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“Ask for a leave of absence from our clinic in Cincinnati. A month or two. That should be enough for you to decide.”
A month or two wouldn’t allow her to make a permanent decision, unless…
Regardless, she wouldn’t spoil their last evening with undue anxiety. Plastering a nervous but grateful smile on her face, she nodded and suggested another lap.
“No competition this time,” he warned.
She chuckled. “No, just swimming side by side, one last time.” The way she wished she could swim or walk in life. Side by side with Steve.
When they finished their laps, he climbed out of the pool and reached out for the towels.
“Wait a minute. It’s getting dark and cold.” He dried himself and held out a towel for her.
She ran out of the pool, and he wrapped her in the towel, pressing her against him, and rubbing her dry. He felt her shivering. “Here, put the bathrobe on.”
“Much better.” She tied the belt of the comfy robe and pulled the collar up high on her neck to shield her from the sudden chill of the night air.
“Can we go in? It’s already nine.”
“Sure.” He collected the towels and led her to the solarium.
As she walked through the glass-walled room, she admired the white wicker furniture and the mini-palm and lemon trees in opposite corners. She continued through another glass door into the family room.
“What a beautiful house you have. Your kids will be deeply hurt to see you sell it.”
“It may be beautiful, but it’s of no use to any of us now.”
“You never know. They could decide to come back to Cincinnati.”
She sneezed a few times and sniffled.
“I can’t spend the rest of my life waiting on their whims. Forget the house. It’s served its purpose. You’d better change into something comfy. I’ll join you upstairs in the pub room and get you a drink to warm you up.”
Lillian climbed the stairs and trotted to her room at the end of the corridor. Shedding the heavy bathrobe and wet bathing suit, she stood under the hot shower. After drying herself, she slipped on the maroon velvet set—pants and spaghetti strap top bought some twenty years ago to welcome Joe home from Baghdad. He’d never returned, and she’d never gotten the chance to wear the fancy loungewear. The memory knifed her, but she buried it for the thousandth time.
“It’s time to start living, and what better way than to inaugurate this outfit?”
She combed and brushed her hair down her shoulders, let it curl naturally, and tied the belt of the long sleeved robe at her waist. Warm and comfortable, she walked along the hallway toward the pub room she’d explored on her first visit years ago when she’d babysat a sick child.
Entering the room, her gaze scanned the huge TV screen affixed to the red brick wall and the comfortable, L-shaped, leather sofa in front of it. In the far corner, a treadmill and stationary bicycle served as an in-home exercise center. On the opposite wall, floor-to-ceiling book cases offered a reading corner. This dream-come-true area doubled as a bar and entertainment room.
Standing with his back to the mirrored wall boasting innumerable shelves of fancy bottles, glasses, and knick-knacks collected from all over the world, Steve busied himself pouring drinks and adding ice to them.
“I have Grand Marnier for you and… Wow!” He stared at her, his eyes rounding in admiration. “I don’t know how you stay so fit and slim with all the desserts you make.”
She chuckled. “I make them for you and my son. I rarely eat them.”
“You’re amazing.” He handed her a round-bottom long-stem glass, filled with golden liqueur, and came out from behind the bar, in lounge shorts and a T-shirt molding his powerful chest, and then clicked his glass against hers. “To us.”
“Us?” Her voice cracked with emotion, and she smiled.
His eyes roving over her, he sipped his drink. “How do you like your Grand Marnier?”
“Amazing, different,” she croaked and swallowed a few more sips to clear her throat. “Tasty and delicious. Strong. It can make you lose your head and forget the world.”
“Just like you.” He took a lock of her hair between his fingers and toyed with it. “Just like you, sweetheart.” He dropped the strand of hair and picked up another, inching closer to her, warm and radiating energy.
She held her breath, waiting for the incredible pleasure his lips promised and never failed to deliver. He placed his glass and hers on the bar and pulled her against him.
