Anything for Danny. Carla Cassidy
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last New York Yankees ball game with Luke. She smiled, seeing her son’s hands flail in the air as he described a particular pop fly. Definitely a chip off the old block.
In the glow of the fire, Danny’s face looked like a youthful miniature of his father’s. But according to the doctors, his face would never reach the maturity of Luke’s. Sherri shoved this thought aside, unable to deal with the grief, the breath-stealing pain that tore through her at thoughts of losing Danny.
Doctors have been known to be wrong, she reminded herself firmly. And miracles did still happen in this world. All she had to do was keep praying for their own special miracle.
Her heart expanded as she heard Danny’s lilting laughter, saw Luke’s responding grin. She focused on their conversation, realizing that their talk had turned from sports to ghost stories.
As Luke related to Danny a story he’d heard while in Ireland, Sherri got up and went into the camper. Opening one of the cabinets, she drew out her camera. She wanted to chronicle this trip, these memories. She’d been surprised that Luke hadn’t brought his camera equipment. During their marriage, he’d even carried it with him on short trips to the grocery store, afraid he might miss the opportunity of getting an award-winning photo.
She loaded the film and checked the batteries to make sure the flash would work, then went outside and sat across from the two males.
Luke was at the climax of his story, his voice low and creepy. Danny’s eyes were wide, his mouth opened in an ohh of anticipation. Sherri snapped a picture, laughing as the flash made Danny jump and yell in surprise.
“Mom, you scared me,” he exclaimed. He clasped a hand to his heart and grinned. “Hey, let me take one of you and Dad,” he urged suddenly.
“Oh, no,” Sherri protested, looking to Luke for support.
“Come on, Mom, just one,” Danny pressed, his big blue eyes pleading his cause.
It’s just a picture, Sherri told herself as she reluctantly gave Danny the camera. But there was something intimate about a photograph, an image that lasted despite time and change. Luke had always told her that he thought pictures were the most telling medium of all, that relationships, character and emotion could all be read by studying a photo.
As she moved to sit next to Luke, she wondered what perceptions people would draw years from now about the picture of the man and woman sitting by the camp fire. Would they know the two were divorced, or would they guess that they were lovers enjoying a camp-out?
She eased down next to Luke, immediately able to smell his scent, a heady combination of spicy cologne and wood smoke and the smell of worn leather from his bomber jacket. She held herself stiff, not touching him, but aware of his body heat warming her as effectively as the flames of the fire.
“Relax,” Luke murmured to her as Danny worked the focus. “Give the kid what he wants.” He placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close against his side.
“That’s great,” Danny exclaimed in delight.
In the moment it took for him to snap the picture, myriad emotions flooded through Sherri. She had spent the last five years trying to forget everything about Luke, yet in the single instant in his arms, her body remembered the sweet familiarity of his touch.
The second the flash went off, with white dots still dancing in front of her eyes, she jerked away from Luke’s touch and stood up. “That’s enough pictures for one night,” she said as she took the camera back from Danny. “I think I’ll go in and take a quick shower.”
Luke grinned, his gray-blue eyes lingering on her for a moment. “While you shower, Danny and I will put out the fire.”
With a curt nod, Sherri hurried into the motor home. The shower was a confounded contraption. The nozzle produced a pathetic spray of water that was virtually ineffective against banishing the lingering feel of Luke’s body pressed against her side.
It had shocked her, the momentary stab of desire that had suddenly reared its head when he’d pressed her against his side. It was an emotion she hadn’t felt for a very long time, had thought never to feel again.
“Ridiculous,” she scoffed aloud, scrubbing her skin to a rosy hue with the washcloth and fresh-scented bar of soap. It had been shock she’d felt, not desire. It had been surprise and distaste. After all, how could she possibly feel desire for a man she disliked? How could she feel desire for a man who’d taken her love and left her bitter and empty? It had been a long time since she’d felt a man’s arms surrounding her, her body had simply reacted to the novelty of the embrace, nothing more.
By the time she’d finished showering and changed into a long, demure sleep shirt, Danny and Luke were back inside. They sat at the table, sharing a bedtime snack of peanut-butter crackers and milk.
“Danny, when you’re finished there, take your shower and don’t forget to brush your teeth,” Sherri reminded him.
“Ah, Mom, we’re on vacation,” Danny protested.
“Hey, sport, dirt and cavities don’t take vacations,” Luke said firmly. He stood up and put away the crackers and milk. “Besides, I don’t want a stinky, tooth-decayed bunk mate.”
“Okay.” Danny laughed and headed for the shower.
When he was gone, Sherri busied herself wiping the table and counters, conscious of Luke’s gaze following her movements. “You’re staring,” she finally said as she sat down across from him.
“Yes, I am,” he agreed with a lazy smile. “I was just observing the fact that you look good. I like what you’ve done to your hair.”
She ran a hand through it self-consciously. “Thanks.”
“Since our divorce, you’ve only managed to get more attractive.”
She flushed. “What did you expect? That without you in my life, I’d somehow fall apart?”
“It would have done my ego wonders if you had.” The lazy grin widened.
“Gosh, Luke, I’m really sorry that I couldn’t accommodate your massive ego, but I’ve not only survived since our divorce, I’ve actually thrived.” She tilted her chin upward, returning his gaze with an edge of defiance. She studiously shoved aside the memory of how frightened she had once been that she wouldn’t survive, that she would fall apart without him.
He stretched out his long jean-clad legs and grinned at her. “I’ve managed to do pretty well myself since our divorce,” he said. “I’m considered quite a catch in the circles I travel.”
Sherri smiled thinly. “I’m sure you have to beat the women off with sticks since you’re such a sexy hunk.”
“You really think so?” His dark eyebrows danced upward.
“Hmm, I’m sure you have to carry two baseball bats with you to fend off the attention of love-starved females,” she replied sarcastically.
“No, I meant do you really think I’m a sexy hunk?” He leaned up over the table, so close she could feel his warm breath on her face, see something unfathomable in his eyes. He reached out and traced the swell of her bottom lip with a fingertip. “You know, Danny wanted to sleep in the top bunk all by himself. You and I could share the bottom one…share a little passion for old times’ sake. What do you think?”
Sherri reeled back in the chair but before she could scald him with a flurry of scathing words, Danny stepped out of the bathroom. “All done,” he exclaimed.
“Terrific, I’ll tuck you in.” Sherri escaped Luke’s proximity, following her son back into the sleeping area. “Make sure you leave plenty of room for your father,” she said loudly enough for Luke to hear.
“I think I’ll take a quick shower,” Luke said, his voice still filled with the lazy amusement that only fueled Sherri’s irritation with him.
“Danny and