Greater Than Rubies, a Novella inspired by the Jewel Trilogy (9 page)

“Well, that’s okay,” she said. “I’m stuck, too, and am just going to go to Tony’s. Take the Charlie to Tony’s apartment. The two of us can just stay in your room tonight. Your bed’s set up, and you have a couch in there, too.” Tony nodded and Robin finished the call. “You know which stop to take? Oh, that’s right. You met the decorator there. Okay. Good. I’ll see you as soon as you get there.” She hung up and turned her head to him. “She’s been working at the hospital. There’s no way she can drive home, either.”

“It’s just two stops up from my place,” he said. “I’ll call the guard in case she beats us there.” While he placed the call, he realized that ninety percent of him was thankful Sarah would be spending the night as well. But he also admitted that there was that ten percent that fought the constant temptation of knowing that Robin would certainly be his wife, so why continue to deny themselves the fulfillment of pushing their physical relationship forward? Knowing she was sleeping in his apartment, he didn’t know if he had the strength to battle that. Sarah’s arrival was certainly an answer to prayer.

“This,” he said before turning off the car and waving at the falling driven snow outside, “this is why I live in Florida in the winter.”

He looked over his shoulder at Derrick, who was adjusting his hat. “That’s a good idea, man. Let’s go to Florida.”

Tony laughed. “I think we will. We can leave Tuesday. I think a week or two will warm our bones nicely.”

Derrick stopped moving. “Seriously?”

“Of course. I have a ton of work waiting for me down there, so it will be good to go. You’ll like my house there. It’s right on the beach with a pool. You can vacation before starting your new job at the hotel.”

Robin glared at him before her face cracked a smile and laughter bubbled past the feigned seriousness. “You’re just mean.”

“One day soon, cara, you will be free to come and go with me as well. I look forward to it.” He put his hand on the door handle. “Ready?”

OBIN
met the elevator, relieved to see Sarah step off. “I’ve been worried!” She said, hugging her sister.

“I missed the train and had to wait for the next one,” Sarah said, pulling her coat off and hanging it on the stand next to the door. She held up her overnight bag. “It was a long wait and my phone died right when we hung up. I’d planned on going to mom and dad’s tonight, thankfully, so I have a bag packed.”

“Did you find someone to take your Sunday School class?”

“Yep. All set. I’ll just go with you in the morning since we can ride the train.

Robin’s phone rang in her hand. “Hey Maxi. She just got here.” Sarah rolled her eyes at her older sister’s display of what she considered over-protectiveness. She made a drinking motion with her hand and headed toward the kitchen

On the other end, Maxine said. “Okay, good. Glad you’re all safe. If the roads are clear, I’ll bring you clothes in the morning. If not, I’ll see you at church.”

Robin disconnected the call and stepped down into the living room. She gestured at the doorway toward the kitchen. “I guess I should have warned her Derrick was in there.”

“I guess she’ll find out soon enough,” Tony said, typing on his phone. “Did you get settled into Sarah’s room okay?”

Robin curled up on the couch next to him. “I did. I’m so glad you’re not thousands of miles away and that we were together tonight. She would have been stuck.”

Tony put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. “This will be her home, too. You two will soon think of it that way. You could have come here whether I was home or not.”

Robin linked her fingers with his, pulling his arm closer around her. “We could go ahead and skip this whole event of the year, thing, and just get married. Then I could move in now.”

“You’re not getting out of it that easy,” he said, setting his phone on the couch next to him. “But, nice try, to tempt me like that.”

She smiled up at him and stared into his eyes. “Tempted, eh?”

His smiled faded and his eyes grew serious. Robin felt her heart rate accelerate. “Like you wouldn’t believe,” he admitted softly, running a finger down her cheek.

“Disgusting!” Sarah said, storming into the room.

Tony frowned and lifted his head. Robin settled more comfortably against him. “I beg your pardon?” she asked.

Sarah pointed in the general direction of the kitchen. “That boy in there is disgusting. And crude.”

The dining room door swung open, and Derrick came through, wearing cotton pajama pants and a white T-shirt, holding a large tuna fish sandwich in one hand and a big glass of chocolate milk in the other. “You want to watch the game?” He asked Tony as he sat on the couch next to Robin.

“Sure,” Tony said. He gestured at the coffee table. “The television remote is the black one.”

“Seriously?” Sarah said, crossing her arms. “You’re just going to let him eat that in here?”

“I wasn’t rude. I offered her some,” Derrick said around a bite of tuna. He chewed and swallowed. “But she
certainly
did
not
want any.” He emphasized certainly and not to sound haughty.

Robin giggled and Sarah rolled her eyes. “I’m going to bed. I’ve had a long day. Goodnight.”

OBIN
opened the door to Sarah’s room and stopped short when she found her on the couch, reading a book. “Hey,” she said, coming all the way into the room and sitting next to her, setting the T-shirt and shorts Tony had loaned her on the cushion next to her. “I thought you were tired an hour ago.”

“I wasn’t, but I just didn’t want to stay in there with him and watch that silly basketball show.”

Robin raised an eyebrow. “With Tony?”

Sarah sighed. “Of course not. I love Tony.”

“So, Derrick then?”

“Yeah. Something about him irritates me. Maybe it’s just the smell of that canned fish he’s devouring.” Sarah’s eyebrows scrunched down behind her glasses, clearly perturbed.

“You must have just gotten off on the wrong foot. He’s really nice.”

Sarah put her book down and took off her glasses, then stretched. “I’ll take your word for it.” She looked around at the big, nicely furnished room. “It’s crazy to think that this will be our home soon, isn’t it?”

Robin nodded. “I’m having a hard time coming to grips with it myself. I don’t know how it happened.”

Sarah leaned over and hugged her. “Because you’re wonderful and you deserve happiness a thousand times over.”

“I don’t deserve anything more than anyone else.” Robin put her hands on the side of her head. “Look at this place. Your bedroom suite is the size of our entire apartment. How do I be a wife in this home?”

“You just learn how.” Sarah frowned. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“It feels so right with Tony when we’re at the O’Farrell’s house or our apartment. Nothing seems out of place.” Robin waved her hand. “It’s okay. I’m just stressing out loud. Don’t worry about it.”

“If you’re sure. I know that weddings are extremely stressful, even when you’re not marrying Boston royalty. It will get better, I just know it. You and Tony were meant to be.” Sarah stood. “I’m going to go to bed for real this time. Are you sleeping out here or in there with me?”

“With you, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t mind.”

Robin felt a pang of remembrance. “You used to sleep with me all the time,” she said, running her hand over her sister’s curly hair. “I was six when you came home from the hospital. But, you didn’t have a bed, so Maxi slept on the floor and you slept next to me. Your dad would always kiss you on the forehead. I remember him. I remember he was really nice. He was just kind of, you know, not very smart I guess. I remember I’d get up at night and feed you and he would come in and sing heavy metal songs like lullabies.”

Sarah’s eyes filled with tears. “I wish I could remember.”

Robin felt a cold shudder go through her. “No, you don’t. You don’t ever want to remember.”

AXINE
opened the double door refrigerator and found the platter of sandwiches Tony said she would find there. Underneath, she found a container of potato salad and another one of cole slaw.