Sun Catcher - Book Two
Page 9
“Here let me help you,” she said as she came closer.
Taylor handed her the big bag from around her shoulder. “There’s vanilla bean ice-cream in there - unless it melted on the march up.”
Jericho eyed dessert as Taylor pulled it from the seat.
“It’s strawberry rhubarb crumble,” Taylor said as she held it under Jericho’s nose.
Jericho took a breath, her eyes closed partway. “Mmmm. Smells incredible.” When her eyes opened they looked directly into Taylor’s.
“You look ... really nice. That’s a beautiful dress.”
That was the reaction Taylor had hoped for. She silently thanked her mother’s good sense.
“We should probably get this ice cream inside,” Jericho said. “Come. Let me give you a tour of the house. It’s a lot cooler inside.”
They made their way across the grass. “Can I offer you refreshment? I have white wine, red wine, beer, soda, lemonade and anything hard you might prefer.”
“A little white wine with some ice maybe,” Taylor answered.
“And for the little guy - how about a splash of lemonade in some ice water?”
“Perfect,” Taylor said.
They climbed the wide wooden steps onto the porch. The front door was propped open with a brass umbrella stand. The moment they stepped inside, Taylor felt the temperature drop a few pleasant degrees.
Jericho led them straight back toward the kitchen - a beautiful, open expanse with long windows and a high ceiling.
“The kitchen and the bathrooms are the only rooms that I modernized, otherwise, everything else has been restored to how it would have originally been.”
“This kitchen is incredible,” Taylor said as she looked around. “I’m completely envious.”
“There’s a pantry in here,” Jericho said as she opened a door into a sizable closet with an outer stone wall. “It actually stays pretty cool in there, even in the summer.”
“Look at your stove!” Taylor ran her hand along the red-lacquered, six-burner gas stove.
“I built new counters and these two cabinets but the rest is original, they just needed sanding,” Jericho said. “The whole place needed sanding, actually.”
Taylor looked at Jericho again. “This is amazing. Your grandmother must love it.”
“Yes, I think she wishes it was still hers,” Jericho said as she popped the ice cream into the freezer. “Alright buddy, let’s explore the rest of the house.” She bent and scooped Max into her arms and led them back through the hallway into the dining room. The dark wood table was long enough for fourteen guests. Above it hung an elegant crystal chandelier. Dark wood wainscoting ran high up the textured plaster walls which were painted a delicious deep red. Flanking a stone fireplace were bookshelves with leaded glass window fronts.
“How old is the house?” Taylor asked.
“150 years old,” Jericho said. “One of the founding families had it built.” She led them through the living room, where the chimney of a huge stone fireplace rose up to the ceiling. The hearth was inlaid with tiny green tiles. Above the mantle hung a huge mirror.
“Beautiful,” Taylor said. She looked at Jericho’s proud face.
“Do you want to see the upstairs?” Jericho asked.
“I’d love to.”
“After you,” she said.
Taylor climbed the broad staircase knowing that Jericho was right behind her. She took her time and added a little extra bounce to her hips. Every time she looked back, Jericho’s eyes flashed up.
They stopped at the top of the stairs. Jericho slid past with Max in her arms and led them down the hall toward the master bedroom.
“This was actually a small bedroom and a water closet,” she said pointing to the master bathroom. “I knocked out the wall between them to make it a little bigger.”
Taylor glanced at the king-sized bed in the master bedroom. On the bedside table was a little blue crystal vase with her bundle of sweet peas.
“And here ... is the bedroom,” Jericho said.
The room was deep and wide. There was a set of French doors on either side of the bed that opened onto a balcony. The doors were open. White curtains ruffled softly in the breeze.
“This is beautiful,” Taylor breathed. She tried to imagine what it would be like to wake up in such a place. “It’s so nice, Jericho. I’m ... really impressed.”
Max squirmed to be set free and Jericho put him down. “Come, check out the balcony.”
When they stepped outside, Taylor’s jaw dropped. The view was breathtaking. She could practically see the whole town stretched out below them. A lazy river wound its way through the farmland in the distance.
“Incredible,” she heard herself say.
“Yeah, it is,” Jericho said beside her. They looked out over the landscape. Taylor could hear sounds of the neighborhood and town below but everything felt so far away.
“There you have it,” Jericho said softly. “Let’s get us those drinks.”
They went back outside and ducked under the shade of the wide canvas canopy. Jericho prepared their drinks on a bar made of wooden planks slung between two old wine barrels. Beside her was the chest filled with ice water and bottles of beer and wine. Beyond the canopy, strung between two shady trees, was a woven hammock. Max toddled over and began to rock it. Taylor lifted him inside and gave him a little swing. His giggles filled the air. Taylor felt at peace.
Even Digger had found a comfy spot on the porch and was snoozing soundly, occasionally lifting his head to snap at flies.
“It’s funny. My granddad’s dog used to like that spot too,” Jericho said.
Taylor kicked off her sandals and climbed up onto the hammock with Max. She lifted him onto her hips and they swung gently.
Jericho smiled over at them while she poured wine into their glasses. When Max heard the ice tinkling inside the chest he moved to get down.
“That ice looks exactly like something he’ll want to play with. Do you mind?” Taylor asked.
“Not at all. I’ll move the bottles inside,” Jericho said as she handed Taylor her wine.
Taylor sipped the wine and watched Jericho pick up the bottles and take them into the house. The nerves she’d felt were starting to disappear. Jericho looked at ease, but it seemed as if each of her movements were a little more calculated than usual. When she returned, she brought a tray of marinated meat and vegetables with her.
“That looks yummy,” Taylor said. She lifted herself out of the hammock and hovered over the tray. “The herbs smell incredible.”
“I picked them all fresh this morning. I planted a bunch of things last year but they’ve pretty much all gone wild. Oregano, thyme, marjoram, and parsley.”
Jericho lifted her glass. “Cheers. Thanks for coming.”
“Thanks for having us,” Taylor said. She took another sip from her glass.
Jericho stuffed her hand in her pocket and looked over at Max. He was in his glory playing in the water, plucking ice crystals out with his hands.
Jericho looked back at Taylor. “Want to sit down?”
They sat across from each other and sipped their wine for a few quiet moments. Taylor felt the cool warmth of alcohol slowly dissolve the last of her nerves. “You’re very talented,” she said and smiled.
Jericho smiled too as she twisted the stem of her glass in her hand. “Thanks.”
“Now that I’ve seen this place, I get it.”
“You do?”
“Sure. It’s beautiful. It feels like home. I can see how proud you are of it. I would be too.”
Jericho grinned and looked out over the lawn. “I am.”
Taylor watched her closely. “So tell me about your sisters.”
“My sisters,” Jericho repeated. “Lexi is off traveling in Europe. She moves around a lot.”
“Sounds fun.”
“And Charlie,” Jericho shook her head. “She’s something, let’s just say that.”
“What do you me
an?” Taylor asked.
“Charlie isn’t like most people. They broke the mold with that one.”
“Didn’t you all sort of come from the same mold?”
“Well parts of us did, for sure, but we’re all pretty different.”
“Are your sisters as pretty as you?”
Jericho bowed her head and grinned. “My sisters are beautiful. I can’t really speak for myself.”
“Oh please,” said Taylor. “You have a mirror, same as I do. Looks are nothing to be ashamed of.”
Jericho just smiled.
“What other traits do you share in common?”
Jericho looked at her from across the table, amused.
Taylor took a deep breath. “Do they like women too?”
Jericho shook her head and looked off at the old elm tree. “How did you know?”
“By the way you’ve been looking at me.”
“And how’s that?”
“Sort of like a hungry wolf that hasn’t eaten a bite in days. I’m hoping it’s been a little longer than that.”
“It has,” Jericho answered.
“And Mrs. Perlman let it slip. Probably wanted to make sure I knew your story before I came up here tonight.”
“Mrs. Perlman,” Jericho said softly. “She’s one of our town criers. Lovely but ...”
“I’ll remember that,” Taylor said.
“So she knows you came up here tonight?”
“She commented on the crumble and my dress and even told me how happy she was that you and I were getting along so well.”
“Half the town will know about it by tomorrow,” Jericho said as she sipped her wine.
It was too late to be worried about, Taylor thought to herself. If people were going to know, there wasn’t much point calling the evening by anything other than what it was - a date, or like her mama had said, something bigger. She leaned across the table and poured more wine into Jericho’s glass.
“Thank you,” Jericho said.
“You’re welcome,” replied Taylor. “So why did you invite me up here?”
“I wanted to make sure you felt welcome to call on me whenever you needed to ... so you knew you had a friend.”
“I bet a lot of people have moved here recently. You probably haven’t taken as much of a friendly interest in them.”
“No, you’re right. I haven’t,” Jericho said. She shifted in her seat.
“So I’m a special case, am I?”
“I wouldn’t call you a case,” Jericho said.
“Good, because I’ve been called that a lot in my life and I’m a little done with it, frankly.”
Jericho studied her face without responding.
“I don’t mean to bite. I just want to make sure you’re not feeling sorry for me.”
“Why would I feel sorry for you?”
“I’m really not sure since you don’t know that much about me. But I can see it in your eyes. It’s a look I’ve been seeing my whole life.”
“I bet that gets tiresome after awhile.”
“You better believe it,” Taylor said.
Jericho sat forward in her chair. “It’s not like that at all. I have my suspicions about what’s going on, and I’m certainly not happy about it, but I think if anyone can handle it, it’d be you.”
“Well, thank you for that. I hope you’re right.”
“I’m going to level with you,” Jericho said and sat up in her seat.
Taylor leaned forward too. “It’s about time.”
They stared at each other for a long moment. Taylor realized she couldn’t look directly into Jericho’s eyes without feeling the itch to do something crazy. “You were saying …” Taylor’s voice was barely a whisper. Max toddled happily from his chair over to her lap and then dropped onto the ground where Digger was playing on his back.
“I asked you up here because -” Jericho began.
Taylor stood up and Jericho did too. Jericho reached across the table and pulled Taylor toward her. “I have to do this,” she said right before she planted her lips on Taylor’s.
Taylor’s arms hung rigid at her side as she was pulled across the table. Jericho’s lips tasted of wine and herbs. Her fingers slid up her face and caressed her like a doll. Taylor’s senses were filled with the softness of her skin and lips. Then, Jericho gripped her tighter and the kiss deepened. Taylor felt her strength and relaxed into it. Everything felt divine.
Suddenly, Jericho let her go. “I’m sorry.” She lifted her hand to wipe her lips.
Taylor’s head was spinning so much she nearly fell back into her seat. “You’re a damn good kisser, I can say that much.”
Jericho turned her back and walked a few steps out into the sunlight with her hands on her hips. Taylor watched her struggle for a moment. She sat back and gave her son a smile. When she looked back, Jericho was watching her.
“You gonna come sit back down?” Taylor called.
Jericho pursed her lips and walked back under the canopy.
“You’re looking like you regret doing what you just did,” Taylor said.
Jericho didn’t say anything for a moment so Taylor leaned across the table. “Give me your hand.”
Jericho looked up.
“Come on,” Taylor said as she reached out.
Jericho clasped it.
Taylor coiled their fingers together. She lifted them up together and watched how the sun made shadows on the white tablecloth. She stroked her fingers down their interlocked digits and smiled.
“You have nice hands. Strong, but soft. I can tell you work with them by the rough patches on your palms, right here,” she stroked her finger down the ridged callous below Jericho’s fingers and then the smaller ones around the bends in her knuckles. “I’ve thought about your hands, Jericho, and your lips.” She looked up into her eyes. “You thinking about kissing me again?”
“I sure am,” Jericho whispered.
Neither of them moved. Max stood with his little hand on Taylor’s lap and reached for his bottle of lemon ice on the table.
“Here you go, baby,” Taylor said and handed it to him. She looked into Jericho’s eyes again. “The thing is, when you kiss a woman the way you just kissed me, it means something. I have a baby boy. I’m not sure where this can go.”
Jericho nodded. Their hands were still clasped. Neither had made a move to let go.
“The fact that you’re a woman doesn’t bother me at all. The fact that you live in the biggest house I’ve ever seen and that you seem to know everything that’s going on in this town doesn’t bother me either, which is strange since I’m trying to keep a low profile.”
“Why is that?” Jericho asked.
“That ... is a very long story that is probably better not told on a first date.”
Jericho nodded.
“I shouldn’t be here right now, but I came anyway. If I had to guess, there’s more to you than this perfect picture. I can see it in you, plain as day.”
“Everyone has a story,” Jericho said.
“Not like mine. And not like yours if I’m right.”
Jericho studied her face for a moment. “How is it that you know so much?”
“A lot of years paying attention, I guess,” Taylor chuckled.
“So where does that leave us?” Jericho asked.
Taylor looked off into the trees and sighed. “It leaves us right here, right now, with no expectations. As much as I’d like to think about the future, I just can’t. I’m living day to day. If the wind says go tomorrow, I have to go.”
“Okay,” Jericho said.
A smile crept over Taylor’s face. “But in the meantime, I’d be happy to enjoy the pleasure of your company. Lord knows I’ve been thinking about it all week.”
Jericho grinned.
Taylor laughed. “Never would have guessed I’d have a thing for a city councilor.”
“You don’t really seem like the type -”
“I’m not. I’m not your type at all.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
Taylor let go of their hands and sat back in her seat. She lifted her son onto her lap and stared into Jericho’s eyes. “You go after single mothers, generally speaking?”
Jericho was silent.
Taylor laughed. “I’m only teasing. A woman like you could probably pick anyone she wanted, I reckon. I’ll even bet there are some married gals in this town that wouldn’t mind jumping the fence for you.”
“I doubt that,” Jericho grinned.
“Well, I don’t,” Taylor said. “If I had to guess, you keep your affairs quick and snappy and probably out of town with all this traveling you say you do for work.”
“You think I’m that kind of person?”
“I’m not making accusations. You’re human, just like everyone else.”
Taylor looked at Jericho for another while as Max wriggled on her lap. “Okay, little man, you can get down. Stop pulling on Digger’s ears, okay?” She lowered her son and put him on the grass beside her chair. “I’m human too,” she said.
“It’s funny,” Jericho began. “I invited you up here hoping things would go a certain way, that maybe after dinner, I’d walk you home. In the best case scenario, I was hoping you would give me another one of your signals.”
Taylor laughed. “Oh yeah? Like what kind of signal were you hoping for?”
“Like ... bringing me fresh cut flowers and homemade peach jam the same day we met.”
“You want more jam, just ask. I was just being neighborly like you,” Taylor said even though she knew it wasn’t entirely the truth.
Jericho leaned forward and put her hands on the table again. “Now all of a sudden we’re talking about being human, like what’s happening here is just ... basic need.”
Taylor leaned forward again too. “Don’t you think if Max wasn’t here we’d be upstairs right now? Isn’t that the reason you showed me your beautiful bedroom? It’s all a part of the plan, isn’t it? You made this canopy and set this table. You prepared us a fine dinner that I already know is going to be perfect. You led me through your big house to show me what you can do with your bare hands. You’re like no woman I’ve ever met. You did all this on purpose, to get me upstairs and show me that big bed of yours ... so I could start imagining myself in it.”