CHAPTER TWELVE

Today would be Sheridan's first day back to work at the youth center, and she was ready to face the wrath of officer Luis Lopez -Fitzgerald.  Besides being refreshed, she had learned some new coping skills from Dr. Franklin and felt good about herself, the best she'd felt in years.  Besides she had Hank now, and he was her tower of strength.  She was so grateful to him for everything.  He really was different, she thought to herself as she drove along the way to the center. Everyone agreed too.  Julian was crazy about him, and even Pilar had said she thought this might finally be the end of all her loneliness.  Hank was the kind of guy everybody liked, a real go getter, yet so sweet and gentle.  He really understood her.  She hoped he would be there to cushion her first day, but if not, she would face up to her duties and carry on.  It would soon be over anyway.

It was a sunny day in the little coastal town of Harmony, but the  ocean air was chilled and damp with winter peeking around the corner. Sheridan parked her car and gathered her belongings planning her speech, "Luis, I'm sorry I had to leave.  I brought a note. "She held her hand out like she was handing it to Luis, then dropped the note.  "This is ridiculous, I'm not in high school."  she told herself chasing the note.  "I'll just play it by ear.  It's no big deal!"  Up the stairs, she adjusted her hair and put the note in her pocket. She stumbled a bit when a sudden wisp of wind caught her jacket , twisting it around her arm while  she tried to hold on to her purse and open the heavy door to the youth center at the same time.  Suddenly the door gave way.  

Sheridan's face went pale and she practically cried when she walked through the doors to the youth center.  There, spread across the entire entrance, was a huge banner surrounded by tons of balloons, and it read , "Welcome Back Sheridan!".  Luis stood to the side opening the door for her with a million dollar smile and a glass of sparkling cider in a  brightly decorated paper party cup.  The desk was covered with a pretty flowered paper cloth and  decorated plates of bagels , pastries and fruit along with a big pot of fresh coffee.  Beth and Hank stood by the desk , the welcoming committee for Sheridan's first day back. 

"I don't believe it!  For me?"  Sheridan blinked back the tears and smiled back as she walked over to the table, set her glass down," You guys are so great!"  She looked at Beth and Hank like she was thanking them.

 Beth handed her a plate and napkin. "Dig in! I just brought the stuff over,  It was all Luis's idea. He's been planning this for days!"

"Welcome back Sheridan", Luis smiled warmly noticing Sheridan's surprise. "Yeah, we missed you.  I didn't have anybody who could play me a decent game of basketball all week.  But I got a lot of practice in, so I hope you're ready for defeat!"

"Oh yeah, well if I eat all this, I will be defeated.  I'll need a nap!"  Sheridan was munching a sweet roll and trying to figure Luis.  She was happy to see him being so civil, but why?  Guilt?  Pity?  She wondered how much he knew but was distracted by all the conversation. 

After the little party, Hank said he had to get to his new job, and Beth had to get back to the cafe.  Sheridan busied herself cleaning up while Luis tended to the morning business.  He was off duty today and  catching up on things at the center, so he had his nose buried in some paperwork. Sheridan got situated and  tidied up the party table, then   took her doctor's release over to Luis's desk, "Thanks for not giving me a hard time.  That was really sweet, and totally unexpected.  I was afraid you would yell at me or something, you know call me a quitter for not finishing my work here. "  She stood facing Luis as he worked at his desk.

"I can see why you might think that.  I've really been a jerk, haven't I?"  Luis put his work aside and wore a look of compassion as he spoke.  "I 've been thinking all week about what I've wanted to say to you, Sheridan.  Sit down, will you."  Sheridan was silent. He stood and pulled up a chair and helped her into it like a gentleman,  got two cups of coffee, then seated himself again and continued.  "I would never yell at anyone for taking a medical leave, and it's none of my business, so you don't have to explain that.  I know Hank said you had something to take care of that's been a problem for some time, and that's fine, really.  I appreciate that you got back so quickly."

"Thank you Luis," Sheridan said still with some hesitation, partly because of the conversation and partly because she was remembering the last time she had coffee at that desk and her big discovery while looking for the sugar.  She pulled herself together.  "I wanted to finish my work here, you know, take my medicine, and get all this over with.  But this morning really caught me off guard.  Do you mind telling me why you're being so nice to me.  You didn't fall and hit your head or anything, did you?" She grinned, and they both laughed.

"Very funny, but look, I do have something else I want to say to you and just hear me out will you."  Luis looked nervous.

"Of course, officer, you're the boss," Sheridan teased.

"Something happened that's been bothering me for a long time, Sheridan.  You know, after that day at the beach, remember when you gave me the c.d. , I don't know, you just seemed like a different person that day."

"You mean not like a Crane" she interrupted.

"Come on now, you said you'd listen."  he pleaded.

"Alright, I 'm sorry.  Go ahead  I was a different person , but hey, you haven't exactly been the same since that day either you know."  She couldn't stop herself from saying it.

"I know I haven't, but honestly Sheridan, I went into that courtroom ready to let you off the hook totally.  Then my boss, Sam tells me you filed a sexual harassment suit against me, of all things.  There I was thinking we had some common ground, and you kicked dirt in my face. I felt like an idiot."  Luis explained.

"What are you talking about, Luis?  I never did any such thing!  Ethan asked me if I wanted to go that route, and I assured him you were a changed man, that you didn't have this vendetta against our family, and then, bam, here I am, working off my sentence.  I even told Ethan what a nice guy I thought you were.  I felt like an idiot too! But  I definitely didn't file any suit, Luis.  I thought you were throwing the book at me just because you were a jerk!

"Well, somebody did, because the mayor called Sam that morning before court and told him you wanted me off the case and that you had filed a suit against me.  That's why I've been so angry all this time.  I just kept thinking about how you seemed so sweet, and then stabbed me in the back when I tried to make friends with you.  I figured you wanted to keep me in my place, you know, keep me with my own kind.  But I still wanted to say I'm sorry, Sheridan.  I thought it over, and well, you've been through a lot, and I was willing to chalk that suit up to bad legal advice.  Things would be a lot easier around here if you and I could just put all this behind us and try to get along, what do you say.  Friends?"  Luis held out his hand and covered her hand with his other hand when she took it. 

"Luis, I swear, I had nothing to do with any harassment suit, but I will find out who did.  Something tells me a certain nephew got a little carried away with his privileges on my behalf."  Sheridan leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and huffed," I guess neither of us was very good at communicating, were we officer?" 

Her phony pout looked cute, he thought, and a welcome relief from the usual unwelcome leer.  "This is great," he said," all this time, I thought you were such a spoiled brat, such a  phony, and you didn't even do what I was so mad about your doing.  It sure makes a lot more sense too.  I honestly don't know why I never said anything about it.  I guess I was just too upset to talk about it with you.  But it sure made me boiling mad.  I'm trying to get a promotion here, and that's pretty serious business for me and my family.  You think Ethan did that behind your back?"  He sat back studying her and drank  a little coffee. 

"It must be, unless, my brother had something to do with it, but I thought Ethan said Julian was against the suit.  Don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of this, and let you know.  In fact, I'll make sure Ethan calls the mayor personally and sets thing straight, and I'll make sure I'm there to hear it too.  I guess I owe you an apology too, Luis, for about the umpteenth time.  I'd love to start over.  The stress has been awful for me, and it must have been pretty bad for you too.  I'm really sorry, Luis."  She held her hand out to shake as a peace offering, and he took it.  They both stood up and gave a good shake, but when it came time to let go, neither did.  Their eyes locked together, first with sincere and warm apology, then with a tender look of  gratitude.  It all happened at once.  Sheridan threw her arms around Luis' neck and  gave him a big warm bear hug.  Then it was over as fast as it happened.  "Friends?" she asked her sparkling eyes smiling up at him, and grabbing his hand again.

"You bet" Luis smiled back looking like he really meant it. He gave her hand another little shake and turned to talk to  some kids coming in.

"I'm going to work on enrollment forms for the girls basketball team signups, okay."  She knew he heard her and left to work on her project which had been in limbo since she left.  A warm sense of relief washed over her thinking about Luis and her welcome back party.  Then she realized she had some talking to do with Ethan.  That was so strange.  It wasn't like him to hide something from her, especially when Ethan knew how much trouble she had getting along with Luis.  Why would he want to make things worse for her, and why had he let her go on complaining all this time without ever mentioning she was suing the guy and maybe, just maybe that could be the reason he's been such an animal.

 Just then she flashed again on the time she walked in on Luis in the locker room.  Animal, yes, that did describe him well.  At least these flashbacks were better than the ones she had before.  They certainly weren't the kind you'd go to any length to cure. She thought about the tapping technique Dr. Franklin had shown her to use when she had the flashbacks of that terrible night with the coffin and the bloody hands, but stopped herself. " No,"  she giggled ,"  think I'll just go with this one" , and she closed her eyes leaning back for a minute just to humor herself.  She deserved a pleasant hallucination to kind of balance things out she rationalized, let the pendulum swing both ways, and swing it did!

Sheridan pictured herself sleepwalking along the jogging path at the beach late at night, under an autumn moon and starry sky.  With just the sound of the ocean surf pounding rhythmically on the rocky shoreline, her bare feet gliding along the sand. A sheer white cotton gown  covered her shivering body and blew across her with the gentle ocean breeze.  Suddenly she awoke to the touch of Luis' hand on her face moist with the salty spray.  "Sheridan , what are you doing here."  Her eyes opened to see him standing , smiling, his tall tan physique snuggly wrapped in a clean white towel.

 "I'm sorry, I was looking for some sugar, I think.  But what am I doing here?"   She asked innocently, blushing with the crimson moon.

Luis was confident and bold as he swept her up in his  arms and held her tightly against his muscular body. "So it's sugar you need"  She felt his hot breath coming towards her quivering lips....then

"Sheridan, are you okay?" It was Luis alright, but he was standing over her desk.  "You're not sick again are you.  Maybe you came back too soon."  He looked genuinely concerned.

"No, no, I'm fine.  Just a little tired still.  I got up late.  I told you those pastries would do me in."  She wondered how she could have gotten quite so carried away with a daydream about a man she was afraid to face  just hours before.

Luis asked how the basketball signups were panning out and wondered if she was up to playing a little  one on one later after lunch.  Sheridan liked the idea and after a full day of work and play,  went home tired and happy for the first time since she started her assignment.  She was even considering Luis' offer to stay on as coach for the girls when she was done with her mandatory time there.  It felt good to be needed.

Luis had a good day too.  He felt good about the party and the apologies, and even the basketball which he wondered if Sheridan lost to him on purpose.  She had that look about her.  He had always noticed how beautiful she was, but today she looked more beautiful than ever.  He knew that his mother had stopped with the drugs, and that certainly must have made a difference, and with the vacation too, Sheridan was a vibrant and sexy woman, just the type he went for, sportsman, good sense of humor, intelligent, self confident, and a real fighter.   She was perfect for him, the kind of woman who really keeps you on your toes. Then he thought about Hank.  Hank would just freak out if he put a move on Sheridan after all that had happened.  Anyway, Hank was his friend, and he wouldn't do that, but he laughed out loud at what a poor sport Hank was about losing women to him.  He had never done anything deliberately, but hey, sometimes things just happened.  Women know what they want, and he couldn't help it if he was a babe magnet.  He laughed some more as he finished his work up after the basketball game, locking the place up checking each room.  When he got to the locker room, he stood there for a moment, one certain memory pushing its way in, then flooding through the gates of restraint....  Sheridan's face when she looked up and saw him standing there in all his glory.  What could he do.  He smiled; hey a guy's got to have some self respect.  Oh how he had wanted to say more than he did that day.  Well, at least she knew what she was missing!   Too bad they weren't getting along back then.  Maybe he could have given her that sugar she was looking for.  He smiled to himself and moved on, laughing and thinking.  "Oh yeah, she's a beauty."

 CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The next day Sheridan brought a huge picnic lunch and explained to Luis about the harassment suit.  It hadn't been easy, but she had wormed the whole story out of Ethan and discovered that Julian was behind everything.  Luis wasn't surprised since he knew this  poser was  looking for a way to get rid of Sheridan .  He figured Julian was trying to make Sheridan want to return to Paris, and making her life difficult here was a good strategy.  It also didn't surprise him that Ethan was too stupid to see that.  He was probably too busy working on the presidential campaign his mother mentioned, the family dream for   Ethan Crane, Esquire.   "Ha," he thought  as he listened to Sheridan's apology speech,  "Secretary of the Inferior was more like it.  On that, he would certainly get my vote!" 

"I take it from your smile that I'm forgiven again?"  Sheridan interrupted Luis' trip to fantasyland. 

"Frankly, it doesn't surprise me. You Cranes..."

"Okay, just stop right there, buddy.  We called a truce, remember.  No more of this, you Cranes stuff, and I won't make any donut jokes about you, officer, deal?  But I did bring some!"  Sheridan pulled out a box of donuts and they laughed and had some with coffee.  Just as Sheridan picked up Luis' cup for a refill, Hank was there.

"Am I in the right place here?" he joked  hitting Luis on the shoulder.  "Who are you mister, and what have you done with my buddy Luis, the hardnosed, no nonsense, never saw a Crane I  liked cop who worked here." He was joking on the outside, but inside he felt pretty uneasy about the way Luis and Sheridan were getting along.  This was just the sort of thing he didn't want to see.  He made a mental note to have a talk with Luis as soon a possible, like tonight...make him feel guilty, let him know how much he was counting on being with Sheridan.  The "L" word would no doubt have to be mentioned.  Once Luis knew it was serious, he would respect Hank's relationship goals and back off.  That's just the kind of guy he was.   "I didn't know if you'd be here today or not, so I stopped by to see if Sheridan needed any help with the big stuff." 

"The big stuff?"  Sheridan laughed.  "What's that supposed to mean?"  While Hank rattled on about moving the equipment in for the volleyball nets, getting some heavy stuff out of the storage shed, yada, yada, yada, Sheridan smiled sweetly and nodded while visions of the locker room danced through her brain. "Well, now I have two helpers, don't I", she broke herself free from  sugar plum thoughts, and got busy with her work for the day.

After lunch, there was a big basketball game, and then time to call it a day.  Sheridan told Luis she needed to speak to him before he left, and he stopped to see her before leaving.  "I have something for you...a little peace offering, a good luck charm." She placed the heavy token in Luis hand.  "It's a French Army medal.  It belonged to a general, and it's the valor award.  I got it in Paris, when my friend Dianna and I were guests at the presidential dinner there.  It saved the life of the man who wore it.  See the little scratch there.  A bullet struck the medal and saved him.  It's really something, isn't it! " She went on, as Luis stood quietly holding the medallion.  "I want you to have it, keep it for good luck.  Your job is dangerous.  I know your mother worries about you, even here in Harmony. And I worry too."  She was waiting for him to say something.

Luis looked up and gripped the medallion.  "I don't know what to say, Sheridan.  Thank you.  Yeah, it is something, it really is.... and so are you.  He bent down and before she knew what was happening, he kissed her softly on the cheek. "You're quite a gal.  I guess having this will make it easier to see you go.  I'm going to miss you Sheridan...not just for myself and all the work you've done, but for the kids too.  "

"Well, you're not getting rid of me that easily, mister.  I just might take you up on that coach thing.   The medal isn't to remind you of me.  It's to remind you of yourself, and what a great guy you are.  You put up with a lot from me, and you deserve an award.  I think valor is appropriate, and a little good luck never hurt anybody either."  Sheridan grabbed her things and they walked together out the door saying their goodbyes and feeling good

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