In a Heartbeat

by Carla Cassidy

  He pulled out a chair at the table and gestured for her to sit. “How about a glass of wine?” he asked as he lit the three candles that were grouped in the center of the table.

  She smiled teasingly. “Candlelight…wine…if I didn’t know better, I’d believe you are trying to seduce me. All that’s lacking is romantic music.”

  “Voilà.” He flipped the switch of a boom box on the counter and soft music filled the air. “I try to cover all the bases when I’m attempting to seduce.”

  He cast her one of his sexy grins and she wanted to tell him mission accomplished. The power of his smile alone was all she needed to be seduced.

  He poured her a glass of wine, then poured himself one and joined her at the table. He held the delicate glass up to hers. “To fate,” he said softly. “Sometimes it does something wonderfully right.”

  That was the beginning of a perfect night. Supper consisted of lasagna, salad and crispy bread. “I can’t believe you were able to prepare all this from the time you invited me to dinner and the time I showed up on your doorstep,” she observed while they ate.

  He grinned, the candlelight doing dazzling things to his eyes. “I have a small confession to make. Mario’s Restaurant delivers.”

  She laughed. “So, am I to assume that you don’t cook?”

  “Oh, I cook, I just don’t do it very well.” He sipped his wine, then continued. “I have all the patience in the world when I’m working with wood, but cooking makes me very impatient.”

  “I love to cook,” Erica replied. “I just don’t do it very often. It never seemed worthwhile to go to all the trouble just for me and Hannah. She’s always satisfied with something simple like a burger or grilled cheese.”

  “I could be happy with a burger or a grilled cheese…if I was eating it with you.”

  “Oh, you’re good at this seduction stuff.”

  He laughed. “Can you tell I’m trying really hard?”

  The meal was wonderful. Their conversation was light and easy. They spoke of favorite movies, argued good-naturedly about television sitcoms, and debated the pros and cons of several social issues.

  Erica found herself not only attracted to him physically, but intensely stimulated by his sharp mind and quick wit.

  After dinner, they cleaned up the dishes, then Caleb set up the boom box in the empty living room and insisted they dance.

  “It’s like having our very own ballroom,” Erica said as he pulled her into his arms. The song on the radio was a soft, almost haunting melody and the room was lit only with the candles that Caleb had moved from the kitchen table to a corner of the living room.

  As they moved to the music, their bodies cast long shadows on the walls. Neither of them spoke, as if not wanting to break the spell of enchantment that seemed to surround them.

  Erica had forgotten the utter pleasure that could be found in simply being held in a male embrace for a slow dance. But, as she followed Caleb’s lead, her arms wound around his neck, she remembered the magic of dancing with that special somebody.

  Slow dancing was an act of innocence, yet fraught with simmering possibilities as well…clothed bodies moving intimately close to a rhythm as old as time itself. Breasts to chest, hip to hip, their heartbeats raced a hundred times faster than the music.

  Caleb didn’t just move his feet when he danced. He moved his hips and his shoulders, as if the music didn’t just surround him, but rather filled him, and in filling him, it filled her.

  His hands moved languidly up and down her back, caressing and teasing. She could feel his heartbeat, thunderously loud as it mingled with her own. His breath stirred the top of her hair, rapid breaths that spoke of rising excitement.

  By the time they began their third slow dance, Erica felt as if her insides were on fire. His nearness intoxicated her and the knowledge that before long they would be making love further inflamed her.

  His hands no longer caressed her on the outside of her blouse, but rather inside the cotton fabric. His warm hands moved up and down her back, occasionally wandering down to her slacks to cup her buttocks.

  He dipped his head down to nibble on the sensitive skin just below her ear and she dropped her head back, allowing him to explore her neck and her throat with his hot kisses.

  “You can consider me properly seduced,” she said breathlessly as his mouth trailed along the line of her jaw.

  “Are you sure?” He leaned back slightly to look at her, that sexy grin tilting his mouth. “I don’t like to leave any job half done.”

  “Have you always been an overachiever?”

  “Always.” His mouth covered hers with heat and longing. When he broke the kiss, he swept her up in his arms. “I want you in my bed,” he said.

  “And I want to be in your bed,” she returned.

  He carried her up the stairs as easily as if she weighed less than a pound. Darkness had fallen out side and his bedroom was lit only by a stream of moonlight that danced into the windows.

  He placed her feet on the floor next to the bed and instantly she undressed and crawled beneath the sheet that held his scent. He undressed just as quickly and joined her.

  For several minutes they merely held each other and shared soft, sweet kisses. “We aren’t going to move fast tonight. We have all night long,” he said softly. He cupped her face with his hands. “You are so beautiful and being with you makes me feel so good.”

  His words stirred her as deeply as his touch. She remembered his toast at dinner, his remark that sometimes fate did something incredibly right. Fate had brought them together, two people hungry for love. For the first time in as long as she could remember, it seemed that fate had decided to be kind to her.

  She could think no more as Caleb’s hands moved over her, teasing and titillating. It was impossible to think of anything except the overwhelming pleasure his gentle touch evoked.

  Before, their lovemaking had been fast and frantic, but true to his words, Caleb set the pace this time, and the pace was excruciatingly slow.

  He touched her everywhere, finding erogenous zones she didn’t know existed. And she returned the favor, exploring his body with her fingers and mouth.

  Time stood still and everything else in the world paled except the moonlight, which grew stronger as their caresses continued.

  Finally, they could stand it no longer and the need for completion brought them together in a tangle of legs and arms and hearts.

  As Caleb had promised, even the actual act of lovemaking was agonizingly slow, achingly sweet and breathtakingly passionate. She clung to him, tears falling down her cheeks, as they rode the crest of desire together.

  Sated, they remained in each other’s embrace, the only noise in the room that of their breaths slowing to a more normal pace.

  “Wow,” he finally said, breaking the silence.

  Erica laughed. “Ditto,” she replied. She felt lighter, younger, more beautiful than she ever had in her life and she knew it was because of the warmth of his gaze on her.

  He reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “It’s good with us, isn’t it?”

  “It’s better than good,” she replied. She blushed slightly, not wanting to scare him away, yet wanting to tell him what was in her heart. “It feels right.”

  He nodded, as if he felt the same way. “I never intended this to happen, Erica.” There was a soberness in his tone that suddenly sent a shiver of anxiety through her.

  “What?” She fought for a lightness in tone. “You mean you never intended your seduction to lead to us being in bed together?”

  His smile lingered for a moment, then was replaced by a frown. He reached out and drew a finger down the length of her face. “I never intended to fall so crazily for you. There’s something we need to talk about…something I need to…”

  Whatever he’d been about to say was interrupted by the shrill ring of the phone. “Let’s ignore it,” he said with a groan. “It’s probably my well-meaning but irritatin
g sister calling to check up on me.”

  Erica laughed, rolled away from him and sat up. “We can’t ignore it. It might be Keith. I gave him this number in case of an emergency.” She reached across Caleb and fumbled for the phone. “If it’s your sister, you can explain why a woman answered your phone,” she exclaimed, then said hello into the receiver.

  “Erica?” Keith’s voice chased away any laughter that might have been left in her. “Don’t panic,” he said, instantly creating a wave of fear inside her. “We’re at the Memorial Hospital and…”

  Erica didn’t wait for him to say anything further. She slammed down the receiver, already grabbing her clothes.

  “Erica…who was it?” Caleb got up from the bed and reached for his jeans.

  She pulled her blouse on, her fingers fumbling with the buttons. “That was Keith. They’re at the Memorial Hospital.”

  “What happened?” Caleb grabbed his shirt.

  “I don’t know.” She stared at him a moment, her mind blank except for one mute scream of terror. Hannah! Her name reverberated in Erica’s mind. What had happened? Dear God…was she all right? “I…I have to go. I have to get to the hospital.”

  “Come on.” Caleb wrapped an arm around her. “I’ll drive you.”

  Chapter 10

  Caleb had never seen a woman shut herself off so effectively. As he drove Erica to the hospital, he marveled at how quickly she’d transformed from a laughing, warm, accessible woman to a tense, withdrawn, isolated one.

  He reached across the seat and took her hand. It was cold, and unresponsive, neither welcoming nor avoiding his touch. Nor did she look at him, but rather kept her gaze focused intently out the front window.

  Fear. Her fear filled the car. Caleb was scared, too. Scared for Hannah, scared for Erica. But he knew they had too little information to allow that fear to get blown all out of proportion.

  He wanted to comfort Erica, but didn’t have the words. Without knowing exactly why Keith had called from the hospital, he knew nothing he could say would provide any comfort at all.

  She finally spoke, breaking the tension. “Can’t you go any faster?”

  “I’m driving as fast as I can,” he returned. He put his hand back on the steering wheel, realizing his touch brought her no solace. It was as if she didn’t know how to accept a comforting touch. “I’d rather arrive at the hospital in my car than in an ambulance following an accident.”

  She closed her eyes, as if suffering some enormous inner pain. “Please…just hurry.”

  He stepped on the accelerator, going as fast as he dared. For a moment they were both silent, the only noise the squeal of the tires as he turned corners.

  “Erica,” he said, needing to say something, anything that would help alleviate the tension that rolled off her. “Maybe it’s something simple, not her heart at all.” She didn’t reply, and he continued, “Maybe Keith got sick, or Amy. It could be a dozen different things. It doesn’t have to be her heart.”

  She turned and looked at him, her eyes drowning pools of despair. “It’s not Keith or Amy, or any of their children. It’s Hannah. I know it is. I feel it in my heart.”

  Despair ached inside Caleb. Could her mother’s instinct be right? Dear God, he didn’t want it to be Hannah’s heart…for all the right reasons…and for all the wrong ones.

  He didn’t want it to be her heart because he couldn’t imagine either her or Erica having to go through the uncertainty, the fear of another bout of illness. He didn’t want it to be her heart because he knew if she’d already had a heart transplant, there were few options left for her.

  He adored the little munchkin and couldn’t imagine the world without her in it. Finally, he didn’t want it to be her heart because it was Katie’s heart, and if it quit working altogether then Katie’s death would mean nothing but pain.

  “I should have never let her go.” Erica’s voice was little more than a pained whisper. “She wasn’t ready. It was too much for her.”

  Caleb wanted to protest, but he bit the inside of his mouth, realizing now wasn’t the time. When they found out what had happened, then they could sort out the rest of it.

  The tires squealed in protest as he turned into the hospital lot and parked before the emergency-room entrance. Before the engine had completely shut off, they both were out of the car and running toward the hospital door.

  Keith and his two daughters and son were in the waiting room. Caleb’s heart jumped into his throat as he realized it was obviously Hannah who had brought them all here. Keith stood and met them as they entered.

  “Where’s Hannah?” Erica asked tersely.

  “She’s back with the doctor. Amy’s with her.”

  Erica whirled around, obviously intent on going through the swinging doors to find her daughter. Keith grabbed her arm and stopped her before she could take two steps.

  “You didn’t let me explain on the phone,” Keith said with a touch of impatience.

  “What happened?” Caleb asked, noting that in the fluorescent overhead lights Erica’s face looked positively bloodless.

  She pulled away from Keith’s grip and faced him impatiently. “Explain what?”

  “It’s not her heart.”

  Erica stared at him blankly and relief soared through Caleb. “Wha.. what do you mean?” Erica asked.

  Keith raked a hand through his short, dark hair. “It’s her chin.”

  “Her chin?” Erica stared at him as if he were suddenly spouting a foreign language.

  “We were getting the kids ready for bed and Samantha was chasing Hannah and Hannah fell and hit her chin on the edge of the coffee table.”

  Tears suddenly shimmered in Erica’s eyes. “Her chin?” she echoed again, visibly sagging in relief.

  “I’m sorry, Erica.” Keith looked miserable. “It was an accident.”

  “I have to go to her.” Erica turned and headed for the swinging doors. This time nobody stopped her.

  As she disappeared, Keith released a long, deep sigh. “One step forward…two steps back. I suppose it will probably be another six years before Hannah gets to come over to our house again to play.”

  “Surely not,” Caleb replied. “Erica was understandably upset, but I’m sure she realizes that accidents happen when you have children.”

  Keith snorted. “You don’t know Erica as well as I thought you did.” He gestured toward the plastic chairs. “Why don’t we sit.”

  Caleb nodded and the two men sat side by side. Nearby Keith’s children were reading books, seemingly oblivious to the adults’ conversation. “Once she sees that Hannah is fine, I’m sure Erica will be okay.”

  Keith rubbed his forehead tiredly. “I hope you’re right. I feel so terrible about all this.”

  At that moment Amy entered the waiting room and both Caleb and Keith stood once again. “Erica is with Hannah. They’re still waiting for a doctor to see Hannah. Erica says we might as well take the kids and go on home.” She touched Keith’s arm, a loving touch of support. “I didn’t have the nerve to ask her if Hannah could come back to our house to finish out the night.”

  “Probably just as well,” Keith replied. He dug into his pants pocket and handed Amy a set of keys. “You take the kids and go on home. I’ll stay here until they finish up.”

  “How will you get home?” Amy asked.

  “I can take him,” Caleb offered.

  Caleb watched as Amy kissed Keith, then Keith kissed all his kids good-night. A few moments later Keith and Caleb were alone in the waiting room. Caleb sat as Keith paced back and forth in the small confines.

  “I think I’ll go find some coffee,” he finally said. “Would you like some?”

  Caleb shook his head. “No, thanks. I’m fine.”

  Keith left and Caleb leaned his head back against the wall…thinking. Now that the worry about Hannah was gone, his mind whirled over the evening he had spent with Erica.

  Magic. There was no other way to describe it. It hadn’t been ju
st the physical pleasure of making love to her. The magic had come from more than that. It had come from the music of her laughter, the sharpness of her wit. She stimulated him on all levels. She made him believe in life again…in love again.

  One thing had become crystal clear to him this evening. As he’d taken Erica on the tour of the house, he’d realized that no matter what the future held for the two of them, the house belonged to her. Her ownership of it had been with him during every bit of work that had been accomplished.

  The child’s room, where he had spent so much time and attention had been for Hannah. It hadn’t been a room for Katie. Katie would have wanted a canopy bed, not bunks with a jungle gym. In the back of his mind, he’d known what he was doing all along.

  He also realized now that in paying for all the work to be done on Erica’s little house, he’d subconsciously been preparing it for a new renter. One way or another, no matter where their relationship took them, Erica and Hannah would have their dream house.

  He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. The scent of the emergency room touched a jarring chord inside him. He hadn’t been in a hospital since the day of Katie’s death. It was a smell of stale coffee and antiseptic, of blood and pain. For him it would always smell like death.

  Snapping open his eyes, he stretched his arms overhead, sloughing off old memories. Tonight he was far away from the pain of his past. Tonight he was here for Erica and for Hannah.

  Keith returned a few minutes later, a cup of steaming coffee in hand. He sat back down next to Caleb and blew across the top of the fragrant brew. “I got lucky. They had just made a fresh pot.”

  He took a sip and sighed. “I can’t tell you how much bad hospital coffee I’ve drunk over the last six years.”

  “You spent a lot of time at hospitals with Hannah?”

  Keith frowned. “I spent a lot of time in waiting rooms, but not necessarily with Hannah or Erica. I was there…but I don’t think Erica even realized it.” His frown deepened. “I was there, but she went through all of it alone.”