by Ann Mullen
“Just that you were someplace you weren’t supposed to be, and there was an accident,” he answered.
“Is that all he said?”
“That’s all I needed to hear, so we agreed to let it go. Some things are better left unsaid, if you know what I mean.”
“Yes, I think I do.”
It was almost the end of June. The evening was cool, and the sky was filled with stars. I could smell honeysuckle in the air. I was content just to sit with Cole, and swing in the swing. Nowadays, it seems as if I could be happy with the simple things in life—as long as I had him in mine.
“Hey,” I said, “I thought you were going to bring River with you tonight. Why didn’t you?”
“He tangled with a skunk this morning. He won’t be presentable to go anywhere for a while.” Cole laughed. “You should try to give a seventy-pound dog a bath in tomato juice. It was a nightmare.”
“Does that really work? I’ve heard that it does.”
“I don’t know, yet. By the time I finished pouring tomato juice all over him, my sense of smell was useless. It was all I could do to get his scent off me when I was done.”
I leaned over, sniffed his neck and said “You smell fine to me. Actually, you smell more than fine. You smell terrific.”
Old Spice… I love that smell. There must be a connection between your nose and your vagina, because every time I get a whiff of Old Spice, I get aroused. I also love English Leather. What’s that all about? And I don’t think I’m the only woman who reacts that way. Men know this. That’s why they always smell so good.
“I must smell like a swamp rat after what I’ve been through today. Sitting in the hospital with blood all over me can be pretty nasty. I hope I don’t smell awful.”
“You smell fine,” he said as he kissed me.
“Ouch... ouch... my shoulder.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot,” he replied. “Maybe if I massaged your breasts you’d forget about your shoulder.” He chuckled out loud at his joke, but made no attempt.
“Okay,” I said.
He had a surprised look on his face. He was joking, but I wasn’t.
“Oh, you weren’t serious?” I whined.
“I could be, but I’m not too sure about doing it here on the front porch with your mom barely twenty feet away. What if she walked out and caught us? I’d be embarrassed.”
“Oh, but you weren’t embarrassed when she called in the middle of the night and we were in bed together,” I said, teasing him.
“That was different. She didn’t actually see us.”
“It just so happens, I have a blanket in my Jeep,” I said. “I also keep several other items in the back in case of an emergency: a change of clothes; first aid kit; and a rocket launcher... all the basic necessities.”
“You’re cute.”
“Just what I wanted to hear,” I snarled. “A thirty-one year old woman lives for the moment when a man calls her cute.”
“You’re so pretty. I’m sure I’m not the first one to tell you that,” he said. His eyes had a glow that melted my heart.
“No, you’re not, but you’re the first one to say it and have it mean anything to me. I care about you.”
I made myself stop. I had to shut up. Next thing I would say is... I love you. I want to marry you and have a house full of baby cops. It was my idea of the perfect family. No, I couldn’t let anything like that happen. I had to take it slowly. I didn’t want to scare him.
“What about that blanket?” I asked. “Should I go get it? It’s been a long time since I stretched out on a blanket under a tree and gazed at the stars.”
“Let’s do it,” he moaned.
We walked out to my Jeep and retrieved the blanket. As soon as I shut the Jeep’s hatch, I heard Athena bark.
“She thinks there’s someone out here,” I told Cole. “I need to go let her out.”
“Give me the blanket and meet me in the backyard. There’s a huge Ash tree out there with a great view,” he said.
I opened the front door and Athena came barreling out, jumping all over me. I rubbed her head and said, “I want you to behave yourself tonight.” I bent down to her level. “Don’t be making a lot of noise and wake Grandma. Do you hear me?”
Gosh, I think that dog understood what I said. She looked at me sheepishly, arched her back, and then trotted off to the backyard. Women! We’re all alike in some ways, aren’t we? You can dress us up, but you can’t take away our pride or our raging hormones. At the moment, Athena had the pride, and I had the raging hormones.
Cole was stretched out on the blanket with Athena at his feet by the time I got to the backyard. “Aren’t we cozy?” I asked. “All we need now is River to make this a complete foursome.”
“That’s a great idea!” he said, leaning over to pet Athena. “Athena and River, you two would make a fine pair. Just think of the beautiful puppies you could have... or can she?” He looked at me.
“We both can,” I said, with a big grin on my face. Yes, as far as I knew, I could give him babies. Just the thought of having Cole’s child made me feel like I was on a cloud.
My heart was pounding as I lay down on the blanket next to Cole. His warm hands swept over me with a gentleness I’d never known. His kisses were soft at first, and then soon became rapid with desire. We made love under the Ash tree.
“I love you, Jesse,” he whispered in my ear as we both reached the fulfillment we were seeking.
I didn’t know what to say. Was he for real? Guys do this all the time. Right in the middle of a climatic moment, they whisper those three words all women want to hear... I love you.
“Don’t say it unless you mean it,” I commanded. “Save it for someone that isn’t as fragile as I am. My heart has been broken more times than I can count. I don’t need more lies.”
“Jesse, you’re a hard woman!” he whispered. “I meant what I said. I love you. I want to be with you. I want us to have a life together.”
Athena jumped up and started licking Cole on the face.
“See, even your dog knows I’m serious. She believes me. Don’t you, girl?” he asked as he stroked her back and rubbed her ears.
The look he gave me said it all. He was in love with me and he wanted to be with me! He wanted us to have a life together.
“I love you, too,” I whispered, tears running down my cheeks.
That night, a star in the sky twinkled brightly... just for the two of us.
Chapter 20
Cole left with the promise to come over first thing Sunday morning. He wanted to make sure my wounds were healing properly. Not only was he a policeman, but he also had extensive training in first aid and CPR. He could stitch up a cut, set a broken bone, or give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation... whatever I needed. I liked the mouth-to-mouth bit. As a matter-of-fact, I liked everything about him.
There was only one drawback... he was a cop. How could we cope with him being an officer of the law and me being the flunky of a private detective? I guess that’s what you’d call me. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew enough to know that if I continued to run with Billy Blackhawk, I was destined to wind up in jail. I could see it coming. I was headed for trouble.
It didn’t matter. I liked Billy. I wanted to be a part of his life. I wanted him to be a part of mine. Sometimes, I wondered about some of the things he did and how he managed to do them, but I tried not to ask why. He was a good man and he had a good heart. That was enough for me. We had formed a bond. He knew it, and so did I.
I now had Cole and Billy in my life, but they were like oil and water. Still, I loved them both. What was I going to do about their continuous, nerve-racking arguing? If these two men were going to share my life, we had to come to an agreement. We had to reach a happy medium. Eventually, I decided I would have to sit them both down and have a serious talk. I wouldn’t let them be at each other’s throats all the time. We needed to lay it all out on the table, and set some boundaries.
“He
re’s the deal, guys. Cole, you’re a cop and Billy, you’re a private investigator. You’re both my friends. I realize it’s hard for you to see eye-to-eye, but you have to start acting more mature. I’m finished with your arguing. You’re best friends—for God’s sake! Get over the pettiness and stop fighting. Please! Do it for my sake.” This is what I’d say to them, later.
It was Sunday morning, one week until the 4th of July. I had the blissful feeling of a woman in love. I got out of bed with a whole new outlook on life. Cole was in love with me, and I was in love with him.
I was in desperate need of a shower. I removed the bandage and examined my shoulder in the bathroom mirror. It didn’t look nearly as bad as I’d expected. The blood on the once sterile gauze had dried and there was no indication that the wound had bled during the night. The blast had caught me on the edge of my left shoulder and took out a sizable patch of skin. What was left was an ugly red, raw area. It wasn’t infected. Good ole’ Dr. Chief Sam Standing Deer Blackhawk did a fine job of fixing me up. I guess I wasn’t going to die after all.
I turned on the shower, stripped down and jumped in. The first wave of burning pain from the water hitting my shoulder almost brought me to my knees. Trying to withstand the pain, I forged ahead. I used soap to wash my body and hair as I leaned to one side. I wanted to get this over with as fast as possible. The thought of getting soap in my wound was scary, but I didn’t, and I felt like a new person once I was finished. My hair would be funky from using soap on it and not using cream rinse, but I could live with that for another day. Using a hand towel to dab at my raw shoulder, I noticed a speckling of blood.
“Hmm... this isn’t so bad,” I said out loud. “I’ve seen worse.”
I put on a pair of jeans and a tank top, sat down at my computer and tried to brush the rats out of my long hair. I left my shoulder bare so it could get some air. I figured it would heal faster that way. That’s what my mama always said.
Soon I’d have to do something about my hair. The red was fading and the brown was shining through. Also, three inches of it from the bottom up was nothing but dead ends. And it was drab. I needed a new hairdo. I’ve always loved Dyan Cannon’s hairstyle. She’s a bit older than I am, but she has great looking hair. That’s what I’ll do. I’ll get my hair cut and styled as soon as I have the time.
Having made all my new resolutions of how I could fix myself up—I did have Cole to think about now—I started pecking away at my computer. I had tons of e-mail to answer, but that could wait. I wanted to surf the net and find out anything I could on this case. As much information as there is today on the web, I knew I could find something. And bingo, I found a site where you could find out everything there is to know about a person, from their credit history to the name of their family doctor, for the low, low price of $39.99, which could be billed to your carrier, or your credit card. You decide.
I wondered if Billy knew about this site. I’d have to tell him. But in the meantime, I decided to check it out. I’ll pay for it on my credit card and then submit it to Billy for reimbursement. There shouldn’t be any problem. It was related to my job.
I hesitated. Whose name did I want to type in? This was going to cost me forty dollars, so I’d better go for the gold. My main suspect was Jay. I typed in Patrick Jason Teale, hoping the information on him would be listed under his birth name and not his adopted name. I hit pay dirt. There were three pages—everything about him from the time of his birth to three months ago when he was cited for speeding on I-64 in Henrico County. What was he doing in Henrico County? It was almost an hour from where he lived.
I printed out all the information and put it in my briefcase for Billy to read. I made another copy for myself and left the web. After scanning the printout, I determined that this boy had been one busy guy. He had one heck of a rap sheet. He’d been arrested four times in his short career as a juvenile delinquent: the first time at the age of twelve for shoplifting; at thirteen for participating in a public brawl; 15—vandalism; and last, but not least, at 17—DUI, for which he spent four hours in lockup until he was bailed out by his parents. Whew! It looked like Jay had a promising future as a career criminal. Wait until I tell Billy! Boy, he’ll be surprised! I’m so smart. Sometimes I even amaze myself! I patched up my shoulder the best I could with a sterile pad and tape I found in the first aid kit in the bathroom vanity. Knowing my mom like I do, I knew she probably stocked all the bathrooms in the house with such necessities. It was her thing.
“I have coffee brewing,” she offered as I walked into the kitchen. “Poor dear, how are you feeling today? Is that shoulder bothering you?”
“No, I’m fine,” I replied.
She poured me a cup of coffee and said, “I think you and I need to talk.”
“Sure, Mom, what’s on your mind?” I asked.
“It’s about last night...”
“What about last night?” I asked, afraid to hear what she had to say, or worse, afraid of what she might have seen.
“It’s about you and Cole,” she replied. “Jesse, I realize you and Cole are crazy about each other. I can see it in your eyes. I’m not a prude. If you want to spend the night with him, go ahead. It’s none of my business. You’re a grown woman.”
“Let me get this straight. You’re saying you don’t mind if I sleep around?” I asked. “You surprise me. I thought you were a firm believer in marriage before sex. What happened to change your mind?”
“Nothing happened to change my mind. No, I don’t want you to sleep around, but you and Cole are in love. That makes a difference.”
Here it comes. But...
“Let’s face it, Jesse—you’re not getting any younger. Grab Cole. He wants you. You two could date, then get married and have kids. You can do whatever you want, and I don’t care in which order you do it. Just do it. Don’t let this one get away.”
Mom’s intense stare gave me the creeps. This wasn’t like her. My mom is about as Southern Baptist as you can get. They don’t go for stuff like this. Marriage always came before sex.
“Don’t look at me like that, Jesse,” she said. “I’m not so dumb. I know what goes on with your generation. Remember, I’ve been there. You don’t know the places I’ve been.”
“I don’t think we need to go there, Mom. I trust you.”
“Honey, all I’m trying to say is I want this to be your home. I want you to be able to be yourself and have a say in what goes on here. And if that includes having a sex life, you should go for it. If it makes you uncomfortable talking to me about it, then why don’t you just think of me as your roommate?”
“Oh, yeah, right. I don’t think so,” I replied. “I get the idea, Mom. I’ll tell you what I’ll do. If I decide to stay away from home for the night, I’ll call you. Just don’t ask me a bunch of questions and I won’t have to tell you any lies.”
“Deal,” she agreed. “Just one personal question before we close the deal. I’ll ask you one, and you can ask one.”
“Fire away!”
“What’s the relationship between you and Billy?”
“He’s my boss and my friend,” I stated. “I care about him. I hope our friendship will last until death we will part, but that’s all there is to it. There’s no romance, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“You’re saying there’s nothing romantic between the two of you?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“You answered my question, now ask me yours.”
“No!” I replied. “I reserve the right to save this question for a time in the future that I may deem fit.”
“One question,” she hissed. “After that, if you force me, you’ll be subject to my lies.”
That’s a joke—my mom doesn’t know how to tell a lie. Who is she trying to fool?
Mom and I were immersed in a heavy conversation about sex and the corrupt moral fiber of our society when suddenly Athena started to bark. I walked to the front window and saw Cole pull up into th
e driveway. My heart skipped a beat. It was only nine o’clock and he was at my door. I love this man!
I tried not to fall all over myself as I went to the front door to greet him. I had visions of last night in the backyard, and my raging hormones started to kick in again.
“Good-morning, ladies,” Cole said as he walked in and kissed me lightly on the lips. He kissed Mom on the cheek. “How’s everything going? Has Jesse been a good girl?”
“As a matter-of-fact, we were just having a conversation about sex.”
Not again! I was doomed.
“Sex?” he asked. “What about it?”
“I just don’t get enough of it!” Mom laughed like a crazy woman.
Oh, my God!
Once I recovered from her outburst of insanity, I took Cole off to the side and said, “Don’t mind her. I think she’s in another world. She’s been acting weird ever since she got out of bed. I think it’s menopause.”
“Oh, don’t be silly. She was only joking. Can’t you tell?”
Twenty minutes later, Billy drove up in the driveway.
“What’s he doing here?” Cole asked.
“We have an errand to run.”
“Like the one you had yesterday?”
“Don’t be silly,” I said, teasing him.
The expression on Cole’s face surprised me. I thought he’d go off if I didn’t tell him everything, but I soon learned that he was going to give me my space. He wasn’t going to push me. That’s what all women look for in a man, isn’t it? We want someone who’ll give us love, trust and the freedom to be a real person.
“Good-morning, folks,” Billy cheerfully said. He bent over, patted Athena’s head and then looked up at Cole. “How’s it going?”
“Just fine,” Cole answered. “Jesse tells me you two have an errand to run today. Do you need any help?”
“Nah, I think we can handle it.”
“Like you did yesterday?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about Jesse getting hurt.”
Mom walked back into the living room. “All right, guys. No fighting. I swear, you two are worse than my kids were when they were little. Would either one of you like something to eat?”
