Chase Me (27 page)

“How are you doing, really?” Brooklyn asked and I sighed.

“The days following the funeral were rough. I didn’t even know that Eddie came until my mom’s cousin Martha talked about how wonderfully delightful he was. Then the silence fell. You had moved out, my parents were dead, Henry is struggling now that baby Karen is home and she doesn’t want to sleep and doesn’t like her nanny. So I was alone in my apartment not wanting to burden anyone, and I picked up a bottle.”

“Kate, you were never an alcoholic so there is nothing wrong with having a drink,” Brooklyn tried to make me feel better.

“When I woke up I was still alone and the quietness was my undoing. I threw out all my alcohol. I threw out my condoms,” I stated and Brooklyn gasped.

“What about safety first?” She asked.

“I’m gonna save my cookie for the right guy instead of the next guy.”

“How is the garage?” Brooklyn asked and I smiled really big.

“Its amazing. Henry set me up with a financial guy and it turns out Mike was turning over two million a year working on the classics. People would ship them in just for him to work on them and now that they know I am his daughter they are asking me to fix them too.”

“That sounds great,” Brooklyn gave me a half grin. I knew she was worried about me getting in over my head.

“I’m going to pay it forward,” I told her and her face scrunched in confusion as she pushed her black hair off her shoulder. “I gave the address of the shop to ten homeless men that I have remembered being on the street from when I was little. Most of them were veterans so they have understanding of how to fix stuff. I’m holding workshops every weekend where they can come out and stay the night. I feed them and they learn a skill set.”

“That is wonderful, Kate, but are you safe?” She asked and I merely nodded. I didn’t think any of those guys would hurt me, but until someone tells you everything do you really know anyone?

“I will never understand men,” Brooklyn said out of the blue about half way into the movie.

“Me neither,” I replied and took another drink. “I shouldn’t be drinking this, but it makes it easier.”

“Makes what easier?” Brooklyn asked.

“Life, love, loss, and whatever the hell else is out there.”

“Is this about your parents or Eddie?” She asked and I just looked at her. “I haven’t said it because your parents died, but I am gonna say it now. So buckle up sweetheart this might hurt a little,” Brooklyn started.

I took another swig and sat the bottle on the coffee table with my plate and turned all my attention on her.

“I would have left you long before Eddie did leave you. You were angry, obstinate, selfish, a cock’s best friend and you held in stuff better than half the priests I know. I love you so I say this with all the love in my heart, you are angry with him for not being there when you needed him, but where the hell were you when he needed to be let into your life?

“You expected him to be the one thing he could never be,” she finished and took a drink of the wine.

“What pray tell might that be?”

“A fucking mind reader, Kate!”

Chapter 24

The next morning, I was completely exhausted and hung over. I think I might have been able to sleep it off had I been at home, but I was glad I stayed at Brooklyn’s, the case they put her on was the same one I feared they would and she was having nightmares about it.

I rode out to the cemetery and put new flowers on my parent’s graves. I had them buried side my side into one hole, so there was no dirt between them. They had waited their whole lives to be together so when the mortician said he could build a box to let their coffins lie right beside each other I was all over it.

Baby Karen got to go home from the hospital a few weeks ago. Henry would bring her out and he would talk to my mom and even my dad. I finally put a bench beside their graves so that he didn’t have to sit on the ground.

“Daddy, I think I screwed up and let Eddie go because of fear, but I am so angry that he didn’t come when I needed him the most. I don’t know what to do. Give me a sign,” I begged.

I laid in the grass and watched the clouds roll overhead. It was something I had seen a little blond girl do when I was little.

She would lay next to the tombstone and call out the shapes of the clouds when she ran out of things to say to whoever she was missing. I put my sunglasses down and called out the shapes as well until I fell asleep.

“Kate,” a familiar voice called out. “Kate,” I heard it again. I sat up, but it was merely my mind playing tricks on me because there was no one out there. I laid back down just in time to hear a crash nearby. I sat up and saw a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air and a dump truck had collided.

I ran down the hill as someone else went for the driver of the classic car. I slid over the top of the car and popped the hood up. I immediately disconnected the battery, wiring harness, and anything else I could think of that would cause a spark and lead to a fire.

When I lowered the hood back down I looked in the window to see Eddie in the back seat holding a woman’s head and talking to her little girl.

The dump truck driver was on the phone with emergency services, but I asked him if he was all right. He waved me off and I opened the front passenger door.

“How is everyone in here?” I asked and the mom whimpered.

“I’m fine, how are you?” A little voice called from the back seat. I leaned over and looked down to see her son didn’t even have a scratch.

“What is your name?” I asked the little boy.

“I’m Mike,” he said proudly, and I internally thanked my dad for the sign from above.

“Let’s see if we can get your mommy some help,” I said and looked to Eddie.

“I’m holding her neck in place until emergency services gets here. In case she has had a spinal injury we have to keep her immobilized. See if you can see any other injuries.

I looked down to see a nasty gash in her leg from the steering wheel.

“I’m going to have to take the steering wheel off to see if there is anything in the wound, like the door handle that’s missing.”

I worked my magic and pulled the steer wheel off with a screw driver and a pair of wire cutters I had found under the seat. Eddie talked to Mike who was asking why they call grown up talks birds and bees.

As soon as I lifted the steering wheel I saw that the door handle had impaled itself into the muscle of her calf and then the wound began bleeding profusely.

“Eddie,” I called out and he looked over the seat.

“Take my belt off and use it as a tourniquet.”

I climbed over the seat and sat between Mike and Eddie. I fumbled getting his belt off because of the close proximity to Eddie. My hands shook and I was anything but calm as nausea rose up as the blood soaked her clothes.

“Kate,” Eddie used that voice that demanded attention. “Listen to me. Take a deep breath for me,” I did exactly as he said. “Close your eyes and pull off my belt without anything else in your view.”

I got it off and opened my eyes to see everything that wasn’t said in his. I climbed back over the seat and tried to lifted the woman’s leg to put the belt under it, but she was stuck.

“Eddie, I can’t get it,” I cried as more blood poured out.

“Hold her completely still. Place your hands where mine are and hold her here.”

“What is your name?” I asked as I moved to hold her like Eddie had.

“Karen,” she finally told us as she pleaded with God to save her. I cast a look to the sky and murmured ‘enough signs’ and then focused on her. Eddie and the dump truck driver with the help of another pedestrian pulled the door open and they were able to pry her leg lose.

She screamed in pain as they tightened the belt above the wound to stop the bleeding and she arched herself forward. I lost my grip, but Eddie had seen it coming and placed his hand over her throat to help hold her in my hands.

Emergency service finally got through the traffic and I had my tow truck driver, Bob, come and pick up the car. I promised Karen and little Mike I would have it good as new in a few weeks.

I wiped the blood onto my white summer dress and walked over to Eddie.

“Where is your tie?” I asked noticing his jeans and Yankees t-shirt.

“I quit,” he responded as if I should know what he was talking about.

“Why?”

“I didn’t want to be the type of person who spent any amount of time doing something I didn’t love. Life is too short for that.”

“I’m going to dinner with Brooklyn tonight, do you have plans for Sunday?” I asked hopeful he would say yes.

“Why don’t you go get cleaned up, and I will go get cleaned up. I can pick up some Thai and meet you at the garage. I know you need to file the accident quotes with the insurance company. So, you can talk, eat, and work all at the same time.”

“You want me to multi-task?” I challenged. “You know why I don’t ever eat gum? Cause I will trip and fall on my face.”

“It was nice to see you, Kate,” Eddie called out and I let him start to walk away and then I shouted his name. When he turned to look at me I swallowed all my fears.

“Two hours Eddie, don’t be late or I won’t let you in,” I replied hoping he took it as I intended it to mean.

Two hours later on the very minute I had a knock on my garage door. I opened the door and Eddie walked inside with a bag of take out.

I took the blanket and grabbed his hand; leading him outside. Then there by the cherry tree where my mom and dad reconnected I had a picnic with Eddie.

“I miss you,” I stated with a mouth full of noodles.

“Okay, we covered the looking at me when I am awake and talk to me, but not with food in your mouth,” he replied and I laughed as I covered my mouth.

“I miss you,” I tried again after I swallowed. “I want to apologize to you for being awful, but you started it by being an asshat,” I smiled.

“You just apologized and then insulted me, you owe me one more apology,” Eddie stated and I grabbed his black t-shirt in my hands and pulled him over to me. I sucked his ear lobe into my mouth and then kissed his neck.

“You are sorry,” I breathlessly said after I saw his cock harden in his jeans. He pushed me onto the ground and quickly lifted my blue jean skirt.

“No panties,” he growled as he pulled my legs apart and sucked my clit into his mouth. I didn’t care that we were out here on a hilltop overlooking the Hudson. I didn’t care that anyone could drive up and see us. As I wove my fingers into his hair and moaned when his finger entered me the only thing I cared about was making sure he reached the finish line with me.

I pushed his head up and sat up. He looked at me weirdly, but I pulled his black shirt off, and unfastened his jeans.

“Lose them,” I ordered.

“You first,” Eddie challenged.

We both stripped down completely naked and I pushed him onto his back on the blanket. Then I crawled up and place a kiss on his lips.

“I wasn’t done with you,” he called out and I smirked. I wasn’t nearly done with him either, but I still had one more thing to overcome. I draped my body across his with my pussy in his face and his cock throbbing angrily wanting to go in mine.