02 Unforgivable - Untouchable (9 page)

I invited my Pensacola friends, but the only ones who could make it were Kevin and Carlie. I was disappointed Jewels couldn’t make it, but she said her parents wouldn’t bring her nor allow her to travel alone. Ryan was still here with his mother in Palm Beach, planning to return to Pensacola a week after the wedding to complete his senior year. He seemed a bit relieved when I told him Jewels wasn’t coming down. He said they had basically broken up for the summer, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to see her right now. I didn’t like the idea of his being alone, so I offered to fix him up with one of my other friends, just for the wedding of course, but he politely refused.

All seemed to be going well until David and Giorgio flew in the week before the wedding for the rehearsal. We invited them both to stay at the house. But it shocked me when David started to flirt with my mother! And, what was more shocking was Micah didn’t seem to think it was a big deal. I stole a few private moments with Micah after dinner that night, pulling him out to the garage and into my car to vent my frustration.

“
Baby, David is 29 and your mom is 35, they only have one more year difference between them than we do.”

“
She’s my mother!”

“
Well, she is hot.”

“
Micah!” I couldn’t mask my shock, “you never said you thought my mom was hot.”

“
Leese, I’m crazy in love with you and I think you are the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever met, but even you said your mom was beautiful.”

“
Beautiful is beautiful—not hot.”

“
You’re beautiful
and hot
.”

“
But—but she’s my mother and he—he…”

“
Is mafia?” he stated raising his eyebrows at me.

“
NO—he drugged me! And, let’s not forget, tried to shoot me.”

He started to laugh, and then leaned across the leather seat and kissed me, “That was under totally different circumstances, and he does know how to behave when he isn’t trying to save my ass or yours for that matter. We both owe him.”

“
Mom isn’t payment,” I hissed.

“
I’ll tell him to cool it and we’ll leave the rest up to your mother.”

“
Ah! Well then that means I have to have a talk with her,” I growled, my frustration level rising.

Micah sighed, “Baby, do you really want your mother to know what happened between us
before
I proposed?” I could see a small amount of worry in his eyes.

I calmed. He was right. I couldn’t tell Mom what to watch out for with David. And, he was being impossibly polite and charming (a side to David I’d never seen). “Just please do me a favor and let him know Kimmy picks up on things quickly, and I would prefer he didn’t make passes at Mom, especially with her around.”

“
Deal. Besides, I don’t think he’ll get too forward with Dad here. Now if he were here alone, I think we’d have a problem.” He gave me one more quick kiss and suggested we go back inside and stop ignoring our guests.

We walked in to find Giorgio enjoying a card game with Kimmy in the dining room and Mom and David were out by the pool having a glass of wine. Damn wine! I knew I should have thrown it out. But I couldn’t deny she was actually having fun. She was smiling and laughing, her eyes sparkling with life and happiness. I remembered her motto about only getting one opportunity to live life. Suddenly, I felt bad for trying to take away a chance for her to feel attractive to someone, even if it was David. I could only hope neither one of them would fall for the other—it could get weird; my step-father-brother-in-law? That was a little creepy.

The next day we drove down to show them the monastery and to rehearse. I brought Mom, Giorgio, and Kimmy in my car; Micah and David followed in the Corvette. When we arrived, Micah had a constant sheepish look on his face as we went through our rehearsal, and I was beginning to wonder exactly what he and David had been discussing on the way down to North Miami. But his face changed when we took everyone on a tour of the grounds and buildings; he was beaming from ear to ear as his father mentioned multiple times that the church was outstanding and beautiful. He had impressed his father and that, I knew, was something very important to him.

We returned home and went out for lunch and then Micah used my car to take them back to the airport.

I wanted to see if Mom was interested in talking about David, but she was off to pick up the shoes she had dyed to match her gown, then she and Kimmy were going to the salon for haircuts and to get their nails done. It sounded like a fun girls-afternoon-out, but I had my day of pampering already scheduled for the day before the wedding, so I stayed at home and waited for Micah to return.

When he came home, I got the distinct feeling he was trying to avoid me.

“
I’m going to take a shower,” he declared as soon as he realized we were alone.

“
Why? You had one last night and I haven’t done anything to make you run for it,” I teased, wrapping my arms around his waist.

He kissed me quickly and tried to slip from my grip, “I’ll be back down in a little while.”

“
Good,” I replied, my suspicions getting stronger, “then we can discuss David—and Mom.”

His face lost color as the slight smile he had melted away, “Wh—why? What did your Mom say about him?”

“
She’s avoiding me, like you’re trying to do. What did David say to you on the drive to the church?”

“
Leese, do you remember when we were in the Inlet Motel and you thought I’d gone out and done something you didn’t want to know about? Do you remember what you said to me when you thought I was getting ready to confess?”

“
Yeah, I said… Aaah!”

“
Baby, there are some things you really
do
want to remain ignorant about.” He was giving me a very sympathetic look, “And besides, we’re getting married in six days and I was hoping they would be six happy days.”

“
Exactly
what did David tell you?” There was no way he was getting away from me now. I had to know what it was he didn’t want me to know.

Micah put his hand on the back of his neck and rolled his head as if he was suddenly stiff, “Well, he used a lot of four letter words.”

“
What!”

“
Yeah, he used like, want, need, and—and love several times. I don’t know what the women in this family do to the men in my family, but I’m afraid he is crazy about your mother.”

“
But all they did was sit out by the pool and talk.”

He gave me a strange look.

“
That was all they did, right? We were the last ones to go to bed.”

For someone very large, he started to get small in a hurry, “Remain ignorant, remember.”

“
She didn’t—they didn’t—”

He cringed. “Baby—”

I put my hand over my open mouth, “Did he drug her?!”

“
No,” he offered quickly, “It was absolutely consensual.
Don’t flip out on me, please
. I told him I didn’t want to know!” he rolled his eyes toward the ceiling.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to cry or scream. The tears seemed to be winning the emotional battle. Micah was right, ignorance would have been better.

“
Do you want to know anymore? I think if you just listen to what he told me, you won’t be so upset.”

“
Would you want to hear about your mother doing something like that?”

“
My mother isn’t single, and she’s 51. Come upstairs with me, baby, and I’ll tell you the rest. I don’t want your mom to walk in and catch us discussing what happened.”

I slumped against his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around me and led me upstairs. He scooped me up as we entered his room. He knew how much I loved it when he picked me up and pulled me in close, placing me on the bed and wrapping his arm around my waist. He kissed my bare neck and began telling me how they had enjoyed each other’s company so much they decided to meet downstairs after everyone went to sleep.

“
They were both hurting. She got to talk about everything she has gone through with Robert. She didn’t know David was the informant that busted Robert until last night. He explained, as much as he could, about the problems he’s still facing for doing it. He’s been ostracized and it’s killing him to be out of the family. She talked to him about your dad and how much she missed him and—and she said how much David reminded her of him.”

I was thinking about the fact that she had said the same thing about Micah, but then again David and Micah looked a lot alike.

“
David has never said a woman fascinated him, but she did. That’s not how he normally views women—they’re good for one thing as far as he’s concerned.”

“
Well, he should be happy. He got what he wanted.” I said, wiping the last of the tears from my cheeks.

“
Baby, he said he didn’t want to make a move on Nadia, but she asked if she could kiss him and he said everything just unraveled. He said she seemed so fragile and hurt by everything—he was hurting and he described it as beautiful—my brother who has never used the phrase ‘making love’ said that was a true first for him; it wasn’t just sex. She told him not to expect a relationship, especially since you and I are getting married, but he’s in new territory and I know it really messed with his head.”

“
I could tell,” I began, “when I saw them last night out by the pool that she was actually happy. I haven’t seen her like that in like forever. I don’t want you to think I hate David—it’s just weird for me, that’s all.”

“
I understand how you feel about the moral side of this,” he empathized, as he stroked my arm. “That’s one thing that you and your mom don’t share, but—”

“
Yeah, if we shared that,” I laughed bitterly, “You and I wouldn’t be discussing this because I wouldn’t exist.”

His face descended into the pile of my hair at the back of my neck. I could hear him inhaling deeply as he nuzzled into it, “Then, baby, I’m glad she doesn’t because I can’t imagine my world without you.”

I rolled over and wrapped my arms around his glorious neck as I kissed him slowly and tenderly. He began to moan as his body covered my own. We’d been so well behaved lately that it felt good to forget the rules for a few minutes.

“
I guess it proves my point about God having a purpose for everything. I wouldn’t have done what she did at seventeen and this wouldn’t be happening right now.”

“
I know I shouldn’t ask this and spoil the moment, but your mom told David she was safe, as far as getting pregnant goes. She is, right?”

I finally smiled, “She had her tubes tied after Kimmy was born.” But with that said a new worry entered my mind and I had to ask, “What about David? I mean, I know he’s been around, a lot evidently, and I hate to think they had unprotected sex, but it sounds like they did. I don’t want her life to be cut short because she spent a night with him.”

“
He’s always been careful about that—always. But, he didn’t come here for the night and expect to… Well, I’ll just say he wasn’t prepared. I was actually kind of worried about that because even though Nadia’s been with Robert all this time, Robert has been with Sharon and who knows who all she’s been with.”

“
Micah, I’ve never asked, but have you always been safe?”

He looked at me with those deep green eyes as he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. I could tell he was getting emotional and I was suddenly afraid of the answer.

“
No, not always,” he replied with his voice getting husky, “but before I came back and asked you to marry me I went and had myself tested—I couldn’t take it if I did anything to hurt you that way. Everything came back fine; we’re safe together.” Then a broad smile crossed his face, “That is if your rhythm method works. We won’t be baby-safe if it doesn’t.”

“
I think we’ll leave that one up to God. All I know is in less than one week I’ll have everything I’ve ever wanted. I love you, Micah.”

He brushed his lips to mine, “So you’re okay about what happened between David and your mom? You aren’t going to let her know he told me all of this, are you?”

“
No, I’m okay now. I just hope he doesn’t end up being my—my step-dad.”

Micah busted out with laughter.

“
What?” I demanded, pushing at his broad shoulders, trying to wiggle free. He was still laughing, “What’s so funny?”

“
He was coming up with all those combinations in the car; step-daughter-sister-in-law, son-in-law-brother, and my personal favorite, grandpa-uncle.”

Okay, I had to admit it was funny in a stupid way, and I found myself laughing with him.

Chapter 5