Second Chance at Love (Love Conquers All) (19 page)

“Mom?” Ashley called again for the third time. When she didn’t answer she tugged on her sleeve.

Snapping out of her musing, she said, “I’m sorry baby. What were you saying?”

“Can Mr. Dom stay and watch the movie with us?”

“Yeah, can he?” Kyle pleaded, holding on tight to Dom’s hand.

Karen ran her hand over Ashley’s braids. Smiling she said, “Sure, why not?”

“Yay!” Ashley and Kyle yelled, giving each other a high five. Karen or Dom didn’t miss the sly grin brother and sister exchanged.

“Thanks for carrying the kid up to bed,” Karen said as she stretched before covering the yawn she couldn’t keep at bay. Her day had started at five-thirty that morning and as usual she hadn’t stopped moving until she’d sat down to watch the Disney movie with the kids and Dom.

“Excuse me, I’m so sorry. I haven’t been sleeping well lately.” And she hadn’t. Not since she was last in his bed.

Reaching the bottom step, he pulled her into his arms. “Baby, you’re not by yourself. I haven’t been sleeping well, either.” Rubbing his hands up and down her back he whispered in her ear, “I got so used to waking up with you next to me. I think we should run away and get married.”

Karen went still. Did he just say what she thought he said?
No
. She needed to get her hearing checked. Swallowing hard she asked him, her voice shaky, “What did you just say?”

Stroking her cheek with the back of his hand, he repeated, “I think we should run away and get married.”

Tears welled up in her eyes. She ducked her head so he wouldn’t see them. “You don’t mean that.”
Idiot! Why do you keep on doubting this man’s love for you?
the tiny voice in her head screamed.

Dom lifted her chin so he could look at her. The trembling of her bottom lip tugged at his heart. He had to let her know that this is where he wanted to be…always.

“Baby, I love you. I love your kids,
our
kids. It’s killing me knowing I have to walk out that door tonight. I want to come home to you and the kids every night. I want to start my day with seeing your beautiful face every morning. I want to be the father Ashley and Kyle never had.” Karen’s knees went weak when he flashed a devilish grin. “I want you to have my babies.”

Karen’s eyes widened to the size of saucers.
He’s gotta be joking.

Dom chuckled. Holding up two fingers, he implored of her, “At least two babies.”

Karen shook her head laughing, the whole while tears streamed down her face. Everything he just laid out before her on a silver platter, she dreamed about since the first night they made love. Well, with the exception of the babies. But right now at this moment she’d have twenty more babies if he wanted her to. Little did he know, he just might get his wish. She’d know in another week if they’d created a new life.

She stood on the tips of her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you, too. And I would love nothing more than to be your wife. I don’t know about the two babies, though.” She laughed when he gave her the sad, puppy dog look. To appease him she joked, “But I just may have a baby tucked away, somewhere inside of me I can share with you someday.” She wouldn’t dare tell him until she was sure if she was pregnant or not.

Cocking his head to the side, his expression became serious. “Is that a yes?”

“Most definitely. It’s a yes,” Karen answered just before she slid her tongue into his mouth.

Dominic looked up from his newspaper to see his son sauntering through the doors of the Melrose Diner. His broad shoulders shook as he chuckled. Everyone woman, young and old, had openly stared at his son in appreciation of his ruggedly handsome good looks. Dominic stood, giving his son a tight hug and firm slap on the back.

“How’re you doing, son?”

“Can’t complain, Pop,” Dom replied as they both slid back into the booth facing each other.

Picking up the menu, he asked his father, “Did you order yet?”

“Nah, I was waiting on you.”

“I’m just having coffee. I told Karen and the kids I’d be over for lunch.”

Dominic smiled, showing perfect teeth for his age. “I take it things are going good.”

The pride seeping out of every pore on his body puffed his chest out as he grinned at his father. “Better than good.”

The approaching waitress interrupted Dom as she came to take their orders. Dominic ordered scrambled eggs, bacon, wheat toast, and coffee. Dom just had a glass of orange juice. Picking up where he left off after the waitress left, he announced, “I asked her to marry me.”

A huge grin split Dominic’s face. Karen was good for his son. In his opinion she was the best thing to happen to Dom in a long time. He and Janet were afraid their oldest child would never love again after being hurt so badly. But thank God Karen had come into his life. Obviously, she had shown him that love was possible with the right woman.

“Hot damn! I knew you were crazy about that girl and her kids.” Dominic couldn’t forget the kids. He and Janet adored them. He was tickled pink when Janet told him of their little scheme to get Dom and their mom married.

Dom laughed at his father’s enthusiasm. “That I am. I can’t wait for us to be a family. We’re planning on telling the kids at lunch today.”

“That’s great son.” This made what Dominic had to talk to Dom about so much easier. He hoped that now that he was about to become a family man, he would be willing to accept his offer. What he was proposing would offer him financial stability.

Settling back in the booth, his chest puffed up with pride. He and Janet had done well raising a boy into a man. “This certainly makes what I’m about to propose to you so much easier.”

Dom titled his head to the side as he studied his father. His smile eased into a serious expression. It was the look he usually got when he was ready to talk business. “What’s up, Pop?”

“You’re mother and I have been talking. We decided it’s time for me to retire.”

Dom rolled his eyes. This was like the hundredth time he retired.

Reading his thoughts, Dominic laughed. “Son, I’m serious this time. I want you to take over the business. Your uncles and I are getting old and your cousins never had anything to do with the business.”

“Pop you’re not that old. You’re not even sixty yet.” He wouldn’t even waste his breath discussing his cousins. Luke was still trying to be a gangster. Tony was living off the trust fund his maternal grandparents left him. Working was the last thing on his mind. Frankie lived in Florida and had a thriving dental practice.

“True enough. But I want to enjoy my new grandchildren. And I can’t spoil them if I’m working. Just think about it. Talk it over with Karen and see what she thinks. It’ll take a year to train you even though you know the company from the ground up.”

It really touched Dom that his parents were already considering Ashley and Kyle their grandchildren. He was even more touched Dominic considered Karen’s feelings on the subject. And to sweeten the deal, he offered to work with him for a year. “Okay, Pop, I’ll give it some serious thought.” Looking at his watch, he said, “Listen, I got to get over to the house I’m working on before I head over to Karen’s.”

Leaving enough money on the table to cover the bill, Dom promised his dad he’d talk to Karen and get back to him with an answer.

What the hell is going on?
Dom wondered. Karen’s front door was open and he could hear heated voices. He didn’t bother to announce his presence as he entered the house. There was so much chaos no one noticed he had stepped into the room.

Rage coursed through him with the force of a gale wind. The drama unfolding in front of him was enough to make him body slam somebody. Ashley and Kyle were huddled in a corner clinging to each other crying. Karen was furious, yelling at the top of her lungs at an older couple. She was going off about nobody’s taking her kids from her. The older couple was tag teaming Karen, yelling just as loudly that they had a right to see their grandchildren. Then it clicked.
Gregory’s parents
. And from Karen’s reaction the bastards must have threatened her. He had never seen her so wild and out of control.

He had had enough. It was time for the madness to come to an end. Dom’s roar vibrated the walls. “What the hell is going on in here?” The stony expression set in his strong features shut everyone up. With flaring nostrils, bulging carotids and large hands clenching and unclenching into tight fists he looked as if he was ready to pounce. Heaven help the one he decided to pounce on.

The second Ashley and Kyle looked up from their huddle, they ran, distraught into his arms. “Daddy! Make them go away!” Kyle cried clinging onto Dom.

“We don’t want to go with them,” Ashley wailed, holding onto Dom’s waist as if she were drowning.

Relief washed over Karen as she hurried over to stand by Dom’s side. Grabbing the back of his shirt, because his arms were occupied comforting the children, angry tears streamed down her face. With her free hand she pointed an accusing finger at her former in-laws. “They want to have visitation rights every weekend and take the kids for the summer!” Her voice had risen to a frightening shrill as she went on to tell Dom about the Johnston’s unannounced visit. “And they threatened that if I don’t agree with them, they’ll fight me for custody, saying I denied them their right to see their grandchildren!”

The muscles in Dom’s jaw began an involuntary twitching. His face was burning hot and turning deep crimson. How dare these deadbeat grandparents show up out of nowhere making demands on his woman and upsetting his kids? He reined in his anger, because he was ready to explode, as he gently spoke to the children. “Ashley and Kyle go on upstairs for a few minutes.”

Obediently, the children did as they were told.

It was Mr. Johnston who demanded to know, “Who the hell are you? And why are my grandkids calling you
Daddy
?” The nastiness in his voice dripped with each word.

Dom was in the man’s face within two quick strides. His top lip curled, his voice coming out in a snarl, he said, “Don’t push me, Old Man.” Who the hell did he think he was talking to? Neither Dom nor Karen owed the Johnstons an explanation. It was none of their business who he was to Karen and the kids. But since he asked…

Moving even closer, Dom hissed out between clenched teeth, “They call me Daddy because that’s who I am to them. And not you or anyone else is going to change it. And make no mistake, when I marry their mother, they will be taking my name.”

Mrs. Johnston had the good sense to gasp and pull her husband back. However, she still felt a need to press their case, especially since this mountain of a man had boldly staked his claim. Turning to Karen she tried to reason with her. “All we want is to see our grandchildren. They’re all we have left of Gregory.”

No the old heifer didn’t have a nerve to sniffle and wipe a tear from her eye. She had been the one that was the meanest to Karen after Gregory’s death. There was nothing humorous about the laugh coming from Karen.

“You have got to be kidding me! I still have
your
letter you sent telling me I was never good enough for
your
son and how you didn’t want anything to do with Ashley and Kyle!” Worked up and out done, Karen’s voice came out in a high pitched shrill. “You even went so far as to state you didn’t believe they were his children! Or have you forgotten about that?” Putting her hands on her hips and taking deep breaths to calm herself down, she glared at the older couple. “Now all of a sudden you pop up wanting to be a part of my children’s lives. I don’t think so.”

Mrs. Johnston became flustered as Dom turned his angry gaze on her. “Well…well... before he died, Gregory told us that he wasn’t happy. He said he never wanted kids. But you tricked him by getting pregnant.”

Coming to his wife’s defense Mr. Johnston blurted out, “That’s why he turned to that other woman. He got tired of you holding on to him like a leach, trapping him with baby after baby.” His lip curled up in a nasty snarl. His words were filled with poisonous venom. “My son said he couldn’t stand to touch you.” The man paused for dramatic effects. He knew what he was going to say next was going to crush Karen. And that’s exactly what he wanted to do. Who did she think she was acting all high and mighty like those brats were so special? “That’s why he was planning on leaving you for his other woman.”