A wonderful story by Dabba Do. This story contains all the characters from Passions!
There's some sexual content in some chapters of this story!
Chapter One
Luis stood at the window and watched the sun setting in the distance. Harmony in autumn was breathtaking. He was so glad that Sheridan finally believed him about that night. He turned to Sheridan, who was seated in the armchair, reading a book. She fidgeted and squirmed as she turned each page. �Something wrong?� he asked. Sheridan raised her head to him and saw the warm glow from outside seeping through the windowpane, highlighting his hazel eyes.
Sheridan shook her head. Luis motioned to her, �Sheridan, you really have to see this sunset. It�s amazing.� Sheridan rose and joined him at the window. He stood behind her, as she became lost in not only the golden, amber tones of the sky, but also the warm feeling of the man she loved behind her.
�Beautiful, isn�t it?� he asked. She nodded and turned to face him. Luis was completely lost in her eyes. She placed her hands around his face and caressed the back of his neck. Very quickly, things became heated. Luis couldn�t keep his hands from travelling from Sheridan�s hips up her sides to the outline of her breasts. He framed her face with his strong hands, hoping that if he held her tightly enough, she wouldn�t disappear.
Luis had never felt so happy. �Let�s celebrate, Sheridan,� he said. �Sounds good to me,� she replied. �How about you take me back to the Pool Hall tonight? We can drink a beer for every time someone told us we were in love.� They laughed, thinking back to all the strangers, from Renee to Tina to Pat, who recognized the feelings that had been present for so long.
Luis helped her put on her coat as they headed to the door. �We need to knock back a couple of cold ones and just have some fun tonight. You seem like you�ve been restless today,� he stated, referring to her earlier fidgeting and squirming. Sheridan considered this for a moment and replied, �Yeah, I�m not sure why I�ve been so uneasy today. I feel like I have fire coursing through my veins. I just can�t seem to settle. You know what I mean?� Luis nodded, �Yeah, me too. A couple of drinks in us and we�ll be relaxed in no time,� he suggested.
Chapter Two
Grace Bennett sneezed for the third time as she searched the hall cupboard for another box of tissues. Her eyes were stinging and her nose was running. �Maybe I should stay home with you tonight, Grace,� Sam offered. �Sounds like you�re getting a cold.� �No, I�m not getting a cold, Sam. It�s just allergies. It happens every October. You know that!� she shouted. Sam cowered. He knew that she was on the rampage and thought he�d better let her be. �Well, I�m off to the station then,� Sam stated. �Fine!� Grace replied as he slipped out the door.
Just then, Charity came bounding down the stairs in her usual cheery mood. �Oh, Aunt Grace, you sound terrible. Why don�t you get into bed and I�ll bring you some tea?� Grace snarled to herself. Sometimes her niece could just be too much, even for her. Where the hell was Kay when you needed her?
�Mom doesn�t need tea, Charity. She needs drugs and lots of them,� Kay stated from upstairs. Thank God, Grace thought, the voice of reason. Kay walked down the stairs with a bag full of goodies. �Here Mom,� Kay offered. Grace was about to ask where Kay got the selection of pills, but she wasn�t sure she wanted to know. Kay explained, �Dr. Russell gets all these free pills from drug companies. They�re non-prescription, just antihistamines and things like that. I always take some from the stash for emergencies just like this.� I raised a good little Girl Scout, Grace thought to herself.
Kay selected what she thought would be the perfect remedy for her mother�s bothersome allergies. �Thank you, Dear,� Grace smiled as she took two with a glass of water. �Maybe you should double the dose, Mom, you sound kinda bad,� Kay explained. Charity was going to argue the point, but she didn�t want to face the wrath of Kay or Grace just then. Anyway, Miguel was due to arrive any moment.
Charity heard the phone ring and went to answer it. It was Miguel. �No, I understand,� she replied, as Miguel explained that he was under the weather and unable to make it. �You take care of yourself and call me of you need anything,� Charity said. What to do with her night now?
Chapter Three
Julian poured the amber liquid from the gleaming crystal container and sighed, �What a night!� He was working double time to ingratiate himself back into his father�s good books and it was taking its toll. From his wife�s bedroom upstairs, Julian could hear the annoying and familiar song she played over and over.
Something about �loving you just the way you are�. Please, he thought. Billy John or Elton John or whoever the hell it was couldn�t possibly be more wrong. �Don�t go changing to try and please me, don�t change the color of your hair,� the words wafted down to his private study. Julian summoned all the breath in his lungs and shouted upstairs, �IVYYYYY!�
He heard the door open and slam and then listened as his beautiful, wildcat of a wife pounced down each stair to complain about interrupting her peaceful moment. �What the hell is it now, Julian?� she demanded. �What is that caterwauling coming from your room?� Julian roared. �Not that it�s any of your business, JULIAN, but it�s an old song that�s very near and dear to my heart.�
Julian laughed, �As if the Ice Princess lets anything near to her heart. HA!� Ivy walked towards the bar and poured a drink. �It�s Billy Joel, Julian. Don�t tell me you�ve never heard of the man? He�s a famous singer. He�s the Piano Man for God�s sake!� Again Julian laughed, �Jazz is more my taste, my dear. I, for one, cannot stand sappy pop ballads that spotlight insane notions like unconditional love. Don�t tell me that Billy Joel has been married to the same woman for his entire adult life.�
He had a point, Ivy thought. �And I suppose that you�d prefer some maudlin song? Something like �My Baby�s Gone� Ivy countered. �Anything with some real emotion would suit me,� Julian replied, referring to their sham of a marriage. �Emotion? Is that what you call your countless trysts with the hired help?� Ivy shot back as she edged closer and closer to the man she despised all these years. Julian grabbed her waist and whispered into her ear, �I�ll show you more emotion than you could ever imagine, Ivy, if you�d just let me.�
Chapter Four
�Oh Dear,� Tabitha stated, as she flipped through the pages of the ancient almanac. Timmy ignored her as he poured his second MarTimmy of the night. �I knew it,� she stated as she read the passage that confirmed her suspicions. �Full Moon on Friday the Thirteenth. This is disturbing. Timmy, are you listening to me?� she shouted as Timmy enjoyed the fruity concoction.
�I heard you, Old Woman. Full Moon, Friday the Thirteenth, Blah Blah Blah.� Timmy replied with a fearless tone. �No, Timmy, you don�t understand. Conditions will occur tonight that can make even the sanest, most stable person go a little bit crazy. Add to that outside factors, and you�ve got the recipe for a real disaster.�
�Disaster?� Timmy repeated, finally understanding the seriousness of the situation. Tabitha nodded. �Especially when one�s inhibitions are released.�
Chapter Five
Sheridan and Luis were well into their fourth round when Sheridan demanded that she switch from light beer to the real stuff. Luis laughed, realizing that it was the alcohol talking. �Can you believe how much time we wasted, Luis?� Sheridan asked. Wasted, Luis thought, they were well on their way to being just that tonight. Maybe they should stop. After all, Luis was a respectable member of the Harmony Police Force. He couldn�t afford to be seen trashed in public. Even after Sheridan slapped him all those months ago, Luis resisted the temptation to lick his wounds at the local watering hole.
Luis was just about to stop the waitress from placing the fifth round on the table when he heard the music from the jukebox. He grabbed Sheridan�s hand and led her to the dance floor, where he proceeded to twirl her around as he sang every word to the Spanish Salsa. Sheridan laughed and clung on for dear life. Luis was practically shouting the words.
When the song finished, there was a round of applause. Sheridan fanned her face as the blood made its way to her cheeks. It was a combination of the alcohol, the dancing, and the sheer surprise at her man�s sudden boldness.
�What was that about?� Sheridan asked as they sat back at the table. Luis smiled, �I don�t know. I just love that song, and it�s always reminded me of you.� Sheridan grinned as she translated the words in her head. The song was about true love. In it, the man sung about how no one could take his love away and about how much he treasured this woman. The words spoke about how this woman was worth more than any jewel, more valuable than anything in the world. Sheridan wondered how she got so lucky to have Luis in her life.
Before she addressed the song lyrics, she had to ask Luis one important question. �How come this is the first time I�m hearing your lovely voice, Luis? You are an amazing singer and yet, you�ve never serenaded me before. I may have fallen for you much sooner if I�d heard you sing.� Luis laughed. No one ever heard him sing, except for Theresa and Miguel. He�d never felt comfortable singing in front of anyone besides them. Luis blushed, �Really? You liked it?� Sheridan nodded, �I�d love to hear some more.� �I�ll see what I can do about that, Sheridan,� Luis promised.
�So you think I�m a treasure, huh?� Sheridan prodded. �You are the sunshine of my life,� Luis sang as he laughed. Sheridan punched him. �And I will always be around...� Luis continued. They�d both put away some liquor that night, but all of the sudden they were feeling absolutely punch drunk. Sheridan couldn�t stop laughing as Luis continued singing through his own fits of laughter. Sheridan snorted because she was giggling so hard.
�Oh, that�s class, Sheridan,� Luis teased. �That�s my little treasure. Where did you learn that - Finishing School?� Sheridan was motioning for Luis to stop. She couldn�t quit laughing and Luis couldn�t help but respond to it too. It was contagious. Finally Sheridan lifted her hand. �Stop, Luis. I mean it,� she threatened. Luis quieted down and agreed to be on his best behavior.
They both sighed as they wiped the moisture from around their eyes. Their stomachs ached from laughing so hard. Sheridan tried to change the mood. �Do you know how refreshing this is, Luis?� Sheridan asked. �Being here with you, drinking beer, having fun? Most men would want to take me to some stuffy restaurant to try and impress me. They only see me as some rich debutante who couldn�t ever enjoy normal things.� Luis couldn�t resist the lead in. He looked at her very seriously and spoke the first words of the song as he held her hand.
�Sheridan, you don�t have to be rich to be my girl,� Luis stated to a confused face. He then started singing the song, �You don�t have to be cool to rule my world. Ain�t no particular sign I�m more compatible with....I just want your extra time and your...� he made the kissing noises, �KISS�. Sheridan spit out her beer and began laughing again.
�Stop it, Luis,� she shouted as she wiped the liquid from her chin. �I mean it,� she giggled. Again, Luis chided her as he looked around the room at the stares from the pub dwellers. �Now, that really is class, Sheridan. Class in a glass,� he said as he helped her wipe her face and chin and took the pint glass from her hand. �Let�s get out of here,� Luis suggested. Sheridan nodded and took his hand as the giggles continued.
Chapter Six
Charity finished alphabetizing the Campbell�s soup cans just as Aunt Grace had requested. From time to time, Grace could get a little moody, but things were different tonight. Grace was acting really out of character. She had asked to borrow some of Kay�s clothes and was now dancing around the living room in a very revealing halter-top and tight leather pants. Even Kay was getting concerned.
�Look girls!!!� Grace shouted as she held the toilet brush closer to her as though it were a dance partner. �I made a friend,� Grace announced as she showed the girls the decorated brush. Grace had glued eyes on the front and added ribbons and a hat. There was no denying that the woman was crafty. She could give Martha a run for the money.
Kay�s eyes grew larger as she witnessed her mom jumping around with her new pal, she had named, �Tootie�. Maybe doubling the dose on those antihistamines wasn�t the best idea, Kay thought. Charity hadn�t made the connection yet. Just then, Charity heard a knock at the door. It was Miguel.
�Miguel, you look terrible. You�re supposed to be in bed, resting,� Charity sweetly stated. �I know,� he answered, �but I missed you and I really wanted to see you. I just wish I could shake this cold.� Just then, Charity got an idea. �Have you taken anything yet?� she asked. Miguel shook his head. Charity reached for the bag and offered the pills to Miguel. Things were about to get very interesting.
Chapter Seven
Ivy considered the proposition from Julian for all of two seconds before wedging her hand between her waist and his hand and pushing him away. She was desperate for some loving but not that desperate. �Really, Julian,� Ivy huffed, �what would you know about showing me any emotion or affection for that matter? Sex has always been more of a sport to you.�
Julian considered this remark and wasn�t sure if it were an insult or a compliment. Since it was Ivy who spoke these words, he was pretty certain it was a slam. Julian retorted, �Judging from the number of children we�ve had together, I�d venture to say that you did find me attractive at some point in our marriage.�
Ivy almost felt sorry for Julian. The only child she could remember conceiving was Ethan and that evening had nothing to do with Julian. As for the other children, liquor had played a major role in each of their conceptions. In fact, she could have named each of them after various wine regions in France. If it had not been for those bottles of wine she�d consumed to get �in the mood�, Ethan might have been an only child. Yes, alcohol had its place.
Chapter Eight
Luis and Sheridan walked briskly back to the cottage in an attempt to sober up. Luis had never been much of a drinker, but he wasn�t exactly a lightweight either. For some reason, those five beers were affecting him in a strange way. The events of the night flashed through his head. Had he really sung to a bar full of people? Had he really sung a Prince song to Sheridan? What really disturbed Luis were the images he was presently entertaining. Visions of kinkiness danced in his head.
As though Sheridan could read his mind, she grinned as she thought of all the wicked things she wanted to do when she got Luis horizontal. Heck, why wait until then? Vertical would do too. Making love would not be tonight�s theme. No this was something quite different. As the full moon showered the path before them with a golden hue, they both realized that things were going to get really wild, really fast.
Chapter Nine
Charity sat by Miguel in the kitchen, watching him recover from the same allergy symptoms that Grace displayed earlier. Those pills that Kay provided were working their magic. Miguel was feeling lighter, airier, and less inhibited than he�d ever felt before. Under the table his feet were tapping along to the music that blared from the Living Room. Charity hoped she could keep Miguel from witnessing the embarrassing antics of her Aunt Grace in the other room.
Miguel wasn�t certain, but it sounded like Grace Bennett was singing along to �Shoop�. The question was which part was she playing, Salt or Pepa, and was there any butt slapping involved? �What�s going on in there, Charity?� Miguel asked, with an expression Charity had never seen from him before. He looked like a dog in heat, as though he were on the prowl for a dance partner too, and chances were that �Tootie� the toilet brush would not suffice. Before Charity could stop him, Miguel was at the door to the Living Room.
�Miguel!� Kay shouted as she stood by the fireplace, cowering at the sight of her mother shaking her groove thing. Miguel walked right over to Mrs. Bennett, without even acknowledging Kay. Charity stood at the door as she witnessed in horror Miguel�s next move.
�Drop the toilet brush, Mrs. Bennett,� he ordered, �and let me swirl you bowl!� Grace locked eyes with the young man and Kay was certain that she saw her mother salivate at the sight of Miguel. Within a few moments, Miguel had Grace Bennett in a very tight grip, with his knee between her legs, ala Dirty Dancing.
Kay searched for the button that would terminate the saucy music that was inspiring this horrifying scene. Meanwhile, Charity was in a state of shock, taking several steps back into the kitchen. She couldn�t take her eyes off of the dance. Was this her mind playing tricks on her again?
Chapter Ten
�Hello, Dear,� a voice stated in the Bennett kitchen. �We heard the music and decided to come to the party,� Tabitha Lennox explained to a shell shocked Charity. �Oh my,� Tabitha concluded as she witnessed the same horrifying scene in the Living Room. �Isn�t that your beau, Miguel, with your Aunt Grace?�
Charity nodded as the tears began to form in her eyes. �The Horror! The Horror!� Charity shouted as she ran upstairs to escape anymore terrible visions. Tabitha smiled. She heard the music suddenly stop and wondered what effect this would have on the steamy dancers.
Tabitha watched as Miguel whispered into Grace Bennett�s ear, �Wanna get out of here, Grace?� �Call me Mrs. Bennett, Miguel,� Grace replied. He took her hand and led her outside to his motorbike. Neither Grace nor Miguel uttered one word to Kay, Tabitha, or even Timmy as they left.
Chapter Eleven
Sam Bennett sat at his desk at the station house. He heard the zoom of a speeding bike pass the window and was certain that he saw his wife and Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald whiz past. He shook his head, trying to get some grasp on reality again.
Kay picked up the phone in the Living Room after it rang for the fourth time. She was still in shock by the events she�d just witnessed. Tabitha had tried to calm her down, but so far, it hadn�t worked. �Hello?� Kay said with a shaky voice. �Kay, it�s Dad. Where�s your mom?�
Kay was too upset to think about concealing the truth from her father. She broke down in tears, �Daddy, she just left here with Miguel. As if Charity weren�t bad enough, now Mom is after him too.� Sam listened as Kay told him the terrible story. Kay left out the whole antihistamine part because she didn�t want to get into trouble.
�Daddy, are you coming home? Please say you�re coming home soon,� Kay cried. Sam considered his daughter�s request. Kay had mentioned that Tabitha was there with her now so Sam decided he didn�t need to rush home. He needed to sort things out in his mind. �I�ll be home later, Kay. I just have a few things to take care of here.�
Chapter Twelve
Ivy sat alone in the Living Room. She�d managed to rebuff Julian�s advances again and he�d left the mansion in a huff, having given up on his quest to bed her. Just the talk of making love stirred up feelings in Ivy and she longed for her first and only love. Julian could find sex anywhere. At that very moment, he was probably in bed with one of his regulars. Ivy, on the other hand, was far choosier. If she couldn�t have Sam Bennett, then she didn�t want anyone at all. If only, she could have Sam Bennett.
Just then, Ivy heard a knock at the door. She slowly made her way to the front door, increasing the pace when she thought she saw Sam through the window. Breathless with anticipation, Ivy answered the door. She stood before him in a silky plum negligee, scantily covered with a matching silk robe.
�Sam, what is it? Are you all right?� Ivy questioned. Sam fell into her arms without thinking of the consequences. He didn�t even ask if Julian were home. He just collapsed into the open arms of his first love and hoped she could make everything all right again.
Chapter Thirteen
There�d been many stolen glances and devilish giggles on the walk home. Sheridan and Luis both knew what the other one was thinking. They reached the front door to her cottage and they were both secretly burning with desire. Sheridan was certain that the sheer heat exuding from her body was enough to give away the game.
Luis didn�t want to assume that she would invite him in so he waited while she opened the door and turned on the side table lamp. Sheridan turned around, wondering why Luis was still on the front doorstep. �Aren�t you coming, Luis?� Sheridan asked. Not yet, Luis thought. Damn, why was he such a horndog tonight and, more importantly, was Sheridan feeling the same way? She was hard to read, but Luis felt pretty sure that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.
Sheridan gently grabbed Luis by the front of his shirt and pulled him into a kiss. That made things pretty clear, he thought. He responded to the kiss and ran his hands up and down her body as the kiss deepened. He slammed the door shut with a backward kick from his heel. Sheridan felt the stair railing against her back as Luis pushed her further into the entry way. She knew they wouldn�t make is much farther because the desire was so intense.
There was no need for an exchange of words. No need for the obligatory, �I want you� or the �Make love to me�. This was purely primal. It was all about reading each other�s physical language. Sheridan pulled Luis in closer, as he lifted her onto the top of the railing. There was no hesitation on either of their parts. Sheridan found his zipper and unzipped Luis� pants. Like a skilled technician, Sheridan guided him into her. The only sound that could be heard was the light guttural moan they made in unison as he entered her. And then passion overtook them.
Chapter Fourteen
Julian had no idea how he ended up at the two story house in the heart of the Harmony suburbs. Was he insane? Had he gone mad? He knew an encounter with TC Russell would be unpleasant and probably fatal, but for some reason, Julian had to see Eve. He needed to see Eve.
Just then the good doctor was bringing out the trash. Julian snuck up behind her and startled her. �JULIAN!� Eve shouted. �What the hell do you think you�re doing? If TC found you here...� Julian placed a hand over her mouth to prevent her from more shouting. That would only call attention to his presence.
The touch of her soft lips brought back memories, not just memories of their lovemaking, but fond thoughts of the silky voice that enticed him initially. Oh, to hear the intoxicating melodies again, just once. Eve recognized the dreamy look in Julian�s eyes and moved his hand away.
�Julian, I demand you tell me why you are here,� Eve said in an almost whisper that still conveyed a good amount of anger. Julian thought about why he was there. He still wasn�t sure. �Where is you lesser half?� he asked. Eve was ashamed to admit where her husband was at that moment. He was in the shed again.
Chapter Fifteen
Ivy held Sam while he kept repeating the words over and over again. �What went wrong?� Sam stated as though he were saying a prayer. Ivy didn�t know the meaning of this question. Was Sam talking about their failed relationship or had something happened that evening? Ivy glanced at the clock on the desk. It was late. At any moment, Julian could walk in, but she didn�t care. Sam needed her.
�Shhhh, it�s going to be okay, Sam. Tell me what happened,� Ivy offered as she coddled him like a child. �It�s Grace,� he replied. Great, Ivy thought, just great. The last thing she wanted to discuss was his perfect wife. Sam continued, �She�s...� He couldn�t get the words out.
Ivy realized that it must be something really bad. She hoped that maybe Sam had discovered something terrible in Grace�s past, a former husband, a life of crime, anything. Then Ivy wondered if perhaps something awful had happened to Sam�s wife. No that wouldn�t do, that wouldn�t do at all. Ivy wanted Sam in her life. She wanted Grace out of the picture, but she certainly didn�t want any real harm to come to her. No, that would never work. Sam would feel forever guilty and would never commit to Ivy then.
Chapter Sixteen
Charity wiped the tears from her eyes as she lay in bed. She glanced at the clock. It was after midnight, and Miguel and Grace had not returned. From downstairs, she could hear the cackles from Tabitha and Kay. They were obviously having a good time. Why was everyone having a good time but Charity?
Kay and Tabitha sat at the kitchen table, tarot cards in hand. �Oh, this is a good one, Kay,� Tabitha said as she pointed to the card. Kay grinned. Tabitha could really be kind of cool. Here she had this kick ass neighbor all these years, and she�d never really appreciated her. Tabitha was well into her twentieth story about her and some man. This woman had given the term �a fair run of it� a new meaning. Suddenly, Kay was caring less and less about Miguel what�s his name and more about what the great, wide world had to offer a savvy, ambitious broad.
For all of two seconds, Kay worried about her mother and her father. Neither one of them had called. Come to think of it, no one had been in touch with Kay lately. Where the heck was her support team? Where was Simone? Jessica? Just where the heck was Noah when you needed him? At that very moment, Kay decided that she was better off relying solely on herself. Now, back to that chat with Tabitha.
Chapter Seventeen
Any visitor to the cottage could follow the clothes trail to Sheridan�s bedroom. Before they�d even made it to the bedroom, Sheridan and Luis had made �stops� along the way at the sofa, the doorway to the bedroom, and the kitchen. A guy could get pretty thirsty trying to satisfy a woman like Sheridan Crane.
Once they�d made it to the bed, they�d experimented with at least four or five different positions and were well on their way to inventing some new ones. They were the Kama Sutra, a run for the money. After their latest encounter, they collapsed, side by side.
Luis wiped the sweat from Sheridan�s forehead and gently moved his thumb over her upper lip where little droplets of sweat mixed with his own saliva. He was a lost cause. Luis had worked up such a sweat that a shower was in order. Mmmm, a shower sounded really good. As though, she read his mind, Sheridan rose, taking Luis with her and led him to the bathroom. As the water made its way from the tap to the shower head, Sheridan pinned Luis against the vanity and started placing kisses all over his chest. Luis prayed he had the stamina to compete.
Chapter Eighteen
Julian and Eve sat at the Jazz Club, just like old times. He was drinking Gin and Tonics; she was knocking back Whiskey Sours. Oh, the memories. It was late by most people�s standards, but Jazz Clubs were always the exception. Things were just starting there.
The manager took the stage. Apparently, the night�s act had a family emergency and there would be no entertainment. Julian looked at Eve with longing eyes. Why was she even there, she wondered? Julian Crane was a creep. End of story. However, Julian allowed Eve to be something and somebody she could never be with TC. For all TC�s praise and adoration, it took a man like Julian Crane to make Eve Russell feel truly special.
�No, Julian, I�m not singing tonight,� Eve stated. She continued, �There�s nothing you can say to convince me.� Julian knew she wanted to perform again. She needed it. She wanted it. Without even having to make an argument, Julian knew he could persuade her. Just with one look and a gentle touch, Eve would comply. He knew it.
Chapter Nineteen
Ivy was dumbfounded. Sam had explained the situation with Grace. How could she, Ivy thought? How could Grace Bennett ditch a wonderful man like Sam for a young buck like Miguel? Oh dear, Ivy realized as her mind wandered, best not to go down that path.
It was at that moment that Ivy realized sex with Sam that night was out of the question. The man was a wreck. He needed comfort and assurance, not another change in his life. Ivy looked at his troubled face and wondered what life would have been like had they married. Would Sam have chosen a career in law enforcement? Would she be one of the inner circle at PTA meetings? The thought made her laugh. No, she and Sam had always been a unique couple and they always would be. Deep inside there was connection that no one, not even Grace Bennett could destroy. For the first time in a long time, Ivy felt at peace.
�I�ve got an idea, Sam,� Ivy announced. �Let�s go to docks and watch the ships come into the harbor, just like we used to do. We can watch the sunrise together.� Sam�s face brightened. He was still in complete agony as he thought about the demise of his perfect life, but Ivy�s suggestion comforted him. If he could pretend he were eighteen again, just for one night, then maybe he could regain some stability.
Chapter Twenty
The streets of Harmony were silent, save for the roar of the engine in the antique motorbike. Grace and Miguel had been up and down the coast, running the gauntlet to its fullest. �I need a cold one, Miguel,� Grace ordered. �Pull over at that club ahead and let me wet my whistle.�
Miguel did as he was told. His newfound confidence was tested as he saw the over twenty one sign on the door of the nightclub. �Grace, they�ll never let me into this place,� he whined. �Damnit, Miguel, I told you to address me as Mrs. Bennett!� she shouted. �Now stop being such a pansy and follow my lead.�
Grace took his hand and led him into the bar. The bouncer was confused but allowed them into the club. Something about the look in that woman�s eyes frightened the bar employee and he wasn�t going to tangle with that one tonight.
Chapter Twenty One
Ivy and Sam sat side by side as though it were the summer of �75 again. Nothing had changed. The ships rolled into the harbor as the newspaper trucks began their deliveries to the local shops. It must have been 4 AM by now.
�Better?� Ivy asked. Sam looked at her in amazement. The sweet, playful Ivy was there again. It was as though they�d never left one another. Ivy looked at Sam. �What? What is it Sam? Why are you looking at me like that?�
Sam lowered his voice and replied, �I should have fought harder for you. I should never have let my ego get the better of me.� Ivy took his hand and with every ounce of conviction she could muster replied, �Sam, trust me, there was nothing you could have done. My father and Alistair meant business when they arranged my marriage to Julian. They weren�t about to let anyone or anything come between the union.�
Sam sighed, �I could have taken you away. We could be living somewhere else, with children of our own.� Talk about an open door, Ivy thought. Still, she couldn�t rock his world anymore tonight with the confession that they did share a child.
�How about a drink, Sailor?� Ivy propositioned, just like she used to in the old days. Ivy loved the way Sam used to look in his pea coat, cutting quite a figure in the mist at the harbor. Sam smiled, �For you, Winnie, of course.� Ivy laughed when he called her this name. Non one had called her Winnie since she�d been a Winthrop, and Sam knew the name annoyed the hell out of her. They made their way to the only bar open in Harmony at this hour.
Chapter Twenty Two
Sheridan and Luis should have been fast asleep by this hour, but after the co-ed shower, pancakes seemed to be in order. Luis flipped the hotcakes as Sheridan set the table. She glanced out the window. It was still dark, probably nearing dawn, but the moon was still visible.
�What ya looking at, baby?� Luis asked as he walked over with a stack full of pancakes. She loved that he�d called her �baby�. �Just the moon. It�s really huge tonight or this morning or whatever the hell time it is.� Luis nodded in agreement as he set the plate on the table. Just then he heard his pager beeping from the other room.
Sheridan helped Luis sift through the clothes and find his pager. It was clipped to his pants, which hadn�t made it very far past the front door. Luis looked at the crystal display. �Damn, I�d better call the station.� Sheridan listened as Luis �uh-huh�ed� and �hmm-hmm�ed� and �I see�d�. Finally he ended with the regular, �Yep. I�ll be there� that let Sheridan know he was going to have to leave any minute.
�So, I�m guessing you have to go, Luis?� Sheridan asked. �You�re just gonna leave me here, all alone and very turned on,� she added. Luis looked at her with a shocked expression, as he pulled his pants on. �You�re gonna stand there and tell me that after the railing, the sofa, the kitchen, twice, the shower, and did I even mention the bed, that you still want MORE?�
Sheridan laughed, �What can I say? You can�t blame a girl for trying?� She moved closer and placed her hand inside his jeans, which were still unzipped. �So what do you call this bad boy anyway?� �Excuse me?� Luis asked. �Some guys name theirs, Luis, don�t think I don�t know that,� Sheridan replied.
�Well, if I or anyone else had ever named it, what makes you think I�d tell you?� he teased. Sheridan moved her hand up and down until finally Luis caved. �OK, you�re killing me here. I don�t really have a name for it.� Luis could see the disbelief in Sheridan�s eyes. �Well there was this one girl...� �I knew it, Luis. What did she call it? Come one, spill it.�
Luis smiled wickedly, knowing that he needed to get to the scene of the altest crime in Harmony, but enjoying his power over Sheridan. �Let me guess, Luis. Hmmm,� she said as she stroked him faster and faster, �Rock?� Luis smiled and shook his head. �Mr. Happy?� Luis shook his head again. �Tell me,� she begged. �Rowdy� Luis confessed. �Rowdy? What the hell kind of name is that, Luis?� Sheridan shouted. Luis laughed, �I don�t know. That�s just the name she gave him.�
Sheridan sighed, �Well that name won�t do at all.� �Oh really, and what do you propose?� Luis asked. �Hmmm, I don�t know, but not Rowdy. I guess until we come up with a better name, we�ll just refer to it as �the penis formerly known as Rowdy�.� Luis laughed, �Or we could just shorten that to �the penis��. Sheridan smiled, �Luis, never say �shorten� and �penis� in the same sentence.�
Luis smiled. �What time are you gonna be back?� Sheridan inquired. �Oh, so I am invited back then am I?� Luis asked. �Sheridan walked him to the door as she helped him with his coat, �I may never let you leave again, now that I know all the wonderful things you can do.�
�What�s the big emergency anyway? How long do you think you�ll be?� Sheridan asked. �I don�t know. There�s some kind of disturbance at the Jazz Club tonight. I�ll call you later, okay?� He kissed her as he opened the door. Sheridan slapped him on the backside and watched him walk away.
Chapter Twenty Three
There was a ringing sensation in Julian�s eardrum and it wasn�t the sultry sounds he had been enjoying from Eve Russell. Julian felt all tingly inside when he recalled the wonder of hearing her voice again. She�d sung three of his all time favorite songs that night and the trip down memory lane had been blissful. Julian was certain that Eve had been enjoying it just as much. But then, all hell had broken loose. Just what had happened?
Eve steadied herself in the bathroom mirror. The evening had already been too surreal for words, but what had just occurred tested even Dr. Russell�s iron will. Had Sam Bennett just decked Julian Crane? Or was it the other way around? Was Grace involved in the scuffle? And was Grace really with Miguel? And just what was Ivy doing there anyway? Eve�s main concern was whether or not TC would find out about this evening?
Ivy was in the middle of a strange situation. Julian sat at one table, his hands covering his ear, while Sam stood at the bar, an icepack on his fist. What had just happened? Had Julian jumped at Sam? Or had Sam attacked Julian? She couldn�t be sure. The one thing she knew was that she and Julian were going to have a very lengthy talk that would probably result in a separation.
Sam held the icepack to his fist as he searched the room for Grace. He was sure that she�d decked Julian at least once, but he knew he�d gotten in a good punch too. Why was Grace there? And why had she gotten involved in the fight? Had she seen him with Ivy and what would that mean for their marriage? Did they still have a marriage? And why was she still with Miguel?
Grace paced the parking lot. What a night this had been? Where the hell was that boy with her drink? Suddenly she saw Miguel scurrying over to her, tumbler in hand. �Mrs. B, here�s your whiskey, just like you asked, straight up, no ice.� Grace swiped the drink from his hand and knocked back the drink.
�Thanks, sweetheart, you�re a real pal,� she stated. �Now, get me the hell out of here. I need to get home before the dust settles.� Miguel looked at her with those sad puppy dog eyes. �I thought we were going to run away together, Grace...I mean Mrs. Bennett� Grace smiled, �Sonny, the open road is no place for a little man like you. It would eat you up and spit you out.�
Grace could tell that Miguel wondered how she knew so much about life on the road. She explained, �I�m remembering bits and pieces from my past, and tonight brought back memories of my life before Sam. I used to ride in a gang. I even had an old man. I need to find my other family. The road�s calling me home, Miguel, and I have to go to it.�
Chapter Twenty Four
Luis finished writing down statements from Julian, Ivy, and Sam. Eve had slipped out through the bathroom window unnoticed. None of it made any sense to Luis. Each of them told a different story, and no one wanted to press charges. Julian wrote a very large check to the owner of the club for the damages and then made his way home, without Ivy.
Luis offered to drive Ivy and Sam home, but Sam said he would escort Ivy back to the mansion. Luis felt uncomfortable with this. He knew that something was going on between these two, and he didn�t like it. Sam pulled Ivy aside and asked her what she wanted to do.
�Sam, I need to go home and talk with Julian. And you need to talk to Grace. I�m leaving Julian, Sam. It�s something I should have done years ago. I may have been forced into this marriage, but I have no excuse for staying in it. It�s time for me to end this sham and take responsibility for my life.� Ivy saw Sam�s worried face.
�Listen, Sam. I don�t expect anything from you. This is going to be a very difficult time for both of us. Just know that I�m here for you, as a friend. And if somewhere down the road you�d like more than that, then we�ll cross that bridge when we come to it. � Sam smiled. He felt a little more at ease now. He needed to get home and sort things out with Grace.
Chapter Twenty Five
Eve Russell crept into the house and made her way to the bedroom. TC was sleeping. She could probably convince him that she�d been called to the hospital but why should she have to lie just because he had an out of control temper? No. First thing in the morning, Eve was going to sit down with her husband and have a heart to heart.
The experience of being on stage again had filled her with joy. TC was going to have to understand his wife, flaws and all. She would leave out the part about Julian and just tell TC that she�d made some poor relationship choices in the past. But TC was going to know the rest of the story, warts and all. If he could deal with her the way she really was, then they just might stand a chance.
Chapter Twenty Six
By the time Sam got home, Grace was gone. All that was left was a note.
Sam,
Gone in search of my past. Taken Charity with me. Please tell Kay, Noah, and Jessica that I love them and will be in touch soon. My attorney will contact you tomorrow to draw up the divorce papers. It�s been fun...well not really.
Grace
P.S. There�s a casserole in the freezer for dinner. (Old habits die hard).
Sam read the brief not over and over. Had she really left him for good? Was this because he was with Ivy? Sam shook his head. No, that wasn�t it. He and Grace had been living on borrowed time for a long time. Somehow, they�d both convinced themselves that this was their life. That they could just pretend and everything would be all right. A wave of sadness mixed with relief washed over Sam, and the only person he wanted to talk to right now was Ivy.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Luis crept into Sheridan�s cottage. No doubt, she was catching some ZZZZs since neither one of them had much sleep the night before. The night before. What the heck had happened? He and Sheridan were like wild animals. All of Harmony had gone completely mad.
Luis put his badge on the table and was startled by Sheridan walking into the room. �Hey, baby� she greeted, �you�re home early.� Luis loved that she called this place home for both of them. �How did things go? You looked wiped out.� Sheridan stated.
Luis took off his jacket and explained the whole horrid affair to Sheridan. She listened to all the creepy details and offered her own theories as to what really might have happened. Eventually, they agreed to go to bed and get some sleep. It was almost time for the rest of Harmony to be getting up.
Chapter Twenty Eight
Ivy finished the final details. Julian had been surprisingly generous with their arrangement and she was going to be very well taken care of in the settlement. It was almost four in the afternoon, and she�d already talked to Sam twice. She was shocked by what had happened with Grace. Shocked and relieved. She reminded herself to take things slowly. Sam was going to need time to heal, and Ivy needed to get her life in order.
Thankfully, she had no problem finding a place to live. The Cranes owned several properties suitable for a woman like Ivy. Julian told her she could have her pick. Once a Crane, always a Crane, he�d reminded her. Ivy reminded him that she was a Winthrop now and expected to be addressed as such.
Julian agreed. For all their trouble and strife, Julian treasured Ivy. She was like an illness that plagued you for years but would always lie dormant in your body as a part of your total being. As Ivy made preparations for her new life, Julian began plotting his next move. At the top of his list...PURCHASE JAZZ CLUB.
Ivy smiled as she closed the door to the mansion. The farewell between her and Julian had been pleasant but would things remain amicable when she revealed that Ethan was not Julian�s son? Ivy decided, in true Scarlet fashion, to deal with that another day.
Ivy remembered that she wanted to say goodbye to Sheridan. She told her driver to wait at the main house. Ivy smiled as she thought about the blossoming friendship between her and Sam. For once, she was going to do things right. She would move into her new place, make a life for herself, take her time with Sam. Yes. It was perfect.
Ivy neared the cottage. Her attention was immediately captured by the sight inside. Luis was sitting on one of the blue chairs next to the sofa. Ivy had selected that fabric for the slipcovers and was very happy with her choice. Most of the details in the cottage and the mansion were a result of Ivy�s impeccable taste. Maybe she should become a designer, she theorized. Hmmm, she�d think about that later.
Sheridan was walking over to Luis with her back to the front door. Ivy hid next to the window and spied on the couple. They were adorable. Had they been on TV, she would have tuned in every day to watch. They were just that cute. Luis grabbed Sheridan and pulled her on top of him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and Luis started to fiddle with the opening to his pants.
Damn, Ivy thought, you didn�t find this on network TV. No, they were quickly approaching Skinemax territory. For a brief moment, Ivy considered the thread count of the fabric she�s selected for those chairs, but then she remembered the cotton duck textile was washable. Anyway, what Sheridan did in her own cottage was her own business.
Ivy turned away, embarrassed that she was witnessing this intimate moment. Perspiration formed on her upper lip and a fire ignited in her belly. She wanted sex, and she wanted it now. Life with Julian had not been a drought. No a drought was a bad couple of months. Ivy had been living in the heart of the Sahara and she needed to find an oasis.
Ivy could almost see the little devil and angel appear on her shoulders, arguing about what she should do. The angel warned her to take her time. Sam needed healing. Just then the little devil starting singing the words to Sexual Healing, and Ivy sighed. What to do?
She couldn�t pretend she was a pious woman like Pilar, but Ivy said a silent prayer for guidance. �Please tell me what to do. Give me a sign.� Just then, Ivy�s cell phone rang and the LCD panel revealed it was Sam Bennett. Ivy fell to her knees and shouted, �Thank you, Lord Jesus.�
The End!