Love and Fire (10 page)

“What’s
this, Sloan?” 

“Not
a damn bit of your business!”  She tried to grab the contents from him, but he
easily kept her away.  “You’re finally going to pay for what you did to my
aunt!” 

Jake
picked up the phone in his room and pushed 0.  Sloan was still struggling to
get her things but he was keeping her away with a straight arm.  An operator
came on the line. 

“This
is Jake Butler.  I need security to my cabin
now!
”

As
soon as he was free, Jake rushed to Tammy’s room and began beating on her
door.  Tammy opened it, only to slam it in his face. 

“Tammy! 
You don’t understand what’s happened!  I was drugged!  Please, let me in so I
can explain!” 

Tammy
stood a few feet from the door with her arms crossed. 
Drugged.  Right. 
She
glanced behind her to the couch and looked at Mia.  She silently shook her
head.  Jake continued to bang on the door and beg her to just listen.  After
several minutes, Mia went to the door and stepped outside. 

“She
doesn’t want to talk to you, Mr. Butler.”  Her eyes were hard. 

“Look,
something happened.  I need to explain to her!” 

Mia
stared back at him icily. 

“Just
what are
you
doing here anyway?  Don’t you have a gift shop to run?”

“I
don’t work every minute of the day!  She was upset, and rightfully so, and she
called me.” 

Jake
ran a hand through his hair.  “Please, try to convince her to see me.  Sloan
admitted that Tammy came to my door.  I was
drugged
!  She’s in a holding
cell somewhere down below!  I can prove
all
of this!” 

Mia
chewed on her bottom lip and looked at the floor.   “I just don’t know…” 

“Please,
just try.”  He said as he began backing away. 

Mia
nodded and returned to the room.  She sat Tammy down and tried to tell her what
he had said. 

“I
heard him.  I was listening at the door.” 

“Will
you talk to him?” 

Tammy
looked away and shook her head.  “No, I’ll never be the right woman for a man
like him.” 

The
rest of her time on the ship was hell.  She tried to leave her room and
participate in some activities, but she was constantly looking over her
shoulder, afraid she would run into Jake.  She finally gave up and decided to
stay in her room.  That was one good thing room service was for.  A person
could easily hide out. 

Jake
tried to get her to open her door several more times, but she wouldn’t answer
the door.  She just listened to him begging while she sat curled up on the
couch.  Sometimes Mia would come but she was too busy at the shop to come very
often. 

The
final day finally arrived.  Tammy had been packed since three in the morning. 
They could depart the ship at eight, and she was going to be one of the first
off.  She looked around her room one last time to make sure that she hadn’t
forgotten anything.  She had given Mia some money and she had brought her an
extra smaller suitcase. 

Her
eyes fell on the paperback of Jake’s.  She held it in her hands for a moment
before dropping it in the trashcan. 

Jake
looked everywhere for Tammy when he realized her room was empty.  It was only
eight and he couldn’t imagine why she would leave right away. 
What does she
have to hang around for?
  He entered the gift shop and found Mia working
the counter. 

“She’s
gone already isn’t she?” 

Mia
couldn’t believe how haggard he looked.  She nodded.  “She left about thirty
minutes ago. 

He
scratched the stubble that he had allowed to go on his chin.  His eyes looked
tired.  “Wow, she must have been one of the first ones off.”

“She
was.  We said our goodbyes last night, but she stopped by for a minute on her
way out.”  Mia opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again.  She
held up her finger and walked away.  When she returned she handed Jake a piece
of paper folded in a neat square.  He opened it and looked at what was written
there. 

“Thank
you.”  He said and walked tiredly away. 

Tammy
hadn’t told Demetria and Melissa any real details about the cruise.  They could
tell something had gone wrong, but tried to respect her privacy. 

“You
look thin, Mom.  You must have gotten a lot of exercise.” 

“I
was sick my last three days there.” 

Melissa
exchanged a look with Demetria, but she shook her head indicating they should
say no more right then. 

Tammy
laid a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes for a moment.  “Look girls, I’m
pretty tired.  I do have some gifts for the two of you and the guys, but I’d
really like to just lay down.” 

“Okay,
Mom.”  They said almost at the same time.  Tammy saw them to the door and was
about to shut it when Demetria hesitated and turned back to her. 

“You
should expect a visit from Dad.” 

“Why?” 

Demetria
looked away.  “I’ll let him tell you.  I just didn’t want you to be caught off
guard.” 

Tammy
folded her arms.  “I guess the two of you have mended with him?” 

Demetria
shook her head.  “I can’t say that.” 

Tammy
closed the door and sighed deeply.  She really didn’t want to lay down, she
just didn’t feel like socializing, not even with her daughters.  She chose to
unpack instead.  She knew there was plenty of laundry to do now that she was
home.  

She
was folding the still warm clothes when her doorbell rang.  Thanks to
Demetria’s warning she wasn’t surprised to see Gleason standing there.  He
looked older and more unkempt since the last time she saw him. 

“Hello,
Gleason, what can I do for you?”

“Can
I come in?”

“No.” 

He
sighed and ran a meaty hand over his balding spot.  “I just want to talk.” 

Tammy
looked out the door and over dramatized looking to the right and the left. 
“Where’s your little girlfriend?  I don’t seem to see her.” 

“That’s
what I want to talk to you about.”  He tried to reach for her hands, but she
snatched them away. 

“You
lost the right to touch me almost six months ago.” 

“I
made a terrible mistake, Tammy.  I want to come back home.” 

Her
eyes narrowed.  “She kicked you out, didn’t she?” 

“Does
it matter?” 

“No,
it doesn’t, not to me.” 

He
half smiled and tried to step towards her.  Tammy backed away.  “You just said
it didn’t matter to you!” 

“You’re
damn right it doesn’t matter, Gleason, because your problems are
your
problems,
not mine!  Now, please, I want you to leave.” 

“Our
divorce isn’t even final yet.” He said quietly. 

“It
will be any day now.  The papers have been signed for months.” 

“I
was just hoping to…”

“Reconcile? 
No, you just need a place to stay since she threw you out.”  She paused to take
a breath and try to draw some composure.  “I wish you luck, Gleason, but you
aren’t coming back to me.  When you get a chance, please come get the last of
your things.”  Without waiting for a response she slammed the door.  She didn’t
even watch him walk dejectedly down the driveway.  Unloading on him felt good. 
She smiled for the first time in days and went in the kitchen to make a
sandwich. 

Later
that evening her cell phone rang, and she was delighted to hear Mia’s voice.

“I
just wanted to make sure you arrived home okay.” 

“Yeah,
I’m doing fine.  My daughters picked me up at the airport.” 

“Listen,
I wanted to tell you that I heard some after cruise gossip.”  Her voice sounded
hesitant and serious.  “It would seem that Jake Butler was telling the truth. 
Sloan Montfort was taken into custody by the Miami police.  She had slipped
something to him.  It’s apparently a date rape drug of some sort.  Word out is
that she just wanted to make it look like they had done something.  She wanted
to take revenge on him for some reason.  There was a disposable camera.  The
police took it as evidence.”  Mia waited for a response. 

Tammy’s
eyes had taken on a faraway look as she had slid to the floor. 
He told the
truth. 

“Tammy? 
Are you there?”

“Yeah,
I’m still here.  I just don’t know what to say.” 

“Will
you try to find him?”

Tammy
swallowed.  “No.  What’s done is done.  It’s too late now.” 

“He
came by the gift shop looking for you.  He looked rough, like he hadn’t slept
or eaten.  He certainly hadn’t shaved.” 

“Thanks
for letting me know, Mia.  Listen, let me call you in a day or two, okay?” 

“You
bet.  Just take care of yourself.” 

Tammy
sat for a long time feeling like a fool. 
Why didn’t I just give him that
chance to explain? 

Tammy
managed to fend off any visitors for the first couple of days.  She blamed it
on the virus she had suffered, and that was enough to keep the kids away.  She
was enjoying just doing simple things, like house work, and she even went into
the guest room and began turning it into an art studio.  Maybe she
could
advertise and give some classes.  The one thing that she wasn’t enjoying was
thinking about Jake almost every minute. 

The
strangest things reminded her of him.  His perfect smile would flash through
her mind, or she would remember their kiss and feel weak.  It was frustrating. 

On
the third day, her doorbell rang at a quarter to ten.  She knew she had fended
the kids off as long as she could.  The hammer had dropped and she would have
to talk about Jake. 

She
opened the door and her face went slack. 

“Hello,
Tammy.” 

“Jake…how…I
don’t understand.” 

He
was dressed in the identical outfit he had been wearing the first time she had
laid eyes on him, and here she was in an old pair of sweatpants and oversized
t-shirt.

“May
I come in?” 

Tammy
nodded and held the door open for him.  He looked around the small foyer
appreciatively.  “This is a nice house.  Your front yard is well kept.” 

“Thanks. 
Umm…why are you here?” 

He
smiled sadly.  “Right to the point aren’t you?” 

“Yes,
it would seem I’m very good at it these days.” 

“I
wanted to explain things to you about Sloan.” 

Tammy
held up a hand to stop him.  “Mia called me and told me all the ship’s gossip
about it.  I know she was officially arrested in Miami.” 

He
nodded.  “I would have never hurt you like that.” 

Tammy
chewed her bottom lip.  “I know.”  She whispered.  “I guess Mia told you how to
find me?” 

“Yes.” 
He reached for her hands, but unlike with Gleason, she didn’t snatch them
away.  “Tammy, I can’t lose you.  Being with you was the happiest few days of
my life.” 

“I
just don’t…I can’t rush things.  It’s too confusing.” 

“I
can wait as long as necessary.”  He pulled her to him and tilted her head up to
kiss her. 

She
felt warm, happy, scared, and the stupid butterflies were back in her
stomach.   “I’m sorry I didn’t let you explain.”  She breathed into his chest. 

“It’s
understandable.  I wouldn’t have let me explain either.”  He laced his fingers
at the base of her back and leaned back slightly to look in her face.  “Are
there any sights in Orange?” 

“No.” 
She laughed.  “Unless nature and historical sights are your thing.” 

“Let’s
explore together.” 

She
nodded and smiled. 

A
year later to the day, Demetria hugged her mother one last time before taking
her place in front of her.  She walked through the doors slowly, her blue
chenille dress caught a ray of sunlight and Tammy thought it looked like
sapphire. 

Ryan
stepped up beside her and offered his arm.  “Are you ready?” 

Tammy
nodded and smiled.  “Yes.”

He
leaned down and kissed her cheek.  “You look lovely.” 

The
wedding march began as Ryan walked her through the chapel doors.  She couldn’t
have said how many people were there that day, because the only thing she could
see was Jake Butler waiting for her at the end of the aisle. He was a sight for
sore eyes, smiling and looking so handsome on their special day.  

Who
would have thought that a silly cruise would have led to the happiest day of
her life!

A Note from the Author:

I
enjoyed writing this book and hopefully you enjoyed reading it. If I could ask
you a favor and take a few minutes to leave me a review on Amazon, I would
greatly appreciate it!