by Traci Hall
Sue looked at K. “Go ahead. I’ll go last.”
So she could stay longer…the woman did have a crush. Joe probably didn’t even know.
K walked behind the slow as molasses doctor, wishing she could sprint past him to see Joe faster. He pointed at a room to his right. “There you are, Ms.”
“Thank you so much, Doctor.”
K stuck her head in, not bothered at all by the accoutrements of the hospital. Bleeps and clicks and chuffs as various machines worked to keep people alive. If only Paolo had been saved. She remembered Joe saying that it wasn’t her fault. Had she, all these years, been carrying around guilt?
Joe’s eyes were closed, his face pale. His dark hair lay flat against the pillow, his soul patch a bit of color beneath his lip. He had tubes in his nose but his breaths were even and steady. It broke her heart to see him so vulnerable, but she’d never been so happy to be in a hospital room. Joe would live to fight another day.
K walked quietly to the bed, seeing his hands attached to various clear IV hoses. Her eyes welled with tears. “I don’t know where to touch you.” I’ve got to find a way.
She traced the tattoos on his forearm, the dragon in flight on his bicep, the scar on his inner wrist. She laid her fingers gently over his hand, just enough to tell her that he was all right. Warm. Alive.
His lids fluttered.
He needed his rest. She closed her eyes, sending all of the feelings in her heart through her fingertips to him, lying so still. Be well, Joe.
She was on the verge of tears and that was not what Joe needed from her. He needed her strength, so that he could lean on her if he had to. She bit the inside of her cheek until she was calm again, wanting to stay until they kicked her out. Knowing she’d sit in the hospital waiting room until they got tired of seeing her and just let her stay with Joe.
Sue knocked. “My turn.”
K nodded, hiding her resentment of the other woman wanting to spend a few minutes with her friend and co-worker. K risked a light kiss to Joe’s mouth before she left. She didn’t say good-bye and wiped tears off her cheeks as she walked back to the waiting room.
K took out her phone, seeing she had a missed call from the Foster Center.
Jamal, she thought, realizing she’d completely forgotten about her youngest client. She listened to the voice mail, then hit the call back button. “Hi, Mrs. Gustafson. It’s K Aneko. How are you?”
“Oh, hi, K. Where are you?”
“Florida. I got your message, that you needed to talk to me?”
“I didn’t realize you were out of town.”
“I received an odd message from Jamal early this morning. Is he all right?”
K heard the woman breathe out with exasperation. “He snuck out last night. Said he went to the movies with a friend. You know how strict we are here. No drinking, no drugs. Curfew for the older ones.”
K’s vulnerable heart ached. “Yes, I know. But he was so disappointed that they’d changed the court date. It’s awful, having that sentence hanging over your head.”
“Don’t think I’m not sympathetic, but if we allow broken rules, we won’t have a facility worth a dime.”
“Is there anything we can do?”
“I’ve given him the urine tests. If they’d come back positive, he’d have been out.”
K sank to the edge of a cold, plastic chair. “But?”
“They were clear. He’s on probation here at the center. No phone, ten o’clock bedtime.”
“Oh, thank you, thank you.” She swallowed tears of gratitude, exchanged a few pleasantries and hung up the phone.
Her strictly outlined life had taken a distinct turn toward messy she thought as she looked around the waiting room. Families and friends all clustered together, offering love and support in a time of crisis.
“I was afraid,” she said aloud. Not really liking the words, but there they were.
A voice from her very childhood that sounded a lot like Namaka asked, Afraid of what?
“Afraid of losing.” K got to her feet. “Of caring so deeply for someone else and losing them. But I’m not afraid anymore.”
That’s my girl.
K chuckled wryly and went to the other wing of the hospital, where Rita was staying. To her surprise, the nurses let K see her.
Rita sat in a recliner before the window overlooking a garden below. She knitted, her fingers moving gracefully though she didn’t once look down at what she was doing.
“Rita?”
“K!” She put the yarn and needles aside. “Come in. I was just getting tired of the thoughts in my head.”
“And here I am,” K said. She sat on the edge of the foot stool, studying the woman who had meant so much to K’s fledgling career.
“I’m really sorry,” Rita said, her eyes sad. She’d pulled her hair back in a bun, the roots not so visible that way.
“Don’t be. I think it’s good you’re here.”
“Why?”
“I was looking for a trash bag beneath the sink.” And accidentally discovered a bunch of empty prescription bottles.
Rita bloodless lips tightened. “I,”
“You don’t have to explain,” she said. “I think I understand.”
Crying, Rita whispered, “I was so lonely.”
“You have the bird, and Princey.”
“I wanted my husband, but he didn’t want me. I tried everything, but I wasn’t enough.”
“You can’t be everything to another person,” K said, her voice soft. “You have to find your center.” She patted her own heart. “What makes you happy and fulfilled.”
“You remind me of me, a half century ago. Yes, I worked in the courts as a clerk. I was a professional woman. I was hard, K. I worried that you might be hard too, but there is something different about you, here, by the sea.”
K leaned back, staring at the ceiling. White panels and recessed lighting, no harsh fluorescent bulbs. “I’ve had to face some demons from my past. Had my own center shaken. But you know what I just realized, just now, in the waiting room, of all places?” She got up and looked out over the courtyard, wondering if she’d ever have realized her mistake if she hadn’t come here. “I am strong, inside. Loving another person doesn’t take that away from you.” She’d been so worried about protecting herself from hurt. But she’d been hurt, and she’d survived. It hadn’t killed her. “It just adds.”
“You’ve found love in three days?” Rita whistled.
K bowed her head, staring at her pink fingernails. “I think so.”
“It happens that way. I knew when I met Mr. Hartley he was the one.”
“There’s a science behind it,” K said. “Hormones.”
“Science? Oh, K, you are such a left brain thinker.” Rita laughed. “I’m glad someone has come along to disrupt your life.”
“What are you talking about?” K asked with a smile. “My life won’t change at all.”
“You have a flourishing practice,” Rita said. “Are you going to leave it behind?”
“About that,” K confessed. “I’m just starting out. You are my first big client. I came here to pick up the check because I really need it.” K realized she’d just given away her edge, and put the ball in Rita’s court.
“Oh? But I thought that you had multiple clients?”
“I’m building my list, but you were the first.”
“No wonder I got such good service,” Rita said with wry chuckle. “Get me my purse. I can write that check right now. You’re good, K. I had no idea.”
It didn’t matter.
Her life had already changed.
*****
Joe opened his eyes, catching the scent of floral perfume. K? But no, it was Sue sitting at his side. Sue, who’d stepped to the plate today.
“Thanks for the assist,” he joked in a scratchy voice he hardly recognized. He considered Sue a friend of sorts. A guy learned to keep to himself and avoid real friendships because pretending to be someone else made it hard to stay in c
haracter.
“Happy to help save your ass,” Sue said, looking down at him with tears in her eyes. “Doctor said you came through the surgery great.” She patted his upper arm, awkwardly not knowing where to touch him.
He had the distinct memory of K, covering his hand with hers. Was it real, or had he been dreaming? He couldn’t really talk, so he nodded to show he heard, and then looked toward the door.
Sue sighed. “You just missed her. K. You know she ran three freaking miles to see your sorry self?”
She’d been here. He smiled, just glad that she’d come.
Sue only stayed a minute, leaving with a quick good-bye.
Joe dozed, the gentle touch of fingers on his forearm waking him. A soft kiss encouraged him to open his eyes.
“K?”
“It’s me. I snuck in for another two minutes.”
“Is that all they give you?”
“You’re a mess, Joe.”
The look she gave him sent a pang to his heart. Soft, feminine, enticing. She curled her fingers around his wrist, as close as she could get to his hand.
“Can I go home?”
“You are such a joker. A comedian. Maybe once you retire in six years, you could take your act on the road.”
“Are you coming with me?”
“How do you feel about Chicago?” she countered, rubbing her fingers on the inside of his wrist.
Joe came alive through the haze of pain medication. “I love hot dogs, and Navy Pier. No ocean, but the lake is pretty damn big. What about a condo here for the winter?” She wanted him, she wanted to be with him. He’d go wherever she was.
“You want to be a snowbird? You aren’t even forty yet!”
“Who wants to be here during the summer? It’s hot.”
“Joe…”
“You said yourself that the Atlantic Ocean is much calmer than the Pacific. Maybe Namaka can’t find you this far south.” She was so pretty, he thought, looking at her eyes. She’d run three miles to see him. He loved her tear-stained face and messy ponytail.
“Joe!”
“What?” The meds made it hard to concentrate. He just wanted to tell her that he loved her. Did she know that yet?
“I’m not mad at Namaka anymore. I had an epiphany in the waiting room and we’ve kind of patched things up.”
“I’m glad K. Does that mean I can start calling you Karma?”
She grinned. “Maybe. I want to show you something.” She passed him the 30,000 dollar check.
“Nice. That’s almost half of what I make a year. You probably get that as a retainer.”
“If I was smart, I would’ve, but I was just learning and didn’t realize how much things cost and how long court can drag out. That is my profit over the last year and a half. I’ve been living off of maxed credit cards.”
“I have a nice savings, if you want some money.”
“Joe!” Karma blinked quickly and shook her head. “I was talking to the doctor before I came in to see you. You are going to have to take medical leave for a few months. Rehab and all of that. I was thinking you might want to start a new business with me. Once I pay off my credit cards and my electric bill, I might not want to be a divorce lawyer for rich ladies. I could help you while you’re getting better. In Chicago.”
He struggled to sit up, realizing she’d had one hell of an epiphany. “That sounds intriguing.” Business together? A life together? Where did he sign?
“No, no. Just relax. I haven’t made up my mind, of course, because I do like to have nice things, but there has to be a way I can help kids, like Jamal, and the Foster Center, while still helping women get what they deserve from jack ass husbands. Mostly I want to teach those women to be self-sufficient. To find their center.”
“That’s really awesome, K.”
“While wearing my Louboutins.”
“What are those?”
“My heels.”
“Babe, if you wear those shoes into the hood, you’re gonna get jacked.”
“What?” She widened her gorgeous brown eyes.
“They’ll be stolen right off your cute little feet.”
“I’m a fast runner.”
“Not in those you’re not,” Joe laughed and entwined their fingers together. “K, it’s time that we both stopped running. You and me. In the here and now. We’ll figure out the details later.”
K leaned over the bed, careful not to touch his shoulder in any way. “I have to kiss you,” she whispered. “I want to be wherever you are. In the past few days you’ve made me look at life differently. I’m a better person just for knowing you. You’ve shown me a world of magic and possibilities. How could I let you go?” She pressed her mouth to his, her lips soft and sensual.
Joe kissed her back, not sure if the electrical jolt between them was from undoing a few tubes as he used his good arm to hold her. He didn’t care. “I’ve got you, babe.”
Epilogue
Karma sat in the lotus position, breathing deep into her belly. She closed her eyes, concentrating on her center. It was difficult to do with Princey’s dog breath blowing in her face. The dog was also sitting on a yoga mat on the sand, staring with adoration toward the Yogi teaching the class. The noxious smell lifted with the sea breeze.
Joe, to her left, whispered, “That was not me.”
Karma tried not to laugh, because she was really tired of the Yogi reprimanding her, but between Joe and the dog, there was always something.
Center, center.
Rita, visiting her ex-husband in New York, sublet her condo to them for the month for free, well, in exchange for taking care of Princey and Lucky. After his surgery, Joe had finagled a sweet deal with medical disability and early retirement. Their honeymoon was the first trip back since Joe left the hospital and traveled to Chicago where she could care for him there.
She kept her shingle, K Akeno Esquire, and worked for select clients. She and Joe started a crisis center for kids, with Jamal as a shining example of someone who could change if they wanted to, given the tools. But they had to really want to.
She often thought of the baby sea turtle, and how furious she’d been at that hard lesson her father had taught her. But it was a truth she shared with every new child she worked with and something she planned to hand down to her kids, whenever she and Joe decided to have a bunch.
With a lot of hands on parenting to go with the lesson.
When the session was over the woman to her right, a blonde with a sweet smile and freckles across her nose, said, “You move so gracefully. Are you new to the area? I’m Sarah Murphy. I work at animal control. Princey, you called the Saint Bernard? He’s a riot.”
“He’s the teacher’s pet,” Karma said with a shake of her head. Princey, now that class was over, sat next to the Yogi, who scratched him behind the ears.
“I just wanted to let you know that we’re having a fundraiser this weekend to raise money for the shelter. We’re a no-kill facility. There will be a band and a barbecue, which would give you and your husband a chance to meet some of the locals around here.”
“That sounds great,” Karma said, knowing they had some free time. It wouldn’t be a bad deal to get to know their neighbors. “Are you married?”
“God no.” Sarah shook her head vigorously. “The last thing I want in my life is a man.”
Karma remembered feeling that same way, once not too long ago. Magical, how much she’d changed. Joe stood next to her, slipping his arm around her shoulder. She would never get tired of him touching her. Of touching him.
Loving him.
Karma made the introductions, then Sarah left and she and Joe walked down to the edge of the water. The gentle waves lapped over their feet as they stood hip to hip, arms around each other’s waist. “She seems nice. Want to go meet some neighbors?”
“I’m glad we’re looking for a place here,” he said. “Might as well get a jumpstart. Sue and her boyfriend want to go to dinner, too. The few months I worked here I was so
busy working on being my own friend that I didn’t reach out that much.”
Karma smiled. “I’ll be your friend.”
“You’re my best friend. Wanna swim?”
“Yes. Race you to the buoy?”
“Not everything needs to be a competition, K,” Joe said even as he splashed into the water. Swimming was part of his rehab for his shoulder, so they’d started swimming together.
She shook her head. “It adds a little something to our relationship.”
He stopped swimming and came back to her, pulling her in his arms and dumping them both in the water. She came up spluttering, laughing. Then she was breathless as Joe captured her mouth in a searing, hot kiss that made the ocean around them sizzle. She held onto his arms with both hands, and wrapped her legs around his hips. She couldn’t get close enough to the man she loved. He lifted his head to catch a breath.
“That’s how to add a little something,” he told her.
The End
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About the Author
With an impressive bibliography in an array of genres, USA Today bestselling author Traci Hall has garnered a notable fan base. She pens stories guaranteed to touch the heart while transporting the reader to another time and place. Her belief in happily ever after shines through, whether it's a romantic glimpse into history or a love affair for today.