“I’ve missed you, Princess. I’m already counting the minutes for you to get back,” She didn’t respond. She couldn’t. “Listen, I was calling because I won’t be able to come back on Wednesday anymore. I will have to extend my trip for a few more days.”
Jonathan stared at her confused. What was she doing? She was staying longer? What did this mean?
“Why?” Jonathan heard Christopher ask. Samantha tightened her hold on his hand and looked into his eyes. She settled for the partial truth.
“The house isn’t fully packed yet, Christopher. My Dad is behind with everything he was supposed to do, because of his work at the factory. It shouldn’t really be a surprise to me, but the furniture still needs to be dealt with, and it will be too hard for me to take care of that once I’m back there. He hasn’t even packed what he’s taking with him. I need a few more days to help him get everything ready so we can leave.”
Christopher looked down feeling uncertain. He could tell she wasn’t lying to him, but her voice sounded somber, hesitant. She sounded distant. There was something upsetting her. Something she wasn’t telling him.
“How long do you need?”
“I’ll be here for another week, maybe two,” she said, hating herself for it.
Jonathan’s heart skipped a beat. She was staying for him. She was staying with him. This time, it was his hand that held hers tightly. Hope returned to him.
“It’s him,” Christopher thought, feeling his heart sink. “Do you need me to speak to the university for you?” he said, knowing that wasn’t the question he meant to ask.
“No, thank you. I’ll call them tomorrow. I only had two more classes before the break anyway. I’ll ask Maggie to cover them for me.”
Christopher nodded, feeling the heaviness increase inside him. “Are you sure everything is all right? You are not yourself, it seems.”
Samantha’s eyes watered. “Yes… everything is fine,”
The line went silent for a moment.
“It’s him, isn’t it?” He finally asked, praying the answer would be no. “Please, don’t forget I love you, Princess.”
Jonathan held his breath, not truly knowing how to feel, or what to think. Samantha closed her eyes as a tear fell on her cheek. She took a deep breath, and wiped it away.
“I’m sorry, Christopher. I have to go now. Ok?”
Christopher let out a weighted breath. “Ok, Princess. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she said, hanging up the phone.
Jonathan looked at her, and waited. Giving her time to process what she was doing. He had no idea what to say, or expect now.
Samantha placed the cellphone back on her night table, and looked at him with tears in her eyes. She caressed his cheek and he leaned into her touch, placing his hand on top of hers. She smiled softly as another tear fell.
“Now that I have you, I don’t want to let you go either. I need more time with you now, before I go back. I need to be with you,” she leaned in, kissing him with all her need, and love for him, and all her pain for Christopher. He pulled her into his arms, and lay back on the bed with her, guiding her head to his chest, he held her close. Part of him felt relieved.
“She wants to be with me,” was the last thought in his mind, when they fell asleep in each other’s arms.
The next morning, Jonathan woke up to find her still asleep in his arms. Smiling, he leaned in and claimed her lips passionately, waking her up. She smiled, and kissed him back.
“This is the best alarm clock I’ve ever had,” they chuckled. She slid up on him, kissing him again.
“I love you,” she whispered, feeling the old torn pieces of her heart mending. Holding the back of her neck he pulled her closer, and kissed her lips until she was breathless. His lips brushed against her cheek, nibbling at her jaw until they reached her ear.
“I love you too.”
She smiled and snuggled closer, falling back to sleep.
An hour later, Jonathan carefully disentangled their bodies, got up, placed two soft kisses on her forehead, and left her sleeping on the bed. Stepping inside the bathroom, he washed his face, rinsed his mouth with her mouthwash, and combed his hair. Taking the steps two at a time, he rushed downstairs and into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for them. His eyes immediately went to Frank. He stood in the kitchen, resting his hip against the counter, with a cup of coffee on his hand. Setting the coffee down, Frank crossed his arms, and began tapping his foot on the floor. Jonathan raised his hands in surrender.
“Nothing happened, Frank. We slept with our clothes on. I swear,” Frank shook his head and sighed letting his arms fall to the sides. Jonathan smiled. “Listen, you don’t have to worry. I’m going to make you breakfast so you like me again, ok?”
Frank chuckled. “Ok, my favorite is pancakes with scrambled eggs, sausage, and lots of syrup. Oh, and don’t forget the burnt hash browns.”
Jonathan gave him a kind smile. “I wouldn’t dare cook them well.”
Frank’s eyes became nostalgic, and he nodded appreciative. “Ok, then. Get cracking.” He said, handing him the apron, and walking out of the kitchen with his coffee.
Jonathan’s gaze followed him to the sofa. The memory of one of the many breakfasts he had spent in this house came to him, and he saw Grace standing by the stove. The apron around her waist, and her eyes teary as she scraped the burned hash browns off the pan. She was a wonderful cook, but she had never managed to make hash browns without burning them. Not even if her life depended on it. That particular day, it had finally gotten to her, and she broke down crying, and yelling at the pan. Frank reassured her that he loved them just fine burnt, and from that day on he began requesting his hash browns that way. Even after her passing, he never stopped eating them.
Jonathan sighed, and turned around, tying the apron on his waist. He smiled, a true wide smile. He was finally happy, after so long. He loved Samantha, and she still loved him. He knew the circumstances were less than perfect, but she was with him. She was choosing him.
Once the breakfast was almost ready, he began taking the plates out of the cupboard. He was setting them on the counter to begin serving the food, when he felt a pair of amazingly warm arms, wrap around him from behind. He smiled.
“I’m making breakfast for us, and your Dad. I need to win him over again, and food is my weapon.”
She chuckled. “Well played,” then took a long deep breath, inhaling the wonderful aroma. “Mmmm, that smells delicious, baby. Don’t forget to let the hash browns burn,” she added, looking around him at the stove and noticing the slow sizzling of the pan. Jonathan turned around, looking at her adoringly.
“You called me, baby,” he whispered. She smiled, nodding. He pulled her to him, and kissed her passionately. His hands roamed her back, pressing her to him while he kissed her.
“I don’t like my pancakes burned!” Frank yelled, from the living room, and Jonathan pulled away from her laughing. He placed two small kisses on her forehead, and turned around to serve the breakfast.
“I’ve decided we are staying here for another week or two, Dad. You haven’t exactly been able to do everything I hoped for, so we can’t really leave yet. We need to finish packing everything you are going to take with you, and then I need to call Ronald’s second hand store to sell them all the furniture, and whatever else is left,” Samantha said, looking at her Dad while they ate. Frank nodded.
“I’m sorry. I did as much as I could but with the factory schedule…”
“It’s ok, Dad. I know,” she said, placing her hand on his, and squeezing it. Jonathan leaned in, kissing her temple, and went back to his food.
Frank looked at them, pensive. “Is that the only reason?”
Samantha gave him a small smile. “No, Dad. I want to spend a few more days here with Jonathan, before I have to go back.”
“Actually,” Jonathan said, excited. “I was thinking that if I help you guys get everything ready, you can be done sooner, and then after
thanksgiving you can go with me to Boston. We can be there for a week, and I’ll bring you back afterwards so you and Frank can get on your way to England.”
Frank couldn’t help but smile, noticing the excitement in his daughter’s eyes, as well as Jonathan’s. He could tell they really did love each other. The way they looked at one another, the way they acted… it reminded him of being with Grace.
“I think that’s a great idea, Sam,” Frank said, looking at his daughter. She smiled at him and turned to Jonathan.
“Ok, let’s do it.”
Jonathan cradled her face, and kissed her with a bit more intensity than he probably should have in front of her Father. They heard Frank clear his throat forcefully, and they pulled away laughing.
“Listen, kids. I’m happy you are in love and everything, but you already made me want to burn my eyes this week. Can you please keep it decent, until at least next week? I think once a week is more than enough,” they nodded, laughing, while Frank got up walking to the living room again.
Jonathan stood. “Ok, baby. I love you, but I really need to shower,” Samantha stood, and placed her hands on his chest. She tilted her head up, to look into his eyes.
“Do you really have to leave?” He smiled tenderly, loving the need in her voice.
“Well I would shower with you, but I don’t think your Dad would be too fond of that idea.”
“I heard that!” Frank yelled, from the living room, and they laughed again.
“Dear God, it’s like he has supersonic hearing or something,” Samantha complained, and kissed Jonathan. “Ok, baby, go. I’ll do the same.”
Jonathan grinned. “I love when you call me that.” He placed two kisses on her forehead and walked to the door but stopped, looking over his shoulder. “Be ready in an hour. I’m taking you out,” he stepped through the door, and she ran after him.
“Wait!” she yelled at the door, he turned around.
“Where are we going?”
He smirked. “Well, for starters we have to get a turkey!”
Jonathan walked into his house, and found Grandma Rose in the kitchen. He picked her up, twirled her around, and hugged her giving her a kiss on the cheek. She laughed, surprised at his behavior as he placed her down.
“Thank you, Grandma. I love her, and she still loves me. We are going to be together.”
She smiled wide. “Finally, he gets it!” She added throwing her hands in the air.
He chuckled, kissing her cheek again, and turned running upstairs to get ready.
“What happened to him?” Angela asked, walking into the kitchen.
“She loves him, and they are going to be together now,” Grandma Rose said, plainly and Angela gasped, covering her mouth with the widest smile.
“Really?”
Grandma nodded. “He’s finally with Samantha.”
Angela hugged, her tearing up.
*
An hour later, Jonathan went downstairs dressed up and smelling good. Grandma Rose looked at him as he dropped his leather bag on the floor, and began to check himself in the mirror by the door. He was wearing a thick cream turtleneck with a caramel leather blazer, his favorite dark jeans and brown shoes. His hair was combed to the side, just as Samantha liked it, and he was wearing her favorite cologne. Grandma Rose smiled.
“You look great, dear. She is going to love it. Very handsome,” he turned, and walked up to her, while Angela joined her. He hugged them both, and gave them a big kiss on their cheeks.
“I’ll be back with the turkey in a few, I plan to buy a big one. This year we are all eating together in Sam’s house. Is that ok?” They nodded, smiling at him, seeing him pick up the bag and head out the door.
Angela and Grandma Rose exchanged a look and hugged.
“Finally, our boy is happy.”
Jonathan stood outside Samantha’s door, anxious. He lifted his fist to knock again, but in that moment she opened the door, leaving him speechless. She stood in front of him, in a beautiful light turquoise sweater, blue jeans, and a pair of brown leather riding boots. She was wearing a cream double-breasted wool coat that hugged her body beautifully, and a delicate flowered scarf with pink, turquoise and plum flowers on it. Her hair was loose in those beautiful layers she had. He found it hard to speak. She looked like he picked her out of a fashion magazine.
She smirked, as he stared. “You can say I look gorgeous. That’s a classic, and classics always work.”
He chuckled. “Gorgeous would not do you justice.”
She blushed, and kissed him. “Bye, Dad. I’ll be back later.” She told Frank, and closed the door behind her.
Samantha looked at him as he drove, admiring the man he had become and smiled, remembering the little boy that gave her his doll, and kissed her so she wouldn’t cry. Unconsciously, her fingers went to her forehead. The feeling of his kisses on her skin, just this morning returning. She loved when he kissed her like that. Her eyes returned to him. He was gorgeous in her eyes. He had always been through the years, even when he had that awful mullet when he was fifteen. She chuckled. Samantha loved him. She wouldn’t change a thing about him, and now that he was all grown up, a man, he just took her breath away. She looked at his hair, noticing he wore it the way she liked it. She smiled.
“So, how is it that you have developed this amazing fashion awareness?”
She laughed. “Oh I haven’t, trust me. I still have no clue what I’m doing. It’s my friend Maggie. She’s the one responsible for all this,” she said motioning at her outfit. “She calls me her ‘life size Barbie.’ We go shopping together, she picks out all my clothes, and then basically puts the outfits together, and tells me how everything goes. I don’t question her, I just obey.”
He chuckled. “That sounds like a great arrangement.”
“Oh, yes. I think giving me a makeover was the first thing she did. She even convinced me to cut my hair like this, and change my reading glasses. I have to say I’m glad I did it.”
He looked at her, nodding. “You have no idea how sexy you look. I love your hair.” She blushed, and he grinned. “I saw you at the airport, you know?” She looked at him confused. He shook his head amused, remembering her standing near the exit, in her black turtleneck and tight black jeans. “I didn’t recognize you, but you blew my mind with how beautiful you were. I tried to see your face, but your hair was covering it. Still, I was completely enthralled by you. I was going to walk up to you to talk, but someone distracted me. By the time I looked your way again, you were gone,” he sighed, faking pain. “Oh, baby, and those boots… God, you were killing me. You looked so damn sexy.”
She looked at him, surprised by his confession and a little mortified. “You were going to hit on me at the airport?” She asked, incredulous and he laughed. She blushed again, looking away.
“I love when you blush, baby. Especially now, it complements your make up perfectly. It gives it a little something extra,” her blush deepened, and Samantha could feel her cheeks burning. He laughed enjoying her reaction.
“Ok, enough!” She chided him, covering her cheeks with the palm of her hands and pressing gently, attempting for the blush to go away. He laughed and held her hand, bringing it to his lips, to kiss it.
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you too, you impossible man.”
Samantha and Jonathan got back in the car, after dropping off the turkey at home. The biggest one they had ever seen. They had been lucky to have a turkey at all, after they practically got thrown out of the supermarket for “public indecency” when they were caught making out at the poultry section.
She frowned, and looked at Jonathan as they started driving away. She had overheard him telling Frank and Angela that they wouldn’t return until the day after.
“So where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise” he answered with a smirk, and kissed her hand. She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. He laughed. “I love you,” he added, briefly glancing at her and she s
miled. The words had caused a delicious chill to travel through her spine.
“I love you too,” she managed to reply although her mind had already gone somewhere else. God, he looked delicious in those clothes. She couldn’t get over it. The sight of him, and that cologne were doing things to her.
“I might just stop the car, and rip his clothes off right here.”
She grinned at her thoughts, and leaned into him slowly. She brought her nose close to his neck and gently nuzzled her way up the curve. The tip of her nose caressed him along the way, until she stopped right below his ear. She took a deep breath inhaling his scent, and letting it travel to the farthest corners of her being… awakening them.
Jonathan’s hands were gripping the steering wheel so tight, that his knuckles had turned completely white. He was trying with everything inside him not to pass out, or give into his instincts. That little move Samantha had just pulled on him had him close to hyperventilating. His whole body had become alive for her within seconds. He needed to have her in his arms again. Skin, to skin, and be part of her more than he needed his next breath. He blinked, forcing himself to focus on the road, and tried to calm his breathing again. The effect her touch had on him was something he hadn’t experienced before, and having her smell him this way… wow.
Samantha pulled back from him, sighing. She smiled with her eyes still closed. “I have always wanted to do that. I absolutely love that cologne on you,” she said, resting her head on the seat, elated. He looked at her still feeling kind of dazed.
“Baby, you just did things to me I can’t even begin to describe.”
She smiled, incredulous. “Really?”
He cleared his throat, and nodded. “If you had done that to me before, I would have easily told you that I loved you years ago.”
She chuckled, smacking him on the chest. He laughed, and reached for her hand, caressing it with his thumb, while they drove to their secret destination.
“Ok, it’s been an hour and a half already. Are you going to tell me where we are going or not?” Jonathan remained silent, looking at the road. She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m assuming we are going to Detroit?” She asked, hoping she had guessed right.
Chasing Time: A Love Through Time Novel Page 24