A Heart Full of Diamonds (10 page)

Two weeks later, Marilee walked tiredly up the driveway,
across the yard of the duplex and onto her own porch. She hadn’t even had time
to put her key to the lock when Derrek dashed out of the house hollering her
name. She turned to watch him fly across the yard and up onto her porch.

“Oh, Marilee,” he yelped as he flung his arms around her,
burying his face in her chest, great sobs convulsing his slender body.

Deeply touched, Marilee held him to her. “Derrek,” she said
softly, trying to soothe him. “I sure have missed you.” She gave in to the
impulse to lightly kiss the top of his head. Tears gathered in her eyes,
momentarily obscuring her vision.

“I thought they were gonna hurt you!” The choked, muffled
words were barely audible. “I was scared they’d even kill you! They looked real
mean!”

His voice held all the agony his young imagination could
experience, his arms squeezing tighter, as though to keep her here with him
forever.

“Ah, Derrek, my Man, do you think I’d let that happen? No
way, Partner!” Marilee hugged him close to her, grateful she was alive to do
so.

She didn’t like to think about everything that had happened
in the past couple of weeks; didn’t want to think of how she’d imagined the very
things Derrek had just verbalized.

Richard’s truck came into view as he drove into his parking
stall. Derrek heard the familiar sound, his head coming up to look toward the
driveway. Quickly he swiped a shirt-sleeved-arm across his face to erase the
tears. He looked back at Marilee, his eyes shining.

“Wait ‘til Dad sees you! He won’t believe it! He thought he’d
never see you again! Boy, oh boy, is he gonna be happy!” Turning, he bolted
down the steps and across the yard, yelling as he ran.

Marilee’s heart began thumping with cheer at the boy’s
words. Dared she hope Richard cared for her?

“Dad! Dad! She’s home! She’s home!” He barreled into his dad’s
mid-section just as Richard cleared the back of the truck.

“Whoa, Sport, take it easy! What are you saying?” Richard
rumpled Derrek’s hair, then tipped his son’s face up so he could find out what
was up.

“She’s home, Dad! Marilee’s home!” He began a little dance,
dragging Richard around with him, nearly pulling him off-balance.

Marilee was drawn in the wake of Derrek’s mad dash to the
driveway, breathless with her own anxiety to see Richard.

She watched as Derrek danced Richard closer to her and she
caught her breath at how good he looked to her. Tears of longing and love for
these two filled her eyes, shimmering the images before her.

Finally understanding what Derrek was yelling, Richard
quickly turned and looked toward Marilee’s apartment. He saw her standing there
on the front sidewalk and looked at her for a long moment.

Quietly, he eased himself out of his son’s grasp. He stepped
towards her and simply opened his arms. Marilee, her breath catching in her
chest, hesitated only a second before hurrying forward.

She all but fell into his embrace, knowing she was where she
wanted to be...hoped to be…where she felt she belonged.

Being held didn’t seem to be enough for Marilee, and after
being squeezed tightly for long moments, she eased back a little and Richard,
responding to her pulling away, looked down at her.

He looked at her eyes, dropped his gaze to her lips, and then
looked back into her eyes while she performed the same action, silently asking
for permission to take their relationship to a deeper level.

She gave him her answer by lifting her face for his kiss. Their
lips met gently, softly, then the kiss deepened with passion, lighting the fire
which had been building slowly for months.

As they drew apart, she saw the wonder in Richard’s face.
She hoped he could see the same thing in her face. Suddenly Derrek joined the
hug, an arm around each. His touch recalled her to the present, and she took a
half step back, still standing close, but now without touching either of them.
Until Richard said something, she didn’t dare move any closer.

“I was so worried,” Richard’s voice was gruff with emotion. “I
thought I’d never see you again, Sweetheart.” His look was tender.

“I was so scared, Richard!” Marilee’s voice was shaky with
her own emotions. “I didn’t know if I’d live to see another day. But I thought
about you, and tried to find ways to get away so I could come back here.

“Thinking of you, though, and of what you mean to me, I knew
I’d fight until there was no breath left before I’d give in to Tony.” Tears
threatened once again, and she wiped them away with her fingertips.

Are you all right?” His voice was very soft. Marilee nodded,
searching his face.

“I mean really all right?” he queried again as he reached
out and touched her arm lightly, his love a tangible thing between them.

“Yes, Richard, I’m truly all right, now.” Her love answered
him fully.

Richard studied her face, and then nodded his head,
satisfied she was as she’d said.

“So how did you get away?” Derrek asked.

“Well, because you two called the police when Karl and Benny
took me away, Detective Briant was able to call the FBI. They were having Tony
followed. Karl called him about every four hours while we were driving back to
Chicago. So, Tony knew what time we’d be driving up to the house. He was
actually standing in the driveway when we pulled up.” Marilee shivered with the
remembered horror of the moment she saw Tony. The hate on his face was
something she’d always remember. 

“What happened then?” Derrek prompted her, his eyes alight.

Marilee told them the rest of what had happened, making as
light of it as she could for Derrek’s sake, but the terror of it was still
lurking within her; she shuddered slightly even now.

Richard must have seen the shudder because he reached out
and laid his hand on her arm.

Derrek, put both his skinny arms around her and hugged her
tightly once more, his face buried against her. A muffled, “I’m glad they
didn’t hurt you!” floated up from between them.

Marilee kissed the top of his head once more. “I’m fine,
Derrek,” she said.

  “What happens now?” Richard’s voice softly intruded on the
quiet moment.

Marilee looked up at him and realized he questioned both the
legal process with Tony and where they’d be going with their relationship.

“As far as Tony and his thugs are concerned, I’ll go back
and testify at the trial. When everything is finished there, I’ve decided to
sell the house and move here, permanently.”

Marilee searched Richard’s features, trying to determine
where he wanted their relationship to go.

“Will you still be his wife, even if he’s in jail?” Derrek’s
question reminded her he was still nearby. She looked down into his earnest
face.

“No, Derrek. On Monday, I’ll find a lawyer here and begin
the process for a divorce. Goodness knows I have grounds for one!” She smiled
lightly at him.

“When the divorce is all over with, then can you marry Dad?”

Marilee heard Richard’s quick intake of breath, but before
she could answer, Richard spoke, exasperation in his tone.

“Son, I’ve told you before to stay out of this. I haven’t
asked her to marry me, and I don’t even know if she’ll have me…us. You see, we’re
a package deal, and not everyone would want to be saddled with so much of a
package.” He looked at her now, and she could see the love in his eyes.

Marilee looking at him, realized he was as uncertain of her
as she was of him. Having understood during this past two weeks how much this
man and this boy meant to her, she was willing to risk rejection if she was
wrong about his feelings.

“I sort of like package deals,” she said, smiling up into Richard’s
incredible green eyes.

“Even if part of the package is a little dog-eared around
the edges?” His mouth smiled, but his eyes were pleading.

“I do believe so.” Her smile widened a little. “However, I
don’t know if you’ll be interested in a person with a shady past, and who is
only a dumb blonde to some people. What do you think?” Her voice was pleading
now as much as his eyes were moments ago.

Derrek, always impatient, said, “Well, Dad, ask her now! If
she says yes, then this part of the package will suggest we all go out for
pizza! Wadda ya say?”

Richard and Marilee laughed, and then Richard reached for
her, folding his arms around her once more and smiling down into her face.

“Well, I don’t know if this is the right romantic setting. We’re
standing here on the sidewalk, and my son is listening with both ears, but I
don’t think we dare let him starve to death while we wait for a better time and
place. So, my lovely Marilee Curtice…whatever, put us all out of misery so we
can go and get pizza. Will you marry me?” Richard’s eyes were glowing with his
humor.

“Well, I don’t think I could stand ‘death by starvation’ on
my conscience. I’ll also admit to being very hungry for pizza. If you don’t
mind waiting until I’m free, then I’ll definitely marry you…and Derrek…and
become part of this package. There’s just one little thing.” Her voice was
serious, but she scrunched her face with her own brand of humor and a little
mischief thrown in.

“What?” Richard and Derrek answered at the same time,
nervousness that she could hear in both of their voices.

“We’ll need a bigger house, so we can have a huge library
for all my books and all your reference books about those ‘football cheatin’
cheetahs!”

Laughter in three shades floated through the air as they
broke apart and climbed into Richard’s truck heading for Derrek’s favorite
pizza parlor.

“Hey, Marilee,” Derrek said, suddenly. “Who gets to keep the
stolen diamonds?”

“Well, the authorities are trying to find out who they
belong to. But I have my own idea,” she said, looking from one to the other. “I
think I’ll trade in the stolen diamonds and replace them with real diamonds…diamonds
of your love that fill my heart.”  

Deadly Gamble

A Heart Full of Diamonds

Inherit my Heart

Clues to Food (a cook book)

Bits and Bites (an anthology)

A M Jenner is a mother and grandmother who lives in Gilbert,
Arizona with her family, a car named “Grey Ghost”, and around 5,000 books. A
self-professed hermit, she loves interacting with her fans online, and was last
seen entering the library.

Website:
www.electric-scroll.com

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