Risky Business (22 page)

“Yes.” Liz kissed one cheek, then the other. “Welcome home.”

With her hand firmly in Faith's, Liz rose to greet her parents. For a moment she just looked at them, trying to see them as a stranger would. Her father was tall and still slim, though his hairline was creeping back. He was grinning at her the way he had whenever she'd done something particularly pleasing to him. Her mother stood beside him, lovely in her tidy way. She looked now, as she'd always looked to Liz, like a woman who'd never had to handle a crisis more stressful than a burned roast. Yet she'd been as solid and as sturdy as a rock. There were tears in her eyes. Liz wondered abruptly if the beginning of the summer left her mother as empty as the end of the summer left her.

“Momma.” Liz reached out and was surrounded. “Oh, I've missed you. I've missed you all so much.”
I want to go home.
The thought surged up inside her and nearly poured out. She needed to go home.

“Mom.” Faith tugged on the pocket of her jeans. “Mom.”

Giddy, Liz turned and scooped her up. “Yes.” She covered her face with kisses until Faith giggled. “Yes, yes, yes!”

Faith snuggled in. “You have to say hello to Jonas.”

“What?”

“He came with us. You have to say hi.”

“I don't—” Then she saw him, leaning against the window, watching—waiting patiently. The blood rushed out of her head to her heart until she was certain something would burst. Holding onto Faith, Liz stood where she was. Jonas walked to her, took her face in both hands and kissed her hard.

“Nice to see you,” he murmured, then bent down to pick up the bags Liz had dropped. “I imagine these are for you,” he said as he handed Liz's mother the flowers.

“Yes.” Liz tried to gather the thoughts stumbling through her mind. “I forgot.”

“They're lovely.” She sent her daughter a smile. “Jonas is going to drive us to the hotel. I invited him to dinner tonight. I hope you don't mind. You always make enough.”

“No, I… Of course.”

“We'll see you then.” She gave Liz another brief kiss. “I know you want to get Faith home and have some time together. We'll see you tonight.”

“But I—”

“Our bags are here. We're going to deal with customs.”

Before Liz could say another word, she was alone with her daughter.

“Can we stop by and see Señor Pessado?”

“Yes,” Liz said absently.

“Can I have some candy?”

Liz glanced down to the chocolate stain on Faith's blouse. “You've already had some.”

Faith just smiled. She knew she could depend on Señor Pessado. “Let's go home now.”

 

Liz waited until Faith was unpacked, until the crystal bird Faith had bought her was hanging in the window and her daughter had consumed two tacos and a pint of milk.

“Faith…” She wanted her voice to be casual. “When did you meet Mr. Sharpe?”

“Jonas? He came to Grandma's house.” Faith turned the doll Liz had brought her this way and that for inspection.

“To Grandma's? When?”

“I don't know.” She decided to call the doll Cassandra because it was pretty and had long hair. “Can I have my ice cream now?”

“Oh—yes.” Liz walked over to get it out of the freezer. “Faith, do you know why he went to Grandma's?”

“He wanted to talk to her, I guess. To Grandpa, too. He stayed for dinner. I knew Grandma liked him because she made cherry pies. I liked him, too. He can play the piano really good.” Faith eyed the ice cream and was satisfied when her mother added another scoop. “He took me to the zoo.”

“What?” The bowl nearly slipped out of Liz's hand as she set it down. “Jonas took you to the zoo?”

“Last Saturday. We fed popcorn to the monkeys, but mostly we ate it.” She giggled as she shoveled in ice cream. “He tells funny stories. I scraped my knee.” Remembering suddenly, Faith pulled up her slacks to show off her wound.

“Oh, baby.” It was small and already scabbed over, but Liz brushed a kiss over it anyway. “How'd you do this?”

“At the zoo. I was running. I can run really fast in my new sneakers, but I fell down. I didn't cry.”

Liz rolled the slacks down. “I'm sure you didn't.”

“Jonas didn't get mad or anything. He cleaned it all up with his handkerchief. It was pretty messy. I bled a lot.” She smiled at that, pleased with herself. “He said I have pretty eyes just like you.”

A little thrill of panic raced through her, but she couldn't stop herself. “Did he? What else did he say?”

“Oh, we talked about Mexico and about Houston. He wondered which I liked best.”

Liz rested her hands on her daughter's knees. This is what matters, she realized. This was all that really mattered. “What did you tell him?”

“I like it best where you are.” She scraped the bottom of the bowl. “He said he liked it best there, too. Is he going to be your boyfriend?”

“My—” Liz managed, just barely, to suppress the laugh. “No.”

“Charlene's mother has a boyfriend, but he isn't as tall as Jonas and I don't think he ever took Charlene to the zoo. Jonas said sometime maybe we could go see the Liberty Bell. Do you think we can?”

Liz picked up the ice cream dish and began to wash it. “We'll see,” she muttered.

“Listen, someone's coming.” Faith was up like a shot and dashing for the front door. “It's Jonas!” With a whoop, she was out of the door and running full steam.

“Faith!” Liz hurried from the kitchen and reached the porch in time to see Faith hurl herself at Jonas. With a laugh, he caught her, tossed her in the air then set her down again in a move so natural that it seemed he'd been doing so all his life. Liz knotted the dishcloth in her hands.

“You came early.” Pleased, Faith hung on to his hand. “We were talking about you.”

“Were you?” He tousled Faith's hair but looked up at Liz. “That's funny, because I was thinking about you.”

“We're going to make paella because that's what Grandpa likes best. You can help.”

“Faith—”

“Love to,” Jonas interrupted. “After I talk to your mother.” At the foot of the stairs he crouched down to Faith's level. “I'd really like to talk to your mom alone.”

Faith's mouth screwed up. “Why?”

“I have to convince her to marry me.”

He ignored Liz's gasp and watched for Faith's reaction. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth pursed. “She said you weren't her boyfriend. I asked.”

He grinned and leaned closer. “I just have to talk her into it.”

“Grandma says nobody can ever talk my mom into anything. She has a hard head.”

“So do I, and I make a living talking people into things. But maybe you could put in a few good words for me later.”

As Faith considered, her eyes brightened. “Okay. Mom, can I see if Roberto's home? You said he had new puppies.”

Liz stretched out the cloth then balled it again. “Go ahead, but just for a little while.”

Jonas straightened as he watched Faith race toward the house across the street. “You've done an excellent job with your daughter, Elizabeth.”

“She's done a great deal of it herself.”

He turned and saw the nerves on her face. It didn't displease him. But he remembered the way she'd looked when she had opened her arms to Faith at the airport. He wanted, he would, see her look that way again. “Do you want to talk inside?” he began as he walked up the steps. “Or right here?”

“Jonas, I don't know why you've come back, but—”

“Of course you know why I've come back. You're not stupid.”

“We don't have anything to talk about.”

“Fine.” He closed the distance quickly. She didn't resist, though she told herself she would. When he dragged her against him, she went without hesitation. Her mouth locked hungrily to his, and for a moment, just for a moment, the world was right again. “If you don't want to talk, we'll go inside and make love until you see things a little more clearly.”

“I see things clearly.” Liz put her hands on his arms and started to draw away.

“I love you.”

He felt the shudder, saw the flash of joy in her eyes before she looked away. “Jonas, this isn't possible.”

“Wrong. It's entirely possible—in fact, it's already done. The point is, Liz, you need me.”

Her eyes narrowed to slits. “What I need I take care of.”

“That's why I love you,” he said simply and took the wind out of her sails.

“Jonas—”

“Are you going to tell me you haven't missed me?” She opened her mouth, then shut it again. “Okay, so you take the Fifth on that one.” He stepped back from her. “Are you going to deny that you've spent some sleepless nights in the past couple of weeks, that you've thought about what happened between us? Are you going to stand here and look at me now and tell me you're not in love with me?”

She'd never been able to lie well. Liz turned and meticulously spread the dishcloth over the porch rail. “Jonas, I can't run my life on my feelings.”

“From now on you can. Did you like the present Faith brought you?”

“What?” Confused, she turned back. “Yes, of course I did.”

“Good. I brought you one too.” He took a box out of his pocket. Liz saw the flash of diamond and nearly had her hand behind her back before he caught it in his. Firmly, he slipped the ring on. “It's official.”

She wouldn't even look at it. She couldn't stop herself. The diamond was shaped in a teardrop and as white and glossy as a wish. “You're being ridiculous,” she told him, but couldn't make herself take it off.

“You're going to marry me.” He took her shoulders and leaned her back against a post. “That's not negotiable. After
that, we have several options. I can give up my practice and live in Cozumel. You can support me.”

She let out a quick breath that might have been a laugh. “Now you're really being ridiculous.”

“You don't like that one. Good, I didn't care for it either. You can come back to Philadelphia with me. I'll support you.”

Her chin went up. “I don't need to be supported.”

“Excellent. We agree on the first two options.” He ran his hands through her hair and discovered he wasn't feeling as patient as he'd thought he would. “Now, you can come back to the States. We'll take a map and you can close your eyes and pick a spot. That's where we'll live.”

“We can't run our lives this way.” She pushed him aside to walk down the length of the porch and back. But part of her was beginning to believe they could. “Don't you see how impossible it is?” she demanded as much of herself as of him. “You have your career. I have my business. I'd never be a proper wife for someone like you.”

“You're the only wife for someone like me.” He grabbed her shoulders again. No, he wasn't feeling patient at all. “Damn it, Liz, you're the only one. If the business is important to you, keep it. Have Luis run it. We can come back a half a dozen times a year if you want. Start another business. We'll go to Florida, to California, anywhere you want where they need a good dive shop. Or…” He waited until he was sure he had her full attention. “You could go back to school.”

He saw it in her eyes—the surprise, the dream, then the denial. “That's over.”

“The hell it is. Look at you—it's what you want. Keep the shop, build another, build ten others, but give yourself something for yourself.”

“It's been more than ten years.”

He lifted a brow. “You said once you wouldn't change anything.”

“And I meant it, but to go back now, after all this time.”

“Afraid?”

Her eyes narrowed; her spine stiffened. “Yes.”

He laughed, delighted with her. “Woman, in the past few weeks, you've been through hell and out again. And you're afraid of a few college courses?”

With a sigh, she turned away. “I might not be able to make it.”

“So what?” He whirled her back again. “So you fall flat on your face. I'll be right there falling down with you. It's time for risking, Liz. For both of us.”

“Oh, I want to believe you.” She lifted a hand to rest it on his face. “I want to. I do love you, Jonas. So much.”

She was locked against him again, lost in him. “I need you, Liz. I'm not going back without you.”

She clung to him a moment, almost ready to believe. “But it's not just me. You have to understand I can't do whatever I'd like.”

“Faith?” He drew her back again. “I've spent the past weeks getting to know her. My main objective when I started was to ingratiate myself. I figured the only way to get to you was through her.”

So she'd already surmised. “Afternoons at the zoo?”

“That's right. Thing was, I didn't know she was as easy to fall for as her mother. I want her.”

The hand Liz had lifted to her hair froze. “I don't understand.”

“I want her to be mine—legally, emotionally. I want you to agree to let me adopt her.”

“Adopt…” Whatever she might have expected from him, it hadn't been this. “But she's—”

“Yours?” he interrupted. “No, she's going to be ours. You're
going to have to share her. And if you're set on her going to school in Houston, we'll live in Houston. Within the year I expect she should have a brother or sister because she needs family as much as we do.”

He was offering her everything, everything she'd ever wanted and had refused to believe in. She had only to hold out her hand. The idea terrified her. “She's another man's child. How will you be able to forget that?”

“She's your child,” he reminded her. “You told me yourself she was your child only. Now she's going to be mine.” Taking her hands, he kissed them. “So are you.”