The Swear Jar

  “Thank you,” said Duncan.

  Bright red, Meara whispered, “Did they say what I think they said?”

  “They said a few things. What made you turn red?”

  Meara squeaked, “Wife.”

  “I like it she thinks we’re a cute couple. Will you thank me later for the prizes?” he whispered in her ear. “And it’s better for them to think you’re my wife than my daughter.”

  “What?” Her cheeks were crimson. “I could never be mistaken for your daughter. Is that what you think?”

  “All right, don’t get upset. You haven’t answered me. What do I get for helping you earn prizes?”

  “I’ll thank you until you have a big smile on your face.” She dropped her voice.

  “Let’s play right now!” he laughed.

  He fished in his pocket for a quarter. He held it out to her. It reminded him of the first time they met. From the look on her face, she was thinking the same thing.

  “Coming to my rescue again, Sir Duncan?” she asked softly.

  “Yes, I am,” he replied.

  She touched the quarter, but didn’t take it. She kissed him. Pleased, he looked around to see if anyone else had noticed. The young couple gave him the thumbs up sign. Duncan watched Meara play to understand how the game worked. Skeeball was a combination of bowling and golf on an inclined plane. Roll the ball uphill and get it into different holes for points. She wiggled and bent to aim her ball. Exhaling, he played to distract himself from the way she moved.

  She told the truth when she said she was a Skeeball addict. She kept feeding the machine. He could see the attraction. It was fun to lob the balls up the lane and see where the ball landed. The score could change with the slight flick of the wrist. She enjoyed seeing the long ribbon of tickets appear. He enjoyed watching her. She was on her last game since they had run out of quarters. He gathered his tickets and waited for her.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Should we have these counted up?” he asked.

  “Sounds good,” she said, breathless.

  The woman behind the counter added up their tickets and gave them their total. As they looked at the prizes, Duncan noticed a teddy bear worth a little beyond their total.

  “Meara? Why don’t we play some more? That little guy has your name on it.” He pointed to the teddy bear.

  “He’s cute. Are you sure?”

  “Let’s get our lanes back before someone takes them.”

  Getting more change, they returned to their lanes. The young couple waved to them.

  “He’s addicted!” the young man grinned. “Welcome to the club.”

  Duncan laughed. “We have our eye on a teddy bear.”

  “Good choice. The little lady will love it,” said the young man.

  Duncan turned to his Skeeball lane. He concentrated on his playing. When he focused on winning for Meara, his game improved. When the game ended, he had the higher score. He turned to her triumphantly. She was smiling.

  “Duncan, great job!” She put her arms around his neck and kissed him.

  He beamed as he gathered the new tickets. Soon, the teddy bear was hers. She hugged it tightly.

  “You’re going to smother him,” he chuckled, wrapping his arm around her waist as they headed out of the arcade.

  “I’m doing to him what I would like to do to you,” she said, with smoldering eyes.

  “We should get home as soon as possible.” He cleared his throat. “If we’re on our way out, we need zeppoles and sweets, right?”

  The zeppoles were easy to buy. The sweet shop was an ordeal. They couldn’t decide what they wanted. Finally, they bought a little of all the things they liked. Fudge, chocolate-covered pretzels, peanut butter cups, chocolate-covered cookies and chocolate-covered cherries were wrapped up for them. They left the shop drooling. He offered to drive because she looked tired. As they pulled into the driveway of the house, fatigue was hitting him too. They walked sleepily into the house.

  They stood in the kitchen looking at each other sheepishly. They unpacked their sweets and milled around the kitchen. They were trying to think of a way to not disappoint the other.

  Duncan tried first. “What do you want to do now?”

  Meara swayed back and forth. “Duncan, I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but I want to go to bed. I’m tired. I want to curl up with you and go to sleep.”

  “Thank goodness. I’m passing out. I didn’t want you to think I didn’t want to…you know…but I’m tuckered out too.” He shrugged his shoulders.

  They made their way upstairs. She pulled down the bedclothes. He closed the blinds. She kicked off her sneakers. He looked for his pajamas. She went to her drawers and rummaged around. He sat on the bed and took off his sneakers. She sighed.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “My sister has a funny idea of what pajamas are.” She held up a pair of gray shorts and a low-cut, gray shirt with spaghetti straps.

  “I wouldn’t mind seeing you in that. Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. Go naked, if you’d like.” He tried not to sound so hopeful.

  “Aren’t you tired?” She had her hands on her hips.

  “The thought of you in those pjs perked me up. If you wear them, I may fondle you a little. I doubt I have the energy for much else.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “I’ll make you face away from me.”

  “Not for long.” He grinned evilly as he took off his clothes, leaving on his boxer shorts and putting on his pajama shirt. “Is it my turn for a show?”

  He climbed into bed. She accepted the challenge. Her buttocks were facing him. Moving her hips side to side, she slowly slipped off her jeans shorts. Wiggling her panties closer to him, she bent over to pick up the shorts. She heard a low groan. She turned to face him. She pulled her shirt off over her head and tossed it onto the bed. She ran her hands over her bra and squeezed her breasts together. He gulped nervously.

  Turning side to side, one hip at a time, she pulled the pj shorts on seductively. She lowered the shirt slowly over her chest, pulling the material tight to show off her well-endowed breasts. He exhaled audibly. She reached behind her back, thrusting her breasts out, and unhooked her bra. She pulled the bra straps through the shirt’s arm holes and pulled the bra out from under her shirt. Her breasts swayed as the shirt came to rest above her belly button. She pulled the material tight, showing off her nipples, and gave a small bow.

  “That was absolutely amazing. A little bit of a cheat at the end, but amazing. Come to bed.” He patted next to him.

  She jumped into bed, snuggling against the pillows. “Why don’t you read to me? That should keep us out of trouble.”

  He reached for his reading glasses. He hated wearing them. They made him feel old. He opened the book.

  “You wear reading glasses? All bets are off. If you’re going to fondle me because of my pjs, I’m going to fondle you because of those glasses. My boyfriend is a hottie.” She stared at him hungrily.

  “You’re joking right?” he laughed. “No, you’re not joking. If I had known, I would have worn them months ago.”

  “Quick. Read the book.”

  He read the book. She cuddled closer and listened intently. His voice was deep and mesmerizing. He could make the phone book sound dramatic. She was spellbound. As he read, he could see her chest rise and fall. While extremely tempting to touch, he restrained himself. When her breathing deepened, he stopped reading. He placed the book and his glasses on the night stand. Turning off the light, he shifted until she was tucked into his embrace. He kissed her forehead. He fell asleep thinking he should have set the alarm so they could see the sunrise.

  He woke up a few times overnight. He trying to get used to having someone in bed with him. The first time he woke up, his arm had gone numb, so he shifted her to rest on the pillow. He spooned behind her. The second time he woke up, she had buried her face in his chest. He needed to move her so she wouldn’t smother herself. He was also becom
ing aroused. If he woke her up to make love, he would be wiped out tomorrow. It would ruin his surprise.

  He lowered her onto her back. She stirred, but continued to sleep. He placed his arm on her waist. He nodded off again. He woke up a third time and glanced at the clock. It was about an hour to sunrise. He wondered if he should wake her up with kisses and a little fondling. He thought better of it. He needed to prove he wanted to be with her even if they didn’t make love three times a day. He was still amazed by the fact they had done that. He wasn’t complaining, only amazed.

  “Meara? Do you want to keep sleeping or do you want to see the sunrise?” he whispered.

  Immediately, she opened her eyes. “I want to see the sunrise with you! Let’s go!”

  Gathering her in his arms, he kissed her neck, cheeks and lips. “Good morning, my love.”

  She put her arms around him, hugging him even tighter than he had her. “Good morning, sweetheart! Last one to get dressed makes breakfast!”

  Meara bounded out of bed and grabbed her clothes. She faced away from Duncan as she pulled her shirt off. He pulled his jeans on and tripped over his sneakers trying to watch her dress. A glimpse of the sides of her breasts distracted him. He put his sneakers on and sat on the bed.

  “Done,” he said.

  “What?” she asked, turning with her bra half on, half off. “I can’t believe you’re done!”

  “I’m completely dressed. You lose. If you don’t get dressed soon, we may not make it out of this room for the sunrise.”

  She giggled and turned away. He watched as she dressed. She turned to him.

  “Breakfast now or later?”

  “Later,” he said, holding out his hand. “Let’s go.”

  It was cool outside, so they grabbed light jackets. They walked hand in hand until they found a bench on the boardwalk. With no one else around, he nuzzled her neck and kissed her. She touched the side of his face. He toyed with the idea of leading her onto the sand and making love as the sun came up. Kissing discreetly on a bench was acceptable, but he knew getting naked in public was not something she would enjoy. People walked by their bench and she giggled as he snuck kisses. She put her head on his shoulder. The sun came up. It was a beautiful morning. Although quiet, the beach was slowly waking up as people began their day.

  “Ready to go?” she whispered.

  “Sure, I have breakfast waiting for me,” he laughed.

  They walked home hand in hand. She hip-checked him and tried to push away. He pulled her back and kissed her on the forehead. She swung their arms, playfully pushing him again. When they reached the front porch, he pulled her onto the stair above him. Her chest was level with his chin. He kissed her deeply.

  “What do you want to do today?” he asked, holding her on the stairs. “After you make me breakfast?”

  “I’d love to go to the beach,” she said. “What do you want to do?”

  “I want to see you in your swimsuit and then see you out of it,” he murmured.

  “That sounds good. What do you want for breakfast?”

  “I don’t want to waste a minute of this day. How about a slice of birthday cake?”

  “For breakfast? It’s up to you.”

  He led her into the kitchen. While she got out the cake and a large knife, he found plates and spoons. She turned on the coffee pot and tea kettle. When the coffee and tea were ready, they sat down to eat. He raved about the cake and the extra strong coffee.

  “Sorry, I don’t make coffee often.”

  “No, it’s great. I like it strong. I’m fully awake now. What do we need for a full day at the beach?”

  “We’ll need chairs, an umbrella, towels, a blanket, and food. Plenty of liquids, sandwiches, and snacks. I think I saw a small cooler we could use. And you found the chairs and umbrella yesterday.”

  He grinned. “Yes, on the side of the house. I can put them on the patio when we’re done.”

  “I’ll work on the cooler.”

  They finished their breakfast. He kissed her cheek. He was looking at her very seriously.

  She frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  He led her out to the patio. He pulled her down onto a double chaise lounge chair.

  “You like taking care of me, don’t you?”

  She tried to look away, but he held her gaze. “Yes, I do. I like fussing over you. You’re kind and loving. You deserve to be treated well. I hope I’m treating you well.”

  “Yes, you are. I’ve never been so spoiled. I could get used to this.” He looked serious again. “I want to take care of you too. If you’ll let me.”

  “You have been. I feel like I’m in a fairytale. Whisked off by the knight and protected from the dragon.”

  “You may feel like I’m trying to control you.”

  “I never said that. I don’t think that.” She was panicking.

  “I’m not trying to control you. I’m trying to take care of you. Not that you need to be taken care of, but fussed over you like you do for me.”

  “All right. If I feel you’re trying to control me, I’ll tell you.”

  “We’re having a great time and I don’t want it to end. We won’t have a full day tomorrow because we’ll have to travel home. I want to stay here with you for the week.”

  Meara blinked. “You want to stay here all week? Not just the weekend?”

  “Yes. I want to be with you. I don’t want to go home yet. I want more time with you. I know it sounds selfish, but I don’t want to share you again just yet. Will you stay with me?” Duncan asked, pleading with his eyes.

  Opening her mouth, she shut it again. She remembered what Yoli had said. She agreed life was short, but she still had responsibilities.

  She sighed. “It’s not an easy yes or no. Do I want to stay with you? Yes, of course. Should we? I’m not so sure. Let’s think about the obstacles here. I don’t have any vacation time. I have the meeting on Friday. What will our friends at the library think? Will they think you’ve gone crazy or I kidnapped you?”

  “But you said you want to stay with me, right?”

  Her eyes misted over. “Yes, I do. I’ve never been happier.”

  “Then let’s figure out how to make this happen.”

  “We’ll run out of clothes.”

  “We’ll walk around naked. That’s a problem?”

  “I guess not.”

  “I can call the library and tell them I’m taking vacation. I can tell them you’re taking unpaid leave. If money is an issue, I can help you there.”

  With an angry look, she pulled away from him. “You’re willing to pay me to stay with you?”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t say that. If you take unpaid leave, but need to pay your bills, I would help you. I would be taking care of you, not paying you. Meara, you know I didn’t mean that.”

  She relaxed. “I know. It was a knee-jerk reaction. I’m sorry. Technically, I don’t have to work so money is not an issue.”

  “What?” He was confused.

  “I work because I want to, not because I have to. Hank made sure I would be comfortable if he passed away. I pay Diana and Ben rent because it’s the right thing to do. I want my privacy, not charity.”

  “Then taking a week of without pay is acceptable to you?”

  “Yes. What are you going to tell them at the library?”

  “I can tell Lucy the truth. She’ll make sure we have our privacy. The Board won’t mind or ask. I haven’t taken a vacation in a long time. They’ll be happy I did. I can tell them you need some time off and if they aren’t paying you, they won’t mind.”

  “What about the meeting on Friday?”

  “How important is being the chairperson?”

  “I do like the idea of being chairperson. It’s not as important as you are to me. I did promise to have the meeting. If I back out at this late date, it’ll reflect badly on you and me. I don’t want that. Mike said no one was coming here after us?”

  “Yes, I’m supposed to call him wh
en we’re done and he’ll come to close the house up for winter.”

  “It sounds like I should give up the meeting and stay with you.”

  He shook his head. “It would be asking too much of you.”

  “What if I gave you until Thursday? We could leave Thursday and be back for Friday.”

  “That would work. We could leave after the meeting and come back for the weekend.”

  “Duncan, you’re spoiling me rotten. I’ll never want to go back to work. We could stay here until Thursday, go home, attend the meeting Friday morning and be off again for the weekend. Sounds like a win-win to me.”

  He hugged her. “We’ll stay? Are you sure?”

  She beamed. “Yes. If you get sick of me, it’s your own fault.”

  “Not a chance. Now are we going to the beach or not?”

  “Yes. I can have the cooler packed in no time. You get the chairs and umbrella.”

  “Yes, dear,” he said as he got up from the chaise lounge.

  She swatted at him, but he jumped out of the way. “Better get used to it, buddy.”

  “I’m looking forward to it!” He hurried off.

  He ducked into the cottage. He was planning his surprise for that afternoon. He was overjoyed she wanted to stay. He wanted to keep her at the Shore house. He chuckled to himself. It sounded as if he wanted to kidnap her. As he looked over the surprise he had for her that afternoon, it wasn’t such a far-fetched idea.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Duncan and Meara walked the two blocks to the ocean. They had everything they would need for a whole day at the beach. They plodded into the sand and chose a spot to set up their little oasis. He wedged the umbrella into the sand while she opened the blanket. He set up two sand chairs under the umbrella. He placed the cooler on the blanket so it was in the shade. She opened her beach bag, got out her sunglasses and handed him his sunglasses. She had also packed hats for them and a large tube of sunscreen. She was not taking any chances with sunburn.

  “Sweetheart, now’s your chance to put your hands all over me in public and there’s nothing I can say about it,” she teased.