Part Four
"Ugh! Can you believe the nerve of that man? I swear.if Jacques hadn't have walked through that door.I would have.Argh!" Sheridan huffed. "Marie!" she exclaimed. Staring at the shimmering blue gown in her hands. "Don't you have anything else? Anything less.revealing? I can't wear THIS. I can't," she said. Thrusting the satin gown back into Marie's hands. "That jerk in there," she said with a nod of her head, "might get the wrong idea."
"Sheri," Marie said. An amused smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "That man is so out of it right now.he doesn't know you from his mother. Luis doesn't strike me as the type to come on to his own mother, non? Your worries are silly, Sheri. The drugs Jacques gave him.let's just say your friend will feel no pain," she laughed. "Besides," she continued, "I don't think he's a jerk at all. He saved your life, Sheri. That has to count for something."
The look in Sheridan's blue eyes softened. But only momentarily. "He saved my life because it's his job, Marie. Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald has no personal interest in me," came her muffled retort as she slipped the gown over her head. "So you can stop it with those looks. And secret smiles. Luis has an image to protect as one of Harmony's finest. That's all. Now," she said. Kissing Marie's cheek. "I'm off to wish Catherine good night. Good night, Marie," she whispered. Studying Marie's dark eyes. "I know you mean well. But please. For me. Let it go."
"Okay," Marie sighed defeatedly. "If you insist. But Sheri," she said with a shake of her dark head. "Sheri, you're lying to yourself. And Luis." You can't keep it up forever. You've finally met your match. Someone just as stubborn as you. And you're more afraid to trust yourself than you are him. Wake up, Sheri. The man has more than a passing interest in you. You are so much more than a job to him. How she wished she had the courage to say those words aloud to her friend. But as long a day as she'd had, Sheridan's had been even longer. "Tell Catherine I'll be in to read her a bedtime story later. I'm going to check on Jacgues and Luis."
She met Jacques outside the door to the guest room. "How is he?" she asked. Looking past his shoulder to where Luis lay. The lamp casting a soft glow over his features. Peaceful in slumber. "Jacques?" she repeated. "Is he okay?" Jacques ignored her. Stalking off in the direction of their bedroom. She followed him silently. Cringing when he practically slammed the door behind her. Bracing herself for whatever happened next. In a quiet voice, she asked a third time. "Is Luis going to be alright?"
"Luis?" Jacques said. Acid in his tone. "Luis is it? Tell me, Marie, what right do you have to open our home to a complete stranger?" he asked. His arms stretched wide, motioning to their surroundings. His mouth set into a tight line. "I thought I told you your friend," he said with barely disguised disgust, "wasn't welcome here. Anymore. That extends to the people with her, you understand?" he ground out. Grabbing her by the arms and pulling her to her feet.
"You just don't like Sheridan because she sees you for what you are," Marie hissed. "You're nothing but a bastard, Jacques. I don't know why I married you in the first place. You don't care about me. And I think disdain is the kindest word I can use for your feelings for Catherine. And Jacques.Sheridan is my friend. I know you don't understand the meaning of the word, but I do. That means when she needs help, I do whatever I can to aid her. Luis saved her life today. I think the least I could do was extend my home to him. Help him in whatever way I could to repay him. It is MY home, after all, Jacques. You may have the upper hand on a lot of things in this marriage, but not this one. It's my home. So.if you have a problem with what goes on within these walls, get out. NOW!" she shouted. Wincing as his grip on her arms tightened. Then he released her. Throwing her back down on the bed.
He took his suitcase out of the closet and started opening drawers. Emptying them. Hurling the clothes in the case in anger. "I'm going to stay.I'm just getting out of here for a few days," he said. "And when I get back.those two," he said. Pointing down the hall toward the guest room, "better be out of here. I mean it, Marie. And you're right," he shot back over his shoulder as he opened the door and strode down the hall, "this is your home. But other than that, you are nothing without me. Nothing. Where would you be now if I hadn't have walked into your life all those years ago? Hmm? Non," he said. Caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. Smiling evilly when she shied away from his touch. "I didn't think you'd want to revisit that time in your life. So you see, cherie? You're stuck with me. This home is the only thing that you will ever call your own again. Oh.and that little brat of yours, too. Her father was smarter than you think, Marie. He knew what he was doing when he abandoned you both. He knew all along," he laughed as she slammed the door in his face.
Sheridan quietly slipped the door to the guest room shut. Her heart in her throat at what she had just overheard. She closed her eyes against the tears. She'd felt all along Jacques was as false as they came. But she'd tried to squelch those feelings. For Marie and Catherine's sakes. Now, instead of the triumph she'd always thought she'd feel when proven right, she only felt heartache. For her friend and her goddaughter. How could he say such things? Jacques did NOT possess a heart in that miserable body of his. She was now sure of it. She swiped at the tears on her cheeks. Exhaustion invading every cell in her body as she walked over to the bed and crawled under the cool sheets. She propped herself up on her elbow and watched Luis. Reassuring herself that he was indeed okay. She ran her fingers through his dark hair tenderly as she watched the rise and fall of his chest. Then she kissed his forehead sweetly with a sigh. And turned around. Shutting her blue eyes. To the world. To all the pain. Not seeing Luis's dark eyes open once he was sure she no longer watched. Not hearing his soft whisper full of longing. "Sheridan."
"Ugh! Can you believe the nerve of that man? I swear.if Jacques hadn't have walked through that door.I would have.Argh!" Sheridan huffed. "Marie!" she exclaimed. Staring at the shimmering blue gown in her hands. "Don't you have anything else? Anything less.revealing? I can't wear THIS. I can't," she said. Thrusting the satin gown back into Marie's hands. "That jerk in there," she said with a nod of her head, "might get the wrong idea."
"Sheri," Marie said. An amused smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "That man is so out of it right now.he doesn't know you from his mother. Luis doesn't strike me as the type to come on to his own mother, non? Your worries are silly, Sheri. The drugs Jacques gave him.let's just say your friend will feel no pain," she laughed. "Besides," she continued, "I don't think he's a jerk at all. He saved your life, Sheri. That has to count for something."
The look in Sheridan's blue eyes softened. But only momentarily. "He saved my life because it's his job, Marie. Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald has no personal interest in me," came her muffled retort as she slipped the gown over her head. "So you can stop it with those looks. And secret smiles. Luis has an image to protect as one of Harmony's finest. That's all. Now," she said. Kissing Marie's cheek. "I'm off to wish Catherine good night. Good night, Marie," she whispered. Studying Marie's dark eyes. "I know you mean well. But please. For me. Let it go."
"Okay," Marie sighed defeatedly. "If you insist. But Sheri," she said with a shake of her dark head. "Sheri, you're lying to yourself. And Luis." You can't keep it up forever. You've finally met your match. Someone just as stubborn as you. And you're more afraid to trust yourself than you are him. Wake up, Sheri. The man has more than a passing interest in you. You are so much more than a job to him. How she wished she had the courage to say those words aloud to her friend. But as long a day as she'd had, Sheridan's had been even longer. "Tell Catherine I'll be in to read her a bedtime story later. I'm going to check on Jacgues and Luis."
She met Jacques outside the door to the guest room. "How is he?" she asked. Looking past his shoulder to where Luis lay. The lamp casting a soft glow over his features. Peaceful in slumber. "Jacques?" she repeated. "Is he okay?" Jacques ignored her. Stalking off in the direction of their bedroom. She followed him silently. Cringing when he practically slammed the door behind her. Bracing herself for whatever happened next. In a quiet voice, she asked a third time. "Is Luis going to be alright?"
"Luis?" Jacques said. Acid in his tone. "Luis is it? Tell me, Marie, what right do you have to open our home to a complete stranger?" he asked. His arms stretched wide, motioning to their surroundings. His mouth set into a tight line. "I thought I told you your friend," he said with barely disguised disgust, "wasn't welcome here. Anymore. That extends to the people with her, you understand?" he ground out. Grabbing her by the arms and pulling her to her feet.
"You just don't like Sheridan because she sees you for what you are," Marie hissed. "You're nothing but a bastard, Jacques. I don't know why I married you in the first place. You don't care about me. And I think disdain is the kindest word I can use for your feelings for Catherine. And Jacques.Sheridan is my friend. I know you don't understand the meaning of the word, but I do. That means when she needs help, I do whatever I can to aid her. Luis saved her life today. I think the least I could do was extend my home to him. Help him in whatever way I could to repay him. It is MY home, after all, Jacques. You may have the upper hand on a lot of things in this marriage, but not this one. It's my home. So.if you have a problem with what goes on within these walls, get out. NOW!" she shouted. Wincing as his grip on her arms tightened. Then he released her. Throwing her back down on the bed.
He took his suitcase out of the closet and started opening drawers. Emptying them. Hurling the clothes in the case in anger. "I'm going to stay.I'm just getting out of here for a few days," he said. "And when I get back.those two," he said. Pointing down the hall toward the guest room, "better be out of here. I mean it, Marie. And you're right," he shot back over his shoulder as he opened the door and strode down the hall, "this is your home. But other than that, you are nothing without me. Nothing. Where would you be now if I hadn't have walked into your life all those years ago? Hmm? Non," he said. Caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. Smiling evilly when she shied away from his touch. "I didn't think you'd want to revisit that time in your life. So you see, cherie? You're stuck with me. This home is the only thing that you will ever call your own again. Oh.and that little brat of yours, too. Her father was smarter than you think, Marie. He knew what he was doing when he abandoned you both. He knew all along," he laughed as she slammed the door in his face.
Sheridan quietly slipped the door to the guest room shut. Her heart in her throat at what she had just overheard. She closed her eyes against the tears. She'd felt all along Jacques was as false as they came. But she'd tried to squelch those feelings. For Marie and Catherine's sakes. Now, instead of the triumph she'd always thought she'd feel when proven right, she only felt heartache. For her friend and her goddaughter. How could he say such things? Jacques did NOT possess a heart in that miserable body of his. She was now sure of it. She swiped at the tears on her cheeks. Exhaustion invading every cell in her body as she walked over to the bed and crawled under the cool sheets. She propped herself up on her elbow and watched Luis. Reassuring herself that he was indeed okay. She ran her fingers through his dark hair tenderly as she watched the rise and fall of his chest. Then she kissed his forehead sweetly with a sigh. And turned around. Shutting her blue eyes. To the world. To all the pain. Not seeing Luis's dark eyes open once he was sure she no longer watched. Not hearing his soft whisper full of longing. "Sheridan."
