After the Storm (2 page)

He laughed, stepped away and put a hand to his heart “You caught me.” He opened the door and gestured with his hand “After you.”

Lexi toed off her muddy shoes before entering the gourmet kitchen. “Do you ever stop?”

“Not if I’m breathing. What can I say? Women are beautiful. Your skin is always so soft.” Noah ran his hand lightly across her cheek. “You do all these mysterious things to try to make yourselves even more beautiful, never realizing to a man, you’re beautiful just the way you are. There’s something amazing about every woman.” Shrugging, he said, “I try to use my music to help women understand that concept.”

“Oh, you are good.” She laughed with a nervous quiver.

He wiggled his eyebrows. “Yes I am. Maybe someday I’ll show you how good.”

She grinned and winked at him. “Who knows, if you’re lucky, maybe I’ll show you what you’ve been missing by not taking a vacation sooner.”

He put both hands to his heart and with a dramatic sigh. “So how long will I have to wait? Because I want to make sure I clear my schedule for a week or two.”

She chuckled at him. “How about that coffee before the academy comes in to give you an award?”

Noah smiled and shrugged. “How do you want it?” He winked. “The coffee I mean. Sugar, creamer?”

“I think I’ve had enough sugar this morning, black is fine,” she said dryly.

“Okay, strike one.” He looked out the window and nodded his head. “That is a beautiful dog you have.”

Lexi smiled. “She really is.” She leaned against the kitchen counter to look out the window at Pepper. “I think she’s so thankful for being rescued, she’d do anything for me. We’re really good for each other.”

“I noticed she didn’t follow you into the garden. Stopped at the edge. That is some great training.” Noah handed Lexi a coffee cup, letting his fingers linger on hers as she lifted it from his hand.

She cleared her throat. “I’ve made sure she doesn’t get into your garden and dig up all of Sam’s hard work. Pepper waits for me to be done, then we usually play on the beach as her reward.” Lexi smiled in Pepper’s direction and took a drink. “Do you like dogs?”

“I love them, but with all the traveling I have to do, it isn’t good to have one.” Noah leaned over and filled his cup.

“Pepper goes in and out of my house all the time. If you ever want to play with her, she’d love it. Just keep her out of your gardens. She might not be able to resist digging.” Lexi couldn’t resist directing her smile over the edge of her coffee cup at Noah.

“That would be great. Now I was wondering…” He stopped as an alarm in Lexi’s bag started going off.

“Sorry,” she said as she went over to her bag and found it. “It’s my reminder that I need to get ready to head into town to the senior center.”

“The senior center?”

“Yes,
Golden Ages
. I try to help out there as much as I can.” There was a warmth to her voice when talking about the center. “There are wonderful people there. I love spending time with them.”

He didn’t want her to leave. But he knew sometimes you had to take a step back and leave them wanting. “Anytime you want to take more pictures, my garden is always open.” Noah smiled as she handed him her mug.

She looked back at him over her shoulder. “Thank you, but I’ll give you your space while you are here. The garden will still be there when you’re gone.”

He grabbed her arm and gently spun her around so that she was looking him in the eyes. Her eyes grew large and she let out a little gasp. He dropped his hand. “I didn’t mean to startle you, but what gives you the idea I wouldn’t like you in my space?”

They were standing so close, he could feel the heat from her body radiating out. “Alexia, I came here to get away from the business, not people. It would be great to get to know you and spend some time.” His voice was like silk caressing her. “Please? Friends?”

She stared at him for a few moments, “Umm… yeah… sure.”

He watched as she raced to her house, wondering how his life could change in one hour.
This is going to be a fun couple of months
.

~*~

Lexi kept her mind deliberately blank as she ran back to her house from Noah’s. Once inside, she sank to the floor and put her head between her legs. After a few moments, she looked up to see Pepper sitting in front of her, head cocked to the side. Lexi laughed.

“Yes, I know, I’m a dork.” She covered her face with her hands. “But come on, Pepper, it’s Noah Matthews.
The
Noah Matthews. Famous rock star. Hot, famous rock star. Oh my god, so flippin’ hot.” Her hands dropped to her sides.

“Do you think I’m just supposed to ignore him? Don’t answer that. What am I saying? You
can’t
answer. Okay, I need to get a hold of myself.” She paused, took a breath, let it out. “Ugh, I can’t. He was flirting with me, Pepper!” Lexi thumped her fist against her chest as the dog came closer and sat down next to her.

Absently petting Pepper, Lexi said, “Maybe he does that all the time. It’s just part of his personality and I need to not read too much into it. Yeah, that’s it. Enjoy him as a friend, keep my hormones in check—I can do that. Piece of cake.”

She stood and paced the room. “I can control myself. Even if he does want a fling, we know I’m strong enough to resist. I love my life. I’m content with my life. I don’t need a man.” She glanced out the windows towards his house.

“But man-oh-man, did you notice how tall he is?” Lexi sighed. “A good six inches taller than me. And his arms… oh my goodness. The tattoos and the muscles. What I wouldn’t give to trace them all. How many tattoos do you think he has? And where… oh man, maybe I shouldn’t go there. Stop, brain, just stop.” She sat down on the couch and stared at Pepper. “What am I going to do?” She stood up again. “Be his friend. Yeah, that’s it, just friends.” She sat back down. “Is that possible? Let’s face it, we share a beach together. We’ll see him a lot. I wonder what he wears swimming. Oh, I hope he goes soon.” She walked to the refrigerator for some water.

“I can be strong. I’ve faced harder things than Noah Matthews. I’ve spent a lot of time and energy rebuilding after everything that happened with my last relationship. Is it no wonder that I don’t want to just jump into bed with him. I thought I was being careful last time, and look where it got me.”

Propping her chin in her hand she gazed off lost in thought. “It’s not just his looks Pepper, he’s got a heart too. Remember all of his work with the Special Olympics? Can you image jumping into Lake Michigan during the winter for their Polar Plunge to raise money?” She shivered just thinking about it. “And don’t forget Make a Wish. How many times has he done that? Or even just visited sick kids that were in hospitals near their concerts? There are endless charities that he donates not only time but money to.”

“I’m not going to make it through these months without giving in, am I, Pepper?” Lexi leaned forward and placed her head on top of her dog’s.

Another alarm went off upstairs. “Crap, I’ve got to get ready.” Lexi shook her head to clear her thoughts. “Be a good girl and do your doggie chores while I’m gone. Oh, and don’t get too attached to the neighbor.”
That is advice both of us need to take
.

“Whew, it is going to be a hot one today.” Evelyne Sumner smoothed down her sleek, modern, bobbed haircut. Just because she was in her seventies and had grey hair didn’t mean she couldn’t look nice. She wore simple elegant clothes that stood the test of time and the only jewelry she wore was her and her late husband’s wedding rings on a chain around her neck.

Evelyne had been an accountant for a publishing company. One of the happiest days of her life was when they created spreadsheet programs on the computer.

“Do you think he’s going to take his shirt off?” Said Evelyne

“If we’re lucky,” replied Leigh Winslow. She was tall and thin with dark grey hair that fell just below her shoulders. You never knew what she was going to wear, or what she was going to do with her hair on any given day. Leigh had been a singer and actress before falling in love with her husband, Ray. After they’d married, she had given up her career as soon as she found out she was pregnant and had never looked back, happy to stay home and take care of her little boy, the house, and her husband.

“Ladies, can’t we enjoy the scenery without you two getting in the gutter?” Marie Holmes was the voice of reason among the three. Her hair and clothes were always perfect along with her manners. She was a bestselling author of many books, timeless stories of romance and strength of character. Her stories were truly inspiring along with her marriage to Tobias and their five children together.

“No!” Evelyne and Leigh replied at the same time before dissolving into giggles.

“Are you two ever going to grow up?” Marie held up her hand to them. “Nevermind, I’ve known the answer to that question for over fifty years.” She looked up and sighed. “You know I enjoy watching men as much as you do, but do you always have to go there? I swear, you two must take cold showers all day long.” She shook her head and shuffled a deck of cards while keeping an eye out for the men.

“Well, I do have a special shower head.” Evelyne giggled.

Marie stopped mid-shuffle. “Evelyne, I cannot believe you just said that.”

“I can. Who do you think told me about it for my bathroom remodel?” snickered Leigh.

Marie rolled her eyes at the two of them while waving at them. “Now be quiet, we are going to miss the action.”

And that was how Lexi found the ladies.

She knew right where they would be—every Thursday the landscapers came, and every Thursday the ladies would come to senior center to sit on the patio under the umbrellas and play poker. Lexi knew their secret though. Oh, sure, they held the cards and shuffled them every once in a while but basically, they were just props.

These little old ladies had been her grandmother’s best friends since college. Through marriages, families and death they’d always come together for one another. They were feisty and would let you know exactly what they were thinking.

Lexi enjoying giving them a hard time for peeping at the landscapers. “I thought I’d find you all out here. How’s the show?” She placed her clipboard on the table.

“Shirts are still on so it’s slow going,” Leigh grumbled while looking at Lexi out of the corner of her eye.

“Well, it’s still early.” Lexi smiled and took a look around. “Do you need anything, maybe some water to cool yourselves down?” She wondered if there was anything that could keep them under control.

Evelyne waved her off without looking at her. “You could go over and tell them to take their shirts off. Give an old lady a thrill.” She patted Lexi on the arm.

“I think they’re onto you and just hold out to tease you.” Lexi rubbed a hand over Evelyne’s shoulder in return.

“I think it’s because of OSHA rules. They have to follow them,” Marie said smugly.

“Oh shit, Marie, that hasn’t stopped them in the past. Oh wait, look, here we go—and it’s Rodney. I think he’s hot. Yeah, that’s it. Take it off, baby,” Evelyne sang as she clutched her cards to her chest.

Lexi watched as Leigh moved to the edge of her chair, never taking her eyes off Rodney. She held in a chuckle when she saw Marie looking out of the corner of her eye. The three of them couldn’t resist Rodney, not even Marie. He was in his fifties and still in good shape from working outside, running his own landscaping company for the past twenty-five years. The ladies looked like they were at a slow tennis match watching Rodney mow the grass, going back and forth, never taking their eyes off of him.

Lexi went to get some water. By the time she returned, Rodney had gone and the ladies were waiting for another landscaper to come by. “Do you think we can talk about the community talent show before someone else comes around without a shirt on?” She gave each a water bottle and sat down next to Marie.

“I’m ready to talk about it, but Frick and Frack over there might not contribute much,” Marie said, pointing to Evelyne and Leigh.

Leigh looked over at Evelyne. “So are you Frick and I’m Frack or are you Frack and I’m Frick?” she said innocently as possible while trying not to laugh.

“I think you must be Frick, because you like to say frickin’ so much.” Evelyne started giggling again and Leigh joined her.

“Well, that and the other “F” word! I know, Marie, you don’t like it so I won’t say it… for now.” Leigh glanced at Evelyne out of the corner of her eye, trying not to laugh.

“Ladies, please… the talent show.” Lexi rapped on the table to get their attention.

“What do you need to know?” Marie was all business, hoping to get the other two to calm down.

“What are you planning to do?” Lexi said, her pen posed to start taking notes.

“It’s a secret,” Marie whispered. She looked at the other two ladies and smirked.

“What should I put in the program? How long will it be? What kind of lighting do you need? Any sound? I need the basics at least.” Lexi put her pen to paper with the hopes of getting some answers.

“You can call our act The Dolls and it will be about 5 minutes long. We can take care of the sound, lighting, and props ourselves,” Leigh said smartly before she went back to looking around.

Lexi sighed in frustration. “What kind of description for your act do you want?”

“I think it will be the show-stopper.” Evelyne grinned as she leaned to the side, trying to get a better look of the landscaper working at the edge of the building.

“That really isn’t a good enough description.” She really did love these ladies, but sometimes it was like pulling teeth to get any information out of them.

After a moment Leigh replied, “You can put a singing and dancing act performed by The Dolls.”

“Nothing else?” She looked at each of them trying to figure out what they were up to. “Ok, I get it, you want it to be a surprise. There isn’t going to be any trouble is there?” Lexi looked at them sternly, trying to get some answers. The more they evaded, the more nervous she got.

“Trouble? Us? Really Alexia, you should know better. What would your dear, sweet grandmother Patsy say about you questioning our motives?” Marie said as she shook her head.

“Fine, but if there is trouble I am not getting you out of it this time.” Lexi raised an eyebrow and looked at each one of them. “I still have nightmares about the last time. Going to a strip club in Boston. Who would have thought they would have thrown three women in their seventies out of the club at midnight in a seedy part of town
and
banned them from ever coming back?” She closed her eyes and shook her head at the memory.

“Lexi, dear, it wasn’t our fault that poor young man got his g-string caught up in Evelyne’s cane. It wasn’t her fault it came off either. She hadn’t been using the cane long,” Leigh explained.

“I would believe that,” Lexi looked at each one of them, “if Evelyne had to use the cane
before
and
after
your trip or if it had only happened once that night. Between that and all the pinching of asses, you had those poor boys scared stiff to come around your table!” Lexi rubbed her temples to stop the headache that was rapidly forming.

“Stiff is right,” Evelyne said. They all chuckled.

Lexi just put her head down on the table and started to slowly bang it.

“Honey, you are going to get a headache. Why don’t we talk about what you are going to do for the talent show?” said Marie.

“I’m not doing anything,” Lexi mumbled into the table.

“Yes, you are. We already signed you up!” Evelyne said, looking around for new landscapers.

Lexi whipped her head up, making it spin. “Evelyne, please tell me you didn’t.” This couldn’t be happening. There was no way they’d done it. No now.

“Yep, so you’d better choose something. Why don’t you get a pretty dress and sing for us? You know we always love to hear you. You sing like the heavens.” Leigh patted her arm.

Lexi stood up and collected her things. “Ladies, I’ve got to go. I have to talk to the other people on the list. You know the ones that signed
themselves
up.” She didn’t know how to win against the Troublesome Trio, so she resigned to the fact that she was going to have to perform.

“Sweetie, I know you aren’t really mad at us. Come on, give us a hug. Be quick about it, I think the landscapers are coming back to trim more bushes.” Evelyne gestured for her to hurry up. As Lexi walked away, she heard her say, “I could use my bush trimmed.”

Lexi shook her head and went to find the other people on her list.

~*~

Lexi arrived back home mid-afternoon, ready to curl up with a good book for a couple of hours. Anything to escape worrying about the talent show and Noah next door. She walked up to her back porch and saw a huge bouquet of multi-colored flowers. She hesitated for a moment, heart pounding, before remembering they couldn’t be from
him
. She picked them up to breathe in their beautiful scent, then smiled as she read the card:

Alexia, I enjoyed meeting you this morning. I didn’t know your favorite flower so I gave you a bouquet of roses since that’s what you were taking a picture of when I saw you. Noah

She buried her nose in the blooms, feeling like a schoolgirl whom the most popular boy had said ‘hi’ to. Lexi hoped Noah had talked to Sam before he’d taken them out of the garden, though.

Laying the flowers on the counter she arranged them in three different vases since they wouldn’t fit in less. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply.

What am I going to do? Please give me strength. I don’t know what I want. If he just wants to be friends, I can do that. Or a fling, maybe I can do that, too.

Reading obviously wasn’t going to work at this point so Lexi set out in search of some much-needed physical labor. After weeding her garden, she mowed her little portion of grass. Her mind wandered to La Jolla. She didn’t like to think about it, but there were times when she had to remember. She didn’t want to live her life in fear and she knew not every man was out to hurt women, but seeing the flowers and meeting someone she was attracted to gave her pause. She’d spent hours working with counselors and women’s groups, trying to heal. She’d picked up the pieces, moved on, and built a new life for herself.

Her mind still whirling, she decided to clean the house from top to bottom. When that didn’t work she ate a quick sandwich before heading out to the beach for a sunset run with Pepper. She really, really hated running, but she had to do something to physically knock herself out so she’d be able to sleep tonight. Running a couple of miles up and down the beach would do it.

After trying to keep herself physically and mentally exhausted all day she fell into a deep sleep, not waking even when Pepper growled deep in her throat.

~*~

It took little effort for him to climb silently onto her balcony where he stood on the other side of the screen door. It had been over five years since he had been this close to her and almost seven since he was last inside her.

He remembered the first time he saw her. She was working at a design firm, so fresh and innocent and she reminded him of another. He had to have her. He followed her, learning all he could. It was never enough; he had to get closer. She became his reason for living. She had to be punished.

He took a deep breath—he could smell her. He watched her roll over, completely at ease, unaware of him standing there and what he wanted to do to her. The rage built inside of him, wanting to finish what he’d started years ago. He wanted to feel her from the inside. So much planning had gone into this. He knew he couldn’t take her now, even though everything inside of him wanted to, this instant. The thought of her with anyone else made his blood boil. The rage built until it was almost choking the breath out of him. He shook, trying to keep it in. He had to touch her, just a quick touch. He put his hand to the doorknob and began to turn it.

He must have made a sound and woken up the dog. He paused when it growled low in its throat. Just as well, more time to watch and do some research. He knew it was never good to rush in. Mistakes were made that way. This time there would be no mistakes.