Beyond the Lighted Stage

A determined woman who refused to allow the loss of everything she holds dear sway the courage of her convictions.

A lifelong loner who has fatherhood thrust upon him with the sudden passing of his best friend.

Two lives defined by tragedy and loneliness find each other in a moment of ultimate need.

Roxy has known for a while that something wasn't quite right in her small town. She thinks that uneasiness will be the least of her concerns when she loses the only man she's ever loved. But the family and community who have always sustained her turn against her in her when she needs them most. Heartbroken and alone, she leaves everything she's ever known in hopes of finding the answers which elude her.

Veteran musician Elwood has been on the road for his entire adult life. It's the only thing he knows, and one of the only things that's ever filled the gaping hole left in his soul when he lost his family as a teenager. But the high of playing on stage has started to wane in recent years, leaving him grappling with a loneliness that meaningless hookups on the road can never satisfy. All of that is forgotten in an instant when he gets a devastating call out of the blue from his oldest friend, asking for the biggest favor imaginable.

Beyond the Lighted Stage is the tale of two lonely souls who find each other in a small southern beach town. Both had long ago given up on the idea of happily ever after. But a tiny island community, along with one precious little girl, team up in the hopes of giving our intrepid heroes one last shot at true happiness.

Authors note:

This novel is a slow-burn, dual-POV contemporary romance. I attempted to break this novel up for easier consumption on this platform, but the simple truth is that this story just doesn't lend itself to that kind of separation. If a full novel in this medium doesn't sound appealing, please take a look at some of my other works. For everyone else, I really hope you enjoy my second offering in the realm of traditional romance.

Content warning for characters that have, and frequently discuss, their progressive beliefs.

All sensuality (on page or otherwise) takes place between characters who are eighteen or older.

Prologue

Ten Years Prior

"If you touch me with that thing," Edward "Elwood" LaJoie whispered through gritted teeth, "I'm going to rip your goddamn ears off."

"What's the matter, buddy?" Marcus Russell asked with a chuckle. "It's just a mud bug."

"It's a goddamned nightmare. What the fuck is it doing in a grocery store?"

"It's a delicacy. They're delicious."

"No wonder no sane woman will let you stick your cock in them."

Marcus reached out to grip his friend's shoulder, fortunately with the hand not holding a relic from the time when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and said, "I'll always have you, brother."

Elwood regarded his friend intently before saying "Thanks, man. For everything. But I'm still not eating one of those swimming murder cockroaches."

"Fine. We'll get some shrimp for your delicate palate. But you don't know what you're missing. And, not for nothing, but have you ever actually seen a shrimp before it got processed for consumption?"

"I'm not sure. Why?"

"Stay golden, my friend."

The two quickly finished their shopping in the charmingly small grocery store and made their way back out into the sunshine. The omnipresent ocean breeze nicely attenuated the oppressive heat and humidity which was a constant companion to the tiny barrier island just outside Savannah. Elwood adjusted his sunglasses and followed Marcus toward the latter's CJ7. After depositing the groceries in the back seat, they climbed in and set off. Elwood cinched his lap belt tighter, because of course a vehicle with no doors or roof would also omit a three-point safety belt.

"You really drove this death trap back and forth to Savannah every day for high school?"

"Course I did," Marcus replied jovially. "It's only forty kilometers. One way."

"What about when it rains?"

"I got wet. You worry too much, brother. It's a perfect day. The sun is warm. The scenery is excellent," he gestured in the direction of a group of bikini clad coeds making their way to the beach to make his point. He continued, "And we're going to have a great time tonight. Trust me."

After arriving at the house Marcus's father had built several decades prior, the duo loaded the seafood into a collection of ready coolers filled with ice. They then made their way along an almost comically long dock to the deep-water channel nestled amongst the endless marshland. Marcus led Elwood onto a small, center-console power boat. The former handed the latter a beer and started up the engine before loosing the lines. They were soon under way, making their way toward the Savannah River at a sedate pace.

At length, Marcus broke the silence, "How you holdin' up brother?"

"Good as could be expected, I guess. I keep wondering if the reality of the situation hasn't hit me yet, or if I'm just a heartless bastard."

"Could be both."

"Ass," Elwood said with a grin.

"I can't imagine what you're going through. Closest I've come is losing my Nana a few years back. But that's hell and gone from losing both parents. And my Nana was sick for years before she lost her battle with that asshole, cancer. Your folks were just on vacation. One day, everything's great. And then... Did they ever tell you what happened?"

Elwood sighed and said, "They're claiming it was a mechanical issue. But I've seen some photos on the 'net. It certainly looks like a Stevie Ray type situation to me."

"Who?"

"Don't make me hit you, brother. Stevie Ray Vaughan? Best goddamned guitar player in history, Stevie Ray Vaughan? Killed in a helicopter crash after playing a gig with Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan?"

"I thought Jimi Hendrix was the best guitar player ever."

Elwood chuckled and said, "Hardly. Listen to them both play Little Wing, or even Voodoo Chile, and tell me what you think. Although, funny story, Eric Clapton was basically the last person to see either alive. Coincidence?"

"Don't start with your musical conspiracy theory nonsense again."

"As you wish. In any case, I suspect the helicopter with my folks on it crashed because the visibility was shit and the pilot screwed up."

"Then why not say so?" Marcus asked with genuine confusion. "Liability? They were in Vietnam. It's not like you could sue anybody."

"Maybe, maybe not. In any case, I'm sure the tour company doesn't want any more bad press. The fact that the crash made the news in the states is likely going to ruin them in any case."

"Why were they on a helicopter anyway?"

"It was one of their bucket-list items to see Ha Long Bay."

"Where?"

Elwood sighed and said, "You really are just a dumb American, aren't you? Ever seen the Bond movie where a guy having a third nipple is a major plot point?"

"Sure."

"The final act of that movie takes place on an island that is actually off the coast of Thailand, but the wide shots showing hundreds of limestone islands were taken of Ha Long Bay. It's basically one of the most beautiful places on earth."

Marcus wrinkled his brow and asked, "And that's in Vietnam?"

"Yes," Elwood replied exasperatedly. "You know that quite a number of the world's most beautiful places are actually not in the good ole U S of A, right?"

"I mean, I guess I'd considered the possibility."

"Just promise me that after you find the girl, and raise your two point four kids, that you two will do some real travelling. There's a big, beautiful world out there, brother. My only consolation in this whole shit show is that my folks were on the way back to the cruise ship when they crashed. They got to cross that off their bucket list before they shuffled off this mortal coil."

Marcus regarded his friend intently, trying to look for a clue as to his mental state behind the ubiquitous sunglasses. He knew Elwood was having trouble dealing with the sudden loss of not only his parents, but indeed his entire family. Three of Elwood's grandparents had died before his birth, and the fourth passed away when he was in primary school. He was also a second generation only child, on both sides. This left him alone except for his friends. Marcus had arranged this get together in part to distract his friend from his grief, but also to remind him that he was not alone. He sincerely hoped that all the calls he had made, all the favors he called in, would bear fruit as the day wore on.

***

"My friends," Marcus called from his perch on the top step of the porch. "You are about to come face to face with your creator."

"I was told there would be no proselytizing," a voice called out from the small crowd spread across the back yard of the Russell homestead.

"I'm not preaching, ya ignorant wretch. I'm just factin'. Just trust me and turn around."

The crowd dutifully turned around and a collective gasp could be heard. The house Marcus's father had built was on the west side of Tybee Island. To the uninformed, this would seem to be foolish since the house was, quite literally, the farthest from the beach of any house on the island. But this positioning gave the house an excellent view of over ten thousand hectares of marshland, untouched by human development. For most of the day, the view was fairly pedestrian. For the most part, it was indistinguishable from an impossibly wide meadow. But as the sun approached the horizon and the tide crested, the marshland came alive with brilliant colors.

"Sweet Jesus," Elwood breathed next to Marcus.

"I told you, brother. This place is Heaven. You just have to wait for her to show you her true colors."

"It's gorgeous."

"It's even better from the dock. Come on."

Marcus led the group past the smoldering campfire, around the steaming caldron of low country boil, and out onto the dock. The group was nearly silent, in awe of the lush tapestry laid out before them. They stood around Elwood, careful not to crowd him but ensuring that their grieving friend knew he was not alone. Indeed, that he would never be alone.

"Thank you for this," Elwood whispered haltingly to the man who was more a brother than a blood relation could ever be. Marcus had flown to Dallas with Elwood, blowing off critical tests in several classes, to ensure that his friend was not alone in his time of need. He had stayed there with him through the funeral, and even arranged for a large group of their friends to make the trip up from where they went to school in New Orleans for the weekend.

"You'd have done the same for me, brother," Marcus said confidently as the sun dipped below the horizon. He clapped his hand on his friend's back and raised his voice, "Boil should be about ready. Who's hungry?"

The group made their way back along the hundred-meter-long dock to where the cauldron containing the aforementioned low country boil bubbled angrily above a propane burner which seemed like it would have been more than sufficient to melt steel. Marcus's father helped him lift the fifty-liter pot off the heat and place it on the concrete walkway. Marcus then lifted off the lid and reached in with a large hook to pull the steam pot from the still roiling water. He used another hook to upend the contents of the pot onto a picnic table covered in newspaper. The crowd quickly gathered around to begin feasting on the steaming smoked sausage, new potatoes, corn, shrimp, and crayfish now filling the table.

Elwood elbowed his way up to the table, next to Marcus, and started digging in. There were no utensils anywhere to be found, only a few rolls of paper towels and a large bucket on one end of the table which quickly started filling with seafood shells.

"I've eaten in five-star restaurants on two continents," Elwood said around a mouthful of shrimp. "And this is the best goddamned meal I've ever had."

"Told you so," Marcus said with a grin.

Before long, everyone was stuffed and retired to the firepit. It started slow, but soon the group of friends started swapping stories about their grieving friend. An outsider would likely have thought it odd that the group was belittling the person they were meant to comfort. But there was a method in their madness, and the jovial personality they all loved in their friend slowly started to re-emerge.

Marcus told a story of a time when a group had visited Elwood's parents over the Thanksgiving holiday. The laugh that went up from the group when Marcus told of how Elwood's mother had schemed to get each of his friends alone in hopes of discovering if Elwood was practicing safe sex lifted the last vestiges of shadow from Elwood's previously haunted eyes. He laughed openly along with the rest.

As the evening wound down, someone put a guitar in Elwood's hands. He had always been happiest when making music. Their fraternity parties always included Elwood strumming away at an acoustic guitar, frequently surrounded by a sizable group of adoring members of the fairer sex. His fraternity brother termed it pickin' an' grinnin'. And, despite the good-natured razzing they gave him about his seeming inability to translate his musical talents into bedroom companionship, they enjoyed his playing just as much as anyone. The night wore on as the group sang along with their brother and mass quantities of beer were made to disappear.

When the last chord faded into the starlit evening, most of the party goers faded into the darkness in search of a bed or a comfortable looking piece of floor. Soon, only Marcus and Elwood remained. They stared into the dying embers of the fire and drank the last of the beer.

Elwood turned to his friend and said, "Thank you for this. I didn't know how much I needed it. But, looking back, I'm not sure how I would have gotten through this without you."

Marcus regarded his friend for a moment before saying simply, "You're welcome."

"I mean it, man. This meant the world to me."

"I'm thankful I could be there for you. I know you would have done the same for me."

Elwood said, "I'm not so sure. I mean, I would have hoped so, but I've never had a great deal of faith in my overall quality as a human being."

"You sell yourself short, my friend."

"Regardless. If you ever need anything, I'm there for you. Doesn't matter when or where, or how big the favor is, I'll be there with fucking bells on."

Marcus gripped his friend's shoulder admiringly and said, "I know you will."

One

Present Day

Rahab "Roxy" Norris sat in her car, unable to force herself to reach for the handle to open the door. The tears were long gone, leaving an even bigger void inside her. She had tried so hard to see things the proper way, the way she had been taught since before she could form complete sentences. But the pain was still there, as was the anger which, if anything, was growing in intensity. For not the first time since she had arrived, she looked ruefully at the house which was nearly as familiar as her own. The house where she had spent countless hours throughout the last several decades. The house which now filled her with dread.

"This only gets worse, the longer you wait," she muttered to herself.

She gave one final mighty sigh before opening the door and stepping onto the sidewalk. She self-consciously smoothed out her black dress, wishing she had something better fitting than the black dress she had worn to her grandfather's funeral back when she was in high school. She had been something of a late bloomer, adding a couple cup-sizes during her senior year, and the dress now seemed significantly more salacious than she had remembered. She glanced around, taking in the cars which filled the street, and realized that most of the town was inside the contemporary four-bedroom house on the quiet rural street.

She climbed the steps to the quaint front porch and stood before the door. Taking a final deep breath, she raised her hand to knock. But, before her knuckles could make contact with the white painted wood, the door was pulled open to reveal a frumpy woman in a floral painted dress with what looked to be a celebratory hairdo.

"Well, hey Roxy honey," she exclaimed exuberantly. "Where you been? We thought you got lost headed here from the cemetery."

"Um, hi Mrs. Taylor. I uh..."

"Don't sweat it, sugar. Important thing is that you're here now. Come on in." Mrs. Taylor raised her voice to call out, "Call off the search party. Roxy's here."

Roxy followed Mrs. Taylor into the maelstrom of humanity that was their parlor. She had underestimated the amount of people here. There was barely room to breathe, much less find a place to sit. The overall mood of the room confounded Roxy. Everywhere she looked, she saw smiles and heard laughter. The atmosphere was like a reunion: friends she had not seen since high school jovially catching up; babies and new significant others being shown off; people who peaked in high school holding court as though a decade had not passed since they had crossed the graduation stage. No one was even talking about him. It was just a party to everyone.

She angrily made her way to the hallway where she found a flower wreathed display featuring a picture of Xander. It had been a picture taken at a bible camp where she had joined him as a counselor. She noted bitterly that the picture had been one taken of the two of them, but she had been cut out for the display. The tears which she thought had long run out sprang unbidden to her eyes. She angrily wiped them away, looking around to see if anyone had noticed. She tried to calm her racing heart but found it nearly impossible. She quickly sought the relative refuge of the tiny kitchen.

"There you are," a familiar voice sang out.

Roxy turned and found her parents seated at the breakfast room table, each with a plate of food before them.

"Hey, Mama. Sorry, I'm late."

"We sent Gideon out to look for you," her mother remarked reproachfully.

"You could have just called."

"Respect your mother," her father said gruffly.

"Yes, Papa," Roxy replied dutifully.

"What's goin' on with you?" her mother asked critically. "I couldn't help but notice that you were just mouthing the words to the hymns at the service. Fact is, you've been in a funk all day."

"I just lost my best friend, Mama. What do you expect?"

"But he's in the hands of the good Lord now. He's at peace."

Roxy did not trust herself to respond directly to her mother's statement. Instead, she said, "I need some air. I'll see you guys a little later."

"Ok, sweetheart," her mother replied jovially around a mouthful of fried chicken. "Be blessed."

Roxy made her way out onto the back porch, taking in a gulp of the relatively cool outside air as the door closed behind her. She took a seat on the bench against the back wall of the house and dropped her face into her hands.

"I feel like I'm going crazy," she whispered.

"What's wrong, child?" a gravelly voice spoke behind her.

Roxy jumped in surprise before turning to spot a skinny, elderly man with a wisp of white hair on top of his head and a ready smile on his lips. She took a breath and said, "Oh, Deacon Jones. I didn't see you there."

"It is pretty crowded in there, isn't it?"

"Yes sir. It is, that."

"Beautiful service, though. Wasn't it?"

Roxy could only shrug in response. She looked away and tried to quell the anger coursing through her veins.

"I asked you a question, young lady."

"I guess so," Roxy grumbled.

"You miss him, don't you?"

"Of course I miss him. He was my best friend."

"Perhaps a bit more than that, unless I miss my guess."

"It hardly matters now, does it?"

The deacon took a deep breath before responding, "You should rejoice, child. He's in the hands of the Lord."

"I think he would have preferred to have waited on going to Heaven until he got to live a little more. He wasn't even thirty yet."

"That's not his decision to make, young lady. And it's not your place to question the good Lord. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Roxy could only glower at the ground in response. She knew what she was expected to say, what she was expected to believe. But it all rang hollow today. It was one thing, in her mind, to celebrate someone in the twilight of their life, whose health had deteriorated to the point where they were in constant misery, passing away and presumably going to Heaven. But watching her friend catch a disease everyone she trusted said did not exist, and then steadily worsening while those same people said the Lord would heal him, and finally dying alone because no visitors were allowed in the hospital, strained her faith to the breaking point.

"I'll be honest with you, Deacon, I think the people who should be ashamed are all those jerks inside who are treating this like a party. They're not even talking about Xander. They're just thrilled for a chance to get together. They couldn't care less about whether he went to Heaven or not."

"Would he have wanted everyone to be sad?"

Roxy huffed and said, "As I said, I think he would have preferred not dying."

"I'm very concerned about your lack of faith in this matter, my child. Come over here, I want to pray with you."

Roxy regarded him for a moment before shaking her head and standing on shaky legs. She said, "I don't think so, Deacon."

She ignored his calls for her to return as she hurried around the house to her car.

***

The door to Roxy's bedroom opened without the benefit of a courtesy knock or even a called question to see if she was decent. She knew without looking up from her position huddled on her bed that her parents stood in the doorway. Her brother was an unrepentant jerk, but he understood the necessity of boundaries. She made no move to roll over to face them, focusing her energy instead on desperately praying that they would just go away. Her prayer went unanswered.

"We spoke to the Deacon," her father said to her back.

She briefly weighed the pros and cons of continuing to ignore them, but her mother's shrill voice made it clear that would not happen.

"The Deacon said you blasphemed," her mother said. "That is unacceptable, young lady."

Roxy rolled to face them, swiping a hand across the tears streaming down her face in the process. Her parents were both wearing their embarrassed expressions. This was far worse than the sympathetic faces she hoped for, or even the disappointed faces she could have dealt with.

"I merely said I didn't think Xander wanted to die."

"How dare you question the Lord's plan," her mother asked angrily. "And in front of the Deacon, no less."

"Maybe the Lord wanted him to get vaccinated. Did that ever occur to you, Mama? Maybe the lord's plan was to give us a miracle vaccine which would save everybody. How could that not occur to you?"

"Have you not been listening to the sermons recently? The minister has been quite clear on the fact that this vaccine was the product of godless, so-called scientists. It is evil, pure and simple. How could you be confused about this?"

Roxy sighed and said, "Has it ever occurred to you that the minister is wrong? He's just a man, Mama. A reasonably uneducated one at that. I've had more education than he has. He just watches the news and turns it into a sermon."

Her father sighed and said, "I find this conversation very upsetting. I think you should take it to the Lord. Pray for guidance, and the good Lord will answer."

"What do you think I've been doing, Papa? What do you think I was doing when it occurred to me that it's stupid for so many people to refuse a miracle vaccine? Maybe the Lord was trying to tell me something."

"You are an arrogant, silly little girl," her mother replied in a shrill voice. "It's not your place to question the Good Word."

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Roxy asked angrily as she rose to a seated position. "You tell me to pray, and then call me stupid for what I learn from prayer. You tell me the Lord will protect the faithful from this horrible disease, to not get vaccinated. You tell me the Lord will make Xander better, even as he refused medical care until it was far too late. You tell me to rejoice that Xander died from a totally preventable illness because he's in Heaven now, even though you wouldn't come out of your room for a year after your father died."

"What are you implying?" her mother asked darkly.

"That it's all just... bull crap. Maybe there's a Heaven, maybe not. Maybe the Lord has a plan, or maybe it's just a fiction we made up because we're afraid of the unknown. Who knows?"

"You will not blaspheme in this house, young lady," her father's voice boomed.

"Why not?" Roxy shouted in response. "You didn't care about Xander. And you don't care about me. You just care about staying in good standing with those jerks at the church."

"How can you say such things?" her father asked gently. "You have always been so good, so faithful."

Roxy took a deep breath, recognizing this moment as one of fundamental importance in her life. She was tempted to just let things go, to give her parents the apology they so clearly expected. But then she remembered the last video call she had had with Xander. How terrified he had been to die, how confused he had been at his failing health despite his piousness. She said, "Maybe that's the problem, Papa. I've been going to church since the day I was born, same as both of you. It's all we've ever known. Maybe we don't question the things we're told because it never occurred to us to question them. We've never known any alternative.

"I just can't stop thinking the same question that's been going through my head since Xander got sick. What if it's all just a bunch of malarkey? What if we really are just the product of millions of years of evolution and after we die, we're just dead? No Heaven, no Hell, no nothing. What if Xander is just gone, and all because some stupid cable news channel convinced our stupid preacher that the vaccine was evil?"

"I will not have such filthy blasphemy in this house," her mother announced in a voice that rose in volume with every syllable. "You will repent, or we will cast you out."

"I think you should head to church, young lady," her father said gently. "Pray with the minister. He will help you see the light."

Her mother shouldered her father out of the way to poke a finger in Roxy's face. She shouted, "And I will not allow you back in this house until you convince the minister, the Deacon, and us that you have renounced your blasphemous ways! Do you understand me?"

"I understand you perfectly," Roxy whispered with a quiet resolve.

Two

"My goodness!" Theodore "Duke" McGee exclaimed as he climbed into the RV and pulled the door closed behind him. "Talented crowd here this evening."

"Aren't you too old for such shenanigans?" Elwood asked with a chuckle.

"If I ever don't notice talent like that, don't even bother checking for a pulse. Just toss some dirt on me because I've bought the farm. There any beer left?"

Elwood pointed his own beer in the direction of the RV's fridge while regarding his good friend. Duke was, as he often proclaimed, older than God and even more experienced. He was one of those people who would never be famous, but all serious musicians knew his name. He had cut his teeth in the Nashville R&B scene in the seventies. In the decades since, he had appeared on countless albums with his effortlessly soulful keyboard playing. Elwood had met him in Nashville nearly a decade prior in a recording session where both had been hired as studio musicians. The older man had taken Elwood under his wing and shown him the ropes. In the years since, they had frequently found themselves collaborating. As often as not, it was because Duke was hired by a touring artist and his suggestions for who to bring along were heeded by the artist in question.

Elwood dutifully leaned over and took a peek at the talent in question. The RV was parked behind a reasonably sized amphitheater in the nondescript medium sized southern town in which they currently found themselves. From his vantage point, he could see a concession stand to the side of the stage. The assembled group of women, dressed in little more than cut-offs and bikini tops, was indeed impressive. Elwood ruefully realized that if college-age Elwood had seen such a sight, he would have been nearly incapacitated with lust. Yet present-day Elwood could do little more than shrug.

"You're not lying, my friend. Very impressive."

"You damn right. I'm gonna share some wisdom tonight, I tell you what."

Elwood guffawed at his friend's longtime euphemism for sexual intercourse. He said, "Good luck with that. Remember to wrap it up."

"Always. How 'bout you? Got to be at least a couple ladies with big boobs that think trombone players are sexy."

"What are the odds? How long until our set starts?"

Duke checked his watch and said, "Fifteen minutes."

"I best start warming up. I'll see you backstage."

"Indeed. Don't embarrass me out there."

Elwood smiled at his friend as he departed. That was the same thing Duke had always told him before a gig. He appreciated the sentiment far more than his friend could realize. He had taken the inheritance after his parents' death and dedicated himself to living his life to the fullest. His love for music had led him to Nashville where he had been determined to turn himself into a genuine working musician. While he was by no means a virtuoso on any instrument, his versatility allowed him to catch on with a few small touring groups who needed someone who could play horns, guitar, bass or keyboards. His ability to serviceably play them all made him the cheapest option. His touring inevitably led to contributing in the studio on follow-up albums, which is where he met Duke.

Once he became part of Duke's trusted inner circle, he never again had to look for work. The life of a backing or studio musician was hardly glamorous, or lucrative. But Elwood's inheritance meant he only needed to make enough to break even. He typically did better than break-even on an annual basis, but he was just thankful that he was able to spend his life doing what he loved.

The current tour was with a group which had been internationally famous during the seventies with multiple chart-topping R&B hits. Their popularity had risen in recent years due to the frequent inclusion of their songs in popular movie soundtracks. The original performers were long past the age when they started collecting social security, and they relied on their backing musicians far more than the crowd could ever realize. Elwood shared Duke's amazement at the youth of the crowd before remembering that this festival was the first live music taking place in this town in more than a year. The pandemic had shut everything down for what seemed an eternity. But they were finally back on the road, playing the festival circuit where the outdoor setting and hot sun was supposed to keep them all safe from the still-raging pandemic.

Elwood opened the battered case sitting on the table in the RV's kitchen area and extracted his beloved instrument. Outside of the RV, it was the most expensive thing he owned. He carefully oiled the slides after wiping them down thoroughly. He then oiled the trigger assembly, making certain that the springs were not overly worn and that there was no grit in the mechanism. He then fit his mouthpiece and started going through the same warmup routine he had used for nearly twenty years. Slowly bringing elasticity to his embouchure and warming up his arm muscles. Exercise complete, he carefully packed his instrument back in its case and exited the RV to head towards the assembly area backstage.

***

Elwood stood gasping at the front of the stage, adrenaline coursing through his body after finishing the final song of their set with a blistering solo. He linked arms with his band mates. In this moment, they were all one. There was no distinction between the septuagenarians who made the band famous and the anonymous backing musicians who made the set cook. At this moment, they were just a group of men and women who had given the thousands of festival goers a kick-ass show. They took one last bow before waving to the crowd and making their way off the stage.

There was a throng of scantily clad young women behind the stage, jumping up and down with delight as they tried to get the attention of various musicians. Elwood broke away from the pack to carefully pack his baby away in its case. A roadie appeared as though from nowhere and offered to take the case back to Elwood's RV. He started to refuse but then Duke clapped him on the back.

The elder statemen said, "Come, my friend."

Elwood could only nod at the roadie before the ancient keyboard player led him in the direction of the still sizable mass of adoring female fans. Elwood allowed himself to be led in their direction. For the first time in more than a year, he felt the touch of a woman. He had just broken up with a long-time girlfriend when the pandemic struck, and had been unwilling to risk any type of liaison with the risk of death-dealing illness lingering.

He smiled at the woman gently stroking his arm. She was a head shorter than him with long black hair and an impressive chest which her bikini top was only barely restraining.

"You guys were amazing," she gushed.

"Thanks," he replied sincerely. "It's nice to be back out on the road."

"I bet. I've been stuck in my apartment for a million years. It's been just awful."

"Same here. What's your name?"

"Kelly. How about you?"

"Elwood. And before you ask... yes, like the movie."

"What movie?"

Elwood could only sigh in response. 'What movie?!?' he thought to himself. 'Kids today have no respect for culture.' He said, "Thanks for coming out. How long you been a fan?"

She said, "Since forever. You guys are really great. Especially that song about stars. It's my favorite. Did you write it?"

"I wish," Elwood replied with a chuckle, wondering if he should point out that the song had been written years before his own birth.

"Do you guys have a tour bus?"

"Yeah. Well, I mean the band does. I actually use my own RV. Sometimes, a guy just needs some space."

Her eyes doubled in size, and she gasped, "You have your own RV? That's amazing. I bet the bed is really nice."

"It's not bad," Elwood replied, aware of where this conversation was going but still uncertain if he was interested in seeing things through to what seemed to be an unavoidable conclusion.

"Can I see it?"

"Perhaps. I'm a pretty private person."

"That's ok," Kelly whispered, leaning close to him and rubbing her breasts against him. "We can fuck anywhere you like in your RV."

"I'm flattered. Truly. But why would you want to go back to my RV with me? I might be a serial killer."

"I don't think you're a serial killer," she breathed as she groped his crotch. "Besides, I think guitar players are hot."

It was as if a bubble burst. Where a burgeoning desire had existed moments ago, now there was only fatigue. He should not blame Kelly. He was hardly famous. She likely was not even particularly attracted to guitar players. She just wanted to have some no strings attached sex she could brag about to her friends. And she was certainly attractive. There was also the dry-spell Elwood was currently mired in, the longest of his adult life, to consider. Not to mention the fact that he did, in fact, play guitar. He just had not played guitar tonight. Kelly did not want him, she just wanted what he represented. And while he could not blame her, he also had no interest in participating in her fantasy.

He sighed and pointed to Patton, who was chatting to a couple girls a few meters away. He said, "Then he's your guy. Good luck, Kelly. It was nice meeting you."

He then headed towards his RV, thankfully alone and wondering if he would ever meet a girl his mother would have been proud of while living the life of a musician. He unlocked the RV and stepped inside, making sure to lock the door behind him. He stuck a meal in the microwave to heat up and turned on some music. He settled into the sofa and drained the last of his beer. He wondered, not for the first time, if he had wasted the last year-plus of down time from touring. There had been opportunities, but Elwood had been too wary of potential infection to do much more than sit in his apartment or do some traveling in his RV.

He thought back to his last visit to Marcus on Tybee Island. His friend had lost the love of his life in childbirth and had been desperately trying to learn to be a single father while also mourning the loss of his wife. Elwood had spent over six months out of the last twelve with his friend. Elwood was mostly worthless with actually helping out with Ainsley, Marcus's daughter. So, he tended to focus on doing everything else for his friend during his stays. He wished he could do more for the friend who had done so much for him, but he felt like he constantly struggled to help Marcus get over the loss of his soul mate while simultaneously taking on sole responsibility for a helpless human.

In spite of the tragedy, Elwood always remembered his visits to Marcus fondly. He had fallen in love with the tiny barrier island on his first visit, and his subsequent visits only cemented that love. He often told Marcus, with utmost sincerity, that he intended to retire to the island when his touring days were done. He had even taken some time during his last visit to walk through a few properties with half a thought toward just calling his career done already and beginning an early retirement. He ultimately had not fallen in love with any of the properties and had gone back out on the road when Duke had called.

That had been just one month ago. One month, and Elwood had already tired of touring. In years past, he had toured for up to sixteen months without pause and felt anxious to get back out there when the tour ended. Now, he was more conflicted. He still loved playing with his bandmates, and he was addicted to the high he got from playing live. But the other twenty-two hours of the day left something to be desired. He looked around his RV, the RV that he had gone out of his way to purchase so he could have some privacy on the road. He had been granted his privacy, but the cost had been greater than he could have imagined. After endless months of isolation, he was finally back on the road. But, with the exception of a few hours every few days, nothing had really changed. He pulled his dinner despondently from the microwave and settled down for a lonely meal.

His solitude was broken by the ringing of his mobile phone. He sighed and made his way into the bedroom. He saw that it was Marcus calling and his spirits lifted immediately. He punched 'Accept' and put the phone to his ear.

"Hey, brother. What's happening?"

Marcus's reply was so soft, Elwood could barely hear it through the phone. He whispered, "Hey... brother. I... I need your help."

Moments later, Elwood's RV sped out of the parking lot.

Three

Roxy's dashboard notified her of an incoming call from her mother. She ignored the call by not answering it, since actually touching the 'Ignore' icon would send its own message to her mother. Their last conversation had not gone well. Nor had the ten conversations before that. She had tried to tell herself that her parents' hearts were in the right place, but when they dropped phrases like 'disowned', it was hard to continue giving them the benefit of the doubt.

She thought back to that fateful day when her parents had pushed her out the front door, telling her not to return until both her minister and the meddling deacon agreed that she had made sufficient amends. Clearly, they considered her blasphemous ways resolved at that point. After all, their heavy-handed style of parenting had always yielded the results they desired in the past. She had always prided herself on being a good daughter, adhering to the fifth commandment. Her parents likely considered this to be entirely their doing. They had clearly underestimated her resolve.

She had waited until late that evening, after her parents had gone to sleep, to return home. She encountered her brother, who preened about her finally being the one who was in trouble. He likely would have woken her parents to heighten his celebration, but he knew well the penalty for disturbing their parents' rest. He had contented himself with laying out, in great detail, the way he would inform their parents of her disobedience first thing the next morning. She suspected he was nearly as surprised as their parents when they found her room empty upon waking.

She had taken a few hours to quickly pack her most prized possessions into her car before leaving around midnight. By the time the first angry phone call from her mother arrived, she was across the state line. She had left without a clear plan, only knowing that she could not bear the thought of spending an additional night under her parents' roof. She was, however, not without resources. Despite still living at home, she was in possession of multiple university degrees, her own vehicle, and, until quite recently, a job. The fact that her job had been at the church she had privately renounced was, in her opinion, a minor detail. Her degrees were in sociology and divinity. She had originally intended to go into social work but an opening at her church for the position of youth minister coinciding with her graduation had seemed to be fated.

She had made her way on the first night to Little Rock where she found a reasonably cheap motel which she intended to be her temporary base of operation. She found what seemed to be the perfect job within a few days. Within the week, she was starting a job as a social worker in Memphis. It seemed like the stars had aligned. That feeling lasted until she walked through the door on her first day. Her heart dropped when she saw a large cross on the wall, but she was willing to be patient. After all, she reasoned, literally every person she knew was a devout Christian. Her recent crisis of faith notwithstanding, she did not consider all of the faithful to be flawed. Her disappointment lay specifically with her family and friends. She had smiled and walked into what she considered to be the next chapter of her life.

By that evening, she had once again been on the road. Her now former boss had gotten her day off to an explosive start when he referred to her as beautiful to no less than three of her coworkers as he was introducing her around the office. He had then asked her to lunch and ordered five cocktails over the course of a ninety-minute meal. As they left the restaurant, he had groped her bottom. When she yelped in response, he had suggested that she accompany him back to his place for 'a little afternoon delight'.

She had never slapped anyone before, and even several weeks later she could still remember the stinging sensation in her hand. She had fled the restaurant and gotten a rideshare back to her car. She never even bothered returning to the office. The thought of ever laying her eyes on that man again turned her stomach. She had resolved to be more careful with her subsequent job search. But within mere weeks, her carefully hoarded stockpile of money had started to dwindle alarmingly. When she had finally found an opportunity outside Savannah, she had been ready to start looking for jobs as a waitress. She really felt she had found a kindred spirit in several video conference calls with her new boss, a delightfully feisty African American woman in her mid-fifties whose southern accent was so thick, it sounded like it had been strained through a liter of sweet tea.

It had taken her several days to drive to Savannah and now she was enjoying a spectacular afternoon, driving across the causeway to the tiny island community which she hoped would be her new home. Her new boss had arranged for temporary accommodations for her while she got settled and looked for a more permanent home. She pulled up to the building in question, looking up at the weathered, cracking boards with skepticism. She knew she would have little choice but to just hope for the best. Her funds were far too depleted to afford getting a hotel room on the island which, according to her new boss, was a popular vacation spot for families throughout the southeast.

She knocked on the door to the building hesitantly. She had to knock three more times before she heard a muffled voice call from inside, "Yeah, yeah. Keep your shirt on."

Roxy was in the process of glancing worriedly down at her shirt to ensure it had not spontaneously disappeared when the door swung open. The voice from inside was given form in the guise of a man who was, without question, the oldest person Roxy had ever seen. His skin was so weathered it was impossible to determine his ethnicity. His wrinkles had wrinkles, and his back was so crooked that he barely came up to Roxy's shoulder.

"It's just an expression," he said in response to her glance towards her chest. "You must be Miss Norris."

"How do you know?" Roxy stammered.

"Because I ain't never seen ya before. And I know everyone on this here island. Ergo, you're the new girl. Welcome to my island. I'm Jerrod."

Roxy's head was spinning, but manners had been driven into her from an early age. She stuck out her hand, noting Jerrod's strong grip with a bit of surprise, and said, "Pleasure to meet you. Please, call me Roxy."

***

Roxy finished moving her meager possessions into her rented room just as the sun dropped behind the trees on the west side of the island. She decided to take a drive around the bustling island and soak up some of the local flavor. A quick ride brought her to a large pavilion which connected to an impressive pier. She parked her car and walked out to the edge of the pier, watching the curious mixture of families on vacation and grizzled local fisherman with interest. The view of the island from the end of the pier was breathtaking. No building on the island, except for the picturesque lighthouse, was taller than three stories. This gave the island a timeless look when viewed from the water at night. Roxy got the impression that someone standing on the pier fifty years prior would have been presented with the same view. She glanced down at the beach and saw people walking along the sand, dodging the slowly receding tide. Roxy decided a quiet walk on the beach suited her just fine.

The warm water of the Atlantic kissed her ankles as she slowly strolled along the beach toward the south end of the island. Things quickly grew quieter the further she got from the pier. She wondered if she should have been nervous, walking through the gloom of the warm evening in near darkness in a strange town. But she felt preternaturally safe on this quiet little island. She had yet to meet anyone who was not overwhelmingly friendly. The teenager at the grocery store where she had picked up some supplies for use in her kitchenette; the passing stranger who had volunteered to help her carry her luggage up the stairs to her rental room; the fountain of knowledge in the guise of a wheelchair bound local who had pointed her in the direction of the well-hidden laundromat which locals used. She felt safer walking on this dark, desolate beach than she had since leaving her hometown.

As she walked, she saw a silhouette in the distance who seemed to be struggling. Before it could even occur to her to be cautious, she broke into a run. In mere moments, she arrived upon a scene which her brain struggled to process. As best she could tell, a woman who was roughly her age was sawing away at a strange looking piece of wood with a pocketknife. But, as Roxy looked closer, she realized the piece of wood was moving. Her adrenaline surged as she realized that what she first thought was driftwood was in fact a sea turtle seemingly struggling to escape the woman's grasp.

"Hey!" Roxy shouted. "Leave that poor thing alone."

"Oh, Jesus," the woman shouted in response. "You scared the shit out of me. But I'm glad you're here. Come help me."

"I won't help you hurt him... her... it."

"I'm not trying to hurt her, dumbass. I'm trying to free her. Now get your ignorant ass over here and help me."

Roxy found her traitorous feet moving in the woman's direction without having done her the courtesy of awaiting instructions to that effect. Upon reaching the woman, she saw that the turtle's head was ensnared in a set of soda can rings. The woman had been trying to cut them free, but the turtle was resisting her efforts.

"You ever dealt with one of these pretty ladies before, honey?"

Roxy shook her head numbly.

"Cool. Great. Perfect. Listen, I'll try to hold her still and you cut her free. Just be careful, for Christ's sake. If you cut her, we'll all be fucked."

Roxy stood motionless, unable to contemplate the possibility that she could inadvertently harm this magnificent creature.

"Come on, honey. You can do this. I'll hold her still, you just cut her free. My knife is razor sharp, so it should slide through those fucking things like shit through a goose."

Roxy squared her shoulders and dropped to her knees. She retrieved the knife where the woman had dropped it and readied herself for battle. The woman reached out and held the turtle's head in both hands before giving Roxy a firm nod. Roxy slid the blade beneath the plastic rings, carefully slicing each away while staying clear of the turtle's leathery skin.

When the last of the rings had been cut, the woman pulled them free and said, "Ok, let's give her some space."

Roxy backed away and the woman quickly released the creature's head. Roxy half expected the turtle to snap at the woman, or to otherwise spring into action. Instead, it slowly started clawing its way toward the surf. Roxy stood silent vigil at the woman's side as they watched the turtle complete its journey and disappear beneath the waves.

"That was intense," the woman breathed. "Thanks for the assist, by the way. She was about to bite my tit off." Roxy smiled shyly in response, to which the woman responded, "You new to the island?"

"You're like the fourth person today to say that to me. Is it really that obvious?"

"Only in that I've never seen you before. And I know everyone. Q. E. D., you're new in town."

"Guilty. I'm Roxy."

"Taylor."

Roxy shook the offered hand as she got her first good look at her companion. She was roughly her same height, with long sandy, blonde hair. She had an irrepressible crooked grin and a body which Roxy was certain got plenty of attention from male admirers. She was wearing cut-off jean shorts and a tight black tank-top bearing the logo of a bar Roxy had seen near the pier.

Taylor said, "Listen, I'm late for my shift. You wanna come with? I'll buy you a beer."

"Oh, I don't drink," Roxy said reflexively. Taylor's face fell. She shrugged and started heading toward the light of the pier. Roxy quick added, "But maybe it's time I give it a try."

"That's the spirit," Taylor said, linking arms with Roxy. "Come on."

Four

"You actually drink this?" Roxy asked with a look of disgust at the amber liquid before her. "Willingly?"

They were on opposite sides of a bar which ran the length of the establishment. Looking around, Roxy could see where changes had been made to open up the space, including the effective removal of the front wall, with only a few support columns remaining in place to hold up the roof. The effect was to create a space which had a constant breeze blowing through it from the nearby ocean, making it as pandemic friendly as one could imagine while still being, technically, indoors.

"Hell yeah," Taylor replied with another crooked grin.

"But it tastes... awful."

"That's the point. If it tasted like cupcakes, then that would ruin the fun. Tell you what, how about a hurricane instead?"

"That sounds... daunting."

"Trust me, you'll love it."

Taylor pulled a large plastic cup from a sleeve containing what appeared to be several thousand of the cup's brethren, and stuck it beneath the outlet for one of the large array of what Roxy had thought were slushie machines arranged along the back wall of the bar. She filled the cup with a semi-frozen liquid which was the kind of bright red which would, in nature, warn of great danger. Taylor set it in front of Roxy and dropped a straw into the cup.

"Give that a try," Taylor said with a smile. "But go slow, the sugar drowns out the flavor of the alcohol but it's there in spades. That there's the equivalent of three or four beers, easy."

Roxy took a sip and a wide grin spread across her face. "That's wonderful. Do all those machines have... what did you call this?"

"A hurricane, and no. We've got every type of frozen drink you could imagine. Margaritas, piña coladas, three kinds of daiquiris. Plus, a bunch we made up. Like frozen Long Island iced teas, which are the second worst idea in history, but these dumb tourists keep ordering them. The worst is the frozen apple-tini. Don't even get me started on that crime against humanity. I recommend sticking with the classics. But take it easy, a couple of glasses of any of them is a guaranteed bitch of a hangover."

Roxy smiled and nodded, taking another sip of her delightful drink. She said, "How long have you worked here?"

"Since I was twelve." Taylor grinned at Roxy's shocked expression. "The rules are a bit different when your pops owns the place."

"That must have been interesting."

"Sister, you don't know the half of it. It's one thing to learn arithmetic based on running the cash register on busy holiday weekends. It's something entirely different when these guaranteed speeding ticket exceptions," she grasped her breasts for emphasis, "are big enough for college guys to start noticing when I was thirteen and grew a cup size a year until I graduated. By the time I popped my cherry, every man of voting age on the island had taken the time to give my girls a thorough visual inspection. Socially distanced, of course."

"That must have been awful for you. I can't even imagine what that must have been like."

Taylor said, "Come on honey, don't play coy with me. The boob fairy certainly didn't skip your house. You musta had plenty of fellas walking into lockers while takin' a gander at your girls back in high school."

"Not me. I went the opposite route as you. I was a late bloomer. I entered my senior year convinced I'd go through life considering bras an optional extravagance. College, on the other hand, was a different story."

"I wouldn't know. I walked off the graduation stage and headed over here for a shift. Been here pretty much ever since. So, did your newfound boobies mean that college was nothing but a revolving door of well-hung hunks?"

"I majored in divinity," Roxy replied simply.

"Oh. Well, still. Most sects don't outlaw fucking, right?"

"Very few outright prohibit fornication for the clergy, but they all prohibit extra marital fornication."

"What about heavy petting? Or perhaps a quick blowjob in the bathroom?"

"Are we speaking ecumenically?" Roxy asked with a grin. "Or colloquially?"

"Check out the big brain on Roxy," Taylor called out melodramatically.

"Pretty much anything intimate is forbidden," Roxy answered simply.

"Bummer. So, were you a big rule breaker? Or was college pretty shitty?"

"It was pretty great, actually," Roxy said, deftly avoiding the question. "That's where I met... many good friends."

Taylor glanced over at a group of spectacularly inebriated women, one of whom was wearing a bridal veil. She said, "I gotta go make sure this chick gets drunk enough to marry the asshole she's engaged to. But don't think for a second that that clumsy-ass evasion even came close to working."

***

After twenty minutes squinting at the bright morning sunshine while sitting in her car, comparing the email she had received from her new boss to the GPS on her phone, Roxy finally admitted to herself that she must be in the right place. The building before her looked like it had been built before the war, as in the first world war. It was made of concrete blocks and looked more like a bomb shelter than a community center. There was no signage on the building, but the address was a match.

She climbed from her car and quickly smoothed out her blouse before approaching the door. She pulled it open hesitantly and spied the motley interior. On one side were what could be classrooms, but it also could have been almost anything. With the doors closed, and no signage, it was just a series of evenly spaced doors. The other side of the building contained an open area about half the size of a basketball court. The fact that there was no one in evidence, despite a handful of cars in the parking lot, sent a chill down Roxy's spine.

She walked silently down the hallway, subconsciously unwilling to interrupt the silence. She tried each door, finding them all locked, until she at last stood before the final doorway. She took a deep breath, unable to ward off the feeling of foreboding which was threatening to overwhelm her senses. Her hand reached for the doorknob. As soon as her skin made contact, the doorknob turned of its own accord. Roxy sucked in a deep breath, suddenly certain that something terrible was lurking behind this unexpectedly terrifying portal.

The door opened to reveal a friendly faced woman, slightly older and shorter than Roxy. The woman was wearing an outfit that Roxy loved immediately, a demure white sweater over a black tank-top that read 'Surely Not EVERYONE Was Kung Fu Fighting' and an expensive looking pair of superably fitting jeans. Her black hair was worn in a page boy and her large brown eyes where accentuated by her black cat-eye glasses. Roxy was instantly convinced she had met a friend for life.

Unfortunately, when the woman's eyes fell upon Roxy, she screamed as though someone had just dumped a shovel-full of snow down the front of her impressive cleavage. Roxy instantly jumped back and looked around, prepared to stand to the death with the stranger before her against the dire threat which surely lurked just outside the front door.

"Jesus!" the woman shouted after refilling her lungs with oxygen.

"Where?" Roxy replied, now more confused than ever.

"You scared the shit out of me. What are you, a ninja?"

"A what?"

"You know..." The woman spread her legs apart and raised her hands to eye level. She straightened her fingers and flattened her hands before waiving them around as though swatting one of the island's omnipresent gnats in slow-motion. She began to make incomprehensible noises consisting entirely of vowels while moving slowly in a circle. Roxy, now quite convinced she had most certainly met the craziest person in Georgia, started to slowly back away.

The woman dropped her hands and stood up straight. She said, "Haven't you ever seen a kung fu movie?"

"I don't believe so. Are kung fu movies violent?"

"Uh... yeah."

"Then, no. I definitely haven't seen one."

"Well then the ninja reference is completely lost on you. Now that we've just wasted sixty seconds we'll never get back, how can I help you?"

"I think I work here now. My name's Roxy."

"That's awesome. Dub Dub said you'd start sometime this week, but she wasn't sure when. I'm Penny."

Roxy shook her co-worker's hand while taking another look around the desolated building and trying to keep her head from spinning with all the confusion being heaped upon her. She said, "So... where is everyone?"

***

"That boat is totally going to hit us," Roxy declared nervously.

"Would you stop worrying," Penny said dismissively from the driver's seat. "First off, it's not a boat, It's a ship. A cargo ship, as a matter of fact. Secondly, that ship is hundreds of meters away. It's just an optical illusion because your brain hasn't yet learned that ships are allowed to transit the Savannah River. We're one of the biggest seaports on the eastern seaboard, you know."

"I honestly had no idea. So, what? The river runs right next to the highway?"

"The river was here first. They built this causeway back when they first started having tourists on the island. Initially it was a rail line but then they rebuilt it for cars after the war."

"Where exactly are we going? Not that I don't appreciate the history lesson..."

Penny gave her a withering look and said, "The island is only a tiny part of the county. So, while the community center is on Tybee Island, we routinely find ourselves on the islands closer to the mainland. Occasionally we even make our way into Savannah. Today, we're just taking a tour."

"Did you grow up here? I mean, on the island."

"Lemme guess, my Midwest accent gave me away." Roxy could only shrug in response. Penny continued, "I swear, the first time I used the word pop to refer to a carbonated beverage, I thought someone was going to stab me. No, I'm a transplant, same as you. I grew up in Ohio and then moved to Chicago after graduating."

"I've always wanted to go there," Roxy gushed. "I bet you just loved it."

"Sometimes," Penny responded diffidently. She sighed and said, "How about you? What brought you to the gnat capital of the universe?"

"They're not that bad."

"You've never been here when the breeze stops. Take it from me. If you ever step outside in the morning and there's no wind, call in sick. We're talking real wrath of God shit."

Roxy shuddered at Penny's warning, but said, "I grew up in Arkansas. My whole family lives there and I guess I'd always assumed I would spend my life there as well. But, one day, I came to the realization that I wanted more. That I wanted to live my own life, not the one my parents assumed I would live. So, I left."

"Is your family pissed?"

"I think that would be an accurate assessment of their mental state. But enough about me. Where are we?"

"Savannah," Penny responded as though any fool could have easily reached this conclusion.

"But I thought Savannah was filled with those huge trees with the stuff hanging down from them, and buildings which are five hundred years old."

Penny chuckled and said, "Not quite that old. And that stuff hanging from the live oaks is called Spanish moss. Don't touch it, it's full of chiggers. Anyway, some of Savannah is like that, especially along River Street. But most of it is just a reasonably sized city, same as any other place. I brought you here because this is the closest hospital to our beautiful island. It's also where our headquarters is located."

"Seems like quite a drive if someone was in trouble."

"It is. We didn't come the most direct route, but it's at least twenty to thirty minutes with favorable traffic. So, make sure you're careful with things like scaring the shit out of your coworker who easily could have stabbed you with the scissors she was holding and been completely within her rights."

"I'll keep that in mind," Roxy said with a smile. "So, since we're in Savannah anyway, can you show me the stuff they put on the postcards?"

"Of course. Maybe I'm a little nuts, or maybe I just haven't gotten jaded yet. But I always drive through the historic part of town when I come here. It's just so beautiful. Not to mention the candy store."

"You say that like it's a religious experience."

Penny grinned maniacally and said, "Sister, you have no idea."

Five

Elwood burst through the door of the hospital room, a cacophony of angry shouts ringing out in his wake. He tried his best to steel his expression for the sight awaiting him, but when his eyes fell upon his friend, he could not prevent the expletive laden oath which escaped his lips. Before he could apologize, he felt firm hands grab the back of his shirt and attempt to drag him from the room.

"Unhand me, fiend," he called out. "I'm on the fucking list."

"No visitors, means no visitors."

"Gee! Zuss! I'm not visiting, I'm here for the duration. Want me to tell you about his birthmarks to prove my bona fides? Just ask him lady."

"It's ok, nurse," a weak voice whispered from the bed. "He's my brother."

"Well, why didn't you say so," the nurse responded snippily.

"I did say so," Elwood muttered at the closing door. "Hag."

"Be nice to her, brother," the whispered voice implored. "She's got a thankless job."

Elwood approached the bed, once again trying to keep his face impassive. His oldest and best friend was a shell of his former self. He had lost at least ten kilos since Elwood had last seen him, only a few months prior. And his skin looked fallow and jaundiced. Worst of all, his eyes had taken on a dullness Elwood had never seen before in his friend, even after he lost his wife in childbirth.

"You've got a shit poker face, my friend," Marcus wheezed. "But I'm glad you're here."

"Course I'm here. Now tell me what the fuck is going on. And where's Ainsley?"

"Right over there, brother."

Elwood headed to where there would normally be another hospital bed separated from Marcus's bed by a curtain. Instead, there was a small nursery set up with a crib, play pen and changing table. Marcus's daughter Ainsley was sleeping peacefully in the crib.

"Oh shit," Elwood whispered as he ducked back on Marcus's side of the curtain. "Sorry about the yelling."

"It's cool man. She's a great sleeper. Now."

"Whose arm did you have to break to get them to let her in here? I figured that would have been a, 'not only no, but hell no' situation."

"They made some concessions in my case. Mostly because they didn't have a choice."

"Cool. So back to the original question, what the hell is going on?"

Marcus smiled wanly at his friend's self-editing. He had always been amused by his normally profane friend's reticence to using foul language in front of his daughter. Marcus knew it hardly mattered at this age, but he loved his friend all the more for his effort.

"Cancer is what's going on, my friend. That fucking asshole just can't get enough of my family, it would seem."

Elwood reached out to grip his friend's shoulder before taking a seat next to his bed. 'Fucking cancer' he raged silently. He had cursed the fates when he lost his parents in college. But that had paled in comparison to watching his friend stand by helplessly as first his mother, then his father succumbed to cancer within the span of three years. It had nearly destroyed Marcus.

And then he had met Ivy. In the opinion of both Marcus and Elwood, a more beautiful, kind and giving woman had never graced their fair planet. Elwood had often joked about arranging a series of misfortunes for Marcus since, as his brother, he would obviously be honor bound to take the grieving widow as his wife. But despite his high opinion of the woman, he was genuinely happy Marcus had found her. She had saved him. Within a month of meeting, they were engaged. Marriage followed within the year. They settled in Marcus's parents' house, content with small town, island life and intent on building a family.

The family part had been challenging for them. After years of trying, they had admitted defeat. The tests said Ivy had a rare condition which made her almost completely infertile with Marcus. They were not so easily defeated. Three rounds of IVF later, they were able to share the happy news that Ivy was pregnant.

Elwood had never known his friend to be so happy. His busy touring schedule prevented more than short, infrequent visits, but what he did see of his friend buoyed his faith in the potential for good in the world. Elwood had made time to visit shortly before the baby was due, and the evenings he spent there on that visit would always rank among the happiest memories of his life.

Disaster had struck two short weeks later. The delivery of their daughter had seemingly gone nominally. Ivy was exhausted after a twenty-six-hour labor, but the doctors had seemed relaxed. To hear Marcus tell it, she had never looked happier than when the nurse had lain Ainsley on her chest after the delivery. Ainsley had quickly started nursing and Ivy had had the look of an angel. Then, the doctor and nurses had started speaking in clipped tones and rushing around the room. Marcus could see a lot of blood, but the pre-birth classes had warned them that vaginal deliveries were typically a lot less neat than portrayed in the movies. He did not start to panic until a nurse had taken Ainsley from Ivy and whisked her out of the room. Marcus was hustled out moments later, the last look he got of his wife was of her head slumping to the side, her face ashen.

The hammer fell an hour later when the doctors told him she was gone. Unexpected hemorrhaging, they called it. One in a million chance. The placenta had broken apart while still in the womb. When the doctors attempted to deliver the afterbirth, they were greeted with liters of blood. They had attempted emergency surgery to stop the bleeding, but it had been too late.

Marcus had never had time to grieve. The day after Ivy passed, he had taken Ainsley home to an empty house. Elwood had arrived that afternoon and taken over everything that was not directly related to the baby. He had stayed for a month, determined to stay until Ainsley graduated from college, if necessary. But Marcus eventually kicked him out saying that Elwood needed to perform, needed his music. Elwood knew that was part of it, but he also suspected that perhaps his friend believed that he needed to start the next phase of his life in earnest before he would truly be able to grieve Ivy's passing.

Elwood had left, reluctantly. But he returned time and again, determined to do everything possible to help his friend. During his last visit, two months prior, he had finally started to think that Marcus was turning the corner. He was still devastated by his wife's passing, but he smiled occasionally. He even laughed once. It was not enough, in Elwood's estimation, but it was a start.

"When... I mean, how... where?" Elwood stammered.

Marcus smiled and said, "You gotta quick drinkin' that Night Train, brother. That shit's a mean wine."

"Only the best for Mrs. LaJoie's little boy. Seriously, what are they telling you."

"Nothing good. Its pancreatic."

"I take it that's not one of the 'we'll do a little outpatient surgery and you'll be good as new by this evening' cancers?"

"'Fraid not. It's one of the 'get your affairs in order' ones."

"Fuck," Elwood breathed. "How..." The words hung on the tip of his tongue, almost as if he knew that speaking them out loud would make this real.

"Long?" Marcus finished. "Days, if not less. Did you not notice the sign when you came in here?" Elwood shook his head, his eyes suddenly watering uncontrollably. "This ain't a hospital, brother. This is hospice."

"What's the difference?"

"They ain't tryin' to make me better. They're just tryin' to make me comfortable."

"Is there any pain?"

"Sometimes. Mostly it's just that I can't really keep anything down. Plus of course the fact that I've got a disease going full global thermonuclear war on my insides."

"How could this have happened? We always said you'd outlive us all. Fuck, brother. You've got a baby and you still run ten klicks a day."

A shadow passed over Marcus's face at the mention of his daughter. But he simply said, "Like I've had time for doctors in the past year. I started feeling pretty lousy about six months ago, but I figured it was just a cold. I just kept my head down and kept things together for her."

"I've been here like four times since then. Why didn't you tell me? I would have taken you to the doc, or watched the kid while you went."

Marcus sighed and said, "I guess I just got used to it. You know how everyone talks about the new normal, well feeling like shit was my new normal. I put on a brave face when you visited. I didn't want you to worry. But shortly after you left last time, I collapsed. Thank Christ I wasn't holding Ainsley at the time. I woke up to her crying. I'd been out for two hours. I shudder to think what could have happened to her during that time. I finally went to the doc, and they started running tests.

"It was slow going. I did the normal dumb guy thing of downplaying my symptoms. I also had to reschedule a lot of appointments because something came up at work, or Ainsley was teething, or I just couldn't gather the energy to leave the house. For a while they thought I had mono. But no matter what drugs they gave me, nothing improved. Then, about a week ago, I had another episode. Woke up from that one to Ainsley sticking her fingers in my nose. Sounds gross, I know. But it terrified me. She's pretty mobile now, although she's still not walking. She could have gotten into damn near anything. And I was just snoozing away, in the middle of the living room.

"I drove to the hospital after getting a neighbor to watch Ainsley. Two days later, they knew why I'd been so sick. Yesterday afternoon, they told me I wouldn't get better. Then I called you.

"I'm so fucking sorry, Marcus. Why couldn't all this shit have happened to me instead?"

"You know, I'm a thousand percent convinced you mean that. And I love you for it, brother. Truly, I do. Truth is, I think I spent a good portion of the last year secretly wishing for something like this."

Elwood gaped at his friend. He said, "Jesus, brother. I knew you missed her. I miss her too..."

"I miss her so goddamned much, El," Marcus said with tears streaming down his cheeks. "She was my sun and moon. I'm lost without her. I tried. You know I did. I tried for Ainsley's sake. And because Ivy would have kicked my ass if I hadn't. Maybe I spent too much time wishing I could be with her again. I guess I'm gonna get my wish."

"You shut your filthy fucking mouth, Marcus." Elwood exploded. Ainsley croaked softly from the other side of the curtain, so Elwood lowered his voice to a whisper. "You did not wish this into existence. It's just rotten fucking luck. But you can't let that prevent you from fighting this. Come on, man. You've got an amazing little girl over there. You have to fight for her."

Marcus smiled weakly up at his friend. "Thank you, my friend. My brother. You really always have been closer to me than any guy could have ever hoped for."

"No more than you did for me," Elwood muttered glumly.

"Indeed. We're brothers, in every sense of the word. And I'm telling you as your brother that this battle was lost before I knew it was being waged. Pancreatic cancer is just one of those that you don't get better from. If there was a chance, I'd go down swinging. But I've done the research. Spent the last day while you were driving here talking to specialists from Jacksonville, Charlotte, Atlanta, even one from Miami. They all said the same thing. It's too aggressive. It's gone too far. All that's left is sorting out what happens after I'm gone."

Tears flowed freely from Elwood's eyes. He did not even try to hide them. He gripped his brother's hand tightly and whispered, "How can I help?"

Marcus smiled weakly in reply and said, "I knew I could count on you, brother."

Six

"Hey, hey, hey," Elwood gasped. "Go easy on the sideburns, baby girl."

Ainsley had a firm grip on his starboard sideburn and was yanking it in what was apparently an attempt to steer him through the front door. Elwood managed to get the door open and entered the house. He flicked the lights on with a familiarity born of countless nights spent beneath this roof. Spying a sectioned off baby-safe area in the center of the living room, he gingerly deposited Ainsley. She looked up at him with the cherubic smile that never failed to melt his heart before dropping to her knees to begin taste testing all the toys spread out before her.

Elwood began the laborious process of unloading all of the equipment from the vehicle, all the while grumbling about how this was the only house on the island built on a hill. This task complete, he prepared a quick snack for Ainsley and watched her carefully decide which morsels deserved the right to be consumed versus those which were so offensive to her sensitive palate that she tossed them onto the floor. This task complete, he gave her a bath and laid her down for a nap.

He threw himself into tidying up around the house with almost reckless abandon. He knew he was deflecting, doing anything possible to keep himself too busy to contemplate recent happenings. But this knowledge only pushed him harder. Not surprisingly, the house was in a heightened state of disarray and so he was still hard at work when he heard the telltale cooing from Ainsley's baby monitor which told him her nap had reached its inevitable conclusion.

He checked his watch and saw that it was late afternoon. Ainsley had awoken from her nap full of energy, so he spent the next hour seated on the floor while she toddled around her play area. She frequently brought him her most prized toys and seemed quite confused at his reticence to placing them in his mouth. He marveled at her ability to produce saliva, thinking ruefully that if he were similarly configured his trombone's spit valve would need a whole team of attendants or he would never make it through a song.

At length, Ainsley grew weary of his brand of play, and settled down with a set of blocks. Elwood belatedly realized that the house might be essentially bereft of food not intended for babies and decided to do inventory. Unsurprisingly, he found very little which appealed to him. He worriedly checked for grocery delivery options, sighing in relief when he saw that the island had joined the gig-economy at last. He set up an order and got back to his task of tidying the house.

As he moved upstairs, he quickly finished with Ainsley's room and the guest room, where he normally stayed. As he approached Marcus's room at the end of the hall, he was unable to shake the sense of dread that descended. Glancing inside, he saw the bedclothes in disarray and items carelessly strewn around the floor. From his place in the doorway, he could see a large, framed picture of Ivy from their wedding day. It was situated next to Marcus's side of the bed, clearly intentionally placed so it was the first thing he saw each morning and the last thing he saw before falling asleep. Elwood's chest grew tight. The horrific reality of the events of recent days threatened to overwhelm him. He slumped against the doorjamb, his tear-filled eyes anxiously seeking anything to focus on other than a stark reminder of the tragedy this family had endured. His eyes found a small cross, hung on the wall above what he knew to be Ivy's dresser. He extended his arm toward the sigil, fist closed tight with the exception of one angrily upturned middle finger.

"Fuck you," he whispered fiercely. "You fucking asshole." He took a breath to say more, but the ringing of the doorbell interrupted him. He gave a final glower in the direction of the cross before firmly shutting the door to the master bedroom and clomping down the stairs.

He found an affable looking young man at the front door, surrounded by sacks of groceries. The man looked up with a smile, but the smile faded as his eyes fell upon Elwood.

"You're not Mr. Marcus," the youth said suspiciously.

"I'm his friend. Thanks for bringing this over so quickly."

"Is Mr. Marcus here? I haven't seen him in a while."

"No, he's not here. Listen, I can handle getting this inside. Here," Elwood extended some cash.

"You sure everything's ok?"

"No, it most certainly isn't. Listen, we're pretty busy so I'll let you get on with your day."

The youth dutifully retreated, but Elwood noticed he gave the house several backward glances on the way back to his vehicle.

***

As dusk faded and darkness fell over the quiet island, Elwood sat staring intently at a bottle of high-quality bourbon sitting atop Marcus's refrigerator. He had looked longingly at the bottle each time he passed through the kitchen. He could almost taste the smoky amber fluid, almost feel the warmth spreading through his body after taking the first satisfying sip. He sighed to himself and rose from his seat in the breakfast room, crossing to where the bottle sat like a siren luring sailors to their demise. He hefted the bottle, admiring the way the fluid refracted the light. He then carefully placed the bottle into the most inconvenient cabinet in the kitchen before proceeding to fill a glass of water.

"If I start drinking now," he muttered to no one in particular. "I'll never stop."

He looked around Marcus's house, realizing wearily that there was no more tidying to be done. The house was spotless. Ainsley had just laid down for the evening. The house was eerily silent. He grabbed the baby monitor and headed outside. It was a cool spring evening with just enough of a breeze to keep the worst of the bugs away. He could hear noises from the direction of the marsh. Clearly, some of the neighbors were having company over.

He smiled at the memory of all the parties he had attended at this house. At the deep contentment he had always felt in this place. His thoughts grew maudlin as he realized he may never again feel that sense of peace. How could this place give him peace when it was associated with so much pain and loss?

He thought back to that morning, which seemed like months ago. Of Marcus's face as he held Ainsley and took his last breath. His friend's face had been filled with love for his daughter, and at peace with his fate. But Elwood had no intention of sharing his friend's acceptance. He was distraught. Marcus had been more than a friend, more even than a brother. Marcus was Elwood's only family. And now, he was gone. And Elwood's loneliness threatened to consume him.

He flung himself from the seat he had taken on the back porch and headed back inside. He just needed to be busy. He pulled his laptop out of one of his bags and opened his email. There were a bevy of responses to his hurried email to the band explaining his sudden departure. He was harkened to find that none were critical, and all sent best wishes to Marcus. He dejectedly composed and email to Duke informing him that he would not be returning to the tour. He told his touring partner that he was, for all intents and purposes, retiring.

He then began writing the email which he had been dejectedly composing in his mind since Marcus had told him of his diagnosis eight days prior. With each meeting with lawyers, or desperate attempt to find a doctor who would give them even the glimmer of hope, a small part of Elwood's mind had been considering that he would have to spread the word about Marcus's passing.

Elwood knew an email was a cowardly way to handle informing Marcus's closest friends of his sudden demise, but the thought of making tens of heart wrenching calls was more than he could bear. He composed the email, keeping it brief, and quickly hit send before he had a chance to reconsider.

Moments later, his phone began to ring. He did not pick up any of the calls, for the same reason he had not made the calls in the first place. But, amongst the almost ceaseless calls, he noticed a text which actually brightened his day, if only slightly. It was from one of the handful of people that had been at the original party at Marcus's house after Elwood's parents had passed. It said simply, 'I'm on my way'.

***

"What'd you do, drive through the night?" Elwood asked as he answered the door with bleary eyes early the next morning.

"You're damned right, I did," Calvin Martinez responded tiredly as he pushed past Elwood into the house. "Why didn't you tell me he was sick?"

Elwood shrugged and said, "He told me not to."

"That's no excuse," Calvin responded with a hint of a smile. "Anyway, how you doin', my friend?"

"I'm... um... I honestly have no idea."

"How about his daughter?"

"Still sleeping, so keep your voice down."

Calvin nodded and then whispered, "What can I do?"

"You can sleep. There's nothing urgent right now, and you just drove through the night to get here."

"Suits me. Where should I crash?"

Elwood shrugged and said, "Um, I guess you can use my room. I mean, the guest room. I won't need it for a while, and we can figure something else out when you get some rest."

"What about Marcus's room?"

Elwood could only shake his head in reply. Calvin wordlessly pulled him into a hug before wearily trudging up the stairs. Elwood accepted the fact that his day had begun, despite the early hour. A check of his email presented him with an avalanche of sorrowful replies to the announcement he had sent the previous evening. Those emails were filled with questions to which he did not yet have answers. He therefore committed himself to rectifying that problem.

Ainsley woke an hour later. Elwood spent a few hours entertaining her and bump-drafting off the sense of joy that seemed to radiate off her. When Calvin came downstairs around noon, he found Elwood carefully helping Ainsley take tentative steps across the floor.

"How old is she now?" Calvin asked with an irrepressible smile spreading across his face.

"A year and a month," Elwood replied.

"You're supposed to call that thirteen months."

"When do you switch from months to years and months?"

"You don't. Eventually she'll just be two. After that, it's just an age in years."

"What's the point? Word thriftiness?"

Calvin chuckled and said, "I don't know, man. I just do as my wife tells me."

"How old are yours now?"

"Eight and three. They'll be here for the funeral. When is that, by the way?"

Elwood's face darkened and he said, "I've been trying to work on that as I find time, since every other email I get includes that question. I just keep getting pulled away to do something else."

"Well, that sounds like my job then," Calvin said confidently. He gestured his chin at Ainsley and said, "She walking on her own yet?"

"Not quite. Seems imminent, though."

"Indeed. I'll get to work on funeral arrangements. You keep working on teaching that little lady to walk. By the way, you got any coffee?"

Elwood said, "In the kitchen. And thanks, man. I really appreciate you dropping everything to come help out."

"Don't mention it," Calvin answered sincerely. "Word of advice, get your phone ready. You'll want video of those first steps."

Seven

"I thought we were going to a funeral," Roxy muttered as they traversed the boardwalk on their way to the beach.

Penny said, "We are going to a funeral. Well, perhaps a wake would be a better term."

"I'm confused, I thought I'd seen the whole island, but I never spotted a church on the beach."

"The deceased wasn't much of a churchgoer. Neither is his next of kin."

Roxy muttered, "Then perhaps this won't be as terrible as I feared."

Penny said, "You've been skeeved out all day. What's with you and funerals?"

"I just got tired of people being so giddy about my friends and loved ones dying."

"That's morbid."

Roxy shrugged and said, "That's Christianity. Remind me again why we're here. Is this one of those small-town things where everyone goes to these types of events? Not to sound like an a-hole, I just kind of hate funerals."

"We're here in an official-ish capacity. The deceased was a single dad. Apparently one of his friends is now going to care for his daughter. But we got a call from someone who made a delivery there who expressed some... concerns about the man in question. Dub Dub wants us to get a read on him, maybe introduce ourselves and see if there's anything we can do to help."

"How old is the daughter? And what about the mother?"

Penny shook her head and said, "The mother died in childbirth. The baby turned one last month."

"Oh, that poor baby. What about this new guy?"

"We don't really know anything about him. Apparently, he's the father's best friend. The poor girl doesn't have any other family. All the grandparents passed before she was born and both parents are only children."

"How awful for her," Roxy whispered as they reached the end of the boardwalk and approached a crowd surrounding a large white awning on the beach. The crowd was dressed casually. Many of them were holding beverages. Glancing beneath the tent, Roxy caught sight of Taylor manning a temporary bar beneath the awning. As she watched, Taylor handed a drink to an unusual looking man.

He was tall, at least one-hundred-ninety centimeters, with an average build. He was dressed in a loud, Hawaiian style shirt accompanied by jeans and flip-flops. He was also wearing a black fedora and sunglasses. But what most drew her eye were his preposterous lamb chop sideburns and his prodigiously tattooed forearms. He was speaking with a diminutive man of Latino descent.

Penny gestured in the man's direction and said, "I think that's the deceased's friend. I heard he was some kind of musician."

"He looks... interesting."

"I think he's kinda cute," Penny whispered conspiratorially.

"If you say so. What I'm wondering is, what do you do at a funeral when there's no service?"

As if in answer to her question, the man stepped to the end of the bar and picked up a microphone.

He said, "Thank you all for coming. Marcus didn't want this to be about sadness. He said there's been too much of that in the world recently. His wishes were that this day be about a celebration, both for the life he and Ivy shared on this beautiful island, and for all that you all may still have to be thankful for. This mic will be at the end of the bar if any of you would like to come up and share some memories." He seemed like he would continue, but all he said was, "Thank you for coming."

He then sighed and set the mic down before retreating toward the Latino man with whom she had seen him speaking previously. The woman standing beside the Latino handed the lamb-chopped man a young girl. He lofted her up into his arms, to the girl's obvious delight. He then took a seat beneath the shade and appeared to deflate. He continued to hold the baby, but he looked utterly defeated.

Roxy had a sudden sense of overwhelming doubt, as though her entire flight from her hometown was nothing but a foolish errand. Here was a man drowning in the depths of despair, apparently without the benefit of any type of belief structure to assuage his grief. Almost without conscious thought, her feet started to take her in his direction. But before she could take more than a few steps, Penny's voice broke her reverie.

"Hey, Roxy. I want you to meet the mayor."

This began what seemed to be an endless string of introductions to people whose names Roxy quickly forgot. It truly seemed to her as if the entire town was at the funeral, and Penny was all too eager to treat it as a social event. At length, Roxy saw a familiar face and, with apologies to Penny, broke away from the introductions.

She approached an African American woman with white hair and a slight frame. She was seated beneath the awning and looked as though the entire event was only transpiring because she permitted it. Roxy approached her and could not help but smile as the woman instructed one of the bartenders, with excruciating detail, in the preparation of her desired cocktail.

Roxy waited until she was done before sticking out her hand and saying, "Mrs. Wilmore, it's so nice to finally meet you in person."

"Roxy, honey. You're just as pretty as a peach. But what's this Mrs. Wilmore nonsense?"

"Well..." Roxy hedged.

"I know, your momma made sure you had manners. But I'm not your elder, dear. I'm just your boss. And I run a friendly workplace. Call me Winifred. Or, if you prefer, Dub Dub."

"Winifred, then," Roxy said with a smile.

"Now, how are you finding our quiet little island?"

"It's beautiful. And everyone's been so friendly. I can't believe how much of the town is here."

Winifred shook her head and said, "Such a shame about that poor family. I've known Marcus since he was knee-high to a crawdad. Such a sweet boy. And that wife of his, one in a million. She saved him after the cancer took his momma and daddy. I truly believe his heart died when he lost her in childbirth. He tried to be there for his baby girl, but I just don't think he ever got over losing that wonderful wife of his."

"Have you ever met his friend?"

"Nope. I heard he visited a bunch in the last year since Marcus lost Ivy. Word is he's a musician of some kind."

"Do you think he'll be able to take care of the baby?"

Winifred shrugged her shoulders and said, "Who knows. Honestly, who could ever be prepared for such a thing? One day, he's just living the life of a musician, whatever it is they do, and the next he's told that, not only is his best friend dying, but that he has to be a father. We should keep an eye on him, do whatever we can to help him out."

"Why don't I go see if there's anything we can do to help him today?" Roxy asked distractedly, her eyes having rarely left the tall, brooding stranger since they had begun discussing him.

Winifred winked conspiratorially and said, "I think that would be very nice, dear."

Roxy distractedly headed in the direction of the man in question. As she approached, the man's gaze turned in her direction. He appeared to be about to speak when the young girl in his arms took a firm grasp of his facial hair and gave it a firm yank.

"Aye!" he exclaimed as he tried in vain to extricate himself from her grasp.

Roxy giggled and said, "Need a hand?"

"She either loves or hates facial hair, I can't figure out which."

"Well, she's smiling so I'd guess it's the former."

"If she isn't careful, she's gonna yank it all out." He turned his gaze to the baby and said, "You hear that? If you're not careful, then I'll end up looking like your daddy."

Roxy watched his face fall at the mention of his recently deceased friend. She said, "He must have been quite a guy. The whole town turned out to celebrate his life."

"He was the best. A truer friend doesn't exist anywhere. Did you ever meet him?"

Roxy shook her head and said, "No, unfortunately. I just moved here a few days ago." She realized she might be coming off like some kind of lunatic, coming to the funeral of someone she did not even know. She hastily added, "I came with Penny... and Winifred... from the community center."

"The more the merrier," the man said wearily. He waved in the direction of the bar. "There's plenty to drink."

"Oh. No, thank you. I just wanted to see if you needed anything. I'm Roxy, by the way."

"Elwood," he said as he extended a hand in her direction. "And yes, like the movie."

"What movie?"

He chuckled and said, "In a way, I envy you. You get to experience the best movie ever made for the first time. I've already seen it more times than I can count." Roxy started to ask to which movie he was referring, but she was distracted by the baby in Elwood's arms lunging in her direction. Elwood managed to keep her from falling and said, "I think she likes you. Want to hold her?"

Roxy said, "Oh, um. Sure, I guess so." She reached for her and picked her up. She said, "What's your name, sweetheart?" As she spoke, the baby reached out to take Roxy's face in her hands. The smile the baby gave Roxy made her heart skip a beat.

"Ainsley," Elwood provided. "I think she likes you."

"She's beautiful."

"Just like her mom. Lucky for her."

Ainsley chose that moment to call out with glee after succeeding in snatching Roxy's sunglasses off her face. Roxy laughed in delight and said, "I don't think those will fit you, sweetheart." She succeeded in retrieving her eyewear and gave Ainsley an affectionate embrace. "Aren't you just the sweetest thing?" She turned to Elwood and said, "Want to go grab a cocktail, or a bio break? I can hold her for a bit."

"I appreciate it, but I'm good. So, what brought you to Tybee?"

"Oh, it's a long story. I guess I just needed a change. But I think I love it here."

"There's no better place in the world. I made it a point to come here whenever I get off a tour. I always felt the cares of the world fade away as I crossed the causeway. At least, I used to."

"I'm so sorry for your loss," Roxy said sincerely.

"I appreciate it. Listen, I think we've got to get out of here. Take it easy, I guess."

Roxy carefully handed Ainsley over to Elwood. He gave her a strained smile before shouldering a diaper bag and making his way toward the boardwalk. Roxy leapt in surprise as she felt a touch on her forearm. She worriedly looked around before sighing in relief as she realized Penny stood at her side.

"You all good?" Penny asked with a smile.

"Yeah, you just startled me."

"Methinks you might have been distracted by a certain mysterious, baby-wielding tree of a man."

"Oh, you mean Elwood?" Roxy asked as she fervently wondered why blush was spreading across her cheeks.

"Elwood, like the movie?"

"Apparently. I wouldn't know."

Penny chuckled and said, "You like him, don't you?"

"What?" Roxy asked, a bit louder than she intended. "Of course not."

"Come on. What's not to like? He's tall, mysterious, covered in tattoos. He's basically a winning bingo card for a bad boy hottie.

"That's hardly my type."

"Whatever, you were totally hitting on him. Plus, he looks like he's good with kids."

"Don't be ridiculous. I just met him."

"Sure," Penny said conspiratorially. "You keep telling yourself that."

Eight

"Come on, sweetheart," Elwood whispered not without a hint of desperation. "Tell me what you want."

Ainsley explicitly declined to answer the question as asked, opting instead to continue alternating between sobbing and screaming, much as she had for the preceding three hours. Her face had recently transitioned from bright red to purple and she seemed as though she was nowhere close to the point where her frustration with the man who was most definitely not her father would be overtaken by abject exhaustion. Elwood tried, for the seventh time, to calm her by placing a pacifier in her mouth, but it only took her a few seconds to snatch it from her mouth and fling it across the room.

The evening following Marcus's wake had gone similarly to all the other nights since Elwood had brought her home from the hospital. According to Marcus, Ainsley's sleep training had been brutal, but since her return home she had consistently gone to sleep shortly after sundown and only woken briefly once or twice during the night. This evening had given Elwood no reason to believe it would go any differently. She had calmly accepted her bedtime routine and Elwood had actually allowed himself to wonder what he would do with himself once she was asleep, considering that Calvin had headed home with his family following the wake.

Whether Ainsley sensed the change caused by Calvin's departure or had some sense of the import of the wake, Elwood could not tell. What he did know was that she had decided she was extremely unhappy with everything the moment her head had hit the pillow. Elwood had already taken her temperature twice and changed her three times. Attempts to feed her had only ended in a mess in the kitchen.

Elwood huffed and said, "You know what? Fuck it. We're staying up."

He carried Ainsley into the living room, turned on all the lights, and dropped into a seated position in her cordoned off play area. He placed her on the ground in front of him and stared at her pointedly. She at first seemed confused but then a mysterious expression crossed her face. It looked, to Elwood's tired eyes, a bit like victory. But he was long past the point of trying to hold this particular hill.

"Go on, honey. You wanted to stay up. Go crazy."

She dropped onto her bottom and picked up a toy, thoroughly taste testing it before begrudgingly deciding that it was acceptable. She seemed content to deliberately ignore him, so he stood and retreated to the couch. He realized this might have been his first moment with nothing to do since Marcus's passing. He had been, quite deliberately, trying to keep himself as busy as possible. But the weariness of that strategy had, at last, caught up with him. He desperately tried to stay awake to keep watch over his young ward. Those words gave him reason to smile, an all too infrequent happenstance in recent days. That smile was still on his lips as he lapsed into unconsciousness.

Five Years Prior

"I don't get it El," Luna said for what was most definitely not the first time since they'd checked into their quaintly themed hotel room on the south end of the island. "How can you be the best man, and give away the bride?"

Elwood sighed in frustration and said, "Didn't you get married to your second husband while hurtling towards the earth at terminal velocity?"

"Sure, what's that got to do with anything?"

"My only point is, not everyone has an entirely traditional, straight out of a movie, wedding. Ivy doesn't have any living family, and I'm kind of her best male friend. Ergo, I get the job. It'll be fine. You wouldn't even notice anything untoward if you weren't so obsessed with it."

"Whatever, how do I look?"

Elwood regarded his friend with occasional spectacular benefits who, for the purposes of this weekend, was his girlfriend, intently. He said, "You look fantastic, if I'm being honest. However, and please don't take this as a rebuke, you might want to put some clothes on for the wedding."

She stomped her foot, which did fascinating things to her completely unclothed body. She huffed and said, "I meant my makeup, smartass."

"Oh, well obviously I was including your makeup in my prior assessment."

"Great, now where did I put my panties?"

Elwood restrained himself, with considerable effort, from uttering the pithy remark about needing her to be more specific about geographical region before one could make an educated guess. Instead, he said, "I believe they're by the bedside."

She gave him a crooked grin and said, "Don't you go thinking I couldn't hear your smartass remark just because you managed to not say it out loud. Thoughts like that won't get your dick sucked before we head to the wedding."

Elwood bowed and said, "I humbly apologize for the remark I did not make and throw myself upon the mercy of the court."

"That's better, now help me find my clothes or we'll be late. With or without the aforementioned pre-wedding quickie."

***

Four hours later, Elwood looked down at the woman who haunted his dreams as they slow danced to a surprisingly tolerable country song. She smiled up at him and he felt the darkness which always seemed to follow him vanish like writing in the sand. She was beautiful in a way that made his heart catch in his throat, no matter how many times he saw her or what she was doing. Her long, raven colored hair stood in contrast to her light blue eyes and gave her a regal, almost mystical, appearance. She was wearing the necklace he had given her years prior. He knew, as surely as he had ever known anything, that he was in love with her.

"She looks happy, brother," she whispered.

"Hmm?" Elwood replied as his reverie started to lift.

"Luna," Ivy said with a nod in the direction of Elwood's date who was dancing with Marcus. "She looks happier than I've ever seen her. You think you two will finally try to give having an actual relationship a go?"

"I doubt it," Elwood responded dully as he fully came back to earth. "She's headed back to Jacksonville tomorrow, and I've got a gig in Sheboygan on Friday."

"That's too bad. You two always seem to have fun together, at least. And I'm guessing, based on the flush spread across her cheeks and the fact that I'm pretty sure she's not wearing any underwear, that the sex is still pretty great."

"I guess so."

"Great sex isn't one of those things that requires judges, like figure skating or gymnastics. It either is or it isn't. So, which is it?"

Elwood shrugged and said, "The physical part has never been the problem with us. That's why we keep getting together. We're just not really compatible as people."

"Which is why you keep breaking up," Ivy supplied. "Don't lose hope, my friend. The right woman for you is out there. You just have to make sure you've got your eyes open when she enters your orbit."

"I already met the perfect woman. That's why I keep trying to get Marcus to go base-jumping with me. I promise I'll make sure his chute is packed just right."

"I know you're kidding, at least mostly. But there's no reason why we can't all be happy, my friend. I've never told you this, but I've often dreamt of us four sitting out on the dock and watching the sun go down while our kids run around in the yard."

"Four?" Elwood responded with an arched eyebrow.

"Yeah. You, Marcus, me and Mrs. X."

"Mrs. X being the one in eight billion people on the planet who could actually put up with me."

"There aren't even eight billion people in the world," Ivy scoffed with a swat at Elwood's chest.

"You make my point for me, my dear."

"She's out there, brother. I know it. And, until you find her, there's no reason you can't enjoy freaky sex with the likes of Luna. She certainly does have a great set of..."

Present Day

The rattle struck Elwood right in the temple, simultaneously ending his dream and his surprisingly effective rest. He awoke to Ainsley's delighted shriek and a quick glance around him made clear that the toy which had actually struck him had not been her first attempt. The couch around him was covered in toys. He glanced in her direction and was relieved to find her smiling. A quick assessment of his surroundings informed him that the sun was just starting to come up.

He plucked Ainsley from her play area and walked her upstairs to change her before returning her to the kitchen to get her breakfast started. He did not have the mental fortitude to wonder at how she had, for all intents and purposes, opted out of a night's sleep with no apparent ill effects. Once she began to dig into her breakfast, the memory of his dream returned to Elwood with fervor. He suddenly found himself consumed with a need to contact Luna, almost as if Ivy had reached out from the grave to point a finger in the direction of Elwood's old flame.

He quickly found his phone and tapped Luna's contact. He had a moment of panic that she might have once again changed her number, but that faded when he heard the line pick up, followed by a loud thud and a string of curses in Luna's distinctive southern drawl.

At length, she said, "Hey, El. What's up? You in town?"

"'Fraid not, Lu. You got a minute? I didn't wake you up did I?"

"It's before seven, what do you think?"

"Well," Elwood hedged. "You could still be up."

"I'm an old hag now, honey. I can't live like that anymore."

"You're younger than I am, and I barely slept last night."

"I can tell, you sound like you're about ninety percent of the way to rock bottom. So, I repeat, what's up?"

Elwood proceeded to bring Luna up to date, leaving nothing out. He felt strangely comfortable unburdening his soul to her, despite the fact that they had not seen each other in over two years. Elwood had known Luna since they had met backstage shortly after he started touring and their relationship had gone swimmingly once they realized that, while their sexual chemistry was fantastic, they would never be romantically compatible.

Once Elwood finished bringing her up to date, she was silent for several moments. At length, she breathed, "Fuck, honey. I'm so sorry for you."

"Me?" Elwood nearly shouted. "I'm not the one who died just a year after losing his wife. I'm not the one stuck with a used-up horn player for a stand-in daddy."

"Perhaps," she allowed. "But you're the one left to pick up the pieces. Not to mention that you lost your best friend and the only person who has ever helped you feel like you weren't completely untethered in this world."

"Thanks, Lu," Elwood muttered bitterly. "I hadn't yet fully realized just how shitty I should feel about all of this."

"I'm sorry honey. I'm just trying to say that it's ok to feel a bit sorry for yourself. Marcus and Ivy got a raw deal, but so did you."

"I know, and I appreciate it. It's just kind of a lot. I've known Ainsley since basically the day she was born, but I don't really know shit about taking care of babies. She was up crying all night and I still don't have the first fucking clue why."

"I hope you're not asking me for advice," Luna said quickly. "Just because I have boobs and ovaries doesn't mean I know the first fucking thing about babies."

"I know. And I wasn't calling you for advice about that."

Her voice softened and she said, "Well, what then?"

"It's just all so much, Lu. I've been trying to keep busy ever since this whole shit-show started. But now it's starting to feel like a whole tour bus is parked on my chest."

"I can imagine," she paused for several moments, as though carefully choosing her next words. "But you have to do what's right here, Elwood. For both of you."

"What do you mean?"

"She's still a baby, honey. And there's tons of nice families out there who can't have children on their own who would love to have her."

"You're saying I should give her up for adoption? Marcus was pretty definitive about wanting me to raise her."

"But what if you're not up to the job? There's been many a time I wished my mom had admitted defeat when I was a baby and given me a chance at a normal life. Maybe the best thing you could do for her is find her a home where they're better able to give her the life she deserves."

"I don't know, Lu. I'm not sure I could ever look myself in the mirror again if I did that."

She sighed and said, "Just consider it, Elwood. This is a lot bigger than figuring out which crappy seventies band you want to tour with, or whether or not you need another trombone. This is a person's life. Two people, in fact. Make sure you're doing what's best for everyone."

Nine

"This is insane," Roxy told her worried looking reflection in her car's review mirror. "He's going to think you're insane. How do you let people talk you into this... stuff?"

She was parked in the driveway of what was, until recently, Marcus's house after an entire morning being whipsawed between Penny and Winifred, both of whom were actively engaged in trying to convince her that Elwood was in desperate need of their department's assistance. And, of course, they were both far too busy to even think about getting out of the office, even for a moment. But, as they explained, Roxy had tons of time since she was just getting started and had not yet taken on a case load. Roxy could not even remember what her friends had even suggested she might be able to do here.

However, upon finally gathering enough courage to open her car door, she heard the sound of a wailing child coming from inside. Her irrepressible instinct to help immediately took over and she hurried to the front door. She knocked tentatively on the door, but the crying coming from inside continued unabated. She knocked more authoritatively until she heard a harried response from the house's interior.

Elwood opened the door with a wild look in his eyes and a screaming baby in his arms. He shouted, "What?" He then dropped his eyes to Roxy's face. Recognition and shame flooded his face in equal measure. "Sorry," he continued at a much more reasonable volume. "It's been a hell of a day."

Roxy gaped at him, her ability to form coherent sentences suddenly abandoning her. She surveyed the man before her, now only wearing a pair of workout shorts and a tank top. The first thing she noticed was that the tattoos which covered his forearms traced up his upper arms and onto his chest. He was also taller than she remembered. Even in bare feet, he towered over her. But as her eyes traced up to his face and she beheld his eyes, everything else seemed to fade away. His eyes were a deep blue she would have thought would be reserved for the ocean on a cloudless day, or the sky as viewed by astronauts just before they left the atmosphere. She instantly felt as though she were falling into those eyes which had been hidden behind sunglasses the previous day. In his eyes, she found the kind of sorrow and loneliness that she had felt threatening to consume her since losing Xander.

"Can I help you?" Elwood asked anxiously, interrupting her thoughts. His voice had dropped significantly in volume due to the fact that Ainsley stopped crying the instant she laid eyes on Roxy. "I'm kinda busy here."

"I... I'm sorry. I meant, I'm sorry to bother you. My boss, Winifred... I mean Mrs. Wilmore, suggested I come by."

"Who?" Elwood retorted.

"We're with social services," Roxy replied, as though that explained everything.

"What is this, some kind of inspection to determine if I'm suitable to care for a child?"

"No, of course not. I'm not here in an official capacity. She just thought that maybe I could help."

"Oh really, and what do you think?"

"I um... what?"

"Whatever, Ms. Inspector who's not officially inspecting. You might as well come on in and satisfy your curiosity."

Without another word, Elwood spun on his heel and retreated into the house, leaving the front door open. After a long moment of anxiety-riddled indecision, Roxy hesitantly followed after him. The house seemed, more than anything, to be lonely. It had all the touches one would normally find in a family home: pictures on the wall; souvenirs from various trips; slightly out of place furniture which were clearly family heirlooms. But the house seemed frozen in time. All the pictures on the wall were of Marcus and the woman Roxy assumed must have been his late wife, Ivy. Try as she might, Roxy could not find a single picture of Ainsley, nor anything which said 'bachelor'. Roxy realized it was entirely likely that one half of the bed in the master bedroom looked exactly as it had over a year ago when Marcus and Ivy rushed from the house in anticipation of the birth of their first child.

She found Elwood dropping exhaustedly onto the couch and Ainsley seated before him in what was obviously a play area designated for her use. She glanced around the room and her strongest impression was surprise. A lifetime of living under her mother's roof, and with her father and brother, had taught her that males were woefully inept at housework. She realized she had been preparing herself to face a hovel of appalling proportions, having been under the sole control of unmarried males for over a calendar year. What she found instead was shockingly orderly and uncluttered.

"This place looks great," she murmured.

"You expected a pigsty?"

"No, of course not."

"Right," Elwood retorted, drawing out the vowel of the word to comical lengths.

"Look," Roxy began angrily. "I meant what I said. I'm not here to spy on you. I just honestly wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help. But I can tell I'm not wanted."

"I'm sorry," Elwood said quickly. "I haven't slept well recently and I'm not at my best. I really appreciate the gesture."

"It wasn't a gesture. I really do want to help if I can," Roxy retorted angrily.

"Well, if you really do want to help..."

"I'd love to," Roxy responded, dropping onto the couch next to Elwood.

"Why has she stopped sleeping since the funeral? I've tried changing her, feeding her, bathing her, rocking her, even driving around. Nothing is working. She's been up more than she hasn't during the night for the last week."

"Oh, the poor darling."

"Her? What about me?"

Roxy sighed and said, "You too. But you're an adult with the power of speech and heightened self-awareness. At least, I assume you're more self-aware than a one-year-old."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry to put this so simply, but I think she misses Marcus. You're doing all the right things, but she knows you're not him. She needs time to mourn him in her own way."

"Oh, Jesus."

"Trust me, he will be of no help in this matter."

Elwood gave her a crooked smile and said, "You act as if you're on speaking terms with the almighty."

"That is neither here nor there," Roxy said quickly before continuing. "You just have to be patient with her. I know you and Marcus were very close. Isn't there anything that he might have mentioned which could sooth her."

"He told me once she liked music, but nothing I put on for her seems to make any difference."

"Where is his music collection?"

Elwood pointed in the direction of a set of shelves on either side of the fireplace. Roxy found a drawer filled with old fashioned CD's. She said, "Do you mind if I try my hand at picking something out for her?"

"Be my guest. But I can already tell you she hates fusion jazz and New Orleans style brass bands."

"Doesn't everyone?" Roxy asked with a chuckle.

Ainsley chose this moment to start fussing again. Elwood picked her up and started walking around with her. This calmed her somewhat, but Roxy's heart broke for the little girl who clearly wanted the one thing she could not have. She quickly spotted one of her favorite albums and stuck the disc into the stereo. Once music started to fill the room, she looked in Elwood's direction with a nervous smile on her face.

He frowned and said, "Not this crap."

"Hey! Watch your language. Impressionable ears are listening."

"You gonna report that back to your boss?"

"No! For the last time, I'm not spying on you."

"Listen, I'm sorry. I believe you, honest. And 'crap' is hardly swearing. Marcus always used to give me guff about editing myself around her. As he always was quick to point out, she can't even talk."

"Do you want her first word to be profanity? And what's wrong with this music? I like this song. Do you not like country music?"

"The song's ok. I'm pretty good friends with the guy that wrote it, actually. I even like some country music, same as I like some of damn near every kind of music, even fusion jazz and especially New Orleans style brass band. But the guy singing this song is a grade-A... a-hole."

"You know him?" Roxy gushed.

"Sure. Typical country star: upper middle class; movie star good looks; married the head cheerleader; never knew a day of unhappiness. He showed up in Nashville with a cowboy hat on and record execs climbed over each other to sign him. Not a damn one of them cared a lick that he can't sing worth a darn. I mean, hell, he doesn't even pretend to play the guitar, he just holds it making not so subtle references to the fact that it's a stand-in for his tiny dick. I was hired to do a recording session with him; he needed a horn line for a Christmas album. I walked after the first day. My manager gave me crap for it, but he changed his tune, forgive the pun, after he heard all the other guys walked by the end of the first week. I don't think that self-absorbed waste of space ever did manage to finish that album."

"Oh, my goodness. I mean, I heard you were a professional musician, but it's just amazing to think you've met people I've actually heard on the radio."

"I'll do you one better, darlin'. You've almost certainly heard me on the radio. You just didn't know it. But I played on two of last year's top one-hundred songs on the country charts, one on the pop charts and even one on the R&B charts.

Ainsley chose this moment to transition her near constant fussing from reasonably quiet to impossibly loud.

Roxy reached her hands out and said, "I can hold her for a bit."

Elwood handed her over. A dejected frown crossed his face when Ainsley immediately quieted. He said, "Figures."

"It's not you, Elwood. I'm just a change for her to consider. I can't imagine you're doing anything wrong."

"Maybe I am," he muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe I'm doing wrong by her, trying to be what we both know I'm not."

"You just have to give her time," Roxy said worriedly.

"Maybe. Or maybe Marcus had it all wrong. Maybe what's best for Ainsley is if she gets a chance with a real family. Not some has-been itinerant musician whose most prized possession is a contrabass trombone." Roxy opened her mouth to speak, but the expression on Elwood's face silenced her. He took a deep breath and said, "Isn't it possible we could find her a loving family that actually knows how to take care of her. Maybe even a family where she could have some siblings."

Roxy's face fell. Her heart reached out to the man before her. Clearly, he was hurting, perhaps even lost, without the man who was, for all intents and purposes, his only family. She sensed sincerity in his hopes for a normal life for Ainsley, even at the expense of losing the closest thing to a family he had left. But she also knew he was running away. She said, "It's only been a few days. Perhaps you should give it some more time to give her a chance to get used to... everything that's changed."

Elwood shrugged and said, "Maybe. But that's something you and your colleagues could help me with, right?"

Roxy sighed and said, "Yes. We could help you with that."

"Great. I would appreciate that."

Ainsley started to fuss again in Roxy's arms. The latter said, "Have you tried playing her anything? I mean, you playing."

Elwood scoffed and said, "Have you ever heard a trombone in an enclosed space in the hands of someone who knows how to use it?"

"Surely you know how to play more than just trombone."

"Yeah, I do. What the hell? I guess it couldn't hurt. Can you hold her for a sec while I run out to the car?"

Roxy nodded, wondering as she watched him go at what the fact that he had yet to unpack portended for his future with Ainsley. He returned moments later with a guitar case. He pulled out an acoustic guitar and sat back on the couch.

"Any requests?" he asked with a glint in his eye.

"Surprise us," Roxy said, taking a seat beside him on the couch.

Ainsley started to fuss at the loss of being held by someone walking around, but she stilled immediately when Elwood strummed the first chord. Within seconds, Roxy felt panic welling up within her. 'Oh my goodness. Not this song.' Her heart began to race, and her chest constricted. She felt as though all the oxygen had been sucked from the room. Ainsley, on the other hand, was enraptured. She stared at Elwood with undisguised wonder on her face. Roxy gently set her into her play area and stood behind her, trying to catch her breath.

When Elwood started to sing, her mouth dropped open in amazement. His speaking voice had been unremarkable to this point, except in its persistent sadness. He had a deeper voice than most males, but not so much that one would notice it. But, when he began to sing, it was if he had undergone a metamorphosis. He had a rich, soulful baritone that filled the room and invaded her consciousness like nothing she had ever experienced before. The words which she knew so well, to which she had listened countless times while thinking about the only person who had ever really mattered to her, sounded so much more vibrant, so much more alive. Elwood's performance gave the familiar song new life, new meaning. Suddenly, the song was no longer performed by someone she would never meet. It was no longer special because he had said it was his favorite. It was about the man before her, the man who had lost everything and was telling his tale of woe in song form.

Confusion consumed Roxy. She felt the walls closing in and felt as though she was drowning. She mumbled something unintelligible about being late for an appointment and, after hastily grabbing her purse, fled stumbling from the house.

Ten

"Good morning, music critic," Elwood said softly as he entered Ainsley's room after yet another nearly sleepless night. She smiled up at him and gurgled loudly in what he was certain was a profound sentiment if not for the fact that it had been spoken in unintelligible baby babbling.

Following Roxy's abrupt departure, the previous evening Elwood had attempted to follow her. But the second he stopped playing, Ainsley started screaming. When he resumed playing, she calmed immediately. He ended up playing for her for the better part of two hours until his hands were so cramped that he lost the ability to make the guitar work. Once the playing stopped, Ainsley had reverted to her prior state of long periods of fussiness interrupted by brief periods of unconsciousness. The last of those quiet periods had lasted nearly two hours, which Elwood desperately needed even though it was nowhere near sufficient.

Thinking back to Roxy's departure, he found himself wishing he had a way to contact her to ensure everything was ok. He checked Marcus's rolodex but found no entries which seemed to correspond to either Roxy or her boss, Winifred. He sighed in defeat and realized he was powerless to do anything beyond hoping he ran into her again soon.

Despite his frustration at not being able to contact her, he smiled at the memory of Roxy. In a way, it seemed as if he had known her for a lifetime when in fact they had only met twice. She was a bit taller than most women, although still comfortably a head shorter than himself. She had a natural curviness which Elwood suspected was supported by an almost primal need to stay active. She also had a ready smile and a friendly face, framed by a hair style which Elwood suspected her parents had had a hand in choosing. Her deliberately proper way of speaking and tendency to make peace in contentious situations also gave Elwood insight into her upbringing. He suspected it was long on religion and appearances but perhaps shorter on things like actual love and affection. But Elwood sensed that Roxy had endless reserves of love at her disposal, ready to dispense at a moment's notice. Her initial awkwardness at their meeting the prior day had instantly crumbled at the sight of Ainsley's tears. What replaced it was an ineffable desire to make those around her happy. It reminded Elwood of Ivy, and of his own mother. And that remembrance only made him more anxious to find this mysteriously fascinating woman, if only to see what she would do next.

To that end, he decided that he should take Ainsley and get out of the house for a while. With a one-year-old, this is always easier said than done. He ended up taking several hours to collect the things Ainsley would need in addition to moving some additional items in from his RV. He reflected, not for the first time, that he would need to find a better place to park the enormous trailer. He knew there were covenants against parking it on the street but assumed that the neighbors were ignoring the eyesore in consideration of all Elwood and Ainsley had been through.

He decided to investigate some possible long-term storage options while he was out with Ainsley. He contented himself for now with removing a few additional pieces of luggage and instruments from the trailer that had been his home for the better part of the last half decade. Ainsley looked at him strangely when he brought in the largest of the cases. He merely chuckled and said, "I don't think you're ready for this one yet, sweetheart."

When they were finally ready, Elwood loaded Ainsley into Marcus's tiny SUV and headed towards town. Their first stop was a playground near the courthouse. Ainsley watched four other families come and go before she tired of being pushed in the baby swings. Elwood then took them further south on the island until they reached the vicinity of the pier. He pulled into a parking space and extracted Ainsley's stroller. They started walking along the boardwalk which ran parallel to the beach until they reached the ramp which led up to the pier.

Despite his unabashed love for the island, he had always been a bit dismissive of the more touristy aspects of the place. What he loved about this place was its simplicity, its beauty. He had always told Marcus he was glad for places like the lighthouse, or the pier, because they sucked all the tourists away from the real beauty spots like the electromagnet which kept the shrapnel from piercing Tony Stark's heart. But on this warm, mid-spring day, Elwood saw the pier with new eyes. Gone were the typical throngs of people clogging up the thoroughfares and shouting at each other. Today he only saw a handful of local fishermen who were content to keep to themselves.

He parked the stroller where Ainsley could enjoy the wind blowing in her hair and took in the splendor of the island. To his left, he could see the southern tip of the island and beyond, the ironically named Little Tybee Island. It was actually larger than the island where he stood and was uninhabited except for the wildlife which enjoyed government protection in the form of a nature preserve. To his right, the beautiful shoreline stretched seemingly to the horizon, although he knew this was an optical illusion. He could see a container ship exiting the Savannah River to the north and, beyond that, the southernmost islands of neighboring South Carolina.

He became aware of someone approaching and glanced around to find a pair of women approaching him in the form of Roxy and a woman he recognized, but whose name he could not recall. Roxy was dressed in a flowing coral maxiskirt and cerulean blouse covered by a white sweater. Her hair was whipping in her face, and she was trying in vain to hold it at bay with her hand. Her friend was dressed much more reasonably, in Elwood's estimation, in white capri pants and a pink top. She had also restrained her admittedly longer hair with a scrunchy to keep it out of her face and was wearing sunglasses.

"Fancy meeting you here," Elwood said jovially.

"Hi," Roxy's friend said exuberantly. She looked back and forth between Roxy and Elwood several times before extending her hand and saying, "I'm Penny, Roxy's friend. As I'm sure she was getting ready to mention any moment now."

"Sorry," Roxy said shyly.

"Everything ok?" Elwood asked, directed at Roxy. "You kinda disappeared yesterday."

"You did?" Penny asked exaggeratedly. "You didn't tell me that."

"It was nothing," Roxy said defensively. "And I'm fine. How about Ainsley? Did she sleep better last night?"

"Not really. Turns out you were half right. She loves listening to me play, but loudly voiced her criticism if I stopped. I found myself thinking of the legend of Stevie Ray Vaughan supergluing his calluses back on when he played until his fingers bled."

"How revolting," Penny said with disgust.

Elwood shrugged and said, "Perhaps. But that's the toll the gods exact if you want to become the goat."

"The what?" Roxy asked, her eyes squinting as she tried to look up at him.

"Greatest of all time. Stevie Ray's the goat. Part of why is that he was maniacal about his playing. Although I suspect a larger part is that he was clearly some kind of supernatural being infused with more raw musical ability than anyone I've ever heard."

Penny said, "Wait, I'm lost. I thought Duane Allman was the best ever. At least, that's what my daddy always said. Personally, I've always thought all that fast-playing nonsense was a little ridiculous. I'd much rather hear a talented singer than someone blowing out my speakers playing too fast to make out all the notes."

"You gotta realize that most talented musicians love tooting their own horn, pun intended. Take your average pop star. Or perhaps it would make my point better to take your above average to great pop star. Those ladies frequently take every opportunity to show off their vocal abilities. Think of your favorite song that made you say, 'wow, that was amazing'. I guarantee that whoever made that song went out of their way to use that song to showcase whatever they thought they were best at.

"To your first point, Duane was a hell of a guitar player. He's the heart and soul of one of my favorite songs. In some ways he's even more of a unicorn because, with the exception of his drummer's nephew, basically no one plays like him anymore. It was almost as if the world decided no one could do it better, so they figured no point in trying. Both him and Stevie Ray went way to early. As for the fast playing, that isn't what makes either of them great. It was the ability to just... let go. To let the music flow through them and into our ears."

"Is that what you do?" Penny asked breathily.

"No," Elwood said quickly. "I'm a pretty good, but not great, horn player. I'm a fair keyboard player and I can carry a tune with a guitar. And my voice is nothing special, but I can sing backing vocals passably. But no one will ever mistake me for being great at any of those. I've worked my whole life to achieve merely serviceable. Hell, I'm barely good enough to make a living at it. Just ask Roxy. As soon as I started playing yesterday, she took off running."

Penny swung her gaze in Roxy's direction, a smile creeping across her lips. She said, "Oh really?"

"Yup. Maybe it was my nasally twang rather than my playing."

"No," Roxy said demurely. "It wasn't that. You sang beautifully. It was just that song. It reminded me of... someone."

Penny regarded her intently for several moments before seeming to decide to let the matter drop. She turned back to Elwood and said, "So what brings you out to the pier today?"

"Just getting out of the house. Giving Ainsley here a chance to see something other than my ugly mug. How about you lovely ladies?"

"We're on our lunch break. Roxy said she wanted to stretch her legs, so I suggested we walk the pier," Penny said before glancing down at the aforementioned baby. "She sure does seem to enjoy the view."

Elwood huffed and said, "At least something makes her happy."

Penny glanced up at Elwood and quipped, "What are you talking about? I've seen plenty of unhappy babies in my day. This little girl is having a blast."

"To be fair to Elwood," Roxy quietly interjected. "She was pretty ornery yesterday. She's having a tough time with the transition."

Elwood turned to Roxy and said, "You make any progress on that item we discussed yesterday?"

"Oh, um, not yet," she stammered. "I had planned to get into that this afternoon."

"Please do. If we're gonna do this, there's no point in waiting. As a wise man once said, 'twere best if done quickly."

Roxy huffed and said, "I'll make it my first priority as soon as I get back to the office."

Elwood gave her a long look before finally saying, "Good. Well, I guess we should be going. You ladies have a fine afternoon."

Eleven

Roxy watched Elwood's departure with conflicted emotions. Intellectually, she completely understood his reasons for pursuing adoption for Ainsley. The desire for her to have a 'normal' upbringing was, from a certain point of view, undeniably defensible. But she was having difficulty controlling the anger which was rising in her at the thought of Elwood walking away from Ainsley. Whether it was the sense that he was abandoning her, or the thought that he was depriving himself of something truly special, she could not tell. Perhaps it was both. All she knew was that the whole idea of putting Ainsley up for adoption turned her stomach.

Seeing Elwood presented additional challenges for her mind which was still reeling from the song he had sung the previous evening. Even though he had only gotten through a fraction of it before she departed, the portion she had heard played on a loop in her head. His rendition of that song was like a flame to which she was drawn like a moth. She feared that reaching for that flame would spell her demise, but she could no more deny its allure than she could avoid taking her next breath.

"Hey," Penny's voice shattered her contemplation. "Earth to Roxy! You still with me?"

"What?"

"Elwood's long gone, but you're still staring after him like his ass contains the cure to the pandemic."

"Don't be ridiculous. I was just admiring the view."

Penny chuckled and said, "That's what I said. You were staring at his ass. There's no point in denying it any longer. Admit it, you like him."

Roxy said, "I really don't. He couldn't be more not my type."

"What was he talking about before he left? Something he wanted your help with. Was it getting his pants off?"

"Ew! Gross."

"Methinks thou doth protest too much. So, what is it then?"

Roxy said, "He wants my help putting Ainsley up for adoption."

"What? Why? He's great with her."

"How should I know? He said he just wants to do what's best for her. But who knows what his true motivations are. All I know is he told me she was having trouble sleeping since losing her father and he said that was giving him doubts as to his ability to properly care for her. Maybe he's being magnanimous. Or maybe he just wants to get back out on the road. Back to his groupies."

Penny regarded Roxy for a moment before saying, "You're upset with him."

"How many people would kill to have someone look at them the way Ainsley looks at him? And after a few sleepless nights, he wants to give all that up? For what? So he can go back to being alone?"

"You don't think it's possible he really just wants what's best for her?"

Roxy said, "I suppose it's possible. But what about what's best for him?"

"You just met him. How do you know he's got what it takes to be a good father?"

"You're right, I did just meet him. But everyone on this island speaks glowingly of Marcus. How would such an amazing person pick a bad guy to be Ainsley's father? I don't think Elwood's a bad person, I just think he's running away."

"So does that mean you won't help him?"

"No, but you can bet your hiney that I'm gonna try to talk him out of it."

"Someday, you're going to swear accidently. I just hope I'm there to see it."

"Why?" Roxy asked defensively.

"Because I want to see your face when you realize that nothing bad happens. They're just words. Here, watch. You ready? Ass. Wait for it... wait for it. There. You see?"

Roxy smiled and said, "What?"

"No lightning. It's fine."

"You're ridiculous. And I'm hungry. Why don't we eat there?" she asked, pointing at Taylor's bar.

"Fine by me."

A quick walk led them into the establishment and Roxy smiled brightly when she spotted Taylor behind the bar. Taylor spotted them seconds later and called out for them to sit wherever they liked. Moments after taking a seat, Taylor joined them and slid in next to Roxy.

She brightly greeted them, "Hey chicas."

Penny said, "Hey Taylor. Have you met Roxy?"

"Sure, we're old friends. We've done crime together and everything."

Penny's bewildered expression led to Taylor and Roxy trading off on telling her the story of saving the sea turtle. This led to a recount of Roxy's distaste for beer and her perhaps too-enthusiastic affection for hurricanes.

"So," Taylor said upon returning to their table, having once again been called away to make drinks for other customers. "What have you two been up to?"

"Roxy's got a crush on the town's newest resident. But don't say anything. She's trying to keep it a secret."

"I do not," Roxy said with a twinge of anger.

"You mean Marcus's buddy?" Penny nodded conspiratorially. Taylor shrugged and said, "He's cute." She turned to Roxy and said, "You could do a lot worse. Trust me."

"Oh," Penny interjected. "That sounded juicy."

"Oh no. I tell you, then you tell someone else. Before sundown, the whole town knows."

"I promise I won't tell a soul. Now spill."

"I'll tell," Taylor said hesitantly, before turning demonstratively toward Roxy and continuing, "If Roxy finishes her story from the other night."

"What are you talking about?" Roxy asked hesitantly.

"Remember? After we saved the turtle? You were talking about college and gave me some lame-ass evasion when I asked about your bedroom festivities. So, out with it. We wanna hear about the girl who got freaky at preacher college."

Roxy looked worriedly at Penny, but quickly realized she would find no solace there. A glance back at Taylor confirmed that she was trapped. She briefly considered just lying, but that was no way to deepen her friendship with these women who were already closer to her than any peer she could remember from her hometown. She sighed and said, "It's hardly as salacious as you make out."

"I certainly hope you made out," Taylor replied with a wide grin.

Penny said, "I hope he made out... with the lips you're sitting on."

"Ew," Roxy said quickly. Then surprise filled her expression and she said, "Oh."

"Exactly," Taylor said. "Now spill."

"His name was Xander," Roxy said simply. "He was a year older than me. We were friends in high school. He wanted to be a pastor, so he went to divinity school. I guess I followed him."

"How long did you two date in high school?" Penny asked. "Was it hard doing the long-distance thing during your senior year?"

Taylor said, "I tried to do the long-distance thing with my high school fuck-toy when he went off to college. It didn't last until Labor Day."

"We didn't date in high school," Roxy admitted. "We were just friends."

"So why did you follow him?" Penny asked.

"It's complicated."

Taylor said, "You're not making a lot of sense."

Roxy said, "I thought I loved him. And that he loved me. He just didn't love me the same way I loved him. He couldn't. It took me a long time to come to grips with that. Him too, I guess." Both of her companions seemed to be on the verge of interrupting again, so she quickly continued, "I met Xander when I was a junior in high school. I was smitten. He was just so beautiful, and talented. He was nice to me, but I doubt he knew who I was. When he left for college, I felt empty. I sleepwalked through my senior year. I never had a doubt about where I'd go to college. My folks were over the moon about the thought of me becoming a pastor. They didn't even blink at the high price tag. Once I got to school, I managed to track down Xander pretty quickly. But he had changed.

"Gone was the confident, talented guy I had known in high school. In his place was a timid man who went out of his way to avoid any kind of notice. It was as if someone had just flipped a switch and his personality shut off. He tried to avoid me at first, but I was persistent."

"Good for you," Penny said reassuringly as Taylor rubbed Roxy's back.

"It took a few months, but I finally got him to trust me."

Roxy was silent for several moments. At length, Taylor finally said, "Was it another woman?"

"No, that would have been much simpler." She sighed and finally said, "He was gay."

Penny and Taylor looked at each other, the former finally saying, "I'm confused. I get the part where you were bummed out. But why was he so upset?"

Roxy said, "Taylor, you don't strike me as particularly religious. Am I right? And Penny, you were raised in the north?" They both nodded. Roxy continued, "Well, I'm from Arkansas. In our town, everyone was Southern Baptist. And Southern Baptists don't take kindly to homosexuals."

"Well then fuck them," Penny said explosively. "What right do they have to..."

The expression on Roxy's face brought her words to a halt. Roxy said, "I know. And I agree. But that doesn't change the fact that Xander realized who he was during his first year away from home. And with that realization came the understanding that no one in his life would ever accept him for who he really was."

"How awful for him," Penny said.

"What did he do?" Taylor asked.

"He asked me to help him, and I said yes."

Penny's face scrunched up in confusion and she said, "But how could you... Oh... Oh, no."

Roxy shrugged and said, "I pretended to be his girlfriend."

Taylor said, "You were his beard? For how long?"

"Seven years."

"Seven years!" Taylor practically shouted. "Why?" she continued at a more reasonable volume.

"Because he needed me to," Roxy responded defiantly.

"Because you loved him," Penny observed quietly.

Roxy could only nod in response.

"Wow," Taylor breathed. "Sister, that's some commitment."

Penny said, "So, what happened..."

"Oh, shit," Taylor interrupted. "Fucking, shit-headed asshole bastard."

"Something vexes thee?" Penny asked jokingly.

"My goddamned ex just walked in. He must have gotten out of jail."

Roxy said, "Where? Should we call the police?"

"That tall, skinny guy who's looking vacantly around the bar for me."

"Wow," Penny whispered. "I can see what attracted you to him. He's hot."

"Shut the fuck up," Taylor said with a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "We all make mistakes. Roxy here spent the better part of a decade with a guy who'd never have any appreciation for her sexy body."

"Whatever," Roxy muttered.

Penny said, "What'd he do?"

"Oh, nothing. Just stalk me mercilessly for the last two years. Shows up here at the bar, at my house, on every date I go on, in Charlotte when I drove up there to see a football game."

"Wow, creepy."

"You're telling me. I had to take out a restraining order, not that it did any good. I ended up calling the cops on him for breaking and entering in my house. Found the bastard rifling through my lingerie. Said he was looking for evidence that I was cheating on him. They were supposed to call me before he got out of prison."

Roxy said, "Not to sound repetitive, but should we call the police?"

"No. It won't do any good. I think the restraining order expired while he was in lockup so, technically, he's not doing anything wrong. I'll just go kick him out. It is my bar, after all."

"Want back-up?" Penny asked with grim determination on her face.

"Nah, but I appreciate it. Besides, that's what I pay a bouncer for. I'll be right back."

Roxy and Penny watched as Taylor crossed to the bar, tapping a rotund mustachioed man sitting at the bar on the shoulder on her way past. She confronted the wiry interloper. Their exchange seemed tense, but no one raised their voice. At length, her harasser raised his hands in surrender and walked from the bar. When Taylor returned to their table, she had a worried expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" Roxy asked. "It looked like he did just what you asked."

Taylor sighed and said, "That's what worries me. He's never given up so easily before."

Twelve

"Congratulations," Elwood called out with mock enthusiasm as he kicked open the door to Ainsley's room. "You made it to eleven, I say again, eleven consecutive nights of stealing any measure of restfulness from me like a thief in the night."

Ainsley had had another seemingly sleepless night. Elwood marveled at her stamina. Babies were supposed to require twice as much sleep as adults. But night after night, she slept for no more than two hours at a time before waking for at least that long. Logically, Elwood knew that she was sleeping much more than he was. After all, he always took a while to fall asleep after she finally succumbed to exhaustion. But this was little consolation to his almost deliriously sleep deprived brain. Ainsley had been alternating between crying and senselessly babbling in her crib for the last ninety minutes. Elwood finally submitted to the inevitable when he saw the first rays of morning peeking through the blinds of his room.

He got her up and changed her, taking some small comfort in the smile she gave him in the process. For all her restlessness, she never gave off a vibe of being displeased with his company. Elwood suspected Roxy had hit the nail on the head with her assessment that Ainsley simply missed her daddy. He could certainly relate. Being in this house, caring for Ainsley, he missed his friend so much it nearly incapacitated him. He was surrounded by reminders of the good times they had had together. Not to mention the reminders of Ivy. Elwood strongly suspected that being here was driving him slowly insane.

As Ainsley was finishing breakfast, and Elwood was starting his third cup of coffee, he heard a knock at the door. He checked the clock and saw that it was still before seven. He bitterly wondered if perhaps Roxy and her pals had, instead of searching out a nice family to adopt Ainsley, instead decided to just take her by force having seen sufficient evidence of his terrible suitability as a caregiver. He had a sour expression on his face when he pulled open the front door, but the sarcastic remark died on his lips when he beheld the person standing on the front porch.

"Well would you look at this morose motherfucker," a familiar voice decried with a smile on his face.

"Duke!" Elwood exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I need an excuse to visit my good friend, Elwood? A friend, I might add, who somehow forgot to mention that his closest friend had passed away. A friend who might have needed some emotional support during this trying time. Now that I think about it, perhaps he's not such a good friend."

"Shut the fuck up," Elwood said gregariously. "Come on in."

Duke followed him into the house, dropping his ubiquitous satchel in the entryway. Elwood had never been granted access to the satchel's interior, but Duke had a knack of producing whatever implement the moment required from the satchel with almost supernatural consistency.

Upon entering the living room, he made a sound somewhere between a gasp and a chuckle and said, "Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit. Hello darlin'. How'd you wind up with this shady character?"

"Just rotten luck, I suppose," Elwood supplied.

Duke wandered aimlessly around the house, taking in the pictures and the décor. It did not even occur to Elwood to question him. Duke had been in a position of authority over him for the majority of his professional career. But, more than that, Duke was one of his last remaining true friends, a person from whom he had nothing to hide. Furthermore, he found himself wanting Duke to know everything about this part of his life.

He took a moment to glance out front and was unsurprised to find no car there. Duke had always been one to fully embrace the itinerant lifestyle of a professional musician. To the best of Elwood's knowledge, the man had virtually no material possessions outside of a large homestead outside Nashville and a massive collection of musical instruments. He lived his life in tour buses and hotels and used hired cars to get around. Elwood would not have been surprised to discover that Duke did not even have a driver's license. He had a moment of guilt over the cost Duke must have paid to get from the Savannah airport all the way out to Tybee. But that feeling was fleeting. After all, Duke could have called, and Elwood would have gladly picked him up.

At length, Duke returned to the living room where Elwood was seated on the couch and Ainsley was amicably rolling on the floor and trying to taste test her sock without removing it. Duke dropped onto the couch next to Elwood and regarded the younger man intently.

"You haven't been taking care of yourself."

"Kinda hard when this little pain in the neck wakes me up every couple hours."

"It ain't just the sleep, my friend," Duke observed sagely. "You ain't been eatin' right neither."

"Guilty."

"Why didn't you tell me your friend was sick? I coulda found a sub. You didn't have to stick with the tour until the bitter end."

Elwood said, "How could I? I didn't know. First I heard he was sick was the night I left the tour. Sorry about leaving you high and dry, by the way."

"It ain't no thang. I found a guy loads better than you in the next town."

"Well, thank goodness for that."

Duke was silent for a few moments before saying, "It sucks what happened to your friend. And to you. And to that beautiful little girl. But this ain't the end of the world. You gotta just pick yourself up and keep going. That's ninety percent of parenting, you know. Just keep going. And do your best. You won't always succeed, but if you have a good heart, you'll win more than you lose."

"Why the wisdom download?" Elwood scoffed. "Besides, what do you know about parenting? And don't tell me about that time you toured with the boy band."

"You get the wisdom download because I ain't never seen you so down in the dumps. That was a fucking meatball I lobbed over the plate about finding a better horn player than you. And you didn't even think about swinging at it. You just lazily watched it fly on by. You know damn well I can't find anyone good as you. That's why you been one of my go-to guys goin' on five years. The guy I brought in ain't fit to tune your ax. But don't you go worryin' about that now. Your place is here."

"I'm not so sure," Elwood murmured.

"What was that?"

"I suck at this, Duke. Like... I really suck at this. You know me. I was never looking for the wife, the two-point-three kids and the white picket fence. I had a good thing going, now that this damn pandemic is getting under control. I was back on the road. I was happy."

"Bullshit," Duke retorted angrily. "Double bullshit with a dash of horseshit and a buffalo shit chaser."

"The hell you say. Look at me. I ain't slept right in weeks. That little girl deserves better than me."

"How 'bout you? Don't you deserve something?"

"I deserve a good night of sleep."

"I'm gonna tell you something, youngster. Something I wish someone woulda told me when I was your age."

Ainsley started to fuss, so Elwood plucked her from her enclosure. She eyed Duke warily before reaching in his direction. Elwood asked with his eyes if Duke wanted to hold her, and he reached out his arms. Ainsley ran her finger down Duke's midnight black skin, not unlike she had done numerous times with Elwood's tattoos. At length, she apparently designated Duke acceptable and began cooing appreciatively.

Duke began speaking without taking his eyes from Ainsley, his voice barely above a whisper. "You once asked me why I never started my own band. I gave you some BS line about not wanting to deal with the hassles."

"I believe your words were more along the lines of not needing to buy a cow."

Duke grinned and said, "No, that was when you asked me why I didn't get married. In a way, that relates to my point. I was married." Surprise was evident on Elwood's face. It grew in magnitude when Duke continued. "Three times."

"Really. How come you never said anything?"

"What's there to say? We got married. They got sick of me being gone. End of marriage."

"Any kids?"

"Yeah," Duke responded sadly. "Five of them. And seven grandchildren."

"Wow. Who woulda thunk? That's awesome, man."

"Hardly," Duke said bitterly. "I ain't seen any of 'em in years. My grandchildren don't even know I exist."

"Why? Because your ex's wouldn't let you see them?"

"No, because I didn't make time for them. I was too busy livin' the dream. And where did that get me? Old, decrepit, alone. If I was struck dead tomorrow, not a damn soul would even know I was gone."

"Hey," Elwood retorted angrily. "I would miss you. You have the distinct honor of being my best friend."

"Only by process of elimination. No offense. I appreciate the sentiment, but truth is that if I had gone to my reward yesterday, it woulda been weeks before you thought to reach out to me. I value your friendship, truly I do, but we ain't family Elwood. Not like you and her daddy were."

"What's your point?"

"My point is, you ignorant bastard, you got a chance to mean something to someone. And to let her mean something to you. If I could go back and change anything, it would be to stick around for my babies. To be the dad they needed."

"But I'm not her daddy," Elwood replied weakly.

"The hell you ain't. Maybe you didn't get to participate in the fun part. But you're damn sure her daddy now. It's high time you start acting like it. I guaran-damn-tee that the reason that sweet little thing is giving you such a hard time is because you're keepin' her at arm's length. You ain't allowin' yourself to love her. She might not be able to talk, but she can tell you're holding back."

"But I'd have to give up..."

"What?" Duke snapped. "You'd have to give up what, exactly. Touring with has-beens desperately trying to get a paycheck for one final tour? Those jokers we was touring with were all used up. You know that. We were carrying their asses. I didn't tell you earlier, but their instruments weren't even plugged in."

"You're shitting me!"

"Nope. Full fuckin' Mila Vanilla. That what you want to do until you're as old and used-up as me? What the fuck for? I know you got plenty of money, 'specially now." He gestured to the house around them.

"You couldn't walk away," Elwood said quietly. "I know those shows were shit, but the high was still there."

"Huh? I thought you were clean."

"I'm not talking about drugs. I mean the high of performing. Getting up in front of a crowd who's been waiting all day to see you play. Settling into the groove and taking the audience on a journey with the music. I missed it man. This last year and a half, I was craving it. And the second I get it back everything goes to shit. Now I'm expected to care for my best friends' baby because they both got cut down in their prime."

"I'm only gonna say this once, my friend. And I'm saying it as your friend. Get the fuck over yourself."

Elwood stared at him, expecting to see a grin on his friend's face. Instead, he found only a deadly serious expression. Duke appeared to consider his words carefully before speaking. "You're at a crossroads, my friend. One road you know. You've been traveling it your whole adult life. You'll get your high, but that's it. You won't find love, either the kind that little girl wants to give you or the kind a nice lady would be way more fuckin' likely to give you if you weren't a wandering gypsy.

"The second path is unknown to you. And to me, if I'm honest. It means staying here, letting yourself try to be the daddy that little sweetheart deserves. And maybe finding some real happiness. And, you know what else? And I'm shocked this hasn't occurred to you, considering you're a pretty smart guy. You can still fucking perform. Everywhere you go, people want to hear good music. I guarantee someone in this town wants to hear you play. Tell you what. I'm planning on hanging around a while..."

"Oh really."

"Yup. At least until you agree that I'm right."

Elwood grinned at him and said, "And?"

"And maybe I'll do a show with you while I'm here. Establish your bona fides, as it were."

"Any chance I can talk you out of this?"

Duke crossed his arms, leaned back on the couch, and said, "Nope."

Thirteen

"Who. Brought. Donuts." Penny exclaimed from the breakroom.

Roxy stood from her newly minted office and joined her in the breakroom. She smiled and raised her hand shyly.

"I hate you," Penny said with a smile. Penny only hesitated for a moment before selecting a pastry from the box and taking a bite. "Mmm... I mean I love you. You didn't have to do this."

"I know," Roxy said demurely. "I just wanted to say thank you to both you and Winifred."

"For what?"

"For making me feel so welcome. I've been here two weeks and I can't remember ever being so happy to go to work."

"Aw. Honey. Come here."

Penny hugged Roxy tightly and said, "I'm so glad you're here. You're a natural with the kids. Besides, you're just plain nice to be around."

"Thanks. I really like it here. I was thinking maybe, if you're not busy, and if you want to, that you could help me look for more permanent housing later this week."

"I'd love to," Penny gushed. "How about Thursday after work?"

"Sounds great," Roxy replied before returning to her office with an irrepressible smile on her face. She sat down and pulled up her schedule for the day, delighted that she was finally starting to get busy. She had been given carte blanche for building a youth program, which made sense considering her history in youth ministries. She was currently focusing on the arts, building programs which gave some screen-free alternatives to the community's youth.

She was initially surprised at the demographics of the island, specifically the presence of so many lower to middle income families considering the number of million-dollar homes which featured so prominently along the main thoroughfare. But the island was far older than the boom of luxury homes catering to celebrities and the ultra-wealthy which had started showing up a few decades prior. That left plenty of room for a significant percentage of the island's residents, who were firmly in the lower income brackets whilst living in homes their families had owned for generations.

She was working on a plan to raise money to purchase musical instruments for the island's less privileged children when she heard a knock at her office door. She looked up to see a vaguely familiar looking young woman standing in her doorway.

"Good morning," Roxy said pleasantly.

The woman's embarrassment was written all over her face, but she said nothing.

"Well, come on in," Roxy said, standing up and gesturing to the chair before her desk. When the young woman was seated, Roxy took her own seat and said, "Now, how can I help you?"

"I'm Viola. I work for Taylor."

"That's where I remember you from," Roxy said loudly.

"Yeah. I remember seeing you and Penny having lunch in there last week."

Roxy sat patiently, waiting for her guest to explain her presence. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Roxy spotted a single tear making its way down Viola's cheek. Roxy sprang from her seat and rounded the desk to sit next to her.

"Hey, it's ok," Roxy said gently as she rubbed Viola's back.

"No," Viola whispered through her tears. "It really isn't ok at all. I'm so fucked."

***

"Hey Penny," Roxy murmured hesitantly. "You got a second?"

"Sure, honey. What's up?"

Roxy walked into Penny's office, closing the door behind her, before taking a seat. She took a moment to collect her thoughts before saying, "This is going to sound... a little weird. Just please humor me. Here goes. What would you say, in general, our job is here?"

"That is a bit of an odd question."

"I know. Just bear with me. How would you answer the question?"

Penny thought for a moment before saying, "We serve the community, especially those less fortunate. Why?"

"I've got a young woman in my office who needs help, and I'm having trouble deciding how best to help her."

"I don't suppose you could be more specific?"

Roxy sighed and said, "She asked me to preserve her confidentiality."

"I see. Well, in that case, it's hard to advise you. But my philosophy has always been to do whatever I can to help people so long as it doesn't hurt anyone else. I'm not sure what sort of help she needs, but if she is in danger, you should definitely call the cops."

"I really appreciate that," Roxy said with a large sigh before getting up and heading for the office door.

"That's it?" Penny asked incredulously. "You're just gonna come in here, ask a super cryptic question, and then leave?"

"Yeah. Like I said, she asked me to be discrete."

Roxy returned to her office and asked her guest if she needed anything. She sat awkwardly at her desk for a moment before once again begging Viola's indulgence for a few more moments. She stepped outside and took a seat on a bench near the playground. The presence of the young children on the playground did no more to resolve her quandary than did Penny's well meaning, but wholly unhelpful, answer to her question.

"I should have known that this issue would come up. Of all the problems to walk into my door, why did it have to be this one?"

She leaned back and blew out a long breath. She then took another look at the playing children and realized that Elwood and Ainsley were among the parkgoers. She stood and walked in their direction with a haste borne out of a desire to act before she could talk herself out of it. She reached the swing where Ainsley was giggling in delight and smiled at the young girl's happiness.

"Roxy?" Elwood asked slowly. She looked up at him and saw a perplexed look on his face. He said, "Everything ok?"

"Yes," she answered forcefully. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well, I said your name three times before you responded."

A blush spread across Roxy's cheeks. She murmured, "Oh. Sorry."

He shrugged and said, "No worries," before going back to pushing Ainsley on the swing. His demeanor was not that of someone annoyed at an interruption. Rather he gave off the vibe of someone who respected the gift of silence, and someone who knew that Roxy would need no prompting from him should she wish to have a conversation.

"So," she began. "How's it going?"

"Interesting. We've had an unexpected visitor, a guy I used to tour with a lot."

"Oh. So, is this like a Cousin Eddie situation?"

Elwood grinned and said, "Nothing like that. Duke's honestly more of a father figure to me. Took me under his wing when I first got into the business and showed me the ropes. As much as anyone else, he's the reason I'm still in the business. He seems content to stay for a while, so I'm sure you'll meet him at some point. You can't miss him. He's the quintessential old blues man. Skin the color of aged molasses, no hair except for eyebrows and a soul patch, and a pimp hat collection which will likely go to the Smithsonian when he goes to his reward."

"How nice. I look forward to meeting him."

"As do I. So, what's up?"

"Hmm?" Roxy responded distractedly.

"Well, you look like someone pissed in your cereal and you're acting like you just did a handful of whippets in your office before stumbling outside."

"What are whippets?"

"Never mind that now. Something's clearly on your mind. So, I repeat, what's up?"

Roxy dropped into the swing next to Ainsley and looked up at Elwood forlornly. She mumbled, "You'll think I'm being silly."

"It's possible, although unlikely. In our admittedly limited interactions, I've found you to be decidedly not silly. You actually strike me as an unusually competent woman."

"Why," Roxy retorted defensively. "Because most women aren't competent? Or perhaps because women aren't even supposed to be competent in the first place."

Elwood raised his hands in surrender and said, "Of course not. I meant you are unusually competent. Not for a woman, or a Caucasian, or an American. Just an unusually competent human. The use of the noun 'woman' was regretfully chosen. I formally petition to be allowed to withdraw it and offer my most sincere apologies."

"No, it's my fault for jumping down your throat. I'm not really at my best this morning."

"That much is certain," Elwood observed nonjudgmentally.

"I've got someone in my office looking for help," Roxy began simply. "And even though what she's asking for isn't, strictly speaking, what we do here, I can't ignore the fact that she's in trouble and I could most certainly help her."

"So, what's the rub?"

"Oh nothing, just the fact that what I would have to do to help her runs contrary to everything I've ever been taught, and everything which I thought I believed?"

Elwood said, "I see. What is it, is she asking you to help her cover up a murder?" Roxy stared at him in horror. He recoiled and said, "Oh shit, that's it, isn't it? She killed some drifter as part of a sorority prank but she's the chief of police's niece and you have to help her cover it up or she'll pin it on you. That's some heavy shit."

Roxy laughed in spite of herself. She said, "That's remarkable. How'd you guess?"

"I'm clairvoyant when it comes to beautiful women who are dealing with traumatic crises of faith at work."

Roxy's breath caught at his words, and she was unable to prevent herself from murmuring, "You think I'm beautiful?"

Elwood's mouth snapped closed like one of the hippos in the children's board game. He appeared to glance skyward, although the actual direction in which his eyes were looking was impossible to determine due to his ubiquitous sunglasses. At length, he simply said, "Unquestionably. How could you ever think otherwise? Now, since we've established that you have not been asked to cover up the murder of a drifter by a rogue niece of a corrupt police chief, why don't you tell me what's actually happening?"

Roxy was still not over being called beautiful. In fact, a voice in her mind was loudly repeating that no one other than her parents had ever called her beautiful. And they had stopped calling her beautiful long before she had started high school. She had always thought of herself as frumpy. She had hair which she had given up on taming and allowed to be styled in a fashion dictated by her mother. This left her looking like a middle-aged high school teacher from the seventies. She had also always considered herself to be too heavy, not quite being able to achieve the flat stomach and slender limbs of the girls in high school who had been granted 'hot' status. Her mother had tried to tell her that men would appreciate her full figure, especially her large breasts and wide hips, but no one in her hometown had ever given her a second look. In the estimation of everyone she had ever known, including herself, she was nothing more than a member of the clergy and therefore exempt from such concepts as beautiful or, God forbid, sexy.

"Hello?" Elwood interrupted her spiraling thoughts gently. "You still with me?"

Roxy smiled shyly up at him, momentarily forgetting her previous reason for being so out of sorts. Then, like a rollercoaster cresting the top of the first hill, everything came rushing back to her. She blurted out, "Do you think abortion is murder?"

Elwood did not recoil from her or run screaming for the admittedly distant hills. He did not even look particularly uncomfortable at her mention of one of the more complicated questions in modern society. He simply said, "I'm not sure that's the right question to ask."

"Huh? How is that not the most important question?"

"I could be witty and say the more important question is what you believe. But I think the bigger issue is that that particular question is misleading and inaccurate."

"How so?"

Elwood said, "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions, in the interest of not making any assumptions about you?"

"Sure, I guess so."

"You were raised in a religious household, am I right?" Roxy nodded. Elwood continued, "And your church was enthusiastically opposed to abortion?" Another nod. "How about the war in Afghanistan? Or the ones in the Gulf?"

"We were very supportive of the troops." Roxy admitted.

"But what about the wars themselves? Was your family, or your congregation, for or against them?"

"I suppose for. I never really thought about it before, but I guess the general consensus was that it was justified."

She started to continue, but Elwood interrupted and asked, "And what about capital punishment?"

Roxy sighed, having been expecting this question, but she answered honestly, "They were in favor. We were in favor, would be more accurate since I've cast my share of votes for conservative candidates. It seems silly to say out loud now, but it never really occurred to me that it wasn't right, despite the fact that the New Testament seems to be very much against it."

Elwood said, "So, we've established that your family, and your congregation, are in favor of some killing. Calling it murder muddles things, but the fact of the matter is that they support state sponsored killing in some circumstances. Yes?" Roxy nodded dejectedly. Elwood shrugged and said, "So the question with abortion isn't 'is it murder?', or even 'is it wrong?', since we've established that even people on the far-right wing of our country's politics believe that some killing is ok. The question is, 'is it moral?'"

Roxy frowned at the unexpected turn of an argument she had heard, and participated in, countless times. She said, "But what is morality if not what I've been taught my whole life in church?"

"You're a smart cookie, you know better than to believe that any church dictates morality. Morality isn't what was written four hundred years ago by a bunch of monks who believed that bathing was bad for you. It's a generally held understanding of what is, or isn't, in the best interest of the perpetuation of the species."

She smirked and said, "You expect me to retort that the bible was written thousands of years ago, rather than hundreds. Don't you?"

"I suppose I considered the possibility. It encourages me to discover that you're an educated woman."

"But aren't you kind of making the point in favor of abortion being wrong? How can it be in the best interest of the perpetuation of the species to allow a baby to be killed?"

Elwood paused in pushing Ainsley on the swing to throw his arms up in frustration. He said, "There's more to the advancement of the human race than numbers. We've nearly doubled our numbers in the last fifty years, but do you think most people think we're better off? More is not always better. Perhaps the species would be better off with a few less people and a bit more critical thinking. But you can also consider this on a more personal level. Say you've got a young lady in your office who needs help because she was raped and now finds out she's pregnant."

Roxy's adrenaline spiked instantly. She gasped and whispered, "How did you know?"

He shrugged and said, "Why else would you be this conflicted? If it had just been some woman in her twenties who came to you and said she didn't feel like making her fiancé wrap it up, and now none of her big plans are going to work out because the dream life she plotted out when she was in grade school didn't call for getting pregnant until she was thirty-three, you'd have felt sorry for her, but I don't think you'd have been compelled to act. So clearly, you're dealing with someone who's in capital T, trouble. The most likely form of that, unfortunately, is the situation I described previously."

Roxy's heart was still beating so loud it threatened to drown out her hearing from Elwood's eerily accurate assessment of her situation, but not so much that she could not concede the logic of Elwood's point. She gestured for him to continue.

"So, let's consider her situation with respect to your question about morality and what is best for the species. Say that poor girl is forced to carry the baby to term and gives birth. She then decides she's going to do what the church tells her is right and raise the baby. But she's not really ready to be a mom. She'll do her best and raise a pretty good kid. And when her baby graduates from high school, she'll be a forty-year-old single woman whose career has been stuck in neutral for two decades.

"Now, alternatively, if she's allowed to terminate the pregnancy that was, quite literally, forced upon her and get back to her life, hopefully with plenty of therapy to deal with the mountain of trauma she's endured, she'll be far more likely to strive for the two-point-three kids and a white picket fence. In other words, the odds are strongly in favor of her having more children if she's not forced to be a mother before she's ready. Ergo, abortion is moral in her case even if only considered as a numerical exercise.

"Furthermore, in my opinion, it is moral for society as a whole. Our species is hardly in need of as many children as possible anymore. We need well-adjusted children from happy families. We are, quite literally, killing the planet due to uncontrolled fruitful multiplication since the turn of the last century due to spectacular advances in medical science. Not only do I think the government should be permanently forbidden from outlawing abortion, I say we go the other way and make birth control compulsory. Temporarily sterilize all males between the ages of fifteen and thirty-five and make people get signatures from... I don't know... say twenty of their friends and relatives before their sterilization can be reversed."

Roxy's head was spinning. In more than a decade of gleefully arguing the opposite side of this very question, she had never heard such a compelling argument. On either side. She was at once embarrassed for her former position and amazed at the clarity of Elwood's argument. She gave him a crooked grin and said, "You seem like you've given this a lot of thought."

"Lots of hours on the road by myself. What can I tell you? I didn't want to become a mindless drone watching shows that are objectively terrible, so I read. A lot."

"I still don't know, Elwood. Your argument sounds completely reasonable. And I know you're right about the young woman in my office. It will ruin her life if she's forced to keep this baby. It's just so hard to not think about what I'll be helping her do to her child."

"I know," Elwood said comfortingly. "It's one thing to consider in theory. It's wholly different when it's staring you in the face. Despite all my bloviating, I'm not sure how I'd react if someone I cared about was in that situation. The only comfort I can give you is to perhaps stop thinking of this as black and white: either you help her terminate the pregnancy or you don't. Instead, consider the long-term ramifications. Perhaps instead of weighing what happens if you help her against the best-case scenario, you should also consider the possibility that the piece of shit who raped her has saddled her with an unhealthy baby. How much worse off is everyone if she miscarries late term, or perhaps even experiences complications with the delivery and is injured or killed. You can't know the future. But, if it is any consolation, I can tell you that if it was me in your shoes, I would help her without hesitation."

Roxy stood and said, "Thank you, Elwood. I think that does help. Well, I guess I've left her waiting long enough."

She regarded him for a moment, wrestling with the urge to hug him which had unexpectedly washed over her. Instead, she awkwardly waved and hurried back toward her office.

"Good luck," Elwood said to her back as he resumed pushing Ainsley on the swing.

Fourteen

"Where you been?" Duke asked congenially as Elwood pushed Ainsley's stroller through the front door.

Elwood said, "Hold that thought," before taking Ainsley upstairs to change her. As he went through the process, he realized that for the first time it was just a chore. The first time Marcus had ever asked him to change Ainsley, his reaction had been worthy of a viral social media clip. He had run the gamut of pitiful male reactions, complete with gagging and gasping for air. Since Marcus's passing, he had had to change Ainsley countless times, but he had still found it to be a repugnant job and he was constantly dreading the next messy diaper. But as he stood above Ainsley this morning, he realized that he was simply getting the job done without emotion or physiological reaction.

Ainsley smiled up at him, almost as if she could hear his thoughts. He said, "Hey there, little lady. Did you enjoy our adventure?"

She cooed in response before reaching over to snatch a wipe from the container on her changing table and tossing it on the floor.

"Thanks," Elwood muttered. "Those things are free now, as I'm sure you've heard. Why don't we go get you something to eat and you can throw that on the floor too?" Ainsley smiled in response and clung tightly to Elwood as he walked back down the stairs.

Duke was in the kitchen, fussing over a bubbling caldron of something which smelled delightful but looked positively terrifying. He said, "So, what's the scoop?"

"Ran into someone at the playground. One of the few people in town whose name I could actually remember."

Duke arched an eyebrow and said, "I take it this person is of the female persuasion."

"Come on man. I'm not some mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging sex fiend. Unlike that drummer you hired for our tour in 2017."

"Damn, I forgot about him. I wish I had me a time machine so I could go back and fire his ass again. He must be in jail by now, damn pre-vert. How many teenagers did we find in his room that night? Eleven?"

"You forgot the one who was passed out in the closet," Elwood offered helpfully.

"Right. So an even dozen. Back to my point. I wasn't accusing you of any kind of pre-version. I was just askin' if this person you ran into happened to be of the female variety."

Elwood grimaced and said, "Yeah, I guess so. What of it?"

"Just a question, my man. So what transpired with this female that led to you bein' gone so long? Hot date?"

"We were just talking. Her work is right near the playground I took Ainsley to."

"Musta been a hell of a conversation."

"Well, her car also broke down. So I told her to take mine and that I'd walk."

"Shit, brother. You like her, don't you?"

Elwood gave Duke a suspicious sidelong glance as he strapped Ainsley into her highchair and gave her a snack. If asked, he would have fervently denied that he was stalling, but he could not deny that it took him much longer than usual to get her squared away. At length, he dropped into a chair beside her and sighed.

"Don't think I didn't notice that you have failed to answer my question," Duke said, gesturing in Elwood's direction with the chef's knife he was using to disassemble a chicken.

"I don't have time to like anybody, except for this one," Elwood said gesturing at Ainsley.

"Bullshit. You made time today, didn't you? Besides, why didn't you call me if you was stranded? I woulda come picked you up."

"How? All that's here is the truck, and it's still got the RV attached to it. Speaking of which, I really need to take care of that soon or the neighbors are going to set fire to it."

Duke shrugged and said, "I coulda unhooked it before I came and got you."

Elwood guffawed and said, "Have you ever unhooked a fifth wheel before? To say nothing of doing it by yourself and not on pavement. Had you tried, you would likely still be at it. Or worse, the RV would be on its side with you under it. But it's no big deal. I needed the exercise. And Ainsley had a blast."

"That's good," Duke replied sagely. "That's real good. So tell me more about your lady friend."

"What do you want me to say?"

"You ain't gotta say nothin'. Your face tells the story. See? That's what I was talkin' 'bout. You can't meet no nice ladies out on the road. Just silly girls lookin' for a story to tell."

"Perhaps you're right. She certainly isn't hard on the eyes, not to mention fascinating to talk to."

"How so?"

Elwood looked contemplative before saying, "I think something happened to her wherever she came from. She strikes me as the kind of person who lived her whole life never questioning her place in the world. And then whatever happened to her happened, and it left her questioning everything. She just recently got to town, and every conversation I have with her leads me to believe she is reassessing everything. But, to her credit, she's smart enough, and brave enough, to truly seek out the right answers and not let her beliefs stand in the way of what her now critical mind tells her to be true."

"Sounds like an unusual woman."

"That she is," Elwood answered with a small grin. He glanced back at his friend and said, "Are you going to ask me now if she's hot?"

"Nah. That ain't important to anyone except the vain and the stupid. And you're neither. Hands down, the most beautiful woman I ever knew, outside of my dear departed mother, was my second wife. Even thirty years later, the thought of her still takes my breath away. The guys I was playing with didn't think she was all that. In fact, they thought I was crazy when I told them I'd gotten hitched. But she was beautiful to me. And that's all that mattered. What's she think of the little one?"

"They dig each other, man. Last time she was over, Ainsley wouldn't shut up for anything, but the second Roxy picked her up, she was content."

Duke smiled and said, "You convinced yet?"

"Of what?"

"That this is where you belong. Long as I've known you, you always talked about this place with such fondness. I know it was 'caus'a yer friends, but this place got to you. It's in your DNA now, man. You're gonna be happy here. And you're gonna make a great daddy for that little girl."

"I can't ever be her daddy."

"Wrong, my friend. You can't replace Marcus, but you're most certainly her daddy now. Being a dad ain't got nothing to do with DNA. I'm living proof of that. Being a daddy is about being there for her, protecting her, making sure the sun never sets without her knowing she is loved."

***

Elwood stared suspiciously at the house phone in what he would always think of as Marcus's parents' house. It was ringing, again. And the same caller had called four times previously over the past few days. He had always been a person to celebrate his privacy, and prided himself on living a life where his phone did not even ring unless the caller was in his very small list of acceptable contacts. But the call was coming from a local number, and he begrudgingly admitted that it might, possibly, perhaps be important. He finally decided to pick up the call when he realized that worse case scenario, he could unload the inappropriate language he had been trying to keep a lid on while Ainsley was around. But she was napping now, so any potential telemarketer would get both barrels.

He picked up the receiver and said, "Speak."

"Oh, um. I'm sorry. I may have the wrong number. I'm trying to reach the parents of Ainsley Russell. I'm with Dr. Kent's office."

"Well, I suppose that'd be me," Elwood responded gruffly.

"I'm sorry?" the flustered woman on the other end of the line stammered.

"Can we just get to the part where you tell me why you need to talk to Ainsley's parent?"

"Well, she missed her appointment yesterday and..."

"Appointment? Why would she have an appointment? She's not sick."

"It was for a well visit."

Elwood took the receiver away from his head and stared at it for a moment to ensure that he was actually speaking to another person, as opposed to some extremely elaborate deception arranged by a deranged former friend of his in an attempt to create some levity. He could find no evidence to that effect, so he put the phone back to his ear and said, "She's only one. She can't even walk yet, much less swim or climb. Why in the hell would any sane person want her anywhere near a well?"

Apparently, it was the turn of the person on the other end of the line to verify that they weren't the victim of a prank, because the line went silent for several seconds before the woman returned. She said, with some difficulty as it seemed likely that she was in the midst of some kind of fit, "It's... a... check... up."

"Oh, well why didn't you say so? We could have saved ourselves a lot of confusion. Listen, things have been pretty hectic around here, but I'd be glad to bring her in. Do you have any openings today?"

The woman managed to stammer her way through telling Elwood they had an opening in thirty minutes if he could bring her in then. He quickly agreed and hung up before the obviously insane woman on the other end of the line suffered further mental decline and started howling at the moon.

He found the doctor's office, which was tucked behind some shops along the island's main thoroughfare, in time for the appointment. He started to walk inside with Ainsley but had a moment of panic when, upon spying a mask-wearing member of the staff through the window, he realized he had no mask that would fit a baby... or indeed even himself. He briefly looked around the car (which Roxy had returned late the previous day) but came up empty. A search of her diaper bag also yielded no results. He next tried to call the office but realized he had forgotten to write down the number, so it was not yet in his mobile phone. He finally settled for walking Ainsley up to the front door. He opened the door and peered inside without crossing the threshold.

At length, a familiar-sounding voice said, "Can I help you?"

"Yeah. I'm the guy you just spoke to on the phone. I'm here with Ainsley Russell. But I realized I don't have a mask for her."

"Oh, that's ok," a new voice called out.

"Yeah," he growled in frustration, "because a baby is so much more resistant to diseases than a fucking..."

Elwood was interrupted as a sturdily built woman with close cropped hair, and who appeared to be in her mid-thirties, stepped outside to confront him. She was dressed in cargo shorts, sandals and a t-shirt for a singer-songwriter duo from Atlanta. Over this she wore a white coat and had a stethoscope slung around her neck. She said, "Good morning, Mr. LaJoie. What my receptionist meant was that babies don't need them. They could actually do more harm than good with the little ones. They're a suffocation risk until they reach twenty-four months."

"Oh," Elwood said as he belatedly stepped inside. "Sorry if I was..."

"It's nothing. I'd much rather deal with a parent who's too cautious over one who thinks that germs were a concept dreamt up by the government as a means to control the populace. Any change in her insurance?"

"Oh, um. I'm not sure. I guess I can probably get her added to my insurance through the union..."

"Tell you what, we'll hold off on doing any filing for today's visit until you find out. And feel free to reach out to us if you have any problems. I've got a girl who works for me who has lots of experience dealing with insurance companies."

"Thanks so much. I really appreciate it."

"I appreciate what you're doing for that darling little lady. Now, why don't you come on back?"

The exam went quickly. The woman in the white coat, who Elwood learned was Dr. Zoe Kent, went through a series of checks to ensure that Ainsley was healthy. She handed him a sheaf of papers which, to his eyes, were filled with meaningless hieroglyphics. She assured him that they were merely the quantitative measures which established that Ainsley was of average length and weight. She advised him to make sure she ate plenty of dairy and asked a barrage of questions about what milestones she had achieved.

Elwood looked at her helplessly and said, "I don't really know any of that."

"I know," Dr. Zoe said comfortingly. "And that's ok. Really, its fine. I'm not asking you these questions because I expect you to know the answers. I ask so you'll know what to watch for as she grows. That way, when I see you in three months, you'll be able to answer more authoritatively."

"I see."

"I get it, Elwood. This is a huge responsibility. But that little girl loves you to pieces. And I promise I'll do whatever I can to help. Here's my card. I put my mobile number on the back. You ever have any questions, day or night, you call me."

"Thanks, doc. I appreciate it. We all done here?"

"Not quite," she said hesitantly. "She's due for some vaccinations."

"What, are you worried I'm one of those morons who think vaccinations are filled with microchips and poison?"

Her eyes smiled as she said, "Well, that was one of my concerns, if I'm being honest. So, can I infer from your response that you wish Ainsley to continue the recommended schedule of vaccinations?"

"Of course. You people studied for decades to be experts in this stuff. You're the expert here. I'm only good at playing trombone."

"Well, that's pretty awesome. And I'm sure you also worked for decades to get to your current level of proficiency. But I have one last question, and I want to assure you that there is really, really, really no wrong answer. Do you want to be with her when she gets the injections?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Elwood asked with a puzzled expression on his face.

"She's gonna cry. A lot. It's hard to take, even for me and I do this every day. If you like, you can wait outside, and a nurse can bring her out once she calms down."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense. I appreciate the offer, but I think I'm going to stay. I can't bear the thought of her going through this with nothing but a bunch of strangers around."

Dr. Zoe's eyes crinkled, and she whispered, "Can I tell you a secret?" Elwood nodded, so she continued, "I lied. There was a wrong answer. But you just gave the best answer. You're gonna be a great daddy, Elwood. Hang tight, this will be over before you know it."

Fifteen

"You know," Roxy called out to Elwood, who she once again found stationed at the playground swing set adjacent to her office, "I'm sure there are other things little Miss Ainsley enjoys other than the swings."

"I'm open to suggestions," he responded affably. "But she was a bundle of tears after getting her shots earlier. I just wanted to make sure I got a smile on her face before we went home."

"Oh, the poor dear," Roxy said as she approached the duo.

Elwood only nodded curtly by way of reply, his ubiquitous sunglasses preventing Roxy from gaining any further insight as to his mental state.

Roxy sat in the swing next to Ainsley and said, "How are you doing?"

"Fine. You?"

"I mean it, Elwood. I know those shots are harder on the parents than on the kids. Sure, they scream bloody murder for a while, but I assure you she's already forgotten the whole thing. Whereas I'm guessing you've still got enough adrenaline coursing through your system to bench press a medium-sized sedan."

"I guess so. I could certainly think of better ways to spend an afternoon. Feels like I just got off stage, but not in a good way. The worst part was right as it happened. It's not like I could tell her what's coming. So she goes from one minute, laying there just carelessly watching all the strangers gathered around her. Then, BLAM! Stabby-stab-stab-stab. And she looks at me like, 'How could you let them do this to me?'."

Almost without conscious thought, Roxy stood and took the few steps to stand next to Elwood. Just before she gave him the hug her instincts told her was called for, she noticed his eyebrows raise ever so slightly and it suddenly occurred to her that it might be profoundly awkward. Instead, she settled for rubbing his arm and saying, "I'm sure that was awful for you. But you know what that means, don't you?"

"That I'm a terrible person for allowing it to happen?"

"No," Roxy said quietly. "It means she trusts you. That she knows you'll take care of her."

"Great. Awesome. Thanks a lot."

"What?"

He said, "So, you're saying the moment I gain her trust, I turn around and lose it immediately? That's just terrific. You're really good at this motivational stuff. You should try your hand at coaching athletes who just blew the big game."

"You didn't lose her trust, you big jerk. Look at her. Her smile could light up Savannah. She doesn't have a care in the world, and it's because you're here."

"Maybe, but it still felt pretty shi... crappy."

"Well, I'm sorry for being so blunt. But it's the truth."

"Oh, no. I didn't mean what you said was crappy. I meant I was crappy for putting her through that. I know it was a necessary evil. But I've decided I'm still allowed to feel bad about it. And I do."

"Well, how about I take you both for ice cream?" Roxy asked brightly. "It'll cheer you up."

Elwood peered down at Ainsley and said, "What do you say, squirt? Feel like making a mess the likes of which even God has never seen?"

Ainsley enthusiastically waved her arms in support and screeched in delight. Elwood transferred her to her stroller and accompanied Roxy across the street to one of the island's many ice cream shops. After ordering, he steered them towards the outdoor tables and took a seat.

Roxy sat across the table from him and cringed as Ainsley stuck her hand into the bowl of ice cream. She said, "Should we put a bib on her or something?"

"That'll just be something else to clean. I've developed a theory that it's better to just accept the inevitable and then clean up the mess afterward. The mess is the same either way, but this way I'm not bitching at her the whole time."

"That's very... enlightened. Don't take this the wrong way, but you're pretty good at this dad thing." Elwood sighed before taking a bite of ice cream but made no reply. Roxy desperately wanted to ask if he had had a change of heart about putting Ainsley up for adoption, but she held her tongue. Instead, she said, "Why do you always wear sunglasses?"

"Well, not always. I wasn't wearing them the day you came by the house."

"Ok," she allowed. "Almost always."

"You still haven't seen the movie, have you?"

"I'm not sure what you mean, so I guess the answer is no."

He gave her the merest hint of a grin and said, "One day, maybe we could watch it together. As far as the shades, I guess I just always dug them. Makes playing gigs a lot easier, what with all the lights. In any case, it's been part of my look for as long as I can remember. Why, do they bother you?"

"No. I mean, not really. I just never realized how much unspoken communication happens with the eyes."

He smiled wider and took off his shades, putting them in his shirt pocket before pulling down his fedora to shade his eyes. He said, "Better?"

She tried very hard not to sigh in contentment. She had forgotten how mesmerizing his deep blue eyes were. Even closed against the sun, they still drew her in with an undeniable magnetism. She had the sudden sensation that she could spend hours looking at those eyes, and the time would not have been wasted. At length, she realized he was waiting for an answer and stammered, "Much. Thank you."

"My pleasure. Thanks for the ice cream." He seemed to regard her for a few moments before continuing. "So, where'd you move here from?"

"Arkansas," Roxy answered simply. "How about you, where'd you grow up?"

"Dallas."

"Oh, we went there a few times for conventions. It's... big."

"That it is. And flat. And big. And obsessed with the movement of a small obolid bladder filled with air."

"You don't like football?" Roxy asked with a smirk.

"I like football fine. But I find that I tend to hate the people that love football."

"Is that why you decided to live your life on tour?"

He said, "Not directly. I actually went to school in New Orleans. That's where I met Marcus. I was always really into music and performing, but I'd never given any serious thought to doing it for a living until I lost my folks."

"Why not? You seem to be quite successful at it."

"Sure, now. After I put in my dues. Not to mention becoming a much better player. But I was underwater for many years after I first started."

"What happened to your parents?" Roxy asked hesitantly before hastily adding, "If you don't mind me asking."

"I don't mind at all. They were killed in a helicopter crash in Vietnam when I was twenty."

Roxy reached out to take his hand and said, "I'm so sorry for your loss. Were you close to them?"

"Sure. I mean, I guess so. I'm an only child, same as Marcus. So I was pretty tight with my folks. They were good people. They did ok for themselves, and even better by me. But once I went off to school, they started doing all the traveling they had dreamed about while they were raising me. They had an epic bucket list. Near the top of that list was seeing Ha Long Bay."

"Did they get to see it before the crash?"

"Yeah, they sure did. They made it through almost a third of the list before they passed away."

Roxy sighed and said, "I think that's beautiful, in a way. How many people never make the time, or get the chance, to live out any of their dreams. I'm glad your parents got to live some of theirs."

Elwood grinned, and his deep blue eyes sparkled with a mixture of mirth and wistfulness. He said, "I couldn't agree more. So, how about your folks?"

"Still in Arkansas, as far as I know."

"Sounds like there's a story there."

She said, "Well, I... oof..." Roxy stopped speaking and reached her hand up in confusion, suddenly feeling the sensation of cool moisture which was anything but pleasing pervade the side of her head.

"Oh, shit!" Elwood declared as he sprang from his chair. "Damnit Ainsley."

Roxy looked in the little girl's direction in time to catch a handful of ice cream square in her chest. The cold of the ice cream instantly penetrated the thin material of her blouse.

"Oh my goodness, that's cold," she gasped.

She started to raise her hand to wipe the mess away, but Elwood materialized in front of her with an absurdly large handful of napkins. He took a few and plucked the handful of ice cream from her blouse, tossing it onto the table. He then took more napkins and started to try to wipe the remaining ice cream away. This brought to the forefront of Roxy's mind the fact that the ice cream Ainsley had lobbed in her direction had landed, as near as makes no difference, directly on her starboard nipple. The cold, and Elwood's desperate attempts to clean up the mess, combined to bring her nipple instantly to full rigidity. She looked down in time to watch her nipple visibly spring to attention under his ministrations.

She stammered, "Why don't I..."

"Oh, fuck. I mean, shit. I mean... dammit Ainsley."

In response, Ainsley screeched in delight at the excitement she had caused. She then carefully stuck her ice cream filled hands into her own hair.

Roxy chuckled in spite of the horrifyingly embarrassing situation. She said, "You were saying about the wisdom of just waiting until the meal's over to worry about the mess?"

"I'm so sorry, Roxy. I never thought she'd..."

"It's fine, Elwood. Really."

"No, it isn't. It's all in your hair. Christ, Ainsley. This is worse than when you..." he stopped and glanced around at the expanding audience who had frozen in their tracks to witness the scene unfolding before them. He stammered, "You know what? Never mind that. Do you mind if I take a look at your hair?"

Roxy was about to reply, having been momentarily distracted by his aborted story retelling, when he pressed forward.

He said, "I promise no more inappropriate touches."

She flushed at his words, and her hand flew back up to her breast of its own accord. He merely quirked an eyebrow at her. She sighed and nodded. She felt his fingers gently probing her hair.

Shortly, he said, "Well, she definitely got you good. It's everywhere. We might need a Haz-Mat team."

She said, "I doubt it's that serious. But I should go get cleaned up."

She stood quickly, at which point she felt something sticky and cold trickling down her chest and between her breasts. She looked around for her purse before spotting it on the ground behind her chair. When she bent to retrieve it, she felt the unnatural way her blouse clung to her chest. She glanced down and saw that her nipple was still obviously erect and traitorously visible to anyone who cared to look. She looked up at Elwood and was certain that was exactly where his eyes had been glued moments before.

Her humiliation was complete. She could never remember looking more foolish. She hastily snatched up the remaining napkins, placing a handful against her head and another against her breast. She started to beat a hasty retreat.

"Wait," Elwood said softly.

She huffed and snapped, "What?"

"I really am very sorry about this. You have to let me make it up to you."

"Fine. Whatever. But I must get going."

"At least give me your number."

"Fine," Roxy sputtered. She snatched a business card from her purse and forced it into Elwood's hand before turning to walk toward her car as quickly as possible without actually running away.

"Thanks for the ice cream," Elwood's voice called out behind her.

Sixteen

"I found it!" Elwood declared victoriously. "The one place where you didn't get ice cream. Your left foot. Congrats, baby girl. Your apocalyptic destruction was not total."

He was prepping Ainsley for a bath in the mud room of Marcus's house while also cataloging everything else he would need to deep clean as a result of the catastrophic scene at the ice cream shop. This included Ainsley's diaper bag, Elwood himself, her car seat, and perhaps the car as a whole. For her part, Ainsley seemed quite pleased with herself, giving him a cherubic smile, which came off just a bit horrifying due to the copious amounts of ice cream still covering her face.

Elwood spent the entirety of the next two hours cleaning up the mess, but his thoughts were constantly on Roxy. Mortified did not come close to describing how Elwood felt about what he had indirectly inflicted upon her. He could distinctly remember her asking if they should not take additional precautions to prevent the baby from making a mess. But he had dismissed it almost without a thought. And, as a result, she had been publicly humiliated.

In hindsight, he could plainly see that his ready willingness to ignore proper protocol for eating in public with a baby had been motivated, at least in part, by his beguiling companion. His smile grew with the realization that, despite the mess and embarrassment, he had genuinely enjoyed spending time with Roxy, as he had each time he had encountered her. She captivated his mind with her obvious intelligence and ready willingness to consider things rationally and dispassionately. She was also one of the nicest people he had ever met, constantly driven to bring joy to the world. When combined with the fact that she was undeniably beautiful, she was the whole package.

The content curation algorithm in his mind quickly replayed the scene from the playground from a few days prior. He had inadvertently blurted out that she was beautiful, and the blush which spread across her cheeks was undeniable. He had felt bad afterward about his word choice, not because he had been insincere but because it had caused her obvious discomfort. But, upon reflection, he realized that she had not reacted with the typical discomfort one sees when paying an unexpected compliment. Roxy had not been coquettish at his remark, she had been unbelieving. As the scene replayed in his head, he could plainly see that she genuinely did not believe him.

How could such a thing be possible? Granted, her hair style could remind someone of a teacher, and not in the Van Halen song kind of way. But that hairstyle could not hide her classically beautiful face or her captivating hazel eyes. And Elwood had no idea how she could doubt that she had a great body. She had curves in all the right places and an hourglass figure highlighted by an amazing ass and full breasts. Considering her conservative nature, Elwood suspected she either did not own a swimsuit or she had one in a fashion popular in the roaring twenties. But, he ruminated, if she had the courage to don a bikini, he was certain her body would rival any of the nubile twenty somethings prancing daily along the beach.

Unbidden, the memory of how her ample breast had felt under his hand, just before the moment when both he and Roxy realized exactly where the ice cream had landed, sprang into his mind. He remembered how proudly, and prominently, her nipple had shown through her likely ruined blouse. He remembered the curve of her cleavage as she had tried to wipe away the stickiness which was flowing between her generous breasts. He remembered the delectable swish of her hips as she hurried away. His arousal grew at the memory. He glanced down at his tented shorts, glad that he was safely out of the house while he cleaned out Marcus's car, and chuckled. He murmured, "We're literally up to our ears in rapidly spoiling ice cream, and you want to play with the pretty, maybe formerly Christian girl with the nice boobies?" His erection made no reply, except to wordlessly convey that it had made its mind up on the matter and expected him to arrange the details.

Elwood completed the disgusting clean-up task before finally taking the time to clean himself up while Duke kept an eye on Ainsley. That task complete, he quickly dressed and collected his effects. In the process, he spotted the business card Roxy had handed him before scampering away. Without hesitation, he added her to his mobile phone and put her on the exclusive allowed list. He noted ruefully that the addition of Roxy rebalanced his allowed list so that the contacts associated with the living had once again pulled even with those associated with the dead.

He pulled up his texting app and started to compose a text to her, but quickly found himself frozen for want of the right words. His thoughts were filled with various scenes from his memories: her face when he called her beautiful; her determination when trying to convince him to stick around; her quick response to Ainsley's crying; her breathtaking beauty standing on the pier with the wind whipping at her hair and charmingly conservative clothing. This stood in stark contrast to the look of humiliation written all over her face earlier that day after Ainsley had bukkaked her with cotton candy ice cream. He realized despondently that any flirting would have to wait until he made sufficient amends.

His mind made up; he made a few calls to make the necessary arrangements. He then quickly typed out a text which he hoped would effectively convey everything he was feeling and hit send before he could reconsider. He then crammed his phone into his pocket and went to relieve Duke of responsibility for Ainsley.

***

Roxy groaned in frustration as she toweled her hair dry after her third consecutive shower. She felt no further remnants of the sticky ice cream, which gave her some measure of comfort as she had already decided that her only remaining option would have been to bathe in boiling water. She caught her reflection in the mirror and sighed at the angry, pink skin she saw there. She took an extra moment to examine her breasts with their decided lack of perkiness; and her annoyingly wide hips; her definitively non-flat stomach.

"Beautiful?" she muttered bitterly. "Honestly? He'd have more luck convincing me he could fly."

She peeked into her 'closet', which was nothing more than a metal bar suspended from the ceiling by a pair of metal wire loops, and grumbled about the lack of options there. A check of her dresser, a charming stack of milk crates in the corner of the room, provided her with the sinking realization that laundry day should have been yesterday. She pulled on an elderly pair of jean shorts, which she detested because of how tight they were, and a tank top with paint stains on it. She pulled her hair back in a messy ponytail and groaned in frustration when a significant percentage of her hair immediately fell back into her face.

"Seriously? What else can go wrong?"

As if in answer to her question, her phone dinged by way of announcing an incoming text message.

She glared at her phone and grumbled, "What do you want?"

She picked it up and glanced at the message, then sat carefully onto her lumpy bed and read the message again. She read it more times than she could count, but she could not force the words to make sense to her brain. She ultimately decided she must be imagining things and stuck her phone in her pocket before gathering up her laundry and heading toward the laundromat.

As she entered the laundromat, she spied Taylor sitting on a chair which was likely older than she was while staring at her phone. After loading her laundry into a pair of machines, Roxy dropped into the chair next to her friend. Taylor looked over with an annoyed expression on her face which instantly turned into a genuine smile when she recognized Roxy.

"Hey girl," Taylor said brightly. "I was just thinking about you. What's shakin'?"

Roxy said, "It's been a really weird day, if I'm being honest."

"So I heard."

"Wait, what?" Roxy gasped. "How did you know?"

"Don't sweat it, honey. I called your office earlier to see if you wanted to hang out tonight, but you weren't there. I asked Penny if everything was ok, and she said you'd called and said you had a wardrobe malfunction and needed to take the rest of the day off."

"Well... darn," Roxy muttered. "It's not like my blouse got ripped off or something. Saying wardrobe malfunction makes it sound so salacious."

"So, are you going to tell me what happened, or should I just make something up and tell it to everyone I meet?"

"That's hardly a compelling argument to tell you," Roxy observed darkly.

"Perhaps. But I swear I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to."

Roxy sighed and proceeded to recount the tale of encountering Elwood in the park, their subsequent trip to the ice cream shop and the disastrous outcome. It certainly did not help her confidence when Taylor burst out laughing when she got to the part where Ainsley had tagged her twice with ice cream missiles. And she was downright put out when Taylor snickered at the mention of Elwood's certainly non-intentional, but very memorable groping of her breast.

"You're supposed to be my friend," Roxy said before giving Taylor a bit of a shove. "Jerk."

"Come on," Taylor said. "It's funny. If this shit had happened to me, I'd totally expect you to crack up about it."

"I could never enjoy your unhappiness."

"That's my point, honey. You shouldn't be unhappy. It was funny, not tragic."

"But I looked like a fool!"

"Why?" Taylor asked with a chuckle. "Because a baby threw food at you? That's hardly your doing."

"I've been around my share of babies. I should have been on the lookout for it."

"Perhaps, but it wasn't your baby. Besides, I think you're much more freaked out about getting to second base with mister tall, dark and mysterious."

"Huh?"

"Oh, my goodness. I sometimes forget how insanely sheltered you've been. I was talking about him carefully, lovingly, sexily caressing your boob, silly."

"Oh," Roxy replied as she tried to ignore the heat that spread across her cheeks.

"Holy shit, you like him!"

"That's... that's silly."

"Like hell. What's not to like? He's nothing to write home about in the looks department, but he's got the right number of limbs and digits. Plus, he's got the whole mysterious musician thing working for him. And he's definitely into you."

"Oh, come on. Now you're just being ridiculous," Roxy replied with what she too late realized was an unnecessary amount of shrillness.

Taylor glared at Roxy before saying, "That man hasn't said more than two words to anyone on the island who isn't staying at his house, save two people. The first is Doc Kent, who he had to talk to as she was taking care of his little girl. That means it doesn't count, he had to talk to her. The second is you, who he talks to 'cause he wants to. Lemme ask you something, does he have your number?" She continued after Roxy nodded in response, "Has he called you yet? Or texted you?"

"No, at least I don't think so."

Taylor said, "Lemme see your phone."

Roxy shrugged and handed it over after unlocking it.

Taylor swiped through her phone momentarily before looking up and saying, "No socials? What are you, taking a break? I was wondering because I looked for you and couldn't find anything."

Roxy shook her head and said, "No social networking. Never saw the benefit."

"I don't know whether to pity you or be insanely jealous of you. Anyway, I don't see any calls which look like him. Although it does look like you've missed about a million calls from your mother."

"Yeah, well. She doesn't seem terribly interested in having a conversation. Just being nasty and demanding that I stop being stupid."

"I'm so sorry honey. If you ever need to talk, or a shoulder to cry on, you know where to find me."

Roxy smiled and said, "Thanks, Taylor. That means a lot."

"Anytime. But I got distracted. Let's check your texts. Um... oh... Well, would you look at that? Girl, he doesn't like you. He really likes you."

Seventeen

"Honey," Duke called out as he came through the front door. "I'm home."

"How was your day dear?" Elwood retorted gushingly.

"This is a hell of an island you got here, my friend. A hell of an island. I got me some wheels."

"Huh? I didn't even think you had a license."

"The lack of respect I have to put up with from you arrogant kids knows no bounds. No license? Shit. I been drivin' for longer than you've been alive."

Elwood grinned at his friend and said, "You must have been so relieved when they started making cars you could start from the inside, rather than having to crank it manually from the front."

"Why... I outta..."

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. So, what'd you get? And does this mean you're a permanent resident? Not that I mind."

"Go take a look," Duke said, gesturing in the direction of the front door with his chin.

Elwood opened the front door and laughed out loud when he spotted a gas-powered golfcart, complete with tricked out rims, parked in the driveway. He returned to the living room and said, "Please tell me you didn't buy that."

"Hell yes, I bought it. That thing's fucking rad. It'll do twenty-five, wide open, and has seating for six. And I can park anywhere on the island for free. And no. I'm not staying permanently. But I certainly plan to visit often. But don't worry. You're welcome to use my baby when I'm not in residence."

"How generous of you. I bet I'd get arrested for having a baby on that thing."

Elwood spotted a twinkle in Duke's eye when the latter said, "Don't be so sure. I saw several young'uns in these things today. Just strap her car seat in the same as you would do in a car. It's ok, my friend. You don't have to say thank you."

"I'm not sure I should say thank you. But I'm glad you're happy with it."

Duke nodded his acceptance to Elwood's acquiescence. He then said, "I did something else while I was out."

"Don't tell me, you bought a bedazzled surfboard, but you can't get a rack to hold it installed on your golf cart until next week."

"What sort of fool would surf on the east coast? There's no waves here. These beaches are good for relaxin' and checkin' out the fine scenery, but not much else. No, I got us a gig."

Elwood quirked and eyebrow and, after a brief pause, said, "This is my intrigued face. Do go on."

"I stopped by that community center in hopes of scopin' out yer lady friend."

"Come on, man."

"No harm done. She wasn't there. But I did meet a mighty fine lady named Winnie. She happened to mention that they were trying to raise some money for musical instruments, so I told her you and I would gather a few more friends together and play a benefit for them."

"Sounds great. Who'd you have in mind?"

"I ain't worried 'bout that. I'll put the word to the street and scare us up a passable group. Was thinking we'd go whole hog. Horn line, backup singers, the works. That way we'll pull in plenty of foot traffic the day of 'cause everyone on the island will hear us tearin' it up."

"Works for me, man. I can't wait. And, Duke? Thanks. For everything."

"Don't mention it. Now, I'm gonna go make me some phone calls."

Elwood watched him go with a grin which faded as he took another peek at his phone. He was thrilled at the prospect of playing again for people. But that elation was immediately tempered at the realization that Roxy still had not replied to his text from three days prior. To this point, he could not even be certain that she had given him the right number. He had started to compose a follow-up text countless times, but each time he deleted the message without sending it. He barely knew Roxy, but what little he knew strongly suggested that she would likely be skittish when it came to male attention.

He decided at length that what he needed was a distraction. He picked up Ainsley and, after changing her and grabbing a stocked diaper bag, headed out of the house. It took a while to get moving, as he had to move her car seat over to his dually. Not to mention the laborious process of turning the four tonne, twelve meter trailer around in the cramped subdivision. He ultimately had to make use of a neighbor's driveway, but he hoped said neighbor's feeling would be assuaged by the long overdue departure of the RV.

He crossed the causeway to the next barrier island, eventually pulling into a long term storage facility which had far more boats than wheeled vehicles. He gave the RV a final once over to ensure he had everything moved out before locking the door and starting the lengthy process of uncoupling truck from trailer. Fortunately, a young man who worked at the facility came out to help and the job was done quickly. Elwood handed him a twenty and climbed back into the dually for the return trip to the island.

Ainsley seemed to enjoy the new vehicle. Perhaps it was how much better she could see out, or the rumble of the turbodiesel engine, but her cooing filled the cabin for the entire ride. Upon making landfall on Tybee, Elwood glanced in the mirror to find Ainsley smiling brightly at him.

He said, "Lemme guess, you're not ready to go home yet."

She waved her arms animatedly and shrieked in delight.

"Ok, but how about we try out some new swings this time."

He knew it was all the same to Ainsley. But after days of unresponsiveness from Roxy, he had no wish to give her the impression he was stalking her. He instead picked a smaller playground on the southern end of the island.

***

"Are you following me?" Roxy said coquettishly to Elwood's back after spying him at the small playground across the street from her boarding house. She had initially resisted walking over to greet him. She felt bad about not responding to his text. Even though both Taylor and Penny insisted that Elwood's actions unquestionably meant he was interested in her in that way, she still could not bring herself to believe it. So, she had left the text unanswered, even though she had taken advantage of his extremely generous overtures to make amends for Ainsley's behavior. But then she saw him pick Ainsley up to adjust her outfit. Before placing her back in the swing, she wrapped her arms around his neck. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before giving her a big smile and returning her to the swing. The show of affection melted a piece of Roxy's heart and her feet carried her in his direction before she could think to do otherwise.

After her greeting, Elwood said, "Fancy meeting you here," as he started to turn to face her. She started to respond but he cut her off by exclaiming, "Wow!"

"What?" she asked shyly.

"Your hair!"

"Well... I know it's pretty extreme. I guess I just felt like I needed a change. Hopefully it won't take too long to grow back."

"No," he gushed. "I meant its fantastic."

"Really? You don't think it's too short?" Her hands raised up to touch her hair which was, as of the day prior, now styled in a very short pixie cut.

Elwood smiled and said, "No. I think it's perfect."

"I thought it looked beautiful in the pictures I saw online. But now I worry that I just look like a boy."

"No one could ever mistake you for a boy," Elwood said with a bit of huskiness to his voice. "You're gorgeous."

Roxy smiled shyly as she felt the blush spread across her cheeks. She had a difficulty looking up to meet his eyes that had nothing to do with the bright sunlight which backlit his behatted, bespectacled visage. She whispered, "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me for telling the truth."

She said, "Of course, I do. But it's not just that. You also made all this possible." Elwood merely shrugged in response. She punched him lightly in the arm and said, "You did this, you big jerk. Even though you didn't have to, you gave me a make-over and a new outfit."

"Is that it?" he asked gesturing to her light-yellow sundress which demurely hugged her curves. She nodded in response. He smiled and said, "Very nice. I like your style."

"You didn't have to do all this, Elwood. You're hardly responsible because it turns out that Ainsley has a major league arm."

"Perhaps, but I'm glad I did. The smile on your face would have made it more than worth it even if Ainsley hadn't attacked you with the last ice cream I'm ever letting her have."

Roxy's breath caught in her chest and her smile widened. She said, "That sounds pretty permanent. Does that mean..."

"Yup, you can ix-nay the adoption search. For better or worse, this little pain in the ass has convinced me to stick around. After all, I wouldn't want to miss the next horrifyingly embarrassing thing she does."

"I'm really glad to hear that. For both your sakes. What changed your mind?"

"Lots of things, if I'm being honest. You, for one. Then there was my friend Duke and Doc Kent. Also, Ainsley's certainly done a lot of work in that area. I guess I just woke up one day and no longer felt like I was just waiting for something to change, for the other shoe to drop. I had finally accepted that I was her caregiver. You know, deep down inside where it really counts. I'll never be her daddy, but I'll be the best uncle I can be."

"Good for you. If it matters, I really think you made the right call."

He smiled warmly and said, "You know what? It really does matter. But I've got a question for you."

"Name it."

"Why didn't you ever text me back? You obviously got my message." He gestured to her outfit to make his point.

"Oh... well... I'm sorry about that."

"That's hardly an explanation."

"I know. I was just embarrassed."

"Whatever for?"

Roxy groaned and said, "My silly friends were filling my head with nonsense."

"Were they trying to scare you with that silly story about the nuke that got lost off the south end of the island in the fifties?"

"No. Don't be silly. Wait, there isn't one. Is there?"

Elwood grinned and said, "I don't want to freak you out, but... maybe? There was an accident over sixty years ago, a mid-air collision if you believe the rumors. It's generally believed that the bomb was jettisoned to protect the crews and they never found it. They think its somewhere in the ocean off the south end of the island."

"Well... that's pretty terrifying."

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. I'm sorry to have brought it up." He paused, seeming to carefully consider his next words in light of Roxy's obvious discomfort. At length, he said, "Well, if it wasn't the bomb, what was the nonsense your friends were filling your head with?"

Roxy was still flustered from the mention of the missing bomb, but she also still remembered the way he had taken in her look with obvious approval. Not to mention his effusive reaction to her makeover. She decided to throw caution to the wind and just tell the truth. She whispered, "They said you liked me."

"Of course, I like you. You're the nicest person I've met since I came back."

"No, I meant they said you like me, like me."

He said, "Oh, I see." His hesitation sent a spike of fear straight into her heart. She glanced around for the easiest escape route while starting to mumble and excuse for leaving. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, his warm baritone cut her off. "Well, that isn't exactly how I intended to let you know, but they're not wrong."

"I need to get to... Wait, what?"

"I said they're not wrong. I was hoping you'd respond to my text so I would get a chance to ask you to dinner."

"You mean, like a date?"

"I mean exactly like a date. I mean, except for I think this little pain in the neck might have to tag along. She loves Duke but he's not real keen on babysitting."

"Oh, I wouldn't mind. I think that would be lovely."

"Sounds great," he said brightly. "How about I do some research on places with enough outdoor seating and get back to you?"

"Sounds great," Roxy gushed.

"You sure? It would mean you'd have to respond to my texts."

She could not have stopped the smile which spread across her face to save her life. She enthused, "I can pretty much guarantee that will happen from now on."

Eighteen

Elwood's hirsute face broke into a wide grin when he heard the telltale sign of an incoming text message. His text conversation with Roxy, which only two days prior had resembled the conversation which would take place in a very well policed library... in the middle of the night... on a holiday, now featured countless messages back and forth. Her messages gave him insight to her personality which never failed to make him think or bring a smile to his face. Her latest message in the thread related to her insistence on bringing something to dinner, which was now taking place at Marcus's house, despite the fact that her room's kitchenette was so woefully understocked that even boiling water was a challenge. Elwood insisted, not for the first time, that she need not bother to bring anything. But Roxy was insistent that it would not be proper for her to show up empty handed.

He finished dressing and headed downstairs. Duke was standing in the kitchen, having just peeked beneath the lid of a pot sitting on the stovetop. Elwood joined him in the kitchen, reaching out to grip his shoulder affectionately.

"I really appreciate you putting this together for me."

Duke quirked an eyebrow and said, "I know you can't cook worth shit. Just trying to help you make a good impression."

"Like I said, I appreciate it." Elwood paused for a moment before continuing, "Um... in case she asks... what exactly is that?"

"You uncultured clod. You ain't never had shrimp and grits before?"

"Sure, I have, but there's no shrimp in there. Or grits."

"I swear," Duke cried theatrically to the heavens. "I'm surrounded by barbarians. The grits are in the other pot. You just gotta stir that one every few minutes so it doesn't turn into library paste. As for the shrimp, those don't go in until five minutes before you eat. Otherwise, they'll come out like shoe leather. And don't forget about the pie, it's in the fridge."

"You're the best. I really appreciate this. Where are you taking Ms. Winifred?"

"Some little place along the back river. Don't worry, I'll text you before I return. You know, just in case that nice young woman decides she wants to get acquainted with your bits and pieces."

"I find that highly unlikely, but I appreciate it nonetheless."

"Don't mention it. Well, young man, it's time for me to get goin'. You kids have fun now, ya hear?"

Elwood watched his friend and bandmate depart with a smile on his face. Roxy was scheduled to arrive any minute and a quick look around seemed to suggest everything was in readiness. He glanced at Ainsley, who was holding herself in a standing position within her cordoned off play area and staring at him with a wet grin on her face.

"Looking forward to seeing Ms. Roxy again, squirt?"

Ainsley's grin escalated to a full smile, and she cooed loudly.

"Me too," Elwood admitted just before the doorbell chime sounded. "Showtime, sweetheart. And, if it's not too much trouble, please try not to accost her again."

He opened the door and greeted Roxy with a warm smile, noticing immediately that she had acquired yet another stunning sundress, this time in a devastating light blue. She had a shy smile on her face. In her hands, she held a covered platter.

"Hey," she whispered shyly.

"Thanks for coming. You look beautiful," Elwood responded reverently.

Roxy gave him a stunning smile but said, "That's very nice of you to say."

Elwood sighed and said, "Someday I'll figure out a way to convince you of my sincerity."

"Perhaps," Roxy countered quietly. She then thrust the platter into Elwood's hands by way of attempting to change the subject.

He frowned slightly before relenting and saying, "Please come in. Make yourself at home."

She walked past him as he glanced at the platter in his hands. He was about to peek beneath the lid when he heard Roxy say, "Hey there, sweetheart. I missed you."

Elwood followed her into the living room in time to see her reach down to pick Ainsley up. He said, "Don't worry, I removed all food-based projectiles from her baby jail before you arrived."

"I'm not worried about her. She's such a sweet girl. I know she was trying to get me to play with her. Besides, she'd had a rough day. If showering me in ice cream helped her get over her shots, then I'm glad I could be of service. And please don't apologize again. You've done that, like, a hundred times. Not to mention that the makeover and outfit you got for me likely cost you hundreds of dollars."

"I was glad to do it."

Roxy glanced at Ainsley in her arms and said, "Have you started walking yet? I saw you practicing when I came in."

"Not yet," Elwood responded. "But it would seem to be imminent. She's constantly standing while she holds onto stuff and testing her balance by letting go for a bit. It's hard as hell to not freak out when she loses her balance and drops onto her butt. Doesn't seem to bother her, but if I did that I wouldn't walk right for a week."

"Well, your bottom doesn't have near the padding that hers does."

"Oh really," he said with a chuckle. "You been checking out my keister?"

"Um..." Roxy stammered as her face turned a bright crimson.

"It's cool. I don't mind. And, since we're exchanging comments on each other's physiology, you happen to have a delightful derriere."

"So... um... do you... I mean... can I get a tour of the house?"

"Sure," Elwood responded with a wide grin.

***

"Oh my goodness," Roxy gushed after ten solid minutes of silence as the sun sank toward the horizon. "It's breathtaking."

"That right there. That's what made me fall in love with this place. I would have liked any place that was Marcus's home. But that view right there, ten years ago, was what made me believe that I'd always end up here. One way or the other."

They were seated on the end of the long dock, watching the sun slowly sink toward the horizon. Ainsley was as mesmerized as the adults, silently staring at the beautiful scenery before her. Elwood had led Roxy out to the end of the dock after a delightful meal under the auspices of completing the tour. He had mentioned nothing about the impending sunset, hoping that nature would do the talking for him. Nature had come through for him in spades, taking Roxy's breath away within moments of their arrival.

At length, she said, "I've never seen anything like it. You must come out here every evening."

"Not as much as I should. It's not that I get jaded to it, I just lose track of time most days."

"Thank you for showing me this. I'll treasure this memory."

"You're welcome to stop by every night around sundown, if you like."

"Right," Roxy muttered.

"I'm quite serious. What good is a view like this if I can't share it with anyone?"

Roxy made no reply, but Elwood could hear her breath catch at his words. He felt an almost undeniable desire to wrap an arm around her and pull her close. He could sense her emotions swirling but he worried about making her uncomfortable.

He said, "Why don't we finish up the tour? It can be a little spooky to be out here after it gets dark."

She took a deep breath and said, "You mean on account of the insane lack of railings on the ridiculously long dock? What's up with that, by the way?"

"Marcus's dad always said he had no wish to consort with anyone who couldn't manage to stay on a two-meter-wide pathway just because there wasn't a railing. Although, I have to admit that the thought of Ainsley as a five-year-old falling off the dock gives me pause. I might have to learn how to do construction sometime soon."

"Sounds like a good idea," Roxy replied seriously. "But I'm confused about where we could have missed on the tour. We saw the whole house."

"You'll see. Why don't we head back to the house? I'll put sleepyhead here down, then I'll show you the hidden gem of this house. Unless you've got to leave..."

"No, I'm all yours," Roxy replied congenially, although Elwood did not fail to notice that she once again blushed when she realized what she had said.

Once Ainsley was laying down peacefully, Elwood led Roxy out to a cleared area next to the house with a fire pit and a collection of all-weather chairs. He lit a fire he had prepared earlier that day and took a seat next to Roxy. He handed her a glass of wine and took a seat beside her. They could still see the last vestiges of the sunset across the marsh to the west.

"This is very peaceful," Roxy whispered reverently. "I'm very glad you decided to stay. I can't imagine ever leaving a place like this."

"Same here. And I couldn't agree more."

They enjoyed a companionable silence for a few minutes until the last rays of sunlight faded. Elwood glanced over and felt his heart race when he caught sight of Roxy's face, bathed in the flickering light of the fire. He had called her beautiful, even gorgeous. But those labels did not do her credit. She was simply stunning. Even in the dim light of the fire, her beauty shown clearly. Her new look gave her a classical beauty which left all other women in her dust. Her magnificent sundress also did a marvelous job of showcasing her amazing curves. He desperately wanted to reach out and take her hand or wrap his arm around her. Anything for some kind of contact. But he realized he still knew almost nothing about her, and what he did know suggested a very conservative mindset. He feared going too quickly and resolved instead to learn more about the captivating woman beside him.

He said, "If I recall correctly, you were about to tell me about your upbringing when my young ward mercilessly attacked you."

"Somehow seems like that was a long time ago. But I'm not sure there's much to tell. I was born and raised in Arkansas. Went to college in state, but far enough away from home that I had to stay in the dorms. Moved back home after graduation and worked there until about a month ago."

"That's a very concise recounting, but it feels like there might be a few things missing."

"Such as?" she asked nervously.

"Well..." he was interrupted by the sound of a car pulling up in the driveway. He knew it wasn't Duke since the sound clearly came from a road automobile rather than an absurdly tricked out golf cart. He said, "Sounds like someone's here. Will you excuse me for a moment?"

"Of course," Roxy replied quickly, gesturing for him to go.

He walked into the house in time to hear the doorbell ring. He grumbled at the possibility that the noise would wake Ainsley, and he hurried to the door to prevent the bell from being rung again. Upon opening the door, he nearly burst out laughing. Standing on the porch was a mildly overweight woman in her fifties. But that was not what nearly led to explosive laughter. What nearly prompted that reaction was the fact that she was dressed in a bright green dress covered in pink elephants. She also had an enormous, bright red, beehive hairdo that had a pair of glasses, a pencil and what appeared to be a stainless-steel Jesus fish stuck in it.

The woman tried to push past Elwood to enter the house, but he blocked her way and said, "Can I help you?"

"I don't think so. I'm here for my great grandniece. Please tell me where she is."

"You've got this backwards, lady. You tell me who you are, or the front stoop is as far as you go."

"My name is Beatrice Logan. The young lady's mother was my niece. Now, no more delays. Bring her to me."

Elwood felt indecision threatening to consume him. He managed to mutter, "Why weren't you at the funeral?"

"Because you didn't invite me, you wretched man. Where. Is. She."

"No, I mean why weren't you at Ivy's funeral. I feel like I would have remembered seeing you there."

"Because her horrible husband was no better than you and declined to inform me of her tragic passing. My patience grows thin, sir. Bring her to me."

"But..."

"Enough," she snapped. "You have thirty seconds to produce her, or I will call the police."

"You've got no right," Elwood heard Roxy's angelic voice call out from behind him. "Marcus's will clearly specified that Elwood would be her legal parent. The will's been probated. He is her father. You have no more right to her than any random stranger."

"She is my flesh and blood," the woman said shrilly. "And who are you, some trollop consorting with this criminal? Another gold digger trying to weasel her way into something she did nothing to earn?"

"That's enough, ma'am," Elwood said sternly. "I will not allow you to impugn my guest. Especially not when you look like a prolapsed anus wearing curtains that escaped from a secondhand store. I think it's time for you to leave."

"But..." the woman sputtered.

"Now," Elwood snapped before swinging the door closed.

Nineteen

"Oh my goodness, honey," Penny gushed. "I can't get over how much I love your hair."

Roxy blushed brightly, taking a sip of her wine in an attempt to hide her reaction. They had been at Taylor's bar for over an hour, and this was the seventh time someone had complimented her new look. It had been a week since she had had dinner with Elwood, and she was still riding the high of how special he had made her feel. Were she prone to conspiracy theory, she would have suspected him of arranging for everyone in her life to compliment her ceaselessly. But she believed her friends kind words. Their sincerity was constantly on display.

She began to respond to Penny, when she felt a hand on the small of her back. She looked around worriedly to find a tall blonde man, who looked to be barely older than college age, standing behind her.

"Hey darlin'," he drawled. "How 'bout I buy you and your friend a drink?"

His breath reeked of alcohol and Roxy could see food in his teeth, to say nothing of the way her skin crawled at his touch.

"Oh, no thank you," she said with quiet conviction.

"Why not? I'm just trying to be friendly."

"We're having a private conversation," Penny said forcefully. "Please go. Or shall I summon the bouncer?"

"Whatever," the man muttered bitterly. He turned away, but Roxy could clearly hear him say, "Fuckin' lesbos."

Roxy's mouth dropped open in shock. She turned to Penny in time to see her friend shout, "That's right, caveman. We're totally eating each other out tonight. And she's fucking delicious."

"Why did you say that?" Roxy whispered fiercely.

"To fuck with him. And because he wanted us to be offended, so I threw it back in his face. Now he'll spend the night wondering if we really are sleeping together. I'm more interested in why you turned him down in the first place."

At this point, Taylor joined them. She was technically working, but ownership of the establishment had its advantages. This evening, one of those advantages was that she got to spend loads of time with Roxy and Penny.

She asked, "Was that guy bothering you?"

Penny replied, "He was just hitting on our cute friend here. But she turned him down."

"How come?" Taylor asked. "He was kind of cute."

Roxy shrugged and said, "Because he was drunk."

Penny said, "Maybe, but he's built like an Adonis. And those jeans he was wearing were plenty tight enough to see that he's packing some serious equipment. And before you give me that confused look again, I'm referring to the size of his cock."

"I knew that," Roxy retorted defensively. "But I'm still not interested, regardless of the size of his phallus."

Taylor said, "I think there's another phallus, as you call it, that you're far more interested in. One which belongs to a certain former trombone player turned father?"

"Oh, he's not a former player. He and his friend are putting together a benefit for the center to help raise money for instruments. It's this weekend. Apparently, they've put together quite an ensemble and have already raised nearly ten thousand dollars just in pre-sales."

"Wow. Sign me up. I love live music. Maybe I could convince them to play here if they're good enough."

Roxy said, "Oh, I'm sure they'll be wonderful."

"That tears it," Penny said. "You're totally into him. When's your first date?"

"Oh, um. I guess it was... kind of... last week?"

"What?" Taylor shouted. Roxy looked around mortified, so Taylor lowered her voice to say, "Why are you just telling me this now? I've seen you at least twice since then. You have to tell us everything!"

Roxy proceeded to fill her friends in on the evening. They both gushed over her description of the romantic sunset he had shared with her. And they swooned when she told them about the fire pit and how sparks had shot straight to her core whenever he touched her, however briefly. But they were positively over the moon at her description of Roxy's confrontation with Ainsley's supposed long lost relative.

"Wait," Penny said, slapping her hand on the table for emphasis. "You rescued him? And his darling little girl?"

"Um... yeah," Roxy stammered. "I mean I guess so. It just made me so angry how she was treating him like a common criminal. I mean, sure, he's got a bunch of tattoos and I supposed an ignoramus could consider him to be kind of shady looking. But he's just so... nice. And, I mean, all the time. And he really listens to me, even when I'm spouting nonsense. And I don't just mean that he isn't interrupting. He's really listening, like there's nothing more important in the universe than what I'm saying."

"Oh, honey," Taylor enthused. "I'm so happy for you. How good of a kisser is he?"

"Oh, I'm not sure," Roxy admitted shyly.

Penny's head whipped around to look at her. She said, "You mean after all that, he didn't kiss you? What happened, did you wave him off when he went to lean in?"

"No, nothing like that. He was very respectful. I can't tell you how many times I almost hugged him, but I knew it was too early."

Taylor nodded and said, "Perhaps Mr. Elwood paid enough attention to know that our friend will want to take things at a more sedate pace. But, let me ask you this: did you want him to kiss you?"

"So much," Roxy gushed. She then glanced at her friends and saw the wide smiles on their faces. It buoyed her soul to have friends like these, ones who were so obviously invested in her happiness. She had had tons of 'friends' back home, but in hindsight she realized they were just acquaintances. They were people she knew, and who she could spend time with, but none of them would have ever garnered any happiness from her joy. But here, on this tiny island off the coast of Savannah, she had found two women who cared more for her than anyone she could remember. She resolved again to be worthy of their friendship.

"Enough about me. How about you ladies?"

Taylor's face fell and she said, "I haven't seen Keith since that day he came in the bar."

"Who?" Roxy replied. At the same time, Penny said, "Isn't that a good thing?"

Taylor looked at Roxy and said, "My creepy, stalker-y ex. The guy who came in the bar that one day. Anyway, I haven't seen him since."

"I repeat," Penny interjected. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"I guess it should be, but it worries me that he's out there somewhere, but I don't know where. I don't think he'd just give up like that."

"Maybe he actually got rehabilitated in prison," Penny offered.

"Maybe, but somehow I doubt it. Before he went to prison, he told me, and everyone else in the courtroom, that this was all my fault. And that he would not rest until he made me pay."

"Goodness," Roxy breathed. "Can't you reinstate the restraining order based on that? I mean, I assume it's all a matter of public record."

"Yeah, I guess so. I'll run over to the courthouse in the morning and see if they'll help me out."

Penny said, "I know someone on the police force who I'm sure would be anxious to lend a hand. If the courthouse won't help you out, gimme a call and I'll see what he can do."

"Oh really," Taylor replied. "That sounds... interesting. How'd you manage to get someone on the force wrapped around your finger like that?"

"Well, first I wrapped my fingers around his cock. Then my lips. Then he said he'd do anything I wanted. We never really made it work as a couple, but we're still friendly."

Taylor grinned and said, "Sounds like there's some serious benefits to that there friendliness."

Penny laughed and responded, "Such good benefits."

***

"I can't thank you guys enough for doing this Elwood," Roxy said for at least the seventh time.

"I told you, its nothing," Elwood responded affably. "Besides, you're keeping an eye on Ainsley for me."

"That's hardly fair recompense. I'm only watching her so you can raise money for my program."

Elwood shrugged and said, "Duke's the one who did all the work putting the group together."

"I don't believe that for a second. He wouldn't be here if you weren't here, and every single musician has greeted you like an old friend. I have no doubt you made at least as many calls as Duke did. Besides, I've thanked him at least as often as I've thanked you. I just hope we get more people showing up. We're still a few thousand from our goal."

"Don't sweat it. Once we start playing, the whole island will be able to hear it. They'll come investigate, and who could possibly be so crass as to stand in the street and listen for free when we're raising money for underprivileged kids? Besides, it's only five bucks. Just make sure you've got people selling tickets at all the entrances."

"I have to know, how much would it have cost to rent you guys out to play a regular concert?"

Elwood shrugged and said, "I'm not sure this group would ever get together to play for money. Half of them are retired. They're doing it for the kids. And because they love playing for people. I guess what I'm saying is, no amount of money could hire this group out, but they'll gladly play for free. Sounds crazy, but that's the life. Looks like Duke's gathering everyone in. I gotta go. But hang around after the show and I'll introduce you to everyone."

Roxy smiled and said, "I'd like that. Good luck... No, wait. I meant, break a leg."

"That's actors, honey. Musicians are fine with a hearty good luck."

Roxy watched him gather in with the other musicians, but she could not ignore the way a jolt of electricity had shot through her body when he called her 'honey'. Not unlike the jolt she felt every time they came into any kind of physical contact. Although his words had not caused her to clench her thighs in anticipation the way his touch did. Despite the fact that she constantly told her friends they were being ridiculous when they suggested she had feelings for Elwood, there was no denying to herself that there was most certainly something there. Beyond the things her body did when they came in contact, which were unlike anything she had ever felt before, there was also the undeniable sense of rightness she felt in his presence.

His penchant for giving her his complete attention was no act. She had been around him enough to know that was his nature. But she had also noticed that this was not a gift which he granted to everyone. He was always cordial, but his natural inclination was to keep people at arm's length. She found it curious that a professional performer would be introverted, but she clearly recognized the signs in him. In typical interactions with the public, he sought to extricate himself from conversations as soon as custom permitted. But, when he spoke with her, he seemed happy to converse endlessly. And their conversations! Never had she felt so thoroughly stimulated intellectually. She felt quite certain she could discuss any topic with him, and leave the conversation not only wiser, but with a smile on her face.

A din rose as the musicians started warming up. She noticed Elwood's face seemed a mask of concentration, and she smiled at the fact that she was learning to read him in spite of his nearly ubiquitous sunglasses. She felt a presence at her side and looked over to find Taylor.

Roxy smiled brightly and gave Taylor a warm hug. The latter said, "Hey, beautiful." She knelt down to Ainsley's level and repeated, "Hey beautiful."

Ainsley gurgled gleefully at her before returning to the task of loudly banging on the tray of her stroller.

Taylor chuckled and said, "Someone wants to join the band."

They were interrupted by the band beginning their first number. Roxy quickly snatched a set of headphones Elwood had provided from the diaper bag and slipped them over Ainsley's ears. She struggled a bit at first, but then seemed to forget the addition and went back to watching the musicians with rapt fascination. Roxy had been skeptical about the necessity for such measures, but she was glad Elwood had insisted. She was floored by how loud the group was. And it wasn't just the amplification, it was the horns and the drums. The sheer force of the music being produced by the four horn players was awe inspiring in its ferocity, and its raw volume.

Much of the music was familiar to Roxy but she would have had difficulty coming up with any song names or original artists. Much as Elwood had promised, soon after they began to play the crowd began to swell. Soon, the park outside the community center was full to capacity with people dancing and cheering to the music. Roxy unabashedly watched Elwood throughout the performance, marveling at how he switched between two different horns in addition to playing keyboards and guitar while also singing backing vocals. The dusky voice of the female lead singer put a new twist on some of the standards from the seventies that Roxy found quite enjoyable.

As they neared the end of the hour-long set, Elwood stepped to a microphone in front of the stage. He said, "I want to thank you all so much for coming out this evening. Each and every person on this stage benefitted immeasurably from music programs we were able to join as kids. It is, quite literally, the reason why we're able to stand up here and play for you fine folks this evening. Feel free to make an extra contribution to the instrument fund on your way out. You all know the fine folks that do such great work at the community center, just track one of them down and they'll take your contribution.

"And, speaking of those fine folks, I'd like to dedicate our last tune this evening to the person who made all this possible. The gift of music is precious, and she knows that better than most. That's why she was so passionate about getting this program to provide instruments to all the children who need one off the ground. She's also been a huge help to both myself and Ainsley as we got through a really rough time after losing Marcus. If you don't already know her, I encourage you to introduce yourself. Your life will be richer as a result. This is an old Chicago tune, from their debut album back when they were known as Chicago Transit Authority. Roxy Norris, this song's for you."

Roxy's heart was beating so fast, she worried it would burst from her chest. She looked around nervously to find Taylor staring at her in open mouthed shock. But it was impossible to miss the smile in her friend's eyes.

"Holy shit," Taylor whispered excitedly.

Roxy could make no reply. She felt the eyes of the town upon her, and she was quite certain her face was bright red. Never before had anyone given her such effusive, and public, praise. She had never had a moment of doubt since arriving on the tiny island community that she was where she was meant to be. But today she saw in the warm smiles of those around her true acceptance. She knew her own efforts were largely to thank for this. Elwood had not lied; she had worked countless hours on this program. But no one except for her coworkers ever would have known without his kind words.

Eventually, the song the band was playing began to break through the blood pounding in her ears. She looked up to the stage in time to see Elwood rip off a blistering solo as the band neared the end of the song. The rest of the horn section then came in and the windows of every house on the island rattled as the song reached its crescendo.

As the song ended, and the cheers of the crowd faded, Roxy was unable to hear any of it. She knew Taylor was gushing with enthusiasm for her. But all she could hear was a litany that was on endless repeat in her head.

'They played a song called Beginnings... and he dedicated it to me!'

Twenty

"Morning," Elwood greeted Duke as he placed Ainsley in her highchair. "You going somewhere?"

Duke shouldered his satchel and said, "Got a call from a guy who wants me to put an ensemble together for a benefit concert in Texas. They're raising money to fight the fascists."

"That's awesome. When are you coming back?"

"Oh, I'm sure I'll come visit from time to time. But, in the whole, my work here is done. You've decided to do what's right by that pretty little girl of yours, and your well on your way with that other matter we discussed."

"What other thing?" Elwood asked despite a suspicion that he knew exactly what his friend was talking about.

"Perhaps you didn't notice as you were doing the soloist thing of flailing about like you was havin' a seizure. I swear, I'll never know why you people can't just take a seat and just play a solo. Let the music speak for you. We're not dancers, we're musicians. You never see me hoppin' around like I've got itchin' powder in my drawers.

"But I digress. What was I saying? Oh, yes. Your pretty lady friend. You might not have noticed, but I saw. Clear as day. That girl damn near melted into a puddle when you dedicated that song to her. And when she realized what song we was playing, her friend had to hold her up. She fancies you, my friend."

"Ah," Elwood deflected as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well... good? I guess. I mean, I just wanted everyone to know how much she's doing for this town."

"I know, my friend. That's why it affected her so profoundly. When you gonna see her again?"

"I'm not sure, we've been texting quite a bit, but I haven't heard from her since the show. There's some kind of parade in town today. I was planning on taking Ainsley. Maybe we'll see her there."

"Oh, I'm quite certain you will. She seems to be a fine woman."

"That much is certain," Elwood replied with a smirk. He paused for a moment, regarding his friend with a warm smile. He sighed and said, "Thank you, my friend. For everything. I appreciate it more than I can say."

Duke returned his smile and said, "That look that little lady's giving you right now is all the thanks I need. Do right by her, Elwood, and I promise everything else will work out. And, best of luck with your lady friend. And you feel free to make use of my fine set of wheels. Just take care of her. She's a fine piece of machinery. But if you go doing your motorhead nonsense with it, you'll be buying me a new one. Keep it under twenty."

"You have my word. I promise to take good care of her. You need a lift to the airport?"

"Nope, my ride's already on the way. Besides, I'd hate for you to miss your parade."

Elwood saw Duke off a few minutes later. He wondered if watching his friend leave should have filled him with melancholy, but all he felt was contentment. He knew he would see Duke again soon: the itinerant nature of a professional musician guaranteed that. But he knew with certainty that while Duke was a welcome visitor, Tybee would always be his own home. Duke was part of the reason for that, as was a certain pretty brunette that he very much hoped he would see at the parade. With that in mind, he returned to the house to begin collecting their effects.

***

Elwood went back and forth countless times, but ultimately talked himself into texting Roxy to see if she would be interested in attending the parade together. Almost as if she had been staring at her phone in anticipation of just such a message, she had responded immediately in the affirmative. He had offered to meet her at her place, and they could then walk to the parade route, but Roxy had countered by inviting him to join her on the rooftop of her friend's restaurant.

He finished packing up the car with all the accoutrement a several-hour outing with a one-year-old required and set off in the direction of the boarding house where Roxy still lived. He extracted his phone from his pocket to call her as he pulled up, but his phone dropped from his suddenly numb fingers when he spotted her skipping down the stairs toward him. She was wearing a white sundress which hugged her ample curves while showing off a fair amount of her shapely legs and a tantalizing, yet demure, amount of cleavage. She had pinned a daisy in her hair and was wearing stylish sunglasses. She gave him a dazzling smile as she ran up to the vehicle, and he could not help but notice the way her body moved alluringly beneath her dress.

"Hi," she said brightly as she climbed into the car. She peered into the backseat and said, "Hey, baby girl. You ready to see a parade?"

"Ya!" Ainsley shouted exuberantly.

Roxy turned to Elwood and gushed, "She's talking now?"

"I'm not sure we can, strictly speaking, call that talking. She says that basically anytime I speak around her." He glanced in the review mirror and said, "How 'bout it, squirt. You change your mind about New Orleans style brass band?"

"Ya!" Ainsley 'replied' loudly before resuming her lifelong quest to fit her entire fist in her mouth.

"It's a start," Roxy said happily. "I think it's cute that her first word is 'yes'. I'll take it as a sign that she's going to be a positive person."

"Works for me," Elwood agreed. "So, did Taylor tell you where we should park? Seems like there's a lot of extra people on the island today."

"Yeah, she gave me a pass. I can show you where to go."

They drove south toward the restaurant. When they drew close, Roxy tapped Elwood's forearm to get his attention. He managed to pull into the indicated parking lot, but he was obsessed with the way the sensation of her touch seemed to linger on his skin. Every time she touched him, or smiled at him, it was as though his brain performed an emergency shut down and nothing seemed to make sense for several moments. He both craved and feared this attention, simultaneously never wanting it to end and fearing that his mind would never function properly again if he got too much of her.

She helped him unpack the back of the SUV and load the equipment into Ainsley's stroller. She was even more helpful when it came time to ascend the stairs, grabbing the front axle of the stroller and helping him maneuver it up the stairs, much to the delight of the suddenly airborne little girl. Upon reaching the deck above the restaurant, they quickly spotted Penny and Taylor. Between them was an almost offensively handsome, rather well muscled man. Elwood followed behind Roxy as she walked up to greet them.

"Hi," Roxy said as she extended her hand to the man.

Penny said, "Hey honey. This is Arnold. Arnold, this is Roxy and Elwood."

Elwood extended his hand and said, "Nice to meet you. I love your movies."

The man gave a strained smile, no doubt due to Elwood being the ten thousandth person to make that joke. Elwood grinned his way through Arnold's crushing handshake trying to remind himself that while Penny's friend was certainly no stranger to the gym, Elwood easily had fifteen centimeters on him.

Taylor interrupted the stare down saying, "Where's your suit, honey?"

Roxy shrugged and said, "Oh, I'm not really interested in swimming. I figured I'd be fine in this."

"Ok, honey," Taylor said with a conspiratorial look in Penny's direction. "Don't say we didn't warn you."

Shortly, they heard music coming from the north. Their position on the restaurant's rooftop gave them a prime view down the island's main thoroughfare and they could see the garishly decorated floats beginning to make their way south. Elwood peeked at the revelers on the street below them and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Um... why is everyone holding a water gun?"

"You'll see," Penny said with a wicked looking wink.

Within moments, the head of the parade had arrived before the restaurant. It was a prodigiously decorated pickup towing a flatbed trailer. On the trailer was a tub capable of holding at least a thousand liters of water and about a dozen people holding water guns. Before he could think to shout a warning, the trailer's passengers opened fire on the restaurant's deck. Screams rose up from everyone as they were quickly soaked to the skin. Elwood swung Ainsley's stroller around to shield her from the worst of the onslaught. His teeth chattered at the icy water being volleyed onto them. When he peered down to the tub of water on the trailer, he saw several empty bags which formerly were filled with ice.

"Oh my goodness!" Roxy gasped. "That's so cold."

Elwood turned in her direction, and instantly forgot the icy water raining down upon them. Roxy's sundress, which had constantly drawn his eye since he first spotted her coming down the stairs, was now quite transparent. He could clearly see her turgid nipples and dark areola through the material. South of the equator offered a similarly stunning spectacle in the guise of a tuft of pubic hair which her soaked clothing did nothing to conceal. He felt himself instantly become aroused at the sight, but quickly looked away. Averting his eyes was one of the more difficult things he had ever done but he knew that if Roxy found his eyes on her in this condition, she would be embarrassed. While he desperately wished to see her naked, he only wished to see such splendor if she wished it.

"Oh, honey," Taylor whispered with a worried glance in Roxy's direction.

"What?" Roxy asked through chattering teeth.

"Your dress..."

Roxy glanced down and immediately squeaked in shock. She then awkwardly attempted to cover herself, but the ruckus had drawn the attention of everyone on the deck. There was no lack of interested onlookers all too eager to get a glance at the beautifully curvy woman's near nakedness. Elwood felt a groan form unbidden in his throat at the thought of their stares making her uncomfortable. He quickly shed his loud Hawaiian style shirt and extended it in Roxy's direction. She accepted it hastily and pulled it on. It did an admirable job covering her nakedness, but it left her looking like she was wearing a flowery circus tent.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Don't mention it." He turned to look at Taylor and said, "Is it like this every year?"

"Yup. The Beach Bum Parade is my favorite day of the year. I'm sorry honey," she said to Roxy. "But I did tell you to wear a suit."

"You could have told me why!" Roxy nearly shouted.

"And miss this?" Taylor scoffed. "No. Fucking. Way. We're gonna be retelling this story sitting on the rocking chairs out in front of the old folks home."

"Delightful," Roxy muttered.

"Oh, come on. No harm done."

"Are you crazy. Everyone saw me basically naked. He..."

Roxy stopped speaking suddenly and her mouth snapped shut. But Elwood had no doubt what the rest of her sentence would have been. Her cheeks turned dark scarlet, but he noticed she made no move to step away. He took a risk and reached out to wrap an arm around her. She nestled into him, and he did not miss the sigh which escaped her lips as she felt his warmth envelop her.

Penny's voice interrupted them saying, "Who wants to get some revenge?"

Elwood turned in her direction to see her holding forth a pair of water guns. He looked down at Roxy and said, "Shall we?"

"Definitely," she said with a smile which made his heart skip a beat.

They grabbed the offered aquatic weapons and rushed to the railing before attacking the trailer's passengers with their own volley of water. This began a several hours long period where massive amounts of water was exchanged back and forth from the deck. Even Ainsley seemed to have a blast, screeching in delight whenever she got sprayed and cheering loudly when the parade floats were attacked from above by Elwood and his compadres.

After her initial shock and embarrassment, Roxy enthusiastically got into the event. Taylor had given Elwood a shirt with the logo of her restaurant so Roxy could keep her makeshift coverup. Elwood did not fail to notice the sideways looks Penny and Taylor were giving himself and Roxy. But he was honestly far more concerned with his beautiful companion. The only time they left each other's side for the duration of the day was when Elwood took Ainsley to the restroom to change her, and Roxy even took her a couple times to give Elwood a chance to take a break of his own.

As the parade wound down, and the hoards of wandering water gunners filtered back to from whence they came, things calmed down on the restaurant's top deck. Elwood returned from the bar, handing Roxy a hurricane as he sipped his beer. She smiled her thanks and scooted closer to him on the bench seat they shared. He wrapped his arm around her, as he had done for much of the day. He peeked over at Ainsley, who was sleeping peacefully in her stroller, before looking back to the woman at his side.

She smiled up at him, her eyes closing almost imperceptibly as her tongue darted out to wet her lips. Elwood could no more have stopped himself from leaning toward her than he could have stopped breathing. Her eyes widened slightly before closing as a sigh escaped her lips. His arm tightened around her, pulling her close as their lips neared. Just before his lips touched hers, a stream of icy water punched into Elwood's back. Out of instinct, he surged forward to escape the assault. His lips met Roxy's as a grunt of shock escaped his lips. He pulled back and glared around to find Arnold, holding a water gun and grinning maniacally in his direction as Penny punched his arm.

"You asshole," Penny exclaimed.

"What?" Arnold asked obnoxiously with a wicked grin.

"You just ruined their first kiss, you dick! I can't believe I ever let you fuck me."

Twenty-One

Roxy stood naked in her closet after at long last changing out of her soaked sundress and hastily showering. She had eagerly accepted Elwood's invitation to join him for dinner after things wrapped up at Taylor's restaurant. She was all too willing to just go straight to his house with him, but he had insisted on dropping her off at her place. She was nearly overwhelmed with confusion. She had no way of knowing if he had meant to kiss her, or if it was just a byproduct of the water gun thanks to Penny's friend. She also could not figure out what it meant that he had not just taken her back to his house, opting instead to drop her off. These questions were leading her to a crippling case of indecision. She could, quite literally, not even decide what to wear. She ultimately growled in frustration and retrieved her phone. She dialed Taylor before she could talk herself out of it.

"Hey honey," Taylor greeted her. "I figured you'd be showing Elwood your o-face by this point."

"I need your help," Roxy wailed. "I'm so confused."

She proceeded to bring Taylor up to date, trying to ignore her friend's frequent chuckles as she bared her soul.

"First off," Taylor said sagely. "You need to relax."

"But I don't understand..."

"Relax. That's an order."

"I'll try," Roxy replied glumly.

"Good. Now, let's take these things in order. First off, he was totally going to kiss you. Penny and I watched the whole thing. That's probably why that fucking fuck-head Arnold shot Elwood, because he was butthurt that Penny was ignoring him. Second thing, he dropped you off so that you'd have your car. Plain and simple."

"What does that mean?"

"He knows you, honey. He knows you're special. And he knows you haven't been with a lot of guys. He wants to make completely certain you don't feel trapped or pressured. I think it's kinda sweet."

Roxy gasped and said, "Does that mean he wants to..."

"Of course he does. And so do you. But he knows you might not know you want to, so he's making sure you don't feel like things would be super weird if you slam on the brakes because you'd be dependent on him for a ride."

"What makes you think I want to? Not slam on the brakes, but the other thing."

"I'm not stupid, Roxy. Everyone at the restaurant knows you want to climb him like a tree. Just like they know he wants you. You could barely keep your eyes off him, or your hands. Now, as to the reason you called. I suggest you just wear something comfortable. You can opt for pretty lingerie, but if things get that far I honestly doubt he'll even notice. Besides, and I know you don't believe me, but you look cute in everything. And I promise you Elwood feels the same way. Just be you, and I promise things will go great."

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course. And if you decide you don't want to show each other your cash and prizes tonight, that's fine too. Elwood seems like a really great guy. And you're a fucking catch. If you need to wait a bit longer, I'm certain he'll be fine with that. But get your kiss, honey. Lots of them. You deserve it."

Roxy let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding and said, "Thanks, Taylor. For everything."

"You're quite welcome. But be advised, the price of this pep talk is that you give me full details tomorrow. And don't skimp on the saucy bits. That's the best part."

"I promise," Roxy said with a smile before hanging up.

She walked back into her closet with a renewed sense of confidence and picked out a black skirt and a coral blouse. Thanks to her new hairstyle, her hair was ready in moments, and she opted for just a bit of makeup. Once she was ready, she realized in horror that she had nothing to take to Elwood's. She was going for dinner, and it just would not do to show up empty handed. She peeked in the mini fridge in her room's kitchenette and groaned at the emptiness she found there.

"I have got to move," she grumbled.

She ultimately grabbed her keys and dashed from her room. A quick stop at the grocery store allowed her to pick up the items she needed. She then headed to Elwood's house with an irrepressible smile on her face and unruly butterflies in her stomach.

***

"I'll never grow tired of that view," Roxy whispered reverently. "It's so serene."

Their dinner had been nothing short of perfect. Roxy had used the supplies she had picked up at the bodega to bake some cookies while Elwood had prepared fish tacos and an Asian inspired slaw for their dinner. They had shared the space effortlessly while Ainsley watched them with a critical eye. Dinner had been quiet, a testament to the amazing food he had prepared.

Ainsley began to flag shortly after dinner. Roxy insisted on accompanying Elwood as he gave her a quick bath and prepared her for bed. Something about this towering, substantially tattooed and frequently taciturn man showing such tenderness and love for the tiny girl lit a fire in her belly which no amount of logical consideration could ignore. The way he managed to make dinner all about Roxy, while still not neglecting Ainsley, made matters even more heart flutteringly exciting.

Once Ainsley was in bed, Elwood said, "Would you like to go sit outside?" Roxy nodded nervously in response. He said, "Wine?"

"Please."

They made their way out to the end of the dock and took a seat next to each other.

She said, "Are you sure Ainsley will be ok?"

Elwood produced a small device from his pocket, which was emitting very faint music. He said, "Baby monitor. Works up to five-hundred meters."

"How clever. That must come in handy."

"Indeed. First few days after he passed, I came out here every time she went to sleep. Not sure if I was looking for a sign from the heavens, or just needed some quiet. But it seemed to help."

"I'm sure. It's incredibly peaceful here."

They sat quietly for a few moments until Elwood said, "I hesitate to broach this subject, since every time I ask you to tell me about yourself, something unfortunate happens."

"You can ask me anything," Roxy said sincerely, realizing as she said it that she likely meant just that.

"Perhaps we can come at this obliquely in the hopes of throwing the gods of chaos off our scent. Your name, is it a family name? Not that there's anything wrong with it. I love your name. I was just..."

She laid her hand on his leg to calm his fears. As soon as she did, she felt a jolt of pleasure go straight to her core. But rather than jerking her hand back, she kept it there. She said, "It's fine, Elwood. I'm glad you like it. But, no, it's not a family name. My parents actually kind of hate it."

"Then... why..."

"They wanted to name me after a biblical heroine. They asked their minister for some suggestions from the Old Testament. He gave them a handful. They picked the one that was the most unusual. They wanted everyone who ever met me to know I was," she lifted the first two fingers of each hand up in the sign of air quotes, "one of the faithful."

"I don't remember a Roxy, or even a Roxanne, in the bible."

"There isn't one. But there is a Rahab."

"The woman who helped the Canaanite's in their siege of Jericho?"

"That's the one."

"That's pretty cool. From what I remember, she was pretty badass. So, how come you ended up a Roxy?"

"Because, after I was christened, and my name was on my birth certificate, someone told my mother Rahab was a whore."

"You're joking," Elwood said with a chuckle.

"Nope. My parents, who lord their piousness over everyone they meet, were not well versed enough in their bible to actually know anything about my namesake."

"That's rich. So they gave you a nickname rather than allowing you to be named after a biblical heroine who just so happened to keep a roof over her family's head by selling her body? Don't they know it's called the oldest profession for a reason? The percentage of women in that time period who turned to prostitution was astoundingly high. Basically, all unmarried women were forced into it since there was no other way they were permitted to make money."

"I know," Roxy said tiredly. "But they didn't. And they refused to admit their mistake by changing my name legally. To hear my brother tell it, they basically used no name for me for most of my first year. But eventually, I had to have a name so I could go to preschool. He was actually responsible for Roxy. He knew my real name, so he just kept trying out various things which started with R until something stuck. Apparently, it was the Police song which gave him the idea."

"I bet you hate that song," Elwood remarked with a chuckle.

"Not as much as you'd think. But don't' think the irony of the song also being about a whore is lost on me."

"Forgive me for saying so, but I'm getting the impression your parents are quite a bit more concerned with appearances than parenting. Was that why you left home?"

"No. I left home because I felt like my entire life was a lie. And when I tried to talk to my family, or my friends, or my minister about the misgivings I was having, they all acted like I was insane."

Elwood reached out to take her hand. She threaded her fingers into his and felt a sense of calm wash over her. He said, "Do you mind if I ask what the misgivings were?"

"It started as just a general sense of unease with the disconnect between what I believed, and what my congregation preached. It's like the abortion thing we talked about. Or, more specifically, the reverse of that where some death is horrific while other death is fabulous. People being conflicted, or confused, would have been great. But all I saw was people who were supremely smug about this thing being right, and that thing being wrong. But it wasn't religion. It was politics with a shroud of religion covering it to make their claims unimpeachable. There were just so many places where I saw people using scripture to support their hateful beliefs, and no one else was willing to point out that their beliefs didn't match any scripture. But the real breaking point was this darn virus." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "And Xander."

She took a deep breath, confident that Elwood would not push her but also filled with the serene certainty that telling him about the only love of her life up until now would be a goodness. She also wanted to ask him a question, but she worried about how he would react. The question seemed so existential to her at that moment. Just as she started to lose her nerve, she felt Elwood shift to wrap his arm around her comfortingly. It was as though he was reacting, not only to her desires, but also to things her brain had not yet decided to desire.

She blurted out her question before she could have any further misgivings. "Have you ever been in love?"

"Yes," he said quickly. "Once. Long ago." He paused for a beat before saying, "You?"

"Once. But it's not that simple. The boy, man, I loved didn't love me like that. He couldn't."

"I'm sorry," Elwood whispered.

"Thank you," Roxy said softly. "Will you tell me about her?"

"She was... perfect. She was like an angel come to earth. Everyone who came into contact with her was made better by her presence, while simultaneously being reminded of just how deficient they were as a human in comparison."

Roxy sighed, realizing that whatever hopes she had for a relationship with Elwood, she could never measure up to such a woman. She despondently whispered, "How long were you... I mean... when did you..."

Elwood leaned down to kiss the top of her head and said, "Don't do that, honey. Ivy was one in a million, but so are you. Everything I said about her goes double for you."

"The woman you loved was Ivy? But... was she with you before Marcus?"

"No," Elwood replied simply.

"So then... how..."

"How did I fall in love with my best friend's wife? The same way he did, I guess. But he needed her more."

Roxy looked up to look into Elwood's impossibly deep blue eyes and saw the pain he had hidden so expertly written plainly there. The pain which was so familiar to her. She said, "Did she know?"

He said, "Yeah. Marcus and I would always joke about how I was plotting to arrange a misfortune for him so that I could inherit Ivy. You know, medieval shit about marrying your brother's widow. She took it in stride while also not so subtly implying that if anything were to happen to Marcus, she and I would certainly end up together. But she was constantly niggling me about finding my own happily ever after. Same as Duke did recently. They both knew that while playing music makes me very happy, touring makes me miserable. Ivy was always bugging me to get off the road and come settle down here. Sucks that it took her death, and Marcus's, for me to finally do it."

They sat quietly for a moment before Roxy said, "Xander knew as well. He was always begging me to move on, to find my own happiness. But I just couldn't make myself do it."

"Where did you meet?" he asked gently.

"In high school. He was older than me, but I was instantly drawn to him. He was so talented, so full of life. But after I followed him to college like a lovesick puppy, I found a changed man. He remembered me from our hometown, but its not like we'd been close. It took me a while to get him to trust me, but I was persistent."

"That seems to be something of a habit with you," Elwood observed cheerfully.

"Indeed. Eventually we actually became friends, and then best friends. I was smitten with him in high school, but I fell head over heels for him in that first year of college. By the time he really opened up to me, I'd known the truth for months. I think maybe it took him so long to open up to me because, until he got to the point where he wanted to be completely honest with me, he hadn't really been honest with himself."

"He came out to you?"

"Yes," Roxy said quietly, at once comforted and amazed by the insight of the man in whose arms she felt so at home. "He was devastated. Both because of what that would mean for his life, and for my sake. By that point, I truly believed he loved me too. He tried to be the man he wanted to be for my sake. We dated... like... actually dated, for a while. We even made love. But a person cannot deny who they are. And no matter how much Xander loved me, he was most certainly not in love with, or attracted to, me."

"I'm so sorry, honey."

"I was too. And as awkward as it was when we tried to be intimate with each other, it was also necessary. It proved that our love could never be anything but platonic. And because he really tried Elwood, I could do no less for him. He was terrified of anyone back home finding out his dirty secret. So, I told him I would help him, and we maintained the illusion of a romantic relationship."

"That must have been terrible. For both of you."

"It wasn't so bad. I mean, no matter how wet fireworks our lovemaking attempts had been, we were still best friends. We loved hanging out together."

"But neither of you could... I mean, I assume you couldn't seek out any other kind of romantic interests if you were pretending to be together. How long did this masquerade last?"

"Until he decided he had to come out. That was about a year ago."

Elwood remained ominously silent, but his arm tightened even further around her. At length, he whispered, "That's a long time."

"I know, it's weird and pathetic..."

"No," he cut her off gently. "It's more extraordinarily admirable than I can even imagine. You gave up so much for him, honey. And I'm guessing you'd do it again in a heartbeat. No matter how wonderful I think you are, you constantly prove that I have only scratched the surface of just how... perfect... you are."

Her breath caught in her throat. Her heart was racing, and her hands felt numb. It was as though her fight or flight instinct was kicking in, but she knew there was no where on earth she would rather be than in his arms. She nervously looked up to find him looking down at her. The desire was evident in his eyes, as was the affection he felt for her. She licked her lips and saw his eyes widen; the desire written there blooming into unbridled lust. He moved toward her with deliberate slowness, no doubt ensuring that he was not rushing her. She smiled welcomingly as her eyes drifted closed.

Twenty-Two

When Elwood's lips met Roxy's, it felt as though the world stopped turning. The comforting sounds of the marsh seemed to stop, as did the soft sounds of the passing cars in the distance. Nothing existed except her. Their kiss began chastely, their lips only barely touching, but it was more deeply sensual than anything he had ever experienced. His connection to her seemed destined. It seemed perfect. Even though they had only known each other a matter of weeks, he knew instinctively that he would do anything to make her happy.

He felt her hands tentatively graze his chest. He reached up to gently caress her face with his free hand. He felt more than heard her sigh into their kiss as it deepened. Her mouth opened slightly, and he felt her tongue graze along the seam of his lips. He opened his mouth to her. The sensation of her tongue twining with his own caused his heart to hammer in his chest with desire.

He inhaled deeply, cherishing the sweet hint of vanilla that mixed with her natural intoxicating aroma. He moved his hand from her sweet face to her hip, pulling her closer as their kiss deepened. Her hands moved to the back of his head as she tilted her head to the side, allowing her to pull him closer and deepen their kiss further. He was enraptured by the way she felt in his arms, the way her lips felt against his. He felt an inescapable sense of rightness, as though his entire life had been leading up to this moment.

They broke the kiss breathlessly, their foreheads pressed together. Elwood opened his mouth to speak, but she surged back into him. He felt her hands slide down his arms and across his chest as though she was trying to memorize him by touch. He slid his hand from her hip to her belly, desperately wanting to cup her ample breasts but not wanting to ruin the moment by going too fast. As though sensing his desire, she took his hand and raised it to her breast. She moaned into his mouth as he cradled her, worshiping the feel of her perfect curves. He felt her nipple harden beneath the layers of fabric. He tweaked it slightly, eliciting another moan from Roxy.

Their kiss broke once more. She dropped her head to his chest. Her arms wrapped around him and squeezed him tightly. Her deep breaths mirrored his own. He stroked her hair lovingly. He started to drop his other hand from her breast, but she softly whispered, "Don't. I love the way your hands feel on me, Elwood."

"Ditto, beautiful," he gasped as he slid his hand beneath her blouse to caress her breasts over her bra. She moaned in pleasure before reaching up to pull his face back down to meet hers. Their tongues danced languidly as their kiss extended timelessly. He felt the flawless beauty of her spirit wash over him, enveloping him like a warm blanket.

He felt her hand slide down his torso, finding its way to his lap. She gripped his throbbing erection through his shorts. He moaned into their kiss at the exquisite sensation. He scooped one of her breasts out of her bra, feeling it's naked weight in his hand for the first time.

"Oh, honey," he gasped as their lips parted. "You feel so good."

"So do you," she breathed.

"Do you want to go back to the house?"

He felt her hand withdraw from his hardness. She paused for a moment before haltingly whispering, "I'm quite enjoying myself out here."

He said, "So am I honey. There's nowhere I'd rather be." But he did not fail to notice her hesitancy, or the way she had momentarily withdrawn. He knew it was entirely likely that her only intimate experience had been with Xander, making her, for all practical purposes, a virgin. He resolved to hold nothing back with her, but to also ensure that she dictated the pace. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. He kissed the top of her head and sighed in contentment as she snuggled into him.

"You're mad at me," she muttered sullenly.

"No," he said quickly. "Absolutely not. I am more deeply happy than I can ever remember."

"But you wanted to go have sex."

"I want to be with you, Roxy. More than I can ever remember wanting anything. But I have zero interest in doing anything with you which you are not completely ready for."

"That's not a denial," Roxy said glumly.

"Perhaps," he allowed. "But I meant what I said. One hundred nights spent chastely sitting by your side, holding your hand while we enjoy each other's company, would be vastly superior to a single night that either of us regretted. You make me happy, Roxy. Just being around you has been the best part of my life ever since I got that call from Marcus. And I can think of nothing I want more, with the possible exception of ensuring that Ainsley is happy and healthy, than your happiness."

"You make me happy too, Elwood. Immensely happy. But, how can you say such things? I know you want to have sex. I could feel it."

"It is true that you arouse me, Roxy. Mind, body and soul. I am quite aware that you were aroused as well, but I remain committed to this course of action. It matters not what we do, my only desire is that we do it together."

"I appreciate that. I really do. But please don't think that I don't want to make love to you. I really, really, do. I only pulled back because I... well."

"I know," Elwood murmured.

"No," Roxy whispered fiercely. "I'm sorry, but you don't. And before we... go any further, I have to tell you." She took a deep breath as though collecting her thoughts before continuing. "I'm not a virgin. And not just because Xander was gay. But I've never been with someone who made me feel like this." She paused again, prompting Elwood to kiss the top of her head again. She sighed and whispered, "I've never really made love."

Elwood grinned into her hair and said, "Neither have I, honey. We're both new to this."

She sighed and said, "Will you touch me again?"

He claimed her lips again by way of answer. He cupped her breast, first through her blouse and then beneath it after she repositioned his hand. She once again found the erection straining against his zipper. She shifted around so she could climb into his lap. He could barely restrain a groan of pleasure as she ground her core into his hardness.

"I want you," she moaned as they broke their kiss. "I want to feel you inside me." Their foreheads fell together as she continued to grind herself on his hardness. "Please, baby."

Elwood lifted up her blouse before claiming one of her nipples between his lips. She moaned loudly as she pulled her blouse over her head and unclasped her bra. "Oh, baby. That feels amazing."

Her breasts were nothing short of magnificent. Full and rounded, with darkened areola surrounding sensitive nipples. He gave his full attention to both, alternating the attention of his lips and his fingers. She pulled his head into her chest as he lavished praise upon her. His hands slid down and cupped her ass beneath her skirt. Never before had he even dreamt of such perfection. Every square centimeter of her body was flawlessly supple in a way which ignited his senses. He was quite certain that if he was ever fortunate enough to gaze upon her unclothed form, he would immediately discorporate as he would have achieved nirvana.

Her hands reached between them, frantically trying to open the front of his shorts and free his throbbing hardness. She shifted her hips back to give herself room and quickly freed him. Her hands began reverently stroking his length.

He gasped, "Holy shit, that feels good."

"So do you," she panted. "I need you, baby. Please."

He shifted his hips to get at the condom he had placed in his pocket earlier. He fumbled it trying to get it open, nearly dropping it.

"Let me," she whispered with a chuckle.

She gently sheathed him before standing and pushing her skirt and panties to the ground. He stared at her awestruck as the clouds briefly parted and she was momentarily bathed in moonlight. Her flawless hourglass figure was on full display and his breath caught at her perfection.

"My goodness, honey. You're so fucking beautiful."

She climbed back into his lap. Their lips met once again. There was no desperation to their joining, only the patient selflessness of two partners who sought nothing more than their partner's complete pleasure. She reached between them and lined his manhood up with her opening.

She breathed deep and said, "Go slow," at the same instant as he said, "I'll go slow."

They snickered together briefly before once again seeking out each other's lips. He groaned in pleasure as he felt her exquisite tightness envelope the head of his cock. His baser instincts pled with him to ram himself home, but he resisted that urge. He took one of her nipples in his mouth and kneaded her succulent ass as she slowly sank onto his turgid length.

Tiny pants escaped her mouth as she adjusted to his intrusion. When he was sheathed within her, she moaned, "My... goodness."

"You feel so amazing, honey. So perfect."

She began to slowly ride him, barely moving along his length but still sending impossibly pleasurable sensations throughout his body. He knew instantly that he would not last long. In his wildest dreams he could not have envisioned such a perfect scene: making love to the most beautiful woman he could imagine in the specific spot that was his favorite place on earth.

When she began to speed up her movements, he knew he was a goner. He slid his hand between them to seek out her clit. He teased it gently, not wanting to overwhelm her. A low, guttural moan escaped her lips, and he felt her inner walls clench around him.

"You like that," he whispered flirtatiously. "Don't you?"

She kissed him fiercely in response. He continued to tease her clit with one hand while tweaking one of her nipples with the other. He felt her wetness surge around his cock as she joined the race to their release. He began to thrust up into her. The way her body moved beneath his hands in response to their movements sent him rocketing even faster towards the precipice.

"You feel so amazing," she panted.

"You have no idea how amazing you feel, honey. I'm so close."

"So am I, baby. So am I."

He thrust a few more times energetically up into her before he felt the beginnings of his orgasm. He held her close and gasped, "Oh, baby," as he felt the beginnings of a massive orgasm wash over him like a tsunami. He felt her inner walls clench around his length as the first eruption of his seed within her triggered her own release. She fell forward into his arms, moaning loudly as endless waves of pleasure washed over both lovers. Elwood was vaguely aware of their bodies unrestrained spasming, but his most poignant memory from the experience was the profound sense of love he felt radiating off Roxy as they transcended the crude matter of their bodies and, as one, achieved a higher state of consciousness. Never before had an orgasm been anything other than a physical release. And while this orgasm was the most profoundly pleasurable physical sensation of his life, that feeling absolutely paled in comparison to the emotional and spiritual ecstasy he experienced. And his pleasure was heightened even further by the certain knowledge that Roxy had shared every sensation, every delight, right along with him.

Twenty-Three

Roxy awoke to an unaccustomed feeling of profound contentment, which was quickly replaced by confusion and disorientation. It was dark in the room, but she knew instantly something was amiss. She quickly realized there was a soft whispering coming from behind her. She kept her eyes closed in an effort to discern the source of the sound. First, she heard a tearing, followed by a soft gagging and an indiscernible whispered oath. Next, she heard clothes rustling followed by a loud thwack and then creaking metal. A few moments later she heard running water, followed by footsteps approaching her. She at long last dared to open her eyes and saw a tall figure tiptoeing across an unfamiliar room. Then the figure walked through the moonlight, and she saw that it was Elwood. At this point, the memories came rushing back to her like a stampede.

"Sorry I woke you," he whispered as he crawled into bed beside her. "Had to go change little miss chemical warfare britches."

"It's no problem," she whispered reassuringly as she snuggled into his warm chest and remembered their night together. Making love on the dock had been one of the most erotic and beautiful experiences of her life, one which she was certain she would never forget. That had been followed by a return to the house where Elwood had shown her pleasure with his talented tongue which had surpassed what she thought was possible. She had, quite literally, passed out from his efforts. He had then, she was sure, gallantly endured her crude attempts to return the favor. She had desperately wanted to pleasure him, but she had no experience. It seemed to her that she had less than zero experience, as before becoming intimate with Elwood she had held it as a point of pride that oral sex was perverted and wrong. But when she was with Elwood, she only wanted to bring him pleasure. What's more, she found herself craving the taste of him, the feel of his steel-hard member throbbing in her mouth. He had said that he stopped her because he was desperate to be inside her again, but she feared she had done too poor of a job with her mouth. However, her fears had quickly faded as he entered her and brought her to more orgasms than she could count, making her relatively minor embarrassment an easily forgettable blemish on what was otherwise a perfect evening.

She must have fallen back to sleep because when next she opened her eyes it was light outside. She immediately felt the absence of her companion, rolling into the spot he had vacated. She inhaled deeply as she reclined against his pillow, cherishing the comforting smell of him. She sighed at the memory of his presence before slowly sitting up. She looked around the room but could find no sign of her clothing. Remembering back, she realized it was entirely possible that all of her clothes were still at the end of the doc. She rose, intending to steal one of Elwood's shirts to cover herself. Just as she pulled a shirt from a hanger, she heard a door open behind her. She quickly covered herself as best she could and then looked nervously toward the door.

"Don't' do that," Elwood whispered.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I wasn't sure where my clothes were. I was just going to borrow your shirt for a moment."

"Oh, I don't care about you borrowing a shirt. You can have it if you like. I just meant that it's a crime to cover up such exquisite beauty."

"Don't be silly," she retorted as a blush spread across her cheeks.

Elwood frowned slightly and said, "You are. The most beautiful woman. I have. Ever seen. And no amount of cute bashfulness on your part can change that. So, instead, I will resolve to remind you constantly."

"I appreciate that. Truly I do. Even though I still think you're insane. Even if you are devastatingly handsome."

"Thank you, my dear. And while I cannot, in general, refute your allegation as to not being right in the head, about this particular matter, I am undeniably correct."

Roxy smiled shyly in response before saying, "The only reason I was stealing your shirt..."

"Not stealing, it's yours now. How could it be otherwise now that I've seen how incredibly sexy you look in it?"

"Anyway... I was putting on the shirt because I can't seem to find my clothes. I mean my other clothes."

He said, "They're in the dryer. I got a peek at them this morning and I think I need to do some clean-up on the dock. So, I washed them along with some of Ainsley's stuff. Should be done in an hour."

"Well, what should I do until then?"

"Baby, you'd look fucking fantastic in everything from a black suit and sunglasses, to a spectacular sundress, to nothing at all."

She said, "But I don't have any bottoms on. What if someone sees?"

"Ain't no one here but us chickens, honey. I promise Ainsley won't mind if you accidently flash her. And I'd fucking love it," he finished with a wink."

"Fine. But don't blame me if she's scarred for life."

She followed him downstairs, where she was treated to one of the best breakfasts she could remember. When they were done eating, she wheedled a pair of basketball shorts out of Elwood and joined Ainsley on the floor. At first, the baby was content to crawl all over Roxy, frequently delivering wet kisses accompanied by loud giggles. Roxy hugged her tightly and said, "Aren't you just the biggest sweetheart ever." Ainsley released Roxy's face and dropped down to all fours before quickly crawling across the room. Roxy looked to Elwood and said, "Has she taken her first step yet?"

"Nope. But she's gotten really close a bunch of times. She'll just stand in place for what seems like hours, but never picks a foot up."

"It won't be long now. This little miss is ready to start exploring."

"I can't wait," he responded tentatively. "I think."

"It'll be great. But you will have to do some more baby proofing. For instance, that enormous black coffin in the dining room will likely have to go. At least it's on wheels."

"Oh, that. I guess you're right. I'll figure something out."

"Seriously?" Roxy groused as she got to her feet. "You're really not going to tell me what that is?"

"It's no big secret. Just an unusual kind of trombone."

"Oh. Well, can you play it for me?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Elwood replied distractedly. But, when he noticed the way Roxy's face fell, he quickly added, "It would probably scare the crap out of Ainsley. Literally. But I can play something else for you, honey."

This led to a thorough investigation of Elwood's instruments, which took up much of the dining room. This even included the mysterious horn in the case which could have easily held a body. To Roxy's mind, it looked like little more than enough brass to do all the plumbing on a reasonably sized residential house. She was stunned when Elwood told her it cost as much as a luxury sedan and that only a handful of such instruments existed in the world.

When she asked what it was for, he grinned and said, "It's a contrabass trombone. You know in those big action epics, when something foreboding happens and there's a big BWAH in the soundtrack?" Roxy nodded. He said, "This is the instrument which makes that sound. You could call it the physical embodiment of foreboding. Or to put it another way, it weaponizes low notes."

When the tour completed, he took out the same acoustic guitar he had played on her first visit to the house. But, as his hand stood poised above the strings, he paused.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

"The last time I played for you, you kind of disappeared on me. Well, technically the last time I played for you was at the gig we played the other day. Perhaps you noticed that I dedicated a song to you?"

"Oh, I noticed," Roxy whispered knowingly.

"Anyway," Elwood continued. "I just didn't want to play anything that would send you scampering for the hills. I find I rather enjoy your company, honey."

Roxy said, "And I yours." She paused to take a breath before saying, "That song was our song. Mine and Xander's. I'm sorry I ran off on you. I was just a little overwhelmed. But, I promise I'm not going anywhere this time."

"No other special songs?"

"Not yet," Roxy replied with a smile.

At this point, Ainsley screeched loud enough to rattle the windows. Both adults whipped their heads around to see what sort of calamity had befallen the youngster but found only a smiling baby.

Roxy said, "Someone is feeling left out. I'll sit with her while you play."

"I appreciate that. I tried sitting in her baby jail and playing with her once. You know? You'd never think a baby could fit her hand between the strings while trying to see if there's anything hidden inside the guitar body, but she can."

"Oh, no. Was she hurt?"

Elwood said, "No, but she sure did protest loudly when I extricated her hand. Quite loudly."

He strummed the first chord and seemed to quickly lose himself in his playing. Roxy was similarly mesmerized, hardly able to believe how profoundly his music affected her. She had never heard the song he played for her before, but it pierced her heart like an arrow. By the final refrain, she was singing gently along with him, and her eyes had an undeniable mistiness to them. She was brought out of her reverie by motion in her peripheral vision. She glanced around and shrieked uncontrollably.

"Elwood! Look!"

Elwood's eyes opened, a look of grave concern spreading across his face. But that quickly turned to excitement as he spied Ainsley tentatively walking in his direction. He carelessly tossed the guitar aside and dropped to his knees as Ainsley completed her journey to his side of the baby jail. He lifted her jubilantly in the air, spinning her in a circle before pulling her into his arms.

"You did it, sweetheart!"

Ainsley squealed in delight as he spun her around in the air. He then sank into the couch, holding her on his belly.

Roxy's heart swelled with his unrestrained exuberance at his daughter's achievement. She started to mentally correct her word choice, but then she decided that word fit better than any other. Parentage was not a matter of genetics; it was a matter of love. And Elwood had shown more joy, more uninhibited triumph, at Ainsley's first step than Roxy ever remembered her parents showing on her behalf. Even graduating magna cum laude from divinity school had barely earned her a moment of pride on her parents' part. Instead, they acted as though she had merely done as was expected of her and therefore not worthy of commendation.

Elwood stood in such stark contrast, both to the way her parents had taught her by their actions that parents should behave, and to the face he himself presented the public. He was a man of restraint, of quiet contemplation. One could even fairly claim that he came off as aloof or standoffish. But in the few short weeks she had known him, she had seen more vulnerability, more affection, more passion, from him than any other man she had ever known.

This thought gave her pause because it inexorably placed Elwood in direct opposition with Xander. She had always thought of Xander as the kindest, most loving man she had ever met. But she realized that, in the time she had known him, Elwood had effortlessly surpassed her dear departed friend in every way. And that was before they made love. She did not think any less of Xander as a result. She would always remember him fondly as one of the best friends she could ever have. But, moving to this quaint island outside of Savannah had broadened her horizons. She had made friends who she had no doubt would stick with her forever. And she had met a man who captivated her mind, worshipped her body, and made her feel as though she would do anything to make him and his daughter happy.

She looked at them, unashamed of the tears of happiness brimming in her eyes. She said, "Congratulations, baby girl. I'm so proud of you."

Elwood said, "That was amazing. I just wish we had managed to get it on video."

Roxy smiled shyly and held up the phone in her hand, the video of Ainsley's first steps playing on the screen.

Twenty-Four

"Is she asleep?" Roxy whispered from her position on the couch.

"I think so," Elwood replied as he dropped down next to her. "She had a hell of a day. I mean, a heck of a day."

Roxy chuckled and said, "My G-rated vernacular does not mean that your language offends me, Elwood. I'd prefer you not censor yourself around me. I like the way you talk. It's very... you. My language is the result of a lifetime of conditioning, it is not meant as a rebuke to the rest of you. Penny jokes that she can't wait for the day when I swear accidently."

"Wouldn't that be something?"

"They're just words. I once read something about E. E. 'Doc' Smith responding to a review that his word choice was sometimes a bit... uppity? He responded that he always used the correct word for the situation or feeling he was trying to convey, and that he could not be held responsible for the education, or lack thereof, of his readership. I think that maybe swearing is kind of the same. Sometimes, darn or heck just aren't the right words. But, thus far, I haven't been... I don't know, perhaps moved to speak otherwise. But the point is, it doesn't bother me how other people speak. Especially you."

"You can't possibly think you can just skip past the point that you not only have heard of one of my favorite authors, but you're familiar enough with him to have read an interview?"

"Are you kidding? I love his books. I used to dream that I'd grow up to be Clarissa MacDougall. One summer, when I spent a bunch of time in the sun, I got freckles and I pleaded with my mother to let me dye my hair 'red-bronze auburn'. But she said no."

"How'd you find his books? It seems a bit of a departure from the reading I would have imagined based on your upbringing."

She smiled and said, "Meaning you assume I only read the bible?"

"Well... yeah. I mean, I guess so."

"Well, there was certainly a lot of that. But it's not really that engaging. Even my parents read other stuff. I mean, how often can you read about little children being torn apart because they made fun of an old man's bald spot without wanting to throw yourself off a bridge? So, I was allowed to read stuff from the library. But it had to be wholly uncontroversial."

Elwood looked thoughtful and said, "I'm not sure Smith's books wholly qualify. I mean, they're certainly not bodice rippers but I seem to remember a fair amount of talk of breeding programs. Not to mention the description of the loveliness of your favorite heroine left little doubt as to the hero's sexual orientation."

"True, but I think that his books were considered too old to be controversial. But those weren't even the worst ones. I was also able to get my hands on Burrough's Barsoom books."

"He of 'females never wear clothing other than jewelry' infamy?"

"The same. I think my mother thought those were just like the Oz books," Roxy said with a snicker.

"That's fantastic. My dad was obsessed with those books. It's a wonder he managed to get me to read them at all."

"Why, I got the impression you liked them?"

"Sure, once I read them. But I had a sort-of built-in reason to rebel against reading them in the first place."

Roxy gave him a confused look and said, "How so?"

"My father named me after him. Smith, that is."

"But I thought..."

"Elwood's a nickname I picked up in college. My given name is Edward Elmer LaJoie."

Roxy snickered and said, "I think that's wonderful."

"Sure, you didn't have kids in primary school doing Elmer Fudd impressions at you."

"True, but I was named after an alleged prostitute who also happened to be a biblical heroine."

"Fair enough," Elwood allowed. He lifted his beer from the end table and said, "Here's to nicknames. May they ever shield us from the ridicule with which our parents have saddled us."

"You know," Roxy said coquettishly. "I still haven't seen this movie you keep mentioning. Perhaps you should introduce me."

He grinned at her and said, "This is a big step for us. Are you sure you're ready for this?"

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She said, "I think so. I hope so?" He guffawed and clicked on the TV. She said, "Don't you need to put in the disk, or queue it up from a streaming service?"

"Disc is already in the player. I superglued the thing shut. If we want to watch something else, we'll have to get some new equipment."

"You're ridiculous," she said brightly.

"Only about the things I care about."

She settled against him on the couch. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close as the intimately familiar first chords of 'She Caught the Katy' played through the speakers. The feel of her body beneath his hands was something he knew he could never tire of, never stop craving. The captivating curve of her hips, the swell of her full breasts, the perfect roundness of her ass. He could spend a lifetime worshipping her body and his efforts would not have been in vain. And the way she reacted to him, at once demure and sensual, lit his senses on fire.

She started making fun of the movie as soon as the assistant warden cataloged the various types of condoms which were in amongst one of the protagonists affects. The attacks went on throughout the movie. From anyone else that would have been irritating, but from her it was charming. After all, it was a patently ridiculous movie. But she also made him believe that she genuinely enjoyed it. And he had enjoyed it like never before. Because she was there. He suspected that he would love doing anything with her more than he would enjoy doing it alone. She lit up his life with the beauty of her spirit and the joy she brought to everything she did.

***

Roxy came slowly awake, intimately aware of the remarkable, and quite naked, man cuddled up against her. She stretched dreamily as she pressed up against him. Elwood wrapped his arms around her, cupping her breasts unabashedly.

"I'm starting to think you're obsessed with breasts.," she muttered sleepily.

"Not breasts, honey. Just your breasts. Because they're absolutely fucking perfect. Just like the rest of you."

"That's kind of you to say."

"Methinks you don't believe me," he whispered against her ear before taking her earlobe between his lips and sucking daintily. She moaned throatily and ground her bottom against him. He said, "I think I should show you just how perfect your body is."

"Mmm... fine by me," she whispered as her hand found his hardness and began stroking him.

He slid his hand down her body. He briefly stroked her tuft of short curls before running a finger along the length of her labia. She sighed in contentment as he dipped a finger into her opening.

He whispered, "You're so wet already."

"For you? Always." She rolled over to face him, claiming his lips as she began to stroke his cock in earnest. She murmured, "And I'm not the only one whose turned on."

"For you? Always," he repeated.

She quickly moved the straddle him, pushing him onto his back. She lined his throbbing member up with her entrance and slowly sank onto him. They sighed together in contentment as he filled her. When he was fully sheathed, she leaned down to kiss him deeply while her hips began to move slowly.

"Fuck, baby," he gasped. "That feels amazing."

"Oh my goodness, you feel so good. Your penis is so amazing."

She felt his cock jerk within her at her praise.

His eyes then spring open and he gasped, "Honey, we forgot the condom."

"Awww..." she complained. "Can't we do it like this just a little while longer? It feels so amazing to feel you like this, with nothing between us."

"Fuck yes, it does. You feel incredible."

"Ok," she whispered. "Just let me know when you're close."

She resumed the motion of her hips. Elwood groaned as she rode him. But she knew he could not possibly be experiencing anything like the pleasure she was feeling. The way he filled her was like nothing she had ever experienced, like his perfect penis was made for her. And having him filling her body, with nothing between them, was another level of bliss. She knew instinctively that the incredible sensations she was feeling were more than just the feeling of a man being inside her rather than inside a condom. She felt her connection to this remarkable man intensify. In a moment of perfect clarity, she knew with every fiber of her being that she loved him. Loved him with a depth and fullness that she knew surpassed anything she had ever felt, and which could never be matched.

He reached up to pull her close and crushed his lips against hers. Their tongues intertwined as she fisted her hands in his hair and he pulled her close. He began thrusting up into her, adding to the ever-increasing motion of her own hips. She broke their kiss with a gasp, burying her face in his shoulder.

"How can you feel this good?" she whispered.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, baby. It's like you were made for me. You feel so fucking good."

She felt his cock pulsing deep within her. She could see in his eyes that he was as close to release as she was. But as she prepared to join him in bliss, he sped up his thrusts and whispered, "Cum for me, honey. Show me how turned on you are."

"Oh, baby," she gasped. "I'm so close."

He looked up at her with the deep-blue eyes which she had come to think of as being hers alone and said, "You're so beautiful, Roxy. So perfect."

"Oh, Elwood," she gasped as her orgasm washed over her.

She collapsed into his arms while her inner walls convulsed around his throbbing cock and her limbs trembled in pleasure. He slowed his thrusts to prolong her bliss. He caressed her back and kissed her hair as her orgasm receded. He stopped his thrusting altogether and just held her against him. She embraced him completely, with her arms, legs and, most importantly, her core. She felt euphoria wash over her that far exceeded the post orgasmic bliss she was experiencing.

He whispered, "That was incredible. You are incredible."

She sighed in perfect contentment, trying to fully communicate her happiness since the power of speech was still eluding her. She snuggled up against him and whispered, "That was so amazing, honey. How is it possible that every time we make love, it's the best sex I've ever had?"

"I don't know, but I feel the same way. Seems impossible that we'll keep this streak going, but I'm sure as hell willing to keep at it until we reach the apex. You know, for science."

"Obviously," she snickered. Then she rose up and glared at him, "Wait a minute, you didn't have an orgasm yet."

"It's fine," he said reassuringly.

"It most certainly is not fine. I wish you could have an orgasm just like this, inside me, but I'm not on the pill. Yet." His manhood, which was still fully sheathed in her silken depths, twitched at her words. She smiled wickedly at him and said, "You like the thought of that, don't you?" Elwood could only grunt in reply as she squeezed him with her inner walls. She leaned down until her lips were next to his ear. She whispered, "I could try again with my mouth. I know I'm not very good at it..."

"You are amazing, honey. It felt amazing. I feel terrible that I let you think otherwise. I was just so desperate to..."

"I know," she whispered. "You told me you wanted to be inside me. And I believe you. But I'd really like to try again, baby. If that's ok." Elwood chuckled falteringly. Roxy pulled back worriedly and asked, "What is it?"

"If I went back in time and told my pubescent self that, not only would I one day be fortunate enough to make love to the world's most beautiful and wonderful woman, but that she would beg me to be allowed to go down on me... Well, let's just say my younger self would have had current-day me committed."

Roxy smiled seductively and rose up to her knees. She whimpered softly as his throbbing hardness slid from her core. She grasped his penis in her hand and pumped him slowly. She whispered, "Please, Elwood. Please let me pleasure you with my mouth. I want to taste you. Please, baby. Let me do this for you."

"Fuck, that's hot," Elwood gasped.

She smiled brightly in return before lowering her head down and taking the tip of his penis into her mouth. She marveled at the way the softness of his skin stood in stark contrast to the steel-like hardness beneath. Each time she moved her tongue, she could feel tiny jerks along his length as his muscles reacted to her. She glanced up at his eyes, which he was seeming to have some difficulty keeping open and grinned at him around his impressive girth. She began to stroke his base with one hand and gently caress his testicles with the other. She could taste the first hints of his seed as she pleasured him, and the taste excited her. Far from being timid about bringing him to completion with her mouth, she craved it.

"That feels amazing, honey. You're gonna make me cum."

"Please," she whispered while daintily bathing the head of his member with her tongue. "I want to taste you."

When she took him back in her mouth, she felt his body spasm beneath her. She continued stroking his length and caressing his testicles with her hands while she slowly bobbed her head, using her whole mouth to pleasure him. She felt his muscles tense and locked eyes with him. He kept his eyes fixed on hers as he began to erupt in her mouth. Her eyes widened in surprise, but the smile never left the corners of her mouth. The feeling of him filling her mouth, of him achieving the heights of pleasure solely based upon her efforts, was nearly enough to send her over the precipice into another orgasm of her own. She saw him grab a handful of sheets in each hand as he sent countless eruptions of his seed into her mouth. She could feel a shiver run down his spine each time she swallowed. When he was spent, she swallowed a final time, causing a gasp to escape his lips. She rose up, releasing his member with a barely audible pop. She smiled brightly at him and demonstratively wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

He reached for her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her fiercely. He whispered, "That was incredible, honey. You're fucking amazing at that."

She said, "That was... more than I was expecting."

"You have that effect on me. I told you that you're amazing at that, baby."

She smiled and said, "But it was nice. Not like the girls in high school said. Salty, but nice. And I love how much pleasure it obviously gives you. Not to mention how amazing it feels to have you in my mouth. I can't wait to do it again."

"Same here baby. All I ask is to be able to do the same for you."

Roxy chuckled and said, "Gladly. Your mouth is a wonderland, my love."

Elwood looked about to respond, but they then heard a loud banging coming from the front door accompanied by the doorbell ringing incessantly. He said, "Hold that thought," before climbing from the bed and beginning to dress quickly. He hurried downstairs in what was almost certainly a doomed effort to prevent the rude interloper from waking Ainsley. He threw open the door, ready to unload on whoever stood on the other side but he came up short when he spotted the uniform.

"Are you Edward La Joy?"

"It's LaJoie," Elwood corrected by pronouncing the second syllable 'zwha'. "Can I help you?"

"You been served," the man, who Elwood now saw was not a police officer but rather a man wearing a windbreaker with a badge insignia on it, said as he handed Elwood an envelope. The man departed without another word, leaving a shirtless Elwood gaping at the envelope. He quietly closed the door as he tore open the envelope. He glanced up to see Roxy, once again wearing one of his shirts, coming down the stairs with a sleepy looking Ainsley in her arms.

"I heard her fussing," she said. "So, I got her up and changed her. What's that?"

Elwood read further and then his jaw dropped. He said, "Apparently, Beatrice Logan, that walking-talking used anal suppository, has been granted an emergency hearing to challenge Ainsley's custody. It's this afternoon."

Twenty-Five

"That girl," Beatrice Logan spat from her seat in the court room whilst pointing a crooked finger in Ainsley's direction. "Is my flesh and blood. She belongs with me. Not with some hooligan."

"Objection, your honor," Elwood's hastily hired lawyer said as he got to his feet. The man wore a white three-piece suit over an open collared shirt. He had an unkept halo of white hair and a bushy mustache. He had a generally grandfatherly disposition which belied a serious expression and piercing blue eyes.

"Sustained," the corpulent judge declared in a booming voice. "Keep your opinions to yourself, Mrs. Logan."

"It's Ms. Logan, young man," Beatrice replied snippily.

"You're in my courtroom, ma'am. Your name is whatever I say it is. Now, shall we get on with it?"

"As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, she is my niece's daughter. She belongs with me. Not with him."

The judge said, "I'm confused. I thought the will of the birth parents was that she be placed in the custody of Mr. La Joy."

Roxy watched Elwood's shoulders tense, but he managed not to groan in frustration at the mispronunciation of his name. His lawyer rose and said, "That's correct, your honor. I move that you immediately dismiss the plaintiff's petition."

"Not so fast. I want to make sure I'm not missing anything. Ms. Logan? Why do you think I should overrule the wishes of that young lady's birth parents?"

Beatrice started speaking, even managing to stand after her lawyer whispered fiercely to her. She droned on about the importance of family and offering a series of very thinly veiled suggestions that Elwood existed somewhere on the continuum between a generally unsavory character and a genuine underworld king pin. Roxy knew that Elwood was focusing all his energy on preventing himself from appearing angry. Before the proceedings had begun, his newfound lawyer had been clear that Elwood's case was nearly unimpeachable. He had gone on to say that the only thing he could imagine causing Elwood trouble was if he were to appear to be hotheaded or otherwise unsuitable.

As Roxy listened to Beatrice drone on about family, a question popped into her mind like a lightning bolt. She glanced around to see Elwood's lawyer watching her with an inscrutable expression on his face, his piercing blue eyes seeming to stare right into her soul. She shook her head to try to clear her thoughts before leaning forward to get Elwood's attention. He leaned back and listened as she whispered urgently to him. His eyes widened as he listened to her. She noticed that Beatrice faltered in her soliloquy upon noticing their conversation, but Elwood kept his attention on her. He then gave her a thankful smile and leaned over to his lawyer to have yet another whispered conversation. When they were finished, his lawyer smiled sagely and patted Elwood's arm.

When Beatrice finished, the judge looked at Elwood questioningly. Elwood's lawyer stood and said, "If it pleases the court, we would like to question the plaintiff."

Beatrice's lawyer stood and said, "This is highly irregular, your honor"

"Perhaps," Elwood's lawyer allowed. "But no more irregular than the plaintiff challenging a probated will."

"I'll allow it," the judge declared.

"Ms. Logan," Elwood's lawyer began, drawing out the honorific for emphasis. "Your contention is that you should be granted custody of Ms. Russell because of your relation to her, is that correct?"

"Yes. She is my flesh and blood."

"You asked the court to call you Ms., rather than Mrs. Can you elaborate?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you."

"I'm just curious as to your exact relationship to Ms. Russel. My understanding is that her mother's maiden name was Waters. Your insistence on the honorific 'Ms' implies you are unmarried. So I am curious as to why your surname is not Waters."

"Waters was my married name," Beatrice snapped haughtily.

Elwood's lawyer smiled and said, "Was? Not is." Beatrice stood mute. The lawyer continued, "I take it then that you are divorced?" Again, the plaintiff declined to deign his question with a reply. He turned to the judge and said, "Your honor, Ms. Logan's entire request is based upon a relationship to Ms. Russell. But she is not related to her by either blood or marriage. Ms. Russell's mother was her ex-husband's niece. Legally, that relationship between Ms. Logan and Ivy Russell ceased to exist when the former got divorced. This combined with the probated last will and testament of the girl's birth parents leads me to repeat my objection to these proceedings in the strongest possible terms."

The judge said, "I'm forced to agree with your assessment, unless you have anything else Ms. Logan?" Beatrice glared at the judge with undisguised rage but said nothing. He continued, "The plaintiff's request is denied. Court dismissed."

***

"To my heroine, not to mention the most beautiful woman these eyes have ever seen," Elwood declared with a raised drink.

Roxy blushed deeply, simultaneously made happy both by his praise and his eager willingness to advertise their burgeoning relationship. They were gathered at Taylor's bar along with Taylor, Penny, Winifred, Dr. Zoe Kent and her partner Norma. Roxy had never met the last two, but she was touched that the doctor had shown up to testify on Elwood's behalf should it be necessary.

"Not to imply that Roxy isn't fucking awesome," Penny piped up. "But why is she your heroine?"

Elwood said, "She's the one who figured out that Cruella wasn't related to Ainsley by blood."

Roxy said, "I just couldn't figure out her snippy insistence on being called Ms. and it got me thinking. It took me a minute to figure out why it was bothering me, but then your lawyer caught my eye, and everything just seemed to drop into place. Where is he, by the way? I thought I heard you invite him out to celebrate."

Elwood shrugged and said, "He said he had another appointment."

"I'm sure he won't be too busy to bill you," Taylor added. "I couldn't get in touch with my lawyer for anything when I was trying to get a restraining order, but he sure as hell found me when it came time to get his fucking money."

Elwood said, "I don't doubt it. But now that you mention it, I can't remember him actually taking down my contact information. He answered his phone himself when I called this morning. Once I explained my situation, he just told me he'd meet me at the courthouse. I guess that's just another side effect of small-town living. Who needs paperwork when everyone knows everyone?"

Winifred said, "The important thing was that that horrible woman got what was coming to her." She raised her glass and said, "To Ms. Ainsley staying with someone who truly loves her."

Everyone raised their glasses and said, "Here, here."

Elwood said, "Thanks everyone. I really appreciate it."

He turned his attention to Ainsley, who sat beside him in a highchair, seemingly losing himself in the job. But Roxy knew that he was probably nearly wrecked from the stress of worrying about losing Ainsley. That combined with his natural introverted-ness was a recipe for him to seek to disappear into the background. She rubbed his leg reassuringly and basked in the warmth of the smile he gave her.

Roxy felt a tap on her arm and turned to find Penny smiling at her expectedly. Her friend whispered, "So?"

"So, what?" Roxy asked with genuine confusion.

"Are you guys, like, a thing now?"

"Um... we haven't really discussed it."

"Well, perhaps. But Arnold felt it necessary to mention that your car spent the night at his place last night. And the night before that."

Roxy blushed and said, "Well I guess my car is certainly living her best life."

"Come off it, honey. You guys are totally hooking up. Admit it."

"He's right there," Roxy whispered for reasons she could not fully explain to herself.

Penny grinned and said, "Well I would certainly hope that he already knows if you spent the night with him. Twice."

Elwood leaned forward, close enough that his breath on her ear sent a jolt straight to her core. He murmured, "I've got no friends here anymore that aren't your friends. So, this is entirely up to you. But, for my part, I'd be honored to call you my girlfriend."

Roxy flushed at the surge of affection she felt for him. Her breathing quickened and she could see the corners of Penny's mouth turning up in a knowing smile. Roxy knew that, if anything, the term 'boyfriend' was not nearly enough to describe how she felt about Elwood. This latest act was even more proof of how remarkable he was. He had effortlessly given her all the power with respect to their public, and private, relationship status while letting her know with complete clarity just how much she meant to him. She decided to throw caution to the wind. She turned to face him, finding him still quite close behind her, and placed her hand behind his head to pull him in for a chaste, but meaningful, kiss.

"Wait a minute," Taylor called. "Did you just kiss him? Are you two finally dating?"

"Well, I guess that answers that," Penny said happily. "I told you."

"Yeah, yeah. I know," Roxy admitted. "I'm glad you were right."

Taylor said, "So, what does little miss think of all this?"

Elwood, who had clearly been listening in, said, "She loves Roxy to pieces. I'm pretty sure Roxy was her inspiration for taking her first steps the other day."

"She started walking?" Penny asked happily.

"A bit," Roxy allowed.

"Maybe that first time," Elwood agreed. "But what about yesterday morning when she walked all the way across the living room to you?"

"Oh my goodness," Taylor gushed. "That's the most beautiful thing I ever heard."

Elwood said, "See? I keep telling you how beautiful you are. Perhaps you'll believe me now that you've heard your friends backing me up."

Neither Penny nor Taylor said a word, they just pulled Roxy into a warm three-way hug. Their happiness for her surrounded her like a warm blanket on a cold winter night. She hugged them back and concentrated on not crying.

She said, "You two are the best."

Taylor said, "I think we need another round. Doc, what will you and your lovely lady have?"

"Two beers. Something hoppy and high gravity. Did I hear you say Ms. Ainsley's taken her first step?"

"Yup," Elwood said proudly. "She's up in the low to mid hundreds in her step count now."

"That's marvelous. Time to double-check your babyproofing. She'll be exploring before you know it."

"I don't doubt it. She's sure got a heck of a motor. I told Roxy the other day that I think she wants to go right past walking and straight to running."

"I know I told you this before, Elwood," Zoe said reassuringly. "But you're doing great. Really, really great. Ainsley's very lucky to have you." Elwood looked uncomfortable at her praise, but Roxy could tell that the comforting words also lifted a weight from his shoulders that he likely did not know he had been carrying. Zoe continued, "You too, Roxy. You're a good influence on her."

"Thanks," Roxy said sincerely. "I appreciate it."

She glanced back at Elwood, who looked at her with an inscrutable expression on his face. She could not tell what he was thinking, but the affection was radiating off him.

He said, "You ready to get out of here?"

She nodded and they quickly said their goodbyes and thanked everyone for their support. Moments later, they were in the vehicle Elwood still insisted on calling Marcus's car. He pulled out onto the island's main street and headed north.

He said, "Where to, beautiful?"

"I don't know. I have to work in the morning. So, I guess I should go back to my place."

"OK, honey. I just want to make sure you know that not only are you welcome at Marcus's place anytime, but I would also love to have you there."

"Really?" Roxy responded quietly. "You're not sick of me yet?"

"Never. In fact, I was going to ask if you'd mind Ainsley and I staying over if you're committed to staying at your place tonight."

"Fine," she said with a laugh. "I'll stay at your place. But I should stop by my place and grab some things on the way."

Elwood lifted her hand to his lips, kissing it gently, before saying, "Anything for you, my love."

Twenty-Six

"Good morning, handsome," Roxy murmured to Elwood as his eyes opened.

She was tucked beneath his arm, nestled snugly against his side. He pulled her closer and said, "Good morning beautiful. How'd you sleep?"

"Wonderfully. Ainsley was making some noise a little while ago. I changed her but she seemed pretty sleepy, so I laid her back down. I'm pretty sure she went back to sleep."

"Aw, honey. You didn't have to do that."

Roxy combed her fingers through his chest hair and said, "I know. But it made me happy to do it. Both for her and for you."

"How is it even possible for someone to be this perfect? Every day I'm terrified that I'll wake up to discover that you were all a dream."

"You're so sweet, honey. I feel the same way. About both of you."

He pulled her close, reaching down to cup her breast as his lips found hers. She moaned into his lips and slid her hand down his stomach to his throbbing manhood. She began to stroke him eagerly. He rolled her onto her back and positioned himself between her legs before breaking their kiss and sliding down her body. He spent several moments languidly pleasuring her breasts, sucking her prominent nipples into his mouth and pleasuring her pebbled buds with the tip of his tongue. Her soft moans were like music to his ears.

He moved lower until he was positioned between her legs. He delicately licked along her outer lips, luxuriating in the sensation after she had surprised him recently with the results of her handiwork with a razor. He sank his tongue into her soaked core, drinking deep of her nectar. Her moans intensified as he licked along her labia with agonizing slowness. She fisted her hands in his hair and pulled his mouth toward her clit.

He locked eyes with her, trying to convey with his actions and his gaze the love he felt for her. He had not yet worked up the courage to say the words to her, but he knew the truth with every fiber of his being. And while he was too cowardly to say the words, at least to her, he had no qualms about doing everything possible to wordlessly convey his feelings.

He sucked her clit between his lips briefly, earning him a gasp of pleasure. He released her with a glint in his eye and began to tease her pleasure button with the tiniest movements of his tongue. Often, his touch was so light that only Roxy's moans allowed him to determine when they were in contact. She writhed beneath him trying to force herself onto his tongue, but he held her in place. They were both eager for her release, but he considered an orgasm too pedestrian for this woman who had given him everything. He wanted her to have an orgasm the likes of which even the gods had never contemplated. He wanted her to experience heretofore unknown heights of pleasure, every time they were together.

Her thighs clamped around his head as her orgasm began to build. His eyes never left hers, both because he knew it heightened her pleasure and because he sincerely hoped that he saw the same love mirrored there that he felt for her. He continued to bring her ever closer to release, never wavering in his tender devotion to her clit. Her hips began to buck, signaling that her release was imminent. He slowly slid his nails along the back of her thigh toward her center. When he reached her soaked opening, he slid a finger into her and deftly caressed her G-spot.

Her eyes rolled back in her head as her orgasm washed over her. Wetness surged from her, covering his chin and hand. Her hips bucked off the bed and Elwood had to raise to his knees to stay in contact with her. He continued to gently tease her clit and G-spot as she thrashed in his arms. The sight of her spectacularly supple body on display below him as he pleasured her through her orgasm was something he would never forget. Her breasts heaved mightily as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her and the ecstasy written on her face told him he had achieved his objective.

He began to lay her down as she eased the grip her thighs held around his head. He laid down next to her and cradled her body against his.

A shuddering sigh escaped from her lips. She whispered, "Oh my God. That was incredible." Elwood kissed her deeply and felt her hand grasp his erection. She murmured, "Your turn," before beginning to slide down his body. She bathed the head of his penis with her tongue before slowly taking him into her mouth.

Just as the head of his cock teased the back of her mouth, they heard a cluck from the baby monitor. They both froze, Roxy grinning at Elwood around his cock at the absurdity of the situation. But another cluck followed and soon Ainsley was loudly babbling to herself through the monitor.

Roxy pulled back with a sad look on her face. "I think I was too loud. I'm so sorry, baby."

"Higher praise, one could not expect."

"But you didn't get off yet."

"I regret nothing, honey. It was a small sacrifice to make."

She regarded him forlornly as she stroked his cock slowly. She said, "I can't bear the thought of you being uncomfortable. Please let me take care of you, baby. I can make it quick?"

Elwood could only nod in reply as she energetically took him deep into her mouth while stroking him eagerly.

***

"So, how long have you two been together now?" Penny asked before taking a sip of her beer.

"Eighteen days," Roxy answered happily as she gave Elwood's hand a squeeze.

"Not that you're counting, or anything," Penny joked. "That's awesome. I'm really happy. For both of you."

Taylor said, "Elwood, this place is amazing. I mean, this view."

"It's the best," Elwood agreed.

They were standing on the end of the dock having just finished a tour. What started as a desire to have a few friends over had turned into a full-on party with all of Roxy and Taylor's co-workers. Elwood had used the event to introduce Roxy to the joy that is low country boil. He had desperately wanted to have an oyster bake in true Savannah style, but that would have to wait until the fall when oysters were back in season. The party had the makings of a smashing success with guests already spread across Marcus's property.

"How often do you take the boat out?" Taylor asked.

"Not as often as I want to. It's hard to know the proper procedure for taking a baby out on the water. Part of me thinks I just put her in her car seat and strap it down, but then I worry about some kind of freak sinking accident. But it hardly seems safer to just put her in a PFD and let her sit on the bench. I'm sure the Coast Guard recommendation would be to just not go out, so that's what I do."

"I could hold her," Roxy said from his side. "If you'd be comfortable with that. I'd really like to see the island from the water."

Elwood glanced around, trying to remember where they were in the tide cycle and what the morning's weather report had been.

"We're an hour from high tide," Taylor interjected helpfully. "And the seas are calm with only a light breeze coming off the water."

Elwood smiled and said, "Spoken like someone born and bred here. Mount up!"

The four of them, five including Ainsley, quickly boarded the boat. Elwood helped Roxy get Ainsley's rather elaborate PFD onto her, but they were soon underway. It took a little while to navigate through the winding channels of the marsh, but they were soon pulling into the much wider Tybee Creek west of the island. There was a bit of chop, but not so much that it would cause anyone any problem. Elwood continued out into the open water and soon they were cruising north along the beach, a few hundred meters offshore.

"It's so beautiful," Roxy breathed from her spot next to Elwood at the craft's center console. Even Ainsley seemed transfixed by the view, staring quietly at the beachgoers and quaint cottages in the distance.

Elwood wrapped his arm around Roxy and said, "It is indeed. But not nearly so beautiful as you."

"Thank you," she said demurely.

"Oh my goodness," Taylor gushed. "You guys are so cute."

"They are cute," Elwood responded, indicating Roxy and Ainsley. "I, on the other hand, am closer to repugnant. I look like a reject from a sword and sorcery movie who fell into a pit of tattoo needles."

"You are not," Roxy said as she smacked his arm. "You are devastatingly handsome. And I love your tattoos. They make you... you. I can't even imagine you without them."

"To be fair," he allowed. "They don't do much to improve my look. You saw me at the court hearing when I had to wear that monkey suit. I just look like a banker who's allergic to razors."

Penny said, "Why do people always use the term banker to denote someone who's overdressed? Why not lawyer, or professor?"

"I'm not sure," Elwood replied. "Perhaps its because I can't think of another profession where they require people making barely over minimum wage to wear a tie. Just seems kind of silly. Almost like they think people won't deposit their money if the guy behind the counter is wearing a polo shirt."

"Maybe they won't," Roxy observed. "After all, who actually goes into a bank other than pensioners? Younger people do everything online."

"Indeed. In any case, my point is that these two lovely ladies can be called cute. I'm just an ogre doing my best to show them how much I... care about them."

Everyone was silent for a moment and Elwood knew his near slip of the tongue had not gone unnoticed. But Roxy, ever mindful of his happiness, just cuddled up close to him and said, "You're not an ogre. You're a good man, Elwood. The best."

The cruised in silence until they neared the north end of the island. There was a container ship headed toward the Savannah River from offshore, so Elwood headed in that direction. He smiled at the exclamations he heard from his passengers as he approached within a hundred meters of the massive ship.

Finally, Penny said, "Listen, if you're trying to mate with that thing, can you drop me off first?"

"Relax," Elwood chuckled. "We're nowhere close to that monster. Take a look up on the main deck."

They peered upward and found a handful of sailors enthusiastically waving down at the three beautiful women on the smaller craft who were likely the first females the crew had seen in many days. Taylor and Penny both stood and waved happily to the crew as Elwood brought them alongside. They moved along the ship until they reached the bow, whereupon Elwood turned them back south to head for home.

Upon returning home, Elwood got to work preparing the low country boil while Roxy put Ainsley down for a nap. As he worked, he remarked to himself just how natural it felt for her to share the load with Ainsley. Not only that, but she seemed truly happy to do it. He was even more sure of her love for the young girl than he was for her feelings for him. The love in Roxy's eyes when she looked at Ainsley was absolute, and undisguised.

Roxy joined him on the patio, wrapping an arm around him as he filled the pot with sausage and corn. He turned to her and delivered the expected kiss. He said, "Thank you, honey."

She grinned and said, "You don't need to thank me for kissing you, baby."

"I meant for all you're doing for Ainsley."

"I don't mind. I just love her to pieces."

"I know you do," he said warmly. "And she feels the same about you."

He paused to gather his confidence, prepared to tell her that he felt the same way. But, before he could speak, Penny interrupted them by putting an arm around them both.

Penny said, "Anything I can do to help? I feel like I've just been sitting around drinking beer all afternoon."

Elwood tried to not let his frustration show. He said, "Yeah. Can you grab the shrimp from the fridge?"

Roxy smiled up at him and said, "I'll go help her. With the amount of shrimp you bought, she'll need another pair of hands."

Elwood watched her go with a wistful smile. He could not help but realize that, in this moment, the very thing that made him love her was also standing in the way of him telling her how he felt.

Twenty-Seven

"Aw, honey," Roxy said with surprise. "You didn't have to make me breakfast in bed."

Elwood placed a tray next to Roxy on the bed and said, "I know, baby. But that smile is my drug. I can't get enough of it."

"What's the occasion?"

"Do I need an occasion to do something nice for you?"

"I suppose not."

Elwood grinned at her and said, "If I'm being honest, there is a bit of an occasion. It's been one month since we got together."

"Are you sure? I thought that was tomorrow."

"Perhaps, I guess it all comes down to whether it was before or after midnight when you made me the happiest man alive and kissed me for the first time. In any case, happy anniversary, honey."

Roxy leaned over to kiss him deeply before whispering, "Happy anniversary. This has been the best month of my life."

"Mine too, honey."

They heard Ainsley start to make noise through the baby monitor, so Elwood excused himself while Roxy ate. He returned moments later with Ainsley and, after closing all the doors, set her on the floor. Ainsley quickly dashed across the room to Roxy's side and began shrieking in delight. Elwood looked at Roxy questioningly and, after receiving a smile in reply, set Ainsley on the bed. The baby quickly made her way over to Roxy and sat down by her side. Roxy smiled down at her before offering her a bite of eggs.

Roxy's heart felt like it might explode with joy at how natural the scene felt. She was constantly resisting the inclination to behave instinctually as either Ainsley's surrogate mother, or at the least a beloved aunt. But she knew that was not her place. She had to let that be Elwood's call, and his alone. And she was constantly on guard against the possibility that she could be giving off the impression that she was trying to elbow her way into their lives. The flip side of the constant effort on her part to not overstep her bounds was the fact that she knew with absolute certainty that she was desperately, madly, totally in love with Elwood. In a way she had not even known was possible before he allowed her into his life. She also knew she felt a mother's love for Ainsley. That she would unhesitatingly lay down her life for the thirteen-month-old.

She strongly suspected Elwood felt the same way about her. There had been several occasions where she was certain he had been about to profess his love for her. But they were always interrupted, and the moment was lost. She could not explain why she felt as though he had to go first. She knew that it was logically unfair to place that upon him. But something about his position as a new father convinced her that it had to be that way. Until that day arrived, she resolved to show both Elwood and Ainsley, in every way possible, just how much she loved them both.

Ainsley's early morning rambunctiousness soon led Elwood to pick her up and move her to her play area in the living room. Roxy finished eating before heading to the restroom to take a shower. On her way, she once again mentally remarked on the fact that Elwood's room was still what was technically the guest room. The door to the master bedroom was never opened. Roxy had gently pried a few times about it unsuccessfully. While Elwood had not been upset that she brought it up, he had shown zero willingness to consider using what he still thought of as Marcus and Ivy's room. She found this slightly confounding. After all, he clearly felt that this house was his home. She knew deep down that he was convinced that this final step would mean him fully admitting that his friends were gone. She sympathized. She still could not look at Xander's picture which she carried in her purse, just as she had been unable to attend the viewing. But she knew that with each day that passed, each day with Elwood, the grief lessened, and it became easier to remember who she had lost. She did not consider this to be a betrayal. It was natural, it was healthy. And she hoped that Elwood's grief was vanishing with her own.

As she finished getting ready, she heard her cell phone ringing. She rushed back into the bedroom and picked it up when she saw it was Penny calling.

"Good morning," Roxy said cheerfully. "I was just getting ready to head in. What's up?"

Penny said, "Listen... Roxy. Something's happened. I don't think you should come in just yet."

"What are you talking about? What's wrong?"

"The department's being sued by Beatrice Logan for ten million dollars."

***

Roxy stared at the wall of her dingy room at the boarding house, unable to contain the frustration which was threatening to overwhelm her. She had not been able to bring herself to tell Elwood what had happened because she knew he would feel responsible. Instead, she had lied by omission, making it seem as though she was leaving for work when she kissed him goodbye. She had not been to 'her' room in over a week and the realization made it clear just how fully she had started to think of Elwood's house as 'home'.

As she futilely seethed, she felt a growing awareness of just how in the dark she was about what was happening to her. Penny had been able to offer little information beyond the fact that the department was being sued, and Roxy had been specifically mentioned in the suit although it was not yet clear if Roxy would also be sued. Roxy knew nothing of the purported reason for the suit, or even what the department intended to do about it. She hastily picked up her phone and dialed before she had a chance to reconsider.

"Oh, honey," Winifred said by way of greeting. "I'm so sorry about all this."

"I appreciate that," Roxy said sincerely. "But I'm not even sure what's going on."

"It's a bunch of hooey is what's going on. But departmental policy is that any involved parties be placed on leave in these situations. It's stupid, because the suit is obviously ridiculous. But them's the rules."

"Why is she doing this? What does the community center have to do with any of this?"

"Nothing. But she can't sue you for pointing out the truth. So, she's trying to come at you sideways. But try not to let it get to you, honey."

"How can I not? I love my job. I was supposed to drop off some new instruments at the middle school today. Why can't she just leave well enough alone? I don't even understand why she's decided that she has to have Ainsley. I mean, I know she's amazing. But that woman's never even met Ainsley. She wouldn't know her from any other little girl."

Winifred sighed and said, "Because she's a hateful old crow who's spent her whole life trying to bully people into loving her. The fact that it ain't never worked worth a damn apparently hasn't entered her tiny bird brain yet."

"So, what? I'm just supposed to quit my job?"

"No!" Winifred said forcefully. "Don't quit. Just think of this as a little unplanned vacation. Spend time with your fella and his darlin' little girl."

"I can't tell him about this. He'll think it's all his fault."

"That's your business honey. All I'll say is that he's met that woman. And he's met you. No one can tell the future, but my money would be on him seeing the truth."

Roxy made agreeable sounds, and hung up gracefully, but she had a great deal of difficulty believing what she heard. Her instincts told her that he would either be angry with her out of a fear that Beatrice would finally succeed in taking Ainsley, or he would blame himself for what had befallen Roxy. As she continued staring at the wall of her lonely room, she could not decide which option was less appealing.

She was pulled from her melancholy by the sound of her phone ringing. She saw it was Elwood and her heart soared instinctively. She had the instant clarity that regardless of his actual reaction, she was being foolish to keep this from him. She knew that she would be hurt if he kept something from her and she owed him at least as much. And the possibility that Beatrice might just have another strategy which could allow her to take Ainsley cemented the rightness of coming clean with him.

She answered the call tentatively, despite her resolve, with a soft, "Hello?"

"Hey beautiful," he answered in his devastatingly sexy baritone. "Everything ok?"

"Not really. Do you mind if I come over?"

"Of course," he answered quickly. "I mean, of course not. You're always welcome here, honey. You know that."

"Ok, baby," she said tiredly. "I'll be over soon."

When she climbed the steps to the front door, Elwood stepped outside to greet her. She opened her mouth to begin to tell him what had happened, but he interrupted her by pulling her into a soul-melding hug. He spoke not a word, but she felt his love surround her in a way which transcended words. She melted against him, sighing at the way her body fit perfectly against his. How his towering height allowed him to deftly rest his chin on the top of her head. How the slow beat of his heart calmed her as she rested her ear on his breastbone.

He held her like that, standing silently on the front porch without a care in the world outside of the happiness of the two women in his life, for untold minutes. She was quite certain he would stay there until one of them collapsed from exhaustion if that was what she needed.

She whispered, "Thank you."

He squeezed her once more before leading her into the house. When they entered the living room, she heard Ainsley shriek, "Raw-Ree!" Her vocabulary was still limited to a handful of words, and it made Roxy's heart burst with love that her name had joined 'El-Woo' along with other staples like 'baba', 'ball' and 'woobie'. Instantly, she felt what remained of her sour mood after Elwood's hug dissipate. She rushed over and scooped Ainsley up, swinging her around in a circle before giving her a kiss. Elwood watched the scene with undisguised affection for both ladies.

"Hey sweetheart," Roxy said brightly. "What have you been up to?"

Ainsley only cooed in response and gave Roxy a wet kiss before struggling to be put back down. Roxy returned her to her play area and took a seat on the couch beside Elwood. He wrapped his arm around her comfortingly and gave her his undivided attention, making it clear that he was there for her while simultaneously not pressuring her to speak before she was ready.

Roxy sighed and repeated, "Thank you."

He smiled and said, "You're welcome, beautiful. But I'm not sure what I did."

"Because you're perfect. You always know just what to do, just what to say. You and baby girl over there pulled me right out of the funk I was in. So, thank you."

"What's wrong, honey?"

"Beatrice Logan was apparently not cowed by her failure to overturn Marcus's will. She's sued my department for ten million dollars. And I've been placed on leave."

"That fucking cunt," Elwood whispered. He then took a breath and said, "Sorry for the language."

"Don't apologize," she murmured. "After all, that's the right word. Winifred said she's just trying to be a pest. That she doesn't have a real strategy other than trying to bully people into giving her what she wants. But it's still pretty aggravating."

"I'm really sorry about this, baby. I know this is all Beatrice's doing but she's trying to hurt me by hurting you, so I feel responsible."

"It's all her, baby. Not you. Besides, like Winifred said, this just lets me spend more time with you two."

"Then perhaps I should send her a thank you card," Elwood whispered as he pulled Roxy close and claimed her lips.

Twenty-Eight

"Are you sure we're allowed here?" Roxy asked hesitantly.

"Well, I think so," Elwood responded with a too large grin.

"I'm serious, Elwood. We could get in trouble. And what happens to Ainsley if we're arrested for trespassing?"

"Relax. It's fine."

"Then why is no one else here?"

"It's a nature preserve. No one can build here but it's fine to be here. As to why no one's here, it's because you can't drive here. Turtle Island is only accessible by boat."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense. I can see why it's a nature preserve. It's gorgeous here."

He said, "Indeed. It's pretty great. You about ready to head back?" They had beached the boat on the beach and spent a few minutes exploring but the clouds over the ocean looked ominous and Elwood did not want to be caught in a rain shower.

She shrugged and said, "I'm not in a rush. It's not like I have to get to work."

Elwood frowned and said, "I'm going to go grab an anchor rope to help me remove my foot from my mouth. I'm such a dolt."

She touched his arm affectionately and said, "Don't worry about it. I'd much rather be here with you, or anywhere with you."

His heart quickened at her response, which perfectly reflected his own feelings. Never before had he felt about someone the way he felt about her. He felt terrible about what the lawsuit was putting her through, but the fact that she sought solace in him demonstrated just how completely they were in sync. He could not imagine a situation which could befall him that she could not make better. Her sweet disposition and loving nature could make even the darkest days brighter. And the fact that she obviously felt the same way made him love her all the more. He pulled her into a one-arm hug and kissed the top of her head. He whispered, "Same here, honey."

He felt a drop of rain fall onto his shoulder and looked up at the darkening sky. This resulted in a few drops hitting his sunglasses. He glanced down at Roxy and said, "Let's scoot."

She chuckled as they headed back to the boat and said, "How is it possible for someone to be permanently stuck in a time period which occurred before you were born? Is it all from your movie?"

"It's hardly my movie."

"It is to me," she murmured coquettishly.

He carefully pulled her to him, no easy task as Ainsley was strapped to his chest like the world's cutest Quato. He kissed her quickly, but thoroughly, and said, "That's high praise, beautiful. And I don't take it lightly. But, in all honesty, I think it's more than just the movie. Although the movie is inextricably linked to my overall approach to life. Because the movie was the result of the music and the culture of the seventies. And it's that music which I used to define myself when I was transitioning from a pubescent lump of nothingness to an actual person."

She snickered and then quickly covered her mouth nervously with her hand. She said, "I'm sorry. I swear I'm not laughing at you. It's just that for my whole life, I thought of disco whenever I thought of seventies music."

"The seventies were such a weird time. You look at the weekly music charts and it was such an eclectic mix of styles. Sure, there was an appalling amount of disco, but there was so much more. The top ten in a given week could include John Denver, Average White Band, Linda Ronstadt, The Doobie Brothers and Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes. But that's part of what made it so fascinating to me. So many artists doing their own thing. And it was back when A&R people were truly looking for talent, rather than just looking for marketability. And, most importantly, it was before music videos came along and made appearance more important than music. Perhaps I've forgotten someone, but I can't think of a single song that I love which was recorded by someone who I thought was attractive. I mean, have you ever seen Duane Allman? If you saw him wandering through the playground, you'd sprain your finger calling the police."

"I can't say that I have. What's he look like?"

He said, "Tall, kind of lanky, longish hair, wicked lamb-chops."

"Sounds like someone I know," Roxy interjected flirtatiously. "I might just run up and hug him by mistake if I saw him on the playground."

"Indeed. Although I do have the benefit of not having died in a motorcycle wreck fifty years ago. I also can't even conceive of having his level of talent."

At this point they reached the boat and Elwood immediately felt his stomach sink. The rain was steadily picking up and he could clearly see much more sand surrounding the boat than there had been when they arrived. He whispered, "Goddammit."

"What is it?"

"You, my most beautiful and perfect companion, have the unfortunate luck to be in a relationship with a moron."

"I respectively disagree."

"Au contraire. If I wasn't stupid, then I would have checked the tide before heading over here. But I am stupid, so the two most important women in my life are stuck in the rain with a beached boat."

Roxy looked at him questioningly and said, "Well, obviously it's on a beach."

"No, I mean it's stuck on the beach. And the tide's still going out."

"Oh," she said mollified. "Well, that's ok. Can't we just put the top up on the boat and wait for the tide to come back?"

"We have no choice," he replied dispiritedly. He lifted Ainsley out of her carrier and handed her to Roxy. He then climbed onto the boat, which was now tilted twenty degrees off kilter due to the pronounced lack of buoyancy, and raised the top. Roxy followed with Ainsley in her arms and helped him get her settled in her car seat. She then cuddled up against him under the awning and watched the rain intensify. Fortunately, it was the middle of the summer, so the rain did not chill them. It was almost peaceful to listen to the waves and rain.

***

"This is nice," Roxy murmured as she nestled against Elwood.

He squeezed her reassuringly and kissed her head in the way which always made her breath catch. She suspected Elwood was unhappy about their predicament, but in truth she could not be happier. Here was, quite literally, her desert island wish list: Elwood and Ainsley. That is what Roxy needed to be happy. Everything else was superfluous. She looked out over the grey seas and smiled at the stark contrast between the gloomy skies and her soaring spirits. She had been placed on leave, that was true, but she could not have been happier at that moment.

The rain ended after about twenty minutes. This initially seemed to be a blessing, because even with an ambient temperature hovering around twenty-five degrees, it had started to be a tad uncomfortable to be soaking wet. And the boat's small awning was not big enough to keep both the adults and the baby completely dry. But as the raindrops ended, the constant breeze also faded. This also seemed to be fortuitous as they quickly started to warm. But as the sun came out and the breeze remained mysteriously absent, they started to notice an increase in the number of gnats surrounding them. Soon, the gnats were so thick they seemed to blot out the sun.

"Um, baby?" Roxy asked hesitantly.

Elwood said, "I see it, honey. I don't know what the fuck is going on."

"What should we do? I'm not sure we can just wait this out. Look at Ainsley."

He glanced at the baby and his eyebrows rose in horror when he saw that her arms were covered with gnats. He said, "Get her out of there."

He focused on unstowing Ainsley's PFD while Roxy extracted her from the car seat. Roxy was nauseated to find that the baby was enthusiastically trying to lick the small insects covering her arms, and desperately tried to keep her clean while Elwood redoubled his efforts. Shortly, he had the PFD out and Roxy helped him fasten Ainsley into it.

She said, "Now what?"

"Into the water," he panted. "That's the only thing I can think of to keep them off you."

Roxy walked out into the surf with Ainsley in her arms. When the water was waist deep, she knelt until the water came up to their necks. This was made easier by the eerie lack of waves, but the gnats soon found what remained above the water line.

Elwood said, "Give me just a minute."

He hurried back to the boat and shortly returned with a large beach towel and a few floating cushions. He spread the cushions around Roxy and Ainsley and then draped the towel over them. They found the space beneath to be humid, but blissfully free of insects.

Roxy said, "That's better, but what about you?"

"I'm going to get us out of here."

"But..." Roxy started to ask, but she could hear the thrashing of the water as Elwood hurried away. She moved their protective shroud around until she was able to see him through a keyhole sized opening. Ainsley was tolerating the situation with surprising calmness, allowing Roxy to focus on Elwood.

He quickly pulled the anchor rope from the bow of the boat. He attached the end of the rope to a cleat on the stern of the boat. He then strained mightily trying to pull the boat deeper into the water. He fell several times trying to get enough leverage to move the unquestionably not small boat, but it was to no avail. Roxy could hear him softly swearing to himself and she genuinely feared he would hurt himself.

"Elwood, just leave it," she called from her place in the water. "We'll be fine out here until the breeze picks back up."

He turned to face her, frustration and anguish written clearly on his features. He appeared about to speak, but then turned angrily back to face the boat. He gave a few more mighty, but futile, tugs before heading back to the boat and untying the line from the stern. He moved around to the bow and tied the line up there before starting to once again try to move the now fully beached boat. But this time, he was pulling parallel to the shoreline rather than toward it. After a few moments, Roxy could see the boat start to budge. Ever so slowly, the boat rotated and after about ten minutes he had the bow pointed generally toward the water. He then abandoned the rope and retreated to the rear of the craft.

Roxy could hear more muttered curses coming from the area of the boat, but she was surprised to realize that the craft was slowly surging in her direction. It took almost twenty minutes, but the bow eventually kissed the gently lapping waves. At this point, every centimeter the boat moved made his task easier. Soon the boat was gently bobbing in the water and Elwood approached them.

"All aboard," he whispered hoarsely.

"That was incredible," Roxy breathed. "That thing must weigh a tonne."

"At least. Come on, let's get going before the tide goes out more."

She rose from the water as he lifted the towel off them. She could see a bone-deep weariness on his face. She pulled him into a quick hug and whispered, "Thank you, Elwood."

"Anything for my girls," he said softly.

He got them on board and quickly followed. He had to use an oar to push them deeper into the waves before he could lower the motor and get them properly under way.

Ainsley soon fell asleep, and Roxy cuddled up to Elwood's side. She slowly rubbed his back and thought about how she could possibly repay him. That was when she noticed a discoloration on the gleaming steel steering wheel. She quickly realized it was blood and gently pulled one of his hands from the wheel. The inside of his palm was rubbed raw, so much so that it was impossible to discern any skin beneath his wounds.

"Oh honey," she breathed. "You've got to let me take care of this."

"Let's get back to the house first. The wind still hasn't picked up, so if we stopped we'd be right back in the soup."

"Ok," she answered softly. "But once we get home, you've got to promise to let me take care of you."

His only reply was, "Always."

Twenty-Nine

Elwood dropped into the swing on the blissfully screened in back porch upon their arrival at Marcus's house. He was far too dirty to sit inside, but he had no energy left to clean himself. He could never remember being so weary. His aches and pains had aches and pains. He had gladly accepted Roxy's offer to give Ainsley a bath and make her a snack. He suspected that if it were a matter of life or death, he could have managed it, but he was profoundly thankful for his better half's offer of assistance. It never even occurred to him to question Roxy's care of Ainsley. He knew Roxy loved her unreservedly and would never allow any harm to come to her. Just as he knew Ainsley loved Roxy. Just as he knew he loved Roxy.

At this point, he knew it was getting ridiculous that he had not told her how he felt. They were closer than any couple he could remember, save Marcus and Ivy. Even Elwood's parents had never seemed to share the closeness that he now shared with Roxy. He tried to remember if Marcus had ever disclosed any kind of misgivings with him about telling Ivy how he felt, but he came up empty. In his mind, Ivy had gone from a stranger to the love of his best friend's life in a heartbeat. Their first date had proceeded them moving in together by less than a month. Elwood suspected that surely he must have told her he loved her before that.

But Marcus had always been something of a romantic, whereas Elwood had typically followed a different path. He knew people viewed him as standoffish, even rude. It was the great dichotomy of his life. He loved performing in front of crowds so big he could not see the back row, but he loathed talking to a handful of strangers. He had never dated extensively in the past. Even Luna was hardly more than an on-again, off-again lover, someone with whom he could have fun and get his gentleman's sausage some much needed attention. But he had never felt the deep seeded peace around Luna that Roxy seemed to effortlessly exude. Nor did he feel the irresistible urge to make Luna happy, almost as though his own happiness was inextricably linked to hers.

He knew he loved her; he just could not fathom why he was so terrified of telling her. He could tell her anything, why could he not tell her this? He doubted it was a fear that she did not feel the same way. She also had not said the words, but her eyes told him all he needed to know. As did her actions. He started to drop his head into his hands in frustration but hissed in pain as his torn-up palms came in contact with his sand-filled hair.

He heard the door slide open as Roxy joined him. She had clearly seen him wince in pain as she hurried over to him holding a small first aid kit.

"Ainsley's been bathed, fed, and is now sleeping peacefully. Now, let's see what we can do for her wonderful protector. And mine." She turned his hands over and inspected them carefully. She said, "Are you sure we don't need a doctor? These look pretty bad."

"Yeah, baby. I'll be fine. I just need to get cleaned up, which is going to suck."

"You will do no such thing," she said forcefully. "You are my savior, and I intend to care for you properly. Now, let's get you out of these wet, dirty clothes."

She helped him remove his clothing. She then brought out a small bowl of water and a few towels. She proceeded to carefully wash first his hands, and then his feet and lower legs before drying him. The care and devotion she showed him made him doubt his sanity. Not only could he not believe he was fortunate enough to be with such a remarkably good person; he was amazed someone like her could exist in the first place. Her ministrations soothed his tired muscles and restored his energy. He soon found himself getting aroused due to his nakedness, her tenderness, and her close proximity to his groin.

She smiled at his arousal and delicately kissed the head of his penis before whispering, "Soon." She then helped him stand and led him through the house. She led him into the hall bathroom and started the shower. She quickly shed her own clothing before leading him into the steaming stream of water. "Hold your hands free of the spray. Let me do everything."

She helped him rest his hands on the towel bar as she angled the spray at his back. She began cleaning him, using the same tender devotion she had shown outside. Her actions were neither lewd nor lascivious, but Elwood was impossibly aroused anyway. He knew instinctively this was not merely a matter of a devastatingly beautiful and sexy naked woman caressing his body. It was most certainly that, but it was also the woman he loved, and that he desperately hoped loved him, caring for him in the most intimate way possible. Her actions transcended sex and making love, finding a new plane of intimacy that he had never even thought possible.

"Be still, my love," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around him to wash his chest, her full breasts pressing alluringly against his back. Her ministrations continued down his body until they reached his fully erect manhood. She cleaned him thoroughly before continuing southward to wash between his legs. He grunted involuntarily as she washed between his cheeks.

She murmured, "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Never," he gasped. "You could never make me uncomfortable. You're perfect, baby. Absolutely perfect."

"As are you, my hero. I'm nearly finished."

He said, "I don't want this to ever end."

"That's only because you don't know what comes next."

She finished washing him before shutting off the water. She then toweled him dry unhurriedly, but quickly. She dried herself with more haste before leading him across the hall to his room. She bade him lay on the bed, on his stomach. She fiddled around briefly in what Elwood thought of as her bedside table before joining him on the bed.

She said, "I thought it was a little weird when Taylor insisted I buy this stuff. But now I'm glad I did."

Elwood's question died on his lips as he felt warm liquid drizzle across his back. He felt her straddle him as her hands slid through the viscous liquid. She massaged him slowly, giving extra attention to his abused shoulders. She then turned around to give her attention to his legs, massaging his knotted thighs. This complete, she turned again and laid against him. She slid slowly along his body, using the massaging oil as lubricant to allow her to effortlessly move against him. The feel of her perfect breasts gliding along his back nearly sent him over the brink.

"Fuck, baby. That feels amazing."

She rose up, causing him to involuntarily grunt in protest. But his complaint quickly became a moan of pleasure when he heard her whisper, "Turn over."

He quickly rolled over, once again nearly losing control at the sight of her glistening perfection in the flickering light of the candles she had somehow found time to light.

"I..." he began, but his words failed him.

She bent over, lightly kissing him before saying, "What is it?"

"You are so beautiful, baby. So fucking perfect. It just seems unreal."

"I feel the same as you, babe. I can't believe how lucky I am. Now hush. Let me take care of you."

He accepted the kiss she offered, and then laid back and felt himself slide ever closer to nirvana as she massaged his body with her own. She moved to his feet and slowly rose along his body. When her face reached his throbbing cock, she licked along his length with tantalizing slowness. This was followed by his hardness sliding into the slippery valley between her spectacular breasts and along her supple stomach. When her lips reached his, she claimed him hungrily. Her tongue invaded his mouth with an urgency that told him she was at least as turned on as he was. He groaned as she ground her hairless sex against his shaft, cradling him between her thighs.

She whispered, "I promised I'd take care of you, baby. But I'm so turned on right now. Do you think you're up to it? I promise to do all the work. I swear I won't hurt you."

"Remarkable," he responded with a chuckle.

"What?"

"The most beautiful, most sexy, most wonderful, most perfect woman in the world is begging me to be allowed to make love to me. Will the wonders never cease?"

She kissed him lightly and said, "You make me so happy."

"And you me, my love," he responded boldly, edging ever closer to uttering the words that were truly in his heart.

She erased any other thoughts in his head as she slowly sank onto his cock. He sighed in contentment as he felt her core envelop and cherish him. He reached his hands toward her incomparable breasts, but she stilled him with a smile and a shake of her head. "We can't let the oil get in your wounds, my dear. I said I'd take care of you."

With this, she leaned down while simultaneously pulling his head up toward her breast. He took her nipple between his lips and suckled greedily. She moaned softly and pulled him even closer as she increased the speed of her hips. His hands once again started to move toward her of their own volition. She smiled and leaned down to grasp his wrists, holding him fast.

He looked up at the pleasure radiating off her face from his position between her bouncing breasts. He knew she was close by the way her eyes kept drifting closed, not to mention the way her inner walls were rippling along his length. He desperately wished to run his hands along her flawless, glistening body, but being held captive by the woman of his dreams, the woman he loved, was almost more alluring. She was focused solely on giving him pleasure, but so deep was their connection that she was, if anything, enjoying this more than he was.

"I'm close, baby," she panted as the motion of her hips grew more erratic.

"So am I, honey," he answered breathlessly. "So am I."

She pressed her breasts against his face, encouraging him to lavish praise upon their perfection, and sped up her hips. Their moans filled the room and Elwood knew he was mere seconds from bliss. He sucked her nipple into his mouth once more and began thrusting up into her. He felt her velvety channel constrict around him as she succumbed to her pleasure. This was enough to trigger his own release. His muscles locked as he erupted deep within her womb. Her body spasmed above him as wave after wave of bliss crashed over them both.

He felt her love wash over him as their lips came together. Their kiss was not urgent or insistent. Instead, it was an unspoken mutual declaration of love. Their tongues twined languidly as their souls merged. They clung to each other and shared a moment of intimacy neither would ever forget.

They broke the kiss hesitantly, as though neither wanted this perfect moment to end. They sighed in contentment as Roxy dropped her forehead to meet Elwood's.

He felt the approach of unconsciousness but tried to hold it off. He had to tell her how he felt. It was as though he could not bear the thought of going another day, another moment without saying the words. But his eyelids grew heavy with the weariness of the day, and the perfect pleasure Roxy had just shared with him.

She hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear, "Sleep, my love. Sleep right here."

He did as she bade him, drifting off to sleep wrapped in her perfect embrace.

Thirty

Roxy awoke early the next morning. She glanced over at Elwood and smiled at the look of contentment on his sleeping face. She thought, not for the first time, that she would be quite happy waking up next to him for the rest of her life. She slid quietly from bad and grabbed the baby monitor before sneaking across the hall to get cleaned up. Falling asleep in a lover's embrace is something she would never regret. But the aftermath of having her skin coated in massage oil overnight was something she was eager to rectify.

The moment they had shared the night before had been utterly perfect. Even the fact that she had not told Elwood she loved him, and had shushed him when he seemed poised to do the same, could not diminish the wonderfulness of the previous evening. She had come so close to telling him just how much she loved him, but it somehow felt wrong to do it after being intimate. But now, in the cold light of morning, that thought seemed preposterous. How could there be a better time than after making love to tell the man of her dreams that she loved him?

She hurried through her shower as she heard Ainsley start to wake up. She dressed quickly and got Ainsley up before taking her downstairs to get them both breakfast. Her goal was to allow Elwood to sleep as late as possible. The things he had done the day before still blew her mind. The boat easily weighed a thousand kilograms. And while Elwood was an imposing figure, he was no hulking gym rat. It must have nearly broken him to wrestle the boat into the waves. Yet he had done it without hesitation rather than allow his girls, as he put it, to suffer. She did not yet know how she would repay him for his actions, but she knew it would have to be something special.

She heard her phone ring as she set some cereal on the tray of Ainsley's highchair. She glanced over at it and saw that it was her mother calling. She knew that eventually she would have to take her mother's calls. But something about taking the calls in this house felt wrong. Her mother, and the rest of her family, represented her old life. Elwood and Ainsley represented her life now. She had no wish for the two to ever meet, just as she had no wish to ever return to her old life. Her mother had been calling every few days since she arrived on the island, but the calls were becoming more frequent.

This morning, the phone began ringing again immediately after she ignored the call. She ignored it again, but a feeling of dread was building within her. Her last conversation with her mother had not gone well, primarily because Roxy refused to heed her parents' call to return home with haste. She knew she had hurt them, but she could not bring herself to regret her actions. Not only was it unreasonable in her mind for them to expect her to ignore her convictions, but her actions had led her to the love of her life.

The phone rang yet again, and she knew Elwood would wake if she allowed the noise to continue. She sighed before begrudgingly pressing the answer button.

"Hello?" she said softly into the phone.

"Where are you?" her mother asked without preamble.

"I'm doing fine, Mama. How are you?"

"You're a lost, silly little girl. And we've come to take you home."

"What do you mean?" Roxy asked with a shaky voice.

"We've come to this horrible island that you ran away to, to the disgusting hovel you've been living in, to save you from yourself. But now that we've put ourselves out by driving halfway across the country, you don't even have the common decency to be where we expected you. Where are you?"

"I won't go back, Mama. I have a life here now. I have friends. I'm happy here. This is my home now."

Her mother huffed and said, "Godless heathens, no doubt. We've finally tracked you down, young lady. It wasn't easy, but the Good Lord showed us the way and led us to a member of the faithful that works for the phone company."

"You wasted a trip, Mama."

Roxy heard a rustle of fabric over the phone, and then her father came on the line. He said, "This has been a very difficult trip on us. Please just tell us where you are so we can get back home."

"I'm sorry you came all this way, Papa. And I agree, you should go back home. But I am home. I promise I'll come visit when I'm ready. But I'm not ready yet."

"You don't know what you want," he responded wearily. "And certainly not what you need. Just tell us where you are so we can put an end to this whole sordid affair."

Roxy did not know what to say, they just refused to listen. It made it clear just how little they valued her opinion, or her happiness. She heard a noise behind her and turned to see Elwood sleepily coming down the stairs. He smiled brightly at her and said, "Mornin' beautiful. Everything ok?"

"Who is that?" her father asked harshly.

She steeled her resolve and said, "That's my boyfriend. His name is Elwood, and he makes me very happy."

"Boyfriend?" her father asked confusedly.

Roxy heard a commotion on the other end of the line before her mother shrilled, "Boyfriend? You're with a man? At this hour? Are you committing adultery?"

Roxy took strength from Elwood's comforting presence and decided to go all in. She said, "Yup. As often as possible. But don't worry, Mama. We're using birth control."

She heard a thud, followed by a brief argument which made it clear that her mother had dropped her phone. After a pause, her mother came back on the line. She sounded even more agitated than Roxy had expected. She hissed, "We were right to cast you out. You'll pay for this, you filthy trollop."

Roxy then heard a click indicating that her mother had hung up on her. She looked up to find Elwood standing in the kitchen with a worried expression on his face. She rushed over into his comforting embrace. Her heart soared at how he made no demands, asked no questions. He only offered solace. She squeezed him tightly and sighed softly as she felt him gently kiss her hair in the way which never failed to make her feel loved.

At length, she said, "I'm sorry if I woke you. I had hoped to make you breakfast in bed."

"No worries. I'm here for you, honey. No matter what."

"I know, babe. And I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. That was my folks. They're here, on the island. They want me to go back to Arkansas with them." She felt him stiffen, almost as though it was involuntary. She quickly added, "I have no intention of going anywhere. This is my home."

She had a brief fear that Elwood might think she meant that this house, Marcus's house, was her home. This was quickly replaced by the realization that she did think of this place as home, and that her true fear was that he might not feel the same way.

He quickly allayed her fears by saying, "If you left, I'd follow you. To the ends of the earth."

"Oh my goodness, how are you this perfect? I desperately want to take you upstairs and ravish you. But you must be famished. You fell asleep last night without eating dinner. Let me make you something to eat first, then I'll try to show you just how much I appreciate you."

"You drive a hard bargain, beautiful. But I accept, both offers."

She got to work making him a few thousand calories worth of brunch. Not surprisingly, he inhaled everything she set in front of him. It made her happy to take care of him, as though nothing could be more perfect than a morning when she cared for her man and his daughter. She could not help the smile which crept across her face as she sipped her coffee and watched the two most important people in her life. Her reverie was interrupted by a loud knock at the door.

Elwood gave her a questioning look as he stood and headed toward the front of the house. She said, "I suppose it might be them. But I'm not going anywhere."

"If it's them, should I get rid of them? Or perhaps tell them you're not here?"

"I have nothing to hide from them, honey," she responded with more confidence than she felt.

He gave her a reassuring smile before continuing to the door. She heard her mother's shrill voice fill the house as soon as the door opened.

"Where is my daughter, you savage brute?"

Roxy could see Elwood's shoulders tense as she approached him. She knew he was making an effort to bite back the angry retort which must have been desperately trying to escape his lips. She rested a hand on his back as she joined him. She said, "I'm right here, Mama. You shouldn't have come, but since you did, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Elwood."

Before anyone could speak, Ainsley loudly shrieked, "El-Woo."

Roxy's parents' eyes grew wide. Elwood gave Roxy an apologetic look before heading back into the house to see what Ainsley needed. Her parents rushed after him, nearly bowling Roxy over in the process. She chased after them, reaching them as they arrived in the living room.

Elwood was holding Ainsley, who was waving gleefully at the newly arrived visitors. He frowned and said, "Folks, I hate to seem rude but so far as I know you haven't been invited in. I'll need you to head back outside. I'll join you there shortly."

"Well, I never..." Roxy's mother huffed as she sat on the couch.

"I mean it," Elwood said darkly. "This is my house, and unless I invite you in, you're trespassing. Back outside. Now."

"You have my daughter here, sir," Roxy's father said angrily.

"She's here at my invitation, and of her own free will. I also know for a fact that she's been vaccinated. Whereas you, from what she's told me about you, are not. This little girl can't get vaccinated. Ergo, you need to get the fuck out of my house. Right, the fuck now. Or I'm calling the goddamned cops."

"Big man," Roxy's brother said from his position behind their parents. "Making threats while holding a baby. Why don't you make us leave, big man?"

"If you insist," Elwood said wearily.

He placed Ainsley in her play area and headed towards his phone. Before he could reach where it sat on the coffee table, Roxy's brother rushed toward him. Elwood's eyes were on his phone, and he did not see the movement. Roxy tried to call out a warning. But before Elwood could react, Roxy's brother had landed a well-placed left hook. Elwood took a step back, dazed. He then surged toward his attacker.

Roxy intercepted him, knowing that her brother fought like a honey badger without any fear for his own safety. She also knew well that her brother was nearly always armed. She shouted, "Stop!"

Fury was written plainly on Elwood's face, but she could not bear the thought of him being hurt by her brother. She looked at her brother and said, "You need to leave. Now. Or I'll call the cops myself."

"We're here for you," her father said sternly. "We'll leave when you do."

"If I go with you, do you swear to God you'll leave?"

"There's no need to blaspheme, young lady."

"Let's just go," Roxy said dejectedly.

As she hustled them out of the house, she looked sadly back at Elwood. The look of hurt and confusion on his face broke her heart. She took a step in his direction to try to explain that she was only trying to protect him, but her father took her by the arm and hustled her toward their car while her mother slammed the door of the house behind her.

Thirty-One

Elwood watched Roxy's mother close the door behind her and felt as though all the oxygen in the room left with her. He had woken up feeling so good, as though all was right in the world. The moment he had shared with Roxy last night had been life changing. Despite his exhaustion, he had known instantly that his life would never be the same. And it was more than just the best sex of his life, it was a connection that he had been certain was perfect, and inseverable. He had known, as certainly as he had ever known anything, that Roxy was the perfect woman for him. Furthermore, he had been certain she loved him just as much as he loved her.

But as soon as her family showed up, something changed. It had not surprised him that her family had been assholes. In fact, he would have been surprised to find them otherwise based on what Roxy had told him. What did surprise him was how she had immediately jumped to her brother's defense after the mouth-breathing moron had sucker-punched him.

He tried to see things from her perspective. He knew the sudden appearance of her family must have unmoored her. She had never explicitly said so, but he suspected that she had left thinking that she might never see her family again. Or, if not never, certainly not until they had made sufficient amends. He also knew that it was more than their presence which she was dealing with, there was also their extremely aggressive behavior. And it was more than just her asshole brother hitting him. It was also the extremely antagonistic behavior of her parents.

All things considered, it was little wonder Roxy had been anxious to hustle her family out of the house before things got worse. Elwood was hurt, and not just from the fist which had connected quite solidly with his right cheek. But he resolved to make no assumptions before he had a chance to talk to her.

He picked up his phone and texted her, 'hope everything's ok. I'm here if you need anything, beautiful'

He watched his phone for a moment and saw that his message was received. He briefly saw the telltale sign of a response being drafted. But, when the dancing bubbles disappeared, the message that followed was like a dagger piercing his heart.

It read, 'everything is NOT fine. stay away from me!!!'

Elwood stared at his phone for several minutes, trying to make sense of the message. But no matter how hard he looked; he could not make the words make sense. He could not imagine what he could have done wrong, unless it was not having sufficient extra-sensory perception to prevent her neanderthal brother from landing a punch. He replayed the scene countless times in his head trying to figure out how he had gone wrong. Perhaps his posture had been too aggressive in the way he went to retrieve his phone and he had unwittingly instigated the physical confrontation. Or perhaps Roxy's ire was that he had not more vociferously defended her against the attacks from her parents.

At this point, Ainsley started fussing. Elwood crossed the room to her play area and picked her up. The baby pointed at the door and said, "Raw-Ree?"

His heart broke at the love in her voice and the absence of his soulmate. It was made all the worse because he had no way to explain to Ainsley where Roxy had gone. Worse than that, based on her text message he had no way of knowing if she would return. Elwood hugged Ainsley to his chest and tried to sooth her.

He whispered, "I know, baby girl. I miss her too."

Ainsley continued to fuss, but Elwood could hardly blame her. He sat down in her play area with her and let Ainsley use him as a jungle gym for a while. This mollified her a bit, but he knew she was still upset. He knew there was little he could do for her, so he just continued to play with her while racking his brain for some idea of something he could do to fix things with Roxy.

After a frustrating hour spent playing with Ainsley, who was still obviously upset, he decided something more would be necessary. He picked Ainsley up and took her to her room to get her changed.

He said, "How about we go have some playground time? That'll make you feel better, right?"

She made no response, but she agreeably allowed him to get her ready to go. She then helpfully toddled around the room and happily pulled things off shelves while he packed up her diaper bag. Once he had her ready to go, he carried her downstairs and placed her in her play area while he loaded some snacks into her bag. As he worked, he considered just how much he had changed in a few short months. When he first brought Ainsley home from the hospital, he had been almost hopelessly lost. He never knew what she was upset about, and he was constantly forgetting things. Now, he still made mistakes, but he had seemingly been quite effectively trained. He would now never consider leaving the house without being prepared to deal with every calamity which had befallen him since assuming responsibility for Ainsley. He ruefully thought to himself that by the time she was five years old, he would need a covered wagon filled with gear just to be able to go to the park.

Upon returning to the living room, he sought out his phone. He saw he had a missed call and his heart soared momentarily at the thought that it might be from Roxy, but his hopes were dashed when he saw it was instead from Penny. But he quickly rallied at the thought that maybe Penny had heard from Roxy.

He thumbed the icon to return her call. When she answered, he said, "Have you heard from Roxy?"

"What?" Penny asked anxiously. "No, I haven't. But that doesn't matter right now, Elwood. Jesus! I could get in so much fucking trouble for talking to you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I just heard from Arnold, Elwood. He's on the way to your house to take Ainsley!"

"What? Why?"

"Because of this stupid protective order that queen bitch of the universe filed. She apparently found videos of you from a show that happened, like, a decade ago where you were smoking what she said was pot. Her lawyer managed to convince that small-minded idiot of a judge that it was taken at the show which happened a few weeks ago."

"That's horseshit!" Elwood exploded.

"I know. But that doesn't matter anymore. Arnold and Winnie are on the way to your place right now. And if you're there when they arrive, Winnie will have to take Ainsley. Please tell me you're not at home."

"We were actually just getting ready to go out, but we haven't left yet. Thanks for the head's up, Penny. We're headed out now."

"Wait!" she gasped. "You live in a neighborhood with only one way in or out. If you leave now, they'll just pull you over."

"Fuck," Elwood swore softly at the ceiling. "What the hell am I supposed to do? Just let the government take Ainsley?"

Penny sighed through the phone and said, "I don't know, Elwood. I just wish there was another way out of your neighborhood."

"You know what? I think you've given me an idea. Thanks for risking more than I'll probably ever know to warn me, Penny. You're a lifesaver."

"You're welcome. And remember, if they do catch you, you never spoke to me."

"I won't squeal on you Penny. You're a good friend."

"I know," she said brightly. "Now git!"

Elwood hung up and quickly ran upstairs to grab a few things for himself, along with all the money he had in the house. Upon returning to the living room, he slung the diaper bag over his shoulder before scooping Ainsley up and heading out the back door.

Just under three minutes later, Elwood heard a car pulling up to the house. He loosed the mooring lines to the boat with all possible haste before engaging the electric trolling motor and heading south through the marsh. He heard knocking on the door and muffled voices coming through the trees. He gave Ainsley one of her favorite toys to play with and hoped she would stay silent until they got far enough away from the house that he could engage the petrol-powered engine. He was counting upon the combination of the tall marsh reeds and the low tide to keep them effectively hidden while they made their escape.

Ten angst-ridden minutes later, his phone had remained silent. He also heard no sirens cutting through the early afternoon heat. He tentatively started the main engine and reeled in the trolling motor before picking up speed and heading toward the mainland. It took a couple hours to finally reach their destination, and by the time they arrived Elwood had convinced himself that every cop within a hundred kilometers would be waiting for them.

He had tried countless times to reach Roxy, but she was neither answering his calls nor responding to his texts. He was desperate to at least let her know what was happening, but it was becoming increasingly clear that she had no intention of speaking with him, perhaps ever again.

Upon arriving at the marina, and finding it deserted, he tied up to the area of the dock intended for daily use. He collected Ainsley and their meager belongings before heading towards the office. When he arrived, he peered through the glass on the door and spotted a young teenager inside.

Ten minutes, and a thousand dollars, later, Elwood had arranged for the marina to place the boat in long-term storage and was loading Ainsley into the cab of his dually. It had been a risk to bring the boat to the same facility where he stored his truck and RV, but the upside was that now he had everything he needed to leave town. He was thankful he had had so much practice hooking the RV up to the dually's fifth wheel, because he had everything ready to go only a few moments later.

He risked one additional stop on the way out of town. He was sure the bank teller was suspicious about Elwood's inquiry of how much cash he could withdraw at once, but he was anxious to get whatever he could before his accounts were frozen. He hoped that he and Ainsley could survive long enough on the one dollar less than ten-thousand dollars which he was told he could withdraw without rousing unnecessary suspicion.

As he pulled onto the interstate headed toward Atlanta, he tried once more to call Roxy. The call went straight to voicemail, indicating that either her battery was dead or that she had blocked him. He desperately hoped it was the former, but he could not shake the haunting suspicion that it was the latter.

Thirty-Two

Roxy's father put the car in park outside her room at the boarding house and glared at her in the rearview mirror. She had only agreed to come with them to keep things from escalating further within Marcus's house. But now she was less confident in her choice. Her last glimpse of Elwood's face made it clear that she had, at best, confused him and, at worst, hurt him terribly.

She started to speak several times before finally deciding on what she intended to say. At length, she huffed and said, "Thank you for leaving his house as promised. Now, please go back to Arkansas."

"We will go home as soon as you're packed up," her father said sternly. "Your mother will assist you in packing. She's already done most of the work while we were waiting for you to stop ignoring our calls."

"I'm not going anywhere, Papa. This is my home now."

"A room at a boarding house?" her mother scoffed.

"No, this island. I haven't found more permanent lodging yet, but I know this is where I'm meant to be."

"Don't be preposterous," her father interjected. "Your home is with us."

"You who cast me out? Your home where I was never made to feel welcomed, or even loved. Only told how I should behave so it reflected properly on you? Nothing matters to you except the way your precious friends view you." She turned to her brother and said, "I can't believe they roped you into this. You're lucky you're not in jail right now."

"For what?" her brother asked egotistically.

"For walking into a man's house, uninvited, and physically assaulting him. If Elwood decides to call the police, you could end up charged with multiple felonies. That's what, you dim-witted Neanderthal."

"I been in lots of fights, the cops never make a big fuss."

"You've been in fights where the cops that responded went to Sunday school with you. And this wasn't a fight. This was you attacking a man in whose home you were trespassing."

"It would be his word against mine," Gideon said confidently. "And I've got three witnesses."

"You've got two witnesses," Roxy said angrily.

It took a few moments, but the import of her words finally sank in with her family.

Her mother said, "You'd side with that hoodlum over your own flesh and blood?"

"He's not a hoodlum. He's the man I..." The words hung in her throat as her mother's eyes widened.

Her mother snapped, "The man you what? Love? You are a girl of few redeeming virtues, but on the whole I was wrong to think so highly of you."

"That's such bullshit," Roxy exploded.

"How dare you..." her mother snapped as her father boomed, "Roxy!"

Roxy sighed and said, "I never wanted to fight with you. I just needed space after Xander died. I needed to figure things out on my own. But that wasn't good enough for you. You couldn't bear the shame of a daughter who, after years of schooling and careful consideration, decided that your particular brand of Christianity might not be what Jesus intended. You couldn't care less about me. You only cared about how I made you look to the other sycophants."

"What are you saying?" her father asked with a barely perceptible amount of concern. "That you've decided to join another denomination?"

"I'm honestly not sure about any denomination. Jesus should be about love. And I've found love. He should be about charity, and I've done more good for the community since arriving here than I did in a decade back west. He should be about compassion. And the people here have shown me more of that than I ever felt in your home. More than anything, he should be about not hating. And I haven't had cause to hate anything since arriving here. At least not until you showed up and selfishly tried to ruin the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"You don't know what you're saying," her mother said snippily.

"Yes, I do. And if you value my happiness even to the smallest degree, you'll go now and leave me to try to fix what you've broken. Give me the time, and the space, to figure out who I am meant to be, and we can still be a family. Maybe not the way it used to be, but some measure of that."

"And if we don't?" her brother asked with a sly grin.

"Then I'll step out of this car anyway, and none of you will ever be a part of my life again. And if you try to force yourselves on me again, I'll call the police and report you for harassment."

"You wouldn't..." her mother began.

"Dare?" Roxy shouted. "Try me. I've had one truly happy month in the last decade, and you just ruined it. I love him, Mama. As I love his daughter."

"But he's an apostate. A child with no mother? What did he do, divorce the mother after she suffered through childbirth so he could shack up with a younger woman? Or worse, is he still married and just using you for a little fun on the side?"

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Mama. I'd tell you the truth, but I don't believe you deserve to hear it. And to be honest, I couldn't care less about your opinion on the matter. I love him more deeply than I've ever loved anyone."

"What about Xander?" her mother asked with a satisfied smirk.

"Xander is dead, thanks to your hateful church. He was my best friend in the whole world and, for years, I thought I was in love with him. But now I've met my true soulmate. And, in falling in love with Elwood, I learned that what I felt for Xander was puppy love which grew into deep friendship."

Her father said, "Are you saying you would just walk away from the only family you've ever known?"

"If you care so little about me, that the thought of stealing my happiness for the sake of what people at church think of you doesn't make you instantly reconsider your actions, then I have no family. No family except for Elwood and Ainsley. Assuming you haven't ruined that for me."

Everyone was silent for a moment. Roxy looked around the car in shock. Despite nearly three decades of experience with them, it still caught her off guard that these people who purportedly loved her were so disinterested in her happiness.

She sighed and said, "I guess that's it then. Have a nice life."

Gideon grabbed her elbow and said, "Let's just go, dad. There's nothing she can do to stop us."

Her father looked weary, as though he had aged a decade in the last hour. He said, "And then what? Would you have us lock her up indefinitely?"

"Whatever it takes," her mother cut in angrily.

"No, Francine. We must let her go. If we don't, we'll lose her forever."

"From the sounds of things, we already lost her forever."

"Perhaps. And if that's the case then I will never forgive myself for agreeing to this foolish trip. But we will not take her against her will, Gideon."

Her father sighed and stepped out of the car. Roxy gave her mother and brother one last glance before climbing out of the car as well.

Her father said, "I'm very sorry for how everything turned out, Roxy. And while I cannot pretend to support some of the choices you've made recently, it did my heart good to see you so happy this morning. Is he a good man?"

"Yes, Papa. Very good. He makes me very happy. They both do."

"Then go to him. I cannot speak for your mother, but I will not interfere."

"Thanks, Papa," Roxy said simply. She gave her father a quick hug before heading into her lonely room. She heard her parents' car depart as she reached her door, but she did not look back. She was not prepared at this juncture to consider whether she would ever see them again. Despite her father's relative acquiescence, she knew things were far from repaired between her and her family. She only hoped that time could ease the hurt. But that could only happen if she were able to mend things with Elwood.

It was at this point she realized that she could not find her phone.

***

It was not until the next afternoon that Roxy was finally able to make some progress on at least starting to fix things. The frustration at just how catastrophic a lost phone could be, especially when your lost phone was the only thing that remembered anyone's number, had nearly driven her out of her mind. She had finally broken down and walked toward the pier the morning following her family's arrival after a fruitless night trying to track down people's contact information without a phone or the internet.

When she arrived, she found Taylor's restaurant still closed. According to the hours painted on the front of the building, they would not open for a few hours. She knocked on the door, but it was to no avail. She sat down dejectedly against the front door.

She realized she had fallen asleep because she was awoken an hour later when the door opened behind her.

Taylor worriedly said, "Roxy? What are you doing here? Is everything ok?"

"No, it isn't. My family showed up; and then my brother attacked Elwood; and then I lost my phone; and I haven't been able to get in touch with anyone since yesterday. I know I shouldn't have come here but I had nowhere else to go."

"What are you talking about? It's fine for you to come here. Come on inside, lets get you something to eat while we figure out what to do."

Roxy reluctantly agreed to breakfast and a cup of coffee, but only after Taylor promised to loan her a phone and a laptop. Roxy called Elwood first but got no response. She was about to try again when Taylor approached her.

"Listen, I've got several deliveries coming this morning so I can't get away. But Viola just came in and she said she'd take you wherever you need to go."

The young woman appeared at Taylor's side almost as if she had been apparated there. She smiled shyly at Roxy.

Roxy said, "Thank you so much. You're both such good friends."

Fifteen minutes later, they were pulling into Marcus's house and Roxy had a sinking feeling in her gut. She had spent the entire trip on the verge of a panic attack. She had no idea what she would say to him when she saw him, she just knew she needed to see him, and apologize to him, more than she needed to take her next breath. Marcus's car was in the driveway, but Roxy felt like something was off. She walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Several moments later, she could neither hear nor see any movement in the house. She walked around the house, but that only convinced her that no one was home.

She returned to where Viola waited for her and said, "I don't think he's here."

"But his car's here."

"I know. I can't imagine what's going on."

"I've actually got to head back to work. Are you all set since your car is here?"

"Not really. My keys are inside the house, along with most of the rest of my stuff. I guess I'll just go back to work with you."

When they arrived back at the restaurant, they found Penny there waiting along with Taylor. Penny rushed over and wrapped Roxy in a warm hug. Taylor joined them immediately and Viola followed after some prompting. Roxy felt so conflicted. The love of her friends surrounded her like a warm blanket, but she felt nothing. She was like a dried husk, just waiting to be swept away by the autumn wind.

Penny said, "I'm so sorry about all this honey. It's just not right that such shitty things happen to such good people. Have you heard from Elwood?"

Roxy swiped her forearm across her tears and said, "No. I went by his house, but I don't think he's there. It's like he and Ainsley just vanished."

Penny looked around conspiratorially and whispered, "I'm sure you can trust us, Roxy. None of us will rat him out."

"What are you talking about?"

"The protective order... the judge's ruling... the lawsuit. I know everything. I was the one who called him yesterday and tipped him off."

Roxy's blood ran cold, and she whispered, "What protective order?"

Thirty-Three

"I know it's crowded in here, sweetheart," Elwood said tiredly. "We just have to make do until we can find some better accommodations."

Ainsley was fussy, as she had been almost constantly since their departure from the only home she had ever known. In order to give her as much room as possible to stretch her legs, he was in the process of retrofitting the interior of their 'new' vehicle: a passenger van whose odometer indicated it had completed the equivalent of a round trip to the moon, and which was nearly as old as he was. This included the removal of all but one of the bench seats in the rear in favor of a spot to place her crib and the installation of carpet. Elwood had taken to sleeping, if it could be called that, on a profoundly uncomfortable air mattress which he placed on the van's floor just beside Ainsley's crib.

The switch from his painstakingly acquired, to say nothing of obscenely expensive, dually and travel trailer had come the day following their exodus. It had not taken Elwood long to reach the conclusion that, while the highways were typically clogged with such vehicles, it made them impossibly easy to find for authorities with even a modicum of common sense. All one would have to do, he theorized, was put out a call to every campground in the southeast. Such facilities tended to be somewhat disdainful of government intervention, but he suspected such objections would vanish when the word 'kidnapping' was mentioned.

It had taken him the better part of two days, but he finally found a used-car-dealer willing to offer cash for the truck/trailer combination without asking too many questions. The offer was barely half what the vehicles were worth, but it gave him more than enough to buy both the van and the cargo trailer which held all their worldly belongings. Elwood had not even bothered to remove the adornments on the side of each indicating they were the property of an evangelical missionary group.

Following their downgrade in transportation, they had made slow progress; mostly due to Elwood's inability, or perhaps even unwillingness, to pick a destination. They had been heading generally west after picking up the van in northern Florida, and were currently in what could only be accurately described as Bumfuck, Alabama. He had initially thought to make a run for the northern border, but then he could not remember if the border was open. He also had no way to check because after something in the neighborhood of fifty unanswered calls to Roxy, he had made the decision to shut off his phone. He tried to tell himself this was just to keep the cops from tracking him down. But he was honest enough with himself to admit that this move might also be an infantile reaction to the fact that Roxy had obviously blocked him.

He had worked very hard to bottle up the hurt and loneliness he was feeling, but it was to no avail. Even in the brief moments where he was able to forget the pain, Ainsley's fussiness immediately reminded him of the gaping hole in his soul. He spent one fruitless day trying to drown out the anguish by simply putting as many kilomters as possible between himself and what he had come to think of as home. But Ainsley, unsurprisingly, had no patience for road-tripping.

That evening, Elwood had taken her for an extended trip to the playground by way of apology. This too ended in disaster when Ainsley gleefully screamed Roxy's name. Elwood had spun so quickly he nearly lost his balance. For a brief moment, he thought Ainsley may have indeed spotted his soulmate, but it turned out to be a different short-haired buxom brunette.

He had operated the remainder of that day on autopilot. That evening, for the first time in as long as he could remember, he had gone to bed without listening to even a moment of music during the day. Music had always been his solace, his happy place. But there was no music which eased this pain. Even Beethoven's mournful sonatas did nothing to erase his melancholy.

Dawn the next morning found him laying wearily in bed after a sleepless night staring at the ceiling. It had only been a week since that disastrous morning at Marcus's house, but it felt like years. He kept trying to tell himself that he had, for the better part of a decade, existed happily in near total solitude. But even that thought made him feel dirty. In hindsight, what he had felt during those long years was not happiness, it was merely the absence of crippling sadness. During those countless nights spent in his trailer, reading old science fiction books or listening to music, he had always insisted that he was free. It had been his mantra to such an extent that he lashed out at anyone who suggested that he was lonely, or unhappy. His retort had always been that he was 'living the dream'.

But his entire life had changed with that fateful call from Marcus. He had found meaning in life and learned just how woefully incomplete his understanding of love had been. He was a father now. That word no longer scared him, although he would always be 'Elwood' to Ainsley. He missed his friends terribly, and not a day went by when he did not acutely feel their absence. But it did Ainsley no good for him to mourn their loss. She needed him now. And he knew that even if he had not given Marcus his solemn vow, the love he felt for Ainsley bound them inextricably to one another forever.

But it was impossible to consider just how proud he was to be her father without thinking of the woman who had taught him to love. He would never know if he would have been able to keep his promise to Marcus without Roxy's love and support. But he did know that he would always credit her with helping him through the most challenging time in his life. Even if she never spoke to him again, he would still go to his grave with the certainty that she was directly responsible for the best thing that ever happened to him.

He also knew with absolute certainty that she was the only woman he would ever truly love. He had told Roxy that he had loved Ivy. And that was still true. Ivy would always be one of the closest friends he would ever have. But the fondness he had had for Ivy was nothing compared to the intense, soul-bending love he felt for Roxy. Roxy was the other half of him, the better half. She completed him. She made him happy in a way which could only be heightened if her own happiness was at least equal to his own. And her undeniable love for Ainsley only made things more perfect. He had, quite without realizing it, started to think of scenarios far into the future. Of her being every bit of the adopted parent to Ainsley that he was. Of Ainsley being the eager older sibling to Roxy and Elwood's biological children.

All of that had been ripped away without warning. And the only thing that made it worse was his complete lack of understanding as to why she had cut him from her life.

He had resisted the urge to return to the island countless times. But the only thing stronger than his anguish at losing the love of his life was the thought of Ainsley ending up in foster care. No matter how empty he felt without Roxy, he could not risk losing Ainsley for anything. His loneliness was completely debilitating, something from which he would likely never fully recover. But that was nothing compared to the idea of Ainsley being put in foster care. Or, even worse, being put into Beatrice's custody.

He heard Ainsley moving around in her crib and wearily rose from bed to start yet another day where the only thing which could hold the soul-crushing emptiness at bay was the love of his wonderful daughter.

***

Roxy mournfully took in her surroundings, trying to commit them to memory. She had just loaded the last box into her car from the boarding house room which had technically been her home since arriving on the island. She thought it would be hard to say goodbye to the room. But, in truth, it had never been her home. Not the way Marcus's house had been. The room she rented was just the place where she kept the things she did not need very often.

She knew what came next would be harder. Technically she was still on leave from her job. Even though it had been three weeks since the suit had been filed, seemingly nothing had happened. It was as though everyone was holding their breath and waiting to find out where Elwood and Ainsley had gone. But Roxy suspected it would be a long while before they were found. It would not surprise her at all to discover they were on the other side of the country, but she knew she would never truly know where they had gone.

She had heard nothing from her family since that disastrous morning, which did not surprise her. Her mother was a prideful woman who would far prefer permanently alienating her daughter over admitting she was wrong. For Roxy's part, she was disinclined to make any concessions on their behalf. The best thing that had ever happened to her was gone forever, and her family had directly contributed to that fact. But Roxy did not blame them, at least not exclusively. She had replayed the scene countless times in her head, but she had yet to figure out why she had allowed herself to be led away. That was the nexus, the moment everything had changed. It was not the argument, or even the fact that her idiot brother had punched Elwood. It was the fact that she left her one true love for her family, most of whom cared nothing for her happiness. That was what had led to the hurt and betrayal she had seen in Elwood's eyes in the moment which she now knew was the last time she would ever see him.

She knew he did not leave because of her betrayal. Penny had told her about Beatrice's horrible accusations, and she knew Elwood had fled to keep Ainsley from ending up in foster care. But she could have gone with him had she not given him the impression she valued her hateful, violent family over his perfect love. She had shed countless tears over her foolish mistake, and she knew the tears would never truly stop. There would never be another man who loved her the way he did, who made her so completely happy. She could not even imagine ever looking for such a person, because she knew she would always love him.

She started up her car and made the short trip to her soon to be former place of employment. She knew she was forbidden from entering the premises, but she also knew that censure would cease to be relevant in a matter of minutes. She took a deep breath, not even trying to stop the tears that fell at the thought of leaving the best job she had ever had. But she knew she had no choice. She could not stay here. The constant reminders of all she had lost would drive her mad. She picked up the envelope from the passenger seat before striding purposefully through the front door.

Penny greeted her almost immediately and said, "You shouldn't be here, honey."

"I won't be long. I just need to speak with Winifred for a moment."

"If anyone sees you're here, there'll be hell to pay."

"Please, Penny."

The pain was written clearly on Roxy's face. Penny sighed and said, "Go on in, then. Can I move your car around to the back of the building, at least?"

"That won't be necessary, Penny. But thank you."

Roxy walked into Winifred's office. Her boss looked up with a surprised expression and said, "Roxy, honey. You shouldn't be here right now. Just try to be patient. I spoke to the lawyer yesterday and she said she's got some time on the judge's calendar the day after tomorrow. She really thinks she'll be able to get this whole silly mess dismissed. And then you can come back to us without any worry about repercussions."

"I really appreciate that, Ms. Wilmore. And I truly hope this case gets thrown out, for the department's sake if nothing else. But you needn't worry about my presence negatively impacting the department any longer. I've decided to resign my position, with immediate effect. All the details are here," she said, extending the envelope in Winifred's direction.

"Oh, no you don't," Penny exclaimed from the door behind her before rushing into the office. "You heard what Dub Dub said. Just wait a few more days and then you can come back."

"The lawsuit doesn't matter anymore," Roxy said quietly as she valiantly fought back tears. "I have to resign, Penny. I'm leaving the island."

"What?" Penny practically shouted.

"Penny," Winifred warned gently.

"No," Penny said, albeit a good bit more quietly. "I won't stand by and let her throw everything away. I know you're sad Elwood left, but I'm just sure he'll come back once all this silly nonsense blows over. And then everything can be great again."

"I don't think he's coming back," Roxy admitted gently. "And, even if he did, that would only make it harder for me to be here. I can't do it, Penny. I can't face a daily reminder of the fact that I ruined the only chance I'll ever have at happiness. It's better if I go."

"Why do you think you ruined everything, honey?" Winifred asked calmly.

"Because I betrayed him. And because I wasn't there for him when he and Ainsley needed me most. He deserves so much better than everything that's happened to him in his life. He deserves so much better than me."

"And where will you go?" Penny snapped. "Back to Arkansas, to live with the people who caused all this trouble?"

Roxy shook her head forcefully and said, "I don't know where I'm headed."

Penny sighed in exasperation and said, "I don't know him nearly as well as you do. But Elwood is a good man..."

"The best," Roxy whispered.

"... and I truly believe that he doesn't' hold any ill will toward you about all this. The day I called him and warned him about the protective order..."

"Penny!" Winifred snapped. "You swore to me that you didn't tip him off."

"I know I did, and I'm sorry for lying to you Dub Dub. But I'm not sorry I called him. That wonderful little girl doesn't deserve to be in foster care, and you know it. Especially not on the basis of obviously false claims of abuse and neglect. Honestly, what was the judge thinking? In any case, when I called him, do you know what the first thing he said was?"

Roxy shook her head despondently, refusing to allow herself even a moment of hope.

Penny continued, "He answered the phone asking about you. No hello, no 'thanks for calling Penny, I always enjoy speaking to you'. Just a desperate desire to know if I'd heard from you. I cut him off because there were more pressing matters to discuss, but I believe that he loves you just as much now as he ever has." She turned to Winifred and said, "I really am sorry for misleading you, Ms. Wilmore. I'll resign if that's what you think is best. But please don't let Roxy leave."

"We'll discuss your unwillingness to trust me later," Winifred said snippily before turning to Roxy. Her eyes softened and she said, "Do you love him?"

"Of course, I love him. And Ainsley. I would do anything for them. Anything."

"Then have faith in his love for you. Rather than running away because you can't bear the thought of having ruined everything, perhaps you should focus on making it so he can return."

Roxy could only stare at her dumbstruck.

Winifred gently said, "Talk to the lawyer, see what you can do about getting these charges cleared up."

"But no one knows how to contact him. These charges could have been dropped weeks ago, and he'd still be God-knows-where."

"Trust me, Roxy. You can't solve big problems all at once. You've got to break it into pieces, or it'll just overwhelm you. Figure out a piece you can solve and do it. Just keep doing that until you solve the big problem or something more important comes along. Have faith. If you get rid of the reason for your family being gone, we'll figure out how to bring them home."

"The last thing I want is for my family to come back," Roxy huffed.

Winifred's eyes shone with motherly love. She said, "I meant your real family, honey."

Thirty-Four

"You sure there's nothing I can do to assist you, Roxy?" the town's elderly librarian asked for what must have been the dozenth time.

Roxy sighed wearily and said, "No, Mrs. Popper. But I can leave if I'm being a bother."

"Don't be silly. I just wanted to make sure you didn't need anything. My intern is getting out of school shortly, and he usually calls and asks if there's anything I need. How about I get him to bring you a cup-a-joe?"

"That would be lovely. Thank you so much for tolerating me."

"Don't mention it. Well, I'll be at the check-out desk if you need anything. And I'll bring you your coffee when Omar brings it."

"Thank you again."

The librarian took one last look at Roxy's screen before continuing on her rounds. Roxy returned her concentration to the screen in front of her. She had an appointment the following day with the lawyer Elwood had hired for the custody hearing, and she wanted to be as prepared as possible. Her mental state had improved somewhat since the meeting the day before with Winifred and Penny, although her physical condition had, if anything, worsened. She had not felt much like eating these past few weeks, her depression tamping down all but the most critical of life support functions. After having her attention refocused and finally feeling like she had something to do, her depression had faded into the background. Now her failure to provide her body the fuel it needed was due to an almost manic desire to get the charges against Elwood dropped.

She had sought the refuge of the library when her poor, ancient laptop had waved the white flag after twenty hours of consecutive use. She had gotten the barest hint of the possibility of the suggestion that there might be something which could get Beatrice to back off right before the laptop died. She knew the public library was not the best place for such work, as they had filters on what she could search and the trail she was following certainly led to some of the darker corners of the internet. She was also hampered by an almost total lack of savvy where modern technology was concerned. She had used social media, albeit sparingly, and was fairly adept at finding things online when necessary. But she had no concept of how the information got from to, to fro, nor did she have any understanding of what people meant when they said dark web.

The coffee showed up a few minutes later, along with a blueberry muffin. Roxy was so moved by the gesture that she insisted on hugging both the librarian and her assistant. She drank the coffee almost too quickly. The sting on her tongue, along with the infusion of caffeine, gave her newfound clarity. She pulled out her replacement phone and texted Taylor and Penny to see if either of them knew more about the mystery of the internet than she did. Her phone rang moments later.

"I don't know shit about computers," Taylor said without preamble. "But Viola is a fucking wiz with that stuff. She built all our social media sites, in addition to our online store."

"Do you think she'd be willing..."

"Are you kidding? She told me what you did for her. I had a bit of trouble with it at first?" Roxy started to interrupt, but Taylor cut her off, "I wasn't mad about the choice she made, you nit. And I certainly wasn't upset with you for helping her. Far from it. I was hurt that she didn't come to me. But we're all good now. In any case, I'm certain that she'd be happy to help. Especially since she'll be on the clock while she does it."

"You don't have to do that," Roxy practically sobbed. "I can certainly pay her for her time."

"Can it, sister. I know I don't, but I'm gonna. No arguments. Why don't you come on by the bar? You two can hole up in my office and do what you gotta do."

"I don't know what to say."

"Say you won't leave, and we're even."

"You're the best friend a girl could ever have."

Roxy could hear Taylor's smile through the phone as she said, "I know."

***

The following morning found Roxy softly snoring in a chair outside the lawyer's office. She had been up most of the night with Viola and the discoveries they had made at once cheered and repulsed her. Taylor had finally put her foot down after the bar closed and insisted that Roxy come home with her, since there was no other way the former would know the latter got some sleep and a shower.

Roxy was roused from her slumber by a gentle shake of her shoulder. She shook her head to clear the cobwebs before looking up to find Elwood's lawyer regarding her with a bemused expression.

He said, "Feel better?"

"I'm so sorry," Roxy began.

"Say nothing of it. Water under the bridge, and all that. Now, did you happen to see a young woman named Rahab Norris when you came in? Apparently, I'm meant to have a meeting with her this morning. Although goodness knows why."

"That's me. But, how do you know that name?"

"It's written in my calendar, of course."

"But... you know what, that can wait. Thank you so much for meeting with me on such short notice."

The lawyer looked thoughtful before saying, "I'm not sure I'd agree with calling nearly ninety quintillion femtoseconds short notice."

Roxy blinked hard, trying to make her sleep-deprived mind make some kind of sense out of the words she recognized as English, but which refused to sort themselves into any kind of sense in her mind. She settled for merely smiling before getting to the heart of the matter.

"I'm here to discuss the accusations filed against Edward LaJoie, and the resulting protective order. Specifically, what can be done to have the protective order rescinded. And, hopefully, prevent any further legal shenanigans on the part of Ms. Logan."

"I see," the lawyer said thoughtfully. "If I may ask, what's it to you?"

"I'm sorry?"

"There's no doubt that woman's bound and determined to get her hands on that baby, Lord knows why. But you aren't related to any of the interested parties. So, I repeat, what's it to you?"

"I just want to see that justice gets done."

"Come now, my dear. You can do better than that."

Roxy regarded the wizened lawyer with dismay. But then she saw a twinkle in his eye and suddenly felt as though he could see right through her. She had no doubt that this strange barrister knew everything about her. It was the same look he had given her in the courtroom, right before she had the inspiration about Beatrice's relationship to Ainsley.

She sighed and said, "He is... I mean, was, my boyfriend."

"You're getting warmer."

"He's my soulmate," she blurted out. "And I love his daughter like she was my own. All that matters is that they can come back home."

"Why did you say, 'was', your boyfriend?"

"Because I ruined everything."

"Don't be so sure," the lawyer murmured.

Roxy said, "That doesn't matter right now. I just want to clear his name."

He shrugged and said, "How exactly do you propose to do that?"

"I know things about her. Things I don't think she'd want to be made public."

"As a member of the bar, I am officially forbidden from knowingly participating in a crime. I've also been instructed to dissuade my clients from the same. But, since you haven't paid me, perhaps I could offer some off-the-record advice. What'd you dig up on the old biddy?"

"Well, she kind of participated in an attempt to violently overthrow the government. But it seems as though she managed to keep that a secret from her community."

He said, "Indeed she did. But I'm not sure I agree with your assessment that those facts would harm her standing amongst those whose opinions she holds dear."

"Perhaps. But they might not know how deeply involved she was with the insurrection."

"Do you really think that would matter? You know the kind of community we're dealing with, Rahab. She could have been caught on camera in the Capitol wearing antlers, and her fellow congregants would have heaped praise upon her."

"Perhaps. And you're right, I do know the kind of community we're talking about. And I know that while they might praise her in public, her church would be mortified for it to be publicly revealed that a member of their congregation was involved in that tragedy. They'd be mortified about how their standing in the community would be harmed."

"You make an interesting point."

Roxy said, "She also wasn't always a coocoo bananas right-winger. I found a picture of her from what I assume were her college days. She was holding a burning flag."

"What do you intend to do with this information?"

"Well... I was hoping you could do some... lawyer stuff and let her know that she needs to drop this fantasy about adopting Ainsley. Permanently."

"As I said, I cannot be party to extortion. But I suspect that there is a decent chance that the properly made entreaty, along with sufficient establishment of the knowledge and capabilities you possess, might make the proper impression. But I officially advise you to avoid doing anything illegal. Or, failing that, to avoid doing anything illegal which can be traced back to you. Do I make myself clear?"

His eyes bore into her as he finished speaking, and she suddenly felt quite small and insignificant. It was as though her entire being, her entire understanding of the universe and her part in it, were thrown into disarray.

The feeling faded as quick as it had started, and she was once again looking at a friendly looking older gentleman clad all in white with an unkempt halo of white hair and a spectacular mustache.

She said, "Who are you?"

"That's hardly the most pertinent question, but if it makes you feel better to assign a label to me, you may call me Sam. You could say that I have something of a vested interest in the gentleman with whom you are besotted."

"But..."

He smiled wearily and said, "I have said all that I can. This lies in your hands now, my dear Rahab. I bid you to follow your heart, just as your namesake did. You remind me a bit of her. You both have a truly angelic disposition. Now go, I have other appointments to get to."

Roxy let herself be led to the door. After passing through the threshold, she turned to thank her bizarre benefactor, but the room she had just departed was completely empty. She started to panic, but then a calm settled over her and she remembered what she had to do. She rushed out to her car, hoping beyond hope that Viola would be willing to offer her just a bit more help.

***

"Roxy, I'm not sure I know how to do this," Viola said nervously.

"It's ok," Roxy responded sadly. "I know this is some pretty shady stuff."

"I didn't say I wouldn't do it. I just said I'm not sure I can."

"Oh, well what's the hardest part?"

"I don't know, hacking into her church's email account? I'm pretty handy with social media, but I'm hardly a hacker."

Roxy looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "Oh, well just try 'John 3:16' for the password."

"Holy shit, that worked! How'd you know?"

"I worked in three different churches, and they all used that password for everything. I'm not sure if they think they're being clever, or if they're just thinking they're so holy no one will ever dream of trying to exploit it. What about the other part?"

"Oh, well that's easy enough I guess unless the people receiving the fake email are super tech-savvy."

Roxy said, "I think we can safely assume they won't be. Especially since they won't have any reason to believe the email is insincere. Ok, if you're in the church's email, can you find one from Beatrice?"

"Yup, got it right here. Apparently, she's a frequent sender to the mailing list."

"Good, can you copy her closing thingee?"

Viola chuckled and said, "You mean her signature? Sure."

"Great. First, let's send this email to the mailing list so that it appears to come from her account."

Roxy handed her a piece of paper on which she had written out the text of the email longhand.

Viola said, "No problem. You want I should send it now?"

Roxy nodded. Viola got to work typing up the email before sending it in such a way so as to appear to have come from Beatrice. Viola had tried to explain the process to Roxy, but whether due to lack of sleep or general lack of electronics acumen, the explanation had gone kilometers over her head. She nodded at Roxy when the process was complete.

Roxy said, "Great. Now, when that email shows up in the church email folder thingee..."

"Inbox," Viola provided.

"That. When the email comes in, reply back to Beatrice with this." She provided another piece of paper.

Viola's eyes widened and a grin spread across her face. She said, "I sure hope this works."

"It's got to work," Roxy said determinedly.

Thirty-Five

Elwood grumbled at the iron maiden of technology in which he found himself helplessly mired. He had convinced himself that turning on his cell phone would lead to instant capture, but without it he was almost hopelessly crippled. Not only did he not have access to the internet, but he also had no way to call people. He had laboriously searched through all the papers he had formally kept in a file cabinet in the RV (and which now resided in one of more than a dozen boxes which clogged up the interior of their cargo trailer) for various phone numbers. But since scammers and salespeople for extended vehicle warranties had started clogging the proverbial airwaves, no one took calls from unknown numbers anymore.

Thus, he found himself driving into Nashville in hopes that the brute force approach, i. e. showing up at people's places of business or their residence, would bear fruit. He hated the necessity of the trip, but the embarrassing truth was that he was running short of money. He had forgotten just how hard it was to live without access to credit cards or the internet, not surprising since he had not really done either since college. It also made him realize just how much he had been leaning on his own nest egg, and the money Marcus had left he and Ainsley. He resolved that if this whole tragic situation ever worked itself out, he had to find a way to start bringing in some revenue again.

He arrived at what he thought of as Duke's compound late in the afternoon. His spirits were lifted when he saw signs of life inside the house. He had gotten the impression during Duke's visit that his friend wanted to be on the road less, but there had always been a chance that he would arrive during one of Duke's many extended tours. He drove past the house and headed for a campground on the outskirts of town. By the time he got the trailer disconnected from the van, and gave Ainsley a chance to run around a bit, it was nearly dark. He loaded Ainsley back in the vehicle, apologizing profusely for the extended day and hoping she would not subject him to the meltdown he so richly deserved.

It had been five weeks since their exodus. In that time, they had traveled as far west as New Mexico and as far north as South Dakota. But Elwood had been reluctant to stay anywhere too long. He tried to balance this against how much damage he worried he was doing to Ainsley by the constant travel. She had bourn the burden with far more grace and understanding than Elwood deserved. Once they settled into a routine, her tantrums had become as brief as they were infrequent. He had tried to live by a set of rules: no more than five hours a day on the road; an hour of playtime for every hour in motion; a near constant rotation of new toys. But he knew it wasn't enough, not by a long shot. He had no intention of allowing her to fall into foster care, but he knew something had to change soon. He hoped that Duke could give him some much needed intel, in addition to a place to stay for a few days... and hopefully some money.

He pulled up to Duke's house, parking on the street near the edge of the property. He had difficulty suppressing the fear that a phalanx of law enforcement officials would descend upon them while ritualistically chanting 'hut hut hut'. He shook his head and muttered, "This isn't a movie."

He made his way quietly up to the door, carefully navigating Ainsley's stroller around the unfamiliar cars parked in the driveway. He stood on the porch for a moment, collecting his nerve before reaching out to ring the doorbell. He heard a brief commotion inside before the ancient door slowly swung open. Duke's face lit up in a grin when he recognized them.

He dropped to a knee and said, "Hey sugar."

Ainsley cooed in delight and gave Duke an enthusiastic high five.

Duke looked up and said, "It's about time you showed up, my friend. We were starting to think you weren't coming."

"We?" Elwood queried.

"We'll get to that. Come in, come in. Ya'll must be exhausted."

Elwood nodded his head wearily before following Duke into the house.

"First things first," Duke said as they reached his kitchen. "Where are you staying? I'd say y'all are welcome to stay here, but my humble abode ain't exactly baby proof."

Elwood glanced around nervously before saying, "In a campground on the outskirts of town."

"Then why don't you go get your trailer and bring it here? That way this little cutie can get some sleep while I catch you up. She can stay here with me if you like. That way you can get back quicker."

Elwood said, "I don't want to cause you any trouble." His former bandmate tried to wave away his concerns, but Elwood was insistent. "We're kind of on the run here, buddy."

"I get it. Really, I do. But I guaran-damn-tee that you're in no danger here."

"How can you know that?"

"Notice a bunch of traffic comin' into town?"

"Yeah, why?"

Duke grinned and said, "I know you're not much of a rasslin guy, but WrestleHysteria is happening downtown tonight. And every cop for a hundred kilometers is focused entirely on that. Ain't nobody looking for a man and his little girl tonight. Go get your precious trailer and bring it back here so we can get down to some serious drinking."

Elwood resignedly nodded his assent. Ainsley seemed quite happy in Duke's arms, so Elwood quickly headed to collect his trailer, hoping beyond hope that his friend was right.

***

Elwood accepted the old fashioned Duke offered him gratefully before sinking into the sofa. It had been what felt like days since he first drove by Duke's compound, but he suspected in reality it was closer to a few hundred minutes. He had been on the go constantly for what felt like years. It had done him immeasurable good to have Duke watch Ainsley, even if it was only for a little while. Ainsley was now sleeping peacefully, her soft snores coming through the baby monitor at Elwood's knee.

"Thank you for taking us in, my friend," Elwood said after taking a measured sip of his drink. "I owe you, big time."

"You don't owe me shit," Duke said with a smile. "I'm glad you finally showed up though. I've been waiting for two weeks for you to knock on my door." Elwood gaped at him like a landed fish. Duke guffawed and said, "You should see your face. In fact," without ever losing the wide grin on his face, he took out his phone and snapped a picture of Elwood.

Elwood huffed and said, "Ok, you got your picture. I owe you that and more for taking us in. But I'd really love to know what's going on."

"Fair enough. First things first, you're not on the run. From what I hear, you never were."

"I'm afraid that's going to need a bit more explanation. I heard the cop car pull up to the house as we took off in the boat."

Duke said, "I don't doubt it. Unfortunately, I don't have many of the details you're looking for. I just know I got a call from the lovely Ms. Winnie a couple weeks ago. She said they were having difficulty tracking you down to tell you the unfortunate misunderstanding, as she put it, had been cleared up and you were free to come home whenever you wanted. I told her it was unlikely I'd hear from you since I'd just seen you a couple months ago, but I promised to pass along the message if I could."

"And she didn't say anything about why the charges were dropped? Or if this was a temporary reprieve, or a permanent solution?"

"She did not. You know as much as I do."

Elwood stood quickly. He shook his head to clear the headrush, likely due as much to exhaustion as the few sips of alcohol he had had.

Duke said, "Where you going?"

"Home. I wish I hadn't thrown my phone away. Do you happen to know Roxy's number, or even Winifred's? Winifred would know Roxy's number, right? Do you think she's listed? Is being listed even a thing anymore? Fuck!"

"Settle down. You're not going anywhere tonight. You need sleep, my friend."

"Fuck that. I need to see Roxy, or at least talk to her."

"What's your hurry?"

"What's my hurry?" Elwood practically shouted. "I only left to keep Ainsley out of foster care, Duke. But it killed me to leave Roxy, especially without being able to talk to her about what happened. It's like I lost part of myself. You talked to me about how much you regretted not being a part of your children's lives. I listened to you, and I took your advice.

"Ainsley's the best thing that ever happened to me. I would die for her. But I feel exactly the same about Roxy. And while I'll never regret picking Ainsley over Roxy, I'll never forgive myself for not finding a way to have both. I made my choice. I did what I felt I had to for Ainsley. And the cost is more than I can bear."

"Why do you think you lost her?"

"Come on, man. We've both lived this life far too long for you to ask me that. A woman, at least a good woman, doesn't sit anxiously by the phone when you go on the road for a month without a word. She moves on. And she's right to do so. Because she deserves better than a fucking drifter who disappears without a word."

"Don't you think she knows why you left?"

"Maybe? Probably. After all, she works for Winifred. Or, at least, she did before fucking Beatrice filed a lawsuit against her department. But I'm sure she knows. How could she not?"

"Then it stands to reason that she would understand your actions, no?"

Elwood sighed and said, "Perhaps. But I never called her man. I mean, I did. Hundreds of times in that first day. But then I shut my phone down. A few weeks after that I ditched the thing altogether. I guess I just saw too many movies where people got tracked by their phones. I couldn't even imagine what would happen to Ainsley if they got her."

"Why'd you call her so many times that first day?"

"Her brother and I kind of got in a fight. I mean, her brother sucker-punched me when maybe he thought I was going to hit him. I don't really know what happened. I just know that after that, Roxy hustled her family out of the house without a word, and I never spoke to her again."

"I don't know man. Maybe she was pissed at you, but probably not. She struck me as a pretty reasonable lady. I'm sure she'll at least hear you out."

Elwood squared his shoulders and said, "I'm going to get her back, Duke. It doesn't matter how long it takes."

"I'm sure you will, my friend. But first you need sleep."

Elwood relented to Duke's insistence that he get some rest, but only because that moved him more quickly toward his goal of getting back to Roxy. He set his alarm for early the next morning and then spent twenty minutes trying to find a faster route back home. He knew he'd have to break his five-hour rule, and he hoped that Ainsley would agree that it was justified once he got her back home.

Thirty-Six

Elwood had been certain that he would never fall asleep, but his early morning alarm found him in a deep slumber he could only explain as being fueled by a renewed sense of purpose. He roused Ainsley and fed her breakfast before leaving a note for the typically late rising Duke. He knew decorum dictated that he wait to depart, so he could properly thank his host. But the thought of waiting one minute longer than necessary to get back to Roxy was intolerable.

He had just fired up the van's ancient engine when a tiny hatchback pulled into Duke's driveway. Sunrise was still at least an hour away, and Duke had shut off the flood lights when going to bed the night before, so it was impossible to see who was in the car. Before he could think to comment on this development, the driver sprang from the car. At this point, his mind went blank. His heartbeat was thunderous in his ears. His muscles went slack, his hands dropping from the steering wheel.

And then the most beautiful sound in the universe rang out from the backseat. Ainsley gleefully exclaimed, "Raw-Ree!"

He turned to glance back at Ainsley, almost as much to convince himself that he had not finally lost his tenuous grip on reality as anything else. Ainsley had a smile on her face that he had not seen in over a month. He cautiously climbed out of the driver's seat and approached Roxy, who was still standing motionless behind the open door of the tiny vehicle.

Tears were streaming unchecked down her face, which unmoored the typically taciturn Elwood. But his heart soared anew at her beauty, and at the perfect goodness radiating from her. He approached her haltingly, suddenly unsure of himself. He rounded the open door of her car and reached out on impulse to wipe a tear from her cheek. The contact sent a jolt of electricity down his arm, and, for a moment, he was paralyzed.

She looked as though she had slept just as poorly as he had over the last month. The bags under her eyes had bags under them, and she appeared to have lost weight. She had a frailness to her that he had never seen before, and fear and vulnerability was written plainly on her face. But he had never seen anything so beautiful. He could hear Ainsley clapping loudly through the open door of the van.

He cupped Roxy's cheek in his hand and took a deep breath. He saw her do the same. But then a pregnant pause stretched between them as each waited for the other to speak. He saw a hint of a smile tug at the corners of her tear-reddened eyes.

He whispered, "I'm so sorry, Roxy."

At the same moment, she whimpered, "I'm so fucking sorry, Elwood."

He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight as her body shuddered against him from her unchecked sobs. Her arms snaked around him, holding him almost painfully tight. But he cherished the sensation. All was right in the world.

He heard Ainsley shout again. He whispered, "I think someone else wants to say hi."

Roxy took a halting breath and said, "Are you sure its ok?"

He pulled back and said, "What do you mean, baby?"

"I betrayed you. I'm sure you don't want Ainsley getting confused about..."

He cut her off saying, "What are you talking about, honey? I was the one who provoked your brother. I was the one who vanished without a word. You have nothing to apologize for, Roxy. You're perfect. You've always been perfect. I'm the asshole who left you without telling you that I love you."

"You... you love me?"

"Of course I love you, baby. I love you with every fiber of my being. You're the one, Roxy. My one true love."

"Oh, baby," she sobbed. "I love you so fucking much."

He dipped his head to meet her lips. She surged up to meet him halfway. A jolt of energy shot through his body as their lips met, and all the exhaustion, loneliness and heartache of the preceding forty-one days faded away. He sighed in complete contentment as he felt her love surround him. He knew instinctively that he would never let her go. He felt moisture on his cheeks, but he had no way of knowing if it came from her tears, or his own. They broke the kiss hesitantly, as though both feared allowing the moment to end. Each time their lips parted; one would surge back to begin the kiss anew. It was only Ainsley's jabbering that finally pulled them apart.

He said, "If I'm not mistaken, you've taken up swearing."

"Sometimes other words just don't cut it," she murmured as she snuggled up against him.

"Come on, I think Ainsley's going to break out of her car seat like the Hulk if you don't give her a hug soon."

He extracted Ainsley from her car seat and handed her over to Roxy. Their happiness at being reunited washed over him and he was moved to tears. He wrapped them both into his arms. He glanced up to see Duke standing on his porch holding a cup of coffee, his own eyes a little moist. Duke raised his glass in Elwood's direction, giving him a thousand-watt smile, before heading quietly back inside.

Elwood said, "I'm so sorry baby."

"What are you sorry for," Roxy murmured as she accepted Ainsley's wet kisses.

"I was apologizing to Ainsley for depriving her of your love for so long. I should have found a way to contact you. I should have..."

"Elwood," Roxy said gently. She repeated herself several times before he was able to bring himself to meet her gaze. She smiled wanly and said, "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. But you did what you did, not because you love me any less. But because you knew that, as a father, your love for Ainsley must always come first. Not only do I not hold that against you; it's one of the reasons I love you. I've only known Ainsley for a few months, and I know I can never replace her mother. But I would gladly lay down my life to protect her, just as you would. Never apologize for being a good father."

Elwood pulled them back into his arms and said, "What did I ever do to deserve you? Both of you."

"It was fate," Roxy sighed as she placed a gentle kiss on Ainsley's forehead.

***

Elwood's hand squeezed hers as they crossed the bridge exiting Wilmington Island and their home came into sight across the expanse of the marsh. They had stayed at Duke's house an extra day, something their host had insisted upon considering how obviously exhausted they both were. In Roxy's case, it was even more pronounced. Elwood had gotten a few hours of sleep before his planned departure. But she had driven through the night in a hastily rented car.

She was still unsure how she had managed it. She had rented the car out of fear that her own car would not make the trip. Also, out of what had felt, at the time, to be the wildly optimistic hope that she would be able to return with Elwood and Ainsley. She had been sleeping beyond poorly, usually only managing a couple of hours a night. At first, it was because she was so depressed. Then, after Elwood's enigmatic lawyer had given her renewed purpose, it was from the stress of the legally dubious blackmail scheme they were running. But once Winifred called, telling her that Duke had texted to let her know that Elwood had appeared on his doorstep, Roxy sprang into action. She had driven through the night, fueled by wretched gas station coffee and blind optimism. She had had to stop four times to wake herself up, once going to the extreme of doing jumping jacks until she was nearly nauseous after she had been awoken by the anxious honking of a passing semi, but she had made it.

Beatrice had actually called her a few days after Viola helped her send the emails. The call was not unexpected, and Roxy had been psyching herself up for it. She had activated a recording device before answering the call, and then had answered stating that the call was being recorded. Beatrice had been unphased. She had leveled a barrage of accusations at Roxy, only a fraction of which were true. She had also proudly admitted to filing a frivolous lawsuit against the community center and misleading the police in an attempt to bully Elwood into giving up Ainsley. Roxy had kept her answers monosyllabic, never admitting to anything. In the end, it had not been necessary to do as she had threatened with exposing Beatrice's involvement in the insurrection to her community. The recording had been more than sufficient for the police to declare Beatrice's report a falsehood. Furthermore, the judge had issued a warrant for contempt of court while dismissing both the lawsuit against the community center and the protective order for Ainsley. It would likely come to nothing, but if she ever got so much as a parking ticket, Beatrice would likely end up spending a few days in jail.

Elwood had also been cleared after Roxy spent an enormously frustrating afternoon with the chief of police arguing that he could not be a fugitive from justice if they had never actually managed to notify him that he was under suspicion. Roxy suspected that several police officers might have had an uncomfortable meeting following her departure, as she had gotten the impression that said officers might have embellished the truth about Elwood's departure. The chief had been rather cowed when she pointed out the absurdity of his story of a high-speed chase considering Marcus's car was still at his house.

The day at Duke's house had been a blissful one spent together with Elwood and Ainsley. Duke had pulled rank early in the afternoon, declaring that he was taking Ainsley to the park and that the two of them were not to leave his guest room until they'd gotten some sleep. She was quite certain Duke expected them to light the sheets on fire with their reunion, but in truth they had simply fallen asleep in a lover's embrace. They had not even stopped to remove their clothing, so great was their fatigue. But it had been enough. She was back with her one true love. They had the rest of their lives to make love, or fuck like bunnies, or rattle the chandeliers with their wanton pleasure. For the moment, more than anything, they both needed the rest that only came in the arms of one's soulmate.

They awoke very early the next morning, feeling more rested than they had since that fateful morning a lifetime ago. They found that Duke had done a hero's job caring for Ainsley while they slumbered. She was resting peacefully in her crib in the van, and Duke was nodding off in his easy chair with the baby monitor close-at-hand. They had awoken him, thanking him profusely for all he had done and allowing him to retire to an actual bed inside the house. He promised to handle returning Roxy's rental car so they could focus on getting back home.

The trip had been one of the most satisfying experiences of Roxy's life. Not because watching the endless ribbon of tarmac slowly flatten out as they got closer to the ocean was inherently blissful, but because it felt so right to be with the two people she most loved in life. They had slid Ainsley's car seat over from the middle of the rear bench so it was behind Elwood, allowing Roxy to assist her if needed. It also allowed her to constantly steel glances back to the wonderful little nearly fifteen-month-old. The only times she had released Elwood's right hand from her grasp was when Ainsley started to get fussy. Roxy had, without hesitation, crawled back into the back seat and entertained her or made her a snack while Elwood watched with a happy smile in the review mirror. Roxy's cheeks hurt from smiling by the time they got to Savannah.

Thirty-Seven

They had left Nashville just after sun-up. Elwood had waived his normal five-hour cap for time on the road, both due to everyone's desire to get home and Roxy's presence making Ainsley happier than ever to be stuck in her car seat all day. Elwood had laughed out loud when Roxy had mentioned how happy she was as they came to a complete stop in the tail-end of Atlanta's morning rush hour traffic. Not because he thought she had lost her mind, but because he agreed whole-heartedly. He was happy because all was right in the universe. The most important people in the world were with him, and he was heading to the only place that had truly felt like home to him.

They arrived home in mid-afternoon and commenced a frantic several hours of unloading and ferrying vehicles. The temptation to just flop onto the couch after arriving had been strong, but both he and Roxy agreed that they needed to clear their to-do lists before they would truly be able to relax. After unloading the trailer, they had made the trip back to the mainland to swap out the aged vehicle for Marcus's boat. The return trip stood in stark contrast to the angst-ridden memories of his last time in the boat. But the weather was perfect, and they all immensely enjoyed the sedate boat ride back to the house.

Upon arriving back home, he became aware of something which had been niggling at the edges of his consciousness since they initially arrived several hours prior, but which he had not been able to quite put his finger on. Realization dawned as he opened the fridge and found nothing there except a six-pack of beer and some condiments. He checked the freezer and found it filled with items which had not been there the morning of their exodus, but which could easily be used to construct a wide variety of meals. He checked the trash can in the kitchen and found it empty. The more checking he did, the more it became obvious that someone had been here since his departure. The house should have reeked from rotted food and soiled diapers, but it was pristine.

He found Roxy happily racing Ainsley around the living room. He said, "Did you clean up the house while we were gone?"

She stopped in her tracks and her face fell. She said, "I'm so sorry, baby. I know I had no right to..."

He pulled her into his embrace and said, "I'm not mad, honey. That was so thoughtful. I just realized the house should have needed a hazmat team after so many weeks of neglect, but its immaculate. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said demurely. "I came by a couple weeks after you left. I was so scared you'd be mad, but I couldn't bear the thought of you coming home to a mess. I'll admit, it was pretty rank. I'm glad I came by when I did."

"How could I ever be mad at you, honey? You're my soulmate, the other half of me. I can't be mad at you without being mad at myself."

"I feel the same way," she said with a shy smile. "But I didn't know that then. I need to tell you something though."

"What's that?"

"I went into the master bedroom when I was cleaning up. I know that's kind of off-limits, but there was a smell I couldn't quite track down. It turned out the smell was coming from Ainsley's room, but I went into the master while I was trying to find it. I'm sorry if I overstepped, but I have no intention of ever hiding anything from you."

He pulled her onto the couch with him and said, "That's fine baby. I've actually been thinking about that room for a while now. It's pretty silly how I've been behaving."

"I understand it completely. I couldn't look at Xander's picture for the longest time after he passed. Almost as though doing so would be me truly admitting he was gone."

"But they are gone, aren't they? We'll never stop loving them, but to continue to pretend they're not dead doesn't honor their memory, it cheapens it."

"Exactly," Roxy murmured as she burrowed deeper into his embrace.

"Marcus gave Ainsley and I this house because he wanted us to be a family here. My infantile obsession with pretending that this is all still his, as though he just stepped out for the world's hardest to make cup of coffee, doesn't serve that wish. It subverts it. So, I'm letting it all go. Because how off-putting would it be of me to ask you to move into another man's house with me?"

"Are you sure, baby?" Roxy asked with a catch in her voice.

"As sure as I've ever been of anything. You're what made this feel like home, Roxy. If you'd rather live someplace else, then..."

"Are you insane?" Roxy loudly asked with a wide smile. "This is literally my dream house."

"Does that mean you'll stay?"

"For as long as you'll have me, my love."

***

"You sure this is ok?" Roxy asked worriedly as she followed Elwood into the master bedroom with the last box from her car.

"I want this to be your home, Roxy. No exceptions or qualifications."

"Thank you. I want that as well. But I meant us sleeping in this room. I'm fine with sleeping across the hall if you'd be more comfortable. Or out in the yard. Or in a nest of vipers. Anywhere, as long as it's with you."

"I agree whole-heartedly, my love," Elwood said as he took the box from her and stowed it in the closet. "But, since we have this nice big room with this super-comfy looking bed, it'd be a shame to let it go to waste. I told you, our crazy trip expunged the last of the ghosts from my past."

He picked up the framed picture of Marcus and Ivy from the former's bedside table and stared at it fondly. He looked up at Roxy and said, "But I'd like to hang this in the hall, if that's ok."

Tears sprang to Roxy's eyes, and she rushed over to him. She kissed him tenderly and said, "This is your house, and Ainsley's."

"And yours," he interjected sternly. "I want you to feel at home here, honey. Not just like you've shacked up with your boyfriend."

"I do feel at home here. I love it here. But what I was going to say was that this will also always be Marcus and Ivy's house. That hallway will become a shrine to their wonderful daughter. But their picture will always have a spot of honor in the middle. Their love made all this possible. Ainsley will always know how wonderful her parents were, because you'll never let their story fade from memory."

He dropped his lips to hers, kissing her hungrily as he tried to convey his love and appreciation to her with actions as he did not have the words. Her mouth opened and he deepened their kiss as he pulled her tighter. Her hands fisted in his shirt while he caressed her hips. His hands slid slowly down to her ass and groped her libidinously, causing her to moan into their kiss. Their tongues twined together in an unhurried ballet of sensuality. He felt her hands slide down his back and grip his ass.

She broke the kiss breathlessly and said, "I need you inside me, baby."

He pulled her shirt over her head as she fumbled with his belt. She then switched to unfastening her bra while he shucked his own shirt. As her bra fell to the floor, he gasped at her beauty.

"Fuck, you're gorgeous."

"Are you saying I wasn't gorgeous until I showed you my boobs?"

"Um... of course not. You're..."

"Elwood," she said softly. "I'm fucking with you."

"I think I'm going to like the swearing Roxy."

"You have no idea," she said breathlessly as she attacked the front of his trousers with renewed vigor. She made quick work and he was soon standing nude before her. She slid her leggings and panties off, before returning to his embrace.

She gave him a shy frown and said, "Sorry for not keeping up with the pruning of my lady garden."

"It's beautiful," Elwood replied as he led her toward the bed. "You're beautiful."

He laid her out on the bed before taking his place next to her. He claimed her lips greedily. She reacted instantly, her hand sliding down his body to find his throbbing hardness. He moaned at the sensation of her touch.

He broke their kiss to say, "Careful there honey. It's been a while. Your little friend there might go off like a box of fireworks in the foundry from the end of T2 if you keep that up."

"That would be a crime," Roxy drawled before sliding down his body.

He gasped, "Babe," as she daintily licked the head of his cock.

"I want to savor the feeling of your big cock inside me, my love. So, I'll just take the edge off."

"Fuck, that's hot," he panted as she took his cock in her mouth.

She energetically bobbed her head while she stroked the base of his shaft. Her eyes never left his as she brought him quickly to the edge of oblivion. The feeling of her worshiping his cock was spectacular, but it was the love in her eyes which had him so quickly nearing release. Nothing was more important to her in this moment than his pleasure. He was held captive by her eyes as she lavished heretofore unknown pleasure on him.

He cupped her cheek gently and whispered, "I love you, Roxy."

She smiled around his cock and moaned in pleasure as he lost himself to the orgasm she had so eagerly sought. His eyes rolled back in his head and his muscles seized as he erupted into her mouth. His gasps as wave after wave of pleasure rocked his body were matched only by her contended moans as she continued to lavish pleasure on him. He managed to open his eyes in time to see his seed stream down the sides of his manhood as she pulled back from his pulsing member.

She winked lasciviously and said, "That was quite a lot."

He said, "Like I said, it's been a while. That was incredible, baby."

"I'm so pleased you enjoyed it," she said as she began to lick lewdly along the sides of his still erect shaft.

"Let me go grab a towel," he stammered as his body spasmed with the pleasure the light flicks of her tongue were giving him.

"Whatever for?" she asked coquettishly before lapping up a dollop of his seed from the base of his penis.

"Oh fuck, that's hot."

"I love the way you taste, my love. I don't ever intend to waste a single drop."

Elwood growled in animalistic desire, springing from the bed. Roxy squeaked in surprise as he rolled her over before rounding the end of the bed. He lifted her hips until she was on her knees. He bent over her and inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet smell of her nectar.

"Oh my God," she gasped as he hungrily sank his tongue into her soaked core.

He licked slowly along the length of her labia, drinking deep of her arousal. She pulled his head into her and swiveled her hips until he captured her clit between his lips. She moaned loudly as he flicked her pleasure button with the tip of his tongue. He could feel her thighs quivering as she neared release. He licked eagerly along her slit until he reached her core and sank his tongue into her depths once more.

She whimpered in the need for release and whispered, "Please."

He thrust his tongue into her once more before quickly flipping over and positioning himself beneath her glistening mons. Her brief grunt of protest was replaced by a guttural moan as he pulled her hips down onto his face. He worshipped her clit with his lips and tongue. He slid his hands along her body questing for her full breasts. Upon finding them, he encouraged her to rise above him. The sight of her perfect body towering over him with her loving eyes locked on his was like a religious experience.

Her eyes rolled back in her head as her orgasm overtook her. Her thighs snapped shut around his head, momentarily depriving him of the breath of life. But he would have gladly expired in that moment for the sake of her pleasure. Her flawless body shuddered above him as her pleasure slowly subsided. Her eyes popped open, and she looked down at him in alarm before quickly releasing him. He took a deep breath as she bent over to kiss him worriedly.

"I'm so sorry baby," she panted.

"Don't be ridiculous. I could have held out for at least a few more minutes. Besides, it was totally worth it. You're totally worth it."

"I love you so much," she whispered as her fingers slowly traced along the tattoos on his chest.

"I love you too, honey."

Their lips met once more, the passion quickly rising between them. He reached out to cup her breast and felt her fingers wrap around his shaft in response. Without breaking their kiss, he rolled her onto her back and positioned himself between her supple thighs. They moaned in unison as he sank slowly into her silken depths. When he was fully sheathed, he paused momentarily to cherish the sensation of her velvety walls surrounding his throbbing member. She squeezed him with her core muscles, causing him to yelp softly in surprise. She chuckled as they broke their kiss.

"I've missed this," she murmured. "I missed you."

"I missed you so fucking much, Roxy."

He began thrusting slowly. Their previous orgasms allowing them to savor their lovemaking rather than rushing toward an overdue release. Her hands gripped his hips sending almost imperceptible signals that allowed them to join perfectly. Their movements were a symphony of pleasure as they slowly built toward mutual release.

He looked down at her and realized again just how staggeringly beautiful she truly was. Her welcoming, rounded face featuring her captivating hazel eyes; her wonderfully unique, short brown hair which showed the tiniest hint of a curl along her bangs; her full breasts which never failed to jiggle alluringly, no matter what she was doing; her flared hips and rounded ass which made everything she wore look spectacular, and made him salivate whenever he was fortunate enough to gaze upon her nude form; her long, toned legs which completed her flawless hourglass figure. And, to top it all off, she was the most loving, compassionate, kind and perfect woman he had ever met. He knew in that moment that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Her whispered, "What are you thinking about?" drew him out of his reverie.

"Just how perfect you are," he answered honestly. "I love you, Roxy. I will love you forever."

"Oh, Elwood. I love you so much. So much."

She kept repeating those two words as their lovemaking increased in tempo. Elwood knew instinctively that they were perfectly in sync. He thrust once more before succumbing to ultimate pleasure along with her. Her inner walls rippling along his pulsing member as they orgasmed in unison. Their lips found each other as time stood still. Their orgasm found new life as their souls became one.

When their pleasure receded, they whispered, "I love you," as one.

Roxy smiled and said, "Sleep my love."

"But I'm crushing you."

She squeezed him tighter with her arms and legs, pulling him deeper into her velvety depths. "You're right where you belong," she whispered with a contented smile.

Thirty-Eight

"Oh. My. Goodness. She got so big!" Taylor exclaimed as Roxy entered the former's restaurant carrying Ainsley in her arms while Elwood trailed behind carrying the gear.

Taylor rushed over to them and wrapped Roxy and Ainsley in her arms. She turned to Roxy and said, "I'm so happy for you."

"None of this would have happened without you," Roxy gushed as she hugged her friend. "Thank you so much. For everything."

Elwood said, "That goes double from me." He then turned to Roxy and whispered, "What'd she do?"

Taylor said, "I'll let you catch lover boy here up while I get you guys something to drink. Apple juice ok for her?"

Elwood nodded and Taylor retreated behind the bar. He turned to Roxy, who grinned at him before saying, "It wasn't just her. Penny and Winifred were also instrumental. I was lost without you, babe. I thought I had ruined everything. I was prepared to leave. I even quit my job and packed up my room. But then Winifred suggested I go see Sam."

"Who's Sam?"

"Your lawyer... from the custody hearing... Anyway, I went to see him, and he gave me the idea for a way to get Beatrice to back off. Then Taylor pointed out that Viola, that girl we helped..." Elwood signaled he remembered by nodding. "That Viola was a wiz with computers. So, we did our thing. Then, after all the legal nonsense got sorted out, Taylor insisted I stay with her until I found you."

At this point, Taylor had rejoined them. She said, "Your girl's selling herself short, Elwood. She was a bulldog with that cunt, Beatrice. And I don't mean the dumbass college football team. She kept after that piece of shit until she backed off for good. And if her bitch-face ever decides to show her face around here again, our girl Roxy's still got an ace up her sleeve."

"Oh?" Elwood said, turning his attention back to Roxy.

"She won't bother us anymore. But, if she does, I've got some information that she, and more importantly her church, definitely wouldn't want in the hands of the media."

"Look at you," Elwood exclaimed. "My sexy little extortionist."

"She threatened my family," Roxy said simply.

Elwood's face lit up and he pulled her into his arms. He whispered, "I love you so goddamned much."

The look on Taylor's face made it clear she had heard him. She said, "Aw, honey. I hate to say, 'I told you so'. But I fucking told you so. You did it, Roxy. You won the jackpot."

"Feck," Ainsley croaked happily.

"Oh, shit," Taylor gasped. "I mean shoot. I'm so sorry, Elwood."

"It's ok. I screw up all the time too. I think we're firmly on course to be a swear-jar kind of household. Don't you think, baby?"

"Damn right," Roxy said with a grin.

"I heard that," Penny exclaimed from behind them as they approached. "Was that it? Was that your first swear? I told you you wouldn't be struck by lightning."

"That was hardly the first time," Roxy said with a smile which was threatening to do permanent damage to her face. "The first time was when I told my mother that I thought the guilt trip she was attempting to lay at my feet was bullshit."

"I wish I'd been there to see that," Penny said happily. "What'd she do?"

"She was appalled. Shortly after that I got out of their car, and I haven't spoken to her since. Nor have I spoken to my brother since he sucker-punched you. I'm not sure I trust myself to speak to him."

"That's all over and done with now, honey," Elwood said as he wrapped his arm around her. "Maybe they'll come around, maybe they won't. But you've a whole island of people here who love you."

"Here, here," Taylor said, raising her glass.

They all toasted to Roxy, and she felt the truth of Elwood's words sink into her bones. Her family was on this quirky little island. Already, the room was filling with all the people who had eagerly lent a hand in her moment of need. She knew that this island would always be her home. And that the friends she had made in her short time here would be friends for life.

She looked around, not seeing Winifred among those showing up to celebrate Elwood and Ainsley's return. She pulled out her phone to see if Winifred had texted her.

As her screen lit up, Elwood leaned over and said, "When'd you get a new phone?"

"A few weeks ago, shortly after Beatrice chased you out of town. I thought I'd left my old one at Marcus's... I mean your house. But when I stopped by to clean up, I couldn't' find it."

"Honey, I'm nearly certain you didn't leave it at the house."

"How so?"

He looked wistful and said, "I'll never forget that morning. The sight of you just before your father closed the door to my house will always be seared in my memory."

"Oh, baby. I'm so sorry I left you. I should have called the police for you. I was just afraid my rabid brother would do something even dumber than sucker-punching you."

"Water under the bridge, my love."

"Awww," Penny said. "He said he loves you, honey. That's beautiful."

"He's said it like ten times since they got here," Taylor said in a stage whisper. "They're totally coocoo bananas for each other. Carry on, Romeo. You have the con, or the floor, or whatever. We'll be quiet."

Elwood grinned and said, "Anyway, honey. You were definitely holding your phone when you left."

"I can't imagine what happened to it, then. We were only in the car for the few minutes it took to drive to my room. I was just sitting in the backseat next to..." Roxy temporarily lost the power of speech as realization dawned on her. Fury built up inside her like a nuclear meltdown. She knew her face must be turning red, because all of the joyous expressions around the table quickly turned troubled. She could only manage to utter one word, "Gideon."

Elwood's expression darkened. He said, "Of course. That little weasel."

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked.

Elwood said, "I can't show you proof, because I also had to replace my phone. But shortly after you left, I texted you asking if there was anything I could do to help. Your phone responded saying something to the effect of, 'stay away from me'. Obviously, I know now it was sent by your brother. But, at the time, I figured it meant you were mad at me. Then, he must have blocked my number, or turned off the phone, because none of my subsequent calls or texts went through."

Roxy quickly dialed her brother's number and put the phone on speaker.

Her brother picked up with a dubious, "Hello?"

She snapped, "Did you steal my phone?"

"Roxy?"

"Did you steal my phone? Did you respond to a text from Elwood with it?"

"You can't prove..."

"Yes or no, Gideon. This is the last conversation we'll ever have, so make it count."

"I was just trying to protect you from that hoodlum, Roxy. When are you coming..."

Roxy disconnected the call. She then blocked her brother's number before looking up with a forlorn expression. She said, "I'm filing a police report in the morning."

"I'm going with you," Taylor said. "I'm a witness."

"Me too," Penny said. "You had a brand-new phone before, Roxy. That thing was worth at least a thousand bucks. That makes it a felony. They'll have to put out a warrant for him."

She turned to Elwood and said, "This will only make things harder with my family."

"Your family is here, my love. And you did nothing wrong. He's the one who committed at least three felonies I can think of. You pretending it didn't happen only emboldens him. You did perfectly, honey."

"Thank you, baby," she said as she sank into his arms, heedless of the swooning coming from her friends.

***

The next few weeks went by blissfully for the happy couple. Roxy got up every weekday and went to work, while Elwood stayed home with Ainsley. He loved the time with Ainsley, just as he loved greeting Roxy each evening when she came home. They frequently met her for lunch, or to participate in events at the community center. And he was expanding his network on the island, meeting his neighbors and the other parents of small children. He had already scoped out the preschool he wanted Ainsley to attend during the coming fall. It would only be a couple days a week, but his research told him that socialization was critical at her age.

But, despite how happy he was, Elwood increasingly felt the tug at the edge of his consciousness for something more. He knew it was not discontent he was feeling. His urge was actually because things felt so settled with Roxy. He had shared his feelings with her, and she urged him to pursue his passion. Thus, he was standing outside a theater in Savannah's art district waiting for an appointment.

Shortly, he was greeted by a diminutive man with closely shorn hair and a somewhat feral expression. The man said, "You Elwood?" Elwood nodded. The man continued, "Oscar. Thanks for coming by. Come on in."

He unlocked the door to the theater and led Elwood into the darkened interior. He was led to a disheveled office where the man dropped into a desk chair behind a messy desk.

Oscar said, "So, I got two different groups I can use you in. First one's a big band. It does a couple big weddings a month, plus regular seasonal gigs. Second one's more contemporary. Standard rhythm and blues lineup, 'cept we go a little heavier on the horns."

"What about the symphony," Elwood interjected. "I heard they had an opening."

"Yeah, but that's for bass, hopefully with... well, never mind about that last part."

"I can cover that. How often do they perform?"

"The orchestra does multiple shows a week. But that's usually just strings with minimal winds. But they do seasonal stuff with the full pops ensemble. Probably ten gigs a year."

"Sounds good to me. Who do I audition with?"

"No need," Oscar said, leaning back in his chair. "I seen you play online. You're plenty good enough for these gigs. The question I got is why you looking to get in on this small change shit. Wasn't you on the road with Blood, Sweat & Tears earlier this year?"

"I'm settling down, starting a family. I've got no interest in being on the road anymore. But I can't just stop playing. I tried, but..."

"It ain't that easy," Oscar finished. "I hear ya, brother. I did the same thing. Found me a good woman and thought that was all I needed. And she makes me happier than a pig in shit. She's actually the one that got me playing again. I thought I was happy. Hell, I was happy. But something was missing. She figured out it was the rush of being on stage. Said I was driving her crazy and I couldn't come back home until I found me a gig. So here I am, trying to find people who share our special kind of crazy."

"I can dig it," Elwood said with a knowing nod. "So, when's the first gig?"

Thirty-Nine

"Can you tell me why we need that huge steel plate?" Roxy asked dubiously.

"It's for the oysters," Elwood huffed as he muscled the plate into position above the firepit. "You'll see, baby. It's going to be awesome."

"And you actually think people are going to eat... how many oysters did you get again?"

"Two bushels. Figure a couple hundred."

"We only invited ten people. How on earth will we eat that many?"

"Trust me. The first time Marcus threw one of these, I said the same thing. Especially considering that I held it as gospel fact that oysters were something people would only eat on a dare. I mean, can you imagine how desperate the first human to eat an oyster must have been? It looks like snot, and smells worse. But if you cook them just right, they're heavenly."

"I trust you, babe. You know I do. I just can't help but wonder what we'll do if we have a bunch of these left over tomorrow."

"Get them as far from the house, as fast as possible," Elwood said with a shudder. "But we'll be fine. How are we fixed for everything else?"

"Two coolers, one with beer and the other with pop."

Elwood chuckled and said, "Baby, if you're going to live in Savannah, you can't talk like a Yankee. You never call it pop. Soda is acceptable, but most folks just call it Coke. Regardless of what it says on the label."

"Coke then," she said with a smile. "Plus, other mixers. We've also got a table for our guests to put whatever they're bringing. And the guys with the mini bouncy castle should be here any minute."

He pulled her into an embrace and said, "Thanks for putting up with this honey. I know it's a hassle."

"Are you kidding, I love parties. I love hosting. It makes this feel even more like our home. I just hope everyone enjoys themselves."

Elwood did not fail to notice how she had stopped resisting calling this her home. She no longer pretended to be a guest. And it made him immeasurably happy. He thought again of the item he had acquired a few weeks prior when he met Oscar. He had hopes that tonight might be the night he could unveil it. It sat heavy in his pocket, always calling to him. But he wanted the moment to be perfect. He had come close a few times, but something always got in the way. He knew he would have to act soon, or the anticipation would drive him mad. He shook his head to clear it, recognizing that the moment definitely would not happen tonight if he was not fully prepared when their guests arrived. He hauled the hand truck back to the garage, swapping it out for a wheelbarrow to start hauling firewood to the firepit.

Their guests began to arrive a few hours before sundown. By this point, the fire in the firepit had died down to white-hot coals and the first batch of oysters were loudly cooking beneath the steaming burlap blanket. Roxy wasn't the only one who gave him funny looks as he sprayed down the burlap with the hose every few minutes, but he just nodded knowingly to himself. When the first batch was ready, he scooped them off the superheated metal plate and delivered them to the waiting table. He soon heard the surprised moans of culinary nirvana as they tasted the first oyster. He got another batch started before joining them.

"These are amazing," Roxy gushed.

"Careful with those, Arnold," Elwood joked to Penny's apparently on-again love-interest who was tearing into the oysters with gusto. "I once saw a fella polish off a couple dozen of those in one sitting. By the end of the night, he damn near got frisky with a great oak."

"You're joking," Taylor chortled. "I thought that was a myth."

"How could you have heard about that?" Roxy asked quizzically.

"I meant about oysters being aphrodisiacs," Taylor responded.

Elwood said, "True story. Use protection boys and girls."

"You're incorrigible," Winifred said, unable to repress a grin.

"The medical literature is surprisingly mum on the subject," Zoe interjected. "But, speaking from personal experience, I've witnessed several scenes like the one Elwood described.

"When?" her partner, Norma, challenged.

"Well, there was that time we split a couple dozen oysters at Taylor's place and had a night I certainly won't ever forget."

Norma looked cowed and said, "Oh... well... point taken. I'll never forget it either. I just didn't remember the oyster part."

Zoe leaned over and kissed her partner loudly, to the cheers of everyone around the table.

They continued eating oysters until the sun started to set, at which point Roxy insisted that they all head down to the dock to enjoy the sunset. Just as they all reached the end of the dock, they heard a commotion from the front of the house. As Elwood glanced back at the house, he saw a figure headed in their direction.

Taylor muttered, "God dammit."

"What?" Elwood asked in genuine concern.

"It's Keith. I haven't seen him since the day he showed up at the bar. I should have known he wouldn't leave me alone for good. Arnold, can't you do anything?"

"Not unless you got the restraining order reinstated."

"Well," Elwood interposed. "He's certainly trespassing."

Elwood began to make his way back toward the house. He felt others follow, but he did not look back to see who it was. He met Keith about halfway down the dock and said, "This is private property, and you're trespassing."

"I just want to see my girlfriend," Keith drawled.

Taylor shouted, "I'm not your girlfriend, you psycho."

Arnold spoke up and said, "You heard the man, Keith. This is private property and you've been asked to leave. Don't make me take you downtown."

"I ain't going anywhere without her," Keith spat, stabbing a finger in Taylor's direction. "She's mine, and don't none of you get to have her."

Elwood saw a flash of color out of the corner of his eye. The next thing he knew, Keith's eyes bulged out of his head, and he tumbled headlong into the marsh beneath the dock. He landed with a loud squish and sank into the mud up to his waist.

A cheer arose from behind him, and he turned to see Taylor gleefully dusting her hands off as she stood above her tormenter.

He offered her a high five and whispered, "Nice form."

He looked down at Keith and shouted, "You're still trespassing. If you're not off my land in five minutes, I'm calling the cops."

Keith reached for one of the pilons holding up the dock. Elwood waggled is finger in Keith's direction and said, "You don't get to use the dock, mud bug. The property line's that way," he said, pointing toward the road. "Get a move on. And don't step foot on our property ever again."

Keith looked to Arnold, who said, "You better listen to the man. I'd get moving if I was you. That mud looks pretty thick. You don't get out soon, you'll be trapped."

***

Later that evening, Keith's interruption was still all anyone could talk about. Part of Elwood wanted to bemoan that fact, as it had likely wrecked his plans, but he could not help but be joyous for Taylor. It had taken Keith the better part of an hour to travel the thirty or so meters to the shore. By the time he arrived, what seemed like a good percentage of the town had shown up to watch the spectacle. People had lined the dock, helpfully shouting tips that had no prayer of being helpful. In addition to the humiliation he had endured, Arnold had assured Taylor that he would assist her with getting the restraining order reinstated first thing the following morning. Keith had gone from threats when he first hit the mud, to utter defeat by the time he reached the shore.

The sun set quickly this late in the summer, but the sky was cloudless and soon the awe-inspiring tapestry of the heavens was revealed above them. The group sat quietly for nearly an hour, interrupted only by Ainsley's long overdue fussiness signaling that it was time for bed. As she did every night, Roxy volunteered to bed her down. But Elwood insisted she stay and took Ainsley up to the house for a quick bath before laying her down.

When he returned with the baby monitor, he heard the murmur of voices punctuated by Winifred declaring the night sky the work of the Lord. He was instantly on guard, knowing his love's troubled history with religion and worried the topic might ruin her evening. He heard assent come from several people around the circle as he took his place next to Roxy. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and whispered, "You ok, honey?"

She leaned over and said, "Why wouldn't I be? Ainsley ok?"

"She's fine. I just meant, you know, the talk of religion. I thought it might upset you."

Penny overheard him and said, "I always wondered about that, Roxy. You said you used to work for the church, but I get the impression that you kind of grew out of it."

"After a fashion," Roxy said thoughtfully. "And, to your point my love, talk of the almighty doesn't bother me. Much to the contrary."

Elwood said, "But... I thought..." he looked around at the assembled group before shaking his head and saying, "Never mind."

"It's fine, honey. Really. I can see how you would have gotten the impression that I had a crisis of faith and perhaps even abandoned my faith altogether. But nothing could be further from the truth. It was religion that failed me, not God."

"I'm lost," Taylor said.

Winifred elbowed Zoe gently and whispered, "I told you she was smarter than all of us put together."

"Hardly," Roxy said with a smile. She turned back to Taylor and said, "When I left home, it was because I was so frustrated by the disconnect between what my faith told me to be true, and what my religion told me to be true. Not surprisingly, when I took my questions to my minister, he told me that I was wrong, and they were right. But I just couldn't square it in here," she tapped her chest.

"Jesus never intended us to build these enormous corporate empires in his name. He just wanted people to love one another. Time after time, he told people to put their faith in the Lord, not in their shaman. Modern religion has almost nothing to do with love, and nothing at all to do with faith in the Lord. They demand fealty to their earthly creations, insisting without proof that they are the sole arbiters of heavenly truth. Its heresy, plain and simple. And once I had my epiphany, I just couldn't pretend to believe otherwise."

"I hear you," Penny said after a moment's hesitation. "I'm just having trouble differentiating between faith and religion."

"Faith is between a person and their god, or gods, or nature," she said gesturing at the spectacular sky above them. "Religion is an earthly organization. Sometimes they help people find faith. Sometimes they use fear to control people. They're not mutually exclusive. But faith never led a good person to do something evil. That's solely the province of religion."

"What do you think of all this, Elwood?" Winifred inquired sagely.

"I've always thought of myself as a spiritual agnostic, or perhaps even skeptic. But I'm no atheist. I've been all around the world. And I've seen things which make me certain there's a higher power."

"Are you talking about something like the Taj Mahal, or the Grand Canyon?" Arnold asked.

"More the latter than the former. Sometimes nature just takes your breath away. But, what sealed it for me was when I went to Dachau. It had been seventy years since the end of the war, but there's an evilness there that's undeniable. I mean, the kind of evil I have trouble imagining man came up with on his own. I knew then there was more to this world than my senses can perceive. Maybe it's naïve, I just can't imagine a world with such a powerful evil in it where there isn't an opposing force."

Penny said, "So, do you follow a religion?"

"Nah. I'm like my girl here. No religion, just a bit of faith. Faith that there's good in the world, and that there must be some inherent benefit to goodness. Take our friend earlier. He operated on the 'if it feels good, do it' philosophy. He wanted a relationship with the pretty blonde over there, and it never occurred to him that anything could stop him. Then she dumped his ass in the marsh and the whole town watched him struggle to get out. In my book, that's the universe telling him, and the rest of us, that there's a cost for being an asshole."

"Well said," Zoe declared with her beer held high.

Roxy grinned and said, "Another way to think about it is... to quote the best movie ever made, me and the Lord, we've got an understanding."

Elwood nodded and said, "We're on a mission from God."

Penny guffawed and said, "Oh my God. You two are such geeks. Did y'all go through that whole thing about faith and religion just to drop a quote from your boyfriend's favorite movie?"

Roxy smiled and squeezed Elwood's hand. She gazed into his eyes and said, "No. Sometimes, things just work out perfectly."

Forty

"Did you have fun tonight?" Elwood asked after closing the door behind the last of their departing guests.

"Absolutely," Roxy answered with a smile. "Did you?"

"A ton of fun. Thanks so much for everything."

"It was our party, baby. You don't have to thank me for helping."

"I will always thank you, my love. Otherwise, you might forget just how much I appreciate you."

"Never," she whispered as she flowed into his arms.

Their lips met unhurriedly, but with just as much passion as their first kiss. She tilted her head to the side and opened her mouth. The way his tongue felt caressing her own never failed to excite. But she was even more excited by the growing hardness pressing against her belly.

"Can everything else wait until the morning?" she murmured between kisses.

Elwood answered her by lifting her in his arms and heading toward the stairs. She melted against him, loving his strength and his passion. When they reached the bedroom, he placed her on the bed and stared down at her hungrily. She reached out her hand and stroked his throbbing hardness through his shorts.

"Off," she whispered throatily.

He quickly removed his clothing until he stood nude before her. He said, "Now it's your turn, beautiful."

She sat up and pulled her tank top over her head. Her bra quickly followed, leaving her in nothing but a pair of short, white shorts.

He groaned, "My God, you're so fucking gorgeous."

"So are you," she sighed contentedly before rolling onto her knees and crawling sultrily in his direction. He stood, transfixed, as he watched her approach. When she reached him, she took his hardness in her mouth without preamble. His moan filled the room as she swirled her tongue around the head of his penis. She could already taste his excitement. She moaned loudly, knowing the vibrations would give him even more pleasure.

He pulled back, causing her to whimper at the loss of her favorite plaything. He gasped, "I need to taste you."

She winked and said, "I wasn't stopping you, my love. But I wasn't done tasting you."

"I love you so fucking much," he muttered as he laid down on the bed.

"I love you too," she whispered with a smile.

She carefully straddled his face, making certain she was not smothering him, before she concentrated on his towering manhood. He immediately began pleasuring her clit while his fingers caressed her G-spot. She could have given in to her impending orgasm in that moment, but she was committed to giving him pleasure as well. She took his throbbing cock into her mouth. She loved the way she could take him so much deeper in this position. And she knew from the way his hips bucked that he loved it as well. The taste of his excitement oozed from his tip, and she greedily drank it down. She desperately loved making love to her man, but there was something about pleasuring him with her mouth that she could never get enough of, just as he could seemingly never get enough of going down on her.

She groaned in pleasure as he tickled her anus with the tip of is tongue and she knew her release was imminent. She caressed his balls with one hand while she took his member deeper into her mouth, until he was nearly at the entrance of her throat. She lathed the head of his cock with the flat of her tongue. She felt his muscles begin to tighten. He slid a finger into her asshole. This combined with the expert action of his tongue on her clit and the two fingers deep in her pussy had her on the edge of orgasm. She increased the speed of the bobbing of her head until she felt his muscles lock.

When the first eruption of his seed coated her tongue, she fell over the precipice into the throes of her own pleasure. They clung to each other as they rode wave after wave of ecstasy. She lustily swallowed each volley of his seed as she felt him greedily lap up her nectar flowing from her core. She savored the taste of his seed and it served to heighten her own pleasure.

When their orgasms receded, she rolled off him and crawled up to occupy the crook beneath his arm which had seemingly been fashioned with her in mind. They stayed motionless for a few moments, catching their breath and savoring each other's presence.

She broke the silence saying, "Thank you, my love. You were magnificent."

"As were you, my bawdy minx."

"And you love me for it."

"Damn right I do," he whispered sincerely. "You had me pretty turned on there, honey. Is a shower in order before bed?"

"A shower is not necessary, my wonderfully delicious lover. But that doesn't mean I'll turn it down."

"You never cease to amaze me, Roxy," he murmured reverently as he offered her his hand to help her rise from the bed.

There shower was inefficient, but fun, and they returned to bed once again in a heightened state of arousal. Roxy snuggled up against him. A sigh of bone-deep contentment escaped her lips. She glanced out the window, looking over the sight which had come to be synonymous for her with serenity as she languidly stroked a tattoo on his chest.

She could have kissed Taylor and Penny for the turn their conversation had taken earlier that evening. She had been feeling an increasing sense of worry about how Elwood would react to what she was certain he believed was a revelation about her faith. But, as she had so often thought to herself, how does one bring up the topic of their faith organically in a conversation? She and Elwood had had countless conversations about religion, and she had suspected he viewed that to be interchangeable with faith. She worried that their relationship could not progress with such a misconception lingering between them.

'I should have known better," she thought happily to herself. 'I should have known that he understood me perfectly.'

With that worry put to rest, the question which had been on her mind since very nearly the day she had moved in came to the forefront of her mind.

She murmured, "Can I ask you something?"

He said, "You can ask me anything, my love. I'm in a giving mood."

The way his deep baritone voice rumbled in his chest filled her with contentment. She squeezed him tighter and said, "This wasn't really about you giving me something, babe. It was more a question about what you want out of life."

"I want you. And Ainsley."

"You have us. What else?"

"Whither thou goest, my love. But, if its all the same to you, I'd love to grow old here."

She wanted to groan in frustration, but she knew he was not being intentionally coy. She said, "How about between now and then?"

"I don't know, baby. Play some gigs. Raise Ainsley with you. Try to keep the weight off, so you don't turn me in on a newer model. More than anything, I want to keep my ladies happy and healthy. How about you? Same question."

"I want all those things very much," she said softly. She then whispered, "But there's something else I wondered about?"

"I think I know where you're going with this, honey. I've been waiting for the right moment to bring this up for weeks, but things just kept getting in the way."

"Me too," she said softly.

He said, "Wait here for a moment."

He climbed from bed and went into the bathroom for a moment. When he returned to the room, she asked, "Do you mind if I go first?"

He said, "Of course not, honey," before taking a seat next to her on the bed.

She took his hand and looked up into his strikingly blue eyes, the eyes that, with very few exceptions, only she and Ainsley ever got to see. She rose up to claim his lips. Their kiss was not urgent. Rather, it was filled with all the love they shared. Their tongues danced dreamily as they grew closer. Her body was nearly completely still, but her soul was rejoicing. She broke the kiss with a reluctant sigh.

She looked once more into his eyes and whispered, "Can we have a baby?"

"Huh?" he asked as his eyes went wide.

"We don't have to," she said quickly as the emotional high she had been riding moments before came crashing down. She glanced away rather than allowing him to see the tears forming in her eyes. She stammered, "Ainsley is..."

She felt his fingers beneath her chin, beckoning her to look up once more. She did so, unenthusiastically, to see that his eyes were also moist.

He said, "Roxy, baby. I would love to."

"It's too big, Elwood. I appreciate the sentiment but bringing a child into the world is something that should only be done if both parents are fully on board. I cannot allow you to do something like that just for me, although I truly appreciate it."

He sighed and said, "I'm so sorry I reacted the way I did, honey. It wasn't because that isn't what I want. It's because I thought you were going to ask me something else. Imagine someone said close your eyes and open your mouth. And you do so, expecting bread pudding. But, instead, you ended up getting ice cream. Both are great, but the change up can take a moment to adjust to."

She said, "So is the baby the bread pudding or the ice cream?"

"It doesn't matter. I know, it's a shitty analogy."

"Are you sure, babe?"

"I love the idea of us making Ainsley a baby brother or sister, Roxy. I already know that you're the best mother a kid could ever ask for."

"But I'm not a mother," she said softly.

"In a way, that's kind of what I thought you were going to ask me. Although now that I think about it, your question is just the other side of the coin from my question."

"You lost me, babe."

When recounting this conversation later, not a single person was willing to believe her. But Roxy was genuinely flummoxed when Elwood scooted away from her and slid onto the floor. Nor did they believe that her confusion grew when he coaxed her off the bed to stand before him. But they all believed her about the reaction she had when he revealed the stunning diamond ring he had been holding in his hand.

She gasped for air and felt tears spring to her eyes. She began to nod enthusiastically. In the deepest recesses of her mind, she silently remarked that it was fitting that he was doing this before the bay window which looked out upon the scene which filled them both with so much tranquility. That same silent voice also decided it was appropriate that neither of them was wearing so much as a wristwatch.

He smiled up at her and said, "Roxy... you are the most loving and perfect person I've ever known. You've given me everything that is good, and right. You taught me how to be a father. You taught me how to love. You're the best mother to Ainsley I could have ever hoped for, and she loves you just as much as I do. I already know you're the best partner a person could ever dream to have. Would you do me the great honor of being my wife."

"That's why you were confused when I asked about a baby? Because you thought I was going to ask why you hadn't proposed yet?"

"Well, my mind was going more towards thinking you were going to propose to me. Let's not perpetuate the patriarchy here."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Baby, I told you. I've been trying to find the right moment to do this for weeks. I was going to do it tonight, out on the dock, when the sun set. But shithead Keith had to show up and ruin it. I can't very well propose when he's squelching his way across the marsh, can I?"

"No," she said with a smile. "I suppose not."

Elwood gave her a crooked smile and said, "Not to be pushy, honey. But you're kind of leaving me hanging here."

"Huh?"

"I believe the honorable member from Texas has made a motion. Robert's Rules of Order states that a motion, once made, must be seconded or it will be ruled out of order."

Her look of confusion lasted almost an entire additional second before realization dawned. She dropped to her knees and kissed her fiancé tenderly before saying, "Yes, my love. Of course, yes. Yes today, yes tomorrow, yes forever."

The End

Thanks so much for taking the time to read Elwood and Roxy's tale. If you enjoyed it, please take a moment to leave a review.

Beyond the Lighted Stage

by Jake Lazarus

Copyright © 2021 Jake Lazarus

All rights reserved.

This book, or any portion thereof, may not be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the author (except for the use of brief quotations in a review).

This is a work of fiction.

Names, characters, business, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner.

Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.