Finally Satisfied Page 6

  Mitch was stunned. “You named him after me? Why?”

  “I named him Ryan for the father I never really knew, and Mitchell for the only stand up guy I knew at the time. I couldn’t name him after Eric or your father, not after the way they’d treated me, and I really didn’t know any other men.”

  “Well, I’m honored. As soon as we can leave, I want to show you your other present.”

  ***

  Angel struggled to catch her breath. No one had ever given her a gift that meant as much as this one did. Not even her mother, or Cara. No one else had understood. Only Mitch. If Ryan had been his, it would make more sense. Eric had never once asked his name, never knew his birthdate. Once his parents had threatened to destroy her reputation, she’d never spoken to him again.

  What else could Mitch possibly give her that would mean as much?

  When she’d finally gotten her emotions under control, she turned back to the others. Cara and Gray were just beginning to open their gift, Reggie and Sam hadn’t gotten to theirs yet, and her mother’s gift still sat unopened. Her mother never opened her gifts until she’d watched them open theirs.

  “Oh, Angel! I love it!” Cara squealed and bounced on the couch. “It’s so absolutely perfect!” She turned the framed picture to show the others before she handed it to Gray.

  He looked at the picture for a moment, then put an arm around Cara’s shoulders. “I agree. You captured our feelings exactly.”

  The picture was also from the cruise. She’d taken their picture on the dance floor after he’d proposed. They were oblivious to anyone else, their bodies close, Cara’s hand in Gray’s. He was looking down at her with such awe and wonder it made Angel’s heart ache even now. And Cara was looking up at him, the same love and emotion shining in her eyes. It was a once in a lifetime capture. She’d had to sneak away from the group to get her camera after the proposal, because she wanted to preserve the memories for Cara. Then she’d hidden it in her oversized sling purse after dumping out most of its contents. At the time of the picture, every eye had been on the couple and it had been easy enough to circle around behind them and get the shot from near the bandstand.

  They’d been so intent on each other, they’d never noticed she was there.

  Reggie reached for her present and ripped the paper off, ribbons and all. “I can’t wait to see mine!” She held it up so Sam could see it too. “Oh, it’s beautiful! This was on the way back to the dock, on the Champs-Élysées. I still remember that kiss.”

  “Well, I should hope so,” Sam said with mock indignation. “That was my most romantic moment ever.”

  “Hah. That better not be all the romance you’ve got in you.” Reggie held the picture at arms length so she could see it better, and sighed. “You are an amazing photographer,” she told Angel. “You captured the moment so perfectly.”

  “She’s right,” Mitch said. “You have a real gift.”

  “Thank you.”

  Her mother picked up her gift from the floor and held it in her lap until the last gift had been opened. “I wonder what this might be?” she said with a grin. She ripped the paper off and held the picture out in front of her. “Oh, it’s my beautiful girls, all grown up.” She choked up and passed the picture to Cara. “Thank you, sweetheart. You’re all so beautiful. I’ll treasure this picture forever.”

  “I technically didn’t take that picture. Mitch did.”

  “Mitch? Really?” Angel’s mother turned to look at him. “I didn’t know you were a photographer.”

  Mitch laughed. “I’m not, believe me. Angel set everything up. All I did was push the button.”

  “Well, you did that very well.”

  Her mom was right. Mitch seemed to do a lot of things well.

  ***

  Gray and Sam were absorbed in the football game, her mother had retreated to her room for a nap, and Cara and Reggie were involved in a heated game of spades. Normally, Angel would be back at work at her computer by now, but Mitch showed no real interest in the game and she didn’t want to be rude and walk out on him.

  Then he took her hand, put a finger to his lips, and led her through the kitchen, out the back door, and around the front to his car. When she looked up at him, he said, “I told you I had another gift in the car. This one is for your eyes only, unless you decide to share it with the others. I’ll leave that up to you.”

  He opened the door for her, closed it behind her, then hurried around to the other side. Once inside, he pulled a small photo album from the center console. “I hope I’m doing the right thing here. But you’ve worked so hard with Vanessa to get your life back on track, that I’m hoping this doesn’t cause a set back.”

  What on earth was he talking about? “Mitch, referring me to Vanessa was probably the most important thing anyone has ever done for me. She’s more than a psychologist. She’s a life coach, as well. Whatever this is, if it causes a problem for me, she and I will handle it. I have to learn to take the good and the bad.”

  Brave words, but now she was nervous. Not pre-panic attack nervous, but a bit leery of what he was about to share. And the suspense was killing her.

  “Just show me what it is, okay?”

  He took a deep breath. “I’ve been looking for him--Ryan--for more than five years. I’ve posted on some adoption sites with no luck. But I wanted to find him for you, so I hired a private detective. He found him.”

  Angel covered her mouth with one shaking hand to keep from crying out. “You found him? Where is he? Can I see him? Does he want to meet me?”

  “Hang on. Let me tell you what I know. I don’t know exactly where he is. The PI is a friend of mine, but he won’t tell me because Ryan is still under age. But I have pictures, and I have a pretty good background story on him. Here’s what I do know. He has two brothers and a sister, all adopted. He plays football, baseball, and soccer. He’s also an honor student who wants to go to Harvard.”

  Angel blinked back tears. “Is he happy? Healthy? Does he need anything?”

  “His family is very comfortable, but not rich. He goes to a private school and seems very well adjusted and happy. There are no known medical problems.”

  “How did you get all this information?” It kind of scared her that he was able to find out so much about her son, even though she was thrilled to know he was okay.

  “The PI posed as a college scout and had a long talk with his school counselor, his coaches, and a few teachers. He also talked to neighbors and spent a long time watching the family.” He handed her the album. “He took some pictures. He wanted me to make sure you knew that he doesn’t live in Austin, but he is still in Texas. He doesn’t want us to approach him until he turns eighteen. That was something the counselor mentioned, that Ryan had talked about it but he doesn’t want to hurt his adoptive parents by searching for you now.”

  Angel took the book with trembling hands and opened the cover. Looking back at her was a carbon copy of Eric at that age. All little boy smile and sparkling eyes, straight white teeth in a tanned face. His jawline was more like hers, more angled and stronger than Eric’s. He was sturdy and muscular, like he worked out with weights. But there was an intelligence in his eyes that gave him an inner strength as well.

  She flipped through the pages to see pictures of him at football practice, on a family outing, going into a church, all dressed up for Sunday services. Pictures with his brothers, tossing a football in the street. One with his sister, who looked about ten years old. His hand sat firmly on her shoulder, protective as well as affectionate.

  The last picture showed him standing by a car with a pretty brunette by his side. They were both dressed up, like for a dance or fancy party. The girl was smiling up at Ryan with adoring eyes. Much as Angel had looked at Eric.

  Oh god, she hoped his father had talked to him about sex, about the importance of protection. Something her own mother had been too embarrassed to do. Something she would have done if she could.

  “He’s fine, Angel.
He’s had a good life. He has a family who loves him, he’s popular at school, he gets good grades, and he has plans for his future. He’ll get in touch when the time is right, I’m sure. But for now, these pictures have to be enough.”

  She used the hem of her sweater to mop at her wet face. Mitch handed her a tissue from a box in the console. “It is. It’s so much more than I could have hoped for.”

  He released a pent-up breath. “I’m glad. I was so worried about doing this. I should have called Vanessa and asked her…”

  “No. I’m okay. This makes me so much more than okay.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You’re a good man, Mitch Turner. You almost make me wish I’d said yes all those years ago.”

  He took her hand in his and kissed her palm, then curled her fingers into a fist. “Hold on to that thought.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Angel’s breath caught as they started up the mountain. The scenery was beautiful, beyond anything she could have imagined. Television and movies didn’t do snow-covered mountains justice. For someone used to the sunny skies and mostly warm days of Austin, this was like another world.

  Houses dotted the landscape on the lower levels of the mountain, but as they moved farther up, the pristine white snow was broken only by trees and the occasional animal track. She spent most of the drive with the passenger window open, snapping pictures as they drove by.

  “Angel, close that window! We’re freezing back here!”

  “Just a minute, mom. I want to catch the sun in the trees.”

  “You can take pictures when we reach the lodge. Now close the window.”

  Angel was beginning to regret agreeing to share a room with her mother. As the wedding week had approached, she’d gotten more nervous and snappy. Her dress didn’t look right. Her haircut was too short. She hadn’t lost the weight she’d wanted to. “Chill, Mom.” But she rolled up the window and tucked her camera back into its padded case.

  Mitch smiled at her from the driver’s seat. “I’ll drive you back down the mountain if you want more pictures later. But I think you’ll find plenty to photograph at the lodge.”

  “I know. I just wanted to document the trip. I have enough pictures of this part, I think.”

  “Are you excited about this week? You’re going to be very busy.”

  She nodded. “Excited. Nervous. Scared, actually.”

  He glanced at her face, then turned his attention back to the road. “Scared? Of what?”

  She twisted her hands in her lap. “I don’t know how I’ll react to seeing Eric,” she said quietly so her mother wouldn’t overhear.

  His eyebrows drew together. “Why would you see Eric? He won’t be here.”

  Angel turned in her seat to look at him. “He won’t? But…but I thought, since his kids were in the wedding…”

  “Where did you get that idea? Eric’s kids aren’t in the wedding.”

  “Then who are the ring bearer and flower girl? I thought…”

  Mitch shook his head. “You’ve worried about that all this time? I wondered why you bolted out of the restaurant that day. Erin’s kids are in the wedding, not Eric’s. His kids are too old.”

  Angel sagged against the seat. Erin’s kids, not Eric’s. Erin had only been twelve years old when everything happened, too young to really even know what was going on. Angel held no hard feelings against her at all. The dread she’d had for the week ahead dissolved into relief. She hadn’t let herself think about actually having fun, but now it didn’t seem like such an unlikely prospect after all.

  She smiled happily to herself and turned her attention to the scenery flashing past her window.

  ***

  Two hours later, Angel had changed into her brand new ski suit, repacked her camera and lenses into a backpack, and headed outside to catch the sunset. The others were still settling into their rooms and making plans for the week. It was the perfect time for her to do what she loved best.

  She snapped shots of the outside of the lodge, children playing in the snow, cars snaking their way up the mountain. She walked around to the back of the lodge and spotted the lake in the distance. In a few minutes the setting sun would be at the horizon. If she hurried, she could catch the reflection in the water.

  She set off down the cleared path, humming to herself as she walked. Now that she didn’t have to worry about running into Eric, she was relaxed and completely at ease. Nerves would probably set in again when the wedding day got closer, but for now she would enjoy every minute she could.

  As she neared the lake, the sky turned a brilliant pink as the sun began to sink below the horizon. She hurried to the water’s edge and quickly set up her tripod, snapped her camera onto the top, and lined up her shot. The lake was covered with a thick layer of ice which provided an interesting foreground, with cracks zigzagging across the surface. She took her first shot, changed the exposure and took another. She shifted the camera angle a few degrees, then a few more.

  Once she was satisfied, the sun had disappeared below the horizon and she looked around for something else to shoot. The lights came on at the lodge, bathing everything around it in a golden glow. She hefted the tripod onto her shoulder and headed back to take a picture from the front. As she rounded the corner, she ran into Mitch, nearly knocking both of them down.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I was just coming out to make sure you made it back okay.”

  “How did you know where I was?

  He tucked a wayward strand of hair back under her cap. “I’ve been watching you.”

  “Really?” She ducked her head, suddenly shy. “Why?”

  “I was on the balcony, looking at the lake, and I saw you taking pictures. You looked so at peace out there, like you were totally in your element.”

  “I was.” She let him take the heavy tripod from her without protest. “If I could figure out how to make a living at it, I’d do nothing but nature photography. Nature doesn’t criticize.”

  “I’ve seen your work. I can’t imagine anyone criticizing it.” He tucked his hand under her arm so she wouldn’t fall if she hit a patch of ice and carried the tripod in the other.

  “Oh, you’d be surprised. I get moms sometimes who schedule their kids’ appointments because it’s a certain birthday, or half birthday or something. But they can’t afford the pictures. They just want the proofs. But instead of telling me they can’t afford to buy prints, they start nitpicking every shot. Then they storm out. They got what they wanted--the proofs--and they don’t mind ripping me apart in the process. But that’s depressing, and the last thing I want to be up here is depressed. So, are there any plans for tonight?”

  “Everyone’s getting together in the lobby in a few minutes.” Mitch waited while she took several shots of the lodge entrance, then helped her carry her gear inside. Then he waited while she put it away. When she’d finished, they went down to the lobby where the others waited around the fireplace. He stopped in front of a beautiful twenty-something who had to be Erin. Two children, about five and seven years old, were working on a puzzle on the large coffee table.

  “Erin,” Mitch said, “This is Angel.”

  Angel held her breath. Would Erin blow her carefully guarded secret wide open by mentioning Eric?

  But Erin smiled and said, “It’s very nice to meet you. Mitch told me you’re a professional photographer and will be taking pictures at the wedding. I’m so excited. I hope you get lots of pictures of these two monkeys. I’ll pay whatever you ask to get some good prints. They always goof off at the studio.”

  “I’m sure we can get some good candids for you. And hopefully they’ll let me get a few formal shots as well.” Angel prayed that she could. Though the kids were behaving right now, she could tell by the mischievous glint in the younger one’s eyes that he could be a handful.

  They chatted a few more minutes with no mention of Eric or Angel’s relationship to him, and then Erin gathered the two kids and took them upstair
s.

  Mitch must have picked up on Angel’s tension, because he leaned close and whispered, “I talked to her before we left home. She knows that no one else knows about you and Eric. She won’t say anything.”

  “Thank you.” Angel squeezed his hand. “I really appreciate that.”

  Somehow Mitch seemed to anticipate the potential problems and took steps to diffuse them. She’d never met anyone quite like him. The more she was around him, the more she realized he was nothing like his brother. When she looked at him, he didn’t really even look like Eric, after all.

  Sam and Reggie joined the group, carrying a bottle of champagne and a tray of glasses. They passed the glasses around to the assembled group, then Sam poured each one a glass. “I’d like to make a toast to the bride and groom to be. “May you still enjoy the love and friendship you have today when you’re old and gray, may your life be filled with laughter, the joy of children and grandchildren if that’s what you want, and may you both look back with no regrets.”

  They clinked glasses and drank. Sam and Reggie remained standing and everyone looked up at them expectantly. “I also want to announce our own engagement. We didn’t make it to Paris for Christmas, but Reggie has agreed to marry me in spite of that grievous error. I plan to make it up to her with a honeymoon in Paris instead. We hope you all will join us for a beautiful June wedding in the gardens at the Hyatt manor.”

  Cara squealed and enveloped Reggie in a crushing hug. “I knew it! You were way too quiet on Christmas Day. You already knew then, didn’t you? And you kept it a secret this long? How could you?”

  Reggie hugged her back. “I’m sorry. Had to let Sam make his big announcement. But yes, he asked me Christmas morning, down on one knee in front of the Christmas tree. George actually cried when we told him. Can you believe that?”

  Sam chuckled. “He was probably thinking about how much work he has to do to be ready in six months.”

  Reggie elbowed him in the ribs. “Was not. I think he’s learning to like me.”