“I can help, too,” Sunny said. “I just need a few minutes to go home, change clothes and check on Beau. All of us working together should make the job go twice as fast.”
“Yeah,” Helen said. She stood just a little bit taller.
Go girl-power.
After taking a swig of lemonade, Jake wiped his arm across his sweating brow. “I think they could help with hauling the smaller stuff and the sweeping while we tear down the rest of the structure. We’re getting that big load of lumber delivered tomorrow, and it could be great to have the demo done and cleaned up before it arrives.”
“All right, you girls can help,” Walter said. “But, be careful. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
The younger couple walked to Sunny’s backdoor. Jake spent several minutes greeting Beau, who had whined and scratched at the backdoor since he heard her voice across the yard.
Wrapping his arm around her, Jake looked down at Sunny, one of his naughty grins in place. “Need any help with that changing clothes plan?” He leaned close to her ear. “I’m very good with zippers and snaps.”
A tingly feeling spread through Sunny’s body. One of her special places felt a snap of its own as Jake’s warm breath caressed her ear, and he placed his lips against her neck. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back as he laid a trail of kisses along her throat and jaw line. A fire ignited in her belly as his lips finally reached hers. Jake’s kiss was deep and full of promise. He smelled of sweat and smoke, but his mouth was cool, and he tasted like lemonade.
“Get a room!” yelled the ever-tactful and demure, Edna.
Reality check. Sunny pulled back from Jake’s kiss. She had been ready to jump him right here in the backyard with the neighbors looking on and her dog sitting next to Jake’s leg.
Sunny waved across the yard at her neighbor. “Hey, Edna.”
Edna stood on Walter’s back porch, a nine by thirteen pan in her hands. “Hey, Sunny. I brought over some chocolate cake for the construction workers here.”
Sunny grinned at Jake. “Thanks for the offer, but I think I can handle changing on my own. Can you keep an eye on Beau for a minute? I will be right over, so don’t eat all the cake.”
Jake was already on his second piece by the time Sunny arrived in a pair of old cut-off jean shorts and a faded red t-shirt.
“This cake is really delicious, Ms. Allen,” he said, before he shoveled in another bite.
“If you’re gonna eat my cake and make out with my friend on her back stoop, I guess you better start calling me Edna.”
He gave her one of his killer grins. “All right, Edna, I will. And both your cake and your friend are delicious.”
Edna harrumphed, but Sunny thought she saw her cheeks pinken a little from Jake’s charm. He had a way of doing that. Sunny was so happy to see them making headway into getting along. She really wanted Edna and the rest of the book club to see why she was so crazy over this man.
“Well, I’m off,” Edna said. “I’m heading out to the ranch. Roy is making me his famous Cowboy Stew tonight. Whatever the hell that is. Probably has an old boot in it. Just wanted to drop by the cake and see how the demolition was coming along.” She started back across the lawn then turned and gave a last wave. “Don’t work too hard.”
Her words fell on deaf ears, because for the next several hours, they worked crazy hard. Helen and Sunny hauled, swept, carried, and fetched, while Walter and Jake hacked, pulled, and sawed the remains of the wreckage down. They worked through the afternoon and into the evening.
When quitting time came, Sunny watched Jake pull off his soot-covered t-shirt and wipe it across his muscled, tan chest. Visions of pirate lust and bodice-ripping filled her head, and suddenly her date tomorrow night couldn’t get here fast enough.
30
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The annoying sound of a large truck backing up dragged Sunny awake Saturday morning. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. A groan escaped her lips as her back throbbed, and her muscles ached as she stood up. With a yawn, she straightened her arms above her head and stretched out her sore muscles.
The whoosh of hydraulic brakes had her crossing the room to the open window to see a large truck depositing piles of lumber and stacks of construction supplies along Walter’s driveway.
Sunny could see Jake as he directed the truck drivers where to put the supplies. The sound of his easy laughter drifted through her window as he bantered with the workmen. A tool belt hung low on his hips, and despite her aching body, she couldn’t wait to get out there and start to work again.
The coffee had brewed while she dressed, and Sunny held up an empty cup to Jake while she hung out the backdoor, giving Beau a chance to take care of his morning constitution. “Can I bring ya a cup?”
“Good morning, Sunshine,” he called and came across the lawn to swoop her up in his arms. He smelled clean like soap and laundry detergent. He hugged her tight, then leaned down to give her one hell of a good morning kiss.
Never one to miss out on affection, Beau loped over and nuzzled his big head between them. Pulling away, Jake laughed, bent over the dog, and ruffled the fur around his thick neck. He scooped up one of the many tennis balls scattered around the yard and sent Beau into a frenzied game of fetch.
Definitely a morning person, Jake looked refreshed and awake. Defined muscles bulged from the cut off sleeves of his shirt which depicted an outline of a drivers license, a rainbow curved up one side and the words, I am McLovin’, the 25 year old Hawaiian organ donor printed across the front.
Sunny touched the front of his shirt and laughed. “Where do you get these shirts?”
Jake looked at the front of his shirt as if he had forgotten which one he had thrown on that morning. “My old college roommate owns a t-shirt shop in California, and he thinks it’s hilarious to send me these things for Christmas. He’s been doing it for years.”
“How amusing.”
His chest was warm and solid under her hand. She had the sudden urge to rip that amusing t-shirt off his body, drag him into her house, and tackle him to her laundry room floor. Even better, she envisioned him tugging off her jean shorts and panties as he lifted her onto the washing machine. She could almost feel her legs wrapped around him as the washing machine churned and bumped her against him while his hands pushed up her tank top, exposing her belly while his mouth…
“You kids coming over? There’s lots of work to be done,” Walter hollered across the yard.
Sunny’s cheeks reddened as she looked up at Jake who smiled knowingly down at her. “Hold that thought until tonight.” He leaned down and kissed her again, sucking on her bottom lip for just a moment before he released her and headed across the lawn. How did he always seem to know what she was thinking?
Jake had asked to be in charge of their date, telling her he wanted a chance to show up those other guys, but he had told her nothing about tonight except to dress casually. “Maybe bring a light jacket, just in case,” he had instructed.
Colorado evenings tend to cool off quite a bit, so she deduced they would be outside for part of the night. She dreamt of the possibilities. A sunset cruise along the river? A romantic dinner at a fancy restaurant with white tablecloths and candles shimmering in gold centerpieces. Wait. Neither of those required her to dress casually and neither would allow Beau to come along on their date. She almost laughed aloud, giddy with excitement over a mystery date with this man who became less of a mystery to her every day.
She had all day to dream about their evening out, but for now, they had work to do, and she knew just where to start.
* * *
Her start involved calling in the troops. Matt, Cassie, and Piper were glad to come over and help, and Maggie called Jeremy to invite him as well. Knowing Piper would be there, Drew volunteered to come along.
With Walter and Jake acting as foremen and so many willing hands, the work progressed quickly. Everyone pitched in to hammer and haul, saw and measure. Helen and Edna too
k over the kitchen, supplying the troops with drinks and snacks.
By six o’clock, they had the garage frame built and were ready to construct the roof. The whole group stood together as Walter thanked them for their hard work, and they all offered to return on Sunday afternoon.
Jake stood behind Sunny, one hand resting lightly on her hip. He leaned in close to her ear. His breath tickled her neck, sending delicious shivers down her spine. “You have exactly one hour to get ready. I will be on your doorstep at exactly seven o’clock.”
“I will be waiting with a light jacket and Beau’s leash in hand.” She grinned up at him. “How about you make it six forty-five?”
“You’re on.”
* * *
True to his word, Jake had rang Sunny’s doorbell at exactly six forty-five, and she had indeed been ready. Sunny had showered, lotioned, and dabbed on her favorite perfume.
She decided to wear her hair loose and curly, and had spent ten minutes with the diffuser trying to make it look like it had dried naturally. She wore a light-weight purple floral shirt that snapped up the front, jean capris and a cute pair of low-heeled strappy purple sandals. She held a light zip up jacket, and when she opened the door, it was hard to tell who was more excited, she or the dog.
Jake looked gorgeous in jeans and a light blue button up shirt. His hair was still damp on the ends and curled a little at his collar. He smelled like a heavenly combination of aftershave and masculine soap. He held out his hand to take Beau’s leash. “Wow, you look beautiful.” He pulled her to him and slid his arm around her waist as they walked to the Mustang. “And you smell amazing.”
They made light conversation in the car, and Beau happily hung his head- and his tongue- out the window as Jake drove them to Bear Creek Park. He removed a picnic basket and an old patchwork quilt from the trunk of the car, then grabbed a cooler and slung it over his shoulder before slamming the lid of the trunk.
He led her to a large area of green lawn in front of a pavilion where a big brass band was warming up. The lawn was scattered with several clusters of blankets and lawn chairs.
A family of five sat huddled around a large red and white tub of fried chicken, the kids reaching inside for their favorite piece while the mother scooped artificial white mashed potatoes and gravy onto several plates.
An elderly couple sat side by side in aluminum lawn chairs. They held hands, he tapped his foot to the music, and both wore far off looks as if they were remembering younger days.
Another blanket held a young couple with a gray car seat set between them. They were laughing and eating Subway sandwiches, their drink cups anchored in the folds of the blanket. The young mother absently rocked the car seat with her foot as she chewed her sandwich.
Jake shook the blanket and let it float to the ground before anchoring the sides with a cooler on one edge and a picnic basket on the other. “Have a seat. Tonight is Big Band Night. Warming up over there is Johnny Madison and the Shytown Swingers, and tonight they are playing a Tribute to the Rat Pack.”
Sunny sat on one side of the blanket, and Beau curled next to her, laying his head on the side of her leg. “That sounds great. I love that old stuff.”
“I know. I checked out your CD’s, and I noticed you have a huge selection of this old stuff from the forties and fifties. So I found this concert tonight that played that kind of music. They’re playing a collection of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr.”
She clapped her hands in excitement. “This was really thoughtful of you.” Sunny was amazed that he had taken the time to try to match a date to something that was important to her.
Jake pulled the cooler toward him, then produced two wine glasses and a bottle of White Zinfandel. He poured them each a glass, then pulled out a saran-wrapped plate of various crackers and little squares of cheese.
As Sunny sipped wine and nibbled on a cheese-covered cracker, the MC, complete in a white tuxedo and red tie, stepped to the mike and welcomed them to the show. The strains of Sinatra’s "Strangers in the Night" mixed with the cool night air, and as dusk turned to evening, she felt as if she had been transported back in time.
Enraptured by the music, Sunny tapped her foot and quietly sang along to her favorite songs.
Jake unpacked the picnic basket and Sunny oohed and ahhed over each new item. “I love the way you get so excited every time I pull something out of this basket,” he said.
“Me too! It’s like Christmas. Like each thing you pull out is a little present,” she said. “How did you know to get all my favorites?”
“Because I pay attention to details. And you have given me a lot of details to pay attention to this summer.” He leaned down and kissed the spot below her earlobe and a delicious thrill ran through her. “Plus, I think I scored some major points with Cassie when I told her my plans for tonight and asked her advice on your favorite food.”
They talked easily as they ate, and Sunny asked Jake how he felt things were going with Walter.
Jake wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I think we’re gonna be okay. I feel like rebuilding the garage is a great project for us. In fact, our relationship is kind of like the garage project. It was a mess and mostly destroyed, but it still had a good foundation. With time and a little work on both our parts, and a little help from our friends, I think we can rebuild it into something strong and good.”
“I like that.” Sunny was glad to see the effort that both men were putting into patching things up, and her heart melted a little at Jake’s sentimental analogy.
“The garage isn’t gonna be fixed in a day or even a week, but we got the foundation built, and I think the more time we spend hangin’ out together and working on it, the better it’s gonna get.”
“I think so too. Have you heard anything more about Mona?”
“Oh, yeah, I meant to tell you that I got a call from the Bureau tonight while you were getting ready. They said they apprehended Mona as she came off the cruise ship. She was coming out with her new husband, and he was being wheeled out on a stretcher.”
“New husband? She already married someone?”
“Evidently so. We knew her bank accounts were running low so we expected her to try something soon. That’s why I was so sure she had gotten to Walter.”
“But you said he was being wheeled out on a stretcher. Did she already kill him?”
“No, but close. Walter gave us the right information about this guy. His name is Toby Samson and he’s loaded. She must have worked some kind of voodoo-sex magic on him to get him to marry her so quickly. She has been steadily poisoning him every day since their blessed union.”
“Didn’t he suspect anything?” Sunny asked.
“I guess she had him convinced that he had the Swine Flu. She kept him secluded in their cabin alternately caring for him and poisoning him a little more each day.”
“So is he okay now?”
“They took him straight to the hospital after they apprehended her, and he seems to be doing fine. She had poisoned him with arsenic which tends to mimic flu-like symptoms. The Swine Flu is so common, I guess she didn’t think she’d have a hard time convincing anyone that’s what he died of.”
Sunny shook her head. “Wow. That woman was some piece of work.”
“I’m just glad we got her and that Walter’s okay.”
“Me too.”
"Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime" played in the background, and Sunny licked the final dab of cheesecake from her fork. “That was heavenly. I am so full.”
Jake set a container of Cool Whip and a little dish of strawberries in front of her.
She moaned. “Maybe I have room for a little more.”
He pulled the lid back from the Cool Whip, dipped a bright red strawberry into the luscious cream, then touched the cream to her lip.
She licked at the dab of whipped cream with the tip of her tongue, then opened her mouth to receive the juicy berry. Jake barely touched it to her tongue then pulled it back again
, teasing her with the fruit. The backs of his fingers gently touched the edge of her face as he released the strawberry, and she bit into it. The mixture of sweet cream, tart berry, and his touch gave her a little shiver, and she closed her eyes to savor the moment.
When she opened them, she saw the same heat and passion she felt reflected in his eyes. She scooted a little closer to him and Jake’s eyes flashed desire as she wiggled her bottom closer to him. She picked another strawberry from the bowl, dipped it in the whipped cream, and placed it in his mouth. She trailed her finger through the whipped cream, then sucked it from her fingertip. She took another swipe through and held her whipped cream covered fingertip out to him. He moved his mouth to lick it from her finger. She flipped her hand, and deposited the creamy drop onto his nose, then broke out into giggles.
“Oh, I see how this is gonna go,” he said and reached for her. Amidst giggling shrieks, he scooped her up and, with a former wrestler’s ease, had her pinned below him, then wiped the whipped cream from his nose against her chin and neck. She held her breath and closed her eyes again as he nibbled and licked the sweet, sticky cream from her neck. His kisses moved up her jaw line, and she could feel his warm breath against her face. She inhaled his scent of aftershave, strawberries, and …dog breath. Her eyes flew open just in time to see Beau’s big pink tongue coming in for a piece of the whipped cream action. She squealed and pulled her face back, exposing more of her neck, which Beau took advantage of, placing a long slobbery lick up her neck.
“Eww! Beau, get away.” She pushed the dog’s big head away but couldn’t seem to move as she was pinned under Jake’s body which currently shook with laughter.
They heard a soft chuckle from above them and looked up to see the elderly couple of the aluminum lawn chairs walking past their blanket. The woman smiled down at them. “What a cute dog.”
Jake laughed and rolled off Sunny. They watched the couple move to the dance floor and the older man gently pull his wife into his arms. He led her around the dance floor, and they seemed to float as they glided around the floor with years of practiced ease.
Another Saturday Night and I Ain't Got No Body (A Page Turners Novel) Page 28