Page 47 of Saint

“Don’t forget about me, Tori,” Serenity yelled from behind as Saint and I made our way back to the vehicle.

“I won’t,” I smiled, waving before Saint tucked me into the car.

Saint

“Dinner went well.”

As I maneuvered the car into the driveway and the garage, my eyes fell on Victoria. Cutting the power to the car, I focused my attention on her.

“It did? I thought you and my mom would come to blows for a second,” I chuckled.

“We were able to resolve our differences outside,” she revealed, lifting her hand to open the door.

“I got that, Tori.”

With a grunt, I eased out of the car and rounded to her side. “It seemed like my mother had a change of heart about you,” I pried for details once she was out of the car and in my arms. I was curious to know what they were discussing.

“She knows you’re in good hands, Saint. Now stop fishing.”

“Fishing? Ion do that. I leave the fish where they belong: in the ocean.”

“Digging for information, silly,” she giggled, tugging at my tie. “She told me about your love affair with the ocean, though even a blind man could see that.”

We eased into the house, where I toed off my shoes and hung the keys on one of the climbing man hooks on the wall. Kneeling, I helped Victoria out of her heels.

“That first day you encountered the beach?”

“Oh, yeah...That,” I said, standing. With both of our shoes in one hand and her fingers gripping my other hand, we made our way upstairs to continue what we were forced to interrupt earlier for the sake of the dinner. Victoria removed the plethora of pearls draped around her neck and headed for the closet to put them away. I began prying the buttons of my shirt apart.

“So, what’s all the chatter about this business you’re starting?” Victoria asked from the closet.

I sighed. “My dad thinks I should pursue something with the portion of my trust money he allocated for a startup. I’m just not business savvy like the rest of them.”

“Good thing you have a wife who is.” Victoria reappeared from the closet with a sexy smirk.

“Tori… That’s the problem. I don’t have an interest in starting anything. What would I do?”

“I don’t know. Something that aligns with you,” she suggested. “Ooh! What about an aquarium?”

“Fishes belong in the ocean, not a manmade prison for our entertainment,” I bristled.

“Okay… What about a dive school or… or… a nonprofit?” The joy radiating off her body as she came up with a business concept for me made my chest expand. She truly had a gift for it.

“A nonprofit for what, Beauty?” A dive school seemed like a good idea, but it would detract from my time in the lab, and teaching others to dive didn’t pay nearly as much as I was currently making.

“I don’t know… Let me think on it.”

Victoria disappeared into the closet to shed her blouse and remove her jewelry.

“Saint!”

She returned from the closet dressed in her bra and slacks. Eyes full of wonder, she asked, “What about a nonprofit for autistic children?”

“Like a charity?”

“No, babe. A recreational center or something of the sort. A place where children can come and be themselves without the fear of being bullied or anything. I don’t know. I guess I got a little inspired after speaking to your mom. Wouldn’t you have liked to have access to such a place if it existed when you were growing up?”

She had a point. My gears were turning. “That sounds wonderful, but where would I find the time, Tori?”