Sara picked up on Rebecca’s mood right away and insisted on knowing what she’d missed.
Rebecca saw no point in being coy. “I went out with Jon last night.”
“Really? I was hoping that would happen.”
“You were?”
“How else do you think he got in the park last night? I let him in when I left.”
Rebecca nodded. She’d been so taken aback by seeing Jon that she hadn’t questioned how he’d gotten in.
“Details,” Sara demanded.
“You probably noticed he had a saxophone with him. He played for me, Sara. It was beautiful. And then we went out for dinner.”
“And….”
“It was nice. Very nice. The important thing is he’s going to help us. He’s giving up on trying to buy the park, and what’s more, he’s going to help us save it.”
“That’s great, Bec. But that’s the best you can do? Did you kiss?”
“No. Well, yes, he kissed me…not really on the mouth, but near, and on my cheek and in my hair…and I kissed him on the cheek….”
“That’s it?”
Rebecca frowned at her. “For now. We’re going out again tonight, you’ll be happy to know.”
Sara looked back at her doubtfully. “Tell me you’re going home to change first.”
“I wasn’t planning on it. He’s picking me up here. Why? What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“A sweater and jeans? Why don’t you ever wear a skirt?”
“I wore a dress last night. But it was casual. We ended up at a diner. I think this is fine. We’re just grabbing a bite to eat and going to a movie.”
Sara abruptly stood and pulled off her mini-skirt. She dangled it in the air with her thumb and forefinger. “Let’s switch. We’re about the same size. Let me have your jeans. Oh, and those shoes won’t do. Wear mine.” She kicked off her lace-up boots.
Rebecca couldn’t help but laugh. “Sara, you are so wild. You want me to wear those? And that skirt?”
“Come on, Becca, please?”
* * * *
Seven hours later, Rebecca crept out of the office and scoped out her surroundings. Not a person in sight. A sigh of relief escaped her. Reluctant to show the world her new outfit, she’d hid in the office all day. She’d tried to get Sara to hold off trading clothes until later in the day, but her assistant had convinced her to get used to them. Rebecca suspected the reason had more to do with Sara enjoying her embarrassment.
Trudging through the park and out the gate, Rebecca tugged at the skirt at least a dozen times, making sure her legs and rear were as covered as they could be. She was adjusting the skirt again when Jon drove up and stepped out of his car. A grin covered his face as he regarded her from head to toe. He seemed to be withholding a laugh.
“It’s really not funny, Jon.”
He gave up and laughed freely. “You have to admit it is fairly funny. What in the devil are you wearing? It’s not exactly your style.”
“They’re Sara’s. She traded with me this morning. She’s left already in my jeans and tennis shoes. I can’t get them back.”
“I’m glad. You look great.” But he laughed again, and she joined in.
Before either one could say anything more, she tripped over her heels and fell toward him.
He caught her in his arms and righted her. “Am I going to have to carry you? Not that I would mind.”
“Just get in the car, will you?”
He opened the passenger side door for her. “What would you like to eat?”
“I’ve had a serious craving for pizza all day.”
“Great. Steer me in the right direction.”
She guided him to a nearby Italian restaurant where they ordered a large pepperoni and mushroom pizza and two salads.
Their server set down their pizza, and Jon said, “At least we know that no matter how the rest of our relationship goes, we can always agree on food.” He chose a slice of pizza for each of them and nudged his against hers in a toast. “Sorry to be so cheesy.” He grinned.
Rebecca groaned and shook her head. She easily finished her piece of pizza and moved on to another.
“You certainly have a good appetite,” Jon said. “Where are you putting all this food?”
With her mouth half-full, Rebecca said, “Hey, I work out, I’ll have you know.”
“Really? I’ve been wanting to find a gym around here. Where do you go?”
She finished the last bite of her pizza. “I’ve never been much of a gym person. I have a routine I do at home a few days a week.”
“That’s efficient. What kind of routine?”
“Some weight-lifting. Dancing—mostly ballet. I took lessons as a child.”
He smiled at her and helped himself to another piece of pizza. “My sister and I ate three pies after a softball game once—with the works. Anchovies included.”
“Wow. How old were you?”
“Sixteen and eighteen. You’d be amazed at the amount of food teenagers can consume. I remember Penny hit two doubles in that game. Amazing. She’s a great….” Jon’s smile abruptly faded, and he stopped speaking.
“You must miss her,” Rebecca said gently. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost my sister.”
Jon nodded but didn’t answer. Finally, he said, “Perhaps we should go.”
“Oh, okay. Sure.”
Jon took out his wallet and threw forty dollars on the table. He stood.
“Don’t you need change?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
He pulled out her chair and waited for her to stand.
“Jon…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
They left the restaurant, Rebecca muttering to herself. How stupid she’d been. Of course Jon missed his sister. Now she had him thinking about it and feeling lousy. He remained silent as they drove to the movie theater. She tried to engage him in conversation, but he didn’t respond.
Rebecca had a hard time concentrating on the romantic comedy Jon had chosen. She found herself gazing at his profile more often than watching the screen. Totally at odds with the tone of the movie, a dour expression hardened his features. He didn’t laugh once. She longed to see his dimples. At last, she ventured to lay her hand in his lap. What seemed like eons later, he placed her hand in his. In the semi-darkness, a slight smile played across his lips. She echoed the sentiment, and relief rushed through her. They held hands through the rest of the movie and into the credits.
They’d been forced to park some blocks from the theater, and light drizzle turned to rain as they walked. Soon, water dripped from their hair, and Rebecca’s skirt clung to her legs.
At Jon’s car, she climbed in and hunched over for warmth. Wanting to apologize, but not sure how, she said through chattering teeth, “Jon….”
“You don’t need to say anything. You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s a sore subject. Forget it.” He set the heater as high as it would go.
“Oh, that’s heaven,” Rebecca said when the warmth kicked in.
“How many days do you suppose you lose to rain?”
She needed a few beats to realize he was talking about Storytown. “We’re pretty lucky. Eight or ten days a year, I suppose. Mostly in the late fall and winter.”
“I wonder if there’s any way of covering some of the park so you could still open.”
“You mean like a domed stadium or something? I would think that would be expensive.”
“No doubt. Just thinking out loud.”
Rebecca nodded half-heartedly, still finding it hard to believe that her once-perceived enemy was now going to help her. Could it be that Jon truly cared about her; that he could really be the one, despite all her earlier reservations? The fact that he was prepared to disappoint his father seemed to indicate he was the real thing.
By the time they drove up the service road at Storytown, Jon had turned the wipers on high. He drew up to Rebecca’s car and switched off the engine.
&nb
sp; “Why don’t we wait a few minutes and see if this lets up?” he said. “You’re not even dry from the last downpour yet.”
“Okay.”
Jon undid his seatbelt and turned to her. Her stomach dropped, and heat flared throughout her body. He flashed his trademark smile and cupped her chin in his hand.
“Rebecca,” he murmured, and she gulped.
Very slowly, he brought his lips to hers. At first teasing and soft, the kiss soon grew more serious. Soon, their tongues touched. Jon lifted his hand from her face and ran his fingers lightly over her knee and up her leg.
Every one of Rebecca’s worries melted away. She didn’t care about anything but Jon’s mouth on hers. And the way his hand progressed up her thigh….
A knock on the driver’s side window shattered the moment.
Startled, they emerged from the embrace and stared at each other wordlessly. They turned to the window, but fog blocked their view of the intruder.
“Did you invite someone over while I wasn’t paying attention?” Jon asked, and Rebecca grinned at him. He grinned back and hit the electric window control with a flourish.
The next thing she knew, he said, “Dad, what are you doing here?”
Chapter 9
Jon opened his door and stepped out to shake hands with his father. Rebecca deliberated for a moment and climbed out. The trio gathered at the front of Jon’s car, shivering and getting wetter by the second.
The spitting image of Jon but some thirty years older, Jonathan Eastman the Second looked Rebecca up and down with obvious contempt. His gaze landed on the mini-skirt, and she pulled it down as much as she could before offering him her hand. Of all times to be wearing clothes she never wore. She longed for her jeans and a sweatshirt. Of course, Jon’s father probably wouldn’t have approved much of that apparel, either. She flushed, fearing that her nipples were erect against her wet sweater.
Without smiling, Jon’s father accepted her handshake. “Jonathan Eastman. And you would be?”
“Dad, this is Becca,” Jon answered.
She glanced at him, wondering why he’d used her nickname instead of her full name. “Rebecca Charles,” she supplied.
“Rebecca Charles of Storyland?”
“Yes. It’s Storytown. But yes,” Rebecca said, aware that the Storytown sign was practically screaming right in front of them.
Jon and his father exchanged looks, and Rebecca’s stomach flip-flopped. What was going on?
“Wonderful,” Eastman said. “So I may assume you are discussing the deal?”
Rebecca started to set him straight, but Jon said, “Yes. Yes, that’s what we’re doing.”
“I should hope so. Because otherwise it would be rather inappropriate for the two of you to be together on a Saturday night, wouldn’t it?” He gave Jon a stern look, and Rebecca’s stomach lurched again.
“What brings you here, Dad?”
“Well, if you ever deigned to answer your cell phone, I would have told you. I went by your apartment and couldn’t find you. So I thought I’d swing by here and take a look at our property.”
Rebecca flinched at the phrase “our property.” She waited for Jon to correct him.
“You came out here, what, ten weeks ago? And still no sale.”
“We’re getting there,” Jon said, and Rebecca threw him a questioning glance.
“All right then. I’m staying at the Fullerton for the night if you need me. It was nice to meet you, Miss Charles. Talk to you soon, son.”
Jon walked his father to his car in the public parking lot and came back to join Rebecca. He wouldn’t meet her eyes.
She wiped water from her face. “Jon, what was that about? Why did you tell him we were working out a deal?”
He stared straight ahead. “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t disappoint him. I can’t help you after all.”
He might as well have slapped her in the face. Without acknowledging him, she fished her car keys out of her bag, jumped in her car, and drove off without looking back.
* * * *
Rebecca passed the next few days in a fog. She forgot simple things, one moment scheduling a staff member in two places at the same time, the next moment giving Mittens a handful of goldfish crackers instead of dry cat food. She even forgot to put Sunday’s proceeds into the safe.
Every so often, she thought of Jon, and her stomach clenched, pain lancing through her. Over and over again, she admonished herself for falling for him. She should have followed her instincts and never gotten close to him. He was a cold businessman, just as she’d suspected all along. How stupid she had been!
She barely had enough energy to run the park, provide comfort for her sister, and deal with her own broken heart, too. Christmas would hardly be merry this year.
* * * *
In light of Jon’s betrayal, Rebecca was more determined than ever to hang onto Storytown. But that meant making money, and that meant a successful fundraising ball. Many raucous discussions later, she and Sara settled on a children’s literature theme for the event. Sara wanted to branch out into more adult fare, such as Gone with the Wind or Casino Night. But Rebecca reined her in, reminding her that the theme should tie in with Storytown. Guests would be asked to dress as a character from a nursery rhyme, fairy tale, or children’s book.
They paid a hefty deposit to lease Xavier House, one of the city’s historic mansions. Horse-drawn carriages would transport guests up to the house from the parking lot, allowing plenty of viewing time along the way of the English gardens.
Leslie recommended a catering company for whom she had done accounting, and she arranged for a discounted rate. Domenico’s would provide “Peter Rabbit Lettuces,” “Three Little Pigs Pork Chops,” “Humpty Dumpty Frittata,” “Little Mermaid Seafood,” and “Peter Pumpkin Eater Pie.” The caterers would also help with the decorating.
They hired a string quartet to play waltzes in the ballroom after dinner. Sara suggested they auction off dances à la her favorite scene in Gone with the Wind, and Rebecca reluctantly agreed. They set the ticket price for the event at one hundred dollars each and crossed their fingers.
* * * *
Two nights before the opening of the Winter Festival, Rebecca and her sister lay on opposite ends of Leslie’s couch, dressed in identical snowflake-patterned pajamas, munching on microwave popcorn.
Rain pummeled the tiles on the roof, and every so often a streak of lightning flared across the sky. They had It’s a Wonderful Life on, but Jon dominated Rebecca’s thoughts, and she had a feeling her sister fretted about Milton. They’d asked him to join them, but he’d decided to stay in his room.
Leslie shook her head. “Poor Milton. I don’t know what to say to help him. He thinks Dave deserted him. I keep saying it has nothing to do with him, but it’s not working.”
The sisters remained silent for a long time. On the screen, Jimmy Stewart prepared to jump from the bridge.
“What about you, sis?” Leslie asked, her socked foot nudging Rebecca’s under the afghan.
Rebecca mumbled through a mouthful of popcorn, “What about me?”
“How’s your love life? I haven’t heard you mention anyone since…I don’t know! Mark?”
In lieu of answering, Rebecca licked salt from her lips and concentrated on the television screen.
“Bec?”
Rebecca threw the afghan off herself and sat up. “Men suck,” she said forcefully.
“Mark does, and Dave might, but I don’t think all men do. They’re not all bad.”
Rebecca stared at her sister, incredulous. “How can you say that? After…after everything?”
Leslie threaded her fingers through her long blonde ponytail. “What can I say? I guess I still believe in love.”
“Are you serious?” Leslie’s feelings toward love never failed to surprise Rebecca. Despite several devastating break-ups in her teens and early twenties, she’d kept dating until she met Dave. Now it seemed she was ready to start all over once again.
“Are you saying you’d get married again?”
Leslie nodded and looked Rebecca straight in the eye. “I think the woman doth protest too much. What’s going on?”
Rebecca pursed her lips and exhaled. “Well, there was this guy….”
“And…?”
So Rebecca told her sister the whole story. At the end, she flung the afghan over her head and sunk into the recesses of the couch.
“Do you love him?”
Rebecca peeked over the top of the blanket. “No! Maybe. I don’t know. Why? It doesn’t matter now.”
“I’m not sure you’re being fair, Bec.”
“Me? What about him? He promises to help me, and then he betrays me.”
“I don’t think he betrayed you. He obviously feels an obligation to his father because of his sister. It doesn’t really have anything to do with you.”
“So, I should just go along with it? Let Storytown go?”
“Maybe.”
“You don’t get it. I love that place.”
“I have feelings for it too. I went sometimes with you and Gran, remember? But the park’s in trouble anyway. You probably won’t be able to save it. Why don’t you let Jon buy it now, and then you at least might get the guy.”
Rebecca looked at her sister thoughtfully. Was Leslie right? Was it time to put her past where it belonged and move toward the future?
* * * *
The first day of the Winter Festival fell on the Saturday before Christmas. Although the weather was clear and mild, Rebecca had a host of other concerns to attend to. The train track was fixed, but the merry-go-round kept halting mid-ride. Several of the students had gone home for the holidays, and the remaining staff scrambled to cover all of the posts. And Sara had come down with the flu and wouldn’t be there to play Santa Claus. No one else wanted to take on the role. Rebecca knew she could pull rank and assign the job to someone, but she didn’t have the heart. The employees had caught on to their financial problems and knew why Jon was hanging around. She was trying to keep morale at a reasonable level.
Storybook Love: A Storybook Park Romance Page 8