Uncovering Annabelle (17 page)

“My pleasure.” He took her hand in his and
they went down the stairs. Annabelle’s legs were shaking, partly
from her near fall and partly due to Mike’s nearness.

It was a perfect summer evening. The day’s
heat still lingered in the air, but Annabelle was comfortable in
her cotton outfit. She glanced at Mike out of the corner of her
eye. The man looked good enough to eat. But then he always did.
He’d obviously gone home after work to shower and change. He was
wearing a clean pair of jeans and a plain white T-shirt and filled
out both to perfection. She wondered if he was wearing any
underwear, and made a note to find out later tonight.

It was a moment Annabelle knew she would
remember forever. The feel of the warm air brushing her skin, the
sweet scent of freshly mowed grass, and the sound of a bird
chirping was etched in her memory for all time. Her hand and Mike’s
fit together perfectly, despite the size difference. Sort of like
when they made love. She sighed again, contented with the moment.
Unfortunately, Mike misunderstood her sigh and started to question
her.

“Did something happen at work today?” Mike
turned his soulful brown eyes on her and gave her his complete
attention as they strolled toward the fairgrounds. The sounds of
children shouting and people laughing filled the air. Recorded
music was piped over loudspeakers. The delicious aroma of hot dogs,
cotton candy and French fries wafted on the light breeze.

Annabelle put away any misgivings she had
about this evening. This was her night to enjoy with Mike and she
didn’t want to waste it wallowing in her fears. She summoned up her
brightest smile and squeezed Mike’s hand. “I’m fine. I’m exactly
where I want to be,” she added honestly.

“Me too.” He raised her hand and kissed her
fingers, his face solemn. Then he laughed out loud and swung their
clasped hands between them, just like a couple of teenage kids on
their first date might.

In that moment, Annabelle fell completely
and utterly in love. The world continued to move around them, but
she felt apart from it. Annabelle realized she had been denying the
truth to protect herself. But the fact was, it was too late to
worry about giving too much of herself to him. She loved Mike heart
and soul. If they were together for a short while or a long time,
it didn’t matter. When they parted, the pain would be the same.

That realization was freeing and with it
came a new determination. Annabelle was suddenly greedy. She wanted
to experience as much as possible in their time together. She
wanted every memory they could make, because she knew she would
never love another man like she loved Mike. It had taken her thirty
years to find him and it had been worth the wait.

“Let’s eat. I’m starving.” Mike let her pull
him along behind her, laughing as she hurried to the food
concessions.

“I’m hungry too, but I won’t get what I want
until later.” The sexy gleam in Mike’s eyes let her know that she
was on the menu for later.

Annabelle tossed her head back and laughed
out loud. “Feed me first. I have to keep up my strength.” As little
as a few weeks ago, such a statement would have been impossible for
her. Mike had helped her to grow and open up to life, and she was
fast coming to realize that she liked the changes.

Pulling some bills from his pocket, Mike
addressed the lone teenage male running the hot dog stand. “Two hot
dogs and two sodas, please.”

The tone was set for the evening. It was
everything Annabelle could have wished for and more. Who knew that
sharing a container of fries could be an erotic experience? But
with Mike feeding her the tasty golden morsels, it was only fair
that she lick the salt off his fingers. He’d paid her back in kind
when she’d given him a taste of her pretzel.

The rides were the best. Mike wrapped his
arm around her as they rode the Ferris wheel and then some other
ride with twirling cars. The exhilaration as they spun around was
amazing, and she laughed and clapped like a child. If the smile on
his face was any indication, Mike was enjoying her enthusiasm.

They strolled the grounds hand in hand and
Annabelle knew that people were watching them. Mrs. Casey and Mrs.
Johnson smiled and waved from the church charity booth they were
manning. Dr. James stopped and spoke to them. The mayor smiled and
said hello as he passed by with his wife and two children.

Annabelle usually hated to be the center of
attention, yet tonight she felt oddly proud. She and Mike were
together and it felt natural and right to be part of a couple.

The sun finally sank and the night sky was
filled with the hundreds of twinkling white lights that had been
draped over the trees at the edge of the park where the bandstand
was located. While the band finished tuning their instruments, the
mayor took the stage to thank everyone for coming. He encouraged
them to enjoy themselves and to support the various charities and
fund-raisers. The speech was short and to the point. Then the music
started.

The first song was a fast one, and before
Annabelle could even decide if she wanted to attempt it, Mike had
spun her out onto the makeshift dance floor. She’d never danced
much before, but tonight she felt as though she was floating on
air.

Mike kept her close to him, much to the
dismay of a group of women who had been giving Annabelle dirty
looks all evening, and when the band began to play a slow ballad,
Mike just eased her into his arms and kept dancing.

“Are you having a good time?” It was
difficult to hear him over the din of the crowd and the music, even
though his lips were right against her ear.

“I’m having the best time,” she assured him.
She snuggled closer, loving the feel of his hard, hot body against
hers. Mike banded his arm around her waist and whirled her in a
fast spin, making her laugh.

She really was having the best time ever. In
fact, the last two weeks had been the happiest of her entire thirty
years. Mike had helped her uncover her true self—a woman who was
passionate about love and life.

Annabelle didn’t want the music to ever end,
but eventually the band announced they were taking a fifteen-minute
break. She glanced at her watch and was startled to realize that
she and Mike had been dancing for nearly forty minutes
straight.

Mike kept his hand on the small of her back
as he escorted her from the dance floor. He led her to the shadow
of a large oak tree not far from the bandstand and stole a quick
kiss. “Would you like something to drink? A beer? Some
lemonade?”

She looked up into his warm brown eyes, so
full of life and caring. “I’d love some lemonade.” Her head was
already spinning without adding alcohol to the mix.

“Wait here and I’ll be back in a
minute.”

Annabelle watched him disappear into the
crowd. Even wearing jeans and a plain T-shirt, he stood out among
them. There was something about him that drew the eye, or maybe it
was just her eye.

She grinned and studied the people milling
about, laughing and talking, as they waited for the band to begin
again. She drew back further into the shadows as the group of women
who had been giving her the evil eye walked by. They hadn’t noticed
her, and she didn’t want to draw their attention her way.

“Who does she think she is keeping her claws
dug into Mike all night? It’s obvious he’s too polite to break away
from her.” The tall blonde tossed her hair over her shoulder as she
spoke.

“It must be a charity date or something,” a
pretty brunette responded.

“There’s no way he’s interested in a dowdy
creature like her when he could have one of us.” A stunning woman
with short black hair and a figure any woman would envy uttered
this last statement.

Annabelle stood frozen in place as they
continued on past her. She had hidden so well, they hadn’t seen
her. The food that had tasted so delicious earlier now churned in
her stomach. A wave of humiliation washed over her as she realized
what people were saying about her and Mike. And even if some of
them were too nice to say it they must surely be thinking it or
something similar.

“Here’s your drink, honey.”

Annabelle automatically took the frosty cold
beverage from Mike, but her hand was shaking so badly the lemonade
began to spill from the cup. He quickly took it back from her.

“What’s wrong?” Mike set their drinks on the
ground and then tilted Annabelle’s face up so he could see it in
the glow from the lights.

“We are.” Her statement was stark and to the
point. Mike jerked in shock and his hand fell away from her
face.

“What the hell do you mean?” He scowled at
her, his entire body rigid. It was a far cry from the relaxed,
happy man from a moment ago.

“People are talking about us. They don’t
know what you see in me at all or why you’re here with me.
Sometimes I’m not sure why you are either.” Annabelle waited,
hoping he would reassure her. She needed it after what those women
had said. She waited. And waited.

Mike closed his eyes and stayed silent, and
she felt her heart begin to crack. When he finally opened his eyes,
Annabelle almost wished he hadn’t. Pain. There was nothing but pain
in those beautiful, expressive eyes. When he finally spoke, his
words thrust like daggers.

“I’ve told you how I feel about you,
Annabelle. I’ve shown you in every way a man can that I care.” He
stepped away from her when she held out her hand to touch him. They
were only a foot apart but it felt more like a mile.

He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.
He looked defeated and sad. Annabelle thought her heart might be
breaking.

“You care more about what complete strangers
might say about us than what I say about us. If that’s how you
really feel, I’ll leave you in peace.” Mike stared at her as if
waiting for her to speak. Annabelle was tongue-tied, wanting to say
so much, but not quite knowing how. Caught up in her own torment,
she took too long to respond.

“I guess that’s my answer.” Mike started to
leave, but turned back at the last second. “I love you, Annabelle.
I just wished you could love me, trust me.” Then he was gone.

“Don’t let him go.”

Annabelle jumped and whirled around to find
Mr. Keats, the library handyman, standing behind her. His weathered
face was sad as he leaned on a cane for support.

“I’ve known that boy his whole life and he’s
in love with you.” His kindly gaze took in the torment on
Annabelle’s face. “And I think you love him too.”

“Oh, I do and I’ve hurt him so much.” Mike
was right. She’d listened to the poisonous words of a few jealous
women, allowing it to overshadow everything he’d said and done
since the first night they’d spent together.

“Then tell him,” Mr. Keats advised, “before
it’s too late.”

Annabelle finally understood that she’d
allowed her own insecurities to hurt not only her but also Mike. He
had given her nothing but respect and love and what had she done?
She’d tossed it back at him. And she’d done it in public. If Harold
Keats had overheard them, chances were a few other people had as
well.

She’d ruined the best thing that had ever
happened to her, but maybe it wasn’t too late. She had to stop
him.

Annabelle didn’t give herself time to think
about the consequences of her action. She didn’t stop to think
about the fact she was about to publically embarrass herself. She,
who feared being the subject of gossip, was about to throw herself
into the spotlight.

Nothing mattered to her more than Mike.
She’d hurt him and he deserved nothing less than a public
declaration. She ran to the bandstand and grabbed the microphone.
It gave a loud squealing sound that made everyone look toward the
stage, toward her. Her hand was shaking but her voice was steady.
“Mike Sloan, don’t go. I love you.”

Silence descended upon the park. Everyone
was staring at her. It was like inhabiting her worst nightmare, but
she didn’t care. “Did you hear me, Mike? I love you.”

Nothing. She stared out at the sea of faces
watching her. Some were filled with pity and sympathy. Others, like
the group of women she’d overheard earlier, wore expressions of
scorn and malicious pleasure.

She almost turned tail and ran, but began to
see familiar faces, those of people she knew. They were all
smiling.

“Mike’s already gone.”

Annabelle felt hollow inside as she
recognized Mrs. Casey’s voice. She knew that it was too late. She
closed her eyes and swallowed past the lump in her throat. She’d
lost him.

“Don’t just stand there, child, go after
him.” Mrs. Casey’s voice filled the night air and was soon joined
by others urging her on.

She opened her eyes and peered past the
crowd. She’d find Mike and make him listen. If he decided he was
done with her after she’d had her say, she’d have to accept it. At
least she’d know she’d done all she could.

Annabelle jumped off the stage and ran after
Mike. The sound of people clapping kept time with the rhythm of her
feet as she flew past them and through the park. Her skirt flew
around her, showing off more leg than she ever had in public, but
she didn’t care. Nothing mattered but Mike.

She grasped her purse in her right hand and
pressed it against her stomach to keep it from hitting her. Soon
there was nothing but the sound of her heavy breathing and the
pounding of her feet as she raced down the deserted sidewalk.

When she finally reached the library parking
lot the only vehicle there was hers. Undaunted, she dug her keys
out of her bag, but they slipped out of her trembling hands. Her
heart was racing and her lungs ached. She took several deep breaths
before picking up her keys. It only took two tries to get the door
unlocked and the key in the ignition. A few seconds later she was
headed out of town. Pride be damned, she wasn’t going to give him
up without a fight.