Still Waters...

by Crysal V. Rhodes

  Bev lowered her hand from the ring that she had been fingering. “I don’t wear it any more when I’m with Ray.” She turned to glower at Dana, who wasn’t intimidated.

  “Yet you still wear it.” Dana returned her stony glare.

  “And as long as you do it will be a constant reminder that Ray’s number two in your life.” A voice came from behind them, and the two women looked up to see Grandy standing in the doorway.

  “How long have you been there?” Bev went over to help her onto the patio, but she was waved away as the older woman took a seat next to Dana.

  “I’ve been there long enough to understand what’s happening.” Grandy adjusted her body in the chair and settled back comfortably. “But first I have to say that it’s good to see you ladies together, talking like sisters ought to be doing. It’s long overdue.”

  Bev and Dana smiled at each other. Neither one of them could disagree. Bev took a seat across from her grandmother, hoping that the conversation that Dana and she had been having when Grandy walked in on them would be ignored. It wasn’t.

  “So Bev, you’re about to lose a good man because you insist on continuing to play the role of the grieving widow.” Grandy looked her granddaughter straight in the eye. “How long has it been now, thirty-three, thirty-four years?”

  Bev was appalled. She wanted to rail against her grandmother’s sarcasm, but she knew better. Grandy was the Alpha and Omega in their family. Disrespecting her just wasn’t done. Ironically, it had been she who had been aware of her relationship with Ray even before other members of the family, and had voiced her hearty approval. Bev wanted to ask the woman to stay out of her business, but didn’t dare.

  “Ray and I are simply having some difficulty. That’s all.” Her tight-lipped answer indicated her displeasure with her grandmother’s observation, but Grandy didn’t appear to care.

  Esther Stillwaters leveled Bev with a look that clearly stated that she must think that her grandmother was a fool. Folding her arms, Grandy closed her eyes. To those outside of the Stillwaters clan her grandmother appeared to be nodding off. Those within the family knew that this was a sign that words of wisdom were about to be dispensed. Bev and her sister waited quietly until she spoke.

  “When I buried your granddaddy, I thought that my life was over, but I had his babies to raise so I had to go on. I dedicated my life to them and built this town as a monument to his memory. I dared anything or anyone to get in my way. I never gave love a second chance. There was only one love in my life, and I was determined to keep it alive until I joined the man responsible for it.” She opened her eyes and looked at Bev. “I’ve often wondered what might have been if I had given love the opportunity to enter my life just one more time. Instead, I put a dead man as a barrier between me and that opportunity.” Her eyes shifted to the ring that Bev was fingering and then back to her granddaughter’s face. “I’ve played the grieving widow longer than you have been alive. It’s been a very lonely existence, and, until the day I die, I’ll regret that I closed the door to the joy of being loved by another good man.”

  * * *

  The bell on the entrance gate to Ray’s Tiburon house rang at 8:00 Sunday morning. He was in the kitchen fixing his breakfast. Through the intercom the messenger informed him that the package that Ray was expecting had finally arrived. Retrieving it, Ray returned to the kitchen and placed it on the island counter.

  For the next hour he cooked around it, ate around it, and washed dishes around it. He cleaned the house, worked on his computer, and literally ignored the inevitable until lunchtime. It was noon exactly when he finally sat down and faced the decision that he had to make. Should he open the package or not? If he did, what would be gained by knowing more about Colton Cameron? If he didn’t, what would he lose?

  When he weighed the last two questions, only one came out a winner. Picking the package up he walked into his living room, where he had built a fire in the fireplace earlier that morning. Unceremoniously, he placed the manila envelope into the flames. They roared to life. He watched it burn until there was nothing but ashes.

  “I guess that takes care of that,” he said aloud.

  Dousing the blackened embers, Ray picked up his car keys and left the house. He had destroyed the past in order to build a future. It remained to be seen if Bev was willing to do the same.

  Thirty minutes later Ray was sitting in Sausalito on the same bench in the Downtown Plaza where he and Bev had bumped into each other months before. That day had been pivotal in their relationship, and he found comfort relaxing, partaking of the view, and enjoying the coming and going of the visiting tourists.

  He hadn’t spoken to Bev since she called to tell him that she had arrived safely in Stillwaters. That meant that one whole day had passed without his hearing her voice. He had hoped that she would call him, but since she hadn’t, he would call her. Ray didn’t want her to think that he was pressuring her, but he was in this relationship for better or for worse, and he didn’t want to be in it alone. All he could hope was that she would make the decision that he wouldn’t be.

  Taking out his cell phone he called her. He would love to see her, but the sound of her voice would be good enough for now. Her cell phone rang incessantly until it finally went to voice mail. He was disappointed but he left her a message.

  “Call me.”

  Pocketing his phone, Ray returned his attention to the ferry boat that was skirting across the Bay getting closer to shore. Growing bored as he waited for its arrival he turned his attention to the newspaper that he had bought to help pass the time. Unfolding it, he had started reading the front page when his cell phone rang. It was Bev.

  “Hey, you,” he said, his voice a smile. “How’s it going?”

  “Pretty good, how about you?”

  Bev’s voice was warm and inviting, compared to the confusion and uncertainty he had heard the last time they had spoken. But there was a combination of noises in the background that made it difficult to hear her.

  “I’m doing fine, but what is all of that noise? Where are you?”

  “Look up and you’ll see.”

  Ray did as directed. The ferry boat had docked and on its deck stood Bev, dressed in a blaze of red and waving like the queen that she was. Standing, Ray waved back. The grin on his face threatened to become permanent. Who else but Bev would make an entrance like this? What a woman!

  He spoke into the phone. “You’re looking mighty good to me.”

  “And so do you.” As she walked down the gangplank onto shore, Bev continued to talk on her cell phone, and Ray did, too.

  “Why did you take the boat here instead of going to Tiburon?” With glowing eyes he watched as she sauntered toward him.

  “I planned on walking around a bit, then checking into a hotel that holds wonderful memories.” Bev stopped in front of Ray and kept talking on the phone. “Then I had planned on calling the man that I love and asking him to join me there for old time’s sake. What do you think you would have said?” She switched the phone off and stood looking into his eyes.

  Ray followed suit. “First I would have said, ‘hello you.’” He wrapped his arm around her waist. “Then I would have said, ‘Hell yeah!’”

  He drew her to him and kissed her passionately. Bev responded. She didn’t care that they were on display in a public area. This was a repeat performance. Anybody who didn’t like it could keep on steppin’. She loved this man. They broke the kiss, breathing heavily. Ray stepped back to look at her.

  The dress that Bev was wearing was long and sleeveless. Fancy red sandals complemented the look, as did her painted toes. She was carrying a large red and white stripped shoulder bag slung across her shoulder. As usual her makeup and hair were flawless and so was she. He also noticed that she wasn’t wearing any jewelry around her neck.

  “Where’s your luggage?”

  Bev gave him a sly smile. “I’m wearing everything that I’ll need. I’ve got a toothbrush and a change of underwear i
n my purse.”

  Ray hardened instantly.

  Bev gave a rakish chuckle and whispered in his ear, “We’d better get you to the hotel while you can still walk.”

  He whispered back, “You’re so bad.”

  “Let’s see if I can get worse.” Hooking her arm through his arm, they started walking. “Why are you here, hon, sitting in the Plaza?”

  Ray looked at her with surprise, pleased by the endearment. It was the first one that he could remember directed at him. “I was relaxing and remembering the last time that we were here together.”

  “It was a good memory, wasn’t it?”

  “The best.”

  They strolled in silence for a moment as Bev thought about how she would word what she was about to say. The talk with Grandy had been her motivation to come to Ray. It hadn’t been difficult to convince Uncle Gerald to fly her to San Francisco, and she had spent the night in Darnell’s condo. It was a journey that she shared with Ray, as well as some conclusions that she had reached.

  “When I was in San Francisco, I took some time to myself before I came to you. I needed that time alone, with no one giving me their opinion or taking this side over the other about what I should do. I wanted to be able to think clearly because the decision that I had to make was really hard for me.”

  Ray listened closely and remained silent. He could hear a resolution in her tone that he hadn’t heard before. His heart raced in anticipation.

  “I took Colton’s ring, wrapped it up, packaged it, and sent it to Darnell. I called her and told her that it was coming. The ring belongs to her now. It’s time for me to let Colton go.” She squeezed Ray’s hand. “I’m so sorry if I made you feel secondary, but you were never secondary in my life. I love you, and I haven’t said those words to a man in a long, long time. I’m so glad that I get to say them again, and especially to you.”

  Ray’s eyes misted. “It’s a new beginning for us both.”

  Bev nodded in agreement. Her eyes were also glazed with unshed tears. It seemed that they each had waited a lifetime for this moment.

  “The package came from the investigator today.” Ray knew that he didn’t have to clarify what he meant. She knew. “When I got it I…”

  “Destroyed it,” Bev interrupted. “And you didn’t open it or read its contents.” She finished the statement for him.

  Ray was startled. “How did you know?”

  Bev stopped and looked into his eyes. “I know the type of man that you are.” They resumed walking.

  “I’m glad that you think so highly of me, but, believe me, I’ve had my own demons to face.”

  Arriving at the hotel, they paused under the colorful awning. Ray drew her to him.

  “It looks as if we’ve made it.” Ray motioned toward the ornate hotel doors.

  Bev caressed his cheek and gave him a soft kiss. “It looks as if we really have.”

  EPILOGUE

  Eighteen Months Later

  Darnell Cameron Stewart disconnected her cell phone, turned over in bed, and shook her husband out of a sound sleep.

  “Thad! Thad! Wake up! We’ve got an emergency.”

  A disoriented Thad Stewart sat straight up. “What? Is something wrong with the baby? Is the house on fire?”

  He started to scramble out of bed. Darnell was already on her feet, putting on her robe as she headed for the closet.

  “No, the baby is fine and so is the house, but Mama and Ray are back from their honeymoon and the woman has lost her mind!”

  Behind a yawn, Thad looked at his wife in confusion. “What’s happened?”

  “Ray bought Mama a houseboat for a wedding gift,” she bellowed from the confines of her closet. “They’re in Sausalito moving into it as we speak. They’re going to live there!”

  Clothes in hand, Darnell hurried back into the bedroom and started rushing around like a woman possessed. Crawling back in bed, Thad pulled the covers over his head. Darnell came to a dead stop.

  “What are you doing? We’ve got to get to Sausalito and stop this madness. My mother can’t live on a houseboat.”

  Thad peered at her over the folds of the plump goose-down comforter. “Get back in bed, baby. It’s too early for this nonsense.”

  “Nonsense?” Darnell’s hand went to her hip as she tried to hold her temper. She spoke slowly and distinctly so that her husband could understand each word. “Obviously you don’t understand the extent of the problem. My mother is living like some pirate on a boat floating on the water.”

  “Like a pirate?” The word struck Thad as humorous, and he began to laugh.

  Darnell watched him with growing irritation. “I don’t see what’s funny. This is serious!” Her protest went unheeded as he laughed louder and harder, rolling across the bed and pounding the mattress. “Like a pirate!”

  His fit of laughter threatened to become addictive, and Darnell fought the urge to join him in laughter. As his howls of glee grew more pronounced, she stomped to the bed with the intention of telling him off, but before she knew it she had joined him in his antics and she was laughing, too.

  * * *

  In Sausalito on a bright yellow houseboat trimmed in blue, Bev and Ray Wilson pulled in the wooden plank that allowed visitors aboard.

  “I give Darnell until noon to drive here and try to get into our business,” Bev told Ray, grinning in triumph as they placed the plank on board.

  “I’m putting my money on Thad to stop her.” Ray followed Bev to the door of the houseboat, enjoying the sway of her hips.

  “I’m hoping.” She had to give her son-in-law credit. He did know how to handle her daughter. “But just in case.”

  Reaching inside the door she withdrew a laminated sign adorned with a yellow ribbon for hanging. She showed it to Ray.

  “Perfect.” He gave Bev a quick kiss and then picked her up unexpectedly. She squealed in delight.

  As her husband carried her across the threshold of their new home, she placed the sign on a hook in the center of the front door and locked the door behind them.

  The sign swaying in the breeze was plain and simple. It read DO NOT DISTURB.

  About the Author

  Crystal V. Rhodes is an author and an award winning playwright. Her first novel, Sin, received critical acclaim. Her second novel, Sweet Sacrifice, was nominated for the Romance Suspense Book of the Year. Her third novel, Grandmothers, Incorporated, co-written with L. Barnett Evans, was selected as Best Book of the Year by two websites. Her fourth novel, Sinful Intentions, received the BlackRefer.com Annual Reviewers Choice Award as Best Romance Novel. Her novel Singing a Song…was selected by the publisher to promote the first Genesis Press Writing Contest in 2009. Still Waters…is her fifth Genesis Press release.

  The Written Word Magazine has named Rhodes as one of its Ten Up and Coming Authors in the Midwest. As a playwright, she has been the recipient of numerous nominations and awards for her stage plays. She has a Master’s Degree in Sociology and has written for newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. Visit her website at www.crystalrhodes.com.