Incomplete

by L. A. Fiore

  Gage removed his cell from his back pocket, staring at it for a beat then he grumbled, “Fuck it.” In seconds, he was typing out a message.

  Did I scare you off, Tilly F?

  _______________

  Tilly wiped the sweat from her forehead. She’d been on her knees in the garden for the last few hours yanking weeds. The morning sun was shifting to the heat of the afternoon. There was a kind of peace, though, in the routine of it.

  Saturday she woke up to an empty bed, a note on the nightstand that her husband had to work. He hadn’t mentioned it on Friday. There was a time that would have bothered her, but she was used to being on the periphery of his life. She was okay with being there. She wasn’t okay that he’d put his kids there, too. He was home today. They’d all shared breakfast together, bacon and blueberry pancakes that Tilly had made. Luke and she didn’t discuss the argument from Friday night. That was how they handled issues lately, avoiding them. She was just as much at fault in that regard, but she knew nothing had changed. It was all about priorities, and sadly, she and the kids weren’t as high up on his list as they should be.

  She had hope that he’d heard her on Friday night, though, because he’d taken the kids to the movies, a double feature. Her heart broke a little seeing the excitement on her son’s face when Luke offered. Luke hadn’t noticed. In fact, he even looked a bit smug, like he was the goddamn father of the year because he was taking his kids to the movies. The fact that it was the first time in about six months that he’d gone anywhere with them was apparently neither here nor there.

  Her thoughts drifted to Gage. Not the first time they had in the last two days. She hadn’t gone onto the game since Friday night. She woke Saturday morning, and the first thing she wanted to do was check the game. It was how much she wanted to see a message from him, or even just the green dot next to his name, that kept her from launching it.

  Her rationale on Friday night that it was just friendly banter didn’t extend to Saturday morning. She knew it was more than that from the butterflies in her stomach, and the anticipation that hummed through her. She’d spent hours going back and forth with a stranger and got more out of the exchange than she did from conversations with her own husband. Even now, there was a knot of excitement in her gut at the thought of going inside to find a message waiting. On some level it was wrong; he wasn’t her husband, but it felt damn good.

  It was on that thought that she got to her feet and strolled briskly into the house. She didn’t even wash her hands before she snagged her phone and launched the game. Excitement was like a wave moving through her seeing his message. Her smile turned to a frown when she read it. Did he scare her off? She answered him honestly.

  No, Gage. You didn’t scare me off. Just the opposite.

  Gage had just walked into the house when his phone chimed. The ring tone told him it was a message from Tilly. Yesterday, he had changed the notification sound, so he knew when it was her. A smile tipped his lips, but that fell quickly when he saw a note sitting on the counter. Looking at the clock, he wasn’t gone but thirty minutes and everyone left. Jesus. He moved to the island and read the scribbling words from his wife. Dropping Scarlett off at Rachelle’s to finish a report. I’m getting my nails and toes done. See you later. And that ended with a quickly crafted heart at the bottom.

  Gage looked at Velvet who was sprawled out on the cool tile floor. “Looks like it’s just you and me again.” She didn’t reply, just closed her eyes.

  Moving to the living room, he flopped down on the couch and put his head on top of a blue gingham throw pillow. Removing his cell, he tapped the screen and brought up her message. The words he read caused a sensation to slowly move through him, producing a warmth. Was Tilly thinking about him as much as he was thinking about her? Only one way to find out.

  Please explain. Gage hit send.

  Tilly’s phone buzzed. She’d been at the sink, but hastily dried her hands on her pants before reaching for it. She couldn’t help the grin, seeing him in her head as he asked that. He wanted an explanation. Okay.

  If I had a dollar for every time I thought about you in the last two days, I could afford those Louboutins I’ve had my eyes on.

  He probably wouldn’t have a clue what she was talking about, but she chuckled and hit send.

  Gage read her message then laid the phone on his chest and looked to the ceiling. They only had one conversation, a few games played between them, but what in the fuck was pulling them toward each other. There was no explanation on why he thought about her as much as he did or enjoyed her company. Or maybe, there was. His marriage sucked. It was the simple and honest truth.

  I’ve never really been a heel guy, more a bare foot type of guy. ;) Can I ask you a question?

  Tilly grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat at the island. She read his message, glanced down at her bare feet and smiled before she replied,

  Sure, you can ask me a question.

  Gage was already staring at the screen, so when the text popped up, he automatically typed out.

  Are you happily married?

  It was a little forward and way too soon, but he didn’t care.

  Tilly’s heart dropped reading his message. Was that all this was? She wasn’t happily married. And here was a man she didn’t know who paid her attention. Was it loneliness that had her wanting to reach for her phone, to see a message from him? Was that even fair to put on him? Probably not, but what was the harm? She knew the answer to that. The harm was avoidance of the real problem, but then she and Luke had gotten really good at avoiding the important shit.

  To be honest, no. It was so gradual but I went from being his wife to just the mother of his children and the caretaker of the house. What’s worse, I don’t mind the change, only in how it impacts my children.

  For some odd reason, Gage’s mind moved to Thursday night when he had sex with his wife. He remembered what their sex life used to be like, nights of little sleep, exploring each other’s bodies like it was their first time and leading into the next day where they exchanged knowing glances. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d shared that. When did it all change? Was it as slow and steady as Tilly said hers was, creeping up on them without either of their knowledge? And… was Tilly filling that void.

  If we’re being honest here, I don’t wear heels, but with the amount of times I thought about you I could buy a new mower, a professional one. Mine shifted somewhere along the way, not sure when.

  Gage rose and went to the fridge to grab a bottle of water, the bulb still needed to be replaced. That had him closing it and moving to the garage to find one.

  Tilly wasn’t surprised to learn Gage’s marriage had shifted. He’d been hanging with a stranger on his birthday, but it did make her sad. Hearing he’d been thinking about her, that it wasn’t one sided, it was wrong on some level, and yet, she felt a lightness she hadn’t felt in a really long time.

  A professional mower? Not gonna lie. It’s nice to hear I wasn’t alone the last two days. Speaking of mowers, shouldn’t you be working? I was just weeding the gardens. It’s hard work that you do. If you weren’t so far, I would be tempted to hire you. ; )

  Gage was on the ladder, stretched to reach the bin of bulbs when his phone chimed. He hadn’t pulled the container from the shelf yet, so he pushed it back in its spot and grabbed for his phone in his pocket. He grinned because if he was close enough to provide that service, he had a feeling they’d be chatting while his guys did all the work.

  Well, I am spoiled and have guys who do most of the work while I supervise. Mower, Cub Cadet zero turn, pretty sure it might cost the same as the heels you want, mower might be even more. ;) We don’t work on the weekends. What are you doing today? Besides getting dirty. ;)

  Gage hit send, placed his cell back in his pocket and finally pulled the bin of bulbs from the shelf. He found the one he needed, and after two we
eks, he finally had the energy to replace the bulb in the fridge.

  Tilly googled the mower and seeing the price, a tingle moved down her body at the thought of him thinking about her as often as she had him. She pulled up his pic, one she’d saved to her phone. She had a hard time understanding why any woman married to him wouldn’t be holding on with both hands, looking as he did and with the personality he had. She felt the warning, going down a road she shouldn’t be, but she ignored it because feeling this good couldn’t be wrong.

  Luke took the kids to a double feature, which is code for paying for one movie and sneaking into another. With the gardens done, I’m kicking my feet up and taking a much needed rest while chatting with this old guy who eats his food through a straw. What are you up to?

  Gage had just taken a gulp of water when he read Tilly’s message. He had to choke down the mouthful through a laugh. Funny girl. He smiled, took himself out to the back patio, sitting in the maroon covered chaise lounge, he placed the bottle between his legs and typed out.

  Funny, cause I’m chatting with an old woman who gets bussed to the grocery store, while sitting on my back patio. Wonder if these old folks know each other. And sweetheart, I may be old, but I know what a double feature is. :P So, what does Tilly like to do for fun?

  Tilly moved to her patio out back after reading Gage’s message. It was silly, but she could almost believe they were sitting together. Taking a seat on one of the rockers and putting her feet up on the plant stand, she thought about his question. What did she like to do for fun? It had been so long since she’d been out having fun that she didn’t have a ready answer for him. And what was even sadder is that it took talking with him to realize she missed it.

  I suppose I should say getting all dolled up, going into the city, and hitting the night time venues, but getting in the car, rolling the windows down, turning up the music and just driving is more my thing. I love walking through flea markets, looking at the things people are getting rid of, making up stories about their lives. And garden centers. I could lose days in those places. All the things I’d like to do to my yard, but don’t have the skill to do. Imagining it though. And typing this I realize I might need to get out more. What about you?

  One thing stood out, Tilly was the opposite of his wife. Heather loved getting decked out and heading into the city, his birthday served as a prime example. That had his thoughts moving to...when did she turn into a city girl? He could recall her enjoyment when they did venture into the city, but not the craving she had for it now. Fuck, there was a time when she spent the weekends with him perfecting their own landscaping, getting her hands dirty. Now, he did it all himself. Gage looked to the figure eight island in the center of his backyard. A large cherry blossom tree planted in the center, hydrangeas placed symmetrical on either side, and daisies dotted throughout. His eyes drifted back to the small screen.

  Well, I’d have to say I like the same things as you, minus the flea market. But I could work in the yard and could spend hours in the garden center of Walmart. So, when I go to the nursery, I could lose days. Lol. What exactly do you wanna do to your yard? P.S. Getting bussed to the grocery store and liking gardens sounds fucking hot. ;)

  Tilly laughed out loud at his last sentence. All she needed was knitting needles and the image was complete. At least she still ate her food and didn’t require it blended. He liked the same things she did. That made her smile but that smile faded thinking about Luke. They used to like the same things once upon a time. She looked out at their yard. Part of that was on her because she hadn’t noticed, or she had but wouldn’t acknowledge it until talking with a stranger. Only then did she admit to herself that she and her husband were growing apart. She didn’t want to think about her failing marriage so she focused on Gage’s question. It would be easier to explain what she wanted with a picture. Snapping one, she sent it then followed it with a message.

  I’d love to extend the existing stone patio to include a water feature, a waterfall, not big, but stone that empties into a little pond. Bring the gardens around the pond. Add outdoor lighting, maybe even a fireplace off to one side of the patio. As far as flea markets, you don’t know what you’re missing. And if you think bussing to the grocery store and liking gardens is hot, then I might just be scorching when I tell you I’m not a heel person either and prefer bare feet to shoes. ; )

  Gage tapped on the image to make it bigger. Fuck, she had a great yard, so much potential. He read what she wanted to do, smiled, stood, and brought up his camera. Angling his cell toward the small intimate seating area in the back corner of his yard, he snapped a pic of the flagstone patio where the stone was raised on two sides. One side had a small built-in fireplace, the other held a water feature. It didn’t flow into a koi pond—Heather said she didn’t want fish, he gave her that—but the water did pool into a stone pond that held floating water lilies. The area was put together with two loveseats. An area that he and his wife hadn’t used in a very long time. Gage sat back down and attached the image to their thread and typed out.

  Something like this? Maybe one day I’ll give the flea market a try, I’ll just make sure there’s a bar close by in case I don’t make it through. Well, damn, now you’re talking my language. ;) Next, you’ll tell me you prefer beer over fruity drinks.

  Tilly looked at the picture he’d sent. It was beautiful, exactly what she wanted, but it wasn’t that which held her attention. Last week, she didn’t know him. This week she was talking with a man who she not only felt comfortable talking so candidly with but who she could so easily relate to. Candice had told her she might find a friend. At the time, it had annoyed her, but maybe she was onto something. And it was thinking that, that had her realizing it was a Sunday, and he was talking with her. Where was his family?

  Did you do that? It’s beautiful and yes, that’s even nicer than what I imagined. I don’t drink fruity drinks. Wine or beer, I like both equally. Can I ask, where’s your family?

  As if the timing was perfect and somehow Tilly summoned Heather, he heard her car pull up and the garage door open. The annoyance that she was home surprised Gage. So much so, it also scared the shit out of him. He quickly typed a message to Tilly before he rose and went to meet his wife inside. Maybe he would ask her if she wanted to go out to dinner, just the two of them.

  Now, I’m thinking you have magical powers. My daughter is at her friend’s house and my wife, Heather, just pulled up from getting her nails and toes done. Pick up the convo tomorrow? ;)

  Tilly glanced at her watch and was surprised that over three hours had passed. She was even more surprised that she was disappointed, even a little sad, that their conversation was over. To him, though, she replied.

  I’d like that. Have a good rest of your Sunday, Gage.

  Before his wife entered the house, Gage regretfully sent back.

  Me too. You do the same, Tilly. ;)

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Tilly glanced at her watch. The waitress had already been over once, but Candice was running late. Not that she minded, because it gave her some time to talk with Gage. For the past three weeks, they chatted over texts whenever they had a free moment. If she was being honest, Tilly went out of her way to have time to talk with him.

  Tell me about this friend, Candice, you’re meeting for lunch.

  Tilly thought about how to describe Candice. To some, she was overwhelming; Candice liked to call herself an acquired taste.

  I’ve known her forever. She’s always up, bubbly. Kind of a smartass, too, but she’s good. Always there when you need her. She does, however, have a problem with keeping track of time. But in this case, I’m okay with her being late. Are you supervising, again, today? ; )

  Gage was leaning against his truck, watching the new guys, Kyle and Larry weeding the rock beds around the bushes. Dom was on the mower and Arty was following closely behind him, trimming the edging. Normally, he would be righ
t in there, getting his hands dirty, doing what he enjoyed. But for the past three weeks, he’d been stepping back. He liked to tell himself it was to oversee the guys, the work they did without him. But he knew well enough that wasn’t the reason. The reason was the woman on the other end of the messaging thread.

  Yeah, I’m watching them. Hopefully, soon I’ll be able to send them off alone, that’s my plan. The new kids are doing pretty good, can’t complain. It’s good to have a friend like that. Dom, the guy I told you about, he’s the same, always has my back. By the way… I’m glad she’s running late. ;)

  The butterflies that had kept her company since she started talking with Gage never seemed to fade, and only grew in intensity as the weeks passed. She knew if Candice walked in at that moment, she’d see color on Tilly’s face and would know something was up because Tilly hadn’t felt this good in a long time. A part of her wanted to feel bad about that, but she wouldn’t let herself.

  I’d like to see you supervising your crew. In my head, it’s a sexy sight. Impressive owning your own business. I wanted to own an interior design business, but life got in the way. I’m happy you have Dom, because, you’re right, it’s good having a friend like that.

  Tilly wanted to add she’d like to be a friend like that to him, but she didn’t because that wasn’t completely truthful. Entertaining her fantasies, she wanted more than that, denying it was stupid, and she also knew she shouldn’t want that.

  Gage read her message and grinned. There were times, even knowing they were wrong, like last night, when she said she was fresh out of the shower wearing a cotton night shirt, sitting on her couch, that had Gage thinking about how sexy she probably looked at that moment. He didn’t share that with her. He tried to refrain the best he could in flirting too hard. It was okay for her to do it, but he didn’t want to come off as the creepy dirty old man, although, that’s pretty much how he felt right then. Bringing up his camera, he held the phone up and off at an angle, smiled, and snapped a picture. He looked it over and saw the logo and the name of his business, Sutherlands. They hadn’t gotten as far as exchanging last names, but Gage didn’t care that she could not only see the name of his business but the phone number, too, which happened to be the very cell he was holding in his hand. He attached the image and typed out.