A Very Merry Romance Read online

  “That was Mom. Stuart Jr. was shot tonight. He’s alive, but barely. He’s in critical condition. They’ve taken him to surgery.”

  He recalled her telling him that her older brother was a police officer. “Was he shot in the line of duty?”

  She swiped at her tears. “No. One of his girlfriends shot him when he told her he wanted to get his wife back. Can you believe it? What was I just telling you about women who didn’t know when to let go?”

  She moved around him to grab the phone book out from the drawer and began flipping through it. “What are you doing, Marilyn?”

  She glanced up at him, still swiping tears from her eyes. “I’ve got to get home. I need to get a seat on the first train that leaves for San Antonio in the morning.”

  “No, you don’t. I’ll drive you.”

  “What?”

  “I said, I’m driving you,” he said, moving to take the phone book from her hand. Then he pulled her into his arms, and just let her cry. He held her, feeling her pain and her fear of the unknown.

  After a few moments, her crying subsided. He pulled back and pushed her hair away from her face. “Start packing, Marilyn. I’ll go home and grab an overnight bag and will return in half an hour. Be ready to leave when I get back.”

  * * * *

  After Jonathan left, Marilyn changed clothes before she began rushing around, trying to gather the items she’d need. She paused momentarily to take a call from Traci, who’d wanted to make sure Marilyn had heard about the shooting. According to Traci, Stuart Jr. was still in surgery, and the woman who had shot him had been arrested for attempted murder.

  When Traci asked if she needed to be picked up from the train station in the morning, she’d told her that Jonathan had been with her when she’d gotten the call, and he’d volunteered to drive her to San Antonio. She was packing now and would be there in a few hours.

  When she got off the phone, she went back to packing. She wasn’t sure how long she’d be staying but wanted to have enough clothes. She couldn’t help but appreciate Jonathan’s thoughtfulness. She was glad he’d been there for her. She appreciated his strength as he’d held her in his arms while she’d cried over her brother.

  Even though she and Stuart Jr. were often at odds, right now, she was remembering the big brother who’d looked after her and protected her when she was growing up. The big brother who would read stories to her before she went to bed. The big brother who would walk her to the corner store and buy her ice cream with the money he’d earned from cutting yards. And now he was fighting for his life.

  Refusing to think about the reasons why he was in this situation, she moved around her apartment, adding the last few things to her suitcase. She had just finished snapping her luggage closed when the doorbell sounded. Rushing to open it, she found Jonathan standing there. Like her, he had changed clothes and was wearing a pair of jeans and a pullover sweater. No matter the seriousness of the situation, she still took the time to admire his looks. Jonathan Madaris was definitely one handsome man.

  “Hi,” she said, smiling up at him. He had no idea how much she appreciated him at that moment.

  “You okay?” he asked, concern in his eyes.

  “Yes,” she said, moving aside to let him in. “I feel bad that I’m inconveniencing you.”

  He reached out and pulled her into his arms. “Don’t. I want to be there for you.”

  She fought back the urge to cry all over again. He had a way of making her feel so special. “Thank you.”

  “You are more than welcome. Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes. I’m all set. I’ve talked to Traci. She’s at the hospital keeping my mother company. Roland is on his way, too.”

  Jonathan nodded as reached down for her luggage. “Yes, I know. Roman called and told me that Traci is with your mom.”

  She glanced up at him. “Roman?”

  He nodded. “He arrived in San Antonio earlier today.”

  “I’d forgotten all about that.”

  “They were out for dinner when they got word about your brother. They dropped Erika off at Traci’s parents’ house and then went to the hospital.”

  “Erika?”

  “Yes,” Jonathan said, moving toward the door. “I gather Erika went to dinner with them.”

  “That’s great,” Marilyn said, finding a reason to smile. “I like how Roman is including Erika.”

  Jonathan lifted a brow. “Any reason he shouldn’t?”

  “No,” Marilyn said, following him out the door. “No reason at all.”

  19

  “He seems like a nice young man, Marilyn. What did you say his name was, again?”

  Marilyn gripped her mother’s hand. It was hard to believe that Stuart Jr. was still in surgery. It had been six hours and still, there was no word on how things were going. She and Jonathan had driven straight to the hospital, where they’d found her mother sitting in the waiting room. A smile of gratitude had touched Marilyn’s lips when she’d seen Traci and Roman there as well, keeping her mother company. Marilyn knew the only reason her father wasn’t there was because, with his injury, he couldn’t be. Otherwise, nothing could have kept him from being there to support his wife while their first-born child fought for his life.

  Kattie Bannister had been overjoyed to see her daughter. When Marilyn had crossed the room, she’d pulled her mother into her arms, and they’d both cried. How many times had they warned Stuart Jr. that playing games with women’s hearts could lead to something bad?

  She had introduced Jonathan to her mother, but understandably, considering the circumstances, her mother didn’t remember. “His name is Jonathan Madaris, Mom.”

  “Umm. He’s handsome.”

  Marilyn glanced across the room to where Jonathan was standing talking to Traci and Roman. “Yes, he is.”

  “And he knows the guy Traci is with? That attorney from Dallas?”

  Marilyn hid her smile. It was apparent her mother had found the time to make inquiries with Traci tonight, as well. “Yes. Jonathan and Roman were college roommates and are still good friends.”

  “I see.”

  Needing to change the subject, Marilyn asked, “Do you have any idea what time Ro will get here tomorrow?”

  “No. Your dad talked to him, though.” Then, she added, “Your dad is going to want to talk to your boyfriend, as well. Not just anybody is good enough for our daughter.”

  Marilyn released a sigh. “Mom, Jonathan and I are just dating, not planning a wedding.”

  “It doesn’t matter. You’ve never brought a guy home for us to meet before.”

  Marilyn figured there was no reason to explain to her mother that she hadn’t actually brought Jonathan home to meet them. He’d been kind enough to drive her home, so she hadn’t had to catch the train. That was the reason he was there. She was about to stand to stretch her limbs when the waiting room door opened and a doctor appeared. Her mother was out of her seat in a flash.

  “My son? How is he?”

  The doctor didn’t say anything for a minute, and Marilyn literally held her breath. “He’s alive, ma’am,” he finally said. “He took two gunshots, but we were able to get both bullets out. The next several hours are going to be critical.”

  The doctor rubbed a hand across his haggard face and then said, “I suggest you all pray. He is definitely not out the woods yet.” He paused a moment and then added, “And if he survives, there’s a chance he might not walk again. We’ll have to wait and see.”

  Marilyn felt weak in the knees, and was surprised to find Jonathan had come to stand by her side. Again, he had become her pillar of strength and she leaned against him for support. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

  “It’s going to be a long night. I suggest you all go home. I will call if there are any changes.”

  “No,” her mother said firmly. “I will stay. I want to be here when he wakes up.”

  Marilyn studied the doctor’s features. She guessed it was on the ti
p of his tongue to say, if he wakes up. Instead the man nodded and walked out of the waiting room. Marilyn turned and placed her hands on her mother’s shoulders. “Mom, you need to go on home. Dad is home alone worried, not knowing what’s going on. You go and I’ll stay. You can relieve me in the morning. We’re both going to need our strength to deal with Stuart Jr. when he wakes up.”

  She thought her mother would put up an argument, but then Kattie Bannister said, “You’re right. Your dad is probably going out of his mind with worry. But I don’t want you to spend the night here alone.”

  “She won’t be alone, Mrs. Bannister,” Jonathan said. “I’ll be with her.”

  Marilyn glanced over at Jonathan. She hadn’t expected him to stay. She figured he would return to Houston, now that he’d delivered her to her family. “You don’t have to do that, Jonathan.”

  “Yes, I do,” he said softly. “There’s no place I’d rather be than here with you.”

  His words caused a dry sob to burn her throat and she fought not to let it out. Over the past six hours, her emotions had taken a beating. “Thank you, Jonathan.”

  “Come on, Miss Kattie. We’ll take you home,” Traci said, coming to stand by them, with Roman at her side.

  Miss Kattie looked at Traci for a minute and then turned back to Marilyn. Marilyn could just imagine the struggle going on in her mother’s head. Finally, her mother turned to leave, saying, “You will call me and your dad if anything changes, right?”

  “Yes, Mom. I will call.”

  Kattie Bannister nodded slowly. “Okay. Then I will leave. But I’ll be back in the morning.”

  A small smile touched Marilyn’s lips. She knew her mother would be back before anyone realized she’d even left. But that was okay.

  * * * *

  “Can I get you anything?” Jonathan asked Marilyn as he came to sit beside her on the waiting room sofa. Her mother, Traci and Roman had left a little more than an hour ago. The hospital staff had been kind enough to bring them blankets, a couple of pillows and a pot of coffee.

  “No, I’m fine. Thank you for everything, Jonathan.”

  He took her hand in his. “You don’t have to thank me. Like I said, I’m where I want to be.”

  When she didn’t say anything, only stared at the wall while sipping her coffee, he added, “I think you should try to get some sleep, Marilyn. It will be daybreak in a couple of hours.”

  She glanced over at him and a small smile touched her lips. “I know.”

  “Come here,” he said, reaching out to lift her onto his lap. She didn’t resist and he figured she was probably too tired to argue. “Now sleep.”

  She shifted her body on his lap and he rested his chin on the crown of her head as she adjusted her position to snuggle her face into his chest. “You smell good,” she said in a soft voice.

  “I think you smell good, too.”

  Then she lifted her head and eased up to tilt her mouth close to his. “I need a kiss, Jonathan.”

  She’d never asked him to kiss her before and he was more than happy to oblige. With slow and deliberate execution, he leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. When she opened her mouth with a breathless moan, he captured her lips in a full-blown kiss. He loved kissing her and over the past three weeks, his technique had become bolder. Given the way she always kissed him back, he guessed that she approved of the changes.

  One day, although he wasn’t certain as to when, they would move beyond kisses. He didn’t want to rush her, but their kisses, no matter how hot and heavy, weren’t always enough for him. But the decision to take things further had to be hers.

  In the meantime, he would savor all the variations in kissing he implemented while seducing her with gentle strokes and deep glides of his tongue. The sounds of her moaning always rocked his insides and pushed him to pour everything he was into the kiss. And what he was now, and always would be, was the man who loved her.

  The clearing of someone’s throat had him snatching his head up. He tightened his hold on Marilyn when she tried to move out of his lap. He needed her to stay in place, or the nurse standing in the doorway would see his aroused state.

  “Yes? Any new developments?” he asked, easing to his feet with Marilyn in his arms. He then placed her on her feet to stand in front of him, blocking his erection.

  The nurse, a woman who looked to be in her middle fifties, smiled. “Yes. Stuart Bannister Jr., is awake. He is asking for someone name Arlene. Are you her?”

  Marilyn shook her head. “No, Arlene is his wife, or his ex-wife. I’m not sure. They’re going through a divorce. I’m his sister. May I see him?”

  The nurse nodded. “Yes, follow me.”

  Marilyn turned to him and Jonathan brushed a strand of hair back from her face. “Go visit with your brother. I’ll be here when you get back.”

  She nodded and Jonathan watched as she hurried off with the nurse.

  * * * *

  “Arlene…”

  “No, Stuart Jr., it’s me. Marilyn.”

  She watched as her brother opened his eyes slowly and knew it had been a struggle for him to even do that. The minute she had walked into Intensive Care, she’d had to take a deep breath to keep from crumbling to her knees. She’d never seen her larger than life brother in such a vulnerable state. But all she had to do was look at the machines around him, and the tubes connected to him from those machines, to know just how serious his condition was.

  The nurse had already told her that she could only stay a few moments, so she didn’t tire him out. The fact that he’d regained consciousness was a miracle in itself. From what the authorities had told her mother and Traci, some woman name Greta had used her brother’s own revolver to shoot him while he’d been taking a shower. Then she had called the police to let them know what she’d done and told them not to hurry, because Stuart Jr. was dead. Fortunately, the police had rushed to the scene of the crime in record time and found him in the woman’s bathroom, still alive. They’d had to hold the woman back from grabbing the gun to finish him off.

  “I want Arlene.”

  Marilyn had to fight to hold back her tears. Here he was, fighting for his life and he wanted to see the woman he’d treated so badly during their marriage. When they had first broken up Arlene had moved back home to Baton Rouge, but she had left there and relocated elsewhere. Stuart Jr. had called Marilyn periodically, trying to get her to tell him where Arlene was, but honestly, Marilyn hadn’t known. She’d preferred not to know, rather than get caught in the middle of Stuart Jr.’s foolishness. But she had a feeling that if anyone knew Arlene’s whereabouts, it would be Kattie Bannister. Their mother had probably withheld that information from Stuart Jr., as well, and for the same reason. Should they contact Arlene and let it be her decision whether or not she wanted to come? As far as Marilyn knew, the divorce wasn’t final so legally, Arlene was still his wife. Had the authorities notified her already?

  “I want to see Arlene, Marilyn. I need to see her,” he said, struggling to get the words out.

  Then suddenly, the machines went off and the room was flooded with people--nurses, technicians and the doctor. “We need to ask you to step out, Miss,” one of the nurses said.

  Marilyn’s heart was beating fast and furious in her chest. “What happened? What’s wrong?”

  Instead of answering, they closed the door on her. An orderly walked up to her. “Miss, please return to the waiting room. The doctor will see you in a minute.”

  With tears streaming down her face, she somehow stumbled back to the waiting room. Jonathan had been sitting down on the sofa reading a magazine. When he glanced up and saw her, he was on his feet in a flash. “You okay? What happened?”

  Instead of answering, she broke down in his arms and he held her while she cried. She wasn’t sure how long she stood there, soaking his shirt while Jonathan held her, stroking her back and telling her everything would be okay.

  She pushed out of his arms when she heard the door open behind her
. It was the doctor. She raced over to him, almost too afraid to ask. “How is he, doctor?”

  “Not good. We almost lost him again. I don’t know who this Arlene person is, but according to the nurse, he’s been asking for her since he regained consciousness. I would suggest you get her here. It’s my guess he’s holding on just for her.”

  20

  Jonathan glanced out the huge picture window. People in the Bannister neighborhood already had Christmas decorations up, which made sense since next week was Thanksgiving. He and Marilyn had left the hospital an hour ago when her mother had arrived. She’d been driven to the hospital by a neighbor. Marilyn had told him her mother didn’t drive and had never wanted to learn.

  Now he was here, in the house Marilyn had been born in. She was upstairs taking a shower, and then she was going to lie down for a while. Her parents had invited him to spend the night, since Stuart Jr.’s old bedroom was available.

  “So what type of work do you do again?”

  Jonathan smiled as he turned around to face Marilyn’s father. Stuart Bannister Sr. had definitely checked him out when he’d shown up with Marilyn. His sharp gray eyes hadn’t missed a thing. The man hadn’t asked a lot of questions in front of Marilyn, but he was certainly asking them now.

  “I’m a principal at an elementary school in Houston.” There was no need to tell Marilyn’s father that he’d been her boss at one time. That might open a can of worms Jonathan thought was best left shut. He had a feeling the man staring at him was smart enough to put two and two together, if he learned the whole story.

  “You’re kind of young to be a principal, aren’t you, son?”

  Jonathan chuckled. He was used to people telling him that. “Yes, sir, but I have my Master’s degree and I taught for four years before becoming a principal. I’ve worked hard.”

  The older man nodded. “That’s good. Hard work never hurt anybody. I can’t wait to get back into my truck. Sitting in this house all day and doing nothing is driving me crazy.”