Free It Happened One Night by Sharon Sala Page A

life, because if you are, you’re gonna be sorry.”
    â€œWhy?” Tisha asked.
    â€œBecause ours is so good it’ll make you mad at Charlie, and don’t tell me it won’t. I know the man. He bunks next to me at the station, remember? Ten minutes after a meal, he’s asleep.”
    Tisha laughed. “You’ve got that right. The moon has long since set on the honey part of our life.” Then she sighed. “But I have to keep him around. Lord knows no one else would have him.”
    Harley laughed, more than a little surprised at herself for being so at ease with Sam’s public affections.
    â€œWhat  are  you  making  now?”  he  asked,  as  he watched Harley mashing a bowl full of boiled egg yolks.
    â€œDeviled eggs,” she said. “Do you like them?”
    There was a glitter in his eyes as he whispered against her ear.
    â€œJune Bug, I like everything you do.”
    Tisha grinned. “Obviously, you don’t know all of his likes and dislikes yet, but that will come.”
    Sam bit the edge of Harley’s ear, well aware that she was struggling not to go limp in his arms.
    â€œShoot, Tisha. We don’t know fudge about each other yet, but we’re learning, aren’t we, honey?”
    Harley blushed, but she was one to give back as good as she got.
    â€œOh yes, and it helps that I’m such a quick study.”
    This time it was Sam who was caught by surprise. His  eyes  widened  suddenly  and  then  he  burst  into laughter.
    â€œAnd a damned good dancer, too,” he said.
    Tisha’s interest piqued again.
    â€œYou were a dancer? I thought you said you worked in an insurance agency.”
    Harley glared at Sam. “I’m not a dancer and I do...rather, I did, work in an insurance agency.”
    Tisha leaned across the counter, her eyes alight with interest.
    â€œSo, exactly how long did you two know each other before Sam popped the question?”
    Harley knew from the look on Sam’s face that he was going to tell the story and while it was inevitable that they would eventually find out, she would have preferred they got to know her better first. However, never one to let a man tell something that she knew she could tell better, she blurted out the truth.
    â€œBeats me,” she said. “I was drunk at the time.”
    The expression on Sam’s face was priceless, and then he started to grin.
    â€œLet’s see,” Sam added. “If I remember right, it was about two hours after I pulled you off the poker table where you were dancing and right before you went swimming in the nude in the waterfall at the Mirage.”
    Harley’s face fell. “I didn’t.”
    â€œWell...actually, you did,” Sam said. “But I hauled you out before the cops got there and hid you in the bushes. In fact, that’s where I proposed.”
    Tisha whooped with laughter, which promptly brought the other wives into the kitchen.
    â€œWhat’s going on?” they chimed, but Harley was too horrified by what Sam was telling her to care.
    â€œI was naked in the bushes?” Harley mumbled.
    â€œNo, I had your panties and your bra back on by then.”
    She looked down at the egg yolks and groaned, unaware of the rapt attention of their audience.
    â€œI can never go back to Las Vegas again,” she said.
    Sam gave her a quick hug. “Naw, it’ll be all right. I can assure you that the few people who saw you in the water weren’t looking at your face.”
    â€œWhy didn’t you tell me?” she moaned.
    He shrugged. “The subject never came up.” Then he dug his finger into the egg yolks and took a quick taste. “I think this needs some salt.”
    â€œDon’t put your fingers in the food,” she muttered, almost as an afterthought, and reached for the saltshaker. “Was that before or after I got the