CHAPTER FIFTY

The carousel began to slow down. Her heart, however, kept right on spinning. Alexis couldn't help herself; she smiled long and slow at Sonny. He must have felt her eyes on him because he turned from Kristina and his gaze instantly met hers. His eyes lit up as he smiled back at her for a moment before returning his attention to their daughter.

The whole brass ring thing just might be a coincidence, but then again, so many things have been happening lately, it getting harder and harder not to believe that something else, something magical, was at work here.

That something else might be me, but hey, whatever gets the job done...

"Daddy, Daddy, you got the brass ring!" Kristina's face was alight with excitement.

Sonny bent down and smiled at Kristina but then looked back up at Alexis again, this time he couldn't help but let the challenge hang in the air between them. "Yeah, I got the brass ring. What do you think of that?"

Alexis refused to rise to the bait, even though inside his words made her silly heart do somersaults, flip flops and everything inbetween.

As far as I was concerned, well, he may have the brass ring, but Sonny was still going to have to work if he wanted to earn the real prize.

Sonny didn't push it, he could wait, he reminded himself...he could... it was hard, seeing the brightness in her eyes knowing that she was feeling...something... he didn't dare try and guess at what. And it didn't matter - Sonny just wanted stay in this moment, under the bright carnival lights, knowing that whatever else was happening - they - were happening. Not just him and her - but them - as a family. It was something he hadn't even dared to dream of - but here he was. In this moment. With his family. The family that had always been waiting for him.

At last.

And it wasn't that this erased the family he and Carly had made or made them any lesser in his heart. But Michael and Morgan had always been an acknowledged part of his life. While Alexis had been treated as though she and her daughter had been a mistake. And he'd done nothing to erase that. Until now.

As the carousel slowly spun to a stop, Sonny turned away from Alexis, busying himself getting Kristina down from her horse, feeling suddenly and weirdly... shy was the only word he could think of. His emotions were all over the place and he had no words to describe what he was feeling - not even to himself.

And it was a feeling that was totally alien to Sonny, so he found himself not knowing what to say or how to act. All he knew was that all of a sudden, he didn't trust himself to look at Alexis, afraid that she would be able to read him and his feelings all too easily. He had to remind himself all over again of his promise not to push Alexis but to wait for her to come to him. But if she looked him in the eye right now, she'd know his patience for what it was - an elaborate facade. It was a carefully constructed lie. He wanted her. Not just in his bed - and he would be lying to himself if he said he didn't want to make love to her - but more importantly, he wanted her back in his life. He wanted this crazy feeling inside of him every day. Sonny knew he just had to wait until Alexis realized that she wanted it too - just as much as he did.

But he'd caught the brass ring. When he was a kid, it had meant the world to him. Last week he would have brushed it all off and told himself it was just a coincidence. But today? Today was another matter. Last week, today was a a day that Sonny would have never thought could have happened. And so today was magic and anything could happen.

All he had to do was wait for Alexis to realize it. In the meanwhile, he'd just have to learn to be happy with what he had.

"I think Maxwell House is about to get some company." Alexis murmured as the carousel operator approached them carrying a huge stuffed sable-hued panther in his arms.

"No." Kristina said. Both of her parents turned to look at her in surprise.

"This present is for Mommy." she announced. "I get lots of presents from you, Daddy. But mommy doesn't. Isn't it Mommy's turn to get one from you?" Her eyes held the answer already.

That deceptively simple question flustered the both of them into an awkward silence, one that was thankfully interrupted by the carnie operator.

"I hear that the owner of the brass ring is over thisaway." The carnie said with a grin as he approached.

Sonny held up the brass ring. "That would be me."

"Well, in exchange for the ring, we have this fine animal." He hefted the plush black cat with chocolate amber eyes in his arms.

"It's beautiful." She knew she was being silly, but it reminded her of the way she used to think of Sonny; that barely tamed animal beneath a sleek groomed suit... even the eyes were just the right shade of deep dark espresso brown.

"I think I'd rather have the brass ring." Sonny said, looking at Alexis. The carnie followed his gaze. His eyes slid over Alexis appreciatively but he backed off after Sonny shot him a warning look.

"I can see why. But the ring for prize - them's the rules." he said with a shrug.

"Let me talk to you for a minute" Sonny said with a smile; he slid an arm around the man's shoulder and turned him away. All he was going to do was talk to the man and he'd make him understand how important this was.

'Sonny..." Alexis said with a touch of caution in her voice. As different as he was towards her today, Sonny was still a man who wasn't used to hearing the word "no."

"What?" He turned what was supposed to be an innocent gaze on her. "We're just going to talk, Alexis."

"Just talk?" A note of disbelief slipped into her voice, however hard she tried to hide it.

"Just talk." Sonny tried to reassure her. He knew exactly what she was thinking and knew why she was thinking it. And Sonny knew she was worried not for herself, but for him and that warmed his heart and made him even more determined to get what he wanted. But he wanted to reasure Alexis that she didn't have anything to worry about. As always, when she was around, she kept him grounded and focused on what was important. He added in what meant to be a reassurring smile."Why don't you take Kristina and Molly and find Max and the guys, and I'll be along in a few minutes."

Before she could answer, Sonny had turned back to the carnie and was walking away.

Alexis looked at Sonny while she was gathering the girls to her. His smile had said one thing, but his eyes had said another, even if he didn't know it himself. But she did. And the man didn't know what she knew - that Sonny wasn't used to not getting what he wanted- when he wanted it.

Except when it came to her, of course. I had to remind her. But even I had to admit to being a bit worried; Sonny could have a bit of temper when he was crossed. Most people knew better. But then again, most people dealing with Sonny knew who he was.

But it was too late to do anything about it. And besides, what could she do if it weren't?

XXX

Sonny, in the meanwhile, was putting on his most charming self. Not that it seemed to matter. He asked the carnie his name.

"Jimmy is what most people call me." the guy answered cautiously.

"And most people call me Sonny," Sonny said, putting his hand out. "And if this was any other day, I wouldn't ask twice, but today...well, today's been a special day and this little ring right here will cap it all off."

"Rules is rules, mister." the carnie was telling him. "And them brass rings don't grow on trees."

Sonny gestured to where Alexis and the girls were standing. "See that beautiful woman over there? Are you going to stand there and tell me that I can't give her something special like that brass ring? Like you said, them brass rings don't grow on trees - and that's what makes it so special - just like her."

"Mister, if it were up to me..." the other man began...but honestly, he was lying, because he didn't care what this city dude was trying to sell him. Did he think he was stupid? Like he couldn't tell these weren't some regular folk from around here out to spend a little family time? Maybe if they had been, he might have changed his mind and smoothed it over with his boss. But not for this guy. This guy thought he could just sweet talk him - just like he probably sweet talked himself into everything else he got - and from the looks of him, he got plenty. Jealousy sparked inside the carnie as he took in everything about Sonny, from the expensive watch on his wrist to the rich leather of his shoes. And the woman...she was something straight out of a dream, with her dark eyes and high cheekbones. He could tell class when he saw it and she had it in spades. She and her daughters both - him and his family were something that he could only dream of... and that thought hardened something inside him. This guy had it all, handed to him on a silver platter, he'd guess. But this time, it wasn't gonna happen... guys like the man in front of them got everything they wanted handed to him - but not this time. "I just don't see a way around the rules. Sorry... mister..." he barely managed to cover the contempt - mixed with more than a little jealousy - in his voice.

But Sonny picked up on it immediately. In spite of what he had promised Alexis, his temper sparked and he felt his whole body stiffen as he caught the jealous, mean-spiritedness intent in the carnie's voice, even if he didn't know why it was there.

But before he could react, a third voice, sweet with a light Irish brogue, cut in. "If you can't see a way around the rules, Jimmy, I sure can."

Both men turned around to see a petite silver-haired woman standing behind them. "I heard every word said, James Munroe, and if there was ever a reason to bend a rule or two, I'm guessing that this would be one of them." She stepped smoothly between both men and took them both by the elbow and began walking them both towards Alexis and the others standing on the ground at the edge of the carousel.

"Mrs. Caroll, didn't expect to see you. What a pleasure." Jimmy said, even though his voice said it was anything but.

"Glad to see you've still have enough sense to have some manners, because we both know that what you really mean is how an old lady is still awake at such a late hour and showing up just in time to stick her nose into your business." she snipped back at him sharply. She softened her words with a chuckle as she rolled her eyes at Sonny who couldn't help but smile back at her in spite of the tension that had been building between him and this James, because it was barely past nine o'clock. "I'm Cathleen Caroll." she said to Sonny. She smiled at him again and there was no mistaking the conspiritoral gleam in her eye. "But never mind that. What I want to know is why are you giving this fine young man such a hard time. And here he is, trying to do the right thing, in front of his lovely family at that...have you no heart, Jimmy me fine boyo?"

"I've got plenty of heart, Mrs. Caroll," Jimmy said. He was obviously uncomfortable as she stopped in her tracks and eyed him sternly.

"And don't I know the way to it?" Even though her voice was stern, her eyes twinkled. "If ever there was a way to find a man's heart through his stomach, 'tis the truth for you... and I thought you liked my Guinness cakes? And my Ulster Fry?"

"Ulster Fry?" Jimmy's eyes lit up.

"And you know that my cakes won first prize at the fair again this year. But rules being rules and all, I guess none of that will be worth bargaining with..." she turned to Sonny. "I won first prize - for the third year in a row, I might add."

Sonny found himself smiling and had the good sense to stay quiet. Obviously this Mrs. Caroll knew what she was doing and was working Jimmy in her own way.

"Now Jimmy, you know when I get to baking, I always make more than I can possibly use. I'm sure that with the right... um... persuasion, a Guiness cake might find its way, whole and intact, into your hands. Along with a few other goodies, like perhaps a nice colcannon?"

Jimmy was obviously torn. But from the look on his face, it was clear his appetite and his stomach were winning the war over his temperment.

"But Mrs, Caroll, you know the boss will have me hide if we have to have another brass ring shipped out. They're scarce as hens' teeth they are..." unconsciously he'd picked up the older woman's soft Irish lilt."And you know that."

"I'll be dealing with your boss, if you please, Jim-boy. And I've just the thing to soothe his own sensibilities." the woman answered him."There's me raisin and currant scones, that I may - or may not - find time to bake before you and your fine fellows take your leave of us. It would be a shame, would it not, if your Mr. Black were to be deprived of his scones - and even worse if he were to find out the reason why."

"Mrs. Caroll... that's blackmail!" Jimmy said, outraged and nervous. Nervous because his boss didn't have a good temper on the best of days...and for him to be responsible for making a bad day for him was worth thinking about. He swallowed heavily as he considered the consequences.

"Blackmail is such a harsh word, Jimmy-boy." She smiled sweetly at Jimmy. "But whatever gets the job done."

Jimmy capitulated. "Fine. The brass ring is yours, mister." he shoved the stuffed toy in Sonny's direction.

Sonny was amused - and more than a little pleased. He got what he wanted - and Alexis would be happy that the situation had been resolved this easily. In gratitude, Sonny pulled out his wallet and peeled off a few bills. "Let me at least pay you for your inconvenience." He knew that he was offering at least three times the money that the toy cost, but none of that mattered when it came to what was important. And what was important was Alexis and her daughters.

He turned back to them, with a triumphant smile on his face - and it was worth every dime it cost to see the smiles that blossomed on the most important women in his life's faces.