THE FALL

by Marie Force

  They ate in companionable silence.

  She took a sip of her wine. "What's America like? Is it as big and as loud as it seems in the movies?"

  "You've never been?"

  She shook her head. "I've been just about everywhere else but never to America. I'd love to go someday. Maybe when I get things settled here."

  "New York City is as loud and as crazy as it looks on TV and in the movies. But there's much more to America than that. There are lots of quiet, peaceful places, too." He thought of Block Island and was irritated when the pain resurfaced with a relentless disregard for his iron will to put it behind him.

  "Are you sad, John?"

  Startled, he looked at her. "Sad? No. Why do you ask?"

  She held her wine glass in both hands as she rested her elbows on the table and studied him with eyes that were wise beyond her years. "You looked very sad for a moment."

  Unsettled by her observation, Smitty shook his head and got up to refill his glass of whiskey. "I'm not," he said when he returned to the table.

  "I'm sad all the time lately," she confessed.

  "That's only natural. It must've been a terrible shock to lose your father so suddenly."

  "When David called…" Her eyes filled at the memory, and she shook her head. "I'm sorry."

  "Don't be."

  She dabbed at her eyes. "I just hope you'll find everything in order so the sale can go through. I need to get this settled. If you had ridden in here today on a white horse I wouldn't have been any happier to see you."

  Charmed by her honesty and her accent, Smitty chuckled. "I would've packed my suit of armor had I known."

  "You think I'm kidding."

  "I know you're not. Isn't there anyone who can help you with the packing and with the business?"

  "No, it's just me. My mother died when I was in high school, and I'm an only child. My father's family lives in New Zealand. Other than the funeral, I haven't seen them in years. His sisters attended the reading of his will, took the money, and ran. Fortunately, I have David and the others helping at the office. I don't know what I would've done without them."

  Smitty had never met anyone else who was as alone in the world as he was. All at once he wanted to get this sale done for her as much as he wanted it for himself and his partners. The responsibility weighed heavily on her, and he couldn't help but wonder what she would be like once the burden was removed from her capable but fragile shoulders.

  "Thank you for coming, John," she said softly.

  "You have no idea how happy I am to be here."

  Chapter 26

  Ted opened the door to the Newport house, flipped on a light, and punched in the code to deactivate the alarm. "I'm surprised I remember the code. I'm never the first one here."

  Caroline walked in behind him and paused in the entryway. When she turned to him, he noticed her green eyes were unsettled.

  "What's the matter, hon?"

  "It just feels strange to be here again. The only other time I was here was the weekend I met you."

  "Do you not want to be here? We don't have to stay. It's only another hour to my place."

  She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. It was just an odd feeling."

  Ted put his arms around her. "I feel it, too. The place belongs to the four of us, but he's the one who makes it happen. I see him everywhere in this house."

  She rested her head on his chest. "I hate to think of him mad and hurt and all alone on the other side of the world."

  "I do, too. I'd try harder to track him down if I thought he'd want to hear from me right now."

  "Yeah. I guess it's probably better to leave it alone for a while and hope maybe he'll be in a forgiving mood when he gets home."

  Ted didn't expect Smitty to ever forgive him, but he didn't think she needed to hear that. "Want to go into town and get some dinner?"

  "Sure."

  He leaned in for a kiss. After several long, hot minutes, he sighed. "Oh, I needed that."

  "Maybe we should order in."

  He raised an eyebrow. "That's the best idea you've had all day." When he felt her fingers skimming through his chest hair, he realized she had unbuttoned his shirt. Capturing her wandering hand, he urged her up the stairs.

  "Where are we going?"

  She struggled to keep up with him, so he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the third floor. He put her down to grab the comforter and pillows from his bed and take them to the deck. Then he came back and held out his hand to her. "I want to make love to you in the place where I found you."

  She curled her fingers around his and followed him outside.

  A half moon hung over Newport Harbor, and a soft summer breeze blew in from the water.

  Ted rested his hands on the small of her back and slid his lips gently over hers. "I remember everything about that day." He dropped hot, wet kisses on her neck as he reached up to untie her halter. She shuddered when he nudged her top aside and kissed his way down to her breasts. "After a terrible day, I drove here with no idea of what was about to happen to me." He drew her nipple into his mouth, and she moaned. "Everything was different the next morning. Everything had shifted."

  Her fingers were buried in his hair as he ran his tongue over her belly. "Ted." She urged him up and pushed his shirt off his shoulders. Then she focused on getting rid of his shorts.

  When their clothes were in a pile on the deck, he eased her down to the comforter.

  "I was over there on that lounge when I heard your car. And then when you came out on the deck, the night became so quiet, so still, like the whole world was holding its breath. I saw you were upset, and then I was next to you. I don't even remember getting up, just that I needed to go to you."

  He covered her, filled her, possessed her.

  She arched her back and took him in.

  "Caroline," he sighed.

  Without losing the connection, she urged him onto his back and rode him with abandon. Her eyes were closed, her head tilted back, and her breasts rose and fell with her hips. Ted was powerless to do anything but go along with her until he couldn't bear it for another second. Gripping her hips he held her down and cried out just ahead of her.

  Still joined with him, she was breathing heavily when she slumped down on top of him.

  Against his chest he could feel her heart beating in time with his. Just when he thought it couldn't get any better, it did. Just when he thought he couldn't love her any more, he discovered there was still so much more. "We're going to have to buy this place and put a little plaque on the deck."

  "Here in this place Ted and Caroline discovered there is such a thing as love at first sight," she said with a lingering kiss.

  "Here in this place Ted had the best sex of his life," he added with a grin.

  Her smile was smug. "Here in this place Caroline turned the man of her dreams into a pile of mush."

  He nodded in agreement and found her lips, startled to realize he was already aroused again. "And here in this place Ted asked Caroline to be his wife."

  She froze.

  His heart in his throat, he kept his arms tight around her as he found her eyes in the soft light coming from inside. "I love you. I'll never love anyone the way I love you, and since that's not going to change in six months or one year or fifty, there's no need to wait to get it right. I've already waited all my life for you. Will you marry me, Caroline?"

  Her hot tears fell to his chest. "Yes, Ted. Yes, I'll marry you."

  He gently turned them over and made love to her again. Afterward, there were tears on his face, too.

  * * *

  Out of habit, Ted woke up early the next morning and took advantage of the opportunity to watch Caroline sleep, her hair spread out on the pillow and one arm hooked over her head. Ted ran a finger lightly over her bottom lip.

  "Mmm," she sighed and rolled over to snuggle closer to him.

  The flutter of his heart at the feel of her next to him was followed by a surge of excitement when
he remembered they were engaged. Even though he had known for days he would marry her eventually, he hadn't planned to ask her last night. The words had just tumbled out in the moment, and in the bright light of day he had no regrets.

  Caroline's eyes remained closed as her hand began to move on his chest.

  He kissed her cheek and then her eyelids. "We have to get up," he whispered.

  "Not yet."

  Brushing his lips over her hair, he said, "I have to go to work."

  She whimpered and tightened her hold on him. "You still have strep. I can tell."

  "And on what do you base this diagnosis, Dr. Stewart?"

  She wrapped her hand around his erection. "Your swollen glands."

  His laughter filled the room. "Good one."

  She glanced up at him, and their eyes met. "You can take it back, you know."

  "No way. I need to get a ring and do it right, but there's no way I'm taking it back. And you said yes, so you can't take it back, either."

  "I never would. But don't do it again. You got it right the first time."

  "I'm getting you a ring," he insisted.

  "I don't need it."

  "Since I only plan to do this once, my fiancée will have a ring."

  "Fiancée," she sighed. "It's kind of crazy when you think about it. We've only known each other a little over two weeks."

  "I knew in two seconds."

  She hooked her hand around his neck so she could kiss him. "Do we really have to get up right now?" she asked, caressing his back.

  He consulted his watch. "I guess we have a little time, but we'll have to be quick."

  "I can do quick."

  * * *

  They arrived at Ted's condo at eleven fifteen. He carried their bags and her plants inside and held the door for her. "There's a key under that flower pot if you venture out at all. I'll find you one of your own tonight. The alarm code is 0904—my birthday."

  "Oh, Ted, this place is fabulous!" She turned to look at him. "Did you do this?"

  He snorted. "Hell no. It's a Mitzi and Lillian production."

  She ran her hand over the back of a dark leather sofa. "I love it. And the view! Look at all the boats!" Sliding open the door to the patio she stepped outside. "Cameron and I are going to spend a lot of time out here."

  "Make sure you tell him you're engaged," Ted said with a menacing growl.

  "I broke the news to him in the shower this morning. He was heartbroken."

  Ted smiled as he kissed her. "I hate to say it, but I've got to get moving. I want to show you around and tell you where everything is, but if I don't leave in the next fifteen minutes, I'm going to be late."

  "Go get ready." She gave him a gentle push. "I'll figure it out on my own—that is if you don't mind me poking around."

  "What's mine is yours, honey. Make yourself completely at home." He took the stairs two at a time on his way to the loft that was his bedroom. Halfway up he stopped and turned to look at her. "I'm glad you're here." He continued up the stairs and disappeared into his bedroom.

  Caroline went out to the patio to take another look at the marina. In the distance airplanes took off and landed at Logan Airport.

  Ted came back ten minutes later wearing a yellow dress shirt, pressed khakis, and Nikes. He was knotting a blue tie as he joined her on the patio.

  She reached for the ID card that hung from a lanyard around his neck. "Sponge Bob?" She raised an amused eyebrow at the strip of stickers tucked in behind his badge.

  "The reigning king of kid TV."

  "Ted Duffy, MD," she read from the ID. "Pediatric Oncology."

  "That's me." He slid the tie into place and adjusted his collar. "I have no idea what's in the fridge, but there's a flyer in the kitchen for a grocery store in the neighborhood that delivers. I have an account there, so call them and order whatever you want."

  "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

  He raised her chin to bring her eyes up to his. "Listen to me, because this is important. Are you listening?"

  She giggled at the intense expression on his face. "Yes, Dr. Duffy, you have my full attention."

  "I don't want us to have to talk about this again."

  She sobered. "About what?"

  "The only two things of any value I have are my car and this condo, both of which I accepted reluctantly as gifts from my overindulgent grandparents. For the last six years I've worked ninety hours a week and have had almost no life outside that hospital. Do you know what happens when you work like that and don't have a life?"

  She shook her head.

  "The money tends to pile up a bit. So now we're going to live. You're going to call that grocery store and spend my money like money's going out of style, you got me?"

  "All right," she said, touched by his speech.

  "And anything else you want or need, for that matter. I don't want you worrying about money or spending my money. My money is your money."

  "You're very sweet," she said when he wrapped his arms around her.

  "We're a team now. After last night, there's no more you and me. There's only us."

  She nodded.

  "Now that we have that worked out, I'm going to make a promise of my own. The ninety hour work weeks are going to be a thing of the past—or as much as they can be."

  "You do what you have to do. I'll be here whenever you get home."

  "I'm off at eight tonight, and I'll call you if I'm going to be late."

  "Call my cell phone. The number's on yours from when I called you Sunday night. That way I don't have to worry about answering your home phone."

  He kissed her. "Okay." Leaning his forehead against hers, he said, "I can't seem to make myself go."

  "I'll be right here waiting for you."

  "Promise?"

  "Promise."

  "You're not going to change your mind about everything in the next eight or nine hours are you?"

  "Not a chance."

  He reached for her hands. "These last few days have been the best of my life. Even if we're married fifty years, I'll never forget them."

  "I won't either. I love you. Go take care of your kids, and when you get home I'll take care of you."

  He groaned and leaned in for a kiss that turned hot so fast he had to pull himself back or be lost in her. "Do you still have my card? If you need to reach me, call my cell first. If I don't answer, page me. Don't hesitate to do that, okay?"

  With a nod, she turned him around, gave him another gentle push, and followed him through the house.

  At the front door, he stopped for one more kiss. "Love you."

  "Love you, too. Have a good day, dear."

  He grinned and waved as he started down the stairs. At the bottom he turned right around and came back up. His hand cupped her cheek as he stole one last kiss.

  "Go," she whispered against his lips.

  "Can't."

  "Have to." With her hands on his chest she eased him away from her.

  "I should've gone with malaria or typhoid or something that wouldn't have cleared up in two short days," he muttered as he went down the stairs again.

  Giggling, she said, "Next time." She watched him get into his car and blew him a kiss as he spun out of the parking lot.

  Chapter 27

  Caroline wandered through the condo. The living room and kitchen were one big open space with a high counter and bar stools dividing the two rooms. Everything in the kitchen looked shiny new and hardly used. Off the living room was an office done in light wood tones. Ted's laptop sat on the large desk, which had been positioned to maximize the marina view. On the wall were his degrees from Princeton and Duke Medical School. Another wall was covered with framed photos of family and friends. Caroline stopped to study one of the pictures: Ted, Tish, their parents, and grandparents when Ted was about ten.

  "Oh, look at you." She ran a finger over the photo. "So cute. Even then." She moved on to group shots of what were probably his high school friends and several of him with
Tish at various ages.

  Caroline giggled at Ted's long hair in a picture with his parents at his Princeton graduation. By the time he graduated from Duke, though, his hair had been cut short. Mixed among the frames were multiple photos of Ted with his three best friends—in caps and gowns at their Princeton graduation, at the beach, on a sailboat, in tuxedos with unlit cigars dangling from their teeth. In every picture of the four of them, their affection for each other would have been obvious to anyone.

  Her cell phone rang in the other room, and Caroline hobbled out of the office to find it. She laughed when she saw Ted's number on the caller ID. "Are you checking up on me already?"

  "I miss you."

  He sounded so forlorn that she couldn't help but smile. "I miss you, too. Where are you?"

  "I just got to the hospital, and I'm walking in. My throat is feeling sore again. Maybe I'd better come home."

  "Your kids are missing you after five days. They need you."

  "That's playing dirty," he growled. "What're you doing right now?"

  "I was just looking at the pictures in your office. You were such a cute little boy. And I loved your long hair in college."

  "I'll grow it back for you, but my mother won't be happy. She hated it."

  "I like it better the way it is now. There's just enough to run my fingers through."

  "Caroline…"

  She laughed. "Go to work, will you? You're bothering me."

  "I'm going to bother you, all right. About two minutes after I get home—if it takes that long."

  "Thanks for the warning."

  "Have a good day."

  "You, too. I love you."

  "Love you, too. Bye."

  "Bye," she said.

  "Hang up."

  "Not 'til you do."

  He laughed and ended the call.

  Caroline hugged the phone to her chest and was swamped with such joy that she would've danced around the room if it weren't for the damned cast. Suddenly, she was dying to tell someone about him. She reopened her phone and dialed her parents' number.

  "Hi, honey," her mother said. "This is a nice surprise. How's your ankle?"

  "It's much better. The cast is smelly and itchy, and I can't wait to shave my leg, but at least it doesn't hurt anymore."