by Rita Hestand
He nodded again awkwardly, "I understand. I am glad you like it here. But…gotta tell you, we all miss you."
"Really? Jesse, I haven't so much as had a call from you in all this time…" She scrutinized him for a second. "How could I know you missed me?"
He looked down at the floor. "I know that Melanie. I guess I was too shy and awkward to tell you before. That was my fault. Anyway, when I heard, you were dating that Brad fella I figured you wouldn't want me to call. And I totally understood you dating him because you were up here and going to school functions again. So, I didn't. But I wanted to explain why I dated Maureen to you…"
"Oh, you don't have to…" she insisted.
"I know I don't, but I want to. Yes, I think I do, because I could tell by your expression you thought it odd. When Carl died so suddenly, Maureen was in bad shape. She couldn't accept it. She went through some head trips during that time. Everyone noticed. I was there, unattached and thought I should be the one to console her. She was so torn up about Carl. I wanted to comfort her. But she got to taking it too seriously. That's why I broke it off. She's still in love with Carl and I don't think she realizes it. And as you know they planned on getting married and I think she's hung up on that possibility too. Like she could just switch men. But I didn't date her for that reason. I just wanted her to have someone she could count on. She had other ideas."
Melanie reflected on that a moment, she remembered how Jesse was the kind of man that always comforted people. He was strong, steady, and always there for a friend. Why had she forgotten that? It seemed she had forgotten a lot of things.
"You don't owe me any explanations Jesse. I was wondering though, they were so close. For so long. Carl was a good driver, tell me what happened? I was really shocked to hear it."
"I asked your folks to let you know, but they insisted you were busy with your school work and it was dead of winter, you couldn't have been there anyway. Well, it was raining cats and dogs that night. According to the Sheriff, he hit a chuckhole in the road and lost control of his car, is what the Sherriff told me. He hit another car too, but no one was hurt but him. Maureen blames herself for it though."
"Why? She wasn't with him, was she?"
"Oh no, but they'd had a fight that night, and she thought he wasn't thinking straight or something. Said if they hadn't fought, he'd probably still be alive. I don't think that had anything to do with it, and told her so, but she prefers to blame herself. I can't change that. I love her as a friend, but she's a bit on the dramatic side, if you remember."
"Oh yeah, I remember. I should go home and see her I feel bad that I wasn't there for the funeral, but I honestly didn't know."
"I know that. I told your mother that you would want to know about it. But she insisted that she'd tell you later. It would be nice if you came home for a visit some time. I know I'd enjoy seeing you. And I know I didn't have to explain about her or your folks but just wanted you to know. I wasn't trying to step into Carl's shoes. That was never my intention. A lot of folks at home thought I was. But that wasn't the case at all. I mean Maureen is nice, but she is still in love with him. It's just a case of I was there and available."
"I really wish she could find someone else, now. But that takes time to get over, I'm sure."
"Well, everyone in town assumed we'd get married, but that was not what it was about. Still, you can't stop the town gossips you know. They've been pairing me with every girl I look cross-eyed at for the past four years."
"I guess that kind of put you in a spot." She paused reflectively. "I know it must hurt a lot, her loving him so much. They were so in love…" Melanie shook her head as a tear slipped down her cheek. "All during high school she would talk about how great he was and that they were going to get married someday."
"It's hard in a small town to pair up with someone when you grow up. Most everyone already has paired up and it leaves you alone. I really should have spread my wings a bit and moved out of that town, but I just have so many friends there. Still, the urge to roam hits me every now and then. That's why I'm thinking of opening another store."
"Really, where?" She asked, leaning back so she could stare at him.
"Here, in Houston. I could probably do twice the business up here. I've got a lot of connection here, because this is where I order my stuff from and people know me here almost as much as down there."
"Can you afford to have two stores?" She asked.
"I have little else to spend it on now, so yes, I could, and it would pay off fast. I'm going to attend the convention in a couple of weeks up here and see what I can stir up. I'm interested in expanding. I might even move up this way. I found a nice colonial style house up here I'm interested in. Maybe you'd come and look at it with me."
"Yeah, I'd love to. I never thought you'd move out of Lone Oak." She looked at him, just now realizing how successful Jesse really was. "I never doubted you'd do well, but for the longest I wasn't sure what you were going to do with yourself. But…. you are really doing well now though Jesse? I always thought you would. You had so many handyman talents." Melanie remarked seeing Jesse from a different point of view.
"Being a handyman during high school did keep me busy and gave me a little money on the side. I guess so, in a small-town kind of way. Since you've been gone so long, I sort of look after your folks a bit. I mean your dad, needs glasses and is too stubborn to go get them, that's why I drove them up here. Your mom was really worried about him driving and I don't blame her. I've tried every tactic I know to get him to go to the eye-doctor. But I couldn't tell you all this with them around. I wanted you to know, I will check in on them from time to time, although I manage to see your father a lot as he comes in, shoots the breeze and usually never buys anything. He just likes to talk. Customers always enjoy him stopping by.""
Melanie could not believe that Jesse was still the swee, caring man she had once known. He was looking after her folks. It was clearly her job, but he was that considerate. Had she misjudged him all this time? He really had grown up. And she had never noticed.
"Why aren’t you dating someone else?" Melanie blurted.
"Like I said small towns pair up faster than city people. There aren't that many girls left my age to consider. There's Candy Taylor, she's all about having babies, and that kind of scares me off. Cindy Jeffers, she's too stuck on herself and the captain of the football team dumped her for another less self-centered girl. And strangers are just that, strangers."
Mel laughed.
"And I won't just settle. Part of why I travel a bit to get out and meet people. Maybe someday I'll meet someone nice and settle down. I've been thinking of opening a shop up here. I mean I travel enough it wouldn't be hard to manage both. I've managed to save a lot to I've got some good people working for me in Lone Oak, there's Jerry Richards, you know him and Dave Stuart, he's the most valuable employee I have."
"Really, you must be doing pretty well then."
"Well, my father died a couple of years ago, and my mother went into an assisted living home. So, there was a little money and my mother wanted me to invest it in the business. So yeah, I've done alright. Dad taught me a lot after I got out of high school, and I decided to put it to use." He smiled shyly. They'd run out of conversation so he stood up. "Well, I guess I'll be going, told your folks I'd check on you. So, anything you want me to tell them?"
"Just that I'll call them soon and maybe come home for a visit in a bit, when I have more time."
"Alright, you are okay, aren't you?" He asked. "I mean you seemed a little nervous the last time I saw you."
"Did I? Well, new apartment and Mom, I knew she would inspect it with a fine-tooth comb. And she did."
She thought about telling him about her dilemma but she thought it might worry her folks.
"I’m fine, getting used to my work routine and all."
"Good, well, I'll see ya." He said and turned toward the door.
She followed him, "Jesse, thanks for coming by, it was s
o sweet of you." She tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek. "And thanks for keeping tabs on my folks. If you ever need to, call me."
He turned his head a fraction, hesitated and then opened the door. For a split second, she thought he was going to kiss her back, and funny, but she wanted him to, just out of curiosity. When a man matures, things can change and she wondered if anything had with him.
"See ya Melanie."
"Come by when you can. It's nice visiting with you."
"Sure, I'll be up here in a couple of weeks for a convention, maybe we could have dinner one night."
"I'd like that. Call me," she wrote down her number on a piece of paper.
"Thanks," he took the paper, and stuffed it in his pocket. "Bye Melanie."
"Bye…" she waved.
Chapter Eighteen
"Was that Jesse?" Dex asked with an unexplained impatience as he stared down the hallway. He'd come over the minute Jesse left.
Melanie frowned at him.
"Yes, it was, and I was glad to see him," Melanie suppressed a smile. Then she turned to Dex and looked him over. "Glad to see you too." Dressed in jeans and a polo shirt, he looked just showered and smelled divinely like a man.
She opened the door wide to let him in. "Yeah, he stopped by. My folks had been trying to call for the longest and not getting me. Of course, I turned my phone off like you suggested, so they worried."
"I thought he wasn't interested in you anymore." His tone was oddly accusing, as he whipped around to stare at her.
"He isn't." Surprised by his suggestive tone, she didn't immediately offer an explanation. But on considering their relationship she finally offered him a reason for Jesse's surprise visit. "Like I said, my folks were worried because I wasn't answering my phone at work. I'll give them a call and let them know what I'm doing." She sighed. "They had no idea I had turned my phone off at work, purposely. It obviously alarmed them. And they don't know my schedule or the trouble I've been having. I've been so preoccupied I haven't called them, and I should have. I should have explained."
"He came all the way up here for that?" Dex questioned. There was still a bit of suggestiveness in his question.
Melanie felt on the defensive.
"Yes, will you stop fretting. Want something to drink?" She asked wishing she had time to wake up this morning but not with all this surprise company. And not with the attitudes. Jesse had been a pleasant surprise but Dex was flirting with a male ego problem this morning. Could he be jealous of Jesse? The thought had her reeling. Didn't he trust her?
"No, I just couldn't believe he was here, and that early too."
She chuckled. "It was a surprise. But that's the difference in small-town people and city people." She grinned at him. "In small towns people get up early and are on the move." She explained. "You should know that, you came from Ennis."
"It's been a long time since I lived there. And I did my best not to cultivate many of their habits. Is that all he wanted?"
Melanie shot him a quick frown. It was too early in the morning for an inquisition.
"Basically, he asked me out to dinner in a couple of weeks, he's coming into town for a convention." She explained.
"And he's not interested huh?" Dex frowned. "Did you accept?"
"Would you stop with the fifty questions. He's an old friend from my home town. I did accept his invitation. It would be rude not to. Besides, you and I are not exclusive and we are both free to see other people."
Dex frowned again. "Is this some sort of female trick to buy you a ring? Just so you can feel exclusive. I don't like it. And correct me if I'm wrong, we are committed to each other."
"Oh, for Pete's sake. Jesse is an old friend, and I'm sure you have a lot of old friends too." She teased. "And no, commitment is a ring on the finger, a promise in your heart."
"Yeah, sure I got friends. Lots of them, but they rarely visit me, especially this early." He shook his head. "And we haven't known each other long enough for an engagement, you said so yourself."
She laughed. "I wasn't hinting for a ring either."
"Did you tell him about your stalker?"
"No," Melanie frowned. "I didn't want him telling my folks about it. I don't want them worrying about it. It would be another reason they would think I should come home."
"Probably a good idea that you didn't. Besides, it could be him."
Melanie's head jerked around to stare at Dex. He was quick on the draw about her stalker. "Oh, get real. Jesse isn't the type and he also explained why he drove my folks up and a few other things that puzzled me at the time."
"So why did he drive them up?"
"My dad's having eye troubles and is too stubborn to go to the doctor and get glasses. Why do men think that's a weakness?" Melanie shook her head.
Dex grinned, "Male ego, maybe. Don't want to admit they are getting old or something of that nature."
They sat down on the couch together and Dex kissed her, making her relax and lean into him more. She enjoyed his kisses. The kisses lingered and she was ravenous for them.
"So, did you put your gun up?"
"Yes…" she smiled and kissed his jaw.
"Where?"
"Never mind, it's safe." She told him, sitting up straight now. He was taking the fun right out of necking.
He frowned, "You aren't going to tell me?"
"No, I'm not telling anyone. It's my defense. Besides," she grinned at him now. "A woman should have a few secrets."
He nodded, "Okay, as long as you take care of it."
"I will. I might need it."
Dex stared at her, "Let's hope not."
"So, did you see what this Jesse was driving?" Dex asked as he relaxed.
She giggled.
"What's so damned funny?" He frowned instantly.
"You! He drives a truck, a blue pickup truck. Always has, always will. He's partial to blue and he needs a truck in his business. And it's a Chevy, just for your information."
"Which is?"
"What?"
"His business."
"He owns a plumbing hardware store."
"You sure know him well."
"I should! I grew up with him silly." Mel teased, "Are you jealous?"
"No, why should I be."
"You shouldn't." She kissed his jaw.
"Well, I came over to tell you that I'll be working nights straight for three or maybe four days this week, so I won't see you, but maybe we can go for a dinner and movie when that changes."
"Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me know."
"Your car running alright since we got it back from the shop?"
"Yeah, pretty much… I mean, I haven't driven it, we just got it home last night. It's still parked where we left it. But I'll pay you on payday for the charges."
"Good. Oh, and I talked to Earl about the people above you. Said it was a lady and she had a lot of boxes when she moved in, and no man to lug them for her. But if the noise keeps up, let him know and he'll go tell her to keep it down."
"Really, okay. Sounds fair."
"Or I could stop by and tell her."
"No, it would be better coming from Earl, then you."
"I guess you are right."
He leaned into her now and kissed her hotly on the lips. She gave into his kisses, allowing him every pleasure. Sighing heavily, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer. She moaned in her throat at his gentle persuasion. As his hunger grew, his lips hardened against her, sending a spiral of ecstasy through her, like and arrow headed for a dartboard. She squirmed and reached to run her fingers through his short hair.
His hands began to wander to the back of her shirt and going under it, his hands explored. Warm vibrations rocketed through her until his hand came up against her bra.
She pulled away. He stared.
"What's wrong?" He asked innocently.
"I'm not ready for that…"
"What?" He frowned. "We're just necking."
"The groping. It's too soon. And
way too early in the morning for something like that."
"You've been saying that for a while now. I thought maybe we'd graduated from just kissing. I mean we are consenting adults. Not groping teenagers."
Again, his tone had turned hard. Brad sprang to her mind. He'd been insistent too. Was Dex just another Brad in wolf's clothing? She was fully aware that their necking led to more than just kissing and that he was well prepared to go through with whatever she would allow him. She wasn't dumb. A little naïve maybe, but not dumb.
She got up and moved around the room nervously wondering why it suddenly bothered her so much. She just wasn't ready to take that step, even with Dex. Although many kisses and she would have been. She knew that, that's why she always came up for air. She wasn't on the pill, and she couldn't keep reminding him. "I'm just not comfortable with it yet. And I'm not consenting."
"You have something against sex? Is there something we need to talk about?" He asked his tone a bit sharper. He sounded so much like Brad she had to stare at him. There was little difference in how the two men handled sexual frustration. Problem was, she didn't like him like this. She didn't like any man like this.
"No, not with commitment I don't. If you really want to make love there should be at the very least an agreement of exclusiveness. But we are not committed and it's too soon anyway. I want to get to know you better. I want to be with you, but…I don't even know if you date other girls too or not. I'm not going to just jump into bed with you that easily. I thought you knew and understood that. I tried to make it clear."
"I'm not dating anyone but you. I thought you knew that." He demanded suddenly.
"No, we haven't discussed it. Look, I'm sorry, touching leads to sex. And I don't want just sex from a man. I want a real commitment. And I've just gotten the job I've always wanted and I don't want to end up pregnant, as I'm not on the pill."
"You just said it's too soon."
"And it is, for either." She told him her temper rising at his insistence. Why couldn't she make men understand?
"I care about you, I’m half in love with you now, isn't that enough?" he asked. "I'm not seeing anyone else. I don't even want to. Isn't that enough for you? I mean come on, we've barely dated a month and you are already hollering about commitment and a ring."