Chapter 13
REGGIE
It’s becoming harder to keep my hands to myself the longer I am around Jessica, and I am unsure what to do about it.
The more I learn and see, the more I want her for myself.
She is unlike any other girl I have ever met, and I can’t believe how easily I would have dismissed her simply because she was a maid.
The main lounge is empty for the most part when I walk in, but I am so caught up in my own mind that I almost miss Tyberius sitting alone until his unique voice has me looking his way.
“Can’t sleep, my friend?”
“Sorry, I was so caught up in my own thoughts I almost walked past you. I should be exhausted, but my mind won’t settle. You mind if I join you?”
“Not at all. Please sit down and let’s work through the problems plaguing your young mind. Have a drink, I bought the entire bottle.”
“Young, you don’t look much older than me, but if you have a grown son, I suppose you are.”
“Reggie, you would be surprised if you could see beyond what I allow. Anyway, enough about me, are you concerned about the trip south?”
“Yes and no. If it was just me it would be different, but Jess adds a whole other layer to the worries. Not to mention, I have two men I’m not sure I can count on, as one seems distant while the other is in love with Jessica.”
“The distant one might surprise you, but I am shocked you allowed another male … man to accompany you if you knew he coveted your wife.”
“I didn’t at the time, and I know it shouldn’t upset me, but I see red every time he is near. He says he is only looking out for her, and he has known her since they were children. However, I truly believe that Jess really does not know he has feelings for her, but you can’t miss those looks.”
“Have you taken him aside and told him that she is no longer his problem?”
“I have, but some of what he said is true, and now I’m torn.”
“I have a feeling you are keeping a very important detail from me, but we all have our secrets, Reggie. You seem to have doubts about Jessica and her loyalty. Is the marriage that new?”
“You could say that, and even though I am trying to be patient and give her time to adjust to all this, I am not doing well myself. Every smile, random laugh, or even the brush of her hand, has me wanting something I never thought I needed. Ahh, forgive me, Tyberius. I sound like a fool.”
“Love makes many of us foolish.”
“Oh, I don’t love her!”
“Really?! Well, let’s see. You’re concerned about her health, warmth, and comfort.
You want to make her smile, give her items that make her happy, and have her come to you the moment something in this world upsets or scares her.
You crave her nearness and her affection.
Sounds like love to me, dear boy. If you are still in denial or doubt, how many things did you buy or do today just for her?
Did you purchase something not needed, or an item she liked without her knowing? ”
Running a hand through my hair, I look down at the floor. “Dear God, how did this happen?”
“Why is falling in love with your wife a bad thing?”
“It shouldn’t be, but this is a complication I’m not sure how to overcome. I have a feeling that as time goes on, I will only want more of what I have no right to. I’m not sure how to make her see that my feelings are real … that this is not an act simply for show.”
“Reggie, she isn’t going anywhere, so you have time to prove yourself if you feel you need to, but that young lady looks at you like you hung the moon. If she is shying away, it’s for two reasons. She is either protecting her heart or she is as scared as you are to allow herself to want more.”
“Did you have these problems with your Victoria?”
“We’ve had many trials, however, our love was much like yours and Jessica’s; quick and overwhelming.
You are destined to make mistakes, Reggie.
You are a man, and she is a woman so you’ll always see things differently.
The key is realizing that it doesn’t make you less of a man to confess or show your feelings.
Only cowards take the easy route by hiding behind them, so be upfront when you can.
I promise it will reduce confusion and prevent many heartaches along the way.
Speaking of your little woman, I brought a few things with me for you to look at. ”
Tyberius grabs a small case that I’d not seen sitting beside him and places it on the table between us, then opens the lid. Inside are probably ten rings, each in a different color and style.
“Damn, you made all of these?”
“Sure did. When I said it has become a passion, I was not joking.”
Reaching for a dainty rose colored one, I ask, “May I?”
“Please, look at them all. This is important, and you should take your time. If there isn’t one here that you like, I may be able to make you one before we get to Utah. I have several stones and my tools with me.”
“Tyberius, I will say I underestimated your expertise; these are all quite stunning. Some of these cuts I’ve never seen before.”
“Time has a way of refining all processes, and I do like beautiful things myself.”
“Please don’t think I am being nosy, and you are welcome to tell me to mind my own business, but what do you do for a living that you can afford such a lavish lifestyle?”
Tyberius looks out the window, taking a drink from the whiskey he has been sipping on before looking back at me, and for a moment, I swear the pain in his eyes is so apparent I feel it myself.
“I am the last of my brothers, Reggie. We became what we are in the Carpathian Mountains, but like all brothers and families, we eventually went our own way. Building empires and destroying others’ dreams. Some married into wealth, others took it.
I, on the other hand, became consumed by a path that led to wealth in a more refined manner.
I’m a natural scholar at heart, and because of that knowledge, I’ve gained a life that most can only dream of.
But then time and bad decisions took each of my brothers.
Seemed after each of their deaths, most of their livelihoods and wealth passed to me, to the point I’ve had to hire many to help manage the estates I now own.
I was not close to my brothers in the end, as we all had gone in very different directions, and I regret that to this day.
You have no idea how many hours I’ve sat wondering if I could have helped them adjust differently. ”
I sit there for a moment looking at the well-dressed man sitting in front of me, and I have a feeling I am seeing a side of him few do. “What about your son? Are you two close?”
“We were once, but time and distance have strained that relationship as well. I will admit that if and when the time comes for us to be reunited, I will hug DaR the way I should have when he was young. He is a commander in a secret military, and because of that, we have little contact. From the time he was young, DaR was destined to be a warrior. Even though we had different callings in life, I always supported him and his dreams. In my heart, I know he is out there making a difference in the world. I just wish I were closer to help be a part of it, but the Lord of Light set me on this path, and I often wonder if it was so that I could meet others such as yourself and then gain the love of my Victoria.”
The Lord of Light? What an odd saying. “Seems like you’ve seen and felt a lot in your years, which makes my own troubles seem insignificant.”
“Reggie, there is no such thing. We all live through our own hells and that’s just part of life. On a different note, do you have a plan once you reach this place in Utah?”
“Tyberius, you know how plans go, just as soon as I think I have one thing figured out, another million things come up that I didn’t put into the equation.
I don’t remember if I mentioned that my cousin Grant owns a large silver mine in the area where I am headed.
He is the one who helped me purchase the piece of property I’m headed to.
Our plans are to open his existing mine on my side as well and split the profits.
There is a small cabin already on the property, and I am hoping to either expand it or use it temporarily until I can build something more suitable. ”
“Is Jessica excited about this move, or is that one of the problems?”
“Knowing Jess, she will probably adjust to all this better than I will. She seems to find happiness in the smallest of things, and I have a feeling I only know a small piece of who she is and what she shows the world, like some others I have recently gotten to know.”
I look straight at him, and he smirks knowingly. The entire time we have been talking, I keep sorting through the rings, only for my eye to catch on the emerald one repeatedly.
“Do you like one more than the others?”
“For some reason, this emerald one just stands out. You almost overlook it at first, but the moment you focus on it, it’s stunning.”
“Just like your Jessica, possibly?”
“Yeah, I think you’re right. How much do you want for it?”
Tyberius takes a drink before setting his glass down, only to pick up the intricate box and start rearranging the rings I have moved around inside of it.
“Reggie, when I was gathering these, I knew that question was destined to come up. As I said before, I’ve never charged for my creations.
I simply gave them to the little ladies in my life.
Nonetheless, I understand a man would not accept them the same way, especially if he wants to present them to one he loves.
That specific ring is a four-carat emerald with a diamond band.
In a store, it would cost around eleven hundred dollars.
However, I have no need for your money, but I do have an interest in your silver.
So, I have a trade in mind. You take the ring and give it to your Jessica, and when you get that mine open and functioning, you send me some pure, unprocessed silver to work with, and we’ll call it even. ”