Chapter 2 #2
She laughed out loud. “It’s beautiful on him.”
Finn looked over. His eyes widened. He stood, took the woman’s hand and said something to her. They both approached the booth.
“I wanted to say hello, Elise. This is my friend and colleague Juliet Sullivan. She’s a Harmony Healing Collective member.”
Juliet greeted them.
“Hello. I’m so glad to meet you, Juliet. And to see you again, Finn.”
He glanced at Max. “I’m Finn McKenna.”
“Max Goldman.”
“You’re in the movie with Ms. Preston,” Juliet noted. “I’m happy to meet you both.”
“Call me Elise, Juliet. What is your area of specialty?”
“I teach yoga classes. I’m a yoga therapist”
“I love yoga. Maybe I’ll get to take a class.”
“We don’t want to take up too much of your time,” Finn stated. “Enjoy your meal.”
When they left, Max asked, “How do you know that guy? He seemed pretty friendly.”
“None of your business, Max.”
“Maybe.” He winked at her. “Maybe not.”
Dear God in heaven, it was going to be a long night.
* * *
Finn smiled over at Juliet. “Wasn’t that fun?”
“It was. Rumor had it she visited the collective today.”
“Yeah, to see me. I think I can help her.”
“You can help anybody, Finn. Reiki is such a specialty and you’re an expert at it.”
Periodically, he’d treated Juliet to some sessions and sat in a couple of her yoga classes. “It’s warm in here. You should take off your sweater.”
“I’m not warm.”
He looked at her askance. “Are you hiding something?”
She sighed and pulled off a sleeve of a sweater. Finn did a double take.
“That’s a nasty bruise you have there.”
“It’s unsightly. Hence the sweater.”
“How did it happen?”
“I bought new mats for the studio. I piled them up in my trunk and took them inside. When I pulled one off the rest of them toppled over on me. Turns out the boxes were defective. They had some kind of slits in them.”
“That’s odd. Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“Because you worry too much about me already.”
“So, how are things with you?”
Juliet frowned. She didn’t want to lay too much on this man. He was so sweet, he’d listen all night. “The boys are glad to be on summer vacation. Thank God for our pool.”
“Fiona feels the same way.”
She smiled at the thought of his twin. “I adore your sister. Our kids played together last week.”
“How sweet. She’s a doll.”
“A lot like her brother.”
Finn knew she meant that platonically. Widowed, she wasn’t interested in him romantically and vice versa. Their friendship was too important to them.
“Any guys on the scene?” he asked.
She sighed. He kept prodding her in this direction. “No. When would I have time?”
“Make time. I’ll babysit.”
“I--I’m not ready.” She sounded so needy. She hated when she got that way.
“Michael’s been gone two years, honey.”
“He has.” She leaned back in her chair. “Truthfully, I don’t do anything to meet anyone.”
“How about online?”
Juliet shuddered. She couldn’t think of anything worse. “No, that’s not me.”
“I have some male friends.”
“Thank you, Finn. But if the guy doesn’t work out it might affect our friendship.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Can we table this? Let’s have a pleasant meal.”
“Just know that I’m here for you.”
“I do. And it means the world to me.”
* * *
During dinner, Finn took surreptitious glances at Elise. She looked absolutely miserable, so different from when she left him yesterday. He’d have a lot of work to do in the next session tomorrow.
He and Juliet had a pleasant meal. They were very companionable and she was a sweetheart with a gentle sense of humor. Elise and Max left first and Juliet and Finn went to their respective cars not long after.
He’d just gotten to his car when he saw the light go on in a snazzy red Camero across the parking lot.
Elise was in the driver’s seat. She was alone in the car, so on impulse he walked across the parking lot to her.
The window was down on her side. She was wildly taking things out of her big purse and throwing them on the seat next to her.
“Elise,” he said softly so not to startle her. “Are you all right?”
She looked up at him with bruised eyes. “No.” Her voice was wobbly and he realized she was on the verge of tears. “I have a migraine and I can’t find my medicine in this bag.”
He circled the hood, opened the door and put the contents of her purse on the floor. Then he slid inside. “Give it to me. I’ll find it.”
Without objecting she pushed her bag over to him.
“Is it in a bottle?
“Yes, the only one in there.”
He found it quickly. “How many?”
“One.” He was about to hand it to her when she said, “Oh, God,” whipped the door open and vomited onto the blacktop. Flopping back against the seat, she didn’t even close the door. He let her rest for a minute then said, “Tell me when you’re ready to take this.”
“Now,” she practically whispered.
He handed her a pill and opened the water bottle in the cup holder.
She gulped the medicine back. Laid her head on the cushion again and sat still as death.
Finn knew even the slightest movement or light could cause migraine sufferers agony.
He sat with her quietly. She said so softly he could barely hear her, “If this doesn’t work, I can take another in two hours. ”
“You can’t wait that long in the car.”
“Y-you can go.”
“No, I’m not leaving you like this.”
“Thanks,” she said tearfully. “It hurts so much.”
He waited with her, thinking about what he’d do next. After about fifteen minutes, she said, “It’s a little better. You can leave.”
“It’s not gone?”
“Sometimes it can take hours.”
“You can’t sit here for hours.”
“I know.”
“Can you move?”
“Not of my own volition.”
“How about with my help?”
“But what…where…”
“Trust me.”
He got out of the car and jogged to her side.
Avoiding the vomit, he leaned inside and scooped her up and out of the driver’s side.
God forgive him for noticing at a time like this, but he could feel every single one of her curves when he held her close.
On the way to his vehicle, she said, “I need my purse.”
“I’ll go back for it and lock up your car.”
She laid her head against his shoulder.
He eased her inside his front seat of his Hyundai, buckled her in, then rushed back to her car. He put everything she’d tossed out in her purse but took her keys and locked the doors. He was back in two minutes. He slid inside.
“Finn,” she said.
“How long before you can stand movement?”
“I don’t know, not yet.”
He eyed the clock. Time crept by one agonizing second after another. Finally, she said, “I think I can move now.”
“That’s good.”
He’d talk to her later about a plan of action if this happened when she was totally alone. Reiki could offer some relief and there were techniques for doing it yourself. Waiting it out in the car wasn’t a practical answer.
When he saw her chest rise and fall, he pressed the engine button. He backed up slowly and drove very, very carefully to his home. The ranch sat on the canal and resembled a Frank Lloyd Wright design. The interior sported a lot of wood, high ceilings and comfortable furniture.
Once he parked and opened the garage door, he carried her inside.
Her body was limp. He went through the kitchen and down the hall to his den.
His reiki practice was here in the house before he joined the collective and housed a reclining chair with foam padding covered with cozy flannel sheets.
He put a soft throw over her. He left off the lights except the one in the hall, so he turned on the salt-rock lamps and closed the door.
The space was dimly lit and quiet, with no soft music or the sound of a waterfall.
He didn’t turn on any lavender scent because both could stir the headache.
She woke up and squinted. “It still hurts.”
“I’m going to help with that.”
First he washed his hands with unscented soap. Then he put them in a hand warmer off to the side. He wouldn’t touch her, but he didn’t want her to feel even a modicum of cold.
Standing very still, he placed his hands over her ears for about three minutes, then behind the ears for three more. Gentle tingling went through his palms to his fingertips. Without adjusting his stance, he positioned his hands over her crown. During those six minutes, they warmed even more.
Next, he hovered over her eyes. The tingling in his hands increased.
After six minutes, he placed them on her throat chakra, or energy source, and kept them there for another six minutes.
This one was vital because it helped balance the throat chakra.
Among other things a blocked throat chakra could lead to neck pain.
This time, his hands got hot. He left them in place, though, and waited a long time to feel the blockages release. Then, he backed away from the table.
And waited.
Not too long after, she awoke.
He smiled and said softly, “You’re in the reiki room in my house, and I did a treatment on you. How do you feel?”
Her eyes blinked a couple of times. “M-my headache’s gone. Like, really gone.”
“I’m glad.” After a bit, she held out her hand. He grasped it. At her touch, an electric bolt shot through him. Wow.
“This has never happened to me. Usually my migraines last about eight hours. For the rest of that day until I get a good night’s sleep.”
“There are medical solutions to alleviating migraines.”
“No doctor I’ve had ever indicated anything but pills. And I’ve had the best.”
He opened the door and let the hall light flow in. Back to the chair, he said, “I’m going to raise the head of this now. You shouldn’t feel any pain going upright.”
Once she was seated, she said, “I don’t remember much about tonight. You. How I got here.”
“I was in the restaurant while you were arguing you’re your movie star boyfriend.”
“Hardly a boyfriend.”
“You left before us. Juliet and I exited about ten minutes later. I saw your car with the interior lights on. I found you in excruciating pain so I helped you with the medicine.”
She said, “My mouth feels yucky.”
“I’m afraid you vomited.”
“On you?” Her tone was horrified.
“No, on the blacktop. But you couldn’t drive and you were still in terrible pain after taking a pill. So I scooped you up, got you in my car, locked yours and drove you to my house to do a reiki treatment.”
“I’ve never gotten rid of one this quickly.”
“We can talk about it later. I’ll find some things you can try the next time if you’re alone.”
She sighed heavily. “I’m sleepy.”
“I think you should stay here tonight.”
She looked out the window. “I hear water.”
“I live on the canal. Now, do you want me to carry you to bed?”
“I think I can walk.”
He pulled up the arm of the chair and helped her off.
There was no bolt this time, just pleasure in the touch.
She was very shaky and leaned into him. Her hair smelled liked lilacs.
And there were those curves again—whew! She had them in spades.
When she didn’t move, he bent over and scooped her up again.
She didn’t protest. He took her to his bedroom which faced the water.
Gently, he sat on the bed, then switched on a small light in the corner.
He went to his dresser and pulled out a T-shirt.
“You’re wearing a comfortable dress so you could sleep in that or this will cover you.”
“My dress smells. I’ll take the T-shirt.”
“Can you manage it alone?”
“I don’t think so.”
He eased the dress over her head. Dear God, her black underwear was enticing. “Bra on or off?”
“Off please.”
She raised her arm and he caught a quick peek at her perfect breasts. Not a bolt, again, but a sharp sense of desire roiled through him. He slipped the shirt over her head. Then he pulled back the covers and she slid under them.
“I’m going to sleep in another bedroom. Call out if you need me.”
“This bed is huge. Stay here with me. Having a migraine is lonely.”
“I’ve never heard that.”
“Yeah.”
“If you’re sure.”
“I am.”
He went to the other side of the bed and took off his clothes, leaving on his boxers and T-shirt. He slid slowly inside. She reached out her hand. He took it. Now, there was just peace.
“There, that’s better.” Her eyes closed.
Finn sighed heavily. He didn’t know what to make of this.