Scarlet Fever - Hill Country 2 (11 page)

Time to come clean.
 
Regardless of the outcome, she owed him an explanation.
 
She would just have to get his promise that what he learned would go no further.
 
“I don’t have time to cultivate a relationship.”

“You don’t have time.”
 
He acted like he didn’t believe her.
 
“You’re too busy to learn to love somebody.”
 
Alex was disappointed in her, she could tell.

“It’s not so much that I’m ‘busy – don’t have time...’ ”
 
Scarlet’s voice was soft, but serious.
 
“More like I’m running out of time.”
 
At his look of confusion, she clarified.
 
“It’s a bucket list, Alex.”

“A bucket list?”

“Things I want to do while I’m still . . . . .all right.”
 
She spoke slowly.

A dawning comprehension cleared his eyes.
 
His tone dropped from irritated to panicked.
 
“What are you saying?
 
Are you sick?”

“The operation that corrected my foot had complications.
 
They gave me the wrong anesthesia and my kidneys were damaged.
 
It’s been seven years, and they’ve progressively weakened.
 
Soon, it will be dialysis, a transplant, or
 
. . . . . . or…” she stopped talking.

The next second he fell to his knees in front of her.
 
“No, no, no.”
 
He pulled her up in his arms and held her close.
 
His arms didn’t give an inch, he only tightened his grasp until he was practically squeezing the breath from her body.
 
“Tell me that there’s some mistake.
 
Tell me that you’re getting back at me for my cruelty.”

His immediate and intense reaction melted Scarlet’s heart.
 
Her arms crept around his neck and she rubbed her face against his.
 
His face was wet!
 
O God, he was crying.
 
“I’m sorry, Alex.
 
Please don’t cry.”

He pulled back and took her face in his hands, framing it.
 
Rubbing his lips over her eyelids, he kissed her eyes closed.
 
Punctuating his words with kisses, he whispered.
 
“I’ll do it.
 
I’ll do it.
 
I’ll do it.
 
I‘ll make love to you.”
 
He kissed her cheek.
 
“Scarlet, I want you.
 
God, I want you so bad.
 
I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you, but now . . . .”
 
He gently pushed aside Annalise’s dress and pulled her into his lap. Shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts, he looked her in the eye.
 
“I want to know everything Baby.
 
I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through this.
 
When do you start your dialysis?”
 
He was talking so fast, she couldn’t get a word in edge wise.
 
When he stilled and waited for her response, her words froze in her throat.
 
When she didn’t answer right away, he tilted up her chin to look into her eyes.

“I can’t do dialysis.
 
I don’t have any insurance.”
 
She looked down, then up into his eyes.
 

He wasn’t responding.
 
Disbelief stole his voice.
       
Trying desperately to comfort him, yet explain, she continued.
 
“That’s why I’m working at the library and the church.
 
When I graduated college, I couldn’t get a job in my field, because I couldn’t pass the physical.
 
Their insurance plans wouldn’t accept me because I had a pre-existing condition.
 
I work two jobs and take in sewing so I can afford the medicine, but there won’t be any dialysis and there won’t be a transplant.”

Alex stood up in a rush.
 
He began pacing the floor.
 
“The hell there won’t.”
 
He shouted.
 
“The alternative is unthinkable.”
 
Alex’s mind was whirling.
 
He was a take charge kind of guy and he wasn’t about to sit around and watch this precious woman die; not if he could do anything about it.
 
He didn’t know what he was going to do.
 
But, by God, he was going to do something.

“How about your family?”
 
Alex was grasping for solutions.
   

“Dad was a match, but mother and Annalise aren’t.
 
And Alex.”
 
Scarlet warned in a voice that brooked no argument.
 
“Annalise doesn’t know and I don’t want her to know.”

“What do you mean?
 
She has to know.
 
How could you even consider keeping something like this from your sister?”
 
Alex stood with his hands on his hips; he didn’t know whether to spank her or cuddle up to her and never let her go.

“I’ve kept it from her for seven years.
 
She doesn’t have to know, not until . . .” her voice trailed off.

Alex couldn’t believe this.
 
Every word that came of her mouth tore another hole in his heart.
 
She had been so alone!
 
She had been bearing this burden all alone!
 
“What?
 
Until someone notifies her about the time and the place for the funeral?”
 
The words seemed to cause Alex physical pain.
 
“Who’s going to take care of you?”

“I’ll take care of myself,” she emphasized sternly, lifting her little chin.
 
Alex marveled at her fearlessness.
 
His little soldier.
 

“What about the transplant list?”
 
Why was he just now thinking of this?
 
His mind wasn’t working worth a flip.
 
His divorce hadn’t caused even an iota of stress compared to what he was feeling today.
 

She didn’t answer him.
 
He asked again.
 
“You
are
signed up for a transplant, aren’t you?”
  
He was still desperately searching, trying to come up with an answer.

“I’m on the deceased donor transplant list, but the chances of that happening before my time is up are about a million to one.”
 
She wished that she had never made the stupid bucket list.
 
The agony on his face was tearing her to bits.

“How about a living donor, other than your sister?
 
Has everyone else been tested?”

He was so sweet.

Walking over to him, she framed his face.
 
“There is no one else; there will be no living donor baby.
 
Let’s talk about something else.”

Picking her up, he kissed her neck, sucking gently.
 
“I‘m not giving up, I just need to think.
 
But, right now.
 
I want to make love to you.”
 
He started walking toward her bedroom.
   

She laid her head on his shoulder, resigned.
 
“No.
 
I can’t.
 
Not now.
 
I‘ve changed my mind.”

“I’m not letting you change your mind.
 
Give me a couple of hours to get the RV ready and packed.
 
Gather a few things and tell your sister that we’ll see her this time tomorrow.
 
We’re leaving.
 
No argument.”
 
Another hard kiss and he was gone.
 

************************

She did as he asked.
 
It wasn’t hard.
 
She wanted to make love to him more than anything else in the world.
 
Still, she was more nervous than she could ever remember being in her life.
 
Annalise hadn’t seemed surprised.
 
In fact, she had seemed thrilled.
 
“This is what I dreamed of.
 
I love you so much, baby sister.
 
And I love Alex more than I can say.
 
You’re perfect for one another.”

“Don’t read more into this than it is.”

“What is it?
 
Just sex?
 
Don’t tell me that.
 
I’ve seen how he looks at you.
 
And I’ve certainly seen how you look at him.
 
The two of you stare at one another like you’re starving.”
 
Annalise was adamant in her belief.

“Just don’t make a big deal out of this, please.”

************************

When Scarlet walked out the front door to meet Alex, she was flabbergasted.
 
RV was a term that could apply to a multitude of vehicles; Alex’s was a monster.
 
Forty-two feet of pure, unadulterated luxury.
 
He opened the door with pride and invited her inside.
 
“We use it mostly for tailgate parties at the Texas games.”
 

Scarlet looked around in wonder.
 
She had never been in a more luxurious place.
 
The B&B was fantastic, but this was out of this world.
 
Everything was white and cherry wood; recliners, wet bar, granite countertops, huge plasma TV.
 
There was even a fireplace.
 
“Wait till you see the bed.
 
It’s a California King.
 
We have plenty of room to play.”

Scarlet stilled.
 
She turned to him; big, huge Teddy bear of a man.
 
Curls of gold that she longed to sink her fingers into.
 
“You don’t have to do this, you know.
 
It’s OK.
 
I would understand.
 
Making love to a person with – uh, problems – has to be a turn-off.”
 
She had thought about this.
 
What if he couldn’t?
 
What if he got so for, then he had to stop.
 
She would die.
 
Better not to start it at all.

With one swift move, he pulled her to him.
 
“Does that feel like I don’t want you?”

It didn’t.
 
It felt like there was a baseball bat between them.

“I’ve been hard for you since I turned and saw your sad little eyes.
 
Now, no more doubts.
 
No more tears.
 
Only pleasure.”

************************

Alex had gone all out.
 
There was lobster with butter sauce, asparagus, rice pilaf and double chocolate mousse.
 
“I can’t believe you did all of this.
 
You are very talented.”

“Wait until you see what I can do in the bedroom.”
 
She didn’t doubt him for a minute.

They didn’t go far.
 
He drove her to the Lost Maples National Park, just a few miles.
 
“Tomorrow, we’ll explore, take in the leaves.
 
But tonight, the only thing that I want to explore is you.”
 

He fed her.
 
She had never giggled so much in her life.
 
Butter would drip from the succulent pieces of shell fish and he would capture it with his tongue, straight off of her lips.
 
The mousse proved to be not only a culinary adventure, but an erotic one.
 
This time she got in on the act, sitting astraddle his lap, feeding him spoonful after spoonful of the luscious chocolate.
 

Standing, he caught her by the hand.
 
“Enough.
 
I can’t wait any longer.
 
I’m so turned-on I ache.
 
Come with me.”
 
He led her to the fireplace.
 
“We’re going to make out here.
 
Afterwards, I’ll take you to bed.”
 
The fire crackled and the flames danced and Scarlet’s blood pressure raced madly.
 
This incredible dream of a man was about to make love to her.