Long Gone Girl
Page 9
“I’ll be sorry to see you leaving again so soon.” Grandma reached out across the scrubbed, oak kitchen table and one of her wizened, arthritic hands clasped Ginny’s. “But I understand you need to follow your heart. Lord knows, there’s nothing much here for you in Ridgewood. Career-wise or man-wise for that matter. All the good ones have been taken or have moved away. Men that is.”
Ginny resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She loved her grandma, despite the fact she was always dead set on finding her a man. And sadness tugged at her heart at the thought of leaving her too. Her grandma might be near eighty but she had a kind soul and a zest for life that was infectious. Ginny put down her coffee and squeezed her hand back. “Now, now, Grandma. I don’t need another man.”
Her incorrigible grandma gave her a knowing smile. “I know dear, but it’s awful nice to have one all the same.”
Unbidden images of Jett sprang into Ginny’s mind. Flashing his brighter-than-the-Fourth-of July-fireworks grin at her as he emerged from the surf. Standing smoking-hot in nothing but wet jeans in her room. Hovering over her in bed as he searched her eyes for…something. Something she hadn’t been prepared to give. Not then at any rate. Damn. Ginny bit her lip and glanced out the window to the back garden and blinked away sudden tears.
Grandma touched her arm. “Are you all right, dear?”
Ginny faked a smile. “Yes. I guess I’m just exhausted—”
“Virginia there you are. Thank goodness.” Her mother burst into the kitchen in a flurry of chartreuse green sateen. Another Suzy Perette creation no doubt. “Your father’s playing a round of golf with his new big accountancy client at the Country Club this morning, and I’m going to get my hair done. I trust you aren’t shooting off this weekend. I have a list of errands a mile long for you. First off, you need to take your grandmother down the street to pick up her new spectacles from the optometrist before he closes, then take her to the drugstore—”
“Ellen-May, you know very well your daughter only just got back from work after a twelve hour shift,” interjected Grandma. “She needs sleep for heaven’s sake. Why can’t you do those things after your hair appointment?”
Ginny’s mom raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “Because, dear Mother, then I’m getting my nails done and after that I need to get a couple of extra things from the grocery store that Esme forgot. You know we’re having company tonight. I can’t do every—”
The faint sound of knocking on the front door drifted down the hall way toward the kitchen.
Ginny’s mom frowned. “For pity’s sake, who could that be at this hour? It’s Saturday.”
Ginny glanced at the clock. Ten past nine. “Company?”
Grandma smiled into her tea but her mother scowled.
“Now don’t get smart with me, young lady,” her mother scolded. “And why hasn’t Esme answered the door? I’m going to have to have a word with her again.” She marched from the kitchen, high heels tapping sharply on the polished wood floor and sateen skirts hissing. “Esme!”
Poor Esme. The middle-aged housekeeper could never quite seem to meet her mother’s exacting standards. But no one really could when it came down to it. Ginny sighed and took another sip of coffee. She’d finish this, then ditch her nurse’s uniform that stank of carbolic and take a nice, long hot shower. Maybe catch a nap before she had to take Grandma—
“Virginia.” Her mother burst back into kitchen. Her mouth was set in a tight line, but her cheeks were flushed bright red. “It’s for you.”
“Who?” Ginny put down her cup and stood. She frowned as she fully absorbed the fact of her mother’s flustered appearance. Her mother never blushed. Ever.
“That…that good-for-nothing Casanova, Jefferson Kelly. He says he has something for you.”
Sweet Holy Mary. Ginny’s heart crashed against her ribs and her mouth grew dry. Heat flooded her own cheeks. He has something for me? What on earth did that mean?
Her mother’s gaze narrowed with suspicion. “What did you get up to last weekend? I heard that boy had been down at the Shore too.”
Irritation prickled along Ginny’s spine, along with a sudden tingle of nervous anticipation. “He’s not a boy and what I did last weekend is none of your business, Mother.”
Grandma reached for Ginny’s hand and caught her eye. “I know you have this fancy new job starting soon, but don’t let him be the one that got away, dear.” She winked. “Now go. Don’t keep him waiting. It’s not every day a man as fine as Jett comes a-knockin.”
Ginny nodded, her stomach feeling a lot like Grandma’s old butter churner in action. She smoothed her starched skirts and pushed a stray wisp of hair back behind her ear, then headed for the front door.
Bring it on, Kelly. She was a big girl. Whatever he had brought to her door, she could deal with it.
Trouble was, if she was honest with herself for once, the only thing her foolish, madly beating heart really wanted—had ever wanted—was him.
***
Jett stood on the porch of No. 11 Elmwood Drive, practically sweating bullets over whether Ginny would come to the door. At the sound of footsteps, he swiped off his aviator sunglasses and tucked them into the pocket of his leather jacket, ran a hand through his hair and wiped his damp palms down the front of his jeans. Planted a half-smile on his face. And swallowed when a shadow appeared behind the curtained glass panels to the side of the front door, before it swung open.
It was Ginny. He permitted himself to blow out a small sigh of relief. First hurdle passed. If only he could manage the next few without stumbling.
“Hey. Thanks for seeing me,” he said softly, taking in Ginny’s uniform, the tight set to her mouth and the shadows of fatigue under her hazel eyes. Crap. She had pulled an all-nighter like her mother had said. “I really appreciate it. You must be beat.” Okay, so the hurdles would be on an uphill track. But there was no way he was going to bug out now.
She shrugged. “A little.” She tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers itched to pull it all out of that severe nurse’s bun she had it scraped into, and set those lustrous, rose-gold waves free. Wind a silky hank around his fist and haul her in for a kiss. Maybe later. If he was that lucky and she didn’t boot him to the curb.
He was staring at her like a prize idiot and her forehead dipped into a frown. “Jett, why are you here? My mom said you had something for me?”
He swallowed and cleared his throat. “Yeah…if you’d give me a just a second…” He stepped down off the porch and reached behind the boxwood hedge at the end of the colonnaded banister rail. “These are for you…”
Ginny’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. “Oh my God. Jett…” She reached out and took the massive bunch of red roses from him. It was so big, she had to cradle it in both arms. She buried her face in the blooms, inhaling their heavy perfume, then raised shining eyes to his. “But there are so many…I…I’m speechless…”
Jett released a shaky breath of pure relief. Ginny speechless and looking wondrous was good. He could work with that.
He took a step closer and held her gaze. Drew a fortifying breath and prayed he would get this right. “There’s supposed to be one for every time I’ve thought of you this past week… It’s basically a million short, but that’s all the Ridgewood florist had. Ginny…” He brushed her flushed cheek with the back of his fingers. “I can’t stop thinking about you. I’ve tried so damned hard. But I just can’t let you go. Not again. Not without fighting for you. I know you want to move on from Ridgewood. Have a career. But if there’s any chance at all, for an ‘us’… I’ve fallen head over heels in love with you, Virginia Rose Williams. And I just had to let you know.”
***
Oh.
Ginny took a deep breath, struggling to control the crazy tap-dancing of her heart. Jett loves me. He really wants more. An ‘us’. The boy she’d secretly yearned for in high school, the man who’d charmed his way back into her good books and had then swept her off h
er feet last weekend, was laying his heart at her feet. Even after she’d turned him away.
And there really was no reason in the world, other than her grim stubbornness to be independent, that was stopping her from having both a career and someone like Jett in her life.
She’d be insane to turn him away again. He was definitely a chance worth taking.
Tears of wild happiness suddenly misted her vision. If her hands were free she would have pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. “Jett…I think I’m falling for you too—”
Jett kissed her. Caught her face between his large warm hands and slanted his mouth over hers. A slow, heart-melting, reverent kiss. A kiss that spoke of joy and tenderness and the promise of beautiful, bright things to come. The scent of crushed roses rose up around them. But right at this moment, with Jett’s hands in her hair and his tongue twining with hers, she didn’t care if the roses ended up a little worse for wear.
When at last Jett released her mouth, he was out of breath and his blue eyes glowed as brightly as the blue sky behind him. “Even if we just start dating, Ginny, whenever we’re both free. We can take things nice and slow. Whatever you want.”
Ginny smiled. “Nice and slow sounds good.” They could make this work. She knew they could. LaGuardia Airport wasn’t that far from Mount Sinai after all. Perhaps they’d both end up living close to each other in Lower Manhattan… But she was getting ahead of herself. Hadn’t she just stated slow was good?
Jett took the slightly disheveled bunch of roses from her and laid them on the porch. When he straightened, he slid his arms about her, pulling her against the hot hard length of his body. Her pulse raced and her lower belly quickened.
Jett’s gaze drifted from her eyes to her mouth. “Nice and slow appeals, huh?” I think I can go with that, Nurse Williams.”
Ginny licked her lips. Oh my. “How about you show me, Captain Kelly.”
This time when Jett gathered her close in his arms and lowered his head to kiss her, as blissful warmth suffused her whole heart and soul, she realized she finally felt like this was where she belonged.
That maybe here, right in Jett’s arms, was home.
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Acknowledgments
I'd like to thank the very talented, savvy, and uber-efficient Mari Christie for so ably assisting me with my first foray into self-publishing!
And of course a huge thank you goes to my wonderful family for their unflagging encouragement and support during my ongoing writing journey. And I assure you all that I do love you so much more than my laptop!
About the Author
Amy Rose Bennett has always wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember. An avid reader with a particular love for historical romance, it seemed only natural to write stories in her favorite genre. She has a passion for creating emotion-packed—and sometimes a little racy—stories set in the Georgian and Regency periods. Of course, her strong-willed heroines and rakish heroes always find their happily ever after.
Amy is happily married to her own Alpha male hero, has two beautiful daughters, and a rather loopy Rhodesian Ridgeback. She is a Speech Pathologist, but is currently devoting her time to her one other true calling—writing romance.
www.AmyRoseBennett.com
Other Books by Amy Rose Bennett
An Improper Proposition
Fraternizing with one’s footman—no matter how young and handsome he is—is not the done thing…but Lady Wells is going to do it anyway…
Bianca, The Dowager Countess of Wells, secretly lusts after her much younger, rakishly handsome footman Harry Blake. Even though he has been in her employ for six months, she has not succumbed to her indecorous urges to take him as a lover… until one wicked night at an isolated country inn when she throws caution to the wind and offers Blake a wholly improper proposition.
Harry Blake, the bastard son of a duke and governess, is the epitome of the perfect footman, except for one thing—he fantasizes about seducing his beautiful mistress. When Lady Wells proposes that they become lovers for one night only, he is torn. Even though he wants her with every fiber of his being, he suspects that forbidden fruit once tasted, can be awfully addictive. He wonders if one night of passion will be enough, for either of them—especially now that he realizes he might very well be falling in love with his bella Bianca.
But when all is said and done, Blake can hardly refuse such a tempting proposition, no matter how unwise or improper. He just prays that he can put a smile on his mistress’s beautiful face…
Table of Contents
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Other Books by Amy Rose Bennett