a little strange.”
“I really need to talk to you about something. I have a little bit of time between appointments, so do you feel up to coming here?”
“Of course, in fact this will be a perfect excuse to get out of the house and get some fresh air. I could be there in about an hour.”
“That would be perfect. I’ll see you then.”
Sheridan hung up the phone. Something was up with Eve, because she could hear it in her voice. Maybe this had something to do with Chad’s paternity. Well there was no sense in trying to guess the reason for Eve’s call, because she would know soon enough. She put her art supplies away, and went upstairs to change her clothes.
When Sheridan arrived at Eve’s office an hour later, Eve ushered her in, telling her nurse that she did not want to be disturbed. Sheridan was starting to become concerned because Eve’s was behaving so strangely. What has gotten her so shaken up? Sheridan took a seat across from Eve and waited for her to fill her in on this mystery.
“Sheridan, I’m sure you’re wondering why I seem so anxious to see you today, but I just didn’t know who else to turn to about this..........,” Eve said in a shaky voice.
“Eve you know you can tell me anything. I know that Grace is your best friend, but you have done so much for Luis and me, and I’ll do whatever I can to help you. Why don’t you just start at the beginning, and we’ll figure out what to do.”
“A few weeks ago, I got a call from Crystal’s mother.”
“You mean Crystal Harris, your old friend? Why would her mother want to talk with you?”
“Well, at first when she told me who she was, I was so frightened, that I hung up the phone on her. I just tried to put the call out of my head, and then she called me again the other day.”
“Did you hang up on her this time?”
“No, I just had a feeling that maybe I should hear what she had to say. She told me she had some important information about my baby.”
“Oh my God Eve. This is wonderful news. Maybe you can clear up this mystery on Chad’s past...........”
“Sheridan, I don’t see what Chad’s paternity has to do with my baby that died?”
She hadn’t meant to blurt that out, so she had to think fast. “All I meant was that if Crystal’s mother knows something about your baby, maybe she’ll have some information on Chad too. Crystal did tell Chad that she knew something about his parents.”
“She told Chad that? But that doesn’t make any sense Sheridan. What could Crystal have possibly known about Chad’s parents? Oh God Sheridan, this whole thing is really starting to rattle me. What am I going to do?”
“I don’t think you have any choice, but to see Crystal’s mother. You have to see this woman Eve, or this will eat you up. But there is something that bothers me. Why did this woman call you all of a sudden? Crystal‘s been dead for months now.”
“She said that she is in a nursing home, because she is no longer able to take care of herself. She has heart failure, and they don’t give her much longer to live, and she promised Crystal that she would make sure she told me everything about my baby.”
“Then you have to go see this poor woman soon. She made her daughter a promise, and because of her condition she probably feels compelled to honor that promise.”
“I know you’re right......... Sheridan would you come with me to see this Martha Harris? I just don’t know if I can do this alone.”
“Of course I’ll go with you. Just let me know, and I’ll be there with you,”
“I’m going to have my nurse reschedule the rest of my appointments for the day. Now that I’ve made the decision, I just want to get this over with. Can you go with me now Sheridan?”
“Yes, just let me call Luis to let him know I might be late.”
When they arrived at the nursing home, one of the orderlies showed them to Martha Harris’ room. Sheridan had expected her to be frail, but this poor woman was nothing but skin and bones, and she could hear his raspy breathing even from across the room. She looked at Eve with her faded blue eyes, and motioned her to come closer.
“Are you Eve Russell?”
“Yes, Mrs. Harris, and this is my friend Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald. I hope you don’t mind that I brought her along?”
“No, of course not. I’m so glad you decided to come today, because I don’t think I’m going to last much longer.”
“I’m sorry Mrs. Harris, isn’t there anything I can do for you.”
“No, the old ticker is just giving out on me. But I promised my girl that if anything ever happened to her I would make sure you found out the truth about your baby that died.”
“What is it Mrs. Harris. What do you know about my little boy?”
“No, not the little boy.......... It was the little girl that died.”
Chapter 13
“I’m sorry, but you must be mistaken. The child I lost was a boy, not a girl.”
“I suppose I shouldn’t have just blurted it out that way. Let me start from the beginning, and I’ll tell you the whole story, and Crystal kept papers that should fill in any of the gaps for you. She kept a set for herself, and gave the other set to me. She told me that this involved some very powerful and ruthless people, and that if anything ever happened to her, I was to make sure you found out the truth.”
“I don’t understand. If Crystal knew something about my baby, why didn’t she tell me back then? She was my friend, and I find it hard to believe that she would withhold information from me about something so important.”
“She wanted to, but she was too afraid of that Alistair Crane person.”
“What did my father have to do with this?”
Martha looked concerned. “Alistair Crane was your father? Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”
“Mrs. Harris, I promise that Sheridan is nothing like her father. You can trust her, and she wants to get to the bottom of this as much as I do. Besides, Alistair Crane is dead now………, he cant’s hurt you anymore.”
“Yes Mrs. Harris, what Eve said is right. I’m appalled by the things my father has done to other people, and believe me I have been on the receiving end of his cruelty myself. Please…….., you must go on, so that Eve can get to the truth about her child.”
“Well, you do seem like a real nice person, and I can see you’re going to have a baby yourself, but you need to be prepared for the truth about your family, because it’s not a pretty situation.” Martha started to cough, and Eve poured her a glass of water, and helped her to take a drink.
“Mrs. Harris, are you sure you can go on with this? Maybe we should come back another time.”
“No, No, I’ll be all right. I need to tell you this so that my daughter can rest in peace.”
“If you’re sure?”
“Yes I’m sure, because it’s time the truth came out. The night your son was born Crystal said she was on her way to visit you, but she decided to stop by the nursery first. She wanted to visit that new boy of yours. Well anyway, when she got to the nursery, she saw a man standing over your baby, and she said that for some reason it made her nervous, so she hid from him.”
Eve looked upset. “But what was this man doing to my baby?”
“Well Crystal saw the man take your baby out of his crib, and he exchanged it with one of the other babies.”
“My God, what are you saying?”
“Crystal found out that the man switched your baby with an orphaned child they had found on some church steps. All he did was switch the name bands to make it seem like your baby had died.”
“Dear God..........., are you trying to tell me that my baby did not die? That he is still alive?” Eve was reeling from what she heard, and her legs started shaking so badly, that she had to sit down.
Sheridan couldn’t believe this. What this woman was implying could very well mean that Chad was Eve’s son. “Mrs. Harris, what did Crystal do when she discovered that Eve’s baby had been switched with a baby that had died?”
“Her first thought was to go to hospital security and report him, but the man caught her, and told her to forget what she saw, or she would pay with her life. But, my daughter decided she couldn’t just let this drop so she contacted Julian Crane, and demanded to know what was going on.”
“And what did my brother do? Crystal was taking a chance by going to Julian,” Sheridan said, still amazed by this woman’s revelations.
“He was as shocked as she was. He told her to go along with it until he could investigate, and find out what was going on. He also told her to tell no one what she saw that night. Crystal figured that Julian suspected his father was behind this baby switch, so he wasn’t about to go to the authorities on this. So, my girl went along with the scam, because it was becoming clearer that she had stumbled on to something that could put her in danger.”
“You have to tell me,” Eve said in a frazzled voice. “What happened to my baby? What did that man do with my little boy?”
“Julian Crane tracked the man down, and found out that Alistair Crane paid him to kill your baby, but apparently this man couldn’t go through with it so he switched the babies so that Alistair Crane would believe that he had done what he ordered. That way he would still get his money. Julian Crane tracked the baby down in one of those state agencies that place foundlings.”
Martha face grimaced in pain, and she started in with another coughing spell. Eve just sat there, a look of horrified astonishment of her face, so Sheridan poured Martha another glass of water, and tried to comfort her until the spell passed.
Finally, Eve seemed to come out of her stupor. “I have to know what happened to my son. Where is he now........., where has he been all these years?”
“Mrs. Harris, do you think you’re strong enough to continue,“ Sheridan asked, concerned for the woman’s weakening condition.
“Yes,” she said taking a raspy breath. “Julian Crane had the baby placed with a family in California, and he made arrangements to make payments through Crystal for his care. He didn’t want to pay these people directly for fear that his father would find out that the baby lived. So Crystal made the payments, and kept tabs on the child as he grew up, in fact they even gave the boy our surname since it was such a common name. But when the boy was a teenager, all of a sudden the payments stopped, so the family he was living with just up and left him there to fend for himself.”
“Oh Lord........, so it’s true. Chad Harris is my son, and God help me he’s in love with my daughter. No........., wait a minute, you said something about my little girl dying, what did you mean by that?”
“I’m sorry Dr. Russell, this next part will be very painful for you, but it’s important that you know the whole truth....... After you married your husband, Crystal said that Julian Crane still kept tabs on you. She said she wasn’t sure if it was from guilt on his part about the loss of your son, or an obsession that he always seemed to have for you. When you got pregnant again with your husband’s child, Crystal said Julain seemed to have this sick need to know what was happening with the pregnancy, so he paid your doctor to keep him informed.”
Sheridan and Eve both stared at Martha like she had grown another head. Why would Julian care about a child that Eve was having with TC? Unless........., Oh God, what was she alluding to? “What did my brother do?”
“The doctor detected an irregular heartbeat with your baby, but he went to Julian first, and Julian told him not to let you and TC know. The doctor told Julian, that he didn’t know if you would be able to deliver a healthy child, so Julian decided to take precautions in case something happened to your baby, so he arranged it with these baby brokers to bring a baby to replace yours if something should happen.”
“Are you trying to tell me that my little girl did die?...... That Whitney is not really TC’s and my child? No, I refuse to believe this, why are you lying about this,” Eve said in a hysterical voice.
“I’m sorry Dr. Russell, I know this is hard to accept, but I swear to you that it’s the truth. If you look in my closet over there, you’ll find a lock box on the top shelf. There is a copy of Crystal’s papers in there, and they contain the proof of your son’s birth, and the doctor’s records, and medical records of your baby girl that died.”
Still refusing to believe this could even be a possibility, Eve protested again. “Those papers mean nothing. I have a copy of Whitney’s birth certificate, and her medical records as an infant.”
“Those documents are forged, I’m afraid.”
“But why would my brother go to all that trouble to make sure Dr. Russell and her husband had a live baby?”
“I don’t know for sure, maybe you should ask your brother, but Crystal felt that it was out of a sense of guilt.”
“Believe me Mrs. Harris, my brother is not known to be altruistic. It’s hard to believe that he didn’t have some ulterior motive for doing this......”
“Would you please both stop this,” Eve shouted. “I still don’t believe this, my baby girl didn’t die!”
“I’m sorry Dr. Russell, but it’s the truth.” She looked at Sheridan, and asked her to get the lock box out of the closet. Sheridan retrieved it for her and, Martha struggled to open the Bible beside her bed, where a small key was taped to the back of the cover. “Open the box, and you’ll see that the papers are all there,” Martha said gasping for breath again.
Eve opened the box, and studied the papers within. Her skeptical look changed to horror and then a certain sad acceptance as she read through the papers. Sheridan could only imagine how painful this was for Eve. She had spent half of her adult life grieving for a son that she thought had died, only to find out that the child lived, and instead it was a daughter she had lost. My God, the conspiracy kept getting more and more convoluted as time went on. So many questions were answered today, only to bring up more questions. Without even a conscious thought, Sheridan laid her hands on her tummy in a protective gesture. If only she could keep her children there, safe within her, and away from her cruel brother, and all the ugliness of life. Her family was reprehensible to a degree that she hadn’t even realized until now. Just when she thought they couldn’t go any lower, she was struck by another revelation of their treachery. Attempted murder.........., blackmail.........., conspiracy.........., where would it all end? There was one thing that was still bothering her though, and she needed to find the answer from Martha.
“Mrs. Harris, why would Crystal keep protecting this secret for all these years? I could understand why she would do it at first, but why would she be involved, or even know about this plan to switch Eve’s baby girl with a live child?”
Martha’s voice was becoming weaker by the minute, and Sheridan had to lean in to hear her. “Because her and Julian became close. She had to protect her son........” Martha gasped her eyes rolled back, and her hand wrapped around Sheridan’s arm in a death grip.
“Eve, something’s wrong with Mrs. Harris!”
Sheridan didn’t know how Eve did it, but in spite of the devastating news that was just delivered to her, she was able to snap into doctor mode instantly. “Sheridan, she’s in cardiac arrest, get some help, and I’ll start CPR.”
Sheridan ran out into the hallway and called for help to the staff that were standing at the nurse’s station. They ran down the hall grabbing a crash cart on the way. Stepping back, and staying just outside the door, she let the medical staff in to do their job. Could this day get any worst? That poor woman was probably dying, and for some reason Sheridan felt totally helpless, and totally depressed. The only thing she could do now is pray. Pray that Martha Harris would finally have some peace in her life.
“What’s going on here? What are they doing with my grandmother?”
Sheridan turned and saw the owner of the distressed, demanding voice. He was a very attractive young man, that looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years of age. He pushed his sun-streaked hair back with an impatient sweep of his hand, and his sea blue eyes were staring right through her. Sheridan didn’t know why a shiver ran down her back, because for some reason she didn’t feel threatened by this young man.
“I asked you a question, what the hell are they doing to my grandmother?”
As soon as she could collect herself she answered, “I’m very sorry but your grandmother is in cardiac arrest. They’re working on her now.”
“Oh hell,” he said punching the wall. “I knew this was coming, but I don’t know if I’m ready to let her go.”
Sheridan rested a comforting hand on his arm. She didn’t know why, but she felt a special connection to this boy, that made no sense to her. “Please, why don’t we sit down over there and wait for some word.”
Without saying a word, Martha’s grandson followed her over to a seating arrangement meant for visitors of the patients. They sat in silence for a while, and finally not wanting to intrude on this boys privacy at a time like this, but still feeling compelled to get some answers, Sheridan asked him if Crystal was his mother.
The boy looked at her suspiciously, but answered her anyway. “Yeah, she was my mom. Why do you want to know?”
“It’s just that Mrs. Harris said she had a grandson, but she didn’t mention having any other children but Crystal, so I just assumed you were her child.”
“I have an uncle. He was my mom’s brother, but I haven’t seen him in years.”
“Do you have an address on him or a phone number so we can call him and tell him about your grandmother’s condition?”
“Nope, I told you I don’t know where he is. It wouldn’t matter anyway; he probably wouldn’t come even if you could get a hold of him.”
Sheridan decided not to push it because she was sensing that the boy would close off. If Martha died, he would have nobody, and she felt a wave of guilt because it was her fault that he had no mother. But........, there was something else that she just couldn’t shake, and she looked over at his profile, and it hit her that the boy looked like he could almost be her brother....... “So........, my name is Sheridan, what’s yours?”
He turned and looked her straight in the eye. “I’m Evan,” he said shaking her hand.
And suddenly it hit her staring at his familiar blue eyes, that were so like her own, and she was sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that Julian was his father.
Chapter 14
Sheridan was on the verge of asking Evan if he knew his father, when Eve walked over to them, and said that Martha had passed away. She barely knew the woman, but it still hit hard. Maybe because she now felt this bond with Evan, and now he was all alone in the world.
Sheridan took Evan’s hand. “I’m so sorry Evan, is there anything I can do for you?”
“No, I don’t need anybody’s help,” he answered angrily. But, when he realized how harsh he had sounded, his tone softened, “I really don’t know who you are, or why you’re here, but as much as I appreciate your offer, I need to be alone right now.”
“Of course I understand. Eve this is Evan Harris, Crystal’s son.”
Eve tried to hide her surprise, but after all the blows she had been dealt that day, the effort seemed fruitless. “I didn’t know Crystal had a son. I’m Eve Russell;” Eve said shaking his hand.
“Well, not many people knew about me, because I always lived with my grandmother. My mother traveled around a lot, and she didn’t think that was a stable environment for me, so I always lived in Castleton with my grandmother.”
“Evan, are you sure we can’t help you with the arrangements,” Sheridan asked?
“My grandmother already had everything taken care of. It wasn’t exactly like this was a surprise or anything.”
“Do you have a place to live Evan?”
“Yeah, I can stay in my grandmother’s house until the lawyer tells me different. Look lady, I don’t get it. Why are you so interested in my life? Why should you care anyway?”
Taken a little off guard, she scrambled for the right words. “I was just concerned for you, that’s all. I know that you don‘t have any family around, and you‘re all alone...........”
“I’ll be fine. Now if you don’t mind I’d like to go in and see my grandmother,” Evan said rising out of his chair. Sheridan watched him walk away, and her eyes watered just thinking about how alone he looked.
“Well Sheridan, I don’t think there’s anything else we can do here,” Eve said. “I really need to get back to the hospital.”
The drive back was quiet, both Eve and Sheridan lost in their own thoughts. Today’s revelations were overwhelming to say the least, and trying to absorb what they had heard and the ramifications was daunting for both of them. Sheridan wasn’t surprised about the news of Chad being Eve and Julian’s child, because she had suspected as much anyway, but she couldn’t get Evan out of her mind. Could she be mistaken in thinking he was Julian’s child? She didn’t know, but she had every intention of getting to the truth of the matter.
“Sheridan, I know this is a lot to ask of you, but I need you to keep what you heard today between us. If what Martha Harris said is true, this news will tear my family apart. It’s bad enough that T.C. hates Julian, but to hear that I had an affair with Julian that produced a baby. Just to think that our own little Whitney is not really ours, and that Julian was involved with switching her………., well I don’t have to tell you that T.C. wouldn’t think twice about killing Julian,” Eve said crying.
“I will keep quiet Eve, because I can just imagine how overwhelming this all is for you, but isn’t there some way to tell Chad the truth.”
“I know that Chad deserves the truth, but I just need some time to figure out how I’m going to handle all of this. This is going to change so many lives, and I need to be sure that I can trust everything Martha Harris told us today.”
“I’ll respect that Eve, but it has to come out sooner or later, and maybe sooner would be better. Because one thing is for sure, none of you are going to be able to move on with your lives until you deal with this.”
“You’re right Sheridan; the truth does need to come out, but at what cost?”
When Sheridan walked in the door later, and saw Luis standing there, she ran into his arms and hugged him tightly. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you. You are definitely a site for sore eyes.”
“Hey, what’s this all about? You’re smashing my babies,” he teased.
It must have been a combination between the nervous tension from earlier today and Luis comment, because Sheridan started giggling uncontrollably. “Oh God........,” she said holding her tummy, “I need to sit down.”
“Wow, I didn’t think I was that funny,” Luis said flashing her a grin. “You’re a good wife, laughing at my stupid jokes like that.”
“Oh Luis, you wouldn’t believe what a day I’ve had. I’m surprised all the shocks I’ve received today haven’t sent me into early labor.”
Luis’ smile faded, to be replaced by a look of concern. “Sheridan, what is it? You didn’t hear some bad news about the babies did you?”
“No Luis, the babies are just fine. I was just making a little joke, and I feel bad that you didn’t laugh at mine,” she said pretending to be hurt, but then she smiled, and stroked his cheek. “You have no idea how good it feels to be here in our home with you, safe from the rest of the world.”
“Hey, you’re in a strange mood, what happened today? When you called, you said you would be with Eve, but you never said what the two of you were doing.”
“I promised Eve I wouldn’t repeat what I heard today, but I can’t keep anything from you. Besides, I know I could trust you with my life.”
Luis positioned himself on the sofa, so that his back was against the armrest, and his leg were spread out in front of him. He pulled her back against him, and wrapped his arms around her. “Ok,” he said kissing the back of her head. “Tell Dr. Luis everything.”
Sheridan told him about the visit to Martha Harris and everything she had revealed to them today. As she relayed the details of all the baby switching, Luis’ hands spread out protectively over Sheridan’s tummy. Finally, she finished with her suspicion about Evan being Julian’s child, and her desire to get to the truth.
“I’m not trying to upset you, but none of this surprises me at all. My suspicions about the ruthlessness of your father and brother seemed to become more evident everyday. There is no telling how many people’s lives they have destroyed in their quest for supremacy, and someday I will get to the truth about my father’s disappearance. But......., right now that has to be put on hold, because the only thing I want to concentrate on is my beautiful wife, and the birth of our children.”
“Oh God Luis,” she said sitting up. “What if Julian does something to our babies? After everything I’ve heard today, it only proves that nothing is sacred to him. There is no way my children are leaving my site. I do not want them in the nursery with the other babies where he could get his hands on them. The next time I see Dr. Ramsey, I’m going to speak to her about that.”
“Normally, I’d say you were over-reacting, but that would probably be a good idea. I wouldn’t put anything past your brother, but you know what? I do not want to talk about that bastard tonight. I forgot to tell you that Grace called about your baby shower to plan the date. Her and Sam are going out tonight, so she said to give her a call tomorrow.”
“She is so sweet to do this for us. I’ll call her the first thing in the morning. Luis I know you don’t want to talk about Julian, but there is just one more teeny weenie favor I want to ask from you.”
“Since when have I denied you anything? Of course, I’ll do you a favor.”
“Will you see what you can find out for me about Evan Harris?”
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“No.”
“Ok, I’ll see what I can do to find out some information on this Evan Harris, if you promise me that you are going to slow down. I think it’s time we worried about our family. Sweetie, I love you for being so caring about other people, but you can‘t solve all the problems in the world.”
“I do promise Luis, I was thinking the same thing myself earlier. I’ve been so caught up in everyone else’s dilemmas, that I haven’t stopped to enjoy our life and the special moment that’s approaching. Just think, in a couple of months we will be the proud parents of Luke and Lily.”
“I was just thinking about that too. I just can’t wait to see them Sheridan........., to actually hold them in our arms. Next to marrying you, it will be the most special moment in my life.”
“I know, and it is so hard to believe that we could be so blessed. When I think of Eve’s life right now, and everything is has to face, I just feel so lucky that we don’t have any ugly secrets that will come out destroy our lives. You don’t have any secrets do you Luis?
“Of course not and I’m hoping you can say the same thing.”
“No secrets. I promise Luis, and we have Eve to thank for that, because I don’t know what would become of us if it had turned out that I killed your father.”
“Well as it turns out, we don’t have to think about that. Now let’s change this conversation to a more pleasant subject. I brought pizza home, are you hungry?
“I’m starving..........”
“Good, because as soon as I feed you, I’m going to carry you upstairs, and run a hot bath for you.”
“Oh.........., that sounds like heaven.”
“I not finished yet. Then I’m going to bathe you, and give you a body massage with scented oil.......”
“Oh God, you are just too good to be true, but there’s one little problem with your plan.”
“Oh, and what is that?”
“Are you sure you’re going to be able to carry me? I know you’re really strong honey, but I promise I wouldn’t think any less of you for not being able to lift the Titanic.”
“Come on sweetie, you’re being a little hard on yourself. I would say you’re more like Theodore Tug Boat.”
Normally, she would have been upset by his remark, but she could hear the teasing in his voice, and instead she cracked up laughing. “You are going to pay for that buster.”
True to his word, he did carry her upstairs without any problem, and placed her in a hot, soapy bath. He was so incredibly sweet as he bathed her, and told her that she was the sexiest woman in the world, and how much he desired her. When he was finished, he lifted her out of the tub, toweled her off, and carried her into the bedroom. It was shear bliss to feel his strong hands rubbing oil all over her body and she had never felt so relaxed in her life. It had become a nightly ritual for him to rub her belly with oil, and then he would read to the twins. He laughed when he asked her to pick out a book, and she handed him Theodore Tug Boat. She loved to watch him as he read; he was so cute the way he got so involved in the story with his animated narration. There was something so incredibly sexy about a man that didn’t have a problem showing his softer side, and she loved watching his mouth as he read from the pages. She giggled when Luis closed the book, and leaned over to plant two kisses on her tummy, and one of the babies kicked so hard that his head shot up, the look on his face priceless.
“Wow......., I guess they weren’t very happy with that story,” he said in amazement.
“They loved the story; they were just showing their gratitude. Kicking is the only way they have to communicate. Now why don‘t you come here, and their mother will show you how she communicates,” she said holding her arms out.
He came to her and brushed his lips against hers, and deepened the kiss when her tongue flicked out to lick his lips. She tasted so sweet, and he forced her lips apart to make the kiss more intimate. His mouth left hers to trail kisses down her neck.........., to her breast to taste her there too. She groaned and ran her fingers through his hair, pulling his head closer.
“Make love to me Luis. It’s been so long..........”
“Oh God..........., I want you too............, so bad.” He moved up to kiss her lips again, and became even more entangled in her silken web. But, suddenly he sat up, backing away from her. “Damn,” he said running his had through his hair. “I don’t know what I was thinking.........., we can’t do this.”
“Luis, what is it? What’s wrong?”
“Sheridan, you’re too far along, and I don’t want to hurt you or the babies.”
“But Luis, it’s been so long since we made love, and I’m sure it will be fine........”
“I know, I want you too, but I just can’t.........”
“I guess I’m not going to be able to talk you into it, but you know Luis, there are all sorts of things we can do, without actually doing IT,” she said moving down his body. She wrapped her hand around him, and took him in her mouth.
“Oh God,” he groaned, pushing his hips up. “Sher, you’re driving me crazy,” he said reaching for her, and now it was her turn to groan.
Chapter 15
The next morning Luis lay there and watched the tiny dust particles dancing in the beam of sunlight shining through the window. He really needed to get up and do something productive, but he was not ready to disturb this peaceful time when he could be close with his wife. Sheridan was lying with her back to him, and he had his arm wrapped around her waist with his hand resting on her belly. His babies must be having their first sibling disagreement, because it felt like a kick boxing competition going on in there. He couldn’t believe that Sheridan could still be asleep with all the action going on. He smiled when he felt the outline of a tiny foot in the palm of his hand, but poor Sheridan had to be uncomfortable as hell. “You two settle down in there, or you’ll wake your mother up,” he whispered.
“Their mother is already awake,” Sheridan said in a groggy voice. “As soon as our sweet little bundles of joy are born they are going on restriction. They kept me up half the night.”
Luis laughed. “I’m sorry........., I could have a talk with them.”
She smiled, “don’t bother, they are definitely your children. I can already tell they are argumentative, stubborn, and precocious.”
Luis leaned down and kissed her. “But those sound like definite signs that they’re just like their mother,” he murmured against her lips. He was satisfied with his comeback, until Sheridan bit him. “Ouch,” he said rubbing his lip.
“Oh, don’t be a baby, I didn’t even break the skin,” she said laughing.
“Yeah, but it’s already getting a welt on it,” he said getting out of bed and looking in the mirror.
“I’m sorry Luis,” she said getting out of bed and coming up beside him. “Look at me so I can see the damage.” When she inspected his lip, she saw no evidence that she had even bitten it.
He flashed her a killer grin. “I think if you kiss the spot, it will feel much better.”
She brushed her lips against his, and the tip of her tongue came out to circle the spot. His tongue came out too and entered her mouth for a hot kiss. “I’m going to go take a shower, why don’t you join me, and you can wash my back.”
“Oh, I’ll wash that,” she said running her hands down his muscular back, to cup his naked bottom. “And a lot........, lot........, more.”
When Sheridan came downstairs later, Miguel was there with donuts, coffee, and the newspaper. He was going to help Luis out today with some work on the outside of the house. Sheridan eyed the donuts, her mouth watering, and walked up to give Miguel a hug. “Did I ever tell you that you are the best brother in law in the world?”
“Yes Sheridan,” Miguel said smiling. Every time I bring you donuts.”
“See Sheridan, Miguel already has your number. You should have stopped while you were ahead sweetie. Now he’s going to stop bringing you donuts.”
“Don’t listen to my brother Sheridan, I’d bring you donuts anytime.”
“See,” Sheridan said sticking her tongue out at Luis. “You’re brother has all the manners in the family.”
Sheridan took a bite of her donut, and Luis bent over and whispered in her ear. “If you keep sticking your tongue out like that, I’m going to think you are going to give me a repeat performance of last night.” Luis laughed when he saw how Sheridan’s face turned red with embarrassment.
She decided she wasn’t going to let him get away with that one, so she whispered back. “I’m surprised you would say that after the way I bit your lip this morning.”
“Oooo, that was really a low blow........... Wait a minute; forget I just said that,” Luis said when he saw Sheridan open her mouth to say something.
“Excuse me you two, are you going to whisper all day, because I need to meet Charity later. Come on bro; let’s get started.”
“Well, duty calls. I guess we better get moving since Miguel doesn’t have many opportunities to see Charity,” Luis said sarcastically. Luis kissed her, and he and Miguel went outside with Ace close at their heels to work on the house.
The first thing Sheridan did was call Grace, and they decided that the shower would be held two weeks from today. When Sheridan protested that it wouldn’t give Grace enough time, she said that the shower was practically planned, and all she needed to do was to work on a few finishing details.
With that accomplished, Sheridan picked up the paper and rifled through the pages until she found the obituaries. She finally located Martha Harris’ name, and read the entry. It stated that the surviving relatives were a son, Clinton Harris, and a grandson, Evan Harris. The funeral service was scheduled for Monday morning, and Sheridan decided she was going. She had a feeling that Evan would resent her presence, but she had to check on him to make sure he was all right.
Monday turned out to be a dismal, rainy day. Sheridan slipped into the church after the funeral procession, and sat in the back. She noticed that there were only a hand full of people there, and it saddened her to think that this is what Martha’s life had come down to. It did give her a sense of comfort when the priest said that Martha had suffered so much toward the end of her life, and now she was at peace and in God’s hands. When the funeral mass was over she left before the pallbearers brought the casket out. She went to her car, and waited for the funeral procession to go to the cemetery, and followed them. She wanted to keep a low profile in case her presence upset Evan. When they got to the cemetery, Sheridan waited for everyone to get to the burial site, and then she moved up quietly to stand behind the mourners. Just before the graveside service was over, Sheridan turned to leave, and as she was walking away, she heard someone call out to her from behind. When she turned around she saw Evan coming up behind her.
His blue eyes assessed her. “You were the lady from the hospital the other day. I’m sorry, but I forgot your name.”
“It’s Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald.”
“Well Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald, I’m surprised to see you here. I didn’t realize you knew my grandmother that well.”
“I admit I didn’t really know your grandmother, but since I was there when she passed away, I just wanted to pay my respects.”
“Thank you, I appreciate you coming today?”
“So Evan, I hope that I can call you Evan. Is everything all right with you? Are you sure that I can’t help you with something?”
“I’ll be fine as soon as the lawyer reads my grandmother’s will, and then I guess I’ll head back to school.”
“Oh, where do you go to school?”
“I’m a freshman at Boston College this year.” Just then the priest walked up to speak with Evan. “Well, if you excuse me I need to speak with Father O’Sullivan right now. Thanks again for coming,” he said taking her hand.
Sheridan wrote down her phone number on a card and handed it to him. “Please call me if you should ever need anything.” Evan gave her a strange look, but took the card and put it in his pocket, and Sheridan left.
Two weeks later, Luis was sitting in the Book Café having a cup of coffee, and reading Sports Illustrated. He had just dropped Sheridan off at Grace’s for the baby shower. They had tried to talk him into staying, almost convincing him that if he didn’t he would be the worst father, until he caught on that they were all teasing. He was damn happy about that too, because the last thing he wanted to do this afternoon was sit around with a bunch of giggly woman playing pin the tail on the babies behind. He just hoped that Theresa didn’t have her hand into any of the planning of this shower, or they would be playing every silly shower game imaginable. Maybe he should go kidnap Sheridan, so she wouldn’t have to sit through that madness. He laughed to himself, thinking about all kinds of plans for a rescue.
“Wow man, have you been sniffing oven cleaner........., cause you have the stupidest look on you face Luis.”
“You’re quite the jokester aren’t you Chad? Sit down, and have a cup of coffee with me.”
“I don’t mind if I do,” Chad said sitting in the chair across from Luis. “So dare I ask what you were just thinking about? You looked like you have some weird things going on in that head of yours”
“Grace, Eve, and mama are giving a baby shower for Sheridan today, and I was just trying to devise a plan to rescue her from all the baby games. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I think it is really nice that they are doing this for us, but those showers can get pretty silly sometimes.”
“Yeah, I hear ya man. Don’t sound like my idea of a fun afternoon.”
“So Chad, were have you been lately? I haven’t seen you around for a couple of weeks now.”
“I was out of town working on a case. To tell you the truth, it was a good excuse for me to be incognito. That way I wouldn’t have to make excuses to Whitney.”
“So you’re still trying to avoid Whitney?”
“What else am I suppose to do? Damn........., I was really hoping that Eve could have shed some light on this whole mystery, but instead she just left me with more questions. I still don’t know if the woman I love is my sister. God Luis, this thing is tearing me apart inside.”
Luis felt guilty as hell. He wanted to spill the whole truth to Chad to put the poor guy out of his misery. Eve had to tell him the truth soon, because it just wasn’t fair for Chad to have to live with this uncertainly. He promised Sheridan that he wouldn’t repeat anything that Crystal’s mother revealed, but he was really in a quandary right now.
“I’m sorry Chad...”
“I have a feeling that by the look on your face, you know more about this then you’re telling me. Did you find out some information on my parents that you’re not telling me?”
Luis couldn’t lie, but he couldn’t break a confidence either. Chad was his friend, and he had to give him some hope. “Look Chad, I do have some information, but I promised that I would let the person involved tell you everything. I’m sorry because I wish more then ever that I could tell you something. But you do not have to worry about you and Whitney. There is no reason why you have to avoid her any longer. Now that’s all I’m going to say for now, and I hope you can understand my position.”
“So you’re that loyal to this person that’s supposed to tell me everything?”
“No, I’m loyal to Sheridan.”
“Are you saying that Sheridan knows everything, and didn’t tell me,” Chad said angrily?
“Look Chad, Sheridan has done a hell of a lot for you, and she would tell you in a heartbeat if she could. I know you deserve to know the truth, but I will not let you badger my wife, because she is pregnant and she doesn’t need that right now. I told you what I could so you could be with Whitney, and I’m afraid that’s going to have to be enough for now.”
“Look, I’m sorry Luis. You’re right, Sheridan and you have done a lot for me, and you don’t deserve my anger. It’s just that I’ve been waiting my whole life to find out who my parents are, and it’s so damn frustrating to always reach these dead ends. Thanks to you; at least I can be with Whitney now. Will you accept my apology?”
“Sure buddy and I do understand where you’re coming from. I’m sure you’ll find out everything soon.”
“I hope you’re right, cause this whole thing is driving me crazy.”
Over at the Bennett house the shower was in full swing. Grace had just passed around a large basket of plastic baby bottles and a box of markers for everyone, and the object was to decorate the baby bottle. Sheridan would pick the most creative design, and that person would win the prize. Poor Ivy, who looked so out of place in her designer suit, had won the last game. Everyone had to cut off a piece of string, and the object was to come as close as possible to the circumference of Sheridan’s middle. Ivy’s prize had been a pair of gardener’s gloves, and a hand shovel, and everyone had laughed when she had asked what they were used for. As it turned out, Theresa with her artistic talent, ended up winning the bottle decorating contest, and she squealed with delight when she opened her prize to find a makeup kit with twenty different shades of eye shadow.
Sheridan had already opened all the gifts, and they were ready to cut the cake when the doorbell rang. Kay ran to get it, and she came back in the living room with a dreamy look on her face.
“Who’s at the door,” Grace asked?
“Oh my God mom, there is this Brad Pitt look-alike wanting to talk to you about the room you have available at the Bed and Breakfast.”
“Well I would have to interview him, and it’s kind of a bad time right now. Could you ask him to come back in a couple of hours?”
“Oh come on mom what‘s to interview? He looks like Brad Pitt, and his name is Evan Harris, what else do you need to know?”
Chapter 16
Sheridan was shocked by Kay’s last statement. Did she hear her correctly when she said Evan Harris? Why would Evan want to rent a room from Grace, and why wasn’t he in school? She was under the impression that his grandmother had left him her house in her will.
“Kay, just because he looks like Brad Pitt, doesn’t automatically make him creditable. I would really like the time to interview him before he rents a room from me. Find out if he has any references, and ask him to come back in a couple of hours.”
“But mom,” Kay said rolling her eyes.
“Wait a minute,” Sheridan said. “I can vouch for him Grace. I’ve met him before.” She just had to open her big mouth, now everyone in the room was staring at her like she had grown another head. But, it was the panicked look on Eve’s face that stopped Sheridan from saying anything more.
“You know this boy Sheridan,” Grace asked?
“Yes, it’s a long story about how we met Grace, but I can vouch for him.”
“Well all right, if Sheridan says he’s ok then I guess it wouldn’t be a problem, but I would still like to speak to him about the rent, so if you could ask him to meet me at the Bed and Breakfast later I would appreciate it.”
“No problem,” Kay said smiling. “This guy is a hunk,” she said as she left to run back to the front door. Simone, Whitney and Theresa couldn’t resist following her to peek out the window at this Brad Pitt look-alike.
Eve came over to Sheridan and pulled her aside. “Sheridan what were you doing? If you tell everyone how we met Evan, there will be questions. We’ll never be able to explain why we went to see Martha Harris without people getting suspicious.”
“I’m sorry Eve, I wasn’t thinking. I’m not used to keeping secrets and this is driving my nuts. I know this is a difficult situation for you, but you have to tell the truth, because poor Chad can’t go on thinking the woman he loves is his sister.”
“I know that Chad deserves the truth. Don’t you think this is killing me not to be able to embrace my son, but the cost to the rest of my family will be devastating?”
“I know Eve, but.........”
“So what are you two whispering about,” Ivy said, approaching them wearing a knowing smile.
“Sheridan was just asking me some questions about her delivery.”
“So tell me Sheridan, how did you meet this Evan Harris? I find it strange that him and Chad have the same last name. Actually, wasn’t Harris the last name of that Crystal that was killed?”
“Ivy, I think you’re reaching here, Harris is a very common name,” Sheridan said.
Ivy raised her eyebrow. “Still I find it strange that we’re having this rash of Harris’ running around Harmony all of a sudden. Sheridan, you never did tell me.........”
Sheridan breathed a sigh of relief when Grace interrupted to tell them to come and get a piece of cake. She would be so happy when all the secrets were out in the open, because sooner or later her big mouth was going to get her into big trouble.
Luis paid his bill, and was leaving to go pick up Sheridan from the Bennett’s when he spotted Julian walk in the door. This was the first time he had seen him since the bastard had pushed Sheridan into the desk. “Looks like the devil’s twin brother just arrived.”
Chad glanced over to where Luis’ was looking. “Yeah, to think that ass could be my father. Wonder what he’s doing here lowering himself to mix with the locals?”
“I’m sure his purpose for being here is to make somebody’s life miserable. He better stay out of my way though, because I‘m just looking for any excuse to shove my fist down his throat for what he did to Sheridan.”
“Yeah, maybe it’s a good thing you were getting ready to leave.”
“Speaking of leaving, I need to go..........” Just then Luis heard Julian berating the waitress, sending her running off crying. “That son-of-a-bitch........,” Luis said as he took off in Julian’s direction.
“Whoa Luis, wait........” Chad said following him.
“Does it make you feel like a big man to frighten some high school kid Julian? What could she have possibly done to deserve that treatment? Ask you to repeat your order?”
“Well, if it isn’t the two Keystone Cops.” Julian said eyeing Luis and Chad with a look of boredom. “Since I own this establishment, I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t interfere with the way I discipline my employees. I can see that you haven’t learned your lesson about sticking your nose in matters that don’t concern you. There must be something in the Latin gene pool that makes you so mentally challenged.”
“Why you son-of-a-bitch,” Luis said lunging for Julian. Chad grabbed him from behind holding him back.
“Come on Luis, he is not worth it..........”
“You know Chad, you may have been raised on the streets, but I would think that with the Crane blood cursing through your veins, you would be more loyal to me,” Julian said rising out of his chair.
Chad took his hands off of Luis’ arms. “You know something Luis, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have tried to stop you earlier.”
“A word of advice Chad,” Julian said turning to face him. “He turned my sister to trash, don’t let him do the same to you. I’m afraid there is no saving her at this point since she’s pregnant with his brats now, and if father was.............” Julian stopped in mid-sentence when he saw Luis raise his fist toward him. He put his arm up to protect his face, but Luis managed to land a punch on the side of Julian’s jaw that sent him flying backward to land into a display table, sending books tumbling to the floor. “Oh my God, my back. He’s crippled me.”
“Good, now you know how Sheridan felt when you pushed her, and left her on the floor, pregnant and helpless. Get up Julian and fight like a man, even though I know that concept is probably foreign to you. I’d like nothing better that to make the other side of your face black and blue.”
“Don’t you touch me. I’ll have your badge over this one, and I’ll sue you for every penny you have........”
“Yeah, blah, blah, blah. You’re right Chad, he isn’t worth it, but for some reason I feel so much better now that I got that off of my chest. But heed my word Julian, if you ever come near Sheridan or my family again, I won’t stop with just one punch. Now, if you will all excuse me, I have to go pick up my beautiful wife.”
Luis didn’t realize it until he was on his way to the Bennett’s that his hand was throbbing. He looked down and noticed that his knuckles were bruised and bleeding from where he had caught Julian’s watch. This wasn’t a good thing, because now Sheridan would wonder how he hurt his hand and he would have to admit that he hit Julian, and she would be upset. He would have told her eventually anyway, but she was just so emotional right now. With all this Chad and Evan business, and the impending birth of the twins, she had a lot to deal with, and he didn’t want to add to her worry. He shouldn’t have let Julian get to him, and normally he just let it pass when he made his bigoted comments, but to call Sheridan trash. That had been the final straw, and it still made his blood boil just thinking about it. Nobody was going to say derogatory things about Sheridan, and get away with it.
When he got to the Bennett’s, Sam was there to help him load all the gifts in the jeep, and he told Sam what happened at the Book Cafe. “I couldn’t help myself Sam; the bastard had it coming to him.”
“I’m not going to disagree with that Luis, but I don’t have to tell you how powerful Julian is, and I don’t want to see him come after you.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time Sam. He has been coming after me for a long time, and I’m ready for him now. Normally, I try to brush his comments off for the tasteless crap that it is, but he called Sheridan trash......”
“He what.......?
“Yeah, he called her trash, and I just saw red, and I know Sam that you would have done the same thing if he had called Grace a name like that.”
“You’re right, and I don’t know if I would have been able to stop when you did. I suppose I should give you credit for not killing him after what he said.”
“I have to admit it wasn’t just what he said about Sheridan. I had a lot of anger built up from when he hurt her, and left her on the floor. I would have killed him then if Sheridan hadn’t pleaded with me to let it go. I think the comment he made was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.....”
“So what are you too so intense about,” Grace said, as she approached with Sheridan?
“Just guy talk,” Sam said putting his arm around Grace.
Luis did the same to Sheridan, kissing her on the cheek. “So, how was the shower? It appears that the gift giving was a success, because we almost didn’t have enough room for all this stuff.”
“It was wonderful Luis. Everyone was so generous, and Grace I want to thank you again. You, Eve and Pilar were so kind to do this for us, and Luis and I are very grateful.”
“She’s right Grace. Sheridan and I are lucky to have such good family and friends.”
“So Luis, are you ready to go. I feel the need to put my feet up and rest for awhile. It’s been a busy day.”
“Sure sweetie, let’s go,” he said kissing Grace on the cheek, and shaking Sam’s hand. “We’ll see you two later.”
On the way home Sheridan was chatting about the shower, and giving Luis a play-by play on everything from the games, to the point where Evan showed up. “I couldn’t believe it Luis when Kay announced that Evan was at the door wanting to rent a room from Grace at the Bed and Breakfast. I thought for sure that he would be back at Boston College by now, and............. Oh my God Luis, what happened to your hand?”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t notice that,” he said sheepishly. “I guess now might be the time to confess that I caught it on your brother’s watch when I knocked him into a table at the Book Cafe.”
“Oh no Luis, I can’t believe you were brawling with Julian. You promised me you wouldn’t go after him.”
“I’m sorry honey, I know he’s still you’re brother, but he just said some things that make me lose control, and I punched him.”
“My concern is not for my brother Luis. I’m worried that he is going to retaliate against you. Oh great, now I’m going to be on pins and needles waiting for Julian to do something despicable to you.”
“Look Sheridan, Julian’s already done despicable things to me, and I’ve survived just fine. Most of the time your brother just blows a lot of hot air. You have enough on your mind right now, and I don’t want you to worry about Julian.”
“Only if you promise me there will not be a repeat performance like today.”
“I promise,” Luis said grabbing her hand and kissing it.
“Good, because it’s bad enough that I have to worry about water retention, I don’t want to be scared that Julian is laying in wait for you somewhere.”
When they arrived home, Sheridan went in and lay down on the sofa, and Luis brought all the gifts in the house. Even thought she was resting, Sheridan was having a hard time relaxing. She was concerned about Luis’ altercation with Julian this afternoon. She wouldn’t put it past him to file charges against Luis, and she just didn’t need this in her life right now. Maybe she could stop him by threatening Julian with charges against him for pushing her, and injuring her back. She didn’t want to go that far, but she would if it meant that Julian would leave them alone. Luis came up and sat on the edge of the sofa.
“I can tell you have something going on in that beautiful head of yours. You’re worried about Julian aren’t you?”
“I can’t help it Luis, I wouldn’t put it past him to cause you trouble over this.”
“Honey, he is not going to do anything, and I’m sorry that it happened, because I hate it that this is upsetting you. Will you please just try and relax?”
“You’re probably right. Why don’t we change the subject, and talk about something pleasant, like our children. Let me up Luis, I have something I want to show you,” she said smiling.
“No, you stay here, and I’ll get whatever you want. Just tell me what it is.”
“I’m not helpless Luis, besides it’s a surprise,” she said getting off the sofa. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
When she came back she was holding what looked to be a homemade book, and handed it to him. The cover was illustrated with one of Sheridan’s drawings, and there were two holes punched on the side with a satin ribbon laced through and tied in a bow. Luis smiled and, read the title out loud. “Molly, Her Friends, and Their Great Adventure.” He opened the book and flipped through all the pages. “Sheridan, this is amazing. I can’t believe you actually made a storybook. You should get this published.”
“Published? Luis I think you’re a little partial here. I just thought it was something special I could do our children.”
“I mean it Sheridan; this is beautifully illustrated and written. I really think you should send this to someone. Do you know anybody in the publishing business?
“Well actually I do, but I don’t think this is good enough to get published.”
“Well, I think it is, and haven’t you always told me that I’m a know-it-all.”
Sheridan laughed. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll think about it, and that’s all I’m going to promise for now.”
“Well there’s one thing that I can promise for sure.”
“Oh, and what is that?”
“I’m reading this to the twins tonight.”
“You know something Luis, I’ve just thought of something that will really relax me. Why don’t you let me sketch you right now?”
“You want to sketch me,” Luis said skeptically?
“Well you did say you want me to relax, and sketching makes me relax.”
“Ok,” Luis said flashing her a big smile. “I’m flattered, and I think it’s kind of cute that you want to draw a picture of me for the twins,”
“Well actually, I was thinking of this sketch for my own private collection.”
Chapter 17
“Your private collection? Why would it have to be private? Oh no, wait a minute Sheridan, are you saying what I think your saying? Do you actually want me to pose naked so you can sketch me?”
“Why not? As far as I’m concerned you have the perfect body to be an artist model, so why not pose for me? It could not only stimulate me artistically, but in so many other ways.”
“I don’t know Sher; I’d feel a little funny lying around naked while you sketch me.”
Sheridan laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re embarrassed? We are married, and you have never had a problem in the past prancing around naked in front of me. Even before we were a couple you enjoyed showing me everything you have, so why not now?”
“Oh, we’re back to that again. If I remember correctly, you are the one that walked in on me in the locker room, then there was that time in your cottage when you ran into the bathroom, and I don’t seem to remember you leaving too quickly. I can’t believe you’re accusing me of being an exhibitionist, when it was you that walked in on me both times.”
“Forget it, because it’s not going to work,” Sheridan said with a knowing smile. “You’re trying to get me worked up, and defensive so I’ll drop this idea to sketch you. I’ll tell you what Luis, if you can’t handle it, and you’re just too afraid then we can just drop the whole thing.”
“Now who’s working whom? You just issued me a challenge, and you know I can’t resist a challenge. So, where do you want me?”
“Well the sunroom gets the best light in the late afternoon, so why don’t we go in there?”
“There’s a hell of a lot of windows in there. Since it’s warming up, why don’t we just go outside? I could sit on that tree stump out in the front yard, and we could sell tickets and really give the neighbors a show.”
Sheridan cracked up laughing. “You are such a piece of work. You know very well that our nearest neighbor lives seven miles away. I’m sure he’s going to come over here just to stare at you through the window.”
Making a face at her, Luis turned and headed for the sunroom stripping off his clothes along the way. Sheridan followed him, enjoying the display of flesh, but at the same time fussing about him being a typical man, throwing his clothes on the floor. By the time they reached the sunroom Luis was completely naked, and the site of him in all his glory took her breath away. She couldn’t decide what view was better, the back or the front. Actually, it was the whole package she finally decided. She had seen him this way so many times before, but her heated reaction to him was just as strong as ever.
“You better quit checking me out like that, because I think you’re going to have a difficult time sketching when you‘re flat on your back,” Luis said in a cocky voice.
Sheridan’s face turned red, but she managed to keep her composure. “You’re just stalling Lopez-Fitzgerald, sit down and pose for me.”
Luis turned and sauntered over to the love seat. He sat down at an angle, and put his chin in his hand. “So, how’s this?”
“That would be a great pose if I were sculpting you,” Sheridan said laughing.
Luis laid down on the wicker love seat, and reclined as she had requested. His skin looked so bronzed against the creamy white cushions, and the site of him was just way too much for any woman with blood cursing through their veins. Sheridan, not trusting herself to get near him, directed him on where to position his arms and legs. When she was satisfied, she sat down and began to draw. It seemed so natural to sketch the lines of his body as they flowed from her mind to the paper. Maybe it was because she knew his body so well, had memorized every muscle and plane with her hands a hundred times. She knew this was going to be the best work she had ever done. Now if she could only make it through this without giving into her baser needs.
Luis watched Sheridan’s face as she sketched him. She tilted her head to one side, and chewed on her drawing pencil, as she studied him. How could she be so unaffected and clinical, when he was doing everything possible to keep his arousal in check? He would not admit it to her, but earlier all his protest had not been because of any neighbors seeing him. He had never been shy about his body, but it made a difference with Sheridan, because of the way his body reacted to her presence. Being unclothed in front of her for the sole purpose of being her model, was a difficult task for him. His eyes focused on her mouth, and she had taken the pencil away and was now chewing on her bottom lip. Damn, that was his job to do that, and he was having ravenous thoughts about what else he would like to chew on. When she stuck her pink tongue out, and licked her lips, that was all it took. He sat up quickly, and pulled a pillow over his growing erection.
“Luis what are you doing? I was just drawing that particular part of your body and you cover it up?”
“Sorry, but I really need a break right now.”
“Can’t you just wait for a little while? I was just starting to make real progress, and I don’t want to ruin my creative flow.”
“Ok, let me put this a different way. It’s Little Luis that needs a break, if you know what I mean.”
Sheridan laughed. “Poor baby, does he need some attention?”
“Oh sweetie, you have no idea. Why don’t you come over here and take a break with me?”
Sheridan’s only response was to get up and walk toward him. She sat down next to him and grabbed the pillow from his hands and threw it on the floor. “Oh my, Little Luis, is not so little any more.”
“Yeah, and it’s all your fault,” Luis said pulling her toward him, and kissing her senseless. He groaned against her lips when she touched him. “Oh God Sher, I’m dying here.”
“Me too Luis. I want you so badly, and please don’t tell me no because of the babies. I promise you it’s still safe.”
“I want you so much, but I’m just so afraid that I’ll hurt you……..”
“I’ll let you know if you’re hurting me,” she said cutting him off. “It seems like it’s been forever, and are time to be together is running out.”
He couldn’t think straight when she was touching him like that. Would it really be safe? He had to believe that what Sheridan said was true, because he knew she would never do anything that would hurt the babies. “Ok, but only if you promise to tell me the second it starts to hurt.”
“I promise,” she said wrapping her arms around him, and kissing him deeply.
Finally, Luis pulled away from her and stood, pulling the cushions down on the floor. He helped her up, and when they were both situated on the floor, he started to remove her dress, kissing her smooth skin as he peeled her clothes away. When she was as naked as he was, he lay on his side and pulled her back against his chest.
“I love you,” he told her as he slipped inside of her silken flesh. He was slow and gentle as he filled her completely. It felt so good to be with her like this again, and he could tell by the way that Sheridan was moving against him that she felt it too. “Oh baby, I want to stay with you like this forever.”
“Oh God Luis, I love the way you feel inside of me, I love you.” She could feel the heat mounting, threatening to burn her alive. She wanted to feel that euphoria that always consumed her whenever Luis took her over the edge........ Yet, she didn’t want this to end, but she feared it was already out of her control.
It happened, for both of them at the same time, and they cried out with the intense pleasure as they went over the top. As they tried to catch their breath, Luis held her like she was the most precious thing in the world. He kissed her shoulder, her neck, and he told her how beautiful she was. Sheridan cried because he was so sweet to her, and she told him that she would love him forever.
Sheridan did manage to finish the sketch, but this posing session was much more intimate. She decided that is was even better to be able to touch and sketch........, kiss and sketch........., and then they would take small breaks so Luis could touch and kiss her too.
Several weeks later, Sheridan and Luis went into town to run some errands, and Luis decided to take Sheridan out for a nice lunch. This was the first time they had been out together in a while, since Luis had been working such long hours trying to wrap up his cases. He wanted to have a free schedule when it came time for Sheridan to have the babies, so he could stay home with her for a while. He wanted to treat her since she had been feeling a little down in the dumps lately, so he was taking her to the Lobster Shack. They had a seafood salad on their lunch menu that Sheridan loved, and he was hoping that would cheer her up a little bit. The hostess showed them to a table that had a perfect view of the ocean, and told them someone would be there to take their order shortly.
“So honey, I bet you’re going to get the seafood salad,” Luis said in a cheery voice.
Sheridan sighed, “I guess so.”
“You don’t sound very enthused, I thought you liked the seafood salad here.”
She gave him a sweet smile. “I usually do, but I have been feeling so uncomfortable lately, that there is not much that excites me these days, except the prospect of giving birth to our babies. I love them with all my heart, but does it sound selfish of me to say that I will be so happy when they are born?”
“Not at all. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how it feels to carry twins, especially as feisty as our little ones are. Even I could feel them kicking up a storm last night.”
“Actually I’m getting used to the kicking, but I always feel like I just ate Thanksgiving dinner, but at the same time I’m hungry. I know it doesn’t make any sense, but I don’t know how else to explain it. What is even worst for me is the fact that I look and feel like a cow, and I’m afraid to open my mouth for fear I’ll start mooing.”
Luis laughed. “I’m sorry you feel so bad, but I promise you that you do not look like a cow. I happen to think you’re as beautiful as ever.”
“Luis, you are so sweet, but even I don’t expect you do be a diplomat any longer.”
“Sheridan, I’m am not being diplomatic, I really meant what I said.”
“You know something,” she said taking his hand. “I’m going to order that salad, and I may even get desert too,” she said smiling. “I’m sorry Luis for complaining so much, because I really do feel so blessed for having you and the children in my life.”
Just then the waiter arrived at his or her table, and Sheridan was shocked to see none other then Evan standing there. “Evan hello, I didn’t know you worked here.”
“Hi, it’s nice to see you again Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald. I’ve been working here for about three weeks now,” she said eyeing Luis with a curious look.
“Oh I’m sorry, I’m forgetting my manners. Evan, this is my husband, Luis. Luis this is Evan Harris.” Luis and Evan exchanged greetings and shook hands.
“So what can I get for you folks today?”
“Evan, I hope I’m not over-stepping my bounds, but why are you working here, and not at college?
“Well I had to sell my grandmother’s house to pay for all the medical bills, and I was going to school on a football scholarship, and I hurt my knee pretty bad, so when I got back to school, they told me the money was gone. I’m just here trying to earn some money to go back to school.”
“I’m so sorry Evan. I gave you my number, I wish you would have called me.”
“You’ve been really nice to me, and I appreciate it, but why do you care about what happens to me? I just don‘t get it.”
When Luis saw Sheridan struggling for words, he answered. “Because my wife is a very kind, and generous person, and she just wants to make sure you’re all right.”
“Thanks for your offer of help, but I have to work this out on my own. I hope you understand, but that’s just that way I am.”
“Well Evan, Sheridan and I can certainly respect that.”
“Yes we can, but if you change you’re mind the offer of help is still open,” Sheridan said.
Evan smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind. Now, have you decided or your order?” Luis and Sheridan placed their orders, and Evan left to go get their drinks.
Luis watched Evan walk away, and turned to look at Sheridan. “My God, you were right, he looks like he could be your brother.”
“See, I told you so.....”
Chapter 18
“I have to tell you Sheridan, he does look like he’s related to you, but that’s not proof that Julian is his father.”
“I know that’s not proof, but why is it that when I look into his eyes, I see my own? I can’t explain it Luis, but I just have a feeling, and I can’t shake it.”
“I hate to say this, but you may have to accept that you will never know the truth. It’s not the same situation as you had with Chad, because Chad wanted to find his parents. This kid strikes me as the type that would think you were a lunatic if you told him about you’re suspicions. I’m not trying to dampen your enthusiasm honey, but you may need to back off of this one.”
“I understand what you are saying, and I agree with you. It’s just that I feel so bad for him Luis. At least Chad has established himself with the DEA, and he has a career, but poor Evan has had his chance ripped out from under him. Damn that Julian, I don’t understand how he could just deny his children some kind of security. It’s not fair that Chad and Evan have had to grow up struggling the way they did.”
“They may have had some bad times growing up, but what kind of men would they have turned out to be under Julian’s influence? I can‘t speak for Evan, but Chad certainly is a better man for it.”
“That could be true, but look at Ethan. He grew up under Julian’s influence and he turned out to be a fine young man.”
“Well, that’s debatable?”
“Be nice Luis. I wish you would make more of an effort to get along with Ethan. He is going to be the twin’s cousin you know.”
“Ok, I promise I’ll try for your sake,” he said taking her hand in his.
Sheridan flashed him one of her brilliant smiles. “I love you.”
“What brought that on,” he said kissing the top of her hand? You were right in the middle of chastising me because of Ethan.”
“Because in spite of your misgivings about Ethan, you are still willing to make an effort to get along with him to make me happy.”
“I love you Sheridan, and I’d do anything for you,” he said kissing the top of her hand.”
Just then Evan appeared with their food, and Sheridan had to smile when she saw the embarrassed look on his face. He appeared to be uncomfortable about interrupting an intimate moment between Luis and her. Again she was struck with a sense of familiarity when she looked in his eyes. She made a promise to herself, that someday she would find out the truth, but in the mean time she had to concentrate on giving birth to her babies.
Simone walked into the Bennett’s kitchen to find Kay sitting at the table with the newspaper spread out in front of her. Since when did Kay read the newspaper? She had been acting really weird ever since that Evan Harris had appeared on the doorstep the day of Sheridan’s shower. She had first noticed something was up with her when she had volunteered to help her mother out at the Bed & Breakfast, which was so unlike Kay. Was it possible that she was interested in Evan Harris? No, it couldn’t be, because Kay had always loved Miguel. All the plotting to get Miguel away from Charity had been because of Kay’s determination that her and Miguel were destined to be together. Never being one to mince words, Simone decided that she was going to get to the bottom of this right now.
“Kay Bennett, have you totally lost your mind!”
Kay jumped. “God Simone, do you have to sneak up on people like that? You scared me half to death.”
“Well I’m sorry, but I’ just freaking out here seeing my best friend reading a newspaper. I have known you all my life, and never once have I known you to care about world events. Let‘s face it Kay; up until now, your only mission in life has been to make Miguel love you.”
“Gee thanks Simone,” Kay said with a false smile. “It’s nice to know that my best friend sees me as nothing but a self-absorbed, one-dimensional brat. For your information, I am reading the want ads.”
“The want ads? Are you trying to tell me you’re looking for a job? I don’t know if my heart can take anymore of these shocks.”
“Very funny Simone. For your information, my parents have informed me that I need to get a summer job to help pay for college next year. The problem is, I don’t have a clue where to begin. The only job experience I have is helping mom out at the Bed & Breakfast and the gift shop.”
“Speaking of the Bed & Breakfast, have you by any chance seen Evan Harris lately?”
Kay looked uncomfortable, and started fidgeting with her hands. “Evan Harris? How did he get into this conversation?”
“Because Kay, you have been acting weird ever since he showed up on your doorstep. If I didn’t know that you were crazy for Miguel, I would almost think you had a crush on this Evan Harris. I mean I wouldn’t blame you, the guys a total babe, but you always swore that you would love Miguel forever.”
“Yeah Simone, well forever is a long time, and maybe it’s time I faced facts and accepted that Miguel will never love me that way.”
“Oh my God, I’m going to call my mom and tell her to come over here and check you out. Something is really wrong with you Kay, because I never thought I’d hear those words come out of your mouth. Do you have a fever or something?”
“I’m fine Simone. Now, will you please just help me look for a job, and quit drilling me with questions?”
“All right, I’ll drop it for now,” Simone said sitting down next to Kay. “But, sooner or later I’m going to figure out what’s going on with you. So, have you seen anything in here that appeals to you?”
“Not so far,” Kay said scanning the want ads. “Wait a minute, look at this Simone, I think this might be perfect for me.”
Simone looked down to where Kay was pointing, and read the ad. “You want to be a hostess at the Lobster Shack?”
“Why not? How hard could the job be? You just stand at the door and look good, and show people to their table.”
“I can see we’re going to be in for an interesting summer,” Simone said, shaking her head.
A month later...
Sheridan sat in Pilar’s living room going through a small box containing some of Luis’ baby things. She held up the little Christening gown inspecting the detailing on the white linen. “Oh Pilar, this is precious. I just can’t imagine Luis being little enough to fit into this. This is so sweet of you to let me use this for Luke’s Baptism.”
“No Sheridan, I want you to keep it. I didn’t get a chance to save many of my children’s baby things because it was more economical to pass things down. But I did try to save all of their Christening gowns to pass them along to their children.”
“Thank you Pilar, and I can’t believe how well you’ve managed to preserve it. It almost looks brand new.”
“I just wrapped it very carefully and stored it in my cedar chest. I’m happy that it still looks so good. This has been the first occasion, I’ve had to get these out,” Pilar said smiling, as she touched the little gown. Pilar noticed the sad look on Sheridan’s face. “What’s wrong Sheridan? You look a little sad all of a sudden.”
“I guess I’m being silly, but I was just thinking that I wish my mother had saved my Christening gown so Lily could wear it.”
“But she did save it. Just now when you said that I remembered a conversation I had with your mother right after Theresa was born. We were talking about Theresa being baptized and she mentioned that she had your gown and many of your baby things packed carefully away in the attic. Apparently she stored them up there because your father thought it was foolish to hang on to things like that, and she was afraid that Alistair would have the servant’s get rid of them.
“Oh Pilar, this is wonderful news! I should have known my mother would save my baby things. I’m going to go over to the mansion to see if I can find the boxes, because I would love to have my gown for Lily to wear.”
“Sheridan, I don’t think that would be a very good idea with the way that Julian feels about you right now. Besides what’s the rush? The babies aren’t due for a couple of weeks, and then it will be several weeks after their birth that Fr. Lonigan can baptize them. The next time I’m on duty I’ll go up there and look for you.”
Sheridan looked disappointed. “I suppose your right Pilar, but I’m dying to see what’s in those boxes.”
“Well, I promise that I will look as soon as I can, but I’m glad you changed your mind about going over there. I don’t like the idea of you climbing those attic steps by yourself right now.”
“Oh and why would that be,” Sheridan said patting her belly? Could it be the fact that I haven’t seen my feet for months, and I look like I swallowed a giant beach ball? Or could it be that I have the grace of an elephant right now,” Sheridan said in a teasing voice.
“No, what I meant is that I remember how uncomfortable it is in the last few weeks before giving birth, and how the simplest things can ware you out.”
“You are certainly right about that Pilar. I am definitely ready for the little ones to get here. But, now I have to go. Thank you so much for giving me Luis’ Christening gown. It means so much to me, and I’m sure Luis will be thrilled.
“I was happy to do it. Now, you should go home and get some rest.”
“I think I’ll do that. I’ll see you later Pilar,” she said hugging her mother-in-law.
Sheridan didn’t know what possessed her, because she had every intention of going home, but she found herself turning in the direction of the Crane estate, and she figured since she was in the area, why not look for her baby things. She was a little nervous, because she wasn’t sure Crane security would even let her past the front gate, but they actually waved her on when they saw who it was. She was surprised Julian hadn’t given them strict orders to keep her off the premises. When she walked through the front door, the place so deserted. Ivy and Julian must both be out for the day. She was glad of that, because she was in the mood for a confrontation with Julian right now. When she went upstairs, she did run into Marie, the upstairs maid, and even though she looked a little surprised, she was very polite. Sheridan told her that she just needed to get some of her old things out of the attic, and she would be on her way.
Even in her clumsy state, Sheridan had managed to make it up the steps without incident, and she started looking in all the trunks. She was about ready to give up, when she finally located the trunk that held her baby things. These had to be hers because she found a silver baby rattle with her name engraved on it. It was tarnished, but she could still make out the lettering. She pushed an old antique chair in front of the trunk, and sat down to examine the contents. There were beautiful hand-knitted baby blankets wrapped in delicate tissue. After weeding through some of the little dresses, she finally found her Christening dress. It was made of fine lawn with intricate smocking and Queen Anne lace. She smiled as she fingered the satin bows, but the smile froze on her face when Julian burst in slamming the door against the wall.
“Marie told me you were up here, and I just have to say that you have a lot of gall coming here and pilfering through my attic. I thought I made it clear that you were no longer a part of this family, and not welcomed here.”
“Please calm down Julian. I just wanted to get some of my baby things that mother saved for me, then I‘ll be on my way.”
“And who gave you permission,” Julian said slamming the door shut behind him?
“Are you really going to deny me my baby things? After all, our mother wanted me to have them, or she wouldn’t have bothered to save them.”
“Oh all right, just get your baby things and leave;” Julian said turning to open the door. Except the door wouldn’t open, and Julian started yelling and pounding so somebody would come and let them out.
“Oh no, are you saying to door is locked? Julian do something, Sheridan said starting to panic.
“Well, I would but nobody is responding. Where and the hell are all servants when you need them. What do I pay this people for?”
“Wait a minute, Maria knows that we are here, surely she’ll come up here when we don’t show up downstairs. I’m afraid we don’t have a choice but to sit and wait,” Sheridan said trying to calm herself down. She thought she had accomplished that, when all of a sudden she felt the contraction. “Oh God,” she said bending over and grabbing her abdomen. If she weren’t in pain, she would have laughed at the expression on Julian’s face.
“Please don’t tell me that was a contraction? Somebody get us out of here,” Julian said starting to bang on the door again.
“Settle down Julian, it’s just a Braxton-Hicks contraction. I seem to be having them more frequently the closer I get to my due date. It’s not real labor, so you can relax.”
“Good,” he said patting his brow with his handkerchief. “Because I would be no help to you if you decided to give birth right now.”
“What happened to us Julian?”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s just that I can remember when I was a little girl, before mother died and you would come in and read to me at night. You were my big brother, and I loved you, and then when mother passed away, you never came to read to me anymore. I was so devastated over mothers death, and even as young as I was, I somehow knew that father would never comfort me. But, I knew that you loved mother too, and I needed you be there for me, but you never came, and I knew that everything had changed between us.” Did Sheridan actually see a look of sadness on Julian’s face? If she did it disappeared quickly.
“You don’t know what it was like to be under father’s tyranny. I always had to measure up, and there was no excuse for failure. But I never measured up, so I had to keep proving myself over and over again.”
“So you just became him? Maybe it’s not too late for you to change Julian, maybe you can have some real peace in your life. Maybe you should start by acknowledging your children.”
“My children? What are you talking about? Ethan and the other children have always had the best.”
“Those aren’t the children I was referring too Julian. I’m talking about Chad and Evan.”
“Who and the hell is Evan?”
“I’m talking about Evan Harris, Crystal Harris’ son. I know the whole truth about you and Crystal’s partnership, and I know what the two of you did to make Eve believe that Chad had died.”
“You don’t know what father would have done to us if he knew that Chad was never killed like he had ordered. I did what I did to protect the boy, and well Crystal didn’t make out so bad after all, because she went to father and demanded a large sum of money from him to keep her mouth shut about the whole incident. At least she was smart enough to keep me out of it, so father wouldn’t suspect that I was involved.”
“So why did you switch Eve and T.C.’s child? Wasn’t what you did to her with Chad bad enough?”
“I did that to help Eve. When I suspected that her baby wouldn’t live out the week, I had the babies switched so Eve would not have to go through the loss of a child again, and I was right to do that, because her baby did die.”
“How noble of you Julian, so if you do have an affair with Crystal, resulting in the birth of Evan? You need to take some responsibility and help him because he has nobody else in his life right now.”
Julian started laughing. “You actually think Crystal’s son is my son?”
“I know he’s your son Julian. He looks enough like a Crane to be my brother.”
“Oh dear sister, the reason he looks so much like you is because he is your brother......., our brother.”
Chapter 19
Sheridan was shocked beyond belief. “Did you just say that Evan was our brother?”
“That’s exactly what I said. Evan Harris is the product of an affair that father had with Crystal Harris.”
“But I don’t understand. How did they get together, and did father know he fathered a son with Crystal?”
“I told you earlier that Crystal went to father trying to fatten her purse, and I suppose father convinced her that if she wanted money, she would have to work for it,” Julian said with a chuckle.
“That’s disgusting Julian. We are talking about a person that is our own flesh and blood. Of course how can I expect you to care when you knew all these years that Chad was alive, and you still let him grow up on the streets. Do you not have any human compassion?”
“Don’t get an attitude with me. I did everything I could for Chad, and I had to keep his existence a secret so father didn’t find out he was still alive. And as far as Evan is concerned, father did not know of his existence. When Crystal first became pregnant she came and told me, and I convinced her that father would never tolerate a bastard son, and she would make a grave mistake if she told him.”
“Go on, I can’t believe that’s all there is to the story. My God, how many lives have you and father destroyed with your manipulations and secrets?”
“You think everything is so simple, but you were shipped off to Paris as a child, and didn’t have to live under father’s thumb. I had to be like him to deal with him, and I paid Crystal a large sum of money to disappear and never claim Evan as a Crane.
“I just can’t believe you Julian……… Oooo,” Sheridan said as another contraction descended upon her. “Julian I think we may have a problem.”
Pilar unlocked the front door and set her packages down to answer the ringing phone. “Hello.”
“Hi mama, can you put Sheridan on the phone?”
“Luis, where are you?”
“I’m at home. Why do you sound so concerned?”
“It’s just that Sheridan left here several hours ago, and I thought she said she was going home to rest.”
Luis was getting worried now. “Are you sure she didn’t say anything else? Maybe she had to make a stop at the market.”
“No, I was sure she said she was going home……… Unless, oh no I think I might know where she is.”
“Where mama,” Luis said not liking the tone in Pilar’s voice?
“Well when she was here earlier, I gave her your Christening gown, and we got to talking about her mother saving her gown, and I told her it was in the attic at the Crane estate. She wanted to go over there right then, but I convinced her that with the way Julian feels about her right now, that it was probably not a good idea. I told her that I would get it the next time I was working.”
“Damn! Sorry mama, but you know how determined Sheridan is when she gets something in her head. She probably just couldn’t let it go, so she had to go over there. I’m heading to the Crane estate now. I don’t like the thought of her getting into a confrontation with Julian right now.”
Luis had one of his terrible gut feelings as he was driving over to the Crane estate. He couldn’t bare it if Julian did something to Sheridan, or the babies. He swore to God, that if Julian so much as touched a hair on her head he would rip him from limb to limb. When he knocked on the front door, Marie answered, and told him that Miss Sheridan and Mr. Crane were in the attic, and she gave him directions.. Luis took the steps two at a time, praying that Sheridan was all right.
Julian watched as Sheridan’s face contorted in pain, and he broke out into a cold sweat. “Oh dear God, don’t tell me you’re having another one of those contractions. You need to just stop it right now, because I’m in no position to be delivering one baby, let alone two. I would give my right arm for a drink right now,” Julian said wiping his brow again.
“You know something Julian, I wish you would just shut the hell up! These babies are not coming for a couple of weeks.” Now if she could only convince herself that this was the case. She thought Braxton-Hicks contractions were supposed to get weaker each time, but these contractions were getting stronger. She just prayed to God that this was not real labor, because she knew that she could not depend on Julian for help.
God must have answered her prayers, because the contraction stopped, and then the true miracle happened when she heard her guardian angel, Luis on the other side of the door. “Luis, we’re locked in here because my brother, the ass slammed the door shut, and it must lock from the outside.”
“Baby, are you all right? If he hurt you, I’ll end his miserable life right now.”
“I’m fine sweetie, just get me out of here.”
“Oh gag,” Julian said rolling his eyes. “Tell sweetie to hurry up, because there is a bottle of brandy downstairs screaming out my name.”
“Sheridan, Marie is going to get the key, and I should have you out of there in a minute.”
When the door was finally open, Sheridan threw herself in Luis’ arms. “I am so happy to see you. I should have known you would come to my rescue again.”
“Are you sure you’re all right,” Luis said hugging her back? “I want you to tell me the truth........”
“Will you two stop the love fest and get out of my way. I need a drink,” Julian said brushing past them to head downstairs to his brandy bottle.
“Come on Sheridan let’s go, you look exhausted.” Luis led her out and helped her down the attic steps.
“Wait Luis, will you get my mother’s trunk, with my baby things?”
“Sher, can’t that wait........?”
“Please Luis. We may never get another chance,” she said sticking out that bottom lip.
“Ok, wait here, and I’ll get the trunk.”
When they were finally in the car, Luis felt his anger kick in, and he began his tirade to Sheridan. “How could you be so irresponsible as to come over here right now? You had mama and me scared to death. I was thinking that Julian was going to hurt you or the babies.............”
“Luis, I think I’m in labor...........”
“You’re not going to talk your way out of this one......... What did you just say?”
“I said, I think I’m in labor.”
“Oh my God, you can’t be,” Luis said running his hand through his hair.
“Well maybe you should relay that message to your children, because I think they decided that it’s time to be born.”
“But maybe it’s just one of those Braxton-Hicks contractions. Dr. Ramsey did say you would have a lot of them the closer you got to your delivery date.”
“That’s what I thought at first, but these contractions are getting stronger with each one, and Braxton-Hicks contractions are not supposed to do that.”
“Ok, well let’s see, I’m going through the checklist in my head, and……., oh damn, I can’t think straight. We need to get your suitcase, and then……..”
“Luis, forget the suitcase, I think we need to get to the hospital…….,” Sheridan said moaning when another contraction started.
Luis started to babble like an idiot. “Ok, suitcase, call Dr. Ramsey, and go to the hospital. I think I should get you to the hospital………., oh my God Sher, are you all right?”
“Luis, snap out of it! Listen to me carefully. You need to start this car, and point it in the direction of the hospital, or you will be delivering these babies in the back seat of this car at the rate that you’re moving. In fact, why don’t you move over and let me drive.”
“There is no way I’m letting you drive in your condition,” Luis said starting to calm down. “Honey, your driving scares me when you’re not in labor.”
Sheridan did manage to smile at that, in spite of the discomfort she felt. “Listen to you. I’m sitting here in pain, ready to give birth to your children and you’re giving me lip service about my driving.”
“I’m sorry sweetie; I’m just nervous, and concerned about you.”
“I appreciate that Luis, but could you just get this car moving?”
Luis turned on his emergency flashers and drove quickly to Harmony hospital. Since Sheridan was a little concerned about Luis’ state of mind, she told him to concentrate on the road, and she would call Dr. Ramsey. The doctor told Sheridan that she would meet them at the hospital. When they arrived at the emergency room, Luis parked the car, and ran into the hospital, and he was standing at the front desk, when it occurred to him that he had forgotten Sheridan. When he ran outside again, she was struggling to get out of the car on her own. He grabbed the nearest wheel chair and pushed it toward the car.
“Luis, why did you leave me here?”
“I am so sorry Sheridan. I can’t believe I left you out here. I’m not doing a very good job at handling this labor thing am I? Just promise that you will not reveal this little incident to anyone else.”
“To tell you the truth Luis, I doubt I’d even remember right now. The only information that is registering in my mind is getting these babies out of me. These pains are coming five minutes apart now.”
After they got Sheridan admitted and checked into a labor room, Luis finally started to relax a little. He needed to get under control, so he could be there for Sheridan. She had just finished another hard contraction, when the biggest woman Luis had ever seen in his life walked into the room. This woman was nothing short of six foot, with the build of a line backer. She was wearing green scrubs, and her hair looked like it had been cut with a razor.
“Good evening,” she said in a deep voice. “I’m Nurse Penny. So honey are we ready to have our twins,” she said pulling on a pair of latex gloves. “I’m going to need to examine you now to see if you’re dilated.”
“Oh dear God,” Luis whispered in Sheridan’s ear.
“Will you behave,” Sheridan whispered back to him.
“Well it looks like you’re dilated about eight centimeters. You are coming along very nicely honey. We’ll have our twins before you know it.”
“Nurse Penny, I was really going to try to do this on my own, but I think it’s time to bring on the drugs,” Sheridan said with a grimace of pain on her face.
“Sure honey, your doctor should be here soon, and I’ll get you an epidural, and be right back.”
“I’m sorry, Sheridan but that woman is scary. When she put on those latex gloves, and started snapping them, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. And why does she keep saying our twins? Not that I’m gong to challenge her, because I’m sure she could kick my butt easily……”
“LUIS, get over yourself. Who cares if she could kick your butt, in fact I’m gong to kick your butt if you ever come near me again! “Oh my God………..” she wailed in the midst of another contraction.
Luis felt terrible for upsetting her with his stupid complaints about Nurse Penny. He looked down at her beautiful face contorted in pain, and his heart went out to her. If it were possible, he would take her place in a heartbeat to save her from going through this. Sheridan was the love of his life, his soul mate, and it was as natural as breathing to want to protect her. He had really fallen down on the job helping her through her labor. He had always prided himself at being a take charge kind of person, and always in control of the situation. So why now, during one of the most important moments in their lives was he falling to pieces? That was all going to change, he resolved. Sheridan needed him now, and even though he couldn’t take her pain away, he could certainly do everything humanly possible to comfort her.
“Luis, I’m so thirsty, could you get me some more ice chips? Actually a cold glass of champagne might be better,” she said with a little smile.
“Well I have to give you credit, you still have a sense of humor,” Luis said bringing her another glass of ice. “Listen sweetie, I’m so sorry I’ve been such a bumbling idiot through this so far. I just have a hard time retaining my composure when it comes to you and the babies, but I promise from now on I will be your pillar of strength.”
“What are you talking about Luis,” she said stroking his cheek? “You have always been my pillar of strength. So you had a few issues today, but I understand that your nervous and I promise I don’t think any less of you. In fact, it’s nice to know that you not completely infallible. Although………., I still cant’s believe you left me in the car,” she said in a teasing voice.
“Yeah, that one is going to haunt me for the rest of my life,” he said red-faced.
“Oh God……………, Luis it hurts so bad.” Sheridan said, as another hard contraction started.
“Ok Sheridan, just grip my hand, and take slow, deep breaths. Remember, in through the nose, and release through the mouth.”
Sheridan did as he instructed, but the pain was so intense, and she was gripping Luis’ hand so hard that by the time Nurse Penny came back in the room, both of them were screaming out in pain.
“Good Lord above. You two are going to wake up the stiffs in the morgue with all that screeching in here. Do I need to get another epidural for the hubby here?”
“Sorry about that,” Sheridan said with a raspy voice.
Luis looked down at this throbbing, red hand. “Compared to what you’re going through, this is nothing....... Look sweetie, while the nurse is giving you your shot, I’m going to go call mama.”
“Ok, Luis, I’m sorry I yelled at you a little while ago. You know I didn’t mean that thing about you never touching me again.”
“I know you didn’t mean it,” he said kissing her forehead. “I’ll be right back,”
“Promise?”
“I promise,” he said kissing her forehead again. “I wouldn’t miss this for all the money in the world.”
As it turned out the epidural came in handy, because she needed to have a caesarean section. Little Luke had decided to move so that his bottom was facing downward, in a breech position, and since Lily was on top of him, he was blocking her way. The whole experience seemed so surreal to Sheridan, and the epidural had put her in a happy place. She didn’t feel the incision, and the only thing she saw was Luis’ eyes when they pulled Luke out of her. Such beautiful eyes filled with wonder, pride and tears, and by the time that Lily graced the world with her presence, Luis and Sheridan were both crying openly.
“Sheridan, they are so beautiful, and it sounds like they both have quite a set of lungs on them. Talk about love at first sight” he said kissing her softly.
Sheridan brushed her tears away, and gave him a brilliant smile. “Yes, love at first sight,” she said gazing at her babies. “That’s exactly the way it happened with their father.”
Chapter 20
Luis and Sheridan were fussing over their babies when Dr. Ramsey walked into the room. The thought struck her as she observed the four of them together; just what a beautiful family they made. “Well, it looks like the arrival of these two little ones has caused quite a stir in the waiting room, because half of Harmony is out there. There is even a reporter from the local paper, and I believe even a few of those tabloid so-called journalists just dying to get a picture of the twins.”
“I don’t want any reporters taking pictures of my babies, especially the tabloids,” Sheridan said with a worried frown. “Luis, can’t you do something about them?”
“Oh believe me, I’ll do something about them. I’m going to go talk to hospital security. Will you be ok without me for a few minutes?”
“Actually, this is the perfect time Luis, because I was just getting ready to examine Sheridan,” Dr. Ramsey said smiling.
“Is everything all right with Sheridan and the twins, doctor?”
“Relax Luis, mother and babies are doing beautifully. The babies are a little small, but that’s normal with twins.”
After Luis left, Sheridan looked at Dr. Ramsey, and smiled. “Luis tends to be a little paranoid sometimes. He’s always been like a mother hen to me, so I guess now he’ll be even worse with the babies.”
“Well Sheridan, that’s not a bad quality to have in a husband.”
“Oh, I know, and I’m not complaining, but he has been known to go overboard at times. I wouldn’t trade him for anything in the world though.”
Dr. Ramsey had just finished her examination, when Luis came back in the room. “I’ve had all the reporters removed, and hospital security is going to keep an eye out in case they try to sneak back in. I’ve got to tell you Sheridan; we have a bunch of people out there that are dying to see the babies.”
“Is it all right doctor? We have been keeping them at bay, because Luis and I wanted to have some private time with our babies, but I think it’s time to let the rest of the family meet their newest members.”
“I don’t see a problem with that, however, only two people at a time, and let’s keep it limited to immediate family members for now. I need to see another patient; you get some rest Sheridan.”
“Oh don’t worry doctor, I’ll make sure she gets plenty of rest.”
Dr. Ramsey smiled and shook her head. “You look like you could stand some rest yourself Luis,” she said walking out the door.
“Luis, you should bring in Pilar first. After all she is the twins’ grandmother. Maybe you should ask Theresa too, she’s probably chomping at the bit by now,” Sheridan said smiling.
“I was thinking the same thing. I’ll be back in a minute and I promise I’ll warn Theresa to keep her chatter to a minimum. I don’t know if our little sweethearts are ready for her yet,” Luis said laughing, as he turned to walk out the door.
“Luis, do I look like a mess?” Sheridan said, combing her hair with her fingers.
Luis turned around and looked at her with love in his eyes. “I’ve never seen you look more beautiful.”
“You are so sweet, but I think you better go get Pilar, because I know you’re dying to show off your children.”
Pilar was overcome with emotion when she saw her grandchildren for the first time. She made the sign of the cross, and thanked God that they were born healthy, and that Sheridan was all right. She gazed silently at the babies in their porta cribs with tears in her eyes, but Theresa however, was bubbling over with such excitement that she was gushing and talking a mile a minute. Luis finally made eye contact with her, and when he raised his eyebrow, her mouth clamped shut instantly.
Sheridan gave him a stern look when she saw the look on Theresa’s face. “How would you two like to hold the babies,” she said directing her question to Pilar and Theresa?
“Oh Sheridan, are you sure it would be ok?” Theresa asked.
“Of course Theresa. Pilar, you haven’t said anything yet. What do you think of your grandchildren?”
“I think it is because I am speechless. They are so beautiful, and I can’t believe how much Luke looks like Luis as a baby, and little Lily looks just like you Sheridan.”
“Wait until you see them with their eyes open,” Luis said winking at Sheridan.
“What are you talking about Luis?” Pilar said confused.
“Well, it’s difficult to tell, because they haven’t opened their eyes much, but we think that Luke has blue eyes, and Lily has brown eyes like mine.”
“Oh Luis that’s so cute,” Theresa said smiling. “Luke will be so handsome with his dark hair and blue eyes, and Lily will be exotic with her blond hair and brown eyes.”
“My sister,” Luis said rolling his eyes. “Always the romantic.”
Pilar picked Luke up and sat down in one of the visitor chairs. He opened his eyes, and made a little cooing noise, and Pilar’s eyes filled up with tears again. “Oh my darling little Luca, I am your Abuela and it is very good to finally meet you.”
Theresa picked Lily up, and cuddled the baby against her chest. “I’m your Aunt Theresa, and I’m going to teach you so much. I’ll show you all the best places to shop, and I’ll show you how to apply makeup........”
“Whoa........,” Luis said holding his hand up. “That’s sweet of you Theresa, but it’s a little soon to be talking about that kind of stuff, and besides my little girl is going to be beautiful without makeup.”
Luis was sitting on the edge of the bed next to Sheridan. “You know,” she whispered in his ear. “I think they are as in love with them as we are.”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” he said kissing her.
Pilar was anxious to meet Lily, so she and Theresa switched babies, and then they both reluctantly left to give Miguel and Ethan a chance to come in. Sheridan asked them to make sure they told Chad to come in after them, because after all, he was family too. Thinking about Chad reminded Sheridan about Evan, and she couldn’t believe that she hadn’t told Luis about him being her brother. In all the excitement with the birth of the twins, she had completely forgotten. When Chad came in after Miguel and Ethan, he presented Sheridan with a CD. He told her he had done a mix of lullabies for the babies.
“Chad this is wonderful. I’ll play it at night when I’m rocking them to sleep.”
“Yeah, well they say that music is good stimulation for babies. Look Sheridan, Luis, I really appreciate you letting me see the twins, it really means a lot that you included me.”
“Why wouldn’t we include you Chad, after all Luke and Lily are your cousins?”
Chad almost looked surprised, like that hadn’t even occurred to him. “Oh my God, you’re right. I just can’t believe it; I actually have an aunt, a brother, and now cousins. Now, if I could just figure out who my mother is, I’d be a happy man.”
Luis and Sheridan looked at each other, but Sheridan was the one that responded to Chad’s statement. “You know Chad, I’m sure that you will find out her identity soon. I have a feeling that she wants to meet with you too, but she probably needs some time to works things out.”
“Yeah, well this is not the time to talk about that. We need to concentrate on these two little precious babies because it’s the first day of their lives. You two have got to be on top of the world right now.”
“Oh believe me, we are,” they both said at the same time.
The next morning Sheridan had just finished feeding Lily, and she put her back down to sleep. Luis had left earlier to run some errands. Sheridan hadn’t stopped looking at the babies since he had gone, and she was standing over their cribs when Luis walked through the door.
“Hey Sheridan, what are you doing up on your feet? Shouldn’t you be in bed?” Luis said concerned.
“I’m up Luis, besides Dr. Ramsey said that I would heal faster the sooner I got out of bed.........” She looked over at Luis, and noticed that his hands were full of flowers. “Oh Luis, they are beautiful, but I thought you said you had errands to do. It looks like you bought out the florist shop.”
“I got some roses for you and lilies for Lily.”
“That’s sweet,” she said smiling, “but what about Luke?”
“Well, I got him this;” Luis said pulling out a little baseball mitt. He’s going to pitch for the Boston Red Sox some day.”
“Luis, the thing is so big, he could fit his whole head in it,” she said laughing. Besides, don’t you think you should let him make the decision on his chosen career in life?”
Luis walked up beside Sheridan and put his arm around her. “Well yeah, but can’t I at least point him in the right direction? It is my job as a father to guide my son.”
“You know,” she said looking down at the babies. “I just can’t seem to stop staring at them. They are just perfect with their tiny little hands and feet, and they have that special baby scent that smells so sweet.”
“I know what you mean. When you were sleeping earlier, I pulled my chair beside their cribs, and just sat here and stared at them with a goofy look on my face.” He noticed that Sheridan looked so sad suddenly. “What’s wrong Sheridan?”
“As happy as I am right now, I can’t help but think about our baby that I lost. Luke and Lily will never get to know their big brother or sister.”
“I know,” he said hugging her gently. “Why don’t we say a silent prayer for our baby in heaven?” They shared a silent moment for prayer and reflection, when suddenly their thoughts were interrupted by Luke’s shrill cry.
“I think your son is hungry. It’s a good thing our children are on different schedules, because I don’t know if I could handle them both at once.”
“Why don’t you go get into bed and I’ll bring him to you?” Luis said picking up Luke. He walked over and handed him to Sheridan, and she lowered her gown and put him to her breast. The touching scene before him mesmerized Luis, and he stroked Luke’s downy head with his finger.
“Oh my, your son has quite the grip,” Sheridan said laughing softly.
“Hey, take it easy son. You do know that I’m just loaning that to you.”
Sheridan laughed out loud. “Luis, you are incorrigible.”
“I’m just trying to keep you entertained,” he said, as he kissed her forehead. “I love you Sheridan. Thank you for my beautiful children.”
“I love you too, and you are welcome, but you played a large part in them being here too.”
Luke finished eating, and Sheridan put him on her shoulder, and patted his back. Luis couldn’t resist and went to get Lily, and sat back down beside Sheridan. Luis kissed Sheridan softly, and they both kissed their babies. It was unfortunate that the precious moment was interrupted by someone coming in the door.
“Well, this is a Kodak moment if I ever saw one,” Julian said with a big grin on his face.
Chapter 21
“Julian?” Sheridan instinctively pulled Luke closer to her in a protective gesture. Seeing her brother standing there with that grin on his face tied her stomach in knots. Why did Julian have to show up to put a damper on such a perfect day? She could feel Luis’ body tense up beside her, and she prepared herself for the explosion that was sure to happen.
“Crane, what are you doing here?” Luis said in an angry, but low voice. “I told you to stay away from my family.”
“Settle down Luis. Don’t get your tight jeans in a bind. I come in peace,” Julian said, taking out his white handkerchief and waving it in the air.
Luis shook his head in disgust. “Judging from past history, I find that very hard to believe.”
“I just wanted to see my new niece and nephew. There is no need to treat me like I have the Bubonic Plague. Look, I even brought them a gift,” Julian said handing Sheridan an envelope.
Sheridan eyed the envelope suspiciously. “What is this Julian? A letter bomb?”
“Oh, you wound me to think I could be so cruel to helpless little babies,” Julian said indignantly.
“Julian you don’t even want to get me started on what I think you would do to helpless babies.”
“Ok sister dear, your point is taken. Can’t we just put all that behind us and make a fresh start for the babies’ sake.”
“Give me a break Crane. You never gave a damn about anyone else. Why am I supposed to believe that you care about our children all of a sudden?”
“Luis is right Julian. You have to admit, that considering your past comments, we find it hard to believe the sudden about face.”
“Let’s just say I had some time to think about our conversation in the attic…..”
“Does that mean that you are going to acknowledge publicly that Chad is your son?”
“I thought I had already acknowledged Chad. I figured everyone knows about him. Why is it necessary to announce it publicly?”
“Oh, I don’t know Julian. Maybe it would make Chad feel better.”
“Look, I didn’t come here to argue with you. I just want to bring by my gift for my new niece and nephew. Why don’t you open the envelope?”
Luis took Luke and balanced him in his other arm, while Sheridan opened the envelope. She was shocked when she saw the stock certificates with Luke and Lily’s names on them. The gift was very generous, but coming from Julian she knew there had to be a catch. “Stock in Crane Industries, Julian? I don’t understand why you are doing this. What’s the catch?”
“There is no catch. Father started a tradition that all the Crane grandchildren would get shares of stock when they were born. All of my children received them, and I don’t see any reason why your children shouldn’t get them as well. Of course, they aren’t enough to give them any voting rights, but the dividend checks will give them a comfortable income.”
Luis looked at the stocks in Sheridan’s hands. “You know, seeing you here baring gifts bring the Trojan Horse to mind. I don’t trust you, and I don’t want my children accepting gifts from you, because I have a sick feeling you will use it against them someday.”
“Luis, maybe you need to put your prejudices aside and think about what’s best for your children. I am really making an honest effort to put all that old unpleasantness behind us.”
“Unpleasantness? Is that what you call it? You almost destroyed our lives by splitting us apart, not to mention pushing Sheridan, and hurting her. The laundry list goes on and on, but I think you get the picture. We don‘t want your gifts Julian, and.........”
“Wait Luis,” Sheridan said interrupting him. “I think that maybe this is the perfect time to mend our rift with Julian, and accept his generous gift.”
Luis looked at her like she had lost her mind, but not wanting to show a divided front to Julian, he wisely kept his mouth shut.
“There Luis. If my sister is willing to put the past behind us then you should too.”
“I’ll do it for Sheridan’s sake, but just remember Julian; I’ll be keeping my eye on you.”
“Well good. I’m glad we settled this. I must say the little tykes are very handsome, but the little dark haired one looks a lot like the postal carrier.” When Julian saw Luis open his mouth, he held up his hand to stop him. “Just kidding,” he said with a big grin. I will now bid you farewell. I have a hospital board meeting in a few minutes.”
As soon as Julian walked out the door, Luis turned to Sheridan. “What the hell was that all about? How could you buy that load of crap he was feeding us?”
“I don’t trust Julian anymore than you do, but throwing his gift back in his face is not the way to deal with him. Didn’t you ever hear the expression “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer”? It’s not just you and me any longer. We have our children to think of, and if I have to accept Julian’s gifts, and play nice to protect them, then I’ll do it without a second thought.”
“Maybe you’re right, but I will never trust that bastard, and the less contact we have with him, the better our lives are going to be.”
Sheridan looked at Luis sitting there holding the babies and she had to smile. Seeing her macho husband, holding these tiny infants was a sight that warmed her heart. They fit so comfortably in Luis’ big hands, and it was obvious that handling babies came very natural to him.
“What.......? Luis said smiling.
“I was just thinking that I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”
Luis had no idea that he was the subject of the animated conversation going on at the nurse’s station. As he approached, they all stopped talking, and watched him walk by. He flashed them a big grin, and moved toward the door to his wife’s room.
“It’s too bad Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald is going home today, because I’m sure going to miss watching him walk by every day,” one of the nurses commented.
“I know what you mean”, another nurse said sighing. “He sure does assault the senses, doesn’t he? I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I had a dream about him last night, and his wife would probably kill me if she knew what it was about.”
“Do tell,” they all said at once.
“No details, but I will tell you this. If he is anything in real life like he was in my dream, his wife is sure one lucky woman. I’m surprised she’s not pregnant every year. It really is a shame he’s so madly in love with his wife. ”
“Don’t you ladies have patients to attend to?” Dr. Ramsey said walking up behind them.
“Yes, doctor,” they all said, grabbing charts and taking off in different directions.
Dr. Ramsey shook her head, and smiled. The Lopez-Fitzgerald’s had certainly made an impression on this hospital that would last for some time to come.
Luis was on top of the world because today was the day he was taking Sheridan and the babies’ home. He had checked with hospital security to make sure that reporters would not deluge them when they checked out. He couldn’t believe that even after all this time, Sheridan’s life was still front-page news. When he walked in the room, Sheridan was dressed and standing over the babies’ cribs. She had her back turned, but for some reason he could sense that something was wrong. As he approached her, he caught her wiping a tear away from her cheek.
“Sheridan, honey what is wrong? Don’t you feel well?”
She turned toward him. “Oh Luis, I didn’t hear you come in.”
He walked up and took her in his arms. “Are you going to tell me why you’re so upset?”
“Reality…….”
“Excuse me?” Luis said stepping back from her.
“I’m scared to death Luis. Today, we are taking our babies’ home, and I feel so overwhelmed. I’m like a fish out of water when it comes to taking care of children. As happy as I am, and as much as I love them, I know that they are totally dependent for everything, and I’m afraid I’m going to let them down. I want to be a good mother to them, and I’m not sure I’m up for the job.”
“Sheridan believe me, you’re not the only new mother that feels this way. No woman is an expert at first; you just have to learn as you go, and get advice when you can. I remember mama told me the first day she brought Antonio home she was shaking like a leaf because she was afraid she was going to stick him with a pin when she changed his diaper. I’ll be there to help you, and Ivy gave mama the week off paid to come out and stay with you.”
“But Luis, Pilar works so hard, and I don’t want her to spend her week off helping me. She should use that time to rest, or better yet go visit your sister at your Aunt Maria‘s.”
“But Ivy gave her the time off to help you, and it’s separate from her vacation. Besides, there is no way you‘re going to keep mama away from her grandchildren. I promise you this is one job that she is looking forward to.”
“Well, if Pilar is going to stay with us for a week, then we need to make sure there are clean sheets on the bed in the guestroom, and enough clean towels.........”
“Sheridan, I’ll handle it,” he said smiling.
“What was I thinking? She smiled and hugged him. “Of course you will.”
Luis lifted her chin, and looked into her blue eyes. “You know that I have it on very good authority that you are going to be a wonderful mother.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
As Luke and Lily arrived home for the first time, they were greeted by an adorning grandmother, and a very excited uncle and aunt. The house was spotless, and there were already wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. Pilar even had Miguel moving the heavy furniture out of the way so she could clean under it. She instructed Theresa to go up to Luis and Sheridan’s room to gather the dirty laundry and it was then that Sheridan protested. She remembered that the framed sketch of a naked Luis was leaning against the wall.
Theresa was half way up the steps, when Sheridan shouted, “Theresa stop! Why don’t you let Luis do that, because I need you to hold one of the babies right now?”
Luis gave Sheridan a confused look. “Sher, Theresa can hold the babies when she gets finished.”
“Luis,” Sheridan said for his ears only. “The sketch I did of you is in the bedroom, and I don’t think you want your sister to see you in your birthday suit.”
“Oh my God,” he mouthed. “Yeah Theresa, why don’t you come down here and hold your little niece, and I’ll gather the laundry,” he said out loud.
Theresa was not about to argue with him, and ran down the steps and scooped Lily out of Luis’ arms. Miguel had already laid claim to Luke, and was trying to place a tiny baseball cap that said I LOVE MY UNCLE on his head. Even with its miniature size, the hat was still too big for him and everyone laughed and thought it was the cutest thing they’d ever seen. Of course the proud papa couldn’t resist pulling out his camera to get a picture. Sheridan told them that Luis had already taken enough pictures to fill up five photo albums, and that it might be a good idea to buy up some stock in Kodak.
After the photo session was over, Luis was heading upstairs with explicit instructions on where to hide the sketch when they heard the doorbell ring. Pilar answered the door, to find Grace and Eve standing there loaded down with food, and gifts for the babies. Nodding for Luis to get upstairs, Sheridan greeted them with a huge smile.
“I can’t believe you two did all this for us. You have already done so much with giving me the shower and everything, and it really wasn’t necessary to bring more gifts. Thank you so much.”
“It’s really nothing,” Grace said. “We just picked up a few of those last minute things you don’t think about, and I wanted to bring you one of my Tomato Soup cakes for dessert tonight.”
“And I baked Chocolate Chip cookies since I know Luis loves them so much,” Eve said smiling. “You know Sheridan; you really should be sitting down and resting. You did have surgery you know.”
“Actually, I am a little worn out with all the excitement of coming home.”
“Well, Grace and I are not staying long, but we would like to take a look at the twins before we leave.”
“Well, you are welcome to hold them. That is, if you can get them away from Theresa and Miguel,” Sheridan said laughing.
Sheridan and Luis were so grateful for all the kindness everyone had extended to them, but the quiet was a welcome relief when everyone but Pilar finally left. Sheridan was exhausted, and excused herself after dinner to go upstairs. Luis was helping Pilar clean up the dinner dishes when she told him to go upstairs, and have some quiet time with Sheridan and the babies. Luis started to protest, but Pilar told him it was important for him to spend some time with Sheridan and the twins, since it was their first night home.
Luis was glad he took Pilar’s advice, because the sight of Sheridan lying on the bed on her side with both babies beside her warmed his heart. Luke was sleeping, but Lily was awake with her tiny little hand wrapped around Sheridan’s finger. Luis stood there out of Sheridan’s sight and observed the perfect scene.
“You know Lily, I just bet that daddy’s going to be here any minute to read you a bedtime story. Did I tell you that your daddy is a pretty wonderful guy, and I’m sure that you and your brother are going to love him as much as mommy does? We are very lucky to have him in our lives.”
“That’s funny,” Luis said, finally announcing his presence. “I was just thinking the same thing about the three of you.”
Chapter 22
Sheridan stood in front of the mirror and studied her reflection. She had to admit the turquoise sleeveless sweater looked good against her golden skin, and she liked the way it accented her blue eyes. It had been a tiny bit of a struggle, but she had finally managed to get the zipper up on her white crop pants. Just a few more pounds and she would be back to her pre-pregnancy weight. Between the breast-feeding and the power walks, the pounds had fallen off pretty quickly, but she would be happy when she was back to her old self again. She could see the reflection of her little angels in the mirror sitting in their carriers. They were staring at her; their eyes wide open, making little cooing noises. Ace, always the guard dog, was sitting right beside them. Sheridan swore that the only time Ace left their side anymore was to go outside to do his business, and eat. Today was her six-week appointment with Dr. Ramsey, and she was hoping that she received the ok to have, as Dr. Ramsey called it, marital relations again. She was ready to climb the walls, and couldn’t wait to be with Luis again, but the big question was, did he want to be with her? She had no doubts that he loved her, but did he still desire her as a woman? The last six weeks had been filled with a lot of frustration, sleepless nights, and wonderful loving moments, and Luis had been there for her the whole time. He had been very loving and solicitous, but his chaste kisses would have been just as appropriate for Theresa. It had been so long since they had made love, so why wasn’t he feeling the same hunger that she was feeling?
Sheridan turned around and walked toward her babies. They both looked adorable in their little sun suits, and she couldn’t wait for Dr. Ramsey to see them. “So, Luke and Lily are you ready for an adventure? Daddy wanted to come with us, but he had to go to court this morning, but we’re going to meet him for lunch later. Your cousin Chad and his girlfriend Whitney are going to join us too. But you know, between us, I think the only reason daddy invited them was because he likes to show the two of you off to his friends. I guess it’s time for us to get moving or mommy is going to be late for her doctor’s appointment.”
Kay rolled her eyes as she watched Evan walk through the doors to the kitchen. She couldn’t believe what a jerk that guy was. He had a lot of nerve giving her a lecture on how to do her job. From the very moment she had taken this job and discovered that Evan worked here as a waiter, they had rubbed each other the wrong way. The thing that really puzzled her was why did he always pick on her? He was very friendly with the rest of the staff, and everyone seemed to genuinely like him. There were however, a couple of times that she had caught him staring at her with those brooding blue eyes, and it had unnerved her in a way that she couldn’t explain. Simone had insisted that the reason they clashed was because they were attracted to each other, but she had told her friend that she had been reading too many romance novels. After all, why would she be attracted to someone that treated her like she didn’t have a brain in her head? Now she just had to figure out why thoughts of him kept invading her head at the most inopportune moments. Kay looked up and saw Sheridan struggling as she tried to get the stroller through the front door.
“Sheridan, please let me help you,” Kay said, running up to assist her.
“Oh, thank you Kay. These doublewide strollers are a little difficult to navigate sometimes. I hope you have a space wide enough to accommodate us.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll shift some tables around if we have to. How many people are joining you?” Kay said bending over to look at the babies.
“Actually I’m early, but Luis, Chad and Whitney should be here at any time.”
Oh Sheridan, your babies are just precious, and I just can’t believe how great you look after just giving birth to twins.”
“Well, I’m still a work in progress........”
“I really mean it Sheridan you look fabulous.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more Kay,” Luis said coming up behind them. He leaned over and kissed Sheridan’s cheek, and looked down at the twins. “So Peanut and Little Jaws, were you good for your mother at Dr. Ramsey’s today?”
“They were perfect angels, and you’re going to give Luke a complex if you keep calling him Little Jaws,” Sheridan said laughing.
“Hey, I only call him that because I’m proud of my boy. He’s already learning how to appreciate the finer things in life.”
“Little Jaws?” Kay said, confused.
“Never mind, Kay. Luis has a sick sense of humor sometimes.”
Luis looked at her, and their eyes connected. Did she really see that old familiar hot look, or was it just wishful thinking on her part? He was dressed in a suit for court, but he had removed his tie, and he looked extremely handsome today. A tingle went through her when she imagined him stripping his clothes away to come to her naked.
“Sheridan, are you still with us? Chad and Whitney are here,” Luis said, bringing her back to reality.
“Oh, sorry about that,” she said smiling. “I was just thinking about all the things that I had to do today.” Coming up with a way to seduce her husband was on the top of her list, she thought to herself.
They all exchanged greetings, and Kay showed them to their table. She couldn’t help but smile, when she put them in Evan’s section. She knew it was time for his break, and he would be furious with her, but for some reason it had become her mission in life to irritate him as much as possible.
Once they were all seated, Chad and Whitney asked if they could hold the twins. Sheridan told them they might regret their decision once their food arrived. They both looked so comfortable with the babies in their arms, and Sheridan couldn’t help but notice the intimate look they shared. Was it possible that they had taken their relationship to the next level, or did she just have sex on the brain? Luis’ leg brushing against hers under the table was definitely feeding her arousal. She had to move her leg away, for fear she would make a fool of herself and jump him right there in the restaurant.
Luis couldn’t help but feel disappointed when Sheridan moved away from him. All he could think about was something a friend once told him. He had said that his wife had lost her sex drive after giving birth, and Luis was praying that was not the case with Sheridan. They hadn’t made love since the day she sketched him and he was going crazy with his desire for her. It had been tough, but he had kept his distance from her all these weeks knowing that Sheridan needed time to heal before they could resume their sexual activity. He also hadn’t wanted to put any unnecessary pressure on her during her time of adjustment. His prediction about her had been right on, because she had turned out to be a wonderful mother. All the sleepless nights, and dirty diapers hadn’t diminished her love for Luke and Lily at all. She looked especially beautiful today in that color that made her eyes look so blue, and an image of him kissing her golden skin flashed through his mind. His gaze locked on her mouth, and he watched her lips move as she relayed some tale to Chad and Whitney about something cute the twins had done. He was dying to know what happened at her doctor’s appointment today, but he couldn’t exactly bring up the subject right now. Patience was one thing he had learned over these last long weeks, so waiting a few more hours was not going to kill him.
Evan was just getting ready to take his break when the floor manager stopped him. “Sorry Evan, but you have a large party sitting in your station so the break is going to have to wait.”
“But Mr. Anderson why can’t one of the other waiter’s fill in for me?”
“Normally I would say yes, but Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald and her husband are in the party, and you’re my best waiter.”
“So, why the royal treatment?”
“Because Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald is a Crane, and I don’t have to tell you that the Cranes have a lot of power in this town.”
Evan had heard some stories in the past about how ruthless the Cranes could be, but he would have never suspected that Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald was one of them. She had always been so kind and gracious on the occasions he had seen her. He spotted Kay Bennett out of the corner of his eye staring at him with a smug smile on her face. He knew then that the brat had put them in his section on purpose, knowing full well that it was his break time. It knocked him for a loop when he caught himself thinking about what her reaction would be if he walked over there and kissed her full pouty lips. He shook his head, trying to get the thought out of his head. Kay Bennett was dangerous to him, and that is why he did everything in his power to keep her at arms’ length. His focus had to be on earning enough money to be able to go back to school in the fall, and he didn’t need the complications a beautiful girl like her would bring to his life. He resolved to hang tough, and fight his attraction for her, even if it killed him in the process. He did however, feel some satisfaction when he walked by her and pierced her with his gaze, and she stepped back as if he had burned her. At least he had managed to knock that snippy little smile off her face.
“So Luis,” Chad said, rubbing Luke’s back. “How did it go in court today? Did you get a conviction on that drug dealer you busted?”
“Oh yeah, and he is going to be locked up in prison for a long time. The judge didn’t take too kindly to the fact that he was trying to push drugs to kids on school property.”
“Oh my God, that’s terrible,” Sheridan said in an alarmed voice. “I had no idea that the drug dealers were targeting young children. I don’t know what I’d do if somebody tried to sell drugs to my children.”
“You wouldn’t have to do anything after I got my hands on him. That is why Chad and I work so hard to get these scum off the streets.”
“You would be surprised at just how much it does go on,” Whitney said. “I did a paper on that very subject my senior year. The statistics are alarming on how many children there are under the age of twelve that are addicted to drugs.........”
Chad watched Whitney as she talked and it struck him how beautiful she looked holding Lily against her chest. He imagined her holding their baby, and he hoped that someday they would have a family together. His blood heated when he remembered how she felt against him last night. Who would have guessed that Whitney Russell, the Ice Princess could be such a passionate lover. Everything had been so perfect, and they were just ready to make love for the first time, when the phone call interrupted them. It was one of his snitches, calling to tell him a drug deal was going down, and if he didn’t leave now he would miss the bust. He should have never started making love to Whitney, when he knew there was a good possibility that the deal was going to go down last night. He had even started to take her home, but they had kissed, and things had gotten out of control, and before he knew it they were removing each other’s clothes........
“Chad,” Whitney said nudging him in the arm. “Have you decided what you want to order?”
Chad looked up, and recognized their waiter as Evan Harris. The guy had intrigued him from the moment he had learned that Evan was Crystal’s son. Crystal had told him that he was given her surname, but it was still weird to him that he and Evan shared the same last name. The few times he had seen the guy around town, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he looked familiar, but seeing him standing next to Sheridan, it was like a punch in the stomach how much they favored each other. He made a mental note that it was time to have a long talk with Sheridan so he could get to the bottom of this mystery.
As Chad was placing his order, Luis leaned over to whisper in Sheridan’s ear. “It looks like we’re having a Crane family reunion right now, and I can tell by the look on Chad’s face that he suspects something............ God, you smell good.”
All thoughts of Chad and Evan flew out of Sheridan’s mind, and all she could think about were Luis’ last words, and how much his hot breath in her ear was arousing her. Maybe her seduction was not going to be so difficult after all. She was finally able to muster up enough control to whisper back that maybe they should continue this conversation later.
When Evan arrived with their food, Chad and Whitney put the sleeping twins back in their stroller. Whitney didn’t know why she bothered to order any food, because it was impossible to eat right now. Sitting here next to Chad, with thoughts of last night flashing through her head had her stomach tied up in knots. Up until the time she had met Chad Harris her life had always been so regimented, and she had always prided herself for the focus she maintained for a successful tennis career. She had tried so hard to fight it at first but things had changed, and she knew with every fiber of her being that she wanted to be with Chad. She didn’t know what madness had possessed her, but she slipped her shoe off and rubbed her foot up Chad’s leg, and that’s when the chaos started.......
Chad’s eyes got as big as saucers and the water glass slipped out his hand crashing to the table. The loud noise woke up the babies and they started crying at the top of their lungs. Evan rushed over to the table to clean the mess, and slipped on the water that had leaked over onto the floor, landing on his behind. Kay saw Evan fall, and concern for him drove her to come to his aid. As she was trying to help him up, she tripped and fell on top of him. Luis threw money on the table, and him and Sheridan took their screaming babies out of the restaurant. Whitney, embarrassed by the chain of events she had started took it out on Chad, and stomped off telling him that this was all his fault. Chad, being a proud man stood up and calmly walked toward the door. He noticed that everyone was staring at the big wet spot on the front of his jeans, and that‘s when he snapped. “What’s the matter with you folks, haven’t you ever seen water before?”
Later that evening Sheridan and Luis had given the babies their baths, and they were putting them down for the night, when he finally brought up her doctor’s appointment. “So how did everything go with Dr. Ramsey today?”
Not wanting to ruin her surprise seduction, Sheridan decided to be evasive. “It went very well. Dr. Ramsey said I should be as good as new in no time.”
“Oh,” Luis said, trying to hide his disappointment. “I guess that’s good news...... Hey, I rented some videos today. Why don’t we watch one tonight?” Luis said trying to change the subject.
“That sounds great. Why don’t you go downstairs and get everything ready, and I’ll be down shortly. I just want to take a quick shower because Lily spit up on me earlier.”
“Ok, well I’ll see you in a little bit,” he said, and left to go downstairs.
Nice move, Sheridan thought. Talking about baby puke was not the way to get your husband in a romantic mood. Maybe the sexy little gown she bought today would take his mind off of Lily’s little regurgitation problem. She went into the bathroom and stripped off her clothes, and jumped into the hot shower, and let the water relax her tense muscles. She didn’t waste a lot of time, because if the babies stayed true to their schedule, she knew they only had a certain window of time before Luke woke up wanting to be fed. She toweled herself off, and doused her body in lotion, making her skin satiny smooth. As she pulled the lacy white gown out of the shopping bag, she almost had second thoughts. What if Luis didn’t find her sexy anymore, and she ended up making a fool of herself? But then remembering the tone of his voice when he told her she smelled good earlier and it gave her renewed hope. She slipped the gown over her head and checked herself out in the mirror. When she saw how transparent it was she almost lost her nerve again. The bottom of the gown fell to mid-thigh, and was scalloped with a band of white satin ribbon trimming the edge. The delicate straps were also made of white satin ribbon, and one of the stubborn straps kept slipping off her shoulder. It felt so good to have curves again, and she decided that she looked pretty good after all. As she walked out of the bedroom and toward the steps, she gave herself a pep talk. “Ok, Sheridan you need to calm down. It’s not like you’re some virgin bride, and besides you’ve made love to Luis countless times. Just because you’ve given birth to twins doesn’t mean he doesn’t find you attractive anymore.........”
Sheridan would have laughed if she knew that Luis was also giving himself a pep talk. He was feeling disappointed to say the least that Sheridan hadn’t given him the good news he was longing for. But, he couldn’t let on to her that he was feeling this way, because after all, it wasn’t her fault that he was feeling like a caged animal during mating season. He had never wanted her so badly, and he knew that it was much more than just abstinence that made him feel this way. He couldn’t explain it, but motherhood had made her even more beautiful........., more sexy, and all he could think about was burying himself deep within her silken flesh.
Luis was just ready to slip the video into the VCR, so he had his back turned toward the steps. Because Sheridan had opted to go barefoot, he didn’t hear her come up behind him, and her spoken words startled him.
“So Luis, what video did you choose for us to watch?” She said softly.
When he turned around and saw her standing there looking like a goddess in that little transparent lacy number, his body jerked to a hardened mass. He threw the video down and moved toward her, searing her as his hot gaze raked up then down her body. Seeing the way he was reacting brought out the seductress in her and she moved up and rubbed her body against his.
“My God Sheridan, are you trying to kill me, or did your doctor’s appointment go even better than I originally thought?”
“Oh yes Luis, my appointment went very well, and we no longer have to restrain ourselves............”
Luis didn’t wait for her to finish and kissed her with such a passionate intensity that her knees weakened, and she fell against him. The feel of his hot lips against hers.........., his tongue plunging into her mouth drove her crazy with wanting. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with a fever that matched his own. Luis groaned out loud, and picked her up carrying her toward the stairs, and then a thought occurred to her.
“Wait honey, don’t forget the baby monitor.........”
Chapter 23
Sheridan’s request finally penetrated Luis’ lust filled brain, and he rushed over to the mantel to where the baby monitor was resting. Their timing was perfect, because as he passed by without even stopping, Sheridan grabbed it clutching it in her fist. Luis must have been running on sexual adrenalin because he was vaulting up the steps like an Olympic champion, never breaking stride once. Making record time reaching the bedroom, they went crashing to the bed, and began rolling around, kissing in a passionate frenzy. It felt so good to have Luis’ hard body rubbing against hers, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted him naked, and she told him if he didn’t take his clothes off now she was going to go crazy. He stood up and stripped, until he was standing before her like Adonis, bronze, and hard as a rock. He started to move toward her, but she held out her hand stopping him, wanting to get her fill of his magnificent body.
Sheridan crawled across the bed on her knees, and ran her hands across his chest, marking the way with her kisses. Luis pulled her up off of the bed, and brought her flush with his body, kissing her ravenously. She didn’t know how he managed it so quickly, but suddenly she was naked, and her gown was in a heap on the floor. They moved against each other, rediscovering that special magic that had always been there between them. Suddenly, Luis lifted her up, and Sheridan wrapped her legs around him as he entered her with a deep thrust that sent them crashing to the bed a second time.
It had to be pure coincidence, but just as they were sucked into the vortex of sexual bliss, the sky lit up with lightning illuminating them like some celestial beings. Panting, Luis rolled away from Sheridan, dragging her on top of him, and that’s when he felt the protrusion jamming him in the back.
“Ouch,” Luis said, digging behind his back to pull out the baby monitor.
“Sorry about that,” Sheridan said laughing softly. “I don’t even remember it falling out of my hand.”
Luis kissed her forehead. “I can certainly understand your loss of memory, because I could only think about one thing, and that was how badly I wanted to make love to you.”
“You and me both,” she said squirming around on top of him.
“If you don’t stop that,” Luis chuckled. “I’m going to have you flat on your back again.”
“Oh, and like I would complain,” she said running her hand up the side of his body.
“I’m sorry I came on like a bull in heat. I really wanted to romance you……”
“Don’t apologize Luis; I wanted you so badly, I’m not sure I could have waited for romance.”
Luis cupped the back of her head and pulled her to his lips. He kissed her with a slow, searching kiss that curled her toes, and she smiled when she felt his arousal start to come alive again. “Oh Luis honey, I think you want me again…….”
Luis flipped her over on her back, and started to kiss every inch of her body, inflaming her with the sensuous assault of his lips. He whispered hot sex words in her ear, driving her mad to have him inside her. Again, romance flew out the window to be replaced with a driving need for a connection in the most primal way.
A clash of thunder tore through the night, and shook the house with its intensity. When the noise subsided, they heard the heart wrenching cries of their babies. They both flew out of bed, searching for their robes, and ran to the babies’ room.
“Oh God Luis, they sound like they’re hurt,” Sheridan said in a fearful voice.
Luis tried to hide his concern as he comforted her. “I’m sure they’re just frightened Sheridan. We must be getting a hell of a storm by the sound of that thunder.”
When they got to the twins’ room, Luis flipped on the light switch, and they rushed to the babies’ cribs. They appeared to be fine, but their little scrunched up faces were red from the excertion of their violent crying. Each picked up the baby closest to them and held them close, offering comfort and security.
Luis rubbed Lily’s back and kissed her forehead. “It’s ok Peanut, daddy’s here now, and he won’t let anything ever hurt you........ Shhhh, daddy‘s here........”
“I know that big loud noise scared you sweetie, but mommy loves you so much, and I promise everything will be ok.” She walked over to Luis, holding Lily and stroked her little girl’s face. “Oh Luis, my heart breaks when they cry like this.”
“I know what you mean. Let’s take them to our room and cuddle with them for a while until they calm down.”
“Ok, it’s time for Luke’s feeding anyway;” Sheridan said heading back to their bedroom.
They all got into bed, and Sheridan pulled her robe open and put Luke to her breast. Lily was starting to calm down too as Luis whispered soothing words into her little ear.
“You know Sheridan, I think I’m learning that romance comes in all kinds of different forms.”
Kay had found herself in lots of predicaments before, but she didn’t know how she was going to manage to get out of this one. How could she be so stupid to go running on a deserted beach at this time of night without telling anyone where she was going? But who could have predicted that she would stumble and twist her ankle, making it impossible to move. By the looks of things, a big storm was moving in fast, and she knew that it could be any minute before the clouds burst open, pelting her with heavy raindrops. She tried to stand, but hopping was getting her nowhere fast. Crawling was even a bigger joke, and she was convinced a giant wave was going to carry her off into the ocean never to be heard from again. This was all Evan Harris’ fault. If he hadn’t been such a jerk today, she wouldn’t have felt the need to burn off some of her anger. Running had always managed to calm her down in the past, but tonight she had never needed it more. She was only trying to be nice and help him up today after he slipped and fell, but by the way he acted you would think she was trying to kill him when she had fallen on him. She wasn’t going to waste one more second thinking about that idiot because she had bigger concerns right now.
She figured it would be fruitless, but she started yelling for help. “HELP ME! IS ANYBODY OUT THERE..........? I NEED HELP............ PLEASE, SOMEBODY HELP ME!” Oh, what was the use? Between the thunder, the wind, and the noise of the waves crashing against the beach, it was going to be next to impossible for anyone to hear her call for help. Even though it was summer, the wind was getting colder as it blew in off the ocean, and she knew that once the rain started she would be freezing. Was it possible to die from exposure in the summertime? “I’M A SURVIVOR, DAMN IT,” she shouted to nobody, but it felt better to hear her own voice saying the words. She was trying so hard not to give into her fear, but in spite of her valiant effort, tears were starting to well up in her eyes. She was just about to give up, when she looked up and saw a shadowy tall figure making his way toward her. Trying to reassure herself that her eyes were not playing tricks on her, she wiped the moisture away, and started waving her arms in the air. As the figure drew closer, she shifted between feeling relieved and being frightened. This guy could be a mad rapist for all she knew, and she would be completely defenseless against him. Finally, he was close enough to make out his face, and she couldn’t believe her rescuer was none other than the very person she had been cursing earlier. Evan Harris.
“Kay Bennett?” He said squatting down beside her. “My God, are you all right? What happened to you?”
Did she actually hear concern in his voice? “No Evan, I twisted my ankle. I tried to walk, but it was no use.”
“Come on; let me help you up. This storm is coming on fast, and all hell is going to break loose,” he said helping her to her feet.
He supported her, and she leaned onto him, but they were making little progress. Evan swore out loud, and picked her up in his arms. He was carrying her down the beach, fighting the wind with every step when the heavens opened up drenching them with pounding rain, mixed with icy hale.
“Kay.” he shouted, trying to be heard above the wind and rain. “We have to find shelter quickly! You know this area better than I do; can you think of a place to go?”
Kay racked her brain, and suddenly she remembered the cave. “Yes Evan, I remember something. There is a cave just beyond that outcropping of rocks ahead. We can find shelter in there.”
It seemed to take forever, but they finally located the cave, and Evan carried Kay inside, and set her gently down on the ground. It was like being in a black abyss, and Evan could barely make out Kay’s face in front of him. “Damn, I wish we had some light. I don’t like not knowing what’s out there.”
“The kids come here to party all the time, and if you feel around the edge there is a natural indentation where they keep supplies. Maybe there are some matches there.”
“All right, just stay where you are so I don’t trip over you.” Evan made his way around the edge of the cave; feeling for the indention that Kay had spoken about. He finally located it, but stopped before sticking his hands inside. “I think I found it, but there aren’t any creatures I need to be aware of are there?”
“If you’re so afraid, why don’t you help me up, and I’ll look for matches.”
“Just stay put,” Evan said feeling around in the nook until he located what felt like a lighter. “This is even better yet, I think I found a lighter.” When he struck the little mechanism, and the flame appeared, he became excited. “Oh yes, just a flick of a Bic can do wonders.”
“Look around, there might be some driftwood someplace. They make fires in here all the time,” Kay said watching his handsome face in the faint glow of light.
“I don’t know if that’s such a great idea. What about the proper ventilation?”
“The opening to the cave is right here. There have been plenty of fires in here in the past, and everyone has lived through them,” Kay said sarcastically.
“All right, you don’t have to get snippy with me.” Evan looked around until he located a pile of driftwood, and the place where previous fires had been built. Before he knew it he had a nice little fire going, and it gave him the opportunity to explore the cave further. He found some empty wine bottles, and a dusty old blanket. He picked it up and walked over to where Kay was sitting. “You need to get out of those wet clothes, or you’re going to get pneumonia. You can use this blanket to wrap around you.”
“There is no way I’m getting naked in front of you, so you can just forget it.”
“Quit being a brat, because I have no intention of molesting you. I’ll turn around while you take your clothes off.”
“I said forget it. Besides that’s a lot of crap about people getting pneumonia just because they’re wet.”
“Ok, suit yourself, but don’t come crying to me when you end up in the hospital. At least let me look at your ankle,” he said stooping down in front of her.
Evan removed Kay’s running shoe, and found her ankle to be swollen to double its size, and black and blue. “Look at your ankle, what the hell were you doing out here by yourself running in the middle of nowhere. That was really a stupid move,” he said in an angry voice.
“Well, excuse me……. I could ask the same thing from you. You have a lot of nerve lecturing me, when you were doing the same thing yourself. I was running, if you must know. What were you doing here Mr. Know It All?”
“I come here to run every night. I am trying to get back in shape after my injury so I can get back on the football team. So what’s your excuse?”
I’m trying to stay in shape.” If he only knew that she was running to get him out of her mind, but she was not about to admit that.
Evan looked up her long shapely leg, and thought she looked pretty damn good already. “You really need to put some ice on this ankle, but since I’m fresh out right now……….”
“I’ll be just fine,” she said jerking her leg away from him. He was playing havoc with her emotions when he touched her like that.
Evan stood, and removed his shirt, and Kay stared at his muscular chest with her mouth hanging open. “Wha……., what are you doing?”
“Unlike you, I’m using the good sense that God gave me and I’m getting out of these wet clothes.”
“You are not running around naked in front of me. I just won’t have it.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I wouldn’t dream of upsetting your refined sensibilities, and in spite of what you think, my grandmother raised me to be a gentleman.”
“Oh I see a gentleman without manners? Now that’s a new one on me.”
“You know, we might be stuck here for a while, so why don’t we call a temporary truce? Evan said trying to reason with her.
“Well,” Kay said, trying to drag her eyes away from his chest. “I guess that would be ok. How long do you think this storm is going to last?”
Evan got up and walked to the opening of the cave. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to let up anytime soon. Look, I know this blanket is not the cleanest thing, but why don’t you wrap it around you? I can tell that you’re freezing by the way you are shivering over there.”
Kay almost came back with a flippant remark, but then she remembered their truce. “Thanks, I would really appreciate that.”
Kay watched him walk over to her with his muscular chest and well-defined legs. The guy might have the face of Brad Pitt, but he had the body of a Calvin Klein underwear model. “You know you look a little cold yourself. I promise I won’t bite if you want to share the blanket,” she said, not believing the words that had just come out of her mouth.
He seemed reluctant at first, but walked over and sat down next to her, wrapping the blanket around the both of them. They sat in silence for a while, when Evan finally said, “I wish I could do more about your ankle, but I’m a little low on supplies right now.”
“It just throbs a little. I’m sure it will be fine in a couple of days.” There was another uncomfortable moment of silence again, until Kay couldn’t stand it any longer, and she just had to ask him the question that had been driving her crazy from the moment she had first met him. “Evan, why do you hate me?”
He looked really taken aback, and uncomfortable, and Kay almost felt sorry for him. “I don’t hate you Kay. That’s the problem, I wish I did.”
Eve was already on her second cup of coffee, when she heard the doorbell ring. Because last night’s storm had kept her awake most of the night, she felt groggy this morning. When she opened the door, she saw Chad standing there holding a white bakery box. “Chad, I’m surprised to see you here so early,” Eve said, wishing she could pull him into her arms.
“I told Whitney that I would give her a ride to her tennis lesson today. Look, I brought bagels and cream cheese,” he said handing her the box.
Eve just stood there staring at him, unable to move. Here was the son that she thought had died when he was a baby, and he was standing here in front of her. How she longed to tell him the truth, but she knew if the truth came out, the fallout would be something they may never recover from. It was bad enough that T.C. would go ballistic if he found out that she and Julian had an affair that produced a son, but to find out that Whitney was not even their daughter? Everything inside her was telling her that she had to do the right thing, and tell the truth, but she couldn’t bare it if T.C. killed Julian and ended up in prison.......
“Dr. Russell, why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh, I’m sorry Chad; I didn’t sleep too well last night.”
“Yeah, that was some storm we had. I don’t think I ever heard so much thunder before.....”
“Yes, it was pretty violent wasn’t it..........?” Just then the phone rang, interrupting her. “Excuse me Chad, I better get that.”
Eve answered the phone, and Chad noticed the look of concern that came over her face. When she hung up, her hands were shaking. “That was Grace. She said that Kay is missing, and that she hasn’t been home all night. She was trying to enlist our help to go look for her.”
“Well, you can count me in Dr. Russell. We can organize a search party, and I promise we’ll find her.”
“Dear God Chad, I hope you’re right.......”
Sheridan opened her eyes to the sunshine streaming into the room. When she came fully awake, she realized she had fallen asleep in the rocking chair with Lily in her arms. She and Luis had been awake most of the night with the twins, and she was exhausted, and stiff from falling asleep in the chair. She got up to stretch her body, and noticed that Luke was not in his crib. She determined that he must be with Luis somewhere. She fed Lily, and changed her diaper, and smiled at her little bright-eyed daughter. “Well, it looks like somebody is in a good mood this morning. Mommy is so sorry that bad old storm kept you and your brother awake last night,” she said kissing her little forehead. “Why don’t we go look for our boys, and see what they’re up to.”
The first place Sheridan looked was in their bedroom, and that’s where she found Luis lying on the bed with his head resting on the back of the headboard. He was asleep with Luke cuddled against his naked chest. She hated to wake them, but it was time for Luke to eat. “Luis,” she said, gently shaking him awake. He opened his eyes slowly, squinting from the bright sunshine flooding the room.
“Good morning beautiful,” he said flashing her a lazy, heart-stopping grin. “I see my girls made it through last night unscathed. Come here and give me a kiss.”
Sheridan leaned over and brushed her lips against his. “I know you’re probably dead tired, but would you mind taking Lily while I feed Luke? I promise that if you do this one little thing I’ll let you sleep all day.”
“What are you talking about?” He said yawning. “You didn’t get anymore sleep than I did. That was quite the storm we had last night. Our poor little babies were scared to death of all that thunder.”
“I can’t say I blame them. I’m not sure I would have gotten any sleep even if the babies weren’t scared. That storm was enough to wake up the dead.”
“Well, let me have Peanut, while you take care of my hungry son.”
They swapped babies, and Sheridan was walking out of the room when the phone rang. She cradled Luke in one arm, and answered it. “Luis, it’s Sam. He said it was important,” Sheridan said, handing him the phone.
“Hey Sam, what’s up............? Luis’ face changed to a look of concern. “I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he said hanging up the phone.
“Luis, what is it?”
“Look honey, do you think you can manage on your own? Kay is missing. They think that she’s been gone all night.”
“Oh my God! Of course you need to go,” Sheridan said, hugging Luke closer to her.
Luis was dressed in no time, and came over to kiss Luke and Lily. “I hate to desert you this way, but one of your sweet kisses would really be appreciated.”
Sheridan took her free hand and pulled him in for a kiss. “Please tell Sam and Grace that I will be praying for Kay’s safe return.”
“I will........ I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Chapter 24
Kay was having the most wonderful dream that she was lying against Evan’s body enfolded in his arms. She had never felt such a sense of security before, and she knew that she liked the feeling too much to ever want it to end. As much as she resisted, she eventually opened her eyes to find sunlight creeping into the opening of the cave. The fact that it was morning didn’t shock her as much as the position she was in. She hadn’t even remembered falling asleep last night, so how did it happen that she was lying on her side with her back pressed so close to Evan’s chest that she could feel his heart beating through her clothes? He had his arm wrapped around her waist, and the palm of his hand was resting flat against her abdomen. Had anything happened? She didn’t think so because even though his chest was naked, she was still dressed in her running clothes, and besides she would have certainly remembered something as monumental as losing her virginity.
Kay knew Evan was still sleeping, because she could hear his even breathing in her ear. Suddenly, he shifted, and pulled her closer against his body, nuzzling his face against her neck. God, what was she going to do? She knew that her parents were going to kill her for sure, and her ankle was throbbing with pain, but she was still reluctant to awaken Evan. Why was he holding her so close? Was he dreaming about being with some other woman? Whatever his reason, it felt good to have him so near, and her body was tingling with some unexplained sensation. Suddenly, none of the ramifications mattered, nor did the fact that her ankle was killing her, she was going to make this moment last as long as possible. He said he didn’t hate her, but then he had to go and get all weird on her. She didn’t know if she would ever understand him. Eventually, she drifted back to sleep, content to lie there in Evan’s arms.
Sheridan had finally gotten the babies fed and changed and both were sleeping like little angels. Bone tired, she laid down on the bed hoping to catch a couple of hours sleep before the twins’ next feeding. Motherhood was certainly an exhausting experience, but she loved every minute of it, and wouldn’t change one single thing about it. She was bursting with love for her precious little babies, and she knew deep in her heart that nothing would ever change that. With Luis, there had been an immediate attraction to him, but love had grown over time to be deep and lasting, but with her children, love was immediate upon the second they graced the world with their presence. It was an overwhelming and unconditional force that filled her heart, and it was for that very reason that she was unable to go to sleep. She couldn’t stop thinking about how Sam and Grace must feel right now not knowing where their child was. She couldn’t begin to imagine how she would feel if she were in their position. Sure Kay was eighteen, but just because your child was turning into an adult, didn’t mean your love diminished for them. She said another prayer that Kay would turn up safe and sound. Tossing and turning, she finally gave up, and decided to go downstairs and see if she could get some laundry done.
Sheridan threw a load of whites in the washer, and decided to make herself a light breakfast. She was sitting at the table sipping a glass of orange juice when she noticed the stack of mail on the counter. Luis had brought it in yesterday, but because their minds were so filled with other things, neither one of them had bothered to go through any of it. She got up and retrieved the mail, and sat back down to read it while eating her breakfast. As she shuffled through it, she found bills, a credit card application, and an advertisement for some miracle pill that helped you shed pounds while you were sleeping. “Oh yeah, if only it could be that easy,” she said tossing it aside, and that‘s when she saw it, the cream colored envelope with the dark blue lettering. It was a letter from Parker Publishing, the place she had finally gotten up enough courage to submit her book to. She hadn’t even told Luis that she had sent it there, in case it was rejected, and now was the moment of truth. She held it in her shaky hand and opened it slowly. As she unfolded the letter, and read the words her heart started pounding in her chest. They loved her book, and they wanted to publish it. She couldn’t believe they actually wanted it, and the letter also said an editor would be contacting her shortly. Something hit her, and that was how was she going to be able to take on a project like this? The babies consumed most of her time right now, and it was important for them that she be there for them. She was just going to have to find a way to make this work without short changing the children in any way.
The search party for Kay was all gathered in the Bennett living room trying to determine how they were going to proceed next. Sam ran his hand through his hair, and turned toward Simone. “Think Simone, is there any other place you can think of where Kay could have gone?”
“I’ve racked my brain Chief Bennett, and I just can’t think of anywhere,” Simone said with tears in her eyes.
“Come on Simone, you have to know of someplace we haven’t looked,” Sam said raising his voice.”
“Take it easy Sam,” T.C. said, putting his hand on Sam’s arm. “We know you’re upset, and that’s understandable, but Simone is trying her hardest.”
“Yes Sam,” Grace said, kneeling down in front of Simone. “Sweetie, I know you are trying your hardest, but are you sure that you can’t remember someplace Kay might go to maybe be by herself?”
Simone pondered the question for a minute when a thought occurred to her. “Wait a minute, Kay was upset about something that happened at work yesterday, and sometimes when she needs to blow off steam she runs down on that stretch of beach by Hunter’s Point. She may have gone there last night.”
“Yeah, Hunter’s Point,” Luis said. “I remember that place from high school. There are some caves around there where the kids party. Maybe Kay took refuge from the storm in one of them.”
“Well I say everyone grab a flashlight, and then we spread out and check out those caves,” Chad said.
“Oh God. If she did go in one of those caves, then why didn’t she come out of there by now,” Grace said wringing her hands. “What if she’s hurt?”
Eve put her hand on Grace’s arm in a comforting gesture. “I’m sure she is fine Grace, but just in case I’ll stop at home and get my bag.”
“Thank you Eve,” Grace said, turning toward Jessica. “Listen honey, you stay here in case Kay comes home or tries to call.”
“Let’s go,” T.C. said. “We’re wasting time standing around here talking.”
On the way to the beach Luis called Sheridan. “Hey honey, how are you doing? Are the babies all right?”
“Yes Luis, we’re fine. Have you found Kay yet?”
“No, but we have a good lead, and we’re on our way there now. I’m sorry I had to desert you this morning. I hated leaving you after such a rough night with the babies.”
“Luis, don’t even think about it. You were needed there, and the important thing is that you find Kay safe and sound. You do what you have to do, and the children and me will be waiting for you when you get home.”
Her words warmed his heart. “Those are some of the nicest words I’ve ever heard. Give Luke and Lily a kiss for me. I love you and the children more than anything in the world.”
“And we feel the same way about you.”
Kay opened her eyes to a blinding light. She was still confused from just waking up from a sound sleep, but before she could register what was happening, Evan was pulled off the ground and slammed into the wall of the cave.
“What the hell were you doing to my daughter? If you hurt one hair on her head, I’ll kill you with my bare hands,” Sam said pinning Evan against the wall with his hand on his throat.
“Daddy, stop it! Evan didn’t hurt me. He saved my life when he rescued me from the storm.”
“Sam, you’re going to kill him,” Luis said, as he and Chad pulled Sam off of Evan. “Give the guy a chance to explain”
Evan stood there rubbing his throat. “Why should I bother when you’ve already judged me and assumed the worst,” Evan said in a raspy voice.
“Then how in the hell do you explain why I found you half-naked lying all over my daughter.”
“Dad, I was out running when I twisted my ankle. I couldn’t walk, and I was so scared because the storm was coming, and I was stranded on the beach. Evan came along, and when the storm hit, he carried me to shelter here in the cave. We were exhausted from fighting the storm, and we fell asleep. Nothing else happened, and the only reason we were huddled together was because we were cold and that was the only way to keep warm.”
Luis pointed his flashlight on Kay’s ankle. “She’s telling the truth Sam. Her ankle is swollen and bruised.”
“Thank you,” Sam said half-heartedly, holding out his hand to Evan.
Evan shook Sam’s hand, and grabbed his shirt, pulling it over his head. Sam picked up Kay and carried her out of the cave to be greeted by a relieved Grace running down the beach to the opening of the cave.
Luis felt sorry for Evan. The poor guy was trying to do the right thing, and almost got killed for his efforts. “Hey,” Luis said putting his hand on Evan’s shoulder. “I hope you can understand that Sam was just worried sick about his daughter. Why don’t you let me give you a ride home?”
Evan looked at him with those blue eyes that looked so much like Sheridan’s. “Thanks, I would appreciate that. Look, I hope you know that nothing happened between Kay and me. It was exactly like she said. I helped her out of a bad situation, and we fell asleep.”
“I believe you Evan, but I have to ask you. Are you interested in Kay Bennett?”
“Yes….., I mean no. Hell, I don’t know anymore, but I can tell you one thing, I don’t need this in my life right now.”
Luis smiled, thinking about his past with Sheridan. “Let me give you some advice Evan. I know where you’re coming from, and you may as well not fight it because it’s only going to drive you crazy in the end. If you think you’ve found that one woman that can turn you inside out, you’re only going to be miserable until you admit it.”
“Well,” Evan said smiling at Luis. “I’ll certainly think about what you said. I will admit one thing. I think I’m already crazy.”
When they got to the Bed and Breakfast, Luis pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car. “Look Evan, I know you really don’t know a lot of people in town, so if you ever need anything please feel free to call on Sheridan or me.”
“You know, you and your wife have been so generous to me, but I still can’t figure out why that is. It’s been my experience in the past that most people are only nice to you when they want something, but I get the impression that you really mean your offers of help.”
“We do Evan, and most of the folks in Harmony are the same way. You couldn’t have picked a better place to settle down.”
“Well, I don’t plan on settling down here. I’m just trying to make enough money to go back to school in the fall.”
“I admire that. You can tell a lot about a man, when he’s got his priorities in order.”
“Yeah, well my priorities are all I have right now,” Evan said sadly.
Luis felt bad for the kid. “Look, I know you work at the Lobster Shack, but I just thought that the next time you have a day off you could come to dinner at our house.”
“Sure,” Evan smiled. “I get off on Thursday, if that’s all right?”
“Thursday would be fine. I’ll call you at the Bed & Breakfast and give you the time and directions.”
“Good,” Luis said shaking Evan’s hand. “We’ll see you soon.”
As Evan walked into the Bed & Breakfast, Luis cursed his big mouth. He should have never invited Evan to dinner without checking with Sheridan first. He had just felt so sorry for him because the kid was so alone. It’s not that he thought Sheridan wouldn’t want to see Evan, but she was so busy with Lily and Luke right now. He was just going to have to help her out with dinner. In fact, he was a better cook anyway, so he would cook the dinner, and Sheridan would just have to show up. But, just in case she was upset with him, he had an idea, and he decided to make a stop before going home.
When Luis walked through the front door, the house was as quiet as a church. Maybe his little family was sleeping. He quietly walked up the steps and stopped in the twins’ room first. He smiled when he saw his precious little babies sleeping like angels. Who would have thought to see them now that they were capable of keeping him and Sheridan up all night? As tired as he was though, he didn’t mind because he knew he would give his life for his wife and children, so losing a little sleep was a walk in the park. He leaned down and gave them both a kiss, and went to find Sheridan. She was in bed fast asleep looking beautiful and at peace, so he shed his clothes and crawled in next to her. Careful not to wake her, he pulled her in his arms and fell into a deep sleep.
Sheridan awakened later, and was surprised to feel Luis’ body pressed against her own. His being here must mean that they had found Kay, and she was all right. She sure hoped for Sam and Grace’s sake that was the case. She was dying to know what happened, but she didn’t want to wake Luis, knowing that he hadn’t gotten anymore sleep than she did last night. Having him so close to her brought back memories of their lovemaking from the night before. It had felt so good to be intimate with him like that again. They had almost gone for round two, when the storm had awakened the babies, and thoughts of lovemaking had flown out the window when they had heard their babies’ pitiful cries. It was amazing how neither one of them had given it a second thought to rush to their children’s side, and it warmed her heart to know that Luis was on the same page as she was concerning the twins. They both knew that no matter what, Luke and Lily would have to come first above all else, even their lovemaking. She couldn’t help but smile, when she suddenly felt Luis’ hands roaming over her body.
“Luis, are you awake?”
“Oh yeah. What gave you the first clue?” Luis said kissing her neck.
“I think I caught on when you started touching my body that way.”
“Sorry, but I never was very good at keeping my hands off of you.”
“It feels wonderful, but could we put this on hold for a moment so you can tell me what happened with Kay?”
“Kay is fine, and believe it or not she was with your brother all night.”
“Julian? That pig!” Sheridan said with a disgusted voice.
“No, it wasn’t Julian,” he said laughing softly. It was your other brother, Evan.”
“Oh my God, Kay was with Evan? I’m almost afraid to ask what they were doing all night together.”
“Kay was out running on that stretch of beach by Hunter’s Point when she stumbled and twisted her ankle. Evan came to her rescue, but when the storm hit they ran for a cave to get shelter and fell asleep. The whole thing was perfectly innocent.”
“Well, that’s a relief. I don’t think having Sam as an enemy would be a good thing for him.”
“Well, Sam was very upset to say the least, but after Kay explained the situation, he calmed down.”
“So, do you think Evan and Kay like each other?”
“Yeah, but I think poor Evan is a little unsure of how to deal with his feelings for her. But.........,” he said pulling her head toward his. “I think we should discuss this at a later time. I have more important things on my mind right now,” he said pulling her into a passionate kiss.
Chapter 25
Sheridan pulled Luis in closer as he consumed her with his kiss. She especially appreciated the fact that he was naked, so that she could explore his smooth hot skin with her hands. She finally pulled away and looked into his eyes. “You know, for a man that needs his sleep, you sure have a lot of energy today,” she said touching his sex.
“God, are you trying to drive me crazy?” He said with a groan. Luis began to strip the gown off of her body until she was naked against him. “You are pretty damn sexy for a mother of twins.”
Reminding her of the children, Sheridan stopped him. “Look honey, I would like nothing better than to spend the day in bed making love to you, but we have two little babies that are going to wake up soon, so.........”
“So, are you trying to tell me that this is going to be a quickie?” Luis said, running his lips from her shoulder, then up her neck.
“Well, I don’t know that I’d put it quite that way, but............”
“Shhhh, you’re wasting time talking,” he said kissing her again. He brushed her secret place with his fingers, and mumbled against her lips. “You feel so ready for me, and God knows I’m ready for you.”
There was no denying that, Sheridan thought to herself. The evidence of his arousal was there between them, hot and hard. Feeling a second wind she would have never thought possible, she became the aggressor, and rolled on top of him. She put her hand around him and guided him to her center. “I want you Luis. I want you now.”
“Anything for my lady,” Luis said filling her with his hardness. They moved together in a tempest that was greater then the storm the night before. Their eyes connected and the love and desire was written in their depths. Sheridan leaned down and kissed him with every fiber of her being. His hands moved down her back to pull her into the rhythm of their passion, and as they reached the point of no return, words of love spilled from their lips. As they lay there cuddled together, exhausted and content, they heard their babies’ cries.
“Our children seem to have perfect timing,” Sheridan said, rising out of the bed, and slipping on her robe. She watched as Luis got up and pulled on a pair of jeans, and it hit her what a wonderful father he was.
“So much for the afterglow,” Luis said, flashing her a grin. “I think this should be easy if we team up.”
“I’m glad you said that because now that I’m supplementing the children with formula, you can help me feed them.”
“Really?” Luis said in amazement. “I would love to be able to feed them, but up until now I haven't had the equipment.”
Sheridan smiled shaking her head. “Come on daddy, your children need attention.”
When they arrived in the twins’ room, Luis walked over to a fussing Luke and picked him up. “Whew………,” somebody sure smells stinky,” he said in his baby imitation voice. “Hey, Sheridan, why don’t we switch babies. I’ll take Peanut……..”
“Oh no you don’t,” she said laughing. “I think this would be a perfect bonding moment for you and your son.”
“Ok Luke, I can do this. It’s been a while, but I used to be the expert diaper changer in my house growing up.” Luis disposed of the dirty diaper, and cleaned Luke off with the baby wipes. “See buddy, your mom didn’t think I was up for the job, but daddy showed her that we make a good team,” he said powdering Luke. “Look Sheridan, he’s smiling at me…….., wow, it’s the cutest thing.”
Sheridan had changed Lily, and was holding her, as she watched Luis with amusement. “You know Luis; you might want to lay Luke’s diaper over his………..” But Sheridan’s warning came too late, because Luke chose that very moment to relieve his little bladder, and sprayed Luis, soaking his face and chest.
Sheridan wished she had a camera, because the look on Luis’ face was priceless. She had never seen him at such a loss for words. As hard as she tried, she could not contain the laughter that started in her chest, and bubbled out to vibrate around the room.
“Oh, you think that’s pretty funny?” Luis said, cleaning himself off with one of the baby wipes. “You could have warned me sooner.”
“I tried to warn you,” Sheridan said in between giggles. “Besides, I thought you were the expert at taking care of babies. What happened to all the experience you had growing up taking care of Miguel and Theresa?”
“Well, I can’t be expected to remember everything. I’m just glad I didn’t have my mouth open.”
“Well, there is a bright side to all of this,” Sheridan said, smiling slyly. “At least you didn’t have a shirt on.”
Luis surprised her by bursting out laughing. He finished putting Luke’s diaper on, and picked him up in his arms. “Mommy thinks she’s really clever, doesn’t she Luke?” He lowered his voice, but still spoke loud enough for Sheridan to hear him. “She wouldn’t be so smug if the same thing happened to her.”
“Actually, the same thing did happen to me. That’s why I tried to warn you about your son’s little fire hose.”
Luis laughed. “Well at least have the decency not to mention this to anyone outside this room.”
“What do you think Lily? Should me keep daddy’s secret? Sheridan said, whispering in Lily’s ear. “What’s that………? Oh, I see……. If daddy and Luke behave then we won’t repeat this to anyone.”
“See Luke, the women are already gaining up on us. We’re going to have to set them straight on who’s the boss of this house.”
“Come on Luis; let’s go feed our children.”
Later, after they had fed the twins, and Luis had taken a shower, Sheridan finally told him about the letter from the publisher. “I know I have a lot of responsibility with the children and everything, but I think I can do this Luis. After all, there are a lot of women that go back to jobs after being on maternity leave, and it’s not like I’ll be leaving the house………”
“Sheridan, you don’t have to convince me. I’m proud of you, and I’m not surprised at all that they want to publish your book. I told you from the beginning that you have a lot of talent.”
“Do you really think so Luis? Because I don’t want to do anything that would take me away from the children.”
“Sheridan, you’ll work it out,” he said pulling her into his arms, and kissing her forehead. “I kind of have some news for you too, but it’s not as monumental as your news.”
“Tell me Luis, what is it?”
“Well,” he said hesitantly. “Do you want the bad news or the good news first?”
“Ok, Luis you’re making me nervous here. You may as well start with the bad news first.”
“Well…….., I don’t know if I would exactly call it bad news, as much as I would call it inconvenient.”
“Spit it out Luis…..”
“Ok, I invited Evan to dinner next Thursday night.”
“Oh God, what am I going to cook? I can’t believe he actually accepted. I feel so strange. What will we talk about……..,” she said, mumbling on and on.
“Relax sweetie, everything will be fine. I’ll even cook the dinner so you don’t have to worry about anything.”
“Only a man would think that there is nothing more to it than the meal. There’s the house to clean, the babies to take care of, and ...........”
“Sheridan,” he said putting his hands on her shoulders. “It’s going to be all right. I promise I’ll help you. Honey, is there something else going on with you besides your concern about who’s going to cook and clean?”
“It’s just that I don’t know how I’m going to sit there all night acting like the perfect hostess, when my brother is sitting there across from me, and he has no clue that he is my brother.”
“Sheridan, why don’t you look at this as an opportunity to get to know him better, and for him to get to know you. I think when the time comes for you to tell him that you are his sister, he’s going to feel like the luckiest guy in the world.”
“Thank you Luis,” she said hugging him. “You always have a way of putting everything into perspective for me.”
“Well, I have a confession to make. Just in case you decided not to forgive me for my dinner invitation, I brought you a present.”
“You mean a bribe?” She said flashing him her beautiful smile. “I don’t know how it could possibly be better than the locket you gave me.”
Luis walked over to the desk, and retrieved an envelope and brought it to her. “For my beautiful wife, the mother of my children, and the best author in the world.”
“Oh Luis, what is it?”
“Let’s just say, it’s something that you deserve. Open it.”
Sheridan opened the envelope, and pulled out a gift certificate for a day at the spa. “Oh Luis, you have no idea how wonderful this sounds. This is like manna from heaven to me right now. But honey.........., isn’t this a little too expensive? I know I grew up with plenty of money, but I know how expensive this place is.”
“I know it’s kind of pricey, but I think I’m in a position financially to splurge for my beautiful wife once in a while.”
“Thank you Luis,” she said, kissing him. “It will feel so good to have my hair and nails done........., and a body massage will be heavenly..........., but wait a minute,” she said stepping back from him. “I can’t do this now, what about the babies? I’ve never left them before, and I would feel like a terrible mother for deserting them for that long.”
“Sheridan, you need to get over that. You have to leave them sometime, and who better to take care of them than their father?”
"Look Luis, I know you took care of your brother and sisters when they were babies, but they weren’t babies at the same time, and Luke and Lily can be quite a handful sometimes.”
“I think it’s wonderful that you are such a great and caring mother, and that you are so dedicated to our children, but sometimes you have to take a “me” day. I promise everything will be just fine.”
“Well, if you think so..........”
“Trust me, I know so.......”
Evan couldn’t believe his luck. Why did the hostess have to put Kay’s parents and their friends in his section? Her father would probably put him in a chokehold the second he walked up to their table. He recognized the lady friend as the person that was with Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald the day his grandmother died. He had to admit that he was worried about Kay, but would her dad go ballistic when he asked about her welfare? Oh well, he had to get this over with sometime, so it might as well be now.
Evan approached their table tentatively, and pasted a smile on his face. “Hello, it’s nice to see you again. Can I get you anything from the bar?” He looked around the table to see Kay’s mother wearing a smile, her father shooting daggers at him, the lady friend looking worried for some reason, and her husband seemingly oblivious.
Mrs. Bennett spoke first. “Evan it’s so nice to see you again. I didn’t get a chance to thank you before for everything you did for Kay, and I want you to know how much Sam and I appreciate it. Don’t we Sam?” Grace said, nudging Sam on the arm.
“Yes, we really appreciate it,” Sam said half-heartedly.
“So, how is Kay doing?” Evan said with true concern.
“She just has a bad sprain, but Eve here thinks she should be able to come back to work next week…….. Oh, I can’t believe how rude I’m being. With all the confusion this morning, I don’t think you’ve met our friends. Evan, this is T.C. and Eve Russell. They are like second parents to Kay, and their daughter Simone is Kay’s best friend.”
“Well actually, I’ve met Mrs. Russell before. She was there with Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald the day my grandmother died in the nursing home. It’s nice to see you again Mrs. Russell, and I want to thank you for trying to save my grandmother’s life.”
What had he said, and why was everyone staring at him like he had grown another head? After an uncomfortable silence, T.C. spoke up. “Are you trying to say that you know my wife from before today?”
“Aaa, yes Mr. Russell, is there a problem?” Evan said, still confused by this turn in the atmosphere.
“No,” Eve said, trying to gain back her composure. “You’re welcome Evan. I just wish I could have done more to help her.”
“Yeah, well……….. Can I get you anything from the bar?” They all gave their drink orders, and Evan left their table quickly.
“So Eve,” T.C. said, eyeing her suspiciously. “Do you care to tell me what the hell you were doing with Sheridan when Crystal Harris’ mother died?
Eve froze. What was she going to tell T.C.? She couldn’t exactly tell him the truth now, in a restaurant, with an audience. Her mind was spinning a million miles a minute, trying to come up with a reason she would have been there that day, and before she could even think of the consequences, the words came tumbling out her mouth. “Actually, T.C., I was there as a favor to Sheridan.” Eve leaned in and lowered her voice. “It turns out that Evan is Alistair Crane’s son. Apparently Crystal was Alistair’s mistress, and Evan was born from that affair.”
“You’re kidding,” T.C. said, sitting back in his chair. “And I thought the kid seemed like a pretty nice guy.”
“Well,” Sam said. “I knew there was something off with that kid, and now I know for sure what it is. If he is a Crane, there is no way he is getting anywhere near my daughter, especially if he has Alistair’s blood running through his veins.”
“Come on Sam, I think you’re being unfair. Evan did save our daughter, and look at Sheridan? She is very kind and generous, so what’s to say that Evan isn’t the same way. He’s always been very polite to me, and he has always paid his rent on time, and I think you should give him the benefit of the doubt.”
“Grace is right,” Eve said. “Besides, Evan doesn’t even know he’s a Crane, so I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t repeat what I told you about his parentage.”
Sam was about to say something but his mouth clamped shut when he spotted Evan approaching the table. She couldn’t believe what she had just done. Sheridan had revealed the information about Evan to her in confidence, and she had broken that trust to save her own skin. She felt just terrible, and she knew she needed to tell Sheridan that she had revealed the secret behind Evan’s paternity. She didn’t know how much longer she could hold on to all these lies that had polluted her life before she completely lost it. The only thing that gave her comfort was the fact that she wasn’t just doing this for herself; she had her family and Chad to think of too.
Luis was starting to regret that he had insisted that Sheridan go to the spa today. He knew that she was nervous about Evan coming over to dinner tomorrow night, and he thought this would be the perfect way for her to relax. She had changed her mind about going several times, and she was stressed about leaving the babies, but he had assured her that everything would run smoothly while she was away. He had been so confident that watching the twins today would be a piece of cake, but as the minutes ticked by, he was finding out that it was not so easy after all. Luke and Lily were both fed, and had on clean diapers. He had read them a story, and even sang them a song, which by the way, went over like a swift kick in the head. He suspected his singing just didn’t hold a candle to their mother’s beautiful voice. They had even gone for a walk earlier, but their crying spells were not subsiding. Both babies were sitting in their carriers with pouty lips and tears running down their cheeks, and he felt so helpless. Even Ace, the former drug dog, turned guard dog looked disgusted with him.
“Ok, you two... I know that you miss mommy, but I promise she’ll be back soon and I don’t want her to find out that things didn’t go so well today. Because if she finds out that you two cried almost the whole time she was away, she’ll never take time for herself again. So… why don’t you give mommy and daddy a break and put on happy faces,” Luis said, pulling his lips up into a smile to demonstrate to them. They did stop crying to stare at him for a moment, but as luck would have it, the tears started gushing again. He was just about ready to give up and concede to Sheridan that she was right, when an idea floated into his head. He figured that it was worth a try, because nothing else had worked up until now. He walked over to the stereo system and put a CD in the slot. As the strands of the Tango music filled the air, he walked up in front of Lily, and bowed before her. “Senorita, may I have this dance?” With that Luis picked her up, and held her little body next to his chest. “Now Luke, I want you to play close attention, because this is an important part of your Latino heritage. Besides,” he said, smiling and winking at Luke. “This is a great way to romance a woman.” As he demonstrated the dance to his children, he noticed that they had finally stopped crying. In fact, when he looked at Luke, he was smiling, and his little arms and legs were flailing around in an animated fashion. He lowered his head and placed a kiss on the top of Lily’s head. “You need to learn this too Peanut, but daddy doesn’t want you to dance this way until you’re twenty-one.” As he circled around the room with Lily, he told them about the times that he had danced the Tango with their mother. “I really think that was the first time I knew I loved her. She looked at me with her big blue eyes, and I was gone. Now….. I’m not even going to tell you about the other feelings I was having, because you are both too young, but the Tango is the perfect dance for people in love,” Luis said, as he stroked Lily’s soft blond curls.
Luis had no idea, but Sheridan was standing behind him with the biggest smile on her face, and tears in her eyes, as she thought about what a perfect family she had.
Chapter 26
Sheridan wiped a tear from her cheek, and walked over to where Luis was dancing with his baby daughter. He turned around and watched her walked toward him, and the look of embarrassment on his face was so endearing to her. When she reached him, she leaned in and kissed him on the lips.
“What was that for?” he said, flashing her a heart-stopping smile.
“Because you have never been more attractive to me than you are right now.” She kissed Lily on the forehead. “Is daddy teaching you to dance Lily? You look so pretty in your little pink outfit, and you and daddy make a very handsome couple.”
“Why wouldn’t she be pretty when she looks just like her mother?”
Sheridan smiled at him, and walked over to Luke. “So, how’s my big guy? Were you taking notes while daddy danced with Lily?” she said picking him up and holding him close to her. “I missed you and Lily so much today. It took every ounce of willpower I had not to call every ten minutes to see how you were doing.”
“You didn’t miss me?” Luis said with a hurt look.
“Of course I did, but that goes without saying. I am a little hurt that none of you seemed to have missed me,” she said teasingly. “You were all having such a great time when I walked in.”
“Oh, believe me Sheridan, we missed you.”
“Well, that’s good to know. So Luis, how did it go today? Were the twins good for you?
“Well.........., it took a while, but we finally found something to do that made everybody happy. I have to say though, that I have a whole new respect for you. These two can be quite a handful. But you know, I think it was a good thing because it gave me some time alone with my children, and I think it’s important that you have some time to yourself.”
“I must admit that in spite of the fact that I was going through major separation anxiety, it was wonderful to be pampered all day. Thank you Luis, it was just the thing I needed.”
“I can tell, because you look especially beautiful right now,” he said, eyeing her with that old familiar look. He appreciated the way her white sundress hugged her curves and showed off her long legs.
Feeling a jolt from the hot look in his eyes, she took a deep breath to gain her composure. “I have a wonderful idea. Why don’t we have dinner, and then we’ll put the children in bed with us and have a family night? We’ll feed them, and read them a bedtime story............... Then when they fall asleep, we’ll put them in their own beds........., then you and I can go back to bed and.........”
“Oh yeah, I like that idea. I think it’s important to have that family time, and I want to make sure that I got my money’s worth when I sent you to the spa.”
Sheridan gave him a knowing smile. “Oh, and what do you mean by that last part?”
“Well, you know, I’m going to have to check out your body to make sure they exfoliated all the proper places........... On second thought, maybe I should make sure they didn’t exfoliate all the proper places. All of a sudden I have this picture in my head of some big Swedish guy named Sven.........”
Sheridan giggled. “Actually, it was a big Swedish woman, and her name was Greta.”
Suddenly the ringing phone interrupted their playful banter. Luis walked toward it complaining the whole time. “Sometimes I wish we lived back in the days before modern technology. You know back then it took your neighbors three days to get to your house. Hello.”
“Luis..... Hi, it’s Eve. I was wondering if I could speak to Sheridan?”
“Sure Eve, just a minute,” he said handing Sheridan the phone.”
Sheridan took the phone from Luis, trying to balance Luke with one arm. “Hello Eve. It’s been a while...........”
“Sheridan, I was wondering if we could get together tonight? There is something important I need to speak to you about.”
Sheridan wanted to say no, but she noticed a bit of panic in Eve’s voice. “I guess that would be ok, but would you mind coming out here? It’s just that I’ve been away from the children all afternoon and I really don’t want to leave them again so soon.”
“Yes, of course,” Eve said. “I have some things to finish up here at the hospital, but I should be there in about an hour if that’s all right?”
“Ok, I’ll see you then,” she said, as she hung up the phone. “Well, so much for family night,” she said sighing out loud.
“What does she want?”
“I don’t know, but she says she needs to speak to me about something important.”
Luis looked disappointed. “I just hope this something she has to talk to you about is not going to cause havoc with our lives.”
“Yeah, me too,” Sheridan said in a worried voice.
In the next hour, Luis and Sheridan managed to bathe and feed the babies, and both were snug as little bugs in their matching cotton teddy bear pajamas, when they heard the knock on the door.
“That must be Eve,” Luis said, as he walked to the door with Luke in his arms. Always the cop, Luis looked out the peephole before opening it. Seeing that it was Eve, he opened the door and greeted her. “Hi Eve. It’s good to see you again.”
“It’s good to see you too Luis. I’m really sorry to intrude on your evening. I’ll try not to keep Sheridan too long. But first, let me look at that sweet little boy in your arms.” She stroked Luke’s cheek softly, a look of longing on her face. “You are one precious little boy. I bet your mommy and daddy are so proud of you.”
“Yes, I would say we’re a couple of sappy proud parents,” Sheridan said, walking up with Lily in her arms. “How are you Eve?”
“I’m well....... Oh my, would you look at this little sweetheart,” Eve said, playing with one of Lily’s blond curls. “I swear Sheridan; your children get more beautiful every time I see them.”
“Well, we are certainly not going to argue that point. Can’t I get you some coffee or a soft drink?”
“No, thank you.”
“Why don’t you give Peanut to me, and I’ll take the babies upstairs so you two can have some privacy?”
“Thank you, honey.” Sheridan handed Lily to Luis, and watched them walk up the steps. “So Eve, what did you want to talk to me about?”
“Eve looked very uncomfortable. “Maybe, it would be better if we sat down.”
Sheridan led the way to the sofa, the whole time nervous by Eve’s demeanor. She sat down, and picked up a pillow playing with the tassel. “Eve, you’re acting very mysterious. Is this about Chad?”
“Well, indirectly........... I guess I should just come out with it. A few nights ago, T.C. and I went to the Lobster Shack with the Bennett’s. Evan was our waiter, and he recognized me as the person that was there the day his grandmother died......... Well, he mentioned that, and T.C. became upset, and wanted to know why I was there that day.”
“What did you tell him? Does he finally know the truth about Chad?” Sheridan asked with relief in her voice.
“I almost did, but then I thought about what T.C.’s reaction would be, and I became afraid. I had to think fast, and I told him I was there to help you out, because Evan was Alistair’s son from an affair he had with Crystal........”
“Oh no Eve, you didn’t?”
“I’m so sorry Sheridan. The words just came out of my mouth before I could stop them. I felt so terrible the second I did it, but if it’s any consolation to you, I know that T.C. and Sam and Grace will keep quiet about it.”
“I’m sure they are very trustworthy, but what if it slips out unintentionally? I’ve been waiting for the right time to tell him, because I don’t think he’s ready to hear the truth, and I wanted to protect him from Julian.”
“But, what would Julian do to him?”
“See him as a threat to the Crane Empire for one thing. You know how paranoid Julian is, and I’m afraid that he would try to do something to make Evan go away.”
“Oh God, I never thought about that. Sheridan, I am truly sorry, and I just hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
Sheridan thought for a moment. “I’m not going to pretend I’m not upset, but I will forgive you Eve. You know all these secrets you’re harboring are going to strangle you alive. I can sense your mental anguish, but the people in your life deserve to know the truth, and I feel sure that not being able to acknowledge Chad as your son must be tearing you up inside. Now that I‘m a mother, I couldn‘t imagine being separated from my children.”
“You have no idea Sheridan. So many times I’ve just wanted to put my arms around him and tell him that I am his mother, but when I think about how it will destroy the rest of my family............”
“As painful as it is Eve, the truth really does set you free.”
“I’ll think about what you said. I better get home because T.C. is expecting me. Again, I’m sorry about everything.”
After Eve left Sheridan locked the door, and turned out the lights. She suddenly felt an overwhelming need to be with her family. She practically ran upstairs, and found Luis on the bed with the babies. He was reading a story, but his audience was not very captive, because both twins were fast asleep. Sheridan smiled, and sat down on the bed next to Luis. “They’re asleep Luis,” she said in a low voice.
“Oh, I guess they are. I was so into Winnie the Pooh’s Blustery Day that I didn’t even notice.”
“Well,” Sheridan said, laughing softly. “Why don’t you grab one of the babies, and I’ll grab the other so we can put them to bed.”
After they had the babies settled in their beds, Sheridan and Luis were back in their own bed, and she told him about Eve’s visit. “I’m going to have to tell him the truth. Now that other people know, the truth could come out, and I don’t want him to find out that way.”
“I’m angry at Eve for doing that, but maybe it’s for the best that Evan finds out the truth. I’m sorry sweetie,” Luis said kissing her forehead. “I know you don’t need this right now.”
“I’m not really looking forward to it because I have no idea how Evan is going to react, but I have to tell him Luis.”
“It will be ok Sheridan, you’ve been through much worse, and I happen to think he’ll be proud to be your brother.”
“I just thought of something Luis,” she said sitting up. “I’m going to have to tell Chad and Ethan...........”
“Sher,” Luis said pulling her back down beside him. “It’s going to be all right. Now come here, and let me take your mind off of it.......” He pulled her against him and kissed her passionately. His lips left her mouth to trail kisses down her neck to her shoulder. “Is it working?” he mumbled against her flesh.
“Oh yes Luis........, it’s working.”
The next morning, Sheridan looked across the table at Ethan and Chad, and took a sip of her orange juice before speaking. “The reason I wanted to see you today was because there is something very important I have to tell you...........”
“I know,” Ethan said, interrupting her. “You’re going to have another baby.......”
“Oh God no,” Sheridan said shocked by his words. “What I mean is I would love to have more children some day, but Luke and Lily keep me very busy right now. Anyway, that is not why I wanted to see you and Chad this morning. I found out some information the day that I was locked in the attic with Julian. You know the day I went into labor? Well......., when I first met Evan Harris he seemed so familiar to me, in fact I thought he looked a lot like me.......”
Chad, who was leaning back in his chair, sat up straight. “Are you trying to say that Julian is Evan Harris’ father?”
“He’s my brother?” Ethan said, shocked.
“That’s what I thought at first, but Julian confirmed for me that Evan was not my nephew, but my brother.”
Chad shook his head. “Wow.........! That’s the last thing I expected for you to say, but you know it all makes sense now, because he always looked familiar to me too.”
“Yeah, well imagine my shock when I found out he was my brother.”
“But Sheridan, I can’t imagine father would want information like this known. I’m surprised he wouldn’t consider Evan a threat,” Ethan said.
“I’ve thought of that too Ethan, but he is the one that told me about Evan’s paternity, so I have to believe that he won’t retaliate in some way. At least I’m hoping he won’t. Poor Evan has nobody, just like you had nobody Chad, and it’s time that both of you have what you deserve.”
“If you’re talking about Crane money Sheridan, I want no part of it.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about Chad, although I don’t see why you won’t take something. I was talking about acknowledgement and respect. Look, Evan is coming over for dinner tonight, and I‘m going to tell him that we have the same father..........., that we are brother and sister. I really need to know that I have the support of both of you.”
“But what if Evan tries to lay claim to the Crane fortune? After all Sheridan, you don’t know this guy that well.”
“Chill bro, I’ve only seen the guy a few times, but he always seemed like a stand up guy that believes in hard work.”
Sheridan looked at Ethan in amazement. “You know Ethan, if I didn’t know better, I would think that you resent the fact that Evan is a Crane.”
“I didn’t say that Sheridan. I was just trying to point out the fact that this revelation could start World War III.”
“I hope you’re wrong about that Ethan, because I am telling Evan that he is my brother tonight.”
Suddenly Luis walked into the room with two fussing babies. “Sorry to bother you Sheridan, but I could really use your help,” Luis said, looking frazzled.
It was amazing, but when Sheridan got up and walked over to within the babies’ sight, they stopped crying as if on cue. “Oh, what’s wrong? Do my babies miss their mommy?”
“Well, it looks like you got your hands full Sheridan. Come on Ethan; let’s go have that workout now.” Chad walked up and kissed Sheridan on the cheek. “I’m behind you no matter what.”
“Me too,” Ethan said kissing her other cheek.
After they left, Sheridan walked over to where Luis was standing folding laundry. “You know, have I told you lately just how much I appreciate you?”
“No,” he said flashing her a sexy smile. “I’ll just let you show me later.”
Later that evening Sheridan answered the door to let Evan in. “Evan, welcome to our home. Luis is in the back yard manning the grill. We’re having steaks tonight, I hope you like them.”
“That sounds great, I love steak.” Evan looked around taking in the architecture of the house. “Wow, this is a great house. The arched doorways and molding are great features for resale.”
“That’s good to hear, but I don’t think we have any intention of selling this place. We love it here, and this is where we want our children to grow up. I didn’t know you had such an interest in architecture?”
“Well, that’s the career I hope to have some day. I was in architecture school before the scholarship money stopped.”
“I’m really sorry about that Evan. I know how important school is to you.”
“Yeah, well I’ll get back there, because I’m one determined guy,” he said smiling. “So Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald, speaking of children how are those cute little babies of yours?”
“Please call me Sheridan, and those cute little babies are sleeping right now. I’m sure they’ll make an appearance before the night is over.”
“Hey Evan,” Luis said coming in through the French door that led to the back veranda. “Can I get you a beer or something?”
“Well, I don’t usually drink, but I guess a beer would be good right now.”
“Ok then, one beer coming up,” Luis said, heading for the kitchen.
Evan saw the little gallery of pictures that were displayed on the sofa table, and walked up to look at them. There was a picture of Sheridan as a baby, with a picture of Lily right beside it. When Luis had put them out, he had commented on how much they looked alike as babies. Evan picked up the picture of Sheridan, with a look of confusion and shock. “Is this a picture of you?” Evan said, turning toward Sheridan.
“Yes, that’s my baby picture. Luis put it there by Lily’s because he couldn’t get over how much we look alike.” When she saw the look on Evan’s face she suddenly became nervous. “What is it Evan..........?”
Evan looked at Sheridan, then back to her baby picture. “This is amazing, because this looks exactly like my baby picture.........”
Chapter 27
Sheridan knew she looked like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make the expression go away. She hadn’t planned on the subject of Evan’s paternity coming up this soon and she wasn’t prepared. Luis picked that very moment to walk back into the room, and he stopped in his tracks, his smile fading, when he saw the expressions on their faces. When he saw Sheridan’s baby picture in Evan’s hands he knew that something was up.
Nobody said a word, in fact you could have heard a pin drop the place was so silent. Finally, Evan set the picture down, and it surprised Sheridan that he made a special effort to position it in the exact place he had found it. He looked over to Luis, and then back to her and his deep brooding stare made her want to cry. “Now,” he said in a controlled voice, “Don’t you think it’s about time that somebody told me just what the hell is going on?”
Gaining her composure, Sheridan walked over to him and put her hand on his arm. “Maybe you should come over here and sit down Evan. I think it’s time for you to hear the truth.” As nervous as she was she felt empowered all of a sudden, and she also felt a sense of relief. She wasn’t at liberty to tell Chad everything about his parentage, but she could tell Evan, and all of a sudden she felt free. After they sat down, she turned and faced Evan and stared into his blue eyes that were so like her own. “Evan, did your mother ever tell you any information about your father?”
Evan shook his head. “She never told me much, just that he was a very rich and powerful man, and that she never told him about me because she wanted to protect me.”
“You never questioned her further about it? Sheridan said, surprised. “I would think that you would have been more curious about your father.”
“I just figured that my mom had a good reason for not telling me his name, so I honored that. But, I always had every intention of finding out his identity some day, because I want to meet the bastard that left my mother high and dry. I have a feeling that I won’t have to bother to search though, because you already know the answer, don’t you Sheridan?”
“Yes, Evan, I do. ……”
“I also have a feeling that you and I are related somehow. I felt it from the minute I met you. I didn’t understand it at first, but I just felt a connection to you....... So what are we, second cousins twice removed?” he said with a hollow laugh.
Sheridan stole a glance at Luis, and he flashed her an encouraging smile. “No Evan, we are not cousins.” She hesitated for a moment, fighting to get the words out. “Evan........., we are brother and sister. Well, let me amend that,” she said, with a nervous little laugh. “We are half brother and sister.”
Evan’s head snapped back as if she had hit him. He stood up and with his hands in his pockets he began pacing the floor. Wisely, Sheridan stayed quiet, letting him absorb the shocking information she had just delivered. She studied his face, but his expression was unreadable. God, she wished he would say something........., have some kind of reaction. Luis caught her attention, and mouthed “I love you,” which made her feel calmer.
Evan finally stopped his pacing and came up to stand in front of her. “Are you saying that Alistair Crane was my father?”
“Yes Evan. Apparently, my father and your mother had a relationship twenty years ago. I just found out the truth not long ago myself. I’ve wanted to tell you, but I didn’t think you were ready to hear the truth just yet.”
“I’m not sure that a person is ever ready to hear news like this,” he said, beginning to pace again.
“Look Evan, I know this is a shock for you, I mean it was a shock for me too, but after you’ve had a chance to come to terms with this, maybe we can start to build a relationship.”
“Look Sheridan, I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t think I can stay for dinner. I feel bad, because I know that you and Luis probably went to a lot of trouble, but I need to be alone right now.”
“Of course Evan, I’m sure that you do need time to think,” she said, trying to hide her disappointment. “Will you just remember that whenever you’re ready, that I’m here to talk?”
“I will remember that,” he said, finally giving her a weak smile. “I’ll give you a call when I’m ready to talk.” Evan turned and Luis walked him to the door.
“Thanks Luis,” he said shaking his hand. He turned back to look at Sheridan. “Good bye.”
“Good bye Evan.”
Luis shut the door and walked over to Sheridan. He saw the tears in her eyes, and he pulled her in his arms. “Don’t cry baby, he’ll come around, and he’ll come to love you just like Ethan and Chad love you.”
“I don’t know Luis........; he didn’t exactly welcome me with open arms.”
“Just give him time honey. He has a lot to absorb.”
“Thank you Luis,” she said putting her arms around his neck. “Aaa Luis, I think the steaks are burning.”
Luis turned around to see flames and smoke coming out of the grill. “Damn,” he said running out to the veranda.
“Great,” Sheridan said, throwing her arms up in the air. “First our dinner guest leaves, and now we have no dinner.”
Simone walked into the Book Café, and looked around until she spotted Kay sitting at a table with her leg propped up on a chair. She was curious to say the least about why Kay had called one of their “special meetings”. She walked over and plopped down in the seat next to Kay. “So what was so important that you had to drag me away from the movie I was watching?”
“Well excuse me Simone, but this is really important. I heard something tonight that has totally golly away, and I’m going to explode if I don’t talk to somebody about it.”
Noting the upset look on Kay’s face, Simone’s tone gentled. “Okay, Kay, what did you hear that has you so upset?”
“I’ll tell you everything, but you have to promise me that this stays between us.”
“Okay, since when have I ever revealed any of your dirty little secrets?” Simone said, rolling her eyes.
“Well, I overheard a conversation between my parents, and I just couldn’t believe what they were discussing…….. Apparently, they found out that Evan Harris is really a Crane.”
“What………? Get out of here….,” Simone said, shocked.
“Yes, I heard my mother say that his mother, Crystal had an affair with Alistair Crane twenty years ago, and that Alistair is Evan’s father.”
“Oh God, that means he is a brother to Sheridan and Julian Crane. Wow, Kay this is great. This could mean that Evan could be really rich some day. I mean, the Cranes have more money than God.”
“Great? Are you crazy Simone? This is not great at all; in fact this is terrible.”
“I don’t understand why this is terrible? Don’t tell my you’re upset because Evan could be rich?”
“Because Simone, you know how much my dad hates the Cranes, and now that Evan is one of them, my dad will never let me be with him.”
“I knew it! All this time you denied liking him, calling him the biggest jerk, and the whole time you were falling for the guy. I knew you were lying to me.”
“I wasn’t lying Simone. I just didn’t know at the time that I liked him, but ever since we spent the night in the cave together, I can’t stop thinking about him,” Kay said with a dreamy look on her face. “He was really sweet to me that night. Well……., at least some of the time.”
“This is amazing. First Chad turns out to be Julian Crane’s son, and now Evan Harris is the love child of Crystal Harris and Alistair Crane. Those Crane’s really have a lot of secrets…….”
“That’s for sure,” the reporter sitting at the next table thought to herself. “I guess it pays to hang out in places like this. One never knows what juicy little tidbits are going to pop out of people’s mouths,” she said smiling. She dialed a number on her cell phone. “Hey Harry, I’m on my way in. Wait until you hear about what I have for tomorrow’s headline.”
The next morning Sheridan was lying in bed staring at the ceiling, when Luis walked into the room. “Hey Sher, I just checked on the babies, and they are sleeping like little angels.”
“Okay Luis…..”
“Well, I’m heading off to my stakeout.”
“Okay Luis…..”
“Sheridan, there is a tornado heading straight for our house.”
“Okay Luis…….”
Luis walked over to the bed, and sat down. “Ok, are you going to tell me what is going on with you? There must be something really interesting on the ceiling, because you can’t seem to take your eyes off of it.”
She finally turned and looked at him. “I’m sorry Luis, I guess I’m a little distracted this morning.”
“I noticed. Are you still upset about Evan’s reaction last night?”
“I don’t know Luis; do you think I made a mistake telling him that we are brother and sister? It’s just that now I feel like I have messed up his whole life. Maybe it was better that he never found out who his father is.”
“Honey, you did the right thing. He deserved to know the truth, and you deserved the chance to get to know your brother. I know he seems blown away by this whole thing, but I really think that when he has had time to think about it he’ll come around.”
“I sure hope you’re right Luis.”
“Hey, aren’t I always right?” he said, teasing her.
“No, you just think you’re always right,” she said, teasing him back.
“You’re pretty cute, you know that?” he said tweaking her nose. “Well, let me get Ace so I can go out and make a living,” he said, giving her a quick kiss.
“Luis, please be careful.......”
“It’s just a stakeout. The only thing that’s going to happen to me is a possible overdose of caffeine.”
“Still, you’re on that stakeout for a reason, and that’s to trap the bad guys, so if something happens.........”
“I’ll be fine. Well, I better go round up Ace;” he said getting up to leave.
Sheridan laughed. “Good luck getting him away from Luke and Lily.” She watched him walk to the door, and noticed the way his jeans hugged his tight behind. “You know you look pretty yummy today. The only thing I’m going to be able to think about all day is the way you look in those jeans.”
“Well, I hope you don’t like them too much, because I was kind of hoping you would take them off of me later.”
Sheridan gave him a sexy little smile. “I have a better idea, why don’t you take them off for me and I’ll watch.”
Sheridan had planned on getting a lot accomplished today, but Lily was having none of it. Luke had been perfectly content to fall asleep, after he had been fed, but Lily decided that she wanted all of her mother’s attention today. Sheridan had just finished changing her, and Lily was clad in nothing but her diaper. “You, little girl are just too cute to resist, but then you already know that don’t you? The problem is that daddy spoils you rotten, so you think your mother is a pushover too,” she said planting little kisses on Lily’s belly. “You like it when mommy kisses your belly don’t you? I can see that smile on your face.” Just then the doorbell rang. “Who can that be at this time of the afternoon?” She picked Lily up, and went to the door and looked out of the peephole. Sheridan stepped back in shock. What was Julian doing here? Not once since they had lived here had he ever visited them, and she had a feeling him being here was a bad omen. The second she answered the door, Julian barged in stomping into the living room. “Julian, why don’t you come in and make yourself comfortable?” she said sarcastically.
“You,” he said, pointing a rolled up newspaper at her, “have gone too far this time!”
“Would you kindly keep your voice down in front of my children? Why don’t you stop your blustering and tell me why you’re acting like a raving lunatic?”
“If I’m acting like a raving lunatic, it’s because you have once again made a laughing stock of the Crane family.”
“I don’t have time for guessing games Julian, so why don’t you just come out with what has gotten your shorts in a bind.”
“This,” he said shoving the newspaper in her hand.
Sheridan balanced Lily on one arm, and opened up the newspaper. She gasped out loud when she saw the big bold headlines. COULD YOU BE A CRANE TOO? There was a picture of Chad and Evan under the headline. The photos were slightly blurry, like some stalker paparazzi reporter had taken them from a distance. The byline read CRANE OFFSPRING ARE COMING OUT OF THE WOODWORK... “Oh my God, who could have done this?”
“Well, considering that you are the only one I told about Evan being our brother, my first guess would be you,” Julian said snidely.
“Please Julian......., you should know me better than that. I would never leak such sensational information to the tabloids, in fact I would never tell them anything about our family.”
“Admit it, you told the kid he was our brother, didn’t you? It’s obvious that he wasted no time making this public knowledge so that he can weasel his way into the family. I have news for him though; he will not get one thin dime out of the Cranes.”
“Evan only found out about his father last night, and believe me Julian he was not happy to be a Crane, so your theory does not work.”
“All the more reason he would do this. This is his form of payback, but I’ll squash him like a grape if he thinks he can get away with this. It’s obvious he has no idea who he is dealing with.”
“Leave him alone Julian, because if you don’t I’ll fight you every step of the way. Besides, now that it is public knowledge anything you do to him will be more fodder for the press. You’ll only come out looking bad in this.”
“You better be right about this, because I will crush him if he tries to insinuate himself into our family.”
“Funny Julian, you don’t seem to have a problem with Chad. I’m curious why is it that Evan is a threat to you, but Chad isn’t?”
“Because Chad is my son, and I.......... Well, he’s already proven that he wants nothing from the Cranes........”
“Poor Evan and Chad. To have their paternity splashed all over the cover of some tabloid....... They are probably just furious......”
“If you wouldn’t have opened your big mouth, they wouldn’t have their paternity splashed all over the tabloids,” Julian said, raising his voice again.
“I asked you to keep your voice down.........” Just then, Luke began crying at the top of his lungs. “Oh........., now see what you’ve done.” She looked over to Luke, and then at Lily in her arms. “Look,” Sheridan said, handing Lily to Julian, “Would you please hold your niece for a minute?”
Julian’s eyes got huge. “But..........., I don’t........., He looked down at Lily in his arms, and stared at her like she was an alien. Finally a big fake cheesy grin broke out on his face, and he tickled Lily’s tummy with his finger. “Goo goo ga ga,” he said in a baby voice.
Sheridan was busy trying to calm Luke down, and was holding him close and patting his little back. “It’s okay Luke, mommy’s here......”
“Sheridan......, why is she making that face?”
“What face?” Sheridan said, not even bothering to look at him.
“That scrunched up face like your drama queen sister-in-law always makes.”
“Oh, that face,” Sheridan said smiling. Right then Lily messed her diaper, and it oozed out of the bottom soiling the sleeve of Julian’s Brooks Brother suit.
“Oh good God, she’s ruined my suit. This is horrific, would you do something?”
“Oh no Luke. It looks like your sister had a little accident,” Sheridan said laughing. “Mommy has to put you down for a minute so she can clean up Lily.”
Julian turned his head to the side and held his breath. “My God, do you feed this child rat milk? The smell is terrible.”
“Oh Julian, I’m sure it’s just your own breath blowing back in your face. After all, haven’t you been sleeping with Rebecca Hotchkiss?”
Sheridan took Lily from him, and Julian took out his handkerchief and started brushing at his jacket with it. He finally removed his coat, and told Sheridan that he would be sure to send her the cleaning bill as he huffed out the door.
“That’s a good girl Lily,” Sheridan said as she cleaned Lily up. “How did you know that mommy wanted Uncle Julian to leave?”
It turned out that Luis had to work late. He had called and said they decided to bust the drug dealer, and it would take a while to process him. When he arrived home that night, Sheridan was already asleep. He hated that he missed putting the children to bed, because that had become a special family time for them. He stripped off his clothes and crawled into bed trying not to awaken Sheridan. He pulled her in his arms and closed his eyes, breathing in her scent. He had just started to drift off to sleep, when she turned in his arms facing him. She started to rub her body against his, and kissed him on the mouth.
“I thought you were asleep.” Luis murmured against her lips.
“I was, and I was having the hottest dream about you. I couldn’t believe it when I woke up and found you lying beside me.”
“Well, now that you’re awake do you want to mess around?” Luis pushed her nightgown up, and was caressing her leg.
“Oh yeah. I’m just sorry that I didn’t get to watch you take those jeans off.”
“I could always put them back on and take them off for you.”
Sheridan pretended to consider it. “Nah, that would take too much time, and I want you right now.”
Luis drew her close and kissed her passionately. He pulled her nightgown down to her waist, and started to plant kisses on her chest when suddenly she started laughing.
Luis backed away from her. “Okay, what’s so funny? I guess I’m losing my touch.”
“I’m sorry Luis. You are not losing your touch, it’s just that I suddenly thought about something Lily did today and I couldn’t help but laugh.”
“What did Peanut do that was so funny?”
“Oh Luis, you would have been so proud of your daughter. You are not going to believe what she did to Julian.”
“Oh, I already love this. Tell me everything.......”
Chapter 28
"Julian was fit to be tied because of the tabloid.......... Oh my God, I forgot that you don’t know about the tabloid.”
“Actually, I do know about it. I stopped at the convenience store to pick up some batteries for my beeper, and I saw it right there displayed at the counter. This really stinks for Chad and Evan, but I did run into Chad today, and he seems to be taking it pretty good. He said that he was surprised it didn’t happen sooner. I didn‘t think you knew though, and I didn‘t want to break the news to you over the phone when I called earlier.”
“How did they find out about this Luis? I can’t believe that the Russell’s and the Bennett’s would say anything, so who told the tabloids?”
“Well, as far as Chad goes, it really wasn’t a big secret because it did come out during Julian’s trial that Chad was his son.”
“Then how did they find out about Evan?”
“Something I learned a long time ago is that once somebody speaks the words they become fair game. Just remember that Eve revealed the truth about Evan’s paternity in a restaurant full of people, and anyone could have overheard.”
“You’re probably right, but I just hate it that this has happened. If Evan blames me for this he’ll never come around.”
“Honey, I’m afraid it’s out of your control. Now, are you going to tell me what my daughter did to Julian?”
Sheridan broke out into a huge smile. “Well when Julian was here ranting.....”
“Julian was here?”
“Yes, he was upset with me because he thought that I told Evan about Alistair being his father, and then he accused Evan of leaking it to the tabloids.”
“Why in the hell would Evan do that?”
“Because Julian thinks he’s trying to squeeze money out of him, or worse insinuate himself into the Crane family.”
“Did you tell him that Evan was smarter than that?” Luis said, smiling.
“Of course, but I think the message Lily sent was much more effective,” Sheridan said with a twinkle in her eye. “Luke woke up crying, and I asked Julian to hold Lily for a minute, and well let’s just say that she picked that exact moment to mess her diaper and it leaked out all over Julian’s suit coat.”
Luis laughed so hard his stomach hurt. “Oh Sheridan, please tell me you took a picture of that? Peanut just earned herself a shopping spree at Baby Gap.”
Sheridan giggled over Luis’ last remark. “I’m sure Lily will be very appreciative, but you know,” she said rolling on top of him. “I think we got off track here. Now, where were we...........?” She ran her finger down the center of his chest and traced the rim of his navel. “You know I was putting your shirts in the closet today when I found my sketch of you.”
“Oh really,” he said in a husky voice. “I’ll never forget the day you drew that.”
“Me either, but you know something? As good as you look in that sketch, I really like the real thing much better.” She spread her hands out and started moving them over his chest, his hard stomach, then back up to run her fingers over his flat nipples. She leaned down and licked one, giving him a little love bite. She was like a little wildcat as she ran her pink tongue over his smooth hard flesh. Her hands were everywhere as she moved her silky smooth body down lower and lower, and when she took him in her mouth he bucked up off the bed cupping her head closer to him.
Dear God, did she have any idea what she was doing to him? Beads of perspiration broke out on his forehead as her sweet mouth worked its magic. He hadn’t seen her this aggressive since before the twins were born. She was taking control, and he would gladly let her have it, at least for a little while. He knew that he was reaching the point of no return, but he wasn’t ready for this to end just yet. He pulled her up his slick body and rolled her over on her back. When she protested he silenced her with a hot kiss, thrusting his tongue inside her mouth. His hand ran down her curvy body until he found her feminine flesh, and he stroked her erotically. God, she was so wet, and he wanted to taste her the same way she had tasted him. He moved his mouth from hers and kissed her neck and breast, than moved down to her belly. His finger traced the fine white scar along her bikini line and he kissed her there too.
“Luis........, I........., I.........”
“Shhh baby, I can’t talk right now,” he said, just before he stroked her hot flesh with his tongue.
She was doing everything possible not to scream out her pleasure. Her head moved from side to side, and her hands were gripping the sheets as he did the most sinful things to her. “Luis, please........, please,” she begged.
He lifted his head and stared at her with his smoldering eyes. He positioned himself so that the tip of his erection was brushing against her opening. “Tell me what you want, you hot little tiger.”
He knew what she wanted so why was he making her beg? “Damn it, you know what I want.”
“Tell me,” he said rubbing up against her.
Oh God, she had to give in because she was only making herself suffer by not telling him what he wanted to hear. “Okay, I want you inside of me now, and if you make me wait one more second I’m going to scream, and then the babies will wake up........”
“We can’t have that now can we?” he said, as he thrust inside her giving her what she wanted.........., what he wanted too. Nothing was better than to be inside of her when she wrapped her long legs around his waist pulling him in closer to her. They moved together, lost in the ecstasy that was always between them, until their climax had them clinging to each other spent and gasping for breath.
“What got into you tonight?” Luis said nuzzling her neck. “I mean, I’m not complaining but you surprised me.”
“It was your fault you know,” she said, smiling contentedly.
“Why?”
“Because you just had to wear those jeans today......”
Kay had looked everywhere but she was still unable to locate Evan. When he had failed to show up for work today, she had become concerned and asked the manager where he was. He told her that Evan had called in and had asked for the day off. When Simone had shown up at the Lobster Shack and showed her the tabloid she knew then why Evan had called in. Her mother told her that he had not been at the Bed and Breakfast all day, and she was worried sick about him. She knew that he was probably devastated about having his business splashed all over some tabloid. She was standing on the wharf looking out at the water when it hit her suddenly where Evan might be.
It was a little difficult to walk in the sand because her ankle was still a little sore from the last time she was here, but as she made her way down the beach she saw him. He was sitting by the water staring out at the ocean looking so alone. She knew he might not welcome her presence, but she didn’t care, because she was not leaving here until she was sure he was okay. She walked up and stood beside him. “Evan...........?”
He looked up and saw her standing there. She looked beautiful with her hair blowing in the wind. “Kay, what are you doing here?”
“Looking for you,” she said, plopping down on the sand beside him.
“Look Kay, I’m really not very good company right now.”
“Evan, I saw the tabloid, and well.........., I figured you might need a friend to talk to.”
“So you saw it? I’m surprised you’re not running away from me. Of course, maybe you’re one of those girls that like the prospect that I might be rich someday.”
“You know, I’m going to overlook the fact that you’re being cruel because you’ve had a shock today, but let’s get one thing straight. I don’t care if you’re the son of the King of England or the homeless guy that hangs out at the wharf; I still care about what happens to you.”
“I’m really sorry Kay. You didn’t deserve that and I shouldn’t take out my anger on you,” he said, pushing a long strand of hair away from her face.
His sweet gesture brought a little smile to her face. “You know Evan, I’m not even going to pretend that I know what you’re going through, but I think you will feel better if you talked about it. I’m a very good listener.”
Maybe she was right. He had never been the kind of person to share his feelings with anybody before, but there was something about her that made him want to open up to her. “Ever since I was a kid I had my life planned out. I thought that if I worked hard, got through college, that I could make a name for myself by becoming a famous architect some day. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that being Alistair Crane’s bastard son would be my claim to fame,” he spat out.
“You know Evan, maybe there is something good to come out of this and it just hasn’t hit you yet. I know that Julian Crane isn’t the best person around, but Sheridan is really nice, and I can’t imagine her turning her back on you. And hey, there’s Chad and Ethan. I don’t know Ethan very well, but Chad is a great guy, and he’s sort of in the same position that you are, so maybe he could be a good friend to you. You just have to be willing to open up to them.”
He gave her a little smile. “You know Kay; you’ve given me some things to think about. I guess you’re not such a snippy little brat after all,” he said in a teasing voice.
She put her hand on his arm. “Yeah, well I’m going to remember that the next time you start yelling at me because I put somebody in your section. Look, it’s late and I need to get home,” she said standing up, and brushing the sand off of her clothes. “I’m just glad that you’re okay.”
He watched her walk away, and noticed the small limp that was apparent in her gate. For some reason it was very endearing to him that she would come and look for him when she was still recovering from her injury. “Kay wait.” She stopped and turned, and he got up and walked over to her. He reached out and traced her cheek with his finger. “Thank you,” he said kissing her on the forehead. She looked at him and her body moved closer to his, and he couldn’t resist kissing her on the lips. It started out softly, but when she wrapped her arms around his neck, he put his hand on her head and pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. When they finally pulled away both were stunned. “I’m sorry Kay. I didn’t mean to come on so strong.”
“Don’t apologize.......... I wanted you to kiss me Evan.”
He looked surprised by her statement, but for some reason he chose to ignore it. “Look, why don’t I take you home? You really shouldn’t be out alone at night.”
“Okay,” she said out loud. He’s withdrawing again, Kay thought to herself, but she knew in her heart that he wasn’t as removed as he was pretending to be. He enjoyed that kiss just as much as she did. He certainly was stubborn, but she was just as stubborn and she knew that sooner or later he was going to come around. She just hoped it was sooner, because at the end of summer she would be going off to college, and she was scared she would never see him again.
When they arrived at the front door of the Bennett house, Evan thanked her again, but this time he stayed at a polite distance. He had turned to leave when suddenly the front door flew open. “Will somebody tell me what the hell is going on here?” Sam said pinning Evan with his eyes.
“Dad, Evan was just walking me home.”
“Kay, go inside. I’m going to have a talk with Evan.”
“But dad........”
“I said. go inside Kay.”
Oh Great, Evan thought. Just when I thought my day couldn’t get any worse.
Rage filled him as he read the tabloid. “Damn,” he spat out, as he crumbled the newspaper and heaved it across the room. Leave it to Alistair and Julian Crane to father bastards all over the countryside. Well, unfortunately for them they were going to have to be added to his hit list. He had been enjoying his slow and methodical revenge, but it was time to speed things along. With the help of his accomplice he had managed to take out that bastard Alistair, but now it was Julian’s turn. He had hoped that the drug charges against him would have stuck, but once again the snake had managed to slither out of that one. Maybe he should conveniently let Luis find out about what the Crane’s did to his father, and let him take care of Julian, but he decided that he wasn’t going to give Lopez-Fitzgerald the satisfaction of ever finding out the truth. Besides, he had big plans for the beautiful Sheridan and her cop husband and, his accomplice who had a personal axe to grind with them was going to help him. And then there was that little snot nosed Ethan. He was so clueless he would be child’s play to do away with. He reached for the phone and dialed a number. “Are you alone...........? Good, because I’m going to make arrangements for you to go on another one of your stalking missions.” When he hung up the phone he looked down at the dominos lined symmetrically across his desk. He flicked the first one with his finger, and watched them fall one by one as his evil laugh rang out across the room.
The next morning, a very exhausted but satisfied Luis and Sheridan sat crossed legged on their bed feeding their babies. It turned out that poor little Lily had a problem with her mouth, and was not taking to the breast very well, so the pediatrician had suggested that Sheridan wean the babies slowly getting them adjusted to formula. Sheridan had been upset at first, but it had turned out to be a good thing because now Luis could be included in this special bonding time with the twins. What made it even less stressful was the fact that both Lily and Luke had adjusted to the bottle almost immediately.
“You know Luis, even though I was upset about not being able to breast-feed Lily anymore, I’m glad that I decided to wean Luke too, because I think this has become a special family time.”
“I know, I love feeding the babies, because it just amazes me the way they make eye contact with you the whole time. It’s like they know I’m their dad and I’ll always be there to protect them.”
Sheridan smiled. “Who would have ever thought that macho Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald would be such a sap when it came to his children?” She said teasing him.
“Oh Sheridan, you wound me.”
“You know I was just teasing. I always knew you would be a wonderful father.”
“I know, and I always knew you would be the perfect mother, even though you had your misgivings.”
“Thank you Luis,” she said leaning in and kissing him.
“Okay, no making out with the children present,” he said, teasing her. He looked down at Luke and smiled. “See Luke, your mother is kind of feisty and I have to constantly make her behave.”
“Don’t listen to your father Luke because he is really full of B.S, but I’ll explain what that means when you’re much, much older.”
Just then the phone rang. Since Sheridan was the closest she answered it. “Hello.”
“May I speak with Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald?” A feminine voice asked on the other end.
“This is she. How may I help you?”
“Oh this is wonderful. I’m so glad I caught you. My name is Stef Monroe. I’m an editor for Parker Publishing, and I’m assigned to your book. You did get the letter saying that I would be contacting you?”
“Yes, Ms. Monroe, I did get the letter, and I can’t tell you how excited I am that you decided to publish my book.”
“I’m so happy about your enthusiasm, because the powers that be are very anxious to get this project started as soon as possible. I think the book will be a huge success, and I can just see it now. We can contract one of the toy companies to produce Molly dolls, and then we’ll branch off to all her little friends. The marketing possibilities are endless, and I don’t have to tell you Sheridan, I hope I can call you Sheridan, that this could be a huge money maker for both you and Parker Publishing.”
“Wow,” Sheridan said, overwhelmed by everything Stef was saying. “What did you have in mind?”
“Well, we thought that you could fly to New York tomorrow, and me could meet and sign the contracts. The sooner we get that out of the way, the sooner we can get the ball rolling.”
“You want me to fly up there tomorrow? Isn’t that a little soon? I mean I have two-month-old twins and sometimes the logistics are a little difficult.”
“Oh congratulations. I didn’t realize you were a new mother, but I promise you that we only need you for a day, and then you can be back home with your precious little babies in time to put them to bed.”
“Well, I’ll have to discuss this with my husband. Can I get back with you later?”
“Of course, but you need to let me know as soon as possible, because as I said earlier, Parker Publishing is ready to move on this now.”
“I understand. Give me your number, and I’ll get back to you within the hour.” Sheridan got out a pad and pencil from the nightstand and jotted down her number and hung up the phone.
“So, what did she say?” Luis asked enthusiastically.
“Well, don’t ask me to repeat all of it because the woman was talking so fast, that I’m not sure I comprehended everything. The only thing I understood loud and clear was that they want me to fly up there tomorrow. God Luis, this is terrible.”
“Sheridan, why is this terrible? I think this is so exciting for you.”
“I know Luis, but I can’t just pick up and fly to New York on such short notice. I don’t want to leave my babies like that, and besides who will watch them while I’m gone?”
Luis had put the bottle down and was holding Luke against his shoulder patting his back. “Honey, the twins will be fine. In fact I have a great idea. I’ll fly up there with you, and I happen to know that mama has the day off tomorrow, and she’s been chomping at the bit to take care of her grandchildren.”
“I don’t know Luis. The babies have never been without at least one of us, and I don’t know how they’ll behave.”
“Come on Sheridan, surely you trust mama with them?”
“Of course I do, but what if we can’t get flights?”
“There are flights coming and going from New York all the time, and I don’t think we’ll have a problem getting a booking. You call your editor back and tell her we’re coming and I’ll get on the phone with the airline.”
“Wait a minute Luis. I have a better idea. I’ll call and find out if the Crane jet is available and if it is, I’ll fly us up there.”
Chapter 29
“Now that’s my idea of Flying the Friendly Skies, having my sexy wife pilot me to New York.”
“Yeah, well let me find out if the Crane jet is available before you get too excited, Sheridan said, rising off the bed with Lily in her arms. “Come on Lily; let’s put on that cute little outfit Aunt Ivy sent over.”
“That cute little outfit probably cost more than I make in one paycheck.” Luis was standing there in his boxers holding a little diaper clad Luke.
“So, why are you putting her in such a fancy outfit? She’ll probably end up spitting up on it,” Luis said, laughing.
“You forgot didn’t you? We’re supposed to get our first family portrait done today. I distinctly remember telling you the other night that I thought it would be a good time now that babies are more animated.”
“I do remember the conversation, but I don’t remember you telling me what day it would be. Maybe I blocked it out, knowing I wasn’t looking forward to it.”
Sheridan looked hurt. “I don’t understand why wouldn’t want us to have a family portrait.”
“I would love to have a family portrait; it’s just that I hate to pose for those things. Why don’t you get one done with just you and the twins?”
“Forget it Luis. You have to be in it, and I’m not taking no for an answer. Besides, this photographer is really good. She takes more casual poses, and does a lot of outside shots with flowers and trees in the background. I saw some of her work displayed at her studio, and I really think you’ll like her approach.”
“Of course I’ll be in the portrait. You should know that I can’t refuse you anything, but I am a little hurt though.”
“What do you mean, Luis?” Sheridan said, a look of concern on her face.
“I was just wondering if Luke and Lily are ever going to wear the little sailor outfits I bought for them?”
“Oh my God Luis, I’m so sorry. It seems like such a long time ago that you bought those outfits for the twins. At the time I put them on the top shelf of their closet thinking that I wouldn’t need them for a while.”
“That’s okay. I was just thinking that maybe you didn’t like them after all.”
“No Luis, I love them, and you know what? I think they would be perfect for the babies’ to wear for our portrait today.”
“Are you sure you’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”
“No Luis, I think they are adorable, and I wish I would have thought about putting them in those outfits myself. Why don’t you get the box down from the top shelf in the closet while I call Julian’s pilot to see if the Lear jet is available tomorrow?”
When Sheridan called Bobby, he told her that the Crane jet was grounded for repairs, so she asked him if the Cessna was available, and Bobby told her that Julian was taking it on a business trip the next day. When Luis came back into the room he saw a crestfallen Sheridan standing there staring at the phone.
“Honey, what’s the matter? You look like you just lost your best friend.”
“Bobby just told me that the Lear jet is not functioning right now, and when I asked him about our other plane, he said that Julian was scheduled to take it tomorrow.”
“Sheridan, it’s not the end of the world. I’ll call the airport to see if we can get a commercial flight.”
“Okay, do you think you can keep an eye on the babies while you do that, because we are going to be late for our appointment with the photographer if I don’t get in the shower soon?”
“No problem. I’ll just buckle them in their carriers while I call the airport.”
“Good, and then while I get ready, you can jump in the shower and then I can get the babies dressed. Oh, and don’t forget,” she said handing Lily to Luis. “You need to make sure we can get an early return flight so we can back here by early evening.”
“Sheridan, just go in there and get your shower, and I’ll take care of everything.”
“I knew there was a reason I married you,” she said, kissing him on the cheek, as she turned to rush into the bathroom.
Luis was able to schedule them for a 9:00 a.m. flight into JFK for the next morning, however there was a problem with the return flight. There was no availability on any return flights from JFK, La Guardia, or Newark until the next morning. He wasn’t sure that Sheridan was going to be too crazy about leaving the babies all night with mama, but what other choice did they have?”
Sheridan came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, and another towel on her head. “Okay Luis, it’s your turn,” she said sitting down at her dressing table to apply her makeup. “Were you able to get us booked on some flights?”
“Well………., yes but there wasn’t anything available for the return trip home. I’m afraid we’re going to have to spend the night in New York, and fly home the next morning.”
“Oh no Luis, that is simply not going to work. The babies are too young to be without us for a whole night.”
“Sheridan, I don’t think we have much choice in the matter, because believe me I tried everything. There are no flights available tomorrow evening, and besides, mama would be happy to keep Luke and Lily overnight.”
“I know that Luis, and I also know that she is probably more capable then me, but they are still my babies, and I can’t bear to leave them for that long when they are still so small.”
“Okay, it appears you’ve made up your mind, and I know better by now than to try and change it, so what do you want to do about you’re meeting with the publishers?”
“We are going to have to reschedule for when we can get a round trip ticket for the same day. Besides, I don’t see any reason that we can’t schedule in the next couple of days. These people can’t just expect a person to just drop everything and come running when they say jump. Hurry up and get into the shower, or we are going to be late. I’ll just try to call this Stef Monroe on the way to the photographer’s.”
Forty minutes later, Sheridan and Luis armed with babies and diaper bags were heading out the door when the phone rang. “Oh darn, I better grab that quick,” Sheridan said, picking up the phone. “Hello,” she said, out breath.
“Sheridan, this is Bobby. I just thought you would like to know that Mr. Crane changed his plans at the last minute, so if you still want to take the Cessna out tomorrow it’s yours.”
“Oh Bobby, that is wonderful news. I could just kiss you right now, and of course I want the Cessna. Look Bobby, I’m really running late so could you make the arrangements to have the plane checked and fueled tomorrow.”
“No problem Sheridan. The plane will be ready.”
Sheridan hung up the phone and told Luis the news. “That’s great, but we need to leave now, because you know how long it takes for us to get the babies and all our gear some place. Oh, and by the way, you’re not going to be kissing Bobby. I just thought I’d let you know that now.”
“Yes dear,” Sheridan said smiling, as she walked out the door.
********
The next morning Pilar arrived at Luis and Sheridan’s bright and early and she was one very excited grandmother. Luis answered the door and kissed her on the cheek, but Pilar barely acknowledged him. She immediately rushed over to the twins, who were sitting in their carriers, and bent down to kiss them both. “How are my sweet little grandbabies today?”
“Gee mama, you don’t seem very excited to be here,” Luis said, teasing her.
“I’m sorry Luis. It’s just that I have been so excited about watching Luke and Lily today, I could barely sleep last night.”
“I’m wondering if you’re going to feel the same way at the end of the day? These two little sweethearts can be very demanding at times. Believe me, I‘ve had first hand experience.”
“Nonsense, Teresita was only one year old, and still in diapers when Miguel was born. I’m used to taking care of two babies at once. Besides, I have a feeling my grandchildren and I are going to have a lovely day.”
“Well, if you say so.........,” Luis said, not totally convinced.
“I can tell by your tone that you are not convinced. Don’t you know that children always behave for everyone but their parents?” Pilar said, picking Lily up and kissing the top of her head. “Oh Lily, you are such a beautiful little girl. How would you like to spend the day with your abuela?”
“She is very excited,” Sheridan said, breezing down the steps adjusting her earring. “Good morning Pilar. Are you sure you’re up for this today?”
“Oh I am very ready. I have been looking forward to this ever since you called me yesterday.”
“Are you wearing that?” Luis said, taking in Sheridan’s stylish, but conservative black suit. The skirt was straight and stopped at her knees, and the double-breasted jacket reached mid-thigh.
“Why, is something wrong with this suit? Maybe I should go upstairs and change.”
“No, you look fantastic, but I was just wondering how you were going to fly the plane dressed like that.”
“Luis, if I can drive a car like this, then I can certainly fly a plane. Besides, I want to make sure I look professional. People’s first impression of you sets the standard for the way they will interact with you in the future.”
“Well, you’re the public relations expert, so I’ll trust you’re judgment. I think we should get moving though. I thought you wanted to get in the air by nine?”
When Luis mentioned leaving, Sheridan’s whole demeanor changed. She looked at her babies, and her eyes welled up with tears. She had been dreading this moment since she first found out she had to go to New York. She knew that she was overreacting, because she trusted that Pilar would take especially good care of them, but her separation anxiety was getting the best of her. It was one thing to be in town at the spa, and within driving distance, if there was an emergency, but to be out of state was a different story. She was this close to calling the whole thing off and telling Luis she didn’t want to go, but she knew that it was important to take this step to make it through this panic she was feeling.
Sheridan and Luis said their good byes to their babies, smothering them with kisses and hugs. Pilar just smiled when Sheridan went through the list of emergency numbers, as well as instructions on feeding Ace and making sure he was let outside to do his business. She remembered her anxiety the first time she had to leave Antonio when it was necessary for her and Martin to go to Boston overnight when Martin’s cousin died. That first time leaving your child with someone other than a parent was a difficult thing and it was usually the parent that had the harder time and not the child.
As they drove away, Luis saw Sheridan turn back and look at the house one more time. He could see her eyes start to water, and he reached over and took her hand in his. She looked over at him, and gave him a thankful smile. “I know you must think I’m being so silly, but I just can’t seem to help myself. You would think that I was going to be separated from them for a week instead of a day.”
“I don’t think you’re being silly at all. In fact I’m on the verge of tears myself, and I can feel a little knot starting to form in my stomach.”
“Well, I’m just going to keep telling myself that they couldn’t be in better hands, and we’ll be able to see them this evening. So, with that in mind I’ve decided I’m not going to stress out about it any more,” she said, trying to convince herself.
“I think that’s a good plan, but maybe we should give mama a call right before we take off.” When Sheridan gave him a knowing smile, he got defensive. “I just want to make sure that she doesn’t have any last minute questions.”
“Yeah, I think that would probably be a wise decision,” she said trying to humor him. They both looked at each other and started laughing. “Can you say neurotic parents in training,” Sheridan said giggling.
********
Why didn’t the imbecile call? He had expected to hear from his accomplice an hour ago. He had never anticipated that they would be able to pull this off so quickly, but when he had overheard that Julian was taking a business trip today, it was just too perfect of an opportunity not take advantage of. Trying to curb his impatience, he opened his briefcase, and pulled out some contracts for a current business deal he was working on. If everything went as planned, he would make millions off of this deal, and his empire would be bigger than the Crane’s. They all thought he was a fool, and he couldn’t wait to squash them all like grapes. His cell phone ringing interrupted his musings, and he answered to hear the person’s voice that was either going to make his day, or send him into a rampage of maximum proportions. Not wanting to be overheard, he pressed the button that closed the window separating him from his driver. “So, did you get the job done?”
“Oh yes. It was beautiful, and everything went like clockwork. By the end of the day Julian Crane will be on his way to hell to meet up with his bastard father.”
“Perfect. Did anyone see you?”
“No, it was a piece of cake. I dressed up in one of those airport mechanic jumpsuits, and nobody even questioned me.”
“Are you sure this is foolproof? I don’t want anything to happen to botch this up.”
“Oh, I’m sure. I wedged a glass vial full of acid between the fuselage and the fuel line. Once the engine’s started, the vibration will eventually break the glass, and the acid will began to eat away at the fuel line. I would say that by the time old Jules is over the mountains, him and his pilot will find themselves in a pretty sticky situation,” he said laughing.
“How can you be sure they won’t be able to make an emergency landing somewhere?”
“There’s no place in those mountains to land a plane. The foliage is so dense, that there is nothing but a sea of green.”
“Good,” he said, smiling evilly. “It looks like tonight we will have cause for much celebration.”
“I trust I will be well taken care of for all my trouble today?”
“Just remember that you have just as much to gain as I do. But.........., if everything goes according to plan you will be rewarded very handsomely,” he said hanging up the phone.
It was such a rush thinking about Julian Crane finally getting what he deserves. It was just too bad that a perfectly good Lear jet had to be destroyed in the process,” he said with a smug smile.
********
Luis ran through the checklist as Sheridan checked all the instruments and gauges on the control panel to make sure everything was functioning properly. When the checklist was completed, and she was sure everything was okay, she pulled the plane out onto the runway, and waited for the tower to clear her for takeoff. When they were finally up in the air, Luis sat back and enjoyed the scenery.
Sheridan looked over and saw him gazing out the window. “So Luis, what do you plan on doing in New York while I’m at my meeting?”
“I don’t know. This is my first trip to New York, so I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Sheridan said excitedly. “I forgot that you’ve never been to the Big Apple. I wish I could be the one to show you the city, but I’ll be busy with the publishers. It can be mind boggling for a person that doesn’t know the city, but I would be happy to suggest a few places to go.”
“So, tell me about it,” Luis said looking over at her beautiful profile.
“You are not going to believe the view of the skyline when we fly into the city. There are skyscrapers that seem to go for miles, and the Statue of Liberty in the harbor is something that always gives me chills because it represents a symbol of what this country is about. There is the Empire State Building, or Central Park, and the art galleries in Soho and Tribeca are some of my favorite places to go. You have to go to Wall Street, because the street is really narrow, but it’s lined with tall skyscrapers, and it makes you feel as if you’re in this huge cement tunnel. And then there’s Times Square………”
“Whoa, slow down honey. We’re only going to be there for a few hours. I don’t think I’m going to have enough time to see all that,” he said, smiling at her enthusiasm.
Sheridan laughed. “I guess I am going a little overboard. I think we should make this trip again when Luke and Lily are older, and we can spend some more time. I would love for Father Anthony to meet the children.”
“I would like that too, and I’m sure Luke and Lily would love a little side trip to FOA Schwartz to check out all the toys.”
“Yeah, I’m sure they would love that.” Sheridan suddenly seemed very far away. “You know Luis; I’m so glad that the photographer was kind enough to rush our proofs from yesterday. She said that she would have a messenger bring them over to the house today, so we should be able to see them when we get home tonight.”
“As much as I was dreading that little photo session, I actually had fun. Did you notice what a little ham Peanut was? But Luke was cracking me up, because every time the photographer tried to make baby noises at him to get him smile, he had this look on his face like he would have preferred to spit up on her,” Luis said, laughing out loud.
“Okay, I should have never brought up the subject of our children because I am starting to stress out, so I’m going to change the subject before I turn into a blithering idiot.”
“So, what do you want to talk about?”
“Well, for starters you really need to check out the view. Look over here to the left, and you can see the eastern ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. Have you ever seen so many trees? It really is a beautiful site.”
“Yes, it certainly is beautiful.”
Sheridan could see from her peripheral vision that Luis wasn’t looking at the view at all, but at her. “Luis,” she said smiling. “You’re supposed to be looking out the window.”
“I would much rather look at you than a bunch of old trees,” he said, putting his hand on her leg.
“Down boy,” she said, laughing. “We are not exactly in the position to be doing anything about it if you get me all worked up.”
Luis pushed her skirt up, and ran his fingers up her inner thigh. “I’ve always wanted to be a member of the mile-high club. We’re usually very industrious, so why don’t we think of a way to make that happen?”
“Oh my God! No, this can’t happen.”
“A simple no would have been sufficient...........”
“No Luis, that’s not what I was talking about. We’re losing fuel, and by the look of the fuel gauge we are almost on empty.”
“What are you talking about? I thought they fueled up the plane right before we left. We couldn’t have used that much in the amount of time we’ve been in the air.”
“I know; none of this makes sense. There has to be a leak in the fuel line or the tank to be losing it at this rate. I don’t think we have enough to turn around and go back.”
“Can’t you make an emergency landing someplace?” Luis said, starting to panic.
Sheridan scanned the area below them and answered him in a shaky voice. “There’s nothing down there but a solid wall of trees. We would crash for sure.”
She knew that she needed to calm down and think of a way out of this hopeless situation, but fear was overtaking her. “Oh God, Luis we’re never going to see our babies again.”
“I promise you Sheridan; we will see our babies again.”
********
Pilar had the babies settled and happy, and she decided to sit down and look at the proofs the messenger had delivered earlier. She pulled them out of the envelope, and smiled with delight when she saw the picture on top. It was all four of them sitting on the grass in front of a clump of flowering bushes. It looked like they had just stopped to have a picnic, and somebody decided to snap their picture. She was flipping through the rest of the pictures when suddenly she a heard car drive up. Ace started barking, and she stood up, and started walking to the door.
“I think your mama and papa are home. I bet they are going to be so excited to see you.” When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Sam and Grace standing there.
“Sam, Grace I’m surprised to see you. I thought you were Luis and Sheridan.” She had a bad feeling when she saw the looks on their faces. “What is it Sam?” she said, feeling the panic filling her.
“Look Pilar, maybe it would be a good idea if you sat down right now,” Sam said in a concerned voice.
“No Sam, I want you to tell me why you are here.”
“I’m afraid I have bad news. I received a call from the State Police a little while ago. It appears the FAA called them and said that the tower received a distress call from Sheridan not more then a half-hour after they had taken off this morning. They managed to track the plane, but it dropped off the radar, and they haven’t been able to locate them since then.”
“O dios Mio,” Pilar said, shaking like a leaf. “How can this be Sam? Sheridan is an experienced pilot, and I refuse to believe that something happened to them.”
“Come on Pilar,” Grace said, putting her arm around Pilar, and leading her over to the sofa. I was there when Sam got the call and I knew you were here alone with the babies so I wanted to help. Come and sit down and we’ll pray together for their safe return.”
Frozen with shock, Pilar sat down on the sofa, and noticed the picture of Luis, Sheridan and the babies sitting on the coffee table. She picked it up, and ran her finger over their smiling faces, and then collapsed in Grace’s arms sobbing her heart out.