By Jemb
Author's Note: I haven't written anything in several years, so be kind because I'm a little rusty. This story is about Luis and Sheridan, and will be in two parts, the present, and three years into the future.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I am borrowing them from JER and NBC.
Note: Some chapters are Rated R!
Chapter 1
Sheridan's heart was pounding so hard, she was positive that everyone in the courtroom could hear it's every beat. What had she gotten herself into? The District Attorney was counting on her testimony to put Luis in prison for a long time, and if Michael was correct, she was going to blow his case right out of the water. Tina, the officer from the Boston Police Department was presently on the stand relating the facts of the night she had pressed charges against Luis for kidnapping. Damn, she regretted that single action more than anything she had ever did in her life. Now, because of her stubborn behavior on that night, she was going to start World War III. Sheridan did not even hear what Tina was saying, her mind wandered back to the events that had prompted the meeting in Michael's office several days ago.
The drug cartel had finally been apprehended, and since her life was no longer in danger, Luis had been relieved by the FBI from his bodyguard duties. Even though they hadn't parted on the best of terms, she missed his presence in the cottage more than she could imagine. A moment of temporary insanity had prompted her to call Luis at work, and before she knew what she was doing, she had asked him to lunch. They had agreed to meet at the Book Cafe, and had just sat down at their table when Julian approached and demanded to speak with Luis alone. When Luis refused, Julian said that Luis had left him with no choice but to call off their agreement and have the kidnapping charges re-instated. Luis had explained that he had agreed against his better judgement, to never see Sheridan again if Julian made sure the kidnapping charges were dropped. He had looked so sad, that her initial burst of anger dissolved when he explained that he had no choice because his family would be destroyed if he went to prison. How could she stay angry about his deal with Julian when this whole mess was her fault.
Sheridan could still remember Luis' outrage when she had visited him in jail and suggested that he let her hire an attorney to represent him at his trial. At first he had flatly refused, he said he wanted nothing from a Crane, especially the Crane that had gotten him in this situation to begin with. He had finally relented when Sheridan sited the reasons he had taken the deal with Julian in the first place, his family. He had swore that if it took the rest of his life, he would pay her back every cent.
Michael Wakefield had been a good friend when Sheridan was living in Europe, and she knew she could trust him to not let the power of the mighty Crane's to influence his representation of Luis. Michael also came from a powerful family, and her father and brother wouldn't stand a chance if they tried to go against the Wakefield's. When Sheridan and Luis had filled Michael in on the events that let up to Luis' arrest, Michael told them that he had an idea that would get the charges dropped against Luis, but before the two of them exploded, he wanted them to keep an open mind. Sheridan would have laughed if she wasn't so nervous right now. Poor Michael was still licking his wounds from the meeting that day.
"Miss Crane, are you all right"? Sheridan snapped back to the present at the District Attorney's words.
"Yes, I'm sorry, I guess I'm a little nervous about my testimony today". Sheridan was starting to shake, and silently counted to ten to calm her fears.
"Miss Crane I have just called you to the stand as my next witness."
"I heard you sir" Sheridan responded in almost a whisper.
As Sheridan approached the witness stand, she knew if she could just make it through this moment, she would be able to get through anything.
"Would you please state your full name for the record." The bailiff's words forced her to steal a quick glance in Luis's direction. The encouraging look in his beautiful eyes gave her the strength to open her mouth and speak the words that she was sure would change their lives forever.
"My full name is Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald".
Chapter 2
The courtroom erupted in pandemonium and it was impossible, even at this close proximity to hear Judge O�Mally�s shouts for order in the court. Because of the noise and confusion, Sheridan didn�t notice Julian until he was standing at the bench shouting at the Judge.
Since his pounding gavel was having no effect on controlling the courtroom, the Judge pulled a whistle out of his robes and sent the most piercing noise through the courtroom that Sheridan could swear the windows cracked. When silence finally prevailed, the Judge was just beginning to speak when Julian started his tirade.
�Your Honor, this is a travesty, my sister could not possibly be married to this hardened criminal! And if she is married, I�m sure she was coursed into this unholy alliance, and I�ll have you know�..�. The Judge�s whistle shut Julian up in mid sentence.
�May I ask just who the hell you are, and how you have the nerve to interrupt my courtroom� the Judge said pointing his bony finger straight at Julian.
�Your honor, my name is Julian Crane, surely you must know the name, and I demand that you get to the bottom of this farce instantly. My sister has been known to be delusional in the past, and I fear she has gone over the edge this time�, Julian stated in his favorite annoying tone.
�You listen to me Mr. Crane, I am fully aware of the Crane name, and I want to set the record straight. I don�t care if you�re the president of the United States, I refuse to be intimidated by the likes of you�!!!
Julian started to speak again, but the Judge wasn�t letting him get a word in edgewise. �And furthermore, let me tell you that I have been on this bench for forty years, and in two months time I am hanging up these robes for good. I�m going to get the Mrs., and my fishing pole, and the only sharks I plan on running into will be swimming in the ocean. So believe me Mr. Crane, you don�t want to do anything to make my time left unpleasent in any way. Now sir, kindly shut up and sit down or I�ll throw your sorry butt in jail for contempt of court.�
�Well I never.� Julian sputtered indignantly.
�Your pushing it Crane, don�t make me have to carry out my threat. You would be surprised how easy it is to lose a person�s paperwork. Why, I believe it could get lost in the system for months.�
The look on Julian�s face was priceless. Sheridan had to stifle a giggle as he turned and walked back to his seat like a puppy dog with his tail between his legs. She could tell by the look on Luis� face that he was enjoying the �Julian� show as well.
�Now missy, would you mind explaining to the court why you decided to drop this little bombshell at the very moment you were ready to testify�? Oh God, now he was pointing that bony finger at her. �Never mind, I want to see the defendant, the defendant�s wife, and counsel in my chambers now�!
Chapter 3
On their march to the Judge�s chambers Luis was reminded of a movie he had seen several months ago, called �Dead Man Walking�. He could really relate to Sean Penn�s character right now, the only thing that was missing was the priest, and his Last Supper. Would Sheridan and him be able to convince this Judge that their marriage was a love match? He had a feeling that this guy had been around too long not to smell a setup when he saw one. The marriage was legal all right, he had the license in his pocket to prove it, but legal or not, it was still a set-up. He still couldn�t believe that Michael had been able to talk them into this �Marriage of Convenience�. He certainly didn�t want to go to prison, but marriage to Sheridan? She had been in rare form that day in Michael�s office. He still found it hard to believe that this beautiful, refined lady could screech like such a banshee. Thinking back to that day reminded him of a mini version of the courtroom earlier. The shouting had gotten so bad that Michael�s secretary had put her head in the door to ask if she needed to call 911.
He glanced at Sheridan out of the corner of his eye; he couldn�t help but feel sorry for her. He knew that she was a nervous wreck, from having to testify earlier. Even through he dreaded the upcoming meeting; he was glad that she was spared from having to go through this on the witness stand. When he saw her like this, his �protect� mode kicked in, and he gripped her hand and held on tight. He could tell that she appreciated it, because she glanced over and gave him a quick smile.
As soon as they reached the Judges chambers, the District Attorney wasted no time calling for a continuance. �Your Honor, I demand that this case be held over pending further discovery. We have no proof that this couple is legally married�. �I beg to differ, your Honor, proof can be provided� Michael argued. �And I move to dismiss because of spousal privilege. After all, the wife is the key witness. This whole case is nothing but a misunderstanding, and this couple just want to get on with their lives�.
�Consolers, save all your legal mumble jumble for the courtroom, I want to hear the Lopez-Fitzgerald�s reasons for wasting the court�s time with this nonsense. You go first missy, and make it snappy, I have a fishing date with my grandson.�
Well here goes, Sheridan thought, the moment of truth. When she cleared her throat a couple of times, Luis squeezed her hand, and she felt a certain calmness overtake her. This time she WAS going to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth. Sheridan began to explain to the judge how her and Luis met, their rocky past, and the closeness that developed between them when she was trying to discover the source of her nightmares. She noted one by one, all the times Luis had risked his life to save hers. She told the judge that when she left for Paris, Luis followed her because he felt her life was in danger, and when she refused to believe the drug cartel was still after her, Luis� concern for her safety had forced him to bring her back against her will. Her stubborn pride caused her to act irrationally, and she had him arrested. When she realized the ramifications of her actions, she had tried to get the charges against him dropped, but the officer told her it was too late.
�That�s a very nice story Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald, but I�m more interested in the reason for this spur of the moment marriage.�
�You see your Honor, our families never approved of our relationship, and we knew that they would never want a marriage between us, so even thought the timing seems suspicious, we married because we wanted to be together.� Ok, Sheridan thought, she was allowed this one little lie.
�Well Officer, do you have anything to add to Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald�s story?
�Just that my wife was slanting the story a little bit in my favor. I was pretty hard handed with her at times, and I feel honored that, in spite of my faults, she still agreed to marry me.� Oh brother, the words were just flowing out of his mouth. Their friends and families would have been rolling their eyes, if they could hear him now. But in spite of his exaggerated words, Luis couldn�t believe how much it warmed his heart to be able to call her his wife. Get a grip on yourself Luis; remember the real reason she married you. This whole situation seemed so surreal, they were giving the best performances of their lives, and if he didn�t know better, he would almost be convinced that this was the real thing.
�What you both say sounds plausible, however, I find it strange that neither one of you mentions love. Are you in love with each other�? Dead silence. �Well?�
�Yes�, they both responded at once. The Judge studied their faces for a long time, and both were convinced that he could see their noses growing. What was ironic about the whole thing was that both thought the other was lying, when in reality, it was the one truth that neither one was prepared to face.
�OK here�s what�s going to happen. First I want to see the proof of this marriage, and if I�m satisfied that it�s authentic, the charges will be dismissed, and Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald�s record will be wiped clean of this incident. But, if I find out that the two of you have been giving me the run around today, I�ll make sure that both of you spend some time making license plates. I may be an old fool, but I assure you that I�m a smart old fool. Now give me that damn marriage license, I was due to pick up my grandson ten minutes ago, and you have wasted enough of my time today.�
After the judge confirmed the marriage license was valid, the group filed back into the courtroom to make everything official. Only when the Judge said they were free to go did Luis begin to breathe easy, but at the same time, he had a feeling his troubles were far from over. He noticed that Sheridan was rubbing her temples, and he asked her if she was ok. She said that she just had a headache, and would be fine once they got out of the courthouse. Michael grabbed the next elevator, unfortunately Judge O�Mally hopped on right before the doors closed. Nobody spoke, but when the doors opened, the Judge pointed at Sheridan and Luis. �Just remember you two, I�ll be keeping my eye on you. Don�t make me regret my decision today�. And with that he was gone.
As they left the courthouse they were mobbed by the media, the reporters were firing questions at them from all sides. �No comment�. Michael said trying to keep them at bay, but when a reported knocked into Sheridan with his camera Luis saw red. �Get that damn thing away from my wife� he said wrapping a protective arm around Sheridan. Thankfully, Luis� jeep was parked across the street, and Michael, Sheridan and Luis were able to push back the press enough to make it to the car without further incident. They had picked Michael up that morning before the trial, so they were dropping him off at his law offices before heading back to Harmony.
�Damn, I�m sorry about that, but I have a feeling you two are going to be all over the tabloids tomorrow. The Crane�s are always big news, but with a marriage, and a courtroom drama, it�s no wonder they were champing at the bit. I can�t imagine that old Alistair is going to be too happy about this Sheridan�.
�I�ll tell you what Michael, I really don�t care if my father is upset or not, in fact I wish I could have seen the look on his face when Julian delivered the news of my nuptials. Julian is probably living on skid roll right now� Sheridan chuckled at the thought.
�I�m glad your so amused Sheridan, but this is a serious matter. So Michael, do you feel good about the outcome today? I had a feeling that the Judge wasn�t really buying our story. I�ve got to tell you I�m pretty nervous about this whole thing.�
�Come on Luis, lighten up, we�ve been through a stressful day, and I think the Judge was completely convinced we are a couple in love�, Sheridan couldn�t keep the sarcasm out of her voice. Luis just gave her one of his �drop dead� looks.
�Look, you two, we have discussed this before, all you have to do is pretend to be the happy, loving couple for a few months, and as long as you don�t consummate your marriage you should be able to get this thing annulled without any problems. I�m sure getting it voided in the Catholic Church should not be a problem either. But let me caution you, I�m sure you trust your family and friends, but I wouldn�t let on, even to them that this isn�t a love match. Don�t put yourselves in the position to be compromised.� From his position in the back seat, Michael could see Luis� face in the rear view mirror, and it looked like he has just sucked on a lemon. He couldn�t read Sheridan's reaction to his words because she was staring straight ahead. Michael didn�t say anything to them, but he had a feeling that someday these two would be thanking him. Maybe they will even name their first male child after him. �Well looks like we are at my building. You two take care,� Michael said as he crawled out of the backseat and shut the door.
�Luis! People are blowing their horns, are you going to move? Earth to Luis!�
�Oh God Sheridan, just what the hell have we done?�
Chapter 4
Wonderful, Sheridan thought, I can see this is going to be a long drive back to Harmony. �Listen Luis, you need to move this car. It�s really not the time to contemplate our situation �. Luis didn�t answer; he shifted into drive, and pulled off with such a force that Sheridan felt her neck snap. Great, Sheridan thought, and he always complains about my driving. Luis navigated through the Boston traffic and finally located the proper exit for the interstate. They had been on the road for about thirty minutes, and still they hadn�t uttered a word. Sheridan glanced at Luis out of the corner of her eye, and noticed he was pulling and fidgeting with his shirt collar, and it was getting on her last nerve. What was his problem? He had already taken his tie off and undid the top button of his dress shirt. It must be one of those nervous things, she thought rolling her eyes. She just couldn�t take the silence any longer.
�Luis, are you ever going to talk again, or have you taken a vow of silence?�
�Well let�s see Sheridan, in the last several days, I�ve been arrested for kidnapping, spent time in jail for said kidnapping, got married, and stood up in front of a Judge that didn�t believe a damn word we said. I would think that anything I had to say right now would be anti-climatic!�
�Oh yes, poor Luis, do you think this has been a walk in the park for me? I�ve been through hell today too. I could have just let you rot in prison, so I would think you would show a little gratitude right now!�
�Well if I remember correctly, we wouldn�t be in this situation right now, if you hadn�t been so stubborn and had me arrested in the first place.� He immediately regretted his words when he noticed the tears forming in her eyes. �Look I�m sorry, I know we have both had a hell of a day, it�s just that I�m not used to living with these lies. I�m not sure I can pull this off.�
�Oh that�s really rich Luis, considering that you have lied to me for months, you still can�t admit that you tried to use me.�
�I see we�re back to that again. How many times do I have to tell you that I wasn�t using you, and in case you forgot, I did sign a pre-nuptial, at your insistence, I might add? If I was after your money why would I agree to sign the damn thing. Those things are just another cop-out for rich people. It�s like admitting failure before you even begin.� Oh God, she was really crying hard now, and it broke his heart. � Look I'm sorry, please don�t cry. I think we are at an impasse on this subject, so can we please call a truce? Please Sher?�
He really knew how to get to her. Now he was rubbing her hand, and even though she wouldn�t admit it to him, she was melting. �OK Luis, a truce. For now.�
They finally arrived in Harmony and all Sheridan wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for a solid week. As they arrived at the mansion, Sheridan noted that is was calm and that fact made her nervous. Was the storm ready to hit? �I�m surprised Julian isn�t here with the National Guard. Maybe he�ll wait and strike tomorrow, I�m sure he�s cuddled up with his brandy right now three sheets to the wind.�
As they entered the cottage, Sheridan said �I�m exhausted Luis, I�m going to bed. You know where I keep the linens.�
�Wait a minute, not so fast, we need to discuss the sleeping arrangements.� If looks could kill, the one Sheridan was giving him now would already have him in his grave.
�There is nothing to discuss Luis, I sleep in my bed, and you sleep on the sofa. That seemed to work out great when you were my bodyguard. So goodnight, I�ll see you in the morning.�
�Oh no you don�t�, Luis said coming up behind her. She wished he wouldn�t stand so close, he was causing havoc with her senses. �Things are a little different now then when I was your bodyguard.�
Oh God, now he was touching her. �Surly, you don�t think we are going to share the same bed Luis, remember this is a marriage of convenience. So, please let go of my arm, I think this conversation is finished.�
�Sheridan, we are supposed to be madly in love, how are you going to explain me sleeping on the sofa? She really wished he would quit touching her like that, she was having a hard time concentrating.
�Ok Luis, what�s your point, why would it matter what we did in the privacy of our own home?� Did she say �our home�? Sheridan get a grip on yourself.
�Come on, this cottage has more traffic then Wal-Mart! People walk in here unannounced, and uninvited at all times of the night and day. In fact, why don�t we just hire Eve Russell�s old friend Orvill, and he can greet everyone when they walk through the door.�
�OK, Luis, you made your point, if your not going to sleep on the sofa, then where are you going to sleep?� Sheridan could think of some places, how about beside her, under her, on top her, �Well I�m waiting, Luis�. Sheridan said out loud, bringing herself out of her sexual haze. �Wait, I have an idea. I saw this old movie once with Clark Gable, called It Happened One Night. The characters are in a situation where they had to share the same bed, so they rigged this clothes line contraption down the middle of the bed and hung a sheet up to separate them.�
Luis began laughing hysterically. �Shut up Luis, I don�t see you coming up with any bright ideas. And anyway, I think that would be a good solution.�
�Sher, wait a minute�, Luis said still clutching his stomach, "I don�t think that would work, I have this mental picture of you explaining to Mamma that you decided to wash out your linens in the middle of the night. Sorry, but I don�t think she is going to fall for that?�
Luis took her hand and led her into the bedroom. He began sizing up the room and walked over to the bed. �Look, you have enough pillows here to supply a homeless shelter, so I say we take these pillows and stack them down the center of the bed. Then we will both have are own sides with a minimum amount of privacy.�
�Well, I guess it seems like our best option for now, but I�m not convinced this is such a great idea.�
�Why not, are you afraid you�ll roll over in the middle of the night, shove the pillows out of the way and attack me?" Luis loved teasing her. There was something about the way her blue eyes sparkled when she was angry, kind of like they were now. Oh boy, here she blows!
�You are so full of yourself, I can�t believe your kind, sweet mother would have raised such a macho jerk for a son!!!!�
�Look, calm down Sheridan, I was just teasing you. I�ll tell you what, I�m going to take a shower. That should give you some privacy to get ready for bed.� Luis picked up his shaving bag and waked into the bathroom.
As soon as Sheridan heard the water, she flew to her closet and started rifling through her clothes. There, in the back of her closet, she found the nightgown she was looking for. She quickly striped and pulled the gown over her head. When she had everything situated, she checked out her appearance in the mirror. Yes, this was definitely the look she was going for. The nightgown was made of heavy, white cotton, that draped out in billowing folds completely covering all her curves. It buttoned up to the neck, and the collar and cuffs were edged with Queen Ann lace. She quickly ran to her bed and stacked the pillows length-wise down the center of the bed. She added a few more pillows until she was satisfied the �pillow mound� was high enough. She heard the shower go off, and dived into her side of the bed. Just as Luis opened the door, she picked up her book and pretended to be reading.
Luis almost burst out laughing when he saw Sheridan lying there, trussed up like virgin nun, reading her upside down book. He didn�t know what she was trying to prove, but that atrocious gown she was wearing was did nothing to deter from his sexual desire for her. He had a photographic memory when it came to her naked body. She finally looked up and he could tell by the look on her face that she was ready to go into one of her tirades.
�I certainly hope your going to put some clothes on before you come to bed! Your practically naked!�
�Come on Sheridan, you know I always sleep in my boxers. The only time I sleep naked is when I�m trying to keep somebody warm, or when I�m making love to a women� he added. Sheridan just sat there, red-faced with her mouth hanging open. So now I know how to get her to shut up.
�By the way Sher, nice nightgown. Who was the designer, Omar the Tentmaker? Aren�t you worried that tight collar is going to cut off the oxygen supply to your brain?� He was really pushing it now, but he couldn�t resist.
She refused to be baited. �That�s not very nice Luis, my great-aunt Hilda gave me this gown as a gift. Besides, I don�t care if it meets with your approval or not. Now if you�ll excuse me, I�m going to sleep. Just make sure you stay on your side of the pillows.� With that Sheridan put her book on the table and rolled over on her side with her back to Luis.
Sheridan felt the mattress shift when Luis got into bed. She could smell his clean, soapy scent, and it sent a rush of heat though her body. She had this erotic vision of Luis in the shower rubbing soap all over his muscular body, the water running down his dark skin�. NO, I am not going to think about him or I�ll go crazy.
Sheridan didn�t realize it, but Luis was fighting his own sexual demons. He wanted to rip that virginal gown from her body so he could explore her luscious curves. His fantasy grew bolder when he envisioned her lying naked under him, screaming out his name as she reached her climax. Damn, he was definitely in for a long, painful night.
Chapter 5
Luis opened his eyes slowly. He felt foggy and disoriented from his sleepless night. Why was it so stuffy and hot in here? He was drenched in perspiration. Then if finally dawned on him, he was buried alive in a mound of pillows. Why that little brat, she did this on purpose. He flung the pillow off his face because he was having difficulty breathing, and that�s when he smelled it, burnt eggs! Oh no, Sheridan was cooking again. For God sake, she lived in Paris for all those years, why in the hell didn�t she take some cooking lessons? He got up and went into the bathroom to shower and brush his teeth. When he finished toweling himself off, he went to grap a fresh pair of boxers, when he remembered Sheridan�s little stunt that morning. It would serve her right if I walked out there in my birthday suit. That will wipe that smug look of her face, he thought grumpily. But he wasn�t in a teasing mood today, and facing Sheridan in the buff would definitely put him at a disadvantage. When Luis walked into the living room, the site of Sheridan in all her glory assaulted him. She was sitting on the sofa reading the paper, and taking a sip from her china teacup. Her beauty never ceased to amaze him, and the sight of her always took his breath away. The matching turquoise skirt and top she wore brought out the vibrant blue of her eyes. She was showing no signs that she was suffering from sleep depravation, when he knew for a fact that she had tossed and turned for hours last night. For some reason it pissed him off that she could look like a million bucks when he felt like a piece of crap. Sheridan finally looked up and noticed his presence.
�Good morning Luis, did you sleep well,� Sheridan said in a cherry tone.
�Well considering that my wife of twenty four hours has already tried to murder me in my sleep, I feel surprisingly refreshed,� Luis said sarcastically.
�My, my aren�t we testy this morning, and I can�t believe you would think I would be capable of such a terrible thing. I think somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Why don�t you sit down and have some scrambled eggs and coffee. Maybe that will improve your surly mood.�
�Ok, I�ll have the coffee, but skip the eggs, if I want to commit suicide, I�ll call Dr. Kevorkian.�
�Very funny Luis. Your jokes about my scrambled eggs are getting a little old. They taste perfectly fine to me.� Now he was putting her in a bad mood.
While Luis busied himself pouring a cup of coffee, Sheridan was able to study him unobserved. Man, the guy looked good enough to eat in that black sweater and jeans. He always dressed with a casual air of indifference that was incredible sexy. She decided that black was definitely his color. When Luis brought the cup to his mouth to take a drink, she had to resist the urge to lean in and taste the coffee on his lips. She really needed to stop this because she was heading for dangerous territory. She decided to change the direction of her thoughts, and asked him what he had planned for the day.
�I thought I would go over to the house to see mama. We only had a chance to speak for a few minutes yesterday, and I�m sure she�s pretty blown away by this whole thing. I feel like a creep springing this thing on her like that.�
�Luis, I�m sure Pilar understands that you had no other choice in the matter. She loves you, and it would kill her to see you go to prison. I think it�s sweet that you always show so much concern for your mother. You�re a good son and brother, and you should be proud that you were able to overcome so much to give them a happy life. So please, don�t be so hard on yourself.�
The look he gave her turned her to mush. Their eyes connected and she was so lost in their depths that she didn�t even hear the phone ringing. The annoying noise finally brought her back to reality, and she finally answered the phone on the fifth ring. It was Sam wanting to speak to Luis.
�It�s Sam Bennett for you.� She said handing the phone to Luis.
�Hey Sam, what�s up?� Sheridan could tell by the look on Luis� face that he wasn�t happy about what Sam was saying. �I know what you said, but I�m happy with the way things turned out. Look Sam, I�m heading over to the house, I�ll stop by the station when I�m finished there, and we can talk then�. With that Luis hung up the phone.
�I take it that Chief Bennett isn�t exactly thrilled about our marriage�. Sheridan didn�t know why, but Sam�s disapproval really hurt her.
�Look Sher,� Luis said touching her face. �Sam means well. He just has a tendency to overreact sometimes.�
�You don�t have to explain Luis, I know that Sam loves you like a son, and being married to a Crane is probably the last thing he wanted for you. It�s too bad you can�t tell him the truth about the real state of our marriage.�
�You know that I don�t put you in the same category at the rest of your family. As much as I care about my family and friends, the real state of our marriage is between you and me, and I refuse to let anyone hold the sins of your family against you. No matter what happens between us, I will always protect you.�
Sheridan was touched beyond measure by Luis� sweet words. Would she ever be able to figure this man out? He constantly kept her off balance, and she couldn�t help being intrigued by him. But she knew that if she were going to survive, she would have to harden her heart to him. The terrible things she heard him say on the wharf that night would always be the harsh reality she needed to keep her feelings for him in check. She pushed him away and turned to pour herself another cup of coffee.
�I appreciate your concern Luis, but I don�t need you to protect me. I can take care of my self, and it�s insulting to me that you would have to defend me because of my family name. My family may not be perfect, but they are my family, and I refused to be embarrassed because my name is Crane�.
She was pushing him away again, and he knew that she was thinking about what she thought he said that night on the wharf. She was so sucked in by the garbage her family was constantly feeding her, that it was impossible to make her see reason. The hell with her; he was the one that was sick of defending himself. Because of her family�s influence, she was never going to trust him. He refused to let her turn this around on him.
�You�re the one that brought up your family name Sheridan, not me. But your right about one thing, you can take care of yourself, and I�ll try not to forget that this farce of a marriage was a sacrifice on your part to help me out of a bad situation. But know this, I will never stop believing your family was responsible for my father�s disappearance. I will never be able to live with myself if I don�t find out the truth.�
Before Sheridan could respond, they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Luis looked up to see their visitor was none other that the curse of his existence, Julian Crane. Luis walked over and answered the door.
�Good morning Julian, I see you finally learned how to knock. Aren�t you a little late, we were expecting you hours ago?� Luis said eyeing Julian like he was the scum of the earth.
�Well Luis, I would think that since you finally managed to get your hooks into my sister, you would be in a better mood. You may have bamboozled my sister, but I will never forget that you are nothing but the housekeeper�s son. Father and I will never allow you to get your hands on the Crane money.�
�Julian, I will not allow you to speak to Luis that way. You have no right�.�
�That�s ok Sheridan, I don�t really care what Julian thinks of me. As long as I know you love me, that�s the only thing that matters to me.� Luis stepped up behind her and put his hands on her upper arms. Sheridan couldn�t see his eyes, but she could sense that Luis was furious, but for some reason he wasn�t reacting like usual. It was apparent that Luis was putting on a show for Julian.
�Julian, if you�ll excuse me, I was just on my way to visit my family, so I�ll let you and your sister catch up.�
Luis turned Sheridan around so that they were facing each other. He cupped her chin tenderly in his hand, stroking her cheek with the pad of his thumb. �Well sweetie, you have a wonderful day, I�ll miss you.� She didn�t have a chance to respond, because he pulled her against him and brushed his mouth against hers. When he tasted the sweetness of her lips, he forgot that Julian was watching and deepened the kiss. He finally broke the kiss, winked at Sheridan and walked out the door.
Chapter 6
Sheridan didn�t give Julian a chance to say a word. She couldn�t believe she could even think straight after the way Luis had just kissed her. �Look Julian, I don�t want to hear anything you or father has to say. I�m married to Luis now and there�s nothing you can do about it.�
�Do you realize you have betrayed your family, and father is furious with you. What ever possessed you to marry a man that would coldly set out to use you? The tabloids are having a field day over this debacle. Explain yourself�!
�Stop it father, I�m not going to let you brow beat Aunt Sheridan this way.� Thank God, Ethan had shown up just in time. Maybe he could help to calm Julian down. Ethan led Sheridan over to the sofa and sat down next to her putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. �Even though I don�t agree with father�s high handed tactics, I have to admit that you threw us for quite a loop. A few days ago, you couldn�t stand the sight of Luis, and this marriage just doesn�t make sense.�
�I�ll tell you what makes sense, that Latin gigolo was able to seduce your aunt into this preposterous marriage in order to save his behind. She has proven that she has learned nothing from her past relationships with these con men that want her for nothing else but her fortune.�
�Father, please stop this, can�t you see that Sheridan is upset. You are not even giving her a chance to explain. Now Sheridan, you know we are just concerned for your welfare. We want to make sure Luis didn�t do something underhanded to force you to marry him.�
Sheridan had finally reached her breaking point. The last couple of days had been such an emotional roller coaster ride. She felt like she was being hit from all sides, and her defense mechanism kicked in. She had made her decision that day in Michael�s office, and there was no turning back now. She knew that Ethan was truly concerned for her, but Julian�s motivation was based on nothing but his hatred for Luis. Why couldn�t they understand that she was capable of making her own decisions? She didn�t need them to protect her from the harsh realities of life. She was responsible for having Luis arrested in the first place, and she had to make it right. Without saying a word, Sheridan walked over and dialed Alistair�s number. When Alistair answered, Sheridan put him on the speakerphone.
�Father, this is Sheridan. I have Julian and Ethan with me right now. I wanted you all to hear what I have to say, because I don�t want to repeat this again. Luis, in no uncertain terms chorused, threatened, or as Julian would say, bamboozled me into marrying him. Would I have normally wanted my marriage to be under these conditions? Probably not, but I was responsible for this whole chain of events, and when Luis kidnapped me, he did so to save my life. And in case your concerned that Luis is using me for my money, don�t be, because he did not even hesitate to sign a prenuptial agreement. Just the thought of Luis having to spend time in prison made me realize that I could never let that happen because�., well, because I love him. Do you understand that, I love him? So you can all rant and rave to your hearts content, but that�s the way it is so accept it."
�See father, it�s obvious she has been programmed by this man, but at least she had the sense to have the scurvy bum sign a pre-nuptial agreement. Father you have to make her�.�
�SHUT UP JULIAN, I would like to speak to your sister. Sheridan, I will admit, that when I first heard about your marriage to Luis, I was quite upset. Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald is not exactly the kind of man I imagined my little girl to end up with, but I have had a chance to rethink my position. Now that I�ve heard your explanation, I believe I have no other choice but to accept your marriage to Luis. I�m not sure I�ll ever be able to fully embrace your marriage, but if this is what will make my beautiful daughter happy, then I�m happy.�
Sheridan couldn�t believe it. Had she just heard correctly, her father was going to accept her marriage to Luis? She had to admit, she was suspicious, but what could her father really do about the situation? He really did not have any other option but to comply with her decision. Julian looked like he had just given birth, but Ethan seemed to be content with the way everything turned out. �Thank you father, I appreciate your understanding.�
�So, Julian and Ethan I think you should leave Sheridan be, after all she is still on her honeymoon. I think you both have duties at the mansion to attend to.� Sheridan blushed over that honeymoon line. But she was happy her father was being so agreeable. She knew she was being ridiculous, but she still longed for her father�s approval. Maybe this was a new start for her and father.
After Julian and Ethan left, Sheridan couldn�t believe how tired she suddenly felt. After all she had only had a few hours of sleep last night. And, thinking back to that kiss Luis have given her earlier, she had a feeling she wasn�t going to get much more sleep tonight. She pulled the throw off the back of the sofa and lie down, and before she knew it she was fast asleep.
Julian went back to his study in the mansion and poured himself a brandy. He was still in shock over what father had said to Sheridan. What the hell was father up to? He still couldn�t believe his acceptance of Sheridan�s marriage to Luis. Just then the phone rang. Julian pressed the speaker button, because he had a feeling it was Alistair.
�So Julian, I can see it didn�t take you long to get your face buried in a brandy bottle?
�Father, what do you expect after hearing your shocking speech about accepting Sheridan�s marriage to Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald,� Julian spat out sarcastically. �Have you lost your mind father?�
�Julian, you idiot, this is exactly why I made Ethan my heir. Do you honestly think I would ever accept Sheridan and Luis�s marriage?�
�But father, you said��
�Haven�t you learned by now that I don�t always say what I mean. We have no choice in the matter right now. This is all over the press, and the only way for the Crane�s to save face is to pretend to embrace this marriage. If we publicly denounce Sheridan and Luis� marriage, we would be fodder for the tabloids. And besides, if we protest too much, Luis will become more suspicious then he already is. This is the only way to neutralize this situation.�
�But father I don�t think I follow. They have accomplished exactly what we were fighting so hard against.�
�Well Julian, since you are such a dim wit, let me explain. Luis is newly married and still basking in his newfound happiness. His love for Sheridan will make him weak, and his weakness should keep him off of our backs for awhile. But it�s your sister�s love for Luis that will bring their downfall. We will just sit back and let them believe everything is status quo, and then when they least expect it, we will strike. They won�t even know what hit them."
�Oh Father, this is going to be delicious�, Julian said, pouring himself another brandy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
�Sheridan, wake up. Come on Sheridan, wake up.�
Sheridan didn�t want to open her eyes. She was having the sweetest dream about her and Luis. They were on a picnic, and Luis was telling her how much he loved her. When she came fully awake, she pulled back with a gasp when she saw Hank staring down at her.
�Hank, you scared me to death. What are you doing here? Where is Luis?� She considered Hank a good friend, but she was a little spooked by his being here while she was sleeping.
�I don�t know where Luis is, but I want you to tell me if it�s true. Did you and Luis really get married?�
She had never seen Hank so angry before. She was getting nervous, because he was starting to cross the comfort zone. She sat up and pulled away from him.
�Yes Hank it�s true, Luis and I are married now. When I realized he could go to prison, I knew that I cared too much to let that happen. I�m sorry if your hurt Hank, but as much as I denied my feelings for Luis, you had to have realized that I cared deeply for him.� Sheridan said softly.
"Sure you had feelings for Luis, but he lied to you, he kidnapped you from Paris, and brought you back against your will. Why marriage, there had to be another way for Luis to get off.� Hank was getting hostile now.
�I�m sorry Hank, but that was the only way,� Sheridan was not comfortable with the way this conversation was going. He grabbed her arm.
�Are you saying that you are in love with Luis?�
�Yes I do, and kindly let go of my arm.�
Luis� mind was racing a mile a minute as he drove back to the cottage. His family�s reaction earlier had been mixed to say the least. At least Theresa was happy for him. She was already making them a scrapbook from newspaper clippings, and that made him feel guilty as hell. Miguel had been hard to read, but he was genially happy that Luis was out of danger from going to prison. He had wished Luis the best, and said he hoped he and Sheridan would be happy. Mama had been another story. She had hugged and kissed him out of relief, but when they had discussed his marriage to Sheridan, he could see the fear in her eyes. He knew she loved Sheridan like a daughter, but she feared the wrath of Alistair and Julian. The guilt was overwhelming him; he had never lied to his mother before. Until now, and he was in too deep to get out.
Sam had surprised him the most. He had expected his usual lecture about getting involved with �The Cranes�, but he just said that he hoped the hell Luis knew what he was getting into. The real reason Sam wanted to speak to Luis was to tell him that he was on the short list for the detective spot. Apparently, the FBI had had been so impressed with his work in appending the drug cartel, that they had recommended him, unofficially of course, for the promotion. Maybe for once something in his screwed up life was going to go right. He couldn�t help it, but he was excited to tell Sheridan the news.
Speaking of Sheridan, he felt like a first class heel for deserting her to Julian. He could bet his paycheck that Julian had put Sheridan through the ringer. But, as much as he worried about her going against her brother, he knew that she had to do this alone. His presence would have only exasperated the situation, because he probably would have shoved his fist down Julian�s throat before it was over. Besides, Sheridan was probably really pissed at him right now for kissing her like that in front of Julian. There was one thing she couldn�t deny thought, she was getting into it. He had been around long enough to know when a woman was responding to his kisses. Maybe there was hope for them yet; even though logic told him that they had too many obstacles to overcome.
When Luis arrived at the cottage, he noticed Hank�s car parked in front. Jealously cursed through him like hot lava. He didn�t want Hank with Sheridan when he wasn�t around. Maybe he was being unreasonable, and Hank was his best friend, but his friend�s feelings for Sheridan twisted his gut into knots. When he walked up to the door, he could see through the window, and he noticed that Hank looked like he had Sheridan backed up against the arm of the sofa. Damn, if he�s hurt her in any way, best friend or not, he would kill him.
Chapter 7
Luis burst through the door, springing over to the sofa. �What the hell is going on here?� Luis noted the look of relief on Sheridan�s face, and that pissed him off even worst then he already was.
�Sheridan was just trying to explain to me the reason why you two got hitched.� Hank said with a snarl. It was obvious he hadn�t noticed the rage in Luis� eyes, or he would have been running for his life.
�Sheridan are you alright?" Luis said rubbing her shoulder.
�Yes Luis, I�m fine �. She knew she had to do something to defuse the situation quickly, because Luis looked like he was ready to tear Hank�s head off. �Hank is still in shock about our news�.
Hank must have clued in that Luis was not happy, because his whole demeanor changed. He stood, and with a smile shook Luis� hand and offered his congratulations. Luis still wasn�t smiling, but he did take Hank�s hand and thanked him.
�Well, I guess I should be going, and give you two some privacy�.
�Thanks buddy, we appreciate that, let me walk you to the door.�
When they reached the door, Luis looked Hank straight in the face. �I�m sorry that your hurt Hank, but don�t ever treat Sheridan in that threatening matter again, or you�ll wish you were never born. I value our friendship, but just make sure you don�t abuse it.�
After Hank left, Luis came to Sheridan and again asked her if she was all right.
�I promise I�m fine Luis, although I have to admit I was taken by surprise when I woke up to find Hank staring at me. But���
�HE WHAT! I will kill him.�
Oh no, she realized her mistake the minute the words came out of her mouth. The last thing she wanted was to come between Luis and Hank�s friendship. �Luis, please calm down. Hank was just caught off guard about us getting married. I�m sure he didn�t mean any harm.�
�I realize that Sheridan, but I don�t want him walking in here without knocking. God, he didn�t touch you did he?� Luis jealousy was getting out of control.
�I promise Luis I�m fine. Can we please change the subject? How did everything go at Pilar�s today? Did you get a chance to talk with Sam?" She could tell Luis was fighting to control his anger, but he finally managed to give her a lopsided smile.
�Hey, one question at a time, ok? I was thinking that, well you know, neither one of us has had a decent meal in the last couple of days, so why don�t we go to the Lobster Shack for dinner? Then, we can talk about our day today.� Did he really say that? It sounded like they were a real married couple. �Come on Sher, what ya say?�
Luis was giving her one of his killer smiles that she found hard to resist. If he keeps this up, before long she would be putty in his hands. She had to find some way to resist him. �I don�t know Luis, dinner seems like�, well you know�.�
�A date.�
�Well I wasn�t exactly going to say a date, but under the circumstances, don�t you think we should keep our social activities to a minimum?�
�Come on Sheridan, its just dinner. We have to eat don�t we? I think your being a little paranoid here, don�t you?� The guy did have a point, what harm would there be in going out to dinner.
�Alright Luis, I guess its dinner at the Lobster Shack�.
Chapter 7
Sheridan glanced over at Luis as they were driving to the Lobster Shack. She wished she knew what he was thinking, he seemed so pensive all of a sudden. She though back to all that had happened today. Had she really told her family and Hank that she loved Luis? The words had seemed to flow out of her mouth so easily, almost like they were real and not just some ruse to make everyone believe that this was a true marriage. She couldn�t think about that because it was just too scary. She had to admit that when Luis had pulled her into that kiss, she had felt it all the way down to her toes. But surly that was nothing but lust. After all, Luis was an incredibly sexy man, and she would have to be blind not to want to kiss those incredible lips of his. And now they were going to the Lobster Shack of all places. A picture of feeding Luis lobster flashed through her mind. God, the man�s mouth should be declared an illegal weapon. Stop it Sheridan, just stop it. This is hard enough without you having erotic thoughts about Luis. She had to do something before this got out of control. It was time they set some boundaries because things were getting way too confusing.
Sheridan would have been surprised to know that Luis� thoughts were running along the same line as hers. This was getting way too complicated. He didn�t know what had possessed him to ask Sheridan out to dinner. Was it because spending the evening alone with her at the cottage would have made him climb the walls with frustration? Or was this just another opportunity to be able to play the attentive, loving husband? When he kissed her earlier, it had started out as just a way to stick it to Julian, but the minute he touched Sheridan�s sweet lips, he was lost. Damn, it had felt too good, and he wasn�t at all happy about that. The one thing he did know for sure is that he would be ready for the psycho ward before this was over.
When they arrived at the restaurant, the hostess led them to their table. Thank God, the place was quiet, tonight. He really wasn�t in the mood to deal with a crowd. As he looked around, the memory of their first date came flooding back to him full force. They had been on the verge of discovering a deep and tender love for each other that night. Even back then Luis has known that this thing was special between them. Things had been to sweet and innocent, he never would have believed that night that their relationship would stray so off course. Once they were seated, Luis looked up to see Sheridan staring at him. �What�s the matter, do I have something in my teeth?� Luis teased.
�No, of course not. I guess I was just trying to work up the courage to bring up a certain subject.� This is not going to be easy Sheridan thought.
�Why Sheridan, I can�t believe you would need courage to do anything. You have never been shy about speaking your mind in the past,� and I still have the scars to prove it, Luis thought to himself.
�I think we need to set some rules about our current situation. If we don�t ���
�Good evening, my name is DeeDee, and I�ll be your waitress tonight. Can I get you folks anything from the bar?� Folks, Sheridan thought. The woman doesn�t even notice I�m sitting there. She hadn�t taken her eyes off of Luis from the minute she had interrupted them. She was seeing green, even though she would never admit it. Luis, the rat, was flashing DeeDee his killer grin. Look at him, basking in her adoration like a conceited oaf. He thinks he Gods gift to the female race.
�That would be wonderful,� Sheridan said rubbing Luis� arm. �My husband and I would like to order your best bottle of champagne. You see we�re newlyweds and we�re celebrating. Right honey?� Sheridan couldn�t resist goading the little red headed hussy. It wasn�t jealously, she told herself. It�s just that she could never stomach a woman that flirted with a man when he was with another women.
�Congratulations. Darn, just my luck, the great guys are always taken. You�re a very lucky woman,� DeeDee said, finally acknowledging Sheridan�s presence.
�Thank you, but if you wouldn�t mind, I�m getting really thirsty, so could you get us that bottle of champagne now?� Sheridan knew she was being a bitch, but she couldn�t help herself.
�Of course, I�ll be right back with your champagne,� the waitress said giving Luis one last look as she walked away to get their order.
�Whoa Sheridan, don�t you think you were being a little rude to DeeDee?�
Sheridan looked up at Luis. His tone had been disapproving, but his eyes held a hint of amusement. She knew she had sounded like a jealous fishwife, and now she would have to do some fast thinking to explain her behavior.
�I think she was the one that was being rude. I know this is supposed to be pretend, but she doesn�t know that. I mean, we do have on wedding rings,� Sheridan said twisting the plain gold band on her left ring finger.
�If I didn�t know better, I would think you were jealous Sheridan,� Luis said leaning forward, and giving her a knowing smile.
�Your conceit is unbelievable,� Sheridan said shaking her head back and forth. �Get over yourself, I am NOT jealous. I just think it�s tacky when a woman comes on to another women�s man. And by the way Luis, you didn�t really come off as a husband in love, with the way you were flirting back with Ditsy.�
�DeeDee.�
�What?�
�Her name is DeeDee, not Ditsy.�
�Oh, whatever,� Sheridan said waving her hand in a half circle.
Luis spotted DeeDee coming over to the table with their bottle of champagne, so he decided to take advantage of the situation, and have a little fun. He picked up Sheridan�s hand in his own and started to trace lazy circles over the top. Just as DeeDee arrived at the table, Luis turned Sheridan�s hand over and leaned in and kissed her wrist. When Luis smelled her light perfume, it suddenly stopped being a game, and he could tell Sheridan knew it too. Their eyes met, and held in a look of smoldering desire. They might have stared all night if DeeDee hadn�t cleared her throat. They both sat back red faced, as DeeDee popped the cork, and poured them both a glass of champagne.
�Would you care to order now�? Funny, Sheridan thought, she sure is acting all businesslike now.
�Yes, Sheridan do you want the usual?� When Sheridan said yes, Luis ordered two lobsters and two small side salads.
When DeeDee left to put their order in Luis picked up his glass. �So Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald, since you made such a big deal in front of DeeDee about celebrating, I think we better make a toast.�
�Ok, Luis what do you suggest we toast to?�
�Let�s see,� Luis said thoughtfully. �Why don�t we toast to making the best of things.�
�Ok� Sheridan said touching her glass to Luis�, �to making the best of things.�
�So Sheridan, you never told me what you were trying to get up the courage to say earlier.�
�Oh, you mean right before DeeDee stuck her thousand dollar goodies in your face?�
�Believe me Sheridan, It wasn�t DeeDee�s goodies I was looking at.� Luis said giving her a crooked smile.
Sheridan�s face turned a hundred shades of red. She couldn�t think of a single comeback. Pretending their conversation hadn�t turned in this direction, she took a sip her champagne.
�What I was trying to say is that we need to set some ground rules for our situation.�
�Ok I�m all ears, what do you have in mind?�
�Well I think we need to decide what�s acceptable behavior in public vs. private.�
�Do tell, this should be interesting,� Luis said running his finger along the edge of his champagne glass.
�Obviously there will have to be some---- well you know touching and tenderness in public, but any gratuitous gestures would be overkill.� She wished he would quit doing that thing with his finger, it was really distracting her.
�And in private?
�I think it would be best if we conducted our private relationship like friends would. So is that agreeable to you?�
Did he really have a choice? What the hell, he couldn�t really think of anything better, but the question is, would they be able to stick to it? Luis doubted it.
�Sounds like a plan.� Luis said raising his glass in the air.
DeeDee brought their meals, and they ate in comfortable silence for a while when Sheridan said. �So how did your visit with Pilar and Sam go today?�
�Pretty well considering. At least I didn�t have to lie outright to mama, I think she was perceptive enough not to ask too many questions. She wishes us well, but you know mama, she is worried about Alistair�s and Julian�s reaction.�
�Would you believe it was quite civilized. As you know, Julian was fit to be tied, and then Ethan showed up and managed to calm him down a little. But you are never going to believe what Alistair said.�
�Alistair, when did he show up?�
�Well I decided that I was not in the mood to listen to Julian�s ranting and raving any longer, and I was sick of all the questions, so I called my father and put him on the speaker phone. I declared to all of them that our marriage was a done deal and that they were going to have to accept it. And do you know what my father said?�
�I can image.�
�He actually said that even though he wasn�t sure he would ever totally embrace our marriage, that if I was happy that�s all that mattered to him. Can you believe it Luis; he is actually not going to interfere?
�Yeah, that�s great Sheridan, I�m just glad that they didn�t beat you up too badly.� I bet Alistair not going to interfere, Luis thought to himself. The bastard is probably plotting and planning as we speak.
�So Luis, you never told me what Sam wanted.�
�That�s right, I almost forgot. He told me I was on the short list for a promotion to detective. I guess the FBI was so please with my performance when apprehending the drug lords, that they put in a recommendation.�
�Oh Luis, that�s wonderful news. I�m so happy for you. Nobody deserves it more then you do. I can personally attest to your dedication because you have only saved my life about a hundred times.�
�Well I don�t have the promotion yet. I�ll have to work a lot of overtime, but my bust of the drug cartel should improve my chances.�
�I think they would be fools not to give it to you Luis.�
Just then DeeDee approached and asked if they would like desert and coffee. Luis declined, and after checking with Sheridan, who also declined, asked for the check. When DeeDee brought the check, and said she would be back in a minute, Luis got his wallet out and pulled out a fist full of twenty-dollar bills.
�Your not going to leave all that money are you? I�m sure the check is not going to be anywhere near that amount.�
�Of course I am, I need to leave a tip. Since when did you become such a penny pincher?�
�I�m not, it�s just that I don�t think the service warrants that large of a tip. My lobster was cold, and there was too much dressing on my salad.�
�Well Sheridan, I know it�s hard for you to conceive this, but these waitress�s base salary doesn�t amount to squat. They depend on their tips to pay the bills.�
Sheridan felt properly chastised, but she couldn�t help getting in one last little dig. �Yeah, I suppose DeeDee needs to save her pennies to have her breast done again. They looked a little saggy to me.�
Luis paid the check, and they left the restaurant. As they headed back to the cottage, Sheridan became more and more apprehensive. She certainly wasn�t looking forward to another sleepless night. She was exhausted, and all the tension of the last two days had caused a dull headache. Maybe she would take one of the mild sedatives that Eve had prescribed for her. On second thought, she better take a half. She didn�t want to get in the habit of popping pills just to get though the night without thinking of Luis�s hard, hot body lying beside her.
Luis wasn�t exactly looking forward to the rest of the night either. He didn�t remember being this tired. He just prayed to God that his brain would stop functioning long enough so his body could go to sleep. Fat chance, he thought. It looks like it�s going to be another long night of Sister Mary Sheridan and the pillow mound.
Chapter 8
When Luis and Sheridan arrived at the cottage Sheridan excused herself and said she was going to take a hot bath. Luis was thinking about going to bed, but changed his mind because he suddenly felt restless and edgy. He had a feeling that the sound of the running bath water was contributing to his present mood. He needed to get out of here and away from Sheridan for a while. If he didn�t get a release for this sudden burst of energy, he was either going to explode, or run into the bathroom and make a complete fool out of himself. A long hard run should do the trick. He went into the bedroom, and changed into his running clothes. He could hear Sheridan splashing around in the bathtub, which only reinforced his need to get out of there. He knocked on the bathroom door, and told Sheridan he was leaving.
�You�re leaving? Where are you going?�
Had he imagined a bit of trepidation in her voice? �I thought I�d go for a run. I should be back in about an hour�
�That�s fine Luis, you don�t need to report your every action to me. Why don�t you run along so I can enjoy my bath in peace,� Sheridan said impatiently.
She could be such a spoiled brat, Luis thought to himself. �On second thought, I think I�ll just skip the run; instead I�ll go buy some razor blades so I can slit my wrist,� he said out loud.
�Have a nice time dear,� Sheridan said in a bored voice.
Luis slammed the front door with such a force; it almost came off the hinges. DAMN he wished she would make up her mind. First she wants to know where I�m going, then she doesn�t. That woman was going to be the death of him yet. Maybe he should just go buy the razor blades so he didn�t prolong his suffering any longer than he needed to. He could not believe he�d have to keep this up for another two months. Maybe Judge What�s-his-face would cut him some slack and retire earlier then he originally planned.
Since the Crane estate was so vast, Luis decided to stay within the compound to have his run. He was jogging at a pretty good pace, thinking about his cursed life when suddenly he saw them, two shiny yellow eyes peering at him from behind the bushes. He stopped short; backing up slowly against a tree as the Doberman Pincher came flying out from behind the bushes. The dog started barking ferociously, and Luis new he was screwed.
�Nice doggy,� Luis said holding up his hands like he was under arrest. �Zeus is a good boy.� Oh great, this was not working. �If you don�t leave Uncle Luis alone, I won�t give you any more doggy treats�. Zeus was stalking him now, and Luis hoped that his high school track skills hadn�t deserted him. As Zeus lunged forward, Luis broke world speed records, climbing the tree, and hopping on the first available branch. Why was Zeus acting like he didn�t know him? Luis had made a point of bonding with the Crane�s security dogs when he was acting as Sheridan�s bodyguard. That bastard Julian probably had my clothes dusted with meat tenderizer. I can�t believe this, I battled the waters of a raging flood in New Mexico, hung by a ledge twenty stories high in Paris, and jumped out of a helicopter in gale force winds, and I let a dog get the best of me.
�Zeus, be quiet,� someone shouted.
Oh great, Luis thought, Crane security is here. How am I ever going to live this down?
�Zeus, I said be quiet.� The security guard approached the barking Zeus, and noticed the dog was camped out at the base of the tree. �Who�s there,� he said pointing his flashlight in Luis� direction.
Just my luck, Luis thought, it�s Mike, of all people. �It�s me Mike.�
�Luis, is that you?� Mike was shining the light in his face now. �How in the hell did you get up there?�
�It�s a long story Mike, could you call off Zeus so I can get down from here?�
Mike brought the dog to heel, and Luis climbed down. �Thanks Mike, I thought I was going to have to spend the night up in that tree,�
�So Luis, what did you do to piss old Zeus off?�
He could tell Mike was enjoying this. �Don�t ask. I�ll see you later ok.�
�Sure, see you Luis. Oh by the way, congratulations on your marriage.�
�Thanks.� I guess the whole world knows about us now. �Mike, I was wondering if you could do me a favor? I would appreciated it if you didn�t mention this to anyone else, especially Sheridan.�
�No problem Luis, your secret is safe with me,� Mike said with a little chuckle.
�Thanks buddy, I�ll see you later,�
As Luis opened the door to the cottage, he said a prayer that Sheridan was asleep. He was definitely in no mood to put up with any more of her antics tonight. All he wanted to do was take a shower, and get some much-needed sleep. When he walked into the bedroom, he looked at the bed and was surprised to see that it was still made up, with no Sheridan inside. Where the hell can she be? He noticed the bathroom door was still closed, and went up and knocked.
�Sheridan, are you in there?� There was no answer.
�Sheridan, are you all right? Answer me.� Luis knocked louder this time. �Sheridan, I�m coming in there if you don�t answer me right now.� There was still no answer.
He found the door unlocked, so he opened it and peeked in and called her name. He saw her lying back in the bathtub with her eyes closed, and her head resting on the back of the tub. She�s been in there for over an hour, what is she thinking? When he called to her again, and she still didn�t respond, Luis grew worried and approached the tub. He tried to shake her, but she still wasn�t responding. Oh my God, what was wrong with her? It was then that he noticed the prescription bottle on the counter. He picked it up and read the label. When he checked the supply, he figured that there couldn�t have been any more then one or two pills missing. He checked her pause, which was normal, and her breathing didn�t seem labored in any way. But still, something was wrong.
�Sheridan, come on you have to wake up.� Now he was frightened. Luis began lightly slapping her face trying to get a response from her. �Come on sweetie, please wake up.� She opened her eyes slowly, trying to get adjusted to the light.
�So sleepy,� she said groggily, and closed her eyes again.
Luis pulled her into a sitting position and picked her up out of the bathtub. He carried her over to the vanity chair and sat her down. She was ice cold and shivering, so Luis held her up with one arm around her waist, and grabbed a bath towel. He wrapped the towel around her and started to rub her body to get the blood flowing. She had better be all right, or I�ll kill her myself. Just then she started to mumble again about wanting to sleep. Luis picked her up and carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed. When he was sure she was secure, he went over to her closet and pulled out the first thing he could find, the white virgin gown from the night before. He pulled the towel off of her, and was getting ready to slip the nightgown over her head, when she opened her eyes. He could tell she was making an effort to comprehend what was happening. She looked up at him, confusion written all over her face.
�Luis what are you doing?� She pushed him away, looking up at him with questioning eyes. She seemed totally oblivious to the fact that she was completely naked. �Why do you have my nightgown?�
�I�m trying to get you ready for bed. I found you practically comatose in the tub. What the hell were you thinking? Did you take any of those pills that Eve prescribed for you?� He knew he sounded like a major jerk shouting at her, but she had scared the hell out of him, and it was important to find out if she had taken any of those pills.
�Sheridan,� Luis said softening his tone. �Its important that you focus, and tell me how many of those pills you took.
�I promise I only took one,� she said holding one finger up in the air. � I was only going to take a half of one, but I wanted to make sure I got some sleep tonight,� she said trying to stifle a yawn.
Luis felt his temper rise again. Just the thought of her putting her life in danger made it difficult for him to contain his fury, and it came out in his tone of voice. �Sheridan, you drank several glasses of champagne tonight. Don�t you know you should never mix drugs and alcohol? Even a small amount can be lethal. Your damn lucky you didn�t slip into the water and drown. For an intelligent person, you sometimes���
The look on her face made him stop in mid-sentence. Her pouting bottom lip started to quiver, and crocodile tears started streaming down her face. The sedative was probably making her overly sensitive. Normally, she would have bit his head off. �Why are you being so mean to me?� Her hurt expression was like a knife in his heart. He dropped the nightgown and sat down on the edge of the bed, and pulled her in his arms.
�Please don�t cry. You know it kills me to see you cry,� he said stroking her soft back. I�m sorry, I didn�t mean to yell at you, but you really scared me.� He wiped her tears away with his finger. She looked up at him, and her liquid blue eyes pulled him in like a magnet.
�Luis.� She pulled him toward her, and kissed him softly on the lips. He didn�t know how things changed so suddenly, didn�t question it, and didn�t try to stop it. The first touch of her tongue licking his lips made him lose all reason. He couldn�t think, and nothing mattered except for the fact that she was in his arms, where she belonged. The feel of her aroused nipples through the thin material of his T-shirt made him harden with desire. And as he kissed her, he touched her. Along the side of her body, cupping the fullness of her breast, sliding his hand down her ribs, her hips. The kiss deepened, and it was wet, and hot, and Luis knew that if he didn�t stop this now, they would both go up in flames. It took every once of his control to pull away from her.
�Luis?�
Luis bent down and retrieved her nightgown. �Let�s get your nightgown on so you can get some sleep.� Sheridan let him slip the gown over her head. When he tried to help her put her arms in the sleeves, she pushed him away and completed the task herself. Luis pulled the covers back and tucked her in snugly. �Goodnight Sheridan.�
�Luis, don�t you want me?� He closed his eyes, oh God, if she only knew how much he wanted to lose himself in her. �Sheridan, I���His answer died on his lips when he opened his eyes and saw that she was fast asleep. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. �Oh Sheridan, you have no idea how much I want you.�
Luis knew he did the right thing, he couldn�t take advantage of her in her condition. Besides, if they had made love, that would change the whole dynamic of their marriage. As much as he wanted that, he knew this was best. They still had too many obstacles between them. He called Eve, and she reassured him that Sheridan would be fine after she had a good night sleep. Luis showered, and walked into the bedroom. Sheridan was curled up on her side and sleeping soundly. He stacked the pillow mound, and lay down on his side of the bed. Exhaustion won the battle tonight, and Luis fell into deep, sweet oblivion.
Chapter 9
When Sheridan woke up the next morning, she felt more refreshed than she had in days. Strange, but she couldn�t remember going to bed last night. She knew Luis was up because even though she couldn�t see him, she would have felt his presence. Just to be on the safe side, she peeked cautiously over the pillow mound. Sure enough, he was gone. She didn�t know what possessed her, but she picked up his pillow and smelled his lingering scent, and it sent a rush of heat through her body. It was then that she remembered her dream from the night before. Luis had been angry with her about something, and then�.. oh God, they had started to make love, and it had felt so good, so right, but Luis had pushed her away. Why? Maybe dreams were a reflection of reality, because it seemed that from the beginning their relationship had been a confusing mixture of emotions. Oh well, there was no sense in laying here trying to analyze her dreams so she got up to get dressed for the day.
When she entered the living room she saw Luis sitting on the sofa in his police uniform. Was it possible for a man to be that good looking? He had papers spread out around him, and was adding some numbers on a calculator. He looked up and studied her, his eyes roamed freely over her body, and it made her feel naked. His eyes held a look of apprehension and lust, but she also saw anger there too. Why was he angry? Was he remembering that she was a Crane, his hated enemy? �Good Morning, did you sleep well?� She was trying to be upbeat, because she wasn�t in the mood to get in an argument with him this morning.
�I made pancakes and sausage, they�re in the warmer in the kitchen, and there should be plenty of coffee left.� Did she remember what happened last night? If she did, her expression wasn�t giving it away.
�Thank you, I�m starving.� She wished he would quit looking at her that way. It was really starting to make her feel nervous. �Well-----, I guess I�ll go get some breakfast.�
Luis watched Sheridan walk into the kitchen. He had a gut feeling she didn�t remember what happened last night. Should he enlighten her? He knew he had to bring up the pills, because it was important that she realize she had put her life in danger. The rest would have to remain unsaid, because he was still too raw to talk about what had almost happened when he was putting her to bed. He had never been that close to losing control before, and that fact was making him crazy.
�Everything looks delicious.� Sheridan said as she walked in the room carrying a tray with her breakfast.
�Sheridan, we need to discuss something.�
He didn�t sound happy, �Ok Luis, what did you want to discuss?�
�Do you remember taking any of those sedatives Eve prescribed for you?
�Yes, I took one because I though it would relax me enough to get some sleep.� She could tell he was going into cop mode.
�Oh, you were relaxed alright, when I found you last night you were passed out in the bathtub.�
�You found me in the bathtub? She didn�t give him a chance to answer. �If you found me in the bathtub, then how did I get into my nightgown and into bed?�
�I put you there, you were hardly in any shape to take care of yourself. My God, what possessed you to take one of those pills when you had been drinking?�
Her face turned red thinking about Luis dressing her. She could tell he was furious at her---- Oh no, had the dream been real? He had been angry with her in the dream too. �So you dressed me and put me in bed, did anything else happen?�
Why did she look so frightened, was it because of his anger, or was she starting to remember what almost happened between them. �You went to sleep.�
�Oh,� she said relieved. �I�m sorry I took the pill, I had forgotten that I was drinking Champaign earlier. I see now that it was a stupid thing to do.�
�It was more then stupid. Do you realize that if you had slipped under the water you would have drowned? I�m a cop and I see senseless deaths all the time when people abuse drugs and alcohol.�
She was getting angry now. �Alright Luis, I know it was stupid, and I�ll never do it again, but I�m hardly a candidate for The Betty Ford Center.
�I know your not, I just need you to understand the ramifications of your actions.�
Why did he always make her feel like a disobedient child? �Oh I understand. I understand that the perfect Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald never makes mistakes, and he loves to rub it in when I do. You�re always so sanctimonious Luis."
Sanctimonious, what the hell was she talking about? He was just concerned about her life. Why couldn�t she see that? Luis was still angry, but for some reason, he decided to take the high road. �I�m sorry, I didn�t mean to come down so hard on you, but you scared me. I think you learned your lesson, so let�s not discuss this anymore.�
Sheridan was surprised he was backing down after her last remark. She decided that he was right, she did do a stupid thing, and so the least she could do was to back down too.
�So, what are all those papers for?� She was trying to make nice.
�I was going over the budget for the Youth Center. Now that I�m going to be putting in so much overtime at the station, I need to find someone to take over temporarily as director.�
�Is there enough money to hire someone?�
�That�s the problem. I�ve re-worked this every way I know how and there is simply no extra money to hire anyone.�
�Can�t you give up the salary they pay you? With all the overtime you�ll be working at the station, it should make up for any monetary loss to you.�
"I would but I do it as a volunteer.�
�What about Hank? I�ve seen him at the Youth Center a lot in the past, and he was very helpful. Wouldn�t he be the most likely person to fill in for you temporarily?�
�Hank�s my good friend, but he�s not the most stable guy when it comes to work. You know how he is always going out of town on his mysterious jobs. I need someone I can depend on to show up for the kids."
Sheridan�s mind was going a mile a minute. An idea was forming in her head, and it was looking better and better by the minute. Why hadn�t she thought of this earlier? �Luis, I know the perfect person for the job, and they won�t need a salary either.�
�That�s great Sheridan, who do you have in mind?�
�Me.�
�You,� Luis said laughing. �You�re kidding, right?�
�I most certainly am not. I�ve been thinking lately that it�s time I started to do something with my life, besides sit in this cottage all day.�
�Look Sheridan, I appreciate that you are trying to find yourself, but what do you know about running a youth center?�
�In case you�ve forgotten, I did work there to pay off my debt to society, thanks to you, and I learned a few things while I was there. And besides Luis, I really miss the kids.�
�I think it�s really sweet of you to offer, but running the youth center is more involved then sweeping floors, and decorating for parties. You have to keep the budget, raise funding, and organize activities and sports for the kids.�
�Then I�m the perfect person for the job, I know how to balance my checkbook, I know a lot of rich people, and in case you forgot, I play a pretty good game of basketball.�
�Ok, you make some strong points in your favor, but this is serious Sheridan. You can�t just up and decide that you don�t feel like going in for the day. These kids need someone they can depend on.
�You must think I�m nothing but a flighty socialite. Do you really think I would disappoint the children?
She looked hurt. Why did she always make him feel like the biggest bastard? �I�m sorry, I didn�t mean to imply that you were irresponsible, but I want you to know what you�re getting in to."
�I do Luis, and I really want this. Please, I promise if you give me a chance, I won�t let you down.�
She was looking at him with her big blue, pleading eyes, and he was putty in her hands. �Ok Sheridan, I have a feeling I�ll live to regret this but, I�ll give you a chance. I have a couple of hours before I have to be on duty, so why don�t we go over to the Youth Center and I can show you the ropes.�
She jumped up and hugged him. �Thank you Luis, I promise you won�t regret this.�
�I hope not,� he said feeling her soft body against him.
Their eyes connected, and they shared a hot look. Sheridan suddenly realized what she had just done and backed up. �Just give me a few minutes to change into some jeans, and we can go.�
Later, at the Youth Center, Sheridan began by getting re-acclimated to everything. Luis was giving her careful instruction on how the equipment needed to be stored, how to take inventory, and he also gave her a book that had activities for the kids. Sheridan was holding a notebook and writing down notes on everything Luis was saying.
It accrued to Sheridan that she needed something like this in her life and she was starting to get really excited. That is until Luis led her over to the computer. �What�s this for?� She was staring at it like it was an alien.
�This is where we keep track of the budget and all the inventory. This will help you compile the report you need to present to the Board of Directors each month.� He couldn�t help but notice the look of panic on her face. �Don�t tell me you don�t know how to use a computer?�
�Well--- I know this sounds pretty shallow, but you don�t exactly need computer skills to ski in the French Alps, or to lay on the beaches of Saint-Tropez.�
The mental picture of her lying on the beach, topless sent a bolt of jealously through him. He hated the thought of other men seeing her like that. Maybe he was being old fashioned but he should be the only one allowed that pleasure. He was having a hard time remembering that she wasn�t his, and that this marriage was only temporary. �Well, I guess I could show you some basic things before I have to go to the station,� he said a little gruffly.
Sheridan sat down in front of the computer, with a look of bewilderment on her face. �What to I do now? Are you sure we can�t just do the report on paper?�
�No, because all the figures are kept here in a spreadsheet. It�s really not as difficult as you think. Now, a good start would be to turn it on, but wait a minute, I need to find the mouse first.�
Sheridan let out a tiny scream, and raised her feet off the floor. �Aaaaaa mouse, please get rid of it, you know I�m afraid of mice.�
�Sheridan, I wasn�t talking about a real mouse,� Luis said starting to laugh. He opened the desk drawer and pulled out the mouse to the computer and showed it to her. �It�s the what they named this little piece of equipment. See how it resembles a mouse?� Luis said dangling it in front of her.
�Ok Luis, now that I�m completely humiliated, could we get on with this lesson?" She looked so embarrassed, he felt like hugging her.
Luis was surprised to find that Sheridan was a quick study when it came to the computer. Once he got her started, she was navigating around like a pro. He couldn�t help but smile. She was so cute when she was excited about something. Maybe this was just what she needed, because he hadn�t seen her this happy in a long time. He wished he could be the one to put that smile on her face. �Look, since the Youth Center is closed today, why don�t I drop you back at the cottage because I need to be on duty soon.�
�I was kind of hoping that I could stay Luis. I would like to master this computer thing. I�ll call Ethan to come and pick me up when I�m finished."
�Ok, but I don�t want you here alone after dark, and keep the door locked when you�re here alone.�
�Yes officer,� Sheridan said saluting him.
�I better back up before I leave. I have this vision of you blowing away the hard drive.�
�Excuse me,� Sheridan said looking puzzled. �What�s a hard drive.�
�Never mind, I�ll explain it to you another time. I don�t want you to go into information overload.�
After Luis left, Sheridan practiced on the computer, and was pleased to discover that she really enjoyed it. She was proud of herself because she had actually figured out how to print the inventory list. She decided to take the list and check it against the equipment in the storage closet. Luis had already called to check on her, and she had told him that she was over eighteen, and perfectly capable of functioning on her own. She did think it was sweet of him to check on her, but she would never admit it to him. It had unnerved her earlier when he had been sitting next to her at the computer. The times their legs had brushed together had sent a bolt of lightening through her. She was getting more and more attached to him, and that was not a good thing. That�s why this job was so important to her, because it gave her something else to think about besides Luis. Oh well, time to get on with the business at hand because she was determined to prove to Luis that he wouldn�t regret his decision.
Sheridan took her list to the storage room and turned on the light. As she was checking the equipment against her list, she accidentally tripped. In an attempt to right herself, she hit a ladder behind the door, and started a chain reaction. The ladder fell forward, and knocked the door shut. �So much for all those ballet lessons.� She tried the door only to discover that it was locked. What was she going to do now? Her cell phone was on the desk in the other room. Now she was starting to panic, and she had to take deep breaths to keep from hyperventilating. She knew she had to get control of herself, because Luis was the only person that knew she was here, and it might take him hours to find her. She had to think of something to take her mind off of her dilemma, and the only thing she could think of was to sing. �Row row row your boat��.�
Luis had put in a ten-hour day, and was happy to be heading back to the cottage. He couldn�t help himself, but he really missed Sheridan. It was late, so she would probably be sleeping, but just to know that she was there, tucked in bed, all safe and sound put a smile on his face. He had been really proud of her today. Her enthusiasm had made her beautiful face light up, and he loved to see her happy. It hit him that Sheridan�s happiness meant everything to him.
He tried to be quiet when he entered the cottage, as not to wake Sheridan. Just like her not to leave any lights on for him. He opened the bedroom door and tiptoed in, and as his eyes adjusted to the dark, he discovered that Sheridan was not in bed. The first thing he did was to run to the bathroom to make sure she hadn't pulled another stunt like she had last night. The bathroom was empty. He called out her name as he inspected the rest of the house. Could it be possible that she was still at the Youth Center? He called there and let the phone ring about twenty times, but Sheridan didn�t pick up. His heart stopped just thinking about all the things that could have happened to her. This woman was going to turn him gray before his time.
Sheridan had stopped singing hours ago, because her voice was so horse she had stared to sound like a frog. She had even managed to fall asleep for a few hours, but now she was starting to suffer from panic attacks again. She checked her watch again, and figured she had been it there for about five hours. Please Luis, come and get me out of here. What if he decided to pull a double shift? She would go crazy if she had to stay in here until tomorrow morning. She felt like the walls were closing in on her, and she thought she would start screaming and never stop when she heard a noise. Thank God, she could hear Luis calling her name. Her voice was so horse, her attempts to answer him were fruitless. She picked up a broom and started banging on the door with the handle. Finally, the door opened and she flew into Luis� arms.
�Oh Luis,� she said in almost a whisper. �I�ve never been so happy to see you in my life.�
�Shhhhh, I�m here now. I told you I would never let anything happen to you. What happened?�
�I was checking the equipment, and the door locked, and, Oh Luis, I was so scared.�
�Come on let�s get you home,� Luis said giving her a little squeeze.
As they locked up, Luis commented that sometimes he felt like he was living in an �I Love Lucy� episode. Sheridan didn�t respond, so Luis thought she didn�t hear him.
Later, when they were lying in bed, pillow mound safely in place, Luis was thinking that at least life with Sheridan was never boring, and he couldn�t imagine being without her. He didn�t want to think about the time it would end. He could hear her tossing and turning and he wondered what she was thinking.
�Good night Sheridan.�
�Good night Ricky.�
Chapter 10
Luis was trying to type the report from the bust that he had made earlier that day, and he was having a hard time concentrating. He had been sitting in front of the screen for twenty minutes now, and he still hadn�t typed a thing. A week had gone by since he had rescued Sheridan from the closet, and as each day passed, he was losing more control. He had worked a couple of double shifts, volunteered for every bit of overtime Sam would give him, but it hadn�t done a bit of good. He had thought that if he could just keep away from Sheridan, his desire for her would lessen, but it had turned out to be nothing but a fool�s mission, because he wanted her more then ever. Sure, he kept telling himself and everyone else, he was working all these hours to make detective, but suddenly making detective didn�t hold a candle to Sheridan. When he was her bodyguard, he had been with her twenty four hours a day, so why was it so different now? Because she was his wife now, and he didn�t want this to be a marriage of convenience any longer. If they could just get past the trust issue, he knew they would be able to handle all the other garbage together. Face it Luis, your crazy over her, or maybe he was just plain crazy.
Sheridan hung up the phone and clapped her hands in delight. She couldn�t believe how much money she had raised in just one week. She hadn�t told Luis about the Youth Center�s sudden windfall, because she wanted to surprise him. It hadn�t really been that difficult to keep the secret, because she never got a chance to talk to him these days. He was gone when she woke up in the morning, and he didn�t come home at night until she had gone to bed. Most nights, she was awake when he got home, but she always pretended to be asleep. Her skin tingled when she thought back to his actions two nights ago. He usually showered and went straight to bed, but that night he had stopped by her side of the bed watching her sleep. She almost gave herself away when he had leaned down and brushed a stray curl from her forehead. His touch was like manna from heaven, and if she didn�t get more she knew she would starve. If he only knew how close she had come to pulling him down, and offering herself to him. Did he want her as much as she wanted him? Maybe, she had seen the desire in his eyes on more than one occasion. But she wanted more than just sex with him; she wanted a sharing of their hearts. The terrible incident on the wharf was becoming hazier as each day past. She still believed that she wasn�t imagining things that night, but she had a nagging feeling that things were not as they seemed. She had no explanations, and no proof to confirm her theory, but in light of everything Luis had done for her, this one thing didn�t make sense. She made a promise to herself, that one day she would get to the bottom of what really happened. It was all so confusing, but no use pondering this right now, because the kids would be getting out of school in a few hours, and she had an art lesson planned for them today. Her growling stomach reminded her that she hadn�t had anything to eat that day. She decided to run over to the Book Caf� and grab a sandwich and a cup of tea before the kids arrived.
When she entered the Book Caf�, she spotted Chad at the counter stacking muffins on a tray. I bet the health department would have a fit over the fact that Beth never covers the food on that tray. Yuck, she could just imagine how many germs those muffins were collecting. She made a mental note not to order any more muffins. As Sheridan turned to find a place to sit down, she froze when she saw Luis and Beth sitting together at a table. They were laughing, and they seemed to be so relaxed in each other�s company. It felt like someone had stabbed her in the heart with a knife. She was thankful that they hadn�t noticed her presence, because she knew her face would have given her away. She turned to leave when Luis called her name. She pasted a smile on her face and turned to face him.
�Hello Luis, I guess you decided to get a bite to eat too. The kids will be getting out of school soon, and I have so many things planned for them. I probably should get my food to go, because I want to make sure I�m there when they arrive.� Sheridan knew she was rambling, but if she stopped talking, she knew she would burst into tears.
God, it was so good to see her. He had been determined to stay away from her, but she was like a ray of sunshine after a cloudy day, and her flawless skin and sparkling blue eyes, drew him in. He reached out to touch her, but pulled his hand back when he saw the look in her eyes. Was it hurt? She was smiling, but the smile didn�t seam to reach her eyes. He couldn�t take it; the last thing he wanted was for her to be sad. He changed his mind and grabbed her hand and pulled her to the table. �Come on and join me, I just got my food, and besides I know you have plenty of time before the kids get to the youth center.�
�I know Luis, but I just have so much to do over there, and besides I don�t want to interrupt,� Sheridan said, eyeing Beth who was pouring coffee into Luis� cup.
�Don�t be ridiculous, Beth and I were just catching up." He pulled out the chair that Beth had vacated and she sat down. Chad came over and took her order, and promised he would be back in ten minutes with her food.
�So how is everything going at the Youth Center? I�ve been meaning to get over there and check on things, but I�ve been so busy at the station, I just haven�t found the time.�
Funny, she thought, he found the time to come in and have lunch with Beth. �That�s ok Luis, believe it not everything has been running smoothly. I really enjoy working with the kids.�
�Yeah, so I�ve heard,� he said flashing her his killer grin. �I ran into Pauly and some of the other kids yesterday, and they told me you were �the bomb�.�
�Really? Did they really say that about me?� Her smile had finally reached her eyes. �Do you really think they like me?�
�How could they not ��.� Just then Chad showed up with her sandwich, and tea.
�Here ya go Ms. Crane, I mean Ms. Lopez-Fitzgerald,� Chad said putting her order in front of her.
�Thanks Chad, and please, call me Sheridan. Oh, by the way, when you get a chance, I would like to talk with you about doing the music for a dance I�m planning at the Youth Center. It�s not going to be for a little while yet, but I�m trying to get all my ducks in a row."
�Sure thing Ms�. I mean Sheridan� Chad said staring at Sheridan with a look of adoration. �You just let me know, and I�ll be at your service.�
She has a way of effecting men like that, Luis thought to himself. �So Sheridan, what have you been doing at the center to become �the bomb�?�
�Well of course I�m just getting started, but some of the activities I�ve planned so far have really been a hit. I�m surprised, but the kids are really enjoying some of the additional programs I�ve implemented.�
He enjoyed watching her animated face when she talked about the center. He was just about ready to tell her how proud of her he was when his cell phone rang. �I�m sorry, Sheridan, but this is the station, there�s a robbery in progress, and I have to go now.�
�Please Luis, be careful.�
Their eyes locked for a second, and he was out the door.
Sheridan tossed and turned, looking at the clock every five minutes. She was so worried about Luis. When she had called the station earlier, the dispatcher had said that Luis was still at the robbery site, and he didn�t have any additional information he could give her. She thought about the last time that she had seen him. He had been with Beth, of all people. It still broke her heart to think about them. She knew that nothing physical was going on between them, because Luis was too honorable, but did he still have residual feelings for Beth? She just wished that she and Luis could be that comfortable together, and that�s what bothered her the most. She knew one thing for sure; she wouldn�t relax until Luis came through the bedroom door safe and sound.
About a week later Luis was patrolling the wharf, when he ran into Peter Miller, who was on the Harmony Town Building Commission. Peter and him had gone to high school together, and they were still pretty good friends. �Hey, Pete how�s life been treating you these days?�
�Luis, I haven�t seen you since the class reunion,� Pete said shaking Luis� hand.
�Yeah, I know, I�ve been pretty busy lately.�
�I guess you have. Congratulations, on your marriage. You�re a lucky man.�
�Thanks, Pete, I still can�t believe it myself.�
�You always did attract the lookers. When Sheridan came to see me the other day, I thought an angel had walked in the room.�
�Sheridan came to see you?� Luis was jealous and confused at the same time.
�Yeah, when she applied for the permit to renovate the Youth Center.�
�She what!�
�You mean you don�t know? I thought you were director of the Youth Center?
Luis could hardly admit he didn�t have a clue what Pete was talking about. �Oh yeah, it must have slipped my mind. I�ve been putting in a lot of hours lately.� What the hell was she up to? �Look Pete, it�s been great to see you, but I�ve got to get going.�
�Sure Luis, why don�t we get together soon for a pickup game of basketball?�
�That sounds like a plan Pete.�
Luis was gripping the steering wheel so hard that his hands hurt. What the hell was she up to now? Renovation? Has she lost her mind? She knows damn well that there is barely enough money to paint the walls, let alone renovate. When Luis arrived at the Youth Center, he noticed all the construction trucks outside. He slammed the car door, and walked up to the door. There was a sign on the door that said CLOSED TEMPORARLY FOR RENOVATION. He walked into a mass of construction workers, drilling, painting, hammering, and sawing drywall. He looked around and saw Sheridan talking with one of the construction workers. He looked to be a foreman, because he was showing her some blueprints, and pointing up at the ceiling beams. He dodged the construction mess and approached her with angry strides.
�Excuse me, do you mind if I speak with my wife for a minute,� Luis said as he pulled Sheridan away by the arm.
�What are you doing? Is it really necessary for you to man handle me like this?" Sheridan was trying to pull her arm away from Luis� grip, without any success.
�I want you to tell me what the hell is going on here,� Luis said swinging her around to face him. �And you better not leave out one single detail.�
�Well Luis your such a know-it-all, why don�t you tell me.� Sheridan was standing with her hands on her hips shooting daggers at him.
�Why didn�t you clear this through me?
�I might have been able to, but you can�t seem to spare five minutes with me lately. Besides, you did appoint me �acting director�.�
"Where do you think your going to get the money for all of this? And if you tell me you are using Crane money, I won�t be responsible for my actions.�
Sheridan pulled her arm away from Luis, and huffed over to the desk to retrieve a file folder. She walked back to Luis, and shoved the folder in his hands. Luis opened it and began to study the papers inside. Sheridan could see his look of anger turn to shock, as he read through the report.
�I can�t believe this. You actually raised this much money in two weeks time?�
�Like I told you Luis, I know a lot of rich people. It turns out that fund raising is my forte.
Just as Luis was about to comment, he spotted a small man running around screaming at some of the construction workers? His clothes were European in cut, and he had a pencil thin mustache, that he kept stroking with his thumb and forefinger.
�Who in the hell is that?� Luis said pointing at the little man with the expressive hand gestures.
�Who are you talking about?� Sheridan looked to where Luis was pointing, and started to laugh. �That�s Maurice, the interior designer.�
�You have an interior designer?
�Yes, and he�s coming over here, so I want you to be cordial. We were very lucky to get Maurice. He�s the hottest interior designer around, and he put Ivana�s penthouse on hold to do this job."
Maurice ran up to Sheridan waving paint samples and fabric swatches back and fourth in one hand, and the other was held to his brow like he was under terrible distress.
�Oh Sher Sher, this is terrible, just terrible. They have sent the wrong fabric for the chairs. This just simply will no do,� Maurice said in his high, clipped British accent.
�Maurice, I�m sure everything will be fine, you shouldn�t get so upset. Just call the fabric distributors, and they can rectify the situation.�
�But Sher Sher this is���.. Oh my, who is this?� Maurice was eyeing Luis.
�Maurice, I would like you to meet my husband, Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald. Luis this is Maurice.�
When Luis went to shake hands, Maurice pulled him into a hug, and gave him an air kiss on each cheek. Luis� knee-jerk reaction was to jump backward. When he jumped back, shock written all over face, he hit the scaffold, and a bucket fell, coating him in green paint. Sheridan broke out in uncontrollable giggles, as Luis wiped the paint out of his eyes.
Luis stood there, not saying a word. He looked like he was doing everything possible to keep from blowing a gasket. He walked over and got about an inch from Sheridan�s face. �I�m going to take a shower, lucky for you and Maurice, I keep an extra uniform in my locker.� With that Luis stomped away to the locker room.
�Oh dear Sher Sher, your handsome husband is very angry. Umm, He reminds me of that police officer in the Village People.�
�SHERIDAN COME HERE!�
Sheridan looked up to see a dripping wet, and shirtless Luis leaning his head out the locker room door, paint globs still sticking to his hair. �There is no need for you to cause a bigger scene then you already have, will you hold your voice down,� Sheridan said as she reached the locker room door.
�Well excuse me, I didn�t think it was possible to make a bigger ass out of myself, then I already have. Now, I would appreciate it if you could get me some mineral spirits to get this damn paint out of my hair.�
�Sure Luis, should I send Maurice to deliver?� She just couldn�t resist.
�You just keep him the hell away from me.�
Sheridan was still laughing when she returned with the mineral spirits. She knocked on the door, but Luis didn�t answer. She poked her head in the door, and called his name. She could hear the shower running, and she figured the construction noise, combined with the shower, was making it impossible for him to hear her.
�Luis, I have your mineral spirits.� She started to back into the locker room thinking about the last time she had walked in on his shower. Suddenly, Luis� arm snaked out and pulled Sheridan under the shower. She started to struggle, and Luis pulled her against his body trying to subdue her. When she was finally able to catch her breath, she looked up to see amusement written all over his face. She continued to struggle, and suddenly his expression changed, and the look of desire she read in his eyes made her knees buckle. Suddenly his lips were on hers, and he was consuming her with his mouth. He backed her up against the wall and began to suck on her bottom lip. When she felt his erection against her stomach, she pulled him closer, and began to run her hands up and down his wet, muscular back. �Oh God Sher.� He leaned down and kissed her again, forcing her mouth apart to make their kiss more intimate.
�Sher Sher, are you in there? We really need to discuss this fabric problem.�
Luis decided right then, that his new mission in life was to kill all the Euro-Trash in the world, and Maurice was going to be his first victim.
Chapter 11
Sheridan couldn�t believe that a month had gone by since that fateful day in Michael�s office. The day she had agreed to become Luis� wife. She was surprised that they had lasted this long without killing each other, but the problem was, things were going from bad to worst. The few times she had seen Luis lately, he had been edgy and out of sorts. She remembered just when things had really changed, and she had Maurice to thank for it.
She still couldn�t believe what they had almost done that day in the locker room. Luis had been furious with her, and she knew that he had no intention of letting things go that far. When he had pulled her in the shower, she was sure he was just trying to punish her. Just like a mother would spank her child for misbehaving, but things had changed so quickly. She could feel all the blood rush to her head just thinking about Luis� seductive assault. She could no longer lie to herself, she had loved it, and she couldn�t stop thinking about how much she wanted it to happen again. But there was no way it could happen, when Luis wouldn�t even look at her. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She looked up, to see Gwen standing on the other side, and she motioned for her to come in.
�So� Gwen said giving Sheridan a hug, �how is life now that you�re a married woman?�
�Let�s just say it�s been interesting�
�Come on Sheridan, I would expect to hear, wonderful, marvelous, but interesting? That sounds a little ominous.�
�I�m sorry Gwen, I didn�t mean to sound so maudlin, it�s just that Luis has been working a lot of hours lately. He�s up for a promotion to detective.�
�I understand, you miss him, don�t you? I�m sure things will get better.�
�Yes, I really do miss him� Sheridan said truthfully.
�Well, then my timing is perfect. There is a charity ball at the country club tomorrow night, and I think that you and Luis should come with Ethan and I."
�I don�t know Gwen, Luis and Ethan aren�t exactly on the best of terms. Besides, I�m sure Luis will have to work.�
�Well you won�t know until you find out, call him at the station now and ask him� Gwen said handing Sheridan her cell phone.
She really couldn�t make excuses. Gwen thought they were happy newlyweds. �Ok, I�ll call him.�
Sheridan�s hands trembled as she waited for Luis to pick up the phone. When he answered, the sound of his voice filled her with apprehension. �A�� Luis, this is Sheridan. I�m sorry to bother you at work, but I was wondering if you have to work tomorrow night?�
�No, but it�s not because I had any choice in the matter. Sam ordered me to take a night off to relax. Why do you ask?�
�Well Gwen is here now, and she invited us to go to a charity ball at the country club with her and Ethan. I know that you hate affairs like that, and I realize Ethan is not your favorite person, but it really is for a good cause.�
�I don�t know Sheridan, an evening at the country club does not really sound like my idea of relaxing. In fact, I think I would rather watch cars rust.�
�Please Luis, would you at least think about it?� She hated the way she sounded so desperate.
�Ok, I promise I�ll think about it. But if I decide not to go, that shouldn�t stop you from going.�
Why did his words hurt her so much? �Oh don�t worry, I have every intention of going, with or without you,� she said hanging up the phone.
�Sooo, what did he say?�
�He said he would think about it.�
As Luis drove home from work the next evening, he was still not sure what he was going to tell Sheridan. Part of him wanted to go just so he could have a chance to be near her. But the other part of him was saying that being with Sheridan, was the very reason he shouldn�t go. Just thinking about that day in the locker room reminded him that it was getting harder to control his feelings when he was around her. He had been so damn mad at her, but just the feeling of her body against his had been his undoing.
Sheridan had always invoked passionate feelings in him, even in the beginning when she had crashed into his police car. He had never let a woman get to him so badly, and he was losing his mind because of it. He decided that there was no way he could go tonight. He couldn�t be near her all night, and pretend that their marriage was real. He had never been good at playing games, because truth was the foundation that molded his life. He was in love with her, and she thought he was nothing but a lying user. That fact convinced him more than ever, that Sheridan would have to go without him.
Sheridan�s stomach was in knots as she applied her makeup. Luis still hadn�t given her his answer, and it was evident that his procrastination was a sign that he decided not to go with her tonight. Suddenly she felt like crying. How did her life become such a mess? If it weren�t for her work at the youth center, she would have gone crazy by now. She was head over heels in love with a man that treated her like she had the plague. Just then she heard Luis moving around in the living room. Her stomach did a flip-flop when she heard the knock on the door.
�Yes,� she said shakily.
�Look Sheridan, I�m sorry to wait until the last minute, but I�m just too tired to go tonight.� He felt like the biggest coward telling her through the door like this.
�That�s ok Luis, I understand� Sheridan said, trying to stop the tears from running down her face.
�Thanks, I�m glad you understand. I�m going to make something to eat, would you like anything before you go?�
�No, I�m not hungry.�
�Ok, well let me know if you change your mind.�
When she was sure that he had left, she sat on the bed, because she was too shaky to stand. The tears were flowing freely now, and she couldn�t seem to stop them. Even though she had been pretty sure that he wouldn�t go tonight, a little part of her had held out hope that he would. Now the glimmer of hope was gone, and she felt so completely lost. She had to dig deep inside herself to get the resolve to fight back. She wiped her tears away, and got up and walked over to the mirror. She studied her reflection as she fought to gain control. The hell with him, she was going to pull herself together, and go to that ball, and she was going to have the time of her life.
Luis was sitting on the sofa trying to read the paper, but the words seemed to blend together, making it impossible for him to focus. He knew he had handled this whole situation badly and he felt like a first class jerk. Did he actually hear disappointment in her voice earlier?
His muscles tensed when he heard her walk into the room. He could hear her heals tapping across the floor, and even though the newspaper was obstructing his vision, he knew she was standing in front of him because he could smell her perfume.
�Luis, since your such a control freak, I thought I�d let you know that I will probably be late tonight. So don�t send out the National Guard if it gets to be the wee hours of the morning, and I�m still not home.�
He must have imagined the disappointment earlier, because she was definitely in brat mode again. Luis lowered the paper, his eyes swept over her body, and he could have sworn that he saw her shiver. She looked beautiful in her black velvet dress. It was simple, with long sleeves, and even though the neckline was modest, it was still sexy because the dress hugged her curves like a second skin. She wore a single strand of pearls around her neck and they were iridescent against her creamy skin.
�Did you hear me Luis?�
�Yeah, I heard you,� Luis said through a fake smile. �Have a great time.�
�Oh don�t worry, I plan on it.� She turned to walk over to the desk, and Luis almost came out of his skin when he saw the back of her dress. Her back was completely exposed, and it was slit so low that he could see the curve of her waist. My God, he had never noticed that little dimple right at the base of her backbone before. The pearls were tied in a knot half way down her back, and stopped right above her bottom. He felt the blood pounding through his body, and thankfully, he was holding the paper in front of him, because he was hard as a rock. He was just ready to tell her to go back in the bedroom and change, when Ethan and Gwen walked in.
Ethan was dressed in a tuxedo, and Gwen looked beautiful in a red strapless gown. Luis and Ethan eyed each other up, but managed to be civil to each other. When Gwen noticed Luis sitting on the sofa with the paper in his hands, she didn�t try to hide her surprise.
�Oh no Luis, don�t tell me you aren�t going tonight?� Gwen sounded upset, but Luis caught the look of relief on Ethan�s face.
Before Luis could speak, Sheridan answered for him. �No Gwen, the poor baby is exhausted from working so hard lately, I guess he needs his beauty rest. But don�t worry, we�ll have a great time without him.�
Gwen could feel the tension in the air, so she wisely decided not to push the issue. �Oh Sheridan, I love your gown. Is that the Versace you bought on our shopping trip to Milan last year?�
�Yes, this is the first time I�ve had a chance to wear it, I hope it�s not too dated. And by the way Gwen, your dress is fabulous, you look beautiful, and Ethan you look very handsome.�
�Thanks� they both answered at the some time. Ethan said he though it was time for them to leave, so the threesome said their good-byes to Luis and headed out the door.
Luis had to restrain himself as he watched her leave. He was very close to pulling a cave man stunt by going out there and carrying her back in. Hell, he should lock her up with the way she looked in that dress. The though of Warren and all those other snobby bastards seeing her like that made his blood boil. He knew he was every kind of fool, but he crumpled up the paper, and headed for the bathroom to shower and change. Like it or not, he was going to the country club.
Ethan, Gwen and Sheridan were standing there sipping champagne when Sheridan spotted Phoebe and her entourage of bimbo�s converging on them. Oh great, Sheridan thought, here comes the she-wolf, and all her little cubs. As they surrounded her, Ethan and Gwen excused themselves to go dance, and Sheridan shot them a dirty look for deserting her.
�So Sheridan, you were holding out on us after all, and you with all those protest that Luis was nothing but your bodyguard. I guess I can�t blame you, the guy�s hot enough to melt an artic glacier. You must give us all the details on his performance in bed.�
Sheridan couldn�t believe what a bitch Phoebe was. �Well I�m not in the habit of talking about my personal sex life Phoebe, but I can assure you that he is way too much for you to handle.� Sheridan got a glimmer of satisfaction when she saw Phoebe flinch, but unfortunately it didn�t stop her from her next question.
�So, where is the Adonis tonight, I would think you wouldn�t want to let him out of your site? If he were mine I�d keep him chained to my bed.�
That would be the only way you could have him, Sheridan thought to herself. �Well the poor guy has been working so hard lately, he needed his rest, so I told him to stay home and relax.�
�Well, well,� Phoebe said looking over Sheridan�s shoulder, �It looks like somebody got a second wind.�
Sheridan turned around to see whom Phoebe was referring to, and spotted Luis standing in the doorway of the ballroom, looking drop dead gorgeous in his tuxedo. His white pristine dress shirt made his skin look dark, and Sheridan had never seen him look so sexy. Their eyes connected, and he started moving toward her, never breaking their stare. If Sheridan hadn�t been so blown away by his presence, she would have laughed at the way the bimbo�s parted like the Red Sea to let him through. He definitely was commanding the room, and not one woman in the place could take their eyes off of him. He leaned over and brushed his lips against her cheek, and Sheridan could smell his clean soapy scent.
�Luis� Sheridan said breathlessly, �Why are you here?�
�I couldn�t help myself, I missed you so much that I couldn�t stand being away from you another minute.� Luis said seductively.
What is he up to, and why the sudden about face? Earlier, he had acted like he could care less if she was even alive. Damn him, he was pulling her into his sick little game, and no matter how hard she tried not to, she was caving fast.
�Ladies, I hope you don�t mind if I steel my wife away for a dance?� When they all nodded no, Luis took her by the hand and led her out on the dance floor.
When they started to move to the slow music, Sheridan looked up at him, trying to read his face. �So Luis, why don�t you tell me the real reason you�re here?�
�Well after you left, I started to feel guilty about deserting you. I didn�t want you to be embarrassed in front of all your country club friends.� He wasn�t about to admit that he had been jealous as hell.
�Why, you pompous ass� she said backing away from him. �What do you think, I�m some needy little flower, that needs your presence to feel validated?�
�Calm down, Sheridan� he said pulling her closer against him, �Your friends are staring at us.�
Sheridan looked over to see Phoebe and the gang checking them out, and by the smug looks on their faces, she could tell that they suspected that all was not well with them.
�Ok Luis, I�ll play,� she said, as she started to rub her body against his. She smiled to herself when she felt his erection. �Oh dear, it looks like we�re going to have to dance the next dance too.�
Luis knew exactly what she was up to, and he was curious to see just how far she would take this. He could feel the soft skin on her back, and he began to trace her backbone with his thumb. It was heady the way her seduce-me pearls were rubbing against his knuckles as he stroked her back. When he looked over her shoulder, he spotted Warren glaring at them, and he couldn�t resist moving his hand down Sheridan�s back. He slipped his fingers inside her dress and cupped her waist. She inhaled sharply, and he knew then, that they were playing a dangerous game. He figured she would have backed off by now, but she hadn�t, and it looked like he was going to have be the one to end this.
�Come on lets go,� he said as he dragged her across the dance floor. When he noticed everyone looking at them, he slowed down his pace. He saw Ethan across the room staring daggers at him. �Sheridan let�s go tell Ethan and Gwen were leaving,�
Sheridan was too shocked to protest, as Luis let her over to where Gwen and Ethan were standing. She had no idea what had suddenly gotten into him. They said their good-byes, and left the country club. He�s freezing me out again, Sheridan thought to herself. Luis hadn�t said a word the whole way home, and she was ready to scream. When they arrived back at the cottage, Sheridan watched Luis pace back and forth like a caged animal, until finally she couldn�t take it anymore.
�Luis, would you please tell me what�s wrong with you?� Luis stopped and looked at her, and she could see the pain in his eyes. �Luis tell me?�
�I can�t do this anymore, Sheridan. I have to leave.�
She felt like someone had hit her in the stomach. �What do you mean?� She could feel her eyes filling with tears.
�I can�t keep this up any longer, I�m going to move out�.
�But you can�t, what about the judge?�
�I�m just going to have to take my chances.� He took her hands in his, �look Sheridan, I�ll never forget that you made a sacrifice to save me from going to prison, but it�s time I quit imposing on you and moved out. It shouldn�t be too difficult to get the annulment.� He walked toward the door and turned back to face her. �I�ll come and get my things tomorrow.�
Imposing? Moving out? Oh my God, he was walking out of her life, and she had to stop him. �Luis, you can�t go, you have to stay.�
�Look Sheridan, you always knew��..�
�You have to stay, because ��.. Because I�m in love with you.� She couldn�t believe that she had just blurted it out, but she was glad she did, because Luis was moving toward her with a look of astonishment on his face. She ran the rest of the way and threw herself in his arms.
�Oh God, Sheridan please tell me you meant what you just said,� Luis said holding her tight.
�Yes Luis, I meant it, I love you. I can�t remember when I didn�t feel this way.�
He pulled her chin up and looked deep in her eyes, �I love you too Sheridan, more then you�ll ever know. I tried to fight my feelings, but what I feel for you is too powerful.�
He leaned down and kissed her. It was sweet and gentle, and he lightly traced her lips with his tongue. With a little groan, she opened her mouth and he slipped his tongue inside, and their kiss turned hot and passionate.
When they finally broke apart, Luis stepped back and traced her jaw with his finger. �Do you have any idea how much I want you?�
�Yes, I think I do.� Sheridan took his hand and led him into the bedroom. Luis was mesmerized by the gentle sway of her hips as he followed her. She went up to the bed and began throwing pillows everywhere. Luis chuckled and walked up behind her and put his arms around her.
�Can I assume that this means the end of the pillow mound?�
�I would say that�s a very safe assumption,� she said leaning back into him.
Luis began kissing her neck; he wrapped her pearls around his hand, and started rubbing her back in slow sensuous movements. He slipped his hands inside her dress, and caressed her abdomen, and then moved up her rib cage to cup her breast. The combination of his rough hands and the smooth pearls on her naked flesh was driving her crazy. It was intoxicating to be completely dressed, and have him touch her so intimately. He slipped her dress down to her waist and she wiggled until it fell in a puddle at her feet. Luis began to strip his clothes off like a wild man. He got as far as his pants, when Sheridan turned around, and he almost lost it right then and there. She stood before him with nothing on but her pearls and her black velvet high heels.
�God, you�re so beautiful," Luis said stepping toward her.
�No, Luis, you�re the one who�s beautiful. Can I touch you?� She didn�t wait for his permission. All of a sudden she was touching him, and her hands were everywhere on his bare chest. Luis raised his head up and closed his eyes, when she leaned in began teasing him with her tongue. A gruff cry tore from him, and he captured her chin and kissed her passionately. He lifted her up and laid her on the bed never breaking the kiss. His mouth moved lower, teasing her nipples with his wet kisses. When he stroked the flesh between her legs, she let out a little scream. He left her to remove the rest of his clothing, and then he pulled her shoes off throwing them over his back. When she moved to take off her pearls. Luis put his hand on hers to stop her. �Leave the pearls.�
He came back to her and leaned down to kiss her again, and she wrapped her long legs around him. �Sheridan, it�s not too late to stop, because you know this will change everything.�
�I know Luis, make me your wife.� He entered her, and Sheridan knew her life would never be the same.
Chapter 12
Sheridan opened her eyes trying to adjust to the bright sunlight. The memories of the night before flooded her mind, and brought a smile to her beautiful face. She reached out for Luis, and when she didn�t find him, she prayed that it wasn�t just some wonderful dream. It was then, that she spotted the red rose lying on the pillow next to her. When she sat up, the sheet fell to her waist, and she picked up the rose to smell the gentle fragrance. She couldn�t believe how much her life had changed in twenty-four hours. Yesterday, she had been miserable, and today, she was madly in love with her husband, and he loved her back. She felt giddy with happiness, but she already missed Luis. She would have preferred to wake up in his arms, but knowing him, he was probably doing something romantic like bringing her breakfast in bed. She couldn�t wait for him to come to her, so she decided to surprise him in the kitchen.
She pushed the sheet aside to get up, and her face turned red with embarrassment when she saw her broken pearls scattered all over the hardwood floor. Things had gotten very intense last light, and it heated her blood, just thinking about how many times they had made love. They couldn�t seem to keep their hands off of each other. She saw his white dress shirt lying on the floor, so she got up, and walked over to it, and slipped it on. It was too big, it fell to her thighs and the sleeves were too long, so she rolled them up, and buttoned it up. She could smell Luis� scent and she couldn�t wait any longer to see him. She started to walk to the door, when she heard this awful screeching noise coming from the living room. �What, in God�s name is that?�
She ran into the other room and saw Luis, standing at the door with a drill in his hand. He was wearing jeans, with no shirt, and she watched his muscles flex as he drilled a screw into the doorframe. She loved watching him, but she needed to touch him. She tiptoed up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He put the drill down, turned around and pulled her into a hot kiss.
�Don�t you know you shouldn�t seduce a man when he�s working with power tools?� He was flashing his killer smile at her, and his eyes were filled with amusement and lust.
�So.� She said running her hands down his back to cup his hard bottom, �is this a man thing, to do household maintenance after a night of lovemaking? I promise if you want to burn off any excess energy, I will gladly help you along.�
�Don�t tempt me,� he said kissing her neck. �You�re much to distracting.�
�So, do you want to tell me what you�re doing to the front door?�
�Simple, I�m installing a bolt lock.� He pushed the shirt off her shoulder, and he was making her dizzy with his caresses.
�I don�t get it, why are you installing a bolt lock?�
�Because, I actually have two days off in a roll, and you never know when I�m going to feel the urge to make love to my wife, I don�t want any interruptions. Not from your family,� he kissed her, �or Hank�, he kissed her again, �or mama,� he moved his hand up her leg to cup her waist under the shirt.
�Please, tell me your finished, because I�m going a little crazy here,� she said in a breathy whisper against his lips.
Luis turned around and shoved the bolt into place, and turned back to her. He picked her up and walked to the bedroom, like a man on a mission. When he saw all the pearls lying on the floor, he looked at her like a little guilty puppy dog. �I�m sorry Sher.�
�That�s ok, I�m not,� she said stroking his face.
�I promise I�ll have them re-strung for you.�
He carried her over to the bed and laid her down. He climbed on to the bed and straddled her. �You know something,� he said unbuttoning her shirt, �It�s incredibly sexy when a woman wears nothing but a man�s shirt. But tell me, why my shirt when you have all that expensive lingerie?�
�Because��. it smells like you,� she said in a sexy whisper.
�Oh God.� He ripped the rest of the buttons off her shirt, while she worked on the button and zipper of his jeans. They never did manage to get completely undressed, before they gave into their passion.
Luis walked into the station whistling a nameless tune, and feeling on top of the world. He smiled to himself when he remembered the sendoff Sheridan had given him that morning. He had tried to be quiet, so he wouldn't awaken her, but just as he was walking out the door, she had called him from behind. When he turned around, she was standing at the door of the living room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and completely naked. How could he have possibly refused when she asked for a kiss goodbye? He had sworn he was only going to kiss her, but things had gotten out of control fast, and he was surprised he had made it to work on time. He had thought he loved her before, but ever since they admitted their feelings for each, he was totally addicted to her. The last few days had been the most wonderful time of his life. Sheridan and him, had made love, talked about their lives, their futures, and made love again. They had talked about everything. Everything but the one thing that neither one of them wanted to face. No matter how much he wanted to ignore it, it was still out there ready to rear its ugly head. He knew he would never be satisfied until that got resolved between them. This euphoria would never last, unless she trusted him. They would have to face it sometime, but right now, he was too caught up in her silken web, and he had no intentions of rocking the boat.
�So Luis, I haven�t seen you in this good of a mood since�� I don�t think I�ve ever seen you in this good of a mood,� Sam said eyeing him inquisitively.
�Well Sam, what can I say, I�m a contented man right now.� Luis was hesitant to discuss his relationship with Sheridan to Sam. Especially after all the warnings Sam had given him, to stay away from the Cranes.
�Can I assume that your marriage to Sheridan is working out?�
�Look Sam, I know you don�t approve of my involvement with Sheridan, but I love her, and she loves me too,� Luis said defensively.
�Easy Luis, I just wanted to make sure that you were ok. I don�t know Sheridan all that well, but you have to admit, her family is like breath of bad air, and I don�t want to see you get hurt.�
�I�m sorry to get so defensive Sam, but it�s just so frustrating. Ever since Sheridan and I have met, we have had people trying to tell us how we should feel. We are both past the age of consent, and I think we are capable of making our own decisions. I appreciate your concern, but Sheridan and I will deal with her family.�
�All I�m saying Luis, is to watch your back. Look, I didn�t mean to get off track, but I�m just about ready to make your good mood even better.�
�Oh, how is that Sam?�
�Congratulations Luis, you�ve just gotten your promotion to detective. The commissioner signed the papers late yesterday.�
�Oh my God, are you serious Sam? I can�t believe it, I have to call Sheridan, and tell her the good news.� Luis said excitedly.
�Funny, I remember a time when you would have called Pilar first, I quess you are in love.�
�Yeah, Sam, she�s my whole life, I never knew I could feel this way.�
�Well Luis, I�m happy for you. Look, why don�t you run home and tell Sheridan the news?�
�Sheridan�s probably at the youth center by now. She has really done a great job over there, I�m really proud of her,�
�Wow,� Sam laughed, �You are in love. Face it buddy, even if she was doing a crappy job, you would still be proud of her.�
Sheridan was in the equipment room, checking on the new shelves that had been just been installed. She was glad she had the lock on the door changed, because there was no way she was getting locked in there again. This door locked from the inside, and needed a key to get in from the other side. She checked her watch again for about the hundredth time. She couldn�t believe it was only noon, and she had hours yet before she could see Luis again. She missed him so much already. She felt off-centered when she wasn�t with him, especially after the last few days. God, the man was an incredible lover, but that wasn�t the only reason she loved him so much. He was kind, and gentle, and he really loved her for herself. Yes, she really believed that now. Something wasn�t right about that night, and she planned on getting to the bottom of it. She had tried to broach the subject with Luis several times over the last few days, but she hadn�t wanted to ruin their beautiful time. She believed that if they could put their heads together and compare notes, maybe they could come up with some explanation. Luis was too good of a man to use a person so callously. She could see it in his eyes, and Luis� eyes told everything, and she was convinced that he was not lying about that night. A bang brought her out of her musings. What was that? She knew all the workers were at lunch. They had just left about ten minutes ago, so they wouldn�t be back already. The door suddenly opened and there stood Hank.
�Hank, what are you doing here?� Sheridan wasn�t feeling especially comfortable with Hank since that day he came to the cottage.
�Well, I thought now that your running the youth center, I would offer my services. After all, I have a lot of experience.�
Sheridan wasn�t sure what to say. She knew that Luis wouldn�t want Hank around, when he wasn�t there. �Let me think about it Hank. We are still closed until the renovation is completed, so I�m not sure where I�ll need help yet.�
Hank turned around and shut the door. �So Sheridan, I�m surprised you and Luis haven�t killed each other yet. I�m not trying to be negative, but you two were always like oil and water. I bet you two have had some real blow-ups.�
�Look Hank, I don�t think that�s any of your business. I would appreciate it if you would open the door.� Sheridan had gone from nervous to mad. Who in the hell did he think he was?
�Lighten up Sheridan, I was just kidding around.� Hank said with a little sneer. �Come on let�s kiss and make up.� He stepped toward her, and she could smell the liquor on his breath.
Just then the door flew open, and there stood a raging Luis, looking like he was ready to kill. He was shaking, and Sheridan had never seen him so furious. �WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HANK?�
�Luis,� they both said at once, surprise on their faces.
Luis grabbed Hank by the collar and backed him into the wall. �Answer me Hank, what the hell are you doing here? And why are you trying to kiss my wife?�
�Luis, stop,� a frightened Sheridan begged. She didn�t want Luis do something he would regret.
�Look buddy, relax, Sheridan and I are friends, we were just kidding around,� Hank sputtered, red-faced.
�BULL CRAP, I heard Sheridan tell you to open the door.�
�Luis, please,� Sheridan said grabbing his arm,� don�t do anything rash, please.�
Luis looked over at her, and the anger he felt lessened a little at her touch. He finally released Hank from the wall.
�You listen Hank, and you listen good. If you EVER come near Sheridan again, when I�m not around, I won�t stop at just throwing you against the door. I�ve already warned you once, and this is number two. There will not be a third time. Do you understand?�
Hank looked at Sheridan, expecting her to object, but Luis took his chin and turned it back, so he was facing Hank right on. �Do you understand?�
�Don�t worry,� Hank said straightening his collar, �I understand.�
Hank left, and Luis started pacing, not saying a word. Oh God, Sheridan thought, he thinks I welcomed Hank�s advances. She couldn�t let him think that she would betray him that way. �Luis, would you please talk to me.�
Luis stopped, and looked at her. He walked over and drew her in his arms, hugging her tight. �I�m sorry Sheridan, I can�t believe what I almost did to Hank. My God, he�s supposed to be my friend, your friend. I just don�t trust him since he found out we got married. Its like he can�t accept it.�
�You mean you�re not angry with me?�
�Sweetie, why would I be angry with you. I know you would never cheat on me with Hank. Besides, I caught enough of the conversation to know you didn�t want him here.�
�Thank God, I thought you thought��.�
�Never,� he said giving her a sweet smile.
�Oh Luis, I love you so much,� she said giving him a big hug.
�I love you too.�
�So, what are you doing here in the middle of the day? Not that I�m complaining, because if it was up to me I�d spend every hour of the day with you,�
�I came to tell you my good news. I got my promotion, it�s official, you are now looking at Detective Lopez-Fitzgerald.�
�Oh Luis, I�m so happy for you. I can�t believe it took them this long to give it to you. I think this deserves a big kiss, don�t you?�
Luis answered her by planting a heart-stopping kiss on her lips. As usual, it was spontaneous combustion, and things began to get passionate. They began to rub their bodies together, while they explored each other�s mouths. Luis was just about ready to suggest some �afternoon delight� when they heard the construction workers coming back from lunch.
�Damn these interruptions, I guess we�ll have to finish this tonight.�
�I can�t wait. I think we should have a celebration. What do you think about a feast in bed? We could have wine and cheese, and I thought some strawberries and whipped cream would be nice�, Sheridan said with a seductive smile. �I�ll feed you myself.�
�Oh God lady, are you trying to kill me? I guess I better request desk duty for the rest of the day, because otherwise I�m going to embarrass myself.�
When Luis was driving home from the station that evening, he had to keep reminding himself to slow down. He had been going crazy this afternoon just thinking about Sheridan�s celebration in bed. He had always considered himself a pretty sexual person, but with Sheridan, he felt like a horny monk that had been sequestered in a monastery for about twenty years. It wasn�t just the sex though; he just loved being with her. There had been so many special moments between them when they just held each other, and talked about everything. When he pulled up to the cottage, he was a little surprised that the place was dark. He saw Sheridan�s car parked in front, so he figured she must have the candles lit already. He approached the door, smiling, and rubbing his hands together in anticipation, and crept inside. �Hey Sheridan, I�ve been thinking about those strawberries, and whipped cream all afternoon.�
�SURPRISE!�
The lights came on, and Luis looked up to see Mama, Theresa, Miguel, Charity, The Bennet�s, and just about every other person in Harmony proper standing in front of him. He knew his face looked like the Olympic torch right now, because he had never been so embarrassed in his life. He looked over to see Sheridan, who was standing there with one of those �I�m sorry� looks on her face. She walked up and gave him a hug.
�I�m sorry, they surprised me too,� Sheridan whispered in his ear.
�I knew the bolt wasn�t going to be enough. Tomorrow we�re going shopping for a vault door, with a timer on it.� Luis whispered back to her.
Chapter 13
The party had turned out to be a lot of fun after all, until Julian crashed it, and sent everything into a tailspin. He had walked in with his brandy glass in hand, and demanded to know who had given them permission to hold a town hall meeting on his property. When Luis saw the mortified look on Sheridan�s face, he was even more incensed then he already was by Julian�s rude behavior. Luis had pulled Julian outside, and threatened to break his neck, but Sam and TC had followed him out, and surprisingly enough, it had been Sam and Luis who had ended up having to pull TC off of Julian. Luis didn�t think it possible for Julian to run so fast. The highlight of the evening was when Julian slipped and fell right in Zeus�s doggy deposit. They had to give it to Julian; he was still able to hold on to his brandy glass, in spite of his flailing arm movements. Just to spite Julian, everyone had stayed for another hour, but Luis had to admit, he was happy when they finally left. Sheridan had started to cry the second the door closed. Luis pulled her in his arms, and silently vowed to make Julian pay for upsetting her like this.
�Luis,� she said wetting his shirt. �I�m so sorry. I can�t believe Julian would be so rude. I understand now why everyone hates him. They must think I�m a terrible hostess.�
�Hey,� he said rubbing her back, �nobody blames you for Julian�s behavior. You were a class act, and I can assure you that Julian is regretting his little visit right now.�
�What do you mean,� she said wiping her tears away.
�Well, lets just say that old Jules found himself in deep dodo tonight,� Luis said laughing.
�Deep dodo, what�s that supposed to mean?�
�Never mind, I�m too much of a gentlemen to mention it. The important thing is, that he�s gone for the time being, and as nice as everybody was to throw me a surprise congratulations party, I�m glad I can be alone with my beautiful wife.�
�I know Luis, but I�m furious with Julian. I intend to go over there tomorrow and give him a piece of my mind.�
�Don�t put yourself through it, he�s never going to change.�
�You are probably right. Let�s just change the subject. I�m really sorry our plans didn�t work out tonight, but it really was sweet that your friends and family did that for you. I can tell how much respect everyone has for you.�
�Yeah, it was nice of them, but I think it�s time I showed you how much I love you,� Luis said with a twinkle in his eye.
�I was just thinking the same thing myself, why don�t you undress, and I�ll heat some oil, and give you a backrub.�
�Oooo�.� Luis said teasing her ear lobe with his lips, �I can�t wait, but promise me you won�t be long.�
Luis walked over to slide the bolt into place, and swaggered off to the bedroom, flashing her a sexy grin. Sheridan ran to get the massage oil and heated it in the microwave oven. When she was satisfied that it was the perfect tempeture, she walked into the bedroom and was assaulted by the site of Luis lying on the bed naked, with his luscious backside on display. She hadn�t planned on it, but she decided to remove her clothes too. As she stripped, she noticed Luis had his eyes closed.
�Luis, are you still awake?�
�Umm, I�m just relaxed, and waiting with great anticipation, for this body rub.�
Sheridan climbed on the bed and straddled him, sitting on her knees, so their bodies weren�t touching. She poured the oil on his back, and began to massage his back muscles and shoulders, then moved to his arms, legs and bottom. When she finally sat down on him, Luis let out a growl and shifted her so that she was on her back, and he was on top of her.
�You�re going to have to suffer the consequences for that little trick,� Luis said pinning her arms above her head with one hand.
�Well detective,� Sheridan said, squirming around underneath him. �I�m ready for my punishment now.�
Luis started to touch her, and just when Sheridan thought she was going to melt, he started to tickle her. She broke out in giggles, and begged for him to stop. She didn�t have to beg too long, because Luis was too aroused to play any more love games.
The next morning a loud knocking on the door awakened them. They had been sleeping peacefully, entwined in each other�s arms, and Luis was not happy about someone interrupting their sleep.
�What is this place �The Field of Dreams?� The cars are probably lined up clear to Castleton,� Luis grumbled pulling his pants on. Sheridan hopped up and slipped her robe on.
When Luis answered the door, there were two burly men in overhauls. �Can I help you?�
"We have a work order to remove all the furniture from this cottage, and take it up to the main house.�
�What the hell are you talking about?� Luis grabbed the order out of his hand and studied it.�
�THAT BASTARD!�
�What is it Luis?� Sheridan walked up and pulled the paper out of Luis� hand. �THAT BASTARD,� she shouted. Sheridan took the paper and marched out the door, heading for the main house. She was moving so fast, that it took a while for Luis to catch up with her. He was not too happy that she was displaying a considerable amount of her long legs as the sash on her robe loosened. .
�Sheridan, stop,� Luis said grabbing her arm.�
�Don�t try to stop me Luis, I�m going to kill my brother.�
�Look Sheridan, normally I�d help you, but don�t you see, we would be playing right into his hands?�
�But Luis, he is taking all our furniture.�
�Hell with him. Let him take it, we�ll buy some new furniture.�
�But Luis�.�
�Sheridan listen, it took me a while to figure it out, but I�ve found out that the best way to deal with Julian is to not let him know he�s getting to you. Just keep it close to the vest, and it will drive him nuts.�
�Maybe your right. But our furniture�..�
�We�ll get more. Now let�s go back to the cottage and get dressed, I don�t like the way those movers are ogling you.�
�I don�t care about the other stuff, but Luis, they are taking our bed,� Sheridan whimpered.
�Don�t worry sweetie, you would be surprised how fun it can be to sleep in a sleeping bag.�
�Oh great, a sleeping bag. Only for you Luis, only for you.�
Luis decided it was time to put his plan into action. It was a little sooner than he planned, but he knew that is was the best thing for them. He was on his way to the youth center to pick Sheridan up, and he couldn�t wait to see her reaction, when he sprang the surprise on her. He had to admit he was a little apprehensive about what she would do, but he had faith in her. Sometimes he couldn�t believe how happy he was. He couldn�t wait until they had children together. What better way to celebrate their love then to produce something so special that it would be a part of them both? When he arrived at the youth center, Sheridan was standing at the doorway locking the door. Luis got out and walked up to meet her.
�Hi beautiful,� Luis said, giving her a quick kiss on the lips.
�Hey, handsome, I missed you today.�
�I missed you too. Are you ready for your surprise?�
�I�ve been dying with curiosity all day. Come on Luis, give me a little hint.�
�Patience, patience, you�ll find out soon enough,� Luis said as he opened the car door for her.
They headed for the outskirts of Harmony, driving toward the mountains. They had been driving about twenty minutes, when Luis pulled over to the side of the road. �Ok, Luis what are you up to?�
�He leaned over and pulled a scarf out of the glove box. �Turn around, so I can blindfold you.�
�Honey, that sounds like fun, but don�t you think we should take this home to our sleeping bags,� Sheridan teased.
�As tempting as that sounds, I am not going to let you seduce me into ruining my surprise.�
�Ok, blindfold away,� she said turning to face the door so Luis could tie the scarf around her eyes.
He drove down the road for a few more miles, before Sheridan felt him turn the car onto another road. The road was gravel, and they drove about three hundred feet, when Luis brought the car to a stop.
�Well Sheridan, are you ready for your surprise?� He didn�t wait for her to answer and removed the blindfold. Sheridan took a moment to adjust her eyes to the light, and gasped when she took in the charming scene surrounding them. It looked like someone had cut a circle out of the middle of woods, and right smack in the middle of the circle was a stone house that reminded her of many of the houses she had seen in the French countryside. The doors and windows were arched, and at the very top of the slanted roof rested two copper finials. She fell in love with it instantly, even though the landscape was overgrown, and the paint around the windows and doors needed a serious coat of paint, she was enchanted.
�Oh my God Luis, whose house is this?�
�It�s ours. Do you like it?
�Like it, I love it. But I don�t understand how, when?�
�Actually, I bought it about two years ago. Nobody knows about it except mama and Sam. I got it for steel because an old man that died had lived here for years, and let the house get run down. When they had the estate sale, hardly anybody showed up because it needed a lot of repair, and they all thought it was too far out of Harmony. I was able to get the financing through the bank in Castleton, because, well no offense, but that�s the only bank around that�s not owned by the Cranes. I�ve been fixing it up little by little because I didn�t have the time or the extra money.�
�That doesn�t matter, we�ll have fun together restoring it,� Sheridan said pulling Luis into a hug.
�So you really like it? I had planned on having more of the restoration finished before I showed it to you.�
�Well, I�m glad you didn�t wait,� Sheridan said pulling Luis by the hand toward the house. �Come on, I�m dying to see the inside.�
When they got to the door Luis got the key out to unlock the door, then picked Sheridan up in his arms.
�What are you doing?�
�Well I never had a chance to carry you over the threshold, and I think it�s the perfect way for us to enter our house for the first time together.�
�I love you,� she said kissing him on the cheek.
When Luis set her on her feet again, Sheridan looked around and clapped her hands in delight. �Oh Luis, it�s perfect.�
�I know that the walls need painting, and the hardwood floors need to be stripped and refinished, but I�ll just have to do it a little at a time.�
Sheridan looked around, and she didn�t notice the work that needed to be done as much as the potential of the place. She loved the hardwood floors, and the high ceilings with the crown molding. The doors inside were arched like the outside of the house. She ran up the stairs, and Luis followed her giving her a tour. There were three bedrooms in all. Two on one side of the upstairs, and the master bedroom took up the whole other side. The ceiling was slanted, and there were dormer windows, with built in window seats. Sheridan�s mind was going a mile a minute thinking about how she wanted to decorate the master bedroom.
�You know Luis, I can just see this room now. We�ll paint the molding white, and the walls would look beautiful painted in pink.�
�PINK.� Luis said scrunching his face up. �Please, I�ve seen enough of that color on Theresa to last me a life time.�
�I was just teasing, I really didn�t think Mr. Macho would go for a pink bedroom anyway. Oh Luis,� she said hugging him, I can�t wait to decorate our house.�
�Just promise me you won�t let Maurice help you.�
Chapter 14
Sheridan couldn�t believe she was so excited to be purchasing a bed. Not just because of the obvious reason, but because it was the first purchase Luis and her had made as a married couple. It was strange that all her life she had never wanted for anything. Everything had always been handed to her on a silver platter. It all seemed so shallow to her now; especially when she thought about the way Luis had worked hard all his life to provide for his family. She wasn�t ashamed about being wealthy, but she felt like she had missed some wonderful experiences because of it. She had been all over the world, dined with royalty, but she never shared the special family moments. She had always been close to Ethan, but even he had not been there on so many of those lonely holidays she had spent at boarding school. Now her and Luis were a family, and someday, God willing they would have children, and she vowed that her children would always feel secure and loved.
�Hey.� Luis said putting his hand on her leg. �You look like you�re in deep thought over there. What�s going on in that beautiful head of yours?�
�I was just thinking about what a special moment this is. Do you realize this is the first thing we bought since we have been married.�
Luis laughed at her excitement. �Don�t tell me you never went shopping for furniture before?�
�I hate to admit it, but the only thing I ever shopped for were things to adorn my body.�
�I kind of like your body unadorned,� Luis said rubbing her leg. He slipped his hand under her skirt to caress her thigh.
�Luis,� Sheridan said breathlessly, �You better concentrate on your driving. You wouldn�t want to have an accident. Besides, I think you just missed your turn.�
�Damn, it�s your fault you know. You�re the one that brought up your body.�
When they arrived at the furniture store, a sales lady led them back to where the beds were displayed. She introduced herself as Susan, and asked them what they were looking for in a mattress.
�Well I think my wife likes it firm with lots of spring,�
Sheridan�s face burned red with embarrassment. By the look on Susan�s face, it was obvious that she hadn�t missed Luis� double meaning either.
�I�ll tell you what Susan,� Sheridan said giving Luis a dirty look. �Why don�t you let us look around, and if we have any questions we�ll come and find you.�
As soon as Susan left, Sheridan turned to Luis. �Was it really necessary for you to embarrass me that way?�
�But Sher,� Luis said innocently, �you told me earlier that you liked your mattress firm.�
�I do, but it was the way you said it with that sexual overtone. Susan�s probably having a fantasy about your��.�
�Ok, I�m sorry, but you are so cute when you�re all embarrassed, I couldn�t resist. Forgive me?�
How could she not, when he was standing there looking like a little lost puppy? �Well,� she said with a little smile, �only if you promise to behave.�
�I�ll behave, but when I get you alone, all bets are off. Now lets pick out that bed out, so we can take it home and test it out.�
They finally choose an iron pewter fame, with scrolled detailing on the headboard and footboard. Sheridan offered to pay for the bed, but Luis had refused. She should have known, because sometimes the man could be stubborn as a mule. They now had one piece of furniture, and a lot of work ahead of them. Sheridan decided it was time she learned the fine art of wall painting.
Luis� work schedule had slowed down a little, but his opportunities to work on the house were rare. It was however, one of those rare opportunities, and Sheridan was painting their bedroom, and it was turning out to be a disaster. She had more paint on herself, then on the wall. Luis was outside doing something with wood. She really didn�t know what he was doing, but he sure looked good doing it. She had decided to take a break, so she was watching him through the open window. He was pounding a nail in a piece of wood, and he was wearing a pair of jeans and work boots. It was warm outside, so he had removed his shirt, and his muscular glistening wet back was putting all kinds of lusty ideas in her head. Just then, as if he knew what she was thinking about, he looked up and gave her a killer grin. His attention was drawn away from her when Sam pulled up. They were in deep conversation, and for some reason she didn�t have a good feeling about it. The suspense was killing her so she decided to go down and join them.
When she walked up to them, they both looked up at her, and she didn�t like the serious look on their faces. �Sam, what brings you out here?�
�Hi Sheridan, it looks like you�ve been doing some painting.�
�I guess you could say that,� she said looking at her clothes. �The only problem is, there is more paint on me, then on the wall. But you know Sam, you never did answer my question.�
�I think I�ll let Luis fill you in on that. I need to get back to town. Well Sheridan, it was good to see you. Luis I�ll see you in a couple hours.�
When Sam left, Sheridan turned to Luis. �What did he mean he�ll see you in a couple of hours? I though you had the day off?�
�Come here,� he said grabbing her hand. �Let�s go sit on the porch.�
When they reached the porch and sat down on the step, Sheridan said, �Luis you are making me really nervous here, what is going on?�
�Look Sheridan, I have to go under cover. I can�t give you a lot of details because it�s an ongoing investigation, and besides the less you know the better.�
�Will it be dangerous?� Her blue eyes were filled with fear, and it killed him to see her like this.
�I�m a cop Sheridan, there is always going to be a risk. It comes with the job.�
�Can�t you just tell Sam you can�t do it?�
�You know I can�t,� Luis said taking her in his arms. �Sher, I want you to go stay at the mansion for a while.�
�What do you mean stay at the mansion, why would I do that when I can be here with you?�
�That�s just it, I�m not going to be here. I�m going to be in deep cover, and I can�t risk coming home and having someone follow me here.�
�But Luis, when will I see you? She was hugging him so tightly that she was having trouble breathing.
�I don�t know Sheridan, it could be a few days, or it could be weeks.�
�Weeks, Luis how can I go for weeks without seeing you. I don�t think we�ve gone for more than a few days without seeing each other since the day I crashed into your police car. Even when we didn�t get along, I still got to see you.�
�I know, you don�t think this is killing me too? But I�ve been working on this case for a while, and now it�s my chance to make a huge bust.�
�I�ll be worried sick about you the whole time. Isn�t there some way you can let me know you�re all right.�
�I�ll think of something, I promise,� he said giving her a little kiss. �Now come upstairs with me, I have to get a shower, and pack some things. We don�t have much time, and I want to spend every second with you until I have to leave.�
They had showered together, and made love three times, and it had been passionate and bittersweet. They had also argued, because Luis had wanted her to stay at the mansion, or with Pilar, but she refused because she didn�t want to leave their home. She had finally conceded to let Sam and Miguel come out and check on her.
Sheridan was standing on the front porch watching Luis walk to his jeep, and the tears were streaming down her face. She had tried to be brave and keep her tears in check, but she couldn�t hold back any longer. She had no idea when she was going to see him again, and she was scared to death that something might happen to him. Luis got in his jeep and they shared a long deep look.
�Hey Sheridan,� he shouted over the engine noise. �I�ll leave you a red rose.�
�What?�
�I�ll leave you a red rose to let you know that I�m ok, and to remind you how much I love you.�
Between fixing up the house and her work at the youth center, Sheridan days were full and busy, but the nights were agony. She missed sleeping in Luis� arms, and her mind was filled with worry for him. It had been two weeks, and she had heard nothing from him. She had begged Sam for some information, but all he would tell her was that Luis was fine. The weekend before, Sam, TC, and Miguel had come out to the house, and spent two days, painting, replacing rotted window frames, and they had even started to strip the hardwood floors, so they could refinish them. The house was really starting to come together now, and she couldn�t wait for Luis to come home and see it.
Sheridan was walking to the car after closing the youth center for the day, and she just wanted to go home and take a nice long bath. When she arrived at the car, she unlocked the door and gasped when she saw what was lying on the driver�s seat. It was a perfect red rose. Oh my God, the rose meant that Luis had been there when she had been in the youth center. How could he be so close and not see her? What was he involved in? It had to be pretty big for him to be this close and not even try to see her. She knew that he was only staying away to protect her, but she was going to go crazy if she didn�t see him soon.
Luis ordered himself a beer, and waited for his supplier, Frankie to show up. The guy was pure scum, and he couldn�t wait until he could put him in prison for a long time. He still had no idea where the drugs were originating from, but he had to stay under until they could get a lead on the main supplier. He was pretty sure they were bringing the drugs in from Canada, by boat, but he didn�t have the proof yet, and he had to get Frankie to trust him, so he could get closer to the person calling the shots. He was having a difficult time staying focused on his job, because he was consumed with thoughts of Sheridan. God, he missed her so much, that it had taken all of his control not to go into the youth center today. She must have found his rose by now, and he hoped she wasn�t angry that he didn�t try to see her. At least Sam had kept him updated on her welfare. He had to smile when he thought about what a trooper she was. Sam had told him about how they had all gone out and helped her with the house. It really made him feel better that everyone was looking out for her, but he felt guilty for her having to be alone. He was her husband, and he should be there for her. He knew he had to try and get her out of his mind, because life could get dangerous for him, if he wasn�t on his guard at all times. But she was his life, and she was just not the kind of woman you could forget about. He had to though, this was too big, and he couldn�t afford the distractions of Sheridan to cloud his judgement. She would have laughed though, if she knew that his alias was Ricky. He had chosen the name of Ricky Montana, because he thought Ricardo would have been a little obvious.
Frankie walked in with an attractive brunette, and they joined Luis at his table. Luis was almost uncomfortable with the way the brunette was looking at him. He felt like a piece of meat, and he had a feeling he was going to have to be on his toes around her.
�So buddy,� Frankie said giving Luis the high five. �What�s happening?�
�I think,� Luis said nodding at the brunette, �maybe we should talk another time.�
�Hey Ricky, you can talk in front of Angela, she�s cool, I promise. Angela and I go way back, she�s an associate of mine. Ricky Montana, meet Angela Estes.�
�Glad to meet you,� they said at the same time. Luis noticed she held his hand a little longer than was necessary for a greeting.
Luis didn�t like it, but he didn�t have any choice but to take Frankie at his word. �I was wondering when you could get me my next shipment. I have a lot of buyers out there that are really getting antsy. They were very pleased with the last stuff I got from you.�
�Well Ricky my man, it just so happens that I came to do business, and I just may be able to help you with your problem. That is, for the right price.�
�You just name it, and I�ll see if I�m still in the mood to buy.� Luis took a drink of his beer, and moved back in his seat. Partly because Angela seemed to be moving closer to him, and it was bothering him. Frankie nodded at Angela, and as if on cue she excused herself to go to the ladies room.
�So Ricky, I think my friend Angela has the hots for you. You really should try some of that out. Angela is quite the artist between the sheets.�
�Well,� Luis laughed, I�m flattered, but I don�t think my old lady would take too kindly to me cheating on her.�
�You know Ricky, I would have never figured you as being pussy whipped. She must be something to keep you in check like this. You've got me courious, when are you going to introduce me to this woman that�s got you by the balls. What�s her name?�
�Her name�s Lucy, and it�s going to be a little hard to introduce you, because she�s not from around here. She�s a show girl in Atlantic City.�
�Woo, my man, you don�t mess around. I go to Atlantic City a couple of times a month, tell me what does she looks like?�
�Well she�s tall, leggy, blond, and very beautiful, and the she has bluest eyes, even when she�s pissed off. And believe me you don�t want to get her pissed off. I saw her shoot a man once because he wouldn�t do what she asked.� Sheridan would kill him, if she heard him right now, Luis thought to himself.
�On second thought, I think I�ll pass on an introduction to Lucy. She sounds like too much woman, even for me,� Frankie laughed.
�Good, now Frankie, let�s talk business.�
Sheridan was lying in bed reading a novel, but she was having trouble making sense of the words. It had been a month since she had seen Luis, and she knew more then ever how true the statement �Absence makes the hard grow fonder� was. He had managed to leave her another rose and she had it pressed between the covers of �Gone With the Wind� along with the other one. She wanted to see him so much, even if it meant suffering his wrath when he saw the living room furniture she had purchased. Oh well, she would cross that bridge when she came to it. She finally decided to see if she could get some sleep, so she put the book down on the nightstand, and turned off the light. She had just started to doze off when she heard a big thump. Her heart stopped in her chest, and then started beating so fast, she thought she was going to have a heart attack. She slipped out of bed, and into her robe, and looked for a weapon. The only thing she could find was a silver candlestick. She held the candlestick up in the air, like she was going to war. She began to creep out onto the landing, and started to walk slowly down the steps. She prayed that the old wood would not start creaking, and give her position away. When she got to the bottom she moved causiouly, staying close to the wall, until she located the light switch, and flipped it on.
�Sheridan.�
She turned around startled, gasping at the spoken sound of her name. And there he was. Luis.
He stood by the mantel, casually leaned against it as he watched her. She stared at him in amazement in return.
�Luis!� she whispered.
�And he offered her a lazy smile in return, and said in his sexy low tone, �Yes, Sheridan. It�s me.
�My God!� she breathed. She almost felt faint at the sight of him. He looked wonderful, even with the five o�clock shadow. If it was possible, he looked even sexier to her with this grubby look. He was handsome as hell, and his brown eyes sparkled in the light.
�So beautiful, are you ever going to come over here and give me a proper greeting?� He said looking her up and down, and stopping at her face.
Sheridan didn�t have to be asked twice. She flew into his arms, and she would have knocked him over if he hadn�t been leaning against the mantle.
�Now,� he said pulling back from her. �Do you want to explain to me where this furniture came from? I practically killed myself when I came in tonight.� He said raising his eyebrow.
She groaned softly, staring at the floor. She knew this was coming, the moment of reckoning. She lifted her head and stared into his eyes. �I�.I�.�
�Quit stuttering.�
�Quit being mean.� The last thing she wanted to do was fight with him. Not when it had been so long since she had seen him.
�I�m waiting.�
�Oh alright, I�m sorry Luis, but I wanted some furniture for our living room. I know I should have waited for you, but God only knew when you would show up again.�
�Who paid for it?�
�Well,� Sheridan said lowering her lashes, looking downward again, �I didn�t use Crane money, if that�s what you�re asking.�
�Come on Sheridan, you know we can�t afford to just buy all this stuff right now. What were you thinking?�
�For your information Luis, I used my money. Money that was left to me by my mother, from her side of the family.�
Luis smiled suddenly, and she was in shock at his change of attitude. �We�ll talk about this later, because right now I�m dying to kiss you.�
She met his kiss with passion, and an urgent hunger. She found his tongue, dueled with it most sensually with her own, exploring his mouth, with her arms around him, and her fingers tangling into his hair. God he felt good. His scent was masculine, his arms were strong, and his flesh was hot. They kissed, and kissed�. Feverishly, desperately.
He swept her up into his arms, and carried her up the steps, and into their bedroom. He laid her down on the bed, stood, and began to tear his clothes off. She rose off the bed and stripped her robe and nightgown away. On her knees on the bed, she crawled over to where he stood naked. He was lean and muscular, and very aroused. She slipped from the bed, and to the floor, and took him in her hand, and she loved the groan that tore from him. Her fingertips roamed over him and cupped his bottom with her hands. She teased his flat stomach with her tongue, until a gruff cry tore from him, and she was up in his arms, and meeting his mouth in a wild, reckless kiss. His hands and lips were all over her body, teasing her nipples, and the flesh between her legs. She trembled, and cried out, she had never wanted him so much before. They fell to the bed and as soon as they hit the mattress he filled her completely, and she cried out, so glad just to feel him inside her. And then, everything exploded, and they remained wrapped in each other�s arms until their shudders faded.
�I�m going to make love to you again, but not until we discuss this furniture issue.�
Chapter 15
Sheridan couldn�t believe it; they had just made love for the first time in a month, and Luis wanted to talk. Why did they have to talk about the stupid furniture now, when she wanted him again? Luis was lying on his back with Sheridan on her side facing him. She was drawing figure eight�s on his chest with her finger. Her touch moved lower to trace the rim of his navel, and she leaned down to lick his nipple. Luis grabbed her, and flipped her over so they he was laying on top of her. He moved her arms above her head and held her wrist down.
�Quit trying to seduce me,� Luis said, raising his brow at her sternly. �You don�t think I know what you�re up to?�
�Who�s trying, I think you�re already seduced. You know Luis, there are certain things a man can�t hide,� Sheridan said seductively.
�It�s not going to work Sheridan, now start talking.�
�Oh, all right,� Sheridan said sticking her bottom lip out. �My mother left me some money when she died. It was set up in a trust, so my father couldn�t get his hands on it. It was administered by my mother�s brother until I turned twenty-one.�
�Sheridan, you know how I feel about taking money from a women. I�m supposed to provide for you.�
�I�m not just some women Luis, I�m your wife, and being your wife makes whatever I have community property. So if you look at it that way, it becomes our money.�
�You�re splitting hairs Sheridan, besides, doesn�t this go against the rules of the pre-nuptial agreement�? Luis said sarcastically.
Why was he being this way? They were both so aroused, and he wanted to argue. �Look Luis, let�s just tear the damn thing up. I never wanted it anyway, I was just being stubborn.�
�That�s your problem Sheridan, you�re impulsive when your stubborn pride gets in the way. Isn�t that how I ended up in jail?�
She was getting angry now, �Why did you have to bring that up? Besides, if I hadn�t had you arrested for kidnapping me, we wouldn�t be married right now.�
That brought a smile to his face. �Good point, I was mad as hell at you at the time, but now, I�m extremely happy that you had me arrested. But you know,� Luis said softly �I don�t feel right about you spending your money�..�
�Ok,� Sheridan interrupted him. Since you insist on living in the Middle Ages, why don�t you just consider it my bride prize.�
Luis surprised her by laughing. He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. �This time� and he kissed her again, �I�ll concede. But don�t you ever,� he released one of her hands, and started to touch her, �ever, do that again, without discussing it with me.� The conversation was over; he leaned over and gave her a fiery, wet kiss that sent flames through her body.
They made love slowly, trying to saver each second of the sheer ecstasy of it. Sheridan wanted to freeze this moment in time, so they would never be separated again. She had never felt such pure physical pleasure, and love. In the end, they had both cried out, their climaxes leaving them trembling and exhausted.
They were lying entwined in each other�s arms, and Luis kissed her on the forehead. �God baby, I missed you so much,� he said softly.
�Oh Luis, I missed you too. I�m going crazy, and sometimes I think I�m just going to start screaming.�
�Actually,� he said with a teasing smile, �you were were doing a little screaming. It was charming.�
�Oh!� she said, punching him lightly in the stomach. �Why do you always insist on embarrassing me?� She knew her protest wasn�t very convincing, because she couldn�t stop the smile that came to her lips.
�I�m sorry,� he said kissing her the tip of her nose, �I just can�t resist, you�re just so cute when you�re riled up.�
�Oh my God,� Sheridan said sitting up suddenly. �We�ve been so��, well you know, caught up in the moment, I didn�t even ask you what you are doing here. Please tell me your assignment is over, and you�re home to stay.�
�I wish I could, but I have to leave tonight. I took a risk coming here, but I couldn�t stay away from you any longer.�
�NO, NO, NO, I�m not letting you leave,� she cried. She flung herself on top of him and wrapped her arms around him like she could possibly stop him. Or maybe she could, because Luis couldn�t fought her off right then, if he tried. He did stay, but right before dawn, he pulled himself out of her sleeping arms, and got dressed. He leaned over and brushed her lips with his.
�Oh Sheridan,� he whispered. �It�s better this way, because if I have to look in your big blue eyes, I�ll never leave.� There was a flower arrangement on the bedside table, and he pulled a rose from the vase, and lay it on the pillow beside her.
The next morning when Sheridan woke up and found the rose, she cried into her pillow for it seemed like hours. She was eventually able to get up and shower, and get ready for her day. She was just going to have to be strong, because if she didn�t, she would lose it. She just held on to the hope that this would be over soon, and she would never have to be without him again. Besides, she had a dance to get ready for at the youth center, and she wasn�t going to let the kids down, because she was crumpling. As she drove into Harmony, she couldn�t help but think about last night. Sometimes it seemed like she had dreamed of the whole thing, but she had the rose to prove that it was real. He was such a part of her now, that she couldn�t imagine living without him. But she would have to for now, she didn�t have any other choice. But next time�.. Maybe she would take Phoebe�s advice and chain him to their bed.
Luis� adrenaline was pumping as he waited in the park for Frankie. He had finally managed to convince him that he was trustworthy, and ready for some bigger action. He had told Frankie that he was tired of the small stuff, and wanted a bigger piece of the big money. It had been a risk, but the risk paid off, because Frankie was taking him to meet with his boss. He had told Luis that they could always use another good soldier. Imagine those scumbags calling themselves soldiers, Luis thought with disgust. Maybe they were all soldiers, because this was war, and he intended to win. This could be the defining moment in his battle to put all their sorry asses in prison where they belonged. Then he could go home and be with his sweet Sheridan. Maybe he had been crazy to go and see her that night, but he had thought that being with her for a few hours would help to exorcise his need for her. But it had only made it worst, and he had been tempted a hundred times after that to go to her again. It was just too risky, he couldn�t put her him harms way. If they ever made him as a cop, and knew how important she was to him, her life would be in danger. He would rather die, then let anything to happen to her, so he would have to be strong and stay away from her until this thing was over.
Luis checked his watch, and then checked it again. The son-of-a-bitch was late, and Luis didn�t like being made to wait. Maybe Sheridan was right, he was a control freak, and this was definitely a situation out of his control. He heard footsteps and looked up to see Angela approaching him. She was wearing leather pants, with a matching jacket, and the pants looked like someone had painted them on her. Great, Luis thought, she looked like the black widow spider ready to pull in an unsuspecting treat into her web. He didn�t like this at all, where and the hell was Frankie?
�What are you doing here? Where�s Frankie? Luis said suspiciously.
�The boss sent Frankie out of town to take care of a situation that came up unexpectedly. Don�t worry Ricky,� Angela said running her hand down his chest. �Frankie put you in my care, and I promise, I know exactly how to take care of you.�
�Look Angela,� Luis said removing her hand. �Can we get down to business, I wouldn�t want to keep the boss waiting.�
�Ok, Ricky, but after we meet with the boss, why don�t we have a drink. Frankie told me about your women friend, but she�s out of town, and I�m here,� she said touching him again.
�Look Angela,� he said putting his hand on hers and pushing it away from him. �I�m flattered, but I don�t believe in mixing business with pleasure. Things like that have a way of turning ugly.�
�Have your way for now Ricky,� she said with a smug little smile. �Sooner or later you�ll cave, they always do.�
They were in a coastal town about thirty-five miles from Harmony, and Angela drove them to a dock where there was a small ship, that had been converted into a nightclub. Luis had a suspicion that once the boat pulled away from the dock, and out into the open ocean, there was some illegal gambling going on. Angela led him onto the boat and into the double doors to where loud music was playing. It was filled with the beautiful people, dancing and drinking champagne from fancy crystal glasses. Angela nudged him, and pointed over to a table in the corner, where a man, with his back to them, was sitting with two beautiful blondes.
�There�s the boss now, come on let�s go over there.�
Angela started to pull him toward the table, and Luis had the strangest feeling that he knew that head. When the man turned to the side to laugh at some remark one of the blondes had made, Luis stopped dead in his tracks. Oh my God, he couldn�t believe it, it was Hank. What the hell was he doing here, of all places. Luis had a bad feeling about this, he prayed that Angela had not been pointing to Hank.
�So you�re saying that guy over there at the table with the two blondes is the boss?
�Yeah, that�s Hanky, he has a weakness for the women. I should know I�ve been with him on more than one occasion. But, don�t think it gets in the way of his business, he can be very ruthless at times.
Damn, what was he going to do, he could hardly meet with the boss now, considering that the boss was his supposed best friend. He had to think fast, and get the hell out of there before Hank spotted him. He would sort out this catastrophe later, when he was out of here, and out of range from Hank.
�Look Angela, I need to go to the little boys room first, why don�t you go over there and I�ll join you in a few minutes.�
�I don�t know, why don�t I wait right here for you, and we�ll go over together.�
He had to get her away from the doorway so he could get out of there without her noticing. �I�ll tell you what Angela,� why don�t you go on, and we�ll have that drink later.�
�Ok,� she said smiling. �I knew you�d cave sooner or later. I�m just glad it�s sooner.� Angela put her hand on his shoulder, and right then Hank looked over and their eyes connected. Hank looked from Luis to Angela, and then back again, and the look of shock on his face told Luis that Hank knew. Luis didn�t wait around to see any more, he turned around and left the boat as fast as his feet could carry him. He ran out onto the wharf, and stopped and looked around to see the best escape route. Damn, he had come with Angela in her car, and he knew he couldn�t get very far on foot. He figured his best bet was to head toward town, so he could at least try to catch a taxi. He darted between the buildings, and ran up an alley, when a bullet went whizzing by his head. He thought he heard Hank calling his name, but he didn�t slow down to find out what he wanted. When he reached the main street in the city, he was able to hale a cab, and gave the driver directions to where his car was parked. Since this was a tri-city effort, Luis knew he should check in with his contact here, but for some reason, his gut told him to head back to Harmony. Harmony, hell what was he going to tell Sam? Luis� knee jerk reaction, had been to walk over to Hank, and beat the crap out of him, but he knew that now that Hank had made him, he needed to get back to Harmony and sort this out with Sam. His stomach was tied up in knots, as the realization of what he had discovered sunk in. His life-long friend was a damn drug dealer. Hell, not just a drug dealer, but from the looks of things, he was controlling an army of dealers. How could he not have known what Hank was up to? All the mysterious trips, the large wads of cash should have been a warning that Hank was up to something illegal. Maybe deep down he had suspected, but he didn�t want to face the fact that Hank could be this dirty. Hank had some brushes with the law in the past, but nothing this big, this ugly.
Luis made it back to Harmony, without further incident, and went directly to Sam�s house. When Sam answered the door in his robe, he didn�t try to hide his shock at seeing Luis standing there.
�Luis, what are you doing here? I thought you had the meeting with the main man tonight.�
�Sam, all hell broke loose tonight, I think you should get dressed and come down to the station.�
�Ok, wait inside, I�ll get dressed and we�ll go together.�
Luis paced the Bennett living room, like a caged animal, until Sam came down, and they left to go to the station. On the way there Sam tried to pump Luis for information, but Luis told him it was better that they discuss this at the station. When they arrived, Luis told Sam about everything that had happened that night. He felt like hell having to deliver this kind of news to Sam, but he didn�t have any choice in the matter. Surprisingly, Sam was upset, but not shocked by the news of Hank. The problem was as Sam pointed out; they didn�t have a shred of evidence to even arrest Hank at this point. The fact that Angela pointed to Hank and said he was �the boss�, would never hold up in court as proof that Hank was guilty. Their only hope was to arrest Frankie and Angela, and maybe they could get them to give Hank up. Luis couldn�t believe the betrayal he felt over Hank�s actions. To think he had actually trusted Hank to guard Sheridan during the whole drug cartel �.. Oh my God, it hit him, Sheridan was at their house alone, and she was fair game for Hank.
�Sam, I have to go, Sheridan is alone at the house, and vulnerable, and I�m afraid that Hank might go out there.�
�Let�s go Luis, I�ll drive you in case there�s a problem. If anyone is going to arrest my brother, it�s going to be me.�
On the way out there they tried to call Sheridan, but a recording came on the line, and said the number was out of service. Luis tried her cell phone, but it rang and rang with no answer..
�Oh God Sam, drive faster, if he�s there, and he hurts her, I�ll tear him apart.� Luis was scared to death that he would be too late.
�Luis, I don�t really think Hank would hurt Sheridan, he might just try to use her as leverage.�
�I�m not as sure about that as you Sam. Just drive faster, I have to get there.�
Sheridan was curled up on the sofa, watching an old movie when someone began knocking loudly on the front door. It frightened her at first, but she calmed down a little when it hit her that an intruder wouldn�t knock. She looked out the peep hold, and saw Hank standing on the porch looking quite agitated. What was he doing here at this time of night? Maybe he had some news on Luis. She kept the chain on, and opened the door.
�Hank, what are you doing here? It�s late, couldn�t this wait until morning?�
�Open up Sheridan, I came to get you, Luis is in trouble. He needs you right now, before it�s too late.
Sheridan�s heart stopped. �Oh my God Hank, what happened, is he hurt?� Sheridan slid the chain off, and opened the door all the way so Hank could come in.
�I�m not sure, all I know is that I got a call from Luis, and he said that he was in trouble, and he needed me to bring you to him.�
�Wait here Hank, I�ll go get dressed,� Sheridan said flying up the steps.
Hank just stood there with a smirk on his face. Luis was going to learn that he wasn�t going to go down easy. He was counting on Luis� love for Sheridan to buy him his ticket to freedom.
Chapter 16
Sheridan had never been so afraid in her life, and she prayed to God that Luis was all right. She didn�t know what she would do if he were hurt, or worst� She didn�t even want to think about it. He needed her now, and she had to go to him. She pulled her dresser drawers open, throwing clothes everywhere, until she found a pair of jeans, and a sweater. As she pulled on her clothes, she spotted the picture on the bedside table of her and Luis. It was a photo of them in front of their house, she was standing in front of Luis, and he was behind her with his arms around her waist. �Oh God, please don�t take him away from me,� she said out loud.
�Sheridan, hurry up,� Hank yelled up to her. �We have to get the hell out of here.�
She didn�t know if it was the tone of Hank�s voice, or what he said, but suddenly this whole thing didn't feel quite right to her. Now that she thought about it, why would Luis call Hank to come and get her? He didn�t want Hank near her; in fact, he had grown apart from Hank lately. Luis was undercover, and he wouldn�t involve Hank in something that was police business. He would have called Sam, she was sure of it now. She picked up the phone to call Sam, but it was dead. Hank must have cut the line, because she had just spoken with Ethan earlier. She looked around frantically for her cell phone, and then remembered she had left it downstairs. She heard footsteps coming up the steps, and she ran over and locked the bedroom door. Sheridan froze when she heard Hank rattle the doorknob. He started pounding on the door so hard, she thought he would split the wood in half.
�Sheridan, what are you doing in there? He sounded furious, and when she didn�t answer, he started yelling at her. �Sheridan, open this damn door, or I�ll kick it in.�
Sheridan picked up her trusty silver candlestick, and waited. Her heart was pounding so loud; she could hear the pausing in her ear. Hank was going crazy now, banging on the door, and screaming at her to open up. He sounded desperate, like he had gone completely crazy. What was wrong with him? Would she be able to fight him off, if he managed to break the door down? She screamed when a gunshot rang out, and Hank kicked the door in. Oh God, he had shot the lock off, he could have killed her. She looked up, with tears in her eyes, to see Hank standing there, holding a gun on her.
�Put the candlestick down Sheridan, its no match for my gun,� Hank snickered cruelly.
�Hank, don�t do this, please. I thought we were friends, why would you do this to me?�
�Because your husband, Luis,� he said with disgust, �won�t keep his nose out of my business. I had a great thing going, and he had to come along and screw it up, just like he always screws up everything in my life.�
�What are you talking about Hank? Luis is your friend, he wouldn�t do that to you.�
�FRIEND,� he screamed. �He�s taken everything from me, including you. He knew I wanted to marry you, but do you think that stopped him? No, because Luis always gets what he wants.�
�Luis didn�t take me away from you, because there was never anything between us but friendship. At least I thought��.�
�Shut up Sheridan. I used to think you were the perfect woman, but you turned out to be nothing but a bitch. Now, I would love to stand around and chat, but we have to get out of here before Luis decides to show up.�
Yes, Sheridan thought to herself, Luis would show up, she felt as sure of it as her love for him. They were too connected; he always knew when she needed him. But it scared her to death, when she though about Luis charging in here, while Hank had that gun. Hank walked toward her, gun pointed, and took the candlestick out of her hand. He pulled her by the arm, and moved her in front of him. He ordered her to start walking, and when she wasn�t going fast enough for him, he nudged her in the back with the nose of the gun.
�Get going princess, we have a plane to catch,� Hank snarled.
When Luis and Sam arrived at the lane that led to his house, Luis told Sam that they should park at the end of the driveway, so they would have the element of surprise on their side. Luis was sure that Hank was there, he felt it in his gut. If Hank touched one hair on Sheridan�s head he would kill him. It would be worth life in prison, just to know that scum was dead. They decided to cut through the woods in case Hank was standing in front of the house, and saw them coming up the lane. The plan was for Sam to move in from the back of the house, and Luis would go in from the front. When they arrived at the clearing, Luis was overcome with fear when he spotted Hank�s car parked in the driveway. Sam took off toward the back of the house, and Luis approached the front slowly with his gun drawn, and pointed in front of him. He peeked in the window and saw Hank leading Sheridan down the steps. He couldn�t tell for sure, because they were facing him, but he felt sure that Hank had a gun pointed at Sheridan�s back. His blood ran cold, thinking of her being at Hank�s mercy. He could see her face, and he knew she was frightened to death. �Just hang in there baby, I promise I won�t let him hurt you,� Luis whispered to himself. Since they were heading toward the front door, Luis figured that his best chance was to wait outside, and take Hank by surprise. He stood in the shadows, flush against the house, by the side of the front door, and waited for them to step out on the porch. His mind was in overdrive, trying to figure out a way to overtake Hank without Sheridan getting shot. He couldn�t risk rushing him, and taking the chance that the gun would go off and hit Sheridan. They came out the door and onto the porch. Luis could have reached out and touched Sheridan, but he didn�t dare, because Hank could start shooting.
�Come on bitch, move it. Your lover is not going to show up, so quit stalling. Do you know what the Mafia does to their hostages? They cut off their ear and send to their loved ones. I would love to see Luis� face when he opened up that little package,� Hank said laughing.
�Please Hank, think about what you are doing. You can still make this right if you let me go,� Sheridan said in a frightened voice.
�Oh no Sheridan. This is the only way, because Luis is going to let me go when he finds out that I�ll kill you if he doesn�t.�
�Luis will hunt you down like the dog you are. You know how tenacious he is when he goes after something.�
Luis wanted to shoot him right then, for what the son-of-a-bitch was saying to Sheridan. He was trying his best to keep a cool head so he wouldn�t make any mistakes and get Sheridan shot in the process, but he still couldn�t think of the best way to overtake Hank. All of a sudden Sheridan elbowed Hank, and dove to the ground rolling sideways. Luis took advantage of the opportunity and threw himself on Hank, and they both fell to the ground. During the confusion, Hank�s gun went flying, and fell into the bushes.
�Sheridan, run for cover.� Luis yelled out to her. Luis didn�t have the opportunity to look to see if she was all right, because he was too busy trying to subdue Hank. Hank was fighting back like a wild man, but Luis managed to get off a punch right to Hank�s jaw. Hank looked dazed for a moment, but recovered enough to knee Luis in the stomach. The force of it knocked Luis backward, and Hank jumped on top of him, and managed to get his hands around his neck, and started to strangle him. Luis was gasping for air, but was finally able to get Hanks�s hands off his neck, and he twisted his wrist so hard that he heard the bone snap. Hank let out a scream from the pain, and rolled off of Luis, clutching his wrist to his chest, and moaning like a wounded animal. Luis pulled his gun out, and pointed it at Hank�s head.
�Don�t move you bastard, because I would have no problem shooting you right now,� Luis said pulling his handcuffs out of his back pocket. He grabbed Hank�s injured wrist, and secured it to the other wrist with the cuffs. �You have the right to remain���
�Let me do that Luis,� Sam interrupted him. �I�ll take care of my brother,� he spat. �Go make sure Sheridan is all right.�
Oh God, how could he forget about Sheridan? He looked around, and spotted her sitting on the ground by the porch. She was holding her hand to her forehead, looking dazed. He ran over to her and squatted down, and pulled her in his arms.
�Sweetie, are you all right?� Luis pulled away from her and noticed the bump on her forehead. �What happened to your head? Did Hank hit you?�
�No Luis, I think I hit my head, when I rolled trying to get away from Hank.�
�Come on,� Luis said helping her up. �Let�s get you to a hospital, and get your head checked out.�
�I�m fine, Luis. It�s a little bump on the head. I just want to go in my house, and forget this night ever happened.�
Sheridan must have had a delayed reaction, because she suddenly wrapped her arms around Luis, and started to cry. He just held her, whispering comforting words into her ear. When he thought about what could have happened to her, he started to shake. They held each other, glad to be together, and alive. Sam had gone to get the car, and had secured Hank in the back seat, and walked over to them.
�Are you two all right?�
�Yes Sam, Sheridan is shaken up, and she bumped her head, but she insists that she�s fine, but I plan on keeping a close eye on her just the same.�
�I�m so sorry for what Hank did to you Sheridan. Hank�s had some problems with the law in the past, but I never thought he would go this far,� Sam said sadly.
Sheridan disengaged herself from Luis� arms, and walked over to Sam, and took his hand in hers. �Sam you don�t have to apologize for Hank, this was not your fault. None of us could have predicted that Hank would do anything like this. The Hank I saw tonight, was not the same person. I think he�s had some kind of a breakdown or something.�
�Don�t make excuses for him Sheridan, he has to be responsible for his actions. My God, he could have killed you,� Luis said coming up behind her and putting his arm around her.
�Luis is right Sheridan, my brother made his bed, now he has to lie in it. I�m just glad our father isn�t alive to see what Hank�s become. I just don�t know how I�m going to explain this to Grace and the children. I�ll need a statement from both of you, but I think it can wait until morning, because I�m going to have to take Hank to the hospital. It will probably be morning before I can even process him.�
�Look Sam, I�m sorry about Hank�s wrist, but he was trying to strangle me�.�
�Luis, come on, you did what you had to. I�m not sure I would have been that lenient on him if he would have done the same thing to Grace, that he did to Sheridan. Well, I better get Hank to the hospital. I�ll see you both in the morning.�
Luis and Sheridan said goodnight to Sam and went inside the house. Luis started fussing over Sheridan, and insisted on carrying her upstairs. Sheridan told him he was over-reacting as usual, but she smiled at him and let him have his way. He undressed her and put her in bed, and tucked her in snugly. Luis went to get her some aspirin, and a glass of water, and stood over her like a mother hen, until she took the pills. He undressed, and got in bed beside her, and pulled her in his arms.
�Promise me you�re telling me the truth when you say you�re ok, because I can still take you to the hospital�..�
�I�m fine Luis, it�s just a little bump on the head. The only medicine I need right now is to be in your arms,� she said snuggling up closer to him.
�You know Sheridan, that was quite a move you made to get away from Hank, even though I should spank your pretty behind for taking a chance like that. Hank could have shot you.�
�I was sure I�d be safe, because I knew you wouldn�t let anything happen to me. I had to cause a distraction so you could stop Hank.�
�But how did you know I was there?� Luis said with surprise, �I thought I had a pretty good hiding place.�
�It was Luis, I didn�t see you, but I felt your presence. You see, you�re not the only one in this family who has gut feelings.�
�Still,� Luis said tracing the bump on her head, �I don�t know what I would do if anything happened to you. Did I tell you how crazy in love with you I am?�
�Oh Luis, I�m crazy in love with you too,� Sheridan said kissing him lightly on the lips.
�None of that now, the close proximity of your body is already causing a reaction in me. You�ve been through a lot tonight, and you need your rest. With that head injury, you probably shouldn�t get over excited, if you know what I mean. Maybe I should sleep in the chair over there so you can get your rest.�
�Oh no you don�t, we�ve been separated for too long, and I�m not letting you go. Please tell me you don�t have to go back undercover again.�
�Well, considering that I�ve been compromised, I don�t see a chance of that happening anytime soon.�
�Luis, did Hank have something to do with your case? He said something about having a good thing going, but you ruined it for him.�
�I guess since you�ll find out about it soon enough, I may as well tell you. I�ve been undercover trying to bust a large drug ring in the area. I had it all set up to meet one of the main suppliers, and you can imagine my shock when it turned out to be Hank. I tried to get out of there before he saw me, but he did see me with one of his �soldiers�, so I got the hell out of there, so I could get word to Sam. We were at the station, when it dawned on me that Hank might try to get to me through you, so that�s how Sam and I ended up here. I�ll never forgive myself for putting you in danger because of my job.�
�Come on Luis, how many times were you in danger because of me? Sheridan told Luis how Hank had lied his way into the house, and about how he had shot the lock off the bedroom door.�
�That bastard could have killed you pulling a stunt like that. I promise you Sheridan, Hank will never be able to hurt you again, because he�s going to go to jail for a long time.�
�I�m sorry about Hank, I know that you two were best friends, and I feel like part of this is my fault.�
�Come on Sheridan, how can it be your fault? Hank needs to take responsibility for his actions.�
�Because he said something about you taking me away from him. He actually thought he was going to marry me. I tried to be honest with him in the past, about my feelings for him, but I know that on several occasions, I kind of led him on, because I was trying to make you jealous. I know now that that was very selfish of me, and I feel like that might have contributed to pushing Hank over the edge.�
�Sheridan, you have to stop blaming yourself. Hank might have been attracted to you, but he also had an agenda where you were concerned.�
�The Crane money,� Sheridan said shaking her head.
�I�m afraid so. Look Sheridan, I hope you don�t still think that I�m after your money, because I swear I was never using you for your money.�
�I know that Luis,� she said tracing his face with her finger. �I know what kind of a person you are, and I also know that you would never use me.�
�Good,� Luis said giving her a heart-stopping smile, �I�m glad we got that settled.�
�Are you sure you don�t want to reconsider, and make love to me?�
�You have no idea how much I want to make love to you, but�.�
�I know, I know, I need to get my rest.�
�Yes you do. But I promise you, when we get back from the station tomorrow, you better be prepared, because I plan on keeping you in bed all day. That is, providing you don�t have any ill effects from that bump on your head.�
�Believe me Luis, I�ll be fine. I�m already having fantasies about tomorrow, and if you�re a good boy, I might even give you one of my famous backrubs. You know the ones, when we�re both naked with the heated oil. Maybe I�ll even throw my pearls into the mix�
�Good God,� Luis growled, �you�re going to pay big time for that little remark.�
Chapter 17
The next morning at the station, Luis was filling out the necessary paperwork for his case, and Sheridan was giving Sam her statement on the events leading up to Hank�s arrest the night before. Sam had told them that Hank was still in the hospital, because it had turned out that his broken wrist had to have a pin inserted, which required surgery. He would have to remain for several more days, so a police officer was assigned to guard his room twenty-four hours a day. Luis had felt guilty for about five minutes, until he thought about what Hank had done to Sheridan, and the guilt was immediately replaced by anger, and maybe a little bit of sadness. He had loved Hank as a friend, but when he arrived back in Harmony after traveling the world for all those years, he had come back a different person. The problem was Luis hadn't realized it, until it was too late. Maybe if he had known, he could have helped him, could have encouraged Hank to straighten out his life. It hadn�t helped that they had both been interested in Sheridan, but Luis didn�t feel guilty about that, because he didn�t believe Hank was ever really in love with her. Hank had grown greedy, and Sheridan was nothing but a meal ticket to him. He felt terrible for Sam, because even though he was being the consummate professional right now, Luis could tell he was still pretty upset about his brother. If he felt like he had failed Hank, he could about imagine how Sam felt. Luis looked up from his paperwork and observed Sheridan sitting at Sam�s desk. He was really proud of her, because without her quick thinking last night, the situation could have turned out a lot differently. She must have sensed he was staring at her, because she looked over and gave him a sweet smile. He smiled back at her, and thought about their plans for the afternoon. It had been too long since they had made love, but he planned on making up for it today. His sensual thoughts were interrupted by a commotion at the front door, and he looked over to see two uniform�s escorting Angela Estes in to the station. She was handcuffed, and swearing up a storm in Spanish. When she spotted Luis, she pulled away from the officers, and walked over and planted herself in a chair next to Luis� desk.
�I can�t believe you betrayed me Ricky, after everything we shared together,� she said loudly. � You made me believe you loved me, and you turned out to be nothing but a gringo pig,� she spat out.
Damn, he had to defuse this situation quickly before Sheridan got the wrong idea. �First of all Angela, my name is Luis, I never touched you, or told you I loved you, and for your information, I�m only part gringo pig, because my mother is Spanish.�
�You lie!� Angela said getting right up in Luis� face. �All those nights I lay in your arms, you told me we would always be together.�
All of a sudden, Angela�s chair spun around, and Luis looked up to see a furious Sheridan, hands on hips, standing there looking like a warrior princess. Her penetrating blue eyes were shooting daggers at Angela. Did he actually see Angela flinch? Oh God, the worst had happened. Now Sheridan thought he had been unfaithful to her, and by the looks of things, Angela was going to be the first person she killed. Where in the hell was Sam?
�Look Sheridan,� Luis said standing up to pull her away. Sheridan shook his hand off, and leaned over and put her hands on the arms of the chair Angela was sitting in. Angela leaned back in the chair, looking a Sheridan like she was her worst nightmare. Luis looked around helplessly to see his fellow officer�s staring at them with amused looks on their faces. �Sheridan I can explain��.�
�NO, you lie,� Sheridan said interrupting Luis. Was she talking to him, because she was staring at Angela when she said it? �How dare you try to get Luis in trouble. I know him, and he wouldn�t touch you with a ten-foot pole. Now you take back what you said, or you�re going to have to deal with me,� Sheridan said getting right in Angela�s face.
�Oh my God,� Angela said freaking out. �You�re Lucy! Get this crazy bitch away from me. Frankie told me she killed a man once for no reason. All right, I was lying, just get her away from me.�
�What? Who�s Lucy?� Sheridan was looking back and forth between Luis and Angela with a confused look on her face.
�Come on Sheridan, let�s go talk.� Luis led her back to one of the interrogation rooms and closed the door. He explained about the elaborate story he had told Frankie as an excuse for avoiding Angela�s amorous advances. Sheridan surprised him by breaking out in laughter. She wrapped her arms around him and started planting little kisses all over his face.
Luis pulled back from her, and lifted her chin. �I was scared to death that you believed that garbage Angela was saying, but you believed in me.�
�Of course I believed in you, I knew exactly what she was up to. She was trying to discredit you, in an attempt to make your case against her weaker.�
�Since when did you get so street smart?� Luis said with amusement. �I can�t believe that the country club set would discuss things like this.�
�Well you know Luis, I spent a lot of lonely nights since you have been undercover, so I kind of got in the habit of watching a lot of cop shows on television. I wanted to try to understand your job better."
�Just when I think I have you figured out, you turn around and surprise me. You�re quite a woman Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald.�
�And this woman would love to take you home, and show you more of my surprises,� Sheridan said pulling him close and kissing him on the lips. The kiss turned hot, and they almost forgot where they were, until Sam clearing his throat interrupted them. Luis and Sheridan pulled back red-faced.
�Excuse me you two, but Luis, I think you have a prisoner out here to interrogate. Sorry, I know I gave you the afternoon off, but we didn�t expect to pick up Angela this soon.�
�Sure Sam, could you give us five minutes?�
�I�m sorry Sheridan, I hate this as much as you do. I promise I�ll make it up to you. I�ll try to get home early, and we can have a romantic evening in front of the fire.�
�Sorry Luis, but there�s the Halloween party at the youth center tonight, and I have to be there. And guess what? You owe me big time, so you�re going too. You�ll need a costume, so I�ll call the costume shop, and you can pick it up after work, and meet me there.�
�Come on Sher, do I have to ware a costume? I�ll just come in my normal clothes.�
�Oh no you don�t, you have to ware one, and a cop uniform doesn�t count. Remember, Ricky, you really don�t want to get on Lucy�s bad side. You know what she does to men that don�t do what she says,� Sheridan said turning away to go. �By the way, I�m going to take the car, so I guess you�ll just have to walk tonight.�
�Sheridan.� She turned to look back at him. �Promise me that the costume won�t involve tights,� Luis said sheepishly.
�I guess you�ll just have to wait and see,� and with that she was out the door.
�Great,� Luis said running his hand through his hair. �Now she�s mad, and I�m going to have to do some major sucking up tonight.�
Julian Crane was sitting behind his desk sipping a brandy, when the phone rang. He pushed the speaker button, and adjusted his ascot. �Yes father, what is it now?�
�I can�t believe you�re sitting there drinking, when there is a threat to the Crane empire laying in the hospital, ready to blow us out of the water,� Alistair shouted into the phone.
�Father, I assume you are talking about Hank Bennett,� Julian said picking a piece of lint off of his sleeve. �What would you have me do, he�s there under a police guard. If I go anywhere near there, I�ll be suspect.�
�You idiot, if Hank Bennett starts talking, we could lose the millions we make on our secret operation, and you, Julian will spend the rest of your life in prison.�
�Father, Hank knows better then to implicate the Cranes, he�s been warned on more then one occasion what the repercussions for him would be.�
�I don�t care Julian, I want him taken care of. We�ve bought most of that hospital; I want you to have one of our people pose as a technician, and get in there and administer the drug to him.�
�The drug? Father, are you talking about the same drug we gave to Martin Fitzgerald all those years ago?� It would turn Hank into a blubbering idiot.�
�That�s the point Julian, he will experience memory loss, and be unable to focus on any one subject at one time. His family will have no choice, but to give up and commit him to some institution. What makes it so effective is the drug cannot be traced in the blood stream.�
�But father, if Hank doesn�t keep receiving the drug, its effects will eventually bring him back to a normal state of mind. That�s why we had to ship Martin Fitzgerald off to that clinic in Switzerland, so we could have someone on the inside to make sure he remained in a catatonic state.�
�Martin was a different situation, we also had to make him disappear, so his family would think he ran out on them. When Martin discovered we were using the fishing boats that supply the cannery to smuggle in drugs, he was going to go to the authorities. I don�t think we have to worry about making Hank disappear. We�ll just put someone on the inside to make sure he receives the drug at regular intervals.�
�What do you plan to do about Luis? If he found out that his current investigation could lead to the truth behind his father�s disappearance, he would stop at nothing to bring us down.�
�Don�t you think I know that Julian. Luis is getting dangerous, and I can�t afford to have your sister, team up with him, because she would make sure Luis succeeded in bringing our downfall. I�ve let them have their time together, they are deeply in love now, and when a person�s in love it makes them weak. Don�t worry Julian, I have set things in motion to get Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald out of our lives forever. The last thing we need is for Sheridan to get pregnant with his brat, because then it will be impossible to break them apart. I promise you one thing through, your sister will regret the day she ever married that man against my wishes.�
Luis entered the costume shop, and approached the clerk; he couldn�t help but notice that the place looked practically empty. He figured everyone in Harmony must have rented a costume from this place. The clerk was on the phone, and motioned to him that she would be with him in a minute. Luis was feeling a little apprehensive about what Sheridan had picked out for him. She wasn�t too pleased with him right now, and she had a way of going into brat mode with she was angry.
�Can I help you sir?�
�Yes, my name is Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald, and you should have a costume for me to pick up.�
�Let me check on that.� The clerk typed Luis� name into the computer, and when the entry came up, she said she would have to go in the back room to get his costume. The clerk came through the back door struggling with this huge garment bag. The size alone sent a bolt of fear though him. When she unzipped it to check on the contents, a big purple tail flopped out.
�What the hell it that thing?� Luis was staring at it with disgust.
�It�s Barney, you know the dinosaur from that kids show.�
�Yes, I know who Barney is, but that can�t possibly my costume.�
�Well let me check again,� the clerk said looking at the computer monitor. �Yes, the instructions from a Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald were very specific.�
He was going to get her for this one, but he would be damned if he would let Sheridan get away with this. �Look, don�t you have anything else that would be�. well, you know, more of a man thing?�
�Sorry, this is our busiest time of the year, the only thing left if Baby Bop. These used to be the hottest costumes we had, but I guess everybody is pretty burnt out on the whole Barney thing.�
�Oh come on, are you sure there is nothing else, could you check again?� Luis was turning on the charm and flashing her one of his killer smiles.
�Well�� I know I shouldn�t be doing this, but there is one costume that would be perfect for you, but it�s already reserved. The guy that reserved it was supposed to show up two hours ago, so I guess I can let you have that one.�
�That is really nice of you. Would you really do that for me?�
�Sure, why not? If the guy shows up I�ll just give him the Barney costume, and tell him a mistake was made. It will serve him right for being so late.�
�So just what is this costume? Promise it�s not going to make me look like a fool.�
�No like I said before it�s perfect. What to you think about Zorro?�
�Zorro! Yeah, I like that. Do you have somewhere I can change?�
�Sure, there is a dressing room right back there,� the clerk said pointing to the back of the store.
The party at the youth center was in full swing, and the kids were having a great time. Sheridan was growing more apprehensive by the moment. Maybe it wasn�t such a great idea to play that trick on Luis. He probably wouldn�t even show up when he saw the Barney costume. She knew she was being childish, but she had been so upset when she found out they wouldn�t be able to spend the afternoon together. She tried to understand about his job, and she thought she had been pretty good about it considering, but when would there be time for them? Since she had been staring at the door all night, she spotted him the second he walked into the room. She had to give it to him; he had managed to pull one over on her. He looked damn good in the Zorro costume. Even with the mask on, she would know him anywhere. That walk and those lips were a dead give-away. She wondered if he would recognize her in her Cleopatra costume? With her black wig, and heavily made up eyes, she had hardly recognized herself when she looked in the mirror earlier this evening. He must not have, because when Luis glanced her way, he looked her up and down for a moment, and walked to the other side of the room. She had to admit it hurt her that he didn�t know her, because she thought they were so in tune to each other.
Since this was the first big event they had held at the youth center since the renovation, Sheridan had decided to invite the board members. One of the board members, Paul Simmons, a resident at the hospital, approached Sheridan to compliment her on the fine job she had done with the youth center. When he asked her to dance, she readily accepted, because she was still smarting about Luis not recognizing her. Sheridan and Paul were dancing to a slow song, and chatting about the renovation when she felt a tap on her shoulder.
�Me concede esta pieza?�
�Si Senore, I would be happy to dance with you, but you�ll have to wait until the next song, because I am dancing with Dr. Simmons right now.� If Luis did recognize her, that should teach him a lesson. He politely backed off, and she saw him standing at the refreshment talking with Miguel and his friends.
When Chad played the next slow song he approached her again, and wordlessly led her onto the dance floor. They didn�t speak, but he was dancing much too close for polite society. She was feeling a little uncomfortable because he was still treating her like a stranger, even thought he was dancing with her like they were lovers. When he finally spoke, she almost hauled off and smacked him.
�So, are you new in town, I don�t think I�ve ever seen you before?� I love your costume, but I�m curious are you really a brunette?
Oh, the bastard was flirting with another woman. It didn�t matter that she was the woman, because he didn�t know that. So she did what any self-respecting woman would do and she stomped on his foot.
�Ouch, what did you do that for?� Luis said wincing.
�I�m so sorry, I guess I must have tripped. Sometimes I can be so clumsy. I hope I didn�t hurt you,� Sheridan said innocently.
He must have recovered, because he was flashing her his sexy grin. �How can I hold a little stumble against such a beautiful woman.� Luis leaned over and whispered in her ear, �I am really attracted to you. I�m married, but if you don�t mind�..�
�Oh, you pig, I hate you!� Sheridan pushed him away, ran into the locker room, and slammed the door shut.
Oh no, he had pushed her too far. He couldn�t believe she hadn�t caught on to his little game. Did she really believe he wouldn�t recognize her voice, her body, or those big blue eyes? When he went in the locker room, and saw her sitting on the bench, he felt like a jerk, because he saw that she was crying. He sat down next to her, and tried to pull her in his arms.
�Get away from me, I never want to speak to you again,� she said pulling away from him.
�Come on Sheridan, I knew it was you the whole time. I was just trying to mess with you a little bit because of that Barney stunt. I can�t believe you would think that I wouldn�t know you.�
�Oh Luis,� she said, and threw herself in his arms, and started sobbing. When her crying subsided, he pulled away from her, and noticed her makeup was smeared all over her face. He went and got a wet towel, and cleaned her face off.
�Come on sweetie, I think there�s more to this then what I did earlier. What�s really going on with you?�
�I don�t know Luis. My emotions are all over the place lately. It�s just that I�ve been worried sick about you being undercover, and I can�t stand when we�re separated. And then with the whole Hank thing last night, and Sam making you work today when we had special plans. I�m sorry, I know I sound selfish, but it�s just been getting to me lately.�
�You�re not selfish at all. In fact, I think you�ve been a really great about this whole thing. As important as my job is, you�re more important, and I haven�t been putting you first. I�m sorry I failed you.�
�Luis, you haven�t failed me. I knew you were a cop when I fell in love with you, but it�s still hard when I have to let you go.�
�I�ll tell you what, I�m going to ask Sam for some time off. I don�t think it should be a problem, because I certainly have it coming to me. I promise we are going to spend time together. How does that sound?�
�I think I would like that very much,� she said flashing him a happy smile.
�Good,� he said giving her a kiss. �It sounds like the party is winding down, so why don�t we close this place up, and I�ll take you home?�
�I think that sounds like a wonderful idea.�
Chapter 18
Sheridan woke slowly the next morning. She was exhausted and sore, but she felt cherished. She was laying with her back against Luis� chest in a spoon fashion. She could feel the smoothness of his skin and his muscles against her flesh, as he lay flush against her. His long brown fingers were resting against her breast, and she loved the way he touched her, even in sleep. They had made love until late into the night, and even though Sheridan was exhausted, she wanted him again. She knew that it would be so easy to seduce him awake, but he was sleeping so peacefully that she decided to let him get his rest. She eventually drifted back to sleep, and lost herself in happy dreams of their future together.
True to his word, Luis had gotten some time off, and they spent their days working on their house, and the nights were spent in blissful passion. Miguel and Reese had volunteered to help out at the youth center so Sheridan could stay home with Luis. She was always so tired, and she had never worked so hard in her life, so she had gotten in the habit of taking an afternoon nap. She didn�t say anything to Luis, but she was having dizzy spells. She wasn�t really concerned because she just passed them off as a sign that she needed to slow down. One afternoon she was napping, and Luis woke her up with a slow lazy kiss. When she came fully awake she smiled, and put her arms around him pulling him down to her.
�I was just dreaming about you, and here you are,� she said in a seductive whisper.
�Hey sleepyhead,� he said kissing her again. �Time to get up, I have a surprise for you.�
�A surprise? What is it?�
�Come on,� he said looking at her long naked legs. �Put your jeans on. I�m taking you on a walk.�
�I have a better idea. Why don�t you take your jeans off, and join me bed.�
�Come on, you�ve slept for two hours, and I think you need some fresh air and exercise.�
�I�m hurt Luis, you never turned me down before. I must be losing my touch,� she said with a pout.
�Oh believe me, you are definitely not losing your touch. In fact you�re very tempting to me right now, but trust me, I promise you�re going to enjoy this walk.�
�Ok,� she said standing up and stretching. Luis was still sitting on the bed, and he was enjoying the view of her long legs, and the way her shirt pulled tight across her breast as she raised her hands above her head. She presented her backside to him to retrieve her jeans that she had thrown over a chair. She was wearing one of those lacy thongs, she was so fond of, and Luis was growing hard watching her bend over to shimmy into her jeans. Damn, if he didn�t get himself under control, he�d be over there ripping her little lacy panties off, and they would never make that walk. Sheridan put on her walking shoes, and grabbed a jacket, and Luis stopped at the linen closet, and pulled out a blanket. When Sheridan looked at him confused, he told her they might need to rest, and he didn�t want her sitting on the cool ground.
It was a beautiful fall day, and the leaves on the trees were painted in orange and yellow hues. The beams of sunlight shooting through the trees gave the woods a mystical feel, and Sheridan was reminded of Robin Hood, and Sherwood Forest. She had forgotten how beautiful Maine was in the fall, and she was glad that Luis had convinced her to take the walk. The woods were quiet, and the only sound was the crunching of the dead leaves as they walked along the path.
�Did you realize that we are still on our property?� Luis asked.
�No, I had no idea. How much land do we own?�
�Three acres. They stretch back to the hillside. Apparently the original owner liked to hunt, and he wanted his own private area to do so.�
�Well, promise me nobody will be hunting here, because I want the wild life to find this area a safe refuge for them. When I was a little girl, I saw Bambi, and I cried for days afterward.�
�I promise, in the name of Bambi, this will be a no hunt zone,� Luis chuckled. �Come on,� he said grabbing her hand, �I have something special to show you.�
Luis led her through a narrow path between a thick grove of evergreen trees, to come upon a bubbling spring. Thick evergreen trees creating a secluded haven from the rest of the world surrounded it.
�Oh Luis, it�s beautiful. How did you ever find it?� Sheridan was staring around her in amazement.
�Everything has been so crazy for us lately, that I haven�t had a chance to walk the property. I discovered this place earlier today while you were sleeping. I couldn�t wait to show it to you. Go put your hand in the water.�
Sheridan leaned over and put her fingers in the water, and was surprised to discover that the water was hot. �Oh my God Luis, it�s a hot spring, just like a natural hot tub.�
�Should we try it out�? Luis said stripping off his jacket.
�But we didn�t bring our bathing suits. Why don�t I run back to the house and get them.�
�I don�t think that will be necessary,� Luis said giving her a devilish grin. �It�s our property, secluded from the outside world, there is no reason that we can�t go naked.�
�I don�t know Luis, I feel kind of funny running around naked in the middle of the afternoon. Maybe we should leave our underwear on.�
�Since when did you get so shy? Didn�t you tell me you pranced around the beaches in Europe topless?� Did she note a bit of resentment in his voice?
�I didn�t prance around. I did go topless a few times, but I didn�t flaunt it. I tried to be discrete.�
�I�m sorry, I didn�t mean to sound disapproving. But, I can�t help being a little jealous. Forgive me?�
�Forgiven,� she said giving him a bright smile. �I kind of like it that you�re jealous, but I think I owe you an apology too. I�m sorry I�ve been so moody lately.�
�Don�t worry about it. We have been through a lot lately, and it�s understandable that you would be a little on edge from time to time. I know it�s not easy being married to a cop.�
�Well, I think we should forget about this serious talk right now. Shall we play Adam and Eve?� Sheridan began striping her clothes away, and when she was naked, Luis felt a rush of heat seeing her like this surrounded by nature. She began walking to the spring, and turned around to give him a seductive look. �Are you coming?�
She didn�t have to ask him twice. Luis tore his clothes away and joined her at the edge of the spring. He helped her down the slippery rocks and into the heated water. The water was warm and soothing, and Sheridan wrapped her arms around Luis as they lowered themselves up to their shoulders. When he felt her hard nipples brushing against his chest, he lost it, and kissed her passionately. He was hungry for her, and he devoured her with his mouth. She kissed him back with an urgency that matched his own, and when he cupped her bottom with his hands, it was second nature for her to wrap her legs around him. The combination of the steamy water, and their hot kisses drove them both crazy with wanting. Sheridan could feel Luis� erection brushing against her center, and she moved so that he was positioned to enter her. He thrust inside of her, and she screamed with pleasure at his possession.
Luis groaned, and kissed her again. He began to move out of the water, and up the embankment. As he walked, it created a friction inside her, and she squirmed, loving the feel of his hardness. He carried her over to the blanket he had thrown down earlier, and lowered her to the ground. She whimpered when he withdrew from her, and his lips found her breast, teased her sensitive nipples. He moved down to her abdomen, and she tried to rise against him caressing him, but he forced her back down to the ground. His lips touched her in the most intimate kiss, and she cupped his head bringing him closer. When she shrieked with pleasure, he moved back up her body, and kissed her on the lips. He entered her again, and she thought she would die from the pure bliss of being so connected with him. He whispered the most erotic things in her ear, and she clung to him with a desperate need. Her climax was volatile, and he followed her, letting out a loud groan that echoed through the woods.
They lay there entwined in each other arms, letting the chill air cool their bodies, when Luis suggested that if was probably a good idea that they get dressed. Sheridan said she was just too worn out, so Luis completed the task for her. He helped her up, and when she was standing in front of him, she gave him a hug.
�Thank you for bringing me to this place. It�s perfect, and I will never forget this day.�
�Well,� Luis said smiling. �Maybe next time we�ll be able to spend more then ten minutes in the spring before I carry you off like a cave man.�
�What are you talking about?� Sheridan said kissing him lightly on the lips. �That was the best part. You can carry me off anytime.�
Later, they had just finished with dinner, when the phone rang. Luis answered it, and Sheridan could tell by the look on his face that he was not happy. When he hung up she approached him, and asked who was on the phone.
�It was Sam. Can you believe that Hank has somehow conned the District Attorney into believing he is not mentally competent to stand trial? Damn, I was counting on him going to trial so that maybe he would be compelled to reveal his supplier of the drugs. Now everything I worked for, everything you sacrificed are going to go down the tubes. The worst part is, he will never pay for what he did to you.�
�I�m sorry Luis, I wanted Hank to pay for what he did just as much as you. But, you still have that Angela creature, and have the police been able to locate that Frankie person?�
�Nobody has been able to locate Frankie. It�s almost like he disappeared from the face of the earth, and the DA doesn�t think he has enough on Angela to make anything stick. I never witnessed her participating in any drug transactions.�
�I know you�re disappointed, is there anything I can do to make you feel better?�
�Yeah,� he said pulling her toward him. �You can take me upstairs, tuck me in, and make me forget everything but you and me.�
A week later Sheridan was at the youth center gathering equipment to put away for the night, when she was overcome with a dizzy spell. She sat down for a moment to steady herself, when Luis walked in.
�Hey, are you alright? Your face is white as a sheet,� Luis said, a concerned look on his face.
�I�m fine Luis, I just forgot to eat lunch today. Maybe I should get one of those watches with an alarm on it so I remember to take a break,� she teased.
�This isn�t funny Sheridan, you need to take care of yourself.�
�I promise I�ll do better about skipping lunch. Now stop the mother hen routine because I�m fine. So what brings you here, I thought you weren�t off duty for a couple of hours yet? Not that I�m complaining.�
�I hate to just spring this on you, but I have to go to Boston. I leave tonight.�
�No Luis, please tell me you�re not going undercover again. I don�t think I could take that right now.�
�No undercover, I promise. I have to go to a class, and I�ll only be gone for a week. I know it�s late notice, but there was a cancellation at the last minute, and since I�ve been on a waiting list, I was the next person in line.�
�What kind of a class is it? Isn�t this something they could teach you in Harmony?�
�I�m afraid not. Since this is a statewide effort, they try to pick a location that is easy for everyone to get to. All the law enforcement officers are required to take it. Since there are so many complaints against police brutality lately, the powers-that-be would like all the cops to learn a pressure point technique. Sam told me that you could put a man down just by hitting him on a certain place in the thigh. If you hit the right spot, the natural reflex will bring the perp to his or her knees. I�m sorry I have to leave you again so soon,� he said pulling her in his arms, �but I really need this certification, and I don�t have a lot of choice in the matter.�
�I don�t have to like it Luis, but I do understand.�
�Are you sure you�re ok with this, because if you�re not, I�ll just tell Sam I�ll go to the next class,�
�Don�t be ridiculous Luis. I�m not so fragile that I can�t survive for a week without you.�
�I know you�re not, but I just don�t want you to be unhappy.�
�I�ll be fine,� she said, finally smiling. I have plenty to keep me busy here, and Pilar and Theresa are coming over tomorrow to help me make window treatments. The week will be over before we know it.�
�That�s my girl,� Luis said kissing her softly on the lips. I better go home and pack a bag so I can get on the road before it gets too late. All of a sudden Luis tightened his embrace, and kissed her deeply. Sheridan clung to him for dear life, and kissed him back. She watched Luis walk away, and when he reached the door, he turned around and told her he loved her. She couldn�t help it; the tears came rushing out as she watched him walk out the door.
After Luis left, Sheridan was getting ready to close up for the evening, when she was hit with another dizzy spell. She decided that maybe it was time to call Eve, and make an appointment, because these spells were happening way too often. Eve told her that she could see her first thing in the morning, and Sheridan agreed to be at her office at nine the next day.
After Eve finished her examination, she asked Sheridan to get dressed and wait in her office. Eve had done a complete physical, and Sheridan was hoping they could get to the bottom of why she was having these spells. Why was Eve taking so long? It seemed as though she had been sitting here forever. The longer Sheridan waited, the more anxious she became. What if there was something really wrong with her? By the time Eve came in, Sheridan had worked herself into such a state, that she was sick to her stomach.
�So Eve,� Sheridan said anxiously. �What�s going on? What is wrong with me?
�Sheridan, calm down,� Eve said smiling. �You are going to be fine. But I can�t believe that you didn�t suspect that you�re pregnant.�
�Pregnant! Oh my God Eve, are you sure?
�Yes Sheridan, you are definitely pregnant. All the test indicate that you are about two months along.�
�Oh my God, I just can�t believe I wouldn�t know something like that. How could I be so stupid? A woman should just know things like that.�
�It�s understandable, with everything you have been going through lately. But, I�m kind of surprised that you didn�t suspect when you missed your periods.�
�Well, they have been irregular in the past, so I guess I figured my cycle was all messed up. Oh, I don�t know, I guess I just wanted this so much, that ��.� The shock of this was starting to ware off, and Sheridan could feel the excitement filling her. �Luis is going to be so happy.�
Eve smiled at Sheridan�s excitement, she knew that feeling of finding out you were pregnant for the first time. Even though her first experience had been under terrible circumstances, she had still been excited when she found out she was carrying a baby. �Sheridan, if you�ve come down off of cloud nine yet, there is something that I found that could be a problem, if not treated.�
�Oh no Eve, is there something wrong with the baby?�
�No, from what I can see, the baby�s fine, but you are anemic Sheridan. That is probably why you have been having the dizzy spells. I�m going to put you on a special diet, and give you some pre-natal vitamins. The first trimester is can be touchy and you need to be healthy.�
�I�ll do anything you ask Eve, because there is no way I�m going to let anything happen to this baby. Oh Eve, I can�t believe Luis and I made a baby. I can�t wait to tell him the news, he will be so excited.�
�I�m sure he will be, TC couldn�t speak for about an hour after I told him I was pregnant with Whitney. He just sat there with a goofy smile on his face.�
�Luis is in Boston this week and I don�t want to tell him over the phone. I have to see the look on his face when he hears the news. I�m going to go crazy when he calls me. I don�t know if I will be able to keep the excitement out of my voice.�
�I�m sure you will pull this off beautifully.� Just then the nurse buzzed Eve to tell her that her next appointment was there. �I want you to schedule some pre-natal visits, and the nurse will give you a copy of the diet, and the vitamins I want you to take.�
Sheridan stood up and hugged Eve. �Thank you so much Eve.�
�There is no reason to thank me,� Eve said smiling. �You and Luis made this baby all on your own.�
As Sheridan drove home, she thought about what Eve said about TC, and she had a feeling that if anyone saw her right now, they would think she was crazy, because she couldn�t keep the goofy smile off her face either.
Chapter 19
Sheridan couldn�t even begin to fathom what Alistair would want to see her about. When he had called this morning, he said he had arrived in town just last night. It was rare for her father to turn up like this so, though curious, she was understandably nervous about the upcoming meeting. Could it be that he was here on business, and just wanted to see her before he left town again? She hoped so, because she was on cloud nine, and she was in no mood for a confrontation with her father today. Luis was coming home on the day after tomorrow, and she was bursting at the seams to share her good news with him. When he had called last night, it took all her control not to blurt out the truth, but thinking about missing the look on his face stopped her before it was too late.
Sheridan was still finding it hard to believe her life could be so perfect. She had finally gotten everything she had always wanted, a wonderful loving husband, and now, a child on the way that was made from their love. Sheridan rubbed her tummy, and smiled, �Hey little one, your daddy is going to be so excited to find out about you. I promise you, you will always be loved.� Yes, her child would never feel unloved and lonely like she had growing up. It was funny how those sad memories seemed to fade more everyday with Luis in her life. His love was the medicine that healed her tortured heart, and she would always be grateful that he came into her life.
When Sheridan entered the Crane mansion, she found it strange that the place was deserted. Even if the family was out, there were usually one or two servants around. �Hello, is anyone around?�
�Yes Sheridan, father is in the library now. We�ve been waiting for you,� Julian said approaching her from behind.
�Julian. I was hoping I wouldn�t have to see you today, but luckily I�m in good mood, so I�ll just warn you, that all your little sarcastic comments are not going to bother me. Do you want to give me a hint about why father called this little meeting?�
�You will know soon enough my dear sister. Come along now, we don�t want to keep father waiting any longer,� Julian said, turning and to walk toward the library.
As Sheridan followed Julian, she was starting to get a bad feeling about this meeting. She knew one thing for sure, and that was, she was not going to let Alistair and Julian browbeat her. When she walked into the library, she was surprised at the way her father had aged. It had been several years since she had seen him last, but she had not expected him to look so old. In spite of his aged appearance, he was still a commanding presence.
�Well Sheridan, you are looking beautiful as usual. Please have a seat,� Alistair said waving his hand to the leather chair in front of Julian�s desk.
�Hello father,� Sheridan said sitting down. �Your looking well too, but I must admit, I was a little surprised when I received your call this morning. Do you want to tell me what this meeting is all about?�
�Yes Sheridan, it is about your future.�
�My future? I don�t understand father.� Sheridan said confused.
�I haven�t much time, since I�ll be leaving for Singapore soon, so I�ll get straight to the point. I want you to divorce Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald.�
�Divorce Luis? Is this some kind of a joke father?� Sheridan couldn�t believe what she was hearing.
�Trust me my dear, I have never been more serious. I do not want any association between a Crane and a Lopez-Fitzgerald. The Crane family needs to remain pure, and Luis is not one of our class.�
�I don�t understand your change of heart, you told me when Luis and I got married, that you wouldn�t fight this, that you only wanted me to be happy,� Sheridan said, her temper rising with every second that passed.
�I did say that at the time because I had no other choice. The media was breathing down our necks, and I decided that it was the best course of action to accept this marriage for the time being. But now, I think it�s time to admit you made a mistake, a lapse of judgement so to speak, and get rid of that baggage, Luis. All you have to do is fly to Mexico, and divorce Luis, quietly and quickly, and I believe we can save face. I don�t want the same debacle that happened when Princess Stephanie of Monaco married her bodyguard. The Crane�s do not need that kind of media attention.�
�Father�s right Sheridan, if you just get this over with, and divorce Luis, everyone will just pass this off as a silly whim of a bored socialite,� Julian said, taking a drink of his brandy.
Sheridan stood up; her face etched in fury, and put her hands on Julian�s desk. �You must both have lost your minds, if you think I�m going to divorce Luis. Luis is a good, decent man, and I couldn�t have found a better person to marry. You know that class means nothing to me, I judge a person by what they are, and not what they have. I refuse to stay here and listen to any more of this insanity. So father, you can just hurry off to Singapore, because you have wasted a trip here. There is no way in hell I�m going to go along with this.�
�I strongly encourage you to reconsider your decision, because trust me, you will not like the outcome should you decide to defy me.�
�Let me repeat this one more time, just in case you misunderstood me earlier. I will never divorce Luis. He makes me happier than I�ve ever been in my life, and I will not give him up because the two of you don�t approve. So, if you will excuse me I am leaving, have a nice trip father,� Sheridan said turning to leave.
�Sit down Sheridan! You have left me no choice, but to destroy Luis.�
Sheridan stopped in her tracks, and turned around to look at her father. She could tell he was serious, and a wave of fear filled her with dread. She sat back down in the chair and faced her father, waiting to hear what he meant by his last statement. He pulled out a file folder and slid it toward her.
�What is this?� Sheridan said, looking at the folder with a worried expression on her face.
�Open it, and read the documents, and I think you will begin to understand just how serious I am about this.�
Sheridan opened the folder and began to study the documents within. They appeared to be mortgage notes on both Pilar and Luis� houses. This didn�t make sense, she knew that Pilar�s house was owned by one of father�s banks, but Luis had been careful to finance their house through a bank that wasn�t owed by the Cranes. Oh God, it suddenly occurred to that her father had purchased the bank in Castleton, just so he would own Luis� house.
�What are you planning to do with these?� She said putting the documents away.
�I plan on calling in the loans on both houses. Pilar and Luis will never be able to come up with the money. They will be out on the streets, and I will make sure that Pilar is fired from her job as housekeeper. Do you want to be responsible for forcing me to ruin the Lopez-Fitzgerald�s?
�Go ahead father, call in the loans. We will find a way to pay the mortgage�s off, and if need be I will lend them the money. You forgot I have my own money from mother�s estate.�
�I thought you might try that tactic, you always were too stubborn for your own good. Julian turn the video tape on, so we can show your sister our little film.�
Sheridan watched in horror, as the video played in front of her. It was Luis in the evidence lockup, at the station, and he was taking what looked to be cocaine and stuffing the white bags in his gym bag. She remembered Luis telling her about the theft of the drugs he had purchased when he was undercover, and the mysterious disappearance of the security tape. This tape made it look like Luis was guilty of stealing those drugs. No, she would never believe Luis would do anything like that. This had to be some kind of a setup that her father and Julian had orchestrated to compromise Luis.
�So Sheridan, have you seen enough?�
�I�ve seen plenty, and I don�t know how you did this, but that was not Luis stealing those drugs. He would never do it, and Sam won�t believe this either. I will never let you get away with this, because I will testify in court that you showed me this tape. That will make you and Julian look guilty of conspiracy.�
Alistair laughed at Sheridan�s words. �You are right about one thing in your noble defense of Luis, he would never do anything like this. I never wanted you to know this Sheridan, but I didn�t expect your resistance to be so unbending. That wasn�t Luis, it was an impostor. He is an actor that I hired to impersonate your husband. I was positive that I could pull this off, because he was so good at convincing you that he was Luis that night on the wharf.� Alistair opened the desk drawer, and tossed a rubber mask toward her.
Sheridan picked up the mask and notice that it was an exact replica of Luis� face. She felt like someone had hit her in the stomach. This whole time Luis had denied that he ever said those things, and she had accused him time and again of lying. Everything made so much sense now, and she was reeling from the realization of just how far her father would go to keep her and Luis apart. How could he do something so despicable to his own daughter? This really drove home the fact that Alistair cared nothing for her, or he would have never done such a vile thing to her.
When she thought about all the terrible things she had said and done to Luis because of what she thought she heard that night, she wanted to scream. They had probably had a great laugh at the way she had fallen right into their trap. Sheridan had never felt so betrayed in her life. She thought back to her conversation with Julian that night in the cottage when he challenged her about Luis using her. This revelation only made her love for Luis even stronger, but would he ever forgive her for not believing in him?
�Why would you do something so despicable to your own daughter? Is it because you still blame me for mother�s death? It�s bad enough that you did this to me, but to setup a good, decent man like Luis is unforgivable,� Sheridan said with disgust.
�I know you can�t see it now Sheridan, but we were only looking out for you�re best interest. Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald had no business mixing with someone of our class, and his vendetta against the Cranes will only hurt you in the end.�
�I don�t believe you! You�re not looking out for my best interest at all, and I think you want to keep Luis and me apart because you�re afraid of him. Luis is right about you, you did do something to Martin Fitzgerald didn�t you?�
�That is ridiculous, Martin Fitzgerald left because he was not capable of responsibility. Just the fact that you made that statement shows that you have been under Luis� influence too long. I�m glad father stepped in when he did, or he would have convinced you to destroy your family,� Julian said pouring him another brandy.
�As much as I hate to admit it, Julian�s right about this. You have always been weak when it came to men, and now I can see you have learned nothing from your past failure with relationships. I want you to do as I say, or I will destroy Luis, and his whole family. Don�t forget I still have the Luis impostor, and if you force me, I will have him commit all kinds of unspeakable crimes.�
Sheridan�s firm resolve crumbled at that moment. She knew that her father would stop at nothing to break Luis and her apart. How could she stay with him, when she knew that his whole world would crumble when her father finished with him? Luis would be destitute, but worst he would probably go to prison. Even if they could overcome these obstacles, her father would never give up. Oh God, what about their baby? How could she leave Luis when she was going to have his child? A wave of desperation washed over her and she began to beg.
�Please father, don�t do this,� Sheridan said wiping her tears away. �I�ll do anything you ask. I�ll convince Luis to leave town with me. I�ll cut myself off from the family, but please, please don�t make me give Luis up.� Don�t take my baby�s father away from me, she thought silently. There was no way she could let her father know about her baby.
�This is no longer up for discussion Sheridan. The only option left open to you is to divorce Luis. I have already taken the liberty of having our attorneys draw up the papers. All you have to do is convince Luis to sign them, and you can fly to Mexico and get this over with.�
�I will never be able to convince him, he won�t believe me. He knows I love him, and would never leave him,� she sobbed.
�I have all the faith in the world that you can convince Luis. Just use your imagination, and I�m sure you�ll come up with something,� Alistair said impatiently. �Now, I must go, my plane is waiting for me. Julian will make sure that you carry out my wishes.� Alistair stood, and started to walk out of the library.
�Father,� Sheridan called after him. �I will never forgive you for this. Luis was right about you, you are evil, and someday you will get what you deserve for the terrible things you have done to other people.�
Julian looked worried at her words, but Alistair only laughed and walked out of the library where his security staff was waiting for him. Sheridan had never felt so defeated in her life. How could she survive without Luis, and how could she take his baby away from him? She knew she didn�t have a choice, so she would do as her father asked, but someday, she would find a way to come back to Luis, and let him know what her father had done. But for now she had nothing to fight with, but she was determined to find the evidence she needed to put her father and Julian in prison for a long time. She only prayed that Luis would be waiting for her when she returned.
Luis was driving back from the training in Boston, when a wonderful idea came to him. He wanted to do something special for Sheridan, and he decided he was going to ask her to marry him. Even though they had been married by the Justice of the Peace, he wouldn�t feel right until Father Lonigan could marry them, with their family and friends present. Sheridan deserved to wear the white dress, and he could picture her now walking down the isle, her beautiful face glowing, with eyes only for him. He missed her like crazy even though it had only been seven days since he had seen her last. He was starting to realize how precious their time together was. Unfortunately, their reunion was going to have to wait just a little longer, because he had to make a stop at the jewelry store, and buy Sheridan an engagement ring. He smiled to himself when he thought about getting on his knee, and asking her to marry him. He was going to make tonight a special homecoming that they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
As Luis drove out to the house, he opened the ring box. The beautiful emerald shaped diamond sparkled in the late afternoon sun. The ring probably didn�t compare to Crane standards, but the jeweler had assured him it was of the highest quality. He couldn�t wait to see the look on her face when he proposed. Since they had never had all the traditional experiences that couples have when they get married, he was determined that all that would change. Luis was surprised when he drove up to the house, and noticed that Sheridan�s car wasn�t there. He was sure he told her he was coming home today. Maybe she got tied up at the youth center? It was probably better that she wasn�t home so he could set up for their romantic evening.
Luis was in high spirits as he walked in the house, ring, a dozen red roses, and bottle of champagne in hand. He went into the kitchen to get a bucket to ice the champagne down. He also found a vase to put the flowers in, and walked into the living room to put the roses on the mantel. It was then that he noticed the white envelope on the mantel with his name on the front. He recognized Sheridan�s beautiful handwriting, and he smiled thinking she had written him a love letter. He picked it up, and caught a whiff of her perfume. When he opened the envelope, he was thinking he would never forget her fragrance. As Luis read the letter, his happiness dissolved with each word.
Dear Luis,
I feel like such a coward writing this letter, but I didn�t have the strength to face you in person. You are such a good man, and you don�t deserve this, but I find I cannot continue with our marriage. I guess you were right in the beginning when you said that people from different backgrounds could never be happy together. I really tried to live in your world, but I guess I am just a product of my environment. I just can�t deal with having to watch my spending, but I especially can�t live with the separations. I know that this is part of your job, but I don�t feel like I should have to take second place to my husband�s career. Please know that I will always have a special place in my heart for you, but I think that it is best that we end this marriage before things get anymore complicated. I will have a messenger bring the divorce papers to you, and I beg that you sign them, and not make this anymore difficult. As soon as I receive the papers back with your signature, I will be able to fly to Mexico to end this as quickly as possible. I am so sorry that things had to turn out this way, and I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me, because I never meant to hurt you.
Sincerely,
Sheridan
Luis didn�t think it was possible to feel such pain. He felt like someone had ripped his heart out. How could he have been so wrong about Sheridan? He thought she was so different from the rest of her family, but when it came to the true test, she had turned out to be just like all the Cranes. He was shaking with his hurt and anger, and what really added insult to injury was the sizable check she had enclosed. Like he would take her damn money. My God, he had believed her when she told him she loved him. He was overcome with a blinding rage, and he picked up the vase of roses and flung it across the room. The shattered pieces of glass only reminded him of how shattered his life was right now. He knew then, that he would never be able to trust another women again, because he couldn�t even trust his own judgement. He walked over to the table, and popped the cork off the champagne and proceeding to drink his self into oblivion.
Sheridan was standing in one of the bedrooms in the Crane mansion surrounded by her suitcases, and she was dying inside. She had never felt this desolate before, and she had cried enough tears to last a lifetime. How would she ever be able to get through this? She knew that Luis had come home yesterday, and had probably read her letter. She was sure that he hated her right now, but she would rather live with his hate, then let her father destroy him. Everything inside her wanted to run to him and scream that it was all a lie, and she loved him more than anything in the world, but remembering her father�s threats stopped her from giving into her need to see Luis. Ethan had told her that the messenger had delivered the divorce papers to Luis, and now she waiting for them to be returned so she could fly to Mexico.
There was a knock on the door, and Ethan came in carrying an envelope. He handed it to Sheridan, and with shaking hands, she opened it and pulled out the divorce decree with Luis� bold signature on the bottom. Also, in the envelope were what looked to be tiny scraps of paper. As she pulled them out, she recognized the pale yellow color of her checks. Luis had torn up her check into little pieces, and his message was loud and clear. Until this point she had cried herself into a state of numbness, but now seeing the scraps of her check made everything seem so final. She started to shake, and a wave of dizziness came over her. Ethan noticed her white face and ran over to help her to the bed.
�Sheridan, are you all right? Your face looks as white as a ghost, and you�re shaking like a leaf,� Ethan said in a concerned voice.
When Sheridan felt the sharp pain in her abdomen, she cried out, and grasped Ethan�s hand. �Ethan please call Eve Russell, and please don�t breathe a word of this to anyone.�
As they waited for Eve, Sheridan prayed, because she didn�t think she could take it, if she lost everything.