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Authors: Rebecca Forster
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back.''
''For Hermosa Beach we do.'' Burt chuckled and grinned. That chipped front tooth of his made him look boyish despite the sun-leathered skin, the hard-living creases on his face. He folded the paper in half and in half again as he spoke. ''Archer and Lexi moved here right after this thing with the kid. I just didn't know that and I didn't know about the kid. I guess I figured they sort of landed in Hermosa like all the rest of us and decided to stay.''
''Just like the rest of us,'' Josie murmured.
She ran a finger around the top of her cup, disappointed in both Archer and herself. He hadn't actually lied to her about anything; she had erred in her assumptions about his life. What Archer knew about Josie was what she chose for him to know; what she knew about him was what he decided to tell her. They had reveled in their independence and now she knew that was a mistake. Understanding that made her feel lost. It was natural for a lover to believe she knew everything – intuitively, instinctively, intimately – about the man she had committed to. Wasn't it?
''So, Archer shows up two years ago. Did he tell you why they moved? Where they came from?'' Josie asked this as if her surprise was minimal, her hurt miniscule. Burt, though, wasn't fooled. He made no jokes. He scratched his chin and thought hard.
''Somewhere in the Valley.'' Burt shook his head. ''Man, can you imagine Archer in the Valley? I'd kill myself if I had to spend more than five minutes in the Valley.''
''Burt,'' Josie admonished.
`''Yeah, well, I would,'' he insisted. ''Anyway, I met Lexi first. She was one of those people you just knew right away. Like she walked in one day and by the time she left we were cool. Know what I mean?'' Burt's question was rhetorical. He was oblivious to the glint of envy that sparked in Josie's eyes as he admired the other woman in Archer's life. Burt was to busy chuckling to notice. ''She was a spitfire, that one. Always had an opinion about something and said it straight out like it was fact. And she was just funny. Really entertaining. Not like. . . ''
''Me?'' Josie asked.
''Come on, Josie,'' Burt shrugged. ''You're different ladies. You're more serious but you're straight like Lexi. She was always straight. I can say that for her . . .''
Burt's voice trailed off as he disappeared into the kitchen. Josie heard him yelling something but couldn't quite make it out. He came back carrying a tray of glasses that shivered and tinkled as he put them on the bar.
''. . .So she tells me that she was married to a real asshole before Archer. She doesn't mention the kid by the way, or how sick she is. She was one of those people who always talked but only gave you what she wanted to give you. So, I knew she was married before but that's about it.'' Burt lost interest in the glasses and scanned the booze inventory behind the bar. Ducking down he came back up with a bottle of Tequila, wiped it off with his shirt tail and asked, ''Did you know she was a paramedic?''
''Nope.''
Josie had both hands around her cup as she hunched over the bar hanging on his every word. Burt had hung loose his whole life, making it through high school before turning pro on the volleyball circuit, settling in with the restaurant after the motorcycle accident broke every bone in his body and ended his athletic career. His chipped front tooth, a souvenir of those hard times, was a reminder to everyone who knew him that shit happens. Shit was definitely happening to Josie and Archer.
''Yep, and old Lexi thought she did a hell of a job,'' he chuckled again and checked out the bourbon while he talked. ''She was working on a domestic violence call when she met Archer. He wanted to call the coroner because he could see how exhausted Lexi was. Besides, the woman was dead. But Lexi wanted to try everything. That Lexi, she believed in miracles.''
''Or she thought she was God's gift,'' Josie remarked only to regret it in the next instant. She covered her
''For Hermosa Beach we do.'' Burt chuckled and grinned. That chipped front tooth of his made him look boyish despite the sun-leathered skin, the hard-living creases on his face. He folded the paper in half and in half again as he spoke. ''Archer and Lexi moved here right after this thing with the kid. I just didn't know that and I didn't know about the kid. I guess I figured they sort of landed in Hermosa like all the rest of us and decided to stay.''
''Just like the rest of us,'' Josie murmured.
She ran a finger around the top of her cup, disappointed in both Archer and herself. He hadn't actually lied to her about anything; she had erred in her assumptions about his life. What Archer knew about Josie was what she chose for him to know; what she knew about him was what he decided to tell her. They had reveled in their independence and now she knew that was a mistake. Understanding that made her feel lost. It was natural for a lover to believe she knew everything – intuitively, instinctively, intimately – about the man she had committed to. Wasn't it?
''So, Archer shows up two years ago. Did he tell you why they moved? Where they came from?'' Josie asked this as if her surprise was minimal, her hurt miniscule. Burt, though, wasn't fooled. He made no jokes. He scratched his chin and thought hard.
''Somewhere in the Valley.'' Burt shook his head. ''Man, can you imagine Archer in the Valley? I'd kill myself if I had to spend more than five minutes in the Valley.''
''Burt,'' Josie admonished.
`''Yeah, well, I would,'' he insisted. ''Anyway, I met Lexi first. She was one of those people you just knew right away. Like she walked in one day and by the time she left we were cool. Know what I mean?'' Burt's question was rhetorical. He was oblivious to the glint of envy that sparked in Josie's eyes as he admired the other woman in Archer's life. Burt was to busy chuckling to notice. ''She was a spitfire, that one. Always had an opinion about something and said it straight out like it was fact. And she was just funny. Really entertaining. Not like. . . ''
''Me?'' Josie asked.
''Come on, Josie,'' Burt shrugged. ''You're different ladies. You're more serious but you're straight like Lexi. She was always straight. I can say that for her . . .''
Burt's voice trailed off as he disappeared into the kitchen. Josie heard him yelling something but couldn't quite make it out. He came back carrying a tray of glasses that shivered and tinkled as he put them on the bar.
''. . .So she tells me that she was married to a real asshole before Archer. She doesn't mention the kid by the way, or how sick she is. She was one of those people who always talked but only gave you what she wanted to give you. So, I knew she was married before but that's about it.'' Burt lost interest in the glasses and scanned the booze inventory behind the bar. Ducking down he came back up with a bottle of Tequila, wiped it off with his shirt tail and asked, ''Did you know she was a paramedic?''
''Nope.''
Josie had both hands around her cup as she hunched over the bar hanging on his every word. Burt had hung loose his whole life, making it through high school before turning pro on the volleyball circuit, settling in with the restaurant after the motorcycle accident broke every bone in his body and ended his athletic career. His chipped front tooth, a souvenir of those hard times, was a reminder to everyone who knew him that shit happens. Shit was definitely happening to Josie and Archer.
''Yep, and old Lexi thought she did a hell of a job,'' he chuckled again and checked out the bourbon while he talked. ''She was working on a domestic violence call when she met Archer. He wanted to call the coroner because he could see how exhausted Lexi was. Besides, the woman was dead. But Lexi wanted to try everything. That Lexi, she believed in miracles.''
''Or she thought she was God's gift,'' Josie remarked only to regret it in the next instant. She covered her
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