by Naomi Niles
Harrison sat on the bed waiting for me to come out of the bathroom. As soon as I emerged, he smiled. The top two buttons on his short-sleeved shirt were undone. He wore khaki shorts and sandals with shades hanging from his shirt pocket. “You look stunning,” he said as his eyes scanned my body.
“Thank you, Harrison. I bought this just to wear on our first day out.”
I wore a loose-fitting, lavender sundress with the bracelet and earrings that he bought for me a few months ago. “Well, I am happy to escort you throughout Chaina as the most beautiful woman in the city.” He stood up and made a loop with his arm. “Shall we?”
I grabbed my purse, then connected my arm with his, and with that, we left the hotel room. There was a vehicle waiting just outside the door for us. Another driver stood by the back door with a smile on his face. He opened it as soon as we drew near. “Mr. Zimmer,” he said as he bowed his head to him, “and Lady Zimmer.”
I looked at Harrison with a confused gaze. He smiled, “Just go with it, Caroline. Just go with it.”
I shook my head, then entered into the vehicle. Harrison followed right behind me, and with that, we were off. We rode past gorgeous buildings that looked as though they were antique. The city burst forth with life and vigor at 12 pm. “Where are we headed, Harrison?”
He put his hand on my thigh. “Just enjoy the ride, sweetheart. We will be there momentarily.” He pointed out the window, “Look at that.” A beautiful glass building extended high above the ground. It reflected the surrounding buildings like a mirror.
“Wow, that is gorgeous! What is that?”
The driver spoke up, “That is one of the most exquisite restaurants in Chania. On the top floor, you can see everything in the city because it revolves slowly. It really helps you see the city, especially at night when everything is lit up. I would definitely recommend that place for tourists. Now, it is expensive, but I am sure that money is no object for you two.”
I looked at Harrison. A smile escaped his face as we continued down the street. “Yes, I think we will have to check that out.”
We arrived at another beach in Chania. The driver opened the door for both of us as we stepped out onto the sand. “Give us about two hours,” Harrison said to the driver as he put his arm around me. We walked across the sand and headed for the edge of the shore. I fixed my attention on the boats that were docked near the long, wooden deck. My eyes lit up as we got closer. “Harrison?! Are we going on a boat!?”
He smiled but didn’t say a word as we continued. “Harrison! How did you know?! How did you know I wanted to go on a boat?!”
“Let’s just say that I am vigilant. I will keep it at that.”
I wrapped my arms around him, then we headed to the deck. As he spoke to one of the attendants, I stood on the ledge of the deck. The boats were amazing. Speedboats, paddle boats and larger boats that looked like small cruise ships. A few minutes later, Harrison tapped me on the shoulder. “Are you ready, sweetheart?”
I intertwined my fingers with his, then followed him to one of the small cruise ships. After he helped me inside, the sailor climbed in behind us. One of the waiters led us to the deck inside of the boat. As we got to our seat, there was a trio of musicians standing almost 10 feet ahead of us. A violinist, saxophonist, and a bass player. I looked at Harrison as he pulled my seat out for me. “This is beautiful,” I said with a smile.
“This is just the beginning.”
He took a seat beside me, and a few minutes later, the boat took off onto the ocean while the band played softly in the background. He rented out the boat and hired a private chef to serve us hors d’oeuvres as we traveled across the water. I took him by the hand and led him to the outer portion of the boat. I leaned onto the edge while he put his arm around me. “Harrison, I…” I wanted to tell him more, but I couldn’t. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him and that I didn’t want to imagine my life without his, but ever since a few months ago, I promised myself that I wouldn’t allude to marriage or anything like it.
“I truly appreciate you taking me out here today. How you knew that I wanted to get on this boat, I will never know. But, I appreciate it.” I tipped up and kissed him on the cheek as we traveled smoothly across the water. The sun was suspended directly above us as we came back to the shore. I didn’t want the date to end, but I knew we couldn’t stay on the water forever.
“Why is your lip poked out?” he asked as we got off the boat.
“I don’t know. I am just thinking about things, you know?”
“Things?”
I fixed my mouth to say what was on my heart, but I kept the words inside. “Never mind. It is not important.”
We walked through the sand and back to the car as the driver stood, waiting for us to enter. “Where to now, sir?” he asked when he got inside.
Harrison responded, “We can head to our final destination.”
“Sounds good.”
I looked at Harrison with a curious eye. “Final destination? I don’t know if I like the sound of that.”
“Don’t worry,” he said with a smile. “You will enjoy it. I am sure.”
I leaned my head against the back of the seat as Harrison put his hand on my thigh. A little while later, we stopped in front of the tall, glass building that we’d passed on our way to the beach. I smiled flashed onto my face. “We are going up there?”
“Did you ever think that we wouldn’t? This is a special day.”
“What makes it special?”
Before he could respond, the driver opened the car door and ushered us out. Harrison didn’t answer my question, and I didn’t ask again. If he wanted to tell me, he would’ve said it already, so I just went along with whatever he had planned. Inside the building, the floors were marble. The hostess’s table was made out of crystal, and she smiled as we approached. “Mr. Zimmer? You are early.”
“Indeed, Shelly. We are ready to proceed. Is that a problem?”
“No, sir. We just finished preparations. Right this way.”
“Harrison, what–”
“Ssssh,” he said as we followed Shelly to the elevator.
I grabbed his arm tightly as we rode to the top floor. My heart fluttered inside my chest as we rose higher in the building. The elevator chimed when we reached the top floor. “Enjoy,” Shelly said as she held her hand out for us to walk off the platform.
As we walked into the room, I noticed a large, crystal ball hanging from the center of the room. One table covered with a black cloth sat front and center, and on top of it, there were roses. After we approached the table, he pulled my chair out for me to be seated. “Thank you, Harri–” I stopped mid-sentence when I turned to see him kneeling before me. In his hand, a small black box with a large diamond ring was sparkling like the crystal ball above us.
“Caroline, you have been my backbone since the day Sarah died. I never knew that I would meet someone like you. I am just upset that it took me so long to see you for who you really are. I love you, and I can’t see a future that doesn’t involve you being my wife. And if that future is out there, I don’t want it. I love you, and it would be an honor if one day, I could call you my wife. Will you marry me?”
Tears streamed from my eyes like a waterfall. I couldn’t find the words to say to him. I scooted closer and pressed my lips against his. “Yes, Harrison. Yes. I will be your bride.” We embraced, and at that moment, I felt complete. I felt like Sarah was behind us, nodding her head with a smile as if to question why it took us this long. Peace fell into my heart as he slid the ring onto my finger, and from that point on, I never looked back.
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SHOOTING FOR LOVE
By Naomi Niles
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously
and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 Naomi Niles
Chapter One
Peter
There was something special about Sunday evenings. It was the only day of the week when I could invest in a well-planned, home-cooked meal. I had been to the farmer’s market that morning, and the kitchen was rich with the smell of fresh, homegrown produce.
I put some rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper into a little silver bowl and mixed it all in together. I crushed some pine nuts and added those in, too. Once that was done, I rubbed the herb mixture over the ribs I had marinated the night before and popped them into the oven in a large, deep pan.
Then I cut up some carrots and potatoes and dropped them into a deep pot with garlic, onions, and salt. I was just finishing up the polenta when Sam and John walked into the kitchen.
“Hi, guys,” I greeted. “Nice of you two to get here early to help me cook,” I said sarcastically.
They exchanged a smile. “We thought we’d leave it up to the expert,” John said as he fell into a chair at the table. “And that was obviously the right call because it smells amazing in here. I’m starving.”
Sam opened the fridge and grabbed a beer from the bottom shelf before joining John at the table. “Smells like a bullet wound in here,” Sam said, sniffing the air suspiciously as he gave me a sly look.
“The wound’s well and truly closed now, you cock,” I laughed. “And, are you eating at the table or should I put a bowl down on the floor, the way you like it?”
“Oh, ha-ha,” Sam scoffed. “If I didn’t sit at the table, you guys wouldn’t have any interesting dinner conversation.”
“Do you mean interesting?” John asked, with raised eyebrows. “Or juvenile?”
“Fuck off,” Sam laughed. “You guys wouldn’t know what to do without me.”
It was typical of the way we started our Sunday evening meals, with a bunch of inane banter and back and forth insults. I moved around the kitchen, trying to get my meal together. The ribs were almost done and everything else was ready to go.
“Sam,” I called, as I shoveled the polenta onto a dish. “Can you get your lazy ass out of that chair and put the potatoes and carrots into a serving bowl?”
“Lazy ass?” he repeated in mock outrage. “I just finished a ten-hour shift.”
I looked at him unimpressed. “Just before this stupid bullet wound put me out of action temporarily, I did a twelve-hour shift.”
John snorted at the both of us. “I had a fourteen-hour shift two days ago.”
Sam and I exchanged a glance and decided to give John that one. Once all the food was on the table, I got out the cut bread I’d bought at the farmer’s market and handed it to John. Then, I got four plates out of the cupboard and placed them around the table.
“Four plates?” John asked, with raised eyebrows. “Again?”
“Yes,” I said firmly.
I saw Sam and John exchange a glance. “Just in case,” I added with a shrug.
“This is the fourth week in a row that he’s missed Sunday dinner,” Sam pointed out. “I think it’s safe to assume that he won’t be here.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I said firmly. “If Alan was in town, we’d have a plate ready for him.”
“True,” John nodded. “But Alan would be here. Talen’s made it perfectly clear that he has no interest in these family dinners of ours.”
“He has made it for a couple,” I pointed out.
“How about we get him a plate if he actually shows up?” Sam suggested.
“We’re keeping his plate on the table,” I said firmly. “Talen has a habit of showing up late when he does show up, and I don’t want him to think we’ve forgotten about him. If he comes, he’ll see his plate waiting for him.”
John sighed. “All right,” he conceded. “The plate stays.”
“Fine.” Sam nodded as he grabbed a rib from the large oval dish in the center of the table and bit into it heartily.
I reached out immediately and smacked Sam on the back of the head.
“Oww!” he complained. “What was that for?”
“What was that for?” I repeated, shaking my head at him. “You realize we do this dance every other week. We don’t start eating until we say grace.”
He sighed heavily. “Fine,” he said, setting down the rib in his hand. “Let’s get on with it then.”
I nodded and lowered my head with my eyes closed. “Dear Lord, thank you for the food you have seen fit to provide us with. Thank you for the protection you have seen fit to bestow on us. Thank you for the lives you have blessed us with. Amen.”
“Amen,” Sam and John echoed together.
The moment that the prayer was out of the way, Sam picked up his rib and started attacking it with single-minded purpose. “Starving,” he managed to spit out mid chew. “So good.”
John and I shook our heads at him as we dug in, too. Once our plates were full and the edge had been taken off our hunger, I looked up at my brothers. “I spoke to Alan this morning.”
“What’s new with him?” Sam asked. “I missed his call yesterday because of the bakery fire down Bernard’s Street.
“He’s on a high at the moment,” I smiled. “Not only does he have a shiny new gold medal, he also has a pretty girl on his arm.”
“I would argue that’s the real prize,” John said. “She’s a nice girl.”
“Jessica’s awesome,” Sam nodded. “I’m not an advocate for long-term commitments, but with a girl like Jessica, it’s hard not to approve.”
“Do you think he’ll propose anytime soon?” John asked.
I looked up at him in surprise. “It hasn’t been that long…only a few months. Do you really think he’ll propose?”
“It seems pretty serious between them already,” John shrugged. “And he, loves living with her… I suspect that it could be heading in that direction.”
“Well, what do you know,” I said, in mild amazement. “One of the Burbank boys might actually settle down, get married, and start a family. It seems…strange.”
“Good strange, though,” John said.
“Good strange,” I agreed.
I knew what all three of us were thinking of at that moment. We were thinking of the woman who had left all five of us with a stigma against marriage and family. For a while there, I had really believed that we’d all end up as cranky, old bachelors, tottering about our lonely homes with no one around to listen to us. It was nice to know that at least one of us had a chance at escaping that fate.
Personally, I happened to believe that it wasn’t such a bad future to look forward to. When I thought about myself fifty years down the line, it was easy to picture myself in this house, alone and content with my lot. There was something absurdly comforting about it.
“Sam?” I asked. “What about you? What’s new in the firehouse?”
“Sam old, same old,” he replied, with his mouth stuffed with polenta. “We put out three fires last week. Did you hear about the gas leak at a house down Crestor Lane?”
“I read something about it,” I nodded. “What about it?”
“The owner’s name is Serena,” Sam replied with a pointed smile.
“Oh boy,” John said knowingly. “Let me guess, young and attractive?”
“And terrified that her house was going to blow up,” Sam nodded. “So I was forced to comfort her, obviously.”
“Obviously,” I nodded with a laugh.
“Just out of curiosity, little brother, how did you manage to comfort her?” John asked, as though he didn’t already know the answer.
“Well, after my shift was done, I went by her place – you know, to see how she was doing,” Sam said, enjoying telling the story.
“Of course,” John nodded seriously.
“And, you do this for every terrified citizen?” I asked.
“No, no, Pet
e,” John said, before Sam could reply. “Just the hot, young ones.”
“Right,” I nodded. “Silly question.”
“Will you two shut the fuck up and let me tell my story?”
John and I laughed, but we nodded easily.
“Anyhow,” Sam said pointedly. “I went over to check on her, and she was obviously incredibly flattered by my concern. So she invited me in for a drink, and of course, I didn’t want to be rude, so I accepted.”
“Naturally,” John nodded.
“And, I ended up comforting her on her couch,” Sam said, with a sly smile. “And, the foot of her bed…and up against her wall.”
“Geez,” I said, shaking my head. “Talk about a tough shift.”
“Right?” he nodded. “But I do what I do to save lives and keep people happy and safe. Even if it means working over time.”
“I don’t think that qualifies as over time, buddy,” John laughed.
“Are you kidding?” Sam said. “I was already exhausted when I went over to her place that day. I know it’s been a while since you two had any sex, but it’s actually quite tiring.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Well, aren’t you just a local hero.”
Sam bowed his head in acknowledgement. “Why thank you, kind of you to notice.”
I laughed at his gawky expression and turned to John. “What about you?” I asked. “Any overtime shifts – and by that, I mean legitimate ones?”
John laughed as Sam rolled his eyes at me. “It’s been a little hectic of late,” he admitted. “The practice is going well, but…”
“But?”
“It’s gets to be a little overwhelming sometimes,” he sighed. “There are moments when I actually thinking taking a step back might be a good idea.”
“Really?” Sam asked, with his mouth full. “You’d actually quit your practice?”
“No, of course not,” John said quickly. “I’m not talking about quitting. I’m talking about…taking a break, like a medical sabbatical of sorts.”
“Can you do that?” Sam asked.
“I could,” John replied. “But I’d have to finish up with my current clients and re-route any patients to a trusted colleague before I took a break. At this point, it’s just wishful thinking. I don’t know if I’ll actually go through with it.”
