Chapter 20
Luis wore a smile on his lips as he jogged across the blacktop. To the diner. The day had been hot as hell and full of hard work, but it was finally coming to a close. And he was going to see Sheridan's sweet smile again. He never had a clue.an idea he would miss her this much. Being apart for just one day. She had him under her spell, alright. He couldn't wait to see her. Touch her. Hold her in his arms again.
The frown on Alison's lips dominated her entire face. The guilt.it was eating her up inside. She hadn't been Sheridan's biggest fan. But the realization of her part in tearing apart her and Luis wouldn't let her rest. The image of Sheridan's tear-streaked face.her shoulders slumped in defeat.her father's cold treatment. She felt horrible. And she only felt worse when she came face to face with Luis.
"Alison," Luis said in greeting. "Hi, Lui.Luigi," she waved. Busying herself clearing the table in front of her off. "Where's Sherry? Getting another lecture from Mr. Izzaria? Did she almost burn the kitchen down again?" he smirked. His brown eyes twinkling as he took a stool at the front counter and picked up a discarded menu. Scanning it absently. "No. Lu.she didn't," she smiled shakily. "She's not with Mr. Izzaria. She's not here, Luis," she said softly.
Luis jerked his head around. "What did you say? Did you.Where's Sheridan?" he asked. Panic creeping into his voice. "Where is she? If you know, Alison.tell me. I need to know." Mr. Izzaria rounded the corner with a somber expression on his face. "She's gone." "Gone? Where? Where is she?" he demanded. Gripping Alison's shoulders hard. Alison started to cry. "Alison.please tell me where she is. It's very important to me. She's very important to me. I have to know." "With her father. He took her home."
Luis dropped his hands from Alison's shoulders in shock. "Alistair? No. This can't be happening. It can't. I'm going to walk into our hotel room, and she's going to be there. This is a cruel joke, right?" Mr. Izzaria looked on with sympathetic eyes. "It's not a joke," Alison whispered. "He came in here and started asking all these questions. About you and Sherry.Sheridan." "And you answered them? Even though you didn't know him from Adam? Alistair Crane is the devil, Alison. He tried to force Sheridan into marrying a man she didn't love. He doesn't give a damn about her, and she's his own daughter. I have to go. I have to get to her. How long has it been since they left?" he asked frantically. Brown eyes filled with worry. "Hours," Alison replied softly. "She's been gone hours, Luis." Luis's shoulders slumped.
Mr. Izzaria gripped Luis's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't give up hope, Son." "Go after her, Luis," Alison urged. "Here," she said. Digging through her pockets and emptying all her day's tips plus her wallet out on the counter before him. "Alison." he protested. "Don't," she shushed him. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't ratted her out." Mr. Izzaria slapped a wad of cash down on the counter, too. "This Alistair Crane.I don't like the looks of him. Or the way he treated the Kid. Anybody that treats their own like that.use this money to get a plane ticket to Harmony." "But I can't pay you back." "Don't worry about it," Mr. Izzaria shook his head. "Get our Sherry away from that bastard." Luis grasped the old man's hand firmly in a handshake. And glanced one last time into Alison's blue eyes. "Thank you. Thank you for everything," he called as he raced out the front door. "I'm coming, Princess."
Luis wore a smile on his lips as he jogged across the blacktop. To the diner. The day had been hot as hell and full of hard work, but it was finally coming to a close. And he was going to see Sheridan's sweet smile again. He never had a clue.an idea he would miss her this much. Being apart for just one day. She had him under her spell, alright. He couldn't wait to see her. Touch her. Hold her in his arms again.
The frown on Alison's lips dominated her entire face. The guilt.it was eating her up inside. She hadn't been Sheridan's biggest fan. But the realization of her part in tearing apart her and Luis wouldn't let her rest. The image of Sheridan's tear-streaked face.her shoulders slumped in defeat.her father's cold treatment. She felt horrible. And she only felt worse when she came face to face with Luis.
"Alison," Luis said in greeting. "Hi, Lui.Luigi," she waved. Busying herself clearing the table in front of her off. "Where's Sherry? Getting another lecture from Mr. Izzaria? Did she almost burn the kitchen down again?" he smirked. His brown eyes twinkling as he took a stool at the front counter and picked up a discarded menu. Scanning it absently. "No. Lu.she didn't," she smiled shakily. "She's not with Mr. Izzaria. She's not here, Luis," she said softly.
Luis jerked his head around. "What did you say? Did you.Where's Sheridan?" he asked. Panic creeping into his voice. "Where is she? If you know, Alison.tell me. I need to know." Mr. Izzaria rounded the corner with a somber expression on his face. "She's gone." "Gone? Where? Where is she?" he demanded. Gripping Alison's shoulders hard. Alison started to cry. "Alison.please tell me where she is. It's very important to me. She's very important to me. I have to know." "With her father. He took her home."
Luis dropped his hands from Alison's shoulders in shock. "Alistair? No. This can't be happening. It can't. I'm going to walk into our hotel room, and she's going to be there. This is a cruel joke, right?" Mr. Izzaria looked on with sympathetic eyes. "It's not a joke," Alison whispered. "He came in here and started asking all these questions. About you and Sherry.Sheridan." "And you answered them? Even though you didn't know him from Adam? Alistair Crane is the devil, Alison. He tried to force Sheridan into marrying a man she didn't love. He doesn't give a damn about her, and she's his own daughter. I have to go. I have to get to her. How long has it been since they left?" he asked frantically. Brown eyes filled with worry. "Hours," Alison replied softly. "She's been gone hours, Luis." Luis's shoulders slumped.
Mr. Izzaria gripped Luis's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't give up hope, Son." "Go after her, Luis," Alison urged. "Here," she said. Digging through her pockets and emptying all her day's tips plus her wallet out on the counter before him. "Alison." he protested. "Don't," she shushed him. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't ratted her out." Mr. Izzaria slapped a wad of cash down on the counter, too. "This Alistair Crane.I don't like the looks of him. Or the way he treated the Kid. Anybody that treats their own like that.use this money to get a plane ticket to Harmony." "But I can't pay you back." "Don't worry about it," Mr. Izzaria shook his head. "Get our Sherry away from that bastard." Luis grasped the old man's hand firmly in a handshake. And glanced one last time into Alison's blue eyes. "Thank you. Thank you for everything," he called as he raced out the front door. "I'm coming, Princess."