and scooped up a dollop of whipped cream. I refrained from slapping her, knowing she was going through a bad time. “A delegation went to David. David asked me to step down as chairperson.” The cushion came in for some more punishment. “He took their side over mine. Don’t you think he should have told them to get stuffed?”
“I don’t think ministers are allowed to use those words.” She frowned. “He should have been on my side.” Suddenly I was exhausted. That’s what happens when you start the morning cleaning toilets — you just don’t have enough juice to finish the chocolate.
Before sleep found me my cell rang. No caller ID. Ignore it or take a chance? It could be Clay or it could be a crude reminder that I was annoying a real bad guy. Curiosity is a terrible curse.
C H A P T E R 1 8
“I give in,” Clay said.
“To what?”
“Love, that’s what it is, I know that now. I admit it, I can’t live without you.”
“What’s happened since I talked to you two hours ago?”
“The sky, big and full of stars, do you realize how unimportant we are? The only thing we have is each other and love.”
I smile into the dark, figuring a little booze was involved with the stars and the love, but even though I like to take advantage of other people’s weak moments, it had been a long day. “Look, it’s one-thirty in the morning and I’m beat, too tired for philosophy. Let’s talk about the meaning of life tomorrow.”
“It’s love I want to talk about. Meet me in Miami.” For a nanosecond I thought about it, thought about leaving the mess for someone else to sort out. “Can’t,” I said. “Marley’s here.”
“Marley can look after herself. Let her stay there if she wants, although I can’t quite get why she’s there.”
“Hiding out from the church ladies. They want to lynch her. Also she knows I’ve had trouble being alone.” “And how are you doing with that?”
I laughed. “I haven’t really had a chance to find out. But I’m okay. No big panic attacks, no waking up screaming all in a sweat. Mostly now I just wake up horny.” “Come to Miami. I have the cure.”
“There’s something else, or rather someone else.” The wrong time for this conversation but it couldn’t wait. I told him about Lacey and to tell him about that, I had to tell him about Ray John.
The silence dragged out between as long as the miles. “Were you ever planning on telling me about this?”
“Not really.”
“Why?”
“I just wanted to forget it.”
“You don’t trust me, do you?” Clay asked. His voice was heartbreakingly gentle.
“Why are you taking this so personally? It has nothing to do with us.”
“Everything about you has to do with us. No secrets. Isn’t that what we agreed?” “There’s a tall order.”
“If we’re in for the long haul, that’s how it’s got to be.”
“We’ve never really talked about longer than next week. Can we talk about this when you come home? I need you closer for a serious conversation like this. Need to be able to see you.”
“And yet it seems to me we always have our serious conversations long distance.”
“That’s because when we’re together you can’t keep your hands off me long enough to talk.” “I’m not the only one doing the grabbing.”
“It’s true. I never knew I was a nympho before I met you.”
“You’re trying to distract me. It’s working, but there’s one more thing I want to say before we go right off topic. Call Styles and charge that bastard. Do you want me to come home? Screw the race.” No excuses now.
“Don’t come home. I’m calling Brian in the morning and bringing a civil suit against him. But thanks anyway. Got to go.”
I dropped the phone and slipped into sleep. Hours later, pounding on the bedroom door woke me. Fuzzy-headed and annoyed I sat up in bed. The door slammed open and Marley shot in.
“He’s dead,” she said.
C H A P T E R 1 9
I shot upright in bed. “No.” One
“I don’t think ministers are allowed to use those words.” She frowned. “He should have been on my side.” Suddenly I was exhausted. That’s what happens when you start the morning cleaning toilets — you just don’t have enough juice to finish the chocolate.
Before sleep found me my cell rang. No caller ID. Ignore it or take a chance? It could be Clay or it could be a crude reminder that I was annoying a real bad guy. Curiosity is a terrible curse.
C H A P T E R 1 8
“I give in,” Clay said.
“To what?”
“Love, that’s what it is, I know that now. I admit it, I can’t live without you.”
“What’s happened since I talked to you two hours ago?”
“The sky, big and full of stars, do you realize how unimportant we are? The only thing we have is each other and love.”
I smile into the dark, figuring a little booze was involved with the stars and the love, but even though I like to take advantage of other people’s weak moments, it had been a long day. “Look, it’s one-thirty in the morning and I’m beat, too tired for philosophy. Let’s talk about the meaning of life tomorrow.”
“It’s love I want to talk about. Meet me in Miami.” For a nanosecond I thought about it, thought about leaving the mess for someone else to sort out. “Can’t,” I said. “Marley’s here.”
“Marley can look after herself. Let her stay there if she wants, although I can’t quite get why she’s there.”
“Hiding out from the church ladies. They want to lynch her. Also she knows I’ve had trouble being alone.” “And how are you doing with that?”
I laughed. “I haven’t really had a chance to find out. But I’m okay. No big panic attacks, no waking up screaming all in a sweat. Mostly now I just wake up horny.” “Come to Miami. I have the cure.”
“There’s something else, or rather someone else.” The wrong time for this conversation but it couldn’t wait. I told him about Lacey and to tell him about that, I had to tell him about Ray John.
The silence dragged out between as long as the miles. “Were you ever planning on telling me about this?”
“Not really.”
“Why?”
“I just wanted to forget it.”
“You don’t trust me, do you?” Clay asked. His voice was heartbreakingly gentle.
“Why are you taking this so personally? It has nothing to do with us.”
“Everything about you has to do with us. No secrets. Isn’t that what we agreed?” “There’s a tall order.”
“If we’re in for the long haul, that’s how it’s got to be.”
“We’ve never really talked about longer than next week. Can we talk about this when you come home? I need you closer for a serious conversation like this. Need to be able to see you.”
“And yet it seems to me we always have our serious conversations long distance.”
“That’s because when we’re together you can’t keep your hands off me long enough to talk.” “I’m not the only one doing the grabbing.”
“It’s true. I never knew I was a nympho before I met you.”
“You’re trying to distract me. It’s working, but there’s one more thing I want to say before we go right off topic. Call Styles and charge that bastard. Do you want me to come home? Screw the race.” No excuses now.
“Don’t come home. I’m calling Brian in the morning and bringing a civil suit against him. But thanks anyway. Got to go.”
I dropped the phone and slipped into sleep. Hours later, pounding on the bedroom door woke me. Fuzzy-headed and annoyed I sat up in bed. The door slammed open and Marley shot in.
“He’s dead,” she said.
C H A P T E R 1 9
I shot upright in bed. “No.” One
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