by Mille West
She trembled in his arms and he softly whispered, “God help me, but I can’t help the way I feel about you . . . my worst fear is that I might lose you. I want you to understand that I’m very much in love with you . . . ma belle fille, j’ai très envie de ton amour.”
“That’s what you said to me at the East Bay Club. What does it mean?”
“It means: My beautiful girl, I long for your love.”
After months of handshakes and pats on the back, she was stunned by his admission. She spoke quietly, “You had no reason to be jealous of Henri. You see, I wouldn’t have been the least bit interested in him since I’m in love with someone else. Cooper, I feel like I’ve been in love with you my entire life.”
When she said these words to him, he lifted her in his arms and carried her through the candlelit house into his bedroom. He placed her on his bed and she noticed a warming circle of light cast onto the ceiling by a hurricane lamp. She watched him remove his shirt before he embraced her in his arms. Gradually, they removed their clothes, and as he kissed and caressed her, she felt deep pleasures envelop her entire body, from head to toe. They were naked against one another, and when they became one for the first time, she cried for him to hold her closer. Stopping his caresses, he kissed her on the mouth and whispered, “I love you. I’ve got you, and I’m not going to let you go.”
Mills never knew that such passion existed, and when she woke in the morning, they were still embracing each other, their bodies intertwined. They had loved one another until exhausted, then collapsed into each other’s arms.
She gazed at the rotating ceiling fan above the bed. The electricity had been restored at some point during the night, and turning her face toward Cooper, she discovered that he was awake and looking at her.
When their eyes met he said, “You were so lovely asleep beside me, and I didn’t want our time together to end. In my dreams, I’ve held you countless times, but loving you last night was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.”
He kissed her several times on her face and mouth, and then sat up on the bed, slipping on athletic shorts. She admired his well-chiseled physique as he did several sets of sit-ups and push-ups. Sweat moistened his chest, and he came back to her and stroked her hair. Curls had formed in her thick, brown hair, which had dried naturally after the rainstorm.
He looked at her naked body and stroked her hair. “You’re so beautiful. I like your hair, untamed as it is this morning.”
After he kissed her repeatedly on the face, he went into the bathroom. She heard the shower turn on, and she relaxed onto his bed. Her desire for him had overwhelmed her reasoning capabilities; she thought of their lovemaking and the way his hands felt on her body. What would the future hold?
He made breakfast for her and explained that he was meeting Ian to discuss Heath Brothers business, but would return in the afternoon. “I want you to save every dance for me tonight,” he said, kissing her.
As he handed her a cup of coffee, she noticed that he had removed his wedding band.
Mills spent the morning sketching a waterfront scene, but found that she could not take her mind off Cooper. One realization would not leave her: he was perfect for her. Even when their energy was spent, they had touched and whispered words of love to one another. She had fought her emotions, but in the end, her love and desire for Cooper could not be subdued.
In the afternoon, she collected fresh herbs and tomatoes from the garden and made spaghetti sauce for their dinner. The aroma of the tomatoes and garlic lingered in the air, and she patiently waited for Cooper to return to her. She attempted to read from Ellen Camp’s journal, but found that she was unable to concentrate. When she rose to stir the sauce, she saw that Cooper was in her doorway.
“Long before I got to your cottage, I could smell the aroma of your cooking.”
“It’s spaghetti sauce for our dinner.”
He took her in his arms and said, “Ian told me to go home because I wasn’t concentrating on my work. I’ve thought about you all day. I can still feel your arms around me. Mills, put your arms around me.”
When she did, he backed her into the bedroom, disrobing her, while she unbuttoned his shirt. They fell together on her bed, and she could feel the hard muscles of his chest and thighs against her. He kissed her breasts and then slid his tongue down to her navel. As her excitement began to build, she wrapped herself around him, feeling his caresses deep within her body.
When they became still against one another, he held her tightly and kissed her gently on the forehead. He whispered to her, “I have something important to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I’m famished, let’s eat.”
“Oh, Cooper, don’t tease me.”
That evening after dinner, they danced to the soulful music of Ella Fitzgerald, and Cooper lifted her chin so that he could see into her eyes. “Mills, what are you going to do about the interview with Wescote?”
She remained in his embrace and replied, “I couldn’t leave you if I tried.”
He kissed her again on the forehead. “I’m glad to hear you say that.”
“I’ve allowed my love for you to come before reason. I noticed you took off your wedding band.”
He stroked her hair back and replied, “If Elise should come back, she can have everything I own. I told you that I thought she had ceased to love me.” He looked at her intently and said, “The dreams I have about her in a dark confinement have not stopped. Before my father and brother were killed, I had a series of nightmares about the events that would take their lives. I didn’t realize at the time the dreams foretold the future. You read yourself that this trait is ancestral—a curse of the Camp family men. Mills, I’ve given up hope of her return.”
CHAPTER 24
The High and the Mighty
B efore dawn, Cooper gently woke her with tender caresses. While in the throes of passion, Mills cried out his name and wept tears of pleasure until he became motionless against her. The first light of day barely illuminated the sky before he rose from bed to dress.
“I’ll think of you today and look forward to seeing you this afternoon,” he said.
She put on her robe and followed him to her French doors. They kissed one another before he descended the steps of her cottage.
Suddenly, the sound of a familiar voice interrupted the silence. “It’s a little early in the morning for a report on the Heath Foundation, don’t you think?”
Shocked, she watched as Jeff emerged from the side of her cottage and confronted Cooper. “I’ve been waiting for you. I looked for you in your house first, but I got a hint from Sam.” Jeff petted Cooper’s dog, and said, “When I saw the loyal dog waiting for his master on the top step of Mills’s cottage, I knew where to look.” He laughed and continued, “Cooper, do you have any idea how refreshing it is to see you have the same human frailties that I do?”
Cooper walked back and stood a few inches from Jeff’s face. “You reek of alcohol.”
Still laughing, Jeff said, “I need to see you in your office.”
“About what?”
“I’ll tell you when we get inside. Oh, my God, how the high and the mighty h
as crashed and burned. Well, Masser Amos, so you finally gave in to desire and decided to seduce the help?”
“Okay, that’s enough. Let’s go.”
Anxiety overwhelmed Mills as she witnessed this scene between Cooper and Jeff. She quickly showered and dressed for her farm chores. Before leaving her cottage, she put on one of Julia’s hats and descended the steps onto the path between the camellias. She walked only a few feet before Jeff stepped out from between the bushes and took her by the arms.
“I heard that Cooper has you working on the farm. It is harvest time, and I see Cooper’s been busy.” He drew her close and said, “I didn’t want to disturb you this morning. I waited on Cooper for a long time outside your cottage. I heard your cries of passion, and I heard the way you said Cooper’s name. I want to hear you say my name that way.”
“Jeff, stop it.”
“Didn’t you realize you could have had either one of us? You should know that the Masser told me to stay away from you, and my current situation prevents me from telling him to go to hell. Cooper’s been such a predictable bore, but this inspires me. I’ve discovered he’s not that different from me. There is one thing I’ve figured out: beautiful women and farm labor are incompatible. When you get tired of Cooper and his gulag, you can come find me.”
He smiled slightly; his facial muscles were tense and his normally clear sea-colored eyes were bloodshot. Jeff kissed her on the mouth, and she tasted and smelled the stench of alcohol.
Her hat fell to the ground, and she tried to push him away. “Let go of me! What’s the matter with you?”
He slowly released her and bent over to retrieve her hat. He carefully placed it back on her head, tucking an errant curl inside the brim. “Cooper’s too busy searching for his soul to pay attention to the most important things in his life.” He smiled again. “Don’t worry about my discussing your business. Why would I tell anyone else exclusive information that can be used to blackmail Cooper?”
Jeff grabbed her shoulders and kissed her forcefully on the forehead. When he released her, he turned and exited beyond the row of camellias. She felt her face become hot. He’s lost his mind. Exasperated by the experience, Mills quickly walked to Cooper’s home.
She knocked on the front door, and Cooper opened it standing before her. “Come in, Mills, I’m sorry about Jeff’s behavior. Besides his overindulgence in alcohol, he’s completely out of sorts over a problem.”
Cooper helped her with a chair in the study and then walked to the window.
“Jeff came to see me after he left you. He was insulting toward you and overly forward with me. He said that you told him to stay away from me, and that his current situation prevented him from telling you to go to hell.”
Cooper frowned. “I did tell him to stay away from you. Jeff ’s hedonistic pleasures take him from one woman to another. He and his friends hold pleasure as their highest priority, and you have too much potential to be associated with their cocaine-embraced lifestyle. I think his behavior this morning is due to the problems he’s having.”
“What problems?”
“I’ve been assisting Jeff with some of his investments. I had no intention of seeing my cousin hang himself from a bridge trestle because he’s near ruin.”
“I see.”
Cooper moved away from the window and took her in his arms. “Calm down now. I love you. You’ve given me hope when I needed it the most.”
The weekend after the Fourth of July, Cooper asked Mills to accompany him to his Combahee property. Prior to leaving, they did a final walk through the new boat house with Fritz. Beaming with satisfaction, Fritz pointed out the features of the new building—the mahogany and teak construction gleamed with perfection. Prior to his departure, he said with his usual formality, “Miss Taylor, stay away from yellow jackets and my best wishes with the foundation work.” Then with a tip of his hat, Fritz said goodbye and left the Edisto.
After Fritz had gone, Cooper and Mills began their trip to his Combahee property. On the drive south on the Savannah Highway, Cooper was unusually quiet. What’s on his mind?
Mills put her hand on top of his. “Is there something wrong?”
A slight smile came to his face. “I’m all right,” he responded.
When they reached the Combahee property, Vern’s truck was not in the driveway, but the cats were in their protective positions on the front porch. Cooper opened the gate to his property, and they drove down the lane to his cabin.
During the afternoon, they explored the old farmhouse and took a walk around the property. Cooper held her hand and kissed her palm several times, but said very little. After they made dinner, he played an oldies station out of Savannah on the radio, and they danced on the screened porch. He began to kiss her as they held one another, and he lifted her in his arms and carried her into the bedroom.
When she woke in the morning, Cooper was no longer with her. She put on a robe and left the bedroom to find him. He was standing on the porch, staring out to the river. She put her arms around his waist. “I’m worried about you. Why are you so quiet?”
He turned to face her. “My father and brother were killed twenty years ago today.”
“Cooper, I’m so sorry. I had no idea. Do you want to talk about it?”
He led her to a couch and pulled her into a seat beside him. He took a deep breath and said, “We were two days at sea, having sailed from Harbour Island, Eleuthera. In the late afternoon, a storm began to build west of our position, and Jeff and I were on deck. The odd thing about the storm clouds was their appearance was nearly white, not the dark clouds you see with most thunderstorms. Then we began to see the strangest wall of white coming toward us. We realized that the wall was a wave, or in our case, a series of freak waves. My father told Jeff to put on a life jacket, but he was frozen in place. I guess he was too stunned to react.”
“What happened then?”
“My father and Beau went in to the cabin to make a Mayday call, and I yelled to them about the wave—the wall was almost on us. The first wave knocked Jeff in the water, and I left the helm to save him. While I was in the ocean, another wall of water came across the bow and rolled the sailboat on her side. She began to take on water, and during the height of the storm, I could not get back to the cabin to save them.”
Tears formed in his eyes and he continued, “We didn’t realize it, but my father had made a successful Mayday call, and after several hours, help arrived. I felt so helpless while Jeff and I waited beside the capsized boat to be rescued.” He wiped his face with the back of his hand. “I will never forget that wall of water bearing down on us.”
As Mills took Cooper in her arms, she knew he was allowing her knowledge of his most deeply held secrets.
In the afternoon, Vern Adams came down to the cabin to check on the premises. Cooper invited him inside, and he initially had a look of astonishment, which changed to a smile when he saw Mills. “Miss Taylor, how nice to see you again. I saw the gate open, and I just wanted to make sure everything was all right.”
“Vern, thanks for coming. I should have phoned to let you know we’d be here this weekend.”
“Not to worry.” Vern paused for a moment and then asked, “Cooper, why don’t yo
u and Miss Taylor join us for dinner tonight? My wife’s not been feeling well lately, and I think your company would lift her spirits.”
“That’s a nice gesture. What time would you like for us to come?”
“How about seven?”
“Can we bring anything?”
“Just yourselves.”
That evening, Mrs. Adams greeted Cooper and Mills at the door. As they walked into the living room, Mills noticed the shrine to their son was unchanged from her last visit. Mr. Adams rose from his seat to shake Cooper’s hand and thanked them for coming to dinner.
“Cooper, have you been doing any fishing? It won’t be long before the tarpon start running.”
“We’ve mostly had success with redfish and sheepshead.”
“Say—you ought to try the Broad and Chechessee Rivers near Beaufort for tarpon. I’ve done well there in the past.”
Mrs. Adams came into the living room. “I’ve got dinner on the buffet; please join us for the blessing in the dining room.”
They joined hands in prayer, and Mr. Adams led the prayer for the meal. Before he finished, he prayed for his son, killed long ago in Vietnam.
When Mr. Adams said, “Amen,” Mills looked at Mrs. Adams, who seemed deep in thought. Her husband touched her arm. “Mrs. Adams, are you going to bring the fish in from the kitchen?”
“Oh, yes,” she said rising from her chair.
When she returned, she managed a smile, and they filled their plates from the buffet. During the meal, Mrs. Adams contributed little to the conversation.
