Page 86 of Beautiful Life

I watch her pad off to my bedroom and reach out to the counter, dropping my head. I didn’t tell her. How all that transpired I don’t know, but I’m fucking ecstatic. I’ll keep her with me today—she’ll be safe and I’ll tell her before we get married. I can’t keep it from her. But to tell her right after she agreed to marry me? After everything she said and shared about how happy she is? No way I could tell her after that.

I move to my office. I’ve got to make another police report about the pictures and note, call my family pastor to see if he can marry us tomorrow, and then actually make some calls to move things at work for the next two days. I slide the pictures and note away in a drawer but before I pick up the phone, I go to the closet in my office and kneel to my safe. Punching the code, I hear beeps when it opens, and find what I’m looking for. I pull out my Baby Glock 40 Cal and ankle holster. After checking the clip to make sure it’s loaded and ready to go, I put it with the files so I can come back for it after I shower. Finally, I pick up my phone to make my first call to the police.

*****

Leigh

We went to the courthouse to get a marriage license, which was kind of weird. I mean, I don’t have very many people in my life, but Tony has a ton of people in his. But right now, the only other person who knows we’re getting married tomorrow is the attendant at the licensing desk.

Oh, and the pastor who’s going to marry us tomorrow.

Apparently, Tony grew up going to church, although he hasn’t gone regularly the last couple of years. From the sounds of it, he had to convince him our marriage is a good thing, a long time coming, that I’m not pregnant, and we don’t need counseling to make sure we both knew what we’re getting into. Tony sighed and said, “It was a long conversation, gem. It’s a good thing you’re marrying an attorney. It felt like I was convincing judge and jury.”

Then we went to the grocery store for Rosa. Tony grabbed her grocery list out of my hand to move us along at the speed of light, all while frowning. “Who is this Rosa, anyway?”

“She’s my new friend.”

“But, isn’t she old? Shouldn’t we get her healthy stuff?” He’s perplexed by Rosa’s grocery list.

“She has blueberries on the list. And dark chocolate is supposed to be healthy,” I throw back, knowing it’s a stretch.

“Leigh. This is her list: fudgesicles—only the generic brand and none of that fat free crap. Blueberries—no matter the price. Dark chocolate M&M’s. A box of sweet, pink wine and a good trashy romance novel. This is not a grocery list. She wants cheap ice cream treats on a stick, expensive fruit that’s out of season, liquor, chocolate, and porn. Who is this woman?”

I tip my head and frown. “It doesn’t matter what she wants. These are the things her kids refuse to buy when they shop for her. She’s eighty-five and she wants it so we’re going to get it. She only drives to church these days because she doesn’t like navigating the grocery store parking lot, that’s why we’re here. Grab a basket, Tony. We’re getting everything on that list.”

He sighs. “We’d better go to the porn aisle first, we don’t want the full-fat fudgesicles to melt.”

“Stop it.” I grin. But he’s right, so I head the books and magazines.

“What’s she into?” Tony asks. “Vampires, love triangles … oh look. Here’s a cowboy with no shirt on and he’s wearing chaps carrying a whip. Maybe she’ll get some western porn with BDSM in the same book. It’s like a buy-one-get-one-free.”

I laugh trying not to think about what kind of trashy romance Rosa might like.

“I’m just trying to move this along, Leigh. I hate grocery shopping,” he mutters.

“I’ve noticed.” I reach in front of him to grab a book with snake skin print high heels with handcuffs on the front and toss it into his basket.

He smirks. “So, you’re going with the BDSM?”

“I’ve heard it’s good. Don’t judge a book by its cover, Tony Carpino.”

After getting the rest of the groceries, we picked up Finny and headed to Rosa’s. We had a fun afternoon visiting with my new friend and playing with Finny. Tony left us for about an hour to run an errand but was back before I could miss him. Rosa was taken with Tony, like I knew she would be and mock threatened me that if she wasn’t so old, she would “steal him out from under my stockings”.

She proceeded to put Tony to work and told him she needed her screens put back on her windows for spring. Tony worked around Rosa’s house while she and I chatted about her family, Tony’s family, and I told her all about Tina.

When it was time to say goodbye, I promised Rosa I would pick her up on my way home from work on Wednesday and she could eat dinner with us. However, she wouldn’t let us leave before she made Tony put his name and number into her cellular phone, “just in case,” she explained. Tony did this grinning and then kissed her on the cheek before we left, to which Rosa exclaimed, “Okay, I don’t care how old I am. I’m gonna steal him out from under your stockings!”

Now it’s late and we’re ready for bed. I decided I want Gabby there tomorrow, so I had a phone call to make.

I look up at Tony who’s standing next to the bed with his arms crossed. I’m sitting Indian style and Finny’s head is in my lap. I’m scratching his ears while on the phone with Gabby, but I’m biting my lip trying to suppress my smile about tomorrow.

My excitement surprises even me. If I ever had to guess Tony would ask me to marry him and demand it happen the next day, I would never in all my life expect to be excited. I’d expect to be freaked out and worried I was going to screw up Tony’s life. But I’m not freaked out, I’m happy and actually feeling like this is the best thing that could have happened.

“Gabby, I’ve got to go. Can you meet us tomorrow or not? It’s over the lunch hour, we hoped you would both be free.” I pause, listening to my BFF who hates surprises try to demand to know why we need a favor from her and her new husband tomorrow at noon, meeting us at an undisclosed location.

“Look, Finny needs me, I’ve gotta go. Will we see you tomorrow or not?”

I smile up at Tony as she grudgingly gives in to meet us for an unknown favor.

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