PosterBoyForAverage (17 page)

Pale sand. Blue water. Gray sky. The storms were still
lingering on their last day but not really hitting. They just hovered in the
sky with malicious intent.

“Last day,” she said.

“Last day.” Mike took her hand. “At least I gave you a few
days with a bunch of hunky men.” He squeezed her hand and then lifted it to his
lips and kissed it.

“I didn’t want it.” She turned to him, sand shifting beneath
her butt and the blanket they’d stolen from the hotel. “I wanted you to not
push me away.”

“I know. And I wanted to not push you away.” He shrugged.
His eyes were blue-gray today to match the sky. He stared out at the white foam
rolling in on the water. “But sometimes my life is a bit shaken, not stirred.
And the thought of a woman since the divorce, for more than dating and the
occasional dinner out or bowling, seemed overwhelming. Then I met you.” He
dropped onto his back and since he still had her hand firmly in his, Aubrey
dropped back with him. “And then I realized the thought of not having you in my
life seemed overwhelming.”

Her throat grew tight when he said it and though she felt it
was so very dramatic, tears filled her eyes. So of course she laughed.

“And now we come to the feelings portion of our program,”
she said. Then snorted. Then covered her face and gave a small cry.

Mike grinned at her and let her hand go. But only so he
could roll to his belly and gaze down at her.

“I saw you with Laura and I saw you with my boys and I just
saw you, Aubrey. Who is such an amazing fucking person? How could I not want
you in my life?”

“I’m your neighbor and that can complicate shit,” she said
and then covered her mouth again.

“But only if we don’t work.”

“And if we don’t work?”

“Won’t happen,” he said, brushing her hair back. The Key
West wind had different ideas and immediately threw it forward in her face
again.

“And if it does?”

“If the Universe frowns on me and decides to steal my
newfound happiness and peace?” He put her hand to his chest so she could feel
his heart beating. “Then I’ll move.”

She laughed. “That simple then?”

“The only thing I can think of,” he said. “It seems so
trivial. Worrying about not wanting to be with you. I want to be with you now.
I wanted to be with you yesterday. Last week. Since we met.”

She stared at him, wanting to kiss him, but waiting. He wasn’t
done talking to her yet.

“I was just afraid,” he said. “Some for me, mostly for you.”

“I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

“I know. But as I have proven, I can play knight. If the
time is right.”

“I agree.” She touched his face. It was warm from the sun
and his stubble was rough under her fingers. She loved that feeling.

“Shrimp,” Mike said.

“What?”

He pulled her into his arms and they watched the stormy Key West
sky. His arm around her shoulder, his breath gentle on her face when he turned
and spoke directly into her ear so she could hear him above the ocean.

“Key West pink shrimp. Wild-caught. Sizeable, gorgeous,
slight lobster taste to them. To die for. We have to have some before we go
home.”

Her stomach rumbled. Aubrey realized they hadn’t eaten since
some Danishes lifted from the complimentary breakfast bar.

“I’m in. Where?”

Mike eyed the stretch of food places near the beach. “I’m
willing to bet that any one of these fine pastel-colored establishments would
have them.” He laughed.

She started to rise, the wind pushing her tee up a bit,
exposing her belly. He caught her by the arm and pulled her closer, planting a
kiss just below her breastbone. His tongue darted out quickly but then was
gone. A mirage.

“What?” she said, a little breathless.

Mike stared at her. Stared at her long enough to make her
heart shiver and her belly tingle with nerves.

“A man could fall for you very easily, Aubrey.”

She snorted. Humbled and afraid of the serious moment. “Not
so far.”

Mike got up on his knees, cradled her face in his hands,
shutting out the whipping wind for a moment. “Yes, so far. Right now, in fact.”

Another kiss.

“I…”

His thumbs arched up and down the length of her neck. He
stared her down. Kissed her again.

Aubrey’s heart was banging. Her knees shook on the soft
pilfered hotel blanket.

“Have fallen…” He pushed her back, covered her with his
body.

She wanted to laugh because they were out in the open.
People were walking by. Not a lot, but they were there. Aubrey wanted to say
something funny like “public indecency” or “my pristine reputation”. Instead
she said nothing because her mouth was frozen and her body was tingling. Her
whole being seemed to be hanging on the next chunk of sentence.

“For you,” he finished. This time the kiss…the kiss meant
business. She threaded her fingers into his short wind-tangled hair and kissed
him back. For all she was worth. With everything she had. She gave herself over
to it.

When they came up for air she said, “Me too, Mike. I’ve
fallen too. But it scares me.”

He smiled. “That means it’s real.”

* * * * *

Aubrey managed to convince him to take a few extra pictures
to send to the Checkered Horse. She knew the pictures from the day before,
though visually stunning due to the gathering storm and his own
camera-commanding face, were amazing, they might not be what Gail wanted.

Then he convinced her to go grab some shrimp. Their plane
left at eight in the morning. He’d managed to trade in his ticket to get on her
flight. Somehow they’d come separate but would be flying home together.

“But we won’t be able to sit together.” She laughed.

“We’ll see. I might have to beg, borrow or steal to get the
seat next to you.”

Turned out it wasn’t that bad. They woke at four in the
morning, showered, made love once more and then rushed to the airport, Aubrey
checking obsessively to see if she had her camera gear and her work bag. Her
clothes could end up flying the friendly skies all alone for all she cared. As
long as she had her cameras and her tablet and the other work stuff.

She settled in her seat and prayed the flight attendant
would be coming around with coffee.

“Buckets and buckets of coffee,” she muttered.

“Pardon?”

She gave a start. “Oh my God! How did you get here?”

“Well, I had to kill a man…”

She swatted him. “Mike!”

“The seat was empty. I wooed the stewardess by batting my
eyelashes and voila.”

She kissed him. “Voila.”

He held her hand and the urge to check her bag another ten
times vanished. Mike put his head back and shut his eyes. She found it okay to
do the same.

The plane took off, coffee was served. They were headed
home.

They.

She smiled.

It felt good. It felt great. Until they landed.

* * * * *

“My car’s this way,” Aubrey said, slogging her suitcase
behind her.

Mike had offered to carry it but he was trudging along with
his own stuff. He smiled at her and she realized how badly she wanted to get
him home. Into her bed or her into his. Either way worked.

“Mine’s this way.”

“We can go in mine and come get yours tomorrow.”

Cold October rain slashed at her face and a plane bound for
somewhere rattled her teeth as it took off from BWI.

At the jingle, she said, “Your phone’s going off again.”

Mike set his bags down, digging for his phone in his back
pocket. “Jesus. It’s probably the…” His face grew intense.

“What? What is it?”

“It’s Chuck. I have to go. He’s…they’ve admitted him in
Hartford.” When he looked up at her, her heart sank. Her body felt too alert
and too slow all at once.

“I’m coming with you.”

In that flash she saw all his hesitation and his fear for
what she might be signing on for in his eyes. She gave him a brave smile but
suppressed the urge to hug him. His body language was tense and guarded, his
face a mask of quiet self-composure. He was holding himself together. She
recognized that look from the mirror and knew that if she went and tried to
comfort him and hold him it would crumble. And then he’d be angry with himself.
Not her.

Instead she simply reached out and held his hand for a
moment.

“Hey, I’m coming with you. Unless you don’t want me to.”

“I don’t,” he said, and her heart fell. “I don’t want you to
have to deal with this. But…” He shook his head.

Not the time to be sensitive. This is not about you. Take
everything with a grain of salt.
All of it raced through her head and then
he said, “But I need you right now, Aubrey. And I hope that’s okay. I haven’t
needed anyone, not really, in a very long time.”

She swallowed her tears. “I won’t get gushy,” she said to
him, though she only meant to say it to herself. In her head.

He laughed softly, pulled her in and kissed her. “You can
gush if you want. Now let’s take my truck. It’s right down this row and it’s
bigger and the GPS has the way to Angela’s sister’s house programmed.”

“Let’s go,” she said.

She’d call Bradlee and ask her to look after Batman for a
few more days. It was when she got in the truck to accompany him to see his ill
son in another state that she realized she loved him.

Really loved him.

It scared the fuck out of her.

But God, it felt good.

“It’s fucking cold,” he growled.

The truck had gone from chilly October rain in Baltimore to
a leaden sky spitting snow in Hartford.

The hospital parking lot was nearly as big as BWI’s parking
structure.

“Let’s hurry. I’m sure you’re anxious to see him,” she said.

They hurried up the walkway, her work bag weighing her down.
Her clothes could stay in the truck. Even though she’d give anything for a hot
shower and to change her clothes. But there was no way she was leaving her
equipment in the truck.

Which meant she was slow.

“You go, you go,” she said, struggling to keep up. “I’ll
find you.”

“Hey!” He stopped short.

Aubrey was amazed at the sudden vehemence in his voice.

“We’re here together, Aubrey. Is that okay with you?”

“I…” She took a breath as an elderly couple rushed past
them. “Yes, of course. It’s what I want. Why—”

He grabbed her hands and squeezed them. He was tired. The
small laugh lines around his eyes were more prominent when he was tired. She
wondered when that had become conscious knowledge for her.

“Then stop trying to separate us and make this about me and
my family. This is about me, you and my family. You are a part of my heart now.”

He said it off the cuff. He said it like she’d sneezed and
he’d said “bless you”. The ease with which he’d said it humbled her.

“I…Okay. I…” She shook her head, blinking back tears.

“And I’m an asshole,” he grumbled. “I should be helping you
but I have tunnel vision and apparently no manners.” He grabbed the bigger of
her two bags, then grabbed her hand and kissed her. “Now let’s go see my boy. I’m
sure he’s okay. I’m sure this is just a scare.”

“I don’t want to intrude.”

When he glanced at her, eyebrows raised.

She hurried forward, blinking away snow. “With your ex. I’m
sure it will take everyone time to get used to me. So I’m going to be right in
the waiting room while you go in and find out what’s going on.”

He looked worried. More than he had before.

“Let me be here for you,” she said softly as the large
automatic doors whooshed open for them. “But not make it harder for you, Mike.”

He set her bag down and rubbed his face. “I get it. I’m
sorry. I think my anger at the situation is coming out on you, Aubrey.”

“No.” She traced the buttons on his shirt as warm puffs of
air were piped down over them in the vestibule. “But you
are
a bit
intense.”

He grabbed her and hugged her. When the chuckle rumbled through
his chest, she smiled. “This,” he said in her ear. “This is why I’ve fallen in
love with you.”

“I—”

His phone went off again and he looked at it, grabbed her
hand and led her to the information desk to find Chuck’s room.

When they saw his ex, her heart kicked a little in her
chest. Mike found a place to set her messenger bag down, kissed her forehead
and whispered, “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“It’s fine, I’m fine. In fact, I’m going to sit here and
upload your pics. Check in with Laura about the dog. Maybe shut my eyes for a
minute.” She saw how tired he was. “I’m fine,” she said once more. “You go
figure out what’s going on. And if you need me, you know where to find me.”

She kissed him and a second later saw his ex watching from
the hall, her lips pressed together. Her eyes narrowed just enough to tell
Aubrey she wasn’t going to be wishing them well.

She turned away, found a seat and booted up her computer.
When her flash drive was plugged in and the upload had begun, she took a deep
breath.

A woman, small and birdlike who had to be at least
seventysomething if she were a day, wheeled a small cart in. “Coffee, hot
chocolate, tea?” Her candy-striped smock gave her away as a volunteer.

“Would it be rude to just answer ‘yes’?” Aubrey asked,
laughing.

“Oh you poor thing. What would you like?”

“I think coffee. Might be a long day.”

The woman gave her a coffee and then indicated she could
doctor it up on the rolling cart. When Aubrey had her two sugars and creamer in
the brew, the lady—whose name tag read Agnes—gave her a slip.

“This is for the cafeteria. They have real food and
beverages and it’s for twenty percent off. You look like a good meal might do
you good, honey.”

Her stomach grumbled. “Yeah, it might. Once I’m done here I’ll
go see about that.”

Agnes tsked, shook her head and reached under the cart. She
pulled out a small silver-wrapped package. “Don’t tell on me. These are
supposed to be for patients. But you need to eat something!” She slipped the
package of cookies to Aubrey, raised a silencing finger to her lips and said “Shh…”
as she pushed her cart along down the hall.

* * * * *

“Hey.”

Aubrey woke with a start. Her eyes didn’t want to focus but
finally she saw him smiling at her.
Mike.

“Hey, hey, how is he?”

“Good. Better than us. He’s resting and not sitting up like
you,” Mike laughed. He took the seat next to her. “I think they design these
seats to make you as miserable as possible so you won’t loiter.”

Aubrey straightened up, stretched and groaned. “I think I
have to agree.”

“Come eat with me and then I’m going to call you a car to
the hotel. I already called and booked us a room. It’s only a few blocks over.
I’d take you but Chuck is still awake and he wants me to stay just until he’s
asleep.”

He tucked her hair back behind her ear.

“But you don’t need to stay here all twisted up like a
pretzel in these torture chairs.”

“How’s Angela?”

“She’s fine. They think it’s just a regular old fall cold. A
bad one, granted, but a cold. So it’s going to hit him harder than the average
kid, but he should pull through fine if he rests and behaves.” Mike chuckled.

“Does he misbehave?”

“No. He’s just a character. He’s usually the cut-up when
admitted. Likes to play pranks on his nursing crew.”

She laughed. “Did someone say food?”

“Why yes, let me buy you a meal of the finest food the
hospital cafeteria workers can make. I hear tonight’s choices are minestrone,
chicken a la king or mystery meat.”

He offered Aubrey his arm and she took it. Each shouldered a
bag and together they wandered off to find the cafeteria. As they passed the
hallway Mike had been in most of the night, Aubrey saw Angela standing there.
Watching them.

She did not look happy.

Worry crimped Aubrey’s heart and heat flooded her face.

There’s no reason for you to feel guilty. They’re divorced.
They barely get along most of the time, he said.

And yet she couldn’t help feeling that Angela felt as if she
had some kind of brand on Mike. That he was still hers. One of those situations
where she didn’t want him, but no one else could have him.

It hurt her head to imagine trying to deal with the woman
right now. Not when things were new between them. Not when Chuck was sick and
fighting to get better.

Just not now.

She looked up to see Mike studying her. She tried to look
calm but tired. Nothing more. It was hard to school her face like that since
she’d just woken up.

“Are you okay?” They slid their trays toward the cash
register. She’d gone with corn chowder, crackers, a big fruit salad and an iced
tea large enough to dunk her head in. She needed the caffeine.

“Fine. Just hungry.”

Mike eyed his slab of meatloaf and potatoes. It actually
didn’t look too bad, Aubrey thought, but apparently Mike didn’t agree. “Are you
sure about that? I should have let you go back to the hotel and eat. But I’m
being selfish. I wanted to be with you a little more before you left.”

“I want that too,” she said.

A glance up showed Angela walking in. Watching. Pausing.

“Where’s Joshua?” she asked. It wasn’t easy to ignore the
feel of blood in the water. Aubrey knew she was the chum and Angela was the Great
White.

“He’s asleep on the pull-out sofa in Chuck’s room,” Mike
said, forking up some of his dinner. He was oblivious to his ex circling,
sniffing for weakness.

Which was exactly as Aubrey wanted him. This was stressful enough
without a girl fight.

“That’s sweet.”

“Never leaves his brother if at all possible. The times
Chuck’s been in ICU and they restrict visits even from parents, his brother has
pitched a fit. You’d think they were twins, not a few years apart.”

“That’s how me and Bradlee were,” Aubrey said. “She’s older.
A lot of times we were like twins—that close. Other times, Bradlee thought she
was my second mother. Drove me bonkers.” Her soup, though it actually smelled
really good, tasted like nothing at all.

She scanned the room and finally found Angela in line. Mike’s
ex must have felt her gaze because the moment Aubrey located her and checked
her out, the woman turned to glare at her.

She did her best not to wilt under the ex’s gaze. She had
every right to be here if Mike wanted her to be. And this was the hard part
Mike had been trying to protect her from. The unfriendly frost of Chuck’s
mother was much worse than dealing with Mike while he was dealing with a sick
kid. His love of his kids was one of the things she…

She caught herself. Her face must have registered surprise
because Angela’s eyes narrowed. Mike put his hand on Aubrey’s. “You okay? What
is it?”

She almost said nothing. Almost blew it off. But then she
started to laugh. The laughter was real.
It has a slight hysterical edge to
it, but that’s okay,
Aubrey thought. It had been a long-ass day.

“I love you,” she said.

A slow grin split his handsome face. She realized then how
much stubble he was sporting. Aubrey couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it. “I
just realized that I do,” she said. She laughed again. “I mean, I knew. I think
I really did. But when I realized it and that light bulb went on it was just…” She
threw her hands up and shook them like jazz hands.

“Crazy?” he chuckled.

“Yes, crazy. I feel crazy.”

When she glanced up, she was getting skewered visually by
the former Mrs. Sykes. So Aubrey did the only thing she could do to break the
evil witch’s spell. She waved to her.

When surprise lifted Angela’s eyebrows, Aubrey waved her
over. “Would you like to join us?” Aubrey called softly over the muted clatter
of the cafeteria.

“Good for you,” Mike said. His lips were soft on the back of
her hand where he planted a kiss. “She’s been staring daggers at you all night.
Good for you, Aubrey.” He laughed.

“Show your class, not your ass,” Aubrey said. “My mother’s
been telling me and my sister that since we were in kindergarten. I admit, she
had me scared at first, but you two have been split up a long time. This is not
my fault. And I respect her. I don’t want to make her day any harder to boot.”

“Nope. Like you said, not your fault.” He moved closer to
her and said up against the lobe of her ear, “If anything, you’ve brought me
some happiness. As far as I’m concerned, they should throw confetti when you enter
a room.”

She turned suddenly and kissed him. “I might have to put
that in my requirements. Plain M&Ms, no blue ones and everyone must throw
confetti when I enter a room.”

He cocked his head and stared at her. His eyes were tired
but gorgeous. “Wait a minute,” he said. “That might be the first issue in our
relationship, lady. What do you have against blue ones?”