The Amber Stone (24 page)

Teresa continued to stare at him, dumbstruck.

“I know I have to win over your family, but I’ll make that my mission.” When she still didn’t speak, he said, “Please say something, my heart is beating so fast I can hardly breathe.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Three questions.”

“Only three?”

“I can make it two.”

“And I can say n—”

He pressed a finger against her lips. “Okay, ask away.”

“How do you make your living?”

“I had a lucrative medical practice and invested wisely. I also have other business assets.”

“Do you want children?”

His voice caught. “Yes, some day.”

“Will your family like me?”

“I don’t care.”

She shifted her gaze to the shop, unable to hold his gaze her heart dancing with joy, but her head conflicted at the same time. “Both of our families will think we’re crazy.”

“Only because they don’t know we were meant to be together, but you knew that from the beginning.” He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you that first day,” he said in a low voice, the hair of his beard brushing against her cheek. “Will you forgive me and marry me anyway?”

She turned in the circle of his arms and met his gaze. “Yes.”

***

They only had to wait forty-eight hours for their marriage license, then decided to marry in secret with Bertha as their only witness. She was initially against the idea.

“You should tell your sisters,” Bertha said when Teresa approached her with their plans as they shopped for items in The Crabapple.

“I just want to enjoy this,” Teresa said. “The outing with Louisa was such a disaster and I want my wedding day to be special.”

“Did you ever consider that your sisters may be right about Louisa?”

Teresa grabbed a carton of coconut milk and put it in her basket. “I don’t know why everyone is against her.”

“And that’s a sign.”

“What?”

Bertha shook her head and looked at Teresa with pity. “You’re so busy seeing Louisa’s pain, you don’t see the pain she causes.” She held up her hand. “I will be a witness to your marriage; I just hope you don’t regret it.”

But Teresa was in heaven on her wedding day. After the brief ceremony, Teresa moved in with Sean, telling Louisa and Darren she was staying with friends
.

Sean carried her bags to their bedroom. When she stepped into the room, the late afternoon sun filtering through the blinds, she noticed the bed now had two pillows; then she saw the red silk nightgown.

She rushed over and lifted it off the bed. “It’s gorgeous.” She turned to him. “But I didn’t get you anything.”

He grinned. “Put it on tonight and I’ll be a happy man.”

***

“I made dinner,” Sean said after Teresa had put her things away and joined him in the kitchen. It had light wood cabinets and dark flooring. The stove was yellow, as was the refrigerator and looked like they would fit in perfectly in a 50s kitchen. She’d get them replaced.

Teresa grinned. “Ooh…my husband can cook.”

“I prepared some stew for dinner,” he said, unable to hide his pleasure at her calling him ‘husband’ as he opened the fridge. “I just need to heat this up.” He put the pot on the stove while Teresa sat down at the wooden table. She rested her arms on the table and the salt and pepper slid to one side. She lifted her arms and they slid back in place.

“The table’s a bit unsteady,” he said.

“So I’ve noticed.”

She saw a piece of paper off to the side, folded it and slid it under the short leg then watched him at the stove. She had never imagined him as a cook, yet he seemed comfortable gathering all the ingredients for his stew.

“You can get dishes from up there.” He pointed to a cabinet behind her.

She opened the cabinet and found six green plates, six bowls and six glasses. They all looked brand new. Unfortunately, they sat on a shelf she could not reach.

“Need help?” Sean asked smugly.

“No,” she said, pushing a chair next to the counter. She climbed on the chair and retrieved the dishes, placing the rest on a lower shelf she could easily get to. She returned the chair, set the utensils on table and then sat down. Sean brought over the pot, and even that looked new. She guessed he’d gone shopping.

He picked up her bowl and ladled a healthy serving of stew. It smelled delicious, but when Teresa looked down, she grimaced. The stew was a clear brown liquid, resembling dirty water with chunks of meat and vegetables in it.

She picked up her spoon then paused, watching him cut a loaf of Jamaican hardo bread, a white bread that’s slightly sweet. “Did you make this stew horrible on purpose just so that I would cook?”

He went to the fridge and pulled out the butter and put it on the table, looking offended. “This is the best dish I make.”

She failed to cover a grin. “Oh, sorry.”

He sat down and grunted.

She took a small sip, letting the stew rest in her mouth a while then swallowed. In spite of its appearance, it tasted remarkably good—warm, solid, surprising like its creator.

He grinned. “It tastes even better when you dip the bread in it,” he said.

“Hmm, this is delicious. I owe you a big apology.”

“That’s what happens when you judge things solely based on appearances.”

Teresa broke off a piece of bread and dipped it in the stew. “Lesson learned, professor.” She winked at him. “Anything else you want to teach me?”

“I have a lifetime to do so.”

After dinner, Sean gave her a full tour of the house. To her relief he was very lenient with whatever changes she wanted to make to the house.

He had more land than she’d imagined. He pointed in the distance to a couple of small houses. “I own those too and the tenants pay me rent.”

Teresa was impressed. “Another income stream?”

He shrugged then knelt down to grasp a clump of soil. “I know you love to garden.” He let the soil fall through his fingers. “You can grow whatever you like. I’m sure nothing will die here.”

She looked at the vast property full of potential, her mind already thinking of the many plants she could grow, for a moment wishing her parents could be there to see it. She took Sean’s hand in hers. “You don’t know how happy this makes me.”

A sexy grin spread on his face and he gently tugged her back inside the house. “You can always show me.”

***

She was in The Crabapple looking at large aloe vera stalks when someone bumped into her, which wasn’t uncommon in the small aisles, so she apologized without looking up.

“Do you think my wife will like this?” the man said with a hint of a Spanish accent as he looked at a bottle of hot sauce.

She turned and saw an incredibly good looking, light-skinned man wearing dark sunglasses who looked completely out of place in the tiny shop. He looked like a Bedford resident or a tourist who’d lost his way, with his clean-shaven face, short-cropped haircut, khaki pants, pressed red shirt and expensive Italian shoes. Behind him she saw Camille Faulkner giving him a once-over and couldn’t blame her.

“If she likes a kick with her meals,” Teresa said, “she’ll devour it.”

He glanced at her basket loaded with hardo bread, guava jelly and other items. “You certainly know what you’re doing.”

“I’m cooking something special for my husband. Blue cheese and herb butter on crusty bread, and later sorrel sauce with white fish, and pasta followed by a mango sorbet.”

The man licked his lips. “Wish there was a place I could buy that. Sounds delicious.”

Teresa grabbed a jar of ginger sesame seed sauce. “Put this on chicken or salmon and you’ll cook like a chef.”

“Thanks,” the man said, then turned down another aisle.

She caught up with him again while leaving the store and saw him walking towards an old truck. “You drive that?” she asked, surprised by the contrast.

“Yes,” he said pulling out his keys.

“You know that’s amazing. It looks just like Priscilla. My husband’s—” Her eyes widened as she put the pieces together—the build was the same, even some of the movements, but she’d been thrown off by the accent and the hair. She spun around and gaped at him. “No.”

Sean’s face split into a wide grinned. “Yes.”

Teresa playfully hit him on the arm. “Why did you trick me?”

He laughed and pushed his sunglasses to his head. “Because it was fun.”

“What happened to you?”

“I thought I’d go for a haircut.”

“But you don’t look like yourself,” she said, letting her gaze trail the length of him. “And those clothes.”

“Business.”

She walked around him. “I don’t believe it. You look a little scary.”

“Scary?”

“Like you don’t belong here. You look like you should be driving a sports car, wearing a gold watch with a hot babe by your side.”

He kissed her. “I’ve already got the hot babe. The rest I don’t need. I’ll meet you at home.”

Teresa stamped her foot like a frustrated five year old. “And now you know all about my surprise.”

“Don’t worry,” he said, getting into his truck. “I’ll pretend I didn’t know.”

And he pretended well, but Teresa still didn’t know how to feel. He was beautiful to look at, he always had been. But without the facial hair, she saw the cold cut of his chin, his chiseled cheekbones.

“I can always grow it back,” he said.

“No,” she said quickly not wanting him to feel uncomfortable. “You don’t have to. I’m just getting used to your new look.”

He swallowed a piece of fish then said, “Whatever you’re thinking, you’re right.”

“How do you know what I’m thinking?”

“Right now you’re wondering who the hell you married.”

“No…well maybe a little.”

“I’m not going anywhere. My life is here. My life used to be about cars, big houses and beautiful women and proving I was the best thing to ever walk the earth. You wouldn’t have liked me much back then. But after life humbled me, I wandered for a while. I came here to escape until I met you. And I’ve never been the same. I met with my attorney today to put things in order with my trust and put you in my will. I’m also looking into opening a practice. This place needs one.”

“That’s wonderful,” Teresa said.

And it was then she realized how much he’d help legitimize her business. Just like Helene, her husband was a doctor, and with a medical practice they could educate people on how to care for themselves. Helene couldn’t look down at her anymore.

He pulled something out of his pocket and rested a small box with the Fedor Malenkov Jewelers logo on the table. “That’s not all I was up to.”

“What is it?”

Sean lifted the box and wiggled it. “Do you want to know how to find out? You open it.”

Teresa snatched the box from him. “Why do you always have to answer questions like that?” she said, setting the box aside.

“You’re not going to open it?”

“I’ll open it later.”

“Why not now?”

Teresa fought to keep from grinning. “It’s not going anywhere.” She playfully slapped his hand away when he reached for the box. “I’m almost finished eating.”

Sean narrowed his eyes. “Now, you’re the scary one.”

Teresa straightened in her chair as if she were Aunt Yvette, set her utensils down and wiped the corners of her mouth with her napkin. “Things like this must take time,” she said, mimicking her aunt’s haughty tone. “I have to give it my full attention. We Cliftons know a little something about gems,” she said, giving him a significant look. “I hope I won’t be disappointed.”

“Really scary,” Sean said, suddenly looking unsure.

Teresa slowly lifted the box and stared at the golden hue of a pair of amber stone earrings sitting on a black velvet bed. She snapped the box close. “Just as I thought, absolutely tasteless. Pearls would have been better,” she said then lifted her utensils and began eating again. When she finally looked at Sean, she saw an expression of both surprise and horror. She burst into laughter.

“I’m just joking. They’re gorgeous.”

Sean grabbed the front of his shirt as if he were afraid his heart would stop. “That was terrifying. You do that too well and almost sounded like Renee.”

“I had to get you back for ruining my surprise,” Teresa said, opening the box then lightly touching one earring with her finger. “They’re stunning.”

“Amber is important to my family.”

“I can tell. Do you know how much this costs?”

“I should hope so,” Sean said with a laugh. “I was there when I bought it.”

Teresa stood and went over to a mirror on the side wall and put the earrings on, feeling like a wealthy woman. “Thank you.”

Sean got up and stood beside her. “Every moment I’m with you, you make me glad I decided to remarry. My first marriage was miserable.” He rested his hands on her shoulders and looked at her reflection in the mirror. “And you’re my second chance.”

And for the next week, Sean made sure to let her know how important a second chance meant to him—not just with special gifts, or surprises, but telling her so in different ways— Teresa was in heaven, satisfied that all her dreams had come true. Until a letter arrived, sending her crashing down to earth.