A Silken Thread - Brenda Jackson [90]
He paused for a moment and then said in a softer tone. “For once I am happy. Truly happy. You’ll never know how it was to wake up in the morning knowing my sixtieth birthday was around the corner and realizing that I didn’t know the meaning of love. Now I wake up every morning with a reason to be happy. And if that makes me a terrible person, I’m sorry. I endured a loveless marriage for thirty years and I don’t plan to continue doing so.”
He moved to the door and before reaching it, he turned around. “Your mother has already started manipulating you, Erica. I regret that you can’t see what she’s doing.”
Erica narrowed her gaze. “No one is manipulating me, Dad. And what I see, which you so clearly explained yourself, is that you want to divorce my mother to marry another woman.”
Silence followed and then without saying anything else, her father opened the door and walked out.
Rita moved around her home wondering how she would approach her son and what she would say when she finally spoke to him. She had called his office and he’d been in meetings. She had left her name but he had yet to return her calls. In the past, a day hadn’t gone by without him checking on her, calling to talk to her, but now…
She drew in a deep breath and was heading toward the kitchen when her phone rang. Hoping it was Brian she quickly moved across the room and picked it up without noticing the caller ID.
“Hello?”
“Rita, baby, I need to see you.”
She almost dropped the phone and hearing the sound of Wilson’s voice made emotions she’d tried keeping at bay come rushing to the forefront. She covered her face with her hand and fought back the sob that erupted in the back of her throat. He was the last person she needed to talk to now. Wilson Sanders was her weakness. He was the one man, after all these years, that she had fallen in love with. But he belonged to someone else. Why had it been so easy for her to forget that?
“I can’t talk to you, Wilson. We can’t continue what we started. And we can’t see each other. Brian is hurting because Erica has called off the wedding and he blames me. And he has every right to do so.”
“No he doesn’t, and stop blaming yourself, Rita. And I refuse to let anyone take away the happiness I am just discovering I can feel with you. Brian and Erica will get married eventually. You and I both know that.”
“Will they? Can we be so sure of that? Your wife hates anyone with the last name of Lawson and I have a feeling she will do anything to make sure a wedding doesn’t take place, just to spite me. To spite us.”
“Then we need to make sure that doesn’t happen. I asked Karen for a divorce and—”
“No!” The hand flew from her face and she nearly dropped the phone again. “You should not have done that.”
“You’re wrong, sweetheart. I should have done it years ago.”
“But our children, Wilson.”
“They will eventually come around and accept our love for each other, Rita. I don’t want you to regret falling in love with me.”
Rita dropped down on the sofa. His words tore at her heart. “I don’t regret it.”
“And never start regretting it, no matter what. We’re in this together, sweetheart. And I refuse to let you go.”
Rita shook her head. He had no choice but to let her go. “I can’t believe this has happened. I thought we were being discreet. How on earth did someone take those pictures? Who took them?”
“I have a feeling about those pictures. Personally, I think Karen was behind them and made sure they were sent to expose us. Right now I don’t put anything past her and that’s why I need to talk to Brian.”
“No, please don’t. At least not now. He’s going through some things and prefers not being bothered and—”
“He hasn’t talked to you about this?”
Tears Rita tried holding back fell down her cheek. “No, but that’s okay. I understand and—”
“Well, hell, I don’t understand. This should not involve