Please don’t be stubborn. Come to dinner tonight to welcome the kids home. They’ll be here by six. I remember how much you love lobster, so I’m buying a bunch of two-pounders. One will have your name on it. I also recall how crazy you are about what’s in the bag.
If you’re really nice to me, I’ll even open your lobster for you again.
Looking forward to seeing you later,
Jake
Inside the bag were two Boston cream doughnuts. Nineteen years ago, he’d bought her one on the way to the airport and laughed at her moans of ecstasy while she’d eaten it.
If she accepted his invitation, she couldn’t tell him she’d been unable to bring herself to eat lobster since the one and only time she’d had it with him.
She took a giant bite from a doughnut and rolled her eyes as the thick sweet custard and the chocolate icing mingled in her mouth. There went the four pounds she’d managed to lose before the wedding.
The man was impossible. Why did he persist in reminding her of why she fell in love with him all those years ago?
She didn’t stand a chance of protecting her heart if, every time he made her furious, he wormed his way back into it by doing something so incredibly endearing.
She licked her fingers and shoved the second doughnut into the fridge to get the custard cold the way she liked it. Since Dan died, all she’d done was stuff her face. If she kept it up, pretty soon she’d be able to rent her butt out as a billboard.
~~~
Margie shifted impatiently from one foot to the other after she rang Jake’s bell at five-thirty. He swung the door open, wearing jeans, a light blue polo, and a smug smile that said he’d been confident she would show up.
She couldn’t see how he could be so sure, seeing as she hadn’t known herself what she would do until she actually turned into his driveway.
“I’m glad you decided to join us.” His gaze swept over her sleeveless turquoise top and down her white shorts to her legs. “Man, you look good enough to—”
“Don’t even think it, or I’ll turn around and leave.”
“Okay. I promise to behave myself.” He jerked his head toward the kitchen. “Come on, I’ll put you to work making a Caesar salad while I husk the corn.”
She followed him to the back of the house. “How’d your workout with Simon go?”
“Good. We jogged five miles and then spent the afternoon in my basement, lifting.”
No wonder Jake still had the body of a Greek god.
“You’re absolutely right about him. His reading problems have left him feeling pretty worthless. Once we build his confidence a little, I think he’ll be more motivated. And the more success he has in his reading, the better he’ll feel about himself.”
She shoved his shoulder. “Sure, push the responsibility back onto his reading teacher. I was counting on you to get his self-esteem up, so he’ll try harder.”
“I’m working on it. It’s not easy for a kid to forget about his classmates chanting Simple Simon on the school bus.”
It never ceased to astound her how cruel children could be to one another.
“Well, if anyone can help him, you can. I’ve seen a big difference in his attitude already.” She tore the romaine into a large bowl and slanted a glance at Jake. “You know, I discovered the strangest thing when I made my bed this morning.”
Closing his eyes, he caught his lip between his teeth.
“I found a few strands of short dark hair on the pillow next to mine. How do you suppose they got there?”
One corner of his mouth curled in amusement. “You sound just like the Mama Bear after Goldilocks visited.” He raised his voice to a higher pitched octave. “Someone has been sleeping in my bed.”
“If that’s the case, this story would have to be called Ravenlocks and the Three Bears. However, I’m thinking there might be a slightly different twist to the plot of this one. Why don’t you tell it to me?”
“Okay.” Jake chuckled and pulled a huge kettle out of a lower cabinet. “Once upon a time this fellow, Ravenlocks, went to visit a friend and fell asleep on Papa Bear’s sofa. Unfortunately, he woke up in the middle of the night because it was just too soft for his forty-two year-old aching back.”
“So why didn’t Ravenlocks just go home to his own Posturepedic?”
“He knew he was too groggy to make it back through the forest to his own cottage safely. So he thought about trying little Baby Emma Bear’s bed, but it was just too short for his six-foot-two body to be comfortable. Then he tiptoed into Mama Bear’s room and saw this gre-eeat big bed with a nice firm mattress—and Mama Bear asleep on it.”
“Exactly. It was already occupied.”
“Right. But that was part of the attraction. Ravenlocks remembered how much he liked sleeping with Mama Bear in his arms two nights before and figured if he was very quiet, Mama Bear might never know he’d been there.” He filled the lobster kettle with water and grumbled, “Of course, Ravenlocks never counted on leaving behind forensic evidence to his trespassing.”
She pursed her lips and nodded. “I thought the story probably went something like that.”
As he turned on the burner under the large pot, the phone rang. He scooped up the receiver and a smile spread across his face. “Rox, Honey, how are you?”
He listened a moment and then said, “Sorry, he’s not home yet. I’ll have him call you.”
Trying not to appear as if she were eavesdropping—which naturally she was—Margie busied herself at the sink.
“Me, too.” He laughed and jotted a string of numbers down on a pad. “I’ve missed you. I know Alex is looking forward to having you around again as much as I am.”
Margie squeezed her eyes shut. Jake had never kept it a secret that he wanted Roxanne back, but had they made a firm commitment to try again at their relationship? Maybe that had been the subject of their cozy little chat at the kids’ reception.
“Let me know if you need any help with your move back here. I’ll have Alex call you when he gets in.”
Were they actually planning a complete reconciliation? Margie’s throat constricted. She couldn’t believe the creep had the gall to climb into bed with her again—knowing full well he’d soon be living with Roxanne.
He chuckled at something his ex-wife said. “Okay, let me know. I love you. See you soon.”
When he hung up the phone, he smiled at Margie. “Would you please remind me to tell Alex to call his mom in Japan when he comes in?”
She simply nodded and finished husking the corn without a word.
He slid a bowl containing two sticks of butter in the microwave and closed its door harder than necessary. “Okay, I can tell when I’m gettin’ the silent treatment. What major faux pas have I committed now?”
“It’s nothing you would understand.”
“Try me.”
“Don’t you think Roxanne would be upset if she knew you and I slept together again on Saturday night?”
“Why should she when she’s been scratching her own itch with my best friend?”
Margie’s mouth fell open. “And that doesn’t bother you?”
“Hell, yeah. But what right do I have to complain? Besides, believe it or not, she suggested I take you to bed to get you out of my system.”
“You mean you discussed me with her?”
“Why not? Rox and I might have had problems in our marriage, but we never stopped being good friends.”
“Well, it’s nice the two of you can be so open-minded. I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear you’ve satisfied your yen.”
~~~
Jake studied the flush in Maggie’s cheeks as he maneuvered her back against the counter. “Have I?” He grabbed her hand and pressed her palm over the thick hard-on straining his fly. “It seems to me Saturday night simply whetted my appetite for more of you.”
Conflict raged in her eyes as she stared at him and swallowed audibly. She obviously wanted him as much as he wanted her. But her determinati
on not to give in was just as apparent as her desire.
“That’s too bad.” She spun away from him and proceeded to slice lemon wedges.
He waved his hand toward the pantry. “There’s croutons in the closet for the salad and fresh Parmesan in the fridge.”
“Wonderful. So is that the plan now?” She nodded toward the bowl of melted butter. “Fatten me up so you’ll no longer be attracted to me? By the way, I’d thank you for the doughnuts this morning, but you really didn’t do my waistline a favor.”
The image of Maggie with a rounded belly filled his head. He didn’t dare mention she might fatten up for a whole different reason than doughnuts or butter.
Had she given any thought to their irresponsible behavior on Saturday and the potential ramifications? He could con himself into believing she hadn’t mentioned birth control that night because she was on the pill. But why would she be taking them when she wasn’t even dating?
Or maybe she’d been so tipsy she didn’t remember they hadn’t used any protection. He refused to worry unnecessarily over something that had a slim chance of happening. Still, it would be nice to know if he should be concerned.
“So what form of birth control did you and Dan use?”
“What?” Her head snapped up. “Why would you ask me something like that? It’s none of your business.”
“I was just wondering if I should stick some extra condoms in my wallet. You’re acting as if I asked you how many times fly-boy could get it up in a week.”
Her face turned a deep pink to match her top as her gaze flickered with pain and dropped to the floor.
He closed his eyes. Damn it. Obviously, he’d inadvertently hit a bull’s eye. No wonder she’d gone off like a firecracker on Saturday.
When she turned away, he squeezed her shoulders. “I’m sorry. How long did Dan have a problem?”
“The last two years,” she whispered.
Which were most likely preceded by a few more years of only occasional sex. “That’s a long time to go without—especially for a woman in her prime. Should I assume you’re still not using anything?”
She spun back to face him. “It doesn’t matter what you assume, because we’re not ever having sex again in this lifeti—”
The garage door swung open in the laundry room and Emma and Alex strolled into the kitchen. Maggie threw her arms around her daughter. “Oh, Em, I missed you. Did the two of you have a nice time?”
Emma smiled at Alex and sighed. “Yes, it was wonderful. You should’ve seen the hotel, Mom. We were on the top floor with this big terrace overlooking the Hudson River. At night, we could see all the lights from the New Jersey shoreline.”
As a wedding gift, Jake had booked the bridal suite for them for three nights.
“Thanks, Dad.” Alex handed him the itemized hotel bill charged to his credit card. “The suite was spectacular.”
Jake scanned the receipt and smiled. “Yes, it must’ve been. The two of you apparently never left it.”
Alex’s gaze narrowed. “What makes you say that?”
Chuckling, Jake folded the bill and stuck it in his pocket. “Nine room service charges in two and a half days tells the whole story, son.”
He removed the lobsters from the refrigerator and dropped them one at a time, headfirst into the pot.
“Hot damn—lobster.” Alex rubbed his hands together. “You’re spoiling us.”
“Actually, I didn’t plan this dinner for you. I did it for Maggie.”
Emma’s eyebrows drew together. “Uhh—Mr. M, I know my mom is too polite to say anything, so I’ll tell you. She really hates lobster. Maybe we could broil a piece of chicken or something for her.”
He shot a look at Maggie gnawing on her lower lip. “She hates it, does she? Maybe she just hasn’t tried it recently.”
“Jake is right, Em. I might like it now. It’s been so many years since I’ve had it. I mean, I like shrimp, right? You keep telling me they’re similar.”
Emma did a double take at her mother. “Daddy tried to get you to eat lobster for years. You wouldn’t touch—”
“Emma, just drop it.” Alex cut her off sharply and jerked his head toward the bedroom. “Let’s go unpack while dinner’s cooking.”
Jake peered at his son as Alex walked past wearing a definite smirk on his face. He’d wager both of his Super Bowl rings his kid knew something. Exactly what, Jake couldn’t say.
“Alex,” he called after him. “Your mom wants you to call her in Japan.” He handed his son the paper with Roxanne’s hotel number. As soon as the kids went into the bedroom, he turned to Maggie. “So you despise lobster, huh? Why is that?”
“Why do you think? It reminds me of a painful time in my life. Now I have to either stick with just corn and salad this evening, or develop a sudden fondness for something I’ve refused to eat for nearly two decades.”
He cupped her cheek in his hand. “I suggest you let me help you do an about-face tonight. Unless you want to spend the next twenty years passing up something you love.”
~~~
A half-hour later, Margie let Jake crack the claws of her lobster for her as he’d promised. Using her seafood fork, he pulled a big chunk of meat from the shell, dipped it in drawn butter, and held it to her mouth. “Here, try it. I guarantee you’ll love it.”
She wrinkled her nose to play out the charade and then closed her mouth around the bite, closing her eyes as she chewed it. “Umm—that is good. I should’ve stopped being so stubborn and tried this again years ago.” Really. “I feel so stupid.”
Jake chuckled and wiped some butter from her chin with his napkin.
An angry scowl spread across Emma’s face. “Just cut the act, Mom. Alex told me you were involved with his father before you married Daddy, but I didn’t want to believe it. Obviously, your hatred of lobster had something to do with him.” She glared at them both. “Why didn’t you tell me about the two of you?”
Margie glanced between Alex and her daughter. How much did the kids know? “Because I knew it would upset you. You have no idea how horrified I was the night you told me he was your teacher. Jake was the last person in the world I wanted to see.”
“Did you love him?” Emma’s upper lip curled.
“I thought I did.” Margie drew in a shuddering breath and glanced at Jake. It wasn’t quite the truth, but it was close enough.
“What about Daddy?”
Jake reached over and squeezed her daughter’s hand. “Emma, your mom married your father because she loved him—not me.”
“If that’s the case, why don’t you just leave my mother alone?” She yanked her hand away. “She didn’t want you then, and she doesn’t want you now.”
Margie’s throat ached. If only that were true, everything would be so much simpler.
Alex wrapped his arms around Emma and kissed the tears from her eyes. “Shhh—Angel, how would you feel if an old boyfriend’s son got our daughter pregnant in twenty years? They’re just trying to make the best of a bad situation.”
Emma swiped at her damp cheeks and glowered at Jake. “Just stop trying to take my dad’s place. You have your own family.”
Yeah. Margie swallowed hard. A family he was eager to get back together. She stared at Jake and her voice came out in a hoarse whisper, “You have nothing to worry about, Emma. Aside from spending holidays and special occasions with the two of you, Jake and I will have no reason to see each other after tonight.”
Chapter 15
Two weeks later, Jake strolled to the end of the driveway after dinner to get the mail he’d forgotten to collect that afternoon. He’d been driving by Maggie’s condo and leaving messages on her answering machine every day. Her refusal to return his calls made it crystal clear she didn’t want anything to do with him—despite that he ached to see her.
Okay. So he wanted more than to just see her. A lot more.
As he closed his mailbox, he noticed Tina Sutton riding her bicycle on the opposite side of the roa
d. She’d been one of the freshmen in his Human Development class. After losing her sister to an auto accident in January, she’d started staying late after class to talk to him.
“Hi, Tina.” He waved.
The teen had become depressed and withdrawn after her sister’s death which had alienated her from the other kids at school. He’d asked Pam Garner to keep tabs on her, but unfortunately, he hadn’t seen much change in the girl regardless of her regular visits to the guidance office. She desperately needed a friend to listen and a social life to help her put the tragedy in her life behind her.
“Hey, Mr. M.” Tina steered her bike across the road and skidded to a stop next to him.
“You’re a long way from home for this late in the day.”
“I know.” She pushed her wispy blonde hair out of her shimmering eyes as she wiped her tear-streaked face. “I just had to get away from there.”
“You look like you could use a cold drink. How about a Coke?”
“Thanks.” She followed him back to the house and sank onto a stool at the breakfast bar. “My parents are fighting all the time now. I can’t take living there anymore.”
The can of soda hissed as he popped the top and handed it to her. “Do you have any family you could visit this summer?”
“I have a grandmother in Ohio. They probably wouldn’t even notice if I left, except they wouldn’t have anyone to make their snide comments to.”
Jake propped his butt against the counter. “Believe me, they’d miss you if you weren’t there. You’ve seen how tough your sister’s death has been on your parents. What do you think it would do to them to lose you, too?”
“Give them one less thing to fight about,” she muttered.
Removing the teen as their go-between might actually force the Suttons to talk to each other and confront their problems.
“You know, Tina, when a couple’s child dies, it’s natural for them to look for someone to blame. Usually it’s each other or themselves.”
“Or me.” She gulped her soda. “I was the one who introduced Leah to Trevor. If she hadn’t gone out with him that night she’d still be alive.”
“No.” Jake shook his head and sat next to her. “It’s no one’s fault. Call it fate or God’s will. I don’t believe your parents blame you. They’re just going through a rough patch in their marriage. Would you mind if I give them a call?”
A Little Bit of Déjà Vu Page 21