by Peggy Webb
o0o
Gwendolyn clutched the note in one hand and hung on to the back of the chair with the other. Jake Townsend hovered near the doorway like a thundercloud.
"If I hadn't slept the afternoon away like some silly old fool, none of this would have happened."
"Stop blaming yourself, Gwendolyn. It's not your fault."
"If anything happens to her ..."
"Nothing is going to happen to her. I won't let it."
Age had mellowed him. He still had the look of a fierce old hawk, but his voice was quieter, gentler. Sarah's influence. Gwendolyn had known from the moment she met Sarah Love that she was the only woman who could tame Jake.
Just having him in the house made Gwendolyn feel better. She sank into the chair, still holding the note.
"I guess I should have told you about Daniel Sullivan sooner."
"You don't know that's why she left."
"Yes, I do, Jake." Gwendolyn spoke with quiet conviction.
And suddenly Jake knew too. Memories stirred. He'd been sitting on Sarah's front porch swing beside four-year-old Jenny. She'd laid her tiny cheek against his chest and murmured, over and over, "Me love 'ake. Me love 'ake."
When Jenny loved, she loved with her whole heart, and nothing would ever convince her to give up.
"I'm going to find her, Gwendolyn."
"Good luck, Jake."
He'd need more than luck when he found her: He'd need the wisdom of Solomon.
o0o
The commotion on the street brought Daniel to his feet. He sprang to his window, with Helen not far behind.
Car horns were honking, crowds were gathering, and people were screaming. The center of all the excitement was an ancient Buick, driving sedately up the sidewalk. All four fenders were dented, the tailpipe banged the concrete, and the front bumper swayed like a drunken sailor. A clothesline filled with somebody's laundry trailed behind the car, and the radio antenna sported a rakish flag—a pair of bright red undershorts.
"Who in the world ?" Helen said.
Behind the wheel sat a laughing imp with a lopsided bow in her hair.
"Jenny." Astonishment and delight filled Daniel. And hot on their heels came fear, absolute terror that Jenny had been behind the wheel of a car.
He raced from his office and down the stairs, two at a time.
"Jenny!" he yelled as he catapulted through the front door.
The car was stopped on the sidewalk, with smoke pouring from the hood. Out stepped Jenny. When she saw him, she strolled forward in her brave rolling gait, holding a picnic basket with one hand and her hair bow in place with the other.
"Daniel. I drove the car." Her smile was triumphant and her cheeks were flushed.
"You certainly did." He couldn't bear to chastise her for taking to the streets in a car she obviously didn't know how to handle. She was safe, and that was all that mattered.
The old car backfired once, then with a mighty sigh it sank into its warped frame and died.
Daniel caught Jenny and held her close. "You certainly did drive the car." Pride welled up in him, and feelings so tender, he dared not give them a name.
Jenny tipped her head back and smiled at him. "Now will you teach me to drive a bus?"
Daniel roared with laughter. Then, taking her by the elbow, he led her to the elevator. She leaned against the wall and pressed one hand over her heart.
"What a ride! I've never had as much fun in all my life."
"It was your first time driving, I take it."
"My second. My brother Josh tried to teach me years ago, but Daddy decided it wasn't such a good idea."
"I expect there are a few housewives in Florence who would agree with him."
"I didn't mean to take their laundry. It just happened."
"Jenny.. .Jenny." Daniel caught her hand, smiling. "What are we going to do about all that missing laundry?"
"Tie it up with a ribbon and send it back?" She gave him a hopeful, pert little smile.
"I'll have Helen do just that."
"Good. I don't want to be a thief."
She got off the elevator and walked beside him, swinging her picnic basket and humming. She was a thief, all right, for she had completely stolen his heart.
When he walked into his office, Helen was sitting at her desk as if the commotion underneath the window had never taken place. Daniel put a protective arm around Jenny. She was her usual unaffected, charming self, and Helen was gracious. If she hadn't been, if she'd shown any indication that she considered Jenny mentally retarded, Daniel would have fired her on the spot.
"Helen, I'd like you to see that the laundry on Jenny's car is returned to its rightful owner."
"Certainly." Helen was as unflappable as if he'd asked her to bring up the mail.
"With a ribbon," Jenny said.
"Any particular color?"
"Yellow."
"Send flowers, too, Helen," he added.
"What shall I say on the card?"
"Jenny?" Daniel turned to her.
"Say 'I'm sorry I took your laundry. Come by and I'll paint your portrait free.' "
"Florence is a small town. It shouldn't take you long to find who's missing a clothesline. Also, call Gwendolyn to let her know Jenny is safe, and when you've finished delivering the laundry, take the rest of the day off. Jenny and I are going to have a picnic."
To her credit, Helen acted as if he had picnics in his office every day. "I hope you have a lovely time," she said, closing the door behind her.
Alone with Jenny, Daniel suddenly felt shy.
What could he say to this wonderful, innocent woman who had brought sunshine into his life? He wanted desperately to be her hero, to be compassionate and strong and noble. But most of all, he wanted to be wise.
He took the picnic basket then gently held both her hands. She had her brave little chin tipped up, and she was smiling at him as if he were the most wonderful man in the world.
"Jenny..." She had risked her life to see him. He had to stop speaking and clear his throat.
Jenny pressed her fingertips over his lips.
"I love you, Daniel." Her face was earnest and her eyes shining. He trembled at the simplicity and the power of her confession ... and all it meant to both of them. "Is it all right if I pretend we will someday live together happily ever after?"
Was it? Was he wise enough to let her dream without giving her false hope?
She folded her hands tightly together and waited for his answer.
"Yes, Jenny. It's all right."
"You don't have to love me back. I know I'm slow."
"You're not slow, Jenny, you're different in the way that flowers are different, and trees and birds. They come in all colors and varieties, and each one is special." He unlaced her hands and lifted them to his lips. Such talented, beautiful hands. "And I do love you, Jenny ... in the way that one good friend loves another."
Liar. He loved her in ways that would terrify her if she knew.
"Then you're not mad that I came."
"No. I'm touched and humbled by your courage. You're the most courageous person I know, Jenny."
She gave him a wicked little grin. "No, I'm not. I took Gwendolyn's car without asking. Do you think she'll be mad?"
"We'll face the music together. I'll go with you and explain to her that this dangerous and noble mission you undertook required just the right car. And if it's a little worse for wear, I'll be glad to pay for the necessary repairs."
She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. "Daniel, I love you so much, my heart hurts."
His heart hurt too. It was shattered by a love that was totally impossible.
He put his hand on her cheek, stealing a moment of softness and tenderness, storing it away in his memory so he could take it out late at night when the loneliness closed in around him and threatened to destroy his soul.
Don't love me too much, Jenny. I don't know how long I can be strong if you love me too much.
"Why don'
t we see if there's anything in that picnic basket that will cure a hurting heart," he said, trying to keep the mood light.
"Will we picnic here?"
"Where would you like to picnic?"
"By the river, under a great big tree."
"Then a river you shall have. And the biggest tree in Florence, Alabama."
Daniel took the basket with one hand and Jenny with the other. Heads turned when he left the building.
Can you be her friend when people whisper behind your back? Gwendolyn had asked. No one at Sullivan Enterprises dared whisper behind his back.
Chapter Five
He was going to take Jenny picnicking in the large, safe company car, but when she saw his Thunderbird convertible, she was enchanted.
"It looks like a doll's car." She walked round and round it, running her hand across the bright blue paint.
"Would you like to ride in that one?"
"Is it yours?"
"It's all mine."
"Oh, Daniel, what fun!"
He'd never known a woman who took such great delight from such simple pleasure. She leaned back in the seat with her face turned up to the sun and her hair blowing in the wind. On the bridge over the Tennessee River, her hair ribbon pulled loosed and floated toward the water. Even that made her laugh.
“When I have a car of my own, it will be like this, with no top."
The longing in her voice ripped at Daniel's heart. Could Jenny ever have a car of her own? Was it possible for someone like her to get a driver's license? He realized how little he actually knew about her condition. What were her capabilities? Her limitations?
The first thing he was going to do after this picnic was find out.
"Would you like to drive, Jenny?"
"Drive? Me?" She put both hands over her heart, and her eyes were luminous with joy. "You'd let me drive this magical car?"
"Yes. We'll go to a remote country road, and I'll give you a lesson."
"Daniel, you're the most wonderful man in the world."
The road was so remote, it didn't even have pavement, let alone traffic. Jenny gripped the wheel so hard that her knuckles turned white. She understood everything Daniel was telling her, but could she make it all come out right?
She had to. She would.
"Ready, Jenny?"
He was smiling and completely relaxed. Daniel trusted her.
"Ready." She took a deep breath as she reached for the gear shift. Do it with confidence.
"You'll be fine, Jenny." He put his hand over hers. "I'm right here beside you."
She eased into gear and tapped the gas pedal. The car crawled forward.
"It's okay to go faster, Jenny. If we go off the road, we'll drive around in the pasture for a while. We might even reach out the window and pick a bouquet of wildflowers."
Joy. She could go fast. She rammed her foot down harder. The car shot forward, but she kept it on the road.
"Look at me, Daniel. I'm really driving."
"You're really driving, Jenny, and doing a hell of a job too."
She accelerated some more. The wind sang in her ears and whipped her hair.
"Yep. I'm doing one hell of a job." She laughed with the sheer wonder of it all. "Whoops ... Daniel. The curve."
"Turn the car ..." She spun the wheel. "The other way... that's right." He sat there as calmly as if she were one of those great racecar drivers she'd seen on television.
"I could drive forever."
"You can drive as long as you want"
"Well, almost forever. I'm getting hungry."
"Then let's find that tree you talked about."
Daniel found the biggest tree beside the river. It was a mammoth hundred-year-old oak with strong spreading branches that provided shade for them and shelter for a family of gray squirrels and a large collection of birds. Jenny noted each tree dweller with wonder and delight. The Tennessee River, rolling along at the base of the bluff and singing its timeless song, was a special source of joy for her. Even the dappled patterns of sunlight and shadow underneath the tree delighted her.
Daniel realized that the thing he loved most about Jenny was that she didn't view the world as ordinary mortals did: She saw with her heart. In fashioning her, God had filtered out the darkness—the violence, the hatred, the jealousy—and left only the light. Jenny's light touched even the lowliest creature and transformed it to a thing of beauty.
With her, Daniel felt the greening and blooming of his soul.
He knelt at her feet and took her hand. "Teach me, Jenny. Teach me to see with my heart."
"You already see with your heart, Daniel.... You saw me." She touched his chest then pointed to her own.
"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Jenny."
"Truly?"
"Truly."
At that precise moment, a shaft of sunlight pierced the thick branches and touched Jenny's hair and her face. Crowned with gold, she looked as if she had come from another world, his beautiful innocent princess.
His feelings for her were so powerful that they went beyond love, so powerful that they would not be denied. Neither the saints in heaven nor the hounds of hell could have kept him from touching her face.
Her skin was soft, silky, her face perfectly fashioned for the shape of his cupped hands. Joy filled him, threatened to overflow.
Unconsciously Jenny's tongue flicked out and wet her lips. Dew on rose petals. With one finger he gently traced the heart shape of her mouth.
A small sigh escaped her, and she closed her eyes. She was so close, so sweet. Daniel was tempted almost beyond endurance. He leaned down until his lips were only a whisper away from hers. The scent of flowers clung to her skin and wafted from her hair.
One small taste. That's all he'd take. One small, sweet devastating taste of her tempting lips.
Jenny's lids fluttered open, and she held Daniel in silent, solemn regard. Spellbound,
breathless, they watched each other... and waited.
There was not a sound, not even the whisper of flight as a cardinal left the tree branch and winged his way upward. One of his feathers floated downward and landed in Jenny's lap. It lay against her white skirt like a scarlet accusation.
Like a man waking from a dream, Daniel slowly released Jenny. What had he been thinking of? He'd almost defiled an angel.
"Daniel... I thought you were going to kiss me."
"I almost did, Jenny. I apologize."
"Please don't apologize." Jenny thought her heart would break. "I understand."
"It's not that I don't want to kiss you ..."
"You want to kiss me?"
"Yes. I've wanted to from the first moment I saw you."
She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Daniel wanted to kiss her. Joy flooded her soul, and hard on its heels, sadness.
"I understand. Truly I do." She picked up the lovely scarlet feather and held it to her cheek. It was her consolation prize. "I just wish ..." She let her voice trail off. Gwendolyn used to say,If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
"You wish what, Jenny?"
"Sometimes I wish I could have one kiss ... a small one ... so I'd know what it's like."
"You've never been kissed?"
"Do kisses from family count?"
"No."
"Then, no ... never."
Daniel's hands trembled as he cupped her face.
"Just a small kiss, Jenny... between friends."
"What joy, Daniel!"
Her eyes were luminous and so blue that, bending closer, he felt as if he had been sucked into their center. He felt the whisper of her warm breath against his cheek and the stirring of her silky hair against his fingertips. Her lips were close now, soft and innocent, so very innocent.
His mouth closed over hers slowly, tenderly. God, he prayed. God, give me strength to kiss her once, then turn away.
She put her arms around his neck and drew him closer. When her lips moved under his, sweet and sure, he knew that a jus
t God had given womanly instincts even to Jenny, His special child.
Light exploded through him, and a feeling of such exquisite joy that he felt the tears wet upon his face. Every nerve ending in his body tingled. He wanted to deepen the kiss, to plunge his tongue into the warm, moist recesses of her mouth and taste her fully, completely. He wanted to ease his ache by fitting her body close to his. He wanted to feel the sweet heat between her thighs and to know the tender swelling of her breasts.
Beast that he was, he wanted to lower her to the ground and teach her the ways of a man and a woman. He could almost feel the satin sheath of her virgin flesh as it closed around him. The agony of wanting her and knowing he could never have her was so great that he cried out.
Alarmed, Jenny pulled back.
"Daniel, did I do something wrong?"
He pulled her into his arms and cradled her tenderly against his chest.
"No, Jenny ... My darling.. .my love. You did everything right. You're perfect."
Sighing, she leaned against him.
"I didn't know kissing would feel like falling," she said.
"Did you feel as if you were falling?"
"Yes. Part of the time. Then I felt as if I were flying." She tipped her head back so she could look into his eyes. "My heart flew, Daniel."
"So did mine."
She traced his mouth with her fingertips. Daniel felt as if he'd been touched by angels.
"The day I first saw you, I dreamed about kissing these lips.... You've made my dreams come true, Daniel."
How could he tell her that she'd made his come true as well? How could he tell her without raising impossible hopes?
Jenny. Jenny.
The feel of her hands upon his lips sank into his very soul. Such a tender touch. He would remember it always, remember and cherish. Pulling her into the circle of his arms, he held her close. She leaned her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Her trust was both blessing and burden. He didn't know if he had the strength to endure it.
"Daniel..." Jenny pulled back and grinned up at him in an impish way. "Do you want to chase sunbeams?"
"I've never chased sunbeams."
"I'll teach you." She took his hand and led him into the sunlight. "Do you want to sneak up on them, or do you want to be bold?"