Chapter 7
Bobby turned another page of what surely had to be the most boring history ever written of any battle ever fought. He glanced over the top of the book, toward the bedroom where Tara had disappeared last night, after coming home from the restaurant. What was she doing in there? he wondered.
Bobby heard the shower over an hour, so he was confident she was up, but he hadn't seen her and was beginning to worry. He thought they'd made some progress at dinner last night, joking and laughing like old times. However, the longer she stayed in her bedroom, the more concerned he became.
Tara hadn't talked to him since that day at the hospital, and it troubled him. She hadn't looked particularly happy, but he'd attributed everything to what had happened to Jack and Sue. When they arrived back at his apartment, however, things changed and she pushed him away when he tried to touch her.
Bobby scowled wondering why this all bothered him so much. It wasn't as if they were involved, he told himself, they just shared a few kisses. Kisses that melted his insides to mush and made him forget everything else.
He groaned aloud as he thought about their kisses at the hospital. While so many bad things happened, including Jack and Kayla Jarrett being shot, Bobby still remembered warmly his stolen moments with Tara.
What if Tara was still involved with Stanley or someone else? Bobby thought. He couldn't believe how much that thought troubled him, but if it were true, that would make her off-limits as far as he was concerned. Bobby had no interest in stepping in on someone else's territory. No matter how beautiful she might be. No matter how appealing her sweet, innocent smile.
Bobby's scowl deepened and he turned his attention stubbornly back to the book. He would do well to keep his personal distance as much as possible from Tara Williams during the rest of this assignment.
Recalling his relationship with a certain newspaper reporter, Bobby knew he'd already made one mistake in his federal law enforcement career by getting personally involved. He did not intend to do so this time.
However, his eyes were drawn back to the closed bedroom door. Would it really be a mistake? Bobby wondered. Or is she who I've been waiting for? He just didn't know.
Chapter 8
The paperback hit the wall of Tara's bedroom with a resounding splat. She shoved herself off the bed and pushed a hand through her blonde hair. "This is ridiculous," she sighed aloud in the empty room.
Waking up that morning, she'd taken a leisurely shower, blow-drying her hair, and then dressed in a pair of jeans and a brightly colored button-down shirt. Plopping down on the edge of her bed, Tara wondered what she was supposed to do for the rest of the day.
It was just after 10 am on a Saturday. She'd been sitting alone for over half an hour, trying to concentrate on a glitzy saga that was just too overblown and pretentious to stomach. A song on the radio happen to catch her attention.
Throw the
covers off my head
Shake my body out of bed
Stretch my arms
up
And look out the window
Sun is rising
Birds are singing
I
am greeted by the gift of another new morning
And I know tonight
as my head hits the pillow
I will ask myself as I look out the
same window
At the end of the day
Did I laugh and dance
enough
Did I tell my friends how much they really mean to me
At
the end of the day
Did I really push myself
Or was I too
afraid
To give my heart away
At the end of the day
I
wanna learn I wanna live
take some big chance and just trust in my
instincts and my intuition
If I win or if I lose
Any road that
I choose
I will drive all the way
I wanna know tonight as I
fall fast asleep
I am one day closer
To where I wanna be
At
the end of the day
Did I laugh and dance enough
Did I tell
my friends how much they really mean to me
At the end of the
day
Did I really push myself
Or was I too afraid
To give my
heart away
At the end of the day
To never forget what
matters most
To never have to answer no
When I ask myself
Did
I laugh and dance enough
Did I tell my friends how much they
really mean to me
At the end of the day
At the end of the
day
Did I really push myself
Or was I too afraid
At the end
of the day...
As the song ended, Tara realized just how much that song meant to her right now. She was a grown woman, a federal agent, and she'd just wasted time sitting in her room with a bad book when she had a wonderful, historical city to explore.
Bobby and I called a truce last night, and here I am still acting like a child, she snorted in self-disgust, heading for the door. She wasn't on vacation but she had some free time, the first in ages, and she was going to enjoy it, even if it killed her, instead of sitting here having a pity party.
She found Bobby sitting on the recliner in the living room, his nose buried in a book. Without giving herself time to think about it, Tara walked up to him, reach out, plucked the book from his hands, and closed it without bothering to save his place. Later, she would wonder at her actions but for now, it seemed the right thing to do. In reality, she knew she NEVER did things like this.
Bobby blinked his blue eyes as they locked with hers, "Er…?"
"Bobby Manning, look around us," Tara stated with a dramatic sweep of her hand. "We're on an all expenses paid trip to a beautiful city with TWO days off and where are we?" she paused slightly, but continued before he could answer. "We're cooped up inside a house. Why aren't we out enjoying the city?"
"Well, I…" Bobby stammered.
"I don't know about you, but I'm not ready for a rocking chair," Tara smiled shyly. "I want to have some fun, and you're going to have fun with me," she insisted.
His eyebrows rose, "I am?"
"Yes and you can thank me later," Tara grinned. "Now, come on, get up out of that chair. We're going to play," she said, taking his hand.
"But…"
"No arguments," she warned, lifting an admonishing finger. "You're going to have fun, even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming."
His firm mouth quirked into what might have been the beginnings of a smile, "That should be an interesting sight."
"Want to bet that I won't try it?" Tara dared him, her eyes dancing with laughter.
"No," Bobby stated hastily, putting his hands up in mock surrender. "I'm sure you would, shelia, but it won't be necessary," he smiled. "Where are we going?"
"The Alamo, of course!"
"Of course," Bobby shrugged. "Do you happen to know where we are going?" he asked.
"I looked at the directions last night on the Internet," Tara smiled, taking the keys from him as he drew them from his pocket. "I can get us there."
"Then let's go," Bobby chuckled. "Lead the way." He made an old-fashioned "after-you" gesture, following closely behind her as she moved towards the front door.
Jingling the keys in her hand, Tara didn't allow herself to dwell on the nagging suspicion that she had just done something very foolish. I'll worry about it…at the end of the day!
Song: At the End of the Day by Kellie Coffey