Page 11 of Tony

With goodbyes and promises to be careful, they hung up. Sherrie leaned forward looking at the darkening sky. Glancing back to the GPS, she should only have thirty more minutes to drive. Flipping on the radio to distract her, she found a country station and listened to songs of lost loves and found loves. Her mind, as always, went back to Tony as she tried to accept that he fell into the ‘I’ll never have love’ category.

* * *

As soon as Jennifer hung up the phone with Sherrie, she called Gabe.

“Hey gorgeous,” he answered.

“Honey, I’m sorry to bother you at work, but it’s about Sherrie.”

“What about Sherrie? Is she all right?” he asked, glancing up at his co-workers, his gaze focusing on Tony whose attention was riveted on him. “Hang on, babe. I’m putting you on speaker.”

“I don’t know that I should be worried, but she’s been so quiet this past week. I know that’s normal, but I couldn’t get her to talk about her feelings, or her grief, or her sister at all. Now her boss has offered her his cabin in the mountains as a retreat to get away from it all for a bit.”

Gabe, a confused look on his face, said, “Babe, I think that sounds good. It may be just what she needs.”

“Honey, she’s going there now. Right now. She hadn’t listened to the news or weather and I told her a huge snow storm was coming but she went anyway. What if her electricity goes out? Or she’s stuck there for a week?”

Tony’s voice cut in. “Where’s the cabin?”

“I don’t know. She said it belonged to her boss, Mr. Marks. Should I try to call him?”

Tony’s eyes cut over to Lily, his computer guru, and understanding his look she immediately began to search.

“Hang on, baby. Lily’s checking,” Gabe said. “How did she sound?”

Jennifer sighed. “It’s been two weeks since Charisse died and I know that Sherrie is grieving. I wished she would talk to me, but I get the feeling that she feels like none of us would understand. Or that she feels like she’s a bother to us. Nothing could be further from the truth, but she has been on her own for so long I don’t think she knows how to open up. I checked with Suzanne and she said the same.”

At the mention of his wife’s name, BJ nodded. “Yeah, Suzy says that Sherrie has just pulled back into herself.”

“Got it,” Lily announced, having located the cabin’s address.

Tony was already standing as Lily jotted it down. “Jennifer, don’t worry. I’m heading out now,” he replied. He left the conference room to grab some items from his office, while Gabe finished the conversation with his wife.

As Tony walked back in, he saw the eyes of his brothers-in-arms staring at him. A man of action, he was not used to needing to explain. “I...I?—”

Gabe stood, followed by Vinny and Jobe. “No need to explain, sir. She needs your help. Whatever you need from us, you have.”

Tony nodded curtly then turned to walk out of the door. He stopped, his back still to his group. Hesitating. Turning back around slowly he looked at his men, his employees…his friends. “This…she’s…more than a mission,” he finally admitted. Both to them and to himself.

The group smiled in unison. “Yes, sir,” Gabe said. “You need us, you just let us know.”

* * *

Tony ran to his apartment to grab some cold-weather gear. He kept his SUV loaded in the wintertime with the necessary items, but he quickly grabbed some warm clothes and made sure his apartment was secure before heading out. Punching in the address in his GPS, he pulled onto the highway heading out of town.

What the hell was she thinking, driving to the mountains with a snow storm coming?He thought of her usual dress…pencil skirts and heels.She probably doesn’t own a pair of snow boots.The idea of her getting stuck in snow before arriving at the cabin had him in knots.

Listening to country music on the radio, he wondered when she became more than a mission. Was it when he rescued her the first time and saw not only gratitude but a sadness hidden deep inside those blue eyes. Or was it when she called him by mistake when she was trying to help Jennifer and it just so happened that his number was the first one on her call list?

Maybe there was not a certain moment, but a combination of lots of little moments over the past year. The way she jumped in to help others, regardless of the safety to herself. The way she had tried for years to pull her sister’s ass out of the fire. Even the way she looked at him when she thought he was not looking. He knew that look. Longing. Wanting. Hoping.

It was the same look he gave her, but for a year was determined to not give in to those desires.What about Marla? What about taking chances and loss?Rubbing the back of his neck in frustration, he suddenly realized the snow was beginning to fall. He had tried twice to call Sherrie’s number but it had gone straight to voice mail. Glancing at the GPS, it looked like he could be there in about forty minutes…as long as the storm cooperated.

* * *

With the snow making the road hard to see, Sherrie had to admit that perhaps Jennifer was right. She could no longer see the lines of the small two lane that was leading her higher.Thank God for GPS,she thought as she pulled off the road onto a gravel lane that winded around through the trees.Oh, Jesus. I hope it’s here soon.

Finally coming into a clearing that was already filling with snow, she pulled up to the front of a little cabin. The storm had snow falling so hard and fast that she could not get a good look at the cabin’s exterior but decided that she did not care how rustic it was.Warm, dry, and no critters…that’ll be perfect.

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