Yesterday Once More - page 2
Johnny, Chet, and Roy still sat at the kitchen table, their coffee getting cold as the coffee no longer seemed important. Roy was seated across the table from Chet and Johnny. “You know, we all take Mike for granted. He could make things tough on us if he really wanted to.”
Chet looked at the senior paramedic. “What do you mean he could make things tough?”
Roy carefully chose his words. “He’s an easygoing guy. He can appreciate a good joke or prank just like the rest of us. But I think we all forget that Mike is second in command. He never pulls rank on any of us, but he could if he wanted to. Just say that Cap had to leave, even for just a little while, then Mike would be in charge. He could have us scrubbing the latrine with our own tooth brushes. It’d be like being in boot camp all over again.”
Chet thought seriously about this. “You’re right, Roy. Mike could make it hard on us.” His mind began to wander. “But Mike wouldn’t deliberately use his position to get even with us. He’s not that kind of guy.”
Johnny broke his silence. “I don’t think he would either, but I’m not willing to take that chance. I should’ve just kept my mouth shut about the movie. I thought for sure it was Chet or I wouldn’t have brought it up. Whatever, I’m going to make sure that I tell Mike how sorry I am before he leaves.”
“I think we all should,” Roy added as the men pushed away from the table and prepared to head for the locker room to get dressed themselves.
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Roy watched the rest of his shift mates make their way to their vehicles for their journey home. Mike was the first to leave and Marco was right behind him. Johnny and Chet were soon leaving as well. The senior paramedic was waiting for his captain. Shortly Hank was exiting the building and spotted Roy.
“I thought you’d be gone,” he commented to the paramedic.
“I wanted to catch you before you got outta here. Both Johnny and Chet made things right with Mike and so did I.”
Hank sighed with relief. “That’s good to hear. I still can’t believe that entire situation. What a mess it was. You know, Roy, I’ve been giving it some thought, and I think this time those two twits got a little bit out of hand. I think they need a dose of their own medicine,” the captain stated.
“I’m all ears,” Roy said with a grin. “What have you got in mind?”
The captain smiled. “Well, how do you think those two clowns would like to be under the command of Engineer Stoker for a little while? I think it might do them some good to have to answer to Mike even if for just a little while.”
Roy laughed. “Cap, I think that’s a great idea. I even reminded them earlier that Mike was second in command and could make things difficult for them if he wanted to. We all seem to take him for granted most of the time and forget that he’s next in the chain of command here. I think they got a little worried and that’s why they were in such a rush to apologize for razzing Mike about the movie.”
“Good. We’ll let a couple of shifts pass by and let them think it’s all forgotten. Then we can fill in Mike and Marco and work out the details. It’ll be a great way to pay them back.” Hank was already thinking of how Johnny and Chet would react to Mike giving them orders. “We’ll talk about it more next shift. Enjoy your time off.”
“You, too, Cap,” Roy said as he made his way to his car and climbed in.
Hank opened the door to his truck and sighed as he looked at the time. “I’ve still got an errand to run before going home. At least since I know exactly what I’m looking for, maybe it won’t take long.” He put the key in the ignition and turned it. The engine came to life, and the vehicle’s driver maneuvered it out of the parking lot and toward the usual drug store destination.
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Gracie hurried to get dressed after drying off. She had only awakened a short time before and realized that she was running behind schedule. Of course, she had never expected that she would wind up drinking the entire bottle of wine as she watched the late show the night before. She also had not planned to fall asleep on the couch and wake up with a crick in her neck and a splitting headache while the Road Runner continued to outsmart Wile E. Coyote on the television. She looked at the clock and figured that she had another half hour before Mike arrived. He had called before she got in the shower and said that he had gone by his place to change and would be there soon. As soon as Gracie was dressed, she hurried downstairs and toward the kitchen, stopping in the living room to pick up the glass and empty wine bottle that still sat on the coffee table. After tossing the bottle in the trash and the glass in the sink, Gracie walked over the refrigerator to get the eggs, butter, milk, and other ingredients she would need for making the omelettes. She had promised Mike a big breakfast, but she decided that omelettes, toast, jam, juice, and coffee would suffice. Besides, Mike enjoyed her western omelettes.
Soon everything was ready to begin preparation. As she poured the omelette mixture in the skillet, she thought about her brief phone conversation with Mike the night before. Something about it had been bothering her all night, even in her dreams. There was something about the way he sounded. He said he was fine, that he suffered a muscle cramp in his leg as he got up from the table. Maybe that was indeed what had happened, but she just could not shake the feeling that there was something more to it. Well, she would find out soon enough as Mike was due to arrive shortly.
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Ellie was in the kitchen putting the final touches on her husband’s breakfast. Just as she had predicted, Hank was late coming home. While she could not be 100% certain that he was out buying chocolates for her or was still on a call, she was betting on it being the chocolates. She turned the burner off under the skillet and transferred the eggs to a plate just as she heard Hank’s vehicle pull into the driveway. She smiled as she added some bacon and toast to the plate before taking it to the table. Just as she turned to get the coffee and juice, Hank walked through the back door with a big smile on his face.
“You’re a little late this morning. I was getting a little worried,” Ellie said as she waited for her morning kiss.
Hank leaned over and met her lips with his for a lingering kiss. “I’ve got something for you,” he said when their lips parted. He held out the box of chocolates. “Sweets for my sweet.”
Ellie smiled lovingly. She knew him so well. “Oh, honey, you didn’t have to do that. Thank you though.” She wrapped her arms around him for a loving embrace. “I have your breakfast ready. Go ahead and sit down.”
“Great, I’m starved.” He took his place at the table and waited for his wife to bring the coffee over. “This looks delicious.”
“Well dig in,” she responded and leaned over to kiss his cheek. Ellie sipped her coffee and watched as her husband ate his meal. Something was bothering him. They had been married for nearly 16 years and she had learned to read his expressions. “Want to talk about it?” she asked softly.
Hank stopped in mid bite and looked at her. She knew him so well. He took another sip of his coffee and swallowed. “It was a tough shift.” Just thinking about the night before made him cringe.
“What happened? Was it a bad call?”
Hank sighed. “Yeah, it was. We had a Code I.” He watched as her eyes grew wider.
“Who? How bad was it?” she asked with concern.
“Mike,” he replied in a somber tone.
“Oh my God. How badly was he hurt?” After the conversation she and Gracie had shared the night before, she could only imagine how upset her friend was.
“Not as bad as we had originally thought.” Hank began telling her about the call and how the explosion took its toll on their friend. “We got called out just after midnight and it was tough on him. He didn’t get much sleep on account of the pain. I tried to get him to go home last night, but he refused. And this morning wasn’t any better.” He then told her about the movie and Johnny and Chet’s attempt at humor.
“Poor Mike,” she said shaking her head in frustration. “I hope he gets some rest today.”
“Fat chance of that. He’s spending the day with Gracie and helping her with some stuff. I suggested that he give her a call and explain what happened and just go home, take a pain pill, and hit the hay. But you know how he is. When he sets his mind to something it won’t be changed.”
Ellie smiled. “Yeah, he’s like someone else I know.” She reached across the table and took his hand in hers. “I’m glad he’s going to be okay. I don’t think Gracie could bear it if something happened to him.”
Hank nodded in agreement. “I agree. You know, it’s just so obvious that those two have strong feelings for one another. It’s a shame they can’t get their ducks in a row and do something about it.”
“You’re right, honey. Gracie’s the perfect match for Mike and him for her. They’re two of the most wonderful people I’ve ever known. Mike deserves the love that I know Gracie could give him.” Ellie thought back to the night before and the confessions her friend had made. “I’ll keep my fingers crossed for them.”
Hank stifled a yawn and before he could say anything, his wife spoke up. “Why don’t you get upstairs and get some sleep. You look exhausted.”
He was surprised. “What about my usual honey-do list? There’s got to be one,” he said with a chuckle.
Ellie got up from her chair and moved over to sit on his lap. “There’s no honey-do list this weekend.” She leaned over and kissed him. When their lips parted, she smiled and spoke softly. “Tonight Clay and Susie have sleepovers with friends. I was thinking that you and I just might have a nice quiet evening together. I’ll make a special dinner. We can open a bottle of wine. We might even have a dance or two.” She planted another lingering kiss on his mouth. Ellie heard the soft moan coming from her husband. “And just maybe we’ll turn in a little early. After all, I have to thank you properly for the chocolates.” With that she gave him a wink and got up from his lap.
Hank liked her plans, but now he believed he would need a cold shower before that nap! What a lucky man he was to have such a wonderful wife. “It’s a date then.”
Ellie took him by the hand and dragged him from his seat. “Then get going, Captain Stanley. You’re going to need all your strength for tonight.” With one more kiss, Ellie sent her husband off to bed in preparation for an evening that he would not soon forget.
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Mike took a deep breath and exhaled before knocking on Gracie’s back door. He knew she would be in the kitchen. As far back as he could remember, the Stokers and Caldwells almost always used the back door to visit each other after making the trek across the back yard. Some things just never seemed to change. At present he felt better than he had when he first awoke that morning, but he was still in a fair amount of discomfort. He wondered how long it would take Gracie to notice that he was not in his usual form. “Well, here goes nothing,” he mumbled to himself as he knocked on the door.
“Come in,” her voice answered from within.
Mike put his hand on the door knob and prepared to enter. Once inside he saw Gracie putting two glasses of orange juice on the table next to the plates that had already been filled. “That sure smells good,” he said with a strained smile as he tried his best to hide his discomfiture.
“Thanks,” came Gracie’s reply as she turned around.
Mike noted immediately that she looked very tired. “Are you okay? You don’t look so good.” He was soon standing by the table.
“Yeah, just didn’t get much sleep last night.”
As if on cue, she then questioned him. “What’s wrong, Michael?”
She was quicker than he thought she would be! There was no point in trying to put it off. He had to come clean with her. “I got a little banged up last night at a fire scene, but I’m fine, no big deal.”
Gracie knew Mike well enough to know that he was not giving her all the details. “How bad, and don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes. I didn’t just fall off a turnip truck. I know when you’re hurting. Besides, I can easily call Hank and find out from him.” She maneuvered him around so that she could explore his injuries. “Let me take a look,” she ordered but with a tone that he recognized as being one of concern.
“I don’t suppose there’s any need in trying to talk you out of this?”
Gracie tilted her head to the side and with a slight frown responded. “What do you think?”
“I thought as much,” he answered as he began to unbutton his shirt, grimacing as the slightest movement of his shoulders brought him more pain. As he tried to complete his task, he gave her the condensed version of what had happened and his visit to Rampart’s ER.
“Let me,” Gracie said softly as she finished undoing the buttons on his shirt and then carefully pulled up his tee-shirt to inspect his chest, side, and back. As she tenderly examined each area, her eyes filled with tears as she imagined the scene that took place. Just the mere thought that he could have sustained more serious injuries sent a chill down her spine. The bruises were so large and ugly. She could not imagine how he could even still be on his feet.
“You should’ve gone home and hit the sack. You need something for pain and then put to bed.” She cautiously pulled his tee-shirt back down and buttoned his shirt.
“I’m good, Gracie. I took some aspirin and had a hot shower before I left the station. I’ll be just fine,” he said with a tired smile. “Really, I’ll be okay.” He saw the tears welled up in her eyes, and it broke his heart to know that his misfortune had brought her to tears.
“The grill isn’t that important. I can arrange to pick it up next week when you’re feeling better or maybe even get Pop to go with me.”
Mike refused to let her down. He knew that she was sincerely concerned about him, but he would not change their plans. “I refuse to argue with you, Gracie. We made plans for today and nothing’s going to change that.”
“But you should be in bed resting and having had a pain pill.”
“Nope, don’t need it.”
Finally Gracie came up with a compromise. “How about this? Let’s have breakfast. You’ll take one of those pain pills that you said Dr. Early gave you and then go upstairs and get into bed and get some sleep. I’ll wake you around lunchtime. If you aren't feeling any better, you’re not going anywhere. If you are feeling better, we’ll have some lunch and maybe I'll let you take me to get the grill.”
Mike could not help but grin at her stubbornness. “You are the most determined person I know. Okay, I’ll take a nap after breakfast. By the way, if we don’t stop debating my current health that omelette is going to be too cold to enjoy.”
“Good point, Engineer Stoker. Let’s dig in.”
Mike eased himself down onto the chair and was soon enjoying the delicious meal that had been prepared for him. They talked about other things while they ate, mostly about the cookout the following weekend. Soon the food had been eaten and Gracie held him to the promise of taking the pain medication. After he swallowed the pill, he even opened his mouth and swished his tongue around so that Gracie could see he had indeed swallowed the pain medicine.
“Are you satisfied, Dr. O’Donnell?” he asked in a more relaxed voice.
“Yep, I’m satisfied. Why don’t you head on up to bed while I clean up here. I’ll be up in just a few minutes to tuck you in.” She started gathering the few dishes from the table.
“Okay, I’ll be waiting.” As Mike slowly arose from his chair, Gracie thought of something.
“Oh, go to my bedroom and lie down. I haven’t got the guest room quite ready yet. Don’t worry, I don’t have girly sheets on the bed,” she said with a grin.
Mike laughed but immediately realized it was a mistake as a pain shot through his side. “Okay, no girly sheets will work.”
Gracie turned back to the sink and started to wash the few dishes from their meal as Mike headed out of the kitchen and toward the stairs to make his way to bed. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked back toward the kitchen and Gracie standing in front of the sink. Suddenly he had the urge to go back to her and take her in his arms and never let her go. Of course he was not in a physical condition at present to actually do this, but it was at this very moment that Mike Stoker came to the realization that his feelings for this woman had indeed changed, and the thought of this made him feel warm all over and frightened him at the same time. What if she did not feel the same? Shaking his head to try and clear his thoughts, he turned back around and started up the stairs, praying that things would be clearer when he awakened from his nap.
True to her word, 10 minutes later Gracie walked into the bedroom and found her friend sitting on the side of the bed, trying to reach around the back of his stiff neck. She could easily see his discomfort and weariness.
“Let’s get you tucked in.” She kneeled beside the bed and slipped his shoes from his feet. Gracie watched with growing concern as he slowly raised his legs up and onto the bed, trying to find a comfortable position. She then pulled the covers up to his chest. “How’s that?” she asked.
Just like the night before, Mike could not find a comfortable position in which to attempt to get some rest. “This is impossible. It hurts to lie on my back. I can’t sleep on my stomach. And now my neck’s stiff.”
“What about your side? Can you manage to lie on either side?” she asked as she walked around to the other side of the bed and crawled up next to him.
He tried rolling onto his left side and found that it was not as bad as it had been earlier. “I think I might be able to manage. I just wish my neck and shoulders weren’t so tight.”
“Well, maybe I can take care of that.” She got up closer to him and placed her hands on either side of his neck and began to massage his tense muscles.
His eyes closed and feeling almost instant relief, Mike felt himself relaxing. “Feels so good,” he murmured.
“Good,” she replied in a soft, soothing voice as her fingers continued to work their magic on his neck and shoulders. Gracie soon found herself yawning as she heard Mike’s breathing settle into a steady rhythm that let her know that he was now sound asleep.
Gracie yawned again and found it harder to move. “I’ll just stretch out here a few minutes and chill.” Before she realized it, Gracie was lying on her side next to Mike and was sound asleep herself.
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Mike felt himself in that twilight time between sleep and waking. As hard as he tried, he was unable to drift back into a deep sleep. After opening his eyes, he could tell by the light in the room that it was later in the morning, perhaps even early afternoon. He was still lying on his left side and decided to try moving. Evidently the pain medication and the nap had done him some good as he did not feel nearly the discomfort as he had when he first laid down to rest. Just as he moved cautiously onto his back, he was surprised to find that he was not alone. He turned his head and observed his companion as she slept. Carefully changing his position once more, Mike rolled onto his right side and was face to face with Gracie.
As he lay there watching her sleep, he smiled and thought of how beautiful she was lying there so peacefully. He had always thought her to be the most beautiful girl in the world. She seldom wore more than a touch of mascara on her lighter eyelashes and a hint of neutral-colored lip gloss. On those special occasions when she had a big night out, she would pay closer attention to such details as makeup. But Mike thought she was beautiful just the way she was. Her long, dark brown hair was tousled with several strands spread across her face. She looked so sweet lying there with the tiny bit of drool coming from the corner of her mouth. His heart pounded in frustration as he thought of all of the years wasted. He should have listened to his heart when he was a 15-year-old boy and shared his changing feelings for his friend. There had never been anyone else that could even compare to his sweet and precious Gracie. Just as the urge to take her in his arms earlier had come to him, he now had the urge to lean over and kiss her lips. These feelings were a bit confusing, but he would take things one at a time and not make any mistakes. His lifelong relationship with Elizabeth Grace Caldwell was far too important.
Mike reached his hand over to brush the stray hair from her face. Her skin was as soft as silk, and he could still smell the faint scent of the Ivory soap she had always used. His heart was telling him now was the right moment for that kiss he had longed to give her so many years ago. Just as he started to maneuver himself into position, he was startled when she rolled onto her back and made what sounded like the snort of a pig. Unable to control himself, he laughed out loud as Gracie lay on her back and snored like a buzz saw!
Gracie was enjoying her dream so very much and was disappointed to have it suddenly interrupted by the sound of laughter. As much as she hated to, she slowly opened her eyes and found Mike lying next to her laughing. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands trying to wipe the sleep away.
“What’s so funny?” she mumbled, still not completely awake.
“You,” he replied as he got his laughter under control. “You were snoring as bad as Chet.”
“I don’t snore,” she responded with a yawn.
“Yes, you certainly do snore.” He watched as she shifted her position and was facing him.
“I repeat, I do not snore.” She yawned again.
Mike could not help but smile. “You snore as loud as an air horn.”
Gracie saw the smile on his face that went all the way to his eyes. “Well, it could be worse.”
“I don’t know about that,” he said with a chuckle. He noticed the grin spreading across her face.
“Maybe I snore, but at least I don’t drool.”
Once again Mike burst into laughter, thankful that the pain medication had worked so well. “You do that, too, but I find it endearing actually.”
Gracie looked thoughtfully into those bright blue eyes and felt herself becoming lost in them. “I’m glad you do,” she answered softly.
Mike reached over and brushed a strand of hair from her right cheek. Her wit, her strength, her kindness, and her passion were just a few of the many things that he loved so much about Gracie. As if he did it every single day, Mike tenderly stroked her cheek and felt her silken skin beneath his fingertips. Her eyes were as blue as the sky on a perfectly cloudless day. Just as he had that morning after breakfast, Mike felt himself compelled to take Gracie into his arms and hold her. His heart was pounding in his chest as he raised up on his elbow and leaned over her, preparing to make his move. At this moment he wanted nothing more than to press his lips against hers and make his dream come true. Well, it’s now or never, he said to himself as he began to lower his face to hers. Just as he was feeling her breath upon his face, the moment was interrupted by the ringing of the phone.
Gracie’s heart leapt into her throat when she realized that Mike was about to kiss her. At first she had thought she was still dreaming. Could this really be happening after all of these years, she thought to herself. Her breathing was becoming a little faster as she watched him come closer to her, a look of tenderness and warmth filling his eyes. She licked her lips in preparation for what was to come and jumped when the phone rang.
Mike sighed in frustration as the phone continued to ring. He looked into Gracie’s eyes and sensed that she was also disappointed at the timing of the phone. “I guess you should get that,” he said softly as he rolled back so that Gracie could reach across him to answer the phone.
“I guess so.” She reached across Mike and picked up the receiver. “Hello… Oh, hi Mom… Yes, we decided to wait and go this afternoon… Sure, he’s right here. Just a second.” Gracie passed the phone receiver to Mike. “It’s your Mom,” she whispered.
Gracie moved back to her side of the bed and listened as Mike spoke with his mother. “Hi, Mom… No, everything’s fine here.” He smiled at Gracie as he spoke. “That sounds like a good idea. I know how much Dad likes to go whenever he has enough time off… Sure… Okay, well drive safely and I’ll see you when you get back… I love you, too, Mom. And tell Dad I love him, too… Okay… Bye.” Mike carefully reached over to the night stand to put the receiver back on the cradle.
“Is everything okay?” Gracie asked.
Mike just looked at her for a long moment, thinking of what had almost happened and trying to decide if he dare try again now or wait for a more romantic moment. Choosing the latter, he answered. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Dad suggested on the spur of the moment that they go up to the cabin this weekend. He’s got three days off. She was about to call my house when she remembered that I was coming over here today. When she saw my truck still in the driveway she knew to call here.”
“The last weather report I saw early this morning said the weekend was going to be hit and miss, some rain possible in certain areas and less likely in other parts. I hope they get the good weather the whole time they’re up at the cabin.” The romantic mood had been broken by the ringing of the phone, but Gracie hoped there would be another time soon for the kiss that she knew had been on the verge of becoming a reality. “So tell me, Engineer Stoker, how are you feeling?”
Mike took in a deep breath and exhaled, a smile stretched across his face. “I’m ready to go shopping. How about it, Dr. O’Donnell? Are you going to approve an outing for me?” He gave her a wink.
Gracie’s heart melted every time he looked at her that way. She would go to the moon if he asked her to right now. However, she had to focus on his well being. “Are you sure you feel up to it? I don’t want you doing anything to put more strain on your body than you have to.”
“You sound sort of like Hank and Marco did this morning.”
“How so?” she asked as she sat up in the middle of the bed.
“Marco was really supportive. When we got called out to a dumpster fire in the middle of the night, I was already having a hard time getting my turnout coat on and an even harder time pulling myself up into the cab. I didn’t think anybody noticed, but I was wrong. Marco saw how things were going for me. When we got back to the station, he helped me to get my coat off. It would’ve taken forever if he hadn’t helped.”
Gracie smiled at the thought of Marco watching out for Mike. “He’s a real sweetheart.”
Mike continued. “Then this morning before we left, he told me that he’d be at home today and to call him if I needed any help unloading your grill and stuff.”
“That was very nice of him. And what about Hank, what did he say to you?”
Mike thought of the hard time Johnny and Chet had given him about watching the late show and how Hank and Roy had been laughing when he first walked into the kitchen. “He knew I was going to spend the day with you and what we had planned. He thought I should call you and tell you what happened, then go home and hit the sack. He said you’d understand.”
“Hank was right. You should’ve called.” She reached for Mike’s right hand. “I don’t want you doing anything that could aggravate your injuries.”
Although he could not admit it to her, he really did love it when she made a fuss over him. “But I’m okay. A little grill and a few chairs won’t break me down.”
She grinned. “Are you sure about that? You do realize that we aren’t getting any younger.”
He smiled. “Age is just a state of mind. Speaking of age, I was already up when we got called to that trash fire late last night. I couldn’t sleep and got up to get something to drink from the kitchen. I wound up with a glass of milk and went over to turn on the TV and see what was on the late show.” Mike saw Gracie’s eyes widen and the grin spread across her face.
“You watched An Affair To Remember, too?” She found it very coincidental that both had watched the old movie that they had originally seen together in the movie theater so many years ago.
He was surprised at her reaction. “Yeah, at least until we got the call. You mean you watched it, too?”
She felt her cheeks flushing. “After I called you last night, I went to bed and couldn’t sleep. I finally got up and went downstairs to see what was on TV myself. I uncorked a bottle of wine and kicked back to watch the movie. I woke up this morning with the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote on in its place. Then I spied the empty wine bottle.”
This time Mike’s eyes widened. “You downed a bottle of wine by yourself?”
“I’m guilty. What more can I say?”
He chuckled. “And here I was thinking that you were a tee-totaller.”
She grinned. “Well, at least I don’t make a habit of it.” She glanced at the clock on the night stand. “Alright Engineer Stoker, it’s going on 2 o’clock. What are we going to do?”
Mike pulled himself up into a sitting position, thankful that he was feeling much less pain than he had that morning. “Well, I think there’s a grill and some patio furniture with your name written on them that are calling out to us. I think we should head toward Ace Hardware before it gets any later.”
She observed his facial expressions as he moved around on the bed. He did not appear to be in any great pain. Perhaps the medication and the nice long nap had done him some good. “Okay, then, let’s get this show on the road.”
Mike watched her as she got off of the bed and headed for the bathroom to brush her hair. While she was doing that, he eased himself out of the bed and managed to put his shoes on with little effort. He ran his hand through his hair a few times and decided that was good enough. A few minutes later Gracie walked back into the bedroom and slipped on her shoes.
“Let’s make tracks,” she said with a big smile.
“After you,” he motioned toward the door. Within a few minutes the friends were on their way downtown.
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“Mike, could you go ahead? I’ll meet you at the truck. I need to check on something. It’ll only take a minute.”
“Sure, Gracie. I’ll be waiting for you.” With that said, he gave her a big smile and turned to walk out of the store so that he could bring his truck to the loading area.
Gracie approached the counter where she had just paid for her new patio pieces. “Excuse me, please, but could I borrow your phone for just a minute to make a local call?”
The clerk smiled and told her to go ahead. “Thank you.” She retrieved her small address book from her purse and looked up a number. Having found what she was looking for, Gracie picked up the receiver and dialed the number. It began to ring. After only a few short rings, the other party answered.
“Hello,” came the familiar voice.
“Hi, Marco; it’s Gracie,” she said.
“Oh hi, Gracie. Is everything okay?” he asked, instantly concerned that something was amiss with Mike.
“Yeah, everything’s fine. Um, Mike told me about what happened last night and your offer this morning. Does that still stand?”
On the end of the line Marco was smiling. “It sure does. When do you need me?”
“The grill and chairs are being loaded as we speak. Once that’s done we’ll be heading straight back to my house. Could you meet us there?” she asked.
“I’ll leave now and probably be there by the time you get home.”
“Thank you, Marco. I really appreciate you doing this. Mike says he’s feeling fine, but I’d just rather not take any chances, you know?”
“I know exactly what you mean, Gracie. He doesn’t need to aggravate his injuries. I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Okay, bye.” Gracie hung up the phone and thanked the clerk again. She turned around and headed for the store exit and hoped that taking Marco up on his offer did not make Mike upset with her. Certainly he would understand her reasoning.
Spotting Mike’s truck and him standing next to it with a smile, she hurried over to meet him, and they were soon on their way back to her house.
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As they approached Gracie’s driveway, she smiled as she watched Mike carefully back his pickup truck into the drive and toward the back yard. He did this with the same precision as when he was backing the big red fire engine into the apparatus bay at Station 51. When the truck was stopped and the ignition turned off, Gracie and Mike exited the vehicle just in time to see another automobile pulling into the driveway. Mike recognized the car and turned to Gracie with a mock frown.
Gracie pretended she did not see Mike’s look as she smiled and waved at Marco who was out of his car and walking toward them. “That was perfect timing, Marco. Thanks for coming.”
“No problem,” Marco said as he approached his friends. He stopped and gave Gracie a hug and received one in return. He turned to Mike and extended his hand.
Mike smiled and took Marco’s hand. “Well, I see Gracie took you up on your offer.”
Marco continued to smile. “I was glad to be of service. Besides, you don’t need to push yourself after what happened last night.” His expression became more serious. “How are you feeling?”
Mike considered himself very fortunate to have such good friends. “I’m okay. Gracie’s just being a little paranoid.”
Gracie gave him a pretend slap on the arm. “I’m not paranoid, just being practical and trying to keep you out of trouble.”
Marco laughed. “Whatever the case may be, I’m glad to be able to help. So, what do we have?”
Mike, Marco, and Gracie walked around to the back of the truck and discussed what would be offloaded first. In no time at all, the new grill and six new patio chairs had been moved from the truck to the back yard, with Marco seeing to it that Mike lifted as little weight as possible. Once everything was in its place and the grill was set up, Gracie ordered Mike and Marco to take a seat while she got them all something cold to drink.
Marco watched Mike take his time sliding down into a chair. “I guess you’re pretty sore by now.”
Mike tried to hide his current discomfort due to the progression of pain. “Yeah, a little, but it’s still not bad. When I got over here this morning, Gracie made breakfast and then made me go to bed and take something for pain. I slept for hours and didn’t feel half bad when I woke up. It could’ve been a lot worse.”
Marco nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah, but thank goodness it wasn’t.” At that moment Gracie returned with three tall glasses of ice tea.
Gracie took a seat beside Mike and passed a glass to Marco and one to Mike. “I really want to thank both of you for your help.” She smiled at Marco. “You were a real sweetie, Marco, to come over and help get this unloaded.”
He blushed. “I really didn’t mind at all. Mike was getting around kinda slow this morning, and I didn’t know how he’d be feeling later in the day. I just wanted to do whatever I could to help if needed.”
“I appreciate it, too, Marco, not just this, but everything,” Mike said as he gave Marco a knowing look. His friend had been an even bigger help to him the night before upon the engine’s return from the trash fire. A thought struck him. “You know what? I think we need to break in this bad boy,” he said nodding toward the grill and then turning to Gracie.
She smiled. “I think that’s a great idea. I’ve got steaks in the fridge. I can toss some potatoes in the oven and make a salad.” Gracie looked over at Marco. “You will be staying for dinner won’t you, Marco?”
He looked at Gracie and then at Mike. He certainly did not want to intrude on their evening together. “Thanks, Gracie, but I really should be going.”
Mike responded. “Why? Do you have plans for tonight?”
Marco had no plans, but he did not wish to be a third wheel. “No, no plans, I just…” He was cut off by Gracie.
“Good. Then you can have dinner with Mike and me. We really do want you to stay, Marco,” she said, a slight pleading in her voice.
“Are you really sure about this?” Marco asked.
“Sure we’re sure, Marco,” Mike responded with a smile.
“Then we’re all set,” Gracie stated. She looked at her watch. “It’s a few minutes past 4:30 now. If you guys can get the charcoal ready and get the steaks on within the next half an hour or so, we can have an early supper and have plenty of time to visit afterwards.”
Marco smiled. “That sounds like a good plan.”
Gracie finished her glass of tea. “I think I’ll go ahead and make the marinade.” She arose from her chair. “Do either of you need a refill on your tea?”
“Not me,” Mike replied.
“I’m still good,” Marco acknowledged with a smile.
“Okay, then; I’m off to the kitchen. I’ll get the steaks ready and put the potatoes on to bake. Yell if you need anything.” She smiled and left the two men on the patio.
Marco noticed the grimace on Mike’s face as he started to get up from his chair to get the grill set up. “How bad it is, Mike?”
The engineer did not try to hide his pain. “It’s not really so bad.”
“Maybe I should just leave and let Gracie take care of you. You don’t really feel up to this,” Marco stated with concern for his friend.
“Really, Marco, I’m good. I’ll be just fine. Let’s just not say anything around Gracie or she’ll start making a fuss about it.”
Marco grinned. "I won't have to say anything to her. It won't take long for her pick up on it. It's like she's got ESP or some kind of special radar where you're concerned." Both men laughed and Mike agreed with Marco.
Marco got serious again. "Let me get that," he said as he reached for the bag of charcoal and poured its contents into the grill.
Mike voiced his appreciation for Marco’s help and then carefully arranged the briquets in a mound and poured the starter fluid over them. While they again took their seats to allow time for the charcoal to absorb the fluid, Gracie returned to the patio. This time she brought out a pitcher of ice tea and set it on the table.
“The steaks are in the marinade and the potatoes are in the oven. I had four, so I put them all on to bake. You two can split the extra one.” Just like Marco predicted, Gracie’s Mike radar honed in on him. "How long have you been hurting this time?"
Mike turned to face Marco who simply grinned and said, "I told you."
She looked at Mike. “I really think you should take one of the pain pills. No need to suffer needlessly.”
“I’m okay, Gracie, honestly I am. I’m just a little stiff and sore. I’m not really in any pain.” He would be lucky if he could get out of this.
Gracie thought for a moment. “I’ll be right back.” She headed back into the house and returned within just a few minutes. Gracie held out her hand to Mike. “If you promise to take a pain pill when you get home tonight and get a good night’s rest, I’ll make a deal with you.”
“Okay, I’m game for that,” he responded with a grin.
“Alright then. Take these and call me in the morning." All three laughed as Mike opened his hand to accept the two aspirin tablets that Gracie had brought. He downed the aspirin immediately. The trio enjoyed a nice chat for a bit and then Mike announced it was time to light the charcoal.
Gracie noted that he was having a hard time getting up from his chair. “Why don’t you just stay put? Maybe Marco wouldn’t mind lighting the charcoal.”
Neither man was surprised when Gracie made the suggestion. Marco arose and lit the charcoal briquets. “It won’t be long now until they’re ready,” he said with a smile.
After Marco reclaimed his seat, he noticed Mike and Gracie looking toward the west. “It’s a beautiful sunset,” he remarked as the three friends watched the sun’s slow descent over Los Angeles County.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carmen Rodriguez Sanchez sighed and dropped down on her bed. She had almost finished unpacking the many boxes stacked in the new apartment after having spent the entire day working on them. She could have never completed the move without the help of her in-laws. Martin’s father and three brothers had moved all of the furniture and boxes to the new place, and all she had to do was unpack the boxes. Mrs. Sanchez had looked after the children while Carmen supervised the move. She had even suggested that little Cristian and Ana Alicia spend the night to allow Carmen to focus on the work at hand. The children’s rooms were set up, all of their belongings in place. The kitchen, living room, and bathroom also were done. All that was left to be finished was her bedroom. Her bed was made and her clothes were hanging in the closet, but there were still a couple of boxes to unpack, both filled with personal items that held great meaning for her.
As she looked in the first box, she saw the special reminders of her children’s births, the milestones in their young lives, baby books, and so on. As she looked through them she smiled and thought of how much her babies meant to her. Having finished looking through the baby books, she looked further into the box at her high school year books. Another large book then caught her attention. She pulled out a scrapbook that held some mementos that were special to her from her high school years in Los Angeles. The summer before her senior year in high school, her family had moved to San Diego for her father’s job. Her memories of growing up in Los Angeles had been very special to her. From the time she started high school until the time she moved away, she had dated the same boy and had never forgotten him. They had known each other since grammar school and started dating in high school. She had pressed her corsage from the junior prom and kept it all these years as well as other keepsakes from her first love. Often she had wondered how things might have turned out had her family not moved away that summer. Regardless, she had always kept a special place in her heart for her high school sweetheart.
It was not until after graduating from college that she met the man that she would later marry. They dated for less than a year when Martin proposed. They were married six months later. He was a wonderful man and she loved him dearly. Carmen thought of the many changes that had occurred in her life over the past few years, starting with the untimely death of her husband. Martin Tomas Sanchez was an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, who had been killed in the line of duty when their son was only 1-1/2 years old. Up until that time her life had been a fairy tale. She had a loving husband and a son who was his father’s pride and joy. Carmen knew that each day that her husband walked out the door to do his job that he was putting his life at risk. It was oft times difficult, but she knew that he loved the job and was the best at it that he could be. It made her love and appreciate him even more.
The last time that she saw him off to work, she kissed him and told him that she loved him. He smiled and told her how happy she made him. Less than four hours later, she answered the door to find his captain and the department chaplain standing there. They did not have to say anything; she knew what had happened. Martin and his partner were in pursuit of a suspect who had just robbed a liquor store. Backup was on the way as they pursued him. Having turned into a dead end street, the man could go no further. He got out of the car and ran toward a fence and prepared to scale it. Martin and his partner arrived and ordered him to freeze. With his hands raised above his head, he was approached by the two police officers. Just as Martin was about to cuff him, the suspect suddenly lunged at Martin’s partner and grabbed the officer’s gun away. He fired a single round into Carmen’s husband before Martin or his partner could do anything. The single gunshot wound to the chest killed him instantly.
Martin had been awarded the Medal of Valor posthumously, and Carmen put it away for safe keeping until her children were old enough to understand what it was about. Cristian was still just a baby himself when his father was killed, so he was too young to remember much about him. Ana Alicia did not even have that privilege. Less than a month after Martin’s death, Carmen discovered that she was pregnant. During the months that followed her loss, she had to focus on raising her son and preparing to give birth to another child that would never know his or her father at all. Without the support of her family and friends, Carmen knew that she would have never made it through that emotional time. Now at ages 5 and 3 respectively, Cristian and Ana were her whole world and nothing else mattered. Her family and even her in-laws had encouraged her to move on with her life after Martin had been gone for over a year. They told her that the children needed a father, but she was not interested. She had only ever loved two men in her life, and she had lost both of them, one to distance and one to a gunman’s bullet.
Carmen slowly moved her fingertips over the dried flower and wondered what had ever become of her first love. After all these years just thinking of him brought a smile to her face. He was one of the most kind and loving men she had ever known. In many ways he was like Martin, both strong men yet blessed with a gentle soul. She sighed and closed the scrapbook before placing it back in the box.
Looking around the bedroom, she decided that the things in the two remaining boxes could be put aside and unpacked at a later date. It had been a long day and she wanted nothing more than to enjoy a quiet evening in her new home. Carmen got up from the bed and started to walk to the bathroom having decided that a nice hot bubble bath and some delivery pizza for dinner would be just what the doctor ordered.
As Carmen started for the door, she noticed the papers lying on her dresser. “Oh, I’d forgotten about these,” she said to herself. She picked up the forms and looked them over. She would be starting a new job in a couple of weeks and had some paperwork that needed to be turned in. Having graduated after further training, Carmen had landed her first job as a nurse practitioner. She had gotten her bachelor’s degree in nursing in college, but decided a couple of years earlier to continue her education. Not feeling up to what it would take for medical school, nor wanting to spend that much time away from her children, she had decided that a nurse practitioner was the next best thing. Everything had seemed to fall into place. She heard about an opening at a family practice group in Carson and delved further into it. She submitted her resume and hoped to hear something soon. Just a little over a month earlier she had received a long-distance phone call from Denver, Colorado. She had a telephone interview with the new doctor that would be joining the practice who would be in need of Carmen’s abilities. Everything went well and Carmen was hired sight unseen! It surprised her that this physician would be so trusting, but she was thankful that she was.
Carmen would be starting her new job the first week of June. Her new employer had told her that although she would not be joining the practice herself until after the 4th of July, she still wanted Carmen to start sooner. There was already one doctor in the practice, so Carmen would be working with him for the time being. There would be a period of orientation and becoming acquainted with the office setting. She had met both doctors in the practice and immediately liked them, especially the one she would be working directly with. Carmen was certain that they would get along famously. Like Carmen, the new doctor was a widow as well, but she had no children. She made arrangements with Carmen and the other physician in the practice for her new nurse practitioner to go ahead and start the job, so that once she was ready to begin everything would be in place.
Considering that the paperwork needed to be turned in as soon as possible, Carmen considered whether she should wait until Monday and try to meet up with her new employer or just go ahead and take the papers to her house now. “I guess I’ll go ahead now before I forget it again,” Carmen said out loud to herself as she reached for her keys and her purse.
Just as she was about to exit the bedroom, Carmen caught a glimpse of herself in the dresser mirror. “Hmmm… I don’t really expect to run into anyone on such a short errand, but you never know. Besides, Mama always said to make sure I was wearing clean underwear in case of an accident.” Carmen grinned as she could clearly hear her mother’s voice saying those famous words.
She placed the keys and purse back on the dresser and then pulled out clean under clothes and laid them on the bed and then retrieved a pair of jeans and a blouse from her closet. “I might as well take a quick shower just in case.”
Carmen Sanchez headed for the bathroom not having any idea whatsoever that her life was about to change forever, but in a very pleasant way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gracie, Mike, and Marco enjoyed a lively chat out on the patio as they waited for the coals to be just right for grilling the steaks. It was shaping up to be a very pleasant evening weather wise as well. The sunset was beautiful and the company was exceptional.
“When are you going to start work at your new practice, Gracie?” Marco asked of his friend.
“Well, when I decided to move back to Carson, I knew that I’d have to wait and make sure that the Medical Board of California had approved my licensure to practice in California again. Except for the occasional trip back home to visit, I hadn’t really had any real vacation time for a while. I knew I’d have a lot to do once I got moved, so I decided to just go ahead and take a sabbatical for a few months. I just got my letter from the Medical Board a few days ago and am now officially licensed to practice medicine in California, but I’m going to wait a little while longer. I’m not going to start until after the 4th of July. I’ve still got lots to do before I settle into the practice. There’ll only be two doctors, myself and my old med school pal, but we’ll each have a nurse practitioner working with us as well as our own office staff, which is a good thing because we both do things a little differently.” She laughed.
“That’s great. Now you still have about six weeks before you have to start working,” commented Marco.
“Yeah, it’ll be nice. My nurse practitioner and office manager will be starting in a couple of weeks. I know they’re both anxious to get started. They’ll use the time before I join them getting oriented to the office and stuff. They’re both great girls. My nurse practitioner just recently graduated and this will be her first NP position. She’s a lovely person, a widow with two small children. Her husband was an LAPD officer and was killed in the line of duty a few years ago.”
Marco’s heart went out to the woman. He had known more than his share of firefighter widows during his career and could imagine what the poor woman had gone through. “She must be a strong woman to be raising two children alone as well as go to school.”
“Yeah, but that’s just how she is, tough. Now, the other girl is one more strong lady, too. She’s a California girl by way of Mississippi,” Gracie said with a smile.
Mike raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got a Southern girl working for you? How does she sound?” he said with a grin and a wink.
Gracie rolled her eyes. “She sounds like a normal person. Actually, I love her accent. It’s charming and she’s a really nice person.” At that moment, Gracie heard the timer on the stove go off. “Ah, it’s time to take the steaks out of the marinade and check on the potatoes. The coals are probably just about ready, too, don’t you think?” she asked looking at Mike and Marco.
Mike slowly arose from his seat and walked over to the grill. He checked out the charcoal and gave a thumbs up. “We can go ahead and put your steak on since you like yours well done.”
She grinned. “Well, when I cut into my steak I don’t want it mooing at me.”
Mike and Marco laughed at her remark, Mike wishing he had not as the movement brought about a twinge of pain. Fortunately he managed to hide it from the others. “I’ll put it on as soon as you bring it to me.”
“And that’ll be in just a couple of minutes,” Gracie said as she was turning back toward the kitchen door.
When Gracie was out of hearing range, Marco turned to Mike. “You okay?” he asked.
Mike took a deep breath and exhaled. “Yeah, I just have to remember to be careful when I laugh.” He gave his friend a reassuring smile. Mike looked around and realized that he would need the long pair of tongs. “Marco, could you go and tell Gracie to remember to bring out the tongs with her when she brings the steaks?”
“Sure, glad to.” With that ever present smile on his face, Marco walked toward the house and entered the kitchen. “Gracie, Mike said to remind you about the tongs when you bring the steaks.”
“Thanks, Marco. I hadn’t even thought about that.” Gracie took the first steak from the marinade and placed it on a plate.
“Can I do anything to help?” he asked his hostess.
Before Gracie could thank Marco for the offer, the doorbell rang. She grinned widely. “You can get the door for me.”
“Sure thing,” Marco responded as he turned to exit the kitchen and make his way to the front door. Seconds later his hand was on the door knob and he was pulling the door open. When he did, a sudden feeling of déjà vu hit him like a ton of bricks. It couldn’t be, or could it? How could this be possible?
On the other side of the doorway, the woman standing there could not believe her eyes either. It had been so long since she had seen him, but she would never forget that face, that positively warm and kind face. After a moment of complete silence, she managed to make her mouth move. “Marco… Marco Lopez? Is it really you?”
Marco stood there dumbfounded. Someone needed to pinch him because he knew this had to be a dream. Standing before him was his high school sweetheart, the one who had lingered in his heart for all these years. Finding his voice, Marco answered. “I don’t believe it.” He slowly reached out a hand and touched her face. “You’re real, aren’t you?”
Carmen gave him a warm smile as her eyes became moist with tears. “I’m very real, Marco. This is unbelievable. I came here looking for Dr. O’Donnell and I find you.”
Marco put two and two together. “You’re the nurse practitioner that’s going to work for Gracie.”
“Yeah, that’d be me.” She still could not believe her eyes. “I had some insurance forms to bring her and thought I’d do it while it was still fresh on my mind. I had no idea that there would be anyone else here.”
Suddenly Marco realized they were still standing in the door. “Oh, where are my manners. Come in. Gracie’s out in the kitchen and Mike’s out back. Mike’s my friend and we work together. I became a fireman. Mike and Gracie have known each other since they were born. Gracie was in the middle of something and asked if I’d get the door. Come on,” he said as he took Carmen by the hand and started to lead her to the back of the house.
Carmen could not help but smile at Marco’s sudden stream of information. He was like a school boy again. “A fireman, that’s wonderful, Marco.”
Gracie had joined Mike on the patio and saw the couple approaching. As they drew closer, she was surprised to see them hand in hand. “Carmen, hi. This is a nice surprise.”
Carmen looked at Marco and then turned back to Gracie. “You’re telling me. I came to bring you some insurance forms and I find Marco Lopez here.”
As Gracie took note of Marco’s expression, it became quite obvious that these two went back a long way. “You and Marco know each other?” she asked.
Marco’s face wore a huge smile. “Yeah, Carmen and I have known each other for a while.”
“What a small world,” Gracie said in response. “Oh, Carmen, I’d like you to meet Mike Stoker.” She watched as Mike slowly moved toward Carmen. He was still having some pain.
“It’s nice to meet you, Carmen,” Mike offered in greeting.
“It’s nice to meet you, too, Mike,” the woman replied. She saw the glasses on the table and the smoke coming from the grill. “Oh, I’ve interrupted your evening. I’m sorry. I should’ve called first.”
“Nonsense. Marco came over to help with a couple of things this afternoon and we decided to just have an impromptu cookout. Where are the kids?” Gracie asked.
“They’re with their grandparents. I got moved into the new apartment today, and I’ve been unpacking. Their grandmother offered to keep them for the day and overnight so I could get things done. That’s when I found the papers and decided to bring them while they were still on my mind.”
“Great. You can stay and have dinner with us then,” Gracie said as she thought of how nice it would be for Marco and Carmen to be able to do some catching up.
“Thank you, Dr. O’Donnell, but I couldn’t intrude.”
“First of all, I told you to call me Gracie. Secondly, what do you mean intrude? Mike was just getting the steaks on and we have plenty. I can never eat a whole steak by myself. You and I can split one. I’ve already got enough potatoes in the oven, and all I have to do is toss the salad. We’d love to have you join us.” Gracie could tell that Marco was anxious for Carmen to stay.
“Yeah, Carmen, it’s no trouble at all. I just hope you like your steak well done like Gracie,” Mike said with a grin.
Carmen glanced at Marco and could see the joy in his eyes. She smiled at Gracie and Mike. “Thank you. I’d love to join you.”
Marco let out a sigh of relief. It had been almost 16 years since they had seen each other, and now it suddenly felt like it was just yesterday. He remembered what Gracie had said about her being a widow with two small children. Perhaps later he would express his sorrow for all that she had endured during that time. He remembered Carmen Maria Rodriguez as a strong-minded individual, always with a positive outlook on life. Hopefully she had maintained that outlook over all these years.
“Mike, how long do you think it’ll be on those steaks?” Gracie asked the cook.
“Well, mine and Marco’s are on the outer edge of the grill just heating up. Yours is directly in the middle cooking the flavor out of it. I’d say about 20 minutes tops.” Mike was careful as he reached out with the tongs to rotate the steak in the center of the rack. As time wore on he had become a bit more sore and was not about to let Gracie know.
“Okay. I’ll go and get a glass for you, Carmen. We’re having ice tea, but I have soda, juice, wine, coffee.”
Carmen smiled appreciatively. “Ice tea is just fine, thank you.”
As Gracie headed for the kitchen, Marco guided Carmen to a chair next to where he had been seated. He could not have wiped that smile off of his face if he had wanted to. He felt like a teenager again being next to Carmen. He thought of all that Gracie had told them about the tragic loss of Carmen’s husband and his heart broke for her. Just as Gracie returned with Carmen’s glass, Marco chose that moment to ask about her children.
“Gracie told us you had two children,” he said with a smile. “Boys, girls, or one of each?”
Carmen beamed with pride. “I have a son, Cristian Alejandro, who was 5 in February, and I have a daughter, Ana Alicia, who was 3 in March. They are my whole world.”
Marco suddenly felt horrible for even bringing up the subject. “I’m so sorry, Carmen.”
She reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, a warm smile on her lovely face. “It’s okay, Marco. Cris was so small when his father died that he can barely remember him, and Ana never knew him at all. When both are old enough I’ll tell them about him and make sure they know how much he loved him and what a wonderful man he was.” Sensing Marco’s sudden change, she smiled and continued. “My family, Martin’s family, and our friends have always been supportive and such a big help with the kids. So we were never really alone.” After a pause, she continued. “Time begins to heal all wounds, and while you will never forget that loved one, there does come a time when you must move on and hope to some day know that kind of love again. You never know from where it might come.”
Gracie suddenly felt like she had been punched in the gut at Carmen’s statement. Trying not to be obvious, she did a sideways glance at Mike who also seemed to be in deep thought. She was beginning to feel very jittery.
“Mike, how are the steaks coming along?” she asked trying to sound as casual as she could.
Mike, too, had been pondering Carmen’s profound words. He had not fully heard Gracie’s question. “What did you say?” he asked.
“How much longer on the steaks?”
He got up and walked over to the grill. “Give it about another 10 minutes and I think we’ll be good to go.”
Carmen quickly said, “I’ll help you. It’s the least I can do since I intruded on your evening.”
“Yes, we certainly do,” she replied to Marco and then followed Gracie to the kitchen.
Marco took his seat and sighed with contentment as he watched the two women enter the house. He was lost in thought when he heard his name called. “What?” he asked as he looked around and saw Mike grinning.
“I think you’re in another world, buddy,” Mike said with a slight chuckle. “I asked how long you and Carmen have known each other.”
With another sigh of contentment and a smile the size of Texas, Marco replied to his friend’s question. “We’ve known each other since grammar school. We started dating freshman year of high school.” He thought of those days so long ago. “The entire time we were in high school together neither of us dated anyone else. If Carmen’s family hadn't moved away the summer before our senior year, there's no doubt in my mind that we would've gotten married.”
Mike was impressed with Marco’s certainty. “How can you be so sure that’s what would’ve happened?”
Marco continued to smile and simply replied, “A guy knows when the perfect girl is right there in front of him.”
Mike nodded at Marco’s profound statement and looked toward the house. “I guess you’re right; although sometimes the guy’s a little slow in realizing that.”
Marco followed his friend’s gaze in the direction of the house. “He might be slow, but what matters is that he does realize it.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few hours later the two couples were sitting on the patio enjoying the pleasant evening and sipping on ice tea. They had enjoyed a delicious meal together, and once Gracie and Carmen had done the dishes, all four retired again to the patio to visit more. Gracie could not help but smile as she watched Marco and Carmen together. They were like a couple of teenagers as they reminisced about days gone by. Every now and then Carmen had turned to face Marco with a big smile and said, "I still can't believe it's you."
Although Mike had been feeling noticeably more discomfort as the evening wore on, he still felt the good vibes that were emanating from his friend and his long lost love. A part of him felt envious that these two were able to connect again after so many years and still be so comfortable with one other. As he watched Marco and Carmen, he thought more and more about Gracie and the feelings that he had experienced off and on throughout the day. He prayed for the right opportunity to show Gracie that he wanted so much for them to be able to move on to the next level with their relationship. That realization had come to him that afternoon when he awoke from his nap to find Gracie snuggled up beside him. So much time had already been wasted, yet he wanted everything to be perfect. Beginning a new stage in the relationship with the woman who had owned his heart for a lifetime had to be done with great care and thought. In his heart Mike knew that what he wanted more than anything in the world was to hear Gracie say those three little words to him that would forever change their lives. He was only half paying attention when he saw Marco and Carmen rise from their seats.
Carmen’s thoughts briefly went back to that time when she and this man standing before her were two young people madly in love with each other. Marco always kissed her hand at the end of a date. As she looked into his eyes that gleamed with such pure and genuine love, Carmen tenderly stroked his cheek. She placed her hands behind his head and slowly brought him closer before placing her soft lips to his for a tender kiss.
Not expecting the gesture, Marco was slightly taken aback at first. When their lips parted, he found it hard to breathe and even felt lightheaded. He had not been kissed like that since the day they said goodbye that summer so long ago. Stuttering and trying to find his voice, Marco asked, “D-do… do you… you have plans for t-t-tomorrow?”
His voice almost in a whisper, Marco asked, “Could I see you later? I would love to meet your children. Maybe I could take you all out for dinner.”
It made her heart flutter to once again hear him call her by the pet name he had given her shortly after they started dating in high school. “Tomorrow cannot come soon enough, mi bonda Marco.”
Her voice was like that of an angel from Heaven. “Until tomorrow.” He held the car door open for her and watched as she got in. After the door closed behind her, Marco stepped back and watched as she started the car and backed out of the driveway and onto the street as the tail lights of the car became a blur in the distance.
Marco turned to his own vehicle and got in. A moment later he, too, was on his way home having experienced an evening that he never imagined would be possible. His only true love had been returned to him, and she seemed amenable to continuing a relationship with him once again after so many years had come between them. He smiled as he drove and sent up a prayer of thanks to the man upstairs for giving them another chance for happiness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
During a commercial, Mike turned to Gracie. “I’ve got a great idea.”
“You do,” she responded. “And just what might that be?”
“Well, I was thinking,” he continued.
“Uh oh, that could be dangerous,” she replied with a giggle.
He loved her laughter and that smile of hers. “Save the comedy for bantering with Chet.” He saw the sparkle in her eyes and it brightened his mood even more in spite of the growing aches that his body was feeling. “We could spend the day at the beach tomorrow. You can surf and I can watch and critique your technique. After all, it’s been a while since you’ve surfed, and I’m sure you’re a bit on the rusty side and could use all the practice you can get before you go hitting the waves with me this summer.”
“Hey!” she said as she pretended to hit his arm. “It’s been a while, but I’m not that bad. Okay, you’ve got a date.”
He stared into those ocean-blue eyes and found it so easy to lose himself in them. God how he loved her, but he just could not bring himself to tell her so. Besides the fact that he did not know whether or not she returned the sentiment, he still struggled with the fact that she had once been the wife of his best friend, a man who had given his own life to save that of his friend and fellow firefighter. Not knowing just what the road ahead might be paved with, he knew that he would have to take it one day at a time.
“I was thinking that maybe we could have an early dinner, too. I’m back on duty Monday, but that’s no reason we can’t enjoy another evening together. We’ll just have to make an early night of it.”
Gracie found herself longing to touch his cheek, to reach up and brush the stray strands of soft brown hair away from his forehead, to just run her fingers through his hair. She had loved this man her whole life and wanted nothing more than to love him and be loved by him for the rest of her life. Why did life have to be so complicated? Why could she just not tell him that she loved him and hope that he returned that love?
“I think that’s a great idea. Maybe we could drive up the PCH to that little seafood shack we used to go to in college. It’s not that far away and the food was always good.” She was afraid that he could hear the loud beating of her heart as she continued to focus on his handsome face.
“I like the sound of that,” Mike replied softly. His pulse rate quickened and his chest felt tight as he continued to gaze into her eyes. Afraid that his body might betray him, he thought now might be the time to leave. “It’s getting late. I guess I should go if we’re going to get an early start on our day.” He reluctantly started to force himself up and off of the couch.
Gracie followed suit and watched as he carefully pulled his lean and lanky body up and to his feet. She knew he was in pain and would not let him get away without a reminder to take the muscle relaxant as soon as he got home. “Remember, you promised to take something for that pain of yours before you hit the sack. We can’t have you feeling like a brick wall fell on top of you in the morning.”
He gave her a small smile. “I give you my word. I look forward to our day at the beach. While I won’t be surfing, I still want to be able to enjoy watching you,” he responded, his voice a bit softer. He reached for her hand as they walked toward the front door.
After only a few short steps, they had arrived at the front door, still hand in hand. Mike looked down into her eyes and felt the warmth that emanated from them. The longer he stood there, the longer he wanted to stay. Leaving her was going to be more difficult than he thought. His heart was telling him to take her in his arms and show her how he felt; however, his head was telling him to take it slow and easy.
Mike continued to hold her hand as he looked down on her beautiful face. He could feel the soft skin of her smaller hand in his. “I guess I should be going then.”
Gracie’s heart was filled with desire, the desire to hold him and be held by him, to kiss him and to be kissed by him. “I guess so,” was her simple reply.
Mike let go of her hand and reached for the door knob and opened the door. “I’ll call you first thing in the morning and we can decide when we’ll leave and all that.”
“That works,” she replied with a smile. “I look forward to our day and evening. I know it’ll be fun.” Her throat was dry and her voice cracked just a little. This was it, the end of their day together and once again they would part as friends. This time there was not even so much as a kiss on the cheek. Her heart fell.
Mike turned to face the doorway when that same urge from earlier in the day struck him yet again. He turned around to face her, gazing into her eyes like he was seeing her for the first time. Without hesitation and forgetting about his pain, he reached out to her and pulled her close, holding her tightly against his body as his breathing became more rapid. He brought one hand up to her face, gently caressing her cheek and then placing his hand on her soft brown hair as he stroked the silken strands. This moment had been a long time coming and he could wait no longer. His body was screaming with desire as he leaned over and pressed his lips to hers for a long awaited kiss, a kiss that had been 17 years in the making for him.
Gracie basked in the warmth of his embrace, happy to have this closeness to him, to be able to feel his body pressing against hers. Throwing caution to the wind, she slowly moved her hands down his back and rested them on his hips, gently kneading the firm flesh beneath the denim jeans. If he was to take her right now and make love to her on this very spot, she could die a happy woman. Then she saw his face coming closer to hers and felt his soft lips pressed against hers for a kiss that she had only dreamed of for so long. She felt his lips parting and his tongue slowly gliding over her lower lip.
Mike felt her mouth open ever so slightly as she responded in kind to his kiss. He felt like he was in the most wonderful dream ever and never wanted to awaken. The feel of her small hands on his backside only stirred his passion more. Finally their lips parted and he looked longingly into her eyes and could see the love that filled them.
“I’ve wanted to do that since I was 15,” he softly whispered. “I’ve thought so many times of how wonderful it would be.”
Gracie could find no words to express her feelings at that moment. Her entire body tingled as she convinced herself that this was no dream. She felt his hands slowly rubbing her back as he looked into her eyes. Was this really happening? Was she going to wake up and find that it was all a dream?
He brought one hand away from her back and tenderly stroked her cheek, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I’ve waited so long for this,” he again spoke in a whisper. Unable to resist, he moved in closer and again pressed his lips against hers, this time feeling her respond immediately to his kiss. As their lips lingered, he felt her pressing her body closer to his and could not stop his body from responding. This was not the time to take things to that level, but he knew that when the time was right that he would be more than pleased to hold her in his arms and make sweet love to her.
Knowing that his body was right on the cusp of the point of no return, he slowly pulled away and smiled sweetly. “I guess I’d better go or I might not be able to leave,” he said, his voice now husky with desire. “I’ll call you first thing in the morning.”
As he turned to go out the door, Gracie touched her fingers to her lips and watched as he walked to his truck and climbed inside. She stood there watching as he backed out of the driveway and headed down the street. She closed the door and locked it behind her and leaned against it for a moment, taking this all in and giving her legs a moment to return to normal after feeling like jelly.
She closed her eyes and smiled with contentment as she cherished the kiss she had waited for since she was a young teenager. Again touching her fingers to her lips, she finally found her voice. “It was worth the wait,” she said to herself in a whisper, her eyes moist with tears of joy. “It was worth the wait.”
She turned out the downstairs light and headed upstairs to bed, knowing for the first time in a very long time that she would truly have sweet dreams as she anticipated the next day and where their journey through life was about to take them.
To be continued…
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