ENTANGLED PURSUITS - Brenda Jackson Page 0,101
your part in what happened, you went after me, intent on ruining my career in law enforcement.”
He picked up each photograph and stared at them. He then looked at her and said in a broken voice, “I’m sorry.”
She frowned at him. “No, you’re not. You’re only sorry that you got caught. That’s not good enough for me.”
“What are you going to do?” he asked shakily. “Please don’t tell my wife. Margaret would leave me for sure. She still hasn’t gotten over losing her son and grandkids.”
Toni didn’t say anything for a long time. “You have until five o’clock to call a press conference and publicly apologize to me for what you tried to do to my career. Five o’clock.” She glanced at her watch. That doesn’t give you much time.”
She paused a moment and then said. “In addition, you are to make annual payments for the rest of your life of not less than a million dollars a year to a charity that could really use your money—The Foundation of Mental Health.”
She leaned over his desk a little, to make sure she had his complete attention. “If you don’t, Mr. Gilmore, then I will go to the newspapers and provide full details of your affair with your son’s wife. That will include proof that those two little boys he had thought were his sons, were actually his brothers.”
Toni paused a moment to make sure that sank in. “I would also highly recommend that you resign your position as county commissioner. Today. You’re not worthy enough to hold the office. Like I said, you have until five o’clock today.”
Toni straightened, then turned and walked out of the man’s office.
• • •
In their hotel room, Toni and Andrew sat cuddled in front of the television at five o’clock, watching Thomas Gilmore acknowledge that he had been wrong in accusing Detective Antonia Oliver of not doing her job. He knew that she had tried to save the life of his son and grandsons, and that he would forever appreciate her for her efforts.
He went further to say he would be donating a million dollars every year to the Foundation of Mental Health. And then he announced that he would be stepping down as county commissioner to spend more time with his wife who needed him. When asked by one reporter why he’d had a change of heart, he’d merely said that he’d done a lot of soul searching.
“Soul searching, my ass,” Andrew muttered. “I see he’s not going to tell the whole story.”
“I really didn’t think he would.”
Andrew gazed over at her and asked, “Are you okay with that?”
She nodded. “Yes. He gave me a public apology. Besides, his wife has been through enough. I don’t want to cause her any more pain.”
Andrew stood up and took her hand. “Let’s take a walk on the beach.”
A half hour later, they were walking barefoot in the surf. It was a beautiful day, and Andrew and Toni wished they had more time to spend in Miami Beach before flying back to Alexandria late tomorrow evening. In the morning, they would be meeting Toni’s father again for breakfast and her grandparents for lunch.
He liked her father and grandfather and was glad that he was getting to know both men. Andrew believed that moving forward Antonio Oliver would always be there for his daughter. The older man had invited them back to Miami in July. His son and other daughter would be out of college for the summer and visiting him. Antonio felt it was past time for his children to meet. Andrew could tell Toni was looking forward to it.
Andrew and Toni loved the ocean and there was nothing like walking along the shoreline. There were few people out today. Most of the Memorial Day crowd had left. He wondered if she missed Miami, or had she gotten used to living in Alexandria? He would find out soon enough.
Andrew stopped walking and pulled Toni to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I love you, Antonia Oliver.”
She smiled up at him. “And I love you, too, Andrew Logan.”
He then got down on one knee and saw the surprised look on her face when she saw what he was doing. “Will you marry me, Toni? Take my name? Have my babies. Make me the happiest man in the world?”
Tears streamed down Toni’s face. She was too emotional to answer, so she nodded her head several times. Then, she managed to say, “Yes,” when he slid a beautiful engagement ring on her finger.
Andrew stood and pulled her back into his arms and kissed her. After releasing her mouth, he rested his chin on the crown on her head. He loved her. She loved him. They had been given a second chance at love and were meant to be together forever.
“How soon?” he asked. “How soon can we get married?”
She pulled back. “What about a June wedding.”
He lifted a brow. “Next month?”
She shook her head and chuckled. “No, next June.”
He pulled back to stare down at her. “You’re going to make me wait that long, Toni?”
She smiled up at him. “Trust me, Drew. I’ll make it worth your while.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “I am going to hold you to that. And just so you know, I got both your father’s and grandfather’s blessings.”
Then, rejoining hands, they began walking back toward the hotel. The future was theirs to pursue and they would do it together. Their entangled pursuits had now taken on a whole new meaning.
COMING IN 2021!
BOOK 2 IN THE “MEN OF ACTION” SERIES
DESPERATE MEASURES
BRENDA JACKSON is a die “heart” romantic who married her childhood sweetheart, Gerald, forty-eight years ago and still proudly wears the “going steady” ring he gave her when she was fifteen. Because she’s always believed in the power of love, Brenda’s stories have happy endings and credits Gerald for being her inspiration.
A New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of over one hundred romance titles, Brenda divides her time between, family, writing, and traveling. You may write Brenda at P.O Box 28267, Jacksonville, Florida 32226; her e-mail address at [email protected] and her website at www.brendajackson.net.