“I wished you’d told me.” She peered over the menu at him.
“Let’s not go there, Kit. In the you should have told me department you can’t talk.”
“You’re right…I’m sorry if I’m giving you a hard time, I missed you.”
“Come…make up.” He took her hand. She leaned across the table to receive his kiss.
“Your office said you were in Seattle.” She settled back into her seat.
“I had some business there, too. I am selling my half of the Internet company.”
“Why?”
“Because I plan to settle permanently in Willow Falls. Now my turn. Are you going to marry Johnny?”
“No.”
“Zoe put a full court press on you…” He covered her hand with his.
“I can’t marry someone I don’t love, no matter how much she wants me to.”
“I hoped you’d say that.”
“Why didn’t you call me back? I left a message with Anne Marie…several calls on your cell phone.”
“I never got the message from Anne Marie…as for the cell phone. I needed some time.”
“You didn’t believe me, did you?” She withdrew her hand.
“I didn’t know what to think.” His gaze rose to meet hers.
Kit looked down.
“Did my guys finish the floors?” He leaned toward her, putting his forearms on the table.
“They’re beautiful…don’t change the subject. I thought you were never coming back.”
“Were you upset?”
“Of course,” she said, not ready to reveal how devastated she felt.
“I need to know where I stand with you, Kit.” His fingers played with hers.
Sunny stopped by to take their drink order.
“You have to ask? After months together, renovating a house, arguing, making up, fantastic sex, telling you I love you, you have to ask? What about you, Mr. Disappear-at-the-drop-of-a-hat?”
“What do you mean?” He cocked an eyebrow at her.
“Anne Marie told me you have been dating tons of women, leaving them flat after three months. Just about our time together. Are you leaving me?”
“No. I don’t know why she said that. It’s not true.”
“I hope I can believe you.”
Sunny brought a Cosmo for Kit and beer for Tunney, then took their order.
“You can.” His thumb caressed the back of her hand.
“I finished the book. I have a contract.” A smile played at her lips.
“Congratulations. Now will you tell me what it’s about?” He smiled at her.
“It’s sort of loosely based on the letters your mom wrote to your dad…”
“You used my mother’s letters?” His eyes got wide.
“No, no…the idea…the idea” Kit sipped her Cosmo.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll show you when it comes out.”
“Those letters are private, Kit…” Tunney blushed and put his mug down.
“I’d never exploit them or reveal them to anyone.”
“Sometimes I have a hard time believing you. You expect me to believe you’re giving up the chance of a lifetime to go back to your marriage, live your dream by going on tour, writing about it, then you haven’t used my mother’s letters but you have…I don’t know what to believe…”
“Johnny’s coming to pick up Zoe tomorrow. Why don’t you see for yourself.” She finished her Cosmo and put the glass down with a thud.
“I will.” He eyed her, grinning.
On their way out of the restaurant, the man at the bar turned to Tunney.
“You’re a lucky man, with a wife like her.”
“You’re damn right I am,” Tunney replied.
* * * *
At 29 James Street
After her night with Jim, Sarah felt happy, confused, slightly apprehensive. Opening herself up to him by admitting him she loved him, wanted him, scared her. Now what if things soured between them? Her need for him kept growing, which terrified her. Needing, wanting, expecting from men hadn’t worked well for her in the past, so she made herself stop needing anyone, stop trusting anyone.
She could hardly keep her hands off him when they were together. At first she chalked up her response to sexual attraction, but as time went on, Sarah knew there was more…it was love, which scared the hell out of her.
With Christmas only a few days away, Callie and Kit tried to help Sarah brush away worries about Jim so she could enjoy the holidays, especially her new-found love. Laura, Scottie and their mom were cleaning, fluffing pillows in the living room, organizing books and magazines when Sarah broached a ticklish subject.
“What would you think if Jim stayed overnight tonight?”
She avoided eye contact with her kids, holding her breath.
“Can he sleep in my room?” Scottie asked. He bounced a pillow on the floor several times before putting it back on the sofa.
“No, stupid. He’d be sleeping in Mom’s room,” Laura piped up.
“Don’t call me stupid!” Scottie made a fist and waved it at his sister.
“Laura, I’ve told you…” Sarah moved over to put her hand on Scottie’s raised fist.
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. Jim is Mom’s boyfriend, Scottie. He would stay in her room.”
“Right.”
“You only have one bed. Where would he sleep?”
“In Mom’s bed,” Laura said, standing the carpet sweeper upright.
“He would?”
“Yes.” Sarah picked up several magazines to cover her discomfort.
“Laura? What do you think?” She pushed her daughter for a response.
“As long as he doesn’t run around the house without clothes…or anything.”
“He might be in a bathrobe…”
“Yeah, okay. Monica’s mother’s boyfriend stays over all the time. Monica says no biggie, so I guess no biggie for me, too.”
“Does Jim know he’d have to get undressed in front of you, Mom?” Scottie asked.
“I think he knows,” she said, hiding a smile behind her hand.
“Then he could be around all the time, right?” Scottie asked.
“He might be.” She picked up a pile of magazines to cart them to the front door.
“Are you going to marry him, Mom?” Laura asked.
“He hasn’t asked me.”
“But if he did, would you say yes?” Her daughter put five remaining magazines on the coffee table.
“One step at a time.” Sarah ducked the question.
She wanted to dance around the room. She couldn’t wait to tell Jim. After they finished cleaning up, Scottie went to play with Simon who lived down the street while Laura went over to Monica’s until dinner time. As soon as the door closed behind Laura, Sarah grabbed the phone.
“Pack an overnight bag.”
She held the phone close while she paced in the living room.
“Are we going somewhere?” Jim asked.
“You’re sleeping here tonight.”
“What about the kids…me coming out of your room in the morning, remember?”
“I asked them how they felt about you staying overnight…they’re okay with it.”
“No kidding? Fantastic!”
“You should have heard Scottie. He actually asked me if you’d object to getting undressed in front of me.”
Jim burst out laughing.
“Tonight’ll be great.”
His deep, warm voice washed over her bringing a smile to her lips.
* * * *
Saturday night dinner with Mac, Callie and their three kids was lively. Teddy spilled milk, and Scottie knocked over a bowl of chili with a soccer ball. Jason and Laura disappeared into her room to surf the Net. By eight o’clock, Teddy had fallen asleep on Sarah’s bed. Jim and Mac drifted into talk about the university, especially plans for the English department. The men dried dishes then put food away.
The women had a quiet mome
nt, lingering over coffee in the living room perched on the sofa with their feet propped up on the wood coffee table when the doorbell rang. Sarah shot a questioning glance at her sister. Jim popped his head out of the kitchen, drying his hands on a dish towel, to see who rang the bell. Sarah opened the door.
“Sarah Richards?” the man asked.
“Formerly Sarah Richards. Sarah Morgan now,” she said, taking a hard look at the man.
“Mike…Mike Flanagan. Don’t you recognize…” he said, stepping inside the house.
“My God, it is you, Mike. Come in, come in,” she said.
She moved aside to make way for the tall man to enter.
When Callie looked at him, her brow furrowed.
She introduced Mike to everyone. She referred to Jim as her friend.
“What are you doing in Willow Falls?” She asked.
“I came to see you.” Mike stood by the door, unbuttoning his coat.
Callie practically spit out her coffee.
“Why?” Sarah cocked her head.
“We didn’t part on great terms.”
“Water under the bridge…” Fit and trim as ever.
“Not to me. You have company. I’m barging in here. Could we talk over dinner? I’m here all week. Can you meet me?”
She stood still for a moment. The room got quiet; the air seemed to stop circulating as if everyone held their breath.
“Jim can you take the kids on Tuesday?” She swung away from Mike toward her lover.
He nodded
“Tuesday works. I’ll pick you up at seven.” Mike moved toward the door.
When she turned to put out her hand, he pulled her into his arms for a goodbye kiss. Mac looked at his wife and raised his eyebrows. Callie shrugged. Flustered Sarah closed the door.
“Who is he?” The note of irritation in Jim’s voice was obvious.
“The first man I ever loved…the first man to desert me when I needed him.”
A heavy silence hung in the air.
“Home, I think…I’ll get Teddy,” Mac said.
“Jason! Kitty! Time to go home,” Callie called.
Sarah walked over to Jim, put her arms around his waist and rested her face on his chest. Hugs were exchanged at the door then Callie and Mac bundled their children into their SUV.
“Do you still love Mike?” Jim asked the second the front door closed, before he even switched off the outside lights.
“I haven’t seen him since college. I love you, remember?”
Sarah rested her palm on his cheek.
“That was before…”
“He walked out at the most vulnerable time of my life, a few months after my parents died. How could I ever trust him again?” Jim managed a small smile, the creases in his brow smoothed out. She kissed him, then headed toward the bedrooms to say good night to her children. After closing their doors, she took her man by the hand and led him into the bedroom.
“I’ve been waiting all evening for this,” he said, undressing quickly.
“Me, too.” She pulled her sweater over her head.
“Uh, would you turn around? Don’t think I should be undressing in front of you.”
She looked up sharply then caught his smirk and burst out laughing, he did, too.
When the last item of clothing hit the floor, he took her in his arms for a long, deep kiss. She melted against him. Then he stripped down the bedcovers, pulling her down gently. They made love quietly, Jim absorbing her cries of pleasure into his mouth. Wrapped in his arms, she slept peacefully.
In the morning, Scottie bounded out of bed early, remembering Jim slept over. He zipped into his mother’s room, bursting through the door without knocking. Sarah and Jim were still asleep, curled up together.
“Time to get…up…” Scottie said, standing at the bottom of the bed.
“Scottie! You didn’t knock!” Sarah said, pulling the sheet up over her breasts. Jim opened a tired eye.
“Sorry, Mom. I forgot. Jim, where are your pajamas?”
“Grown-ups don’t always wear pajamas,” Sarah said.
“EWWW! Sleeping without clothes…Why was he hugging you?”
“That’s the way some grown-ups sleep,” she said.
“You don’t sleep like that with me or Laura,” the boy said.
“Just grown up people, Scottie. You know a man and a woman…”
Tears came into Scottie’s eyes.
“Isn’t Jim having a sleep over?”
“Not like you have with your friends.” She fidgeted with the fringe on the bedspread.
“Sort of like the night you were at Aunt Callie’s. Remember? Your mom told you we were doing grown up things…like that. The way grown-ups sleep together is different than the way children do,” Jim said. “We can still do stuff together when I’m sleeping over, but when I’m in here with your mother, its private. You need to either wait until we come out or knock then wait for one of us say come in. All right?”
“Yeah. Okay, Jim. When can we go outside?”
“I’ve got to have my coffee first. Give me half an hour.”
“Aw! That’s forever...”
“Do half a page of math problems. I’ll be ready when you’re done.”
“Okay,” the boy said, then turned and ran out of the room.
“You’re a genius,” She said, planting a kiss on his lips.
“Just a boy once myself.”
“I thought he was upset about us…you know, sex... But he didn’t get it, did he?”
“At seven I didn’t have a clue about sex, either. He felt left out.”
“Handsome, sexy, brilliant, too,” She said, kissing him.
“Keep that up and I’ll never get to my coffee,” he said, pulling her closer.
Chapter Nineteen
Tuesday night Sarah dressed in a clingy, sexy, low cut red jersey dress. She wanted to hide the dress with her coat when Jim arrived, but he came ten minutes early. She was pacing when he opened the door.
“Wow! Who are you having dinner with, Brad Pitt?” he took off his coat and hung it on a peg near the door.
“Jim…let’s not go overboard.”
“Not exactly an old friends dress, Sarah.” His gaze swept over her body, pausing at her chest.
“I want to show him a little of what he’s been missing.”
“I assume he knows exactly…in detail…what he’s been missing all these years,” he said, with an edge in his voice.
“You’re not asking me to change, are you?”
“You wouldn’t anyway.” He put a large envelope on the coffee table.
“This doesn’t have anything to do with you.”
“I’m not an idiot, Sarah.”
“You know I love you.” She put her hands on his waist and cozied up to him.
“Get him out of your system. But don’t come back at two a.m. expecting me to think all you had was an innocent dinner.” He pushed her hands away.
“How much time do I have…according to you?” She put her hands on her hips.
“I’m not stupid enough to answer.” He headed for the kitchen.
“I want to know. Do I turn into a whore at one minute after ten or one minute after eleven or like Cinderella at midnight?” She followed him.
“Stop, Sarah. I don’t want to fight with you. Go now, just hurry back,” he said, giving her a gentle pat on the behind. “I have papers to grade.”
The horn honked signaling Mike’s arrival.
“Ah…the guy’s got class,” Jim smirked.
She shot him a dirty look before closing the door behind her. Mike held the car door open for her. She left her coat open. She wanted him to drool a little.
“You look fantastic!” he said, his eyes traveling her length.
“So do you.”
“Where can we go for a nice meal in this town?”
Sarah directed him to Bon Appetit where they got a quiet table in the corner.
“What are you doing these days, Mike?” S
he sipped a Cosmopolitan.
“I’m a congressman, planning to run for Governor soon,” he said, placing his hand over hers, curling his long fingers around her small palm.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
“I suppose I shouldn’t be so surprised. You were a leader in college, too. Politics makes sense for you.”
“I shouldn’t have run out on you, Sarah. I’m sorry. I was young and stupid.”
“You broke my heart.” She crossed her ankles under her chair.
“I’ve never loved anyone else the way I loved you.”
“Didn’t you marry Carly something?” She cocked an eyebrow at him.
“I never loved her like I loved you.” His hand tightened over hers.
Sarah stared at him. Doubt clouding her features.
“Still true,” he said, leaning in to her, his mouth gently covering hers.
Sarah had dreamt of this moment so many times. Mike’s kiss had always been devastating to her. He tasted the same, delicious.
“Maybe we’d better order…before I pull you under the table and make fools of both of us,” Mike teased.
Sunny came over to take their order. Sarah didn’t want to be recognized. Too late.
“Hey, Sarah. How are you?” Sunny looked at her then at Mike. A quizzical expression swept over her face momentarily, replaced by an expressionless mask. “Whacha havin’ tonight?”
Sarah shifted in her seat, her eyes avoiding Sunny’s as the waitress took her order. Mike ordered the steak. They handed the menus back to Sunny, who left quickly. Sarah let out a breath.
Mike couldn’t take his eyes off the low neckline of her dress. Always up for some loving. I see he hasn’t changed. She remembered how his touch made her feel. Her skin tingled.
“Apologizing to you isn’t my only reason for being here.”
“Oh?”
“I know what a great job you did for the governor when you lived in Seattle.”
“How?”
“I research the people I hire very thoroughly. You were highly recommended to me.”
“Hire me or seduce me?”
“Both.” The spark of desire glowed in his eyes as a sexy smile gripped his lips. He closed his hand over hers again.
Now and Forever 4, The Renovated Heart Page 17