You've Got Mail Passions Style

The morning at the Harmony Bowling Alley flew by quickly. Sheridan decided to keep score and help the younger children with their game rather than playing herself. For some reason the cut on her neck was bothering her this morning and she was afraid it would open up again if she put too much strain on it. She didn't dare tell Luis, Buzzy or Jay because she knew they'd make a fuss. Truthfully, she was fine except she'd promised Dr. Russell to take it easy for a few days and she thought it best to comply.

Tammy stuck to Sheridan like glue. Sheridan had a marvelous time walking up to the lane each time with her tiny friend explaining to her exactly what to do. Tammy had been laughing and giggling all morning which warmed Sheridan's heart. She still hadn't spoken, but Sheridan had a feeling it would just be a matter of time. Though she tried not to show any partiality among the children, it was hard not to give Tammy extra attention. The little girl absolutely adored her, not to mention the fact that Friday would be her last day at the Youth Center for the summer. Tammy's father and grandfather were taking her on a vacation Saturday morning, so Sheridan wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.

Luis couldn't keep his eyes off Sheridan all morning. Jay caught him gazing at her in an amorous fashion and called him on it, but Luis just dismissed it like she was crazy. It wasn't but a few minutes later when Luis was right back at it. Every time Sheridan walked Tammy or one of the other children up to the lane for their turn, Luis became completely memorized. Luis couldn't keep the smile from his face when he saw Sheridan literally glow after Tammy bowled a strike. He felt his heart pound out of his chest and found himself wishing he was the one Sheridan was hugging rather than Tammy. When he thought about what was going through his mind he frowned and admonished himself for being completely ridiculous. Still, try as he might, he seemed to be drawn to her in a way he couldn't explain.

Lunch was at the Book Café immediately following the morning of bowling. The kids were all wound up and hopefully a quiet lunch would help calm the restless natives.

Pilar, Grace and Eve had arrived to supervise the children for the lunch hour, this giving the others a little peace while they shifted gears from a rowdy morning of bowling to a more subdued afternoon at KC's Kiln.

Chad had been waiting for them when they arrived from their morning bowl and lunch was already at tables waiting for the children, who eagerly sat down and began to eat. Sheridan, Luis, Buzzy and Jay found a table at the other end of the Book Café to enjoy their lunch away from the constant chatter of young voices.

“We didn't Sheridan” Buzzy smiled. “I just recruited Jay already for my team. I needed a jump start and Jay is my best chance of saving face after the way Luis' team killed mine last year.”

Chad placed the mugs on the table and gave Luis a quick grin when he placed his special mug in front of him. “Enjoy. I'll be back in a few minutes to take your order.”

Luis poured milk in his coffee but couldn't locate the sugar. He was sure it had to be there somewhere, but for the life of him couldn't find it. “Ok, who's hogging the sugar?” He said in a joking fashion. Sure enough, there was no sugar on the table.

Sheridan stood up and walked over to the empty table and grabbed the sugar bowl. She returned to their table and held the sugar bowl out for Luis to take. “Here you go” she said. Just as Luis was about to take the sugar from her, Sheridan got a sharp pain in her neck, where her bandage was and she suddenly cried out in pain dropping the sugar, and grabbing her neck, the source of her pain. The sugar bowl fell directly onto Luis' prized coffee cup and landed with a crash. Luis jumped up as steaming hot coffee rolled off the table into his lap. He too yelled out as hot coffee splattered on his jeans, but luckily his reflexes were fast enough to avoid being seriously burned.

Sheridan gasped when she saw the disaster she'd caused. Luis' cup was laying there in a dozen pieces. Still holding her neck for support, Sheridan apologized. “Oh my God, Luis, I am so sorry!” She said sincerely. “I broke your cup! I didn't mean for this to happen. I don't know what got into me. I'm such a klutz today!”

Luis barely saw the broken cup on the table. He saw Sheridan holding her neck and grimacing in pain. “Never mind the mug. Sheridan, what I'm concerned about is you. Are you all right?” He asked with worry. He immediately guided Sheridan to her seat and placed his hand gently over hers, removing it to inspect the bandage.

Luis gingerly removed the bandage from Sheridan's neck and saw that the knife wound had reopened. The area around it was quite red and a little swollen. “Sheridan, I think this wound might be infected” Luis said in a calm manner. He held one arm on her shoulder and gently caressed it trying to sooth her. “Jay, could you go ask Dr. Russell to come over here for a minute? Buzzy, would you see if Chad has any antiseptic here? Maybe a first aid kit?” He directed his friends in as calm a fashion as he could. His heart was racing a mile a minute, looking at her infected wound, but he didn't want to alarm Sheridan or the others any more than he already had.

Buzzy and Jay were off in a flash while Luis stayed with Sheridan. He was crouched down in front of her and his heart went out to her when he saw the overwhelming look of fear on her face.

“Sheridan? Sheridan, look at me” Luis said in a soft tone as he gently placed two fingers under her chin and lifted it up so she would look him in the eyes. His gaze held hers and he smiled. Her normally bright, sparkling blue eyes were now dull and filled with fear. She was fighting back tears “You just have a little infection. Eve will take a look at it and probably write you a prescription for an antibiotic. You're going to be just fine.”

Sheridan stared into Luis extraordinarily expressive brown eyes and nodded. She felt herself relax, Luis' kind, caring gaze and considerate gestures now giving her a sense of safety and security. Somehow she knew he was right, everything would be ok.

“Of course Dr. Russell” Luis said as he stood up and backed away slightly. He continued to give Sheridan an encouraging smile, which she was grateful for. She smiled back at him for a moment and then turned her attention to Eve while she examined her wound.

“Luis is right, Sheridan. This is definitely infected” Eve said as she examined Sheridan's neck. “Jay? Could you be a dear and go out to my car and get my medical bag? It should be on the floor in the front.”

“Sure thing Dr. Russell” Jay said and left immediately to retrieve Eve's bag. As Jay was leaving, Chad and Buzzy returned, Chad was carrying a first aid kit.

Eve sorted through the kit and found some alcohol and gauze and put it to one side. She grabbed her purse and searching through it for a moment found what she was looking for. She looked up at Luis and Buzzy. “I need one of you to go to the drug store and fill two prescriptions for me. I want to give Sheridan an injection of an antibiotic to get her a good start and then another prescription for pills to follow.”

Eve nodded and quickly filled out the prescriptions and handed them to Buzzy who sprinted out of the Book Café. Eve started to settle down to clean Sheridan's wound when her beeper went off. She glanced at it and frowned. “It's the hospital” she said. “I have to take this.”

Luis gently dabbed the gauze with alcohol and approached Sheridan. “I'll be as gentle as possible Sheridan” Luis told her. He tried to smile but he knew from personal experience how much alcohol hurt when used to clean cuts.

Luis gingerly placed the alcohol soaked gauze on Sheridan's neck and her initial reaction was to flinch. Luis pulled back his hand immediately fearing he'd hurt her.

Luis nodded and hesitantly started again. Slowly he cleansed the wound in outward circles. Sheridan closed her eyes and held back the grimace that threatened. The alcohol stung, but she didn't want to let on how much it truly did hurt.

Luis could sense that Sheridan was being as brave as she could be. It killed him to inflict more pain on her, but he knew he had to get rid of any germs that might be lingering there before it was rebandaged. He worked as quickly as he could and still remain thorough and was relieved when he finished. As he was pulling the gauze off her neck, he caught her flinching again and saw the facial grimace she'd been trying to fight.

Sheridan felt Luis' warm breath tickle her neck and felt tiny shock waves flow through her. Her eyes flew open and her grimace turned to a slow burning smile. “What are you doing?” She asked giggled softly.

“I was just blowing on it trying to stop the pain. Mama used to do it to me whenever she had to clean a cut or scrape I got as a kid. I remember it always seemed to help” Luis explained innocently. “If it's bothering you, I'll stop.”

“No, it's not bothering me” Sheridan chuckled. “I was just surprised that's all. And Pilar was right. Once you started blowing on it, the last thing I was thinking about was the pain.”

Jay stepped into the Book Café with Eve's medical bag and saw Luis and Sheridan alone. Judging by the looks on their faces, she gathered they were “involved” in something and she wasn't going to be the one to interrupt. She stepped out as quickly as she'd stepped in.

“You know Luis, I can't remember the last time anyone was this kind to me” she said with a combination of surprise and gratitude. “My family never once asked how I was after the mugging. The only mention I even heard from them was a note slipped under my cottage door from my brother. He told me I need to do a better job keeping a low profile, that Father wouldn't be pleased by my attracting media attention.” She laughed cynically as the full impact hit her of what cold men her father and brother truly were.

“I'm sorry Sheridan” Luis told her. He placed his hand on her shoulder as if giving her a show of support. “I know I said I wouldn't bring up your family but I just need to say this. I think I was wrong about you. I was wrong when I treated you the way I did because of your last name.”

“I was wrong to judge you solely based on your last name. Mama, Jay and everyone tried to tell me you were different from the rest of your family, but I was too stubborn to listen. I can see you are nothing like the rest of the Cranes.”

“Yeah, I do” Luis smiled back, his hand still on her shoulder. “No one deserves to be treated the way your family apparently treats people, including their own. You need to know that there are people who do care, Sheridan.”

No sooner said, Jay came jogging back into the Book Café with Eve's medical bag. She handed it to her and Eve quickly pulled out what she needed and expertly bandaged Sheridan's neck. Buzzy returned a short while later and Eve gave Sheridan a shot of Rocephin, a potent antibiotic and then handed her the prescription bottle.

“Starting tomorrow morning, I want you to take one pill every six hours for 10 days, Sheridan” Eve explained. “And if this cut doesn't seem to be getting any better or if it gets worse, call me immediately.”

“Sheridan should be able to go to any of the activities you've set up with the Youth Center. Just make sure she takes it easy. All of you” Eve said as she looked at each Luis, Jay and Buzzy. “And Luis, since you did such a good job cleaning Sheridan's neck earlier, as well as identifying there was indeed an infection, I want you to keep an eye on it for her. This is a serious infection and I want someone besides Sheridan watching it.”

“Sheridan, I could have you put in the hospital for this” Eve warned. “I think we got to it in time to avoid that, but it needs to be carefully monitored. If you'd rather, you can stop by my office each day...”

Eve pulled out a pile of bandages from her bag. “Clean the area and redress it twice a day. From what I understand, you two will be spending all day together with the Youth Center activities, so it can be done when Sheridan comes in the morning and before she goes home at night.”

“I know you will Luis” Eve said. “You've got a good head on your shoulders and a kind heart.” Eve smiled and returned to her duties with Pilar and Grace.

Lunch was finished and everyone would be leaving shortly for the walk to KC's Kiln. Luis excused himself, citing he wanted to check his email quickly before leaving. Sheridan kept the grin off her face, but kept her eye on Luis, curious if he was intent on reading or writing an email. She smiled when she found him pounding quickly on the keyboard and wondered if he was sending KC a note. She desperately wanted to find a way to check her mail before she left to see if he was emailing her and what he wrote. She glanced around and when she was pretty sure Luis was just about finished, decided she'd do exactly what Luis did.

Sheridan thanked her and found an empty table with a computer at it and logged on to check her mail. She kept an eye on Luis, who had finished with his computer and now was talking with Chad. When her mailbox popped up she smiled as she saw that she did have mail from Pezz. “So Luis did send me an email” she whispered as she opened it.

I just finished lunch at the Book Café and couldn't resist sending you a note. I'm sure you're not around to get it, but being able to write to you somehow makes me feel closer to you. :)

I don't have a lot of time right now. We're taking the restless natives to a ceramics shop right now. Hey, you never did tell me if you've ever done ceramics before? I'm about to find out how inartistic I am. LOL. I think I'll make something special for you and give it to you when we finally meet. Just don't laugh if it turns out badly.

Sheridan grinned and couldn't resist sending a response. She typed as quickly as she could. She knew Jay and the others were waiting for her. Just as she clicked send, she heard a voice behind her.

Sheridan, Luis, Jay and Buzzy escorted the children as they toured the store on Fifth Street, KC's Kiln. Luis had to hold back his amusement when he met the owner of the shop, Ellie Hobson. Ellie was a very pleasant heavy set lady in her early sixties with salt and pepper hair and brown eyes. Jay and Sheridan both saw the look of relief spread across Luis' face when he was introduced to Ellie, but neither one of them said anything to him. Ellie showed the group the entire process of making a piece from the beginning, but told them that today, they would only be decorating an already prepared piece of their choosing and then it would be fired after they finished their art work.

The kids were excited as they each chose a piece to decorate. There were many different articles to choose from. Some of the kids chose to make picture frames, some chose little animals like bunny rabbits and birds, but the most popular item was a lighthouse, which Ellie seemed to have an endless supply of. She laughed when asked about it and told the group that she missed more than anything the sound of the fog horn at night. It had always lulled her to sleep as a little girl and it took her years to find as good a night sleep without it.

Tammy spotted something that wasn't on the table that she wanted and looked over at Sheridan. She then excitedly grabbed Luis' arm and pulled him towards the shelf that the item was on. She pointed at Sheridan, then at the object on the shelf, until Luis got the idea that Tammy wanted to make one of them for Sheridan.

“That's a great idea Tammy” Luis grinned. He winked at her and Tammy winked back, a precious smile on her face. “It'll be our secret until you're ready to give it to Sheridan, how does that sound?” Luis whispered to the little girl. Tammy nodded excitedly. Luis pointed to an object on the shelf right next to the one Tammy wanted. “And I am going to make that one for a very special friend of mine” he told her. Tammy put her finger to her lips, signaling that she as well would keep Luis' secret.

Jay laughed. “If I were a betting woman, I'd say that Tammy wants to make something special for someone she likes and doesn't want her to find out about it.”

The next few hours were spent with everyone diligently painting their pieces. The adults mingled with the children, helping them where they could and then would return to their own projects working on them as well. Sheridan stayed as far away from Tammy as she could get, who was working closely with Luis. The two of them seemed to be having a great time together, comparing notes on their projects often.

Buzzy appeared to be the least creative of the bunch. Jay watched him in amusement as he became very frustrated with his piece and finally Ellie came over and gave him a helping hand.

“So Sheridan” Jay asked as the two women worked on their projects across the table from each other. “What did I miss earlier? Back at the Book Café? When I came back from retrieving Eve's bag, I saw some heavy duty looks exchanged between you and Luis.”

Jay looked at Sheridan in surprise. "Sheridan, I know what I saw and those looks were not nothing. Come on now, tell me the truth. You know I'm not going to stop bugging you until you do."

“He told me he was wrong about me, that I am nothing like the rest of my family. He said he was too stubborn to listen to you and Pilar when you were telling him that and he hopes we can be friends.”

“I said I would like that very much and that I was wrong about him too.” Sheridan's cheeks seemed to get redder by the minute and her smile was nothing short of brilliant.

Sheridan giggled slightly. She wasn't sure she should even bring this up, but it was the cause of her giddy mood. “Well, there was something, but it'll probably seem silly to you.”

“Jay, he was so gentle and caring when he cleaned it. I can't begin to describe the overwhelming feeling of warmth and security I felt with him being so attentive towards me. As much as the alcohol burned while he was cleaning my neck, he was tender and sweet. He didn't want to hurt me and then when he blew on my neck to make the pain go away, I thought I'd about go insane.” Sheridan felt embarrassed by revealing this to Jay. “See, I told you it was silly.”

“I hope so” Sheridan agreed. “I'll tell you one thing though. I don't know how much I'm going to be able to take of Dr. Luis cleaning and blowing on my wound. Once was bad enough, but twice a day will be the end of me!”

Jay howled with laughter and Sheridan began to laugh too. “Enjoy it Sheridan” Jay kidded. “I bet you'll think of a way to pay Luis back. And when it happens, that's one fireworks display I won't want to miss!”

The afternoon went by quickly. Before anyone knew it, the ceramic knick-knacks were out of the oven just waiting for the kids to bring them home to their parents as gifts. Ellie was nice enough to give each child and adult alike a box for their prize.

With proud creation in hand, each youngster thanked Ellie with a hug or a handshake and the four adults couldn't give her enough praise. The afternoon had been a great success and all agreed they would recommend KC's Kiln to everyone they knew.

The walk back to the Book Café didn't take long at all. Many of the parents were there waiting and the younger kids couldn't contain their excitement as they handed their gifts to them. Sheridan smiled as the expressions of surprise and pride came across each parent's face as they opened the gift from their child.

“Of course they are Sheridan” Jay answered with a quick grin. “Don't you remember giving something you made to one of your parents as a kid and having them go crazy over it? I remember when I was in Girl Scouts, we made these drawings that our leaders had turned into dinner plates. The plates were plastic and didn't last very long, but my mother was so proud of the plate I made for her.”

Luis grinned. “Yeah, I made her a bird cage out of Popsicle sticks one time. It was lopsided and crooked, but she thought it was the best thing she'd ever received. We didn't have a bird, so she did the next best thing. She bought a few accessories for it and a small stuffed bird and made a decoration out of it. I think she still has it.”

Sheridan tried to picture a young Luis proudly giving Pilar her birdcage and the mental image was precious. She hoped one day to have a child of her own present her with such a gift. She tried once to give her father something she'd made and it was a very traumatic experience.

Tammy came bouncing over to Sheridan with her father holding her hand. She donned a contagious smile as she pulled her father closer. She tugged on Sheridan's skirt to get her attention.

“Thank you sweetheart” Sheridan grinned. She took the box from Robert and slowly opened it to reveal the contents. A look of pure delight shone on Sheridan's face. “You made this for me?”

“Tammy, this is the most beautiful angel I have ever seen!” Sheridan remarked, a tear forming in her eye. “I will treasure it always. Thank you so much!”

Sheridan pulled back in shock. Robert stood there with his mouth opened and Luis and Jay were completely taken by surprise as well. “I love you too Tammy” Sheridan said, her eyes now filled with tears. “Very much.” Sheridan hugged Tammy again and then pulled back, pride in her eyes. She looked up at Robert Kralik who was wiping tears from his own eyes.

Robert laughed, his voice filled with emotion. “Whatever you say honey.” Robert picked up Tammy and mouthed the words “Thank you” to Sheridan as he carried his precious daughter out of the Book Café. “We're going to celebrate tonight Tammy” Robert could be heard saying as they were leaving. “We're going out to dinner and you get to choose the restaurant.”

“Sheridan, I have to tell you, I am impressed!” Luis said quietly as he approached her. “You really got through to her. I've never seen anyone as good with the children as you are. You really are fantastic, you know that?”

“Thanks Luis” Sheridan said, tears of joy still falling down her cheeks. Sheridan wasn't sure why she was so emotional, except maybe she felt like she'd done something for Tammy that no one could do for her after her own mother died.

“Hey” Luis said softly taking her chin in his hand, “You have every right to get emotional. What you did for Tammy and her family was amazing. Do you have any idea how many doctors they took her to in the months after her mother died?”

“I can imagine” Sheridan said bitterly as she recalled her own experiences with different doctors. She'd never stopped speaking, but the emotional impact from her mother's death still was with her today.

“Come on Sheridan” Luis soothed wrapping his strong arm around her waist. “You've had a lot of excitement for one day. Eve wants you to take it easy and I'm here to make sure you follow doctor's orders.”

Sheridan held out the box she'd been holding onto and placed it on the table in front of Luis. “I know it won't replace the one I broke this morning, but I hope it will at least take the curse off it.”

“Sheridan, you didn't have to do that” Luis said sincerely. “It was just a mug. The incoming cadets all get together and buy the graduating class coffee mugs. It's kind of a joke. You know how some people think all cops do is sit around all day and drink coffee?”

Luis opened the box and a grin instantly formed on his face. It was a coffee mug and on one side was Luis' name with the superman logo and on the other side was written Top Cop and Top Doc. There were small pictures of a policeman and a doctor underneath.

“Sheridan, this is really nice” Luis commented with a large smile. He examined the mug carefully and saw that she'd signed the bottom with her initials SKC.

Jay returned with the cold drinks. “I see Sheridan gave you the mug” Jay laughed as she placed the drinks on the table. “I think I'm going to start calling you Doctor Luis.”

Sheridan smiled. She really was pleased that Luis had gotten her the ticket but wasn't sure if she should go. “Luis that really was very sweet of you to get the tickets, but I'm not sure I should go. If my memory serves me correctly, those concerts get pretty rowdy.”

“You know, you're right” Luis agreed, the excitement leaving his voice. “I doubt Dr. Russell knew we had Springsteen tickets when she gave Sheridan the go ahead to take part in the Youth Center activities.”

“No, Jay you go!” Sheridan insisted. “I'll be fine by myself. In fact I'm used to being alone. All of the company I've had since I moved back to Harmony is what's new to me. I'll chat with some of my friends on the computer.”

Sheridan waved good-bye to Luis and Jay and headed back to her cottage. She planned on spending a quiet evening chatting on the computer with her cyber pals. Jay and Luis on the other hand, were headed to The Summer Carnival to hear the Boss. They both looked forward to a fun filled evening.

The cheering crowd died to a dull roar shortly after the warm up band finished its last number. Marty and Cal ran to the concession stand leaving Luis and Jay alone.

“Luis, I've been meaning to tell you that I really am proud of you for admitting you were wrong for treating Sheridan the way you did. I know how hard it is for you to admit when you're wrong. You did the right thing when you sincerely apologized to Sheridan for the way you behaved towards her and I think you made Sheridan feel a whole lot better too."

“Thanks” Luis said with a small smile. He knew better than anyone how difficult it was for him. “You're right, it wasn't easy for me, but I couldn't have lived with myself if I hadn't apologized to her. I've never been that cruel to any woman in my life and Sheridan didn't do anything to deserve my inexcusable rudeness.” Luis sighed with relief. His expression seemed to lighten a little. “I'm just glad Sheridan found it into her heart to forgive me. I might have missed out on getting to know a really nice lady.”

"Sheridan is worth making the effort to get to know" Jay replied. "I honestly wasn't sure you were going to be able to keep your promise not to mention Sheridan's family to her. I knew you meant it when you told her you wouldn't judge her based on her last name, but truthfully, I wasn't sure you could pull it off."

"Well, there have been a few times when I had to stop myself before I said something, but all in all I have to say, it's easier than I thought it would be" Luis admitted. "You know something Jay, you and Mama were right. Sheridan is nothing like the rest of her family. Not only is she beautiful, but she's thoughtful, kind, considerate and I've never met anyone who is better with kids. Jay, she is truly amazing. Look what she's done with Tammy?" Luis' whole face seemed to light up when he talked about Sheridan. It was unreal how someone who couldn't say two civil words to her a few days ago, was now singing her praises so highly.

Jay laughed. “I never thought I'd see the day Luis. You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say that you and Sheridan might actually be starting to become friends.”

“Changing the subject a little” Jay said, her expression becoming serious. “How are you dealing with this whole shooting mess? I'm sure it's gotta be tough.”

Luis shrugged his shoulders. “I'm trying not to think about it Jay. I know I did the right thing. IA will find that out as well. I just wish they didn't have to take so long doing it.”

“I know how impatient you can get Luis, but just try to relax” Jay offered. “We all know you were justified in what you did. Just think of it as a paid vacation. A vacation that you get to spend with ME!” Jay said with a devilish grin.

“I was just remembering the look on your face when you met Ellie this afternoon” Jay said cracking up. “It was priceless the way your mouth dropped to the floor when you saw that sweet little old lady announce she was KC's wife. I know you were still half expecting a young blonde to introduce herself.”

Luis' cheeks turned red. Even though he was almost positive that his KC wasn't the ceramics store's Ellie, he wasn't prepared for an older woman to be the owner. It was truly a shock to him.

Sheridan fixed herself a light dinner before her scheduled chat with her friends. At least she hoped she'd be able to chat with them. She'd sent out an email to them with the time she'd be available, but hadn't heard back yet.

As Sheridan dried her dinner dishes, her mind drifted back to that afternoon when she gave Luis the coffee mug she'd made him. She'd been so unsure about her decision to get to know Luis, but the more time she spent with him, the more she was sure she was doing the right thing. The way he looked at her when he received her simple gift was enough to make her heart melt. The look of surprise and genuine pleasure on his face said it all to her. Lately, every time their eyes met, she felt her stomach do flip flops and wondered if Luis felt anything at all?

She wished that he felt something, even a little something towards her, but it was so hard to tell. As she closed the cupboard and put her dishcloth away, Sheridan let out a soft groan and slowly walked into her living room and sat down at her computer.

Sheridan clicked on her email and was delighted when she saw she had a note from her friend Marianna. It had been so long since she'd talked to her and Sheridan missed their talks a great deal.

I hope this email finds you well. I just returned from Paris this evening and I thought about you while I was there. I hope you are doing well in your new home in America.

I can not get that conversation out of my mind, querida, the one about your internet lover. For some reason I have been having the strangest sensations about him lately. I keep sensing that he is closer than you know. I do not mean to frighten you, it is not a bad feeling. Please, when you get a chance, please write and tell me how things are going with him, if only to satisfy this woman's crazy notions.

My husband and I will be visiting your country soon, that is the reason for my recent trip to Paris. (Some new clothes of course!) Sheridan, I have finally located my brother's daughters! I lost contact with them after he died, but followed a lead and discovered they are now scattered on two continents. I spoke with his eldest, Maria and we had a nice talk. She told me her sister lives in New England and she was planning a visit there next week. Maria told me if I could come to the States, they'd both love to see me again. They have grown families and I can't wait to meet all my grand nieces and nephews!

If you have time, I'd love to meet you while I am visiting the United States. Maria suggested I fly into Logan airport in Boston and she would meet me there. I still haven't confirmed my flight, but I should be in your country within the next few weeks. It's been years since I've been to the States.

I am very tired querida, so I am off to bed. I look forward to hearing from you soon and meeting with you during my visit. I also hope to hear that you and your young man will be visiting us for Christmas.

Sheridan sent a quick note to Marianna and planned on calling her tomorrow. So much had happened since Sheridan had gone to Spain after she discovered her fiancé, Jean Luc was already married to another woman. She was also intrigued by Marianna's feeling that her internet “lover” was closer than she knew.

Sheridan still didn't have any mail from her cyber pals, so she got up from her computer and walked over to the couch and sat down. “If only” she said to herself as her mind wandered back to Luis. Goosebumps appeared on her arms as she recalled vividly Luis cleaning her wound earlier in the day and then blowing on it. She closed her eyes and leaned back into the soft cushions as she reveled in the memory. “If only...” she said again.

Sheridan picked up the remote control that was sitting on her coffee table and decided to catch some of the Springsteen concert. She flipped through the channels until she found it. She laughed silently to herself as she remembered Jay and her grandmother wanting to go to bed early last night because Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune had been preempted. She imagined she was probably just as upset tonight.

Sheridan turned the volume up as she heard “Born to Run” being played. She found herself singing along with him and tapping her feet. She really wanted to go to this concert, especially since Luis was going to be there, but knew it probably wasn't a good idea. When the camera scanned the crowd and she saw how rowdy everyone was, she knew she'd made the right decision no matter how disappointed she was.

The Springsteen concert was in full swing. Marty and Cal had found two girls who were Boss groupies and were dancing in the aisles with them. At first, Luis was laughing at them for their public display. That was of course until Jay grabbed his arm and the two of them joined Marty and Cal. Bruce then began playing “Dancing in the Dark” and Luis let loose. He was no longer laughing at Marty and Cal but leading them in the aisles.

Sheridan almost forgot her troubles when she heard “Dancing in the Dark” begin to play. She recalled seeing Bruce with some of her sorority sisters a few years earlier and they'd gone absolutely crazy when the Boss played it. She knew every word and sang along as she watched, this time calmly from her living room. As the TV cameras scanned the crowd, Sheridan almost fell off the couch. Who did she see dancing in the aisles? Marty, Cal and Jay and ... Luis. Her shock soon wore off and she smiled at the sight of Luis. She couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if she had gone to the concert. She fantasized about being there to dance with Luis in the aisle and then laughed at herself.

“I have to stop this” she said to herself, but silently she could have kicked herself for telling Luis not to worry about her. After all, he had offered to check on her after the concert.

“You know Luis” Jay said as she and Luis walked to his car in the parking lot after the concert was over, “We can still meet Marty and Cal at Jack's. They probably aren't there yet.”

“Nope” Jay said shaking her head. “I heard her call him bro. I bet it was his sister. Besides, I don't think Tammy is the only Kralik that likes Sheridan.”

“If you say so Luis” Jay said. She looked at Luis and smiled inwardly. Luis was jealous that another man might be interested in Sheridan. This was definitely a step in the right direction.

“Coming!” Sheridan said as she scrambled from her couch to open the front door to her cottage. As she opened the door she was surprised to see Luis standing there with a sexy grin on his face. It was a smile that made her weak at the knees.

“Yes, you did” Sheridan laughed nervously. She invited Luis inside and noticed he carried a paper bag under his arm. “What's in the bag?” She asked as curiosity got the best of her.

“Oh this?” Luis asked holding out the bag for her to see. “Nothing really. I thought I'd change your bandage since I promised Eve I'd do it twice a day.”

Sheridan took her place on the couch and waited for “Doctor Luis” to perform his duties. She closed her eyes as he gently pulled the silky tape away from her delicate skin. It pulled a little, but Luis' magical touch kept her from feeling any real pain.

She did feel the stinging when he cleansed the area off with alcohol. She closed her eyes and grimaced at the needle like sensation that she was currently feeling.

Sheridan nodded and braced herself for another breath to relieve her discomfort. This time, instead of a warm breath on her neck, she felt Luis' hot breath blowing very slowly in her ear. She heard herself gasp out loud as the sensation of Luis's breath sent her entire nervous system into overdrive. Her heart began to race and her breathing quickened considerably. Instead of just blowing once he did it several times, which further intensified her reaction. Just when she didn't think she could take it anymore, he stopped.

“So Sheridan” Luis said in a gravelly voice, “do you feel better now?” Sheridan turned to face him and saw a look of wanting in his eyes that caused her heart to catch in her throat. She found she couldn't speak, so she just nodded.

Luis smiled, that killer smile, never breaking eye contact. “Good” he replied, his voice thick with desire, the back of his hand now slowly caressing her face. He leaned back in and whispered in her ear, “Sheridan I want to make love to you.”

“What?” Sheridan asked in surprise but her words almost stuck in her throat when Luis allowed his lips to graze her ear. When he reached her earlobe he very gently sucked on it, Sheridan thought she was about to go insane as every nerve ending in her body was at peak sensation.

In a moment of brief confusion, Sheridan patted herself and realized it had just been a dream. A very vivid dream. Shaking herself off, she got up from the couch and opened the door. Her mouth almost dropped to the floor when she saw who was standing there...Luis.

“Sheridan, what is wrong?” He asked, his worry mounting by the minute. “It seemed like I was knocking forever before you answered the door and now I find you covered in sweat. Are you ok?”

Finally regaining her composure Sheridan answered him. “Luis I'm fine, really. I fell asleep after the concert was over and I must have been dreaming when you knocked on the door. I'm fine now.”

“It's nothing much” Luis said shyly. He watched as Sheridan opened the bag and pulled out a small box. “I just thought that maybe you should have one of your own at the Book Cafe.”

Sheridan's face beamed when she opened the box and pulled out a coffee mug with “The Boss” on it. There was a picture of Springsteen on it and it said, “My friends saw “The Boss” in concert and all I got was this lousy mug!”

“Thank you so much Luis!” Sheridan said, totally pleased with his gift. She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a quick hug. “This was really sweet of you to get this for me.”

Luis found himself not wanting to release Sheridan from their embrace. Her body felt so soft and warm against his own and the scent of her perfume wreaked havoc with his olfactory senses.

Sheridan turned her head in several different directions and grimaced slightly when the tape pulled her skin a little. “The tape is a little annoying, but other than that it feels pretty good.”

“Do you have any bandages?” Luis asked. “I left everything Eve gave me at the Book Café. I know, that wasn't very smart was it?” He chuckled slightly in embarrassment.

“I have all sorts of things in the bathroom” Sheridan answered. “Luis I can do it. It really is sweet of you checking on me like this, but I don't want you to have to go out of your way to...”

“Sheridan, I promised Eve I would keep tabs on this” Luis insisted. “Besides, I don't mind, really.” His tone softened and she could tell by the look in his eyes that he meant what he said.

“Can we do this in here?” Sheridan asked. Her earlier dream was still weighing heavily on her mind. Opening the door and finding Luis standing there right after she dreamed about him wanting to make love to her had really unnerved her.

Luis peeled off the bandage as gently as he could and inspected the wound. He nodded thoughtfully as Sheridan watched his every move in the mirror in front of her.

Almost immediately she felt a wave of cool air and the stinging began to lessen. When the cool breeze stopped she opened her eyes and saw Luis had fanned the area with the package the gauze came from rather than blowing on it.

Luis was intrigued by her reaction, but said nothing. He caught her gaze in the mirror and was memorized by her beautiful smile. He couldn't help but to smile back. At this moment, Luis couldn't believe he'd ever uttered a derogatory word to her. How could he have been so cruel to someone so beautiful? As he continued to hold her gaze, he began to wonder if she wasn't the most beautiful woman he'd ever met. His eyes finally broke contact with hers and he then found himself staring at the woman looking in the mirror. When he caught himself wondering what it would be like to kiss her, he managed to snap out of his trance.

'I can't think like this' he said to himself. He shook his head slightly to clear it and returned to the task at hand. He gathered up the supplies and returned them to their proper place.

Sheridan was now dealing with her disappointment as well as her relief. She was disappointed that nothing more came from their encounter and relieved for the same reason. One thing was for certain, this incredibly kind, caring, thoughtful, handsome, sexy, perfect specimen of a man was driving her absolutely crazy.

Sheridan decided she'd had enough excitement for one day after Luis left and decided to call it a night. Tomorrow was the softball game and picnic at the park and she wanted to be well rested. She knew she couldn't play, but there would still be plenty for her to do.

Grace and Pilar once again were heading up the food end of the picnic and Sheridan had been recruited to help with dessert. This would be the first year they'd have “make your own sundaes” for dessert and all the adults believed it would be a big hit with the kids.

Sheridan climbed into bed, physically exhausted, yet her mind was still reeling from everything that happened this day. Her fondest memory by far was Tammy speaking for the first time since her mother died. Just thinking about it now brought tears to her eyes. She could hear her sweet angelic voice saying “I love you Sheridan” over and over in her head. The look on Tammy's father's face was also a look she wouldn't soon forget. Her heart swelled when she thought that she might have had a small part in bringing him such happiness. That is what she'd wanted to do with her life and she now was attaining her goals. She wanted to make a difference in a child's life and in the process she was also making a difference in their parents' lives.

Sheridan smiled shyly when she brought to mind the look of utter surprise, happiness and then pride on Luis' face when he heard Tammy speak. She knew Luis realized that she'd played a big part in that. Sheridan knew how Luis felt about the Cranes all too well and had the feeling that the thought she was a Crane never even entered his mind at the moment. She hoped and prayed that this is the way Luis would continue to think. Think about her as Sheridan and forget her last name.

As she lay there thinking about Luis, she realized she hadn't heard from Pezz yet tonight. She'd replied to his email at the Book Café and that was the last she heard from him.

Suddenly she laughed out loud. “And how did you think he was going to email you Sheridan when he spent the afternoon with you at the ceramic shop and then went to the Bruce concert this evening? Not to mention that instead of going home to write KC, he stopped by to see you Sheridan and make sure you were all right.”

Hearing herself say this out loud brought a huge grin to her face. She pulled her covers back, quickly climbed out of bed and headed towards her computer. Sheridan decided that she wanted to send a quick email to Luis before she went to bed. At least as Pezz, Sheridan could be more honest with him about her feelings towards him.

Pilar laughed and shook her head. “I suppose I will have several phone calls in the morning from my friends who watched on television last night and saw my son the policeman dancing in such a fashion?”

Pilar just smiled at her son. She then glanced at the clock and saw how late it was getting. “It's time for me to go to bed” Pilar announced. “Tomorrow is the picnic and I still have much to do in the morning.”

Luis walked his mother up the stairs and kissed her good night. He closed his bedroom door behind him and quickly stripped his clothes off, now clad only in his boxers. He sat down to his computer and pulled up his email. He had two notes from KC and eagerly read the first.

It looks like I just missed you. It's sweet of you to want to make something for me at the ceramics shop. I'm sure I'll love it when I see it. I don't believe for a minute that you are inartistic. I bet it'll be fabulous.

As for me, I've done ceramics a few times in my life, but not recently. Maybe I'll try it again very soon. I hear there is a new shop that's opened in town. I might check it out :)

I hope your day goes well with your restless natives. I'll have a busy one myself with my group. I don't know if we'll get a chance to talk later today because of our schedules, so I hope you have a great time at the concert Pezz.

“I knew she wasn't KC's wife all along” Luis boasted with a slight chuckle. He smiled easily when he recalled Ellie's pleasant face and gray hair greeting them this afternoon. He clicked on the second email.

I trust you enjoyed yourself at the “Boss” concert tonight? Sadly I was unable to go to see Bruce at the Carnival. I really did want to see him, but I had a run in the other day and am not feeling up to par. It is all I can do to keep up with my day job, so to speak.

I did happen to watch it on television and as I watched I kept wondering if I would see you in the crowd. Every time I saw a tall, dark haired, dark eyed, incredibly gorgeous man in the audience, I had to do a double take wondering if it was you. I have to tell you, my attention was drawn to one pretty hot guy in particular that was dancing in the aisles. All I could think of while I was watching him was how much I really wanted to be there. I don't know what got into me! LOL

I really missed you tonight Pezz. I know we've spent quite a few evenings lately otherwise occupied, but during all that time I was pretty busy. Tonight I was alone for most of the evening and found myself thinking about you almost constantly. I even fell asleep on the couch and had a dream that you came to my door. I wonder what that dream was trying to tell me? :)

I have another hectic day lined up tomorrow Pezz. I'll be on a field trip so to speak and won't be able to even sneak onto a computer, but I should be home tomorrow night and would love to chat if you'll be home.

“So you had another dream about me?” Luis grinned. “I think I'll try to have one about you right now KC.” Luis typed a response to her and then went to bed. Tomorrow would be another hectic day.

Sheridan arrived early the next day at the Book Café with her coffee mug in hand. Chad laughed when he filled it for her. “Luis handed me his new mug last night” Chad said pointing to the mug Sheridan made for Luis sitting on the shelf. “He told me that he'd hurt anyone who dared mess with his mug” Chad laughed.

Sheridan smiled. She was pleased that Luis liked her gift and held it in such high regard. “Well, I don't think I'd want to see anything happen to this mug either, Chad” Sheridan remarked. “It really was sweet of Luis to get it for me.”

Sheridan turned around and her face lit up when she saw Tammy running towards her. Sheridan bent down and greeted the little girl with a hug. Her father smiled as he watched his daughter fly into Sheridan's arms.

“Great!” Tammy said excitedly. “Today is the softball game and I can't wait. Daddy's been teaching me how to hit the ball and I bet I get a homerun today. I hope I get to play on your team, Sheridan.”

Sheridan and Robert laughed. “I'm very happy for all of you” Sheridan remarked. “I know how I felt when I heard her speak yesterday, I can't even imagine the joy you and your father must be feeling.”

As Robert was explaining about the scholarship fund to Sheridan, Luis walked into the Book Cafe. He saw Sheridan talking to Tammy's father and quietly found himself a table.

“I'm dead serious Sheridan” Robert smiled. “I wasn't sure bringing Tammy to the Youth Center was such a great idea, but my father talked me into it. I wanted to send her away to camp this summer, a special camp that could deal with her problems. My father thought sending Tammy away might do more harm than good. She might think we were abandoning her or something like that.”

“In any event, my father was right, as usual” Robert grinned. “Bringing Tammy to the Youth Center was the best decision my father and I ever made and we want to in some small way show our gratitude.”

“Robert, this is wonderful!” Sheridan said excitedly. She gave Robert a quick hug which he instinctively returned. “Thank you so much. I can't wait to tell Luis. He's going to be as excited as I am.”

“It shouldn't take too much to set it up Sheridan” Robert explained. “As a matter of fact, I think we can get most of it taken care of today and we can tell Luis tomorrow if you like.”

Luis walked up to the counter at the Book Café. He was far enough away from Sheridan so he didn't look obvious, but close enough he should be able to hear what was going on.

“What do you say you join me for dinner tonight Sheridan?” Robert asked with a twinkle in his eye. “We can finish our discussion and tomorrow, well you know what we'll be doing tomorrow.”

Luis, who heard the invitation and acceptance while waiting for Chad to pour his coffee felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. 'Jay was right' he thought to himself. 'Robert does like Sheridan and apparently she likes him too.'

Once the teams were equally divided, Buzzy ran to the trunk of his car and pulled out a box of shirts. “OK guys! All members of Buzzy's Bruisers come get a team jersey!”

Tammy walked up to Luis and tugged on his shirt. “Sheridan was just telling us that what we look like isn't important, it's what's inside. She said that inside all of us we have a winning team so wearing team jerseys doesn't matter.”

“That's right” Reese Durkee said adamantly. “Sheridan's right. If we consider the ages of each player, experience, size and strength, I'd have to agree that this team definitely has the advantage.”

The kids ran to the field to take their positions. Tammy had a position in the outfield which she ran to as if she'd been doing it every day of her life. Sheridan couldn't help but smile as she watched the little girl take her place among the mostly older team.

Luis stayed behind while his team took the field. “Thanks for giving the team a pep talk, Sheridan” Luis said. “I was afraid they'd be disappointed that I didn't get them jerseys.”

“Well, I have to get out there” Luis said finally. He placed his hand on Sheridan's shoulder. “Thanks again for the pep talk to the team” he smiled. “And thanks for being on my team.”

Watching Buzzy's team in action was almost like watching Abbott and Costello's “Who's on First” played out. Though the team looked great with their matching red and white jerseys, which all had Buzzy's Bruisers written across the front, for the most part they had no clue how to play ball.

One might have even thought Tabitha Lennox was there casting spells on Buzzy's team. One little boy managed to hit a long fly ball that wasn't caught. It would have been a stand up double except for one thing. He ran from home to third and then to second. When the ball finally made it back into play, it was thrown to first and he was out.

Ground balls managed to make their way through legs, high flies dropped right next to outfielders, instead of being caught. It was a comedy of errors that had Buzzy, Jay and the rest of the Bruisers cringing.

On Luis' team, the kids were having a wonderful time. Even little Tammy managed to hit a “homerun” just as she predicted thanks to several fielder blunders. Tammy was proud and excited when she crossed home plate and got a high five from several of her teammates.

The most embarrassing moment for Buzzy's team was caused by Buzzy himself. In what must have been a delusional moment on his part, Buzzy decided he was Babe Ruth and called his shot. As his team cheered him on, The Mighty Buzzy struck out. That was the end of the game. Luis' team won, 22-6.

With the game over, Buzzy seemed to come back to reality. He escorted his team over to Luis' team to shake hands. With his head lowered, he held out his hand to Luis. “I did it again, didn't I?” Buzzy asked in defeat as he slowly lifted his head.

The kids were already on their way over to the picnic tables. Luis, Sheridan, Buzzy and Jay soon followed. The other three listened as Buzzy vowed never to get carried away like this again. Luis laughed, as this was the same speech he heard from Buzzy at the end of every game.

Sheridan sat underneath a shade tree eating an apple as she absentmindedly watched Tammy and a few of the younger children trying to throw a Frisbee to each other. She chuckled silently when Reese stopped by to show them some pointers from a scientific point of view. She shook her head in wonder and turned her head surveying the rest of the scene before her eyes. The area of the park they were in was a mini paradise with the laughter of children echoing through the air. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, small groups of people scattered throughout the picnic area enjoying their lunch on a beautiful sunshine filled day.

She spotted Luis walking across an open field carrying a plate of food and a smile came to her face. He was getting to her these days more than she'd expected him to. No longer did she hold any animosity towards him, just a longing that one day soon he would feel the same way towards her that Pezz felt towards KC.

Sheridan sighed deeply when she recalled the email from Pezz she'd read this morning. Thinking about Pezz's emails had always brought a smile to her face and today was no exception. As a matter of fact, his last email was so special to her that she'd printed it up and stuffed it in her pocket. The more she thought about the email, the more she wanted to read it so Sheridan pulled the folded sheet of paper out of her pocket and began to read.

I'm so sorry you had to miss the Boss, sweetie. It was a truly phenomenal concert. You thought you saw me dancing in the aisles did you? Normally I would have said that was laughable, but believe it or not sweetie, one of those wild men was me! My old partner always seems to get me to do the craziest things and tonight was no exception. My mother is wondering how she is going to explain this one to her friends when they ask her about her son the policeman making a fool of himself. I told her to remind them that I was only one of four cops there making equal fools of themselves.

Remember that woman I told you about? The one that drives me crazy that I am learning to become friends with? Well I'll tell you KC, she really is beginning to amaze me. At one point I actually thought she had ulterior motives for wanting to work at my Center, but now I know she simply has a gift for working with young children. She managed to do something dozens of paid professionals were unable to do.

This is actually a long story and I don't want to bore you with the details, but I have to tell you this much, because it's one of the most astonishing things I've ever seen. We have a little girl at the Center that hasn't spoken in over a year, ever since her mother's death. Anyway, my friend (I feel as if I can call her that now) has been spending quite a bit of time with her since her arrival in Harmony. This afternoon at the ceramics shop, the little girl made something special for her and when she gave it to my friend, she said “I love you.”

Sweetie, I am not really the demonstrative type but I almost cried with her father and my friend when I heard her speak. At that moment I could only imagine myself as the father of the little girl and what he must be feeling. It was truly one of the most beautiful things I've ever witnessed.

I don't like admitting when I am wrong, but every time I see her with the children, every time I watch her interact with them or the other chaperones I realize how wrong I was. I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, but judging this remarkably kind hearted woman solely on her last name has to be among the dumbest.

Angel, I'm tired and I've rambled long enough. Tomorrow night I would love nothing more than to chat with you. It was so nice chatting with you last night, but I have to tell you I am still holding out for a personal chat if you know what I mean? ;-D

Luis sat on the ground eating a sandwich when Jay came up with her plate and joined him. “What's wrong big guy?” Jay asked. She was surprised that Luis was sitting by himself.

Jay looked over in the direction that Luis had been staring and wasn't surprised to see Sheridan. “I get it” Jay said with a knowing look. “You're still brooding about Sheridan accepting a date with Robert Kralik.”

“Yeah, right” Jay grinned. “Like I believe that for one second. I know you were staring at her and I know you were upset when you overheard Sheridan accept that dinner invitation.”

"Luis, why don't you just admit that you like Sheridan, just a little?" Jay asked. "It's not a crime you know. Actually, now that you've spent some time with her, if you didn't like her, I'd think there was something wrong with you, like you were dead. C'mon Luis, Sheridan's a really nice person. She's bright and funny and fun to be around. She's always thinking of new things for the kids, she's a fabulous dancer and to top it all off, she's drop dead gorgeous. What more could a guy ask for?"

"What would you do if KC turned out to be a Crane? Would you say the same thing about her? Would you say that you can't be involved with her because she's a Crane?"

“What do you want me to do Jay? Go over there and plant a passionate kiss on her?” Luis asked sarcastically. “I'm sure that would go over well with her new boyfriend.”

Luis caught a glimpse of Sheridan standing with his mother laughing. Tammy was with her as well and she'd never looked more beautiful to him than she did at that moment. He thought about the night before when he wondered what it would be like to kiss her and the memory of their closeness affected him.

Luis knew Jay wasn't going to give up on this one. When she got an idea in her head there was no stopping her. “All right Jay, I'll admit the thought might have crossed my mind once.” Luis immediately busied himself making the perfect sundae complete with hot fudge, strawberries, nuts, whipped cream and a cherry.

“Oh, is that the game you want to play?” Jay grinned as she wiped the whipped cream off her nose. “Two can play at that game.” Jay picked up a can and sprayed Luis on the arm with it.

Jay started running and Luis shook the cans as he chased her. Jay ran behind a tree with Luis in hot pursuit. When she didn't come around the other side, Luis figured she was hiding behind the tree.

“Bad move Jay! I've got you now!” Luis began spraying his whipped cream as he went to the back side of the tree and when he saw her face, he stopped dead in his tracks. It wasn't Jay behind the tree, it was Sheridan and he'd managed to cover half her face with cream.

“Who are the kids here Luis and who are the adults?” Sheridan asked with a mischievous glint in her eye. Luis obviously wasn't paying close attention to her facial expression because if he had been, he never would have relinquished one of his cans to her.

“I can't believe you did that!” Luis said in shock. “You'd better start running Sheridan because when I get done with you, you're going to look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy!” Luis shook the remaining can in his hand and Sheridan took off running.

Sheridan laughed as she ran from Luis. She turned every now and again and saw Luis was gaining on her fast. She was an excellent runner, but since she wasn't playing ball today, she chose not to wear sneakers. Big mistake.

Sheridan could hear the ground pounding behind her and she knew Luis was very close. She decided there was only one option. She turned to face him and began spraying wildly.

“Tell me Sheridan, Is this funny?” Luis asked. He shook his can again and white spray shot out at Sheridan who fell to the ground to escape the sticky mess.

“I told you I'd get you Sheridan!” Luis laughed, as whipped cream continued to fly in both directions. “You're mine now! You have no place to go.” Luis dropped to his knees with a very mischievous grin. Luis used one of his arms and pinned Sheridan's “trigger” arm across her chest.

Sheridan tried one more time to move her arm and fight back, but Luis had it held snugly to her body. He knew she couldn't move it and took full advantage of it. Sheridan had one last idea. She closed her eyes and momentarily let her body go limp.

Sheridan fought hard to hold back the laughter. When she was sure he wasn't holding her arm any longer, she grabbed her can with both hands and shook it vigorously spraying Luis' chest and part of his face. Luis was taken completely by surprised at her sudden move.

“You are sneaky” Luis laughed. Regaining control, Luis grabbed both her arms and pinned them over her head, lying on top of her in the process. “Now I have you! Are you ready to admit defeat?”

Sheridan couldn't believe she'd just emptied a can of whipped cream on Luis. His hair was loaded with it as was his face. She reached up and placed a finger across his cheek, the cream now on her finger and off Luis' face. She licked the whipped cream from her finger. “Umm, that's pretty good” she said playfully.

Luis smiled at her action and did the same to her. He gently scooped some whipped cream off the bridge of her nose and tasted it. “You're right” he smiled. “It is good.”

The two of them just stayed there on the ground, gazing happily into each other's eyes. Sheridan couldn't remember the last time she'd just let loose like this and had so much fun. Right now though, having Luis so close was taking it's toll on her. She wanted nothing more than to reach up and kiss him, but she knew that Luis had to be the one to initiate it. Her heart began pounding to a point she was sure it could be seen protruding from her chest when Luis took his hand and began brushing the hair out of her eyes and caressing her cheek. She found herself staring at his mouth, those incredible full lips wanting them to kiss her.

Luis couldn't help himself. Every day, every minute of every day he found himself being drawn closer and closer to this magnificent woman. Over and over again, she'd proven to him she was nothing like what he imagined a Crane to be like. She was friendly, kind hearted, considerate, thoughtful, beautiful and sexy. As he stared into those crystal blue eyes, he felt a connection to her, similar to the one he felt the night they tangoed. It was a connection he'd felt with no other woman, ever.

Instead of catching his breath after the whipped cream escapade, Luis found himself more breathless than he was before. He couldn't help himself when he reached out to touch her hair, caress her cheek. Her skin was silky soft underneath his hand. She smiled at him when he brushed the hair out of her eyes. Her smile was contagious. Luis found himself wondering again what it would be like to kiss her. This time instead of backing away, he leaned in closer. He wanted to feel her lips against his and at this moment, nothing else mattered but Sheridan. He leaned in closer still and Sheridan anxiously awaited the feel of his soft lips on hers.

“Luis! Luis!” Reese yelled loudly as he approached the couple on the ground. The moment completely gone, Luis pulled himself to his feet and stood before Reese, trying to hide his disappointment.

“Sure Luis” Reese said as he adjusted his glasses, which has slipped slightly down the bridge of his nose. Reese sniffled slightly and then took off running in the other direction to find Buzzy.

“What's up with Reese?” Jay asked as she approached Luis. Luis turned quickly looking for Sheridan when he saw Jay standing there and saw she started walking off in the opposite direction.

“I remember the conversation clearly Luis” Jay agreed, "and you were the one who started talking about kissing Sheridan, I just followed your lead. You also seem to be forgetting the part where you admitted that you thought about kissing her."

Luis nodded. He was pleased Jay was finally seeing things his way. As steadfast in the belief that KC was the one woman for him, Luis still couldn't get thoughts of Sheridan out of his mind. It wasn't long before his gaze sought out her curvaceous form and once again, he began wondering what it would be like...

Sheridan frowned and turned her head so Luis wouldn't see her reaction. Jay however saw Sheridan's face and also knew she was going out with Robert Kralik, therefore there was no way Luis would be meeting KC online.

Sheridan laughed. “And which little birdie might that be?” She asked. “Could it possibly be a small curly haired cherub that answers to the name Tammy?”

Sheridan knew that despite his appearance Luis was listening. “As much as I love Tammy” Sheridan began, “I have no intention of marrying her father. Don't get me wrong, Robert is a wonderful man. He's a devoted family man which is a trait that's very important to me. He has a kind heart, he's generous to a fault and incredibly handsome but...”

Sheridan caught a peek of Luis catching a glimpse of her. Shifting her gaze away from Luis and back to Jay she answered. “But, he's not who I imagined myself spending the rest of my life with. That probably sounds pretty silly, but I have a picture in my mind of the perfect man for me. As nice a man as Robert is, he's not that man.”

“Thanks Luis” Sheridan smiled demurely. As soon as Luis left, she took a deep breath and looked at Jay. “I don't know how much longer I can take Luis changing this dressing” Sheridan said seriously.

Luis returned to the table and sat down right next to Sheridan. He scooted his chair in very close and Sheridan could already hear her heart pounding in her ear and he hadn't even started yet. As Luis gingerly began to pull the old dressing off Sheridan's neck, the door to the Book Café could be heard opening. Jay was the only one who looked up initially as Sheridan and Luis were otherwise occupied. Who she saw standing in front of her caused her jaw to drop to the floor. 'Oh no' Jay thought, 'talk about bad timing.' She locked gazes with the person standing there but said nothing.

“Well, well, well, I should have known the minute I left Harmony you'd show up” Beth Wallace said resentfully as she stared at Jay with hatred in her eyes. Luis immediately looked up when he heard the familiar voice.

“Beth!” He said in disbelief. Beth was the last person he expected to ever walk through the door and the last person he wanted to see right now, or ever for that matter.

“Hello Luis” Beth said. She noticed Sheridan sitting in very close proximity to Luis and her eyes shot daggers as she sized up this strange woman. “I see you didn't waste anytime getting over me, now did you?”

Luis finally grasped the full impact of Beth's presence. What was she doing here anyway and what made her think that she had any hold over Luis? “Beth, what are you doing here?” Luis finally asked, holding Beth's cold stare.

“I believe you know Jay” Luis said as he looked at Jay. Beth didn't even look in Jay's direction nor did she acknowledge Luis. “And this is Sheridan Crane. She moved back to Harmony shortly after you left.”

“Luis, now I know you've lost it” Beth said, the shock still apparent on her face. “The Luis I know wouldn't be caught dead within fifty feet of anyone with the last name Crane, never mind be caught dead sleeping with one.”

“Look Beth” Luis said curtly, “What I do or whom I see is none of your business anymore now is it? You are the one who walked out on me, walked out on a ten year relationship because you didn't think this town was exciting enough for you. And I would appreciate it if you didn't speak about Sheridan in that manner. You don't know her and you certainly don't know anything about my relationship with her.”

Now Luis was really angry. He stood and placed a protective hand on Sheridan's shoulder. “I don't know what's with you Beth” Luis answered, trying to keep his temper in check. “But I don't appreciate your insinuations. You have no idea what you are talking about and as far as I am concerned this conversation has ended.”

“Well, I guess this says it all” Beth laughed sardonically as she nodded towards Luis who was placing Sheridan's old bandage back on her neck. “Well, at least I didn't have to pay for it when Luis was mine.”

All Luis could see right now was red. Had Beth not been a woman he was sure he would have decked her. As it was it took every ounce of strength he had to keep from making a huge scene.

“Look, Beth is it?” Sheridan said, “I don't know you. Until today the only thing I knew about you was you were Luis' ex-girlfriend who was bored with Harmony. Once I got to know Luis I couldn't understand why any woman would leave him. I felt badly for him having to suffer through a break up because I've been there and it's anything but pleasant. I even felt sorry for you for letting such a wonderful man go.”

“And just for your information Beth, there is nothing going on with Luis and me. He is not a kept man and from what I can see never will be. I'm surprised after spending 10 years with him you don't know what kind of a man he really is? We didn't see eye to eye when we first met, but it didn't take me long to meet the real Luis and so far I like what I see. If I'm ever blessed enough to find a man as genuinely good as Luis I won't make the same mistakes you've made Beth, believe me.”

“I'm fine” Luis answered fingering the water glass in front of him. “I'm more worried about Sheridan. She didn't deserve to be the target of Beth's wrath.”

“I think so” Luis frowned, his gaze fixated on the rim of the glass as he slowly followed the circle with his finger.. “I apologized for Beth's behavior and she seemed ok with all of it. Jay I just don't know what got into her tonight. I've never seen Beth behave in such an atrocious manner.”

“I don't know” Luis said letting out a frustrated sigh. “Maybe. I wish I knew. As many problems as Beth and I had, she was never one to take out her anger on a third party.”

"Luis, did it ever occur to you that maybe Beth came back to Harmony because she wants you back? Jay suggested. "She probably never expected to find you with another woman."

“You know I'm not Jay” Luis insisted. “I haven't so much as kissed another woman since I broke up with Beth. Hell, it's been so long I can't remember the last woman I kissed besides her.”

“Luis it has everything to do with it. I told you that even though you would never consciously cheat on Beth, in a way you were because of the internet relationship you and KC had. She was all you ever talked about.”

"Good, I'm glad that you're paying attention when you read my emails" Jay said. “Luis, don't try to delude yourself into thinking you're not involved with another woman because you are.”

“Did I say Sheridan?” Jay asked with a raised brow. “I was talking about KC, but as long as you've brought up the topic of Sheridan, let's talk about her.”

“I know I was just as bad or worse than Beth was to Sheridan at first, but it doesn't make it right. I don't want to see her hurt anymore. I did enough of that already.”

“So Luis, what are you going to do about Beth?” Jay asked. “If she wants a reconciliation will you give her one?” Jay prepared herself for the worst possible answer in response. If he said “yes”, she didn't want her disappointment showing all over her face.

“Even if Beth hadn't made a scene like she did today at the Book Café, I don't think I'd get back with her. I wasn't happy before we broke up and I remember a feeling of freedom when she walked out of the police station that night.” Luis paused and took a breath as he reflected. “No, I want to move on with my life and hopefully Sheridan will be part of that new life.... Why do I keep doing that? KC, I mean I want KC in my life.”

Sheridan awoke earlier than usual the next morning with a huge smile on her face. Dinner with Robert, Alfred and Tammy Kralik the night before had been simply wonderful. Sheridan was witness to a family that had been given a gift that no amount of money could buy. She'd already seen how happy Robert was with Tammy's breakthrough, but watching her with her grandfather was incredible. Alfred Kralik's eyes, which always held a hint of sadness now sparkled like a freshly shined diamond.

Robert and Alfred had all the initial paper work completed by the time Sheridan arrived for dinner. She was in awe by how quickly they'd arranged all of this. Robert and Alfred agreed to meet early at the Book Caféso they could meet with Luis before the kids arrived. Sheridan couldn't control her excitement as she envisioned the look on Luis' face when he learned about the scholarship.

So much was going on at the Kralik's that Sheridan didn't arrive home as early as she'd expected so she didn't get a chance to talk to Luis on the computer. She decided to send him a note this morning and hopefully make plans to talk with him again tonight. When she checked her mail she had a note waiting for her from Luis and happily sat down to read.

I guess things ran later than you anticipated? Don't worry about it Angel. I understand completely. I just got home a short time ago myself. I went out to dinner with my old partner and lost total track of the time.

I had an unpleasant experience earlier today. Remember my girlfriend? The one who left me for “the big city?” Well, she came back yesterday and I was with two friends. She made some very disparaging remarks causing us to leave. I can't tell you how disappointed I was in her behavior. I've never known her to act that way and still don't know what she wants. Jay, my partner thinks she wants to get back together with me. If that's the case, she's going about it all wrong.

I know I told you it didn't bother me that much that she left me and in a way it didn't, but it still hurt me at the time. Now, after her display yesterday I wonder how I could have stayed with her for so long?

I have a feeling I haven't heard the last from her. Don't worry Angel, I have no intention of going back with her. I've felt a sense of freedom ever since she left and I don't intend on giving that up.

I should get some shut eye. I have to go rollerblading tomorrow and I've never been! God help me! I'm supposed to be there for the kids... Who is going to be there for me? :)

“Well Luis” Sheridan smiled as she read the email. “I'm an expert rollerblader much to my family's disapproval. I'll be there for you.” Sheridan typed her response to Pezz and then quickly showered and changed for the Book Café. This was one morning she had no intention of being late.

“Thanks Mama” Luis smiled. He sat down and Pilar placed a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him. His face turned dour as he thought about his encounter with Beth.

“I know Mama” Luis interrupted, “but I know now that Beth isn't the one. She never was “the one” for me. I guess I just didn't want to admit it. That's probably why I never married her.”

“I always thought there was something holding you back” Pilar sighed. “You know I always loved Beth, but I would never pressure one of my children into marrying the wrong person. I want my children to be happy. I want you to marry for love. The kind of love that comes along only once in a lifetime. The kind of love I had with your father.”

Pilar grinned. “Believe me Luis, when it happens, you will know it. I knew it the first time Martin kissed me. I'd never felt anything like it in my life.” Pilar remembered that kiss as her eyes seemed to glaze over. “Trust me mijo, you may deny it to yourself at the time, but deep in your heart, you will know.”

Luis finished his breakfast and excused himself to hurry and get dressed. When he got to his room he decided to check his email before he took his shower. A huge smile appeared on his face when he saw a note from KC.

I'm sorry about your confrontation with your ex. I don't even want to think about ever seeing mine again. That is a chapter in my life that is closed permanently. It's amazing how we can think something about someone and find out we are so totally wrong. I know I was in shock when I found out JL was married. I hope for your sake it's just that she wanted to get back together with you and no other reason.

Rollerblading sounds like fun to me. I did a lot of it while I was in Paris. Actually I became quite good at it :) If anyone helps you along the way and I am sure they will, pretend it's me ok? I'd like nothing better than to skate holding you in my arms. :)

Again, I have no plans for tonight but after yesterday I don't want to promise I'll be online. I don't know what will happen from one minute to the next these days. I really want to talk to you soon Pezz. I miss our chats so much. Maybe this weekend? I shouldn't be as busy as I have been, but I may be working at the Carnival on one of the days. I'm not sure yet, as I haven't heard anymore about it.

“If you're going to kiss my boo boo, I might just have to hurt myself on purpose” Luis laughed. He typed his response and headed for the shower. It looked like another long, but fun filled day ahead.

Luis was the first to arrive at the Book Café. “Hi Chad” he greeted with a large smile as Chad had his Top Cop/Top Doc mug waiting for him filled with steaming coffee.

“I don't know what got into me Luis” Beth said with a whine in her voice. “I came back to Harmony hoping to get back together with you. After spending time in New York, I realized that everything I ever wanted was right here. You're what I wanted Luis.”

“I know and I'm sorry about that” Beth said anxiously. “It's just that I was nervous coming here and when I saw Jay here I freaked. I know how she feels about us as a couple. She's never hidden the fact that she doesn't think I'm right for you. And then when I saw you with Sheridan in that well, compromising position I guess I just totally lost it. I've never seen you that close to another woman Luis and I was jealous.”

Luis let out a frustrated sigh. “Beth, look” Luis began, “there is nothing going on with me and Sheridan. We're just friends. She was stabbed by a mugger a few nights ago and her wound got infected. Eve Russell asked me to change the dressing for her and that's what I was doing.”

“That was completely uncalled for Beth” Luis said angrily. “Sheridan is one of the nicest women I know. I was doing it for her because I am her friend and that's what friends do for each other.”

“Beth, look, Sheridan has been working with some of the kids at the Center. She even managed to get Tammy Kralik to talk again. The kids love her and I for one want to keep her at the Center for as long as possible. She's proven herself invaluable to me.”

“Yeah, she is. All Sheridan did was spend some time with her and encourage her to have some fun. Heck, I don't know how she did it but she did and that's all that matters.”

“Well, I'm really happy for Tammy and her family” Beth said, “but you still haven't answered my question Luis. Is there any chance for us to get back together.”

Luis looked at Beth long and hard. “Beth, I've had a lot of time to think about things since you've been gone. Even though I'm not seeing anyone right now, I've come to enjoy my freedom, Beth. I've come to realize that I don't think we were meant to be. You were right when you told me that you thought I had misgivings about us, Beth. Subconsciously that's probably the reason I never asked you to marry me.”

“Beth I'm sorry to hurt you like this, but it really is for the best. I don't think we would have been able to go on much longer the way things were between us anyway, do you?”

Beth cocked her head to one side and shrugged her shoulders. Tears were now streaming down her face. She couldn't answer him. All she managed to do was get out a few words between her tears.

Beth smiled slightly through her tears. “Goodbye Luis” she said and then ran off towards the door. She never even saw Jay and Sheridan walking in as she breezed by them.

"Luis, Beth's decision to leave you seemed selfish at the time, but since she's been gone, I think you've realized that her leaving was actually the right thing for you."

”I'm fine Luis” Alfred answered. “Robert and I are here to present the Youth Center with a gift. We are eternally grateful to Sheridan and the Youth Center for what you've done for Tammy. We can never thank you enough.”

“It's not a dream, Luis” Robert smiled. “That scholarship will go into effect in January. We tried to get it started for the fall term, but there wasn't enough time.”

Luis talked with Robert and Alfred for a few more minutes while Sheridan happily looked on. After Robert and his father left, Luis turned to Sheridan and looked at her carefully. “You knew about this didn't you?” Luis asked suspiciously.

Luis approached Sheridan and held out his arms to embrace her. “You did a good thing Sheridan” Luis whispered as he hugged her close to him. “A very good thing. I hope you'll stay at the Youth Center for a long time.”

Sheridan closed her eyes and smiled as she enjoyed the feel of being in Luis' strong embrace. “I plan to Luis. As long as you want me and I'm helping the kids in the process, I'll stay.”

The hug lasted longer than either one of them anticipated because neither one wanted to break the embrace. Jay, finally looking at her watch realized she had no choice but to break up the love birds.

“I really hate to pull you two apart” Jay apologized, “but we still need to go over to the Youth Center and talk to the workmen before we head for the skating rink.”

Sheridan stood there and watched Luis as he and Jay chatted while crossing the street to the Youth Center. She couldn't help the smile that shone on her face as she enjoyed the view of Luis' backside as he walked away from her.

She turned her head to the left when she heard the faint sound of screeching tires in the distance and saw a car barreling around a corner headed straight for Luis. Panic set in when she realized that neither Luis nor Jay was aware of the speeding car heading right for them.