Page 43 of More than a Memory

“I’ve worked up an appetite. Let’s bring the dogs in and get something to munch on,” Darcy said, jumping out of bed.

“How did you know?” he marveled.

“We’re connected, what can I say?” she said, dimpling as she pulled on an oversized tee shirt.

A few minutes later, Sam sat in his briefs at the kitchen island while Darcy pulled out a leftover pizza, with extra cheese and pepperoni, from the fridge, and stuck it in the microwave.

“See,” she said, “I told you leftover pizza was my favorite.”

“Sounds real good right about now.”

As Darcy reached overhead to grab some hot red pepper flakes that were just out of reach, her shirt rode up, exposing her bare bottom, much to Sam’s delight. Sam let out a low whistle, admiring her gorgeous rounded buttocks leading down to very shapely thighs.

Getting up to help, he reached from behind her, pulling down the small jar. Brushing her hair aside, he kissed her exposed neck while stealthily slipping his hand between her legs, fingering her from behind. Her knees slightly buckled, and she moaned as her inner heat rose yet again. She braced her hands on the counter and spread her legs wider, wanting more. Sam wasted no time accepting her invitation and continued his exploration from the rear while the other hand reached around the front to fondle her.

The pizza timer went off, startling them, and they both broke into laughter.

* * *

“Sam, you’re an amazing lover. It’s as if you know my exact wants and needs. Too bad I’m so hungry,” Darcy said teasingly.

“Leftover pizza wins,” he said, tweaking the tip of her nose before planting a kiss there. “Come on, you can feed me. It’s good to know I’m ranked somewhere below an extra pepperoni and cheese pizza.” He playfully snapped her with the dish towel he had just dried his hands on.

They sat at the kitchen island together, her knees between his, her feet on the bottom rung of his stool. They both felt the need to be touching each other. They had an audience of three begging canines watching their every move. Three pair of eyes studied the biomechanics of eating a pizza like they were going to be tested on it. Darcy threw each a piece of crust, which they caught easily.

“So, did you always want to be a vet?” Darcy inquired with her mouth full of pizza.

“Yes, that or a rodeo star. But since I’m living in the heartland, those opportunities weren’t as readily available,” he joked.

“What about you? How did you become interested in law and order?”

“It’s not a pretty picture really.”

“I’m interested, Darcy,” Sam said, gently rubbing his thumb across her lip as he took another big bite of pizza. “Life is often not pretty,” he said with his mouth full, causing Darcy to laugh at his garbled delivery of this philosophical advice.

“You’re such a guy,” Darcy said.

“What’d I do?” he asked.

“Never mind, you’re adorable. That’s all I have to say on the subject.”

“Back to your story then,” Sam said, urging Darcy to continue.

“Well, my parents were always getting into raging fights, and more than a couple of times the police arrived to break them up. One of those times, the cop happened to be a a woman, and she showed such compassion to me and my sisters that it really stayed with me. She was beautiful and kind and she looked at us with such sadness in her eyes. She even gave me her personal phone number and invited me to call her anytime. She took us aside and squatted down to our level and talked to us like we mattered. She really saw us, you know?”

Sam nodded encouragingly.

“I was about eleven years old at the time and already mothering my three younger siblings, so it felt as if she had thrown me a life raft. One night, my parents were really going at it, and I picked up the phone and dialed the number she had given me. She answered and talked to me until I was able to calm down, during which time the fighting stopped, and suddenly it had become eerily quiet. She kept talking to me long after the fight had ended, getting me to open up about my life, the things I enjoyed doing, stuff like that, you know?”

Sam looked at Darcy with such compassion that she had to look away. It felt like he was peering into her soul, and it left her feeling vulnerable.

“Well, that’s the short version of why I became a cop,” she said flippantly, feeling embarrassed about her reveal.

“I want the long version,” Sam said, studying her intently.

“She ended up becoming my ‘Big Sister,’ where she was a volunteer. I’m sure you’ve heard of that youth mentoring organization. It absolutely changed my life. I was lucky to have Betsy as a ‘Big Sister’ and later as my friend.” Darcy smiled at the memory. “It always amazes me how just one random thing can change the trajectory of one’s life.”

“Where is Betsy now?” Sam asked.