Faux Pas

by Shannon Esposito

  After he hung up from Salma, I finally got the tears to stop and the courage to look at Bonnie. She lay on the ground, staring up at the ceiling, her hands folded on her stomach. She was still chuckling and whispering to herself. Even though she had killed two people, tried to burn me alive and shot Devon … still, now that the terror and rage had subsided, I felt sorry for her. I knew I would miss the woman I’d gotten to know and trust. I knew that the caring woman who helped me through some major panic attacks was still in there somewhere. Or maybe I just hoped she was.

  Buddha and Petey had stopped barking but they were both sitting on the other side of the glass, panting hard and watching us all with confusion. For some reason, this made the tears and shaking start again.

  THIRTY

  The two detectives actually arrived before island security. Apparently Devon had called Salma as soon as he got my message at the airport, so they were already on their way.

  Devon gently moved me to the sofa, as a uniformed officer with the detectives cuffed Bonnie and led her out of the bungalow. It was so surreal, watching the detectives and uniformed officers move about a place that had been my and Devon’s private space just a few hours ago.

  Devon came back with a towel tied around his arm where he’d been shot.

  I eyed it, cringing. ‘You OK?’

  ‘Yeah. Clean shot, went straight through. I’ll be fine.’

  Detective Farnsworth heard this and ordered one of the uniformed officers to find the bullet.

  I looked up at Devon. ‘Would you mind letting the dogs in?’ I suddenly needed Buddha. Needed his warm, comforting presence and needed him to know I was OK.

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘I got it,’ Alex Harwick said suddenly. He’d been standing around and seemed grateful for something to do. Devon moved to get up anyway.

  ‘Thank you, Alex,’ I said, holding Devon down in the seat. ‘Stay with me.’

  The dogs came scrambling in, tails whipping, mouths foaming. Buddha launched himself on to the couch next to me in an impressive feat of bulk defying gravity. His nubby butt squirmed as he proceeded to clean my face of the grime. I couldn’t help but smile through my tears. ‘I’m OK, boy. Good boy.’ I pushed him down to a sit and nuzzled my head into his neck. As I rubbed his ears the way he liked, he began to calm down and eventually lay, pressed up against my thigh.

  Devon pressed himself closer against me on the other side. Good thing I wasn’t claustrophobic. Then again, I couldn’t think of any other males I’d rather be stuck between.

  ‘Hello, Petey,’ Detective Vargas said, reaching down to pet the blocky, brown head that was planted in her lap. Petey accepted the pats and then came to lie at Devon’s feet.

  In the back of my mind I wondered how she knew Petey’s name and how many times she’d been here to Devon’s house. But, right now, I was too exhausted to care.

  The two detectives sat quietly on the love seat facing us, their notepads out. Devon and Salma shared a look and then Devon slipped his hand into mine and squeezed gently. ‘Can you start from the beginning, Elle? What happened tonight?’

  At first, I didn’t even know where to start. Was it only one night? It felt like a lifetime. But once I started telling the story at the point I received the threatening text message, which I thought was from Jamie, it just tumbled out. I could feel Devon tense up when I reached the parts about Bonnie pulling the gun on me and then lighting the place on fire.

  After I told them how and why I snuck back into Devon’s house, I heard Devon mutter a ‘Jaysis, Elle,’ and saw the detectives glance at each other with raised brows. I brushed off their disapproval when I remembered something.

  Turning to Devon, I asked, ‘Where’s your friend you picked up from the airport?’

  Pushing my damp hair off my forehead, he smiled gently at me. ‘I couldn’t very well put him in danger, too. I left him to get a hotel and rushed here. Though I could’ve swum faster than that bloody ferry.’

  I was still confused. ‘So, how did you know to come into the house with your gun drawn? And why do you look like you were in a fire?’

  He ran his thumb along my hand, shaking his head. ‘I tried to call you back, but you weren’t answering. I was goin’ out of my mind trying to get back here. When I finally made it, I did see the strange Jaguar parked up on the street behind the house, but I didn’t pay it any mind at first because your message said you were going to the house three doors down. When I saw the fire there, I just lost it. I managed to get inside the house—’ he grimaced – ‘I owe a few firefighters an apology. They pulled me back out and convinced me the house was empty. That’s when I remembered the strange car and raced back to the house. When I heard the dogs barking outside, I knew something was wrong. I saw Bonnie stand up from behind the sofa as soon as you stepped into the living room.’ He stopped suddenly, his eyes meeting mine. I saw a glimpse of the raw fear again before he masked it.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ I whispered.

  He palmed the back of my head gently and pulled me into his chest. I didn’t even care that my head hurt where it made contact with his body. I could feel his heart beating against my cheek. His lips pressed into the top of my head and I felt him sigh deeply. ‘You’re alive. That’s all that matters.’

  ‘OK. We’re going to go check out the other crime scene,’ Detective Vargas announced. They both got up to leave. She stopped in front of us, her expression a neutral mask while her eyes blazed with emotion. ‘I’m glad you’re both OK. We’ll talk about this more in depth, Devon.’ She went to leave and turned back. ‘Is this your friend from Ireland that’s in town?’

  The way she said ‘friend’ seemed like he was more important than just a visitor. Devon nodded.

  ‘Good. We can discuss that, too.’ She glanced at me. ‘If you still want to?’

  Devon adjusted the towel on his arm with a wince. ‘Yes. Of course.’

  She nodded, eyeing his arm. ‘Go get that looked at.’

  ‘She’s right,’ I said when they left.

  He looked me over and nodded, probably deciding a trip to the hospital was in order for me, too.

  We didn’t return to Moon Key until the wee hours of the morning. Devon had gotten stitched up and found it very amusing that I got my head examined. Literally. Besides some bruising and smoke inhalation, I was good to go.

  I’d used Devon’s phone to call Hope, since they confiscated mine as evidence, and gave her and Ira the good news. Hearing her grateful tears made my water works come again. I had a feeling it was going to take a while to sort through the tangles of emotions this whole experience wove within me.

  Besides being so exhausted I could barely move my arms, there was another reason I was quiet on the drive back. I glanced up at the stars for strength and luck. Then turned to look at the man I was about to open my heart to.

  ‘Devon?’

  He blinked like I had startled him from his thoughts. ‘Yes?’

  ‘I know this isn’t the best timing, but there are a few things I need to tell you. Are you up for it?’

  Devon immediately pulled the Jeep over on the quiet road beneath a palm tree. Turning to me, he took my hand in both of his. His eyes were suddenly animated like the stars above us. ‘You can tell me anything, Elle. You have to know that.’

  So, taking a deep breath, I told him all about my college relationship and how that experience left me afraid to be vulnerable again. I confessed my deepest shame about the panic attacks and how I’d love to travel to Ireland with him, but knew it would be a challenge I may not be able to overcome. I told him about my fear that I would be a fling and that my heart would break when he left to travel again.

  At this, his jaw tightened and he suddenly started the Jeep and pulled back out on to the road. We drove the remaining few minutes in uncomfortable silence, and I was left to wonder if he was angry or hurt or had just had enough of my drama. By the time we walked into the house and were greeted by the dogs, I had convinced myself it was al
l of the above.

  ‘Elle.’ Devon stood, leaning against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed. ‘Come here.’

  Unsure what to expect, I walked timidly over to stand in front of him.

  Slowly, he reached up and cupped my face in his hands. Making sure I was looking right in his eyes, he said, ‘Apparently I haven’t been clear in my intentions, so I want you to listen to me very carefully.’

  I nodded as best I could.

  ‘Elle Pressley, while it’s true that I have been avoiding relationships my entire adult life, I do not want just a fling with you. I’ve fallen madly in love with you and am willing to go through hell and back to explore that. Do you understand?’

  I didn’t have to hear the words. I saw the dead serious truth in his eyes. Tears pooled in my own eyes but didn’t fall. ‘Yes.’

  ‘Good,’ he whispered, bringing his mouth down on mine with a hunger that pulled me into him like gravity on steroids. His mouth was warm and strong and I felt my heart explode as his kiss swept through me, body, mind and soul. When we finally released each other, a tentative smile touched the corner of his mouth. ‘I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but we’ll work it out together. We do make a good team. Agreed?’

  I let myself smile as I nodded. Then, not trusting any words I attempted could explain how I felt the same way, I simply took his hand and slowly led the way to his bedroom.

  ‘Stay,’ I said to the dogs as they hit the threshold behind us. For once Petey sat down beside Buddha. ‘Good boys.’ I smiled, closing the door.

  ‘Impressive.’ Devon grinned at me, humor and something much more mischievous sparkled in his gaze.

  I pushed myself off the door and into his arms, grinning. ‘Oh, I’ve got talents you’ve never seen, Devon Burke.’

  With a sudden burst of laughter, he scooped me up, only wincing once as my weight stressed his bandaged arm and carried me to the bed. ‘Well, let’s remedy that right now, shall we?’

  Releasing all the emotion of the evening in a fit of shared laughter, I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck. ‘We shall, Irish. We shall.’