Divining Elise

by Jody A. Kessler

  Andre tapped in the order on his screen. Bodie eyed the muffins, breads, and scones. “Is that one of Elise’s blondies? If so, add it to my bill.”

  “It is,” Elise said from behind him.

  Bodie looked over his shoulder and smiled at Rob’s gorgeous and exotic looking girlfriend. He didn’t know all the details about their temporary time apart, but he had a strong feeling it was definitely temporary. Rob had been a miserable ass since Elise stopped coming over to the house and he was done with his brother’s crabbiness. Not only was he here for a coffee and apparently a blondie, he was here with ulterior motives. He handed cash over to Andre and told him to keep the change, then turned to face Elise.

  “Good morning. Do you have a spare minute?” Bodie pulled out a chair for Elise, not taking no for an answer, or, at least, making his best effort at getting her to speak with him.

  Elise glanced at the chair, but didn’t sit. “If I’m going to take a break, let me grab a cup first and we can sit at the counter, if that’s all right?”

  She grabbed a clean mug and helped herself to the self serve carafes of coffee.

  “What’s up?” she asked, smiling over the rim of her cup.

  “We’re having a special event at the brewery on Saturday night. You and your staff are invited to join us around seven for food and beer tasting. We’re celebrating the installation of our new equipment. Really, we just want to show off our wares and it’s an excuse to have a party. This isn’t a kid event, but of course, Colton is the exception. How’s he doing?”

  “Great. Better than I could have hoped. He’s not happy about giving up his helmets, though. He can’t wear them while his incisions are healing. I think he’ll get used to it and won’t even notice they’re missing after a few more days.”

  Andre set Bodie’s triple shot caramel latte and the blondie in front of him.

  “And how are you doing?” Bodie asked then drank some coffee.

  “I’m even more paranoid about Colton hitting his head. I taped foam padding on the worst corners inside the apartment. And you know what? I think he’s finally outgrowing the stage, or his little body is instinctively protecting his skull because of the surgery. Either way, he hasn’t hit his head on anything since the implants.”

  Bodie’s amusement for Elise’s explanation made him smile. “Short of living in a padded cell, I’d say you can’t protect him from everything, but you’re doing a hell of a great job trying. He’s a lucky kid.”

  “I’m not always so sure about that, but thank you.”

  “I won’t keep you from your job any longer, and we have a lot going on across the street today. It’d be awesome if you’d join our tank christening party. Everyone will want to hear about the history of the building and you know the stories better than I do.” Bodie smiled, flashing his dimples, and slid from the stool. “It won’t be the same without you.” He could dish out a little guilt if it was for a good cause, and he considered Elise and Rob talking to one another again a worthy cause.

  “I’ll check my calendar,” she said, noncommittal.

  Twenty-seven

  SUNSHINE STREAMED DOWN FROM a cobalt sky dotted with cottony clouds. Heat from the sun warmed her hair and face as she watched Rob and Colton fishing from the shore. Colton was slightly older and taller, but still adorable.

  Her son looked over at Elise. “We caught one! Come see it before we throw it back into the lake.”

  “Okay,” she called back as if talking to Colton without sign language was perfectly normal.

  Something moved near her feet. Elise glanced down to discover a toddler playing with a plastic bucket and shovel in the beach sand. Her golden hair peeked out from beneath a white sunbonnet. Elise peered at the girl’s small round face. She had the most beautiful eyes Elise had ever seen, except for maybe the toddler’s father. They were both equally gorgeous in their own shade. But these were Maisie’s sapphire blue eyes. As she peered down, her heart melted for this child. She smiled and wiped away a smudge of sand from her pudgy pink cheek.

  “Mama, you dig,” she said, holding the shovel up for Elise.

  The soft touch of a hand made her glance over. Colton stood by her side, trying to get her attention. He was five years old again and signing for her to wake up.

  Startled, Elise’s heart skipped a beat and her body jerked. She lay on the couch in her apartment. The television played a nature show about the ocean. There was no lake or fishing or sunshine—or children who were two years older.

  “Can I have a popsicle?” Colton asked in ASL.

  She blinked, trying to focus her vision and her brain, then nodded. As she went to get a strawberry popsicle for Colton, her head reviewed what she had seen.

  Elise had dozed off and the dream had been waiting for her. This was the fourth time she’d had the same dream. But it wasn’t exactly the same. The images continued where they left off. As if she were watching a movie inside her head and when she woke it stopped and when she fell asleep again, the movie of her life continued. But was it her life or was her subconscious playing tricks on her? That was the million dollar question.

  Autumn entered the apartment from downstairs where she’d been working on her latest novel in the office. She took one look at Elise and said, “You’re going to the party. Get dressed and head over there before you miss it.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “It’s not a suggestion. Get up and change into your emerald green peasant top with the matching skirt. The Everetts came to our party and you have to reciprocate the neighborly business protocol.”

  “If I do, then you do, too.”

  “I can’t,” Autumn said. “Someone has to stay here with Colton.”

  “Rob will be there. I’m not ready to face him.” She handed Colton the popsicle.

  “Rob is the reason you need to go,” Autumn said.

  “You just said it was business etiquette.” This conversation was making her head spin.

  “I lied. Go to the party, Elise.”

  “No.” Elise gripped the floor with her toes as if she could physically dig in and refuse to move.

  “If you don’t go over there, I’ll write you into my next book, kill you, resurrect you as a zombie, and kill you again.”

  “Nice try. You’ve already done that,” Elise said flatly.

  “No, I haven’t,” Autumn said.

  “I read The Last Colony. Don’t tell me you didn’t kill me at least four times in that book.”

  Autumn shifted her gaze to the left and held back a laugh. Elise saw her guilt as if reading a billboard over her head.

  Autumn said, “That wasn’t totally you. You provided minor inspiration, but I changed the character a lot.”

  “I know you did, and it’s never bothered me, even when you drained all my blood and replaced it with that cyborg concoction which was pure torture. What did I ever do to you, anyway?” Elise asked, then continued arguing before Autumn answered, “I’m not going to the party.”

  Autumn also had her foot down on her side of the argument. “Let me try again. If you don’t show your face at the brewery tonight, I will dedicate all of my romance novels from this day forward to Elise Martinez, the manager of Mountain of Books in Granite Lake, California. An extraordinary woman whose tea bagging and tossed salad skills cannot be matched.”

  The dedication took her so by surprise that Elise choked on a laugh, then actually started choking on air. She sputtered and tried to get her breath. Colton stared at his mamá and asked if she was okay. Elise cleared her throat and nodded. She signed, “Okay,” and he continued licking the frozen strawberry bar.

  “You’re insane!” she said. “You’re resorting to blackmail to get me to go to a party? That’s a low blow, you wretched author.”

  “I can add low, slow humming blows to your dedication if you want. The readers will love it. Everyone will want to know who my books are dedicated to. Matter of fact, this idea could be great for business
.”

  Elise stared at Autumn and knew the scales had tipped in her friend’s favor. Autumn would write that tawdry dedication in all her books and Elise would have to fend off creeps and pervs for the rest of adulthood.

  “I’ll out your pen names,” Elise tried... and failed at counter blackmail. She’d never give up Autumn’s secret identities and they both knew it.

  “Fine. I’ll go to the party, but it’s not because of blows, tea bagging, or tossed salad,” she said, and slogged toward the bedroom while trying not to laugh. She wouldn’t even know what two of the three things were if it weren’t for Autumn’s explicit and descriptive romance novels. “You are the worst friend,” she mumbled.

  “I am. But I make you laugh,” Autumn said, and grabbed a plate to help herself to the leftover balsamic chicken, Alfredo gnocchi, and steamed vegetables sitting on the stove.

  * * *

  “Where’s your date?” Elise glanced behind Rob, wondering if the beautiful woman he’d been talking to all night was about to follow him onto the deck.

  “Ananya went home. It wasn’t an official date. Everyone was welcome here tonight.”

  “Ananya is a pretty name. And she’s gorgeous,” Elise said. Sadness engulfed her at the idea of another woman capturing Rob’s attention.

  “She is nice looking and smart. When she asked me out, I didn’t really want to, but Bodie and Shane talked me into it. Tonight is the second time I’ve seen her outside of Maisie’s doctor’s appointments.”

  “She’s a doctor?” Elise asked.

  “Yeah, she is. But she doesn’t cook. She says she’s too busy and eats a lot of cereal and yogurt. She has no interest in cooking or drinking. She thinks my beers taste okay, though,” Rob said.

  “You’re sharing an awful lot about your date. It’s not helping my regrets, self-esteem, or issues with jealousy.”

  “You get jealous?” Rob asked, his mouth lifting at one corner and a roguish twinkle in his eyes.

  She held back a huff and stared at the streaks of moonlight reflecting off the surface of the lake. “There’re more faults inside me than I care to admit and jealousy happens to be one of them.”

  “Good to know. Ananya is a great pediatrician and she works out every day. She drives a sweet BMW that hugs the curves and corners flat.”

  “Now you’re doing it on purpose. I don’t need you to grind salt into my wounds. I messed things up between us and I’m sorry it can’t be fixed.”

  “Who says we can’t be fixed?” Rob asked. He laid his hand over hers on the deck railing.

  The deck had been rebuilt since the last time they stood there together. The new outdoor space matched the upgrades and style of the rest of the brewery. The mountain modern design was simplistic, yet rustic and paid tribute to the mining history of the area.

  Elise looked up at Rob. “Why would you want to be with someone who is cold and selfish?”

  “Because you’re not those things,” he said.

  “I’m not so sure about that.” She hesitated then took the advice of her counselor and spoke her truth. Rob had always been someone she could trust and if anyone should know why she’d been staying away it was him. “I’ve been seeing a therapist. I’m learning about what triggers my emotional disconnection from people and why I clam up and refuse to speak. I’m trying to change my behavior, but it’s difficult and I don’t know how long it will take.” She looked away from his empathetic gaze. “Besides, I’m not some beautiful well-rounded pediatrician with a fancy car. That’s why we can’t fix what I broke.”

  “It sounds like you’re making an effort at figuring yourself out. That’s a step in the right direction.”

  “But I don’t expect you to wait for me, and there are no guarantees the counseling will make any difference,” she said.

  “You want to hear something else about Dr. Ananya Palande?” He didn’t wait for Elise to answer. “She not only doesn’t cook, but she only reads non-fiction. I couldn’t be serious about anyone who doesn’t read for pleasure.” Rob’s fingers tightened around hers.

  “That’s a little strange,” she said.

  “She laughed when I told her how much I like to read sci-fi.”

  “Now she’s just rude,” Elise said, starting to feel a lightening sensation in her chest.

  “She thinks Mexican food is too spicy—and she’s Indian.” Rob’s eyes widened with the illogical absurdity of that statement.

  “Ironic much?”

  “My thoughts exactly. And she may be nicely made, but she’s lacking curves, unlike say a certain dark-haired woman I know.”

  Elise turned to face Rob. She kept his hand in hers and they stood facing one another. “So you’re dating another woman besides this skinny, smart doctor who doesn’t like food or novels?”

  “I was, but she stopped seeing me suddenly. I miss her and her cute kid. That boy left a pretty strong impression on me,” Rob said as he touched the edge of Elise’s jaw.

  “Her kid misses you, too. He keeps asking when he gets to play at your house again.”

  “Did you have a psychic dream about this woman and her kid, or are you saying that just to be nice?”

  “I’ve been having a lot of dreams. They won’t leave me alone. They’re one of the reasons I came to the party tonight.”

  “To quiet them?” Rob asked.

  He stared into her eyes, but didn’t move to kiss her.

  The need to feel his lips against hers ached in her soul. It’d been too long since they’d kissed. Elise placed her hand on his hip and nodded. “You’re in all of them.”

  “What are we doing in your dreams, Elise?” Rob asked, his intense gaze imploring, his voice low.

  “We’re spending time together. There’s nothing explicit and no drama. No car crashes this time. We’re together, and I’m happy. You always look happy. Rob,” She placed a palm on his chest and more truth spilled from her mouth. “The dreams are driving me crazy,” she said, exasperated with it all. Why am I being tortured with scenes of bliss and contentment? Can’t I be chased by monsters or fend off giant snakes like other people’s nightmares?

  “And you’re upset and begging for my forgiveness because your dreams are too good?” Rob asked, the corner of his mouth lifting.

  “I’m not begging for anyone’s forgiveness.” It came out with more haughtiness than she meant, but she wouldn’t take it back.

  He shrugged and moved away from her touch. “Great. I’ll leave you to your non-happy ending pleasant dreams until you can apologize to me eye-to-eye. Have a great sleep.” Rob turned and started to retreat back inside.

  “Wait. Don’t go. I’m... I don’t... I’m a estúpido idiota quien es irremediablemente enamorado.” She spat the words in Spanish because it was so much easier to say aloud.

  “What are you saying, Elise? I can’t translate that quickly.”

  “I’m in love with you, Rob Everett. If you give me another chance, I’ll do better. You make me want to be the person I know I can be. I can’t imagine anyone else in mine and Colton’s lives who can bring out this change in me.”

  “Oh? Is that all? I already knew that. I’m waiting for an apology, Elise. These last couple of weeks have been hell.” He arched an expectant brow and refused to move.

  Elise narrowed her eyes. He taunted her on purpose. Even though she knew she deserved it and she was about to say she was sorry, the frustrations and stress rose like a volcano. She approached slowly and controlled her face. “I’m freaking sorry, okay? There, are you happy now? I’m almost groveling, tu cerdo enfurecido!” She smacked his chest, playfully, but hard enough to make him feel it.

  “Cerdo, is it? Is that an infuriating pig? I like it. I had to look up pig last time you called me one. By the way, I love when you call me names in Spanish. Do it again,” he said, his lips turning upward.

  “Don’t make fun of me and don’t be a gilipollas!”

  “What is a gilipollas?”

  “I said, don’t be a
dick.”

  Rob reeled her in and tucked her against his body. “There’s that mouth I love. Say something else. I don’t care what comes from your luscious lips as long as it’s the word dick or cock.”

  “You really are a pig.”

  “Only when I’m around you,” he said.

  “Aren’t I special,” she said.

  “You are, and you’ve changed me, too, Elise. After these last few months, I’m not the same person anymore. And you should know that you’re not the only one who has a hard time trusting people. My ex had a baby without telling me, remember? I have to live with the past just like you do. I’m not saying we have the same trust issues, but I understand how difficult and frightening it is to open up to someone. You opened my eyes and let me see that the risk of trusting you with my heart didn’t outweigh the reward of loving you. No one else has ever given me that. But if you’re in my life, then I want you in it. I can’t do this back-and-forth business. I won’t do it. I want you with me. I want to be able to count on you and you need to know that I’ll be there for you and Colton, no matter what happens. Whether it’s sick kids, surgery, intrusive family, or our pasts, you can rely on me. Deal?”

  She nodded as heavy emotions brought a lump to her throat. “Okay, deal. Are you going to kiss me now or keep talking?”

  “Are you also demanding my body in this agreement?” Rob asked, and lowered his face so his lips hovered just in front of hers.

  “I am. And I’m going to take full advantage of it later tonight.” She gripped his belt and stepped in close so their bodies touched.

  Rob teased her with a brief kiss. He pulled back. The heat of his lips left a searing burn on her lower lip. A small whimper of need escaped from her throat. She didn’t like being teased—or maybe she did.

  He kissed the side of her neck, down to the edge of her collar bone and back up again. “God, I’ve missed you. I love you, Elise. And we’re not waiting until later. I need to be inside of you right now.” Rob took her hand and led her to the steps. “Is that going to be a problem?”