Afraid to call throughout the day and wake him, she resisted. She wished he had called her, but he didn’t.
Reggie arrived home a little after eight and went straight to the bedroom. She was scared when she found him lying face-down on the floor. “Donovan!” She rushed to his side.
“I’m okay. I needed a harder surface.”
The nightstand still had the sandwich on it, untouched. “You haven’t eaten at all?”
“Not hungry.”
“This isn’t good, Van. I’m taking you in.” She went to stand up but he caught her hand, stopping her.
“No. I’m all right.” He slowly rolled onto his back with minor grunts and groans then reached out and brushed her nipple with the back of his hand. “I think I’m feeling better already.”
“How about something to eat?”
“How about some lovin’?”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Maybe you’ll put something back in place.”
“You’re hopeless,” she said as she removed her clothes. He was already naked.
“And you’re beautiful. Marry me.”
“I already did.”
“Oh yeah.”
She straddled him slowly, waiting to hear him wince but he didn’t. They began to make love and he chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
“I should have laid down the other way. We’re going uphill.”
Chapter 7
T HEY S HARED A H OT S HOWER together after they made love. Reggie hoped the hot water would help Van’s muscles. He was leaning against the wall, holding himself up while the water ran down his back.
“Sex didn’t help, did it?” Reggie asked.
“Didn’t hurt.” He picked up his head long enough for a quick kiss then he dropped it back down.
“You going to tell me what happened?”
“There was a fishing boat that was taking on water. They had a life raft, but they were trying to save the boat.”
“Idiots. Does everyone play dumb, waiting for you guys to show up?”
“Pretty much. Anyway, I guess it was worse than they thought. One guy was below working a hose from the water pump trying to suck up the water. It was an ancient bastard, about three hundred pounds. The pump—not the guy.”
“I get it.” She smiled as she gently rubbed his back.
“I went over to holler at him to get out. The boat was taking on water too fast; there was no way he was doing any good. We ordered everyone off the boat and onto ours. He was about to come up when the damn cart that they had the pump on collapsed. It was about to fall down the hole.”
“It would have gone through the boat?”
“Worse. It would have landed on the guy.”
She gasped and covered her mouth. “Did he get hurt?”
“I grabbed the pump midair and held it there till two other guys came over to help put it to the side.”
“You held a three hundred pound pump by yourself?”
“It wouldn’t have been so bad; it was the angle though. I really thought something popped.”
“Don’t you think you should get an X-ray?”
“It feels better, really. I don’t think I’m up to company though. Will you call off the Avilla’s? Do you mind?”
“Of course not. I’ll call Virgie now. Stay in as long as you want. The heat should help.”
“I’m already pruney. I’m gonna go hold down the floor again.”
“My poor baby.” She leaned against his back and gave it a kiss.
“Lower.”
She kissed down his spine then made her way back up. “Van?”
“Hmmm.”
“You saved his life.”
“Just doin’ my job, baby.”
Of all the other couples at the station, Van and Reggie had hit it off best with a couple who were from the area. Virgie was raised in Marathon and Bobby was from Miami. He joined the Coast Guard to see the world and was stationed in Marathon instead. Turned out it wasn’t such a bad deal; he met Virgie and they were as happy as Van and Reggie.
They shared many nights talking away every subject imaginable. The guys tried a different import beer each time and the girls ran through the finer wines. As Virgie and Bobby discussed wanting to put off kids until they
Reggie arrived home a little after eight and went straight to the bedroom. She was scared when she found him lying face-down on the floor. “Donovan!” She rushed to his side.
“I’m okay. I needed a harder surface.”
The nightstand still had the sandwich on it, untouched. “You haven’t eaten at all?”
“Not hungry.”
“This isn’t good, Van. I’m taking you in.” She went to stand up but he caught her hand, stopping her.
“No. I’m all right.” He slowly rolled onto his back with minor grunts and groans then reached out and brushed her nipple with the back of his hand. “I think I’m feeling better already.”
“How about something to eat?”
“How about some lovin’?”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Maybe you’ll put something back in place.”
“You’re hopeless,” she said as she removed her clothes. He was already naked.
“And you’re beautiful. Marry me.”
“I already did.”
“Oh yeah.”
She straddled him slowly, waiting to hear him wince but he didn’t. They began to make love and he chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
“I should have laid down the other way. We’re going uphill.”
Chapter 7
T HEY S HARED A H OT S HOWER together after they made love. Reggie hoped the hot water would help Van’s muscles. He was leaning against the wall, holding himself up while the water ran down his back.
“Sex didn’t help, did it?” Reggie asked.
“Didn’t hurt.” He picked up his head long enough for a quick kiss then he dropped it back down.
“You going to tell me what happened?”
“There was a fishing boat that was taking on water. They had a life raft, but they were trying to save the boat.”
“Idiots. Does everyone play dumb, waiting for you guys to show up?”
“Pretty much. Anyway, I guess it was worse than they thought. One guy was below working a hose from the water pump trying to suck up the water. It was an ancient bastard, about three hundred pounds. The pump—not the guy.”
“I get it.” She smiled as she gently rubbed his back.
“I went over to holler at him to get out. The boat was taking on water too fast; there was no way he was doing any good. We ordered everyone off the boat and onto ours. He was about to come up when the damn cart that they had the pump on collapsed. It was about to fall down the hole.”
“It would have gone through the boat?”
“Worse. It would have landed on the guy.”
She gasped and covered her mouth. “Did he get hurt?”
“I grabbed the pump midair and held it there till two other guys came over to help put it to the side.”
“You held a three hundred pound pump by yourself?”
“It wouldn’t have been so bad; it was the angle though. I really thought something popped.”
“Don’t you think you should get an X-ray?”
“It feels better, really. I don’t think I’m up to company though. Will you call off the Avilla’s? Do you mind?”
“Of course not. I’ll call Virgie now. Stay in as long as you want. The heat should help.”
“I’m already pruney. I’m gonna go hold down the floor again.”
“My poor baby.” She leaned against his back and gave it a kiss.
“Lower.”
She kissed down his spine then made her way back up. “Van?”
“Hmmm.”
“You saved his life.”
“Just doin’ my job, baby.”
Of all the other couples at the station, Van and Reggie had hit it off best with a couple who were from the area. Virgie was raised in Marathon and Bobby was from Miami. He joined the Coast Guard to see the world and was stationed in Marathon instead. Turned out it wasn’t such a bad deal; he met Virgie and they were as happy as Van and Reggie.
They shared many nights talking away every subject imaginable. The guys tried a different import beer each time and the girls ran through the finer wines. As Virgie and Bobby discussed wanting to put off kids until they
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