Love Lost, Love Found Read online

  When the stirring between her legs beat more insistently against her clit and swelled to ready hardness, he’d groaned and fully relented to her seduction. She’d stripped his shorts away and tossed her filmy nightgown to the floor. He’d indulged her to take the lead when she guided him into her body. Fully joined, their rewarding sighs had filled the quiet bedroom. There had been nothing frantic about their early morning blending, but they’d moved in an easy tempo until the silky friction heightened and swallowed them in all-consuming pleasure. He hadn’t withdrawn, and they’d woken two hours later in that position, wrapped in each other’s arms.

  Nancy set two plates with eggs over easy, buttered whole-wheat toast and fresh sliced pineapple on the table. “Thanks,” she said when Sean set a cup of coffee in front of her.

  “This looks great. I usually start my day out in a gym, grab a cup of coffee and maybe a bagel or something, but lunch is usually my first good meal of the day.”

  “Kaitlyn and I like to run in the park or on the beach in the morning, weather permitting and depending on her shift, but I make sure I get in a run every morning.”

  “Shouldn’t you be going for your run right now?”

  “Considering it was after three before we slept, I’ll pass. I’m sorry I woke you so early.”

  His face split into a big grin. “The pleasure was all mine, and you can wake me up that way any time. After breakfast, I have to make a few calls regarding my investment in the baseball stadium. It should only take about an hour. If you don’t have any plans for dinner, I’d like to treat you to something special.”

  “I’d like that, but can we make it a little later? I have a date with George this evening.”

  “Right, your friend who likes chocolate-chip-mint ice cream. If you don’t think I’d be imposing, I’d like to meet the love philosopher.”

  “Love philosopher. I like that. He mentioned he usually gets to Ms. Icey’s around six thirty.”

  “Perfect. Now one last question before I help you clean up the breakfast dishes and head home to shower and change. Do I spend my nights in my own villa, or am I invited to share your bed? Your decision.”

  Considering how fast they’d settled into all phases of their relationship, the thought had crossed her mind. He’d fallen asleep almost immediately after they’d gone to bed and how quickly they’d made love that morning. She couldn’t turn off her mind, thinking about what he’d said about his marriage. He’d walked away from her, but never let go. In essence, she’d unknowingly sabotaged his marriage.

  The other question that lay heavy on her mind was, if he had contacted her soon after Nelson’s death, would she have agreed to see him? Probably not. Did she really want Sean in her bed every night? She’d reached a turning point and was ready to make Sean a part of her life, her future. She got up from her chair and moved to sit on his lap.

  “You can share my bed only on the condition that you don’t steal all the covers.”

  “I promise.”

  She kissed him softly to seal their bargain and gave no objection when he picked her up in his arms and headed back to the bedroom.

  Shortly after six, they drove to the ice cream stand. George was already sitting at one of the benches when Nancy and Sean got in line to get their ice cream. As usual, he had his same sundae, and the cherry was sitting on the paper napkin. He wore his signature cap from the USS Philadelphia.

  “Hi, George,” Nancy said, sitting on the opposite side of the bench. She’d added whipped cream and a cherry to her own cup of chocolate-chip-mint ice cream.

  “Hi, young lady. I’m glad we were able to meet up again. Is this your young man?”

  “George, I’d like you to meet Sean Harrigan.”

  Sean held out a hand. “I’m honored to meet you, sir. Thank you for your service to our country.”

  “It’s been a long time since someone said that to me. Did you serve in the military?”

  “No, I did not. I was born in 1967, and the draft ended in 1973 when the military moved to all volunteers. In college, I did a paper on the history of the US military.”

  “Were you one of them hippie protesters?”

  It didn’t take long for Sean to realize he was the subject of an informal interrogation, but he indulged the nonagenarian. “No, but my father served in the Marines. I have the highest regard for all branches of the military. My father is also a United States senator.”

  “Politician,” the senior citizen sneered, making the wrinkles on his face deepen. His eyes dropped in displeasure to Sean’s barely touched ice cream. “Don’t you like whipped cream and cherries?”

  Sean glanced down at his dish of plain chocolate ice cream. “Maybe next time.” Nancy squeezed his hand under the table, indicating he should turn the tide of the conversation.

  “I hear you were a lawyer.”

  “Yup, had me a nice practice in New York City, just off Washington Square Park. Back then, they called me a storefront lawyer. Never took on any partners. Handled a lot of divorce cases, but convinced quite a number of couples to give their marriage a second chance. After I retired, Dottie and I moved down here to one of those retirement communities. The cold was getting too much for our bones. My Dottie liked to sit on the beach and loved flowers.”

  “Nancy Jean told me your wife passed away. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “I’m not worried, because my Dottie is waiting to welcome me home.”

  When the love philosopher’s eyes zeroed in on him, Sean shifted his butt on the bench.

  “Loving someone isn’t easy. It takes hard work, but in the end you have the greatest reward. Do you love her with all your heart?”

  Sean’s eyes settled on Nancy’s smiling face. “I love her with everything that is in me.”

  “That’s good, that’s good. Now this is for the both of you. Sometimes we say and do things that get us into trouble and hurt the ones we love. Me and my Dottie didn’t always see eye to eye, but at the end of the day, we only had each other and love bound us together.” Merriment danced in his aged eyes as they moved to Nancy and then back to Sean. “Nothing like a good fight to stir things up.”

  George leaned over the table and lowered his voice so he wouldn’t offend innocent ears. “We had this pea green couch in our living room that saw many bouts of hot loving, a lot quieter than our bed. Good thing it couldn’t talk.”

  Nancy had just taken a spoonful of ice cream and almost choked. No, it couldn’t be that much of a coincidence. “Did you have your daughter sell off the furniture in your New York apartment after you moved to Florida?”

  “Yes, the house came fully furnished. Why?”

  “We lived in the same apartment building as you and Dottie,” she said, “and your daughter gave us your couch.”

  “Hot diggety!” George slammed his hand on the table, making his plastic spoon jump. “There’s something magical in that couch that makes all things right with the world. It would please me to hear you used it in the same way as me and my Dottie and that it brought you as much happiness.”

  “Sir, rest assured,” Sean said. “We carried on your tradition. The apartments were turned into condos, and I purchased the one we lived in when we were in college. I had your magic couch reupholstered in the same ugly color, and it’s in my home office. I couldn’t bear to part with it.”

  “I’m glad you put it to good use. Here is something else to remember: Never go to bed angry, because if you don’t wake up the next morning, you’ll have too many regrets.”

  “Why would you put it that way?” Nancy asked. “Did that happen to you and Dottie?”

  “One time we had an argument over something I can’t even remember and scared the living shit out of me, excuse my French. We went to bed, and we turned our backs on each other, never said good night or shared a kiss. I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and brushed a hand over her shoulder before I got back into bed. I wanted to say I was sorry.

  “She didn’t
wake up, and I nudged her shoulder harder. She still didn’t move, and I turned on the light. I thought she died. I was in so much of a panic, I didn’t check to see if she was breathing. I yelled her name, and her eyes popped open. She’d taken a sleeping pill because she was too upset to sleep. So, lesson learned.”

  “Thank you for all of your great advice,” Sean said before eating the rest of his melting ice cream.

  “When will you be here again on Wednesday?” Nancy asked.

  “Not this time. Dottie is waiting for me.”

  “We’ll only be here for another week, but I’ll keep in touch through your daughter,” Nancy said and wrapped her arms around his frail shoulders.

  George returned her hug and spoke softly in her ear. “Be happy and don’t forget the cherry on your ice cream.”

  “What a character,” Sean said when they drove back to the resort. “I was waiting for him to pull out a lie detector.”

  “What would you have done if he had?” Nancy teased.

  “Answered his questions truthfully.”

  “Good answer. I still can’t believe we, I mean, you have their couch.”

  “You were right the first time, the couch is ours. We’ll have to rechristen it when you visit me in New York.”

  “I’ve been so caught up in our being together again that I haven’t given any thought to what will happen when we leave here.”

  Sean took one hand off the wheel and intertwined his fingers with hers resting on her lap. “We’ve got the rest of the week to talk about our future. I know how much living in Beacon Pointe and being close to your daughter means to you, so I’m willing to make the necessary changes in my life so that we can be together.”

  “I appreciate all you’re willing to do, but before you make any changes, please talk to me first.”

  “Believe me. I don’t want to repeat my friend Ralph’s situation, lack of communication. Like George said, lesson learned.”

  Sean parked the car and slipped a possessive arm around her waist as they walked to their villas. Once again, it was a beautiful evening with thousands of stars overhead and a mild flower-scented breeze. They stopped in front of her door.

  “How long do we have before dinner? Are we going someplace fancy? I’d like to change.”

  “It’s extremely casual. Shorts and a shirt are fine. Shoes and underwear are optional.”

  Nancy thrust her hands on her hips. “What are you up to?”

  “It’s a surprise.” Sean grinned and checked the time on his watch. “Promise me you won’t leave your villa, and I’ll pick you up in a half hour.” He gave her a quick kiss on the lips before he hurried off.

  Alone in his villa, Sean sent off a quick text to Lacey, thanking her for making all of his crazy arrangements. He’d explained the situation between himself and Nancy. The owner thought his plans were so romantic. She also wished him lots of luck.

  There was a text from his father that soured Sean’s stomach. Haven’t heard from you regarding you swaying her to our side. Time is money! Get it done.

  He was tempted to throw his phone across the living room, but replied, with:

  I am doing exactly what has to be done. Get off my back.

  He’d learned over the years that standing up to the senator was the only way to make him back down.

  “You’ll get your money, with a few changes,” Sean muttered on his way to the bathroom to take a quick shower and change into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. The only thing that mattered right now was spending the evening and night with his love. He’d planned her surprise as another reminder of who and what they were together, making sure the seed of love in her heart was imbedded forever, praying it was strong enough to forgive him for his deceit.

  Nancy opened the door to his gentle knock. He’d no sooner stepped inside when she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him quickly. “I’m starving, so this better be good.”

  “It is. We’re going for a short walk on the beach,” he said and took her hand when they left the house via the front door. “I have to blindfold you.”

  “Is this something kinky?” she asked, holding her head steady when he slipped black silk sleeping shades over her eyes.

  “It can be, but we need to have dinner first.”

  “Is it far?”

  “You sound like the kid who keeps asking his parents, ‘Are we there yet?’”

  “Funny, Sean Patrick.”

  “Watch your step. The walkway is ending, and we’re at the beach,” he said, tightening his arm around her waist.

  “I love when the sand squishes between my toes. Did you know that the sand acts as natural pumice against the skin on the bottoms of your feet?”

  “No, I didn’t, but I’ll remember your bit of trivia,” he said with a small laugh. He spied the glowing light just up ahead. Their dinner spot had been set up well beyond the other villas to offer them privacy.

  “Okay, we’re here. Don’t move. I’m going to take off your blindfold.” He stood behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, very pleased with what he saw.

  “Oh, Sean, I am truly overwhelmed. You’ve re-created the balcony off our apartment.” His hands dropped away when Nancy stepped forward to brush her fingers along the edge of an old iron railing that formed a squared-off area in the sand. A sign had been added: Nancy and Sean’s Place.

  “Come on,” he said and escorted her through the corner opening. “I can’t believe they were able to get two old aluminum folding chairs.” The coals in the small round barbecue supported by three aluminum legs were glowing hot. A red and white Igloo cooler sat beside a square table that held a covered container that held paper plates, napkins and plastic utensils.

  “What do you think?” he asked when they sat down.

  “I think you’re crazy, and I love it. We spent so much time on that balcony, even in the dead of winter. You pushed the snow off so we could sit in front of a fire and roast marshmallows. I kept my plants and that skinny palm tree out there in the spring.”

  “Sometimes I’d find you just sitting there with your face buried in your knees, crying. One time you were out there without a coat with wool socks on your feet.”

  “I did that a lot after we lost Sean Edward, but you were always there to comfort me.”

  Sean squatted in front of her chair and wiped her tears with his shirt. “No more sad memories tonight. It’s time we made dinner.”

  He opened the cooler and took out a package of hot dogs, rolls, a container of coleslaw and a small aluminum container marked beans. He also removed a bottle of wine and two glasses.

  “I hope you remember this.” He held out one of the two bottles he’d ordered.

  Her face filled with delight when she recognized the label. “Boone’s Farm! This was the only alcohol we could afford. My favorites were blackberry and mango.”

  “I remembered,” he said and filled the two glasses sitting on the table.

  Nancy took her first sip and moaned. “It’s still delicious. Do you remember my friend Monica? We had an impromptu party in our sorority house, and she said there wasn’t much alcohol content in the wine. We challenged her to drink the entire bottle of Blue Hawaiian. She did, and everything she threw up was blue.”

  Sean put a hand to his stomach. “Now I want to throw up.”

  “Okay, no more puking memories.” She laughed and drank more wine.

  “I hope you like the menu. Remember the first time I made the beans? I forgot to pierce an opening in the top of the can that I’d put directly in the coals.”

  “That is something I will never forget. I was sitting in a chair studying and enjoying the fire, when I was startled by a loud pop. The next thing I knew, I was plastered by wet, icky beans. It’s a good thing it was a small can, because I was a mess.”

  “When I heard you scream, I came through the window to find out what was wrong and burst out laughing. The beans were in your hair, slithering down your face. Your shirt looked like it had gr
own hundreds of pockmarks. After I stopped laughing, I apologized. I did help clean up the mess on the balcony.”

  “First, you brought me inside and led me directly into the shower. You were such a gentleman and helped me undress, but didn’t stop there. You removed your own clothes and stepped into the spray and washed me from head to toe. My hair was the worst, but you managed to remove all the beans and even applied conditioner.

  “And then you proceeded to wash me a second time more slowly, giving special attention to my overly sensitive breasts that were velvety smooth from the conditioner that dripped onto my skin.”

  “You’re killing me, you know.”

  She’d lowered her voice to a sexy, teasing hum and squeezed his thigh with her hand. An inch higher, and she’d feel the results of what she’d started.

  “Payback is a bitch, Sean Patrick. Remember what you did next? You knelt down in front of me and used your clever tongue between my legs just in case you’d missed something the first time around. My body was on fire, and it wasn’t from the steam rising from the hot water in the tub, because the water ran cold slowly.”

  “We never made it to the bed, and I nailed you against the shower tiles. It turned out to be one of the hottest make-out sessions we ever had.”

  “Damn!” she said and crossed her legs before emptying her glass. “I need more wine.”

  Sean refilled both their glasses. “Can you blame me for not wanting to change the bathroom in our condo?”

  “No, but I think it’s time we ate real food.”

  “How come hot dogs taste so good when they’re cooked out in the open?” Nancy asked and finished the last of the beans on her plate.

  “I don’t know. Maybe the fresh air makes you hungrier. These were perfect because you patiently turned them on the grill. More wine?”

  “Not yet. I just want to sit here and relax. Thank you so much for doing this for me, no, for us. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed myself so much.”