Kiss & Tell (Small-Town Secrets-Fairview Series Book 2)

by Sophia Sinclair

  “Far out,” Ashley said. “So your party matched up two long lost lovers and brought a baby into the world, and it sounds like it got you a serious relationship, too? Or were you guys already a couple before that?”

  “We were getting there,” Lori said. “But yeah, that party was kind of pivotal.”

  “It got me a date with that nurse you pointed out to me. Edward,” Ashley said. “And we’re going out again on Monday, my day off.”

  “Evidently, I should have parties more often,” Lori said.

  “You should!” Ashley said. “Well, I’m back to the bar. I’ve got approved gossip to spread.” After Ashley left, Caroline lowered her voice a bit and leaned toward Lori.

  “If you’re serious about selling your house, I can practically guarantee you Harriet and John will buy it. And you know what would be awesome? They should have their wedding in your house! Can’t you just see Harriet walking down that staircase? Your house is where they met and it’s where they found each other again. It would be perfect!”

  Lori raised her eyebrows. “Actually, you’re totally right. I’ll ask Jake what he thinks a fair price would be, considering all the work I put into it, and see if John and Harriet are interested.”

  “I’ll keep mum and let you handle it,” Caroline said. “It’s your house, after all. Boy, is Harriet gonna be thrilled!”

  “Let’s call it a night,” Lori said, lifting and quickly draining her drink. “I’m anxious to get home and talk to Jake about this.”

  When she got home — she was surprised at how quickly Jake’s house had begun to feel like her home as well — Jake was folding a load of laundry. She was amused to see her clothes and his mixed up in the same laundry basket, a pile of her carefully folded skimpy panties next to a pile of his boxers on the coffee table.

  “Hey, how was your night out with Caroline?” he asked.

  “It seems Harriet and John want to buy my house,” she said. “So I guess I better ask you now — are you pretty sure you like living with me? Because if you’re not, I don’t want to sell my house.”

  Jake patted the sofa next to him. “Come sit down next to me, woman. And help me fold,” he said. She did.

  “Well,” Lori said. “I know it’s rather sudden, but everything with us has been. And if I’m going to live here, it’s silly to have that big house sit empty.”

  “You remember I told you when you bought it that you could probably flip it in a few years and trade up. Well, I didn’t expect it to be this soon, but with the work you’ve done on it, I think it’s reasonable to say you’d see a small profit. Not a lot, but some.”

  “I’m not looking to make a ton. Especially if I sell to Harriet. I just want what’s fair.”

  “I’ll do some math tomorrow, but I think we can come up with a price that’s fair and acceptable all around,” he said, picking up and trying to fold a pair of her red lace underwear. “I’m sorry, this one is on you,” he said. “I have no idea how in the hell this thing is supposed to fold, let alone how you get the thing on.”

  “You liked it well enough when you took it off me last night,” she said.

  “I would still like it even if you wore plain white granny panties,” he said. “I’m more interested in what’s underneath.”

  Lori put down the laundry she’d been folding and stood up. She hiked up her skirt to reveal a pair of green crotchless underwear, which she had worn partly because she was low on clean underwear and partly because she wanted to surprise Jake when she returned. Then she placed one foot, still encased in a green leather pump, onto the coffee table. She knew this would cause the fabric to part and show him everything. Jake raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Well, hello there,” he said, and reached across and very gently stroked her.

  Lori moaned but he didn’t do anything but tease her with feather-soft touches. “More,” she begged.

  “You thought you’d just tease me, but now look at who’s being teased,” he said, continuing to barely touch her. In answer, she pulled her dress over her head, showing him her matching green bra, which did about as good a job of hiding the goodies as the crotchless panties did.

  “All right, you win this round,” he said, and slipped a finger inside her. Carefully, so as not to lose the contact she wanted, she laid down on the sofa, and he used his other hand to open his pants.

  “I don’t want to use a condom,” he said. “You’re my girlfriend. I love you. We’re committed. Do we need to?”

  “No, we don’t,” she said. “I’ve got an IUD. It’s safe. I want to feel all of you.”

  Jake moved his body forward and began kissing her, and he withdrew his hand from her, making her let out a little cry of frustration. But in seconds his pants were off and his erection found the split in the panties she still wore. She was so slippery he didn’t have any problem gliding in. She gasped at the sensation of his warm skin, which rubbed excitingly against her warm, wet insides. He gasped as well, pushing himself in to the hilt and then holding still.

  “Don’t move,” he warned, and took a deep breath.

  “Ah, damn, honey, you feel incredible,” he said, and took another deep breath. He cautiously withdrew a few inches, and then slowly slid back in, Lori moaning with every movement he made. She could tell he was afraid of finishing too soon and tried to hold back some of her moaning so as not to set him off before they were ready. But then he started kissing her again, and she moaned into his open mouth. He stopped kissing her long enough to whisper that he loved her. She kissed Jake’s neck and whispered close to his ear that she loved him, too. Immediately, Jake lost control and began relentlessly thrusting all the way inside her, and within seconds he was loudly climaxing like Lori had never heard him climax before. Her own orgasm took her by surprise, overlapping with his. She was still moaning and recovering when he softly withdrew from her and kissed her again. He laid down on the couch, pulling her into place so he was spooning around her.

  “Uh, if you don’t want to pay Catarina to reupholster this sofa, I think we better head to your bed,” Lori said.

  “Our bed,” Jake said.

  She stood up. “Come on. The laundry can wait.” They held hands and ran, laughing, into the bedroom.

  Chapter 22

  Lori nervously smoothed her avocado-green sheath dress and checked the daisy chain crown that ringed her head. She was glad she’d grown out her hair; she did make a very credible ’70s girl, she thought. Next to her, Caroline was also primping. Their eyes met in what used to be Lori’s bathroom, and then they turned to Harriet.

  She wore a full-length wedding gown, complete with train. The lace went all the way up to Harriet’s neck, with dozens of tiny buttons running up the back.

  “Well, Harriet, are you ready to do this?” Lori asked.

  “I’m ready,” Harriet said. “I’ve been ready for decades!”

  “Let’s do this,” Caroline said. She poked her head out the door. “You guys ready?” She texted Catarina. “We’re ready!”

  The sounds of Catarina’s violin started up, and Lori stepped into her old bedroom and took Jake’s hand. The two of them slowly made their way down the long staircase. Lori remembered how the old mattress had rolled down the stairs the day she moved in. She smiled.

  Behind them, Caroline and Johnny began walking down the staircase just as slowly. They proceeded to the living room and took their places in front of the fireplace, now decorated with arrangements of daisies and lots of lace. John Sr. was already standing there, as was Tiana, the ER supervisor, who was decked out in an outfit she must have borrowed from an elderly aunt — her vintage hat alone threatened to steal the show. Lori thought of the church scene in “The Blues Brothers.” She hadn’t known Tiana was not only a nurse but an ordained minister who often led services at her church. She’d thought it was just a stereotype that black women wore big hats to church, but that hat looked quite at home on Tiana’s head.

  The room was as full as it had been the night of Lori’
s house-warming party, but rows of rented chairs took the place of most of the furniture, which had been moved to the basement temporarily. The chairs had to be arranged in a semi-circle around the sunken conversation pit, of course.

  The sounds of Catarina’s violin slowly quieted, then it switched to the familiar sounds of the wedding march. All eyes moved to the staircase, where Harriet was majestically making her way down, by herself. Harriet’s parents weren’t living, and Lori thought they probably wouldn’t have been welcome in any case. Harriet’s face was covered with a full veil. She was going traditional all the way, other than deciding she didn’t need to be escorted by anyone or given away. As Harriet took her place next to John, Caroline quickly stepped over to properly arrange her train. When the last note from Catarina’s violin faded, Tiana’s strong voice rang out.

  “Dearly beloved. We are gathered today in the sight of God, whether certain people here acknowledge Him or not, to join John Turner and Harriet Thomas.”

  “Now, I’ve known Harriet for a long time. She’s one of the best nurses I’ve ever known, and I’m proud to call her a friend. I’m even prouder to be here for this special day.” She paused. “The Good Book says there’s a time for everything, and a season for every matter under heaven. A time to be born, and we ask you, Lord, that nobody be born on this particular occasion, like the last time you all gathered here.” Loud tittering broke out, and Lori glanced at David and Molly, who had Henry in her arms, the baby smiling as big as his parents.

  “A time to be born,” she repeated, “and a time to die. A time to plan, and a time to pluck up what is planted. A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to break down, and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together. A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.” Lori noticed Tiana didn’t need to look down at her Bible or her notes; she had this down pat. “A time to seek, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away. A time to tear, and a time to sew. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate. A time for war, and a time for peace.”

  Tiana paused. “Now sometimes, we may not like it, but things come not in the time we’d choose, but in the time God chooses. So here we are, with John and Harriet, and God has chosen this time for them to come together and become man and wife.”

  Tiana went on with the wedding service, adding her own commentary wherever she apparently thought God’s word needed a little extra explanation. Lori knew Harriet wasn’t particularly religious, but she’d wanted Tiana to do the service, and knew that meant accepting a little more religion being served out than she might have preferred. But it was going just fine.

  She led them through their vows — they’d opted for the traditional ones — and they exchanged rings.

  Finally, Tiana pronounced them husband and wife.

  “You may kiss the bride,” she said.

  John had his work cut out for him, lifting that ridiculously long veil, which led to more titters. He actually said, “I know she’s in here somewhere!” Finally, Caroline helped him get the long veil turned back, showing Harriet’s radiantly happy face. The couple kissed, not a long-drawn-out one, but not a perfunctory little peck, either.

  Catarina’s violin started up again, playing something Lori didn’t recognize. Some kind of short, happy tune. Little Henry let out a happy baby noise from the audience, and the service was over. Everybody congratulated the newlyweds, and then helped push the chairs aside to make room for dancing. Catarina put down her violin. From here on out, it was a play list of recorded music Harriet and John had chosen, mostly of oldies from the time when they’d first met.

  Jake’s parents were in attendance, and Estelle gave Harriet a long, tight hug. “I’m so happy for you,” she said. Those words were heard over and over all evening.

  The dining room had already been set up with a buffet of finger foods, with a caterer taking care of everything on that end. An enormous wedding cake took up a good portion of the buffet, and Chloe and one of Harriet’s nieces helped pass out the cake and champagne. Johnny tapped on his glass and made a long toast, saying how glad he was that his father had found love again. With tears in his eyes, he said he was certain his mother, Helen, was watching from Heaven and was glad to see his dad happy again.

  Tommy had agreed to play the part of deejay since he’d done it for Lori, and had had his instructions. He announced it was time for the bouquet toss, and Jake pushed Caroline and Lori into the press of single women. Harriet turned around and gave her bouquet a toss. Lori thought for sure she was going to catch it. But it landed in Caroline’s arms. Before anyone could see what was happening, Caroline roughly grabbed Lori’s outstretched arm and made it look like they’d both caught the bouquet together.

  “It’s a two-fer!” Caroline shouted, and everyone cheered.

  “Looks like a sign from God to me,” Tiana said. Lori wasn’t sure if she was joking or not.

  Johnny took Harriet and John into a tight huddle, urgently saying something that nobody could overhear. Then he said he had another announcement.

  “You can’t argue with signs from God,” he said. “I just got permission from Dad and Harriet to ask this. I didn’t want to steal their thunder. But Caroline, will you marry me?”

  Caroline looked shocked. Lori quickly pushed the bouquet into her hands. Everyone stared at her, and the shock turned to a big smile.

  “Hey, why not?” she answered. More cheers all around, and then everyone spontaneously began clapping as Johnny gave Caroline a long kiss.

  Jake squeezed Lori’s hand. “You caught the bouquet, too, you know,” he said. Lori’s heart skipped a beat.

  “Not really,” she said. “Caroline just moved fast and made it look like we caught it together. But it was really all hers.”

  “Nevertheless, I think this house is magic.” He took her hand and guided her into the conversation pit, seating her right on the spot where they’d first made love. He patted the special pillow Catarina had made, and that Lori had left for Harriet and John. The point Jake made by guiding her there was not lost on Lori. “Let’s do this real quiet and real private,” he said. “Lori Randall, will you marry me?”

  She looked into his eyes and knew she could only give one answer.

  “Yes, I will.” And then they kissed, and for a minute it seemed like it was their own wedding day.

  “Let’s not tell anyone,” Lori said. “Let’s not steal anyone’s thunder.”

  “Or maybe we should add to it,” he said. “Your choice, though.”

  “How about we just quietly tell Harriet? I think she’ll be pleased,” Lori said. They stood up, holding hands, and made their way to where Harriet and John were receiving more well-wishers. They waited for a break in the crowd, and then they hugged and congratulated Harriet and John.

  “Don’t tell anyone,” Jake said. “We want to keep this quiet for now. But I have just asked Lori to marry me, and she said yes!”

  “Why keep it a secret?” Harriet said. “I think it’s lovely that you asked her at my wedding! Oh, come on. Let me announce it!”

  Jake and Lori looked at each other. He looked quizzical. “It’s up to my future wife,” he said.

  “Oh, hell, why not?” Lori said.

  Harriet cleared her throat. “We have another announcement!” she said. The crowd quieted down.

  “Jake, tell everybody what you just told me.” Everyone’s eyes focused on Jake.

  “I’ve just asked Lori to marry me,” he said. “And she said yes!” They kissed, to more general cheers.

  “Anybody else?” Harriet asked, causing everyone to laugh. “Any more engagements today? No? Only two engagements and a marriage? Well, at least nobody’s giving birth today, right?” Everyone looked around and settled their gaze on the only visibly pregnant woman present, a cousin of Johnny’s.

  “Hey! I’m only seven months pregnant
!” she laughed, covering her baby bump with both hands.

  The wedding reception went until far into the night, Lori dancing with Jake until they were both perspiring and exhausted.

  “I think we should go home,” he said. “I’m tired, and we’ve got a wedding to plan.”

  “Were you already planning to ask me, or did you get caught up in the moment?” she asked.

  “I was planning to ask you, but I was going to buy a ring first. Though at the last second, I just felt like this was the right time. Besides, I know you. You’re going to want to pick out your own ring, am I right?”

  “You aren’t wrong,” she said. “I’ll be wearing it every day for the rest of my life. Might as well get one I love.”

  “I love you,” Jake said. “God, I’m so glad I sold you this house. It’s like it set everything in motion.”

  “I love you, too,” she said. “I will always love this house. It’s not only John and Harriet this house holds memories for. I’m not sorry I sold it to them, but I wish we could have had one more night under the disco ball.”

  Jake got a funny look on his face. “Let’s sneak up there,” he said.

  “You dirty old perv,” Lori said. “You’re on.”

  They sneaked up the stairs and entered the dark bedroom.

  “Maybe we better leave the ball off. It might bring attention,” Lori said.

  “No, I want it on,” Jake said. “However, I do plan to lock the door. That was John and Harriet’s mistake. They forgot to lock it.”

  He locked the door, flipped on the light, and led Lori to the bed, where they stood and kissed. “I think we’ll make this a quick goodbye to this bed,” he said. “We’ll take our time later at home.” As he kissed her, he pushed up Lori’s dress and pulled down her panties. She tugged his trousers and underwear down to his knees. “If we don’t want to get caught, this is going to have to be good enough, she said, leaning over the edge of the bed. He stood behind her and guided himself into her. He knew her well, and it didn’t take very long before she was letting out her cries of pleasure, which she hoped the loud music downstairs would drown out. He was only waiting for her to let himself go. They quickly rearranged their clothing and Jake turned off the disco ball.