EPILOGUE
“Sign here. And here. And right here.”
They were in Stuart’s office on the top floor of Dellstone Watersports. Stuart signed the final documents and then he looked at Mel. “Is that it?”
“That’s it,” Mel said as he collected the paperwork. “You are now, officially, the owner of seventy-five present of your company. You got your company back, in other words,” he said with a smile. “Alan, Clare, and Nora are relegated to their original twenty-four percent. And not a dime more.”
Stuart smiled and leaned back in his executive chair. He knew it was an accomplishment.
Mel shook his head. “It had to have cost you a fortune to buy off all the smaller investors. Not that you don’t have a billion fortunes, but why did you do it, Stu?
Why bother? You have more money than you can ever spend, and you had a forty-nine percent stake in this business without all the headaches that comes with majority ownership.
You could have just sit back and relax.”
“And let Alan and Nora run my business in the ground? No way.”
“But you didn’t just get your fifty-one percent back. You managed to reposition yourself far better than you had positioned yourself before that takeover.”
“I have a wife now,” Stuart said. “I’m positioning her. She’ll take over when I step down.”
“Does she know that yet?”
“I do now.”
They looked as Tabby was walking into the office. “Hello Mel.”
“Hey Tab. This man has big plans for you.”
She smiled as she walked toward the desk where Stuart was sitting.
“Although,” Mel added, “I don’t know why he’s starting you at the bottom of the company.”
“What bottom?” Tabby asked. “I went from a rideshare driver to the Executive Assistant to the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Dellstone Watersports, Incorporated.”
Mel laughed. “I hear you.”
“What bottom are you talking about, Mr. Weiss?” she said as she went behind the desk and stood beside Stuart’s chair. “I’ll show you the bottom. This is like heaven for a girl like me.” Then she looked lovingly at Stuart. “Hey babe.”
“Hey,” Stuart looked lovingly at her. “They keeping you busy?”
“Every step of the way. This is my first break all morning.”
“Good. That means you’re learning a lot.”
“I am.”
“I still can’t believe you didn’t want a big wedding, Tabby,” Mel said. “What young girl doesn’t want a big white wedding?”
“This young girl,” Tabby said, pointing to herself. “I wanted to spend my time getting to know the ins and outs of Dellstone rather than planning for some fancy wedding.”
“But you could have had the wedding of the century. But instead you and Stuart get with Lou and Joshua, call in a pastor, and say your vows at the penthouse.”
“She’ll get a big wedding, don’t worry,” Stuart said, “whether she wants one or not she’s getting one. I may even get my guys to track down her family members and invite them to come. But we’ve had enough drama. We just want some peace and quiet right now.”
“Amen, amen, amen,” Tabby said.
“Have you heard from Alan or Clare?” Mel asked Stuart.
“Nope. Alan’s no longer employed here, since I can’t trust him. And Clare’s still got Nora on her brain. She’ll come around one day hopefully.”
“Hopefully,” said Tabby.
Stuart stood up. Which Mel viewed as his cue. “Well I’d better get out of here,” he said. “See you lovebugs later.” Then he said his goodbyes and left.
Stuart pulled Tabby into his arms. “I’ve been waiting all morning to hold you,” he said.
“Your wait is over,” she said with a smile as he held her tightly.
“You heard what I said to Mel?”
“About what?”
“About me positioning you to take over my empire someday.”
“I’ll take over,” she said, “or our child will.”
“That’s down the road. But for right now I want you to be able to . . .” He thought about it. And stopped. Then he leaned back and looked at her. “Why would you bring that up?”
Tabby smiled.
His heart wanted to soar. “It’s for certain?”
She nodded.
“I mean you took a test?”
“And I went to the doctor to confirm it, yes. It’s true, Stuart. We’re pregnant.”
Stuart’s heart soared. “Oh Tabby!” He pulled her into his arms. He could not have heard any better news. “It’s what I wanted so badly, but I wasn’t going to pressure you.”
Tabby leaned back and looked at him. “You wanted it? Even after all you went through with Alan and Clare?”
“Yes, I want it. Our child will be raised by us. Not by you. Not by me. By us. I want nothing more than to be the father of your baby.”
“And I want nothing more than to be the mother of your baby. Me. Who came from nothing. Who’s always struggling. The outcast. The least likely to succeed. Yet I’ve already succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.”
He pulled her into his arms again and kissed her with a passionate kiss. When those urges rose, he grabbed her by the hand. “Let’s get a room,” he said as he began hurrying toward the exit.
“Or we can just go home,” Tabby said with a grin.
“No,” Stuart said as he stopped them in their tracks and looked at her. “I’m never going to stop showing you how much you mean to me. We’re going to the Ritz, the Four Seasons, or the Waldorf. Pick your choice.”
Tabby loved his spontaneity. “Any one will do since I’ve never stepped foot in any of them. My luxury was the Larkin Inn, remember?”
He laughed. “Let’s try all three,” he said, kissed her again, and then they were off.