Passion in James County XVIr
Martin pulled into his driveway and shut the car off. "Well," he said, "We're finally home. You want to come in for a cup of coffee before you go home?"
"Why don't you come over to my house for coffee?" Ann asked. "After all you've done for me the last couple of days, the least I can do is make you coffee."
"OK," Martin said. He didn't care whose house they had coffee in, he just didn't want to leave Ann before he and she had a chance to talk. "I accept your invitation. But I have to make a call first. Do you mind?"
"No, that's all right," Ann replied.
They got out of the car and Martin got Ann's suitcase out of the trunk. She took it and started across the lawn to her house while he went into his house to make the phone call he had to make.
Ann unlocked and, feeling a little anxious, went inside her house. She put her suitcase in her bedroom, then she went to the kitchen to make coffee for them.
Martin was sitting on the sofa in the living room when Ann finished making the coffee and walked into the living room carrying two steaming cups on a tray. She saw the way Martin was looking at her and felt funny inside. It had been a long time since a man had looked at her like that. Not even Lonnie had looked at her the way Martin did. His gaze was a mixture of caring and adoration and it made her feel as if she were someone really special.
But she couldn't accept the look. "Don' t fool yourself," she cautioned herself, "He wouldn't be looking at you like that if he knew the truth about you."
Ann put the tray down on the coffee table, and sat down on the sofa, too. She was near Martin, yet not too close. She wasn't sure what to do or say at this point. How do you thank someone for risking their life to save yours?
Martin picked up one of the cups and sipped it. "This is flavored coffee, isn't it?" he asked.
"Yes, it's French Vanilla," Ann replied. "Do you...do you like it? It...it was all I had." She sipped some of her coffee.
Martin nodded and said, "It's...it's very good." He sipped a little more.
"I-I can't believe all this...is...is finally over," Ann said.
"Well, it is, and I'm damn glad of it," Martin said.
"I-I don't know how...to...to thank you, Martin...," Ann said. "I..."
"Ann, you don't need to thank me," he replied. "You needed help and it was help I could provide, that's all."
"Martin, can I ask you something personal?" Ann said.
Her neighbor looked at her and nodded, "I suppose," he said, "provided I don't have to answer if I think it's too personal."
"Why...why didn't you...you get remarried after your wife died?" she asked.
Martin shrugged. "I guess I never found anyone I wanted to marry," he said. "It sure wasn't the kids. They've been bugging me to get remarried for years." He paused, took a deep breath, and said, "Now that you've had your personal question answered, can I ask you one?"
Ann looked a little frightened, but she nodded.
"Ann, why didn't you remarry?" he asked.
Ann felt faint, as if someone had hit her on the head with a hammer. He knew! How did he know? Had Melissa told him? What was she going to do? "I...ah...Martin...I..." she stammered.
"Ann, Melissa told me everything you told her the other night," Martin said. "I know she promised you she wouldn't, but she thought it was important that I know, because she figured out something I didn't even know."
"What...what did she figure...out?" Ann asked. She was still stunned that he knew those things about her.
"Melissa figured out that I was falling in love with you," he said, "Actually, I probably already have."
Ann shook her head. "Oh, God, Martin! N...no...no...you...you can't do that," she murmured. "You..."
"Ann, you aren't responsible for the death of your husband and son," Martin said. "Don't you think it's time you stop punishing yourself for something you had no control over?"
"How...how could I not be responsible? I-I was driving the...the car..." Ann stammered. "I-I caused the wreck. If I...if..."
"Melissa had Bill check," Martin said. "The State Patrol officer who investigated the crash believed it was caused because you were blinded by the sun and because of poor road design."
Ann shook her head. "N...no...I...I was going to fast," she said, "I-I must have...have been, otherwise...the police they...they don't know what happened..."
"Did you know the Patrol had one of their accident reconstruction teams re-create the crash?" Martin asked.
Ann hugged herself, looked down at the floor, and shook her head. "I-I didn't...I didn't know that," she murmured. "Why did...did they...do that?"
"Mainly because the trooper who investigated the crash in the first place requested it," Martin said. "And also because it was a double fatality. I happen to know the head of the Patrol's crash reconstruction team. He's the best crash investigator in the state, maybe in this part of the country. I just called him and asked him about your wreck. He told me they used a car just like the one you had then, and they did it at exactly the same time of day. Their findings concurred with what the trooper who did the original investigation believed. They are positive the crash was caused by a combination of poor road design - the curve was banked the wrong way - and sunlight affecting the driver's vision. Both the initial report, and the reconstruction team's report state clearly that evidence shows you were going well under the speed limit."
"But...but if I hadn't..." Ann stammered.
"But nothing, Ann," Martin said. "You've been punishing yourself and you didn't do anything wrong. It was an accident, Ann. I know it was tragic, and I know it caused you tremendous loss and pain, but it wasn't your fault."
Ann struggled with what Martin had told her. Was it possible it could be true? Why would he have told her all those things if they weren't true?
