by Mlyn Hurn
As she watched him, he slowly raised his eyes and met hers. A slow, sexy smile curved his mouth up on one side, making it even more devastatingly irresistible. Laena felt something inside her melt at that smile. She had been frozen inside for what seemed ages. She hadn't wanted to have anything to do with men, any man, for so long. So why now, when she was finally getting her feet back on the ground, did she have to start feeling again?
Jack felt white-hot, sharp arousal shoot through his body as he met her eyes. He wasn't sure what the hell was happening, but he hadn't felt this horny since he had been a randy teenager. He and Celia had been high-school sweethearts, marrying after he finished law school. All the while, he had never strayed. So, what the hell was he doing being attracted to a woman who obviously was turning his entire family upside-down just by her presence? He dropped the panties back onto the bed and sat up. He saw Laena take a step towards him, and then another. He raised his hand as she came within a foot of him.
Ring... Ring...
A moment passed before they both realized the phone was ringing. Laena turned abruptly away as Jack rolled to the side of the bed to grab the receiver. Laena walked to the closet as she heard Jack say into the receiver, "Oh, Cindy. What? Sorry, I didn't think. We should have told someone we were running over to Mom's for a minute."
Laena listened to his side of the conversation. He had made it sound like it was a mutual decision they come here. She was sure his sisters would be only too sure that he had been enticed over here by her. She knew all too well that Janet and Cindy thought she was up to no good. Though what kind of "no good" she could get up to was still a mystery. She knew the sisters questioned some of the things their mother had been doing of late, but they had all been Ruth's ideas. Laena had pretty much just gone along for the ride.
"In the bedroom? No, Cindy, what are you talking about?"
Laena coughed and choked in the closet at the smooth lie. She grabbed two dresses, and another pair of slacks. She added two blouses, and walked back into the bedroom. She saw that Jack was listening on the phone, nodding his head. He turned as she came around to the bottom of the bed and began folding the clothes.
Somehow, she was surprised when Jack couldn't resist leaning over and picking up one of her bras with his finger. Still holding the receiver to his ear, he looked from the golden satin bra to her face, smiling slowly. Laena reached over and jerked it off his finger, tossing it on the pile. She walked back into the closet and grabbed a small suitcase. Back in the bedroom, she heard Jack saying they would leave in just a minute or two. She had just zipped the bag shut, when Jack hung up the phone. He looked at her, holding her gaze for a moment. Laena grabbed the bag off the bed and started for the door.
Jack sat on the bed a few seconds longer. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling confused, which was pretty alien to him. He stood and followed her downstairs. As he entered the living room, he saw her glancing through the mail. She set aside the junk mail, but kept a few others in her hands.
"Damn!" she muttered as he saw her read the return address on one of the letters. She folded it quickly and shoved it into her jeans pocket.
Jack wondered what in the mail could have upset her.
She turned and saw Jack standing in the doorway, watching her. Holding the mail in her hand, she grabbed her bag once again. "I'm ready if you are."
Jack checked the doors quickly, and soon they were driving back to his sister's. He couldn't help but wonder what had upset her about the letter she'd shoved into her pocket. He thought back over what Cindy had said on the phone. He had just listened to her vent doubts and concerns regarding Laena, and the fact of her living with their mother. According to his sisters, his mother was spending a lot more money since Laena had moved in. Also the unusual choice for her car, and now she had moved out of the bedroom she had shared with her husband. None of it was making any sense.
"Why is a young woman like you living with an old woman?"
The words dropped into the silence of the car. Finally, Laena turned and looked at Jack. "I needed somewhere to live for a bit, and your mother wanted someone to stay with her. I moved in, and we liked each other. I don't see why you all are having such a fit. What do you think I am going to do?"
Jack didn't know quite what to answer. He knew the reason for Laena being here was a lot more than she just needed a place to stay. Admitting she was a complete mystery, he could tell she was intelligent and well educated. So why would she not be able to support and provide a home for herself?
If his mother's health had deteriorated, why would she suddenly prefer to have a stranger living as her companion instead of moving in with one of her loving children? Every single one of them would have been more than happy to welcome her into their homes permanently. All she had to do was ask-
Laena turned to look out the window at the passing scenery. She knew that Jack's suspicions were just the echo of his sisters'. The letter in her pocket felt as though it burnt through her clothes and into her skin, which was really bothering her. She hadn't received anything from him for so long, close to a year since they'd had any real communication whatsoever. Since she had moved in with Ruth, she had begun to feel that her life was finally getting back onto an even keel. Ruth listened, but mostly she just had brought a lost soul into her own busy life, and kept her busy enough to stop thinking about her problems.
She truly enjoyed her days with Ruth. They laughed a lot, and they could talk about just about anything. For a woman about to enter her seventh decade, Ruth was a woman who took on life with both hands open and eager.
"We're here."
Laena turned to look at Jack, surprised the drive had passed so quickly. She hadn't realized she had been so immersed in her own thoughts, she'd lost track of time. She opened the door and hopped out quickly. Before she could open the back door, Jack had already retrieved her suitcase from the backseat. She wasn't surprised to find Cindy and Janet standing on the front porch.
Jack saw his waiting sisters. He cursed under his breath. The last thing he wanted was a confrontation. Until he had a chance to talk to his mother, he really couldn't take a stand on the issue of Laena living with her.
He smiled and waved at his sisters. "Hey, you two! What did you do with everyone else?"
Jack walked up the steps in front of Laena, thinking to run interference. He saw his sisters both look at the suitcase in his hand. He grinned and decided to cut off their questions with an easy answer. "Laena decided she needed some cooler clothes and since Mom's car was blocked, I drove her over."
Laena grabbed the bag from his hand. She excused herself softly and went inside.
Jack felt his sisters looking at him. He looked from one to the other. He shrugged as he told them, "She seems nice."
Cindy scoffed, and Janet snorted. Cindy folded her arms across her chest, glaring at her oldest brother. "I can see what part of your body you are thinking with, Jack. You men are all alike!"
Jack leaned back, propping himself on the stone balustrade of the porch. He grinned, which only made his sisters angrier. "You know, as your older brother you should know that I am beyond such things, and shall remain impartial." His sisters' snorts of disbelief revealed their opinion of his statement. "I guess you have had this conversation with your husbands."
Janet glared at him. "And Pat, and Michael and Phillip. You men are all alike. You get a busty blonde, and you can't see past the ends of your-"
"Hello, John, dear. Wherever did you disappear to?"
Janet broke off abruptly as their mother called out. All three watched their mother walk up the stone steps of the porch. She came up to Jack and kissed his cheek.
Jack put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "I gave Laena a ride back to your place. Your car is blocked in."
"Oh, really? Why did she want to go back there?"
"She thought she needed some different clothes." Jack saw the doubting look on her face. "She also picked up your mail."
&nbs
p; Ruth stepped away from her son, frowning. "All right, dear. I think I will go find her. Did she go upstairs?"
Jack nodded, and then watched silently as his mother went in search of her housemate. He looked back and found his sisters looking right back at him. "What?" he asked in exasperation.
Cindy shook her head, and Janet pointed her finger at him. "We have been waiting for you to get here, Jack, so you could have her investigated. We want her out of Mother's house."
Jack folded his arms across his chest this time. "What do you mean exactly when you say investigated?"
Cindy shook her head and snorted. "You know damn well what we mean, Jack."
Jack laughed. "You can't be serious! You want me to see if there is a Bureau file on her?"
Janet nodded her head fiercely. "Of course. What is the problem, Jack? I'm sure this is an everyday thing for you."
Jack stood and shook his head. "We won't discuss this again. I won't abuse my position. And second, what the hell do you think is going to happen?"
Cindy moved her hands to hips. "Mother has been spending all kinds of money since that woman moved in. Just look at that ridiculous car! And moving out of her bedroom for the... for her! And now, she has paid to redo the bedroom. It is all too ridiculous and makes absolutely no sense at all, Jack. She is going to get Mother to spend all this money on her, and then leave her in the lurch!"
"Let's just drop it for now. This is the holiday season. Let's just have a good time together." Jack looked from one woman to the other. Finally, they nodded and walked around to the backyard with him. Jack joined in the volleyball game going on, trying not to look at his watch and notice that his mother still hadn't returned from talking to Laena.
Chapter 4
When Ruth walked in, Laena was crying. She had just finished reading the letter she had shoved into her pocket.
Ruth walked to the bed and pulled her into her arms, hugging her. "Laena, dearest, what is wrong?" She patted the younger woman's back, feeling her whole body shaking from her sobs.
Laena sniffed, pushed away from Ruth after a few minutes. She handed her the letter she had received. "It's from Jeff."
Ruth picked up the letter and read its contents quickly. She cursed the man she had known since he was a young child playing with her own sons. Who would have thought he could turn into such a bounder? Ruth had met Laena at the doctor's office. Jeff Hunt returned to practice medicine with his father and her son Michael. Jeff had been working in Richmond, but his father's complaints of ailing health convinced him to return.
And so, he moved back home with his wife, Laena, three years ago. Ruth learned Laena worked hard to put him through medical school, and stood by his side through his internship and residency. And even when he decided to go on and specialize, she still supported him. All the while, he kept telling her their day would come. Once he was established, they would get a nice house and start a family.
Laena believed him, not seeing that after they moved home, he quickly became more distant. Soon he spent longer and longer hours at the office, and seldom wanted to touch her, or make love. A year ago, Laena had been shocked to learn he was having an affair with his office nurse. And the woman was pregnant. Jeff told her he wanted a divorce so he could marry his nurse.
Ruth learned Laena had been stunned at first. Slowly, she realized the signs had been there, but she was just too trusting. Jeff convinced her they only needed one lawyer and they could do the divorce amicably. Laena believed him, and ended up with pretty much nothing. She wanted to move away, but wasn't completely sure where to go. And then, she met Ruth.
At first, they just chatted when they met here or there. And then, Ruth started asking her to do things with her. Ruth wanted to box Jeff's ears for treating Laena so unfairly. She quickly saw how tough things were for Laena, since she couldn't get a job locally as an art teacher. Ruth pretended to have some dizzy spells, and told Laena she didn't feel comfortable being alone. Ruth told her the doctor had given her some horrid suggestions, all of which meant she would have to leave her home. She had shamelessly played on Laena's sympathies, and convinced her to move in with her.
The last three months had been more fun for Ruth than she'd had since her children were little. Laena was a "project" almost. She was watching the young woman blossom once again as she regained confidence in herself. She hadn't planned on telling Laena her plan until Christmas, but decided she needed some good news now. She put her finger under Laena's chin and raised her tearstained gaze to meet hers.
"I have a surprise for you, Laena. I was going to wait until Christmas, but... I'm having a studio built for you in January. We can set up out there and piddle all day long."
Laena frowned, looking distracted.
Ruth hoped that she was forgetting Jeff and the letter he had sent her.
"What do you mean, Ruth?"
"We need a place to do 'our thing'. I'm going to have it equipped with everything you need for your pots, and I am going to start to paint again. I loved those classes we took in November, and I want to do it more often. And knowing you, you would want to be out there with me, or you would worry. This way you can get back to throwing your pots, and making more beautiful things to sell. Perhaps I'll even get two wheels set up, and you can teach me to throw a pot or two."
Laena laughed, smiling at Ruth's exuberance. Warmth, love and concern flooded through her. Somehow, she was sure Ruth was doing this mainly for her, and not because she wanted to paint again. She knew what Ruth's family was going to think. But just then, she didn't really care. She needed something to focus her energies on once again. She missed her work, which she'd given up when she moved out of Jeff's house. She had been crushed when she learned he had sold her wheel and kiln without asking her, shortly after the divorce.
Ruth stood and grabbed Laena's hand. "Let's go downstairs and join in the fun." Her tone told Laena she wouldn't take no for an answer.
Laena was snapped up the minute they reached the backyard to be on the boys' team. She found herself playing on a team with David, Daniel, Chris and John. The other team consisted of Pat, Michael, Hank, Tom and Jack. Tracy and Terry were substitutes for the "dads" team, and Lance and Carl were for the boys' team. Laena tried to refuse, seeing none of the other women were playing, but Chris and John wouldn't take "no" for an answer. Soon she was hitting the ball, playing just about as good as the boys. Once she managed to spike it straight down at Jack. And even though he dove for the ball, he was too late.
Jack groaned as Pat helped him up. His aches and pains weren't helped when he saw his sons picking up Laena and swinging her around, first one and then the other. He felt a punch to his gut as he watched her put her hands on their chests to steady herself. He next felt a sharp stab of jealousy seeing her relaxed and easy manner with his sons. He turned abruptly, stunned to realize he was jealous of his twenty-year-old boys.
Maybe he was having his middle-age breakdown, brought on by facing a career change as well as moving and turning his life upside down. But he was stunned he was feeling this attracted to a younger woman. How much younger was still a mystery, but she looked younger than his youngest sister, Janet, who was thirty-seven. Next to his sons, she looked perhaps a few years older, but he wouldn't have thought by much. Disgusted with himself, he threw himself into the game even harder after that. He dove for impossible balls and tried to slam the ball across the net every time.
The game ended as it started getting dark. The decision had been made to order pizza for dinner, and Jack got roped into driving into town for it. Before he expressed a desire for who should travel with him, his car was filled with his two boys and their two oldest cousins, Chris and John. Obviously, the two younger boys had a case of envy and hero-worship for their older cousins. The twins had changed in the last year since they'd been home. Since he'd agreed to his position at the White House, it was hard to recognize his sons as the same raucous boys they had been.
The car ride into town was a raucous journey
with lots of laughter and jostling in the backseat. At one point, things died down and he heard Chris say to Daniel, "I'm in love!"
Daniel laughed, shaking his head. "She is twice your age!"
"So! A lot of women date younger men these days."
David turned around to look at Chris. "You might as well forget it, Chris. Daniel is going to ask her to marry him."
Jack knew they were joking, but his chest tightened painfully with jealousy as he heard. Obviously, they were talking about Laena. He knew how teenaged boys could be. He rationalized that he was being unduly sensitive about the topic of Laena, and he wasn't in the mood to listen to their jesting. Why he should be so interested in a stranger was a question he wasn't ready to delve into right now. The ride back was almost as loud, except that Jack said they could open just one box and have it for the trip home. Eating pizza kept the comments to a minimum.
* * * * *
Laena retired early and was in bed when she heard Jack come into his room. She lay quietly in the dark, listening to the sounds he made moving around the room, obviously getting ready for bed. The bathroom light came on. Soon Laena heard occasional groans coming from the other side of the door. She heard the shower run and then go off. She thought he was almost ready to turn out the light when a soft knock came on her door.
"Yes?" she called out softly.
The door opened and she saw Jack silhouetted by the light of the bathroom. He was wearing a terrycloth robe, open to the belted waist. His hair was still wet, and tousled from being towel-dried. As she gazed at him, her stomach clenched in a gut-wrenching response to his masculine sensuality. She wouldn't have thought he could be more attractive, but with his hair uncombed, she had an intense need to run her fingers through it to restore some semblance of order. And then she would mess it all up again as she kissed him passionately.