Sheridan's Fate

by Gun Brooke

  They all laughed, and Lark knew she’d never been this happy. Nervous, true. But happy.

  “Sheridan, Sheridan, can Frank come out in the backyard with us?” Michael’s young voice pierced the gallery crowd.

  “Michael! No running in here.” Doris hurried into the gallery after her enthusiastic grandson.

  “Please, Sheridan?” Michael leaned over the armrest of Sheridan’s wheelchair and hugged her clumsily. “I can train him how to play baseball with you.”

  “You can? That sounds fantastic.” Sheridan ruffled Michael’s dark hair. “Doris, it’s all right. They can play with Frank. It’s actually good for him to socialize as much as possible.”

  “Thank you!” Michael dashed out of the gallery before his grandmother had any opportunity to caution him again, slaloming between the customers and art critics.

  “You’re sweet to the kids, Sheridan. Thank you.” Lark’s sister turned to hurry after her son, muttering under her breath as she left, “Three children. I must’ve been out of my mind.”

  “Want to go watch them play?” Lark asked.

  “Yes, let’s make room for more of those eager people waiting outside.” Sheridan turned to Fiona. “Thank you, for the lovely portrait. And for helping Lark not give up on me.”

  Fiona nodded slowly, her eyes darting back and forth between them. “You’re most welcome, Sheridan. I should say the same thing. Thank you for Erica.”

  Lark looked back over her shoulder as she and Sheridan made their way to the private entrance to her parents’ house. Her mother and Arthur stood with Fiona and Erica, and there was something so right, so happy, in how they interacted with each other. Lark hoped Fiona would find bliss like she had, to help erase some of the bad memories. Or not erase, perhaps, she corrected herself. Perhaps help to learn to live with the bad memories.

  When they passed the empty kitchen Sheridan stopped in front of her. “You look thoughtful.”

  “I was just pondering something you said to me, something that means more to me than anything in the world.” Lark knelt next to Sheridan and wrapped her arms around her.

  “What? And when?”

  “When we made love for the first time, you said something so unexpected, it’s been on my mind a lot this week. It nearly makes me cry.”

  “Then please quote me, but I don’t want to make you cry.”

  Lark buried her face into Sheridan’s shoulder and inhaled her musky scent. “You said, ‘The way you touch me. How you don’t let my fucking body turn you away…or turn you off, for that matter. With you, I feel like I can be well again, whole again, even if I’ll never walk.’”

  “It’s all true.”

  “I’ve never loved anyone like I love you.” Lark kissed Sheridan softly. “Ever.”

  “I don’t think I’ve loved anyone, period. Not since mother died. But you…I love and adore you.” Sheridan coughed and held Lark close. “So what do you think? Should we go out there and show the kids how baseball’s really played?”

  Lark threw her head back and laughed. “Just what these kids need, a healthy dose of competitiveness!”

  “Come on.” Sheridan wheeled through the house and out the patio doors to the backyard. She stopped and pivoted as soon as she crossed the threshold, her eyes twinkling. “Let’s go play, Bird.”

  About the Author

  Gun Brooke, two-time winner of a Golden Crown Literary Award, lives in a small Viking era village in Sweden. Cheered on by family and friends, she writes full time, both romance and science fi ction. Gun also creates digital art and is proud to provide her fi rst cover for her sixth novel, Warrior’s Valor, Supreme Constellations Book Three, coming from Bold Strokes Books in 2008.

  Books Available From Bold Strokes Books

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