They sat in silence for several more minutes, the hue of the sky now morphing into orange, red, purple, deep blue.
She had grown relaxed in his presence and jolted slightly when he gave her fingers a squeeze and asked, “Can you tell me what happened? I know some…from the girls, but…”
She turned and looked at him, his light blue eyes piercing hers, and thought once more how she could get lost in them. They peeled back all of her defenses, laying her bare, and she realized she did not mind.
“I was with you when Mom texted me. My dad had a heart attack, and I hurried home. He was in the hospital for almost a week. We thought he was getting better, and then he died on the operating table when they went in to alleviate the blockage.”
She felt the pressure of his fingers on her hand, drawing comfort from them. She held his gaze and said, “Mom needed me, and there was so much that had to be done. I put my dream back on the shelf until the time was going to be right.”
Jason shook his head, his eyes roaming over her face, and said, “I’m so sorry, Rose. Truly, I am.”
“Thank you.” She looked back out over the bay where the sun was now below the horizon, but its illuminating rays still shot up light and color. “My parents owned an ice cream shop in our hometown in Maryland, and I worked there for the next year, running it. I’d always loved the shop, having practically been born and raised there.”
“But running their shop wasn’t your dream.”
She looked back at him, understanding in his eyes. Her lips curved slightly and said, “It’s all pretty complicated.”
“I’ve got time,” he said. He must have seen doubt cross her face, because he added, “Really, Rose. I’ve got nothing but time.”
The air around them chilled now that the sun was no longer providing its warmth, and she shivered. He stood and reached his hand down to her, saying, “Let’s get you inside.”
She allowed him to pull her to her feet and lead her back down the steps, but when she thought he was going to exit her apartment and go back down to the store, he turned instead, moving into her living space. She tried to see it through his eyes but knew there was nothing there to look at other than empty space. “It’s a little sparse,” she said, then giggled at the unnecessary description.
He turned and looked down at her, his grin wide, and she reached out to grab hold of the kitchen counter, wondering if knees really could buckle.
“You don’t have any furniture yet?”
“I have a bed to sleep on, my toiletries in the bathroom, and enough kitchen items to cook with. Once I’m able to get movers to bring the shop’s equipment from storage, I’ll have them bring my furniture as well.”
Brows lowered, he asked, “Why don’t you get your furniture now?”
“It’s too expensive to hire movers twice,” she replied, seeing no reason to hide the truth. “Things are tight right now, so I can make do until the equipment for the shop comes in.”
He nodded but made no comment, for which she was glad. Turning toward the refrigerator, she asked, “Would you like a beer?”
Gaining his nod, she reached in and grabbed two, handing one to him. He took a swig and then walked over to the tall windows and looked out.
“Enjoy the view of your place, and I’ll be right back.” She moved through her bedroom into the bathroom, planning on washing her hands, but when she looked into the mirror, she was horrified. Her face had smudges of dirt that extended from her forehead down to the top of her T-shirt. Wishing she could take a shower, she satisfied herself with scrubbing her hands and arms, face, and neck, then jerking off her overalls and T-shirt. With a fresh application of deodorant, she was at least secure in the knowledge that she smelled better. Sliding on yoga pants and a clean T-shirt, she ran a brush through her hair, feeling more presentable.
Walking back into the living area, she stood beside him. He looked down at her, lifting an eyebrow in question. Laughing, she said, “I looked in the mirror and scared myself. Figured I’d better wash my hands and face.”
He reached up and tucked a wayward curl behind her ear before turning back to the window. Both of their gazes were focused across the street, and she wondered if his thoughts were anywhere close to hers.
She stammered, “That night…um…you know that night that…” Huffing, she shook her head and forced the words out, “I don’t know why I’m beating around the bush! The night that we slept together…there, I said it.”
He chuckled and asked, “Was that hard?”
Offering a rueful smirk, she replied, “Yeah, harder than you think.”
He grinned, then rubbed the back of his head, giving the appearance of pondering something.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
With his chin dipped down, he raised his eyes to look at her, and she loved how the streetlamp shining in through the window illuminated his face with light and shadows. He still hesitated, and she wondered if he was going to speak when suddenly he said, “I’d really love to hear more about the past couple of years and your family.” Looking around, he lifted his eyebrow when he added, “But at my place, I have a sofa.”
She threw her head back and laughed, the sound echoing in her empty apartment.
He hurried to say, “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, quite the opposite.”
She nodded and agreed. “I won’t be uncomfortable if you won’t.”
They walked down the stairs and through the store, and he waited as she locked the door. With their beer bottles still in their hands, they hurried across the street, entering the door leading to his apartment.
Climbing the steps, she was hit with the intense memory of their encounter on those very steps and wondered if he ever thought of it. Hearing a slight hiss from his lips as he walked in front of her, she grinned. Seems like he hasn’t forgotten that memory either. She could not imagine how many women he probably had brought up to his apartment in the intervening years since they were together but pushed that thought to the back of her mind.
Entering, she could see that he had fixed up his apartment, now looking like a home instead of what she remembered from several years ago that resembled hers now. The kitchen had been completely redone, the floors refinished, and he had a sofa and a few comfortable chairs facing a wide-screened TV mounted on the brick wall of the living area.
He bent and kicked off his boots, and she looked down at her dirty feet, wondering if she should slide off her flip-flops.
“Oh, Jason, I just realized how dirty my feet. I really should’ve taken a shower.”
Grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the sofa, he replied, “I keep reminding you that I work with grease and ink. Believe me when I tell you that some dirt on your feet isn’t going to matter to me at all.”
They settled on the sofa, and she was careful to keep her feet from the cushions but watched as he lounged comfortably close by. He twisted his body so that he was facing her, his full attention directly on her face. With one arm resting on the back sofa cushions, his hand dangled near her shoulder.
“You were going to tell me more about what happened to you,” he prodded. “I really would like to know.”
She stared into his eyes, sincerity oozing from them, and could feel his interest. “Well, back to the night that I was here, I woke up to a text from my mom saying that something was wrong with my dad and I needed to get home.” She held Jason’s gaze, refusing to look away, and admitted, “I look back with regrets, Jason. I barged into your shop, allowing my frustrations to spill over towards you, and that was something I’ve never done before.” She looked away, shaking her head slowly in disbelief. “I’m so embarrassed about that night. I actually put my hands on you and pushed. I’ve never gotten physical in my life!”
“Don’t worry, Rose,” he said. “Everybody loses their cool sometimes.”
Reaching over, she placed her hand on his arm and said, “Not me. I’ve never lost my cool like that!” Sighing, she continued, “A
nyway, with the text from my mom sending me into a panic, I got dressed and hurried out. I thought about waking you, or telling you, or doing something besides just leaving. But I just left a note so you wouldn’t worry and then immediately drove back to Maryland. A week later, Dad was gone.”
“I’m so sorry, Rose.” They sat in silence for another moment until he prodded, “You said things are complicated.”
Rose sucked in a deep breath, her mind casting back to the years even before her father died. She nodded slowly and explained, “Parker Ice Cream Emporium. That was my parents’ shop, and it was situated right on a beach road in a small town in Maryland. My parents started it not too long after they got married and built it to be a successful business. My earliest memories are waddling around the back as my dad mixed ice cream. I was working in the shop by the time I was young, even going to college close by so that they would still have my help. It was always my dream to one day have a shop of my own.”
“You didn’t plan on staying in Maryland and taking over your parents’ shop?”
Smiling, she said, “No, and that’s because my father wanted to encourage my independence. He knew the shop in Maryland was something that he and Mom could run into their older years, and it wouldn’t be fair for me to keep working for them, wasting time when I could be building something of my own.”
“Sounds like a good dad,” he said, his voice low and soft.
“He was. He was the best.” She sucked in another breath and continued, “A few years before he died, a stressor was added that makes me wonder if it didn’t contribute to his heart attack. Probably not, since there was a blockage, but I can’t help but think that the added stress wasn’t good. A national ice cream chain opened up a store just down the street from my parents’ shop. The quality was never as good since it wasn’t made there on the premises, and my parents used all-natural ingredients with no preservatives, making the ice cream every day. But the other store had the backing of a national chain, visibility, adding doughnuts and bagels and sandwiches…everything that brought in more of the vacationing traffic. My parents’ shop was still doing okay, but it definitely cut into their bottom line.”
“I can understand that. Right now, I’m the only garage in the area. But if a national automotive shop opened up nearby, they might run me out of business.”
Nodding, she said, “Exactly! So many people don’t realize how hard it is for small businesses to stay afloat.”
He shifted slightly, and she watched as he took another sip of his beer, mesmerized by the muscles in his throat as he swallowed. His hair was flowing over his shoulders, and she remembered how it felt under her fingertips. After all the stress she had been through, it was nice to just remember the pure physical pleasure of being with Jason.
“I also heard something about your mom?”
Blinking, she brought herself back to the present and said, “Mom and I talked a lot about the shop after the shock of Dad’s death dissipated slightly. At first, we had jumped in to keep it going, both to give us something to do and keep his memory alive. But as the business began to falter, we began to talk more and more about selling. Mom knew that I had discovered Baytown and really wanted to move here, and there was nothing tying her to Maryland anymore. So, we began to discuss selling Parker Ice Cream and coming down here together. She could help me open my business here, and we’d have a chance to start over.”
His fingers moved over her shoulder, gentle and soothing, and she fought to keep from leaning her head onto his arm, curling in his strength. Forcing her thoughts back to her story, she continued, “At first we were going to sell the business, but we couldn’t get a buyer, not with the national chain down the street. But then we had the idea to take all of the equipment and put it in storage to use for my new shop, and then we were able to sell just the building.”
Closing her eyes and shaking her head, she said, “And then Mom had a stroke.”
9
Jason was stunned by Rose’s story. First, her father’s death, the slow demise of her parents’ business, and just when she was getting closer to moving forward with her dream, her mother became ill. His heart ached, and his fingers clenched on her shoulder before he slid his hand to the back of her neck, his thumb sweeping through her hair.
“Jesus, Rose. I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you.” He had his own family nightmares to deal with but had had more years to separate his trauma from now. Rose was still in the midst of her situation.
She shifted slightly, bending her knee to slide it up on the cushions so that she could face him fully. “Thank you," she said, her voice soft. “At first, I was afraid she was going to die also, and I had no idea how I would make it without her. But she’s a fighter and responded well to medication and therapy. She was in the hospital and then able to move into rehab for several months. She’s regained much of her speech, although if you’re not used to it, it’s a little hard to understand her. Her left side does not work very well, but she was right-handed, so she’s able to use her right hand for many things."
“Where is she now?”
“Careway Nursing Home. Once she was out of danger, she began nudging me to go ahead and move to Baytown, to start the shop. But I didn’t want to be that far away from her.” Her eyes warmed as she said, “Then, I remembered that Belle was a nurse at a nursing home close by, so I contacted her." Leaning forward, she placed her hands on his leg, a smile on her face, and said, “Jason, I couldn’t believe how everything worked out. Belle told me that they had an assisted living program besides the nursing home and that they took clients on a temporary basis as well as a permanent one. So, I brought Mom down, they evaluated her, and since she fit their criteria and they had what she needed, voilà!"
On the last word, her hands left his leg, and she threw them out to the side, and the word adorable once more moved through his mind.
She blushed and said, “I’m sure it seems ridiculous for me to be happy about where Mom is, but after the last couple of years, to have her in a place that’s safe and wonderful so that I can concentrate on getting the business going is such a relief. This way, when she’s able to come live with me, we’ll have Sweet Rose Ice Cream Shop already up and running.”
Her enthusiasm in the face of such difficulties made him ashamed of the unkind thoughts he had had about her when he thought she was just avoiding him.
Her face softened as her hand landed back on his leg and she added, “I’m so glad you came into my shop this evening. I’ve wanted to see you but have been so busy that I haven’t even been out with friends.”
Without thinking, he reached over and placed his large hand over her much smaller one, linking fingers. A heavy sigh left his lips, and he confessed, “I’m glad I came over too, Rose, but I should’ve done it earlier. I’m afraid my actions haven’t been very cavalier.”
Seeing her brows knit in question, he said, “I should have contacted you when I first heard that you left town suddenly because of a family problem. But I didn’t. I don’t have a good reason, I just…"
“Hey, Jason. You were busy doing exactly what I’m doing right now. You were trying to get the garage opened, and on top of that trying to open the tattoo shop. Believe me, I understand that to be successful, you’ve got to throw everything you have into that business. I would’ve never expected you to try to keep up with what was going on with me.”
"Yeah, maybe, but when I heard you were moving back, I certainly could’ve come by.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip, and his eyes zeroed in on the worried flesh, the desire to lean over and kiss her filling his mind. Her mouth moved, and it took him a few seconds to realize she had spoken. “Sorry?”
She repeated, “Can I ask why you didn’t come by?”
He found her honesty refreshing but struggled to do the same considering it was not very flattering to himself. Unable to think of anything better, he forged ahead. “I was afraid it would be awkward. I wasn’t sure if y
ou would even want to see me, or wonder if anyone in town knew anything, or if you would prefer we just act like we never met before, or—”
Laughing, she said, “That’s a lot of ors.”
Chuckling, he nodded his agreement, squeezing her fingers. “I’m good with cars. I’m good with engines. I can even do a decent motorcycle build. And I love the artistry involved in the tattoos. People? I’m not always so good with knowing exactly what to say or do.”
“I don’t believe that," she protested. “I know for a fact that you’ve often stepped in and helped your friends.”
Now it was his turn to press his top teeth into his bottom lip, worrying it a bit. Shrugging, he said, “Well, I guess maybe I wasn’t quite sure what we were.”
Another peal of laughter came from her, her eyes warm as they settled on him. “And that’s my fault, not yours, Jason. I was a shrew and then threw myself at you. And then we had the best sex ever, and then I disappeared on you. No wonder you had no idea how to respond to me coming back to town.”
His mind froze as her words slammed into him. The best sex ever? His male pride wanted to stand up and roar The best sex ever! Before he had a chance to puff his chest out, she was already shaking her head, the heat of blush hitting her cheeks.
“I can’t believe I just said that,” she said. "I know that probably made me sound pathetic, so please don’t feel like you have to respond!”
She moved her arm to pull her hand away from him and shifted so that both feet were once again on the floor. His mind was still stuck on the best sex ever, then he belatedly realized she was standing, probably to leave.
“No!” he said, jumping to his feet quickly, desperate to not have her go, at least not feeling embarrassed. He watched her chest move with each breath, her light brown eyes darkening as she stared up at him. “I don’t want you to think that was pathetic. Not when it was the same for me, too.”
Sweet Rose: Baytown Boys Page 7