The Coffee Shop (26 page)

No, she had not been there. He checked his cell phone to make sure it was on and the battery still had a good charge. It did.

Stepping back out into the hall, there was Mrs. Fleming, still framed within her apartment door. A hopeful look in her eyes as she stared up at him. He shook his head, and handed her back the key. “Thanks, Mrs. Fleming.”

“I know…it’s hard. But you can find strength in family and friends. It doesn’t make the pain go away, but it does help.”

He nodded, and walking the length of hall to the elevator her words came back to him. “Family and friends. Family…Home. Of course! That’s what she meant by home. She meant home. Home where she grew up. Home where…” Pushing the button to the elevator, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Angela. Glancing back, he saw Mrs. Fleming still watching him. “Thanks, Mrs. Fleming, I think I know where she is.” She stared at him questioningly. “Home, she’s gone home.”

Mrs. Fleming nodded in understanding. “Good luck.”

“Thanks. I hope I won’t need it.” The cell phone rang, and Angela picked up. “I know where she is. She’s gone home.”

“Yes, that’s what she said.”

“Home. Home where she grew up.” There was a silence. “Please tell me you know where that is, Angela.” Again there was another silence.

“She hated to talk about it. She never said why. But she did mention it once.” Another silence. “Oh, God, where was that she said…Brandon’s Field. Brandon’s Field…uh…Oh Derrick, I can’t remember.”

“I’ll find it.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive!”

Derrick stood before the door to the old house. It wasn’t very big, and from the look of it, it had seen better days, much like Mrs. Fleming’s couch. The paint was cracked and peeling, the porch swing looking like it was about to fall off its chains. It hadn’t been hard to find her, in a small town like this. Everyone knows everyone, and it was the first and only time he appreciated that. And it turned out she had bought the first house she’d ever lived in from the old woman who had bought it from her parents, giving her a very nice price for it. And he wondered why she did that. If she hated it here so much, why buy the house in the place you wanted to escape from?

He knocked on the door, hearing a movement inside. And seeing Annie look at him through the glass of the door, he just stood, staring at her. He saw her shoulders slump, and she shook her head, her gaze falling away from his. “Annie?”

“You shouldn’t have come, Derrick.”

“Annie, please open the door. I’d like to talk to you.”

“Why?”

“Why? How about because I love you and I want to be with you and I…Annie, please. Just open the door?” She sighed, from what he could see, and hearing the chain lock slide open, he wondered why she even needed one.

“Derrick, why are you here?”

“I think we both already know the answer to that question. Annie, I love you. And I want to be with you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“What? Of course I do.”

“No…what I mean is…you don’t want to…I watched my mama die of cancer. It ate her alive, until there was nothing left of her but a shell of what she used to be. Do you have any idea what that’s like? To see someone you love…” Tears welled up in her eyes, and she bit her lip trying to keep control, but the tears slipped from her eyes and slid down her cheeks. “There was nothing left of my dad after that. Took the life right out of him. I would never wish to…”

“Subject me to it?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you think that’s my decision to make?”

“Not when I’m the one that’s going to be looking up into that face every morning. The one that is going to be looking down at me with that expression.”

“What expression?”

“The one you have on your face right now.”

“You mean the one that says I love you so much I wish I could die for you if I could? The one that says I want to take your pain away and show you how much it’s possible to love a human being more than life itself?”

“You didn’t happen to stop by the card shop on the way here did you?”

“Did you just make a joke?”

“Did I?”

He laughed and shook his head. “You’re amazing!”

“What?”

“Here I am trying to comfort you, and you’re the one busy making jokes to break the tension.”

“Oh, was there tension? Sorry I didn’t notice it when the sentiment was so thick you could cut it with a knife.”

He knew she was scared and this was her way of trying to deal with an impossible situation. “I hate that this is happening to you!”

“Would you like to throw something? I found that helped for the first while, but then I ran out of things to break. So, that kind of put a crimp in my plans. Oh, but then there is always a sledge hammer and…”

Taking a step inside the door, he drew her into his arms. He held her like that, wanting to hold that moment close and letting her go he brought his hand to her face. “I love you. You do know that, don’t you?”

“I had wondered.”

He laughed. “I didn’t want to do this here but…” Kneeling before her he held up a ring. “Annie Maddock, will you marry me?” Her expression was one of shock, and she stepped away.

“What is this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, let’s make the dying girl feel better by offering to marry her.”

“What are you talking about? I love you. You know that. This has nothing to do with — ”

“It doesn’t?”

He stood, coming closer to her. “I bought this before we knew anything about the cancer. I was planning to ask you — ”

“But you just hadn’t gotten around to it, right?”

“Annie, what are you doing?”

“I won’t take your pity.”

“That’s what you think this is? My God, Annie.”

“Just go! And take your bloody ring with you!”

She tried to push him back out the door and slam it shut, but he held it open forcing it back as he stepped through it. “Annie, I know you’re scared.”

“You don’t know anything.”

“Please let me help you.”

“There’s nothing you can do. Or weren’t you listening to that part of the conversation?”

“Annie, I won’t let you do this alone.”

“Oh, and what makes you think you have any say in that?”

“I love you. That’s what gives me a say. And you love me. I know you do. I know you don’t want my pity. I know you think I’m only asking you to marry me because you’re…”

“Dying?”

His voice cracked, and he fought to maintain his composure. “Yes. But I want to be with you. I want to spend every possible second I can with you. Is that so terrible?”

She didn’t say anything.

“If that makes me selfish, then I’m the most selfish man in the world right now. Because that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to spend every waking moment telling you I love you, and kissing you, and holding you. And never letting go.” He couldn’t hold it back any longer, and the tears flowed freely down his face. “Annie, if I could fight this thing for you I would. If I could take it from you. God that I could.” He slipped his arms around her, crying into her neck.

“Hey, that’s not how this is supposed to work. You’re supposed to be comforting me. Remember?”

He laughed, kissing her and holding her tight. So tight that he never wanted to let go. “Annie, please, will you marry me? Will you make me the happiest man in the world and let me show you how much I love you?”

“That might be worth it just to see what you have in mind.”

“You can’t stop joking for a second, can you?”

“If I do, I’m afraid I won’t stop crying.”

“Then you joke all you want.”

“Derrick?”

“Yes?”

“I love you so much it hurts.”

“You sure you’re not the one that visited the card shop on the way here?”

She smacked him on the chest. But then brought her hand up to caress his face and wipe his tears. She smiled up at him through her own. “Yes, I will marry you, Derrick Sloane.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Annie looked to the sky, the sun now low on the horizon, and she smiled.

Slipping his arms around her waist, Derrick drew her to him as he stood behind her, watching the sunset in the distance over the water. “What are you smiling about?”

“I was just remembering.”

“Remembering what?”

She laughed. “Oh, the first time we met. You…talking about pink boxers and chains.”

“Hey, I thought we agreed we would never bring that up again.”

“I never made any such agreement.”

“Oh, that’s right. That was a conversation I had with myself in my own head.” He grinned. “God, I was so nervous. I don’t remember being that nervous before in my entire life.”

“I made you nervous? You, this big time mover and shaker, nervous of some small town nobody.”

“A small town nobody you are not. You were never that to me.” He turned her around, drawing her to him in the sand. Bringing his hand to her face, he stroked his palm across her cheek, brushing her hair from her eyes. “I always loved that you didn’t care what other people thought. You were your own person. Dressing how you pleased. Doing as you wished.”

“To hear you say it, you’d think I was a complete bumpkin, wandering through the city totally unaware of how I didn’t fit in.”

Derrick laughed. “No. No, that’s not how I meant it at all. You weren’t going to let others dictate to you how you lived your life. You were completely comfortable with being yourself. And that’s something I really admired.”

“Hmm, who’d have thought, wearing jeans and a sweater would count for so much.” She leaned close. “Did it ever occur to you, that was my way of saying I don’t give a damn?”

Derrick pulled back. “Why, Annie Maddock. Did I just hear you curse?”

Annie laughed. “And there’s a lot more where that came from.” He was looking at her with an expression of uncertainty, and she smiled up at him patting his face. She grinned. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

“That, is something you could never do.” Taking a step back, he looked down at her simple white dress, its silk flowing over and around her as the wind gently caressed it. “Have I told you how beautiful you look today?”

She smiled up at him. “Yes. But, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Women never grow tired of hearing it.”

He grinned at her remark. “And I’ll never grow tired of saying it.”

“Good answer. See, you’re learning. You can teach an old dog new tricks.”

“Is that an inference to me being an old dog, by any chance?”

“Now whatever gave you an idea like that?”

She said it with such conviction that if he didn’t know her better he would have believed it. “Good answer.”

“There, see how well we have come to know each other. Why, before long we’ll be finishing each other’s sentences.”

“God forbid.”

Annie laughed, and she closed her eyes, her grasp on his arm tightening.

“Annie?”

“I’m fine. I’m fine.” She looked up at him and nodded her head. “I’m ready.” Turning, she looked to Angela and took the white lilies from her. She held them before her as she stood looking up into Derrick’s eyes.

The breeze was warm and constant, the sand smooth beneath their bare feet as they stood facing each other, and Derrick nodded at the minister. “We’re ready.”

But Derrick wasn’t listening, his every thought of Annie, as she stood looking up at him adoringly. Her eyes, watching his, as the words were spoken. And when at last he took her hand in his, slipping the simple gold wedding band onto her finger, he leaned down and kissed her, wishing that moment would never end, that they could stay there, as they were now, for all of time. Frozen in that moment, in which nothing would change.

“Congratulations.”

The sound of Brian’s voice drew him back, and he turned to see Brian’s hand held out before him. Pumping it, he grinned down at him.

Holding his hand, Brian grabbed Derrick by the shoulder, and leaning in, he whispered in his ear. “I’ve never seen you happier. And I have to say that hurts. That time I gave you that really cool ring from my super hero collection…” Annie was watching him, and he grinned. Brian signaled to Angela and the minister that they should make themselves scarce.

Annie was staring up into Derrick’s eyes. “Did everyone just leave?”

“I think they did.”

“Now why do you think they would do something like that?”

“Maybe because they didn’t want to watch us do this?” He took her into his arms, his mouth seeking hers, and he kissed her. He held her to him, never wanting to let go. Never wanting to stop. Holding her even tighter to him. Taking her face in his hands, he smiled down into her eyes. “Oh, Annie, I love you so much.” He kissed her forehead and held her.

“Look.” Annie was watching the sky, the sun now below the horizon. “Perfect timing.” Pressing her face to his chest, she watched the sea as it rose and fell upon the beach at her feet. “You always did have perfect timing.”

“Who, me?”

She grinned at his remark. “You may not know it, but you did.”

“Well, Mrs. Sloane, what do you want to do now?”

“Why take over the world. Why else do you think I married you? It’s all part of my evil plan, didn’t you know?”

“Shoot, and here I went and booked that room at that — ” But he didn’t finish his thought as Annie was kissing him.

“All right you two, break it up. You have hungry guests that want to eat.”

“Tell me again why you wanted me to ask Brian to be my best man?”

“Um…I’m beginning to wonder that myself.”

“All right you two. Hungry people, hungry people.”

Derrick shook his head. “It would appear we have hungry people.”

They all went inside the beach house, the table set for just two. A candelabra, china, and sterling silver settings were laid out before them as they entered.

Derrick pointed to the table. “What’s this?”

Brian grinned. “You didn’t think we were all going to stick around and be in the way did you?”

“Now I know why you asked me to have Brian be my best man.”

Brian patted Derrick upon the shoulder. “As that’s the closest I am going to get to a thank you, I’ll take it.”

“Thank you, Brian,” Annie said over her shoulder, as Brian stepped from the porch into the night.

Lifting the lid from the platter, there were two hamburgers and two cans of cola, and Annie laughed, clapping her hands in delight.

Derrick stared down at the burgers. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” And taking up the note addressed to them, he opened it, reading the words aloud.

“Yes, this is a joke, unlike the time you made poor Annie actually eat these foul things in the park. If you will look in the kitchen, you will see the real meal we ordered for you.”

Annie was already sitting down, and taking up one of the hamburgers, she put it onto her plate.

“What are you doing? This was a joke?”

“I think it’s perfect. Our first meal together was hamburgers. How more perfect can this day be?”

Derrick smiled at the way she was beaming up at him. “Oh, God, you’re not gunna cry now are you?”

“Of course I’m gunna cry.” And she laughed, bringing her linen napkin to her eye.

He was glancing toward the kitchen, and Annie grinned. “Go see what he left you. I know you’re dying of curiosity.”

Walking into the kitchen, Derrick lifted the lid from the platter. Under it was a note, and he took it out and read it to Annie. “As Annie is already eating the hamburger, there is no need for another meal. Happy honeymoon, you two. Love, Brian and Angela.”

Annie laughed. “If you really don’t want the burger, I have stocked the fridge with all your favorite things.”

“On second thought, I love the idea of the burgers.” He sat at the table, Annie placing the burger on his plate. “The only thing missing is the annoying waiter.” But then Derrick looked around. “Knowing Brian…”

He stood but Annie motioned for him to sit back down. “There isn’t a waiter in hiding about to pounce. Brian knows I would hunt him down and smack him silly if he did such a thing.”

Derrick couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, being smacked silly would be just about the worst thing I could imagine.”

“Oh, you.”

They ate the burgers and drank sparkling apple juice, the closest thing to champagne for her, with the pain medication. And then Derrick stood, offering her his hand.

“May I have this dance, my lady?”

“Why, Mr. Darcy, I never thought you’d ask.”

Drawing her up into his arms, he held her close, moving slowly to the music.

Annie was resting her head upon his chest, and closing her eyes, she smiled. “I can hear your heart.”

“What’s it saying?”

“Shhh, it’s a secret.”

When they woke the next morning in each other’s arms, Annie smiled at the sight of the sun as it crept between the curtains, making its way across the floor and onto their bed. She always enjoyed the mornings, the new sun, the cool fresh air, the gentle, hushed quiet as the day began.

Reaching up, she grasped Derrick’s hand in hers. “So you are real. I didn’t just imagine you then.” He sniffed as if amused by her comment.

“Like I said, you’re stuck with me. No getting rid of me now.”

Resting her head on his arm, she closed her eyes, feeling him close to her as he held her in his arms. “Do you think we could just stay here like this?”

“Well, I could say yes, but then my arm would eventually go to sleep, and my bladder would start complaining.”

“My, more romantic words I have never heard.”

“Well, you asked. It’s not my fault I’m not perfect.”

Annie rolled over and looked up into his eyes, but Derrick held up his hand.

“Ah, I know what you’re going to say, and no, I am not.”

She grinned up at him. “Mood spoiler.”

“Yes, I have been known to do that, from time to time. What can I say?”

“How about — ” she brought her finger up pressing it to his lips “ — nothing.”

He made a muffled attempt at talking, and she laughed and kissed him.

“Yes, I can see where that would be much preferable to talking.”

“There, we agree on something.” She hugged him to her and sighed. “I’m going to grab a shower, can you make some coffee?”

“Me, make coffee?” He laughed. “I thought you knew who you were marrying?”

“Are you telling me, after all this time you still can’t make a cup of coffee?”

“Not if my life depended on it.”

“All right, you grab a shower, and I’ll make some coffee.”

“Are you trying to tell me something?”

She climbed out of bed and turned back, looking down on him. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

“Oh, nothing.”

She grinned, walking from the bedroom. “Just don’t complain when the coffee I make isn’t any better than yours.”

Derrick joined her in the kitchen after he had showered. Grabbing Annie from behind, he held her around the waist as he looked over her shoulder. “So, how’s that coffee coming along?”

“Well, I’ll let you see for yourself.” Pouring him a cup, she handed it to him, and awaited judgment.

“Oh, God! You’re right, yours is worse than mine.”

“Now that’s not the way I worded it, and I did tell you to make it, if you’ll recall.”

“True.” But then he laughed. “This tastes fine. Actually, it’s quite good.”

“You don’t need to say that as if you are surprised.”

“You’re right.”

“Now, you can make the breakfast while I grab a shower.”

Derrick laughed even harder. “I think we’ve already had this conversation. Something about me and kitchens not having anything in common.”

“Well, then make bacon and eggs. How badly can you mess that up?”

“Oh, you really don’t know me at all, do you?”

“Then scramble the eggs. That’s pretty much messed up eggs, so it will be right up your alley.” Patting his hand, she walked back in the direction of the bedroom.