"Hey." Hector said to Andi with a smile as he slid the last deadbolt in place. "All locked up and secure." He said with a
nod. "So everything ended well with your parents then?" He liked them, they were good people, as his grandmother
would say.
She slipped her arms around his shoulders and smiled up at him.
"Yeah." She stated softly. Leaning up to gently kiss him. "Da's going to get Mum plotting evil for our arrival and then
he's probably going to go out and sit in the truck in preparedness for driving out to pick us up in a couple of days."
She chuckled and raised her face to gently rest her forehead against his. "They do so love you, you know."
"Yeah well, that's because they haven't had it straight in their faces on how I've utterly corrupted their innocent
daughter!" He joked with a laugh. Though it was a concern, one they would deal with when they got there, but he had
heard Sean quite clearly. Separate rooms, his foot!
She tipped her head back enough to laugh, eyes shining.
"Absolute corruption." She agreed. As if it were entirely his fault and she'd had no say in the matter or any hand in it
at all. "Because I very much insisted in sleeping in the guest room by myself the entire time, I never asked you to
spend an entire night simply touching me, and I never - never - wore an enticing little black dress who's entire point
was seduction. In fact, even now, I never lure you into showers, beds, beaches, deserted areas, against walls, or into
stairwells either." She nodded, face serious. Eyes far from it. "Of course, your sisters say the same thing about your
innocence and my evil plot to steal your soul as well. So - if we're both innocent - then neither of us is guilty of
instigating anything." She grinned. "See? We really do sleep in separate beds and do nothing more than wistful looks
across rooms. Everything else must just be in their imaginations."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about my vaulted innocence." He said with mischief. "So we'll assure everyone involved that we just
exchange letters across the house. That should satisfy them."
Of course, in Africa, they'd have that loophole of engaged-very-soon-to-be-married. Should help with Sean. He'd hate
to get on a wrong foot with his future father in law!
She nodded. Lips fighting curving at their edges.
"So if we're protecting my innocence," she brushed her lips against his, "and yours," another lingering kiss, "then
there's no reason we can't go to bed?" Her mouth against his. "Is there?"
"Remind me to tell your father that talking to him long long distance turns you on." He said with a chuckle. "I think he'll
get a kick out of that, right?" He took her hand, house locked up and secure for the night. "Absolutely. Protection of
innocence is what I'm all about after all. Have to make sure no one else takes advantage of you after all. Guess that
means I'm stuck to you like white on rice!"
She laughed.
"I don't know how Da would take that." She laughed. "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to take that." She happily let him
lead. "But yeah. I do need someone to protect me from all those oodles and oodles of men chasing after me." The
number of which she could count on one hand. Not using any fingers. Or thumb. "Though I feel I should warn you. I've
just recently been informed I have a 'thing' for 'good ol' American boys'."
"Well, don't worry. I know all about 'good ol' American boys.' I bet I can take them if I have to. Besides the fact, I've got
you all locked up anyway. No way no how can they get in." Hector said with a chuckle. "All part of my diabolical plan to
get you alone you see."
"Yeah?" She couldn't seem to put the shock and horror into her voice appropriately. She sounded more pleased by
the situation than alarmed. No matter how she tried to change her tone of voice to imply the opposite. "I mean - that's
rather conniving of you." Her eyes were laughing as they reached the bedroom. "Is getting me alone part of your plot
to keep anyone else from taking advantage of me as well?"
"Oh absolutely. See, I'm exceedingly resourceful and conniving, so it's the whole two birds with one stone thing." He
said as he shut the bedroom door behind them. "Then again, it's so much more fun to have a willing person to
connive than anything else."
Her smile bloomed completely then and she tipped her head to look up at him. For all the teasing - he'd never had
any competition. And he knew it. He never would either. He was the only man that had ever managed to be her friend
- and yet truly become her soul's friend as well. Her heart's companion. Her body wasn't the only previously
untouched part of her that he had. He had all of her. And he knew it. Which made it right.
"Well, since I'm up against such a clever and resourceful plot to protect me from ooglies, how can I help but go along
with it?" She asked. Long fingers spreading against his broad chest. One of them with a new glinting star against its
base. Face serious, she looked up at him. "After all, we've got to protect your innocence from evil, green card
hunting, money grubbing, country escaping tarts too, yeah? And since I'm only after you for your body - and a few
other intangibles like your mind and heart - you should be completely safe with me."
"Ah yes, have to protect my citizenship and all. Civic minded people we are." He said with a chuckle. "And the Mongol
hordes. very important there, to ensure my safety and all. And in return I will be on the look out for investment
bankers with ties to Switzerland. Yeah, i think we've got a workable partnership going." He stroked the top of her wrist,
he just loved the way his grandmother's engagement ring looked on her.
She laughed quietly, eyes shining. Skin alive and tingling under the slow brush of his fingertips.
"I like our partnership. But - you do know I have no idea why you're fixated on Swiss bankers, yeah?" She asked
softly, lips curved as she raised her face to brush the tip of her nose against his.
"Well, gotta keep one or two secrets, right? The whole keep the mystery alive thing?" He said with a grin. "Nothing
against Swiss bankers, I'm sure they're very nice people."
Her body swayed forward into his and she gently ran her fingers down his cheek. Left handed. She really was going to
become left handed now just for the sheer excuse of waving her ring about. Forehead against his as she laughed.
"I should blame your oddness on the fact you're American. But I suspect its even more a part of who you are than
that." Light she brushed his lips with hers. Voice softening. "My shelter."
Because he did protect her. And he protected her heart and soul by given them a safe place to rest.
"Yeah I guess I can be considered odd for an American." He said with a chuckle. "And that's saying a lot, I guess.
Come on, it's late." And it was, never mind they had so much to do tomorrow to get ready to fly out, and tell his
sisters....face the neighborhood....
She smiled softly. Turning so her back was to the bed and slipping her fingers under the fabric of his shirt.
"It is late." She agreed, starting to back up and drawing him with her. "And we started today late to begin with." Gentle
she started kisses, slow and sweet at the base of his throat and slowly worked them up to under his jaw, moving slowly
backward the entire time. "After yesterday was very long too." With a soft hum she slipped her lips across his. "So we
should probably be thinking about sleep, yeah?" The back of her legs bumped up against the bed and she paused.
Met his eyes as hers softened. "Though - I might have some pleased, girly responses to tonight that I would have to
stifle."
"Hey all I said was going to bed. Don't remember saying anything about sleep!" He said, raising his eyebrows a bit with
a grin. "Of course, if you're tired, I wouldn't dream about keeping you up late."
She slipped onto the bed so she could kneel on it still facing him. Lifting his shirt to pull it off of him.
"Are you sure?" She asked, eyes dancing. "Not even dream about it?" Letting her fingers slip from his chest slowly
down his stomach to undo the button of his jeans. Mouth pressing kisses to his shoulders. "Not even a little?"
"Well," he said, flashing an impish smile. "I might dream about it. Just a tiny bit. Quietly, so as not to disturb you from
your important rest." He said, his own fingers busy unbuttoning his shirt that she was wearing.
"Quietly?" She asked. Lips leaving his skin for a moment so she could raise her face to him. Letting him see what he'd
managed in slipping buttons free. Pleased deep inside that he wanted her that way. That - what he loved was all of
her. Even the body it came in.
She slipped her arms around his shoulders, moving over to slide backward on the bed, eyes on his. "Well... I am a
very light sleeper..."
"Damn, guess I'm outta luck then." Hector said, making what he hoped was a good show of regret and apology.
"Course, I get bonus points for trying you know."
"Oh yes." She promised with a murmur. Drawing him down to her. Lips finding him again. "Lots of bonus points." Her
mouth moved against his skin. Smiling. "Oodles."
And as for his luck - well, that depended on one's definition of it really.
She woke up before Hector. Which was rare. And wouldn't last long if she knew him at all. But - for now - she was
awake. And could watch him sleep.
She was tucked in close against him. She always burrowed as close against him as she could. But - even in his sleep
he held her so close. So tight. As if she was going to slip away in the night. Or be taken. The ring - his promise - was
tucked between them. A dim white star on her long hand as it rested over his darker chest. He looked so... so young.
When he was sleeping. Whispers of the boy in the dim light around the man. Strong and vulnerable. Her protector.
And the one she wanted to protect.
She traced his features with her eyes.
Bless him and keep him... she whispered the familiar prayer. Thankful for the fact, as hard as the path to this point
had been - that the path had been there to take.
"When you whisper and try not to be heard, its almost impossible to make out what you're sayin.'" He mumbled with
his eyes closed, but smiled in spite of it. "Is that by design you think?"
Her own smile, slow and full, answered his.
"It just might be." She whispered, softly nuzzling against his jaw. "But don't tell. It’s supposed to be a secret."
"I'll try not to. Just early in the morning, I'm a little more pliable than normal. Shh. don't tell anyone that either." He said
with a chuckle. "Who knows? Right girl asks, I might even agree to marry her right now."
"Yeah?" She murmured it softly, eyes opening to look at him. Warm with the way she loved him. "Then I'd better take
advantage of you before she shows up." Light, she tipped her face and pressed a gentle kiss against his jaw. Voice
still the low murmur. "I don't have a ring to give you and warn all the other women off. But will you marry me anyway,
Hector Garrett?"
"Sorry. Can't." He said. "Already went and gave my heart to another. I think she's around here somewhere, not
entirely sure. Would certainly help if I opened my eyes I suppose."
She chuckled against him.
"Don't you dare." She warned in a whisper. "I like being held this way and if you spotted that other hussy, you might let
go." She gave a quiet sigh. "I suppose I'm just going to have to resort to restraints and an IV drip again to have my
evil way."
"Back to the drugs again?" He said with a chuckle. "Guess we can chalk up the proposal to withdrawal then. I'm just so
desperate to get back on 'em and hitching up with a doctor is really the only way to go." He laughed and kissed the
top of her head.
She smiled, exhaling contentedly as she wound her arms even more around him.
"Keeping you happy is what matters to me." She agreed. "Though keeping you tied down to a bed seems, in my
opinion, more likely to keep me happy."
"Can't do it too often." He said with a chuckle. "After all, wild animals chew their own legs and paws off to get out of
traps and stuff. That could get messy." He stretched a bit and debated opening his eyes. "Any idea what time it is? As
much as I might like to dawdle about, we do have stuff to do today."
"I know." She answered. Shifting against him to rest her odd chin on his shoulder and look at the clock behind him. He
slept between her and the door and the alarm clock was on the night stand on his side.
"Mm." She made the humming noise against him and lowered her face to kiss his bare shoulder. "We're horribly lazy
people." She informed him. "You really don't want to open your eyes and see how bad we are. In fact, it’s so late for
us you might just want to go back to sleep and pretend this never happened." Chuckling. "It’s a little past eight thirty."
He laughed. "I'm not that bad." He defended himself. Okay, perhaps he was a little, but not THAT bad! "But we got a
plane to catch at 9 pm, so we should get the stuff taken care of." Locking the house up, getting rid of perishable food,
getting the bike over to Tommy's. Packing. And....phone calls.
She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder with a soft humming sound. Not so concerned about the packing. They
both traveled so light and packed so small. Habits of a lifetime and no apparent reason to change them. It was - the
rest - that was going to take the energy out of them. If his sisters let him go without stopping by to see him... it might
be easier on him but - how could you let someone you loved go off without seeing them to say 'goodbye'? She hoped
it didn't come to that. She didn't mind staying out of the way if they did show up. It wasn't like her to hid but if it let them
say goodbye without problems...
She rubbed a hand up and down his arm.
"Do you suppose there's anyway we could smuggle the hot water heater in our bags?" She asked. Just before the
sound of knocking, almost impossible to hear, came from downstairs.
Hector made a face, he heard the door. "If I'm lucky that's the mail man or UPS guy or cable guy or someone." He said
with a sigh and kissed her. "I'll be right back." Then reluctantly got out of the bed, padded off to the bathroom,
grabbing a pair of shorts on his way.
His hair was at that awkward length (for him) where it curled without reason or discipline, but oh well. Wasn't like he
was standing on ceremony. So he took care of business in there, swished some mouthwash, pulled on the shorts and
went down to the door, cracking his neck along the way.
"Sheila. Hi." Hector said. Where was the UPS man when you needed him?
"Promises, promises." Andi teased as he rolled out of bed. Curling up around his pillow and content to relax a little bit
longer. Whoever was at the door probably wasn't a good thing. Well, it’s not like that was a new development. When
he came back out and wandered downstairs she thought - if it was an unrelated woman at least he was definitely
going to have the upper hand looking like that. Dark hair tousled and that wonderful chest of his bare.
If it was a relative - well, they'd just blame that on Andi.
Once he was gone she got out of bed too. Not much point in staying if he wasn't there after all. Besides, she might
have to play back up for him. On silent feet she padded into the bathroom.
Sheila looked up from the loaf of fresh baked banana bread when the door opened. And promptly forgot the opening
line she'd been practicing. She could almost feel the drool puddling in her mouth.
Good God! What had ever possessed a God who had a thing about sin to invent a man that looked like that? That
little lightweight across the road had actually claimed she'd gotten a chance to kiss him. Sheila would have been trying
to do a hell of a lot more than kiss him if she was against a body like that.
Mentally she shook herself. She was supposed to be an adult after all.
"I - uh." She forced her eyes up to his face since her face only came about chest level to him. Which didn't really help
her thought process much considering his dark hair was just begging of a woman's fingers. And the five o’clock
shadow he had going on - "Huh." She managed again. Conversation not going at all the way she'd imagined it would.
She cleared her throat. "I wanted to talk to you." She offered the bread. Remembering belatedly to crane her neck to
see if that other woman was within hearing range. "Is - uh, Andi, around?"
He shook his head and sighed. "Why? Is this going to be a conversation you'd rather she didn't hear?" He said bluntly
as he shut the door behind him and stepped out on the porch. "Okay, let's have it." He said, standing with his arms
crossed over his chest, a vaguely bored look in his eyes. "Go ahead, tell me that's she's wrong for me, and she's only
after a green card, and obviously she doesn't know how to make me happy because she doesn't have a Southern
accent."
Yes, he was challenging her. But he'd had enough. Besides, Sheila was an adult. He could talk to her like this.
Okay. The crossing of well muscled arms over his chest didn't help any but the tone of voice and the look in his eyes
did. She hadn't forgotten that strange groundless impression she'd had the last time she was here. That - he was
dangerous. Which was ridiculous but still...
She set the bread down on the rocking chair and nodded.
"Yeah. That's pretty much what I was going to say." She admitted. She inhaled and braced herself up for it. "I thought I
should before you actually married her. Because if I didn't say anything I'd spent the rest of my life angry at myself for
not." She come all this way, all these years. If she was going to have to give up hope, she'd do it because she'd
fought. Not because she'd just sat on the sidelines and watched it happen. His hair follicle had come up clean. So, no
drugs. At least not now. And she remembered the rumors he'd been shot going around a couple months back.
Automatic she looked for a new scar and then realized what a mistake that had been as she got an eyeful of really,
really nice looking manflesh. It was only by reminding herself, dimly, that she was an adult, that she managed to drag
her eyes back up to his face.
"I guess I just wanted to ask." She pressed her lips together and looked at his eyes. It wasn't fair. But no one ever
promised life was. "Why you had an entire neighborhood of women you've known a lot longer, me included, that you
never gave a second look at? There's really not that much wrong with us." Her eyes flickered briefly over to the house
across the road. "Most of us." She amended before looking back at him.
That was it, really. The only real question. What was wrong with her that he'd never bothered look twice.
Hector sighed and leaned against the railing, shaking his head. "And what's wrong with Jerry down the street that you
all never looked twice at him?" Hector countered. "He's got a good job, his own house, nice car...oh wait. He's always
here."
"That's all of your problem. I spent summers here, weekends, holidays. Last year of high school. Then I shipped out.
Came back now and again for stretches, then went again." He said. "You people don't even know me. Y'all have this
image of me that you've built up over the years. The unattainable. It's nothing personal against any of you. It's just, I
don't know. Two people meet, they connect, and that's it. She knows me, you don't. And for the record, she's not after
a green card, seeing as she already has two citizenships, one to Great Britain, and as for the money? She's got more
than I do."
The dual citizenship and the money were surprises. That she was something other than British. Sheila had known the
other woman was a doctor but she'd thought she did some kind of charity work or something in Africa from what she'd
heard. Maybe it was one of those Doctors Without Borders things. She did plastic surgery in LA and raked in the
money and then did little side trips for tax breaks from time to time and worked on people who really needed new
noses.
She nodded. Maybe Hector was after the other woman for the money thing. But it was hard to see Hector being like
that. Though - he had pointed out - none of them knew him. But who's fault was that?
"It’s not like I didn't try." She stated. Looking at him. He was already gone, long slipped through her fingers. She could
feel it. But... it just wasn't fair. She shrugged. "I'm not Paige but it’s not like you couldn't have known I was interested."
Damn. That was hard for a girl to admit. "What did she do right that I did wrong? You never let any of us in. What did
she do that changed your mind?"
"I have no idea." Hector said honestly. "It just honestly happened. It's hard to explain. But I'll tell you what I want
answered. Why all these people decide that they can come into my life, which I've been running very well by myself by
the way, and try to second judge me? I don't let anyone in, because you know what? Deep down, I'm pretty scary. I've
seen scary things that don't go away, I've done scary things I can't erase. I just....I'm not the man everyone seems to
think I am. And I know none of you could handle that. Not here. So whatever you're going to try to say to try and
dissuade me, don't. Because all it will do is revoke your invitation to my wedding reception."
Sheila opened to her mouth to say he wasn't 'scary'. And then she stopped herself. Because - there had been that
look in his dark eyes... the kind you didn't expect to see in a small town neighborhood. The kind that still gave her
shivers. Because it had been directed at her. Over that other woman.
So in the end, she didn't protest his statement. Just - wrapped her arms around herself and looked down.
"You have this way of turning up when we need you. Helping out with the heavy work. Even when you're not here -
you still are. The house is still here and the news on TV about foreign places suddenly matters more, and your sisters
still like to talk about you and your latest letters. You're a part of this neighborhood." She shrugged. "And it’s a small
neighborhood. We don't have a lot of exciting things to talk about or a lot that happens here. It’s nice and quiet and
you're our home town hero. Everyone's proud of you and what you do and that you're from here. Like it makes us
better people to have one of our own serving the way you do. I guess, maybe, by being so nosy it’s the way our
neighborhood says you're one of us. That and the fact that anything that happens here is news for the gossips for
months unending." She said the last with more than a little knowledge. After all, her marriage falling apart and
eventual divorce had been headline news around her for the longest time. Frankly, her dating life was still followed
with a lot of interest. Which was sad since she didn't even really have a 'dating life'.
"Everyone's nosy because they don't have anything better to do. And because, believe it or not, we do care. It’s not
like you've had an easy life." She looked up at him. Actually finding his eyes without sidetracking. "Not like you have to
say anything about it. It leaks out of your family from time to time. We're so used to you being a certain way. And then
suddenly you're not anymore. I don't want you to marry anyone else because I was kind of hoping for you for - well,
myself." Which was painfully honest but what the hell, right? "I know I"m not the only girl thinking like that. But - we're
used to you being one way and seeing a sudden change - well, maybe the ones that don't want to date you are just
worried because after ten years or more you're suddenly acting differently. And since you're one of us we're
protective of you." She offered a half smile. "Change isn't always easy for small town neighborhoods. Especially when
its not something we'd have a chance to adjust to first."
It wasn't exactly an excuse. It was just - well, it was the way things were in small towns sometimes. Things got used to
being the exact same way.
"Besides." She added honestly. Because he was being open and honest with her. And she really liked that. "Mostly it’s
just the single women that are upset. It’s not so bad if we're all in the same boat and no one's dating you. But it’s kind
of hard on us that someone swooped in when we weren't looking and stole you away."
"But I haven't changed." Hector said. "I'm still the same old guy that came home and fixed roofs. The only thing that's
changed is I brought someone home with me. It's not really about me, it's good old fashioned jealousy, and I'm really
not flattered to be caught in the middle of it. She doesn't have some sort of spell on me, she's not drugging me, she's
not after American citizenship, and I'm not after money. If y'all really cared about me, you'd just be able to be happy
for me."
"You all know what my childhood was like, there's no hiding it. Just because I don't like to talk about it doesn't mean I
don't know what others say. And I find someone that doesn't want anything from me, but me, and I think it's the
greatest thing in the world. Because it is. It's a reason for celebration, not backbiting and backstabbing."
Sheila shrugged.
"Dreams die hard." She stated. Maybe he didn't get that. It wasn't like he'd ever had to dream about some woman he
was never going to be able to have. I mean - look at him! That woman in his house now had probably jumped at the
first glance of even vague interest from him. What woman wouldn't? "If you'd had your heart set on someone for
years, it might be hard to see someone else show up out of the blue and take them like it had been the easiest thing
in the world when you'd been trying for years to make any headway at all." She gestured to the house. "She gets that.
You can see the flashes of pity in her eyes sometimes when she's talking to you. Wouldn't be so bad if she was a
bitch but she actually went out of her way to be friendly. At the beginning." Because there was no mistaking the way
the entire atmosphere had changed when the other woman had decided to stop being friendly. Hector had gone dark
and threatening without saying a word or moving a muscle. His girlfriend had just suddenly given you the impression
that you weren't welcome in her world anymore. And it had felt - lonely. Like getting kicked out of a warm, friendly bar
into a cold, dark night. Sheila knew which one had been scarier but she still wasn't sure which had been worse.
"It’s not your fault some of us got hung up on you. But you can't really blame us for holding out hope either. You're
what most women dream about and don't ever expect to get." She offered a crooked smile. Because - damn, it hurt.
Standing here, looking at him, seeing that look in his eyes and knowing it wasn't for her - God damn. That hurt. Even
if she'd never managed to bag him, at least she'd been able to console herself with the thought that neither had
anyone else. Now she didn't even have that. And - damn - what woman wouldn't dream about a man that looked like
him?
"Truce?" She offered her hand. "At least from me." It was either that or never see him again. Never get to talk to him
again. And what kind of option was that?
He shook her hand. "Truce." He agreed. He hadn't ever thought bringing Andi back here would end up causing so
many waves. More like tsunamis really. He might have thought better of it had he known. But in the end, somehow, in
this little domestic war zone, with the sidewalk being a demilitarized zone of sorts, they'd all come to some sort of
peace.
"Believe me, Sheila, I wasn't the only single guy out there. There are a ton of us, if you look. Or who knows? Could
just stumble into him. Worked for me."
Sheila arched her eyebrow. Hector had obviously never been a single woman if he thought there were a lot of 'great'
choices out there.
"Yeah, right." She chuckled. And that - she supposed, was that. The end of things unless he suddenly decided he
wasn't in love anymore or eventually divorced the woman in the house. Though - it was hard to imagine a man like
Hector not holding onto a woman forever. "So - bread." She pointed to it. "And," she leaned forward and kissed his
cheek lightly. It was cheating but what the hell. "Good luck." And that was about all she could handle so she turned
around and headed down the porch steps. "Take care of yourself, Hector." She called over her shoulder. Not turning
around because seeing that get smaller in her 'rearview' was just too much right now.