Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set (124 page)

She had no doubt that Tony would work three jobs if he had to to keep a roof over their heads.  She'd never worry whether or not Tony could protect her.  If he'd almost killed a man for trying to sell his daughter for drugs, what would he do if someone hurt her she thought? 

And wouldn't their children be beautiful?  Damn she thought.  If she didn't stop she was going to get down on one knee and propose to him.  Feeling a sudden need to lighten the mood, she did just that.

He had given her a sexy wink and then went to help Carl spread out a tablecloth on the wooden picnic table.  He pulled out a candle from the picnic basket and had straightened up from lighting it when she got down on one knee on the cold ground, took his hand and said "Will you marry me Tony, you big teddy bear?"

Andi giggled.  Carl shook his head. 

"You be careful woman." Tony took her into his arms and planted a kiss on her mouth that left her feeling shaky and a little embarrassed at the same time because yet again he didn't know how to keep his tongue in his own mouth when he kissed her, no matter who might be watching.  "I think I might hold you to that.”  His hands slid down her back to cup her ass as he kissed her again, pressing his body fully against hers.

Breathless, she pulled back, and shoved his hands away from her butt, though she did it in a way that let him get another good feel in.  He gave her a cocky grin and then went back to helping Carl set the table. 

They had brought enough food for an army Tory thought.  There was salad, sandwiches, chips, cookies, and homemade fudge and divinity.  Tony pulled out a thermos full of Carl's hot chocolate and a huge bottle of champagne. 

They ate until they were stuffed and then passed around two joints of a wicked strain of weed that had a slightly fruity smell to it.  Tory passed on the champagne, because she'd never really liked the taste of champagne or the bubbles.  But Andi and Carl were completely blitzed and unashamedly groping each other perched on the edge of the picnic table when a pleasantly buzzed Tony took her hand and pulled her towards the woods. 

"Are you having a good time baby?" 

She glanced back at the picnic table and caught Carl trying to undo Andi's bra and burst out laughing.  "I think they're having a good enough time for all of us.  I hope your uncle doesn't show up and catch them naked.”

Tony chuckled, and then grew serious. 

"What's wrong Tony?"

"Nothing baby.  You know when you pretended to propose to me?  It kinda threw me for a loop.  Do you think you'd ever really think of me that way Tor?  As someone you'd want to spend your life with?"

She looked up at him, her head still spinning a bit from the pot.  "You make me weak in the knees when you look at me Tony.  You drive me insane when you kiss me, let alone what you do to me in bed.  You make me feel safe, you make me feel loved.  You make the whole world a better place you good for nothing drug dealer." She reached up and cupped his face in her hands and gave him a soft kiss. 

He scratched the edge of his shoe in the dirt, not looking at her, looking like nothing but an overgrown little boy with his hands in pockets.  "'My mom gave me something today.  She was doing pretty good for once, kinda like the Mom I remember from when I was a kid.  I want you to have it."

He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a gold locket that hung from a thin chain.  He dug out his lighter and lit it, and then he opened it and showed her the pictures nestled inside.

"That's my dad right after he found out Mom was pregnant with me." He pointed to the left side, showing her a man who looked almost exactly like him beaming into the camera.  "And that's me when I was little." He pointed to the right side, where there was a picture of a little boy who was missing his front teeth, holding up a fish that was almost as tall as him.  "Dad told everyone that I caught that fish.  He did, but he didn't want to make me feel bad.  I kept getting scared when there was a tug on the line and letting them get away."

He handed the locket to her.  "You can change the pictures if you want.  She was bugging me today about meeting a nice girl.  I told her about you and she insisted I give it to you for Christmas."

As she took it from his hand he added "I could hardly break her heart by telling her I already bought you slutty lingerie."

She rolled her eyes at him.  "Always the charmer aren't you Tony?"

He laughed and then reached over and took the locket from her hand, undoing the clasp and slipping it over her neck, refastening it and taking her into his arms for a brief embrace. 

She pulled back and looked up at him.  "It's beautiful.  I wouldn't dream of changing the pictures.  Tell your mom I love it."

"You can tell her yourself when you meet her.  I think they finally got her medication right.  So I figure that in a month or so when you're over the devastation of spending new year's eve with Carl's mom and dad, I'll take you up to meet her on a Saturday.  If that's okay with you."

"Sure.”

"Dude can we go home now?"  Carl was stumbling in their direction, Andi clutching his arm.  "I'm fucking freezing."

"That's what happens when you get naked outside in the winter bro." Tony patted his cousin's shoulder. 

Andi giggled.  "We weren't naked."

"Sure." Tony handed Tory the car keys.  "You're driving babe.  I ain't drunk, but you didn't touch a drop of that champagne that was way too crappy tasting to cost as much as it did.  Help me load up the car kid." He turned back to Carl. 

"I'm not a kid damn it.”

"Sure you are.  Now be a good kid and help Cousin Tony; who convinced your parents to let you spend the night at my place with your girlfriend, a hand."

Carl grinned widely at Andi, and turned back to Tony and gave him a dirty look.  But he followed Tony back to the picnic table to gather up all the leftover food while Tory and Andi went back to the car. 

"It's nice to be a girl sometimes isn't it Tor?"  Andi remarked as she slid into the back seat, snuggled up in Carl's jacket.

Well, no wonder he was cold if he'd given his jacket to Andi Tory thought as she turned the key to start the car. 

"Sure is." She laughed as she looked at Carl, shivering in his t-shirt while he helped Tony load the trunk. 

She fingered the locket around her neck, and met Andi's eyes in the rearview mirror. 

"Carl's gonna let me wear his class ring when he gets it in the fall, Tory.  Isn't that so romantic?"

Tory turned and gave the younger girl a smile.  "It is."

She looked at Tony who was standing next to Carl, laughing at something that could only have been perverted by the looks on their faces.  She shook her head as Tony shut the trunk and then opened the back door for a now shaky looking Carl. 

"You puke in my car I'll kick your ass.  How are you gonna save face if your girl can hold her liquor better than you?"

"I'm not gonna get sick Tone, I swear."

But he rolled the window halfway down and stuck his head out as Tory pulled slowly out of the parking lot. 

"You let me know if that kid starts to lose it Andi.  And Tor, be ready to pull over at any time.  I swear I will make you scrub this whole car with your toothbrush if you get one drop of puke on my car inside or out.”

"You're the one who bought that shit Tone.” Carl closed his eyes and leaned back in the seat. 

"I never saw me forcing you to drink it bro." Tony turned back around and lit a cigarette. 

"Asshole," Carl mumbled.  "Will you wake me up when we get home Andi?"

"Sure, baby." She put her hand on his forehead like a mother feeling for a fever in a sick child. 

Carl was snoring in the backseat by the time they pulled into the driveway.  Tory had to laugh when Tony unceremoniously pulled him from the car and he landed flat on his ass in the driveway and promptly leaned over and puked his guts out. 

"Will you help me put this shit away baby while Andi takes care of little Mr.  can't hold his booze?"

"Sure." She gave Andi a sympathetic look. 

"And Carl," Tony said as Carl turned to look at him, lifting his head briefly from Andi's shoulder as she unlocked the door. 

"What Tone?" 

"You're gonna hose this out of my driveway first thing in the morning."

"Fine.” He sounded like a petulant child as he followed Andi into the house. 

"Gotta teach him a lesson." Tony took the now empty picnic basket from Tory and put it up on a shelf in the laundry room.  "Like my old man did to me.  I came home drunk off my ass one night, trying to be sneaky.  He caught me puking my guts out in the backyard because I couldn't get my key to fit in the back door.  So he cleaned me up, took me up to bed and then woke me up at the crack of dawn the next morning, made we hose down all the puke so my mom wouldn't see it."

Tory laughed.  "Really?"

"Yep.  And when my mom was out of town a couple weeks later, he taught me an even bigger lesson.  He had Uncle Keith, Rich, and a couple other guys over.  They had enough booze for an
army and these nasty smelling cigars that made me want to puke before I started drinking.  Dad had told Uncle Keith and all his friends that I thought I was a man, coming home wasted.  We played some card game where you can either take the drink or pass it to someone else, and of course, every other time the other guys lost, they passed the drinks to me.  I'm surprised I didn't croak from alcohol poisoning those assholes made me drink so much.  And of course I ended up puking my guts out in front of Dad and all these guys, most of 'em he'd known since high school.  Passed out cold on the living room floor, made friends with the toilet the next morning, too.  Then Dad makes me clean up the mess I'd made the night before.  If there would have been anything left for me to puke up I would have done it again.  I stayed in bed the rest of the weekend and didn't go to school on Monday.  Mom got home and saw me.  She was all concerned.  Dad was ready to bust out laughing.  But he held it in, and told her I had a bad case of the flu.  I don't think he ever told her the truth." He shook his head, a faraway look in his eyes. 

"Wow."

"It kept me from drinking the rest of high school, though.  'Course first thing I did after I moved in here was to throw the biggest party this town had ever seen.  Kept half the town wasted for three whole days, had people passed out all over the house I'd never met before.  That was where I got the brilliant idea to become a dealer."

"So you bought that champagne to teach Carl a lesson?"  She raised an eyebrow, thinking of the times she'd seen Carl drinking beer in front of the TV.

"Not really." He chuckled.  "With as much as I paid for that shit I expected it to go down smooth.  I was just fuckin' with the kid really.  Though I am going to drag his ass out of bed at six a.m. and make him clean up my driveway."

A groan came suddenly from the bedroom.  "Uh oh, I think he's getting sick again."

Tony cocked his head and then said when a quiet moan came from Andi seconds later.  "Nope, I do believe he's putting his Christmas present to good use."

Feeling a blush rise to her cheeks Tory said "Damn horny teenagers."

"I'm not a teenager anymore, but I can think of a good use we can make of your Christmas present."

"Huh?"  She looked at the locket. 

He fingered the heart.  "Since you put that on, I've been wondering what you'd look like wearing that and nothing else."

"Oh." She took his hand and led him towards the bedroom.  "I think we can take care of that.  Wouldn't want to leave you wondering, now would we?"

With a quiet laugh he followed her into the bedroom. 

Chapter 13

When she awoke the next morning, she could hear Carl and Tony talking quietly in the living room and the shower running in the bathroom.  She was still wearing nothing but the locket when she sat up in bed and reached for a cigarette, pulling the sheet around her. 

The shower shut off.  Andi came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, wearing nothing but a towel, and gave Tory a bright smile.  She was wearing a silver bracelet with a delicate heart hanging from it and moved to show it to Tory as she leaned over to put out her cigarette. 

"See what Carl bought me for Christmas?"  She held out her wrist.  "It's got our names on it."

"Wow." Tory touched the charm which read 'Carl and Andi forever'. 

They'd been together two days and the kid was already thinking forever she wondered?  But Andi seemed as if she couldn't be more thrilled with the sentimental gift.  And she was talking about spending the summer with her grandmother and going to Crestview in the fall so it was plain that she was as smitten as Carl was.  Smiling Tory thought ah young love. 

"Can I see yours?"  Andi let the heart fall back to her wrist. 

"Sure.”

She reached for the locket and pulled the sheet firmly back into place, then opened it and held it out towards Andi, showing her the pictures inside. 

"Tony looks just like his Dad doesn't he?  He was such a cute kid.  Lori showed me pictures of Tony and Carl when they were kids.  They don't look that much alike but even looking at the pictures you can tell how close they were.  You'd never know they weren't brothers."

"They sure fight like brothers don't they?"  Tory said as the sounds of a mock argument came from the living room. 

Andi laughed.  "That they do.  Well, I better get dressed.  They're taking us out for breakfast.  Then Carl's gotta get home to help his Dad and I've got to get back to my grandma's or Dad will
change his mind about letting us stay for New Year's.  And I guess you and Tony have got to get ready to leave town right?"

"Yeah." Tory sighed.  "Don't remind me."

Andi gave her a quizzical look, which she guessed could be expected from someone whose parents seemed perfectly normal and caring.  "You're not looking forward to going home for Christmas?"

"You'd have to meet my mom and stepdad to understand.  I'll tell you about them sometime.  Though I hope you'll never have the pleasure of meeting them."

"You never know.  If things go the way I think they'll go with you and Tony, and me and Carl of course.”  Her smile grew wider.  "We'll probably be seeing a lot more of each other."

The girl could already hear wedding bells Tory thought, hiding a smile.  In her mind they were probably already living next door to each other, Tony and Carl barbecuing in the yard while a couple adorable kids ran around.  Tory could practically see it herself.  And would it be so bad, she wondered, letting a little smile of her own slip through? 

She thought that Andi must have read her mind.  She let out a quiet laugh and with a cheerful wave left the room. 

But she still had to get through taking Tony home to meet the parents.  Wasn't that a movie she thought?  It might as well have been a horror movie with her mother and stepfather, she thought as she rose and moved to the bathroom. 

She used the toilet.  When she stood up to wash her hands, she checked her neck carefully for hickeys.  It would be like Tony to leave a mark when they were going to see Lindsey and Langston she thought.  But her neck was clear and she turned to the shower, testing the water before she stepped in. 

Twenty minutes later she was stepping into her panties when Tony burst into the room.  "You almost ready babe?  We're gonna go out for breakfast before we leave.  Then we gotta stop at the post office and get your Dad's package sent out, stop and pick up the money from your mom you
forgot about last night you were so worried about Carl puking in the car, come back here; pack the car and then we're on the road."

"You sure we can't stay here and spend Christmas in bed?"

"Much as I would love to do that, your mother would probably kill me.  Now get dressed before Carl gets dirty ideas into his head all alone with Andi, and I get ideas of my own with your bare chest in my face."

Tory reached for a clean bra out of her duffel bag and fastened it behind her back.  "You better leave your shirt on then because I get some pretty dirty ideas in my head when I see you with a bare chest."

When she turned around to dig out a pair of jeans and a shirt and turned to Tony again, he had removed his t-shirt. 

"Tony.” She groaned.  He really did drive her crazy. 

"Yes darlin'?"  He pulled her into his arms for a long kiss that left her wishing they really could stay in his bed. 

"I love you.”

"Wanna know a secret?"  He reached around to help her refasten the locket after she slipped on her shirt. 

"Okay." 

"I never believed in all that love at first sight bullshit, but I think there's a part of me that fell in love with you the first time I saw you.  But I knew I had a hard road ahead of me when I saw the way you looked at Jude.  I never expected it to be quite like this, but I think we're gonna be okay now, aren't we Tor?"

"Of course." She gave him a kiss. 

He flipped open his cell phone and glanced at the time.  "We gotta go babe, or we're gonna show up at your mom's house at midnight.  That's not a good first impression."

He looked a little worried at the thought, she pondered as she followed him out of the bedroom.  As if he cared what Lindsey and Langston thought of him.  He plucked a box off of the table which she figured contained her father's watch. 

Noticing that it was already addressed, she raised an eyebrow at him.  "Sorry babe, I took the liberty of digging in your purse to find your Dad's address.  I knew we had a lot of shit to do this morning.  You sleep like a rock."

"Where are Carl and Andi?" 

"In the jeep I think.  Probably making out again.  Those two can't keep their hands off of each other for two seconds when their parents aren't around." 

Tory laughed, following him out to the car, where she could indeed see Carl and Andi locked in a passionate embrace in the jeep. 

When they hadn't broken it up by the time he and Tory were in the car, seatbelts on, engine started, Tony laid on the horn, sticking his head out the window and calling out to Carl.  "You need to come up for air kid.  I need a cigarette after watching you two and you've still got all your clothes on."

Giving Tony a sheepish grin, Carl put the jeep into gear and backed out of the driveway.  Tony followed Carl to the diner where they had eaten the other night. 

When they met the younger couple at the door Tony said "Why don't you two get a table?  We're gonna run over to the convenience store on the corner and pick up Tory's cash.  And no making out.  The old man who owns this place knows your Dad and he wouldn't think twice to call him."

"Yes sir," Carl said, making a face as Tony as he held the door open for Andi. 

Tony took Tory’s hand and led her to the convenience store where she signed the paperwork and accepted her money.  When they were walking back towards the diner, Tory caught sight of a dark head in front of them.  She turned slightly, and noticed it was Jude.  He was leaning against his truck smoking a cigarette, his hand possessively on the arm of a girl who sure as hell wasn't Molli.  She was slim with dark hair and a chest that would make even Andi envious.  She was laughing and looking up at Jude with what could only be described as an invitation for sex in her eyes.

Her step must have faltered because she felt Tony stop beside her, his eyes going dark.  She felt him tense up and try to remove his hand from where it was joined with hers.  "Don't Tony.  He's not worth it."

She thought that Jude must have heard her.  He turned in their direction and choked on the drag he'd taken from his cigarette, growing pale.  The girl he was with turned and then looked back at Jude with a questioning look in her eyes. 

Tony took a step towards Jude, having shaken off her hand completely. 

"Tony."

"Not now baby."

She leaned up and took his face into her hands, and planted her mouth firmly over his, shoving her tongue unceremoniously into his mouth, for once not giving a shit who was watching.  When she broke away from him several breathless moments later, she turned to see Jude's truck tearing out of the parking lot, the girl standing by herself now, looking stunned.

"I think he shit himself." Tony chuckled as he followed Tory back towards the diner. 

She breathed a sigh of relief, took his hand and followed him inside where Carl waved at them from a booth in the back corner. 

"What took you two so long?" Carl said.  "Did you stop for a quickie in the parking lot?"

"I wish," Tony said.  Tory waited nervously for him to go on, wondering if he was going to mention what had almost happened in the parking lot.  "Nah, there was just a long line at the store right Tor?"

"Right," Tory said nonchalantly, picking up a menu. 

They ate a leisurely breakfast, Tony and Carl telling funny stories from past new years' parties at Keith and Lori's, anything from people getting naked in the front yard to Lori dancing around in the living room wearing Keith's badge and gun, stoned and drunk and pretending to arrest people.  With the stories they told, Tory wasn't sure whether she should be looking forward to the party or scared out of her mind. 

She wasn't sure what was worse though, listening to Tony and Carl relieve memories of drunken holidays past or listening to Andi plan their futures together.  White picket fences, backyard pools, barbecues and birthday parties.  She seemed to want several children which made Carl get a little pale.  But then Tony lightened the mood by telling everyone he wanted ten children.

Tory told him that after the first two he would have to start giving birth to them which set everyone to laughing again.  It was an easy, comfortable meal.  Tory was sorry to see it end as they walked out of the restaurant, Tony once again insisting on paying.

When they parted ways in the parking lot, Andi gave Tory a hug.  "It was so nice meeting you Tory.  I can't wait ‘til you guys get back."

"Me, too," Tory said with a laugh. 

"Have fun guys." Carl stepped back to open the door of the jeep for Andi. 

"Leave some leftovers for me kid," Tony said, lighting a cigarette. 

"You know Mom always cooks enough to feed an army, Tone.  She's gonna make sure there's plenty of leftovers.  Don't be surprised if you come home to a fridge stuffed full of food.  She's still got a key to your place.  She was telling me the other night after you and Tory left that you both look like you need to eat a good meal." 

Tony laughed.  "That's Aunt Lori for you.  Thinks she can solve all the world's problems with food."

"She probably could if she could convince everyone to eat those brownies she makes with weed in them," Carl said with a smirk. 

"True bro.  You two have a merry Christmas.  We'll see you in a few days."

"You guys too.  Try not to embarrass Tory in front of her parents Tone."

"Me?"  Tony tried to look innocent. 

Carl laughed.  "Bye Tone.  Bye Tory.  Don't forget to call Mom before you leave town and after you get there so she doesn't have a heart attack."

Tony nodded.  "Have fun kids.  Don't do anything I wouldn't do.  Bye Carl.  Bye Andi."

Andi waved from the passenger side of the jeep calling out "Bye Tony.  Bye Tory.  Merry Christmas!" 

"Merry Christmas," Tory called back, watching them pull away.

"Something wrong babe?"  Tony said as he got behind the wheel.

"Just nervous I guess." 

"I promise I won't do anything to embarrass you."

"It's not that Tony.  I don't give a shit what Lindsey and Langston think of you.  I'm a lot more worried about them embarrassing me in front of YOU."

"No worries.  I think by now I've seen it all.  You seem to keep forgetting that I deal drugs for a living."

She bit her lip.  "Yeah, but I'm not talking about some addict giving you his car for coke.  I'm talking about Lindsey and Langston thinking that they're better than everyone else."

"You don't think rich people ever take a fall into the sordid world of addiction?"  He raised an eyebrow as he pulled into the packed parking lot of the post office. 

"We'll see what you have to say after you've met them."

"No use getting all worked up about it now.  Whatever happens happens.  I'm not going to stop wanting to be with you even if your mother does happen to be the world's biggest bitch.  You're stuck with me Tor."

His eyes were full of honesty as he held open the door for the post office for her, but she still had her doubts.  She wished it was all over with.  That she could crawl back into bed with him at his house and not need to worry about seeing Lindsey again until graduation.  She already had it worked out in her head how she was going to get around going home the summer after. 

Even if she was no longer with Tony, there was no way in hell she was going to be stuck all summer with Lindsey and Langston.  She'd get down on her hands and knees and shamelessly beg her father to let her live with him over the summer if she had to.