Second Chance Reunion

by Irene Vartanoff

  Lisa returned. “He’s being airlifted to a burn hospital, in case his lungs are affected.”

  “They might be. I don’t know how long he was unconscious, lying in that smoky room.”

  “The floor was the safest place. Smoke rises.”

  The men efficiently hauled the gurney into the copter and secured it. She covered her ears when the machine’s rotors spun and they lifted off. Lucas was in good hands now. But how much smoke inhalation damage had he suffered? How long had he lain on the floor while the smoke permeated the entire house? And why weren’t there any working smoke detectors?

  Only after the copter was airborne did she notice that a man in a tan police uniform was talking to David.

  “Let’s get you ready for transport,” the EMT said.

  “Oh, I’m fine,” she said. “I don’t need to go anywhere.” She coughed.

  Lisa smiled at her, kindness in her eyes. “You need to be checked for smoke inhalation, which is a serious threat to life. You can’t sleep in the house tonight, anyway. The fire inspector has to declare it safe.”

  “Oh. I didn’t realize.”

  David and the man in uniform walked over to her.

  “How are you doing, ma’am? I’m Sheriff Logan.”

  Up close, he was younger than she expected, and handsomer, too. Why was she thinking about the sheriff’s sex appeal? Her mind was wandering off on bizarre tangents.

  “Sheriff Logan says the house is officially uninhabitable for now,” David said.

  The EMT lady said, “She’s going to the hospital to have that cough checked out. They’ll keep her overnight.”

  Sheriff Logan turned to David. “How about you? Do you need to see a doctor?”

  “I wasn’t the crazy one who ran back into a fire.” David stared at her, disapproval written on his face.

  “I’m okay,” she tried to insist, but she coughed again.

  “Smoke inhalation,” the sheriff said.

  “Okay, honey, let’s take you for a ride,” Lisa said. She and the men put Sara on a metal stretcher with wheels, strapped her in, and rolled her to the waiting ambulance.

  “Where will you stay the rest of tonight?” Sara asked David, who followed along.

  “Leona and her husband have a spare room. I’ll bunk there.” He smiled at her. “Behave yourself in the hospital.”

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t much help.” The words seemed to come out of their own accord.

  “You did fine. Take it easy.” He put a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it reassuringly. “Don’t go into shock now. The emergency is over.”

  He leaned down and kissed her. A real kiss on the lips. His lips moved on hers softly and deliberately. “Get better.”

  He straightened. She stared at him, stunned, until the EMTs closed the doors.

  Chapter 14

  The rest of the night and the next morning passed quickly for Sara. She was exhausted and dozed through most of the tests, probes, and checks. She marked time by being woken up by the nurses, or by food trays that were delivered, and then removed untouched. In between, she’d drift asleep and dream about David Connor’s soft, soft lips.

  It was late afternoon when she finally woke fully in her hospital room. David was napping in a visitor’s chair by the window.

  She’d seen him angry, she’d seen him charming, but she’d not seen him unguarded. He was young. Her age. He looked tired and vulnerable. She felt a pang. He shouldn’t have come to New Mexico to interfere with reviving Desert Wind, but he didn’t deserve the mess he’d stepped into.

  His eyes opened. “At last you’re awake.”

  “Isn’t that my line?” she asked. “Good to see you.”

  He nodded. “Likewise. That was one dicey night.”

  “How is Lucas?”

  His friendly expression soured. “You had to ask and spoil my slightly upbeat mood.”

  “Sorry.” She shifted restlessly in the hospital bed.

  “The bastard was drunk. Passing out saved his life, kept his face to the floor.”

  “Is he still at the burn center?” She couldn’t help asking, even though she agreed with David that Lucas had behaved very badly.

  “He’s home already. I heard when he woke up in the hospital, he started throwing his weight around. Got the fire inspector to certify the house early this morning. Got a remediation crew in and gone already.”

  “Have you seen the damage?”

  He shook his head, his lips tightened. “Not yet.”

  “Do you know when I can leave here?”

  His blue eyes lit and his lips curved. “If you let me kiss you, I’ll tell you.”

  She smiled a little. “You’re asking permission?”

  He reverted to his flirtatious persona. “Doesn’t every man who aspires to touch your lips?”

  She shook her head, suddenly lighthearted. “I don’t know. Am I on a heart monitor? Will the nurses all come running?”

  “They’re all right outside the door, ready to ogle me as I leave. I am a bona fide movie star, you know.” He puffed out his chest and struck a manly pose, chin high, biceps flexed.

  She choked back a giggle. “All right. You may kiss my hand.” She held out a hand, in a pseudo-regal gesture.

  A serious expression lit in his eyes. He embraced her before she had a chance to move. His lips crashed down on hers. Once again, they were the softest caress. His lips savored hers, testing their resilience. When the tip of his tongue sought entrance, she opened her mouth instinctively.

  The kiss turned much more passionate, more possessive. She couldn’t think. Electric thrills zapped her all over.

  He pulled back, staring at her. His expression was impossible to interpret. Was he disappointed?

  She touched her hand to her lips. What had just happened? “Perhaps that was a mistake. I need to see how Lucas is doing.”

  Something shifted in his face. “Of course. Lucas,” he said, with a chill in his voice. “I’ll go see about getting you sprung from this place.” He stalked out of the room.

  During the next hour, she had time to think about that kiss, and the one last night, too. David’s mouth was soft. That first kiss was gentle, but he had taken his time, moving his lips on hers and tasting her. Letting her taste him. Her lips still tingled. Every time she’d touched David or he’d touched her, she’d experienced a tingle. She’d written it off as static electricity before. Now, she wasn’t so sure.

  ***

  David got her sprung from the hospital. The doctor who signed off on it warned her to take better care of herself. What had the doctors at the burn hospital told Lucas about setting fires inside his own house?

  Sara was taken to the hospital exit in a wheelchair, where David collected her in his Jeep. Unlike her wild ride home with Lucas only two days ago, David’s driving pace was sedate. After a while, he asked her about her life and her career. She explained what she did for George.

  David said, “What about your personal life? You’re single, right? Do you have kids?”

  “Not even a cat.”

  “Me, neither. I’d like a dog, but I barely have a home, so that’s pointless.” He shot her a rueful smile, then returned his gaze to the city streets.

  She turned a little toward him. “Why don’t you have a home?”

  “The usual. The work is all over the world. Three months in Europe, four months in South America. A few weeks in between in California, and then it’s back to another location shoot.”

  “You don’t sound unhappy about it.”

  He nodded but kept his eyes on the road. Now that they were out of the city, there was nothing but emptiness and scrubby desert on either side. “I enjoy the travel. I can feel comfortable wherever.”

  Their paths were totally different. She liked her stable condo, her set routine.

  “I’ll bet you think you need a routine life,” he said, echoing her thoughts uncannily.

  “I like to know what I’m doing every day.”

&nbs
p; “You could edit a movie anywhere. You don’t have to be in LA.”

  She said, “That’s where the work is.”

  “Sometimes. But you could be editing on location shoots. Others do it.”

  “I don’t know. Camping out in random motels, fighting local weather conditions…” She said, “Even traveling here felt strange. Like coming to another world.”

  He tilted his head and eyed her. “Don’t you see how being in another world could improve your editing?”

  She shook her head. “If the cinematographer hasn’t captured whatever on film, I can’t make it appear.”

  “If you get the mood of a place—like this desert, for instance—you can edit the film to echo it, or something.” He pointed at the terrain all around them. “I’m not so good with words when I don’t have a script, but you get my point.”

  He was too good with words. He conjured up a dream scenario. She could go beyond the director’s instructions, attempt to edit scenes to reflect the resonance of their settings. Become more an editing artiste than a hired hand. Was she ready to be that brave? “So far, all my work has been in Hollywood, not on location.”

  David cocked his head at her implicit refusal. “That could change,” he said, in his patented gentle tone. He conveyed so much confidence. He didn’t need to sound tough and cliché macho.

  She shivered under his gaze, which seemed to see through her defenses and question her narrow little life choices.

  Chapter 15

  When they arrived at the house, Lucas was lounging in the living room, waiting for them. He wore a white polo shirt and tan chinos with moccasins and no socks. He looked healthy and nearly unscathed by the events of the previous night aside from a pale cast to his skin. His face wore a calm expression that belied the high drama of the evening before.

  “I owe both of you an apology,” he started.

  “Damn right you do,” said David.

  “Yesterday was very…difficult for me.” Lucas took a sip from a clear plastic water bottle.

  “For all of us,” Sara said, trying to soothe him and keep him talking.

  “I did what I never do, drank too much. The doc told me if you hadn’t found me and dragged me out, I’d be dead.”

  “Are you done?” David asked. “Because I want to know why you started a fire in the editing booth.”

  Lucas contemplated his water bottle, then looked up. “I got a crazy idea in my head. I didn’t want the film to progress, so I decided to disable the editing machine. Brilliant thinking, right?”

  “Genius.” David muttered.

  She sat down on the couch, hoping David would, too. He remained standing.

  Lucas continued, not acknowledging David’s sarcastic reply. “I went to the editing booth and I got canny. I didn’t want to wake anybody with the noise of an axe. I shut off the smoke alarms. Then I started the fire, and then I passed out. I would have died. Thanks for saving my life.”

  “You’re not welcome, you bastard,” David said. “In a moment of drunken idiocy, you destroyed the work of hundreds of people.”

  Lucas said, shrugging, “It made sense at the time.”

  “Spare me.” David’s expression was thunderous. He clenched his fists, obviously upset.

  “Anyway, now the film can’t be finished. There is no Desert Wind,” Lucas concluded with an easy smile.

  “You don’t have backups in another location?” David asked.

  Lucas shook his head.

  “You’re sure there’s nothing?”

  “I’m positive. I kept everything here.”

  “It’s all gone, because you got drunk?”

  “I’m afraid so.” Lucas did not appear terribly upset about the loss.

  David moved in front of Lucas, his face a study in fury. “I’m glad you’re alive. It’ll give me great pleasure to kill you.”

  Lucas shrugged. “Whatever.” He casually took another sip from his water bottle.

  “Sara, would you please leave the room? I’m about to break this bastard’s nose.” David spoke without looking in her direction.

  Lucas set his water bottle down on the table and stood. He was taller and huskier than David. “You can try, but this time, I’ll fight back.”

  “Lucas is just home from the hospital. It won’t be a fair fight,” she said. She turned to Lucas. “Stop provoking him. You’re too old to brawl like a boy.”

  “You should leave, Sara,” David said.

  The two men circled each other.

  “You killed the woman I loved,” David said, throwing a punch. Lucas ducked.

  “You stole my wife.” Lucas jabbed at David, who sidestepped.

  “She was sick of you.” David hit at Lucas. “The marriage was over in all but name.”

  “You were merely a diversion for her during a boring movie.” Lucas struck at David. “She would have tired of you soon enough.”

  “You bastard.” David landed a glancing blow, but Lucas shook it off.

  “Run out of words? Of course. You’re just a dumbass actor who reads the words smarter people write.” Lucas's next jab clipped David’s ear. “She knew I was the brilliant one. That’s why she wanted in on Desert Wind.”

  “You forced her to do the movie.” David dodged another blow.

  Lucas shook his head. “She begged me for the chance. Her career was going nowhere. Romcoms. Ha.” He lunged at David, almost landing a punch.

  David was faster and stepped aside. He whirled and socked Lucas on the shoulder. “She deserved to have Desert Wind finished. It was a career-making role.”

  “She blew it. She was terrible. Desert Wind was an embarrassment that would have destroyed her career.”

  The men kept circling, landing minor punches, ducking others.

  “You weren’t drunk when you lit that fire,” David accused.

  “That’s right, I wasn’t.” Lucas smiled. “What I didn’t burn, the firefighters soaked in chemicals. The film is gone.”

  David let out a loud growl and threw himself on Lucas.

  Transfixed by the battle unfolding before her, Sara was slow to realize she could stop it. Finally, she found her voice. “Fighting over the destruction of the Desert Wind files is pointless,” she said. “I have backups.”

  “What?” Lucas turned his head toward her exactly when David attempted to sock him. The punch landed solidly. Lucas went sprawling onto the couch.

  David turned slightly to face her. “Are you telling the truth, or just trying to stop me from taking him apart limb from limb?”

  “Both. Look out,” she cried, as Lucas sprang up and tackled David. The two men rolled on the floor, raining blows, trying to beat each other senseless.

  “Leona! Help! Leona!” Sara called, dodging them and dashing into the hall.

  Leona came running. “What is it?”

  She pointed at the men. “Help me stop them. Please.”

  Leona took in the scene at a glance. “I’ll be right back.” She hastened toward the kitchen.

  “Stop fighting. Stop it,” Sara kept saying, but the men were oblivious. David briefly had Lucas on the floor and raised his fist to smash his opponent, but Lucas splayed his fingers on David’s face and shoved him off. Then Lucas had the advantage, and David kicked at him and grabbed at his overlong hair. Lucas let out a yowl and hit at David with his open hand.

  Leona returned to the room carrying a large pot. She threw the contents on the two men.

  They spluttered and separated, wiping their eyes.

  “Cold water stops most dog fights,” she said with satisfaction.

  Sara said, “Don’t you dare start fighting again.”

  Lucas stayed on the wet floor, leaning back on the couch. David struggled to stand.

  “If you do,” Leona’s no-nonsense voice rang out, “I’ll douse you again—after I call Sheriff Logan to arrest you both for brawling.”

  “I’ve had enough,” David said. He put a hand to his ear. “Ow. You tried to bite my ear off.�
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  “My jaw hurts,” Lucas said, feeling it with one hand. “I’m too old for this.”

  “You both should be ashamed. Grown men,” Leona said.

  Sara and Leona left the men to recover from their battle wounds and went to the kitchen. Once Leona shut the door, they collapsed in giggles.

  “Did you see that? When they were on the floor and David was trying to rip out Lucas's hair?”

  “And Lucas tried to bite David’s ear?”

  They laughed until tears came.

  ***

  After the violent fistfight that devolved into a catfight, Sara retreated to her bedroom, first checking that David wasn’t in his next door. She called George to report what happened. “It was scary and silly at the same time. They began it all manly and making threats and trying to punch each other for real. I was very worried. Someone could have gotten seriously hurt. But by the end, they were slapping each other like girls. David even pulled Lucas's hair.”

  George laughed and coughed, and laughed some more. “Bet that let off some steam.”

  “It did. They spewed loads of mean, hateful insults at each other. Things they must have thought for the last five or six years.”

  She described the events of the day before, and the fire.

  George said, “It’s a damn good thing you did what I advised and copied what you found.”

  “Lucas has been scary violent. It must be the pressure.”

  “The old Lucas could handle it,” George grumbled.

  “I’ve hardly seen any sign of the Lucas I knew six years ago,” she replied, trying to keep the sadness out of her voice. “He’s changed, and not for the better.”

  “Then motivate him to change back. People fall into ruts. Shake him up.”

  “Speaking of shakeups, David’s throwing his weight around, calling himself the new boss on Desert Wind. Am I now supposed to report to him, or to you?”

  “I’m still in charge. You and David are equals.”

  George asked if the men had talked about the accident. When he heard they hadn’t, he said, “Then group therapy isn’t over yet. Keep alert. Also, send me copies of your copies.”