by Gun Brooke
Sheridan turned around and nodded briefly to the man by the door who controlled the electronics. He turned down the dimmer, which threw most of the Grand Ballroom into semi-darkness, and directed a spotlight on Sheridan.
It didn’t matter that Sheridan couldn’t use her legs anymore; she was every bit the president of Ward Enterprises and commanded the audience with a mere glance as she began her welcome speech in a clear voice. Her face illuminated by the stark light, its shadows and planes emphasized, left no one uncertain who ruled the show.
Lark sighed inaudibly. It broke her heart to realize how much she was going to miss Sheridan.
*
“Ladies and gentlemen, stockholders, senior employees, welcome to the yearly stockholders’ conference here at the Marriot River Center Hotel. I am honored to be here before you, after a year of great financial success, as well as amazing discoveries and inventions created by Ward Industries’ scientists. This year I have invited representatives for all groups of employees, no matter their duties, since I’ve learned we can’t function without each other.”
Sheridan paused for a few seconds to allow for the surprised glances around the room and the murmurs to die out.
“I also want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who sent cards and flowers, and who called to wish me a speedy recovery. As you can see, I’m here, thanks to modern medical science, as well as the people around me who supported me. The Ward dynasty lives on, and together we will greet the future with all the amazing things it entails.
“Let me first tell you about an exciting new development, a new medical research facility we are about to build in Louisiana…”
Sheridan kept talking, looking at her notes only a couple of times. She was inspired, driven by her rampaging emotions as well as a desire to prove herself, to show every potential doubter in the audience that she was back in charge.
Briefly, the image of Lark flickered by, and Sheridan nearly stumbled on her words, correcting herself at the last second. She refrained from gazing over at the far left where she knew Lark was observing her performance. Just knowing Lark was there, no matter their ruined relationship, was reassuring.
“I look forward to this upcoming year, with the discoveries and successes ahead waiting to be enjoyed,” Sheridan concluded. “This year has been challenging on a personal level, but devoted employees have kept Ward Industries on its course during my brief absence. This means that the company is strong, and its culture healthy. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is all that really matters.”
Thunderous applause hit Sheridan in wave after wave, energizing her. She knew her speech was much like a returning conqueror’s, and obviously the audience thought so too. Her eyes burned with unshed tears as the people at the tables closest to the head table rose, followed by the ones behind them. The standing ovation lasted for at least a minute. Sheridan drew a deep breath, as if she were inhaling the feeling of victory. This was it. She’d been struggling so hard for this moment and now she was back. Swallowing her unshed tears, Sheridan forced a broad, triumphant grin onto her lips. She was back, but under the euphoria of success simmered a persistent feeling that the achievement was devoid of true happiness.
*
Sheridan kept a half-smile on her lips throughout the banquet, knowing very well how her once-so-statuesque frame appeared to others now, after her illness. Fighting to remain upright, although she admitted the defiant posture killed her back, she moved the wheelchair skillfully between the tables toward the exit. Where the hell was Lark? She’d remained close throughout the event but was nowhere in sight now.
“Here I am.” As if on cue, Lark showed up at Sheridan’s side and placed a bottle of water in her hand. “And here you go. You didn’t eat much, and you didn’t drink anything.”
Glaring at Lark, Sheridan grudgingly admitted she was right. “Thanks.” She studied Lark over the bottle as she drank and noticed signs of fatigue. Her normally golden eyes were definitely dull brown, and her naturally pink, full mouth was pressed into a straight line. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. I can tell it’s time to go.” Lark didn’t attempt to push the wheelchair, which was impossible anyway since it had no handles on the back. She merely stepped toward the exit, and Sheridan was about to follow her when something hit her in the head from behind, making her drop the bottle in her lap where the water ran freely across her pants. “Shit!” The word escaped Sheridan’s lips before she managed to clench her teeth around it. Raising a hand, she felt the back of her head while she pivoted the wheelchair with the other.
Lark whirled around, taking in the situation in a second. “Sheridan!” She rushed forward, removing her employer’s hand from her head. “Let me look. What happened?”
A woman standing close by stared at them in horror. She was holding a square purse, with hard metal edges. “I’m terribly sorry,” she gushed. “I was adjusting my shawl, and… Oh, Ms. Ward. What can I do to help?”
Realizing it was an accident and not an attack, Sheridan began to calm down. She looked in dismay at her lap. Damn, it looks as if I peed in my pants. “Nothing, thank you. I’m quite all right.” Her lips felt stiff as her annoyance still flared.
“You sure?” Lark’s low voice, followed by soft fingers in Sheridan’s hair, made her suddenly forget everything else.
“Yeah. Let’s get out of here.”
Lark nodded and withdrew her hand from Sheridan’s hair, and the loss of the careful touch left Sheridan feeling robbed of something vital, even life-sustaining. Irritated at her dramatic thoughts, she nodded toward the woman with the purse before she wheeled out the ballroom doors. “You have the key?” she asked Lark.
“Sure.”
In the elevator, Sheridan leaned back in the wheelchair and looked at Lark. She was dressed in a cream, tailored, sleeveless dress, with a simple string of pearls around her neck. Her hair shone like dark copper. First I was a bitch for weeks, and now this last big fight…no wonder she’s had enough. Sheridan tried to disregard the stab of panic. And who am I kidding? I was always the company bitch. Still, watching Lark’s tired face, her normally rosy cheeks so pale and the smooth forehead now wrinkled, bothered Sheridan. The loving, free, and devoted Lark she’d known at Lake Travis barely resembled this strained woman.
“Let me check the back of your head,” Lark said when they had reached the suite. “That was one mean-looking purse. Sharp edges.”
“All right.” Sheridan refused to acknowledge how much she liked the touch of Lark’s hands in her hair. For so many months, only health-care professionals had touched her. And then Lark. Another pro, sure, but…she was Lark.
Lark carefully parted Sheridan’s hair in several places, examining her scalp. “There’s a small bump. Looks like she didn’t manage to break the skin, at least. Thank God.” Lark sighed.
Turning the wheelchair, Sheridan caught one of Lark’s hands, obviously startling her. “You still want to talk?” she asked, her voice stern.
To her alarm, tears welled up in Lark’s eyes, clinging to dark brown eyelashes like perfect diamonds.
*
Despite the fact that her vision was distorted by tears, Lark saw the look on Sheridan’s face change into an expression close to fear. She involuntarily stepped back, her nerves too raw to endure a closer inspection.
“Answer me.” Still demanding, Sheridan now sounded almost breathless.
“I can’t…” Lark held up a hand. “I honestly can’t. I tried the other night. I thought I could explain, but I…I don’t know what I could say that would fix things.” This wasn’t what she’d planned. A formal letter of resignation lay in her briefcase. It was the only right thing to do.
“What do you mean?” Sheridan growled, her fists rolled up and rigid in her lap. “I thought you wanted to talk, to explain.”
Lark refused to answer and stared at her hands. The black fabric clung to Sheridan’s legs, reminding Lark why they’d hurried to the suite. “You need to change. Wha
t do you want to wear?” She turned to walk into Sheridan’s bedroom.
Snaking out faster than any reptile, one of Sheridan’s strong hands caught Lark’s wrist. “Just a robe. And you’re not off the hook. You owe me an explanation.”
Lark stopped briefly. “Later. You’re soaked.”
In the bedroom, Sheridan slid over from the wheelchair onto the foot of the bed. Lark moved in front of her. Kneeling, she undid Sheridan’s shiny black shoes and tugged them off carefully while Sheridan undid her own trousers and Lark reached around her, ready to pull the trousers down as Sheridan lifted her weight by pressing her palms against the bed. After she pulled off the wet piece of clothing, Lark hung it neatly over the back of a chair. “You can manage now, right?”
“No. Stay.” Sheridan was clearly still giving orders.
“All right. What else can I do?”
Sheridan sucked her lower lip in between her teeth. “Is there a limit to what you would do?”
“As long as it’s in my job description, no.” Lark’s heart began to hammer in her chest.
“Smart answer. But then you’re a smart woman, aren’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
Sheridan smirked, sitting with her elegant, long legs bare; they didn’t appear painful and immobile at all. “Your job description is pretty arbitrary, isn’t it? You’re supposed to meet any of my needs. You even lied and went behind my back to meet my needs, right?”
Lark’s breath caught in her throat. “I can’t do this anymore.” The words came out staccato, Lark’s emotions burning through her like wildfire. “I failed you. I failed as a professional. I sacrificed my principles in several ways because…because I thought I had to. And no matter what I say or do, I can’t take it back. I can’t undo it!” Lark flung her hands in the air. “I don’t see the point in extending the pain any longer, for either of us. I quit.”
The silence between them seemed to stop the world.
*
Sheridan’s heart bled. She knew the phrase was a cliché and such things didn’t happen unless you suffered a coronary, but that’s how she felt. Life seemed to leak from her heart because Lark was going to leave. The dream was over and the last drama now a moot point. “When?” Sheridan’s voice hardly carried the short distance between them, which equaled an oceanic vastness.
“According to our renegotiated contract, I can leave with two days’ notice. I would have liked to give you longer to find a replacement, but…I just can’t stay on like this. But with the salaries you pay, you shouldn’t have any problem finding someone.”
Flinching, Sheridan heard the unspoken words. Lark didn’t have to continue. With my not-so-winning personality, it will be a nightmare. “Why not leave right away? Why wait?”
Lark seemed to calm down. “You need help. I know you’re capable of fending for yourself, but these upcoming days will be tough. I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have let myself get drawn into this conversation now.” She took one step closer. “Let me help you with the robe—”
“No. I’ll manage. Leave me.”
Hesitating, Lark regarded her and a range of emotions—regret, sadness, and possibly anger—flickered over her sensitive features. Sheridan wondered if she should at least be pleased that among all those feelings, none registered as pity.
As Lark left the room, Sheridan slumped to the side and hid her face against the coarse fabric of the bedspread. More loss. Can I cope? Can I? She stayed in that position for a few minutes, breathing deeply to regain control, before she sat up and unbuttoned her jacket and shirt. She pulled them off and tossed them carelessly on top of the damp pants. Not wearing a bra, she pulled the robe toward her and moved from side to side to wrap it around her body.
Sheridan pulled herself up against the pillows. As she took one and held it close to her stomach, she closed her eyes to try to ignore the physical pain, as well as the emotional torment. Her hands. Why do Lark’s hands contradict what she says? When she touches me, it’s as if she can’t stop herself, as if she wants to. Sheridan tried to rouse the anger, but couldn’t. Instead the hurt blazed through her again. From day one, Lark was always so professional and loyal. When everyone else among Sheridan’s staff either didn’t know what to say or do, or behaved as if Sheridan had not only lost the use of her legs, but also her brain, Lark’s calm personality was like soft cotton against raw nerve endings.
Sheridan refused to let the pain take over. Instead she kept her eyes closed and the pillow pressed against her chest. Burying her face into its softness, she willed herself to relax. If she just could sleep some… Drowsily she floated in and out of a fretful dream state.
“I don’t want to leave. I have no choice.”
Careful hands pulled the pillow from her arms, wrapping her in a soft embrace. “The truth is ... I never wanted to leave you in the first place.” The hands made slow circles on her back. “You’re all that matters to me. My heart’s breaking, and I can’t even tell you face to face.”
Sheridan moved toward the warmth, the hands, but couldn’t open her eyes. She tried to speak, but failed. No words, not a sound, came from her lips.
“You did your best to test me, to drive me away, and now I can’t see any other solution than to grant your wishes.” She felt a soft kiss on her forehead. “But, before I go, I want something.”
Desperate to ask what, Sheridan moved restlessly in the tight embrace--still wordless, soundless.
“I want something to remember. I want a piece of your heart to take with me.”
Sheridan tossed her head back and forth, frantically trying to communicate with the beloved voice. Finally she broke free, drew a deep breath, and called out a name.
“Lark!”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lark leaned against the backrest of the couch and examined the envelope that held the end to her life in Sheridan’s presence, turning it over and over between her fingers. So much had happened between them, and her decision to quit, rather than have Sheridan fire her again, hadn’t been easy. A small part of her kept trying to be optimistic, and its accompanying voice spoke of the closeness, the tenderness, and the fun they’d shared at the lake. The thought of never holding Sheridan close again, never feeling her pulse race with Lark’s own, provoked pure, white-edged pain.
Groaning, Lark squeezed the envelope, inadvertently wrinkling it as she tried to pry her mind away from her agonizing thoughts. One weekend, two more days, and this experience would be over. She’d go home to Boerne and spend a few weeks there, perhaps help out with the gallery and work with Fiona some more. And then?
Lark shrugged inwardly. It didn’t seem important what she did after that. Her work was important to her, but right now, she had no desire to find another job. She had enough put away not to have to work for years. Maybe it was time to go on a prolonged sabbatical. Travel, maybe. Lark sobbed, but turned the sound into a cough, determined not to fall apart. Not yet.
“Lark!” The outcry from Sheridan’s bedroom was bloodcurdling.
Lark flew up from the couch and dropped the envelope on the floor as she ran toward the bedroom. Flinging the door open, she stopped on the threshold and stared at the woman on the bed.
Sheridan was crushing a pillow against her chest, her upper body shaking as she was obviously trapped in a nightmare. About me?
“Lark! No!” The strangled groan propelled Lark toward the bed.
Tears streamed down Sheridan’s pale cheeks, the firm, curvy mouth trembling.
“Sheridan! It’s just a dream. Wake up.” Lark took her by the shoulders and shook her gently. “I’m here. I’m here now.”
“No more…” Sheridan was still trapped in her private hell.
“I’m here. Sheridan, it’s Lark. You’re safe.”
Nothing seemed to reach the shivering woman.
Lark embraced her firmly, unable to witness such torment. She held Sheridan tight, rocking her. “Shh. You’re okay now.” Then she heard a deep breath from Sheridan and
suddenly a profound stillness. Lark stopped rocking, but didn’t let go. She buried her face in Sheridan’s damp locks, expecting a terrible eruption for having the audacity to offer consolation.
“Lark?” The husky whisper was such an anticlimax, Lark almost laughed.
“Yes.”
To Lark’s astonishment, Sheridan raised one arm and wrapped it around her waist. “I’m sorry.” The scent of fresh soap and the faint musk-based perfume Sheridan used filled her senses. Lark tried to focus on what Sheridan was saying, but all she could think was how good and right it felt to hold her.
“I know.” Lark kissed Sheridan’s hair. “I’m sorry too.”
“For what?” Sheridan pulled back enough to squint up at Lark.
“For destroying your day of triumph, the day you showed everyone that you’re back in charge and back to stay. You worked so hard for this.”
Sheridan pulled free and rolled away from Lark, whose empty arms ached. Nothing’s changed. She still loathes me.
Patting the pillow next to her head, Sheridan gave a tired smile. “Won’t you lie down with me, Lark?”
*
Lark’s eyes turned a brilliant gold “What?”
“Please, don’t make me ask twice.” Sheridan held her breath while she studied Lark’s cautious expression. Lark, so strong, capable, and often surprising, looked at her with obvious apprehension.
“All right.” Lark kicked off her pumps and lay down. “Here goes.”
“So it does.” With a contented sigh, Sheridan let her eyes roam freely. Lark’s dress revealed more than she thought Lark realized right now. The top, where one part of the front overlapped the other and gave the illusion of a generous décolletage, fell apart, revealing a cream lace bra holding firm breasts.
Sheridan drank in the sight unabashedly. So luscious. Like velvet and satin. Farther down, the skirt of the dress had ridden up her slender thighs, showing off naked, long legs. No stockings. Oh, my.
