Everyone started to leave. Ronnie said goodbye, walking around the table carrying Sara in his arms. When they got to Ric, she reached out to go to him. Ronnie pulled her hands together and kissed them. “Not now, baby girl, it’s time to go.”
Once again Janet saw the sweet look Ric gave the baby. Her heart ached knowing he had lost his children. She’d never thought much about him in high school. He was always with the group that ran together, but he was so quiet, never engaged. And now she saw a loving, caring, gentle man—it was appealing to her.
Soon only Janet and Ric sat at the table.
“Are you checking out today?” she asked.
“No. I have more meetings on Monday. I’m here a couple of more nights.”
“Good. I decided to take a mini-vacation and stay till tomorrow. I was going to spend the day in the city. Let’s go together; it’ll be fun.”
“I have work to do.” He picked up his ticket and hers.
“I can pay my own bill.” She put her face close to his with a determined look.
He popped the paper on the end of her nose and put it with his, in the tray with his credit card.
“Okay, then you have to let me buy dinner.”
The two spent the day walking Fifth Avenue, through Times Square, and then to the park. By evening they were holding hands and, on the way back to the hotel, he put his arm around her. They slept in her room that night.
All day Monday, Ric thought about the cute little girl. A tear came to his eye when he remembered holding his own daughter, so tiny and frail. Jennifer and Jason would have been nearly the same age as Sara and Sam.
When he walked through the lobby to go to his room, he was surprised to see Janet waiting for him. She put her arms around his neck, and they kissed.
It was a whirlwind affair. Janet was a flaming redhead with the personality to go with it. She was feisty, exciting, and dramatic all wrapped into one. Ric never knew which Janet would be in his bed—the one who crawled all over him like a slinky cat and took him to new highs, the one who just wanted to lie next to him and talk all night, or the moody girl who had nothing good to say about the day’s events. That mood he could easily get her out of by holding her and agreeing with all she said. She kept him on his toes, but he liked the new adventure.
Since the day his father died, all Ric had wanted was a family to be close to, a woman who loved him, and children he could hold tight, kiss when they skinned their knees, and teach the good things in life to. Even though Janet was hot-tempered at times, she was also loving and caring when he fought his emotions. And there were no complications, no other man, just the two of them in love.
The more Janet got to know the new Ric, the more she fell in love with him. He was tender, romantic, and genuine. She had never been treated so well by any of the men she had dated. It seemed he wanted to do whatever it took to make her happy.
Her troupe did do the opening in the Bahamas, and they spent the rest of the week there together. For weeks, they took turns going to Florida and Atlanta whenever they could be together. He even had her stay at the guest house with him on the estate rather than a hotel when she visited.
On May Day, he asked her to marry him. The wedding was one month later on Val’s estate grounds in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was a small get-together with the same classmates, Carol and James from Greystone Entertainment, and a couple of Janet’s friends.
Janet wore a white gauze dress with some beading, and Ric wore a white linen shirt and pants. Everyone was surprised when Laura Ann walked in with a baby belly.
“Well, that didn’t take long,” Scott said in his boisterous voice. “Thinking maybe there was a bun in the oven before the nuptials.”
“Oh, Scott, do you always have to be a jerk?” Jackie asked.
“Ow,” Scott said, after Laura Ann slugged him on the arm.
“That’s none of your business.”
“Sorry,” he mouthed, still rubbing his arm.
“I wonder if Gini has had her baby yet?” Jackie asked. “I would think she’s due. Have you heard from her, Laura Ann?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“She was so sweet. I’m glad we got to see her.”
“Me too.”
Janet heard the conversation and looked to see if Ric could hear. He was talking to the guys a few feet away. She remembered how upset he had been at the Phillips wedding when he found out Gini was pregnant, and the sad stories about him losing so many children. When making the guest list, she had suggested inviting Franco and Gini and Dr. Young. Ric’s answer was short; he had no idea where Franco was, and he turned away from her when he said no to inviting Gini. He was trying to hide his emotions, but Janet could see him shaking. The accident had been unbearable for him, she could tell. It was terribly sad such an awful thing had happened to their good friend. Thankfully, Ric had not heard the girls chatting since he showed no reaction to their comments. Janet wanted everything happy on her wedding day.
After a nice afternoon around the pool and the lush landscaping, Janet and Ric rode into the sunset down the
