Finding Pride

by Jill Sanders

  The photographer, Brad Stone, had dropped by one sunny day and taken loads of pictures. He was an older man in his mid-fifties with a full beard that was snow white. They looked at the pictures on her computer and e-mailed the best ones to the website designer. Brad had promised her prints of them in the mail for the fliers and brochures she was going to have printed.

  The cabins were finished, and Megan had begun decorating. The furniture Matt had ordered was perfect.

  She’d gone shopping with Allison and Lacey in Portland one day, getting everything from trashcans to bed linens. They’d even purchased shower curtains, towels, and window coverings for all the cabins. Everything matched what she had envisioned in each cabin. She enjoyed putting the small touches in each room with Lacey’s and Allison’s help.

  Allison had dropped by several days in a row to sit and paint each of the cabins and the main house. She wouldn’t let Megan see them until she had finished them all. When she was done, there were small paintings of each cabin and a larger one of the house, each of them better than Megan could have hoped for. Allison promised to return each one framed.

  She had planted flowers in the beds around the house, along the trail, and around the cabins, and they were all blooming beautifully. She had also taken some time to plant a small garden below the deck off her own bedroom, so when she stepped out, she could see her vegetables growing.

  Her arm grew stronger every day and she forced herself not to pamper it too much. She enjoyed her daily walks to the cabins and most days made the extra trek to the beach. Most of all, she enjoyed having time to herself to do what she wanted, when she wanted.

  While she was working hard in her garden trying to tackle the weeds one evening, a small black Audi bumped up her driveway. Her smile widened when she saw Ric emerge.

  “Hi,” she called from the side of the house, shielding her eyes from the sun.

  “Good evening.” He came over to her. “You have a lovely spot here,” he said, looking around. “I thought I would stop by after my meeting with Allison.”

  Megan set down the small spade she’d been holding. “Let me pour you some tea, and you can tell me all about it.” She motioned for him to follow her to the front porch, where a cool pitcher and glasses sat on the table.

  “It went very well,” he said, taking the glass she offered. “She signed on with an agent, and I have a box load of paintings she’ll be shipping to me first thing tomorrow. I wanted to come by and thank you personally. Allison is a great find. I owe you more than I can repay.” He set the glass down on the table and picked up her hand, holding it in his. “Let me show you by taking you out to dinner tonight.”

  “Oh, that’s really not necessary,” she began.

  “Please, I wanted to talk with you further about the possibility of you helping me out some more.”

  “Um, well…”

  “Good,” he jumped in without waiting for her answer. “Now, where is a good place to eat around here?”

  Half an hour later, Megan was seated at a small table for two facing the water at the Golden Oar. Ric sat across the dimly lit table, his attention momentarily diverted to the artwork. Megan could see the desire in his eyes, and then he blinked it away and smiled at her.

  “What’s good here?” he asked, picking up his menu.

  “Everything. Todd’s family owns this place. Iian and Lacey, Todd’s brother and sister, run it. Iian is an excellent chef.” Just then, a small, stout waitress came over to take their orders.

  ********

  How could she do this to him? Hadn’t he shown her patience? Hadn’t he taken a step back? Hadn’t he made it clear to her he was hers? He looked out the small window in the kitchen door and stared at the back of a man’s head, a man who reached over to hold Megan’s hand. He wanted to tear someone apart, and why not start with the blond man sitting across the room? Opening the door a little harder than necessary, he began to cross the room.

  When he was about halfway to the table, Megan spotted him. She pulled her hand out of Ric’s as he stopped at the table. Seeing him, Ric stood and stretched out his hand to shake.

  “Good evening, Todd. Megan and I were just having dinner and discussing some business. Would you care to join us?” Ric said smoothly. Without giving Todd time to answer, Ric turned and motioned for a waitress to bring another chair. “She was telling me your family owns this lovely establishment,” he continued after they all sat back down. Todd still felt frustrated. “I would love to know more about that lovely creature.” He pointed towards the canvas that displayed the mermaid.

  Before answering, Todd reached over and took Megan’s hand in his own. It was cold, and he could see a lost look in her eyes. He hadn’t meant to scare her. Rubbing his thumb over her cold flesh, he gave Ric an empty smile and answered. “The Golden Oar has been in our family for generations. All the art in here is my grandmother’s work.” Todd looked around, a wave of pride flowing through him.

  “It’s exquisite work. I would love to get my hands on some of it.” Ric sat back down. “I’ve just come from meeting with Allison. We’re trying to set up a showing in my Los Angeles gallery next month,” Ric said over a cup of coffee. “I offered Allison the apartment above my gallery in Los Angeles. It will be nice to have someone staying there instead of the place collecting dust. It couldn’t hurt her work to have more experience and travel.”

  “Allison’s moving?” Megan sat straighter in her chair at this news.

  “She’s giving it some thought. Her mother wants to sell the store and Allison wants to spread her wings. Her words, not mine,” Ric said.

  An hour later, their laughter could be heard throughout the restaurant. Ric and Todd become fast friends, and Todd could tell that Megan was more relaxed sitting next to him.

  The evening ended on a high note. Todd drove Megan home, and they sat on the porch swing watching the sun set.

  “Have you ever been sailing?” Todd asked, running his hand over her hair.

  “No. Do you sail?” she asked, leaning into his shoulder.

  “Yes, how about tomorrow?” he asked with a smile and leaned in for a quick kiss.

  ********

  She was nervous for the first half hour out on the water, but after he let her take the helm, she relaxed and enjoyed the feel of the wind on her face.

  He told her that he would make sure to stay within sight of land. He showed her a group of sea lions sunbathing on some rocks near the point.

  They stayed out on the water until after the sun went down and they could see all the lights of town turning on. They sat a ways out from the shore and enjoyed a picnic dinner with the full moon overhead and the town lights twinkling in the distance. She’d never enjoyed a more relaxing and romantic day.

  She could tell he was making a point not to pressure her. He kissed her on her front porch when he dropped her off at home for the evening. The next day, he sent a small bouquet of flowers with a note thanking her for a wonderful time and saying he couldn’t wait to see her again.

  Even when the evenings started getting warmer, it was cool enough that she’d taken to using the hot tub almost every night to relax. She still had trouble sleeping through the night and found a small glass of wine helped her sleep better, not to mention that it helped her sore back.

  She thought about building an overhang on the deck so that when winter came, she could sit out in the tub and enjoy the snow.

  ********

  Todd had had little opportunity over the last few weeks, but he finally found time to swing by the cemetery and visit Matt. The rain that day had yet to let up, and he’d forgotten his raincoat. He hunched over the black tombstone of his best friend, holding his sister’s bright green umbrella.

  Todd had been trying to slowly reach out to Megan, to make her more comfortable around him again. He felt like such a failure at showing her the kindness she deserved. One thing was for sure—he still felt justified in looking into her ex, but he never brough
t up the subject with her.

  “Well, Matt, I don’t know if you’re watching over us, but I hope you’re okay with Megan and me. I didn’t expect to find her, to feel this way about her. She went through hell, and I mean to show her things can be good, and if it’s all right with you…” He waited a beat, listening for…something, anything. “I love her more than I can stand. I mean to marry her, and I hope to God you’re good with that.”

  ********

  When Megan woke up, it was to the sound of thunder. She knew she wouldn’t get any outside work done, so she settled in to complete some of the paperwork she’d been putting off.

  About halfway through balancing her checkbook, she heard a loud boom from the back of the house.

  The storm continued to rage outside. It had been lightning and thundering for about half an hour now. Thinking the noise must be a tree branch hitting the house, she ignored it, but when it continued, she got up and walked through the house to the back door. Looking out the window, she couldn’t see anything except rain streaming down the glass.

  When she turned her back on the door, she heard it again. Boom, boom, boom. Three in a row. It sounded like it was coming from something hitting the door. She reached over and grabbed the nearest item as a weapon. Fumbling for the handle, she unlocked the dead bolt and slowly opened the door. When she had it open a few inches, something large and black darted in the door and ran under the kitchen table.

  Megan let out a quick yelp and slammed the door shut, jumping again when lightning flashed and she caught her reflection in the glass doors. Calming herself, she looked down at the wooden spoon she held as a weapon. Tossing it into the sink, she grabbed up her broom and slowly walked to the table.

  “Okay,” she said to herself and the animal now hiding under her table. “A cat or a rabbit, maybe a squirrel or some other harmless animal. Please let it be a cat.”

  She could see wet paw prints on the floor and could hear a low moan. It had looked bigger than any cat she’d ever seen. She was thinking a raccoon. Please don’t be a raccoon. Did they have raccoons here? Was it a skunk? She’d seen black and white, but the thing was so wet, it was hard to tell what it was.

  She slowly reached for the tablecloth, pulling it up a few inches. Just then, there was a loud boom from outside, and the lights went out.

  “Great! Just great! There’s a wild animal in my house, and now I have no lights.” She made her way through the dark to the cabinets and fumbled around in the drawer until she found the flashlight. She clicked the button and breathed a sigh of relief when the white beam swept across the room.

  Slowly going over to the table, she pulled up the tablecloth more quickly than she should have. From below the table, she heard a loud hiss. “Okay, that rules out a skunk, I think. You must be a cat.” She pointed the light at its green eyes. It huddled in the corner farthest from her and hissed again when the light shone on it.

  “Well, if you had knocked nicely, I would have let you in. You must be cold, poor thing.” Leaving the tablecloth up, she went over to the refrigerator and pulled out the milk. “I’m afraid I only drink two percent, but I bet you don’t mind.” She pulled out a bowl and poured milk into it. Setting the bowl down, she sat next to it on the cold floor. She grabbed the hand towel off the oven and put it in her lap.

  It took about one minute for the animal to crawl out from under the table and scamper over to the bowl. It started quickly lapping up the milk. It was bigger than most cats, but it was rail thin, its hair matted and soaked through.

  Slowly she reached over and started to pet it. The cat looked up briefly and then continued to lap up the milk.

  Megan reached down and started rubbing its hair dry. When the milk was gone, it began purring loudly. Then it came over, climbed up on her lap, and started to bathe itself.

  “Well, I guess I could use a mouser around here,” she said, looking into the cat’s eyes. It had no collar or tags on. “Because I don’t know if you’re a female or male, and I don’t think it would be very nice of me to check, seeing as we just met, how about I call you Boomer?” she asked, scratching its head.

  The cat gave a loud meow and head butted her, rubbing its face against hers, all the while continuing to purr.

  The lights flashed back on and the cat flicked its tail and walked off, starting to explore the room. Megan made a mental note to ask Todd if there was a good veterinarian in town. She would also have to get cat food and a litter box.

  She’d been enjoying the quiet of the house, but she did feel lonely. She was glad she now had someone to talk to. As she went back towards her office, the cat bounced along with her, running between her legs and flicking its tail.

  Megan chatted to Boomer about the house and anything else she thought of. She sat at the desk, and the cat jumped up on the couch and looked across the room at her. Five minutes later, it was fast asleep, curled up in a tight black ball. The storm continued all evening. She was making some chicken noodle soup for herself and Boomer when she heard a car drive up.

  Looking out the window, she saw Todd’s car park by the garage and a dark figure sprint for the back door. She knew he would let himself in, so she continued stirring the soup with the cat sitting at her feet.

  “Well, what do we have here?” Todd asked, shaking the rain from his hair by the doorway.

  Megan glanced over her shoulder. “You’re right in time for dinner,” she said, going over and pulling out another bowl. There was French bread heating up in the oven, making the house smell good. “This is Boomer. Boomer, this is Todd,” Megan said, pouring soup into the bowls.

  Todd came over and scratched Boomer’s neck and kissed Megan on the cheek. “Where did you find this fellow?” he asked, pulling a bottle of wine from the refrigerator and pouring them each a glass.

  “He found me. Came knocking on my door. He said it was too wet outside and he wanted to come live with me, to keep me company, oh, and to eat all my mice,” she said, smiling.

  “He did, did he? Well, I guess that seems like a fair trade. You keep him dry, and he eats mice.” He came up behind her and put his hands around her, and she noticed that she didn’t even flinch at his touch.

  “He hasn’t left my side since he came running into the house. You don’t know if he belongs to anyone around here, do you?” she asked as they sat at the table.

  “No, the Bells are down the road a ways, and they have dogs, not cats. I think maybe he was a barn cat. He’s well behaved, though, and huge. A little thin, but I’m sure you can fix that,” Todd said when the cat finished the whole bowl of soup and then lay down on the floor to bathe itself. “I came over to tell you, I have to go out of town for about a week. I’m heading to California for some meetings.” He looked over the table at her, pulling her hand into his. “I really wanted to see you before I left tomorrow.”

  Although Todd’s daily visits were great, a reprieve would be nice. She didn’t want to become too attached. It scared her how much she felt for him. She’d asked for time and space, but secretly she wanted to spend every minute with him. She wanted to fall asleep in his arms and wake up in them as well. She wanted him day and night. She wanted him now.

  They finished their soup, and she got up to take the bowls to the sink, but something stopped her. Her hand hovered above his bowl and she thought about being with him. About how he treated her, how he was kind and patient, something she’d only experienced with her brother before. Todd sat very still. His hands were on the table with his fingers spread out, his eyes on hers. Deciding to take a chance at life, she set her bowl back down on the table, and as he moved his hands, she straddled him, her legs on either side of his, caging him in.

  “I want you,” she whispered. “I can’t stop wanting you.”

  She lost all ability to think when she was this close to him. Her inner thigh muscles contracted around him, and all of a sudden, she was kissing him. As the kiss grew deeper, her hands roamed all over him and his hands finally lef
t the table to grab hold of her waist. He tightened his grip, digging into her hips, pulling her closer. Her breasts pushed against his chest. She wanted him more then she’d ever wanted anyone before.

  “Are you sure? Make sure, Megan, because if you tell me to leave now, I’ll go…Don’t tell me to go,” he whispered.

  “Stay, please stay.” Megan fisted her hands in his hair, pulling his face back to hers.

  The feel of him, the smell of him made her go crazy. He pushed up from the chair, taking her along. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on. He marched them towards the stairs and was up them in record time. When he struggled to open the door, she helped him push it open. Once inside, she arched away and took off her shirt. She tossed it to the ground and their mouths came back together. Then she hit the bed with a small bounce and a laugh. A second later, Todd’s body covered hers. She reached to untuck his shirt, to touch the skin beneath. His stomach muscles bunched under her fingers as she pulled his shirt over his head, wanting to feel more.

  Everywhere his skin touched hers, she burned, and she couldn’t get enough. He made a trail of kisses down her throat, using his tongue and teeth to send shivers down her entire body.

  At times, she thought she would go crazy with wanting him. Now that she was finally underneath him again, she felt that he couldn’t go fast or slow enough. His hands shook as he reached to remove her pants, so she helped him remove them, and then reached for his.

  ********

  He took her hands. “Let me just touch you,” he said, putting her hands above her head so that she was exposed for him. She had a white camisole on, and he played with the strings, holding it up. His fingers slowly wandered down to the taut nipple. She let out a moan when he pinched it lightly through the thin material. He looked back up at her face. Her hair was messed up, loose as his hands played with it. Her cheeks turned pink and flushed as her eyes closed and her mouth opened slightly. He started kissing her lightly. He was confusing her, and she was enjoying it. She thought she wanted speed, but found that him driving her crazy with slowness did the same.

  He kept her hands locked above her head with one of his in a light grip as he explored her. She could have broken loose if she tried, but she didn’t. Pulling the camisole down, he took her into his mouth, nibbling on her nipple, which stood erect for him to play with. His fingers moved lower to play with the top of the white lace that covered the triangle of soft hair.