They all drifted towards the front door, thanking Vicky and saying their goodbyes.
Jack slipped out the back way. The conversation about Tori Baxter’s hot sex had intrigued him so much, that he couldn’t resist ducking into her office, pocketing one of Victoria’s paperbacks on his way out. I’ll have to read one of Tori Baxter’s romance novels and find out what they’re talking about.
After cleaning up the dishes, Vicky spent the rest of the afternoon tackling the baskets of vegetables Jack had brought over. Cleaning what seemed like mountains of squash and beans, made her decide that she’d better learn to can and freeze vegetables. I really hope that farm stand is a success, or I’m in big trouble.
Then she began preparing dinner for herself and Jack. As she worked her thoughts raced, mulling over conversations she’d had with him, or anyone else, about her writing. After considerable mental gymnastics, she persuaded herself that no one, including Jack, could possibly know that she was Tori Baxter. She should have anticipated that some of the women would have picked up one of her romance novels.
* * *
Just after five o’clock, Jack breezed through the door with a bottle of red wine under his arm. Freshly shaved and showered, his damp hair curling, he looked way too cute. Swallowing she tried not to stare at the way his jeans hugged his butt as he set the bottle on the table. The view was just as nice from the front.
“I dragged the gas grill over from the garage,” he said, eyeing the two rib steaks she had on a pan, making their way towards room temperature. “You want to grill, or do you want me to?”
Lifting her eyes to his she said, “Jack, you go ahead and I’ll finish up in here. Would you grill some zucchini with the steaks? I’ve got them sliced and soaking up some garlic and olive oil.”
“Sure, no problem.” He put down the wine and rummaged through kitchen drawers until he found a corkscrew.
Half an hour later they sat down together. Between them were platters of grilled zucchini, roasted potato wedges, green beans, and a cucumber salad with onions and thinly sliced black olives in an Italian herb dressing.
“I know this is way more food than we needed, but all those vegetables looked so good, I couldn’t help myself. Thanks for the wine, Jack.
“Hey, thanks for dinner. This looks fantastic.”
“It was no problem, really.”
“Where did you learn to cook? I can grow this stuff, but once I harvest it, I’m not really sure what to do with it." He poured wine for them both before forking his first bite of steak into his mouth.
“My other grandmother, the Italian side of the family, taught me to love cooking when I was very young. I made a lot of messes in the kitchen, driving Mom crazy. Some time I’ll have to make a big Italian pasta meal for everyone like Grandma did. You like Italian?”
Jack nodded. “I like everything.” He raised his glass and clinked it against hers. “To the new book club adventure,” he declared and sipped.
Vicky shot him a wary glance, wondering what he was really thinking, then mumbled, “Book club, sure.” She raised her own glass. “To keeping the farm away from Van Winkle.”
Jack laughed out loud. “I’ll drink to that!” Then he began to dig into the food with enthusiasm, piling potatoes and beans onto his plate, nudging the steak to one side. “This is all really good.”
Watching him eat she was amazed that he could be so hungry after he’d eaten a couple dozen cookies and all that cake earlier. “Thanks Jack. I enjoy cooking. This is kind of nice don’t you think?”
“Dinner is great,” he said, and swallowed. “I like being here with you.”
She ignored his remark and they ate in silence for a few minutes. “So, did your mom show you how to cook as well?”
She shook her head laughing. “No, she wasn’t much good in the kitchen. Daddy used to get pretty frustrated and he'd often just take over and do things himself. After the accident I moved in with Nanna. Grandma Buonadies would come over and help when she could. She helped take care of Nanna too, until she became ill herself and really couldn’t any longer.”
Jack studied her thoughtfully. “How old were you, when your parents were in the accident?”
“I was sixteen. It was so sudden.” Her voice trailed off and she looked away to hide the tears that filled her eyes.
“I’m sorry Victoria. That must have been rough on you.”
“I guess I thought my whole world was coming to an end. After a while though, you get over it. Then, when other people need you, like Nanna did, you pull on your big girl panties and get on with things.”
Jack nodded thoughtfully, understanding.
Vicky went back to her dinner, pushing the food around on her plate, too tense to be hungry. She was still wearing the pink skirt and short blouse. Her auburn hair hung loose onto her shoulders. Those hazel eyes looked up at him and they held one another’s gaze for a moment then she lowered her eyes.
Victoria is so absolutely beautiful, inside and out. I can see spending the rest of my life with her. It was a scary thought and it frightened him, but he allowed the idea to settle there and decided to let it stay. The longer he let it sink in, the less frightening it became.
The night they’d shared her birthday cake on the porch she’d said something about never having had sex and that her life was one big nothing, but she was ‘very good at the sex thing in her imagination.’ He’d been convinced at the time it was just the wine talking. It was clear enough now that she’d been referring to writing about sex in her romance novels. That rainy day back in May when he and Victoria manhandled the old chest from the attic. What was it that set the spark alight between them that day? The thought of her writhing under his touch, wearing nothing but those skimpy peach colored panties was….
“Jack. Hey, Jack. Where did you go?”
He realized with a start that he’d been staring into space. He shrugged, speared a potato wedge, and stuffed it into his mouth chewing thoughtfully.
“What were you thinking? You kind of zoned out on me,” said Vicky.
Jack swallowed his potato, took a quick sip of the wine, and set his glass down. “God, Victoria, I was remembering the day we made love. We brought that big trunk down the attic stairs, opened it and then…,” he spread his hands expansively. “Then it was like something just snapped in both of us. I don’t regret it Victoria and I hope you don’t either.”
“Oh!” was all she could say.
Jack laughed softly. “Hey, maybe when we opened up that antique trunk we released some magic.” He stood, pushing back his chair. “Come on, I’ll help you clean up.”
Later they took the rest of the wine and went to sit in the back porch rockers to watch the sun go down. The kittens came out to join them. Romeo went to the screen door, stared at it for a moment, and then as if he’d made a decision, nudged it open and slipped outside. Juliet jumped up and curled into a neat ball on Victoria’s lap.
“The stand is really going to make all the difference this year,” said Jack. “The extra money will make it possible for me to do so much more.” They rocked and she listened to him expound on his plans for the farm until the moon rose, illuminating the yard before them. White winged moths fluttered against the screen trying to get at the porch light inside.
Jack asked more about her life growing up in New Jersey.
“There really isn’t much more to tell you. I didn’t get out much,” she said with a laugh.
Pointedly he didn’t mention her secret, but it was continually on his mind. At last, he stretched and stood. “I have a lot to do tomorrow. Thanks for a great dinner.”
Vicky carefully slid Juliet to the floor and got up. The kitten took a few tentative steps, blinked, and looked to either side, confused.
At the door Jack turned and said, “I’ve got to be going.” and gathered her to him for a kiss, but she struggled out of his embrace.
Stepping back she said, “It was kind of nice, dinner and everything.”
&
nbsp; “Yes,” he said disappointed. Finally, Jack simply kissed her lightly on the forehead and whispered softly in her ear, “Goodnight Tori.” Then turned quickly and vanished into the darkness.
She inhaled sharply, dumbstruck, staring after him into the night. At last, she stomped into the house, slammed the door, and locked it. “Damn you Jack!” she lashed out, with tears in her eyes. He’s figured it out. Damn that Jack! Why did Carol have to open her big mouth? Damn him anyway for being so clever. Now what am I going to do?
Molasses Ginger Crackle Tops
Sift together:
4 1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons cloves
1 tablespoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons ginger
Have room temperature and cream together:
1 1/2 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup molasses
2 eggs
Mix the dry ingredients into sugar mixture.
Chill well.
Roll into 1 1/4” balls, roll them in granulated sugar.
Place cookies 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets.
Bake for 7 to 10 minutes in preheated oven, until just set and tops are cracked.
Cool on pans for a bit then remove to wire racks.
Chapter 21
“The look on her face was priceless.” Jack chuckled as he sat on his bed shedding clothing. Who would have suspected sweet little Victoria to be the famous ‘Torrid Tori’ of the world of romance literature. He’d flipped through Rendezvous Romance and just as Carol and Penny had said, there were definitely some red-hot sex scenes. It was hard for him to conceive of Victoria creating it all in her imagination, but she had. Then he thought back to that rainy day in May when they’d made love all afternoon and he reconsidered. Maybe it’s not so hard to imagine after all.
Deciding he needed to cool off, he stood up, stripped and tossed his clothes towards the hamper, and headed for the shower, still smiling and snickering. Adjusting the spray, he stepped in and began vigorously soaping up. As he showered, he kept thinking about Victoria’s secret. Too bad I can’t tell anyone. I’d give anything to see the reaction of the ladies of the book club if they found out. He laughed again at the thought. I’ve never really seen Victoria angry. Well, maybe a little bit angry, but I’m not willing to risk her fury over this. She’d kill me for sure if I spilled the beans. Rinsing he stepped out and grabbed a towel off the rack.
Drying off, he stopped at the sink to comb his hair, smiling once more at his reflection. Wouldn’t the guys get a kick out of discovering that our sweet little Vicky writes hot sex for a living? Suddenly the smiling face in the mirror sobered again. Shit! If Van Wart or Vince ever found out she wrote all that hot sex.... The comb clattered on the tile floor. Man! I’d better make damn sure they never find out. I don’t want them knowing any of this.
* * *
Joe pulled into the farm’s driveway Sunday after church. The three of them were now regularly attending the Methodist church together; Joe and Diane picking Vicky up each week, as she still hadn’t replace her Toyota.
She invited them both in. “Why don't you stay for lunch? I’ve made some iced tea, chicken salad, and there’s a ton of Jack’s veggies.”
“That’d be great,” said Diane. “Let me give you a hand.”
“You two go on ahead,” Joe called. “I’m going to find Jack and thank him again for being so thoughtful, bringing you home on the Fourth.”
“Hey, tell him to come have lunch with us,” Vicky called over her shoulder.
“Sure.” After searching in the barn and the apartment over the garage, Joe finally discovered him riding his tractor out of the fields, hauling a loaded cart. Pulling into the barn, Jack cut the engine and climbed down.
“Joe! Good to see you. I’ve been working my ass off all morning. Do you think this is enough to get things started?” he said proudly, nodding towards the baskets and boxes of freshly picked produce ready for the opening of his roadside stand.
“Yeah, looks good. You look like you need a break and I’d like a beer if you’ve got one,” said Joe.
“I’m pretty hot and thirsty myself,” he said. “Come on up.”
Once upstairs Jack tossed a beer to his friend. Popping the top of his own, he took a long drink and relaxed in his chair.
As soon as they were settled, Joe got to the point. “You know, Jack that was a low down thing you did on the Fourth of July. When the storm started I gathered up all the blankets and stuff, looked around, and what? No Vicky anywhere. Figured right away, you’d dragged her off. We’ve been friends a long time Jack, but that was a crappy thing to do.”
“You’re right Joe." He sighed and drank again. "I was pissed off when she went to town with you. I had no idea you were interested in her. Guess you’re still interested, huh?”
“You bet I am, and I’m not the only one. There’s a few other guys asking about her, kind of sniffing around. Crazy Van Wart for one has got his eye on her.”
“I’m going to be up front with you. When Victoria first showed up here and told me this was her place; I didn’t like her one bit. Here she just walks in and pulls the farm out from under me, after all my hard work. Yeah, I was good and mad and I blamed her. That wasn’t right. The only one to blame was Uncle Charley, but he was six feet under so I couldn’t take it out on him, could I? In any case, I see things differently now.”
“Differently how?” asked Joe.
Frowning at his empty can, as though it had offended him in some way, Jack replied, “I think I’m in love with her.”
“You think? You’re not sure? What about Vicky? Does she feel the same way about you?”
Jack shook his head. “I’m afraid she doesn’t like me much, but I’m going to change her mind on that. Are you going to continue dating her?”
“You bet I am.” Joe stood up and finished his beer. “Sorry Jack. You said you weren’t interested in her. I couldn’t understand that myself. You have to admit Vicky is one hot woman, and she has a certain something beneath that hot exterior. It’s kind of a timid innocence. I don't know. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s very enticing."
“I guess that means you’re my competition, Joe. Is that it?”
“You got it.” Joe tossed his empty can into the trash. Turning to Jack he said, “I was wondering, what kind of work she does? I asked, but she’s never really said.”
“Oh, I’m not sure; she writes stuff for some company. Don’t really know, but it’s probably some dry dull technical stuff.” He looked away, trying not to grin.
“Sounds like a boring job,” Joe remarked. “I’m out of here. Vicky’s fixing me some lunch over at the house.” He shot Jack a sly grin as he left.
Going to the window Jack watched his friend cross the drive and climb up the back steps. “Damn.” He dreaded the thought of being at odds with Joe over Victoria. Never one to give up he decided, "I guess I’ll go get some lunch myself."
It didn’t take long to jump in the shower and pull on some clean clothes. When he reached the screen door of the farmhouse, he hammered on it and called out. “Is there anything left or did you guys eat it all?”
Diane looked up from the table and said, “Jack, I thought you weren’t hungry? Joe said...,”
“Yeah? What did Joe tell you?”
Vicky brought him a plate of sandwiches and salad she had set aside for him. “Here Jack, I thought you’d change your mind. Sit down and I’ll pour you some iced tea.”
“Why thank you Victoria! That’s real nice.” He shot Joe a smirk as he planted himself in the seat next to Vicky.
Scowling, Joe bit fiercely into a thick sandwich, forcing chicken salad out the back end onto his lap.
* * *
The next morning Jack called Fred. “I was just checking in to see if there’s any news for us on Van Winkle’s legal case.”
“No nothing for certain, but I expect to hear very shortly from the lawyer in Albany,” said Fred. “I sent all the new pertinent information to him, and I promise to let you and Vicky know immediately when I hear back.”
There was nothing he could do to speed up the process, so Jack spent the better part of Monday and Tuesday picking vegetables, and on Tuesday afternoon trucked everything down to the roadside stand and opened up.
It wasn’t long before people began to stop and soon he was doing a brisk business. Some of his customers were friends and neighbors, but others were total strangers. Jack found that he enjoyed the interaction and the hours he spent there flew by quickly. In conversation with customers, busily filling bags with produce, he failed to notice Jonathan Van Winkle’s truck slowing as it passed by on the other side of the road.
Beady little eyes scowled at the parked cars and crowd of people buying their vegetables. Hearing Jack’s laughter, he spat angrily out his open window. I’ll put a stop to his little business. What the hell is holding up them lawyers anyway? Should’ve been settled by now. Maybe I’ll just do some settling myself, in the meantime.
* * *
The sun was winking its last rays over the mountains to the west, when Jack knocked on Victoria’s back door. She came out from her office, smiling. “How was the first day?” she asked. “Everything go okay?”
“Great. A lot of people told me how happy they were that I was open. You wouldn’t by any chance have a cold drink in that fridge?” he asked, following her into the kitchen.
“I just might,” she said, opening the refrigerator door and after sliding various items around, emerged with a pitcher of tea.
Jack sighed as she handed him a glass.
“Have a seat and tell me all about it. Every now and then I peeked out and there were always at least a couple of cars parked.” She poured ice tea for herself and came to sit at the table with Jack.
Keeping Victoria's Secret Page 20