After he recovered from the initial shock he smiled. “Yes, I would.”
“Give me a minute to park.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He rolled up the window and opened the door. I drove up the block and took two more right turns to my driveway. I pulled into the garage and went straight into the house. I met Ethan at the front door.
I opened the door to find him standing there looking sheepish.
“How’d you know?”
I smiled. “I’d recognize you anywhere.” I stepped aside for him to come in. “How’d you know I lived here?”
“I didn’t, it’s just the last place I saw you, so I took a chance.”
“No fancy FBI database?”
“No, I’d never do that, besides I don’t want to read about you on a computer. I want to get to know you in person.”
I smiled. “How many nights have you been sitting out there?”
“Just a few times.” He blushed. I raised an eyebrow at him.
“It only occurred to me recently that when I last saw you and where staying in the guest house that this might be your parents’ home.”
“You were thinking about me recently?” I said over my shoulder as I led him into the living room to sit down.
“Yes, and no.”
“I turned and was surprised he was standing so close to me.”
“I have never not thought about you, but lately you’ve been on my mind more so than usual and then I thought I saw you in the crowd at the Mayor’s Chamber dinner.”
“You were there?” I asked surprised.
“Yes, were you there? Wearing a green dress?”
“Yes.” I laughed.
“I knew that had to be you. But I couldn’t get across the room quick enough to get your attention and I never got a good look at your face.”
“Then why did you think it was me? “
“I heard you laugh.”
“Laugh?” I was appalled, I suddenly wondered if I sounded like a braying ass and no one had ever told me.
“Yes, your laugh, it sounds like crystal wind chimes.”
“And that is a good thing?”
“Yes, that is a very good thing.”
There was an awkward silence and I thought he looked like he wanted to kiss me.
“Please have a seat. Can I get you anything to drink?” I offered taking a step back.
“No, thank you I’m fine.” He sat down on the sofa.
I had a flashback to the last time we had been alone in a very similar situation. I sat next to him but not too close.
“So how have you been?” I asked tentatively.
“I’ve been okay.” He nodded.
I nodded. I wanted to tell him that I thought of him every day and of how the memory of him had gotten me through the worst part of my life. I wasn’t sure how to say it and I thought it might be a little much for the first conversation in six years.
“The last time I was here you were staying in the guest house; can I ask why?”
“I was home that week because my mother had passed away after a battle with cancer. I couldn’t bear to stay in the house, too many memories and all.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
“No reason why you should.”
“That is why you were drinking alone at the club that night.” He asked.
“Partly, yes. With my mother’s passing and me being an only child, my life got complicated for a while and I wasn’t looking forward to having to deal with all the legal aspects of that.”
“I see.” He nodded.
He didn’t ask for further details and I wasn’t quite ready to offer them. I was feeling very nervous for some reason. Like I was sneaking a boy in through the window or something. Like we were going to get caught at any moment.
“Why were you there that night?”
“My wife was out with her girlfriends again and she said she would be late. I couldn’t stand the thought of going home to a cold empty house again. And because, I like Charlie Pickens music.” He smiled.
“I heard that.” I agreed.
The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Suddenly I didn’t know what to say.
“So…” We both said.
“You first.” He said.
“I was just wondering how you have been?” I paused. “If feels like I haven’t seen you in forever and at the same time if feels like only yesterday.”
He smiled and nodded. “I know what you mean. I’ve been thinking a lot about you lately, not that I haven’t thought about you the past several years.”
I nodded and waited for him to answer my question.
“I’ve been okay.” He shrugged.
I raised my eyebrows at him.
“I pretty much live on caffeine and don’t sleep much.” He continued.
“Why is that?” I was curious.
“I’m not sure,” He paused and looked very uncomfortable. “I think it is because I was missing you. I wasn’t totally sure that was the reason until tonight.”
I felt my cheeks redden.
“What about you?” He asked.
I swallowed hard. I wasn’t ready to answer and yet it was only fair that I did. I had asked him first. “Well, it has been an interesting few years.”
“How so?”
“Well, after I inherited the family business, I had to try and run things from the Middle East. It was not my intention to be an absentee boss, but I was under contract and I needed to finish the assignment.”
He nodded. “Makes sense.”
“Yeah, but then,” I stopped as I was afraid to tell him. It was a completely irrational fear but still it was there.
“Then what?”
“I was injured.”
“Injured? Injured how?” His face paled.
“I was imbedded with a Marine unit and I went out on a patrol with them. We were attacked and...” I had to swallow hard. “We were all injured pretty badly. And one Marine was killed.”
His face looked stricken. “How bad?” His voice was hoarse.
“It was pretty bad. I nearly lost my leg and I spent nearly a year in rehab.”
He edged close. “I’m so sorry that happened to you, Kay. I wish I had known. I would have been there for you.”
I loved that he was comforting me even now years
