“What’s that?” Jeff looked up surprised.
“Cindy.”
Jeff’s brow shot up. “What she got to do with it?”
“You know how she is, she’ll never let me live it down she’s the one who arranged this meeting.”
“I see your point. That serious, huh?”
“Could be . . .”
Jeff slid the scraper under the vinyl and gave it a sound hit with the hammer. “That’s cool. Well, bring her over to the house. I’d like to meet the girl that has Jack Vines’ attention.”
“I will . . . not sure about tonight. She hasn’t even seen my place yet. Don’t want to jinx anything by introducing her to the ‘family.’”
Jeff snickered. “I hear ya.” He struggled with a few more bits of vinyl. “You haven’t mentioned anything about the ghost to her, have you?”
“What ghost?” Jack stopped to give Jeff a hard look. “You aren’t going to let it die, are you?”
“I’m just saying.”
“Well, knock it off, already. I’ve told you a hundred times: it was a random question. You don’t have to keep making it a big deal.”
Jeff held up his palms. “Sheesh! Got it. Didn’t want you scaring the girl off if you’re so crazy about her, is all.”
“I didn’t say I was crazy about her. Besides, Sam’s cool. She’s not the type to go running off and get spooked by little things.”
“So you are thinking about telling her you’ve seen a ghost.”
“For the last time . . . There. Are. No. Ghosts!”
“Okay, okay . . . I get it. Has she seen this grouchy side of you? She may not realize what she’s getting into. I might need to have me a little heart to heart with that gal.”
Jack lunged across the room playfully catching Jeff in a headlock. “That’s exactly why I’m staying clear of you guys.” He laughed, shaking his head. “Seriously, let it go, man, and we’ll try to slide by there this evening. But I’m warning you, you’d all better be on your best behavior.”
Jeff rubbed his hands together with the same zeal as a cartoon villain. “Sure we will. Hold on a sec . . .” Pulling his cell from his pocket, he punched the keypad.
“What are you doing?”
“Letting Cindy know there’ll be two more for dinner. Rule number one, my friend . . . don’t surprise your wife by bringing home unannounced guests.”
Jack stroked his jaw with mouth pursed. “Yeah, I seem to recall that incident the first time you showed up with me in tow.”
Jeff held the phone back, his lips moving as he read. “She says great. She can’t wait. Say . . . why aren’t we working on the Wingfield house today?” He shoved the cell into his pocket.
“Waiting for the electrician to come out. I need to get that taken care of before the plumber can come in and do his thing. The kitchen will be awesome when it’s finished.”
“I’ve seen the cabinets you are building. Nice.”
“Thanks. We aim to please.”
“You ought to have T-shirts printed up with that.” Jeff pulled at another tile. “You could use some good advertising.”
*****
By late afternoon, they’d removed most of the dining room and hall tile and cut out the damaged wood. Jack needed to be at the library to pick Samantha up around 5:00. The movie didn’t start until 7:20. He hoped Sam wouldn’t mind the detour. A visit to Jeff and Cindy’s hadn’t been in his plans, but it might be nice for her to meet with his friends. They’d need to grab a bite to eat anyway.
Jack hummed along to the radio, keeping time with his hands on the steering wheel. He drove into the parking lot, glanced at the clock, and realized he was early. With a few minutes to spare, he pulled out his cell and punched in the number for his mom. He tried to recall what day he had last called while he waited for her to answer.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Mom.” Jack leaned his head against the seat.
“Jack! What a wonderful surprise. What have you been up to? I was just telling your father it had been a while since we heard from you.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. Just busy with work and stuff. You guys doing okay?”
“We’re okay.” She hesitated. “Jack, are you sure you’re all right? It isn’t like you to go so long without calling. You know I worry.”
“Yeah, I know. Just working on the house. I got a new kitchen renovation . . . and . . .” He stopped, unsure if he should tell her about Sam. “I met someone.”
“Oh? Maybe she’s the woman I’ve been dreaming about. I keep seeing this dark haired wo—”
“No, Mom. Samantha has red hair. She works at the library here. I’m not in any danger.”
He loved his mother, but she could be overprotective. Every time he’d called in the last few weeks she’d gone on about the woman with the dark hair . . . the dreams, and the feeling he was in danger. “Mom, I’m fine, honest.”
“I know, I know.”
Her voice sounded placid across the line, but Jack knew she worried. “Listen, why don’t you guys come down for a visit soon? You can meet her for yourself. My birthday is coming up. It would be great to see you.”
“I’d love to—it’s your father who drags his feet. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Okay, Mom, you do that. I got to run.”
“Honey, please be safe. I know you think I’m a crazy old woman, but I can’t shake this feeling you’re in danger.”
“You’re not old or crazy, Mom . . . maybe a little nutty at times.” Jack smiled, trying to coax a laugh from her like he’d seen his father do countless times. “Love you!”
He waited for her to parrot the sentiment and tapped the screen to end the call.
Ah, Mom . . . He had to smile whenever he thought of her. There was no one else in the world like her. She could be one of the coolest people he knew, but she had her idiosyncrasies. Old fashioned and set in her ways, she could be both charming and frustrating at the same time. Something about the dream she mentioned nagged him. Jewel had dark hair—was it possible? He dismissed the idea. No, he simply had Jewel on his mind. She hadn’t written him in over a week, and it worried him.
In her last letter she said she wouldn’t be leaving for awhile. Had something made her change her mind? Was she the one in danger? Together he and Samantha had searched news articles, but had found no information. Searching through all that microfilm was as difficult as finding teeth on a hen. He wouldn’t give up though. Jewel’s life might depend on it.
He looked up as Samantha stepped out of the building. Bundled in a long coat and boots, her long auburn hair blew around her face, catching the waning sunlight. She took his breath away.
He rolled his window down and yelled, “Hey, doll, how’s about a date?”
Laughing, she pretended to take offense. “You’ll have to do better than that if you’re trying to pick me up, mister.”
Jack couldn’t resist a smile. He reached over to the passenger seat, scooped up the purchase he’d made on his way, and slid out the door. With a few steps he closed the distance between them.
“Miss Rose, would you be so kind as to accompany me to dinner and the theater this evening?” He presented her a dozen pink roses with a grand flourish.
“Oh, my goodness, Jack! They are beautiful!” She brought both hands to her cheeks. “You shouldn’t have.”
“Just wait before you thank me. I have a favor to ask.”
“Oh?” A shapely brow arched to meet his question.
“Would you be terribly upset if we visited some friends tonight? We can still make the movie if you want to, but they invited us to dinner . . .”
“Well . . .” She contorted her face and feigned deep thought.
“It’s Sloppy Joe night . . .”
“Why didn’t you lead off with that? I love Sloppy Joes. Am I dressed all right?”
“I’d say you are dressed perfectly.”
“So where are we headed?” She switched her purse to her free hand and locked arms with his.
“My friends Jeff and Cindy invited us over.” Jack loved the easy way she threaded her hand through his as they strolled to his truck. He opened the door and helped her inside.
“Oh, Cindy. I haven’t seen her since the last time she brought the girls for story time.”
“You’re sure you don’t mind? I promised you dinner out, but . . .”
“Don’t be silly.” She lifted the roses to her nose, breathing in the heady fragrance. “Mmm. But you owe me a big bucket of popcorn, Jack Vines.”
“You got it!”
“And extra butter,” she added, wagging a finger in his direction.
“Wouldn’t dream of it any other way.”
“Then you’ve got yourself a deal.”
Chapter 19
Samantha clutched the roses in her lap, enjoying the wide expansion of Rivermont. She never tired of the grandeur of these historical homes so beautifully preserved. She pressed her fingertips to the window, feeling the cold seep through her gloves. “You didn’t tell me we’d be riding through here. Will we pass your house?”
“Up on the left, there.”
“Oh, Jack! It’s beautiful. Please, can we stop on the way back? I’ve been dying to see the work you’ve done.”
“Why, Miss Rose . . . are you sure it would be proper?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.
“You!” She punched his arm. “What would you have thought if I’d gone home with you on that first night?”
“I’d assumed you were curious and wanted to tour the inside of my house for historical reasons.” His voice dropped. “Samantha, anyone that talks to you for any length of time, can tell you are a lady.”
“Aww . . . that’s the sweetest thing. Stop it, you’ll make me blush.”
He chuckled, a comforting rumble. “It’s true, but I should never put you in that position. I wasn’t thinking . . . You have that effect on me.”
“It’s okay. You have no idea how I wanted to say yes.” She clapped with childish delight. “I’m so excited. Did you get much done today?”
“Jeff and I worked on the floors. They’re a mess, but if you still want to, I’ll give you the grand tour.”
“You think I’m silly, don’t you?”
Jack was silent for what seemed like forever. There was no trace of teasing when he spoke. “Samantha, I’m not sure I should say what I think. No doubt I’d get myself in trouble. Let’s just say you’re adorable and leave it at that.”
His voice held an intimacy that made the roots of her scalp tingle. Her cheeks radiated a glowing heat. She pressed her lips together and turned her face to the window. Samantha was speechless—that didn’t happen often.
The next few hours passed quickly with laughter, teasing, and jokes at Jack’s expense. The Danners were excellent hosts, giving Sam the sense she’d always been part of their family. No wonder Jack enjoyed his visits.
There had been a slight resistance from the young Amanda. She had looked anything but pleased at the prospect of Jack bringing home a girlfriend, but Sam had coaxed her into a friendship of sorts when she nestled beside her on the large rug and showed her how to stay within the lines of her coloring book. Her picture had turned out better than that of her elder sister’s.
“Look at what I did, Unka Jack.” She beamed as she held her artwork up for display.
“Well, now . . .” Jack rubbed his chin with much thought. “I’d say that’s about the prettiest princess I’ve ever seen. You know what I like best?”
Amanda studied the picture. “What?”
“I especially like the way you colored one eye green and the other one purple. You don’t find that often, and that’s the mark of true beauty.”
She grinned, then stuck out her tongue at Megan. “See.”
“He’s just saying that so he won’t hurt your feelings,” Megan contended.
“Girls! It’s getting late.” Cindy eyed them. “Start packing your things and get ready for bed.”
“But we don’t want to,” began a chorus of complaints.
She held up a hand to hush their protests. “It isn’t open for debate. Upstairs and into those PJ’s. I’ll be up in a few minutes to read you a bedtime story.”
“Can Sam read us one?” Amanda tucked her chin to her chest, casting longing glances at her pretty new friend.
“Sam has been working all day. I’m sure—”
“It’s okay. . . I mean if it’s all right with you—I don’t want to intrude.”
“Are you serious?” Cindy laughed. “I’ve been on my feet for hours. This baby feels like he has a foot wedged in my spine. One less trip up those stairs would be a godsend. I’ll just sit here with these puppies propped up and keep an eye on these two.” To prove her point, she placed first one pink bedroom slipper, then the other on the coffee table.
*****
Jack watched Samantha guide her small charges up the steps, impressed with the way she’d gained their confidence. Seeing her interact with the children tugged at his heart.
“You like her . . . a lot!” Cindy pounced the minute the trio were out of sight. “I’ve seen the way you’ve been gawking at her tonight, like a fat man ogling a Big Mac.”
Jack gave a hearty laugh, not trying to deny it. “Oh, Cindy, the images you put in my head.”
“So you’re not going to try to wiggle out of it?”
“Nope, guilty as charged.”
“I knew it!” She folded her arms over her much-protruding belly and grinned.
“And it’s all thanks to you. I’m so thankful I took your advice and visited the library.”
“You aren’t even going to give me a chance to gloat are you?” Her face crumpled, her bottom lip thrust outward.
“Nope. I’ll hand it to you, you were absolutely right about Miss Samantha Rose. She’s the total package. I guess when we get married, we’ll have to name our firstborn after you. How does that work if it’s a boy?”
Cindy gave Jack a playful shove as he sat on the couch beside her. “Now Jack, don’t you think you’re getting ahead of yourself? Does she feel the same?”
“Guess you’ll need to ask her yourself. But I believe she likes me—what’s not to like?” He shook his head and doffed an imaginary hat. “You ought to start one of those couples’ sites.”
“Now you’re just teasing me. But you do like her, don’t you, Jack?”
He laughed. “Yes, I really do. She’s great. And all jokes aside, thank you."
“I’m so happy to hear you say that.” Turning to Jeff, she said, “Isn’t that exciting, Jeff?”
“Oh, yeah, electrifying. Jack’s love life is what’s keeping me awake at night.” Jeff stifled a yawn.
Cindy rolled her eyes and sucked her front teeth with her tongue. “You’re hopeless. At least he didn’t mention one word about ghosts tonight.”
“What’s this . . . did I miss something?” Samantha’s lithe figure returned to perch on the arm of the sofa near Jack.
Uh-oh, here it comes. Of all times for Samantha to return. “It’s nothing. They like to tease me.”
“Would this have anything to do with the names I’ve been researching?”
“Jack has you doing research for him . . . go on, Sam—”
“Oh, my, would you look at the time!” Jack sprang from the cushion, glancing at his watch. “Sam, we’re really going to have to move to catch that movie. Cindy, Jeff, thanks for dinner. Jeff, I’ll call you.” He steered Samantha up and toward the door.
“Now hold on a second, Jack. We’ve got a few minutes, and it’s safe to say we’re not going to make the show clear across town.”
“Yeah, who are you researching, Jack?”
Jack let his shoulders slump as he exhaled with defeat through his nose. “Fine. If you must know, Sam is finding out information on the original owners. I’ve been helping. Makes the place more like home when you have more of the history.”
“So this has nothing to do with the ghost?” Cindy asked, rubbing sma
ll circles on her belly.
“There. Is. No. Ghost.” Jack raked a hand through his hair, making it stand on end.
“Did you know he had this touchy side, Sam?” Jeff asked.
“I’m—I’m not touchy.” The words slipped from between clenched teeth. He wasn’t really angry but had grown tired of the subject.
Everyone laughed except Jack.
“Is it wrong to want to find out the history of the place you call home?”
Samantha patted his cheek in a motherly fashion and smoothed his hair. “Course not. You’re cute when you’re upset, though.” She slipped her hand in his. “I’m ready whenever you are. Thanks, you guys . . . I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.”
“You must not get out often.” Cindy chuckled. She attempted to rise, struggling like a bug trying to flip itself over.
“It’s okay, we’ll let ourselves out. You’ve done enough tonight.” Jack’s eyes widened, so they’d catch his double meaning.
They walked to the door and slipped out into the frosty night. Jack guided Sam by the elbow as they picked their way along the sidewalk. The salt and ice crunched beneath their boots, filling the silence between them.
“That was a little rude. You want to tell me what that was all about back there?”
No! Yes, oh . . . not yet. Jack wasn’t sure he was ready for this discussion. He wanted to share with her but was afraid of what she’d do. Without a word, he opened the truck door, helped her in, and walked around climbing into the driver’s side.
He sat in silence until she reached over and touched his hand. “It’s okay, Jack. You don’t have to tell me if you’re not comfortable.”
“No. No, it’s not that . . . I do want to tell you. It isn’t easy . . . I’ve been searching for the right words . . . You mean a lot to me, and I don’t want you running for the hills.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Jack.” Her voice sounded soft and caused ripples of delight to skip down his spine.
Jack started the truck and backed out into the street before speaking again. “Sam, I’d like to share something with you, but I want to show you a few things before I do. Is that all right with you?”
Jack could almost feel her confusion in the dark as she answered. “O-kay?”
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