Chapter 19
“What!” Beau Dupree shouted. “I can’t believe you were in danger and no one told us!”
“Baby.” Meredith enfolded her daughter in a hug. Her grandparents wrapped their arms around both of them.
“I’m fine,” Skylar told them for the umpteenth time. “The men responsible are in jail, and the authorities are searching for the man who hired them.”
“Which might take days or weeks,” Beau said. “In the meantime, this nut could hire someone else.”
“His assets have been frozen,” Rio said.
Her father rounded on Rio. “How do you know that? It takes time and a court order for that to happen.”
“Rio has contacts,” Skylar offered. Rio was in one of his moods. He wanted Tennyson in the worst way. Skylar could only hope the authorities found him before Rio’s people did.
“I think your father might be right about you coming home,” Meredith said.
“Not happening.” Skylar pushed out of all their arms. “I’m safer here with Rio than in Boston.”
“Safer!” Beau yelled. “A man held a gun on you!”
“And there’s not a scratch on me because Rio made sure that I wouldn’t be helpless. He even went so far as to put a mini microphone in these earrings and tracking devices on my gown.” Skylar stared at her family. “I’m staying here.”
“He also had two bodyguards who left you,” her father reminded her.
“Because I insisted they look for Rio,” Skylar explained.
“They’ll be dealt with,” Rio said, his voice flat.
Skylar turned on him. ““If you do more than talk to them, we’re going to have a talk. I was worried sick about you and—” She took a deep breath to try to stem the tears. “They saw how upset I was.”
Rio’s glacial eyes warmed, comforted.
“Baby.” Her mother pulled a tissue from her small purse and dabbed her daughter’s eyes. “It’s all right.”
“How can you say that, Meredith?” Beau asked.
“Because she is fine, thanks to Rio,” Meredith told him.
“She wasn’t a victim like I was,” her grandmother said. “I’m proud of you, Sky.”
“Me, too,” her grandfather added. “Rio, I’m liking you more and more.”
Beau threw up his hands. “Are you all crazy? Did you hear what I heard? Skylar was almost killed.”
“We could ask you the same thing, Father.” Skylar clenched her hands. “Why do you continue to act like I have no sense in my head? That I can be easily led? So I come back to Boston, then what? You drop by once a week, if your schedule isn’t too busy. What about the other days when I don’t see you because you and Mother are divorced?”
He flinched as if he’d been sucker-punched.
Her voice softened. “I’m sorry if what I said hurt. I love you both, but perhaps it’s time I told you the reason I left Boston. It was because you, especially you—and you, too, Mother, but you’re not nearly as bad as Father—put me in the middle. You made me feel as if I was being disloyal because I still loved and wanted to be with both of you.”
Her mother briefly closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I was just so angry at him for cheating.”
“I didn’t cheat! That woman lied!” he yelled.
“Pictures don’t lie,” she shot back.
A muscle leaped in Beau’s jaw, but he remained silent.
Skylar held up her hands. “Please. No more. I thought you should know what happened tonight so you wouldn’t be blindsided by reporters or friends. As for me, unless Navarone Resorts and Spas moves its headquarters, I’m staying in Tucson.” She took her mother’s and grandmother’s arms. “I have an auction to run. My mother and grandmother have things to buy.”
Rio opened the door. “Don’t forget Mr. Carrington’s signed baseball.”
Her grandfather smiled. “Yep, more and more. Let’s go.”
Rio fell in behind them as they left. Skylar urged her family to go on in. Seats were waiting for them in the front row beside Mrs. Grayson. Speaking briefly with the headwaiter, she took Rio’s hand and squeezed. “I have plans later for you.”
“Behave,” he said.
She grinned and walked to the front where item number twenty-six, the NASCAR package, had just sold for fifty-one hundred dollars. Skylar applauded the sale and reached for the microphone from the auctioneer.
“Good evening once again, and thank you for coming. I guess you got a little more excitement than you expected.” She winked to laughter from the audience. “Thanks to the excellent security of Mr. Navarone, the intruder is in custody and we can get on with tonight’s events.” She lifted her hand. Waiters came in bearing trays of champagne, sparkling water, and hors d’oeuvres.
“I’m going to relax one of my rules and let you eat in here. The buffet line is still open and the band will play softly if you have what you came for and want to romance that certain someone. Delivery can be arranged. In the back of the room, St. John’s honors music students can answer any question or assist you in any way. Now, let’s go to our next item, number twenty-seven, a painting by the very talented Kara Simmons-Landers. I see the current bid is thirty-five hundred. Remember, some invitees were unable to attend, so there could be bidding online as well as in this room. So, let the bids begin.”
* * *
Skylar was sensational. She had the audience in the palm of her competent hand. Rio couldn’t have been prouder of her. It was difficult to believe that earlier she had faced down a gunman and threatened to put a bullet between his eyes. The announcement of the final total—$2,789,000—brought screams from the students and applause.
Blade and Sierra came to the microphone. “Sierra and I would just like to add our thanks to all of you here tonight; to Skylar, for doing such an incredible job organizing this wonderful event; and of course to my fantastic mother-in-law, Mrs. Ruth Grayson, department chair, for her dedication and pride in sharing her love of music with the outstanding Music Department of St. John’s College.”
There was more applause that grew as Ruth stood and waved. She started to sit down, but Blade beckoned her. He stepped aside so she could stand between him and Sierra. “I’ll make this quick. Sierra and I believe in you, the students, and St. John’s. All of your children earned their degrees there. So Sierra and I would like to donate two million, two hundred and eleven thousand dollars to make tonight’s total an even five million.”
Ruth’s eyes widened. She turned to hug her daughter and Blade, then Skylar. Everyone was on their feet cheering. The students chanted, “Go, Professor Grayson,” over and over.
Skylar spoke into the microphone. “What do you say we have one last dance, one last trip to the buffet, and one last drink if you’re not driving—to cap off this extraordinary night. Ladies, grab your dance partner because I’m grabbing mine.”
Rio met Skylar halfway. “I suppose you want to dance?”
“It will do for a start.” She grabbed his hand.
She had a reckless look in her eyes. Rio felt his body harden and couldn’t wait until he had her alone. In the hall, he saw her father, his face tight with disapproval. He wasn’t finished with them.
* * *
They’d bid the last guest good night shortly after midnight. All the hired help was gone and just the family and close friends were relaxing in the great room. Women had kicked their shoes off, the men had loosened their ties and pulled off coats. Upstairs, the children slept peacefully.
“I’d like to speak with you, Skylar.”
If her father hadn’t looked so miserable, so alone, Skylar might have refused. Her father was a strong man. Tonight, he looked as if had lost everything and wasn’t sure how to get it back. She felt even more certain that he loved her mother.
“Beau, please,” her mother said quietly from beside Skylar on the sofa. “Just let it go.”
“I can’t. I’m sorry,” he said.
Her mother seemed as shocked as Skylar. Her father wasn’t the apologizing type. He was a bulldozer in a Tom Ford suit. Skylar got to her feet. “Say what you have to say, but I won’t change my mind.”
He glanced around the room. “I’d like to speak to you in private.”
“This will have to do, Father. They all know about what happened tonight,” she told him.
“All right.” He placed his untouched cup of coffee on a side table. “I’m asking you to come back to the hotel with me. You can have my bed. With Tennyson still free, it would make me feel better.”
“He’s not free for long,” Rio promised
“But the fact remains that he is now,” her father said. “I’m concerned about your safety.”
Meredith stood. “Beau, can’t you see that she’s safe with Rio and that’s where she wants to be, here with him?”
“Mother is right.” Skylar rounded the sofa to stand by Rio. “I’m staying here with Rio. If it hadn’t been for him, I’d be dead. I should have trusted him to take care of himself and stayed inside. My fault. Not his. I love my family, but my life is with Rio.”
Skylar kept her head held high in the ensuing silence. She had to believe and trust in Rio, but just in case, she looked up at him. His face told her nothing. “If you make me regret what I just said, I’ll make your life miserable.”
“Skylar, I…” His voice faltered.
She took his hand. “I trusted you, now you have to trust in me.”
He gazed down at her. Strong, fearless, the woman who had slowly stolen his heart. “Can we talk for a minute?”
Her mutinous gaze narrowed, but she allowed him to lead her away from the others. Once he stopped, she pulled her hand back. Rio was in trouble and knew it. She was slipping away from him.
“Skylar, you’re asking for something that I can’t give you.”
“Bull,” she snapped, fighting the pain in her heart. “You can give me everything. If you love me.”
Love didn’t begin to encompass all that he felt about her. She was his everything. That’s why he had to let her go. Eventually he’d fail her. He didn’t know anything about keeping a woman happy.
“Skylar—” He faltered when he saw tears in her eyes. Anguish seared him. “Don’t.”
“You’re going to miss me.” Her chin lifted. Angrily, she swiped away the tears. “But you better not wait too long to come to your senses. Good-bye.”
The pain worsened. “No!” He didn’t know if he shouted the word or desperately needed to. He just knew he couldn’t let her walk away from him. He reached for her.
She whirled, even in the wide skirt, her right hand going up to knock his hand away, and then she aimed at his face with the heel of her palm. Surprised, Rio’s instinct took over. He blocked her hand as gently as he could. She aimed for his chest.
“Skylar, stop. You’re going to hurt yourself. I still have on the Kevlar vest.”
She didn’t stop. For every chop he countered, she came back with another that pushed him backward. “Skylar.” She was royally pissed at him. “Stop before you hurt yourself.” It wasn’t happening.
“If I didn’t have this dress on, I’d put you on your stubborn butt!”
“Blade. Shane. If she hits me, she’ll hurt her hands.”
“I never interfere between a man and a woman,” Blade said.
“Same here,” was Shane’s response.
Rio glanced up to see if her father would help, but her family held him. She caught him square in the nose.
“Got you.”
She said the words with such pride, he dropped his hands. Perhaps she deserved to give him a few licks.
She dropped hers. “You fight, or I’m going to play dirty.”
She already had. She’d swooped in and stolen his heart.
Her eyes softening, she moved closer. “Didn’t the Man With No Name teach you to reach out and fight for what you want?”
His hand lifted to touch her face, then curled into a fist instead. “Strong, courageous, beautiful. You deserve so much.”
Her smile trembled. “And that’s what I’ll have with you.”
“I—”
“There’s probably not a couple in this room who hasn’t hit a bump or two, but look at them now. Happy. Deeply in love. Think about the children sleeping upstairs, Rio.” Her arms slid around his neck. “That’s what I want for us. I want to be the mother of your children.”
His eyes shut tightly. He’d already pictured it. She was killing him. He couldn’t have it all.
“But you have to reach for it. Reach for me.” On tiptoes, she brushed her lips across his. “I’ll always be there. I’ll never let you down. I’ll love you forever.”
Reach for me. Her words reverberated in his mind and opened his heart to the possibility of a lifetime with this one special woman. I’ll never let you down.
“Fear has never ruled you, Rio. Don’t let it keep us apart. Dare to love me.”
He’d dare anything, risk anything for this woman. He stared into her steady gaze and saw his future. If he was brave enough to reach for it.
Doubts slipped away. His heart gladly surrendered. Without a moment’s hesitation, he reached for her. “I love you, Skylar.”
“What’s the rest?”
“Rest? You said—”
“I lied.”
Rio threw back his head and laughed until his sides ached, then lifted Skylar until their faces were inches apart. “I’ll be gray before I’m forty.”
Her hands tenderly cupped his face. “I’ll do my best to behave.”
He cocked a brow. “I seriously doubt that.”
“We’ll have love and happiness and each other.”
All that he desired and never thought to have. “Skylar, will you marry me?”
She beamed. “Yes! Yes! Now put me down so I can put my arms around your neck and really kiss you.”
He kissed her lightly on the lips, then placed her on the floor. “That will have to do.”
“Giving orders already?” She grinned up at him. “Here’s one for you. Find out where we can get married the quickest.”
“I better go ask you father for your hand first.” He figured she wanted the traditional approach. At least he knew that much.
“If he says no?”
“It will be his choice if he wants to come to the wedding or not,” Rio answered, his voice flat.
She threw her arms him and kissed him until he felt himself teetering on the brink of losing control. He’d been afraid of that happening. Skylar put her entire body into a kiss, wrapping a man in pleasure. He removed her arms and didn’t waste his time scowling at her. Skylar had a mind of her own, and thank God and the Master of Breath for it. He curved his arm around her slim waist and went to her father.
“Mr. Dupree, I want to marry Skylar. I’d like to ask for your consent.”
“And if I say no?” Mr. Dupree asked.
“Beau,” Meredith said softly. “Mess this up, and you’ll lose everything.”
There were shadows and regret in his eyes when he briefly turned to her. “I lost that long ago. I know what it feels like not to be with the one you love. I wouldn’t do that to Skylar.” He extended his hand to Rio. “You both have my blessings.”
“Father, thank you.” Skylar hugged him, then her grandparents.
People gathered around to congratulate the couple and take pictures with their cell phones. With his arm around Skylar, this time Rio smiled.
“Rio is going to find out where we can get married the quickest,” Skylar said, giddy with happiness.
“No!” Her mother shook her head emphatically. “You’re going to have a proper wedding.”
“Mother.”
“You’re my only daughter.” Mrs. Dupree sought help elsewhere. “Rio, please. I’ve thought about this since she was in high school. She’ll listen to you.”
“Up to a point,” he replied.
“Please,” she repeated.
Rio thought of how long it took Blade and Shane to get married. “Define proper time-wise?”
“A year at the very least,” she responded.
“Four to six months seems better,” Rio told her.
“Even with a wedding planner we can’t possibly plan a wedding in that length of time,” her mother almost shrieked. “There’s too much to do.”
“What if you had help?” he asked.
“Who?”
Rio looked straight at Mrs. Grayson and Felicia Falcon, who were smiling. “Well, you started this.”
“Thank you,” Skylar said, grinning at the women. “Although you had me worried you’d picked out someone else for Rio.”
Amid groans from Brandon and Pierce, Mrs. Grayson said, “We’d be delighted to help. Felicia and I both have had experience planning weddings.”
“It will be the most fabulous event of the season,” Felicia said excitedly.
Other women in the room volunteered to help as well.
“Count me in.” Sierra shook her head. “Although I hope you know what you’re getting into, Skylar.”
“Same question I asked Blade,” Rio shot back
Skylar laughed. “I do, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Blade’s laughter joined Skylar’s. “That’s the same thing I told Rio.” He stood, bringing Sierra with him. “Now let’s toast the happy couple. I know Martin will make the brunch even more spectacular to celebrate the engagement of Rio and Skylar, and Mrs. Grayson’s perfect record continuing.”
Groans, cheers, and laughter filled the room.