A Place In the Sun
38
Tyler kissed Julia awake as the sun streamed through the window.
"Good morning," he told her.
She smiled, "It is when that's what I get to wake up to." Julia kissed him, running her hand over his head. She then got up and went into the bathroom.
"So what do you have planned for us today?" she asked.
"Right now I'm gonna order us some food," Tyler said as he looked at the room service menu. "What do you want?"
"I don't care," she said, deep in thought.
Tyler made the call and had hung up by the time Julia came back into the bedroom.
She sat down on the bed and looked at him, her eyes wide with excitement, "I've got a crazy idea."
"What?" he asked, seeing her seriousness and sitting down beside her.
"What if we just went ahead and did it?"
"Did what?"
"You know, got married."
……….
Instinctively, Katalin did not open her eyes when she woke up that morning. She lay there listening. She knew something was not right.
The floor beneath her was cold and hard, and the blanket covering her was thin. She could feel that she was still wearing the velvet jumper she had worn to the dinner party.
The door opened and a rush of cold air swept around her; she couldn't help but shiver. Kata heard heavy footsteps as someone entered. She thought hard about how she got here, and then remembered waking up last night in the backseat of a car. Ray had been singing along with the radio.
Katalin smelled bacon cooking, and several minutes later, she heard the footsteps again.
"Breakfast is ready," Ray said.
Katalin did not reply.
"I know you're awake, you could never sleep this late." The footsteps faded off; she heard the sound of a chair being pulled out.
Slowly she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She had been sleeping on a wooden floor, and a fireplace was nearby, but not lit. A door led into what must be the kitchen. She stood up and wrapped the thin blanket around her shoulders as she walked slowly towards where she had heard the footsteps go. Hesitantly, she peered into the kitchen to see Ray sitting at the table eating.
"Come on in, I fixed you a plate," he told her. Silently, she obliged.
She ate quickly, and then sat in the chair, her hands in her lap for several minutes.
"What?" Ray asked her.
"I want my Mommy," she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.
……….
"Right now?" Tyler asked.
"Why not?" Julia replied.
"We just got engaged. And your family, your mama would not be happy with either one of us if we eloped."
"Oh, we'll have a wedding later and invite the whole family, but getting married just for us, that is special."
Tyler crossed the room to the window and looked out at the snow blanketing the city. Julia watched him for a few moments, then went over and put a hand on his shoulder.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
He didn't respond at first, but then said, "I don't think we should rush anything."
Julia laughed, "I think we're already past that one."
"I know I proposed…and we haven't known each other that long…I just think we should wait a little while to get married," Tyler told her.
"Are you having second thoughts?"
"No, nothing like that," he said, taking her hands. "I just don't want to do anything we might regret."
She looked at the ground, unsure what to say now.
"I think I understand," she said, kissing his lips gently.
"I just want everything to be perfect for you. You deserve better than getting married at the courthouse."
"I think we should get home." Julia started picking up their clothes from the floor.
……….
Ryan woke up that morning sitting on the couch at Wildwind, Gillian asleep on his chest.
"Ryan," Edmund called to him from the door.
"Shhhh," he replied, carefully getting up so that he did not wake Gillian.
Once in the hallway, he asked, "Any news?"
Edmund shook his head. "No, police have been alerted all over the area, but nothing yet."
"Edmund, we've got to find her."
"We will."
"But after twenty-four hours, doesn't - doesn't the probability of finding her…" he trailed off, unable to say what he was thinking.
"Don't even think that," Maria said, coming down the stairs. "I was thinking, what does Ray have to gain if he hurt Katalin? Nothing. He has to be working an angle."
"But why would Ray want Katalin?" Ryan asked.
"Ray doesn't want just Kata," Maria told him. "He wants Gillian."