The Sea of Aaron (12 page)

Her brother called? This surprised her because, aside from a holiday greeting card, she hadn't heard from Greg in nearly a year. She keyed Jasmine's number and waited until she responded, sounding slightly out of breath.

“Valerie?”

“Yup, it's me. What are you doing? You sound winded.”

“I was playing with Diego, kind of chasing him around the house to get him to bed.”

Valerie laughed, visualizing Jasmine's overly energetic stepson. “You said Greg called you. Did he say or give any indication what he wanted?”

“No. He didn't sound upset or anything, if that's what you're worried about. Call him. Maybe he's just realizing that he hasn't heard from his sister in a while.”

“I'll call him when I get back home,” Valerie said nonchalantly.

She thought about how she and her brother, despite his being much older, had been very close as children, but around his late teen years, when he was about to go away to college, he'd had a mysterious disagreement with their father and went on to alienate himself from the whole family, including her. The cold war lasted several years until Greg met and married ex-beauty queen Lisa Allen in Chicago. He'd felt no guilt whatsoever about leaving his sister with the total responsibility of their mother, so why should she be so quick to get back to him?

“I guess you're still not ready to come home,” Jasmine said, sounding a bit cautious. “And don't worry, I'm not going to give you any more unsolicited grief about Aaron.”

“Thanks for that, and I'll definitely be home by the end of this week.”

“I'm holding you to that.”

***

Aaron had opted to spend the rest of the night on the boat. He sat on the deck watching the swells in the black water. He welcomed and embraced the solitude and distance, even though the alien being who'd possessed his heart wanted to be as physically close to Valerie as possible. He definitely needed this night out on the water to think.

From the first day he'd met her, Aaron had known that Valerie spelled trouble. For over two years his clandestine line of work and deliberate avoidance of her had made his heart accept the reality that he should remain single, but the week and a half spent in close contact with her had given him more than a glimmer of what he had been missing, especially now that he was ready to enter a different phase of his life, a more sedate and less harrowing phase that did not directly include a group called Global Defense Force.

Valerie had nearly torn down his wall of resistance and made him desire what he'd never desired before, namely warmth and companionship from another human being. He thought about the way she had mesmerized him on the private island with her understated, earthy beauty—beauty made even more apparent because she seemed so casual about it. He'd wanted to reach out and pull her body close to his—to possess her heart and soul and to lie there devoid of all physical and mental restrictions, the two of them sated, at peace, and breathing as one.

However, even though he considered his desires a weakness, he was becoming convinced that as long as she held no romanticized illusions about married life, and she agreed to a few rules, they might actually work as a couple. If she said yes, the steel doors that had slammed shut around his heart just might swing wide open, leading him into emotionally stormy skies, uncharted waters, and a set of challenges perhaps even more daunting than his current lifestyle.

Valerie and Aaron had breakfast together at La Isla Café and afterward took a leisurely stroll through the town and ended up in an isolated, serene area overlooking the ocean. The sun had barely risen and was still in a vivid orange phase.

“Gorgeous,” Valerie said.

Aaron sat near her, perched on a rock. She marveled at his handsome, chiseled profile. The early sun cast an interesting glow on his surprisingly long eyelashes, making them appear gold-dusted. Unable to resist, she reached up and lightly brushed her fingertips against his closely cut dark hair, tracing the precise line of his sideburn; the hair felt as smooth as velour. His hand closed around hers, gently urging it back down to her side where it belonged, but he did not release it. She felt the spreading warmth of his touch and wished they could just remain the way they were indefinitely.

“Valerie, this is the last time I'm going to ask you,” he said.

She bit her lip apprehensively. “Ask?” she repeated, although she knew full well what he was going to say. She wanted to hear it, yet feared the moment all the same.

“If you'll have me, I want to marry you this week in Belize.”

Have you? I'd have you in a heartbeat,
Valerie thought, but the words stuck in her throat.

She had researched Belizean laws and knew that it was possible for them to get married without much hassle at all. They could be husband and wife by the end of the week.

“There are rules,” Aaron continued, while she stared straight ahead as though distracted by the sea. “Not too many, but nevertheless we can't function as a team without them.”

Here come the prenuptials,
she thought. “Go on,” she said, finding her voice.

“Do
not
think that once we're married you'll be able to change my personality. If you can't accept me as I am right now, we don't belong together.”

Guilty,
Valerie thought. She did like and accept who he was, but surely some refinements and adjustments in personality would be acceptable. Everyone made compromises whether they chose to admit it or not.

“And there will be no children,” he said adamantly. “And no unrealistic expectations about—”

“You don't have to worry about me having children, since I can't,” she interrupted, trying to temper the hollow sarcasm in her voice. “But maybe…and I certainly don't mean anytime soon…would you consider adoption?”

“No.”

And that was all he had to say. No elaboration as to why not. She squeezed her eyes shut. At some point in her single life, she had toyed with the idea of adopting a child, but it had been just that, toying. His ultimatum wasn't impossible to live with. If she ever felt the need to hear youthful laughter, there were other people's children that she could borrow from time to time. And Jasmine was going to have a new baby.

“You told me that you had a miscarriage when you were married to Porter,” Aaron said. “But why did that permanently determine your inability to conceive?”

Valerie found his question jarring and invasive. But she realized that he had a right to know, and so she forced herself to get over it. “At the time of the miscarriage, I discovered that I had a bleeding disorder called Von Willebrand's.”

His eyebrows rose. “Similar to hemophilia?”

“Sort of, but nowhere near as serious. I'm not in danger of bleeding to death from a paper cut or a needle puncture. It's a problem only if something traumatic happens or if I need surgery.”

Aaron was silent for a second. “You had a potentially life-threatening bleeding episode during the miscarriage?”

“Yes,” she admitted. “And the doctor told me I shouldn't have any children. The surgical procedure they performed resulted in scar tissue and made me unable to conceive.”

“How many doctors have confirmed this?”

“Confirmed what? My inability to conceive or my having Von Willebrand's?”

“Both.” Aaron's expression had a concentrated, disturbing intensity that Valerie couldn't quite read.

She clenched her hands together. “At least three. Aaron, don't look so serious, I'm a nurse, and I know the ramifications of this disorder. I told you…I'm perfectly healthy. I just can't bear children and I shouldn't chop off any fingers, toes or whatever.”

His brow furrowed. “Unusual that you discovered the illness as an adult. How did you manage to survive childhood without any physical trauma? What about needing stitches from maybe falling off a bicycle, or what about having tonsils removed or dental surgery?”

“I had plenty of such incidents, and I did bleed a lot, but those episodes never turned into emergency situations, so my parents thought nothing of it. I mean, let's face it, some people do bleed more than others.”

“I suppose that is true,” he said.

Their discussion of rules and health issues had definitely taken a disconcerting and unromantic turn. “Can we get back to what you were originally talking about…unless…” She hesitated. “Unless my so-called
disease
has changed everything.”

“It hasn't changed a thing,” he said. “My other request is that you never betray my trust or enter into this alliance with any illusions that you are somehow going to be able to convert me from agnosticism to Christianity.”

She flinched.
Enter into this alliance?
Was marriage a business agreement to him? But she remained silent, focusing on the latter part of his request. Somehow she could not believe that an intelligent man could refuse to acknowledge a divine being, but still she saw some hope in that at least he had not declared himself an atheist.

Aaron released her hand and stood up straight. “I'm no knight in shining armor. I'm set in my ways, and my lifestyle would not work for a clingy, needy woman, which you fortunately are not. Even if I do resign from espionage, my job with Avian will take me away from home a lot.”

Valerie nodded numbly. She was well aware of all the things he'd just said, and thus far he hadn't mentioned anything that completely turned her off; also, to his credit, he hadn't even mentioned prenuptials, which she'd anticipated to be one of the major issues, since he was a wealthy man.

“Are you finished?” She rose now and stood beside him, nudging him with her elbow. When he said nothing, she breathed a sigh of relief that she wasn't going to have to go into a coldly rehearsed speech about how in the event of a separation, she had no intention of demanding anything that didn't initially belong to her.

“Are you finished?” she repeated.

Aaron nodded.

“Good.” She inhaled sharply and moved around so she faced him, making direct eye contact. “I don't want to hear anything else you have to say because I have some rules, too.”

There it was—that sly glimmer of a smile creasing his face. “What are your rules?” he asked.

“The first one is that you quit smoking, and I don't mean just limiting it. I mean completely.”

The sly smile remained. “Not a problem. I smoke only when I'm bored.”

“Then I'll have to make sure you're never bored. Secondly, I'm aware that you're not a believer, but you must never ridicule or belittle my faith.” She took another deep breath. “While it wouldn't be fair for me to demand that you leave the espionage business immediately, I will highly encourage you to not just think about it, but seriously, seriously consider retirement.” She reached for his hand and he offered her both of his. “Aaron, I'd like to be your friend, your love, your confidante, but don't expect me to be your doormat, the little woman, or the silent mouse who never questions her husband's decisions or…”

Aaron released her hands and slid his arms around her waist. “Are you through?”

“Gotcha, didn't I?” she said. “Seems I have more rules than you do.”

“Why am I not surprised?” He tilted his head downward and met her lips with his own. “Will you?”

She savored his kiss—warm and enticing like the early sunlight filtering down on them.

“Yes,” she said. “Yes.”

***

The marriage in the town hall of Belize City was private and involved no traditional celebration. Aaron and Valerie exchanged vows before a justice of the peace and did it all in the presence of two witnesses who were little more than friendly strangers—a Belizean couple and an employee from Avian International who Aaron knew casually.

When they drove away from the town hall, he wearing a dark business suit, and she in what amounted to a fancy cocktail dress. She felt as though nothing had changed and that they were both still single.

However, on their first night together in an expensive hotel suite in ritzier Ambergris Caye, Aaron quickly vanquished that notion and left her with no doubt what the newest phase in their relationship was about. They didn't leave their hotel room for the rest of the day, because their intimate moments soared well above and beyond Valerie's most vivid imagination.

His style of intimacy was confident, unruffled, and cool—completely devoid of self-consciousness and in stark contrast to the flaming passion he ignited in her. She loved everything about being with him, including waking up in the morning entwined in such a way that even their breathing seemed to be in unison. She was fire and he was ice. Together they sizzled.

On Saturday Valerie flew out of Belize alone because Aaron had some business to finalize. He'd be joining her back in the United States in another week. The brief separation was good, since there were a lot of things that she needed to do alone, the least of which involved deciding what to do with the two million dollars, which now seemed to belong to her even less.

First she had to tell her family and friends that she was a married woman, and, yes, as she stepped off the plane at JFK, she truly did feel married. A fond glance at the flawless diamond on her finger confirmed it. At least Aaron hadn't dared depart from tradition in that regard.

Once she was in the airport lobby, waiting to be picked up by a limousine, she took out her cell phone and called Jasmine. “Hey, Jas, just thought I'd give you a head's up. Are you still in Dallas?”

“Yes. I'm in a hotel room, but I'll be leaving in the morning. I hope you're calling to tell me that you're back home.”

Valerie smiled. “I'm in the lobby at JFK waiting for a limo to pick me up.”

“Great! We've got to go out for dinner when I get back. So tell me, how was Aaron doing when you left him?”

“Are we talking about my Aaron?” Valerie smiled again. “He's absolutely gorgeous and terrific.”

“What?”

“You heard correctly. I said Aaron is absolutely gorgeous and terrific.”

Jasmine chuckled uncertainly. “Still not over him, I see.”

“Nope. I'm afraid not. In fact I'm so
not
over him that we are now officially married.”

“Married?” Jasmine laughed outright. “Valerie, stop messing with me.”

“I'm not messing with you. Aaron and I got married in Belize.”

Valerie heard Jasmine's cell phone drop to the floor and she laughed out loud, ignoring a crabby woman who glared at her as if she'd coughed without covering her mouth. She slid her own phone back into her purse, knowing that Jasmine would call later when she'd had time to recover. She looked at her watch and noted that it was almost five o'clock in the evening.

When Jasmine called again, Valerie was in the backseat of a limo, heading for her modest little apartment in Englewood.

“Val, I'm like so shocked, I don't know what to say.”

“Well, it's customary to start with congratulations.”

“Gosh, yes. I'm sorry for being such a jerk. Congratulations. Is…is Aaron with you right now?”

“No. I left him in Belize. He'll be coming home later. Look, I understand that you're shocked. Let's face it, so am I. When I went down there, I never dreamed I'd come back married. But you know this really isn't crazy at all. I've known Aaron…sort of…for two years. I knew he was the one from the start.”

“You always did say that. But why did you have to do it that way? Couldn't you have waited and got married in…in church? You're my best friend, and Aaron is Noah's. We'd love to have celebrated with you.”

Valerie sighed. “I would have preferred it that way, but forget about church or a synagogue. Aaron may be half Jewish, but he's not the least bit religious.”

“Didn't you think about those differences before agreeing to—”

“Yes,” Valerie interrupted. “Let's not go there, okay? When it comes to that subject, Aaron and I have agreed to disagree. We'll manage.”

“I'm sure you will,” Jasmine said, resigned. “You know, the more I think about it, this is starting to sound good. Just imagine how we'll be able to take vacations together, without worrying about spouses who don't get along.”

“Yes,” Valerie agreed enthusiastically.

“And don't get the impression that I don't like Aaron because that's far from true. He's almost as gorgeous as Noah, and he's definitely got my respect. He…”

“Okay. Okay. You don't have to say anything more. I've always known that you respect him. You just have a hard time seeing him as my husband.”

Jasmine laughed. “Not as
your
husband, but as anyone's husband. So tell me. Where are you going to live? At his place in Manhattan?”

“Maybe for a short while.” Valerie hadn't seriously considered that yet, but she knew that she did not want to make a home of Aaron's loft above Avian's corporate headquarters, no matter how elegant it might be. She definitely wanted a house, and she would have to discuss that with him.

“If you decide on building something new, I'd love to design a home for you two. How does a shipyard or an airport hangar sound?”

“Shut up. That's so not funny.”

“Sorry. Just can't control myself. Truth is, I'm getting really excited now, and I sure hope you can convince the love of your life to have a reception of some sort. We absolutely must celebrate.”

Valerie didn't want Jasmine to think that her opinion had that much significance, but in reality it did. She was relieved that her friend was now seeing her marriage positively and was expressing happiness for them. Aside from her Aunt Marilyn, there was no one else who mattered. Her mother would typically have no reaction to the news, and whatever her brother's opinion, it would be irrelevant.

She ended the phone call on a cheerful note, tipped the driver for carrying her bags, and stepped out of the limo in front of her familiar two-story garden apartment complex. She collected the mail from her box and moved quickly down the hallway. She unlocked her door, went inside, and looked around. The living room was as neat as the day she had left it.

But the longer she stood in the room, the more out of place she felt, and her thoughts drifted to Mr. Allard and his final days. What was it, three months ago? Four? She was a vastly different person than that woman totally dedicated to her job, but bored, cynical, and unfocused when it came to personal fulfillment.

Carolyn Allard, the wayward granddaughter who'd had every advantage in the world and chose to squander all her opportunities, was now locked up in the county jail, awaiting trial with no one who cared enough to bail her out. Despite everything she'd done, Valerie felt sorry for her and, weirdly enough, wished she could talk to her in order to find out for herself just where this woman's head really was.

But there was no time for dwelling on someone else's misery. The first thing she had to do was go visit her mother before visiting hours ended. After all, she hadn't seen her in three weeks. It didn't even matter to her that she'd get the usual blank Ruth Ann expression. She was too happy thinking about her new husband to have Alzheimer's rain on her parade.

***

“Hi, Mom. Did you miss me?”

“Yes.”

“Who am I? What's my name?”

Ruth Ann Redmond, a petite figure seated in her wheelchair, even though she could walk, looked vacuously up at her daughter and continued with her methodical knitting. If she wasn't knitting she could usually be found thumbing through the Bible and quoting scriptures out of context. What was she knitting this time? Valerie wondered. Her mother had already created countless blankets and mufflers since she'd been at Friedland Manor—ever since the staff had determined that her knitting needles were no harm to herself or others.

“What's my name?” Valerie asked again.

“Valree,” Ruth Ann said in her Southern accent.

Well, that's a surprise,
Valerie thought. Her mother had actually gotten her name right. Now if only she'd maintain eye contact.

Despite her state of mind, Ruth Ann was still an attractive woman who appeared to be in much better shape than most of the residents in the home. Her long silver hair was combed neatly back in a chignon and her fair, almost Caucasian-toned skin was as smooth as that of a woman two decades younger.

Because of her affinity for isolation, Ruth Ann had no roommate. If she wanted to be with the other patients, she would wheel herself out into the solarium to watch her insipid soap operas on the big-screen TV and then return to her room without ever having said one word to anyone.

Valerie had tried to make the room cheerful. Ruth had her own small TV set. There were bouquets of artificial flowers on the night table and cards and gifts from the grandchildren on every piece of furniture in the room. Greg and his family were very well represented in pictures, and there was also a prominent wedding photo of Ruth and Joel Redmond.

On the mantle facing the window there was a new picture of Greg's twin sons Kyle and Kameron, identical sixteen-year-olds, in hooded parkas, posing with their well-coifed girlfriends on the steps of what appeared to be a ski lodge. As she picked up the snapshot for closer inspection, Valerie remembered that she still hadn't called her brother.

“I see Greg and Lisa sent you a new one of the boys,” she said.

Ruth Ann nodded, still focused on the knitting. Valerie pulled up a chair and sank into it. “In case you wondered where I've been, I just came back from Central America, a country called Belize. I got married, Mom. My name is Valerie Weiss now.”

There was just a slight hitch in the knitting pattern and her mother's lip quivered. “You can't get married.”

“Why not?”

“You're too young.”

Valerie laughed. “I'm far from young, I'm older than you were when you married Dad.”

“Don't be silly, Valree. Only mature people should get married. You need to talk to your father about this.” She began to hum tunelessly as she resumed her knitting.

Valerie flinched. She wanted to shake the bland look off her mother's face and scream that her father had been dead for a long time, but there was no point, so she rose wearily from the chair and picked up her purse. “Well, I'm glad you're doing okay, Mom. I have to leave now because visiting hours are about up. You'll be meeting Aaron very soon.”

The tuneless humming continued, as did the knitting. Valerie said goodbye and left the room, stopping briefly for a bit of conversation at the nurse's station. Afterwards she went out to the parking lot and dialed Greg on her cell. She was surprised that she got him directly and was pleased to hear that he and his family were doing fine. Of course Greg expressed shock when she told him that she was married, and even more surprised that she'd married a wealthy entrepreneur. Valerie successfully deflected his unspoken questions regarding her sanity. As their conversation wound down, he asked, somewhat guiltily, about their mother, and promised that he would be coming up to visit soon.

The minute they said goodbye, Valerie's thoughts went to Aaron, and a blissful smile covered her face. She wondered what he was doing at this very moment in the place that seemed half a world away. She wanted to call him, but already she'd learned that he was difficult to reach.