Within Six Months (A Wild Roses Novel Book 1)

by Cleo Scornavacca

  “Thank you for the flowers. They’re my favorite,” I said, as I put the vase with the sunflowers on my coffee table.

  “I know. I called Viv to ask her what you liked.” He grinned with an audacious sense of pride in his voice.

  I’m smiled at him. “I’ll need to have a talk with my aunt about revealing my secrets,” I joked, but was kind of honored he went out of his way to find out what I loved.

  The timer buzzed on the oven. Excusing myself to set up for dinner, I was about to bring the hot serving dish out to the dining table when the house reverberated from a powerful electrical boom sounding outside. Along with that sound came the roar of the thunder, the violence of the rain, as the loss of electrical power ceased, and the room went dark.

  “Great…that’s just great,” I said and gazed up at the ceiling as if I would find the answers to my power issues floating somewhere above my head.

  Tommy looked out the window to check on the storm. His silhouette was illuminated by the light of the candles nearby. His physique, accented by the tight-knit t-shirt he wore tonight, was incredible.

  “Boy, it’s coming down out there. Don’t worry, I’m sure it will let up soon. These types of storms usually pass quickly.”

  “I’m not worried. I just don’t think dinner will work out quite as well in the dark.”

  “Would you like to have a raincheck? We can do this another time.” He misunderstood. I didn’t want him to go, so I had to think fast.

  “No, I’d like you to stay. We can eat in the living room around the coffee table. I think it will be easier than trying to maneuver with no light in the dining room.”

  He walked closer to me. “I’m glad you want me to stay,” he said, as his fingertips lightly grazed my cheek.

  Goosebumps covered my skin from his touch.

  Maybe it wasn't a good idea to have dinner with him, after all.

  He turned around to survey the room, clapped his hands once, and rubbed them together as if we needed to get down to business. “Do you have any flashlights?”

  “Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I have two under the kitchen sink. Let me get them.”

  I fumbled a bit in the dark but eventually retrieved the flashlights. Yet, when I returned, Tommy had already lit additional candles in the living room. My house glowed with hues of gold, white, and cream.

  I handed Tommy a flashlight, but the living room was now bright enough, so we didn’t need them.

  He placed his on the coffee table. He was quiet, but then reached out for me to take his hand. “Come and have a drink with me before dinner.”

  I placed my hand in his, as he pulled me to the couch. We raised our glasses and toasted to an enjoyable evening with great company.

  We both took a sip. It was cool and delicious, as bubbles lightly tickled my face. Up until now, we made some small talk, which worried me. Even though we had just met, there never seemed to be a problem when it came to a conversation with him. Tommy’s awkwardness was explained once we were comfortable and he asked the burning question that must have weighed heavily on his mind. He put down his glass and took my hand again. This time he entwined his fingers with mine and gave them a supportive squeeze. He stared at them for a minute before looking up at me.

  “Were you okay today?” He spoke softly and with a great deal of concern.

  “Oh, is that what this is all about?” I deduced.

  “I’m not sure I understand?” He appeared confused by my question.

  “Well, you haven't said very much since you walked in, but I get it now.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.” He voice was sexy and attentive.

  “I told you last night I was fine. Slightly humiliated, but no worse for wear,” I admitted, as I looked down at our hands.

  Tommy jiggled them briefly so he could get my attention.

  “You have no reason to feel humiliation. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “I allowed Reece to get to me, and I lied about us…again.”

  “So?” He said bluntly.

  “So, I guess he felt it was his job to insult you last night. Tommy, if it wasn't for me pulling you into this nightmare, you wouldn’t be dealing with Reece on a day to day basis,” I explained.

  “I’m a big boy, trust me. I told you before I’ve dealt with a few Reece Montgomery types over the years.”

  I nodded.

  “Hey, I mean it. Reece Montgomery is not worth my time.”

  “Yes, but he asked me if he could walk me to my door after we had an uneventful and almost normal dinner. Maybe I should have known he was up to his old tricks when dinner was too good to be true.”

  “So?”

  “So…” I stopped there and stared at Tommy. I didn’t want to talk about Reece Montgomery or Damien anymore this evening.

  “C’mon Jade, you can’t believe because you agreed to let him walk you to your door, it was okay for him to think he could manipulate you?” He asked as if my view of last night’s situation was ridiculous.

  “No. But I haven’t dated anyone since Damien, and I’m starting to think this is all my fault. If I had kept my mouth shut, he wouldn't be trying to trip us up at every turn when he sees us together.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Reece will keep trying to get you and his son back together, regardless of us. Like I said, I know his type. He doesn’t have boundaries.” Tommy’s voice became strained, as his hand tightened further around my fingers to the point I could physically feel his anger.

  “I guess then I should be grateful you were home to rescue me, again.” I smiled, and his grip loosened.

  “From the look of things on my end, you didn’t need much rescuing. You handled him pretty well, and appropriately I might add.”

  “I’ve had a great deal of practice where Reece is concerned. I was pretty good, wasn’t I?” I teased.

  “Yeah, you were pretty good.” He warmly agreed and looked at me with a new intensity I hadn't seen from him before. I didn’t know what to make of it or how to handle it, so I changed the subject quickly.

  “Are you hungry?” I asked quickly.

  He grinned because he knew what I was doing. Yet, he didn’t let on.

  “Starving.”

  “Okay. I’ll get the food. You get the plates. I set the table in the dining area. You can just grab them from there, and we can set it up over here.” I pointed to the large wooden coffee table in the living room.

  My living space on the first level of my house had an open floor plan, similar to Tommy’s, except my living room and dining room were in one large great room up front, and my spare bedroom was toward the back of the house or should I say the front, near the main door and the foyer I rarely used, on the street side, away from the ocean. To most people that would be the front of the house, but to me the front was the beach, where my living area was.

  Tommy’s place, on the other hand, had a more narrow layout for the living room, dining room, and kitchen. The living space was open, but parallel to those rooms was a huge master bedroom that ran the opposite length of the house, divided by a main wall. It wasn't always that way, but my parents had changed it when Jimmy and I were growing up so they could have a bedroom suite on the main floor. While Jimmy had the original master bedroom on the second floor, I occupied the smaller room adjacent to his.

  I brought the dish to the table where Tommy had set out our plates and wine glasses. I placed the dish down and went back to retrieve the Pinot Noir I had opened earlier. Tommy placed some of the large throw pillows he took from the couch onto the floor around the coffee table so we could eat comfortably. He also brought some of the candles from my sideboard by the dining room window over to the table, giving us some extra light while we ate.

  Tommy filled our glasses and proposed a toast.

  “To lasting friendships” I mimicked his sentiment.

  “This looks delicious.” He said, viewing his dish.

  “Hold off on your judgment until you actually taste it.�
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  “Don’t be so negative.”

  “Oh, I’m not. I must warn you, I’m not the greatest cook.”

  “Huh? How can you say that? You’re a chef.” He appeared perplexed.

  I laughed at his confusion.

  “I’m a pastry chef, big difference. Some people are amazing chefs when it comes to savory foods, and some chefs have the art for sweets. Sweets are my specialty, savory not so much.” I explained.

  “So… if I recall, you had my culinary skills in question last night, and that’s why we agreed you would cook for me tonight. Now you're telling me this food may be inedible?” He looked down at the plate before him in disappointed awe.

  I smirked playfully at him.

  “No, I’m just saying if you were expecting culinary genius, think again.”

  With that, Tommy took a large spoonful of the risotto to give me his honest opinion. He was savoring every bite, but he gave nothing away. I couldn’t tell if he liked it or not.

  “Well?” I coaxed.

  He wiped his mouth and placed his napkin next to his plate.

  “Well, what?” He continued to be vague.

  “Stop joking. How is it?” I pressed him for an answer.

  “Oh, you want to know how the risotto is?”

  “Grrr… yes! I do. Do you like it or not?”

  “Not,” he said.

  “Oh no, it’s that bad isn’t?” With a grimace, I felt defeated. Give me an order for Creme Brûlée and I’d nail it, but give me a simple dinner and it’s usually burnt or raw. Yet, I was surprised about the risotto. I thought after all these years of practice I finally perfected it.

  He laughed out loud.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You.”

  “Me?” I was confused.

  “You can’t tell I’m joking with you. It’s amazing, Jade.”

  “Amazing, really?”

  “Yeah, amazing, just like you.” His expression changed into something I hadn’t seen on Tommy’s face before. It was dark and intense…not scary. It was hot and sensual.

  I squirmed in my seat at the thought of Tommy and that statement, but I prayed with our close proximity he hadn’t noticed. I looked down. I didn't know how to respond. I couldn’t believe how self-conscious I felt around him. It wasn't something he did; it was me. I never had this problem around Damien. Or maybe I reacted differently back then, when Damien’s opinion of me didn’t matter as much as I once thought.

  “Hey, don’t look down. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you.” He lifted my chin and stroked my jawline, making certain I heard what he said.

  I surprised myself when I placed my hand on his.

  “No, it’s not that.”

  “Then what is it, Jade?”

  “It’s not easy for me to take a compliment. I never know how to act,” I admitted. “Although my desserts are complimented on a regular basis at the shoppe. The personal compliments feel unnatural to me.”

  “Unnatural? How can someone as beautiful as you not be used to men complimenting them all the time?” He was taken back by the fact I wasn't used to being the center of attention by any man.

  I wanted to change the subject, yet I knew this could be the perfect time to set the record straight, and if he wanted to get to know me more, friendship and being neighbors was our only option.

  Removing my hand and placing it on the table, he followed my action but gave no reaction when he looked to me for an explanation. Swallowing hard, I began what I thought would be a convincing declaration of why we should only be friends.

  “Maybe unnatural is not a good definition? Maybe the word I’m looking for is insincere?”

  “I think I liked unnatural better,” he teased, trying to break the tension that I caused.

  “What I mean by that…and this is not directed at you in any way…” I clarified.

  “Duly noted.”

  “After Damien and I broke up, I had plenty of time to think and I realized, even when we weren't getting along, or I should say we weren’t being intimate, he would still compliment me and put on a show. You know, act like everything was good in public, but what came out of his mouth was forced. I hadn’t noticed it at the time.”

  “That’s because you were dealing with something so devastating…real life.”

  “Perhaps, but like I said, I’ve had time to get over it and I’m happy where I ended up.” Hopefully, Tommy would take the bait.

  “Where is that?” He questioned.

  Good…now for the hook, “Here on the island, building up my business and not having to answer to anyone but myself.”

  “And to the occasionally nosy ex-father-in-law to-be.” Tommy justifiably smirked.

  “I’ll give you that. Reece is nosy and stubborn and adamant and controlling, but unfortunately for him and fortunately for me, he will never get his way.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, positive, because I know I can never be with Damien again. Besides, I don't want to be with anyone else either.”

  More bait…

  “Why is that?”

  Letting out of the breath I was holding, I explained.

  “Because as heartbroken as I was to see our relationship crumble, I was far more broken without Jimmy.”

  The elephant in the room was the silence that loomed between Tommy and me, brought on by the mention of my dead brother. Tommy studied his glass of wine, took a drink to ease the gravity of the situation, and then sat back and studied me.

  “So what you’re telling me is that your brother’s death has changed how you feel about being in a relationship…about falling in love?”

  “Yes, Jimmy’s death and Courtney and Damien’s betrayal have changed the way I feel about being in love. I don't want it. I don't want to think about it. I just want to have fun. No ties, no commitments.” As the words left my lips, it was as if I didn't even know who the girl was making that statement anymore.

  I knew it’s what I said I wanted, but as I tried to justify my reasoning to Tommy it sounded more and more wrong, and it certainly didn't sound like me. Nevertheless, I put it out there, and there it would remain. I couldn't change my mind now.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  Not the reaction I expected.

  “What’s your plan?”

  “Plan? I don’t have any plan.”

  Where was he going with this?

  “Well, you said yourself that Reece is nosy and if you don’t want to be in a relationship with someone else, then how are you going to keep him from continually badgering you about his son? It’s not like you can avoid him.”

  “Why not?”

  “For one, he’s staying on the island and two, he's dating your best friend. You’re bound to run into each other. Besides, wasn’t it you who had dinner with him yesterday?”

  “You’re right, but our dinner was more about Blaze than Damien. That is until we’d gotten home last night. Yet, it’s true, I haven't really thought that far ahead. Reece has been on me about Damien ever since we broke up, but much of the time he was in Europe or in the city. I’ll have to see how it plays out. I can't be concerned about Reece Montgomery. I’m far too busy with my business to worry about him.”

  “Yet, you were very concerned the night of your Aunt Viv’s dinner. Enough so, that you professed you were in a relationship with me.” Feelings of hurt emanated from Tommy’s statement. I couldn't blame him. Everything I did up until now in relation to Tommy and Reece was to protect myself. How could I be so selfish?

  Jade, you're a rotten person.

  Embarrassed by my actions from the time Tommy and I officially met, I stared at my food as I tried to come up with the words to mend fences with him.

  “Tommy, I’m sorry. And I know all I’ve done is apologize since we've met, but I am truly sorry. The next time I speak with Reece, I’ll tell him the truth. I expected the truth from his son and yet all I’ve done is use you to avoid dealing with Reece’s wish to get Damien
and me back together. I hope you can forgive me and we can start over, as friends.” I was leery of his response, but when I looked up and saw Tommy’s expression, relief blanketed me.

  He laughed. “That was the nicest brush off a guy could ask for.”

  “Oh no, it wasn't meant to sound like a brush off. Now I feel worse.”

  He laughed some more.

  “Listen, since we’re being honest, I’ll admit that I would have liked to get to know you better…and by that I mean more than just friends, but I can see you're not ready to do that with me or anyone else, so why don't we settle for building a new friendship and becoming better aquatinted as new neighbors? Okay?”

  “I’d like that.”

  “Me too, Jade.” Tommy left the awkwardness of the conversation there, and we continued our dinner.

  Once he cleaned up as promised, I brought out the dessert…chocolate cheesecake in a cup.

  “This looks delicious,” he remarked, as he raised his cup above his head to examine the contents and then to toast the end of our interesting evening together.

  “Here’s to…” he started.

  “To new friends and new summertime memories…” I finished.

  He smiled and nodded and started to eat.

  Sound…other than the clinking of our spoons scooping out our nighttime treat from the dessert cups…sound was nonexistent. The music had long since ceased, and Tommy hadn’t uttered a comment. I couldn't just sit there and eat, so now it was my turn to get to know him better.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “What made LBI your destination of choice for your new beach house? I know from what little you've told me, you've lived and surfed in some of the most exotic locations around the world. Why settle down here at the Jersey Shore?”

  Looking into his cup, at the last remnants of his dessert, he carefully placed his spoon in the cup, sat back against the couch, ran his fingers through his dark locks, and turned toward me with his answer.

  “I’ve always loved this place, and to be honest, all the traveling I've done in the past, whether it be for business or pleasure, never ended quite like I had imagined.”

  “How’s that?”