As Chris walked Jill to her car, she told him, “It’s important to have dreams that we continually update as circumstances in our lives change. When one dream comes to pass, we automatically think up another one. In fact, I have a new dream where I host a television show about feng shui.”
“Maybe I could write the theme song for you,” Chris said, smiling.
“You’re on, my friend.”
Denny phoned late Sunday afternoon as Jill was tossing a salad for dinner. “I’ll be over in your neighborhood early this evening and wondered if I could stop by for a few minutes,” he said. “I have something I’d like you to take a look at.”
Jill’s heart skipped a beat. “Of course you can stop by.” She wondered what it was that he wanted to show her. “My son, Finn, is here grilling steaks, and my daughter-in-law, Missy, made a beautiful apple pie. Why don’t you join us for supper? It’s a beautiful evening to eat on the patio.”
“I don’t want to intrude on your family time,” he said, but she could tell from the tone of his voice that he intended to accept her invitation. “I thought you might like to see some digital shots of a few new paintings, in case your clients need art for their homes. If sales go through the gallery, there’s a considerable markup.”
“I’d love to see more of your work,” Jill said. “In fact, I’m looking for a painting for someone with a very special need. We can talk about it when you get here.”
She ducked into the first floor bathroom to take a quick peek at her appearance and touch up her makeup. She dabbed a few drops of her favorite perfume oil on her pulse points and examined her outfit—a knee-length denim skirt and a long-sleeved V-neck tee shirt in her favorite periwinkle blue to match her eyes. Satisfied with how she looked, she went back out to the patio and set another place at the table.
“A friend from work is stopping by with something he wants to show me,” she explained to Finn and Missy, who were already relaxing on the patio.
At five thirty, Denny arrived. He carried a bottle of red wine, along with a black art portfolio of photos.
“How nice! But you didn’t have to bring anything,” Jill said as Denny handed her the bottle wrapped in a cloth wine sack.
“Of course I did. I thought about flowers, but didn’t want you to think I was overstepping the bounds of decency, bein’ that you’re still a married woman and all.”
Jill blushed. “The wine is perfect. Thank you.”
When Denny stepped inside, she offered him a quick, casual, one-armed hug around the neck. To her surprise, he leaned in and held her close for a moment in a way that nearly brought tears to her eyes—it was so comforting and safe. His hug was strong and reassuring, just the kind of hug she needed most from a man at a time when other male friends and colleagues seemed hesitant to touch her for fear of sending the wrong message. Her legs were unsteady as she stepped away from him. She met his eyes for a moment—long enough to see the attraction he felt for her. She had a sense that in a different time and place, this moment could have led to something more, and she was grateful for his sensitivity and restraint. They walked through the house to the patio, where Finn and Missy were drinking iced tea while reclining on the cushioned Adirondack chairs.
“This is Denny MacBride, a very talented artist I’ve gotten to know recently,” Jill said. “He’s doing specialty interior painting for our firm. But tonight, he’s here to show us some of his artwork. Denny, this is my son, Finn, and my daughter-in-law, Missy.”
They exchanged friendly greetings, but the meaningful look that passed between Finn and Missy didn’t escape Jill’s notice. Finn, especially, looked concerned. Missy, on the other hand, seemed more curious. Jill realized that in her customary way of entertaining others, coupled with her inexperience as a newly separated woman, she hadn’t taken into account the reactions of others to Denny’s presence. Of course her children would wonder why a strange man had been invited to dinner.
“I’ve got iced tea, red and white wine, beer, and mineral water. What will you have, Denny?”
“Red wine would be nice,” he said. Jill fetched the corkscrew from the kitchen and returned to find Finn interrogating Denny.
“How did you meet my mother?” Finn asked in what could only be described as a fatherly, protective tone of voice.
Missy kicked him under the table. “We’re glad you were able to join us tonight,” she said, giving Finn a warning look.
“I was working at the home of one of her clients.”
“That’s cool,” Finn said. “And you’re an artist, too? What do you paint?”
“Mostly landscapes, but I’ll consider an occasional portrait, if I happen to like the face.”
Missy laughed and leaned in for a look at his portfolio. For the next several minutes, Denny paged through photos of his paintings as Jill, Finn, and Missy admired each one. There were landscapes of favorite locations around New England and a few mountain and seaside scenes painted from Denny’s memories of Scotland.
“I like oceans and mountains,” he said. “This one always makes me homesick for Scotland.” He pointed to a painting of a white cottage in the hills, surrounded by mountains and a field of wildflowers.
“Oh, I like that one a lot,” Jill said.
When they were finished with Denny’s portfolio, Jill held up her glass. “Now, I’d like to propose a toast to my first grandchild, expected in May.”
“Here, here!” Denny’s eyes lit up as he clinked his glass to Jill’s, then touched Finn’s and Missy’s glasses. “Congratulations! That’s marvelous.”
“Do you have any children, Denny?” Missy asked.
“As they say, ‘none that I know of.’ ” Denny laughed. “I’ve never been married, either, although I was engaged when I lived in Scotland many years ago.”
“How long have you lived in this country?” Jill asked as she sat down on a chaise lounge. She was anxious to know more about Denny, but careful not to seem more than merely curious. She could tell that Finn and Missy were watching her closely, wondering whether there was more to Denny’s appearance at dinner than she let on.
“I left Aberdeen in 1985 to work for a fine man, James Thompson, who had a construction business here. His older sister was my teacher.”
“But you’re working on your own now,” Jill prompted.
“Aye, James died about fifteen years ago and his son, William, is runnin’ the business. He turned out to be a very different man than his father, and I ended up going out on my own. I’ve done well, though. I often think of Scotland and the family I left behind, but I’ve had a much better life here in America.”
Over dinner, as they got better acquainted, Jill shared information about the class she was teaching and some of the students’ reasons for wanting to know more about feng shui. “I have a student whose wife is recovering from cancer, but is still quite ill from the chemotherapy. I’ve helped them improve the health area of their house, but I think they need one more thing—a painting of a mountain. Triangles are a major symbol in feng shui, especially for the health area of the home. Denny, one of your paintings would be perfect in the stairway landing. How much would you charge for the painting of the turquoise and amethyst sky over the misty Scottish mountain?”
“To tell you the truth, I hadn’t put a price on it yet,” he said, scratching his cheek and looking thoughtful. “Let me think on it and get back to you. I’ll make it reasonable.”
After dessert, Missy helped Jill with the dishes while Finn and Denny remained on the patio, talking. Jill began to relax as she noted the lack of tension between Finn and Denny. After Missy and Finn headed home, Denny and Jill continued talking and drinking wine until the sun went down and the air temperature dropped at least fifteen degrees. Jill shivered and rubbed her arms. “Let’s go inside,” she said. “I’ll light the fireplace and make some tea.”
“Let me start the fire,” he said. “It’s a man’s job to warm the home when a woman has provided such a fine meal.”
Denny sat down on the other end of the sofa, keeping a comfortable distance between them, before turning to her. “Jill, I know you’ve been through a difficult time of late. I’d like to get to know you better, but if it’s too soon for me to say that, I’ll understand. I don’t want you to be nervous around me, especially since we work together. Is it too soon for me to say that I’d like to know you better?” The intensity of his gaze left no doubt about his intent.
Jill’s cheeks grew warm. She hadn’t expected this sort of candor. “I’m flattered, Denny. I’m still feeling a little off-balance at times, but things are getting easier. I’m legally separated now and have filed for divorce, but I still think it would be best if we take things slow on a personal level. I have no idea what will happen in the months to come. I’m sure I’ll have some tough times. I wouldn’t want you to get caught in the cross-fire, if there is any.”
“I don’t doubt you’ll have your good and bad days. But are you sure the marriage is really over?” Denny looked at her with searching eyes. “I can imagine it would be a hard thing to accept.”
“I’m beginning to understand that my marriage was probably over a long time ago, only I didn’t know it,” she said as she picked up her cup of tea. “As it is, the affair went on for at least a year before I found out. I’m apparently a little slow on the uptake.” She sighed.
“Not if you had no reason to suspect anything. Ye canna blame yourself.”
She reached for a dog-eared copy of the most recent Celebrity magazine and opened it to a photo of David looking handsome, as usual, in a tuxedo. Jill had viewed the page so often, the magazine opened naturally to that spot.
“Here he is at some kind of awards dinner, standing with this woman. I don’t know who she is, and the article doesn’t say he’s her escort, but why else would she be in the picture?” Jill shrugged. “When I saw that photo, I had a strong feeling that she might be yet another in a long string of David’s so-called distractions.”
“She’s not as pretty as you are,” Denny said loyally, and Jill laughed. “We can start off as friends and see where things go from there.”
Jill smiled, her cheeks growing rosy. “I definitely would like to get to know you better.” She lowered her gaze. “In the meantime, I appreciate your friendship.”
Denny glanced at his watch and then set his cup down. “And true friends don’t overstay their welcome. I really ought to be going. Thanks for a wonderful dinner and great conversation. I really enjoyed meeting your kids and being part of the baby celebration.”
“I’m glad you could join us,” Jill said in a voice that was barely audible as she experienced a touch of vertigo. As they stood together, Denny touched his lips to her cheek and lingered for a moment before releasing her with a smile and a light caress of her cheek. He picked up his portfolio. “Thanks for letting me come over.”
“I’m glad you called,” she said honestly.
“I’ll be in touch about that mountain painting,” he said as he turned to leave. “Oh, and I wish you’d stop by the job site sometime late morning tomorrow and check out the library and the great room. I’ve got most of the painting done in there and just have to finish the enamel, so you can say if my work passes muster.”
“I already approve of your work; you know that. But I’ll stop by around eleven o’clock, just to admire what you’ve done,” she said. “Be careful driving home.”
He turned to wave before getting into his truck and driving away. She shut the front door and turned off the porch light, hugging herself as she remembered what he’d said and the way she’d felt when he hugged her.
“At some point, I’d better feng shui the romance corner of my own house,” she said. “And this time, I’ll make it foolproof.”
Chapter Thirteen
As she watched Denny step out of his truck the next morning, Jill felt strangely shy, remembering his embrace the night before. Denny, on the other hand, flashed a confident grin as he made his way toward her. As he opened her car door, Jill’s stomach did a flip-flop. He wore a black knit turtleneck and dark jeans that hugged his muscular thighs. His hair was still damp from the shower.
“Good morning,” she greeted him as she stepped out of the car and shaded her eyes against the dazzling early morning sunshine.
“Aye, that it is.” His eyes twinkled, taking in the sight of her.
Jill mentally kicked herself as she felt the heat rise in her face. They walked across the driveway to the front door of the Colver home and were greeted by the housekeeper, Pilar, who informed them that the homeowners were staying in a hotel until the project was complete.
“Mrs. Colver, she no like the smell,” Pilar said. “She said she come back when this all done.”
“I’m sure Mr. and Mrs. Colver will be relieved when the work here is finally complete,” Jill told Denny. “This project has been behind schedule from the start, thanks to remodeling delays. They’re anxious to get the new furniture, rugs, and art in place.”
As they entered the library, Jill admired Denny’s work and then showed him photos of other furniture, art, and upholstery design elements she planned to use to complete the room. “Now that this project has been so successful, there is another big interior painting job coming up in Westport. Maybe we ought to start talking about that project.”
“Are you saying you want to spend more time with me?” Denny asked, flashing a teasing grin. “We could conduct all our business over email, you know. I don’t normally spend this much time with interior designers.”
“I could just add you to the Monday afternoon project memos. Then you wouldn’t have to see me at all.” She offered an angelic smile.
“I’ve a better idea. What are you doing at noon today?”
“I have a lunch meeting with Tom Becker.” She tilted her head sideways, wishing that were not the case. “We always meet on Mondays.”
“What about dinner tonight?”
Jill hesitated as thoughts flooded her head about what Tom Becker might say if he knew she was going out to dinner with Denny. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
“We can discuss work, if that makes you feel more comfortable. What if I pick you up at six thirty? Let’s go to Mario’s. Have you ever been there?”
“No, but I read a good review about the chef. I’ve wanted to try it.”
“The place is small, but it has an imaginative menu and a good wine list. I think you’ll like it a lot.”
They returned to Jill’s car as a strong wind kicked up. Jill wrapped her sweater tightly around her while trying without success to keep her hair from flying in all directions. Denny smoothed a wisp of flyaway hair from her face, his hand lightly grazing her cheek.
“Six thirty it is, then.”
“Okay,” Jill said, shivering, whether from the wind or his touch, she couldn’t be sure. Part of her sensed that she should have declined the invitation. But now that plans were made, she was excited at the thought of spending an entire evening with Denny over a leisurely meal.
After making a stop to pick up a set of framed prints for the Colvers’ new home office, she drove back to Stamford to meet Tom at the deli where they usually had lunch. He had already ordered for her—a chai tea latte and a turkey on wheat berry bread, heavy on the guacamole, with sprouts. She slid into the seat across from him.
“Hey, thanks,” she said, looking surprised. “You ordered exactly what I wanted.”
“You’ve been eating the same sandwich for the past three years, Jill,” Tom said, raising his eyebrows. “It’s always turkey on wheat berry with guacamole and a medium chai latte with almond milk.”
“I guess I’m sort of predictable, eh?”
“Not lately.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, biting into the sandwich, which oozed guacamole.
“I used to think I knew you, but the past month or so has shown me a different Jill.”
“The old Jill has been blown up and pieced back together, more or less,” she said in what she hoped was an offhand manner. “Surely the new Jill isn’t too foreign. Okay, so what’s so different about me?”
“I’m not sure,” Tom said, eyes narrowing. “I guess it’s just that you’re doing so much better dealing with the David situation than I thought you would. You’ve always had a blind spot where he was concerned. Admit it. I thought you’d be like that country song and stand by your man.”
“I’m sure you aren’t the only one who thought I’d pretend that what he did meant nothing. I’m betting a lot of his viewers think I should have swallowed my pride and given him a second chance.” Jill frowned. “And they may be right. Perhaps I should have delayed the decision to separate. Maybe I shouldn’t already have filed for divorce. But I think what still irks me the most is that he expected me to forgive him and continue on just like before the affair. A little counseling, a little more attention—maybe a trip or a piece of jewelry, and Jill would be fine.” She paused. “I’m sure that’s what he thought I’d do, and why wouldn’t he think that? Liam says I’ve always given him a pass, and I have. Apparently, even you believe I’ve been spineless.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Tom interjected, but she cut him off.
“Never mind,” she said, holding up one hand. “As for my so-called blind spot, I couldn’t very well have gone through married life expecting the worst, could I?”
Designing Hearts Page 12