The Secrets of Paradise Bay (29 page)

On a sunny afternoon, Trey visited the Sea and Shore Retreat detox center. It had been a month since the confrontation with Willie Munroe and its aftermath. Two days later, Ivana had checked herself into the center, with Trey's full support, to overcome her alcohol dependency. Trey had kept in contact with Ivana as much as the rules would allow, but was perfectly willing to let the treatment run its course, knowing that a completely sober Ivana could only lead to a stronger marriage as the end result.

Trey missed the love of his life terribly and tried to compensate for her absence by pouring himself into work and helping Clyde make the jazz club as profitable as possible. His brother had recovered from the gunshot injury sustained in the battle to bring down Willie and resumed running the club successfully and enjoying his burgeoning romance with Stefani. Trey was happy for his brother and how far he'd come. They had made their peace with the past and moved on in getting to know each other better as men and siblings.

Trey entered the courtyard. It was filled with common purple lilacs and multicolored hydrangeas with the Pacific Ocean as its backdrop. He followed a curving stone walkway onto a freshly cut lawn, making his way down a hill and past a bubbling fountain 'til he came to a creek. Ivana stood there with her back to him. She was staring at a flock of seabirds that had just taken flight.

Trey almost hated to disturb her intense admiration of nature doing its thing. Worse would have been to turn away from the best thing to ever happen to him.

“Ivana . . .” he uttered in a tentative voice.

She turned his way, the sun shining on her beautiful complexion, surrounded by glimmering Senegalese twists like a halo.

Ivana's cheeks rose into a beautiful smile. “Trey.”

He smiled back and gave her a kiss on the cheek, followed by a long hug. “It's good to see you, darling.”

“Good to see you too.”

Trey studied her. Ivana was wearing a pink puff sleeve cardigan, sable twill slacks, and flats. She looked like she had lost some weight, but was still in great, practically-model shape.

“How are they treating you?”

“Well,” she said. “The counseling has been great and the staff really seems to give a damn instead of simply going through the motions.”

“That's nice to know.” He'd certainly paid them enough to take good care of his wife and turn her away from the alcohol.

Ivana gazed at him. “Have you come to take me home?”

Trey was afraid she might ask him that and hated to have to let her down.

“Not yet,” he uttered relucatantly. “They seem to think that, although you've come a long way, you need to spend just a little more time here before you're ready to get back to the outside world.”

Ivana wrinkled her nose. “How much longer before I can get to see my house again?”

“Soon, I promise,” was the best Trey could say and hoped it would suffice. “And then we'll make our marriage everything it should be.”

“I can't wait,” she told him.

“Neither can I,” he said, eager to make up for lost time and their missed moments of happiness as husband and wife.

Ivana studied Trey's handsome face, appreciating it more than ever. She realized he wasn't the enemy—not any longer—and only wanted to be with him again as his wife in every way to resume their real life and show Trey how much she had changed. She understood it would take time before they could learn to fully trust one another, but there was all the time in the world to make that happen as long as both their hearts were into it.

“There's something else I think we may need to work on,” Trey told her.

“What's that?” she asked, willing to do anything for him.

“Making a more concerted effort to add to our family.”

Ivana's heart skipped a beat at the prospect. “Do you mean it?”

“Yes. Whatever it takes, I want us to try again. I think it would be good for both of us and not simply just a way to make up for the child we lost. I see this as helping us grow as husband and wife by bringing a little one into the world that we will cherish in every way possible. If it doesn't happen naturally, we could explore other avenues such as adoption.”

“Thank you, Trey,” Ivana uttered tearfully and gave him a big hug. A child was the one thing missing in her life to make it whole and she wanted that more than anything. If it was God's will, she would get pregnant and have a beautiful, healthy son or daughter. If not, she would definitely be open to adopting a child they could love as their own.

“I want you to be happy, Ivana,” Trey told her affectionately. “You deserve to experience the joys of motherhood. I think I can be a good father, too.”

“I know you can be the best father,” she voiced emphatically, envisioning them as parents and the wonderful life they could provide for a child or children.

Trey met her eyes. “I've got one more surprise for you.”

Ivana's mind raced, wondering what it might be. “What?”

“Just a little something to look forward to when you get out of here.”

Ivana honed in as he removed a ticket from behind his back. She saw that it was for a Hawaiian cruise, something she'd always wanted to go on. She looked up at Trey, knowing they had missed celebrating their anniversary. “Are we really going?”

He laughed. “Of course we are. Much better to be late than never, don't you think?”

Ivana blinked back tears. “Oh, yes! You know I do.” She raised up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You've made me so happy.”

“That works both ways.” Trey put his arms around her waist. “Thanks for coming into my life and sticking with me in spite of my many flaws. We have the rest of our lives to kiss and make up for everything that's gone wrong.”

“Promise?” Ivana gave him a doubtful stare.

“With every fiber in me.”

She held his cheeks and brought their mouths together, feeling optimistic. “I love you.”

“I love you back, baby.”

Trey gave her a mouthwatering kiss and Ivana felt herself melting into his arms while counting the days 'til she was released so they could put their strong love and plans for a family and travel into practice.

Ivana sat alongside Trey at the club as Stefani sang, “Someone to Watch Over Me” melodiously. She peeked at Clyde across the table, who seemed transfixed on his woman. Ivana had made her peace with him, managing to put behind their onetime sexual escapade that had once threatened to destroy everything dear to both of them. She was pleased Trey and Clyde had come to terms with their differences and secrets that had been exposed and were brothers again, minus the baggage.

Ivana gazed at her husband lovingly. Ever since she'd gotten sober a few months ago, they had been virtually inseparable. She and Trey had just returned from a two-week Hawaiian cruise and were already booked for another one. Having renewed their wedding vows, they were trying to have a child and were totally committed to making the marriage work for a lifetime.

Trey caught her eyes and smiled. They were holding hands and enjoying the show, but more keen on finding new reasons to love each other.

Ivana gave Trey a toothy smile and leaned over to kiss him. Though only a quick kiss, it resonated throughout her whole body, something she had begun to expect again from any affection between them. Ivana could never tire of Trey's love or returning it with every cell in her.

 

 

Trey loved kissing Ivana, having never forgotten how it was at the beginning of their marriage when they kissed all the time. Now he had his wife back and didn't intend to ever come close to losing her again. Not when they had so much life left to live together and many great plans in what to do with it. He hoped their second try at having a child would result in a healthy girl or boy being born to dote over and watch grow up. But, for now, Trey was content to give Ivana all the attention she deserved with a promise to himself that she would always come first, no matter what business interests he had on the table.

He looked at Clyde, who couldn't seem to take his eyes off the club's star attraction and the clear love of his life. Trey was happy for them both and equally happy to know that Willie Munroe was out of Clyde's life for good, allowing him to close the book on that dark chapter of his life, which—unbeknownst to Trey at the time—had played a big role in the distance between him and his brother. But that was history, as far as he was concerned. They had a real opportunity now to let bygones be bygones and find true success as brothers and business partners. That was all Trey could ask for, in addition to Ivana's love and trust, neither of which he would ever again take for granted.

Stefani was looking directly at Clyde as she belted out the classy romantic song. He was all smiles and felt warmth inside that only she could make him feel. Their relationship had moved to a new level these past few months and Clyde couldn't be happier. She had given him more than he could have thought possible and he tried to thank her for that each and every day.

He gazed at his brother and sister-in-law. They were caught up in each other as much as the stirring music. It was almost hard for Clyde to believe that they were the same couple who had taken him in when he was released from prison, but were seemingly worlds apart from each other.

Clyde was pulling for them every step of the way, just as he knew they were pulling for him in wanting the best for each other and their future. He felt relieved of the burden he'd carried for so many years in trying to protect Trey and no longer carried the bad blood that had marked much of their lives as brothers.

Clyde refocused his attention on his girlfriend. He couldn't help but smile as the lyrics registered with him, coming from the woman who had changed his life for the better in so many ways. There was no one he could imagine wanting to watch over him more than Stefani.

She wrapped up the number to a round of sustained applause. He knew this was her last song of the evening and, as such, his cue to share the stage with Stefani.

Trey's curious gaze rested on Clyde as he stood.

“Going somewhere, little brother?” he asked.

Clyde grinned slyly. “Only for a minute. There's something important I have to do.”

Making his way onto the stage, Clyde walked up to Stefani, surprising her. He kissed her lips gently and put his muscular arm around her, trying not to show a major case of nerves for what he had in mind.

“What are you doing?” Stefani whispered.

“You'll see,” Clyde told her, being deliberately cryptic.

Facing the audience, he thought briefly back to when Willie went berserk there and how it could have put the club in the toilet. Instead, most patrons saw it as an isolated incident and continued to show up in a full house to enjoy great food, music, and atmosphere.

“I think everyone should give Stefani another round of applause for a fantastic show she put on this evening,” he declared.

The audience reacted accordingly.

When the noise died down, Clyde said evenly, “Oh, there's just one more thing—” He faced Stefani and looked very serious as he took her hand. Abruptly, Clyde dropped to one knee, removing a diamond ring from his pocket in the same motion. “Will you marry me, Stefani? Please say yes and make me the happiest man on the planet.”

With the crowd prodding her, Stefani's face glowed. “Yes, Clyde Lancaster, I'll marry you any time, any place!” she promised merrily.

Clyde was elated as he placed the ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit. “I love you, Stefani.”

“Then get up and prove it,” she quipped, helping him to his feet. Her lips parted and waited for his.

Clyde did not disappoint, embracing Stefani and tilting her, kissing her passionately to the audience's delight and cheers.

When he pulled back, a dazed Stefani said with humor, “Well, I guess that's proof enough for now. Oh, and by the way, I love you too.”

Once again the patrons cheered, led by Trey and Ivana. Clyde smiled at them lovingly while taking his fiancée's words to heart, knowing this was what life was truly all about. He just wished his mother was still alive to witness him becoming a man she could be proud of. Something told Clyde that she knew and would be with him in spirit 'til the day he died.

Clyde invited Trey and Ivana on stage. He kissed Ivana lightly on the cheek and then gave his brother a big hug.

“Looks like I'm finally following in your footsteps,” Clyde told Trey, without whose support he would never have gotten this far.

“I'm delighted to know that.”

“It won't seem real unless I know you'll be my best man.”

Shock registered on Trey's face. “I just assumed that Raymond would—”

“You assumed wrong,” Clyde said. “He'll definitely be part of the wedding party, but you're my one and only brother.”

“That I am.” Trey grinned. “I'd be honored to be your best man.”

“I was hoping you'd say that.” Clyde couldn't have been more pleased as all of his dreams were suddenly coming true, beginning with the love of family and the woman he couldn't live without. He put his arm around Stefani's shoulders. “Let's go home and start planning that wedding.”

“I'm all for that,” she crooned and looked out at the audience. “Oh, by the way, you're all invited to the wedding.”

Everyone cheered, including Clyde, who could not wait 'til Stefani became his gorgeous, sexy bride in what he imagined would be the social event of the year in Paradise Bay. Beyond that, Clyde hoped in the not-too-distant future to start a family so he could pass along his hopes and dreams while avoiding the mistakes he had made that could have resulted in a very different ending.