by Sable Hunter
Shae touched her own face once her grandmother lowered her hand, a nervous gesture. “Today did go well. I was surprised to be mentioned by Jo, I was hoping the small role I played would remain behind the scenes.” So far behind the scenes as to be out of the theater.
“What about this man, Derek? He seemed glad to see you, but you gave him no encouragement whatsoever. Why, you rolled me out of that park so fast my hair-do turned inside out.”
“Sorry.” Shae began to dig in a Bath & Body Works bag, rearranging the contents needlessly. “I…thought we were…” A couple. Dating. “I don’t know. We were close, for a while. I haven’t talked to him since he was awarded custody of his daughter. He’s been…preoccupied.”
“Understandable. He’s got to get his feet on the ground with being a single dad and all.”
Shae cleared her throat. “I know.” She didn’t really want to hear a voice of reason at this point. She wished she’d had no expectations. In the beginning, she hadn’t. Now, Shae realized she had expectations out the wazoo. And not having them met, to even a small degree, hurt like heck.
“I heard the realtor speaking to him. Did you think he was here to see you?”
Shae would forever be grateful Coretta was almost her old self again. She did wish however the older lady wasn’t quite so astute. “No.” She pursed her lips and exhaled. “Yes, at first.”
Coretta laughed and waved her hand. “I think he did come to visit you. His eyes lit up when he saw you.”
“I don’t think so,” she said quietly, leaning forward to allow a young mother with her arms full of a baby and packages to pass close behind her. Noticing Coretta’s amused look, Shae narrowed her gaze at her grandmother. “If you think he came to see me, why did you ask to come shopping?”
Coretta laughed. “Don’t you realize? We’re playing hard to get. Believe me…” She winked at Shae. “It works.”
Shae shook her head. “I’m not playing anything.”
Coretta patted her hand. “All young people have a cell phone. Where’s yours? Has he called?”
“I don’t have it with me.” Shae felt her cheeks grow warm. The truth was hard to share. “I was afraid it wouldn’t ring.” In her eyes, seeing Derek at the park and finding out he came to meet with a potential real estate buyer confirmed her worst fears.
“Why don’t you call him and ask what his intentions are?”
Shae’s eyes widened. “I…I…” She wasn’t that brave. “I couldn’t ever do that. Besides, you’re the one who taught me that a girl always waits for the guy to call. You said that was the rule.”
“Ha, rules. They’re made to be broken.” Coretta frowned and smirked, shaking her head, slurping up the last few drops of her soft drink through a straw, noisily sucking air at the end. “Well, as bad as I hate to. I guess it’s time to go back.”
This surprised Shae. “As bad as you hate to? I thought you were enjoying yourself there. I mean, if you’re ready, you can move in with me.”
Coretta began rolling her own wheelchair around the table. “Maybe. I’m thinking we should move.”
“Move? Move where?” She hastily gathered her things.
“Oh, I don’t know. Somewhere a little more enlightened.”
“Enlightened?” Shae sighed, hurrying behind her grandmother who was picking up speed. “When did you decide this? It’s hard keeping up with you, you know.”
“Well, walk faster, dear,” Coretta called over her shoulder. “We need to hurry. I bet that man is at your house waiting for you.”
Shae shook her head, unwilling to participate in a session of wishful thinking. “Yea, there’s a man waiting for me, all right,” she muttered thinking of Mojo. “He probably needs to be taken for a walk…if he hasn’t already used the rug.”
…After their lunch, Derek and June returned to Shae’s to find the house still empty. This time, he knocked on the door, just in case something weird was going on, like her car being in the shop or something. Mojo barked up a storm, but no one came to the door.
Perplexed and disappointed, Derek drove to the nursing facility where Coretta lived to see if she’d been returned from their outing at the park. After speaking with one bitter excuse for a human being who bad-mouthed Shae, he was told by a more kindhearted soul that she was out for the day with her granddaughter. There was no word when she would return, but no arrangements had been made for her to be out overnight. Feeling slightly heartened, Derek decided to kill some time by calling the realtor to see if the buyer still wanted to meet. He had no intention of leaving Longleaf until he reconnected with Shae.
After making those two stops, Derek was feeling guilty. June was tired and they really had no place to go. His uncle’s house was empty and ready to sell, and he’d made no plans to rent a room anywhere, due to his assumption they’d be staying with Shae.
He’d been by her house three times and there was still no one there. She had to come home sometime and he fully intended to be waiting when she did. The only problem was June, he couldn’t do his little girl this way. She was sound asleep in the car seat at the moment, but she needed a bath and a decent place to stretch out. He needed help and only one person came to mind.
Taking his phone from his pocket, he phoned Angelina and Drew. After explaining the situation, he headed north to drop off June for the night. Her memories of the couple would be vague, but Derek intended to stay for a bit until she felt comfortable. If he knew Angelina, she would have the little girl charmed in no time.
Drew met them on the front verandah of his home. The restored historical mansion sat in the midst of a pecan orchard. Several horses, one of Drew’s weaknesses, trotted to the nearby fence to check out the visitors.
“I sure do appreciate you doing this for me, Drew,” Derek muttered as he carried June inside. She was so sleepy, he couldn’t rouse her enough to talk to her.
“Give her to me.” Holding out her arms, Angelina met them. “Come into the den for a drink. I’ll hold her in the rocking chair while you two visit. She’ll be able to hear your voice while she gets used to me.”
“Thanks.” Derek relinquished the sleepy child to his friend.
“Yea, sit down, man. What can I get you?” Drew walked over to a wet bar built into the wall next to the entertainment center.
“Just water will be fine.”
“So, you came to see Shae?” Aware of recent events, Drew wasn’t one to beat around the bush.
“Yes, I think I messed up.” The more he thought about it, the worse it became. “Somehow, I gave her the impression I didn’t care.”
Angelina laughed, shaking her head. “Men. This sounds a little familiar to me.”
Drew hurried over to kiss his lovely wife. “I made up for my mistakes, didn’t I, love?”
“Yes. Yes. You did.” She cupped his cheek. “A thousand times over.”
Derek watched the couple, touched by the mutual admiration they didn’t even try to hide. He knew some of their history, enough to recall Drew suffering over Angelina’s mistaking his gallantry for disinterest. “I hope Shae will be able to forgive me as easily as Angelina forgave you.”
With a wry laugh, Drew assured him the process wasn’t as easy as he might think. “She made me work for it, no doubt about it.”
“Yea.” Derek nodded. “I feel I may be in the same boat.”
“Oh, well.” Drew clapped him on the shoulder. “You have make-up sex to look forward to.”
Derek sat with them until June was smiling and happy with Angelina, looking forward to a visit to the barn to see a baby horse before bedtime. When he was satisfied she would be content, he gave her a kiss and promised to be back in the morning.
“Bye, Dad-dee!”
“Wish me luck, I’m going to see Shae.”
“She saved me. She’s my angel.”
“And you’re mine. Goodnight, angel.” His daughter’s second reference to the near tragedy in Galveston surprised him, but he was in too much of a hurry to get
to Shae to give it much thought.
…After dropping Coretta off at the nursing facility, Shae drove home. All the way, she imagined Derek would be there waiting for her. Of course, he wasn’t.
As she pulled off the clothes she’d worn all day, Mojo sat at her feet, offering her a sympathetic ear. “You’re here, though. Aren’t you?” She gave her faithful pup a pat as she went to take a shower. “Did Derek come by during the day to see me?” Mojo barked. “Really, that many times?” Every time she spoke to the dachshund, he whirled in a circle and barked joyously. “Yea, wishful thinking, I’m sure.”
By the time she was freshened from her journey, the sun had gone down behind the pines. Leaning on the window facing, she pulled back the curtain to study the stars. There were some benefits to living in the country and a good view of the night sky was one of them. As she stared up at the velvet expanse, she remembered Derek telling her about climbing on his roof as a child and how there was a good spot on top of hers. Needing to feel closer to him, Shae padded barefoot up to the attic and opened the window.
Sure enough, just as Derek had told her, there was a flat area between the dormers. The rest of the bungalow roof was fairly high pitched. Made from steel, she was sure it could be slippery when wet. With no rain in several days, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Without thinking twice, she eased out onto the roof. Once she was over the sill, she held onto the window frame to carefully stand upright. When her foot slipped once, she gasped and grabbed onto the frame. “Uh, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.” After steadying herself, she debated whether to give up or continue on.
For a few seconds, she stood there, then thought about how she must look – teetering around on the roof like a drunken owl. “Don’t be such a scaredy-cat,” she admonished herself. Chewing on her bottom lip Shae moved slowly until she reached the flat place.
“Ah, finally.” Slowly, she lowered herself to the roof, wishing she’d thought to bring a blanket. “Oh, well. I won’t stay long.” Hugging her legs, she rested her chin on her knees, so lonely she wanted to cry. “How did things get so messed up?”
Closing her eyes, she let the breeze caress her face. She felt the events of the last year settle on her shoulders like a heavy cloak. She used to think how it would be if none of this ever happened. Just erase it all. Be someone else. Somewhere else. But if she did? She’d not only miss the perfect storm of trouble, she’d also miss Derek. And June. These past months held the worst days of her life…but they also contained the best.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to release all the tension and disappointment making her chest and heart feel sore. Lying back, she stared up at the stars and relived every wonderful moment she’d spent with Derek. When her heart stopped pounding and her breathing evened out, she lay there listening to the whisper of the wind in the pines. How she wished…
And then she heard something.
The sound of an engine, the crunch of wheels on gravel – then the unmistakable creaking and thud as a vehicle door opened and closed.
Shae froze, holding her breath – listening.
When someone began knocking at her door, she jerked upright.
“Shae! Open up, it’s Derek.”
“Derek?” The shock of hearing his voice brought Shae to her feet.
Below…on the porch, Derek knocked again. “Shae! I know you’re here. I see your car.”
Mojo was barking his head off. “Shae?”
“Derek, I’m…” She stood, turning to make the precarious trek over to the window…and slipped.
Standing at the door, Derek cocked his head. He heard her voice – but not from inside the house. “Shae? Where are you?”
“I’m up – HERE!” Shae cried as she began skating down the steep pitch of the bungalow. “Derek!”
Jumping off the porch, he realized she was on the roof. “Shae!”
“I’m fall-ing!” She tried to find a hand hold, but there was nothing to catch on. “Derek!”
Staring up, Derek pinpointed her small body as she slid down. “I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you.”
Shae heard his voice, but she didn’t have time to react in any way other than to…
Trust.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
There was no way in hell he was going to let her hit the ground. Holding out his arms, he stood firm.
“Derek!” she cried as her body landed safely in his arms.
He broke her fall, but the impact of her small body crashing into his took Derek down. “There you are!”
Shae melted into him in pure relief. “You caught me. I can’t believe it. You caught me.”
Derek kissed her, his breath coming from his lips in relieved pants. “Yes, and I’ll catch you every time. Every damn time.” Cradling her in his arms, he held her close.
“I’m sorry,” Shae muttered, aware of the fact that even though he’d cushioned her fall, she’d just knocked the man flat. “Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m not hurt.” He helped her to her feet, then stood alongside her. “What were you doing on the roof?”
“Thinking. Like you used to.” She was still completely overcome by the fact he’d been there when she needed him. “You saved me. You’re my angel.” Shae threw her arms around him again.
Derek ran his hands over her back, assuring himself she was in one piece. “It’s true isn’t it?”
“What?” Shae pressed her face to his chest.
“You’re the woman who saved June from drowning.”
“You remembered?” she breathed the words into his shirt, inhaling the comforting scent of his familiar smell. Sawdust. Pine trees. Ocean breeze.
“No, I didn’t. June did.”
“Where is June?”
“With Drew and Angelina. She told me about you yesterday.”
Shae backed up a couple of steps, trying to discern his expression in the moonlight. “We recognized one another as we waited for you in the hotel lobby. I would’ve said something…”
“But things got crazy after that.” Derek knew he and Shae hadn’t really been alone since that moment.
“That’s why you’re here.” Shae backed up one more step. “You realized I was the one who saved June.” God, he was here out of gratitude. Turning, she walked up the steps, then realized the door was locked. “Dammit.”
“Do you have a spare key, or do I need to go back up on the roof?” he wanted to tease, he was so glad to see her – but she seemed distant to him.
“I have one.” She went to a section of the bannister and reached beneath it, extracting a key that had been taped to the underside. After opening the door, she flipped on the porch light, getting her first good look at him. “Your arm’s bleeding!”
Derek glanced down. “Hadn’t noticed. Maybe we landed on a rock or something.”
“Come in.” She held the screen door open for him. “I’ll clean and doctor it for you.”
“Thanks.” Whatever got his foot in the door. “Hey, Mojo.” He stooped to pet the dog while she went to the bathroom to retrieve the first aid kit.
When she returned, she pointed him to the kitchen table. “Sit.”
He glanced around, seeing that nothing else had been done on the renovations since he’d left. Since that day, so much had happened. He’d regained his life, his home, and his daughter. The one thing that hadn’t changed was how he felt about the woman who was gently cleaning the blood from his arm. “Do you know what a miracle it was that you rescued June?”
Shae soothed the healing ointment on the scratch. “Cathy had taken the church kids to see Ant Man and I’d begged off. I was walking toward Pleasure Pier when I heard her screaming just off the jetty.” She shook her head, the memories overtaking her. “I went in to save her, there was no way I could ignore those cries. I dove under the waves. At first, I didn’t find her, but I couldn’t give up.”
As she spoke, Derek felt everything he’d felt that night – the desperation, the helplessness. “It
was so dark.”
“Yes, and the surf was pounding. I dove several times. I felt and felt for her…and then I found her. My fingertips just brushed the hem of her garment.”
Derek felt his blood go ice cold, realizing how very close he’d been to losing June. “You pulled her up.” He was reliving the moments with Shae.
She held his hand in hers, her thumb grazing his palm. “I walked out of the surf with June in my arms and handed her to you.”
“And I thanked you.”
“Yes, and I told you that saving your daughter would make my life worthwhile.”
Derek kissed her hand. “I want to thank you again.”
Shae eased her hand from his grip. “Believe me, Derek. I am grateful this world is privileged to have June be a part of it. So, if that’s why you’re here, no more thanks are necessary.”
Derek caught her arm. “Wait, you don’t understand. Eternally grateful I may be, but that’s not why I’m here.”
“Yes, I know. You’re here to sell your uncle’s house. How did that go?”
“No, that isn’t why I came either.” He stood to draw her close. “I came for you; the real estate deal was just because it was convenient. Two birds, one stone.”
Shae groaned, “Don’t mention stones.”
“Bad example.” Derek felt his control of the situation slipping away. “Look, I know I messed up.”
Shae went tense. “What?”
“Yea, I got caught up in the process of regaining custody of June.”
“Of course, you did. I don’t blame you, that was your goal, the only acceptable outcome.”
“I shouldn’t have left you out. You were there for me every step of the way and I took you for granted. I thought once I finished doing what I needed to do – that you’d be there.”
“I just didn’t know if you needed me. Wanted me.” She felt tears coming to her eyes.
“I should have made damn sure you knew where you stood with me.” Derek had spent the last twenty-four hours thinking this through. “Everyone you’ve trusted in your life has let you down. What’s surprising about you expecting me to do the same thing?”