A Good Man

by Rosanna Leo

  “Yeah, I recognized the reference.”

  “Well?”

  Michael opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.

  Emily cocked her head, waiting for his response, and smiled. “No rush. Think about it.” She sat on the couch and picked up the coffee table book he kept on the side table. A volume on classic cars, it probably didn’t interest her at all, but she flipped through the pages as if fascinated by the MGBs and Ford Prefects.

  What did he want to do? He’d never contemplated how he would mark the occasion. In his darker moments, he’d doubted he’d even make it this far.

  One thing was certain. There was no way in hell he wanted to sit in his house, staring at the walls and pondering Jane’s fate. If he did that, it would only feel worse in the end.

  But did he really want to go out in public and chance a difficult conversation with Emily? Maybe he’d feel better if he kept his mind busy. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a heartache to talk to her. One glance at her smooth legs and shapely profile and he was already feeling more eager than he would have expected. For some time now, he’d felt as if he were swimming in a fog, but it was already starting to disperse.

  He cleared his throat. “I would love to spend the day with you.”

  She sat up and closed the classic car book. “That’s great.”

  “But I have one request.”

  “I am willing to entertain any and all requests.”

  “Could we not talk about what happened at the daycare? At least, not right now. I know you must have questions about what I did to Trent, but I can’t go there today.”

  “Of course not. We don’t have to discuss anything that makes you uncomfortable.” She shrugged, her lips quirked in a half-hearted grin. “Michael, I don’t care if we talk about the weather all day long, as long as you’re still talking to me.”

  “Em, my behavior the past few days—”

  “Is understandable. I don’t want to hear any more apologies.” She rose to her feet. “In fact, now that we’ve begun a list of taboo topics for the day, apologies are top of the list.”

  He was starting to want to smile. He supposed wanting to smile was good. It was a step, anyway. “What else makes your list of taboo topics?”

  “To keep the peace, we should probably stay away from politics, religion and the general state of the world, but other than that, have at it.”

  “Sounds fair. What do you want to do today?”

  “I have a few ideas. You have the power of veto over all of them, but I think you’ll like what I planned. Do you trust me to show you a good time?”

  “I have no doubt you could show me a good time, Em, in any situation.”

  She smiled. “Good. Let’s go.”

  * * * *

  “No more. Please, God. No more.” Michael tried not to groan.

  “Oh, come on. You can take it,” Emily teased. “A big man like you? I know you want more.”

  He pushed away from the table and set his plate aside, even though everything masculine inside him demanded he keep going. “I swear to God, Em. I can’t, so please stop shoveling your leftovers onto my plate. You can’t even finish your own breakfast.”

  “That’s because Tavola makes the biggest brunch platters in the city. Didn’t I warn you?”

  “You could have warned me you’re friends with the owner. I’ve never had so many home fries thrown at me.”

  “What can I say? Carlo likes me.”

  Michael smirked and glanced over at Carlo. The owner of the restaurant was currently occupied serving espressos at the bar. That, and making eyes at Emily. “He likes you a little too much, if you ask me.”

  “Jealous?” She ripped off a hunk of toast with her teeth and chewed. She sat at an angle, her legs crossed to the side. She dangled her sandal from her toes, exposing most of her sexy foot.

  “What if I am jealous?” Michael sat back and enjoyed the view. “After all, it’s not fair you have an Eggs Benedict connection.”

  “That’s what makes you jealous. My breakfast guy? Thank you very much.”

  “It might not be the only thing I’m jealous about.” For the first time in a while, Michael allowed his gaze to pan slowly up and down Emily’s body, not caring if anyone saw. “Of course, you are here with me, so poor Carlo can kiss my ass.”

  “And I thought I’d be the one to have that honor.”

  “You can each take a cheek.”

  “If only Carlo knew what we had planned.”

  Michael laughed, leaned in and ran his hand over her calf. To his great relief, she didn’t shrink away. Her leg felt so good, and it was just as smooth as it looked. His heart began to race, but in the best of ways. “You do realize I’m flirting with you, right?”

  “Yes. You do realize I’m flirting back, right?”

  “I was starting to wonder if I’d lost the right to flirt with you.” Anxiety crept into his gut, warring with the sensation of gluttonous fulfillment after breakfast. Despite his nerves, he found himself opening up about one of their taboo topics. “After seeing what I did to Trent, I thought I’d lost you altogether. It might be presumptuous for me to think I ever had you, really had you, but to know I might have lost you…”

  “You haven’t lost me. It’s going to take something more than a little old fist fight to scare me away.”

  “It wasn’t just a fist fight. Em, I didn’t know what I was doing. If you hadn’t been there, if my brothers hadn’t been there, I might have really hurt him.”

  She uncrossed her legs, rested her arms on the table and brought her face close to his. “I know you’re not a violent man. You don’t scare me, and you sure as hell haven’t scared me away.”

  “Are you sure? Because I can deal with my own anxiety, but I can’t handle hurting you. I don’t ever want to give you a reason to run from me.”

  “Michael Zorn, you have only ever given me reasons to run toward you. You must know that. I can’t stay away from you, not even for a minute.”

  He did smile this time, a really good smile that he felt up in the lines of his eyes. “I know we have to start over, in a sense. I want to do things with you, Em. I want to take you out and show you the things that make me happy, and I want to learn about everything that makes you happy too.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. We’ll set a date.”

  “So does that mean I can continue flirting with you?”

  “Listen, Handyman. You are welcome to make eyes at me any time you want. In fact, I encourage any sort of teasing, seduction and general lechery. How’s that for unambiguous?”

  “It’s crystal clear.” He touched his nose to hers. “And what about kissing? Is kissing still allowed?”

  “Kissing ranks high on the list of recommended activities.”

  “Is that so?” Michael forgot all his troubles as his mouth met hers. She tasted sweet and salty at once, with hints of coffee, cream and bacon. If it weren’t considered bad form in a restaurant, he would have laid her out on the table and licked her from top to bottom.

  “Your bill, sir.” Carlo appeared at their table and thrust the paper at Michael. “Cash or credit?”

  Emily stifled a giggle as they pulled apart.

  Michael gave the man a look and reached for his wallet. “Cash.”

  “Nope. Today’s my treat.” Emily whipped the bill out of Carlo’s hand. She grabbed her wallet out of her purse, retrieved her credit card and handed it to Carlo. “Thanks, Carlo. Delicious as usual.”

  “Thank you.” The man returned to the cash register and proceeded to punch the keys with a little too much gusto.

  “I think he might just be a sore loser,” said Michael.

  “He’ll get over it.”

  “I wanted to pay for breakfast.”

  “I know you did. Don’t worry. We’ll have other breakfasts.”

  Why did he find that thought so appealing? Perhaps because the idea of breakfast with Emily implied hot, steamy nights beforehand. He wanted to spend every
night with her and he already knew he’d never tire of waking up with her. Waking up this morning without her had been a travesty. The more he considered it, the more he wanted to seduce her back into his bed. “So what now? Want to head back to my place?”

  “I told you I had a whole day planned, naughty boy. Let’s not jump the gun.”

  Michael supposed she was right. If they headed back too soon, it would only give him another excuse to dwell in the haunted corners of his mind. He didn’t want that. He wanted to be part of the world today, with Emily.

  She checked her watch. “Right now, we need to hustle. We have a ferry to catch.”

  A ferry ride instead of an Emily ride? As much as Michael longed to take her in his arms, or up against the wall, he refrained from voicing his slight disappointment.

  Besides, he wasn’t really disappointed. After all, he’d have the whole day with her, and any time with Emily was just fine by him.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Emily grabbed Michael’s hand as they boarded the Toronto Island Ferry, squeezing it as they maneuvered through the crush of bodies. She’d known it would be crowded today and wanted to get a good spot on the vessel. The Toronto Islands were always a popular destination in the warmer months, especially on the weekends. “Come on. I want to sit outside on the top deck.”

  Michael grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

  It was so good to see him smile again. She’d missed seeing the warmth in his eyes. That was why she’d organized their day down to the hour. She didn’t want to give him any excuse to remember and experience pain. Today was all about creating new memories, happy ones.

  As she led him to the top deck of the ferry, Michael patted her ass. That was nice too. She’d fallen asleep the previous evening dreaming of kissing her way down his abs toward his stomach. In her dream, she’d taken him in her mouth and his muscles had clenched in anticipation. She’d worked him into a frenzy, to the point where he’d raked his fingers through her hair, grasping the short strands. It had been a fun dream, and she’d woken in a state of catlike languor, but she was done with dream sex. She wanted to do it in real time.

  Perhaps if we found a secluded area on the island…

  “There,” he said, pointing out a free spot by the railing. “How’s that for a view?”

  Emily knew Michael was referring to the view of Lake Ontario and the Toronto skyline, but she was looking at him. Although he was still pale, some of the color had returned to his cheeks and his brown eyes shone. His curls danced in the breeze and he looked much more like the confident Michael who’d graced her TV screen time and again. If they weren’t clustered next to a young family with three toddlers, she would have offered him her body right there. “The view is perfect.”

  “Come here.” He pulled her toward him in front of the railing and wrapped his arms around her from behind. “You’ll be cold when the boat starts moving.”

  She didn’t care. She had a cardigan slung over her bag but felt no need to put it on. In Michael’s arms, she was always warm.

  The ferry revved up with a lurching hum. Michael rested his head on her shoulder. As the boat started to move, he captured her earlobe between his lips for a sweet second. The ferry pulled away from the Bay Street dock, and the skyline and its many high-rises began to slowly shrink back. Within minutes, they no longer had to crane their necks to take in the entire CN Tower.

  Michael tightened his grip and his chest rumbled in appreciation. “I’m having a good time, Em. Thank you.”

  “The day’s just beginning.” She closed her eyes, comforted in his embrace.

  During her conversation with Priya, several points had resonated, but there was one that she’d taken home that night, obsessing over it. When Priya had explained the state of hypervigilance, Emily’s heart had gone out to Michael. The idea that he might constantly be looking out for danger and trouble grieved her. She couldn’t conceive of a sadder state in which to live. He got no rest. He found no solace. No wonder he’d been eager to forget everything with her. If she’d been in his place, she would have been desperate to find something to help her forget as well.

  She might not ever be able to erase those bad memories. In fact, if Priya was to be believed, it was better that he found a method for facing them. Until he did, she would ensure he only found support and peace in her arms. He needed a place to let go.

  In the meantime, she would show him the best day he’d ever had.

  * * * *

  “What do you mean, you don’t know the legend of the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse?” Michael’s eyes widened with incredulity.

  “Sorry, I don’t.” Emily took in all eighty-odd feet of the gray stone edifice before them, shielding her eyes when the sun hit her face. “I never made it over to this side of the island before. As a kid, my folks always took me to the amusements and the petting zoo, but never here.”

  Granted, he could understand why visitors to the island might forsake this spot for the flume ride. Tucked away among bushes and low trees, the lighthouse struck him as lonely, and the area around them as desolate. Someone had painted the door red, perhaps to be cheery, but the bright color did nothing to lift the spirits of the place.

  “It’s just an old lighthouse.”

  He feigned a gasp. “And you call yourself a Torontonian. The legend is one of the best ghost stories in Toronto history. The first lighthouse keeper was known for keeping a stash of bootlegged beer. According to the story, back in 1815, a couple of drunken soldiers from Fort York came in search of more booze. The lighthouse keeper turned them away. A fight broke out and the soldiers put a bayonet through him. They say his ghost haunts the grounds to this day.”

  “That’s just creepy.”

  “I think it’s fascinating.”

  “I’ve never been a big lover of ghost stories.”

  “No?” He trailed two fingers over her shoulder, spider-style. “Do you get scared easily?”

  She rolled her shoulders to brush him off. “You wish, Zorn.”

  “Tough talk.” He laughed. Her reaction only egged him on. He pointed to the window at the top of the lighthouse and allowed his features to darken. “Did you see that shadow at the window just now?”

  “Stop it, you pest!” She slapped his arm. “You’re trying to make me pee my pants.”

  He laughed again, dragging her into his arms. “I wouldn’t dream of it, although it’s tempting because you’re so easy. Don’t worry, Dimples. I’ll protect you from the ghost.”

  “Michael Zorn, if you had your way, you’d throw me to the ghost.” She glanced up at the enclosed area surrounding the lighthouse lantern. “I don’t want to stare too long. I might not believe in spirits, but this is just the sort of place to make me change my mind. Come on. Let’s bike back to Centreville.”

  They picked their way over the grass to where they’d stowed their two-seater quadricycle. They’d spent the early part of the afternoon biking around the various connected islands that made up the Toronto Islands network. Pedaling next to Emily had given him a great opportunity to see her legs in action, and he’d spent much of that time grinning from ear to ear, imagining those legs wrapped around his waist. All dirty thoughts aside, he was having a terrific day. They’d pedaled past miles of beaches and the cute residential community on Ward’s Island, as well as past the amusement rides and gardens on Centre Island. Surrounded by the sun and the happy laughter of other visitors, Michael felt a sense of calm and hope.

  He could do this. He could get through this day without contemplating anyone’s murder, other than the poor lighthouse keeper.

  A quick flash appeared before his eyes of Jane splayed on the floor, covered in blood. Michael blinked hard and dismissed the image.

  Not today. Not now.

  He turned to Emily. She beamed, and optimism settled in his chest once more.

  “Want a burger?” she asked, pointing to a nearby food vendor. “I’m famished after all this cycling.”

  “I know
for a fact I was pedaling harder than you were.” He winked.

  “You’re incorrigible and I’m getting a burger. And a milkshake. But, seeing as you feel superior, you can keep pedaling if you want.”

  “Fine. I’ll eat with you.” They parked their quadricycle next to the burger joint. Michael slung an arm around her hip. “But can I watch you suck back your milkshake?”

  “Be a good boy and the milkshake might not be the only thing I suck today.”

  “Woman, you’re killing me.”

  Emily batted her eyelashes. “Who, me?”

  He whispered in her ear. “When I get you back home, you’re going over my knee.”

  “Day’s not over, Michael. Looks like you’ll just have to be patient.” She smiled at the food vendor. “We’ll have two burger meals, please. With large milkshakes.”

  * * * *

  Around nine o’clock that night, Emily and Michael stood in his driveway next to her parked car. She was still trying to decide on their next adventure. It was a toss-up between catching a show at a local comedy club or some late-night bowling. She scrolled through the information on her cell phone. “There’s a bowling alley about ten minutes away. The allure of those used shoes is hard to resist.”

  He took her phone and slid it into her open purse. “I don’t want to go bowling.”

  “Okay. A comedy club then.”

  “No.”

  “I can come up with something else, but it might take me a few minutes.”

  “Em, you’ve taken me to the Toronto Islands. We’ve cycled for hours. We’ve had three great meals together. We just got back from the classic car show, which was awesome. You’ve entertained me from morning until night. I’ve had an incredible day, but believe me when I say the last thing I want to do with you right now is bowling.”