Escaping the Past (Wester Farms) (17 page)

She was fast asleep. At least one of them would be able to get some sleep. Brody closed his eyes, knowing there were not enough sheep in the world to help him get to dreamland. He kissed her gently on the forehead, tasting the salty sweat on her skin. He was in for a long night.

****

Brody woke at sunrise to a tangle of limbs. Lou’s head was on his chest and her arm was wrapped so tightly around him that it was tucked under him on the other side. One leg was flung across his thighs. Lou’s breath touched his chin and tickled his morning whiskers. He raised his head and looked around. He lifted his one free hand and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. The other was firmly planted under Lou and was asleep.

Brody looked down the length of their tangled bodies and noted the covers had shifted during the night. Lou’s legs were once again bare and one cheek of her bottom was exposed because her panties had risen during the night. He groaned inwardly and laid his head back, staring up at the ceiling.

The woman was driving him crazy and to top it all off, she didn’t even intend to. She was independent and self-assured yet she had these tiny moments of weakness like last night when she had the nightmare. She was open and honest
,
and she was sleeping on top of him. He groaned again. When he did, she shifted slightly.
Please don’t move. Please don’t move.
He looked down at her again.
Please move. Please move
. He had to get out from under her or he was going to go crazy.

Brody rolled sideways toward Lou, hoping to slide from under her without waking her. But with his arm asleep, that was nearly impossible. He rolled onto his side, causing Lou to straighten her leg that was originally across his lap. She was now stretched along the length of him, nose to nose. Lou peered at him through lids that were open a fraction of an inch. She grumbled and closed her eyes again. Brody slid his sleeping arm out from under her head and tucked a pillow under it instead. She rolled toward his body heat as he moved away from her.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” he whispered. “You’re going to stay over there and I’m going to get out of your bed while I still can.” He grabbed the covers and pulled them up to her chest and tucked them around her. He lifted himself gently from the bed
,
shook his dead arm
,
and flexed his fingers. When he could feel the blood moving again, he opened the door to Lou’s room and stepped out, running straight into John.

John took one look at Brody as he tiptoed out of Lou’s room and his face turned red with anger. “What the hell are you doing?”

Brody sighed. “John, it’s not what it looks like.”

“What it looks like? It looks like you are sneaking out of Lou’s room before the sun comes up! That’s what it looks like.” He paused. “Are you and Lou?” He motioned with his hands while trying to balance the crutches trying to indicate they might be together.

“No, John, it’s not like that.” He reached to place his hand on John’s shoulder and John dodged him, obviously still ticked off.

Then Brody got angry, too. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he whispered vehemently. “She had a nightmare, John. A nightmare! She had another of those screaming, wall-shattering nightmares. So, I went in to help her and she asked me to stay and ‘hold’ her for a few minutes. We fell asleep.”

“So, you guys are not?” John motioned again with his hands.

“Not what?” Brody asked, exasperated.

“Not sleeping together?”

Brody ran a frustrated hand through his hair.
“
No, John. We are not having sex. Is that what you want to know?” He laughed sarcastically. “We slept in the same bed and didn’t have sex. I swear to God.” He held up one hand to the heavens. “And to be honest, I got a pair of blue ones the size of my head because I haven’t slept with her. Do you hear me? The size of my head! But you know what? I like her. There. I said it. I like her. If I didn’t like her so damn much, I would have slept with her long before now. So, go back to bed, John. Lou’s virtue is still intact, thanks to me. Feel better?”

“Well…” he began.

“Shut up and go to bed, John, before I knock your crutches out from under you and leave you in the hallway.”

Brody turned and went into his own room, closing out John and the rest of the world.

****

Lou lay in her bed smiling, having just heard every word that they had just said. What a great way to start the day.

A bit later, after she had
already showered and had Sarah ready for church
,
Sadie came to get her. Sadie knocked softly on her door and then poked her head inside. Lou sat on the edge of her bed
. She
had Sarah between her knees as she pulled the girl’s long, dark tresses up and held them back with barrettes. She patted Sarah on the bottom and said, “Go and brush your teeth.”

Sadie’s eyes met Lou’s as she walked into the room and sat down beside her on the bed. She candidly asked, “What are you doing up so early? You usually sleep in on Sundays.”

Lou sighed. “I just couldn’t sleep.” She shrugged her shoulders and looked down at the floor.

Sadie reached and touched her hand to Lou’s forehead. “No fever.” She raised one finger to her lips and pretended to think really hard. She touched Lou’s cheek and grinned. “But I do think you have been bitten.”

“Bitten?” Lou asked incredulously.

“Yep. By the love bug. Symptoms usually include a racing heart, rosy cheeks
,
and an allover warm sensation, not unlike a fever but a little more pleasant.”

Lou laughed out loud. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you do. You have the hots for that fancy pants, Brody, who I happen to love like he’s my own son, but he’s no angel and we both know it.”

“I do not have the hots…” Lou started.

Sadie cut her off. “Uh uh,” she scolded, shaking her finger. “This is old Sadie you’re talking to
,
but I’m not so old I can’t remember that feeling you’re fighting. My man still makes my toes tingle and look how old we are.” She snorted.

“Sadie!” Lou shrieked as she stood and clamped a hand over her mouth.

“Hey, I just wanted you to know I have been where you are standing.”

“And what did you do?” Lou stammered.

“Well, I married him. Do you have the same opportunity?” Sadie asked.

“Probably not,” Lou replied.

“Then you need to figure out what you’re doing before you do it. It’s hard to make decisions that might affect your future when you’re feeling all flushed and warm and a man is holding you.”

Lou squeezed her eyes shut tightly. “Sadie,” she moaned.

Sadie stood up and wiped Lou’s bangs from her eyes
.
“He’s got you all tore up inside?” she asked softly.

“Yeah,” Lou replied, just as softly.

“You’re a mother. You’re a friend. Are you ready to be someone’s short-term lover?”

“No.”

Sadie patted Lou’s arm. “Then there’s your answer.” She took a dramatic bow, as dramatic as her old bones would allow. “Glad I could be of service.”

Sarah ran out of the bathroom, one hair bow already falling out of her hair. Lou reached to repair the damage. Sadie held up a hand and said, “I got it,” as she ushered Sarah from the room.

As Sadie walked through the threshold, Lou called out, “Sadie?”

“Yeah, honey,” Sadie replied, smiling softly at Lou.

“Thanks.”

All she got in response was a nonchalant wave.

****

Lou walked into the kitchen and was surprised to see Brody was already up. He sat at the table with the newspaper and a box of Lucky Charms before him.

She stared at him. “Is that my hidden stash of Lucky Charms?”

He grinned broadly and tipped it over. A few crumbs fell into his bowl. “Not anymore,” he said around the cereal in his mouth.

“You think it’s funny to eat all my Lucky Charms?” She picked up the box and tapped him gently over the head with it.

“It was for a minute, yeah.” He was still smiling. He pulled out the chair beside him
,
and in it sat a gaily wrapped present.

Lou’s eyebrows drew together and she frowned. “What’s that?” She pointed at the package.

“Why don’t you open it and find out?”

She cautiously walked around the table and picked up the gift. She sat down in the chair and lifted it to her ear. She shook it gently.

“Would you just open it already?” he scowled.

“Would you wait a minute? Playing with the package before you open it is half the fun.”

“Don’t I know it?” He spoke again around another mouthful of Lucky Charms.

Lou raised her head. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

Lou slid her finger under one corner of the wrapping paper and lifted it slowly.

“Good God, girl. You’re killing me, here.”

She used her best mother’s voice, shook her finger at him and snapped, “Patience, please.” Then she opened the other corner of the package. She looked inside and started to laugh. “Lucky Charms. You shouldn’t have.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“No. I mean it. You shouldn’t have eaten all my cereal and then you wouldn’t have had to buy me another box
.
”
She lifted
one eyebrow and looking at him. Then she sobered. “Thanks, though.”

Brody held out his hand. “Can I open the box, now? I want another bowl,” Brody asked.

“I should have known you had a motive.”

“Your smile when you opened it was motive enough, my lady,” he said quietly as he took the cereal from her hand. Then, more playfully, he added, “I get the toy.”

“You’ll have to fight me for it,” she replied, snatching it back quickly from his grasp. She searched the outside of the box and saw no clue that spoke of the prize within. She opened the lid and noticed the bag inside was already open. “Hey! This bag must have already been torn.” Then she saw it. A small jewelry box lying on top of the cereal. Her eyes met Brody’s and he smiled. “Did you put this in here?” she whispered as she pulled the small package from its bed of Lucky Charms.

“If you like it, I did. If not, then definitely not. In that case, it was a mistake the leprechauns made.”

Lou tilted the lid on the jewelry box and gasped as she saw the contents. It contained a thin
,
silver chain and a small charm. Lou removed the charm from the velvet lining and held it up to the light. It was a small silver circle with tiny feather charms around the outside. The inside looked like a spider’s web
,
yet had an open hole in the center. Small turquoise beads danced around the middle.

Lou gasped. “It’s beautiful! What is it?”

Brody took the charm from her fingers and lifted the necklace from the box. He began to thread the charm onto the silver necklace. “It’s called a dream catcher. You
’
re supposed to hang it over a baby’s bed and it catches all the dreams before they get to the baby. The good ones go on through the center hole and float on the feathers down to the baby. The bad ones are caught in the web and held there until morning light. When the sun touches them, they vanish.”

Brody took a deep breath and motioned with his finger that she should spin around. She turned her back to him and lifted her hair. He placed the silver chain around her neck and fastened the clasp. He lingered a tad too long and then bent to place a quick kiss on her shoulder. She stiffened yet still turned to him and buried her face in his chest. He lifted her face in his hands with his thumbs at her chin and his fingers in her hair. He smiled broadly at her.