All Or Nothing

Chapter 1:

I know when he’s been on your mind
That distant look is in your eyes
I thought with time you’d realize
It’s over, over.

Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald sat on the beach and watched the beautiful sunrise. The combination of purple, red, blue, and orange always made him feel as if Sheridan was at his side. Every day since he had lost Sheridan he had ventured to this same place on the beach. He missed her. A lot. It had been almost two years, and he was still in love with her. She was his one true love. He knew that now. “Oh, Sheridan,” Luis sighed. “Why did you have to leave me?” ~*~*~*~

Sheridan Crane rolled over and sat up in bed. She glanced over at her sleeping husband, her eyes begging him to respond to the cries. “Sorry, sweetie. It’s your turn,” Jack Mitchell replied, his green eyes dancing with laughter. “I know, Jack. I know,” Sheridan grumbled. “I was just hoping that you forgot.” As she got out of bed, she heard Jack begin to laugh. “Sorry, Sheridan. No such luck.” ~*~*~*~ Sheridan approached the crib with a smile. Despite all of her protests, she loved her daughter with all of her heart. Isabel Cristina Crane was the most beautiful baby in the entire world. Granted, she was just a tad biased. With her short blond curls and fair complexion, she looked like a younger version of her mother. The only difference was her chocolate brown eyes. Those were exactly like her father’s.

“It’s ok, Bella. Mama’s here,” Sheridan told her daughter soothingly. “Oh, sweetie, what’s wrong?” she asked as she picked her up. Sheridan began to walk around the room with her daughter and slowly her cries began to subside. It appeared that all she wanted was to be in her mother’s arms. She felt Jack’s arms go around her and Bella. “How’s she doing?” he questioned. Jack was so sweet. He cared so much about Bella—and she wasn’t even his daughter. “She’ll be ok, Jack,” Sheridan replied. She then added in a much quieter voice, “And I think she’s finally back to sleep.”

Sheridan carefully laid Bella back in her crib, and stared into her chocolate brown eyes. Oh, Luis! her heart cried out. How I wish you were here to help me raise our daughter. But Luis didn’t even know that he had a daughter. Her father had made sure of that. And Sheridan knew that Luis hated her now. She had said some terrible things to him before she left, and she doubted her could ever forgive her. Her mind began to replay the scene in her head. As much as she hated it, she couldn’t help but remember it. She knew it was the one lasting impression that Luis would have of her. He had always thought that the Cranes were nothing more than scum, and she had proven him right.

Jack looked over at his wife. He could tell by the glazed look in her eyes that she was thinking about Him. He had never met Luis, but he knew that Sheridan loved him. But Jack loved her, and he did everything that he could to give her a wonderful family—the one thing that she had missed growing up. Their marriage wasn’t typical. Jack knew that for sure. But Jack understood that it would take Sheridan time to get over her love for Luis. Ordinarily Jack wasn’t a patient man, but he would wait a lifetime for Sheridan. ~*~*~*~

FLASHBACK:

Luis arrived at the cottage with 6 white roses, one for each month that they’d been together. Sheridan wasn’t expecting him until later that night, but he was sure that he’d love the surprise. He reached forward and knocked lightly on the front door. Sheridan heard the knocks and knew that she had to do what she’d been dreading. Like it or not, the time had come. She had no choice. She took a deep breath, and walked towards the door. “Luis, what are you doing here?” Sheridan asked coldly, as she opened the door. Luis was shocked. Sheridan’s voice was so icy that he almost feared getting frostbite. “Sher, I—I came to surprise you.” He held out the white roses, hoping that they would elicit a smile.

“Look, Luis, we’re over.” The words pierced Sheridan’s heart and soul as she said them, but she couldn’t take them back, as much as she may have wanted to. Luis shook his head, wondering if he was imagining things. “Sheridan, why? I—I love you. I thought you loved me too. What happened?” A caustic laugh filled the room. “Me? Love you? Luis, be serious. I am a Crane. Why would a Crane love a Lopez-Fitzgerald? For heaven’s sake, your own mother is one of my servants.” Sheridan steeled herself against the protests that were sure to come. As much as she might want Luis to gather her into his arms, she just couldn’t allow that to happen. She knew that then the walls that she had built around her heart would begin to crumble.

“W—what? Sheridan, I thought you were above all that material crap. I thought you didn’t care about how much money I had. I thought you were different from the rest of your family.” He couldn’t understand what had happened to cause this complete transformation in Sheridan. She loved him—he knew it. But why couldn’t she just admit it? “Luis,” Sheridan said with a superior air, “money is what makes the world go ‘round.” “Sheridan, I know that you don’t believe that. You see these diamonds?” He pointed the choker around her neck. “They’re not you. You see these rings?” He motioned towards the numerous rings that were adorning her long, slender fingers.

“They’re not you either. I have never seen you wear any of these rings before. The only one that you ever wear is your mother’s ring. Sheridan, you are not about material things. You are all about love. And hope. And happiness. Those are the important things in the world, in life. Those are you.” Sheridan almost gave in when Luis mentioned her mother. She knew that her mother wouldn’t approve of how she was treating Luis. She had heard wonderful stories about her mother, and she knew that Katherine Crane would never condone her actions. But she hardened her heart against her emotions and kept a stony look on her face.

Luis realized that Sheridan was determined to end this, but he knew that he couldn’t let the woman of his dreams leave his life so easily. “Sheridan, if you can look me in the eyes and tell me that you don’t love me, that you’ve never loved me, I will walk out of your life forever.” Sheridan’s heart stopped. He was going to make her look into his eyes. Make her do the one thing that she had been determined to avoid doing. Luis’s rich brown eyes had always been able to make her melt like chocolate under the sun. Sheridan feared that if she looked into his eyes, she would never be able to go through with it.

Luis saw Sheridan hesitate, and he felt his heart give a leap of hope. Please, God, Luis prayed. Don’t take Sheridan away from me. Sheridan knew that she had to do it. She had no choice. She looked right into Luis’s deep, brown eyes and told the biggest lie of her life. “I don’t love you.” Luis couldn’t believe her words. He stared into her eyes, looking for something, anything that would show that she was lying. But her beautiful blue eyes, which typically seemed to hold the sea within them, were no deeper than a puddle. At that moment, Luis felt his heart break into two pieces, but there was still something left to be done. Wordlessly, he turned away from the woman he knew he would always love and walked out of her life forever.

Sheridan watched the man of her dreams walk away from her, wanting nothing more than to run after him and beg his forgiveness. But she knew that she couldn’t do that. She was getting married tomorrow. She was marrying Jackson Theodore Mitchell the Sixth at 4 o’clock the following day. But Sheridan was certain that while she may legally be marrying Jackson, her heart would always be married to Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald. END FLASHBACK ~*~*~*~

“Sheridan…” Luis whispered into the cool morning breeze. He could almost feel her beside him, as if she too was remembering the times that they had shared together. But why would she even bother? She had been married mere days after their relationship had ended. They even had a child together. “Sheridan, we could have been so happy together. Why couldn’t you have loved me as I loved you? Why did you have to end up just like them?” Luis sighed loudly. “And more importantly, why can’t I stop loving you?”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 2:

It’s not the way I choose to live
But something, somewhere’s got to give
As sharing this relationship
Gets older, older.

Beth Wallace watched as Luis sat on the same rock on the beach watching the sunset as he did every morning. She was trying her best to be a good friend to Luis, but it was difficult. She still loved him, but she knew that she had to respect his feelings for Sheridan. It was just so difficult to listen to Luis recall all of the good times he and Sheridan had shared. Oh, Luis, Beth’s heart cried out. We shared some good times too. Why can’t you remember those times?

She had hoped that after Luis got over Sheridan, he would turn to her. Then they would have a chance to resurrect their relationship. There was only one problem—he still seemed to love her as much as the day they first met. Beth crossed and uncrossed her fingers 7 times, hoping that today would be the day that Luis realized that he was in love with her—not Sheridan. Slowly, she walked over to where Luis was sitting on the beach. ~*~*~*~

Sheridan couldn’t believe how horribly she had treated Luis. He must hate her. She could only imagine how mad he was when he found out about her marriage to Jack. She had wanted to tell him. She honestly did. But after she saw his reaction to the breakup, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to tell him. After Luis had gotten over his shock, he was livid. Sheridan had seen the anger and disappointment in his eyes. She could only imagine what his reaction was when he discovered that she was married. And after he found out about Bella’s birth… She hadn’t told him that either. He had a daughter—Bella. As much as she wanted to tell him, it just wasn’t possible.

Jack looked over at his wife who was once again entranced, thinking about Luis. He wanted to take away all her pain—and more specifically her memories of Luis, but he didn’t know how to do it. He wanted Sheridan to be his, but no matter what he did, he feared that she would always belong to Luis. ~*~*~*~ Luis was staring at the rising sun, thinking about Sheridan when Beth approached him. “Hey, Luis!” she said cheerfully. “How are you doing?” “What?” Luis asked, startled. “Oh, Beth. Hi. I guess I’m ok. Same as usual.” “You still miss her?” Beth asked, dreading the answer.

Luis almost laughed. That was an understatement. “Yeah, Beth. I do. I love her. I don’t know how I can still love her after everything that she has done to me. I honestly don’t understand it, but I still do.” “I know what you mean, Luis. I mean, she’s married.” “Yeah, I know,” Luis replied, wishing that he were the one married to Sheridan, sharing the life he’d imagined for them. ~*~*~*~

FLASHBACK:

As Luis walked out of Sheridan’s cottage, he knew that he needed to give her a few days to cool off. He didn’t know what he had done wrong, but, whatever it was, he planned to do whatever he needed to do in order to fix it. He loved Sheridan and he wasn’t going to let anything separate them. A few days passed, and Luis returned to Sheridan’s cottage, hoping to reconcile with her. He knocked loudly on the door. “Sheridan! Sheridan!” he yelled. “Are you in there?” There was no response. He looked in the windows, and he saw that all the lights were off. Since it was the middle of the day, he figured that she must be out. He headed up to the main house, hoping that either Ethan or Ivy would know her whereabouts.

He knocked on the door, and, unfortunately, Julian answered the door. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald.” “Where’s Sheridan, Julian?” Luis demanded. “Why, I imagine that she’d be with her husband,” Julian responded innocently. “Husband?!?” Luis exploded. “What the hell do you mean, Julian?” Julian flinched. Luis was mad as hell, and Julian sure didn’t want to be on the receiving end of his wrath. Quickly, he reached behind him to grab a newspaper. “Here, Officer,” Julian said condescendingly, handing the paper to Luis. “This should explain everything. Now if you’ll excuse me…?”

“Oh, yes, Julian. Of course. I’d hate to keep you from your hourly brandy,” Luis replied sarcastically as he grabbed the paper. Julian looked at Luis with contempt but closed the door behind him wordlessly. Luis’s eyes immediately flew to the front page of the newspaper. He read the headline aloud. “Crane heiress marries CEO of the Mitchell Corp. See A9.” He quickly flipped through the pages, desperate to know about Sheridan’s marriage. “Sheridan Crane, daughter of industrial magnate Alistair Crane, married Jackson Theodore Mitchell, VI, CEO of the Mitchell Corporations, Saturday afternoon in Paris, France.” Luis skimmed the rest of the article, reading about the love between the happy couple, and Sheridan’s delight in being married to Jackson.

All of the signs pointed to the fact that Sheridan didn’t love him, had never loved him, but something made Luis question that. Sheridan was smiling widely in the wedding picture in the paper, but Luis recognized that as her “social smile.” It was the smile she used when she was meeting with people for business or social situations. The smile was wide, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She wasn’t happy. Hell, she probably hadn’t even met this Jackson until the wedding day. “Sheridan…” Luis sighed. “Why did you give up on us…for him?” END FLASHBACK ~*~*~*~

Luis figured that Sheridan loved Jackson by now. After all, they had been married for almost 2 years. Plus, in the article about her daughter Isabel, Sheridan looked truly happy. Luis knew that Sheridan had moved on. Why couldn’t he find a way to do the same?

To Be Continued…

Chapter 3:

You know I’d fight for you,
But how can I fight someone who isn’t even there?
I’ve had the rest of you
Now I want the best of you
I don’t care if that’s not fair
Jack knew that Sheridan was upset remembering her times with Luis. She hadn’t shared all of the details with him, but he knew that it had been a heartbreaking separation. He wanted nothing more than to kiss away her tears and make her worries fade away. He loved Sheridan. She was a wonderful woman—beautiful, smart, and sexy. She was everything that he had ever wanted in a wife—and more—except that she couldn’t seem to forget her separation from her past love. Jack leaned closer, and put his arms around his wife. “Sheridan, you can’t worry about Luis. I realize that you wish that things had ended differently between you two, but you have a new life now. A life with me and your beautiful Bella. I love you, Sheridan.”

“Oh, Jack,” Sheridan replied guiltily. Here she was bemoaning the loss of Luis with Jack, her husband, beside her. He loved her. Despite all of the hours she spent each day thinking of Luis and the life they could have shared, he loved her. It was unbelievable. “Jack, I’m so sorry. You—I—” Sheridan collapsed against him in tears. “Sheridan, it’s ok. I understand that this will take time, but you need to stop thinking about him. Luis has probably moved on, found someone else that he can love. Sheridan, we live half a world away from Harmony. We’re in London, for heaven’s sake! If you choose to forget about him, you never have to see him again. Please, Sheridan. Build a life with me and Bella. We love you so much, sweetheart.”

“I’ll try, Jack, but I’m not sure if I can.” Jack gently kissed Sheridan on the lips, and she responded. Slowly, the kiss increased in passion and urgency. “Sheridan…” Jack moaned. Suddenly, Sheridan pulled back. “Jack, I’m sorry. I—I—I can’t do this.” Jack looked into her eyes and knew that she was thinking of Luis. It was hard to believe that despite the 2 years that had passed, she still felt that she had to remain faithful to him. “It’s ok, Sheridan,” Jack sighed. “Sleep tight, darling.” Oh, Luis, Jack thought. How did you make Sheridan fall so deeply in love with you? And more importantly, how can I help her get over you? ~*~*~*~

“And now for the main event!” the announcer roared into his microphone. “In this corner, we have first-timer Jackson Theodore Mitchell, VI! And in this corner, the undefeated Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald!” Jack looked across the ring at his opponent. Luis looked rugged and vicious, but Jack knew that he could win. Luis looked at him scornfully. “Why don’t you just back out now, Mitchell, and save yourself a lot of embarrassment?” “I could ask you the same thing, Lopez-Fitzgerald. This is one fight that I’m going to win.” Luis looked at him quizzically. Was there something this rookie knew that he didn’t?

Suddenly, the fight began. Jack landed a strong right hook to the jaw before Luis knew what was happening. Left, right. Ribs, jaw. Jack wasn’t thinking but instead was acting on pure instinct. He had wanted to hit this Luis for years, and now he finally had his opportunity. It wasn’t long before Luis was on the mat, gasping for air. “Please, no more,” Luis panted. “You win.” Luis was quickly removed from the ring, and Jack caught his breath. Sheridan quickly ran into the ring, and into Jack’s arms. “Oh, Jack!” she cried. “I don’t know how I ever could have loved Luis! You are obviously the better man.” She came willingly, and he kissed her deeply.

“Oh, Jack!” Sheridan said. “Jack. Jack. Jack!” Jack was startled awake. He shook his head. “Sheridan?” “Jack, you’re going to be late. You have an 8 o’clock appointment this morning with Mr. Barnard. Now hurry up!” She placed a soft kiss on his cheek and walked off to check on Bella. Jack realized that his fight against Luis had only been a dream, but what a dream it had been. From what he had heard from Julian and Alistair, Luis was a jerk. Jack honestly couldn’t understand how Sheridan had ever loved him. ~*~*~*~

Luis sighed in frustration. He needed to find more evidence if he was going to put this creep behind bars. “Troubles, Detective Lopez-Fitzgerald?” his buddy Hank asked as he walked by. “That’s putting it mildly,” Luis griped. “I can’t seem to find enough evidence to stick this guy behind bars. He did it, that much I know. I just don’t know if the proof I have is enough to convince a jury.” “Well, what do you all have?” Hank asked. “Well, I have these memos that were found in his file cabinet. They talk about a few of his ‘clients’ that he scammed. Then, there were all these shredding bags of paper in his office. Plus, there’s this phone bill, listing the numbers of some of the victims. But I don’t have anything that will show that it was him. It could have been anyone at his office!”

“Luis, couldn’t some of the victims ID his voice?” “Hank, these people are older. They have health problems. I’d rather not put them on the stand.” “Luis, they want to get this guy behind bars. If you ask them, they’d be more than willing to help you.” Hank couldn’t believe the workaholic his best friend had become in the years following Sheridan’s departure. “Luis, I know that you spend all of your time here because you miss Sheridan so much. But you don’t always have to try to do things the hard way. Talk to some of the victims and try to get a few to volunteer to go up on the stand. Then go home and hang out with your family. Sam’s getting ready to force you to use your vacation days, you know.”

Luis put up his hands in mock surrender. “Ok, Hank, you win.” “Great.” Hank’s face broke into a huge grin. “See you soon, bud.” “Yeah, Hank. Talk to you later.” Luis knew that Hank was right. Ever since Sheridan had left him, he had practically moved into the police station. His work replaced Sheridan and became his life. It wasn’t long before Sam told him that he had made detective. Luis was happy since the higher salary would help out his family—but Sheridan wasn’t there to celebrate with him. Sure, he had had his family, Beth, and Hank, but it just wasn’t the same.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 4:

Cause I want it all
Or nothing at all
There’s nowhere left to fall
When you reach the bottom it’s now or never
Is it all?
Or are we just friends?
Is this how it ends?
With a simple telephone call you leave me here
With nothing at all

Sheridan held the vibrant scarlet dress against her body. “What do you think, Emma?” Emma Morgan diverted her gaze from Sheridan’s beautiful daughter. “I don’t know, Sher. That shade isn’t quite right.” “Yeah, I suppose you’re right, Emma. What about this?” Sheridan asked as she held up a baby blue dress. “Sheridan, it’s perfect! It really brings out the color of your eyes!” Emma gushed. “You have to try it on.” Sheridan grinned. “Ok, Emma.” Suddenly, her cell phone rang. “Sheridan Crane,” she answered. “Sheridan! This is Ethan.” “Ethan!” Sheridan squealed. “It is so great to hear from you! What’s new with you?” “Funny you should ask, Sheridan. Actually, I’m getting married on Saturday. I was hoping that you could come.

It’s a last minute thing, and I know how long transatlantic mail can take to arrive. And since I wanted to hear your voice anyhow, I thought I’d give you a call. What do you think? Can you come to Harmony for at least the day?” Ethan begged. Sheridan considered it. She did miss Ethan, but if she went she would risk seeing Luis. She wasn’t sure if she could handle seeing him and remembering what they had had together. She couldn’t go. But now she had to give Ethan the bad news.

“Ethan, I don’t think that I’ll be able to make it. This really is last minute, and I don’t think that we’ll be able to get out of some things for that weekend. And then we’ll still have to charter a plane. Ethan, it’s too complicated,” Sheridan tried to explain. “Plus, you might run into Luis,” Ethan added. “Yeah, Ethan. I don’t know if I could face him after all that I said to him.” Sheridan needed to get off the phone before she admitted that she was still in love with Luis. No one in Harmony knew how she truly felt, and she intended to keep it that way. “Look, Ethan, I hate to cut this conversation short, but Bella needs me. I’ll talk to you soon, ok? And congratulations on your wedding.”

“Ok, Sheridan. We’ll miss you. Bye.” Sheridan disconnected and turned back to Emma who was looking at her curiously. “What was that all about, Sher?” “Ethan wanted me to come home for his wedding, but I couldn’t. I’m still in love with Luis, and I know that he hates me. I couldn’t deal with knowing that the one man that I love above all things despises me and everything about me—even his own daughter.” “Sher, if you just show up for the wedding and leave right afterwards, what are the chances of you seeing Luis? I thought you told me that he and Ethan hated each other!” “Yeah, they do. When I left, they couldn’t stand each other! You know that Luis has always hated the Cranes, and after how I treated him….”

“So then he wouldn’t be at Ethan’s wedding, would he?” “Probably not. He doesn’t even know Gwen. Pilar may be there, but the last thing that Luis would want to do is set foot in a Crane wedding. Especially after what I did to him.” Sheridan took a deep breath and ran through her plans for the weekend. There wasn’t really anything that she couldn’t get out of. “Emma, you’re right. I love Ethan, and I should be there for his big day. I’m going.” Sheridan picked up her cell again and dialed Jack. She wanted them to go as a family. She couldn’t have Luis doubting her love for her husband.

She couldn’t wait to surprise Ethan. She knew that he would be thrilled to see her—Gwen too. Oh, this was going to be the surprise of a lifetime. ~*~*~*~ “Hey, Luis,” Ethan said as he entered the Lopez-Fitzgerald house. “Is my fiancée around?” Luis laughed. “Yeah, she and Whitney are upstairs trying on her wedding dress.” “Again?” Ethan asked in disbelief. “What can I say?” Luis said with a laugh. “She can’t wait to marry you.” “Oh, Luis, I called Sheridan today,” Ethan informed him. Luis glanced over at his friend. “Really?” he asked with a voice void of emotion.

Ethan had told him that he was planning on inviting Sheridan. Luis just wasn’t sure if he wanted her to come. Sure, it would be great to see her again after so long. Maybe, if he was lucky, she’d even realize that she did love him—and then she’d dump that husband of hers for him. But on the other hand, Luis knew that she’d probably show up with her family, and at the very least her daughter would be with her. He knew that her family would only remind him of all that he had lost out on.

“Yeah, Luis, I did. She says that she can’t come. Apparently they have too many things planned for this weekend. I’m sorry.” “That’s ok, Ethan,” Luis replied. Oddly, he felt disappointed. He knew that he had wanted to see Sheridan, but he almost felt that it would hurt more to see her with her family. Deep down, he knew that his love for Sheridan was all that mattered. He just wanted to be a part of her life—whatever part that she was willing to give him.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 5:

There are times it seems to me
I’m sharing you with memories
I feel it in my heart
But I don’t show it, show it

Sheridan waited excitedly inside the church for the wedding to start. She was so happy for Ethan and Gwen. She knew that after Ethan discovered he was a Bennett, they had had some opposition from Gwen’s parents—her mother in particular. If Ethan wasn’t a Crane, Rebecca didn’t feel that Gwen should marry him. But somehow, they had found a way to get past that and stay together. Sheridan sighed softly. If only she and Luis had been that fortunate. She had a good life though, and Jack loved her. She had a beautiful daughter who didn’t go a day without reminding her of Luis.

Suddenly, the music started, and Sheridan quickly turned towards the doors. Surprisingly, instead of the college friends of Gwen and Ethan that she had expected to see, she saw Kay and Miguel, Jessica and Noah, and Whitney and Chad. Sheridan supposed that it was only right for Ethan to include his new brother and sisters, but Miguel? And Whitney and Chad? Whatever, Sheridan thought, dismissing the thought. They had probably become friends after Ethan learned the truth about his paternity.

As the wedding march began, she smiled in excitement, anxious to see Gwen and her father walk down the aisle. To her surprise, it wasn’t Gwen and Jonathan that passed through those doors. She instead saw Theresa in her pristine, flowing wedding gown. Sheridan panicked. Luis had to be here—somewhere. She scanned the crowd, looking for him, but he was nowhere to be found. Yet there was a magnetic attraction that seemed to pull her eyes towards the aisle. It was there that her gaze met Luis’s. It was there that she knew for a fact that she was still in love with him, that she would always be in love with him. ~*~*~*~

Luis’s heart stopped. Sheridan. She was here. How would he handle this? Would he be able to survive seeing her and knowing she could never be his? He met her eyes, and saw something surprising. Love. Quickly, he dismissed it, knowing that it must have been love for Ethan or her husband that was there. It could never be love for him. He realized that now—but at least she was happy.

Theresa gave a sudden stop, which jerked Luis out of his trance-like state. They had reached the altar. He kissed his baby sister on the cheek and reluctantly gave Ethan her hand. “Te amo, Teresita (I love you, Theresa),” Luis whispered before he left the altar to join Mama in the front pew. As he walked there, he whispered under his breath, “Y te amo, Sheridan. (And I love you, Sheridan.)” ~*~*~*~

At the reception, Sheridan sought out Ethan and gave him a huge hug. She had missed him so much during the past 2 years. “Sheridan! It’s great to see you! This is such a surprise!” Ethan told her, still in shock over her appearance. “I know, Ethan. I decided that I couldn’t miss this big day in your life. You’re one of my best friends, Ethan. I couldn’t be happier for you and Theresa. But, I have to admit, I was a bit surprised to see you marrying Theresa, rather than Gwen. I had no idea that you two were dating—let along engaged!” Sheridan confessed. “I’m sorry, Sher. I forget that you don’t hear the Harmony gossip like most people do,” Ethan apologized. “It’s ok, Ethan. Just as long as you’re happy.”

Ethan flashed his million-dollar grin. “I am, Sheridan. She is the most intelligent, interesting, beautiful woman that I have ever met. Sheridan, she’s my everything.” “Who’s your everything, Ethan?” Theresa Bennett asked with raised eyebrows as she gave her new husband a kiss on the cheek. Ethan quickly returned the kiss. “You, of course, Reesa.” “Isn’t he the sweetest?” Theresa asked Sheridan with a dazzling smile brightening the room. “Ethan is a wonderful guy, Theresa. You’re both very lucky,” Sheridan said, before leaving the happy couple alone to find Bella and Jack.

Sheridan had no idea that Ethan’s wedding would be so difficult to bear. While it was difficult to see Luis, it wasn’t quite as bad as she had imagined that it would be. The problem was her realization that the happiness and love that Ethan and Theresa shared could have been hers and Luis’s. But, with urging and threatening from Alistair, she had ruined any chance of that joy ever being shared between the two of them. ~*~*~*~

Soon afterwards, Luis walked over to his sister and brother-in-law. He saw their ear-to-ear grins, and found it hard to believe that anyone could be that happy. He hadn’t been that happy in a long time—not since Sheridan had left Harmony and his dreams crashed and burned. While the ashes of his love still burned, he knew that Sheridan’s had long since been extinguished. “Ethan,” Luis said as he approached the happy couple. “I want you to know that as happy as I am to have you as a brother, you had better treat my baby sister right. Otherwise, you’ll have some explaining to do, ok?”

Ethan’s grin seemed to widen—if that was at all possible. “Ok, Luis. But don’t worry, Theresa will have everything her little heart desires. You have my word.” “Oh, Ethan!” Theresa gushed. “I already have everything that I want—I have you.” She reached for Ethan, and the two shared a passionate, yet chaste, kiss. “Oh!” Theresa exclaimed. “I have the greatest idea!” She quickly whispered it into Ethan’s ear, and he nodded in agreement. “Sound like a great plan.” Theresa ran off to carry out her plan, and moments later, the DJ made an announcement. “Well, this is an interesting request. Could Sheridan Crane and Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald please come up here?”

Curiously, Sheridan handed Bella to Jack and met Luis in front of the DJ. “Nice to see you, Sheridan,” Luis greeted her, drinking in every breathtaking curve of her gorgeous, voluptuous body. “Likewise, Luis,” Sheridan returned, wondering how a man could be that irresistibly sexy. “Now, Sheridan and Luis, the bride and groom would like to see you two demonstrate one of your famous tangos.” Luis looked at Sheridan with a question mark written all over his face. He wanted nothing more than to hold Sheridan in his arms again and be able to pretend—at least temporarily—that she was still his. But Sheridan was married and may not want to get that close to an old flame.

Sheridan shrugged in response to Luis’s questioning eyes. “I’m game if you are, officer.” She couldn’t let on how much she wanted—no, needed to feel his arms around her. It had been so long—too long. Luis couldn’t believe Sheridan’s cool demeanor towards something that would fill his dreams for nights to come. As the music began, Luis gathered her into his arms and whispered into her ear, “Actually, that’s detective now, Sher.” “Congratulations,” Sheridan whispered in response as she felt a smile fill her face. Luis had finally gotten the career recognition he had deserved for so long.

But now it was time for their bodies to continue the conversation. Luis pulled Sheridan close to him and ran his hands up and down the silky, baby blue material. He gave Sheridan a sultry stare, just as he had always done. Sheridan returned his stare with a sexy grin of her own. The sexual tension between the two was quickly filling the air around them. It was obvious to everyone how much they wanted each other. Obvious to everyone but themselves.

It was obvious to Jack as well. As he watched their dance, he saw the instinctual motions that they followed. The action made by one was followed by an instantaneous reaction by the other. It was then that Jack realized that Sheridan and Luis had a deep love. A love that they both felt in the depths of their soul. Jack had known that Sheridan was still in love with Luis, but he never imagined that Luis would still feel the same way—or that they had so much chemistry between them. Jack knew instantly that Sheridan would never get over Luis. Sparks were flying everywhere, and Jack feared that he would be burned.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 6:

And then there’s times you look at me
As though I’m all that you can see
Those times I don’t believe it’s right
I know it, know it

The song slowly faded into nothingness. Sheridan and Luis slowly came to a stop. The music had sent them off into their own world—a world that they were not yet ready to leave. Slowly, Luis’s head dropped, aiming for the dream that had monopolized his thoughts for the past 2 years. Sheridan’s lips. Her kiss. Sheridan. Sheridan wanted Luis just as much as he wanted her. She anxiously anticipated the feeling of his lips upon hers—a feeling she had only experienced in her dreams for the last 2 years. The space between their lips was quickly diminishing, and Jack wanted nothing more than to jump in between them and split them up. But he also knew that he couldn’t do that. He just hoped that she would come to her senses before she did something that she would regret for the rest of her life.

Luis was almost there. Softly, he whispered, “Sheridan,” as if it was a forbidden word. Luis made the final plunge for Sheridan’s lips when suddenly her cell phone rang, dissolving the dream world she and Luis had been in. She quickly pulled away from Luis, and reached for her phone. “Sheridan Crane,” she answered. “Sheridan, I’m afraid that Father has suffered a severe heart attack and is in critical condition. You need to get down here immediately.” “Ok, Julian, I’ll be there as soon as I can. I need to say good bye to Ethan and Theresa, but then I’ll be right over.” “You shouldn’t be at Ethan’s wedding anyhow, Sheridan. You know Father would never approve,” Julian told her condescendingly.

“Julian,” Sheridan replied icily, “Where I go and what I do is no longer any of your business. I am no longer a Crane. I am a Mitchell now. You don’t control my life anymore.” With that she hung up on Julian, and dropped her cell phone into her purse. “Sheridan?” Luis asked, his warm hand cupping her pale face. “Sher? Are you ok? Is something wrong?” “It’s Father. He’s—he’s had a heart attack.” Jack knew that he needed to get involved. Sheridan needed to be crying on his shoulder, not Luis’s. “Oh, Sheridan, honey, that’s horrible!” Jack sympathized. “We need to get down to Harmony Hospital right away.”

Stunned by the news that she had just received, Sheridan reached for Jack. He took her arm and began to lead her out of the hall. They were almost out when Bella began to cry. Sheridan came out of her shocked state, and asked, “Pilar, could you do me a favor?” “Of course, Sheridan,” Pilar replied. “Could you watch Bella for me while we’re at the hospital? She doesn’t need to be hanging around there all day. Please?” “I would love to, Sheridan.” Sheridan carefully handed Bella to Pilar. “Now, Bella, honey, you be good for Grandma Pilar, ok?” “Perdón, Sheridan? (Excuse me, Sheridan?)” Pilar asked.

Sheridan realized that she had slipped up. Luis could never know that Bella was his. “Oh, Pilar, I just meant that you were always like a mother to me, so Bella is practically your granddaughter. I’m sure that she’ll love you just as much as I do.” “I am sure you’re right, Sheridan,” Pilar replied. When Sheridan was little, Pilar could always tell when Sheridan was lying. Something was telling her that Sheridan wasn’t being completely truthful. Could little Bella be Luis’s daughter? Could she have a granddaughter? ~*~*~*~

An hour later, Luis was thinking of Sheridan—as he always was. He remembered their sensual dance and her instant reaction to his every move. Sometimes, it seemed as if she could read his mind. He remembered their almost kiss and wished that he had kissed her. Maybe then she’d realize that he was the man for her—not Jackson what’s-his-name. He remembered the phone call that interrupted them, and the scared look on Sheridan’s face. He wished with all of his heart that he could take away her pain—all of it, but he couldn’t.

He knew that at this moment, there was nowhere he’d rather be than in the hospital, at Sheridan’s side. But she didn’t want him there. She wanted her husband, the father of her child with her instead. It had taken all of his strength to keep himself from running after her as she left the reception. He had had to remind himself that she wasn’t his. She didn’t want to be. And, as much as he hated to admit it, she never would be. ~*~*~*~

Sheridan paced anxiously outside Alistair Crane’s room in the ICU. She had thought that her father was one of the healthiest men in the world, but he was in the hospital fighting for his life. The doctors weren’t very optimistic about Alistair’s chances. At the moment, he was in a coma, and they doubted that he would ever awake from it. Sheridan couldn’t believe that a man who had held so much power over everyone only hours before was now unable to do anything for himself. His threats froze the blood of anyone who was unlucky enough to be on the receiving end. His punishments were brutal, and his mind was cunning. But now he couldn’t even breathe without the help of a respirator. ~*~*~*~

FLASHBACK:

Sheridan returned from her visit to Eve and practically skipped into the cottage. She was pregnant! She knew that Luis would be ecstatic. True, it was a bit early to be having children, but Sheridan knew that he’d make a terrific father. Whistling happily, she inserted her key into the lock and was surprised to realize that it was unlocked. Carefully, she opened the door, wondering who—or what—she might find inside. “Sheridan, my beautiful daughter,” she heard Alistair’s booming voice greet her. “Hello, Father,” Sheridan replied, her good mood effectively dampened.

“Pity your relationship with Luis is over,” he told her conversationally. “Excuse me?” Sheridan asked with disbelief. “What the hell are you talking about?” “I’m talking about the fact that you will break up with your Latin lover tonight.” “I will do no such thing, Father! I love him! Why would I break up with him?” “That’s exactly why. You love him, so you will break up with him. If you don’t, something may happen to the heroic Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald—and possibly to the little Lopez-Fitzgerald-to-be too.” “You wouldn’t!” Sheridan gasped incredulously. “I have done it successfully in the past, Sheridan, my dear, and I can easily arrange for it to occur again.” Alistair gave her a sly smile. “But, of course, if you think that I wouldn’t, that’s your choice and your risk, my dear.”

All the blood drained from Sheridan’s face. Her father was going to force her to break up with the only man who has ever truly loved her. “Tomorrow, Sheridan, you will marry Jackson Theodore Mitchell, VI. He is a nice man whose eye you caught at the Country Club several months ago. He will make a good match for you. The Mitchell Corporations will greatly increase my influence and power in the business circles.” “Father, I don’t even know him! How can I marry him?” “You can, and you will—unless you rather see your dear Luis’s obituary in the morning’s newspaper. I will see you tomorrow, Sheridan.” Alistair slowly walked out of the cottage, leaving Sheridan to curse her life and her luck—and leaving her to plan her break-up with Luis. END FLASHBACK

~*~*~*~ Sheridan could remember that day as if it was yesterday. It was hard to believe that what had been the most wonderful day of her life had turned into the worst—and all with a simple threat from the man whose life was now hanging by a thread. She had since stopped pacing, and now clung to Jack as if he was her life support. She needed something stable that could support her—since she knew that she wasn’t capable of doing it for herself. Jack was enjoying this closeness, despite the tragic circumstances that had brought it about. He had known that somewhere, deep down, Sheridan cared for him and loved him. He felt that this proved it. If Luis was absent from her mind, as he must have been in her worried state, she would love him and only him.

This was how he wanted his life—their life to be. Simply him and Sheridan. He loved her, and he knew that she felt the same way. The only question is his mind was whether these feelings would continue to be shown after Alistair’s health crisis had passed. ~*~*~*~ Days had passed. Every morning, Sheridan took Bella to the Lopez-Fitzgerald home so that Pilar could care for the granddaughter she didn’t know that she had. Since Sheridan knew that Pilar still thought of Bella as her granddaughter and would take good care of her, she was able to spend her time at the hospital guiltlessly.

She was glad that she could be there—not that Father would have been able to tell anyhow—since Julian only stopped in for a few moments each day saying that he “had more pressing matters to attend to.” Sheridan couldn’t believe that the Crane heir was acting so cavalier about the health of their father. “Sheridan Crane?” the doctor asked as he approached her. “Yes, that would be me. How is my father doing, doctor?”

“I’m afraid that I don’t have good news. Alistair Crane is slipping deeper and deeper into his coma, and we believe that he will leave us within the hour. I wish I had better news for you Ms. Crane.” “I wish you had better news for me too,” Sheridan whispered to herself, collapsing into Jack’s waiting arms. As much hell as her father had put her through, she knew that Julian had never cared for her. God only knew what he had in store for her once he gained control of Crane Industries.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 7:

Don’t make me promises
Baby, you never did know how to keep them well
I’ve had the rest of you
Now I want the best of you
It’s time for show and tell

Hours later, the doctor’s prediction had come true. Alistair Crane had died. After everything had been taken care of, she had headed outside to her waiting limo to pick up her beautiful daughter. “Hello, Sheridan!” Pilar greeted Sheridan as she opened the door. “You’re certainly early today. Good news, I hope?” Sheridan simply shook her head, knowing that words would fail her if she attempted to speak. “Oh, Sheridan,” Pilar consoled her. “That’s terrible.” “Thank you, Pilar. Jack had to go to New York for business, and he won’t be getting back until late tonight. Could I…?” Sheridan trailed off. “Of course, Sheridan! We would love to have you with us today. You shouldn’t be alone—not at a time like this.” “Thank you, Pilar. Thank you so much.” ~*~*~*~

A few hours later, Sheridan was sitting at the dining room table in the Lopez-Fitzgerald home, surrounded by those she had always wished were her family. Miguel, Ethan, and Theresa were the brothers and sister she had always wished that she had had instead of Julian. Pilar was the only mother she had ever known. And Luis—well, Luis was the man that she had wanted to have a family with. “Sheridan,” Theresa began, “Bella is such a beautiful baby! She looks just like you—except for those brown eyes, that is.” “The eyes?” Sheridan asked softly. Deliberately avoiding Luis’s identical eyes, she replied, “Bella gets those from her father.”

“From Jack? Sheridan, doesn’t he have green eyes?” Ethan questioned. Sheridan should have known that Ethan would realize that. “Yes, Ethan, he does, but his sisters have darker complexions.” Sheridan prayed that Luis wouldn’t realize that Bella could be his. She was surprised that Pilar hadn’t been the first to mention her eye color. Sheridan pasted on a huge smile, and hoped that she could survive the rest of dinner without giving anything away. ~*~*~*~

The next day, Sheridan, Bella, and Jack went to the offices of Alistair’s attorney for the reading of the will. Sheridan almost didn’t go, but Jack told her that she should be there in the unforeseen event that something was left to her. Inside one of the rooms at the office building, Julian Crane anxiously awaited his sister’s arrival. It wasn’t so much that he wanted her presence there for reassurance or comfort or anything like that. He wanted her there since he knew that the attorney wouldn’t begin until she had arrived. And the longer it took her to enter the room, the less time that he would have as the Chief Executive Officer of Crane Industries. Julian glanced out into the hallway once again, searching for some sign of Sheridan. He heard Bella cry out and knew that she was on her way.

Great, Julian sighed inwardly. She brought along that spoiled brat. She’ll probably interrupt the big announcement about my succession to the chair of Crane Industries. ~*~*~*~ Nervously, Sheridan stood just outside the room, trying to decide if there was anyway that she could duck out of Jack’s arms and make a run for it. “Come on, love,” Jack said softly. “You’ll have to face this sooner or later. Let’s just get it over with, ok?” Sheridan took a deep breath and looked at Jack. She saw the love for her shining brightly in his eyes, as she always did. “Ok, Jack. I think I’m ready.” She took a cautious step forward, praying that she would be able to get through the reading of the will. ~*~*~*~

Michael Robertson heard the door close, and turned around. He breathed a sigh of relief. Ms. Crane had arrived. He knew that Mr. Crane wouldn’t have waited much longer for his sister. “Welcome, Ms. Crane. Now if we’re all ready, I will begin.” “Yes, Michael, let’s get started,” Julian replied harshly. Michael gulped but continued as if nothing had happened. “Your father has provided a written document, which must be kept on file, but he has also made a video that will describe his plans for his estate. I will play the tape now, and if either of you have any questions, I would be more than happy to answer them afterwards.”

Michael walked over to the TV and VCR and pressed play. Suddenly, Alistair Crane was larger than life on the screen before them. “Hello, Julian and Sheridan. I know that if you two are watching this I must be dead. Therefore, this video shall be considered my last will and testament.” He paused and seemed to look directly at Sheridan. “We all know, I’m sure, that I have not announced who my heir is since the truth about Ethan’s paternity came out. We also know that someone has assumed that were automatically restored to this position. After saying this, I will name Sheridan as my heir. Sheridan, you accepted what had to be done with Luis and carried it out quite perfectly. Also, you seem to have a real head for business—I didn’t even have to tell you that you shouldn’t change your name after your marriage. And the fact that you gave your daughter the Crane name speaks volumes.”

Sheridan almost laughed. She couldn’t believe that Father had thought that business was the reason she hadn’t changed her name. She hadn’t changed her name since she only wanted to be Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald—not Sheridan Mitchell. And as for Bella, well, she couldn’t give her daughter the name of a man who wasn’t even her father! After all the hell that she had watched Ethan go through, she knew that she could never do that to her own daughter. “Sheridan, I bequeath the mansion, company, and my billions all to you. I am certain that you will be able to safely guard and protect all that we have built for ourselves.”

“Now, Julian,” Alistair continued, “I’m sure that you’re wondering what I’ve left to you. I’ve left you a few refrigerator boxes that can provide you with insulation while you’re living on the street. Julian, you are inadequate, incompetent, and no longer a member of this family. You are officially disinherited. After all of your screw-ups, you deserve nothing more.” “WHAT?!?” Julian exploded. “Sheridan is Father’s heir?” “That’s correct, Mr. Crane. I’m sorry that you’re disappointed.” “Sheridan, I don’t know how you did this, but believe me—you’ll pay!” Julian fumed before he stalked out of the room.

“Mr. Robertson, are you absolutely certain that Father named me as his heir? I mean, I don’t have much business experience.” “Ms. Crane—” “Please, call me Sheridan.” “Only if you call me Michael.” Sheridan grinned and nodded slightly. “Sheridan, your father had the utmost respect for you and your intelligence. He often talked about how proud he was of you. And from what he had told me about your older brother, I believe that he made the right decision. You are a very intelligent and personable woman, Sheridan, and you shouldn’t have much trouble with your employees. Your European connections will be very helpful as well. I have another appointment now, but please let me know if you have any further questions, Sheridan.”

“Of course, Michael. Thank you, very much.” “The pleasure was mine, Sheridan,” he told her as he walked out the door. Sheridan glanced over at her husband, the new reality of her life just setting in. But Jack had his own business to run—in London. “How are we going to handle this? What are we going to do?” “I can put Robert in charge of the London branch of the company, and move the headquarters here, to Harmony. I already have branches all over the world, and it would be easy enough to just add another in Harmony. Crane Industries needs your full attention right now,” Jack stated in a no-nonsense tone.

“You’re right. It does need my full attention—and that’s something that I haven’t even been able to give to you, Jack!” Sheridan lamented. “Oh, Jack, I’ve spent so much time remembering my time with Luis, that I have ignored you—and our marriage. But all that’s going to change now. Luis is my past, and that’s exactly where he belongs. From now on 3 things will occupy my mind—you, Bella, and Crane Industries.” Jack grinned. This was exactly what he’d been waiting to hear. “That’s great, Sheridan. Sounds like an excellent plan.”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 8:

Cause I want it all
Or nothing at all
There’s nowhere left to fall
When you reach the bottom it’s now or never
Is it all?
Or are we just friends?
Is this how it ends?
With a simple telephone call you leave me here
With nothing…

Months had passed. Sheridan was now the sole owner of the richest, most influential country in the world. Months before, she hadn’t thought that she would be able to succeed, but now she had done it. She had had to replace all of her father’s advisors since many of them were very corrupt. She named many of Harmony’s citizens to various committees and positions of importance since she felt that they were some of the few people that she could trust. But her closest advisor, confidant—and lawyer—was none other than Ethan.

Jack had been wonderful too, doing everything he could to make this transition easier on her. He was always offering his hand to help guide her along the path that she should be taking. This was all so new to her—and it was hard to believe that she was succeeding! A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. “Come in,” Sheridan called. Ethan’s smiling head popped through the door. “How’s my favorite ex-relative doing today?” Sheridan made a face. “Ethan, screw biology. You’re still my nephew. And actually, I was just wondering how I got so lucky to have such a great nephew and loving husband. I almost feel like I don’t deserve him sometimes.” Ethan knew exactly what Sheridan was thinking. “Because you’re still in love with Luis.”

Sheridan grinned. She and Ethan had had many conversations about this—none of which she allowed him to share with his brother-in-law. “Yeah. He’s like the missing part of my life. Without him, I don’t feel…complete. I have Bella, but I don’t have the love of my life. I don’t have Bella’s—” Sheridan realized what she was about to say and stopped abruptly. No one knew the truth about Bella’s paternity other than herself and Jack. And that’s how she planned to keep it. “You don’t have Bella’s…what?” Ethan questioned. “You don’t have Bella’s…father? Is Luis Bella’s father?” “Of course not, Ethan!” Sheridan lied.

“If he’s not, then how did she get his deep brown eyes? I should know—they’re just like Reesa’s.” Sheridan tried to avoid his gaze, but he grabbed her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. “Yes. Yes! You’re right. Luis is Bella’s father.” “Does Luis know? Have you told him?” Ethan probed. “No, he doesn’t know—and that’s how it’s going to stay. Right?” Sheridan pleaded. “I couldn’t tell him. He’d demand to be a part of her life, and I couldn’t stay away from him if he’s around all the time. But I have to. I have no choice but to give up Luis and live my life as it is now.” Ethan didn’t understand Sheridan’s reasoning, but he knew that she couldn’t take much more questioning, so he decided to let the subject drop. “So, Sheridan, how ‘bout those Mets?” ~*~*~*~

At about 5, Sheridan headed over to the Lopez-Fitzgerald house. Pilar had agreed to care for Bella each day while Sheridan and Jack ran their respective companies. Despite Pilar’s protests, Sheridan paid her a large salary for caring for her only daughter. Sheridan knew that Luis worried too much about the financial situation of the Lopez-Fitzgerald family, and she hoped that this would relieve some of that stress. Sheridan walked forward and knocked on the door, wondering who would answer the door. Would Miguel and Kay be visiting? Or Theresa and Ethan? One of the things she loved about picking Bella up was that she often got a chance to talk to people that she didn’t see very often. Oddly, no one seemed to be home.

Sheridan knocked again, louder this time. “Hello? Pilar? Are you in there?” Sheridan called. Sheridan began to worry. Pilar always answered the door only a few moments after the first knock—and Sheridan had been standing outside for a few minutes. Carefully, Sheridan reached for the doorknob. It was open. Something was wrong, and Sheridan wasn’t sure if she could handle this alone. She did the only thing that she could do—she called Luis. ~*~*~*~

Luis raced down the road towards his mother’s home. When Sheridan called in a panic, he knew something was wrong. When she told him that his mother hadn’t answered the door, he quickly agreed to meet her there as soon as he could. Sam understood that something was wrong, and was more than happy to allow Luis to leave work early. After what seemed like an eternity, he pulled into the driveway. He knew that he must have broken numerous traffic laws on the drive to his house, but at this point in time only his mother and Bella mattered. Sheridan was at his door before he had the keys out of the ignition. He had known that she was worried, but this was worse than he had imagined.

“Oh, Luis!” Sheridan cried, as she threw herself into his arms. She needed to be comforted. She needed someone stronger who could take control of the situation. She needed Luis. Luis was surprised by Sheridan’s move, but he instinctively wrapped his arms around her warm body. “Shhh! It’ll be ok, Sher. I’m sure that Mama just took Bella out for a walk and forgot to lock the door before she left.” At least, I hope that’s what happened, Luis prayed. He didn’t know if he could handle anything more than that. It was already obvious that Sheridan couldn’t. With his arm still around Sheridan’s waist, Luis slowly moved towards the front door. Shielding Sheridan with his body, he carefully opened the door. “Mama?” he called, hoping for a response.

He cautiously stepped inside the house, scanning the entire room for signs of an intruder before he motioned for Sheridan to follow him. Suddenly, he heard the back door slam shut. Luis jumped in front of Sheridan. “Who’s there?” he asked authoritatively. “Luis? Mijo?” Pilar asked as she walked into the room. “Is that you?” “Sí, Mama. It’s me and Sheridan.” He gave his mother a tight squeeze. “We were so worried about you.” “Yes, Pilar, we were,” Sheridan agreed. “Was something wrong?” “Sheridan, siéntense, por favor. (Sheridan, sit down, please.)” Pilar requested. Worried, Sheridan did as she asked, wondering what had happened. “Sheridan, mija, you know that I love you and your beautiful daughter, right? And that I would never let anything happen to either of you?”

“Of course, Pilar,” Sheridan replied, with a puzzled expression on her face. Where was this leading? “Well, this afternoon, I laid Bella down for her nap, and when I went back to check on her 30 minutes later, she was gone. I don’t know where she went, Sheridan. One moment, she was lying quietly on my bed, and the next she had disappeared,” Pilar explained. “I’m sorry, Sheridan, but I don’t know what happened to her.” Sheridan was shocked. She didn’t move for a few moments, until what Pilar had just told her began to sink in. Then, she began to cry. “Ohmigod! Bella! Oh, my beautiful, wonderful daughter!” Sheridan cried.

After Pilar saw Luis put his arms around her, she left the room. She knew that Sheridan didn’t hold her responsible and that she needed Luis right now. She quickly wrote them a note, saying that she was heading outside to continue the search for Bella. “Sher, it’ll be ok. I’m sure Bella’s just fine. She probably just wandered off somewhere. We’ll find her soon, and everything will go back to the way it was. You and Jack will get your daughter back safe and sound.”

“Luis, that’s just the problem. Jack and I will never have our daughter back.” Sheridan knew that she had to tell Luis. If he missed any more time with his daughter, she could never forgive herself. Bella deserved to have her wonderful father in her life. “Yes, Sher, you will. I promise you, we’ll find her.” “No, Luis, Jack and I will never have our daughter. We don’t have a daughter.” “But Bella…” Luis trailed off. Suddenly, it hit him. “You mean that Bella…? She’s my daughter?” Sheridan nodded mutely, awaiting his explosive reaction. “Sheridan, why the HELL didn’t you—” Realizing that she was in enough pain as it was, he stopped himself. “We can talk about this later. Right now, we have to find our daughter.”

Luis quickly called Sam and reported his daughter missing. He still couldn’t believe that he had a daughter. As surprised as he was, it did shed some light on why Sheridan left. Perhaps she had loved him, but had known that her family would never let her marry him. When she discovered she was pregnant, she knew that she had to get married to avoid scandal, which explained the unceremonious dumping. But Luis shoved the thoughts of Sheridan and their love out of his mind. He had a daughter to find. ~*~*~*~

Hours had passed, and there was still no sign of Bella. Luis and Sheridan had been inseparable since the search for Bella had begun. Eventually, Luis forced her back to the Lopez-Fitzgerald house so that they could get something to eat. “Luis, I can’t eat. Not when my baby—our baby is out there somewhere, all alone and scared.” “Sher, you need to keep your strength up so that you can keep searching for her. It’ll be ok. Besides, Theresa, Ethan, Miguel, Kay, Mama, and lots of other people are still out there searching right now. We’ll find her, Sher.” “Oh, Luis, I hope so!” Sheridan prayed. ~*~*~*~

After their late dinner, Luis insisted on heading up to Pilar’s room to look for clues. In reality, he was hoping that Sheridan would fall asleep, but he wasn’t counting on that happening. Sheridan sat on the edge of the bed, while Luis searched the room for signs of an intruder. She prayed that Bella hadn’t been kidnapped. It could take a long time to track down a kidnapper—too long. “Luis?” Sheridan asked as she felt something brush against her leg. “You don’t have a cat, do you?” “No…” Luis replied curiously. “Why?” “I thought I felt something against my ankle, but I must have imagined it.” Luis immediately dropped to the ground and looked beneath the bed. Carefully, he removed something from under the bed.

“Could this be what brushed against your ankle, Sher?” he asked with a smile on his lips. “Bella!” Sheridan cried happily, snatching her beautiful daughter from his hands. “Oh, baby,” Sheridan cooed softly. “Are you ok? Oh, Mommy’s so sorry, sweetie!” Luis watched the interaction awkwardly. He wasn’t quite sure as to what he should do or how he should act. Sheridan noticed this. “And, Bella, honey, do you know who found you? Daddy found you. We have both been so worried about you!” Sheridan saw that Luis was still uncomfortable about the whole situation, so she motioned for him to come over by her and Bella.

Luis walked over, put his arm around Sheridan’s waist, and looked into the chocolate brown eyes that mirrored his own. “Hello, sweetheart. We’re so glad that you’re ok. Everyone has been searching all over for you.” “Luis! Everyone is still out there looking for Bella! We have to let them know that we found her!” Sheridan exclaimed. “You’re right. I’ll go spread the word. Wait here, and I’ll be right back.” Sheridan watched the man of her dreams walk out the door with a smile on her face. True, she and Luis weren’t together, but while she was sitting on Pilar’s bed holding their daughter, she could pretend that they were for at least a little while.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 9:

Cause you
And I No room inside for me in your life

Whistling, Sheridan walked out of her office. She knew that she was skipping out a bit early, but she knew that Ethan could handle it. She had made him her co-President of Crane Industries a month ago, and he was filling the role nicely. “Sheridan! Where do you think you’re going?” Ethan asked with mock severity. Sheridan chuckled. “I’m going out with Luis and our beautiful daughter. We’ll be back in town in a few hours. If you need me, you have my cell number, ok? Besides, you know you can handle it. Everything will be fine, Ethan.” Ethan smiled. “I know it will, Sher. Have fun.” “I will, Ethan. I always do.”

“Just make sure you’re here tomorrow, Sheridan Katherine Crane. This company won’t run itself, you know,” Ethan scolded her. Sheridan erupted in laughter. “I know, Ethan. I know.” ~*~*~*~ “I’m outta here,” Luis informed Sam. “Ok, Luis. Have fun.” Sam was glad that Luis was finally realizing that work shouldn’t be his life. Luis was taking a lot of time off nowadays, but after all the overtime that he had worked over the last few years, he deserved it. Luis just looked at Sam. “I’m going out with Sheridan and my wonderful daughter. How could that be anything but fun?” Sam just laughed. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Luis.” ~*~*~*~

Minutes later, Luis pulled into Mama’s driveway and parked his car. He took the keys out of the ignition and placed them in his pocket. He froze as he felt the cool metal that was always in his pocket. Slowly, he placed the band in the palm of his hand, and remembered the day that he bought the ring. ~*~*~*~

FLASHBACK:

Luis knew Sheridan was his one true love, his soul mate. Their love was deep and true, and Luis was sure that it would last a lifetime. He wanted to marry her. He knew that already. It was amazing since they had only been seeing each other for 6 months. Only six months and he already knew that he would never be able to find a woman that he could love more. A woman who he would rather spend the rest of his life with. He had dated Beth for 7 years and never once felt any desire to marry her. It had, rather, taken him 7 years to realize that she wasn’t the woman for him.

He had taken the day off to go ring shopping. Ring shopping! It was hard to believe that the man who had dedicated his life to being the father his siblings no longer had now wanted another family. He had thought about asking Theresa to come with him, but he knew that this had to be something he did himself. He pulled into the parking lot in front of Davidson Jewelry in Castleton. He didn’t want to run into anyone who might tell Sheridan that he was planning to propose. He wanted it to be a surprise, and he wanted to wait until the time was right. Luis heard the bells jingle to announce his presence as he entered the store. He was amazed at the amount of jewelry that was just in this one store. With this many options, he wasn’t sure how he could ever make a decision.

“Hello, sir,” a saleswoman greeted him. “May I help you?” “Actually, yes. I’m looking for an engagement ring, and I have no idea where to start.” “Our rings are all in these cases over here,” the woman replied, motioning towards the right side of the store. “Thanks.”

Luis headed over to the first case. He couldn’t believe the selection. There was silver, 18K gold, 24K gold, white gold, and platinum. There were settings with diamonds, emeralds, opals, rubies, sapphires, and more. He didn’t know how he would be able to choose the ring that Sheridan would want to wear for the rest of her life. Then he saw It. The perfect ring. The ring was 24-karat gold with a dazzling diamond set in the center of the ring. On either side of the diamond was a small ruby. It was simple yet elegant. “Ma’am? I’d like to buy this ring,” Luis informed her. END FLASHBACK

~*~*~*~ But he had never been able to give Sheridan that ring. That night, he brought 6 white roses to her house for their 6-month anniversary and she had ended it between them. The next day, she married Jackson. Luis looked at the ring. It was a bit tarnished now, and the gems didn’t shine quite as brilliantly as they once did. Despite the extravagant price, Luis had kept it all these years. Luis felt that if he no longer had the ring, he would be giving up on the love that he and Sheridan had once shared. Although Sheridan had married another man, Luis doubted that he could ever spend the rest of his life with anyone but Sheridan.

Dreaming of what might have been, Luis placed the ring back into his pocket. He opened the door of his car and began to walk towards the house, awaiting Sheridan’s arrival. While they were nothing more than friends, Luis was willing to accept that. He wanted—no, needed Sheridan in his life and he was willing to take whatever she was willing to give him. ~*~*~*~ 15 minutes later, Sheridan, Luis, and Bella were driving to Augusta, Maine. It was the nearest city with a zoo, and they wanted their daughter to see the animals of the world. During the hour-long drive, Sheridan is amazed at how little she really knows about Luis. While she did know the basics, she had never really taken the time to get to know the man she loved.

Now, she knew that when he was little, he had wanted to become a pro baseball player. His favorite team was the Red Sox, and his position was first base. Sheridan imagined Luis playing first base for the Sox. She knew that he would have been a great baseball player. She also discovered that Luis had hated social studies when he was little. He claimed that when he was in elementary school he believed that since history was over and done with he shouldn’t have to learn about it. Now he loved history since so many past lawsuits were helpful in prosecuting criminals.

He claimed that he was a nerd and had never had a girlfriend until high school. Sheridan had problems believing that—especially with looks like his. But when he made varsity soccer freshman year, he got his first girlfriend—Beth Wallace. Sheridan, in turn, told Luis about her horrendous home life growing up. How after her mother died, she never saw her father and was sent off to boarding school. He taught her to keep her emotions inside and to never disgrace the family name.

Luis couldn’t believe how much he had never known about Sheridan. How much she had never shared with him. Maybe this whole friends this was ok after all—now they could really get to know each other. Now he understood why she hadn’t told him that Bella was his. She hadn’t wanted to disgrace the Crane name and suffer the wrath of her father. Now that he was gone, she was in charge of the company and the family. She was the only one who could punish herself, so she no longer had anyone to fear. ~*~*~*~

Hours later, they were stuck in traffic. The zoo had been wonderful. Bella loved the animals—especially the monkeys. She had been making monkey noises the entire ride back, but, luckily, she had fallen asleep. Now it was 7, and there weren’t even out of the Augusta city limits yet. The cars were crawling down the freeway. At this rate, it would take them at least 2 more hours to get back to Harmony. Sheridan knew that Jack would be worried if she didn’t get home soon. She picked up her cell phone to let Jack know what was going on. ~*~*~*~

Jack snatched the ringing phone on the first ring. It was 7, and Sheridan and Bella still weren’t home. “Hello?” he asked frantically. “Jack,” Sheridan’s voice said apologetically. “I’m sorry. We’re stuck in horrible traffic outside of Augusta right now. We probably won’t be home for a couple more hours.” Jack sighed with relief. They were ok. Thank God. “Ok, Sheridan. I’ll see you two later. Drive safely.” “Luis always does Jack. Bye.” Sheridan disconnected. Luis. Jack had almost forgotten that Luis was on this expedition to Augusta with them. Ever since Sheridan had told him about Bella’s true paternity, the 3 of them had been taking day trips at least 2 or 3 times a week. They had taken boat rides and hay rides. They had built sandcastles on the beach and went swimming at a waterpark.

Jack hated to admit it, but he didn’t really feel like he was a part of Sheridan and Bella’s lives anymore. True, they were a family, but that was simply a legal technicality. Sheridan, Luis, and Bella were a family. They spent so much time together, and even when they were apart Sheridan was always thinking of Luis and Bella—never of himself and Bella. Jack sighed and sat down on their bed. He knew that there was only one thing that he could do. He picked up the phone and made a phone call that would change his life. ~*~*~*~

Sheridan and Bella didn’t get home until 9:30. When she got home Jack was waiting for her in the front hall. “Sheridan, could we talk for a moment?” he asked. “One minute, Jack. I just want to put Bella to bed.” Jack anxiously awaited Sheridan’s return. He was going to do something that he had hoped to avoid at all costs. He now realized that he had no choice. “Ok, Jack,” Sheridan said as she walked down the stairs. “What did you want to talk about?” He led her into his office, and motioned for her to have a seat. “Sheridan, it is obvious that you don’t love me—at least not the way you love Luis. The two of you seem to be together every day. Sheridan, you are my wife, and you’re spending all of your time with another man. Since I cannot continue to live my life like this, I believe I have a solution.”

Sheridan couldn’t believe how weird Jack was acting. He knew that she loved Luis more than him. She had made that clear from the day of their wedding. She watched him reach down and open one of his desk drawers to solve their problem. Scared, Sheridan wondered what he was reaching for. Jack took what he wanted from the drawer and placed them on the desk. “Sheridan, we need to get an annulment. I love you—you know that, but I can’t be with you if you want to be with Luis. I had hoped that your love for him would fade with time, but it is obvious that it hasn’t. If you want to be with Luis, you shouldn’t have to be stuck with me.”

“Jack, I—I can’t. Something would happen to Luis—and maybe to Bella. I can’t do that to them. I can’t risk their lives so that I can be happy for a few moments.” “Sheridan, I know that Alistair forced you into this marriage—apparently through threats—but he’s dead. He can’t carry out those threats anymore. You are the sole executor of Crane Industries. Only you have that power now—not Julian, not Alistair, but you. Now you can live the life that you’ve always dreamed of. I can’t stand in your way any longer.”

Sheridan thought about what Jack had just said. He was right. No one could take Luis or Bella away from her. Julian was penniless, and Father had died. She, Bella, and Luis could be a family! She threw herself into Jack’s arms. “Oh, thank you, Jack! Thank you so much!” Jack couldn’t help but smile at Sheridan’s joy. “You’re welcome, Sheridan.” Sheridan began to run towards the door but stopped suddenly. “What if he can’t forgive me? What if he doesn’t love me anymore?” “Sheridan, calm down. You won’t know how he feels until you ask him. So go.” He gently pushed her towards the door. Sheridan took a deep breath. “You’re right, Jack—as usual. Thanks.” She gave him a small kiss on the cheek and headed out the door. Jack watched her go and felt his heart break in two. He knew that he had done the right thing, but it was going to be awfully difficult to bear. ~*~*~*~

Luis was sitting at his kitchen table, going over a case when he heard knock on his door. Curious at to who it could be so late at night, he opened the door and saw Sheridan standing in front of him with a huge bouquet of white roses. “Sheridan?” Luis asked in a daze. “What are you doing here? Are you ok? Is Bella ok?” Sheridan gave him a slight smile, despite her extreme nervousness. His first thought was of her and Bella’s safety, not of what all the roses were for. “Yes, Luis,” she replied. “We’re both fine. Can I come in?” “Yes, yes, of course.” He ushered her into his small apartment. He had moved out of Pilar’s house not long after Sheridan had left. He hadn’t wanted to disturb Pilar when he got home late after a long shift or if he stayed up late working on a case. His apartment was small, but he had plenty of room for everything that he needed.

“What’s going on, Sheridan?” Luis asked once they were seated inside. “I need to talk to you,” Sheridan informed him as she gave him the bouquet of roses. “Ok…” Luis replied, accepting the roses with a curious glance. “There are 42 roses there—one for each month that has passed since I left you to marry Jack. Do you remember that night? You came to my cottage with 6 white roses—one for each month that we’d been together. Luis, that night I said a lot of things to you…a lot of lies. Oh, Luis, I could see the hurt in your eyes as you walked away, and I wanted nothing more than to tell you that I was lying to you. That I did love you—with all of my heart.”

Now Luis was even more confused. “Then why didn’t you? Why did you marry Jack? Why didn’t you stay here with me and tell me that you were carrying my baby?” “Because I was scared. Because I wanted to protect you—and Bella.” “Wh—what?” “Father told me that I had to break up with you and marry Jack, unless I wanted something to happen to you and Bella. Oh, Luis, I loved you so much, but I couldn’t let anything happen to you. Your family needed you. I had to let you believe that I had never loved you so that you would move on with your life and get over me.”

“Sheridan, I could never get over you. I love you too much. You were my life, and after you left work became my life. Honestly, Sam had to force me to go home most days.” “I know that now, but I knew that I couldn’t live my life knowing that I had caused you or your family pain. Father was so powerful, Luis. So ruthless. He didn’t care who he hurt, just so he got what he wanted. The Crane name was all that mattered. Not my feelings, or your life. Just the Crane name and power.”

Sheridan took a deep breath before she continued. “So I did it,” she said between sobs. “I broke up with you, Luis. And after you left, I lay down on my bed and cried myself to sleep. I couldn’t believe that a day that had started out with realizing that I was pregnant with your child could end so horribly.” Luis took Sheridan into his arms and smoothed her hair. “It’s ok, Sher. I’m ok, and Bella’s ok. Everyone’s fine, Sheridan.” “No, Luis, everyone’s not fine. I’m not fine. Luis, I love you so much, but I doubt that you can ever forgive me for what I did. But, Luis, I’m sorry. So sorry.”

“Sheridan, I forgive you. It’s ok. I forgive you, Sheridan.” “You may forgive me, Luis, but could you ever love me again?” “Sheridan, you’re married. I can’t love you again—not like that.” “Luis, Jack offered me an annulment when I got home tonight. He said that no one can hurt you or Bella, so I shouldn’t have to give up on what I want.” “What do you want, Sheridan?” Luis asked cautiously. “Luis, I want to be with the man that I love more than life itself. I want you.” Luis couldn’t believe it. Sheridan loved him. Sheridan wanted him. He gave her a big hug, but suddenly pulled back and stood up.

Where is he going? Doesn’t he love me anymore? Sheridan panicked. She wanted to cry out to him, to beg him to stay, but she knew that she couldn’t. She couldn’t control his feelings, and she was wrong to even hope that their friendship could ever escalate to love. In the next moment, Luis was taking something from his pocket and kneeling on the floor in front of her. The moment that he held out a ring, she began to cry.

“Sheridan, I love you with my whole heart and soul, and I have loved you for ever since I met you. When you left me, I felt as if I had lost the best part of my life—you and our love. Now, you’ve returned and you’ve given me so much—our daughter, your love, and a chance for us to finally be together. Sheridan, there is nothing that I want more in this world than for you, Bella, and I to become a family. Sheridan Katherine Crane, will you marry me?” Sheridan was so overcome with emotion that she couldn’t speak. Instead, she just nodded, with tears streaming down her face. Luis gently slipped the ring onto her finger, and gave her a passionate, heart-stopping kiss.

Epilogue:

Is it all?
Or nothing at all?
There’s nowhere left to fall
It’s now or never.
Is it all?
Or nothing at all?
When you reach the bottom, it’s now or never.
Is it all?
Or are we just friends?
Is this how it ends
With a simple telephone call you leave me here
With nothing at all.

The church bells rang loudly in the crisp fall air. It seemed as if the entire town of Harmony was gathered at St. Margaret Mary’s for that day’s wedding ceremony. A small, blonde-haired cherub danced down the aisle spreading flower petals everywhere. Bella was just as beautiful, and quite precocious, at the age of 8. A smaller boy followed her down the aisle, carrying a small, lacy pillow with the rings attached to it. Jonathan Samuel Bennett was the apple of his mother’s eye and Pilar’s second grandchild. Kay and Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald were the next to walk down the aisle. The couple had married 2 years ago, and Pilar was holding 2-month-old Desiree Rachel Lopez-Fitzgerald in her arms.

Whitney Russell and Chad Harris were the next couple to enter the church. The two were engaged and would be married in 3 months. Whitney had torn her anterior cruciate ligament and had never made it to Wimbledon. Chad was a talent scout for a small Boston-based record label. Theresa and Ethan Lopez-Fitzgerald followed them. 5-year-old Jon was their only child, but the two spoiled him rotten. Ethan was very successful as the President of Crane Industries. After Sheridan’s marriage to Luis, she had given him almost total control of the company. She still had the final say, but he was in charge of all of the everyday matters.

Sheridan and Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald were matron of honor and best man at this wedding. They walked down the aisle, smiling happily at their two other children who were sitting with Pilar. Catalina Pilar and Diego Martín Lopez-Fitzgerald were 3-year-old twins—and, boy, were they a handful! Sheridan had turned most of the company over to Ethan so that she would have more time to spend with her children, and she needed every second that she got. Sam Bennett had gotten older in the last 5 years and would be retiring after the new year began. Luis had been named as his successor, after doing an outstanding job as a detective. Sam was sure that Luis would make a great police chief. Luis only wished that he could be as confident!

The wedding march started, and everyone turned towards the church doors, waiting to see the beautiful bride. The tall brunette walked slowly down the aisle on her father’s arm. Soon, she reached the altar and was handed over to her red-haired groom. “We are gathered here today,” began Father Lonigan, “to join in Holy Matrimony, Elizabeth Ann Wallace and Jackson Theodore Mitchell, VI…” Yes, Bella’s “Uncle Jack” was getting married, and to none other than Beth. Both were close to Luis and Sheridan and each spent a lot of time at their house with Bella, and later Catalina and Diego. They had gotten to know each other and soon began to date. And the rest, as they say, was history.

Sheridan and Luis were thrilled for their friends and were glad that they had found happiness of their own. They had been married 4 years ago and neither could have been happier. Not too much later, Father Lonigan announced to the congregation, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” Jack and Beth kissed, and all the citizens of Harmony lived happily ever after.

The End!