their positions. As much as he didn’t want to lose her, each day he needed her more. The longer they went on, the harder the break would be when it happened. He felt torn, not wanting to give her up, but not enjoying knowing the loss was coming regardless of what he wanted. It would almost be better to force the point.
When he approached the area for the second time, he saw her come out of a small dress shop. His heart raced and he felt an idiotic smile fight its way to the surface, just like it did every time he saw her.
She tossed a wrapped box of some sort on the floor of the backseat before getting in.
“I forgot to tell you. It’s Hannah McNaught’s birthday. That’s the reason for the backyard barbeque. I was lucky. They had a wonderful scarf that I picked up for a song.”
Kailen remembered Hannah was Derica’s boss’s wife, and that she’d given Derica a hard time when he’d accompanied Derica to the company party. Given that, he already had a bad impression of the woman, but he would have brought her a gift—a little still life or something—if he’d known it was her birthday. In fact, he could send her some token next week. A surprise like that might go some distance toward helping Derica get that promotion.
“I thought we were going to a casual picnic, not a special event. Am I dressed all right?” He felt her eyes on him.
“You’re going to stand out like a sore thumb.”
Shit! The last thing he wanted was to embarrass her. He frowned, wondering if they had time to cut back to his apartment so he could change.
“The women are going to fight like hellions to get near you, and the men will hope whatever you’ve got will rub off a little on them.” She smoothed her hands across his shoulders. “I think you look perfect.”
The tension he’d felt all morning flowed from him. “Well then, if you’re happy, I’m happy.”
“Trust me,” she said as she leaned toward him, “I’m happy.” With a flick of her tongue and gentle press of her lips, she kissed his cheek.
The idiotic smile made its way to the surface again. He only wished they could stay happy.
With a glance in the rear view mirror, he saw the store Derica had just come out of shimmer in the morning sun and vanish. He slammed on the brakes and turned to focus his attention on the spot where the store had been. The squeal caused by the car behind him as it skidded to a halt went unheard, as did the horn blaring when the irate driver pulled around him. Where the store had been, he was certain , two other shops now abutted: Johnson’s Jewels and Sweet Secrets. He shook his head, ignoring Derica’s puzzled frown. He suddenly had a bad feeling about the day. A premonition that, like the dress shop, his hopes would soon disappear.
Then the memory of the shop faded from his mind.
* * * *
The afternoon had warmed nicely. But then, it was always warmer on this side of the Bay. Derica rocked lazily in a wicker chair on the back patio. Sausalito was a great place to live, and this house was the best of the best. Set on a hillside, the front boasted unmatched views of San Francisco and the Bay, and the back climbed up the hillside in terraced levels. Her eyes half closed, she thought she could live here, unmoving, the rest of her life if someone would bring her food and drink at regular intervals. And Kailen. She wouldn’t want to live here or anywhere without Kailen.
She watched him as he played badminton with the handful of children who’d come to Hannah’s birthday cook-out. Just as she’d predicted, none of the men had come in tee shirts, choosing instead polos, or even dress shirts with their Dockers and slacks. The couple of braver souls who’d shown up in jeans wore designer labels. Derica was sure they’d never consider sitting on the grass in them, not for something as trivial as showing the McNaught’s granddaughter a butterfly as it made its rounds along the row of daisies and dahlias. Not like Kailen had.
As
When he approached the area for the second time, he saw her come out of a small dress shop. His heart raced and he felt an idiotic smile fight its way to the surface, just like it did every time he saw her.
She tossed a wrapped box of some sort on the floor of the backseat before getting in.
“I forgot to tell you. It’s Hannah McNaught’s birthday. That’s the reason for the backyard barbeque. I was lucky. They had a wonderful scarf that I picked up for a song.”
Kailen remembered Hannah was Derica’s boss’s wife, and that she’d given Derica a hard time when he’d accompanied Derica to the company party. Given that, he already had a bad impression of the woman, but he would have brought her a gift—a little still life or something—if he’d known it was her birthday. In fact, he could send her some token next week. A surprise like that might go some distance toward helping Derica get that promotion.
“I thought we were going to a casual picnic, not a special event. Am I dressed all right?” He felt her eyes on him.
“You’re going to stand out like a sore thumb.”
Shit! The last thing he wanted was to embarrass her. He frowned, wondering if they had time to cut back to his apartment so he could change.
“The women are going to fight like hellions to get near you, and the men will hope whatever you’ve got will rub off a little on them.” She smoothed her hands across his shoulders. “I think you look perfect.”
The tension he’d felt all morning flowed from him. “Well then, if you’re happy, I’m happy.”
“Trust me,” she said as she leaned toward him, “I’m happy.” With a flick of her tongue and gentle press of her lips, she kissed his cheek.
The idiotic smile made its way to the surface again. He only wished they could stay happy.
With a glance in the rear view mirror, he saw the store Derica had just come out of shimmer in the morning sun and vanish. He slammed on the brakes and turned to focus his attention on the spot where the store had been. The squeal caused by the car behind him as it skidded to a halt went unheard, as did the horn blaring when the irate driver pulled around him. Where the store had been, he was certain , two other shops now abutted: Johnson’s Jewels and Sweet Secrets. He shook his head, ignoring Derica’s puzzled frown. He suddenly had a bad feeling about the day. A premonition that, like the dress shop, his hopes would soon disappear.
Then the memory of the shop faded from his mind.
* * * *
The afternoon had warmed nicely. But then, it was always warmer on this side of the Bay. Derica rocked lazily in a wicker chair on the back patio. Sausalito was a great place to live, and this house was the best of the best. Set on a hillside, the front boasted unmatched views of San Francisco and the Bay, and the back climbed up the hillside in terraced levels. Her eyes half closed, she thought she could live here, unmoving, the rest of her life if someone would bring her food and drink at regular intervals. And Kailen. She wouldn’t want to live here or anywhere without Kailen.
She watched him as he played badminton with the handful of children who’d come to Hannah’s birthday cook-out. Just as she’d predicted, none of the men had come in tee shirts, choosing instead polos, or even dress shirts with their Dockers and slacks. The couple of braver souls who’d shown up in jeans wore designer labels. Derica was sure they’d never consider sitting on the grass in them, not for something as trivial as showing the McNaught’s granddaughter a butterfly as it made its rounds along the row of daisies and dahlias. Not like Kailen had.
As
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