would be a
chance for Greg and Ralph to get some things off their
chests.”
“ I know. But it
wasn’t your fault. It was an accident.”
Edsel had a odd look on his face.
“ Edsel?”
“ No, it wasn’t an accident.
Somebody released the jack on purpose.”
“ Oh, no.”
“ Yeah. I heard them walk in,
but at first I thought it was you. So, I called out, but nobody
answered. I was about to roll out from under the car when it
suddenly fell on top of me. The oil pan slammed right into my
chest. And those ’77 Coupe De Ville’s weigh over 4,000 pounds. The
pain was excruciating. And I could barely breathe. Then I guess I
just passed out.”
“ When I found you there—I
thought you were dead.” A tear dripped down her face. “Then, when I
saw that you were still alive, I was afraid you had gone into a
coma.”
“ A coma? Nah, that’s just in
the movies.” Edsel hadn’t seen Angie cry in a long time. And she
never cried because of him —it was always because of
Clifford. “I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
“ What? You didn’t make me
sad. I’m happy.” Tears ran down both checks. “Can’t you see?” She
smiled.
Maybe this was the right time to tell her
how he felt about her.
“ But we’ve got to figure out
who did this to you,” she said.
“ How are we going to do
that? I didn’t see them.”
“ You couldn’t even see their
legs or their feet?”
“ I could have. I didn’t even look,
because I really thought it was you. Even when you didn’t answer I
figured you were just trying to get me to come out from under the
car.”
“ I think I might know who
did it,” she said.
“ Who?”
“ Remember those two women
from that band—the ones who were trying to get me to hire them to
play at the restaurant?”
“ The ones I ran
off?”
“ Yes. One of them was here
earlier. Greg and Cynthia and I had gone for coffee while we were
waiting for you to be moved to your room. And when we got here the
nurse told us a young woman with long black hair had been standing
beside your bed when she walked in. Then we realized that we had
just passed that woman at the elevator.”
“ Really? The tall blonde did
look kinda mean. But the short black-haired woman seemed sort of
innocent.” He paused. “So, you really think she’s the one who
dropped the car on me? And then came here to—”
“— I don’t know. But I’m not
going to be comfortable leaving you alone until whoever did this is
caught.”
Angie took his hand in hers.
There will never be a better time, thought
Edsel. “Angie? I need to tell you something.”
“ Okay. Is this the same
something you were about to tell me last night after
dinner?”
“ Yes. And I’m just gonna say
it.”
Angie was not about to interrupt.
“ I love you,
Angie.”
“ I know, Edsel. I love you
too.” She reached down and gently brushed his hair back with her
hand. “I’ve always loved you.”
“ No. You don’t understand.
Not that kind
of love. Not a best-friends kind of love. Angie, I want to take you
in my arms and kiss you—on the lips. I want to take off all your
clothes and make love to you. I want to go to bed with you every
night and wake up with you every morning. And I want to do it every
day for the rest of my life.”
Angie’s tears were beginning to flow freely
again.
He went on. “But if you run out of here
screaming at the top of your lungs, I’ll understand. I just had to
finally say it.”
She sniffled. “Oh, Edsel. I
love you too—and not just as friends. I want you to take my clothes off
and make love to me. I want to be in your bed every
night.”
“ Oh, God, Angie.” He took
her hands in his.
“ I listened to my dad. I did
whatever he wanted me to do because I knew I was all he had. And it
was my fault that my mother died.”
“ That’s not true,
Angie.”
“ Yes, it is. I took his wife
away from him the day I was born. So, it was my job to make sure he
was happy.”
“ It wasn’t your
chance for Greg and Ralph to get some things off their
chests.”
“ I know. But it
wasn’t your fault. It was an accident.”
Edsel had a odd look on his face.
“ Edsel?”
“ No, it wasn’t an accident.
Somebody released the jack on purpose.”
“ Oh, no.”
“ Yeah. I heard them walk in,
but at first I thought it was you. So, I called out, but nobody
answered. I was about to roll out from under the car when it
suddenly fell on top of me. The oil pan slammed right into my
chest. And those ’77 Coupe De Ville’s weigh over 4,000 pounds. The
pain was excruciating. And I could barely breathe. Then I guess I
just passed out.”
“ When I found you there—I
thought you were dead.” A tear dripped down her face. “Then, when I
saw that you were still alive, I was afraid you had gone into a
coma.”
“ A coma? Nah, that’s just in
the movies.” Edsel hadn’t seen Angie cry in a long time. And she
never cried because of him —it was always because of
Clifford. “I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
“ What? You didn’t make me
sad. I’m happy.” Tears ran down both checks. “Can’t you see?” She
smiled.
Maybe this was the right time to tell her
how he felt about her.
“ But we’ve got to figure out
who did this to you,” she said.
“ How are we going to do
that? I didn’t see them.”
“ You couldn’t even see their
legs or their feet?”
“ I could have. I didn’t even look,
because I really thought it was you. Even when you didn’t answer I
figured you were just trying to get me to come out from under the
car.”
“ I think I might know who
did it,” she said.
“ Who?”
“ Remember those two women
from that band—the ones who were trying to get me to hire them to
play at the restaurant?”
“ The ones I ran
off?”
“ Yes. One of them was here
earlier. Greg and Cynthia and I had gone for coffee while we were
waiting for you to be moved to your room. And when we got here the
nurse told us a young woman with long black hair had been standing
beside your bed when she walked in. Then we realized that we had
just passed that woman at the elevator.”
“ Really? The tall blonde did
look kinda mean. But the short black-haired woman seemed sort of
innocent.” He paused. “So, you really think she’s the one who
dropped the car on me? And then came here to—”
“— I don’t know. But I’m not
going to be comfortable leaving you alone until whoever did this is
caught.”
Angie took his hand in hers.
There will never be a better time, thought
Edsel. “Angie? I need to tell you something.”
“ Okay. Is this the same
something you were about to tell me last night after
dinner?”
“ Yes. And I’m just gonna say
it.”
Angie was not about to interrupt.
“ I love you,
Angie.”
“ I know, Edsel. I love you
too.” She reached down and gently brushed his hair back with her
hand. “I’ve always loved you.”
“ No. You don’t understand.
Not that kind
of love. Not a best-friends kind of love. Angie, I want to take you
in my arms and kiss you—on the lips. I want to take off all your
clothes and make love to you. I want to go to bed with you every
night and wake up with you every morning. And I want to do it every
day for the rest of my life.”
Angie’s tears were beginning to flow freely
again.
He went on. “But if you run out of here
screaming at the top of your lungs, I’ll understand. I just had to
finally say it.”
She sniffled. “Oh, Edsel. I
love you too—and not just as friends. I want you to take my clothes off
and make love to me. I want to be in your bed every
night.”
“ Oh, God, Angie.” He took
her hands in his.
“ I listened to my dad. I did
whatever he wanted me to do because I knew I was all he had. And it
was my fault that my mother died.”
“ That’s not true,
Angie.”
“ Yes, it is. I took his wife
away from him the day I was born. So, it was my job to make sure he
was happy.”
“ It wasn’t your
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