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“Okay.”
“So, Bombshell, why don’t you and Joann check out the kitchen? I need to talk guy stuff with Charlie.”
“Yes, Bombshell, help me put away these groceries, or you two will have nothing to eat.”
As soon as they were inside, chatting happily, Merrick took Charlie to the car.
“Here are the keys. Drive it to Litton to the body shop and get my replacement car. It’ll be at the Hertz offices on Production Avenue. Everything is paid for, under my name. I told them you’d be coming for it.”
Charlie nodded.
“Go with Joann to the department store and help her shop. In fact – help her get it all done fast. She’s got a big list from me of things to buy and you’ll need to keep her on track.”
“Anything else?”
“Yeah, Tony’s flying in this afternoon – I assume the helipad is clear of debris?”
“I’ll double check before I head out,” Charlie said.
“Good man – please keep tabs on Joann – I know how women get when they shop.”
Charlie smiled. “Don’t worry, boss,” then he headed off to the back of the house to climb the hill towards the rise where they’d bulldozed out a makeshift landing pad.
When Merrick went
back inside, he found Bombshell and Joann in the kitchen. She laughed happily as she arranged apples and oranges into bowls and set them up on the large wooden table in the kitchen.
Joann looked at Merrick and said, “We’re all set in here. You going to give her the tour or what?”
Bombshell smiled from ear to ear and ran over to Merrick. “Yes, honey, give me the tour, I can’t wait to see it.”
Joann laughed and said. “You too, be good,” She headed out of the house, and got in her car. Merrick saw Charlie get into the Land Rover and he moved to block Bombshell’s view. He didn’t want her to see the shot out window and have some kind of recollection – that might make her want to stay in Misty Falls.
“Follow me,” he said and led her out of the kitchen and into the great room.
“Aww,” she said in total wonder as she walked into the room. “It’s beautiful.” He felt proud, as if he’d designed the place himself and laid every log and fireplace brick with his own hands. And then she was off, running like a small child, moving from corner to corner, bookcase to bookcase, rustic piece of furniture to rustic piece of furniture. When she collapsed in a happy heap on the sheepskin rug at the foot of the massive fireplace, he wanted to join her, to roll with her on the floor. Instead, he just smiled and walked closer to her, unable to stop himself from feeling mesmerized by her pure joy.
She was like an innocent child seeing Disneyland for the first time. She turned her happy face at him, and his heart exploded. God, he didn’t want her to remember and have to experience any of that old pain. Maybe she could stay like this forever. He wondered if the doctor might be able to ensure it. Then his face fell. No doctor would agree to do that. Hippocratic Oath and all that. But, then again, what right did he have to play God? Maybe things would work out.
She got up and tugged on his arm, like a small child.
Joann called from the kitchen, “We’re leaving now. We’ll be back around three or four, I hope.”
Merrick’s first thought was, Great. Now I can wait for the sound of two cars going down the hill, then give her a tour of the rest of the house. Then his second thought was, And it can end in the bedroom, and Bombshell and I can get reacquainted for real.
He kicked himself mentally for thinking like that. That wouldn’t be right. He couldn’t take advantage of her that way. He was maintaining this fake story for her benefit, allegedly, not so he could get her in bed.
She was dragging him towards the back of the house.
“Come on,” she said. “What are you waiting for? Give me the tour.”
Merrick sucked in his libido and proceeded to conduct the tour. When they made it to the master bedroom, he held his breath as she walked inside. He couldn’t stop thinking about how much he wanted that women. Despite his clear comprehension that he had zero business ever touching her.
She ran inside the room – moving from the bathroom to the walk in closet – then hurried out to the balcony.
“Oh, Merrick, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” she said as she checked out his property. “It’s like a fairy tale. Is it really ours?”
When she said the word ours, Merrick felt another pang of guilt. How could he tell her it wasn’t actually hers at all, because he had no intention of marrying her? How could he tell her, that they weren’t in love and that he’d never proposed to her?
