The Cowboy and the Mermaid

The Cowboy and the Mermaid

Dwight walks across the yard to meet his neighbor. She is coming down the steps as he crosses they yard. What a stunningly beautiful woman, he thinks to himself. He wonders if she is the one he saw in his pool. Even with his new lights in the yard it was so dark that all he saw was that tail splashing the water as the mermaid swam. He takes her hand in his and introduces himself.

"I'm Dwight Whitley, originally from Appaloosa Plains. I just moved here a few weeks ago and am renting the house next door. I was hoping to meet you. If you are on your way to work or somewhere else I can come back later if you will tell me what would be a good time."
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"It is a pleasure to meet you Dwight! I thought I saw some lights on a few times, but must have missed you coming and going. I'm Lorelei Finn and I'm originally from Isla Paradiso, so I am not a native either. I'm not really headed anywhere right now. Let's go inside and talk." Lorelei notices Dwight's beautiful blue green eyes, the color of the tranquil sea just before sunset and rugged good looks and her heart does a strange little flutter. She also notices that he has a limp as he walks up the few steps into the house taking them one step at a time.
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They sit together in Lorelei's tiny living room and get to know one another. Lorelei introduces Dwight to Kool Aid and he is fascinated by this interesting creature. Dwight talks with Kool Aid and asks Lorelei if there are any other interesting creatures around town. She smiles at him and wonders if Appaloosa Plains had any interesting creatures. "Nope", Dwight tells her, "just the usual, and I mostly dealt with horses, cattle and dogs.
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Before he can ask Lorelei about mermaids or sea creatures Lorelei's tummy begins growling. She giggles and blushes as it was quite loud. Dwight laughs with her and realizes he has not had a good laugh in a long while. He admits to being hungry as well. "I don't cook much," she tells Dwight, "would you like to join me at the diner in town?" Lorelei hails a cab and they enjoy a lovely meal of fresh cooked fish and grilled veggies at the diner.
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During dinner Lorelei finds out Dwight has not explored much of the island as yet. He has not told her about his injuries or why he moved or being deep in depression after moving here. The relationship is a bit to new for that kind of discussion. He did talk about his life on the ranch and his racing career, but, not why he moved. After dinner they walk across the street to the Starfish Sands park. She notices his limp again as they walk across the street. She talks to him about some of the interesting places to visit on the island. "Lets go look at the view from the top." suggests Lorelei.
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Dwight looks at all those stairs and realizes there is no way he can get down and up that many. He has to go ahead and explain to Lorelei about his injuries. He tells her about the race and the accident and the months in the hospital and how he is still recuperating and cannot physically do that many stairs at one time.
Lorelei looks at his sad face and realizes there is more to the story, but, now is not the time. "I'm sorry, lets take a cab back to the neighborhood and we can take a short walk on the beach. I love walking on the beach at night and hearing the ocean waves crash on shore. Do you enjoy the ocean?"
"This is my first time ever living near the ocean. I watched the sky and ocean the other night. It was very peaceful and calming. I did enjoy it very much."
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The cab lets them out a short distance from Lorelei's house and they stroll the beach and enjoy the walk together. They are still not ready to part company so they chat on the swing on the back porch. Dwight feels very comfortable talking with Lorelei. He wants to know her better and that is unusual for him as he normally prefers more casual relationships. Lorelei is surprised she keeps getting that fluttery feeling when looking and touching Dwight. She never thought she would be attracted to a human. She hopes that he will eventually tell her why he is so sad and hopes that she can help the sadness go away. Dwight is enjoying her company so much he forgot to ask her about the mermaid in his pool.
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