California Dreaming: Four Contemporary Romances (27 page)

“It’s okay,” Sukesha said. “Go with the feeling. Let it out.”

Panic started to rise. What if she couldn’t get away?

“You’re safe,” Sukesha murmured. “No one will hurt you here.”

Annie gasped as a strong wave of darkness swept through her body. And then it was gone. There was nothing. The gentle ting of wind chimes blended into the soft sound of harps in the background music. Light streamed into her soul. She settled into the soft fabric and dozed.

When she awoke, she was alone. She slowly got up and dressed, feeling dazed. Sukesha waited for her in the anteroom.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“Drained and confused. What did you do to me?”

Sukesha smiled. “You were ready. You must be doing some work with someone else. A therapist, perhaps?”

“A coach. I didn’t think we’d done much yet. We only started a few weeks ago.”

“It appears to be effective. I tune in to the energy fields in your body. What feels tense to you can look like a dark orange-red to me. That’s the energy that needs to be released before you can feel better again. There are many areas of your body that need release.”

“But what actually happened? I felt … I don’t know … like a dark angel flew out of my body.”

“That’s a pretty good description. You let go of some deep seated anger and tension.”

“Why was it there?”

“I can’t tell you that. You’d have to remember it yourself. That’s why it’s good to work with a coach or therapist while you do this work as well.”

Annie paid Sukesha and made an appointment for the following week. On the way home, she puzzled over the experience. She wasn’t sure what had happened, but she felt lighter and the muscles in her upper back were less sore. Talking to Carol on Monday would be interesting.

When she got home, she checked her messages. Only one. From John.

By Friday evening, John still hadn’t heard from Annie. Maybe she’d been at work all day. He stared at the phone.
Ring, dammit!

You know, Johnson, your finger’s not broken. You can punch in the numbers yourself.

Sighing, he dialed Annie’s number. He knew Annie was trying to protect him from being hurt. But he was a grown man and he was willing to take the risk to fight for a chance at love. He knew what life could be with two partners who loved and cared for each other. Maybe she didn’t. He’d just have to show her.

“We need to talk,” he said after Annie answered.

“John, I … ”

“I know, you’re moving. I still want to see you for coffee. I have an idea. Can you come to the bookshop tomorrow?”

“Can’t you tell me what you need over the phone?”

“No, I can’t. I can meet you anywhere. It doesn’t need to be at the bookstore.” He felt her hesitation. “It can be a public place,” he said. “That way you don’t have to worry about being kissed.”

She laughed. “I’m not afraid of you. In fact, why don’t you come here?”

“Okay.” It couldn’t be that easy.

“David will be around to chaperone us,” she added.

“Oh.” It wasn’t that easy.

She laughed again. “I thought you were going to be good.”

“You seemed to enjoy being kissed.”

“I do. I enjoyed it too much, but John — ”

“There’s no such thing as too much.”

“I think there is for me.”

He let it go. She was like a mare that had been abused by a callous owner and he needed to be cautious. “I want to talk with you, tell you my idea. I promise there’s no more than that.”
For now.

“Then why don’t you come over tomorrow? David needs to rest and I’m feeling cooped up. Company will be good.”

“What happened to David?”

She told him about the soccer incident. He hung up the phone, glad she’d agreed to see him.

He mulled over what she’d told him. Annie wasn’t having an easy time — first her job, then David getting into trouble, and now this. She needed a good friend, not someone trying to get her into bed.

He smiled to himself. He’d have to show her that he could be a good friend
and
a good lover all rolled into one. He hoped he could pull it off.

• • •

The shining sun lit up her living room while Annie tidied the house the next afternoon. Although she couldn’t see the ocean, the swishing sound of waves floated in through the open window, soothing her spirit. The sweet smell of jasmine snuck in to entwine with the bitter aroma of coffee.

She’d decided to simply enjoy John’s company over coffee. There wasn’t much she could do today about the rest of it. The thought stopped her short. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed the moment without wallowing in her worries. Maybe the coaching and the body work were helping after all.

She looked around the living room and kitchen, changed the arrangement of her Delft candlesticks one more time and declared the space perfect. She swept back into her bedroom with a light heart. I’m in denial, she thought as she picked out the rose blouse to wear. But sometimes denial is a nice place to be.

I’ll pretend that everything will turn out perfectly.

Maybe it will,
said a new voice from her chorus.

David was on the phone with someone when she came in to tell him about John’s visit.

“Who’s that,” she whispered, pointing to the phone.

“Kerry. Have fun with your coffee. I’m fine.” He waved her out his bedroom door with a grin.

A half hour later she and John were in the kitchen, sharing coffee and the sugar cookies he’d brought from the Pacific Cookie Company. He’d entertained her with the latest of his store manager’s antics when he turned to another subject.

“Are you still thinking of moving?”

“Do we really need to discuss this now? I thought we were having a pleasant time without discussing anything serious.”

“Moving doesn’t solve anything.”

“You moved. Did it help you?”

“Yes, it did. The difference is that I dealt with my problems before I left Missoula. I was coming to a new life, not running away from anything. Or anyone.”

“Except for Deborah.”

“I had dealt with Deborah. Deborah hadn’t dealt with Deborah.”

“Is she still around?”

He shook his head. “I convinced her there’s no future for us. She headed back home on Saturday.”

“I haven’t heard back from the guy in New Jersey,” Annie confessed. “So I don’t know if I’m going anywhere. It’s a lousy time to sell my house and David certainly doesn’t want to move. My problem is if I don’t have a job, I’m going to lose everything anyway.”

“Come work for me. One of my long-time employees has decided to retire and move to Hawaii. I need a replacement.”

She smiled sadly. “Thanks, but that’s not going to cover my salary.”

He looked down at the table. “I thought it could be a stop-gap until you found something — give you a little income. It’d also give you some time to work on your music.”

She thought guiltily of the unplayed guitar in the garage. She’d never gotten around to purchasing replacement strings. John’s offer would supplement her severance package and unemployment and keep her afloat longer — maybe long enough to find a job to keep everything going. It would still be a struggle. Keeping her full-time job would be a better strategy.

“If the job in New Jersey comes through, I still think it would be best to take it. But thank you for the offer. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“How long before your job is terminated?”

“Less than two weeks.” She rose. “More coffee?”

She watched him study the tabletop. He was a good man, and, if she was honest, the sexiest man she’d ever gone out with. Were they going out? The thought surprised her. She studied his strong hands wrapped around the coffee cup, and shivered with pleasure. He must have sensed her stare because he looked up. When he saw her looking at him, he grinned. Her resolve disappeared.

He stood, rounded the table and placed his hands on her arms. “Then I don’t have long to change your mind.” He lowered his head and took her lips with his. She gave a muffled protest, but it was half-hearted. Soon she was responding, providing passion for passion. How much longer would she be satisfied with kisses?

A thud on the stairs below him made her pull back. Damn!

David came into the kitchen. An ugly scab had formed on his forehead.

“What happened to you?” John asked.

“Soccer.”

“Looks nasty.”

“Yeah. Are you that guy from the bookstore? The one Mom’s been seeing?”

“Yep.”

“Any luck convincing her to stay here?”

“I’m working on it.”

David grunted. A moment later he was standing in front of the open refrigerator. He pulled out the milk, poured himself a glass and leaned back on the counter, looking at his mother.

She stared back at him, not believing her son’s boldness.

David shook his head. “Good luck,” he said to John and went back downstairs.

“Nice kid.”

“I can’t believe he was … that he … ”

“Said what he felt?”

She nodded.

“Kids surprise you sometimes. Maybe you need to listen to him.”

“John!”

A slow smile crept across his face. “Just saying. I’m an outsider. You don’t have to listen to me.”

“Thanks for your opinion.” She stressed the last word.

“Okay, got it. Butt out.” He leaned over and brushed her lips with hers. “Keep next Friday night open. I’ll think of something fun for us to do.” He trotted down the stairs, whistling as he went out the door.

• • •

Curious about Beverly, Annie logged into Facebook the next morning and sent a message to her aunt to set up a time to talk on the phone. A minute after she clicked “Send,” a window popped up.

“Got your message,” Beverly’s chat began. “But I think what I have to say needs to be said in person.”

“Why?” Annie typed back.

“Because things get lost over the phone. This is too important.”

“Can’t you give me a hint?”

“I’m sorry to tease you, but I want to see you. I can be there next week. You don’t have to put me up. I’ve got a friend in San Jose who I haven’t seen in years that I’d like to visit, too.”

“I really hate to see you fly across the country when we can easily talk on the phone.”

“Sweetheart, I’ve never even met you — or your son. I’d love to spend time with you. Even if it’s only a little.”

Annie stared at the screen. What did she really know about this woman? She took a deep breath and typed, “Okay.”

“How about this Tuesday?” Beverly replied. “I’ll fly out Monday night. We can have lunch.”

“That’s only two days from now.”

“I told you — it’s important to me.”

Annie stared blankly at the screen.
What have I gotten myself into?

Monday morning Annie had her regular call with Carol. She told Carol about David’s soccer accident, but didn’t tell her about John’s job offer or Beverly’s impending visit, although she wasn’t quite sure why.

“Read me your list of job possibilities,” Carol said.

Annie looked at the wrinkled notebook paper. “Well, it starts off with consulting, and substitute teaching.”

“And … ”

“Office work.”

“Annie, read me the list. There’s no judgment here. In fact, wilder is better.”

Annie took a deep breath. “Surfing instructor, bartender, flight attendant, secretary, research assistant, babysitter, gardener. No, scratch that … I kill everything I plant.”

“No judgment. With the proper training you can do anything you want. Keep going.”

“Okay. Dancer, exotic dancer, stunt woman, movie extra, cabaret singer, flag person on a road crew … ” Annie read rapidly through the rest of her list.

“Good! How does it feel?”

“Ridiculous. I can’t do any of those things.”

“Why not?”

“Well, I suppose I could be a nurse, teacher, or secretary.” Her father’s prescribed list of female-appropriate jobs echoed in her head. “Or, I could find another husband and learn to be a better wife.”

“Wow … all of that. That sounds like old male thinking. When are you going to let it go?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m sure that was drummed into your head by your dad. How long has he been gone?”

“About twenty years.”

“Don’t you think twenty years is enough time to stop listening to your dad, especially since he’s dead?”

“I suppose.”

“Then why don’t you?”

“I don’t know.”

“I suspect you do know, but it’s buried in something that happened that you’re not ready to tell me.”

Annie was silent. She could play that game as well as Carol.

“So you were fifteen when your father died,” Carol said.

“Yes.”

“What did he die from?” The coach asked quietly.

“He shot himself.”

“I’m sorry. That’s really hard. Who found him?”

“I did.”

“Oh, honey. You were too young to face that.”

“I’m not sure anyone’s old enough to face that.” There’d been so much blood. Her dad had gone into the bathroom, sat on the toilet seat and blown his brains out. She’d found him when she’d come home from school. She’d dropped the books and stood there, unable to move.

She’d run around the house looking for her mother before she remembered it was grocery shopping day. She stood in the bathroom door and screamed at him to get up, even though she knew it was impossible. A neighbor must have heard her, because she suddenly appeared next to Annie and drew her away from the bathroom before calling the police.

She hadn’t found the note her father had left her until later that night. It had been in her underwear drawer.

“I can see why you hold onto his beliefs so strongly.” Carol interrupted her memories. “People feel guilty when someone close to them commits suicide, particularly kids. They wonder if they could have done something to prevent it. It sounds like you’ve spent your life in atonement trying to be the daughter your father wanted.”

Annie cringed. No matter what she did, she’d never be the daughter her father wanted. She couldn’t.

“Maybe.”

Carol let the silence linger. Finally, she asked, “What aren’t you saying?”