This Time for Keeps

by Rochelle Alers

  A slight frown appeared between Fletcher eyes. “I don’t own a pair of pajamas.”

  “No jammies, no can come,” she teased. “You and the boys will share a bedroom and they don’t need to see your naked hind parts.”

  “That wouldn’t be good. I suppose I’ll have to buy a pair or two. What about you, Nikki? Do you ever sleep in your birthday suit?”

  She scrunched up her nose. “Hardly ever now that I’m living with Daniel and Luke.”

  “What about when you’re home in Miami?”

  Nicole sobered quickly. “What are you implying, Fletcher? Do you want to know if I’m sleeping with someone?”

  “Wow! You’re really direct, aren’t you?”

  “Would you like me if I wasn’t?”

  He smiled. “No. I like the fact you say exactly what’s on your mind.”

  “I’m not seeing anyone right now, because I don’t need a man monitoring my whereabouts or one whose aim is to dominate me when I’m quite comfortable being a single woman with options as to what I want to do with my life. I can choose to live anywhere, and there are a number of states where I can practice law because I’ve taken and passed the multiple-state bar exam.”

  “Would you ever consider moving back to The Falls if you decided to leave Miami?”

  “I haven’t ruled anything out,” Nicole said. “If Reggie needs me to stay after he comes back, then I will. I like working for Preston McAvoy, which means I’m still a practicing attorney.” She didn’t see the beginnings of a smile tip the corners of Fletcher’s mouth when he lowered his head.

  Nicole had been forthcoming when she’d admitted to him that she had never been in love or even close to it. There were times she’d believed she was incapable of the sentiment. She was totally vested in duty and honor, which had forced her to remain detached from emotions that would compromise the operation to which she had been assigned. She had learned to give and take orders and to follow them without question.

  There were officers who’d expressed an interest in her, but Nicole had not wanted to get involved with someone in her unit. She was content to socialize with them in the officers’ club, but drew the line when it came to a physical relationship.

  Whenever she’d returned home during an official leave, she reunited with one of her former college classmates in Washington, DC. Morgan Jackson.

  They’d been friends with benefits until shortly before her first deployment and, for Nicole, it was enough. Morgan was the closest Nicole had gotten to forming a stable relationship with a man.

  “Don’t you ever let a man tell you that you’re not a remarkable woman, Nikki.”

  She rested a hand on Fletcher’s jaw, feeling the emerging stubble against her palm. “As I said before, you’re wonderful for a woman’s ego. You’re going to have to let me go because I need to get home and feed Othello.”

  * * *

  Fletcher gathered Nicole in his arms, stood and held her until her bare feet touched the rug. “One of these days you should bring him over so he can have the run of the backyard.”

  Nicole smiled up at him. “Whenever I let him out, his favorite pastime is chasing squirrels.”

  “Does he kill them?”

  “No.”

  “Well, instead of chasing squirrels he’ll have a family of rabbits to intimidate. Once I had the landscapers clear the backyard, I discovered several brown rabbits coming out of a hole. I counted three, but now there are a lot more.”

  Nicole picked up the coffee cups and headed for the house. “What’s the expression? Multiply like rabbits.”

  Fletcher followed Nicole and reached over her head to open the sliding door leading directly into the kitchen. “If they become too numerous, I’ll have to set traps and take them to a guy in Mineral Springs who raises rabbits for restaurants.”

  “Rabbit, squirrel, possum are definitely not a part of my diet,” Nicole said over her shoulder.

  He watched her slip into her running shoes and then scoop up her wristlet off the countertop. “What about venison, rattlesnake or alligator?”

  “Venison, yes, but no to the alligator and snake.”

  “Where’s your sense of adventure, sweetheart?”

  “I have more than my share of adventure piloting helicopters in Afghanistan while attempting to avoid being shot down by RPGs.”

  Fletcher did not want to believe he’d been so callous when mentioning her disdain for adventure. Each and every time Nicole had taken off in a helicopter, she had become a target for rocket-propelled grenades. She had begun her career as a pilot medic evacuating the wounded to field hospitals before being promoted to piloting helicopter gunships. And if one of her suitors had sought to tame her, then he’d either been a complete idiot or his ego had surpassed whatever common sense he’d believed he had.

  He also wondered how many men had underestimated Nicole’s ability to not only take care of herself but also others. He had talked about protecting her when he should’ve said caring for her. After all, there was a difference. Reaching for the house and car keys, Fletcher led her out to the car.

  The drive to her house was accomplished in complete silence, and Fletcher wondered what Nicole was thinking. He’d spent most of the afternoon and early evening with her.

  “What are you smiling about?”

  Fletcher glanced over at Nicole. He hadn’t realized he was smiling. “I was thinking about kissing you.”

  “Should I assume you enjoyed it?”

  “It was most excellent,” he said, his smile becoming a wide grin.

  Nicole turned to stare out the side window. “I liked it, too.”

  “Hot damn!” he whispered.

  She turned back to him. “You’re going to have to watch your language when you’re around the boys, because every once in a while, they let something slip out they shouldn’t be saying.”

  “What do you do about it?”

  “There are times when I ignore it, but if it gets to be too much then it’s a long-winded lecture. And if they continue, I ground them, which seems to do the trick until the next time.”

  “The first time I cursed in front my father he warned me that if I was man enough to use that language then I was man enough to move out of his house and take care of myself.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Either nine or ten. It wasn’t what he said but how he’d it said that scared me. I really thought he was going to put me out.”

  “I suppose it worked.”

  “Damn straight it did. It was only years later when I asked if he was serious, he admitted that my mother would’ve divorced him if he’d followed through with his threat. That’s when I knew my mother, and not Pop, was the boss of the house.”

  “It was the same in my house,” Nicole admitted. “Whenever I’d ask my father if I could do something, he would say to ask my mother or ‘What did your mom say?’”

  Fletcher turned off onto the road leading to Nicole’s house, not wanting his time with her to end. She wasn’t scheduled to pick up her nephews until the following afternoon, and that meant he could’ve invited her to spend the night with him. Of course, he would have offered her one of the bedrooms, but he wanted to experience what it would feel like to wake up and find her under his roof.

  She had asked him why her and not some other woman. Although he had accused her of attempting to sabotage their relationship even before it could begin, he’d wanted to ask why not her. Did she believe she wasn’t worthy of a man’s love? That she could go through her life without experiencing what it meant to love and be loved?

  Fletcher had had his share of false starts when he’d believed he was falling in love with a woman and tried to convince himself that she was the one when she wasn’t. And not once had he ever confused passion for love. After a while he’d come to realize he was trying much too hard to f
ind that special woman with whom to share his life and future.

  Perhaps it had been the uncertainty whether he would live to serve thirty years before separating from the military that had made him anxious about marrying and starting a family. It was only after his injury that he’d had time to reflect on his contribution to his family, friends and his country. Fletcher had returned to Wickham Falls to pick up the mantle of operating Austen Auto & Sons. He had also proved that he’d planned to put down roots once he’d purchased property.

  He maneuvered into the driveway and cut off the engine. Fletcher was out of the car and had come around to assist Nicole before she’d unsnapped her seat belt. He walked with her up the porch and to the door. She’d just opened the door when Othello came out to greet her. Whining, the dog sniffed her legs before he repeated the action with Fletcher.

  Reaching down, he scratched the canine behind the ears. “Hey, buddy.” Othello rose on his hind legs and Fletcher rubbed his back. Under the fur was powerful muscle. Nicole’s expression registered shock as he continued to bond with her pet.

  “I’ve never known him to take to someone so quickly.”

  Fletcher smiled at her. “He must know that we were both military warriors.”

  Nicole kicked off her shoes. “Do you want to come in and feed him before you take him for a walk?”

  “Of course. We dudes have to stick together.”

  Her eyebrow quirked slightly. “So now you are besties?”

  “You bet. One of these days I’m going to bring him over to my place where he can run and chase rabbits.”

  Bending, Fletcher took off his boots and left them on the mat next to Nicole’s running shoes. He waited with Othello outside the kitchen while she opened a can of dog food and a bag of dry kibbles and placed them in a dish alongside a bowl of fresh water on a rubber mat.

  Fletcher sat on the floor, his back braced against the wall as he watched the Belgian Malinois finish off the food before drinking most of the water. Othello came over to him, sat and rested his muzzle on Fletcher’s thigh. It was the action Nicole said would signify the dog’s complete acceptance of him.

  He ran his hand over the thick fur covering the dog’s back. “You and I are going to have a good time together. I’m going to have to ask your mama when you can come and hang out with Uncle Fletcher.”

  Nicole, sitting on a stool at the breakfast bar, glared at him. “You will not take my dog.”

  “I don’t want to take him. We just want to do a little male bonding. Right, boy,” Fletcher crooned as he continued to stroke Othello. The dog stood and walked to the front door.

  Nicole slipped off the stool. “It’s time for his walk. Wait here and I’ll get his leash and poop bag.”

  * * *

  Fletcher let Othello take the lead during their leisurely walk. It gave him the opportunity to survey the neighborhood where Nicole and her brother had grown up. Most of the homes were designed with two or three stories and front porches.

  Signs advertising security companies were visible on most lawns, while a number of cameras were also evident. Rural, small-town Wickham Falls was not exempt from the explosion of substance abuse, and residents took steps to protect their lives and property. There had been a time when people did not lock their cars or their front doors, but that was in the past.

  Even though events in his hometown had changed, Fletcher discovered most of the residents hadn’t. Their concern was earning enough money to support their families and keeping a close eye on their children to make certain they didn’t fall prey to drugs and completed high school.

  Othello saw a squirrel and took off like a shot, Fletcher racing to keep up with him. The furry rodent scurried up a tree while Othello excitedly barked. “It’s all right, buddy. He’s gone.”

  Fortunately, Fletcher’s leg hadn’t buckled with the unexpected sprint. He religiously performed the recommended exercise prescribed by his orthopedist to strengthen the muscles in his injured leg. However, occasionally he overdid it and had to sit in the Jacuzzi to ease the discomfort.

  He and Othello returned to the house and found Nicole sitting on the porch. She’d left a bowl of cold water on the floor for the dog. “How was your walk?”

  Fletcher sat on the rocker opposite her. “Good until Othello decided to chase a squirrel.”

  Nicole tented her fingers. “I should’ve warned you that he can take off without warning when he sees one.”

  “Can he be trained not to chase them?”

  “If you command him to stay, he’ll stop.”

  Fletcher knew military dogs were trained to obey one handler and, once discharged, had to be retrained to adapt to life as a civilian. Resting his head against the back of the rocker, he closed his eyes. A wave of calmness swept over him as he drew in a deep breath. It was as if all his senses were heightened when he heard the slip-slap of tires on the roadway from a passing car, the tweeting of birds in the nearby tree and the faint chirping of crickets.

  “Don’t expect me to lift you if you fall asleep.”

  Fletcher opened his eyes and smiled at her. “I was just resting my eyes.”

  She returned his smile. “That’s what the boys say when they fall asleep while watching television.”

  He pushed to his feet. “I think it’s time I head home.” Walking to Nicole, he leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thanks for making today special.”

  Nicole looked up at him through her lashes. “Same here. What time do you want me to bring the boys over Saturday?”

  “I’m always up early, so it can be any time you want. Don’t forget to bring Othello.”

  She narrowed one eye. “Are you trying to lure my pet away from me?”

  Fletcher held up both hands. “No!”

  “I don’t believe you, Fletcher.”

  He wanted to tell Nicole he would never accept ownership of Othello unless she was a part of the deal. “Believe me, babe.”

  Turning on his heel, Fletcher walked off the porch, got into the Corvette and drove away.

  He had been truthful when he’d told Nicole that she had made the day special.

  She had answered a lot of questions for him when she’d told him about the man with whom she had become emotionally involved. And Fletcher wondered what it was in the older man that had made her risk her career. Was it naivete, compassion or genuine concern?

  He returned home, parked the Corvette in the garage and disarmed the system leading from the garage to the mudroom. It was too early to go to bed, so Fletcher decided to sit up and listen to music. He had complied a collection of jazz and R & B records dating from the 1940s, as well as a few recorded in the 1930s by lesser known singers and musicians. To date he had a collection of more than one hundred vinyl records. Louis Armstrong, Dexter Gordon, Duke Ellington and Bessie Smith were his personal jazz favorites. Otis Redding, Ben E. King and Aretha Franklin were his R & B preferences.

  Twenty minutes later, Fletcher lay on a chaise in the semidark space he had set up as an entertainment/family room. The upbeat rhythm of Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing” flowed throughout the first story. He rested his head on folded arms and allowed himself to be swept up with his favorite music genre. It was after ten when he finally turned off the component and climbed the staircase to his bedroom. His father was scheduled to take the next two days off, which meant he had to open and close the garage.

  Fletcher got into bed and spent the next half hour staring up at the ceiling as images of what he’d shared with Nicole flooded his mind like frames of a film. He turned over and pounded the pillow under his head and began slowly counting until Morpheus swallowed him whole in a deep, dreamless sleep.

  Chapter Nine

  “Luke, you have to wear your rain boots.”

  “Do I have to, Auntie?”

  Nicole rolled her eyes. “Yes. Take off your sneakers
and put them in your backpack.” Luke turned on his heel and stomped up the staircase to his bedroom to change his footwear. It was late Saturday morning and she, Daniel, Luke and Othello were going to Fletcher’s house to spend the weekend.

  The weather had changed with a cold rain that had been falling without letup for the past three days. People were complaining about the rain and absence of sunlight even though they were aware the region had had an abnormally hot and dry summer season.

  She shook her head in exasperation. Her nephews had spent the past two weekends with their maternal grandparents and whenever they returned, she’d noticed a difference in their behavior. They appeared angry, aggressive and were now challenging her whenever she asked them to do something. She didn’t know what was going on in the Clarke household, but Nicole planned to alert the boys’ counselors to identify the underlying cause or causes before she spoke to Johnnie Clarke.

  The holiday had shortened the workweek for her, but it hadn’t slowed the increasing number of cases on her desk. She and Preston conferred every Wednesday when they examined each client’s case to ascertain their priority and to identify who would represent them in court.

  Nicole had represented a teenage girl arrested for shoplifting from the drugstore. She’d recommended the girl plead guilty because it was her first offense and asked the judge for probation and community service in lieu of sixty days in the county jail. The judge had agreed and Nicole had cautioned the young woman if she did not keep the commitment to complete one hundred hours at The Falls’ church’s outreach food bank and check in with her probation officer once a week, she would be remanded to jail.

  Preston had maintained his father’s policy of not accepting clients charged with felony murder or manslaughter. The firm’s focus was family law and misdemeanor charges, unlike the Miami firm where Nicole had worked as an associate. Many of their high-profile clients had been charged with white-collar crimes, drug trafficking, justifiable homicide, and some with purported acts of terrorism. The clients were extremely wealthy, their substantial retainers rapidly depleted with ongoing billable hours.