Authors: Avery Gale
“Well, it’s about time you brought that brilliant mind of yours back online, young lady. I’ve been talking to you and you looked like you were looking right through me. That just isn’t going to do, Tobi. Mothers don’t like to be ignored you know.” Tobi couldn’t help but return Lilly’s smile. Tobi knew Lilly had a heart of pure gold and she appreciated her effort, but the pain was still raw and Tobi just wanted to retreat into herself and sleep away the pain. “Oh no you don’t. I know that vacant look. You just bring your happy self right back here, Tobi. Pay very close attention to what I’m telling you because I get cranky when I have to tell people the same thing over and over.” Tobi felt Kent’s chuckle against her back and watched as Dean and Dell West stood to the side nodding their heads, knowing smiles on their faces. “You don’t base your self-image on what some spoiled brat with an oversized sense of entitlement says. That isn’t where your self-worth is rooted. And that foolishness about family being people who share blood ties is bullsh….um, shampoo as well. Family is all about the people you surround yourself with, people that love you through thick and thin. The folks who aren’t afraid to tell you to yank your head out of your ass…ets when you need to hear it.”
Tobi felt her cheeks flush at Lilly’s matter of fact statements and she was proud of herself for holding back her giggle as Dean and Dell shook their heads at their wife’s attempts to cover up her cursing. Lilly hadn’t coddled or offered a shoulder to cry on. She’d basically told Tobi to suck it up and move on and it was exactly the type of kick in the pants her own mother would have given her. Tobi stepped out of Kent’s embrace and into Lilly’s outstretched arms. “Thank you” was all she managed to say because she was suddenly fighting back tears of joy and the light feeling that filled her heart. The joy that filled her was a contradiction considering what she’d just learned, but knowing that she could choose her family was far more important than any of the bile Stacey had just spewed at her.
Lilly hugged her for several long seconds and Tobi couldn’t believe the comfort she found in the embrace. She’d been so young when her own mother had died that she had forgotten the safety and sense of security that could be found in a hug. Kent finally pulled her back and picked her up. “Come on, love, time to go home.”
Home
. She hadn’t really had a home in so long she wasn’t sure she fully understood the concept anymore, but suddenly she was very anxious to try.
Chapter Twenty
Standing in the bedroom Tobi shared with Kyle and Kent West, she looked at her reflection in the mirror that Clint and Kimberly Bollinger had given them as an engagement gift. A few days after the incident on the highway with Stacey and Chris, Tobi had traveled to Sealy with Kent and Kyle to meet with Clint and his staff. They’d worked out all the details for the elaborate display racks and shelving she’d envisioned for the forum shops.
Thinking back on the day her sister-in-law and former co-worker had tried to run her and Lilly West off the road, Tobi had to suppress the chill that raced up her spine. She still wondered how those two had managed to team up, but it was unlikely she’d ever know the truth. Her brother had quickly managed to shift all the blame to Chris, and Tobi had to give him credit, he had played the media masterfully. In the end, Richard had made both his wife and sister appear as if they’d been victims of Feldman’s insane obsession with Tobi. She hadn’t actually spoken to her brother since the shit had hit the fan with his wife, and oddly enough, she just couldn’t find it in her heart to care.
When she, Kent, and Kyle had travelled to Sealy, they had spent the better part of an entire day reviewing the designs for all the things E.G.A. Fabrication was going to create for them. She had even gotten to spend some time in their shop. Getting her hands on a plasma cutter and welder for the first time in years had left Tobi almost giddy. When she’d flipped up the helmet Clint had lent her, she knew she was grinning like a kid with a new toy. When she’d looked up at Kent and Kyle they’d been chuckling and shaking their heads indulgently at her. “Guess we know what she wants for Christmas.” Kyle’s words had been filled with affection and she’d nodded eagerly.
“Most women want kitchen gadgets and jewelry, but not ours. Hell no, she wants boy toys.” Kent had winked at her and she’d happily given him a thumbs up before disappearing back behind the helmet. Her skills had been pretty rusty, but the E.G.A. staff had been kind with their observations and guidance. The three of them had joined Clint and Kimberly for dinner and it had been Kimberly who had reminded her that karma was a universal force and that even though it might appear as though her sister-in-law was going to get off scot-free, that wouldn’t be the case long term.
Kimberly had leaned over to clasp her hand over Tobi’s forearm before assuring her, “Karma never forgets and its timing is always perfect...just watch and see.” Tobi had felt a large chunk of her anger break away and she had nodded her understanding. From that moment on, she and Kimberly had become fast friends. Tobi was thrilled the couple would be among the family and friends gathering downstairs for the bonding ceremony, binding her to Kent and Kyle in a way that marriage never could. Oh, she had married Kyle early that morning in a small civil ceremony, but tonight was the meaningful merging of them as a true ménage partnership.
Glancing out the bedroom window, Tobi smiled at the building’s large addition. The construction crews had worked almost round the clock so the façade facing the backyard would be finished and provide a beautiful backdrop to their sunset ceremony. They’d broken ground on The Forum several weeks ago and Tobi was continually amazed at the rapid pace the construction had taken. Several of the small shops were nearing completion and on one of his first trips to Prairie Winds, Clint had delivered the mirror she’d been enjoying. Its hidden hinges and wheels made it perfect for bedroom play because it could be positioned anywhere in the room and the five panels could be angled to reflect an infinite number of erotic scenes. The scrollwork along the outside edge was so fine it was hard to believe it had been cut rather than molded. There were cleverly concealed images in the design and the broad base had drawers Kimberly had filled with an assortment of toys and various bottles of lube.
Tobi smoothed her hands over the strapless gown she’d chosen to wear this evening and sighed. The fabric flowed and swirled reminding Tobi of the gowns Disney Princesses wore in all of her favorite children’s movies. The color matched her green eyes perfectly and the small crystals sewn in intricate patterns would pick up the light from the zillion or so fairy lights Lilly had strung through the backyard. When they had tested the lighting last night, Toby had been mesmerized and Lilly had been jumping up and down clapping her hands with childlike excitement. And even though Dean and Dell had teased their wife unmercifully about becoming the Clark Griswold of Austin, they’d also been the first to point out an area that they considered “under-emphasized,” which Tobi had quickly learned meant they would be adding another thousand lights to that small area of the yard.
Lilly had taken Tobi shopping for dresses to wear to both the civil ceremony and tonight’s much more formal event. When Tobi had stepped out of the dressing room in the dress she was now wearing, her future mother-in-law had gasp and immediately started nodding. Lilly’s eyes had filled with tears as she watched Tobi swirl around in front of the mirrors. “Oh Tobi, it is absolutely perfect for you. I can’t imagine you wearing another dress…not after seeing you in this. And my sons are going to be awfully glad I made them learn ballroom dancing.”
She could laugh about it now, but at that moment Tobi had suddenly been completely overcome with terror.
Dancing? Ballroom dancing? Oh shit!
She knew her expression had given her away when Lilly burst out laughing. “Oh Lord, sweetheart, I hope you don’t play poker with my husbands or sons, because your face is among the most expressive I’ve ever seen. So, I’m guessing my mention of formal dance is what has put that look on your face, is that right?”
Tobi nodded frantically before finally finding her voice. “Yes. Oh my, I can two-step…mostly. But I can’t do anything else and I don’t have enough time to learn because it took me forever to get my two left feet to learn the two-step. I’m not kidding, if there had been a remedial dancing class, I’d have been a shoe in. Damn and double damn, my Texas citizenship was already nearly revoked because it took me so long to learn to two-step. I swear there are Dance Police in Austin and they prowl the clubs and if you can’t two-step you are escorted to the borders and promptly shoved out of the Lone Star State. How am I going to do this? And I’ll bet I have to wear nice shoes with this dress too, right? Oh Lord, if I wear boots Kent will blow a gasket and I’ll get a…well, never mind about that.” It had suddenly occurred to her that she was babbling and had nearly talked about her fiancé paddling her ass to his mother.
Damn Tobi, talk about having a run-away mouth. Best be learning to edit before Lilly figures out what a total screw-up you are and warns off her sons.
When Lilly leaned her head back and roared in laughter, Tobi had just blinked at her in surprise. Tobi looked on as Lilly spent the next several minutes trying to regain her composure. Tobi finally led the cackling woman around the wingback chair she’d been leaning against while she’d been gasping for breath. “Oh Tobi, I can’t tell you how much joy you bring into my life. Hearing you chatter away as your mind is spinning out of control reminds me so much of myself at your age. I can see now why Dell and Dean loved listening to me. Hell, I can see how I handed them every bit of inside information they ever needed…and here I thought they were just really insightful.”
Lilly’s last comment caused Tobi to start giggling and it hadn’t taken long before their contagious laughter had spread throughout the entire small bridal shop. After they had returned to Prairie Winds, Dean and Dell West had both helped Tobi polish her dancing skills. When they had pointed out that since she already knew how to two-step, it was an easy transition to most of the other dances she needed to know. Their patience had paid off and by the end of the evening, she was confident she knew the steps and she had even mastered the high heels she planned to wear.
Moving back in front of the mirror, Tobi lifted the hem of her dress and looked at the strappy sandals she was wearing. She had nearly swooned when she’d tried them on, but when she’d looked at the price tag she had promptly set them back on the shelf. Lilly had huffed out a barely edited curse before handing them to the salesman and turned to Tobi with her hands on the hips in a “I’m not taking any guff from you” stance that had silenced Tobi’s protests before she’d even had a chance to speak them aloud.
Looking up into the mirror Tobi saw Kent and Kyle both standing behind her. The sight of them in their tuxes had stolen her breath and when she spun around to face them all she could do was gape at them. “Well, brother, I can’t remember ever seeing our wife speechless before. Of course she’d only been our wife for a few hours so I guess we aren’t slacking too much.”
Kent’s brilliant smile and sweet words warmed her heart. “You both look…well, you are simply…dashing, yes that’s the word. You simply take my breath away. And no matter what ever happens…I want you to know how very much I love you both.” Tobi was determined she wasn’t going to cry because Gracie had worked too hard making sure her makeup was flawless.
Kyle stepped forward and took her hands in his. His gaze was so focused she was sure he was reading every hope and dream her heart had ever known. When he finally spoke, Tobi could hear the emotion in his voice. “Kitten, we had wondered for so long when we would find you. And truthfully there were a lot of lonely nights when I was worried we wouldn’t. Then, remarkably, there you were. Standing in the middle of the highway during a fearsome storm surrounded by lightning strikes and soaking wet…and heart-stoppingly beautiful. Kent and I have made some mistakes with you along the way and I don’t doubt that we’ll make more. But I want you to know the one thing you can always count on is the fact our love for you is unshakable. We’ll support you and protect you, even when you don’t really want us to.”
“What my brother is dancing around is we’ll always have your back, love. Your happiness comes second only to your safety. Now, we have a gift for you before we go downstairs for the ceremony.” The sparkle in Kent’s eyes told her he was very proud of whatever it was they’d picked out for her, though she couldn’t imagine what it could be because they’d showered her with gifts for weeks.
When they each stepped aside Tobi found herself facing a four foot tall framed photo of herself as a young child sitting on her mother’s lap. Tobi felt as if all the oxygen had been stripped from her lungs. She remembered seeing the photograph once years ago, but she’d never had a copy even though she had always wished for one. The picture had been taken before he mother’s diagnosis and her carefree spirit was easy to see reflected in her bright smile. Her hair was long and only slightly darker in color than Tobi’s, but the waves and curls were the same.
Tobi stood in front of the picture for so long that she noticed Kyle and Kent were starting to become restless. When she looked up, glancing between them, she could see the uncertainty in their eyes. “Kitten?” Knowing she’d given them the impression she wasn’t thrilled with the gift made her feel like an ungrateful wench. Kent stepped forward and pulled a soft handkerchief from the inside pocket of his jacket and dabbed the tears she hadn’t even realized were running down her cheeks.
She leaned forward and kissed him sweetly, pressing her lips against his before repeating the gesture with Kyle. “It’s perfect. No one has ever given me a gift that I have loved more or captured my heart more than this one. I really just don’t have the words to tell you how much it means to me…and not just that you’ve obviously restored and enlarged it, and had it beautifully framed. But that you would take the time to seek out a picture from the time in my childhood when everything was right in my world. That is the true spirit and value of this gift.” Tobi could see them both let out sighs of relief and she had to smile to herself, because she would have never guessed they’d be so apprehensive and unsure about pleasing her.