QUEENIE BABY: On Assignment (20 page)

"Can we stop at the store on our way?" I asked. "I promised to get Granddaddy some beef jerky."

He smiled and patted his coat pocket. "Great minds think alike. I've got his favorite. Homemade deer jerky."

C
HAPTER
S
EVENTEEN

THE RIDE TO the hospital was quiet. I remarked on some of the changes that had taken place since we used to roam these parts as teenagers. Rick told a few stories of old classmates he had seen since being back in the area.

"I saw Stacey Lynn at the track a couple of weeks ago," he remarked off-handedly.

Immediately my sensors tuned up. Stacey Lynn had been trying to get Rick's attention since junior high. She slept her way through most of the jocks when we were in high school. Rick was the one that got away. We couldn't stand each other.

"I hope she has six kids and stretch marks to match," I said spitefully.
 

Rick gave me a sideways glance. "Not even close," he said in a tone that indicated how wowed he was by Stacey Lynn. "She doesn't have kids and she just got back from some type of modeling in Las Vegas."

"Good for her," I said stiffly.

"Yeah," he said twisting the knife a little deeper, "we had a couple of drinks. I helped her through some hands of blackjack. We were supposed to go out this weekend, but I cancelled." Rick pulled the car up to the visitors’ entrance at the hospital.

"You’re a free man, Rick," I huffed, unbuckling my seatbelt and climbing out of the car. "Go ahead keep your date; I'm sure you will be very happy together." I turned and flew into the hospital. I found the waiting room filled once again with most of my kooky relatives.
 

"'Bout time you showed up," said Uncle Grover. He leaned in and whispered, "Did you bring the stuff?"

I looked at him like he had lost his mind. "What stuff?" I asked loudly.

He shushed me and took me over to a corner. "Your Granddaddy's stuff? He said you were sneaking some jerky in."

I rolled my eyes. A covert operation for jerky. "Rick has it. He'll be here in a minute."

As soon as Rick entered the room, Uncle Grover pounced on him. "Right this way, Rick. Granddaddy asked to see you two as soon as you got here," he said loudly so The Parents could hear.

Annie narrowed her eyes at us. She knew something was up.

Granddaddy was sitting up in bed eating some kind of pudding and flipping channels on the TV. "There's my Queenie Baby," he said happily. "Now where's my stuff?" he asked under his breath. Rick pulled the bag of jerky out of his coat pocket.
 

Granddaddy's eyes glowed. "Is that deer jerky?" he asked reverently.

Rick smiled. "Yep, from a deer I got last fall," he said proudly.

"Yee-haa," Granddaddy squealed. "The good stuff. Do you know how much I could get for this down at The Meadows?" He greedily put a piece in his mouth and sucked on it. Which was really all he could do without teeth. "But I wouldn't make a good jerky dealer. I'd be eatin' up all my product," he cackled.

After fifteen minutes of small talk, during which time Granddaddy had to hide his jerky from both the nurses and Anne, we were back out in the waiting room.

"So when does he get out?" I asked my mom who had been eying me since I walked in the door.
 

"Couple more days and they'll move him to the rehab wing at The Meadows. Probably have to spend a month there," she said looking from me to Rick.

"They're letting him back in The Meadows?" I asked trying to avoid her piercing gaze.

"Your Dad found out that Uncle Grover hadn't had his medication in two days. His regular nurse was on vacation and the substitute didn't have the right orders. The Meadows decided it would be in their best interest to welcome Granddaddy and Uncle Grover back with open arms," she finished. "What's up with you two?" she asked looking from me to Rick.

"Nothing," I said. Rick just shrugged.

"No," she said, “something happened last night and not a good something. Jesus, can't you two just get naked and work this thing out."

"Well, I tried, ma'am," Rick said with a smile, "but Diana's being stubborn about the whole thing."
 

I jabbed Rick in the side. "Get naked, Mom? That's your solution?" I asked.

"Well, it couldn't hurt," she said putting her hands on her hips.

"What's all this about getting naked?" my sister asked. She looked me and Rick up and down. "Oh, these two still haven't done it yet? Geez, you're not getting any younger."

I turned to Rick. "Can you take me home now, please?"
 

"Why are you running off so soon?" my mom asked. "You and Rick should come over to your sister's for dinner tonight."

No thanks, already got run over by that bus. "I have to get home to take care of Max," I said.

"She has a date with some other guy," Rick said bluntly.

I sucked in my breath and glared at him. "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess," he said.

My mom held up her hands. “Whoa, what's all this about another guy?" she asked.

Ashley chimed in. "Someone she met through work."

"What's his name?" my mom asked.

"I'm not talking about this right now," I replied stubbornly.

"The mysterious Mr. X," Ashley laughed.

Rick looked uncomfortable. "I'll go get the car. See you folks later," he said waving to the rest of my family.

My mom eyed me up. "I never took you for a field player," she said. "But I'm impressed. You've got a hot guy like Rick panting after you completely besotted and some new mystery guy you're seeing tonight. Not bad, girl."

"Really, Mom," Ashley said primly. "You shouldn't encourage her."

"Playing the field has a lot of advantages," my mom said to Ashley. "Namely you don't get stuck with the first guy that comes along and tells you you're pretty." Ashley went red in the face and turned on her heel.

My mom looked at me. "Doesn't mean I'm telling you to take your good ole time with this," she said. "You're gettin' a little long in the tooth and Rick is Dover's most eligible bachelor. He won't be on the market long no matter how he feels about you now."

*****

Rick politely offered to stop for lunch since it was almost one as we approached the bridge. I declined, saying I was still full from breakfast. Which was true, but I also didn't want to have to sit and make small talk. I had enjoyed our time together, but now everything felt strained. We pulled up to my condo and I checked out my car for signs of poop. Thank God Mark had taken care of that for me. I hoped Rick didn't insist on walking me to the door or, God forbid, coming inside. There was a good chance Mark was still here. I didn't need any more drama.
 

My phone buzzed, announcing a text message. I pulled it out of my purse.
 

Mark: Got Max with me. Didn't want to be there when Rick brought you home. Left you directions to my place.

I replied: Thanks!

Rick cleared his throat. I looked up guiltily. "Boyfriend number 1?" he asked.

"Rick, I am sorry about all this," I began.

He held up a hand. "Don't explain. Just listen," he ordered. "I admit I was pissed this morning. And frustrated by the way you dropped the bomb on our romantic moment," I tried to say something and he put his finger on my lips. "Just listen, please. I'm fine now. I've decided to take the long view with you."

I stared at him. "I don't understand. You're not mad?"

He shook his head. "No, I think the universe is trying to fuck with my head right now. Or maybe it's a test. Whatever," he waved his hand dismissively, "it doesn't matter because I believe that at the end of all this we are meant to be together. So go see your Mr. X and have a good time. Give me a call when you've gotten him out of your system."

I think he had finally lost his mind. "Rick, I don't know what will happen with this other guy. But I'm really not sure that you and I are 'meant to be.'"

"You will eventually," he said with a smile. "I have faith. Besides I'm not looking to jump back into marriage and all the trappings that go with it right now. My divorce’s not even final yet. So let's both take our time and see what happens."

I looked out the window feeling confused. "I don't know what to say."

He put his hand on mine and raised it to his lips. "How 'bout I just give you a call next week? Maybe I can come over to see you play."

I was still feeling befuddled. The Rick I used to know would have still been pouting or, more likely, yelling about Mark. This new Zen Rick was a little disconcerting. "I play next Saturday at the Pirate's Nest. It's in the Narrows. I'm one of a couple of acts. Some type of biker benefit."

"Sounds like fun," he said easily. "Oh, a word of warning. I don't really know much about it, but I overheard your family making plans to attend the Renaissance Fair. As a group."

"Please, no," I moaned.

He nodded. "They're talking about renting vans."

I looked at him in horror. "The Grands want to see you perform at the Fair. Or as Aunt Pearl said 'I want to see our Queenie Baby play the geetar again before I lay down in the grave.'"

I had a month to talk The Parents out of this idea. I can't even imagine that crew wandering the streets of Annapolis dressed as Medieval nights and ladies.

I smiled and leaned over to peck him on the cheek. "Thanks for the intel and thanks for all your help. I really appreciate it."
 

His hand caught in my hair and he pulled my lips to his. My toes curled as the kiss deepened. He pulled away first.

"Just because I'm taking the long view about all this, doesn't mean I'm not going to remind you of what you’re missing from time to time."

I climbed out of the truck and watched him drive away. For a second I almost waved him back. But I suppressed the urge and headed up the stairs to my condo.
 

I found generally clean conditions in my condo. A few telltale bacon crumbs on my couch. A couple of dishes in the sink. My bed was neatly made and the bathroom was spotless. Mark was a stellar house guest. Add in getting dog poop cleaned off your car and he was a real gem. A slip of paper on the counter listed an address on Dock Street and the instructions: Head over whenever you can. No heels, dress warm, can't wait to see you - Mark. The address was weird. I knew Dock Street like the back of my hand, but I couldn't place it.

What a day already, I thought. I decided to take a relaxing bath and wash my hair before going to Mark's. I grabbed a glass of wine on my way to the tub. Hey, it was the weekend, right? I laid in the tub and glanced around the bathroom. Not exactly as luxurious as Rick’s, but it worked for me. The condo seemed lonely without Max following me around. He wasn't a snuggly kind of dog, but he loved me in his own way.
 

It was after three when I got in my car. I threw my guitar case in the backseat just in case. As directed, I was dressed casually in jeans and suede boots, a long-sleeve t-shirt under a stylish faux-sheepskin vest. It was a beautiful day, but a little chilly. The sun was high in the sky as I pulled up to the metered parking area at Dock Street. I grabbed my purse and headed towards the Docks. I kept checking the numbers. The address still didn't look right, I thought, looking at the houses on my left. S23 Dock Street-what kind of address was that? Then I turned my head to the right and noticed the boats. S11, S12, etc. S23 held an impressive yacht that completely filled the space. On the deck sitting like the captain of the boat was Max. He saw me and barked, tail wagging wildly.
 

"Ahoy, captain," I cupped my hands and yelled.
 

Mark appeared on the deck holding a bottle of wine. "Welcome aboard."

I made my way onto the boat. It was even more impressive up close. It had an old fashioned, well-preserved feel. Opulent even. “Now this is what I call a boat,” I said as he helped me up.

“It’s Ed’s,” Mark said with a laugh. “I’m not sure we have the same taste.”
 

“Very old school Hollywood,” I said reaching down to pat Max. Max jumped up to give me a hug and wagged his tail appreciatively.

“It probably belonged to some old school movie star. Ed had it completely renovated a decade ago. I think he was trying to impress Marcie, but she can’t stand it. Now where’s my hug,” he said moving in closer.

I was enveloped in his arms. I breathed in his scent. Heaven. A second later he pulled away and held me at arm’s length. He was looking me over carefully. “What,” I asked, “are you doing?”

“Hickey check,” he replied.
 

I rolled my eyes, but lifted my hair to give him a better look. “Satisfied?”

“Yep,” he said pulling me back against him. His lips touched mine gently. “You smell amazing,” he said.

“Ditto,” I said with a laugh. And then his hands were in my hair and his lips were hard on mine. He trapped me against his body. My stomach flipped, my heart fluttered, I leaned in closer.
 

He pulled away. “We need to get going,” he said. “I have a surprise.”

I would have happily continued to make out on the deck, but I loved a surprise. “We’re taking this thing out?” I asked, looking around for a crew.

He laughed. “It’s not that big. I brought it up here by myself. Come on in and take a look around.”

“If you say so,” I said.
 

He was right. All the nautical gear looked very modern despite the polished oak and brass trimmings. There was a living/dining room with a table for four, a small galley-style kitchen, and an impressive master bedroom with a king-sized bed and master bathroom. The bed looked super comfy. The kind you could roll all around and get lost in.
 

“Nice bed,” I said.
 

“It sure is,” he said with a wicked grin. “Want to try it out?”

I cut my eyes at him. “We’ll see.”

He laughed and grabbed my hand. He led me back up to the deck. “We have to untie the boat. Can you get that side and I’ll get this side?” he asked.