Anything for Danny

When he was gone, Sherri busied herself wiping the table and counters, conscious of Luke’s gaze following her movements. “You’re staring,” she finally said as she sat down across from him.

“Yes, I am,” he agreed with a lazy smile. “I was just observing the fact that you look good. I like what you’ve done to your hair.”

She ran a hand through it self-consciously. “Thanks.”

“Since our divorce, you’ve only managed to get more attractive.”

She flushed. “What did you expect? That without you in my life, I’d somehow fall apart?”

“It would have done my ego wonders if you had.” The lazy grin widened.

“Gosh, Luke, I’m really sorry that I couldn’t accommodate your massive ego, but I’ve not only survived since our divorce, I’ve actually thrived.” She tilted her chin upward, returning his gaze with an edge of defiance. She studiously shoved aside the memory of how frightened she had once been that she wouldn’t survive, that she would fall apart without him.

He stretched out his long jean-clad legs and grinned at her. “I’ve managed to do pretty well myself since our divorce,” he said. “I’m considered quite a catch in the circles I travel.”

Sherri smiled thinly. “I’m sure you have to beat the women off with sticks since you’re such a sexy hunk.”

“You really think so?” His dark eyebrows danced upward.

“Hmm, I’m sure you have to carry two baseball bats with you to fend off the attention of love-starved females,” she replied sarcastically.

“No, I meant do you really think I’m a sexy hunk?” He leaned up over the table, so close she could feel his warm breath on her face, see something unfathomable in his eyes. He reached out and traced the swell of her bottom lip with a fingertip. “You know, Danny wanted to sleep in the top bunk all by himself. You and I could share the bottom one…share a little passion for old times’ sake. What do you think?”

Sherri reeled back in the chair but before she could scald him with a flurry of scathing words, Danny stepped out of the bathroom. “All done,” he exclaimed.

“Terrific, I’ll tuck you in.” Sherri escaped Luke’s proximity, following her son back into the sleeping area. “Make sure you leave plenty of room for your father,” she said loudly enough for Luke to hear.

“I think I’ll take a quick shower,” Luke said, his voice still filled with the lazy amusement that only fueled Sherri’s irritation with him.

“Danny and I will just go on to bed,” she replied coolly.

As he disappeared into the bathroom, Sherri gave her son a kiss, then crawled beneath the sheets on the lower bunk.

The nerve of the man, she fumed inwardly. She punched her pillow and flopped over on her side. He’d been playing with her, using his overt sensuality to get to her. How many of their fights had ended with him cajoling her into bed, sweet-talking her out of her anger and into his arms? Share a little passion for old times’ sake…oh, the nerve of him!

Luke and his lazy, sexy charm. It had always been coupled with a touch of arrogance that had merely increased its potency. His arrogance didn’t cross the line into conceit. If it did, it wouldn’t be so damned appealing. She punched her pillow once again.

“The beds are kinda hard, aren’t they?” Danny said from above her.

“A little,” she replied, but she knew it wasn’t the physical discomfort of the bed that bothered her. It was the fact that she still found Luke sexy. After all these years, she still found his naughty charm stimulating. Damn his handsome hide!

She jumped as above the sounds of the water running in the shower, she heard him begin to sing. Luke had always sang in the shower…always sang loudly and badly.

Some things never change, she thought as she heard him lustily singing the words to a familiar Garth Brooks tune. Without the words, the song would have been totally unrecognizable.

Danny’s giggles filled the air. His laughter grew stronger as Luke’s singing became louder. The sound of her son’s laughter fed a sudden spurt of her own.

“He really is bad, isn’t he, Mom?” Danny said amid fits of giggling.

“He is,” Sherri agreed. “And the frightening part is he honestly doesn’t know how bad he is.” Again, Danny and Sherri burst into laughter.

They were still giggling when Luke finally stepped out of the bathroom. “What’s so funny?” he asked.

Sherri’s laughter died instantly on her lips as she stared at him. He stood backlit by the light from the bathroom. He was clad only in a pair of boxer shorts, exposing his firm muscular chest, flat abdomen and long masculine legs. “Nothing,” she murmured. She quickly turned over on her other side, facing the wall, closing her eyes against the vision that was momentarily burned into her brain. They were silk boxers, bright red and incredibly sexy. Drat the man, anyway, she fumed.

She was vaguely aware of him turning out all the lights and pulling himself up into the bunk above her. She sensed the mattress depressing beneath his weight, smelled the clean soapy scent that emanated from him. She squeezed her eyes more tightly closed. Margaret had been right. This whole idea was a study in insanity.

“Sweet dreams, Sherri,” Luke murmured, his voice softly mocking as if he knew the view of his scantily clad body had disturbed her.

She grunted in response and punched her pillow a final time. She’d forgotten how potent Luke’s sexuality was, how overtly male he was. She hadn’t considered her own vulnerability, the fact that she had been without male companionship for too long, that her body remembered Luke’s caresses, his lovemaking far too keenly for sanity’s sake.

I just have to concentrate on all the things I don’t like about him, she thought. Aside from the failure of their marriage, she had to hang on to the little things that drove her crazy. He ate ketchup on his steak. He was tone-deaf and loved to sing. He popped his knuckles to see her squirm.

As she slowly drifted off to sleep, she remembered something else she hated about him. He snored.

Chapter Three

Luke awoke first. The dawn light illuminated the interior of the motor home with a golden glow, and outside a bird chirped softly, as if welcoming the coming morning light.

He knew he should get up, get the utilities unhooked so they would be ready to roll when Sherri and Danny awakened. But he didn’t move. Instead, he remained still, drinking in the sensations that surrounded him.

Although the bed was little more than a thin foam pad covering plywood, and the ceiling was suffocatingly close to his nose, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so comfortable, so content.

Danny’s warmth pressed sweetly against him and he could hear Sherri’s soft breaths as she slept soundly below. He’d forgotten what it was like to wake up and listen to the sounds of somebody else’s sleep. The women he’d dated, the ones he’d made love to since his divorce, had never been allowed to spend the night. That was an intimacy he shared with nobody.

He rolled over on his side and peeked into the bunk below, staring at the woman who’d once been his wife. A smile curved his lips as he saw her mouth hanging slightly open. It was a pretty mouth, eminently feminine and dainty. Her lashes were long and dark enough so she rarely wore mascara. Her hair was a dark spill of brown and gold against the pristine white of the pillowcase. She was curled up on her side, her hands clasped beneath her cheek. She looked soft and touchable.

His smile widened into a full-fledged grin as he rolled over onto his back, imagining how quickly soft and touchable would become prickly and hateful if he were to crawl into bed with her. And yet there was a certain appeal in the thought of making love to her again. Sex had always been terrific with Sherri. She was a giving lover, eager to please as well as be pleased. Had they managed to stay in bed twenty-four hours a day, then perhaps they’d never have divorced.

One more time for old times’ sake…he didn’t know why he had said that to her the night before. He’d known before the words had left his mouth that they would make her mad. Yet, she’d always managed to evoke in him a strange perverse need to shake her up, and sex had always been the way to do it.

When he’d seen her in that sleep shirt the night before, it had brought back memories…disturbing ones that instantly threatened. She’d always worn cotton nightshirts to bed. He could still remember the lemony sunshine scent of them, the way the cotton would warm with her body heat. He could remember the texture of the material stretched taut across her nipples as he caressed her breasts.

Yes, somehow he’d found her threatening, and he’d responded to the threat by saying things he knew would make her angry. The last thing they needed from each other was a casual, physical fling.

He released a small sigh and flung an arm over his eyes, thinking over their brief conversation from the night before. In truth, when they’d divorced, he had been surprised that she hadn’t fallen apart. There had been a small part of him that had expected it, anticipated it.

He’d been surprised at the strength and determination she’d shown in wanting to make it entirely on her own. She had wanted no alimony and only a small amount of child support. She’d insisted they sell the house and split the equity. The only thing she’d requested was that he help her obtain loans so she could go to college and get a teaching degree. Too bad that it had taken the divorce for her to show him the strength he’d desperately longed to see in her during their marriage.

Oh well, water under the bridge now. Shoving aside the past, Luke eased himself off the top bunk and to the floor, landing silently, with the grace of a large cat. Casting one last look at his sleeping son and ex-wife, he yanked on a pair of jeans and his bomber jacket, then went outside to get the motor home ready to travel once again.

Sherri was up and had coffee made when he came back in. “Good morning,” he said cheerfully, shrugging out of his jacket.

“’Mornin’,” she muttered, scratching the tip of her nose with two fingers. “Where’s your shirt?” she asked, frowning as she stared at his bare chest.

Uh-oh, Luke thought, remembering the warning signs. She apparently hadn’t slept as well as he had. “Hmm, that coffee smells terrific.” He was determined to remain cheerful. “You want me to pour you a cup?” he offered.

She nodded and sat down at the table, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand. She once again scratched the tip of her nose as he set the cup of coffee before her. “I need about a pot of this to get me started this morning.”