Chapter 24

Early the next morning, I woke up feeling secure with Perry’s arms around me. We had spent the night talking and giggling like teenagers left unsupervised for the first time. When we weren’t talking, we spoke the language of a kiss. I thought the intensity of it would make the paint peel off the walls. I kept waiting for him to make love to me, but he didn’t. I was disappointed but relieved. It would be hard to explain why I couldn’t.

At around 3 am he said regretfully, “I should go. You need to sleep.”

“No, don’t leave. I have nightmares sometimes. I don’t want one to ruin tonight.”

“Kerrie…it’s too soon…”

I interrupted, “Perry, I want to fall asleep in your arms tonight. Nothing more or nothing less.”

I remember listening to Perry as he fell into a contented sleep with arms around me and his face nestled against the hollow of my neck. Through the creaks of the Venetian blinds, I could see a crescent moon. No noose made of moonbeams hung from its point. As I stared, I thought the moon gave me a knowing wink.

I woke up first, smiling as Perry slept soundly. I examined his face in the early morning light. He had the same fine lines that I did around his eyes. His light hair was ruffled, giving him a boyish look. I was in envy of his long eyelashes. It was no wonder that he gave such smoky looks with those lush eyelashes that God gifted him with. There was a fine dusting of freckles across the bridge of his nose, which had a slight crook to it, probably from fighting. My heart fluttered when he smiled in his sleep, whispering my name. I knew that he was in love with me, like he said “the body doesn’t lie.” Neither do two heartbeats joined as one.

I quietly slipped from under his embrace. When he stirred, murmuring something incoherent, I was still until he settled into an easy sleep. In the bathroom, I ran the shower and once it was hot, stepped into it. With regret, I washed away all traces of his touch but it didn’t matter, because I could still feel him. Humming for the first time in months, I happily applied the lathered soap bar to my body and scrubbed away. As I shampooed my hair, I thought I heard the phone ring once. I paused for a moment and when it didn’t ring again, I continued shampooing and conditioning my hair.

Toweling off before I pulled the curtain back, I formed a mental breakfast menu. Maybe if I hurried I could surprise Perry with breakfast in bed. From the other side of the shower curtain, Perry’s voice startled me.

“Kerrie, a David is on the phone insisting that he speak with you.”

For a moment, the world faded gray. I gripped the sides of the shower, trying to stop the hyperventilation I felt coming on. “David?” I asked in a fearful voice.

“Yes Kerrie, David. He claims to be your fiancé. Why didn’t you tell me you were engaged?” Perry’s tone was very dry and formal.

I wrapped my towel around me before opening the shower curtain. Perry stood before me. His expression was hard and his eyes had accusations in them. I felt every happy moment from last night’s vacation in heaven evaporate in the morning heat.

“We were engaged. I stress the past tense. I’ve been hiding from him and can’t imagine how he got this number.” I tried to explain. But I couldn’t meet his eyes. Their disappointment was more than my heart could take.

“I’ll leave you to your call. Good day.” Perry strode out of the bath, as I stood there frozen and unbeknownst to him, petrified of speaking to David. When the sliding glass door slammed shut, I felt the ice melt and I was free to run to the phone.

“How in the hell did you get this number, David?” I screeched hysterically into the phone.

“Kerrie, baby! Oh God, baby, I’ve been looking for you for weeks. Why did you leave Charlotte? You changed all your phone numbers, too. Why? You know we can work this out. You know I love you.” He was crying and babbling. We were a pair, he and I—Sad Sac and Hysterical Helen.

“I don’t want to hear from you. It’s over David. I don’t love you anymore. You killed it two months ago. Leave me alone or I will press charges for stalking.” I made myself sound firm, even though I was screaming inside.

“Kerrie, listen. Calm down and listen to me. I’m in trouble and so are you.”

“David, why am I in trouble? I don’t believe a single word that slides across our tongue. You’ve lied to me from the very beginning of our relationship.” I doubted him.

“You’re in trouble by association!” He began to talk fast. “Kerrie, I don’t have much time. I need some cash fast or they’re going to hurt someone I love. Please, you’ve got to help me. I have no one else to turn to now.” He sounded desperate but then again, David always sounded desperate.

“No, I’m not helping you. Leave me alone. I don’t want to hear from you again. Nor do I want to ever see you. I’m going to ask Gene to go to your apartment and get my things. Please give him your key to my apartment and my car. If you call again, I’m calling the Charlotte police and giving them some information that you probably wouldn’t like. And if that doesn’t stop you, I’ll make a few calls that will destroy your career. You know I can do it, David. Don’t test me.” I hung up before he could speak.

I took the phone off the hook immediately. As I dressed I heard Perry’s truck leaving in a spin of tires. I put my face in my hands and cried until I lost my breath, sobbing for air. My brief haven of happiness had collapsed. Melinda was right my past had found me.

The image of my parents laughing over a private joke flashed in my head. Now I knew why they could padlock themselves outside the world, while lost in their own clandestine garden. My mother’s reassuring smile entered my mind and I remembered her words of wisdom, “Be yourself Kerrie and your true love will find you. Keep the faith, even during life’s storms. You’ll find your place in love’s sun.” She was right. I shouldn’t give up hope. I wiped my eyes and finished dressing.

I was on the deck an hour after Perry left, sipping orange juice and watching the ocean with my binoculars, trying to see if I could spot any whales or dolphins. I heard the slamming of an automobile’s door and braced myself for Perry’s return. I made a vow to be honest with him about everything, even if it killed me a little inside. But it wasn’t Perry. To my surprise it was his sister, Nova.


“Kerrie, I’m sorry to disturb you but has Perry left for Raleigh? I wanted to speak with him before he left.” Nova looked fresh as spring in a pale buttercup dress.

“I don’t know, Nova. He left an hour ago with no word on where he was headed.” My mind raced, trying to remember if he said anything about a trip to Raleigh last night. All I could remember were words of love and desire. Even if he had mentioned it, my fevered mind wouldn’t have heard him.

She sighed. “Do you mind if I stay awhile? My boys are with their Grammy for a few days. I don’t feel like driving back home now. The house is too quiet.” She smiled sadly. “I’m used to having them around all the time. It takes me a day to adjust to their absence.”

“I don’t mind. Would you like some orange juice or lemonade?”

“Lemonade would be heavenly. It’s already a warm day. Thank you, Kerrie.”

I excused myself and returned a few minutes later with a large glass of iced lemonade. Before I could stop myself, I asked, “Why did Perry go to Raleigh?”

Nova didn’t bat an eye when I asked, much to my relief. “He went to see his lawyer. Melinda is trying to get more money from him. She’s claiming mental abuse or some other fancy legal term. He didn’t mentally abuse her. That bitch is too cold to take any form of abuse. It would freeze before it penetrated her.” She took a long sip of lemonade before continuing, “When they divorced, Perry had to pay a huge settlement to her. She asked for an astronomical amount, and she especially wanted the Pirate. But Perry was smart long ago. He added my name on the deed, so no one could touch it not even my husband if we were to divorce. Perry didn’t once bicker over the amount. He sold some stock and his house in Raleigh and paid her the amount she asked for. I think he once said that the price of freedom was worth the cost.” She looked over at me, “Sorry Kerrie, I’m going on about her and Perry and you haven’t met her. She isn’t that bad of a person. I should be ashamed of myself for saying bad things about the poor woman. Perry did love her once. I should respect that.”

“Oh I’ve met her,” I replied dryly. “She came by after you left the other day, looking for Perry. In fact she came by yesterday and we got into a tiff. She works for my old publishing house and dislikes me for some reason. We exchanged insults. Mine were better, by far.”

“A tiff?” Nova gave an incredulous look. “I can’t imagine you in a quarrel. You’re so soft spoken.”

I laughed, “Actually it was a catfight. Wade broke it up.”

Nova started laughing, “Tell me all about it. Please! I think this is one story I’ll want to remember, so go slowly and don’t you dare leave out one single detail.”

I told my side of yesterday’s events. The storyteller in me exaggerated a little but I made sure the facts were basically true. When I demonstrated how we were fighting, Nova laughed so hard, she got strangled on the lemonade she was sipping. After my story, we sat quietly looking at the ocean.

“I love the coast. It is so peaceful here, Nova.” I sighed. Even with the turmoil inside, I couldn’t help but appreciated the beauty of the ocean.

“Yes, it is Kerrie. You know, I talked to Perry yesterday afternoon. He was hiding out at the gym most of the day. I think Melinda called the night before, but got his answering service. She told him that she was coming over after lunch to discuss terms of settlement. He didn’t want to deal with her until he had a face-to-face chat with his lawyer. So he hid his truck and told everyone at the gym that he wasn’t around if anyone came looking for him other than Wade. I suppose when she couldn’t find him, she came directly to you.”

I didn’t reply. I was happy to hear that he hadn’t spent the day hiding from our first kiss. Although I knew it already, getting the fact validated by someone else reassured me.

“Are you aware that Perry is in love with you, Kerrie?” Nova’s soft tones covered the directness of her question.

I wasn’t afraid to meet her eyes, “Yes, I know. And to be perfectly honest, I’m in love with him, too.” I let a soft sigh escape. “I don’t know if he still feels that way though. After this morning…”

Nova leaned forward, “What happened?”

“I got a call from my ex-fiancé. I don’t know how he got the number to the Pirate.
But when he called, Perry answered. I was in the shower.” I met her gaze. “Our break-up was troublesome and instead of facing the fallout, I ran away. There’s so much I haven’t sorted out. How could I begin to tell Perry about it? When he asked, I froze. It was as if someone had stolen my vocal cords.”

“So…that explains why he left an hour ahead of schedule. Perry never was one for pushing an issue. He’ll ask once and that’s it. If you don’t answer him, he doesn’t stick around to ask as second time.”

I felt tears streaming down my face. I wiped them quickly. Now wasn’t the time to show weakness. But Nova didn’t miss them. “Hey Kerrie, it will work out. I’ve never heard Perry talk about someone as much as he did about you that day the boys and I spent with him. Your name was in every other sentence.” She took my hand, comforting me. “Take a day or so to sort out your feelings and get your head together. Then go talk to Perry. He’ll be gruff at first because that’s his nature and his self-preservation instinct won’t let it be easy. But don’t let anything he’ll say phase you. Speak what’s on your mind and I know he’ll have open arms for you. Don’t let him go, Kerrie.”

Melinda appeared unbeknownst to us, during the last part of Nova’s pep talk. “Trouble in paradise so soon, Miss Rosewood? I find it ironic that a romance writer of your caliber should be getting advice from a country girl who married her one and only lover. What do you know of torrid love affairs, Nova?” Melinda’s bitter laugh was an ugly sound. It made me wish I were tone deaf.

Nova looked like a stricken child whose favorite toy was broken. I decided to fight Melinda’s ugliness with honey. “Why Miss Jones! What a pleasant surprise! I do declare, I am so tickled to have another delightful visit from you. Oh my, that makes three in as many days. Do tell, what’s the occasion? Would you like a mint julep or some freshly squeezed lemonade? Please make yourself comfortable. My, isn’t today going to be a scorcher?” I poured on the southern belle charm.

How Nova kept a straight face, I’ll never know. I was satisfied to see the effect my tirade had on Melinda. Her face struggled with her inner anger. She barely held it in check. “I’m looking for Perry. I need to see him immediately.”

Nova answered her, “He’s gone to the mainland to see his lawyer, Melinda. If you think you’re going to get another thin dime from him, you’ve got another thing coming. I suspect that if you want to talk to Perry about your legal problems that it will be through his lawyer.”

“What? Oh this ruins everything. Why does that man have to be so obstinate? This is a fine example of how he mentally beat me!”

I made a dry observation. “For one mentally abused, you sure do exude a strong outer fortress. I’ve witnessed mentally abused housewives. Their self-confidence is found on the bottom of their spouse’s shoes. You don’t appear to be broken and don’t sport the symptoms of the mentally abused.”

She reached over and tossed the remains of Nova’s lemonade into my face. “You are an insipid little bitch.” She turned and ran down the stairs before I could react. The last glimpse we had of her was the wind blowing up her lavender skirt and giving us a view of her white lace underwear. Sadly to no one, the view went unappreciated.

“What a coward!” I laughed, as I wiped the lemonade off my face and chest.
Luckily I was wearing a tank top and most of the liquid splattered my flesh.

“You should write these scenes into a novel, Kerrie.” Nova was laughing and shaking her head. “I don’t know which got the better of her—your southern belle hospitality act or how you bulldozed over her mental abuse claim.”

“I think the latter. Maybe you should tell Perry about how she reacted to what I had to say. His lawyer could use it against her, if this goes to court.”

“Good idea, Kerrie. I’ll go over to the boathouse and call him, before heading back home. He hasn’t had time to reach Raleigh yet. I just hope he has his cell phone handy.” She stood up and hugged me. “I enjoy spending time with you. I’ve wanted to ask about your novels. Perry told me you were a writer. Would I find them under Kerrie Rosewood?”

“No, I write under a nom de plume, Rose Kerrigan.”

Her eyes grew wide. “Oh Kerrie, Rose Kerrigan is my favorite author. No wonder I thought you were familiar. Oh I can’t wait to tell my mother-in-law. We both love your books.” Her beaming face pleased me and I impulsively hugged her.

“Thank you, Nova. Please come again soon. I’ll be here until August.”

“I will.” She hesitated, “If I brought your novels on my next visit, would you autograph them? Oh I sound like an obsessed fan.” She lamented.

I laughed, reassuring her with a hug, “Yes, it would be my pleasure.”

She waved goodbye before running down the stairs to the boathouse.