The Swear Jar

by Osorio, Audra

  “Duncan,” she whispered.

  “I mean it,” he whispered back.

  With a big smile on her face, Lynn appeared at their booth. “Do I have to break you up like teenagers? You, back over here. You, stop giggling. Here’s your check. The next time you two come in, I’m seating you up the front. No more dark corners. Too much mischief. It was great seeing you both. Come back soon.”

  Duncan slid guiltily back into his side of the booth. Meara covered her red face with her hands. They laughed and held hands. A few minutes later, they got up from the booth holding hands. They waved goodbye to Lynn. Lynn winked and handed them a paper bag with two giant-sized chocolate chip cookies in it.

  As he pulled into his driveway, Duncan was looking forward to their afternoon. He fondly remembered the Shore house pool. As they walked to the front door, Meara seemed a little distracted. He wondered what was wrong. He needed to talk to her.

  “Do you mind coming in?” asked Duncan, opening the door, letting her in first.

  “No, I feel bad I left you at the Shore house and you had to rent a car.”

  “You offered to bring me back. I decided to stay. It’s my fault I had to rent a car.”

  “Will you bring your car back to my house?”

  “Do you want me to bring my car?”

  “No and yes. No, I like being with you. Yes, I want you to be comfortable in case you want to get away from me.” She nervously flashed a crooked smile.

  He led her to the family room couch and pulled her down to sit next to him. “Then I won’t bring my car because I like being with you too. I don’t want to get away from you. In fact, I want to speak with you about something.”

  Panicked, her face fell. “About what?”

  “Shhh. Don’t look like that. It’s a good thing, I hope. Let’s discuss something I feel is important. I’ll explain how I feel and if I explain it wrong, we can fix it right here and now. All right?”

  “All right.”

  “I’ll start with this. I love you. No ifs, ands, buts or howevers.”

  “I love you too.”

  “See? We’re doing great. Now, we love each other and we want to be together.”

  “Yes, I agree with that.”

  “We’ve said we should go slowly, but sometimes we’re speeding up,” Duncan said.

  Eyebrows furrowed, Meara’s stomach fluttered nervously. “Yes. I’m not sure where you’re going with this.”

  “Bear with me. I’m not interested in being a part-time boyfriend.”

  “What’s a part-time boyfriend?” she asked, confused.

  “A boyfriend you occasionally see during the week, but mostly see on the weekends for dates and having sex. Then you go home to separate houses. A casual arrangement.”

  Blushing, she squirmed. “I’m not interested in being a part-time girlfriend. You mean more to me than that. I want us to have a relationship. A partnership.”

  “Good. So do I. So far, so good. Now the next part. How do we have more than a casual arrangement?”

  Her neck flushed red. “I didn’t think what we had now was a casual arrangement.”

  “We don’t, but I don’t want it to turn into one. I have things at your house. You need to bring things here. We can start with weekends and time together during the week. We’ll figure out what’s best for our relationship.”

  “Are you asking me to move in with you?” Her ears were deep purple.

  “Yes. I’m asking you to move in with me. Or I could move in with you. Maybe not all at once, but eventually when we’re ready.”

  She was shaking. “Wow. Give me a minute to think.”

  Sitting back on the couch, he never took his eyes off her. He got ready to grab her if she tried to leave. She took several breaths while looking at the floor. She was deep in thought.

  She spoke softly. “That’s a big step, Duncan. I know it’s the right step. I feel it in my heart. I’ll be truthful and tell you it frightens me, but only because I want to get it right. I need some time to ease into it. Nothing about our relationship is casual. I never want you to think it is. Yes, I’ll bring things over here.”

  “Good,” he said, hugging and kissing her.

  She looked into his eyes. “This is something we both want. You’ve made your feelings clear to me. It makes me feel loved and wanted. You’ve shown me how important I am to you.”

  She snuggled into his arms. He smiled. He squeezed her close.

  “I’m glad I made my point without messing it up. I’m also glad I didn’t have to chase you down.”

  “You didn’t mess up the first time, I did. I’m sorry.”

  “We both did. No more sorry. We’re past that.”

  “You said no buts. There’s something you haven’t thought of in this plan.”

  “Keys? I’ll get one made for you. Since you’re renting, you’ll have to confer with Diana and Ben first. I understand.”

  “No. That’s not what I meant. Doesn’t your family think we’re friends?”

  “I didn’t think of that. We are friends.”

  She giggled. “Yes. You haven’t spoken to them lately, have you?”

  “No, I’ve been too busy nibbling my girlfriend.” He nuzzled her neck.

  “Duncan. Be serious. What will they think?”

  “Andrew wants me to be happy. Lisa will test us a little. Sean will be the big problem. He’s always the big problem. But. There’s the but. But whatever they think, it’s not going to change how I feel about you or the fact you’re in my life.”

  “Will they understand I don’t want to replace Brenda?”

  “We’ll show them. You’ve supported my feelings for Brenda. But. There’s another but. There will always be a place in my heart for Brenda, but for the first time I know she was not my soul mate. You are.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. “I feel the same way about you. I know how love is supposed to be because of you. Hank can have a little dusty corner. The rest of my heart is yours.”

  He grimaced. “Is he even worth that? You’re a good woman to give him that much. That’s why I love you.”

  She frowned. “What if your family doesn’t accept us? I don’t want to cause trouble between you and your sons. I know how much you love them.”

  “They’ll have to deal with their own issues. I won’t give you up. End of story. And don’t get any ideas in your head about removing yourself from the picture. You’re staying put even if I have to tie you down.”

  “That will make a lovely holiday card. I won’t give you up either. If your sons can’t accept me, I won’t go. We’ll face it together. Unless you want me to leave.”

  “Not happening. Thank you for offering to sacrifice yourself. I won’t let anyone change how I feel about you. Understood?”

  “Yes, Duncan. I like it when you’re hard on me.”

  He pushed her back on the couch and straddled her, pinning her arms above her head. “Do you want to see how hard I can be on you?”

  “Duncan! We’re going swimming with Anne.” She shrieked with laughter.

  “Can we play Marco Polo?” he asked, grinning.

  “Not with Anne around,” she giggled. “The Marco Polo you have in mind is not G-rated.”

  “Then I’m going to need something to keep me happy until we can play together,” he breathed into her ear.

  “What did you have in mind?” Her breathing was raspy as he pressed into her.

  “A quick makeout session. Clothes on.” He pushed her legs apart and rolled his hips while nuzzling her neck.

  She gasped. “Oh.”

  “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  At first, all Duncan could say was, “Wow.”

  Leaning against the couch pillows, he held Meara curled up in his arms. His sweatpants and underwear were down around his knees. She was fully dressed.

  “Wow,” he repeated, pulling up his clothes.

  “You’ve said that at least half a dozen t
imes now,” she said with a furrowed brow.

  “I’m still trying to figure out how a makeout session ended with this.”

  “The tent you were sporting in those sweatpants was easy to see. I needed to relieve your tension,” she said, bowing her head shyly. “Why? Didn’t I do it right?”

  He raised her chin. “Are you kidding? You’re not kidding. Meara, that was fantastic. I’m afraid of what those hands could do to me. I wish I could repay the pleasure.”

  “You did. A few times.” She giggled.

  “I would feel better knowing for sure you weren’t tense. I could take care of that for you.” He slid his hands towards the waistband of her sweatpants.

  Laughing, she scrambled out of reach. “I’m completely stress free, thank you. We promised Anne.”

  “Let me grab my swimsuit.”

  They headed back to her house. He had another overnight bag. Even though she was curious, she didn’t ask what was in it. She knew she would find out. He parked the Jeep on the street and they walked up the driveway holding hands.

  Anne bolted out the back door. “You’re here!”

  Meara said, “We told you we’d be back. Let us get changed. Meet us by the pool. Is your Mom here?”

  Diana appeared on the back porch. “She was pacing. I told her to relax, but you know Anne. Hi, Duncan.”

  “Hi, Diana,” said Duncan.

  “Duncan, why don’t you go ahead and change? I want to speak to Diana,” Meara said.

  “See you in a few minutes.” He kissed her on the cheek. “Anne, we have to play monkey in the middle. We’ll make your aunt the monkey.”

  “Cool!” Running to the pool, Anne jumped in, squealing.

  Duncan had finished changing in the hallway bathroom when Meara appeared. She had a sweet smile on her face.

  “I’ll have a key made for you.” She kissed him on the cheek.

  He beamed. “Wonderful. I’ll be by the pool. Anne and I will be scheming.”

  Duncan walked over to the pool where Ben was waiting for him. Anne was happily swimming.

  “May I speak with you?” Ben spoke quietly so Anne couldn’t hear them.

  “Of course,” Duncan replied.

  “I’m not sure how long we have, so I’m cutting to the chase. You two are shacking up now?”

  “No, we’re not shacking up. I’ve told Meara I’m not interested in a casual relationship.”

  “Diana’s a little concerned, but she’s willing to trust Meara’s judgment. Even though Meara makes it look like a democracy, she’s the head of the family. But as man of the house, I would like to know what your intentions are regarding Meara.” Ben was serious.

  “Ben, can you keep a secret?” Duncan needed to share his plan.

  “Possibly. I might crack under direct questioning.”

  “I’ll trust you. After we meet my family in November, I intend to ask Meara to marry me. Until then, we’re spending as much time together as possible. That means living together here, my house or both.”

  Ben blinked. “That’s a big secret. I’m glad you want to marry Meara. I won’t say anything unless I’m asked directly. Or if I feel I’m compelled to say something, but I’ll try to give you the heads up first.”

  “Do I have your blessing?”

  “Hell, yes! I need another guy on my side who can handle the women in this family.” Ben shook hands with Duncan.

  “What’s going on?” Meara asked, raising an eyebrow. “What’s that about handling the women in this family?”

  Ben’s look of horror made Duncan laugh. Duncan came to the rescue.

  “Ben was just wishing me luck. He’s aware we’ll be spending lots of time together.”

  Ben exhaled. “Yes. Diana wanted to know if you’ll have dinner with us. It’ll probably be the last barbecue of the summer.”

  “Meara?” Duncan shrugged. “It’s up to you.”

  “We’d like that very much.” Meara nodded her head.

  “Are you guys coming in the pool? I’m going to prune soon!” Anne yelled.

  Duncan jumped into the pool. “Last one in is a rotten egg. Aunt Meara’s a rotten egg.”

  “She’s stinky. Maybe she shouldn’t come in the pool. She’ll stink it up.” Anne cried.

  Meara yelled, “I’m not stinky! And you say last one in before jumping in, not after. It’s not fair!”

  Ben laughed. “Duncan, now you see what I have to put up with in this family. Run while you can!”

  Meara fumed. “Ben, don’t come any closer or I’ll push you in. And as for you two, I’m not playing if you think I’m stinky.”

  Crossing her arms, Meara sat in a chair. Duncan got out of the pool. As he walked past Ben, he winked. He pulled her out of the chair and shoved her into the pool. He jumped in after her.

  She came up coughing and laughing. “You’re so dead.”

  Anne chirped. “Monkey in the middle! Duncan, catch!”

  She threw a ball over Meara’s head to Duncan. Diana joined Ben and watched the horseplay. Ben gave Diana’s hand a squeeze. She had tears in her eyes.

  Ben wrapped his arm around her. “It’s going to be fine.”

  Diana replied, “I hope so. She’s so happy.”

  “He loves her. It’ll be fine.”

  During dinner, Anne recounted Meara’s frustration with the horseplay in the pool. At one point, Anne and Duncan had gone too far. Meara had tried to stalk out of the pool. Duncan had grabbed her, working his magic at calming her down.

  “Seriously, you need to tell us how you do that,” Ben said. “Or you need to be on call.”

  “Put me on speed dial. I’ll take care of it for you,” Duncan laughed. “I have to have some secrets.”

  “Not in this family. At least, not for long,” Ben replied.

  After dinner, Meara and Duncan headed back to her house. It had been a long day. They were both worn out. Holding hands as they walked, she hip-checked him before entering the house. He swatted her butt and locked the door behind him.

  “I should take a shower to get rid of the chlorine,” she said. “Do you want to take a shower?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “A shower would be nice.”

  “Down boy. Aren’t you tired?”

  He frowned. “I guess. Why don’t you go first?”

  “I’ll be quick.” She headed to her bathroom.

  She stripped off her swimsuit and hung it up. She stepped into the shower. He wandered down to her bedroom. He listened to the water. He stripped off his swimsuit and hung it on the closet door handle. He knocked on the bathroom door.

  “Yes?”

  “May I come in?”

  “Yes. Is everything all right?”

  Stepping into the bathroom, he slid open the shower door. “It will be.”

  He stepped in and slid the shower door closed. He reached for her.

  “Duncan!” She backed away, giggling. “What are you doing?”

  “You were very frustrated in the pool. I’m here to relieve your tension.” He watched the water slide off her body.

  “Duncan! This shower stall is a little tight for fooling around, don’t you think?” She giggled nervously.

  “I need to make sure my stinky girl gets cleaned properly,” he laughed, grabbing the soap.

  He lathered up his hands, working the soap into her neck. He turned her around, massaging her neck and shoulders. He gave her the bar of soap. He used both hands to massage the small of her back and buttocks. She braced her arms against the shower wall. He took back the bar of soap. He ran the soap down the back of one leg and up the other. He paused at the back of the knee where she was ticklish. He ran his fingers over the spot as she giggled. He stood up and turned her to face him. She was still nervous. He lathered his hands again and bent down. He caressed the front of one leg and then the other.

  As he stood up, he kissed her belly button. He passed close to her breasts, but didn’t touch them. He kissed her on the lips, pressing her against the shower wa
ll. He lathered his hands again, touching her hips. He slowly worked his way between her legs. She watched him, sighing. He probed between her legs until he found her soft mound. She trembled and panted. He lathered up his hands again. He ran the soap up one of her arms and down the other. He picked up her shampoo. He worked the shampoo into her hair and massaged her scalp. Her head was a mass of lather and hair. He twirled it into a ball on top of her head. He picked the soap up again.

  “Close your eyes,” he whispered.

  She closed her eyes. He covered her face with soap. He gently massaged her eyebrows and cheeks. He cleaned out her ears, making her giggle. He pulled her under the water stream to clean off her face. He pushed her back against the wall. He ran his hands over her belly and breasts thoroughly. He gave her nipples a pinch. She squealed, but she kept her eyes closed. She was relaxed. He pulled her into the water again, letting the shampoo stream down her body. He worked his hands into her hair to get rid of the shampoo. Seeing the shampoo all over her body was driving him crazy. He wanted her, but he could wait.

  “Now my stinky girl is no longer stinky. She’s all clean and smells good,” he whispered.

  She opened her eyes. She wanted to make love with him, but she was so tired. She could barely keep her eyes open.

  “Looks like my sleepy girl is making an appearance,” he said.

  He held her close. The water covered them both.

  He whispered, “Why don’t you get ready for bed? I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  She nodded. Wrapping a towel around herself, she found an old sleeveless cotton scoopneck nightshirt she hadn’t worn in years. She slipped it over her head. It hugged her curves and showed off her breasts. She brushed her hair and rubbed it with her towel. He came out of the bathroom, seeing her nightshirt from behind. He groaned. She turned to see him watching her. He saw her from the front and his jaw dropped.

  “You’re trying to drive me crazy, aren’t you?” he said.

  “What this old thing? I was going to throw it out,” she said, puzzled.

  “No! Please don’t do that. We’re both tired, but I can’t promise I’ll keep my hands off you.”

  “You’re looking mighty inviting in that towel. Maybe we could wake up early? Your shower massage made me very relaxed.”