Seven

The men were sitting at Trapper's dining table, smoking cigars, drinking beer, empty pizza boxes on the floor with greasy napkins balled inside them, and telling jokes as they played poker. Trapper was examining his cards, trying to decide which cards to turn in—if any, when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it, Pop," J.T. said, He was at the side of the table closest to the living room so he put his cards down and went to the door.

J.T. opened the door, expecting maybe another doctor who had come late to join the game—but it was a woman. She looked expectantly at him.

"You must be J.T. I've seen your picture."

"Uh, yeah—I'm J.T.. I guess you're here to see my dad."

"If he's not busy."

"Um…we're just playing poker. Come in."

Ann walked in and wrinkled her nose at the smell of cigars. "I'm Ann." She offered her hand to J.T. and he shook it and smiled.

"I'll tell him you're here." J.T. left her standing in the foyer and went back to the game. "Pop, it's a woman named Ann. She's beautiful too."

Trapper looked up at J.T. and all the other men looked at Trapper. He pushed back his chair, balanced his cigar in the ashtray next to him and then left them. Gonzo and Titus stood up to try to see while the others craned their necks.

Dr. Tom Cooper stood up. "I have to get a look at her," he said as he went to the living room. Behind him, Gonzo, Titus, Halbert and Rand lined up, jockeying for position to see the woman who had shown up at Trapper's door. Ann looked over at them and they nodded in embarrassment at being caught and then went back to the table while Trapper turned to see what had caught her attention.

"You ever met her before, J.T.?" Titus asked.

"Nope. This is the first time but Pop did seem to get up fast enough didn't he?"

"From what I saw of her," Gonzo said, picking up his hand of cards and examining them again, "I'd be up all the time." The men chuckled in appreciation.

"Hey," J.T. said, "let's peek at my Pop's cards—he shouldn't win at everything."

~ 0 ~

"What happened to Cancun?" Trapper quietly asked her. They hadn't kissed and they still stood in the foyer.

"I changed my mind and flew back. Bought my own return ticket too."

"Why did you change your mind?"

"I thought of you." She looked down; he was staring at her so intensely that she became too aware of his deep feelings and it was as if he was standing naked before her. "I was afraid that—that it would be over between us if I stayed in Cancun." She looked back up at him, at his tender eyes and knew that she had made the right decision. "Would it have been the end of us?"

Trapper pulled her to him and held her, caressing the back of her neck with one hand. "No. It wouldn't have been the end but things wouldn't have been the same. But the end? No, it could never be the end. I need you too much." He kissed her hair and then, holding her face, kissed her mouth.

She wrinkled her nose. "No offense, Trapper, but you taste and smell like beer and cigars—neither of which I like."

He laughed and kissed her again and she threw her arms around his neck. He lifted her up and hugged her to him. Then he set her back down. "Let me get rid of them and then I'll join you upstairs."

"No," she said, putting out her hand to stop him. "You enjoy your poker night and I'll go upstairs and watch some television and take a nap—I've done a lot of traveling today. All that time at the airport and on the plane has worn me out. I wouldn't be much good as tired as I am. So go ahead. I promise that I'll stay put upstairs but when you finally do come to bed, you had better make it worth my missing a weekend in Cancun."

"I promise," he said, kissing her cheek. She smiled at him and went to the stairs and he gave her quick smack on the rear. And then he called to her and Ann stopped on the stairs, turning to look at him. "Ann, I haven't ever really told you, but I do love you."

Ann smiled and then went up the stairs to Trapper's room. She was now certain that she had made the right decision but Trapper was still unsure if his declaration of love hadn't put him in a weak position. He turned and saw that Connor was approaching.

"Was that an honest declaration of feelings I think I heard?" Dr. Connor asked.

"Eavesdropping?"

"Not really, I just had to see what she looks like. Quite an attractive woman. But I have to congratulate you-she came back. I couldn't hear the conversation—didn't want to but being honest and telling Ann how you feel is the first step to an honest relationship."

"Well, that's yet to be seen," Trapper said. "Let's just wait and see if I don't show up in your office next week complaining about my turning into 'Ariadne's' sex slave."

"We should all have such problems," Connor said and Trapper laughed. He knew that all relationships had issues, had problems but he considered that he was going to enjoy them. And maybe, just maybe, he would eventually get the upper hand. It would be fun trying—fun for both him and Ann. He would see to it.

~ Finis ~