Brace for Impact

by Becky Harmon

  Lucy straightened in the chair as the waitress placed their plates in front of them. She hadn’t realized she had been leaning toward her mother as she talked. Her mother immediately dug into the food, and Lucy watched her take each bite. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen her mother eat. They had shared meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas for a year or two after her father passed, but her mother hadn’t eaten. She would push the food around on her plate while they sat uncomfortably at the table, her father’s empty chair filling the room.

  “Eat. Eat. Your food is getting cold,” Eileen encouraged.

  Lucy picked up her fork and ate all of the food she didn’t even mean to order. Her mother talked about the retirement communities she had been looking at online and then listed the pros and cons of each. By the time they finished their meals, Lucy felt as if she had been transported in time. Back to a mother who was able to love and she started to panic. Where would this mother fit in her life? She didn’t want to hurt her or crush her newfound spirit, but she was used to living and being alone.

  She immediately thought of Dex. If she had the option of having Dex in her life, would she take it? That was a crazy thought. Having Dex in her life was not an option. She knew she would never seek her out and the chance of them running into each other a fourth time wasn’t going to happen. They had already defied fate with three chance meetings. She knew she would never accidentally run into Dex again. She could contact her through Eastern Airlines, but she knew she wouldn’t. That would only make her seem desperate. As well as send a message she wasn’t sure she was ready to send. Would she ever want to share her life with anyone? The simple answer was no. She had her night with Dex and now it was time to move on.

  She was relieved when she finally managed to get in her car and drive away from the hotel. Her mother had done everything short of begging her to set a date on when they could see each other again. She tried to explain that she didn’t know her schedule from week to week and that she would call when she had several days off again. She wasn’t sure she meant it and she knew her mother sensed it too. She needed time to process everything she had learned today. Time to adjust to the new woman her mother had become. She was relieved when Eileen finally backed off. With a final promise of keeping in touch, her mother had disappeared back into the hotel.

  She had leftovers from Sheila and Karen’s, but she stopped at the store anyway and picked up a few additional items. Since she had worked Thanksgiving Day, she wouldn’t head back to work until Monday morning. For the first time, she realized she hadn’t even considered staying longer with Dex and her mind began to play with scenarios. If staying wouldn’t have sent the wrong message, she would have enjoyed eating breakfast in bed with her and continuing their activities from the night. Dex was a passionate woman and she was glad neither of them had held anything back. She chuckled. That thought was kind of ironic. Neither of them had held back physically at least, but they had barely spoken to each other. Maybe it was a good thing Dex seemed to feel the same as she did about a relationship.

  * * *

  Dex stepped into the nursing home and tried to block out the smell of disinfectant. It was so strong today she could almost taste it. Deidra had already called and they knew their father wasn’t coming to Sunday dinner. He sat ramrod straight in the chair beside his bed. The television played an old Andy Griffith episode, but her father’s eyes weren’t on the television or the food in front of him. He was dressed in light blue pajamas with buttons down the front and thick wool slippers.

  Dex knelt beside him and touched his shoulder. “Hi, Dad.”

  He turned his head in her direction, but his eyes weren’t focused on her. They seemed to look through her, and she wondered what he was seeing.

  “How’s your lunch? Is that spaghetti?”

  He glanced at his food and then up at her as if seeing her for the first time. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I didn’t realize we had company. Mary, bring our guest a drink,” he called to the empty room.

  “No, no, that’s okay, Dad,” Dex said, patting his arm. “I only stopped to say hello. How are you feeling today?”

  “Oh, I’m good. Mary’s arthritis has been acting up so she’s lying down.”

  Dex wasn’t sure if she was supposed to play into his reality or try to convince him what was real. “Did Mary make the spaghetti?”

  He looked around again as if he didn’t know what she was talking about. So she pointed at the tray in front of him. “That looks good. You should eat it.”

  He picked up his fork and it wobbled in his hand while he tried to get it into the right position. She could see someone had cut the pasta into smaller pieces and she was pleased when the bite made it to his mouth. He chewed so slowly that Dex thought maybe he had already forgotten about the food he was eating.

  She sat with him for about ten minutes coaxing him to eat and drink. When most of his lunch was gone and his eyes were starting to close, she took the tray and placed it in the hallway. She lifted the footrest on his chair and tucked a blanket across his legs. He watched her carefully while she moved around the room, but he didn’t speak or even ask her who she was. When she was satisfied he was comfortable again, she left and met Deidra in the hallway.

  “He’s napping.” She shook her head at Deidra’s unasked question. “He didn’t know me, but he did eat most of his lunch.”

  Deidra gave the nurse at the desk a wave and they headed back to the car. “Troy called to tell me the boys got invited to an indoor pool party. He’s going to go watch the football game with a neighbor so we have the house to ourselves. Do you feel up to going through the two boxes Dad gave us? We could order Chinese and drink lots of wine.”

  She nodded. The last thing she wanted was to cover her memories from her night with Lucy with the memories contained in her dad’s boxes, but she knew it was something they needed to do.

  Deidra wasted no time opening the bottle of merlot as soon as they reached the house. She directed Dex to the spare bedroom to locate the two boxes. They were grocery store boxes labeled with case quantity information for paper plates and napkins. They were large enough that she had to carry one at a time, but they weren’t heavy. She ran a knife along the top of the first one, splitting the tape, and pulled out several shoeboxes. Each one contained stacks of faded photographs. She took a long sip from the glass of wine Deidra set in front of her and then began pulling out the pictures.

  They cried and laughed as they sorted through the boxes looking at memories their father had saved and had wanted to pass on to them. The overhead light was blinding when Deidra finally stood and flipped it on.

  “I’m starving. What do you want?” Deidra asked.

  “Beef with broccoli.”

  “Okay, I’ll get something with chicken and we can share.”

  She barely heard Deidra leave the room as she stared at a photograph of her and her mother. At times, if she allowed herself, she could be ashamed of her behavior when her mother passed away. She had arrived in time for the funeral and flown out as soon as it was over, leaving all the responsibility on Deidra’s shoulders. Deidra had never complained, but Dex knew she had let her and her father down. She could have easily asked for a week of leave or even two, but she didn’t want to. She had thrown herself right back into work, pretending nothing had changed.

  Now that she was home for good, she had to admit the loss of her mother had taken a toll on her. Her mother had always been her biggest and loudest supporter. She had been proud when she joined the US military rather than taking advantage of her dual citizenship and choosing the Canadian Armed Forces. Her father had never commented or condemned her decision so she wasn’t sure where he stood. Even though she was his favorite, she had always felt it was a matter of contention between them. And now she would never be able to ask him.

  “Food will be here shortly,” Deidra advised as she walked back into the room.

  Dex placed the picture in her stack and sto
od, stretching. She followed Deidra back into the kitchen and refilled both of their wineglasses. Leaning against the counter, she watched Deidra move around the room. She moved like a mother—distracted but focused. Dex studied her facial features, seeing every detail of their father’s French Canadian heritage. Her own high cheekbones came from her mother’s Native American background. Their differences in appearance were small in comparison to their personalities. Deidra was outgoing and loved to meet new people. In the military, as she rose in rank, Dex had discovered she could pretend to be a social butterfly, but it was never a comfortable feeling for her.

  She loved spending time with Deidra and her family. Their house was comfortable and she always felt at ease here. Tony and the boys were easy enough to be around, but having an afternoon alone with her sister hadn’t happened in way too long. Even though they had managed to laugh a lot, she was relieved when Deidra finally drove her home. Her apartment would never feel like home, but it did provide security and solitude.

  She went through the box she had brought home with her and pulled out a few pictures to put in frames around the television. Stowing the box on the shelf in her bedroom closet, she changed into pajamas and crawled into bed. The sleepiness she had felt before getting into bed was gone as soon as her head hit the pillow.

  The day had been distracting enough that thoughts of Lucy had been pushed to the back of her mind, but now she couldn’t seem to get away from remembering every detail. She longed for the chance to experience her touch again. To feel Lucy’s arms holding her tight.

  Lucy’s adamant declaration that she didn’t sleep with pilots had been kind of cute, Dex admitted. She also had to confess with a certain amount of pride that she had been able to sway her. Although she also had to concede it hadn’t been that hard, since technically Lucy had followed her into the cab.

  She didn’t want to, but she gave in to her desire to replay their night in her mind. Lucy’s dark hair contrasted against the white pillow was a vision of beauty. She liked that Lucy’s actions and personality was a mixed box of surprises. She had never given Dex an impression of shyness but maybe “reserved” fit her better. In bed, she was open and sweet. Never taking any advancing step for granted, but not holding back either. Savoring the gentle way Lucy had coaxed her into multiple orgasms, she flung her arm across her eyes. No other woman would ever hold up in comparison to Lucy Donovan. Tonight, she decided, she would enjoy the memories, and tomorrow she would work on trying to forget, since it would never happen again.

  Chapter Eleven

  This was the third time in as many days that Lucy was being held captive by a weather delay. Inside the terminal wasn’t bad, but being trapped on a plane with over three hundred cranky passengers was not very settling. She had already worn a path between her seat and the first-class bathroom despite the ugly looks she was getting from the first-class passengers for crossing into their area. There was a large man well on his way to intoxication sitting in Aisle 2 and his unruliness grew with every second the plane remained on the ground. So far the flight attendants had managed to contain him, but she had made sure they knew she was close by if it turned ugly.

  “Did you see that?”

  She glanced at the woman seated on the aisle beside her and shrugged. The woman appeared to be a few years older than her, and she wore what had to be an uncomfortable dress with spiked heels. Lucy had been careful to avoid looking at her legs when they were crossed in her direction.

  “He just grabbed her butt,” the woman said incredulously. “Seriously, he just grabbed the flight attendant’s butt.”

  Lucy shook her head. She was sure the first-class flight attendant, Michelle, had dealt with worse. Her face must have portrayed disbelief, though, because her seat companion continued.

  “I can’t believe they’re still letting him drink. He’s extremely intoxicated already.”

  She was confident that Michelle had replaced the vodka in his bottle with water, but she would never tell that secret. Flight attendants had to manage whatever was thrown at them and they knew solutions that would never cross most people’s minds.

  “I’m Heidi, by the way,” the woman stuck out her hand.

  “Lucy,” she said as she closed her magazine, slid it into the seat pocket in front of her and accepted the handshake. “Where’re you headed?”

  “I thought I was headed home, but if we sit here much longer I’ll miss my connection in Nashville. Then I won’t have time to go home. I was only passing through for twenty-four hours anyway. My niece has a dance recital and I was hoping to attend.”

  A ruckus at the front of the plane drew Heidi’s attention and Lucy raised her head to look over the seat to see what was happening. The intoxicated man now stood, not too steadily, in the aisle beside his seat. She watched Michelle approach him and guide him back to his seat, his hand firmly attached to her butt.

  “I’m constantly amazed by the things people do in public. Especially when they drink.” Heidi shook her head. “No one really thinks about what flight attendants have to put up with.”

  “That’s true, but they’re trained to deal with all kinds of situations.”

  “So are you traveling for business or fun?”

  She wasn’t sure, but she thought she detected a hint of flirtation in Heidi’s question. She could play that game too. “I’m always looking for fun.”

  Heidi ran a finger up Lucy’s jean-clad thigh. “Have you been to Nashville before? I could show you around.”

  Lucy shivered as a chill ran through her body. She could use a night of distraction to take her mind off the unattainable Dex Alexander. As quickly as the thought crossed her mind it was replaced by the smoldering fire Dex had left her with. Not wanting to dwell or pine for something she couldn’t have, she had tried hard to push the night with Dex out of her mind. She shouldn’t have slept with Dex. Dex deserved commitment and flowers. Not one-night stands. And that was the problem.

  “I’m getting off this plane,” the drunk from first class shouted. “Right now.”

  Lucy jumped to her feet as he ran toward the cockpit and the forward exit doors. “Excuse me,” she directed at Heidi as she squeezed past her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Frank Roots, the other marshal on the plane, coming from the rear.

  She pushed the drunk into the galley and stepped in front of the exit door. Frank blocked the cockpit door. Frank was a thin man, but he took up a wide stance, covering the entire opening. They both remained silent, allowing Michelle to attempt to contain the situation peacefully. As long as the man wasn’t violent they would hope for an outcome that didn’t involve arresting him. Even though being intoxicated on a plane was against the law, it fell to the local authorities to decide what to do once the plane landed.

  “You have to let me off this plane. I have to go to the bathroom,” he demanded.

  A male flight attendant from the rear of the plane joined Michelle. He held the door to the bathroom open as Michelle directed the drunk man inside.

  Pulling the curtain separating the galley from the passengers, Michelle sagged against the wall. “I hope he’s emptying the alcohol.”

  Lucy laughed. “I wish it was that easy. Brew the coffee.”

  “Already tried that.” Michelle looked down at the aisle of the plane. “He dumped it out.”

  Before anything else could be said, the bathroom door was jerked open and the drunk fell out.

  “Back to your seat, Mr. Carey,” Michelle said, pulling him along the aisle.

  “I need a drink,” he slurred.

  Lucy groaned, but at least he wasn’t trying to get off the plane anymore. Rather than argue with him about his drinking, Michelle pulled an empty vodka bottle from the cabinet and filled it with water. Carrying a glass of cranberry juice to his seat, Michelle let him watch her mix in half of the bottle of water. Michelle returned to stand with Lucy as they watched him happily sipping his virgin drink.

  Frank visited the bathroom and then return
ed to his seat. Lucy chatted a few more minutes with Michelle and then she made her way back down the aisle. She didn’t like that she and Frank had both responded and broken their cover. It was always a judgment call when to offer assistance. Normally she wouldn’t have been so quick to respond, but a three hundred-pound drunk was stupid enough to unseal the door and fall out onto the tarmac.

  She had barely settled into her seat when Heidi’s hand found her thigh again. She mentally shifted gears, trying to decide if she could spend the night with Heidi and not feel like she was cheating on Dex. Not likely. Even if she wasn’t ready to make any type of commitment, Dex was still there in her mind. She had explained to Dex there would be no repeat before anything even happened between them. So why was she wavering now?

  She knew why. It was because Dex was everything she wanted in a woman and everything she tried to avoid. She could still feel the softness of Dex’s hair as it lay across her chest, and she longed to run her fingers through it again. Before she had a chance to brush Heidi off gently, she heard raised voices from the front again. She glanced over the seat and saw the drunk man was on his feet again. Mr. Carey had crossed the line. She and Frank would not be able to let him off the hook again.

  She gave Heidi a shrug as she squeezed past her again.

  In a few strides she reached the drunk man and spun him away from the forward exit doors, pushing him back into his seat. She knelt in the aisle to get face level with him as she explained what was going to happen if he stood one more time. With all the water Michelle had been giving him, he had sobered enough to understand what she was saying.