Those Tangerine Hills, Evelyn J. Steward [summer reading list .TXT] 📗

their orders; they were unaware of the soft Chinese music playing just above the level of the hum of people talking and laughing.
All their senses were attuned to each other in those few moments of heavenly bliss where nothing else mattered.
“Would you like something else to drink?” The waitress’s voice was hard and insistent, it was the second time she had asked the question and was getting no answer.
They both broke out of their reverie. The man came to first. “Another beer please, would you like something?” he asked Laura.
Time stood still again for the blink of an eye, then she too became herself again. Hesitantly she answered, “Yes please.”
“Make that two beers,” the man said, “unless you would like something else?” he said to Laura.
“Beer will be fine,” Laura answered, grateful to have something to say. She had looked up at him to answer his question. “Yes, now I think I remember you.” She lied! She knew darn well she remembered that face, those eyes. That exquisite frame of his. Who could forget?
“I was right then,” he replied. “Look, as we are dining together, sort of, you had better get to know me. My name at least. I’m David Duballe. Call me Dave, and you are..?
Laura could not get out of a straight question, it wasn’t in her nature to prevaricate. “My name is Laura Comeen,” she said shyly.
“Well hello Laura Comeen. Unusual name!”
“Is it?” Laura queried. “I never thought about myself.! What was she doing? Talking to this gorgeous man as if she had known him for years.
“Now that’s better. Talk to me some more,” Dave urged.
“Um.um,” she started to say when thankfully the waitress appeared with two beers.
“What would you like to eat?” she asked. “There is a platter this evening,” and she handed Dave a menu.
“Evening?” queried Laura as she gasped, “I have to go.“ She got up quickly, threaded her way through the full tables and ran for the door. Outside, she race to where she had parked the car, jumped in and started the engine. With a screech, the car leapt into motion. Luckily there was not a lot of traffic as she hurled the vehicle in to the hospital car park.
Laura was trembling as she walked hurriedly to the desk, enquired where her father was and ran up the stairs to the next floor. Room twenty five was at the far end. No nurses around so she ran the last few paces. Breathing heavily, she opened the door and walked sedately to her father’s bedside.
“Hello Pa. How are you?” she asked.
Frank’s eyes were closed but he had heard her. “Where’ve you been?” he murmured.
Laura closed her eyes and tipped back her head. She clasped her hands together as if in prayer then slowly lowered her heads and opened her eyes. The hands remained clasped a moment longer before droping to her lap.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I came as soon as I could.” She didn’;t mention that she had forgotten the time. He would have been angry and she had no wish to upset him.
“Doesn’t take long to get from the house to here.”
“I know Pa, but I was busy tidying up and… well, the time just slipped away.” She was lying to him. Something she seldom did but now felt that it was better for Frank not to know all the details and minutiae of life now. He did not need to know everything as he once did.
“Who was at the door this morning?”
Where did that come from? Laura had not told him about the stranger. For no other reason than that it wasn’t important just then.
“No one Pa. Somebody wanting directions. Nothing important.” No, she thought, nothing of any import at all. A mental sigh followed the thought. He’d be eating his meal by now. She could have been eating hers with him. Talking, drinking in his maleness. Another mental sigh. She didn’t hear her father griping at her.
“What was that Pa?” she asked looking sheepish.
“I said, what did he look like? His voice sounded good and strong. You could have invited him in for coffee. I could a little man talk.”
“He wasn’t your sort Pa! Please, it was a moment in life. He is gone. Too late for invitations.” What was the time? Laura looked at her watch. Almost eight forty five. She was surprised some nurse hadn’t sent her packing before now.
There was a knock at the door. A nurse.
“I have to ask you to leave now,“ she said, pointedly looking at the watch that dangled upside down on her uniform.
“Gotta go Pa,” Laura said. !”I’ll come again tomorrow but I will ring in first to see if you are staying or not. Bye!” She kissed him on the forehead. He wiped at the kiss and nodded his head at her. She left the hospital and drove home. She didn’t dare go back to the restaurant. She doubted he would still be there and it would seem forward of her to go back looking for him.
The house was cold when she arrived home. It was November after all and the nights were cool. Laura lit the paper in the grate. She had already added kindling when she had cleaned it out yesterday but there were only two logs in the scuttle. That meant going out back and hauling a few in to keep the fire going.
It was dark outside. Laura went to the switch and as she press it down, the bulb flickered and died. Damn! Best btry to get the logs and fix the light in the morning when she could see what she was doing.
A dampness had crept over everything. She felt her slippers slip a little as she went along the deck to the side where they had a pile of fir logs. Reaching for the top ones, her foot gave on the icy board. Her cry was very audible. Several logs landed on her head, bouncing away across the deck.
For a few moments she lay there. After a bit, she tried to move but her legs would not respond. Oh how grateful she was when she managed to get her hands in to her pocket and found her cellular phone. She rang the emergency and told them where she was and what had happened.
The ambulance seemed to take forever but that was only because she was lying there worrying.

Imprint

Text: Work in progress chapters 1 and 2
Publication Date: 01-06-2012

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