Theron's Hope (Brides of Theron) (23 page)

“Would you, Emily and the kids like to come to dinner tonight?  I can have Josephine set something up for us.” She was waiting in the doorway with her hand on the knob.

“Why don’t you call Emily, then text me to let me know what she wants to do?”  Michael said as he lifted up the cordless phone and entered a number.  He was already starting to work.  She knew that of all people she could count on to make all this happen in the time frame she was given by the council, it would be him.  She closed the door behind her.

She went to her bedroom and took the cell phone off the charger. She dialed Emily’s cell and heard children screaming in the background, “Hello.” 

“Hello Emily, I was just wondering if you and the kids could come and join us for dinner about 5pm.  Michael said that it was up to you and that I should text him with your answer.  I have some wonderful news.  I got married and would love for you to meet my new husband.”  She knew that Emily would not pass up the chance to be there tonight, especially with the last bit of news. 

There was a pause on the line as Emily tried to figure out an appropriate answer.  She couldn’t believe her ears, “Did I hear you right Gracie?  Did you say you are married?”

Grace laughed, “Yes, I am married and I would love for you to meet him.  His name is Zane.  So, do me a favor and say you will come.”

“Gianna, can you help Jacob over there.” She shouted at her daughter and heard her niece say ‘sure’ immediately after. “You know I will be there.  Gracie Abernathy is married, well wonders never cease.  He must be one special man.  See, I told you that it was actually possible to find love at first sight.  I knew Michael was the one for me the minute I laid eyes on him.  Be ready to spill all the details because I am not leaving until I get the whole story.  Dinner is at five, right?”

“Yes.”  She was giddy with excitement.  She could not wait for Emily to meet Zane.  She couldn’t wait to see the look on her best friend’s face when she saw him for the first time.  “I will let you go.  I have to set everything up.  See you then.  Love you Em!”  She hung up the phone and sent a quick text to Michael with the details of dinner tonight.  He was most likely going to be in the study working till the time dinner began.

She went to find Jo.  Jo was emptying her luggage to get her dirty clothes and unpacking her things.  Jo, do you think that you can set up a dinner party tonight?  It will be for Zane and I, Michael, Emily and the kids, so 7 people.  I am sure that the kids would like Italian. Maybe you could order out from that place you used the last time.  Please order Caesar salad, Lasagna, breadsticks, and a large tray of that cannoli for dessert.”

“Yes, Miss Grace.  I will order the food.  Do you need me to stay late?”  Jo asked. Grace knew she was perfectly willing to do so.

“No, I think that Zane and I can clean up any mess in the kitchen.  You enjoy your night with Miguel.”  She hugged Jo and said, “Are you and Miguel available for dinner tomorrow night?  I would love for Miguel to meet Zane.  It would be great if you could prepare something for all of us if that is not too much trouble?”

“I can let you know for sure in the morning, but I am sure he would like that.  Miss Grace I would be happy to make something for you and Mr. Zane”  She went to go about her job when she abruptly turned to face Grace expressing pure concern for her employer and asked her, “Miss Grace, are you sure about him, your husband I mean?  I went into the kitchen after you took Michael in the study.  I was going to make the sangria that you love and came out with the wine opener.  I swear he squeaked and jumped away from me dropping the shrimp fork that he was examining.  I also saw him picking up your books and smelling them.  I have never seen this kind of thing before.  Most people read books not smell them.   He is a bit odd, no offense. I just worry about you.  I want you to be happy.”

“He is quite odd here, huh?”  She said in agreement and laughed,”He is not like that at all when he is home.  That is what I love about him.  Can I ask you something Jo?”  She waited as Jo nodded, “When you first met Miguel, did you know he was ‘the one’?”  She asked Jo, a serious expression on her face.

“Well, yes, I guess I did,” Jo replied smiling at the thought of meeting her husband the first time. 

“Well, I guess I did too.  He is the one Jo,” Grace smiled genuinely and Jo knew what she said was true. She had known Gracie for a long time and could tell that the woman who stood before her knew what she was feeling for this overly large man she brought home.  Jo would make it her duty from this moment on to make him feel welcome, no questions asked.  “Can you check on Michael from time to time to see if he needs anything?  He will be in the study working.  I will take Zane to the Museum in a little bit.  I think he will enjoy that.”

Grace went to find Zane.  She found him on the balcony again sitting at the table and lost in thought, “Hey, my very handsome husband.” He turned to her smiling to show that he was happy to see her.  “Michael is busy working, drawing up some papers.  I called my driver last night to let him know I was in town.  I just texted him and he will be here in 15 minutes to take us somewhere that I want you to see.”

“Really?  Michael will not need you?”  He said.

She held up her cell phone and said, “You have your transmitter from the ship and I have my cell phone in the city. If he needs me he can call me.  He has a bunch of things he needs to tackle that I know would go easier if he wasn’t interrupted by me or anyone else.  I am sure that I won’t be required until two days from now when we face my family.”  She laughed at the thought of that.  “I may have to prepare you for that.  You think the council was a tough audience, wait until you meet the family members and co-owners of Abernathy and Associates.”  She playfully punched him in the belly lightly.

She yelled out to Jo that they were going out and would be back by 4:30 pm then they made their way down to the lobby.  The weekend staff was working the front desk and Sammy was ready at the door opening it for the two of them.  Sammy looked up unsure about the size of the man that was escorting Miss Abernathy.  Gracie said to him, “Sammy, this is my husband Zane.  Zane this is Sammy.”  She added for Zane, “He is the weekend doorman of this building.”

Zane said, “Nice to meet you Sammy.” Sammy didn’t say anything in return and just nodded to Zane.  William was right on time, as usual and waiting in front of the building.  Sammy went to open the car door for them.

Grace got in and Zane squeezed in after her.  He was a big man and even the spacious back seat with extra leg room was almost not enough for him.  He looked like he was in the back seat of a small compact car.  “Good morning, William, I would like to introduce you to my husband, Zane.”

William appeared very shocked and looked into the rear view mirror and found the aqua eyes of Grace’s new husband. “It is nice to meet you Mr. Zane.  Where would you like to go today?”

“Please take us to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  And, William if you must address Zane formally, please call him Dr. Zane.”  She looked at Zane and spoke for both the men’s benefit, “Zane you don’t know how long I have been trying to coerce William to address me informally.  We have known each other for years and he still insists on calling me Ms. Abernathy or Miss Grace,” she said laughing.

They drove in silence as Zane looked out of the window.  When they came up to the museum, William pulled up to the curb.  “Please don’t get out William.  We can let ourselves out here.  Please plan to be back for 4pm.  We will be waiting for you right here.”

After making their way up the museum steps Grace turned to Zane and said, “This is a huge museum.  I don’t think that we will get to see it all but we can probably complete the Director’s tour so we can be out of here on time.  The Director’s tour covers many different styles of art.”

Grace had been a President’s Circle donor for
years and she took over after her mother died. Her mother had a passion for the arts that she passed on to her daughter.  Grace flashed her membership card at the ticket desk and received her tickets. 

They spent the day looking at many fine paintings, sculptures, and reliefs.  She loved watching as Zane immediately targeted a piece he liked.  She couldn’t wait until they reached the end of the tour.  It was then, that she realized that they shared favorites.  Zane loved Van Gogh’s, Wheat Field with Cypresses.  It resembled the kind of art that he painted in his quarters.  They spent a bit more time looking at this piece.  Zane asked her about it and she said that she could not wait to show him an image of Van Gogh’s Starry Night.  He also liked the style of Monet with the tiny dots to make a picture as well as the Rembrandt paintings.  He liked how Rembrandt made it seem as if a light was shining on the subject.  She wasn’t surprised that he didn’t like the Jackson Pollock paintings very much.  He said they displayed too much disorder for his tastes.  As they finished looking at Pollock’s paintings, Grace noticed it was ten to four and about time to leave.  They met William as scheduled right outside on the curb
then returned to Grace’s apartment.

“Thank you, Gracie.  I have had a wonderful day,” Zane said as he put his arm around her and kissed her softly.  She just smiled at him and said with her eyes, you are most welcome.  As the car pulled up to the front of the building, Sammy came out to open the car and the building doors as they made their way through the lobby hand in hand to the elevator with several of the tenants staring wide eyed at them.  It was enough to make them uncomfortable so
when the elevator door closed behind them they were able to relax a bit.

“Why are they staring?” he asked Grace. 

“They stare because you are quite an attractive and tall man walking in with a woman that has been alone for years with no real male visitors, except for my cousin Michael.  I wonder if some of them were under the impression that I preferred women.  That is probably why they stare.”  Grace said, “However, I would like to think it is because we make a striking couple.”  He kissed her in the elevator stopping when they reached the top floor.

They went to the kitchen to help Jo set up the dinner party.  Grace showed Zane how to set the table in the dining room while she went to help Jo prepare the food in serving dishes to place on the table when their guests arrived.  Jo had readied the garlic bread on a cooking sheet and preheated the oven for the lasagna and the baking of the bread.  She gave Grace detailed instructions on the time at which the food was to be placed in the oven and then got ready to leave for the day.  Michael was still in the study, steadily working away. 

When Emily and the kids arrived Grace and Zane met them at the door together.  The kids ran past them into the apartment, ready to find their father.  Grace directed them to the study and they took off like little bats out of hell.  Emily was arranging her bags on the nearest chair and putting her keys in her purse when she looked up to see the smiling face of Zane.  “You must be Emily.  Grace has told me so much about you.  It is really nice to finally meet you.”

Emily did a double take, as she steadily and slowly looked up his body to find his face.  She did not expect him
to be so tall. Grace ran up to her and excitedly hugged her friend planting a kiss on her cheek.  Emily looked at Grace and said, “Could you have found anyone any bigger and handsomer?”  Extending her hand out to Zane she said, “It is very nice to meet you Zane.  I can’t wait to hear about how the two of you met?”

Zane did not know just what to do with the hand she offered so he reached out and she grabbed it holding it until she tried to let him go.  “I think that we have successfully potty trained Jake but I brought some things in case of accidents.  I can’t believe that we will be doing this all over again. Another round of diaper duty, what were we thinking?”  Grace could already start to see the swell of her belly beginning show on her previously fat free frame.