Sensual Winds

He’d checked into the house for investment purposes just a week ago. “Just short of a million dollars. Nine twenty-nine, to be exact.”

“No! Slow down. I need to see that again. What’s inside?”

“Two tiny bedrooms and one bathroom still decorated in the seventies green and yellow. Been in the same family for four decades.”

He drove on and had to wipe the dopey grin off his face before she saw it.

“They’re crazy. They might get three hundred thousand, but not a penny more.”

He couldn’t tell her they’d already received three full-price offers.

“What took you to New York City?” he asked.

“An internship with Regents Cable. I worked for a few different companies and then Regents called. They had an excellent educational program that paid for me to get a degree, so I went back to school. Things are finally falling into place and I’m being promoted to director of special events.”

“Is work all you do? Isn’t there someone special in your life?”

She looked kind of wary. They’d never ventured into this territory before. Before, they’d been protected by the rules of his engagement to Emma. Now their status was different.

“There isn’t anyone, but I’m happy.”

Her gaze was intelligent and assessing. He felt like he was on one of the court shows his mother was fond of watching when she was home. Right now, she was in Cairo, sightseeing and having the time of her life, no doubt.

“If I’m getting too personal, just let me know.”

Doreen crossed her left leg over her right. “I’m letting you know.”

Lucas took a mental step back. “All right, city girl. I’ll leave you alone.”

“Thank you.”

The unapologetic stop sign had been thrust into his face, halting his forward trajectory down the road of her personal life.

There was time, he knew, but everything was happening at breakneck speed, and for some reason he felt the need to know so much about her. But he didn’t rush. He was sorry he pressed Doreen.

The silence stretched as he drove the back roads, cutting through the residential neighborhoods he loved to scout.

“That blue house looks familiar. I know that sounds ridiculous because I’ve never been here before, but the white spindles on the front porch, the picket fence leading to the curb…Is that the first house you renovated?”

How long ago had he described that house to her? Seven, no, eight months ago? How many conversations had they had since then? He looked at the house and pushed back his baseball cap.

“That’s the one. You have an incredible memory.”

“Are the owners still there or was it resold?”

“No, they’re still there. He’s a former mayor and she was a state senator of Ohio. My guys built them a garage last month.”

“Too small a job for you?”

“No, I was finishing my house.”

“Right. Sorry.” The tension in Doreen’s face was etched around her mouth and forehead. “What’s that clicking sound?”

Lucas pulled over and shut off the engine. “Just wait a couple seconds and look in that direction.”

“It sounds like a herd of horses.”

“When have you ever heard a herd of horses?” he teased.

“On TV.”

“Just watch. Listen.” He touched her shoulder, his fingers grazing her soft dark hair. A man could easily learn to love holding the strands all night long.

Just as the thought shocked him, the rain had the same effect on her. It stormed up the block like the infamous running of the bulls, overpowering the truck, thumping the roof, causing her to flinch. Her shoulder bumped his and he chuckled.

Doreen punched him in the thigh.

“What did I do?” he protested.

“You’re laughing at me.”

“You should see your face. You look like a kid. Like you’ve never seen rain before.”

“I’ve seen it, but I’ve never heard it like this before.” They sat there for a few minutes as she watched it rain all around them. “I feel vulnerable out here. I left New York and it was a beautiful day, and now I’m trapped here and I can’t leave. I feel as if I’m not safe.”

For a second she’d scratched his leg with her nails, but now she held her hands in her lap.

This wasn’t a case of hysterics. Her fear was contained but just beneath the surface.

The clouds were ominous and the tide high. The storm promised to be strong and it could turn deadly at any time. Hurricane Ana had already proved herself to be formidable and had drifted back out to sea. No one wished for her return, but the Weather Service predicted she’d make landfall again in a couple days.

Lucas looked at Doreen, whose eyes reminded him of the time he’d been in Africa and had seen liquid gold flecked with tidbits of coal. He’d seen nothing more beautiful.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he told her. He knew his reassurance might not hold much weight, but she was here because of him. He had to help her get through this.

Doreen didn’t believe him. She folded her arms across her chest, her neck tilted and her eyebrow quirked up on the end. Words were unnecessary.

“Let’s just get to the house, Lucas, and tomorrow your babysitting job will be over.”

This was the first crack in her facade. “Hey.” He unbuckled his seat belt and slid across the seat. “Come on now. I promise not to let anything bad happen to you. All right?” Some of the tension eased from her body and she looked at him and then away. “Are we friends again?”

“Maybe,” she said, and he got the impression she didn’t want to hurt his feelings by calling him a liar to his face.

“Can I hug you? A tiny hug? I’m not trying to feel you up for free or anything.”

She laughed a little, her hands gripping the seat. He wanted her to trust him.

“Please?” he asked.

“Okay,” she said, and to his surprise she reached over and hugged him.

“Oh, my God,” he whispered. “I’m never going to want to stop holding you.”

“Lucas!” She was playing again.

Even with her protest, he still didn’t let her go for another few seconds, then reluctantly, he slid over and started the truck. This was the Doreen he knew. Always getting on him for something. “All right, we’re going. But you’ve got to promise we’ll do that again.”

She laughed, sounding more like herself. “I really do think you have a mental illness.”

“Why? Because I complimented your hugging ability? You don’t hug like a cute girl, with your butt stuck out and a pat on the back. Somebody knows they’ve been touched when they hug you. That’s really good.”

“Thanks,” she said, a sincere smile blooming on her face.

Thunder rumbled. “I better get to the hardware store before you have to swim back to New York. You look like you’re tired of Florida and you’ve only been here thirty minutes.”

“Swim? I don’t know how to swim. I began learning, but never finished. I need a refresher course.”

Her expression was so cute he could tell she was serious, although she was smiling.

“A refresher course.” He nodded. “Not sure they offer those, but you could just get in the water and start stroking.”

“I could try that.”

Thunder boomed and she jumped off the seat, her hands shooting up. “My goodness. I have to stop that.”

“You sure do.” He laughed. “You’re about to scare me to death and I’ll kill somebody.” Lucas looked at her, then at the road. Then at her again. “You’re too old to be screaming.”

“Lucas McCoy, how are you telling me I’m too old for something? I didn’t say that to you last month when you told me you chased down that ice cream truck, did I?”

“There’s my friend Doreen.”

She rolled her eyes and acted like she wasn’t going to smile at him. “Did you order some thunder to get the real me to come out?”

“As a matter of fact, I did.”

“You’re full of it. You didn’t know I was coming.”

“There’s that New York woman I’ve been missing. Florida women are so Southern and sweet. New York women are mean and hard.” He pumped his fist at her and she playfully hit his hand. “See what I mean? You’re mean as hell.”

“I don’t want to be mean to you. I don’t know how to be.” The words settled between them. “We need to talk, Lucas.”

He drove awhile. “And we will. Let’s give it a minute to settle in. Do you like hip hop or jazz?”

“Both.” Her nails were polished this pretty pink color, and he liked that. This was the land of white-tipped nails and shih tzu dogs and year-round tans. Doreen, however, was an original.

He pressed the button on the radio. “This station plays a little of both at different times of the day. The DJ—Holy Terror—is one of my best friends. His real name is Terrence Jeffries. Used to play for the Dolphins. He’s hard on women, but he means well, and he’s funny.”

“We’ve got some real characters in New York, too. But you already know that.”

Lucas turned down the volume. “You’re right. Let’s go ahead and clear the air. I don’t want what happened between Emma and me to affect what happens while you’re here.”

She looked uneasy. “I don’t want to know about your relationship. I worked for her, and that essentially ended today. It’s a formality once I get back, but she’ll have already moved into her new office with her new assistant, Carl.”

“All the better,” he said.

Assessing and direct, she stared him down. “What does that mean?”

“It means that whatever happens this weekend, you won’t feel obligated to report to Emma. She won’t pressure you into telling her what went on, and you won’t feel as if you have to navigate between two worlds. You’re not obligated to play the straight man for both of us. I’m sorry I even put you in that situation.”

“Oh.” A sweep of her hand sent her hair behind her ear. Silver hoop earrings slid into view.

“Now that’s it’s over between Emma and me, you can tell me if she said anything bad about me.”

She exhaled through her nose and intentionally blinked at him. “Lucas.” The way she said his name made him laugh. A thin line between patience and trouble. And she was short on patience.

He started laughing. “I’m just kidding. All you said was ‘Oh.’ I was expecting something else. Like ‘Thank God,’ or ‘I’m so glad I don’t have to listen to you two anymore.’ But ‘Oh’? It’s kind of a letdown, to be honest.”

Exasperation and relief seemed to make her shake her head. “Aren’t you supposed to be going somewhere?”

“Now you want to get bossy and evil.”

“Just drive before you get into more trouble.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Is it really over?” Doreen asked.

“Yes.”

“How do you know?”

“Because we don’t love each other anymore,” he explained as he turned to look at her. Over her shoulder he noticed the drains were full and made a mental note to call Stephen and report the blockage. Stephen Morales was not only one of his best friends, but also the deputy sheriff. He didn’t chance driving. Not now while his life was swirling with the water, spinning in a new direction.

“Then why did you want Emma to come down here so badly?” Doreen asked him.

“To work out our problems. I don’t believe in giving anything up easily. I have no siblings and only a mother left. I don’t want you to feel sorry for me, but I believe in trying to work out things that I start. If she had come down here, I would have asked her to stay.”

“I have a huge adopted family—”

“You’re lucky,” he broke in, wistful. “I’m sorry. That’s something I’ve always wanted. My mom’s away right now, but she’s the reason I live in Key West. While she’s alive, I want to be with her. Emma isn’t attached to her family. She doesn’t have a relationship with them at all. That was important to me.”

“Did she know that?” Doreen held up her hand. “Of course she did. If you’re telling me, you told her.”

“You know I did, but that’s all right. I feel a sense of relief.”

“No sadness, Lucas? I know I would feel a sense of loss or something.”

Lucas started the car and pulled away from the curb. There was a sense of loss. He’d built a house for a woman he’d thought he’d share a life with. “I’d be an unfeeling bastard if I didn’t feel anything. But it’s not as if I didn’t see the writing on the wall.” He drove in silence for a while.

“You seem so settled about everything yesterday. I thought you were going to take my head off.”

“Doreen, I was wrong for that. Really wrong. It wasn’t your responsibility to field our personal calls and referee our discussions. That shouldn’t have ever happened. That won’t ever happen again.”

“How do you know?”

“Because the woman I get with will never get tired of talking to me.”

Doreen’s fingers plowed through her hair and she tilted her head. He knew that move. She didn’t believe him. “And you know this how?” she asked.

“Because I won’t get tired of talking to her. I’ve got to change, too. I realize that now. Our relationship is over and the love is gone, but maybe that wouldn’t have happened if I’d given her some alternatives. I’ll know for the next time. And there definitely will be a next time.”

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