by Lydia Rose
“I think since we are going to be opponents, it wouldn’t be a good idea.” Jules chuckled. “Besides, I need to practice with Paige.”
“I’d like to see you again, Jules,” Karen said softly.
“I think we should wait until after the tournament.”
Karen smiled. “Okay. If that’s what you want.”
“Yes,” Jules said quickly, wondering if she’d want to see this woman again.
“Will you still want to go out with me when I win?” Karen asked smugly.
“It depends on how badly you beat me,” Jules said wearing a wide grin.
The moment Jules got into her car, she called Paige. “We need to practice,” she said when Paige answered the phone.
A laugh filled Jules’s ear. “Did she kick your ass?”
“No. I could have beat her. Mind you, it would have only been one shot, but I want to kick her ass.” Paige continued to laugh. “What an arrogant ass.” Paige continued to laugh. “Stop laughing, Paige. This is serious.”
“I know,” she said getting serious. “Meet me at the club at two o’clock tomorrow.”
“I’ll be there,” Jules said before disconnecting the call.
CHAPTER 10
Over the next several weeks Jules and Paige practiced almost every night. By the time Jules came home she showered and hit her bed instantly. Jules was afraid that by the time the tournament arrived, she would be too exhausted to play. A text met her when she opened her eyes in the morning. It was Saturday and Paige hadn’t mentioned practicing today when they parted the night before. She opened her phone and read the text. “Have dinner with me tonight.” Paige wrote.
Jules began to type furiously. “Are you sure this isn’t a ploy to get me to practice today?”
“LOL. No, it’s just dinner. You deserve a break and I wanted to thank you for trying so hard. I’ll pick you up at six.”
“Cautiously, I’ll be ready.” Jules could picture Paige laughing at her remark.
At six, Jules walked out onto the front porch. She had texted Paige earlier in the day asking how she should dress. Paige’s response was very casual. So here she was standing in a pair of walking shorts and a tank top. An open button down shirt sat open over the tank top. “Hey,” she said getting into Paige’s car.
“Hi, Jules. You look comfy.” Paige looked down at her own clothes. She was wearing a pair of tan cotton pants and a short sleeve shirt. Similar to clothes she wore to play golf. She wouldn’t dare wear shorts and embarrass Jules with the stares she knew she would receive in public.
“Why aren’t you wearing shorts?” Jules asked looking at the long pants and knowing the temperature hovered around eighty-five.
Paige put the car into gear and pulled away from the curb. “I never wear shorts in public. It makes some people uncomfortable and some people stare.”
“That is their problem. Besides, you are a beautiful woman. Of course they are going to stare.” Jules couldn’t help herself complimenting this woman. She was going to do anything she could to make Paige forgive her for her earlier behavior. The thing was that Jules didn’t need to try because the longer she got to know Paige the more she liked her. Jules reached for Paige’s hand that sat on the gear shift. “If you don’t care, I don’t either.”
“I’ll think about it.” But Paige didn’t think she’d have the nerve to go out in public in shorts. They were on the way to her parents’ home and would only be surrounded by family and yet here she was in pants.
“So where are we going?” Jules asked as Paige drove along the streets.
“You’ll see. Patience.” A few minutes later, Paige pulled into a driveway. “We’re here.”
“Here where?” Jules asked, looking at the house through the front windshield.
“My parents’ home,” Paige said as she reached for door handle, but before she could leave the car, Jules grabbed her arm.
“You brought me to your parents’ home for dinner?”
“Yeah.” Paige opened the car door. “It’s their big annual clambake.” She watched as Jules slowly left the car. “Eileen said you loved fish.”
“I do, but...” Jules huffed, raising her shoulders.
The front door opened and two older people stood there smiling at the two women. Paige opened the screen door and hugged her parents. “Mom, Dad, this is Jules Sommers. She’s the woman who is going to play the pro/am tournament with me.” Paige grabbed Jules’s arm and pulled her inside. “Well, once she wins the amateur tournament.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Jules said, shaking their extended hands. “I hope to qualify. I’m not sure I’m capable of winning the tournament.”
“But Paige said you are that good,” Irene Carter said to a smiling Paige.
“I think Paige exaggerated, Mrs. Carter,” Jules said, pointing an accusing finger at Paige.
Mr. & Mrs. Carter laughed. “Not very often Jules, and please call me Irene. He is Kevin.”
“Thank you,” Jules responded as she was led toward the back yard. “Wow. What is that smell?” she asked, moving into the yard. Jules saw two large pots with steam coming off the top.
Kevin led her over to the steaming pots. “This one has lobsters, potatoes, corn and clams. This one has crabs and just before we’re ready to eat I’ll add the shrimp.”
“This is unbelievable,” Jules said licking her lips. She now turned and saw a large picnic table that was covered in newspaper. The center of the table had baskets of napkins, wooden hammers and tools to remove the meat from the shells. Jules turned to look at Paige who was now involved in a conversation with her mother.
“So are you dating her?” Irene asked her daughter in a low voice.
“No. We’re just friends and I’m her coach,” she answered with a roll of her eyes.
“She’s very pretty,” Irene said glancing at the woman speaking with her husband.
Paige rolled her eyes. “That’s not the point, Mom. We are just friends and that is fine with me.”
“It’s been so long since you went out with anyone,” Irene said gently touching Paige’s arm.
Before Paige had to respond, the guests began to pour into the backyard. She now introduced Jules to her sister, brother, their kids and her mom’s sister and brother-in-law.
“Mom tells me you are entered in the amateur tournament,” Kelly, Paige’s sister said.
“I am,” Jules answered smiling. “I’m hoping not to embarrass myself.”
“We will be there watching you,” Irene said to a shocked Jules. “We never miss the tournament.”
“You mean people will be there watching me?” Jules asked with a swallow looking at Paige.
“Yeah. Didn’t I tell you that?” she asked with a giggle, but knew she purposely left that out.
“No.” Jules could feel the sweat forming on her neck. She figured there might be a few people watching, but the way Kelly spoke there would be a large crowd.
“Oh, you are in so much trouble, Paige,” her brother Robert said laughing and patting Paige’s back. “I think your girlfriend is going to put you in the doghouse tonight.”
“Bob, why don’t you help me get the food out of the first pot?” Kevin asked as he added the shrimp to the second pot.
Once all the food was on the table, everyone took their seats. Paige was sitting across the table from Jules and watched as she spoke softly with Kelly. She wished she could hear their conversation, but there was just too much noise.
“Don’t worry about the crowd once you are out on the course. Besides, there will be people cheering you on that will help your game.” Kelly insisted, trying to calm Jules’s nerves.
“I hope you’re right, Kelly.” Jules pulled the tail off her lobster.
“So how long have you and Paige been dating?” Kelly asked as she peeled a shrimp that sat on her plate.
“Oh, we’re not dating. We’re just friends.” Jules stuck the succulent meat into her mouth and let out a satisfied moa
n.
“You’re not?” Kelly asked and watched Jules’s head shake back and forth. “Could have fooled me,” she added with a shrug.
“Why would you think that?” Jules asked, ripping another piece of meat from the tail.
“Look at her. She hasn’t taken her eyes off you since you sat down.” Kelly giggled. “Paige is trying not to be obvious, but she is dying to know what you and I are talking about.” Jules glanced up in Paige’s direction. When she did, Paige lowered her eyes. “See.” Kelly moved closer to her. “So why don’t you want to date my sister?”
Jules let out a breath. “I blew my first impression.” Her shoulders came up in a shrug. “Paige will never make that mistake again and let me back in.”
“What did you do?” Kelly asked, but all she got was a shrug from Jules. “It couldn’t have been that bad.”
“Oh, yes it was.” Jules ripped the claws off the lobster and began pounding her mallet against the tough shell. If Paige ever tells her family what I did, they would never speak with me again. Jules raised her eyes across the table and when her eyes met Paige’s, they both smiled at one another.
“It looks like whatever you did, she’s forgiven you,” Kelly said leaning toward Jules’s ear.
“So you think I should try again?” Jules asked looking at Kelly.
“I don’t think she’d turn you down,” she whispered so no one else could hear their conversation.
The meal ended and everyone began to clean up. The women carried the leftover food into the house and everyone else cleaned up the table. Paige moved next to Jules and asked, “So what were you talking about with my sister?”
Jules stopped what she was doing and looked at her. “We were just getting to know each other. I like her. Your whole family is terrific.”
Irene stuck her head out the door. “Paige would you please come inside and help?”
“I won’t be long,” Paige said before she disappeared into the house, but the moment she was in the door Kelly pulled her into the living room. “What do you want, Kelly?”
“I like her.” Paige rolled her eyes at her sister’s comment. “She seems remorseful of what she did.”
“She told you?” Paige asked with raised eyebrows.
“Yeah. She said she made a terrible first impression.”
Paige laughed and shook her head. “Is that what she said?”
“Yeah. It couldn’t have been that bad.”
“How would you like to take someone home with you and they run the next morning when they realize I am a double amputee?” Paige asked keeping her voice low.
“Is that what she did?” Paige nodded.
“She couldn’t handle being with a cripple,” Paige said regretfully.
“Did you tell her before you took her home that you lost your…?” Kelly didn’t finish, but pointed to Paige’s legs. Paige’s answer was to shake her head back and forth. “So she was shocked and probably got a little scared,” Kelly said touching her sister’s arm. “You should have told her before you took her home.”
“Then she never would have come and I needed someone. Anyone,” Paige said wiping a tear that had escaped onto her cheek.
Kelly put her arm around Paige’s waist. “She’s interested now,” she said taking her sister’s arm.
“It doesn’t matter, Kelly.” Paige tried to escape the conversation, but Kelly held on.
“You can’t tell me you aren’t interested in her too. I saw the way you were looking at her the whole time we were having dinner.”
“I was not,” Paige insisted.
“You can lie to yourself, but you aren’t fooling me.” Kelly turned Paige so she was looking into her eyes. “Don’t blow your chance with her because she made a mistake.”
Paige pulled away from her sister and walked back into the kitchen. “Is everything all right, girls?” her mom asked.
“Fine, Mom.” Paige headed for the back door.
“What’s going on, Kelly?” Irene asked looking at her daughter.
“Your daughter is being her normal stubborn self.”
“Is this about Jules?” Irene asked and Kelly nodded. “I like her.”
“I like her too,” Kelly admitted smiling. “But your daughter will never admit that she was wrong.”
When Paige entered the backyard she saw Jules helping the kids with toasting their marshmallows over the fire pit. The smile she wore remained on her face as she approached. “Hey,” she said softly.
Jules turned to her and smiled. “Hey, yourself. Would you like a marshmallow?” she asked pointing to the burnt object at the end of the stick.
“Yes, but maybe one that is not so toasted,” she said giggling.
“Okay.” Jules put a new marshmallow on the end of the stick and held it over the fire. “How’s this?” Jules asked holding the stick out to Paige.
“Perfect,” she answered and took the marshmallow off the stick.
Jules watched as Paige blew on the hot marshmallow before sticking it into her mouth. “That’s good,” she said licking her fingers then looking at Jules who was grinning at her. “What?”
“You look just like your nieces and nephews,” she said giggling.
The ride home began quietly. “My family is crazy about you,” Paige said into the quiet car.
“I’m crazy about them too. They are loads of fun and your sister is such a character. She said you don’t have the time anymore to take her out for a round of golf.”
Paige growled. “I think she has that backwards. Her having two kids and a husband, Kelly doesn’t have time to spend with me.”
Jules laughed along with Paige. “I had a good time and the food was phenomenal. Thank you for taking me tonight.”
Paige nodded her head and smiled as she pulled over to the curb. Her hand went to the keys in the ignition and turned the car off. “My sister said I should forgive you.” Jules turned in her seat.
“Oh how I wish you would, Paige,” Jules said showing the emotion in her eyes.
“Kelly said I’m being stubborn because it was my fault for not telling you before I asked you back to my apartment.”
“I was wrong, Paige. So don’t feel as though you have anything to apologize for.”
“How about we say, we were both wrong.” Paige’s hand came down onto Jules’s shoulder.
“If it will make you feel better,” she said with a shrug, but Jules knew she was the one at fault. Paige’s smile told Jules that she was forgiven. Really forgiven.
“What about Karen Holloway?”
“What about her? I told you I thought she was an arrogant ass.” Jules grinned and watched the smile return to Paige’s face.
“So would you like to go out on a date some night?” Paige asked capturing Jules’s eyes.
“I thought tonight was a date,” she said casually. “I mean it felt like a date to me.” Jules’s hand came out and caressed Paige’s cheek. “May I kiss you good night?” Jules watched as Paige’s face moved closer and stopped when their lips were just inches apart. It was Jules’s movement that brought their lips together, but it was Paige grabbing the back of Jules’s neck that deepened the kiss. They both broke apart breathing heavily. “We’re pretty good at that,” Jules said grinning from ear to ear.
“Do you want to practice tomorrow?” Paige asked before Jules left the car.
“Kissing? Sure. Anytime you want,” Jules said with a grin.
“Golf, Jules,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
“Why don’t you come over for lunch and we can discuss it?” Jules asked as her eyebrow came up with a smirk. “Eileen is taking Alice to the zoo tomorrow.”
“If I don’t book us a tee time, we will never get on the course.”
“I’m sure we can find something else to do instead.”
“You are so sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
“No, but I’m hoping,” Jules said as she opened the car door. Before she left the car, she grabbed one more kiss. “Call m
e when you get up. Good night.”
“Good night, Jules.” Paige waited until Jules was in the house before she drove away.
CHAPTER 11
Jules’s phone rang early the following morning. “Hello,” she said through a sleepy voice.
“I’m sorry to wake you, but I just got called into work. The other golf pro called in sick.”
“Okay,” Jules said tenderly, but wondered if Paige had changed her mind about the two of them.
Paige could hear the disappointment in her voice. “Because I’m working today, I’ll be off tomorrow.” Jules sat up in the bed listening. “I know you’re teaching tomorrow, but you can come to my house afterwards for lunch.”
“Are you sure, Paige?” Her heart was pounding hard as her eyes squeezed tightly together.
“Yes, and bring your clubs with you.”
“They’re in my trunk. Are we going to go practice?”
Paige chuckled. “Just come over and you’ll see.” She glanced at the clock. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go.”
“Have a good day, Paige.”
“You too,” Paige said before disconnecting the call.
*
Jules stopped at her house before she went over to Paige’s home. She didn’t want to stay in her work clothes and she quickly changed and rushed out of the house. Jules knocked on Paige’s door and waited for her to open the door. After a few minutes with Paige not opening the door, Jules wondered if she had gotten the day wrong. She now walked toward the gate that led into the backyard and found Paige coming out of the garage. “Hi,” Jules called out, taking notice of Paige wearing shorts and a t-shirt.
“Oh, Jules,” she smiled and walked toward her.
“Did I misunderstand you and get the day wrong?”
“No. I was just getting things ready for us,” she said, now looking down at her legs.
Jules now took notice of where her eyes had traveled. “It doesn’t bother me, Paige. Relax.” She smiled and then took notice of the large yard. “You have a putting green in your yard,” she said moving over to the three holes. “This is fantastic.”
“I needed this for therapy after my accident,” she said motioning to her legs. “And this isn’t the best part. Follow me,” she said taking Jules by the arm. Paige led her over to the garage side door, opened the door and allowed Jules to enter first.