spirit night

ryan 22

C allie held on to one hand, and I held her backpack in the other as we headed to my car. Ever sinceSadie and I had slowed down our relationship, something in Callie changed. "You want to go to KidzKlub?" "Not today, Sadie only works on Tuesdays or Wednesdays." Speaking of Sadie, I scanned theschool for her, and was sad when I didn't see her. I needed to find a way, something to break the tensionbetween us. When my phone started buzzing, I wondered if this was my chance. That was until I saw thename on the caller ID. I cringed and debated whether to answer it, then finally decided that he hadn'tdone anything to me, well . . . anything that I knew of. "Hey, Fred." "Where are you, are you at thehospital?" "No. What's wrong?" "Your deputy called to tell me that Louise and Sonya had been in a carwreck. I'm on my way back from Jacksonville right now." "Are they okay?" "It sounds like they're bangedup but going to be okay." "Callie and I will head up now. I'll call you as soon as I read their charts." "Thankyou." We disconnected, and I hustled Callie to the car. "What's wrong, Daddy?" "We're going to go seeGrammy and Aunt Sonya, they aren't feeling well." I opened the back door and quickly got her buckled inbefore jumping in front and hospital and waited for someone to pick up. "Florida Hospital, how may Idirect your call?" "This is Dr. Montgomery, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law were brought in, they werein a car accident." "This is Kasey, Polly recognized them, Dr. Montgomery. They are both fine, Sonyaneeds surgery on her ulna, and Louise has a contusion on the brain. We've moved her to observation fortwenty-four hours. Sonya is in her room until an orthopedist can see her." "Which observation room?"Kasey gave me the number and I ended the call. Callie was quiet in the back seat and without musicblaring, I had nothing to distract me from how Fred had said my deputy . He must have been confused ormeant my county, not Sadie. But I still couldn't get them out of my mind. It took me less than fifteenminutes to get there, and another five before I was stepping off the elevator. "Daddy, I've got to go pee." Iglanced down to Callie, who was shifting from side to side. Yup, I'd pushed her too far. "Okay, right thereis a restroom. I'll wait here." I watched Callie disappear and then a familiar voice caught my attention. Itwas wrong, I knew it, but I couldn't help myself from listening to Sadie talk to Louise and Sonya. Iguessed Fred was right when he called her my deputy. I leaned closer, trying to hear what she wassaying. They were talking about love. Was Sadie in love with me? "I'm not saying that we didn't havesomething or that more wasn't a possibility. I'm saying that whatever we had wasn't strong enough towithstand this hurricane." I kept looking down the hall watching for Callie, hoping that she would be slowenough that I could hear more. It was terrible, I was a terrible person to eavesdrop, but I wanted to hearher answer. "Maybe I could have been, but it's a moot point now. He's moved on." For the first time inweeks, I felt the knot in my shoulders relax. She was wrong. I hadn't moved on. "Okay, Daddy." Callie wasstanding next to me. "Did you wash your hands?" She touched me with wet hands as her answer.

"Okay, let's go see Grammy and Aunt Sonya to make sure that they are okay." "All right." Callie made anO with her index and thumb. Pushing the door the rest of the way open, I let Callie run to her grammy as Istood frozen, eyes locked on this beautiful woman who I was absolutely falling in love with. "I was justleaving." She took a step toward the door. Snaking one arm out, I wrapped it around her and pulled heragainst me. "Spend time with your family." "You're our family, too . . ." Sonya's words were slow to dropoff, but they hung heavy in the silence that blanketed the room. I couldn't have told you whether a cannonblast or the sound of a pin dropping would have been louder. "At least in Callie's eyes, and since she'sour family, that is what matters to us. Right, Mom?" Sonya glanced over, waiting for Louise to answer. "Ijust so happen to have room to love another daughter." Callie was tugging on Sadie's hand. "Don't go. Ihaven't seen you in so long. Please don't go." "I need to step out and call my lieutenant. I have an order,and if I don't follow it, it would mean my career. Give me a second?" Sadie stared at me. "Callie, whydon't you stay here with Grammy and Aunt Sonya so I can take Sadie to my office to make her call.""Okay. Promise not to leave, Sadie." "I promise that I won't leave without telling you." I glanced back atthe two people who, just days ago, had been bitter but seemed to have changed, and then guided Sadieout. I refused to take my hand away. I held hers in mine. "Thank you." I locked eyes with her. "I'm sohappy to see you. I've been working, dealing with an attorney, DCF, and a judge." "I know." "Of courseyou do, you've been dealing with all of it as well. I'm sorry for excuses." I opened my office door andstepped aside for Sadie to walk in. Once the door was closed, I rested against the solid panel, took adeep breath, and then slowly took one step forward. Sadie mirrored my movement and steppedbackward. "God, I've missed you." My voice was a low, aching whisper. I took another of my desk, shewasn't going any farther. "I've been aching to see you"—I took another step—"talk to you"—another step—"touch you." We were face-to-face; I could feel the way her breathing was ragged just like mine."Please tell me that there's hope for us. I'll prove to you that I'm worth giving another chance to." Sadiewiggled her eyebrows. Holding a bemused smile, she said somewhat raspy, "You think so, huh?""Absolutely, I can prove it to you . . . starting now." Lowering my mouth to hers, I inhaled the taste, thesweetness that I'd missed this past week. Sadie let out a long chuckle as she pulled back a bit. "You'veproven your point." Her palm stroked down my chest and stopped on the front of my pants. "Not here,there's barely any room. I need you, but I need to spread you out so I can have my way with you." "Canyou bring home some medical supplies so we can play doctor?" "Don't need them, I already have atongue depressor." I started laughing at my lame ass joke. Then Sadie joined me. "Oh my god, I'm sorry.That was so cliché." "It's okay, next time we can play good cop, bad cop with handcuffs." Sadie patted herutility belt where the cuffs hung. "We're going to have so much fun with our careers, aren't we?" "Yep, if Ihave anything to do with it." Sadie stretched up and kissed me again. "Now, I really have to make thiscall." I stood back and waited. As she talked, the smile on her face got wider and wider. When she hungup, she was practically bouncing. "Back on normal duty." Sweeping her into my arms I peered down ather. I'd forgotten what this felt like, this pure happiness. It had been so long, but I had found it and didn'twant to let it go. "Let's go tell Callie, I think she was about to stage a coup if you weren't back soon." "Yes,she's right here." Callie handed the phone over to Sadie. "It's Aunt Sonya. She has a question aboutBananas''

Sadie took the phone as Callie turned to me. "Doesn't Aunt Sonya know what bananas are, why does shehave to ask?" I laughed. This whole change in everyone had been great, and on Sunday, Sonya wasgoing to Bananas tabernacle breakfast with Sadie and her wild friends. "I'll pick you up at eight. Jeans arefine." Mirth swam in Sadie's eyes as she glanced at me. "This is going to be good for you, you will meet alot of people our age. It is innocent fun, but you will laugh your ass—" "Ooo!" Callie threw her hands overher mouth. I could hear Sonya laughing over the phone. "Ugh, I will get used to this, I promise. Anyway,you will laugh a lot. Okay, see you then." She handed Callie back her phone and Callie strode offjabbering away. "Sorry, I'm trying, it's just this mouth has a mind of its own." "Funny thing, I knowsomething else that has a mind of its own and it loves your mouth." "Perv." "But you love it." "Yeah, I thinkthat I do." "Good, I love you, too, Sadie."