I ran my hands over her back, held her hips, raised myself to her. We fused once more, rocked and rolled together, silent and intent.
Afterward she lay back, panting. I was breathing hard, too, and it took a long time to wind down.
I rolled on my side and wrapped my arms around her. She pressed her belly up against mine, glued herself to me.
We stayed together for a long while. When she started to get restless, the way she always did, and began to pull away, I didn't let her go.
She stayed the night and, as usual, was up early.
What wasn't usual was her sticking around for another hour to drink coffee and read the paper. She sat next to me at the table, one hand on my knee, finishing the arts section as I skimmed the sports scores.
Afterward, we went down to the pond and threw pellets to the fish. The heat had come on early for spring, overpowering the ocean currents, and the air smelled like summer vacation.
Saturday, but I felt like working.
She remained at my side. We touched a lot but the signs of her restlessness were beginning: flexing muscles, random glances, minuscule lags in the conversation that only a lover or a paranoiac would have noticed.
I said, 'Got a busy one planned?'
'Just a few things to catch up on. How about you?'
'The same. I'm planning to hit the hospital sometime today.'
She nodded, put both arms around my waist, and we walked back up to the house, entwined. After she got her purse we descended to the carport.
A new truck was parked next to the Seville. Royal-blue Chevy pickup with a white racing stripe along the side. New car registration sticker on the windshield.
'Nice,' I said. 'When'd you get it?'
'Yesterday. The Toyota developed serious engine problems and the estimates I got ranged from one to two thousand, so I thought I'd treat myself.'
I walked her to the truck.
She said, 'Dad would've liked it. He was always a Chevy mandidn't have much use for anything else. When I drove the other one I sometimes felt he was looking over my shoulder, scowling and telling me Iwo Jima' She got in, put her bag on the passenger seat, and stuck her face out the window for a kiss.
'Yum,' she said. 'Let's do it again soon, cutie. What was your name again? Felix? Ajax?'
'Mr. Clean.'
'How true,' she said, laughing as she sped away.
I paged Stephanie, and the operator came back on the line saying Dr. Eves would call back. I hung up, pulled out my Thomas Guide, and pinpointed Dawn Herbert's address on Lindblade Street. I'd just located it when the phone rang.
'Steph?'
'No, Mile. Am I interrupting something?'
'Just waiting for a callback from the hospital.'
And of course you don't have call-waiting.'
'Of course.
Milo gave a long, equine snort that the phone amplified into something thunderous. 'Have you had your gas lamps converted to Dr. Edison's miracle wires yet?'
'If God had wanted man to be electric, he would have given him He snort-laughed. 'I'm at the Center. Phone
