to build the suspense for the next issue, but with D’Angelo looking for anything to pop up this could possibly start him investigating. He wouldn’t have to go far to get someone in San Antonio to remember the kind of guy that accompanied me to dinner.
I was in tears, but Micah told me he had it under control. We were still safe as far as he was concerned. I wasn’t convinced, but he begged me to forget it, at least for today. He baked the frozen cobbler and piled all the items on top, and I finally found my smile as he helped me eat it. He didn’t care for the chocolate syrup over the whole thing, but he said it wasn’t bad, just different.
He had ribs delivered for lunch and I was in food heaven. It was even better than the cinnamon bun, because he decided to suck the barbeque sauce off my fingers and that took more time than icing. It didn’t take long before we were excusing ourselves from lunch and heading for the bedroom. He scooped me up before we reached the door and growled softly as he buried his face into my neck. It was going to be a stellar afternoon.
I didn’t come back out for the rest of the evening, but Micah did go downstairs once to bring me another bowl of cobbler. We finished the night with Micah treating me to one of his wonderful, pampering showers and then it was back to bed where he told me, very tearfully, that he thanked God for giving him another opportunity to be with me.
“We’ve been through hell and back, Annalisa, but it’s all been worth it to be right here, right now in your arms. I love you with more strength than I possess in my body,” He kissed me with a passion that was different from what he’d ever exposed.
I was trying to come up with an equal response to how I felt about him, when he slid down in the bed and told me he was going to talk to the baby for a little while. I laughed, even though I knew he was serious, but it was still funny to listen to him speaking to my stomach. I had already insisted the baby’s first name would be Micah, but Micah senior wasn’t quite convinced yet, so he simply called him ‘little guy.’
He kissed and caressed my stomach and told our son how very much he loved him and that he wanted only the best for him. “And you’ve got a great start,” he continued, “because you’ve got the best mother in the whole world. She’s smart and beautiful, and sexy and-”
“Micah, I don’t think sexy is what we want our son to tell other kids about his mother,” I playfully scolded.
“You’re right,” he said sliding up in the bed and staring into my eyes, “I should be telling you that…but at the moment I think I’d rather show how I feel about you.”
What a wonderful experience every night with him could turn out to be. I was exhausted by the time we finally slept and I didn’t wake until after nine the next morning. Breakfast was beside the bed, but Micah left a note saying he had to go out.
I carried the tray downstairs and found Mom and Kimmy planning a big shopping adventure for today. They had been bitten by the ‘baby bug’ and they were going to spend the day putting together a huge layette. Mom wanted to purchase everything from diapers to outfits, to blankets and crib sets.
“I just need to know if you’re planning on bottle or breast feeding.”
“What is breast feeding?” Kimmy asked.
I looked at Mom and laughed. “I’m going to breast feed the baby, but since you brought it up, you get to explain it,” I said, ruffling Kimmy’s hair as she followed Mom out the door.
By one o’clock, I was starting to worry about Micah’s whereabouts. I tried his cell phone several times, but it kept going to voice mail. I heard a vehicle pulling in around two and I was relieved that he was home, but as I went to the front door and peered out, I realized it wasn’t Micah. I hesitated at the open door, wondering if I should close it in case this was a reporter, but when the car door opened I was shocked to see Ryan step out onto the driveway with a large envelope under his arm.
“I don’t believe it.” I said meeting him halfway and embracing him.
“Hey, baby girl,” he held me tightly for a long time.
“Where’s Candace?” I asked, pulling away from him and looking around to see if she was in his car.
“Colorado,” he answered softly.
“What are you doing here? Just visiting your mom or…” That was when I began to pay attention to his expression. He seemed sad and reserved which could only mean one thing. “What happened? Did you two-did you break up?” I knew he shouldn’t have planted that kiss on me with her watching.
“No. Annalisa, we’ve got to talk. I’ve got to tell you something and-well, it isn’t going to be easy to say. Can we go inside?”
I’d never seen him this way and he was starting to frighten me. I eyed the envelope suspiciously, “Sure, come on in.” My heart was starting to flutter over his mysterious reason for showing up at my house. I took him to the living room, talking as I went, “I’m home alone. Mom and Kimmy went shopping and then they’re picking up dinner. I hope you can stay and join us.” Everything is normal I kept repeating in my head; this is nothing bad. “Micah should be home pretty soon, but to tell you the truth I don’t have any idea where he went today. I can’t get him to-”
Ryan’s expression became pained and his eyes were filling with tears, “Sit down, baby girl, that’s why I’m here.”
It was like my blood pressure bottomed out when I heard those words. I was suddenly weak and I couldn’t stand as he gripped my shoulders and slowed my descent to the couch, “Wha-what do you mean?”
“Micah called me this morning.”
“Why would he call you?” My emotions rose mid-throat and locked in place. My tears welled over my lower lids and I knew something terrible was coming, “What’s this about?
“Leese, when the two of you came to see me, Micah and I left for a while because he needed my help with something. He told me he was going to call me the day he went after D’Angelo.”
“No-no, he didn’t-he wouldn’t have,” I was starting to shake as I began to cry.
“He said he’d let me know when it was almost over,” Ryan’s tears had started to slide down his cheeks. “I was on the plane here when I got the second call, he’s there now.”
I covered my face with my hands and wept. The mob wouldn’t forgive his actions this time.
“He took me to an attorney’s office. He wanted me to be a witness to his will,” he said as he removed the envelope from under his arm, “and he wanted me to have his bank account information-for you.”
“Shut up, Ryan! You’re lying-if he did that then he was planning on… Tell me you’re lying,” I said, gripping his shirt in a feeble grasp, “
“I wish I was, baby girl. He wanted me to be the one to break this to you because he said you’d never let him go if you knew what he was doing. He said I was the only person he would trust to watch over you-and the baby. He doesn’t want you leaving Florida and trying to find him.”
I was so weak that I swayed as I stood from the couch, “Do you really think you can keep me from going to him?” I threatened.
“Yeah-I’m sorry, but I can.”
I started to push my way around him, but the attempt was pitiful. He gripped my shoulders, but he was wide open as I jerked my knee up to try to hit his groin. He must have known I’d try using force because he moved his hips backward as my knee glanced off the front of his jeans.
“Aaah!” I screamed, my hands dropping to my right side. I felt the muscle spasm as soon as I made the rapid movement. My sobbing began as he put me back on the couch.
“Shit, Annalisa, don’t do stuff like that! Are you okay? What hurts?”
“My side,” I whimpered. It would have been a great ploy to catch him off guard if it hadn’t been the truth. I crumbled into his arms. I wasn’t going anywhere and I knew it. I had no idea where Micah was at, so flying to Louisiana was a moot point. “They’re going to kill him, Ryan. I didn’t realize last night would really be my last night with him. Would you pray with me, please? I can’t lose him, not now, not like this…
He clasped my hands as we bowed our heads and the prayers began going up for Micah Gavarreen.
Chapter Thirty-Two
