After putting in a long day of work on the cabins, Luke went to his house as the sun was lowering in the sky. He laid a fresh fire in the hearth and took a shower. Just as he was getting out, he heard his front door open. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he left the bathroom in time to see Shelby coming in with a brown sack. “Wow,” she said, looking at him. “How’s that for timing?”
“Whatcha got there?” he asked, hands on his hips.
“When I left the clinic, I stopped by the bar and got us some dinner so we could stay in tonight. I’m tired. I brought some pie so Art can have dessert with us if he wants to.”
“He’ll want to. Art has never turned down a slice of pie.”
She looked down his body and laughed. “Luke,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t even have my jacket off and you’re popping out of your towel.”
“Well then, take your jacket off,” he said. “Will dinner keep for a little while?”
She put the sack on the table, shrugged out of her jacket and walked into his arms. “I put in a long day and the clinic was busy—I’ve been around babies and sick people. Can you give me some time to freshen up?”
He gently touched her lips with his. “Sure. Help yourself.”
“I won’t be too long,” she said, slipping past him and into the bedroom to take off her boots and clothes.
Luke went into the kitchen and peered into the sack of take-out dinner. He pulled out the pie and put it in the fridge, then sniffed the remaining contents. It smelled delicious, but Preacher never put together a mediocre meal. He got down a couple of plates, pulled some flatware out of the drawer and opened two beers. Then he heard water running in the tub and headed toward the bathroom. He caught the scent of something feminine. Shelby had brought a couple of her things with her a few nights before—shampoo and lotion and such. He told her to leave it—something he’d never invited a woman to do before. Things like that always made him claustrophobic, but this time it made him feel extremely good, as though he wouldn’t have to release her too soon. As if holding her shampoo and lotion hostage meant she would stay with him for a while.
He entered the bathroom just in time to see her lowering herself into the tub. Her long hair was pinned up on her head and there were bubbles. It was in his mind to pass her a beer and sit on the closed toilet lid to talk with her while she was in the bath, but then another thought was inspired. Luke had never in his life even contemplated a bubble bath. He put the beer on the sink, dropped his towel and got in.
“You’re going to make a flood!” she said with a laugh.
“This tub isn’t quite big enough,” he complained, sitting to face her, the faucet jabbing him in the back. He pushed his long legs past her hips, lifted her legs to drape them over his thighs and pulled her toward him, into his arms.
“You’re acting crazy,” she said, laughing.
“I’m impatient,” he said, his lips on her neck. “I can hardly get through the day, waiting for you.”
“I’m not quite freshened up yet,” she said.
“I’ll help with that,” he said, picking up the soap. He ran the soap smoothly over her shoulders, down her back, over her breasts, under her arms, bringing low, delighted hums from her when he lathered her up. Then he took the face cloth and gently rinsed her. “I want to tell you something.”
“Another one of those talks? More conditions?”
“No. I visited a clinic in Eureka. Right after our first night together. I had a screening for STDs. To be sure, though I was already pretty sure. I wanted you to know that despite my shady past, I’m okay. You’re not in any danger that I’ll pass anything to you.”
“Aw,” she said, pulling him closer, chest to chest. “That was thoughtful.”
“No one’s ever been inside you before me,” he said. “I want to keep you completely safe.”
“I appreciate that.”
“I got the results just in time. I don’t have a condom in this tub,” he said. “But there’s that other matter…”
“I’m on the pill. I took care of that.”
“You didn’t tell me,” he said.
“Sorry. I didn’t think about your concerns—I was handling mine.”
“Good news to me,” he said. Then, after leaning in for a deep kiss, he said, “I meant to tell you another thing—your uncle visited me.”