A soft noise at the doorway made her whirl in her chair. Running a hand through his tousled hair, James gave her a lopsided smile. “Didn’t mean to startle you, darlin’,” he said apologetically, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Good morning to you.”
His cotton pajama bottoms rode low on his lean hips, accentuating the thick cords of muscle on either side of the trail of silky auburn hair wending its way down perfect abs and disappearing into… Mmmmm. She realized where she was staring and her face flooded with hot color. “Good morning to you too,” she said. “Thank you…um… for last night…and everything.”
“No,” he interjected, “it’s me who should be thanking you. I’m a lucky man, all right.” He padded barefoot to the counter, topped her coffee off before pouring a cup for himself, then joined her at the table. “What are you doing up so early?” he asked, blowing across the rim to cool the steaming beverage.
“I’ve got a lot to do today before I go to work this afternoon,” she said.
He gasped aloud, a horrified look of pain on his face. Beth reacted at once. “Are you okay? I should call…” She leapt to her feet and glanced around wildly for the phone.
He frowned as the sudden pain in his chest eased and grabbed her wrist to forestall her flight. “For starters, you can calm yourself. I’m okay.” He smiled and gently stroked her face. “I’m fine, sweetheart,” he said, trying to reassure her.
She wasn’t convinced. “Maybe you should go lie back down,” she frowned, sitting back down.
“You’re not to worry. I’m fine,” he said firmly. Changing the subject, he said, “So what did you have to do today? Anything I can help with?”
She decided to let the matter go for the time being, but continued to watch him with a gimlet eye. “I’m making a list to go to the grocery store…”
“Can I have some ice cream? I like black cherry, so put down some of that,” he leaned over to look at what she had written so far, “and some of whatever flavor you’d like me to lick off your...”
“Sssh!” she giggled, writing ice cream on the list in big letters, “and I have to run by my apartment to check on things. I need to do some laundry…”
“…which I can do here,” he interjected, then added, “…just as soon as I figure out how to turn the machines on.” He gave her such a brilliant, happy grin she was unable to stop herself from smiling back. She put a couple of stars beside ice cream and with a burst of inspiration added whipped cream.
“Yes, but I still need to pick up my mail,” she said. “Have you decided what you want to do with the third bedroom? It’s still empty.”
“Let’s just leave it for the now,” he hedged.
“What are your plans for today?” she asked, studying both the list and him out of the corner of her eye.
With a laugh, he said “Ah, big doings. Got some phone calls to make, then relaxing on the couch and watching TV. I need to rest up, darlin’, you wore me out yesterday.” She blushed prettily at the compliment and he reached out to cup her chin with his hand. “We’re going to need to talk one day soon, you and I,” he said, his thumb brushing her cheek.
She tensed. “About what?” she said.
“Ah, well…about a lot of things,” he said, regarding her thoughtfully. “I’ve got this problem and I’m not sure what to do about it.” He took her hand and placing a kiss in the middle of her palm, pulled her forward to sit on his lap. Eager to oblige, she wrapped her arms around his neck and waited patiently for him to continue.
James cleared his throat and his voice dropped to a husky whisper. “There’s this girl, see…” he began, “…that I happen to be head over heels in love with. Now, she doesn’t know it, but every time I look at her, she takes my breath away and I get to thinking about things that I’ve never given much thought to before.”
Beth swallowed hard. “What kind of things?” she asked, laying her head on his shoulder.
He was silent for a long moment before he spoke, choosing his words carefully. “Things like where I’m going to be five or ten, twenty years from now. Life insurance. Settling down.” His voice grew even softer, “getting married and having babies.”
“And these are the things you’re going to talk to her about?”
He nodded and smoothed a hand over her hair in a gentle caress. “Just as soon as I work up the nerve to mention it,” he assured her.
She smiled against his neck. “I’m sure she’ll be willing to listen when you get around to it.”
He gave her a gentle squeeze and a kiss on the temple. “I hope so.”
“So tell me,” she said with a hopeful smile, “do you like children?”
He chuckled deep in his chest, a warmly rich sound. “I love children. I’d have a dozen if I could. I’m not able to have children though,” he added sadly.
“Oh,” Beth said, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “Why is that? That you’re not able to have children, I mean.”
He pulled back to look at her in feigned shock. “I don’t have a womb, darlin’,” he said as if that should have been obvious. “That’s a rather difficult challenge to overcome, don’t you think?” The corners of his mouth twitched in a boyish smile. “That’s something I’m going to talk to this girl about, you know. I’m hoping she’ll want children too and she could have mine for me.” Those last words were spoken against her lips before he tightened his embrace to give her a deep, drugging kiss.
Beth moaned when the kiss moved down her neck and lingered over the throbbing pulse point. “Don’t go out,” he whispered. “Stay with me. Come back to bed.”
Ooh, don’t threaten me with a good time. Still, she remembered the mailbox most likely full of bills and what was certain to be a dangerous level of dirty laundry accumulating in her closet. “But I’ve…” she began.
“I know, I know,” he sighed, answering for her. “Stuff to do, places to go, ice cream to buy. Promise you’ll be careful and hurry home?”
Home. Her heart did a little happy dance at the simple word and she snuggled up against him, tangling her fingers in the soft patch of curls on his chest. The minutes stretched by unnoticed, and James spoke up when she was able to tear herself away. “I mean for you to step lively, my girl. I need you back here with me,” he smiled as she eased off his lap.
Beth took him by both hands and pulled him up. In a soft brogue sounding remarkably like his she said, “Ye’ll be resting yourself today, as I intend to be having more of that later.” To accentuate her point, she grabbed two handfuls of his muscular behind and squeezed.
With laughter rumbling deep in his chest he purred, “Ah, but I do love me a greedy wench.”
* * * *
After an extended goodbye filled with numerous reassurances, hugs and kisses Beth left on her errands and James settled in for a morning of extreme relaxation. Blanket and pillow at hand for impromptu napping, cell phone and iPod within an easy arm’s reach and his dream woman back soon for more mind-blowing lovemaking. Life is good, James grinned, giving his balls a lazy scratch. And she’s bringing ice cream! He almost hugged himself with unbridled joy.
Pouring himself a huge bowl of Lucky Charms and milk, he plopped on the couch to indulge in marshmallowy goodness. Once those were gone, he set the bowl aside and reached for the remote to turn on the large plasma flat screen. He flipped around the channels, finally finding one playing music videos. He turned the volume on low and picked up his phone. After a moment of searching through his contacts, he selected a number on speed dial. It rang twice. Click. “Is that you?” a quiet voice asked.
“Yeah, it’s me. How you doin’?” James asked.
“Better now. It’s damn good to hear your voice,” Spider answered, careful not to use his friend’s name. “How’re you feeling? Are you in the same place as you were?”
“Feeling stronger every day, just like the song says,” James laughed. “I have my own place now, next door to Ian. So tell me. How’s the climate? Did you cat
ch any heat when we left?”
“Nah, nobody saw me. Aaron and Dante didn’t know whether to shit or go blind when y’all left. I’m just kicking back and watching the show, waiting to see what happens next. Might take you up on coming down there to work if it all goes south, though.”
“We’d be glad to have you,” James said sincerely. “Bring sunscreen; it’s hotter than East Hell here.”
Spider started to laugh then abruptly whispered, “Shit. Dante’s coming. Stay in touch, let me know how you’re doing.”
“I will,” James promised, ending the call. He turned the volume on the TV up again and settled back to watch. When his cell phone rang a short while later, he checked the caller ID then fumbled for the mute button on the remote. “Bryce! How ya doin’, man?” James said, happy to hear his old friend.
There was dead silence on the other end. “I’m doing fine, thanks,” Bryce said coolly. “How you’re doing is the big question, though, ain’t it?”
“Brrr...must have taken a chill,” James quipped at his friend’s icy tone. “I’m doing good, getting settled in. Feeling better, I think, but still having some pain here and there. What’s going on? You don’t sound right.” His chest tightened and he took a deep breath to try to relax.
Bryce cut straight to the chase. “You got something you want to tell me, James?”
He thought about that for a moment. “No…why?” When Bryce didn’t immediately answer, James said, “Look, we’ve been friends far too long to play games. What is it you’re wanting to know, mate?”
“It’s all over the news. You quit the band,” Bryce blurted out, unable to hide the hurt in his voice. “If that’s the case, you know, I would have thought you’d have told us first before the media got wind of it…”
“What?” James was dumbstruck before the sense of outrage kicked in. “That’s a fucking lie. I’ve never said anything of the sort,” he exploded. “I have no intention of leaving the band. As far as I’m concerned, we’re just having a holiday to rest up a bit and we’ll be back stronger than ever. Where the fuck is that notion coming from?”
Bryce sounded both happy and relieved. “See, I knew it couldn’t be true. I told the lads you wouldn’t do us like that. Let me tell you what we’ve heard…” and James sat back on the couch to listen in amazement.
21
Beth tried to concentrate on the task at hand as she pushed her cart up and down the aisles at the grocery store but remained caught up in daydreaming about her conversation with James. Getting married and having babies, he had said. She mentally hugged herself with excitement, throwing several boxes of cereal in the cart after checking the prize contents. Lisbeth Vargo Kelly, she mused. Beth Kelly. Ooh, Meg and Lily and I will be sisters-in-law! Lost in that happy thought, she rounded the last aisle and made a beeline for the checkout.
Should’ve done the shopping last, she reprimanded herself. Remembering the cold bag in the trunk of the car, she decided the ice cream would last until she had a chance to stop by her apartment. She emptied the contents of the cart on the moving belt and perused the candy bars, mentally patting herself on the back for not grabbing one to snack on while the groceries were bagged. To lessen the temptation, she turned her back on the candy and read the tabloid headlines.
Her entire body went rigid. That cannot possibly…oh, sweet Goddess…She grabbed the first magazine and stared in shock at the cover. There was a picture of her and James leaving the club the night of the Tampa concert. “Horizon splits,” the headline read. Right below the headline was the blurb “Hello Girlfriend = Goodbye Band.” She grabbed the paper next to it. That one had a picture of her and James kissing in front of the hotel and read “The New Yoko Ono.” She shook her head. Yoko didn’t break the Beatles up, and when the realization of what that headline actually meant hit her, she added and I didn’t break Horizon up.
The next magazine had the same kiss from a different angle. That headline read “What’s Love Got To Do With It? Everything!” She flipped that one open to see a picture taken the last time James flew down to have dinner with her. There was another taken that same night of James stealing a kiss in front of the restaurant. OMG, we were being followed! She looked around frantically and grabbed copies of every tabloid, adding them to the items being rung up.
“Miss, are you all right?” the kindly cashier’s voice seemed to drift to her from far away.
Beth didn’t answer. She threw the bags into the cart and pushed it quickly towards the door. A teenaged bagger approached to offer assistance but just stared at her, recognition slowly dawning. “Hey, aren’t you…” he began.
“It’s not true. None of it,” she snapped, taking off at a run for the parking lot. She jammed the groceries into the small trunk of the Jaguar, taking the bag with the magazines inside the car with her. She looked at the dates in amazement. “These are last week’s issues,” she said. “How did I not see them when I was here last weekend?” Suddenly, the attitude of the girls in the linens store became crystal clear. They blame me for the band breaking up.
Hysterical laughter bubbled up and she clamped a hand tightly over her mouth to keep it from escaping. She picked up the phone to call James, but paused in mid number. He wasn’t feeling well this morning and this won’t help. “This can wait until I get back,” she said firmly, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. She tucked the phone back in her purse, absentmindedly turning it off.
Beth drove to her own apartment, her mind working furiously trying to make sense of what she had read. When she pulled into her complex, she went straight to the outdoor community mailboxes. When she opened hers, she was surprised to find it empty except for a short note.
Beth. please come to the office to pick up your mail.
Thanks,
Charlotte
I’ve got that much mail? She scratched her head in confusion. Getting back into the Jag, she drove to the main office and parked in one of the visitor’s spaces. The loud bell on the front door clanged to announce her arrival. “Hi, Charlotte,” she said, waving to the long time receptionist.
The young woman looked up from her receipt book and grinned. “Hey back, popular girl,” she said, jumping up to approach the counter.
Beth’s smile faded. “What do you mean by that?” she asked warily.
Charlotte made a snorting sound that might have been a laugh. “There’s been a constant parade of people in here asking about you. Is it true what they’re saying about you and that rock band? Are you really dating James Kelly?” She reached for the note and scanned over it. “I’ve got your mail back here, just a sec,” she called over her shoulder before disappearing into an adjacent office.
A cold feeling of dread snaked its way up her spine and took root in the pit of her stomach. “Seamus,” Beth mouthed. “His name is Seamus.”
Charlotte reappeared with a box that originally held copier paper, now filled to overflowing with letters and postcards addressed to Beth. She hefted it up to the counter with a grunt. “Most of this has come in the last couple of days. So is it true?” she pressed.
“Yes,” Beth insisted, “but I didn’t break the band up. Horizon is still together.” She frowned, peering down at the full box. “I’ve seen the tabloids, Char. Don’t believe what you read.”
The phone behind the counter jangled, startling them both. Charlotte turned to answer it and placed a hand over the receiver. “I believe you. Hope they do,” she whispered.
That sounds ominous, Beth thought. They who? She picked up her box of mail and carried it to the car, placing it on the front seat next to her and locking the door. With a growing sense of panic, she began picking through the postcards and letters, scrawled messages demanding she stop seeing James in order for the band to get back together. Her breaths narrowed to shallow pants, like all the air was being sucked out of the car.
Calm down, she told herself, and reached for her purse. Without thinking about it, she grabbed the miniature Tarot deck she kept with h
er for metaphysical emergencies. She closed her eyes and drew one card. The Ten of Swords.
Seamus…her little voice cried.
When Beth opened the third envelope containing a death threat, she slammed the car into reverse and sped over to her apartment. The whole parking lot is full, she moaned silently, someone’s got my damn space again. No Parking, my ass. She careened into the grassy space next to the lot and brought the car to a shuddering stop. Grabbing the armful of magazines, she bounded up the stairs taking them two at a time, slamming and locking the door behind her. It took a minute to locate a suitcase, but once found she quickly started throwing clothes into it. She filled her Castle Wilde tote bag with makeup and the box containing her precious Tarot cards.
The phone’s loud ring broke the imposing silence, eliciting a startled shriek. She ran into the kitchen and saw the word FULL blinking on her answering machine. She picked up the phone cautiously. “Hello?”
“Is this Beth Vargo?” the cheerful female voice asked.
“Who is this?” Beth demanded.
“This is Kaylee Reeves from Entertainment Now. I’d like to talk to you about the recent allegations concerning the Horizon breakup…” Beth slammed the phone down and squeezed her eyes shut to keep the angry tears from falling. She began playing the messages back, listening only to the first few before realizing that they were all from different magazines and TV shows.
The truth hit her hard and fast, knocking all the breath from her lungs. I’m not safe here. She stifled another scream when her doorbell rang then glared through the peephole at the flawlessly coiffured reporter and cameraman. “What do you want?” she yelled through the door.
“Lisbeth Vargo? We’d like to talk to you about James Kelly and Horizon. May we have a moment of your time to share your side of the story?”
Beth ran to look out her bedroom window and burst into tears. A mob of news crews and photographers was forming in the parking lot before her very eyes and fear driven nausea screamed through her body in response. She felt around in her pocket for her phone before having an immediate image of her purse still lying on the front seat of the car. Shit. Shit. Shit. Running back to the kitchen she grabbed the house phone and dialed James’s number, then with her back pressed against the wall she waited for him to answer.
The Gypsy Ribbon Page 27