Connelly's Flame (29 page)

“Love you, too, Baby.” Ross said as he heard her say to Dezarae that she was going outside to play

with Haley.

“Hello, Ross,” Dezarae’s unintentionally sultry voice reached him.

“Tell me I’m wrong,” his voice cut her to the bone.

“About what?” Dezarae closed her eyes as she knew that now he knew.

“Why did you sell your car?”

“Jack wanted it,” she said as her fingers twirled nervously in her hair.

“Tell me you didn’t stick your nose into my business.” His words begged.

“If you are asking if I put the money in that account, then yes, I did,” she blurted out.

“What made you think I needed or wanted your help?” He swore. “Damn it, I was handling things

just fine on my own. I didn’t need to have your interference.”

Tears filled her eyes. “You know what? Just shut up. I did it because I felt like Charmane should be

with you instead of her mother. I don’t give a damn that you didn’t want my help. It was my decision to

make and I did what I thought was best.”

“You made it seem like I can’t take care of my own child,” he yelled back. “Way to make me feel

like a ball-less wonder. Thanks for taking away my manhood.” His words cut her to the quick.

“Get over yourself, Ross. It wasn’t about you or your stupid SEAL ego. It was about your daughter.

Your daughter, whom I happen to think is one hell of a kid.” Dezarae was screaming into the phone. “So,

fine, hate me all you want, tell me when you will be home and I will put her on the first plane there. That

way you will never have to see me again and maybe you can find your
manhood
with someone else.”

“Maybe I will,” he snapped back, stupid in his anger. Opening his mouth to begin again, he was met

with a dial tone. She had hung up on him.

Swearing until the people around him looked strangely at him, Ross ranted on.

“What’s the matter, Ross?” a voice broke into his tirade.

Ross looked over his shoulder to see the sparkling blue eyes of his teammate, Ernst “Ghost”

Zimmermann. “I found out who put the money there,” he mumbled as he walked out to fall into step with his

teammate.

“Well, that’s great, right?” the Chief Petty Officer asked.

“It was Dezarae.”

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CONNELLY’S FLAME

Aliyah Burke

As Ross leaned against the wall, he looked over the other seven members of his SEAL Team. All of

them were staring at him like he had lost his mind. “Why are you staring at me like that?” he demanded.

“We think you are insane for yelling at her like that,” Merlin said. “It is obvious that she loves you,

man. Look at how easily and without thought of her own life she takes on your child for you.”

“She interfered in something that was none of her damn business,” Ross snapped.

“She did what she thought best for your daughter.” The calming lilt of Hondo reached him. “A

woman like that is special. Think of how important Charmane and you both must be to her. You know how

much she loved that car and without hesitation she sold it so you,
you
could have your daughter and she

could live without fear of her mother.” His tone turned admonishing.

Ross didn’t want to look at it this way. He wasn’t ready to deal with the logical end of things. “I

thought you were supposed to be on my side,” he retorted.

The men looked at each other. Maverick, who was the most confirmed bachelor of them all, spoke.

“We
are
on your side. And since Dezarae is good for you we want you to be with her. You know how I feel

about getting married but it works for you. She works for you. Get over yourself and crawl on your hands

and knees if that is what it takes to get her back.”

“I basically told her she castrated me. How do I make that up to her?” Ross asked as his body slid

down the wall to sit on the floor.

“Flowers might help,” Ghost offered.

“Or chocolates, women love chocolate,” Baby Boy put in.

“What about a big ole sign that says ‘I’m the world’s biggest idiot, please forgive me,’” Tyson said

as he took a swig of his beer.

“Or ‘I love you, marry me,’” Scott suggested with an arched brow.

Ross scoffed. “I don’t think she would even consider marrying me after what I said to her. She was

crying.”

Stretching out his long legs, Scott shook his head. “Man, you love her. Go get her. I will give you

down time when we get back. Otherwise we are all going to be miserable.”

“No kidding. Look how miserable we all were before he got Alexis,” Hondo teased with a wink at

Scott.

****

return home had been delayed another three weeks and every chance he got, his fingers were dialing her

number. “Where the hell is she?” Ross asked his reflection.

“Give it some time, man,” a voice said from beside him as the image of a blond, pale blue-eyed man

filled the mirror. Ghost.

“Hey, Ghost, I thought you had a date. What happened?”

“That blasted woman stood me up. Left a message with the bartender to give to me. Something about

having an emergency.” He swore, “Don’t know why I asked her out, anyway.”

Ross smiled. His teammate hadn’t been the same since he had met Kacy Travis. Koali Cynemon

Travis had turned the once self-assured man into a frustrated one. “Don’t ask me how to deal with your

woman. I have enough problems with my own woman,” he answered, opting to stay neutral. Sort of.

“She isn’t my woman,” Ghost snapped.

“Right,” Ross said skeptically. He had seen the way his friend watched her whenever they were

around one another.

Narrowing his eyes at the dark-haired man, he arched a pale brow. “How
is
your woman?”

“Beats the hell out of me. I haven’t received an answer from her. I can’t get a hold of Charmane,

either.”

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Aliyah Burke

Ernst “Ghost” Zimmermann cocked his head. “Do you think there’s trouble?” No longer playing

with his friend’s emotions, he was serious. The whole team knew what happened.

“No, not trouble. It is almost like she is avoiding me,” Ross said, turning away from the mirror and

walking towards the door. “Not that I blame her. But I was hoping to have Charmane waiting for me when

we get back to Virginia.”

“Did you leave her a message?”

“No,” Ross admitted sheepishly. “I was upset that she didn’t answer the phone.”

“Man, you really need to get this straightened out,” Ghost said as he slapped Ross on the back.

“No more than you do with that little spice of yours,” Ross quipped. All he got in return was a low

growl.

****

overtime as he thought of ideas to fix up the guest room better for his daughter. It would be her room

permanently.

It was one in the morning and the air was thick with humidity. As he walked through the living

room, he noticed his answering machine was flashing. He pushed the button as he kept moving back towards

his bedroom to drop off his sea bag.

Ross froze in his tracks as the smooth sultry voice of Dezarae came into his home.

“Hello, Ross. I just wanted to let you know that Charmane will be flying in tomorrow evening to see

you. Alexis called me and told me that you were going to be home by then. She is flying in on…”

His mind didn’t comprehend anything she was saying after that. All he could think about was how

perfect she felt pressed up against his body as they made love. Her smile and the feeling he got staring into

those deep pools she called eyes.

Ross had to play the message two more times before he had all the information ready for Charmane’s

arrival. He crawled into his bed, still hearing Dezarae’s voice in his mind. There had to be a way to get her

back into his life, his arms, and his bed.

“Daddy!” Charmane’s squeal reached him before she did.

“Baby,” he said as he swept her up into his embrace. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too, Daddy. I have lots to tell you,” she claimed as she hugged him back.

Ross had a grin wider than the ocean on his face as he held his child to him. “Well, do you want to

go home first or eat?”

“Eat. I’m starving,” she exclaimed dramatically.

“All right, then. Let’s go eat; what are you in the mood for?”

Charmane moved to pick up her two bags as they were carried past by the conveyor belt. “Ribs!”

His gray eyes sparkled as he watched his daughter. The change in her was amazing. Taking the bags

from her he said, “Ribs it is, then.” Ross led the way to his car.

“I know it doesn’t look like much now, but we can fix it up for you,” Ross said as he opened the

door to Charmane’s new room. They had stuffed themselves at dinner, then opted to go for dessert and walk

along the ocean. Now they were full and tired for it was midnight.

Big brown eyes took in the attempts her father had made to turn it into a room for her. “I love it. It

will be perfect.” She set her backpack down, opened it, and pulled out a picture frame which she set on the

dresser and unfolded it. A tri-frame.

Ross’s breath caught in his throat as he saw them. It held pictures of Charmane and Dezarae.

In one they were in front of her Shelby Mustang. Each of them had one hand on the first-place

trophy and had huge grins. In their free hands were drink bottles. Champagne in Dezarae’s hand and Coke in

Charmane’s.

The other end one was of the women goofing off in front of the shop. Charmane was poised like a

bodybuilder and Dezarae had the top half of her coveralls hanging down, showing off her tank top and strong

arms. She was balancing a large power tool over one shoulder.

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It was the middle photo that he loved the most. This was how he remembered Dezarae. She had a

gentle smile on her face, eyes crinkling at the corners. She had one arm around Charmane and they were

standing in front of her house.

“Great pics, aren’t they, Daddy?” Charmane asked.

Ross stopped in mid motion reaching for the frame. “Sure are, Baby.” He smiled at her, hoping she

couldn’t see the pain. “Have one for me?”

“I have lots more pictures with me. You can have one if you want.”

“We’ll go through them tomorrow. You need to get some sleep.” His words were said gently.

With a yawn, Charmane nodded. “Okay, Daddy.”

Giving her a kiss, he began to walk out of the room. “Good night, Baby. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me, too, Daddy. Oh, wait,” her words stopped him.

“What?”

Reaching into her pack, she pulled out an envelope. “This is for you.”

His gray eyes recognized that handwriting and his heart jumped. It was from Dezarae. “Thanks,

Charmane. Good night.”

“Night, Daddy,” she said with one more kiss for his stubbled cheek.

Alone in his room, Ross lay on his bed and opened the envelope. A printed sheet fell out and on a

paper clipped to it was a small square of paper in the shape of a car. Pulling the small sheet off, he read the

note.

I don’t know when you will need me to watch her again.

So you don’t send her there when I am gone

I sent along a list of dates

I know I will be away from the house.

Just call me when you need me.

~Dezarae

Just call me when you need me.
“I need you right now, Dezarae,” he mumbled as he held the note to

his mouth as if he could be somehow closer to her that way. It was very impersonal and Ross knew that she

didn’t mean that last line in the way he was taking it.

Before he could change his mind, he had picked up his cordless phone and dialed the number he

knew by heart. One ring, two, three.

“Phoenix Restorations and Rebuilds, this is Dezarae, can I help you?” Her voice reached across the

line and intertwined with the beating of his heart even more.

I love you, Firebird, please forgive me.
“It’s me.” He stumbled over those simple words.

Her sigh was palpable to him. “Is Charmane okay?”

A wry smile touched his face. “She is fine. She just went to bed a bit ago. Thanks for putting her on a

plane.”

“She’s your daughter. She belongs with you,” Dezarae said simply.

You belong with me as well.
“Well, I was calling to thank you and to ask you if you would like to

come down for a visit. I know how much Charmane would love to have you see her new home.” He held his

breath as he waited.

“I don’t know if I can get away right now. I have a few shows coming up that I am burning the

midnight oil to get ready for,” Dezarae uttered.

Crushed she didn’t jump on it immediately, Ross looked down at the paper in his hands and smiled.

“Well, it was just a thought. Goodbye, Firebird.” His words were gentle as he pushed the button on his phone

leaving her with nothing but a dial tone.

****

things long past. Wiping away a lone tear that had begun to move down her cheek, she turned her attention

back to the car before her.

This was where she made a lot of her money. She had been restoring these cars and getting them

ready for the upcoming shows, where hopefully someone would like them and buy them. And it also spread

her name around.

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