Chapter 23

"Pop!" I screamed and ran, throwing myself at him. I nearly bowled him over, but he stood steadfast and wrapped his strong arms around me. I hugged and hugged him. "It's so good to see you again, Pop."

"Sure is, you, I mean. How you?"

"Great now you're here." Then I noticed Jessie, and twisted away from Pop. I gave my stepmother a big hug, too.

"Happy twenty-first!" Jessie said while hugging me back.

"Pop, Jessie, I want ya ta meet Joshua Johnson. Call him Josh. Josh, this is my pop, Marcus Halliday, and his wife Jessie."

I laughed when Pop looked Josh up and down like he was a side of beef Pop was considering buying.

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Mr. Halliday," Josh said and stuck out his hand. I watched the two most important men in my life shake hands. The sight warmed me clear through.

Josh turned to Jessie. "And I'm delighted to meet you, Jessie," he said. "You're prettier than I imagined. I mentioned your prettiness because I don't shake hands with good-looking women. I hug 'em." Josh pulled Jessie into his arms and gave her a rousing hug. She squealed with delight.

"Pop, Jessie, the beautiful woman standing next to Josh, is Sandra Johnson,

Sandy to her friends, and she's my best friend." And lover, I added in my mind.

Josh chuckled softly. Does your father know? Josh asked me silently.

Probably. If he doesn't, he'll figure it out during the drive to the hotel. He doesn't miss much.

Sandy hugged Pop and said, "You'd better call me Sandy, or I'll be angry with you, you handsome galoot."

Pop blushed. Jessie and I laughed. Jessie stopped laughing when Sandy hugged her. Laughing wasn't the usual reaction when Sandy hugged you. She put her heart and body into a hug.

Pop wore his shield, so I didn't know what he was thinking, but Jessie was running true to form.

He's gorgeous, Nicky. Ooh, he warmed me up, and then Sandy heated me up. Whew! You must be turned on all the time.

Josh laughed. "Just about," he said.

Jessie blushed. Fuck, she thought. I forgot he can read... oh, damn, I thought the F word. What's he goin' ta think of me?

"I think you're a delight with a lively, slightly risqué mind and a good heart," Josh said.

"Marcus, you might have ta show me how ta build one of them shields," Jessie said.

"Shucks," Josh said, flashing his boyish grin. Jessie melted.

"I know. That damned grin gets me every time, too. Jessie, Josh is like me," I said. "He won't hold your thoughts against you."

"Humph," she said. "Okay, young man, I'll tell you like I told Nicky. If you don't like what you hear when you're in my head, stay out of it."

"Deal," Josh said. "Let's take this confab to the hotel."

He took Jessie's arm and led her toward the limo. I took one of Pop's arms, and Sandy the other, and we marched him toward the limo.

"What about our luggage?" Pop asked.

"Our driver loaded your luggage in the trunk of the limo during introductions, Pop."

"Oh. A limo, huh? Never rode in no limo."

You haven't done a lot of things you'll do this weekend, Pop. The thought warmed my heart.

Josh, I said silently. I'm a mighty happy camper.

I know. Happy birthday.

Jessie did some oohing and ahing over the limo. She joined Josh, Sandy and me in a glass of champagne. Pop grumped until Josh mixed him a bourbon and coke. Then he mellowed out a little. Jessie brought me up to date on my brothers, and Sandy engaged Pop in a conversation about his work. Jessie did some more excited exclaiming over the suite Josh had arranged for them, and Pop did some more grumping, but I could see he was enjoying himself.

"Okay," Josh said. "Here's the deal. Nicole, I've arranged for a spa and salon visit for you and Jessie - the works, I told them. The appointment is an hour away, so you'll have time to catch up on news from home first."

Sandy said, "And after the spa, which is marvelous, by the way. My friend, Liz, and I took it in yesterday. As I was sayin', after the spa I'm taking the two of you shopping - part of my birthday gift, Nicole, so don't get all independent on me. You and I will be dressed to the nines tonight, and I figure Jessie should have the opportunity to turn some heads, too. Marcus, no peeking. I want Jessie's new look to be a surprise for you."

"While you're at the spa and shopping, I'll entertain your father, Nicole," Josh said. He turned to Pop. "I understand you're quite the gardener."

"That's for sure," Jessie said. "He wins ribbons every year at the county fair for his vegetables."

"Good, then you should enjoy the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. I'm told they're a sight to behold, Marcus, including row after row of exotic plants and flowers, offering fragrance, texture and color."

"Sounds good," Pop said.

Just before Jessie and I left for the spa, Josh told me silently that he needed some privacy for a little surprise and insisted that I raise my shield because he had to raise his. I grumped that he'd already done too much for me, but he kissed me and told me to shut up. I raised my shield and kissed him back.

I turned first one way and then the other in front of the full-length mirror. Lookin' good, Nicole, I told myself. I wore a long satin gown, a deep metallic, almost black, purple covered in strategic places with decorative black lace. The hairdresser at the salon had pulled my hair up in the back, and my makeup was light but enhanced what I had.

Sandy walked into the room. "Jessie looks great. She's a knockout in that canary yellow gown. She'll blow Marcus's socks off."

"I hope he doesn't get pissed."

"He's fine with everything," Josh said as he walked into the room.

He looked me over, and then Sandy. Sandy wore a brilliant salmon chiffon dress with a plunging neckline. She looked delicious. I wanted to fondle her breasts, which sure would be easy to get at. Josh looked handsome in a dark Giliberto suit.

"You're both gorgeous," Josh said. "Women of the world. Please, both of you, drop your shields... thank you. It's time for my surprise. Sandy, I love you. You were my first love, and I love you more every day. Nicole, you are my soul mate. I love you deeply. To my great delight, the two women I love also love each other. We are a TRES." He pulled a small jewelry box out of his pocket. "Nicole, I asked you to marry me and put a napkin ring on your finger when you said yes. It's time for a real engagement ring."

He opened the box, and a sparkling diamond solitaire gathered in light and turned it into a kaleidoscope.

I gasped. "Oh, how beautiful, Josh!"

He slipped the ring on my finger. It fit perfectly. I started to kiss him, but he held up his hand.

"Sandy, I thought about giving you an identical ring, but... well, you couldn't wear it. Instead, I have this." He removed another jewelry box, a long slim one. "The diamond in this necklace matches the solitaire diamond in Nicole's ring. This is your engagement necklace."

Tears welled in Sandy's eyes. "Oh, Josh!" He placed it around her beautiful neck and fastened the clasp.

"Here's how I see it. In June next year, Nicole and I will go through a public ceremony and become husband and wife. Before that date, and I'll leave the date and details to the two of you, the three of us will go through a private ceremony and pledge ourselves one to the other. On that day, Nicole, you will become my wife and Sandy's wife. On that day, Sandy, you will become my wife and Nicole's wife. And Nicole, Sandy, I will become your husband. We are a TRES, and by all that is holy we'll be married as a TRES."

Sandy and I smothered him with kisses. We'd both need to repair our makeup, but we didn't care. I couldn't remember ever being so happy.

Paul Garnet took that moment to strike. His probe slammed into my mind with massive force. I cried out and fell to my knees.

"Put up your shield!" Josh exclaimed.

I tried to expel his probe so I could raise me shield, but couldn't. "I can't, Josh. I can't..." The last thing I saw was the glitter from my diamond ring.

When my eyes opened, I was lying on the bed in our suite. Sandy was holding me. She was crying. Josh... where was Josh? I turned my head to look for him, and winced with pain.

"Where's Josh?" I asked.

I'm coming, he said silently.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "What happened?"

"Josh said that Garnet guy attacked your mind."

I remembered then. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"Twenty, thirty minutes. I don't know. How are you feeling?"

"Headache."

Josh rushed into the room and to me. "Are you all right?"

"Headache. That fucker tried to take me out, Josh."

"I know. He won't bother us again." His dark eyes looked wild.

"Good." Tell me he's dead, I said silently.

He's the same as dead.

Did you... ?

Yes. I scrambled his brains. He turned evil, Nicole.

"Josh brought you back," Sandy said. "I don't know how, but he did. You stopped breathing, Nicole, and Josh moved into your mind and fixed whatever that evil man did to you, and you started breathing again. We... I thought we'd lost you. It was horrible. I felt an overwhelming loss, stronger than I've ever felt, and I've lost many loved ones over my various lives."

I took her into my arms and held her. "I'm here, Sandy. I'm here." Her sadness washed over me, and we cried quietly together for a minute. Josh wrapped his arms around both of us.

"Ah, Sandy, do you have any ibuprofen?"

"Oh, my, yes!" she jumped up and moments later returned with four tablets and a glass of water.

"Am I holding up my party?" I asked Josh after swallowing the tablets.

"A little. Are you up to a party? I can tell everyone we'll have the party tomorrow night."

"Give Sandy and me a half-hour to make repairs, and we'll join the rest of you."

He nodded.

You did what you had to do, I told Josh. He tried to kill me. That wasn't a clumsy probe. It was purposeful and lethal, Josh.

I know. Still... I've never truly harmed anyone permanently with my powers, Nicole, but when you fell to the carpet, I was so angry I struck him with such force he flew across the room, and I went with him, struck again and again. I attacked the neurons in his brain, short-circuited everything. Then I felt you leave us, and I... I hope what I did to bring you back doesn't produce any side effects. Tomorrow, I'll want you to see a neurosurgeon.

I'll see a neurosurgeon if I notice anything amiss, Josh. Once the ibuprofen kicks in and softens my headache I'll be fine.

Oh, that. I can get rid of your pain... There, it should be gone.

Yes! You're a wonder!

It'll come back until your body finishes the healing process. Let me know when you'd like more relief, and I'll gather it up and cast it away again.