A Heart Decision (31 page)

Luke pulled her close again and chuckled. “I’d hate
to see Ben’s electric bill for tonight, let alone the rest of this
reception.”

When the guests had moved en masse from the
mansion’s huge ballroom, where they’d held the candlelit civil
ceremony, to the tent for the reception, the entire property had
suddenly lit up like a Christmas wonderland. Half the trees on the
landscaped portion of the property twinkled in colored lights. The
moonlight on a fresh blanket of snow had completed the romantic
scene.

“As much as I’m loving this evening,” she admitted,
“I also can’t wait to be alone with you. You look so handsome, I
want to rip that tuxedo off your gorgeous body and ravage you right
in the middle of the dance floor.”

“Wow. I’ll have to wear a tux more often,” he
whispered, nibbling her ear.

“Make sure you include that red rose boutonniere.
It’s very dashing.”

“We have our whole lives together, and you only get
one wedding, so enjoy yourself. It’s not every day you get to wear
a dress fit for royalty. Did you know you’re the most beautiful
woman here tonight, Princess?”

“Thank you.” She glanced down at her beaded, white
satin gown. Annie had convinced her to wear her hair loose with a
crystal tiara. “I do look rather regal, don’t I?”

After posing for a zillion pictures in the house,
she’d removed her floor-length veil and snuggled into the thick,
white velvet cape lined in satin that Luke had surprised her with
to cover her shoulders during the walk from the house to the tent.
It was the softest garment she’d ever worn.

“And sizzling hot,” he murmured. “I love the back of
your dress. I just want to know how to get you out of it.”

“That’s my secret.” She grinned up at him.

As Tyler twirled Annie by them and winked at
Sabrina, Luke jerked his head toward them. “Your brother’s right
foot is still dragging. Do you think it’s permanent?”

“Probably not.” Sabrina nestled into Luke’s chest.
“It’s been less than three months since his surgery. After an
injury, the brain continues to recuperate for quite a while. And
even if Tyler’s gait remains a little off, Annie says everything
else is functioning better than ever.”

Ben tapped Luke on the shoulder. “It’s my turn to
dance with the bride. Do me a favor and drag Tyler and Annie into
the house. Sabrina and I will meet the three of you in my study as
soon as this song is over.”

“Does this mean you’re finally gonna tell us where
we’re going on our honeymoon?” Luke asked.

“Maybe.” Ben smirked. “Or maybe not.”

Sabrina certainly hoped so, considering they were
supposed to leave the following day after spending their wedding
night in one of the mansion’s guest suites. Ben had refused to say
a word about their honeymoon destination other than to tell them
they needed to pack several bathing suits and lots of
sunscreen.

He’d assured them they would have plenty of time to
stop in Redemption to have their union blessed by Luke’s priest in
a private religious ceremony, so they would be married in the eyes
of the Church.

“Are you enjoying the reception?” Ben asked as he
twirled her away from himself and spun her back into his arms.

“Very much. But I’d be enjoying myself even more if
I were sure you’re all right.”

“I’m better than all right.” He kissed the tip of
her nose. “Seeing you settled and happy is enough for me right now.
I just want you to admit Sabrina Elliott would’ve sounded better
than Sabrina Marino.”

“Maybe to most people, but not to me.” She’d been
doodling that name since she was fifteen, and now it was finally
hers. “You know you went way overboard tonight. The wedding dinner
was extravagant enough with the prime rib and lazy man’s lobster,
but all those gifts for the guests....You really didn’t need to do
that.”

“I know. But it gives me a lot of pleasure to share
my blessings. Thomas went nuts researching the background of each
guest to find each one the perfect present.”

“Now I understand why you kept asking so many
questions about everyone.

Luke’s mother and Ben’s dad danced past them. The
two of them were so busy staring into each other eyes they didn’t
even notice her and Ben. Luke had told her Jackson had been calling
his mom ever since they’d seen each other at Thanksgiving
dinner.

“If things keep progressing the way they have been,”
Sabrina nodded toward Ben’s dad and Luke’s mom, “I have a feeling
you and your pal are going to be stepbrothers as well as
friends.”

“They’ve both been alone a long time.” Ben shrugged.
“I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have as my stepmother than
Teresa.”

As the music faded, he took her hand and tugged her
toward the exit of the tent where Santa, also known as Thomas,
waited with her velvet cape. Ben wrapped it around her shoulders
and offered her his arm. “Come on. It’s about time I put your
husband out of his misery and give you your wedding and Christmas
gift.”

~*~

“I can’t accept this.” Luke sank onto the sofa next
to Sabrina and stared at the photos of the 170-foot yacht Ben had
purchased for their honeymoon.

“Seeing as the gifts all belong to the bride, you
don’t have a damn thing to say about it.” Ben laughed and leaned
back in his leather executive chair, propping one foot on the
corner of his desk. “If you’ll notice, the title is in Sabrina’s
and Annie’s names. Maybe if you and Tyler are nice to them, they’ll
let you two freeloaders tag along.”

Annie’s mouth dropped open as she glanced between
Sabrina and Ben. “
My
name? You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope. This is your Christmas present. Tyler and
Luke are each getting a lump of coal this year.”

“This is unbelievably generous, Beej.” Tyler handed
the spec sheet to Luke. “But there’s no way we can afford the slip
fees, let alone the crew’s salaries, for something this size. I
read somewhere that the maintenance on a mega yacht can cost as
much as ten percent of the purchase price, which I know had to be
at least forty million on this baby.”

“Just a tad more.” Ben raised his thumb in a way
that said it was probably a
lot
more.

Luke scanned the description and leafed through the
brochure full of pictures. Besides a helicopter landing pad and a
25-foot speedboat, the vessel included three jet skis, a hot tub
that accommodated ten, and a large game room with video games and
even a golf simulator. In addition to the master suite, the boat
had seven luxury staterooms, each with an en suite bath, and
quarters for the captain and ten crew members.

Tyler sputtered. “We can’t even pay for the fuel,
let along the up-keep.”

Luke smiled to himself. Actually, he could, but that
was a secret he wasn’t ready to reveal just yet.

“Don’t sweat it.” Ben waved his hand dismissively.
“I created a trust to cover all the costs. When and if the
Sabrina
is sold, the proceeds and the principle of the trust
will be split and invested for all of your kids—present and
future.”

Luke could just imagine the amount BJ had to set
aside to generate that kind of income.

“This really isn’t as extravagant as it seems,” Ben
explained. “Whenever you or I aren’t using the yacht, the captain
and crew will be generating income by running charters. I had that
brochure you’re looking at printed to advertise the yacht. And
naturally, I’ll be renting it from you as a tax write-off for
business jaunts.”

Tears collected on Sabrina’s eyelashes as she gawked
at the picture of the mega yacht. “So this is where Luke and I will
be spending our honeymoon?”

Ben nodded. “That’s why I couldn’t tell you where
you’re going even if I wanted to. The back half of the main deck
and verandah are off-limits to the crew between the hours of ten
a.m. and midnight.” He wiggled his eyebrows at Luke. “So the two of
you will have complete privacy.”

Sabrina grinned at Annie. “I guess I
will
be
able to wear that obscene bikini you and Luke’s sisters talked me
into buying.”

Luke chuckled. “I like the sounds of that.”

“You get to decide your destinations and stay for as
long as you can take off from work,” Ben told them.

“Uhhh, actually,”—Luke shrugged—“that’s gonna be a
long time. I’ve resigned from the force.”

Sabrina’s gaze snapped to his. “You did
what
?”

“Why?” Annie’s forehead wrinkled. “You love being a
detective.”

“But I love my wife a lot more.” He gazed into her
eyes as he pressed his lips to her palm. “My new job has regular
hours and will get me off the street.”

“What’ll you be doing?” Tyler asked.

“On Thanksgiving night, Tony handed me an
eight-million dollar check—my inheritance from Nunzio. Apparently,
after they learned I was Tony’s issue, my grandfather changed his
will to include a trust for me. The money was to be disbursed at
Tony’s discretion.”

Sabrina gasped. “Seriously? And it doesn’t bother
you how that money was made?”

“It does. I tried to refuse the check. But then
Dante convinced me that all the good I could do with that size
bequest would cancel out any bad karma attached to it.”

“And that is?” Ben asked.

“I’m buying the farm behind my house and founding
The Redemption Academy, as a private, charity-supported boarding
school for at-risk teens serious about turning their lives around.
Cal, and a couple of other friends from the force, are coming to
work with me as counselors.”

“Eight million will barely build the place and see
you through the first year or two,” Ben said.

“I know. But something Dante said earlier implied
his and Tony’s wedding gifts will help a lot. In any case, I’ll be
running annual fundraisers to cover operating expenses.”

“Then you can count on me for half your budget each
year.”

“I suspected you’d say something like that.”

“That financial pledge is only good if you include
generous salaries for yourself and the rest of the staff in the
school’s budget. Just because you’re doing something charitable
with your inheritance, doesn’t mean you need to take a vow of
poverty. If you pay yourself less than a hundred and fifty grand a
year, the deal is off.”

“Understood.” He squeezed Sabrina’s hand.
“Sweetheart, you can have the jobs of school nurse and Dean of
Female Residents if you want them.”

“Of course I want them.”

Ben held up one hand. “Wait. What about your plans
to go back to work at the hospital? You said you really missed
taking care of sick kids.”

Sabrina shrugged. “You were right about me becoming
too emotionally involved with my terminal patients. I think I’ll
develop a healthier perspective working with troubled teens. I’m
sure it can be just as rewarding.”

“I sincerely doubt you’ll get less involved. That
isn’t you.” Ben smiled. “But I’m glad to hear you’re not
compromising your dreams because you think it’ll please anyone
other than yourself.”

A twinge of jealousy pricked Luke. He should’ve been
the one to help her realize she needed to make some changes in her
life, but at least he’d be the one helping her do it.

She slid her arms around his neck. “I can’t think of
anyone who who’s better than you at turning kids’ lives around. I
just can’t believe you’re giving up being a cop.”

“Since I’m planning to live a long and healthy life,
I’m not taking any chances—”

“Wait just a minute.” She grabbed his chin, forcing
him to meet her gaze. “
Long and healthy life
? What’d you do
with my fatalistic husband?”

He spread his arms. “You’ve turned him into an
optimist, Princess.”

A suspicious glint twinkled in her eyes. “You went
for the genetic testing, after all, didn’t you?”

“Could be.” He suppressed a smile.

She punched his arm. “You big jerk, how could you do
that and not tell me?”

“I wanted to surprise you.” He laughed, pulling her
close. “That’s my wedding gift to you. I wanted you to know our
baby will be okay.”

Sabrina’s gaze narrowed. “So you’ve been lying to
me?”

“Yup.” And if the results hadn’t been good, he
would’ve kept that information to himself—at least until after
their honeymoon. “Cal and I went for the results last week.” He
caressed her cheek as she blinked away the happy tears glistening
in her eyes. “I love you.”

She cupped his face between her hands and pulled his
mouth to hers in a deep, passionate kiss that lasted much longer
than was probably appropriate given they had an audience.

“I think that’s our cue to leave.” Tyler took
Annie’s hand and tugged her toward the door.

“Should I tell the waiters to serve the cake without
you?” BJ asked.

Luke answered with a wave of his hand, shooing him
away.

“I’ll take that as a yes and lock the door on my way
out. You can use the servants’ staircase through the study’s back
door to get upstairs to your suite without anyone bothering you.
I’ll see you at the Christmas brunch at the hotel tomorrow.” Ben
hurried after Tyler and Annie and closed the door.

As soon as the lock clicked, Luke lowered his wife
back on the cape spread over the sofa. “I’ve been dying to strip
this dress off you all night, Mrs. Marino. Now, how do I get you
out of the damn thing?”

She showed him the invisible zipper down one side of
her gown, which he immediately lowered, bearing her breasts.

“Hmm, I love the feel of the satin and velvet on my
bare back. I think I’ll wear my cape to bed every night with
nothing under it.”

“I like the sound of that.

“I’ll have you know, I couldn’t wait to tear off
your clothes, too.” She gasped as his mouth closed over one of her
nipples. All at once, she stiffened beneath him. “I just thought of
something awful.”

“Whatever it is, it can wait,” he murmured, and
wrapped her in the velvet fabric before lifting her off the sofa.
“I think we should finish this upstairs. Once I get started, I
won’t want to stop.”