Laura tallied the purchases and Willow handed her the ball of bills Thor had given her. “This isn’t enough,” the sales clerk said, leaning toward Willow so that the other customers could not hear. “Do you have any more?”
“Thor has. He’s sitting outside. I’ll be right back.”
Thor returned with Willow with a cheeky grin on his face. “Should I cover my eyes?” he teased.
Heat flooded her cheeks. “No, it’s all bundled now.”
He pouted. “That’s too bad.”
“Blessed be!”
His responding laughter rippled through her. Willow basked in his attention and noticed that other women were not immune to his charm. Their gazes followed him through the store. Some nudged each other and a few made suggestive comments. She moved closer to him as he paid Laura for her purchase. While Thor chatted with the saleswoman, Willow listened to the conversation behind her.
“The Falcons messed up when they let him go. Look at that tight end. Damn.”
“Oh, he could be my tight end any time. I bet he’s wild in bed. Look at those hands. I’ve seen him hold a football. I could only imagine what they’d feel like on me! It must take a lot to keep a man like him satisfied. Do you think Little Miss Unmentionables is up for it?”
The women giggled and moved away. The women’s coarse words weren’t difficult to decipher. Her throat constricted with humiliation. If these shameless women had no problems hiding their interest, perhaps refusing to share his bed was a mistake.
Thor turned away from the counter. “Is it okay for me to carry this?” He held out her purchase. “Or should you do the honor?”
“You’re teasing again.” His usual gentle teasing calmed her. A sliver of humor echoed in her voice. “I suppose you can carry it if you want.”
“Why, Miss Willow, I’d be honored.”
They left the shop and moved through the crowd of other shoppers. This time as they moved through the shopping mall, she noticed how other women stared at him. Thor was a decidedly handsome man. Of course, other women would think so, too.
“Blessed be,” she muttered.
Must they be so blatant in their appreciation?
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Have a seat.” He pointed to a table with a couple of chairs around it. “Did the saleslady upset you?”
Willow sat and Thor claimed the seat beside her. He set their bags on the table, took her hand, and waited.
“She was hospitable.” She looked down at their joined hands. “Did you hear what those women were saying about you? They said you have a tight end.”
Crimson colored his cheeks and then he laughed. “Did they really? Nah, I didn’t hear them.”
“That’s disgraceful.”
“Not really. I don’t mind. It’s just talk.”
“Is everyone so forward with private opinions?”
“That’s the way things are in 1985. People are open and honest.”
“Everyone?”
“Yeah.” He squeezed her hand. “Are you ready to go? I was thinking about putting some steaks on the grill for dinner. How does that sound?”
“It sounds good I guess.”
He placed a quick kiss on her lips and stood, grabbing as many bags as he could carry and waiting for her to get the rest. They left the mall. During the drive back, she pondered his comments about honesty and openness. He’d been blunt since the day she met him, and that coincided with his statement. She realized that if his feelings for her ran deeper than responsibility and just simply caring about her, he would have said so. Tears stung the back of her eyes, and she told herself to forget about it. He cared. That would have to be enough.
* * *
Excitement bristled in the air. The overhead lights of the large auditorium faded to black. As the curtains parted, revealing a sparsely decorated stage, Thor glanced at Willow. Enthusiasm illuminated her dancing black eyes. She sat on the edge of her seat, charged and ready for the show to begin. The university’s production of “Hamlet” received rave reviews, but Thor had a feeling that her excitement at seeing her first play would mark his memory far stronger than the actors on stage would.
Instinctively, he reached for her. Bursts of adrenaline soared through him at the touch of her hand. The sudden charge reminded him of the rush of football games and running onto the field. Nervous energy had pumped inside his veins. Whether they won or lost, the true victory came in how they played the game. When he lost the desire to play, he never believed anything would replace that heady sensation. Two actors came onstage, and Willow turned to smile at him. In that moment, he realized how wrong he’d been. Sensations exploded inside him every time she looked at him.
“This is better than what Miss Olivia and Miss Eva described,” she whispered. She took his hand and ran it along her forearm. “Can you feel that? Goosebumps! Blessed be!”
“I feel it.” His fingers grew bold in their exploration of her soft flesh. They trailed under her sleeve toward her shoulder. A different kind of energy pulsed between them. He leaned close to kiss her cheek.
“Thor…” A faint moan came from her parted lips, then she shifted from his embrace. Her arms wrapped her middle. An invisible barricade seemed to drop between them. Her gaze never strayed from the play. She jutted her chin toward the stage and whispered, “The ghost is coming.”
No, it’s already here.
He kept his thoughts to himself and feigned interest throughout the next couple of acts. Once his attention diverted from her, her enthusiasm returned, totally captivating him with its exuberance. He heard her breath catch several times and watched as she clenched her hands in her lap.
Living with a woman who drove him crazy with desire, but refused to share his bed could have made him certifiable. Somehow, he toughed it out. She did not want to have sex so he had to respect it. He even understood it, sort of. Adventure and abnormal circumstances brought them together. They needed stability, and if she believed abstinence would give them that, he had no argument to challenge it.
With a brand new birth certificate and impeccable school records, Cal helped her enroll at his university and even obtain a scholarship. She spent far more of her time with his brother than Thor liked. His father patiently listened to his rants of frustration, then reminded him that she was going through a big adjustment and to take it slowly, give her time.
Thor gave her time all right, but he was furious as hell that she gave most of hers to Cal.
The auditorium lights blinked twice before blaring to life and signaling intermission. He rubbed his eyes to lessen the sting of the sudden glare. Willow lightly touched his thigh.
“Do you have a headache?”
“No, I’m fine.” He lowered his hand to his lap and glanced around the emptying room. A concession stand waited in the lobby. A cold soft drink promised to cure his dry throat. “Let’s stretch our legs. We can get a drink or something.”
“I’m not thirsty but I’ll join you.”
He took her elbow. To his relief she didn’t move away. As they stepped into the aisle and headed to the lobby, his hand dropped to her waist. A thousand warnings sounded inside his head. He listened and resisted the urge to pull her closer to his side. Her body strained toward his, contradicting her request for less physical contact, but Thor was a man of his word. When their relationship became physical again, it wouldn’t be because he seduced her.
The theater-goers crowded the counter. Thor led them to the end of the line behind three young black women. Their conversation sparked with a lively discussion about the play. He chuckled softly at one comment regarding the costumes. Three heads turned and three pairs of eyes locked on him. Then they looked past him and broke into smiles.
“Willow!”
“Why didn’t you tell us you were coming tonight?”
“What do you think of the play?”
Their obvious familiarity stunned him. Willow’s responding peal of joy surprised him even more. It never occurred to him that she’d formed outside friendships so quickly.
“Hello, girls,” she said, moving ahead of him to join the trio. “I didn’t know. The tickets were a surprise. The play is astounding. I love every minute of it.”
One of the women glanced from Willow to Thor. She gave Willow a questioning look. “Who surprised you with the tickets?”
“Blessed be!” Willow pressed a hand to her mouth. “I apologize for not making the proper introductions. This is Thor Magnusen. He surprised me with the tickets. He and Professor Magnusen are brothers. Thor, these are my friends: Dionna Thompson, Kendra McAdams, and Dawn Jensen. We’re in the same study group for English Literature.”
“Oh, the study group,” he murmured. The women eyed him with open curiosity and a small hint of suspicion. He forced a smile and extended his hand. Each one took his hand in a firm grip. “Nice to meet you, ladies.”
“The same here,” Kendra, the shorter of the two women, said, “It’s nice to finally put a face with a name.”
He would have liked to respond in kind, but he didn’t want to lie. Willow never mentioned the young women. Yet as they stood together and spoke with easy openness, he knew she valued their friendship. He wondered why she never told him about her friends and what other secrets she concealed.
“Malcolm is still working on your Motown compilation cassette,” Dionna said. “He’s the DJ for Jordan’s party this weekend. Otherwise, he would have been here tonight.”
“I forgot about Jordan’s party. Was it to celebrate his birthday?”
Thor frowned. “Are Malcolm and Jordan more study buddies?”
The tightening of Willow’s mouth conveyed she heard the note of irritation in his tone. “Yes, they are a part of our group.”
He nodded once. An angry retort came to mind, but he held his tongue. It was pointless to voice his frustration. The young women resumed their conversation. He listened to part of it. Willow’s responses captured his attention more than anything else.
The weeks following the mall shopping spree changed them. They lost the easy companionship that bound them in 1860. Adjusting to the twentieth century took a good deal of her time. At first, he envisioned making the adjustments with her. Somehow, it didn’t happen that way. He hoped a night at the theater would resurrect the bonds. Watching her respond to strangers as if they were lifelong friends burned him and made him question his part in her life.
He took too much for granted, believing he could give her everything she needed. Watching her connect with others who shared the same beautiful skin as hers revealed how misguided his beliefs were.
The overhead lights blinked. Willow’s friends rushed to the restroom, and they returned to their seats. Tension filled the silence. He searched for a solution but found none. His confidence stood on shaky ground. Losing her was not an option.
But I can’t force her to stay.
“You didn’t quench your thirst,” she said. “There may be time. The auditorium is still lit.”
“I’m fine,” he replied, surprised that she remembered. “According to the program, we have another intermission.”
“Thor!”
A heavy hand closed over his shoulder. He recognized his former coach’s voice immediately. Seven years had passed since he followed Bart Michaels’s guidance. Of all the places to run into his college football coach! He rose and shook the other man’s hand in a hearty shake.
“Coach Michaels, how are you?”
“Surprised to see you here. Did you lose a bet with Cal?”
“No, I’m here with my gir—my friend, Willow Elkridge. She’s a student here and loves Shakespeare.” Thor reached for her hand. “Willow, this is Bart Michaels. He was my coach at Georgia Southern University. What are you doing here?”
“Nice to meet you.” Bart gave Willow a polite smile. “Would you believe my daughter goes to Emory and is in the play?” Bart laughed softly. “She wouldn’t hear of being an Eagle, but at least she’s still in Georgia. I saw the game. Sorry about what happened. I called several times but never got through. What are you doing now?”
Thor stiffened.
God, how I hate that question.
He shrugged. “I’m reviewing my options.”
“Yeah,” Bart said, all-knowing, “right. Well, I’m the head of the Athletics Department at University of Georgia and in need of an assistant football coach. Interested?”
“Are you offering me a job?” The swift offer caught him off guard.
“Yes. What do you think about that?”
Willow’s fingers tightened around Thor’s hand. She remained silent during the entire exchange, but he strongly felt her interest. Months ago, he would have balked at the idea, but the expression on her face changed his mind. Excitement burned in her olive black eyes. Somewhere deep inside, she still cared. Hope flared to life inside him. Refusal died a lonely death on the tip of his tongue.
“I’ve never coached before.”
“I wouldn’t offer the job if I didn’t believe in you. Thor, you were one of the best quarterbacks I ever coached. Why the Falcons used you as backup never made a lick of sense.”
“But that tackle—”
“—could have happened to anybody,” Bart said. “Your whole life can’t be summed in one moment. Being coached by someone who made it to the NFL would benefit the kids. I think you’d benefit, too. Besides, what else do you have to do?”