Red Memories

By Toni Roy

We all go through life making decisions about our lives, but
both Jonathan and Isabel had no insight on what was about to
change. She just knew wherever Jonathan was, that is where
she wanted to be. All of her life, she had a dream of loving the perfect man and maybe one day starting her own designer
clothing company. But Isabel always put her dreams last.
On the other hand, Jonathan loves Isabel, but his sordid past
kept coming back to life no matter where he ran to. Even
though he loved her dearly, he was a very demanding man, and
his dreams always came first before herbut at what expense?
The exquisite Southern town of Fairhope, Alabama, was their new
start, but it was also a place where their lives began to change. Isabel also had a secret but never in her life dreamed
that she would find the missing link. Could they each put
the past behind and learn to forgive and forget? Could
their strong love handle the pressure of new intrusions?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 2, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483632797

Toni Roy

With her heritage in Louisiana and from a large Southern family, Toni has two children of her own. Having a background in both interior design and massage therapy, her associations with style and the senses magnify her abilities to connect with others on a personal level. With a strong faith in God, Toni has overcome many obstacles in her past. She takes solace in knowing that the hard times in life are the ones that make you a stronger person and develop your character. Several people in her life have always said that no matter what she has gone through, she seems to come back even stronger each time. Toni now resides in the lovely Southern town of Fairhope, Alabama. A place where she knows God is showing his presence.

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Copyright © 2013 by Toni Roy.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Author photo by Renner Photography

http://www.rennerphoto.com/

Fairhope, Al. 36532

251-928-8007

Rev. date: 06/04/2013

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

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Contents

First Dedication Page

To my special inspiration

The Next Door to Open

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Conclusion

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Donation’s to the Lou Gehrig’s Foundation

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ALS Association:

Louisiana/Mississippi Chapter

640 Main St., Suite 101

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70801-6825

[e-mail]

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Donation For Research in Memory of Christy Roy

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1-800-891-3746

1-225-343-9880

First Dedication Page

H ow can I even begin to share this with a certain few? I have been so very blessed with many wonderful, inspiring people on this very, very long journey.

Above all are my two wonderful, caring young sons. Nicholas, my firstborn, you have given me so many reasons to be proud of you. First, it’s your faith in God. And that is the best gift you could have ever given to me. Also, your gifts of my two wonderful granddaughters: Lily, my ray of sunshine, and Lainey, my dream come true. Nick, the first time I met Priscilla, I could see how much she meant to you. What a great wife and mother you have chosen. I love you all.

My second young man, Jim, who touched my heart the very moment I saw his brown eyes at birth. I knew then that you were going to be something very special. People say there is a purpose for us all here on earth. I know this is so true for you because God had His chance to take you, but He gave you a second chance. So don’t waste it, my love. And Erin, my sweet daughter-in-law, you have always given me the time to girl-talk. I cannot begin to say how much you mean to me.

To my special inspiration

Christy

O n the last few days of your journey, we spoke about how strong of a woman you were. You once said to me, Take life and run with it. Never let someone tell you that you could not do anything. I could only hope that this makes you proud.

There are three words that would describe you:

Vitality—to distinguish capacity to live life to the fullest, enduring what was given to you with a full heart.

Courage—the tenacity to resist the hardship that God bestowed upon you in your young age! Only you could handle it with so much grace.

Victoriousness—to fulfill the dream in your heart, and that was to raise such a wonderful family and bless our lives with your presence. In that, you were victorious.

It is because of you that my dream of this book came true. And for that, I will always be grateful to you.

May we meet once again one day, and we will have this endless glass of wine and dream of having legs again like the picture on your refrigerator. I miss you every day of my life.

With love always,

Toni

The Next Door to Open

A Special Dedication

A s we all go through life, we come across so many things that will change either for good or, sometimes, for the not so good. That is life’s journey. But this is what I call the next door. One door closes and another opens.

One of my very favorite Bible verses is Isaiah 41:10 (strength): Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

All of my life I prayed to God to give me someone in my life to be with in good times and in hard times—someone to go to when I wanted to share the happy times, to confide in, to cry with, and to laugh with.

What I did not know, it was Him that I needed all along. Once I realized that great wonder, He gave me my miracle.

One day, this handsome blue-eyed man came into my life. He showed me what it meant to have a strong, enduring faith and taught me that not only were material things just gifts to be given to us but also they could be taken away.

Second, that our true blessings in life are the ones that God has given us—family and friends! This wonderful man is now the love of my life, my friend, and my everything! He is my source for life every day through prayer, through laughter, through tears, and through all the joys that life brings to both of us each and every day.

To his three children, Bri, Blaise, and Peter, know one thing in your life: that your father is the best father that any child could only dream of. Honor, respect, and love him completely.

To all his family and friends, know this about him: that this man is kind, loving, devoted, honorable, and loyal to everyone in his life. His heart and the door to his life will always be open to each and every one of you.

If someone would ask me today, Have you ever seen an angel in your life? I would, without a doubt, say, Yes! And his name is Michael Thomas Ledet. You are my angel! And yes, sweet man, I believe that God gave you to me.

Forever yours,

Toni

Chapter 1

T he house was sold within a few months. What we did not expect was that it would sell way below the asking price. The market was slow, and our realtor said that after six months, we would start losing 3 percent every three months. So the choice was to accept the offer and not take another risk. We wanted the change but had no clue that it would happen so soon. Jonathan had put in the request for the transfer, and to him, it really did not matter how and where; he just wanted the change.

The company that Jonathan worked for paid for the movers and the setup of the new home. All we had to do was handle paperwork and pack our personal items. My job was just a simple job at the local bridal shop. I worked there for five years and was there long enough to see how the business was run and the profit that it made for Sam. He was a designer that came home after being in New York for twenty-five years, when his lifelong mate died suddenly in a horrible accident. I had always told him how talented he was and that he was wasting his time and energy in this town. But some people who finally meet their one true love, and then lose them, tend to lose their own meaning in life. It was so sad to leave Sam, but my life is where Jonathan goes because he was the love of my life. It was a Friday afternoon, and Sam was standing in the doorway of the bridal shop, crying and waving good-bye. I started to cry myself but remembered that my goal was to start anew, and that is what I intended to do.

Jonathan set the alarm clock for 5:00 a.m. so that we could get an early start for the long drive we had before us.

Good morning, Isabel, he said, with a coffee cup in hand and a plate of toast with melting butter. He knew just how I like it. Are you going to shower before we head out, or are you going to just throw on some jeans and go?

I looked at him and smiled. Why don’t you come back for just a moment and let’s spend the last morning in bed together before our new life begins?

Now Jonathan never had the strength to say no to me. We took our time in making love just the way we like it. When we first met, that was the one thing that I loved about Jonathan so much—how he took the time to keep me satisfied above and beyond himself. The loving and the tenderness that he showed were like no other.

After our passionate lovemaking, he rolled over and grabbed a piece of the now-cold toast and gave me a bite and patted me on my bare butt and said, You got what you asked for. Now let’s get going. A smile came across my face, but sadness was also in my eyes, and he could see that. Hey, baby, come on. We have a long ride ahead of us, and I would like to stop and get a hotel room before dark. And if you’re good today, you just might get what you just got this morning again. He smiled, thinking that would get me on my feet. And so it did. He had so much energy in the mornings, but I loved to stay in the bed and think about my day. But we both knew that was not going to happen today. I threw on a pair of cutoff jeans and a summer top. I knew I was going to put the top down on the convertible and wanted some sun on my shoulders. On the other hand, Jonathan put on the regular jeans and aloha shirt that he wore every day when he was not working, and—oh yes!—his alligator skin boots and belt, which I gave to him on our first anniversary. He wore the jeans so well, just like I like them—tight.

Hey, Isabel, I am going to load the dogs in the truck and make sure the motorcycles are tied down the correct way. Jonathan had two other loves. They were sailboats and motorcycles. We purchased the fifty-foot sailboat the first year we were married because he said that it was a lifelong dream of his. So how could I refuse the man that I loved his dream? Sailing was something that I knew very little about, but when Jonathan started telling me how peaceful it was to be out in the open water with the moon shining and the stars out, you will forget about all the problems in the world. So that was how we spent most of our Sundays—visiting marinas and boat brokers. After many Sundays and long nights dreaming of a few, she was finally chosen. She was so beautiful and had such great lines. A Hinckley fifty-foot is a diamond on the water, and proud we were. Jonathan had a crew sail her over to the bay the month before. We just had too many other things to worry about at the time.

Keep your cell phone on, baby, he said, so if we need to make a stop with the dogs, I can call you ahead of time. When we drove off, I began to cry. I had more of a connection to the home than Jonathan. Only because I took the time to repaint, plant flowers, and change the cozy little home into our own little paradise. And we loved it so. Or should I say I loved it.

The sun was shining, and I had the radio on my favorite station—how good can life get! A fresh start in a new town! This was exciting and scary at the same time. But I was with Jonathan, and that is all I cared about. We had discussed looking for some real estate to purchase so that I could start my own company, but first things first! The phone rang, so I answered it, knowing very well it would be Jonathan. Hi, sweetheart, how about a break? It has been seven hours into the drive, and the dogs are driving me crazy. I just wanted to say that this morning was great, but you already know that.

Yes, Jonathan, it was! But just wait until we are in our new home with the fireplace burning and a nice bottle of Merlot looking over the bay—how great will that be? He laughed and made this sweet little sound of contentment.

Isabel, at the next light, let’s stop and let the two dogs run for a while. And in the meantime, you can give me some small hint of what you’re going to give me with that bottle of Merlot. I just started to laugh and turned into the next exit.

The pups were so glad to see grass; they ran for a half hour. Jonathan began to hug and kiss me on the neck tenderly, and he said, Don’t our children look just like us?

Yes, Jonathan, Thunder looks just like his master. He’s large, goofy, and has all this energy that is bundled up inside, and he can’t be tamed.

Jonathan turned me around and said, Yes, and your little Shih Tzu is just like his mom, all soft and fluffy and spoiled rotten. We both began to laugh. When we got married, I was too old to have any children, and Jonathan was not interested. I had my two sons, and that was all I ever needed. My two sons enjoyed Jonathan when they would come over for a visit because he had so much energy, and they enjoyed all the toys: the boat, the motorcycles, and the Jet Skis. Once we got settled, they promised that they would come for a visit. The move would be a little more distance between us, but it would all work out.

Jonathan called out for the pups and then gave me a soft kiss on the lips and said to me, Hi, beautiful, get in your hot little red convertible and let’s move if we want to find a decent hotel tonight. Of course, decent meant a place that was dog friendly. I smiled, knowing just about how shabby of a place that would be. It was fine as long as I had all three of them with me. And I knew the next night, we would be in our new home—which I had never seen! Only because Jonathan had taken care of the house ahead of time! We arrived at a very simple hotel around 1:30 a.m., so we were extremely tired. Both of the pups were sound asleep in the back of the seat.

Morning came way too soon, but feeling the breath of a large mastiff in your face was definitely going to rouse you. I rolled over to reach for Jonathan, and he was already in the shower and had the coffee going. Hey, baby, I am going to walk the dogs. Be back in a second. Jonathan was singing in the shower, so I could tell he was excited to leave. So I rushed the dogs as fast as I could. Within a half hour, we were on our way. The drive today was going to be shorter than yesterday, but still a long ride. I took the small pup with me only because the mastiff could not fit in the Mercedes, and I wanted some company. And the two others, meaning Jonathan and the mastiff, needed boy time.

I picked up the phone to call Jonathan. Hey, baby, are we almost there? I almost sounded as if I was two years old. We both laughed.

He said, About another hour. Isabel, I will lead in a moment, so when we take the turn onto Red Memories Lane, I want you to take your time driving so that you can absorb in the view. It only made my excitement level go right through the roof. Jonathan had seen pictures from the realtor but not seen the place in person. And the company said to trust them. They would never relocate any of their employees in a place that was not perfect. Jonathan had been with the company for twenty years and trusted them with everything. He agreed to the location as long as it had water and a large yard for the pups.

When we entered the town, it looked like we had stepped back in time. The town had great brick sidewalks with old refurbished buildings, black lamp poles, and great big flower baskets hanging from each one of them. It was perfectly manicured. People were standing around, visiting, and the children were running on the sidewalks. The town square was at the end of one street, so when you look in the distance, you could see the bay behind it. The antique shops had their doors open, and the furniture was pouring out onto the streets. My eyes were glowing. When we turned onto the first street, I could see a small ice cream shop, and next to it on the opposite corner was a brandy and cigar shop. I just knew in my heart that Jonathan was smiling also. As we drove out of town about ten miles, the road began to wind. The grand oaks gave the road a covered-bridge look, and with the sun starting to set in the background, there was no way that we would ever want to turn back. The street sign read Red Memories. This was made out of wood. As we turned down the street, it seemed as if our cars started to slow down on their own. Could it be as beautiful as it seemed, or was this a dream? All his life, Jonathan’s dream was to have a boat and a family, and he had both; but deep inside, he had put his dream before mine, and it was time for my dream to come true. As we drove, we passed the most beautiful ranch, which seemed to go on for miles. It was a very large old home, which sat far back under the oaks and had a white fence that boarded the whole place from front to back. The most vibrant red crape myrtle trees bordering the place like a crown on an iron arch which were held together by large brick walls and two iron gates that had RRM Ranch on them. The property was perfectly manicured and looked as though it took a hundred hands to keep it that way. The phone rang again; it was Jonathan. He sighed and just said, No, baby, that is not it.

And so for a moment, I came out of the clouds and said, That was okay—it wasn’t me. As I hung up the phone, Jonathan turned on a paved drive, and there we were—our beautiful new home! I was still very pleased with what I saw.

As I stepped out of the car, the dogs jumped out and began to run as if they knew that it was theirs for the taking. Jonathan was standing, looking at my reaction. He slowly walked over to me and gently picked me up. He gave me a loving kiss and said, I picked this out for my one and only love. Here is your dream, Isabel. Take it and embrace it with all of your being. As I looked into his eyes, he could see that the choice was a good one. Should we go inside? he asked. It’s like your first kiss—you would have wanted to savor it for as long as possible.

Jonathan, I asked, could we walk in the yard with the dogs for a moment?

Sure, of course, he said. The home was set back from the road, but you could still see that the particular design fit the area perfectly. It was almost double the size of the other home. Jonathan wanted to entertain his clients in this one and still have enough space for my sons and their wives one day to have a place to call home. As we walked around the back, we could see the pool that overlooked the bay, and there was Jonathan’s dream sitting there at the dock—like it had been there before!

Isabel, would you mind if I check on the boat really quick? I just want to make sure she is tied up correctly and everything is right with her.

Go ahead. I will meet you inside. I went around to the front door to go inside. It looked as though my own private designer had come in and waved a magical wand and placed every piece of furniture in its proper place. Jonathan had made arrangements to have a local caterer come in and set the dining room up with everything from china to flowers and food. I began to cry, knowing the time and effort that it took him. The kitchen was magnificent. I had no idea that he was inside, watching me move around the house. I was in a dream. When I turned to look at the grand family room, he picked me up and carried me up the black iron staircase. It looked as though it was the heart of the home, the anchor that would hold everything together forever.

As he carried me upstairs, he whispered in my ear, Wait until you see this. I had a smile and a tear at the same time. The French doors were glass and had rough iron on them to match the staircase. Jonathan opened the doors, and what I saw was the most elegant room in the home. He had told the designer that I loved French country. The king-size bed had the most expensive and plush linens that any woman would just die for. He just knew that I would love it all. The fresh flowers were everywhere, and champagne was chilled on the marble bedside table.

When we walked over to the next set of iron French doors, which were to the master bath, I said, Oh my god, Jonathan, is this real? We finally had both of our dreams. I walked over to him as he leaned against the doors with two elegant glasses filled with champagne in his hands. My hand caressed his face, and with a very soft touch of my moist lips, I began to kiss his, with my other hand slowly unbuttoning his shirt; and with that, Jonathan had little or no chance to refuse. He gave me a sip and took one for himself. He caressed my breast with one hand, and the other followed down my slim abdomen down to the most precious spot that he knew. With one touch of his hand, he could tell that I desired him deeply. We spent an extremely long time making the most tender and yet intense love in our relationship ever. To everyone else, I looked like a delicate flower, but Jonathan knew