Coveting Love (Jessica Crawford)

by Schwimley, Victoria

  She didn’t like to see her only child upset, and it troubled her to think that anything would preoccupy her so much. Perhaps it was just the strain of the past few weeks. She had been through a lot.

  She considered postponing her own wedding for a while. She had this thought on her mind when Jessica appeared in the kitchen to see if she could help.

  “Can I give you a hand?” Jessica asked.

  “No thanks. I think I have everything under control.”

  She sniffed the air and sighed. “Delicious, as usual,” she said, taking in the delicious aroma of the chicken baking in the oven. “What are we having besides chicken?” she asked, as she started to lift one of the lids from the pots boiling on the stove.

  Sarah playfully smacked her hand in an attempt to stop her daughter from ruining the rest of their meal.

  “That’s rice in there. If you lift the lid it will all stick together.”

  “Oops, sorry. I guess I have a lot to learn about cooking. Don’t I?”

  Sarah sighed. “It is about time,” she firmly agreed, “especially since you’re going to be married soon.”

  “I wouldn’t worry too much about that, Mother. They have a full kitchen staff at the ranch.”

  “Oh! I hadn’t thought about that. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to live in such luxury. Why, I never would have dreamed of letting anyone cook for my family. I think taking care of a family is part of the joy of having a family.”

  Jessica rolled her eyes at the ceiling before replying to her mother’s statement. “Mother, please don’t think that way. I think it will be nice having a cook. It means I’ll have more time to spend with my family. Just think, instead of being in the kitchen all the time preparing meals for them, I will have time to teach them some of the more important aspects of life.”

  “Such as…?”

  Jessica came up beside her and kissed her on the cheek. “I can teach them all about what a wonderful grandmother they have, and then when they visit, they will spoil you with affection because of all the wonderful things they have been told about you.”

  “I guess I can’t argue with that, now can I?”

  “No ma’am, this is one time that I am right!” she said with finality as she helped her mother carry the food to the table.

  After they were seated, she turned to Jessica, intent on finding the answer to her earlier thoughts. She scooped out a helping of rice and tapped it onto Jessica’s plate. She didn’t know where to begin so she just blurted it out.

  “I’ve noticed that you seem a bit tired lately, and a little distracted. I was wondering if it’s too soon to plan my wedding. It hasn’t been that long since Amy’s wedding, and then your trip to Australia. Now here you are to help me plan my wedding. I think we should consider postponing it for a while.”

  During this monologue, Jessica showed a look of strong protest across her face. Sarah hurried on with her speech, determined to say all she had planned.

  She continued, “Just for a little while, just until you’re feeling stronger. I know Grant will understand.”

  Jessica stopped her before she could go any further. Placing a hand on top of Sarah’s hand, she looked her in the eye. “Don’t worry about me. Yes, it’s true, I do have an awful lot on my mind, but it has nothing to do with the weddings. And I don’t even want you to think about postponing yours. I have waited a long time to see you happy. I will not let anything come in the way of that. Do you understand?”

  “It’s funny. A little while ago I was just thinking the same thing about you, about how I’ve waited so long for you to find happiness, and how I hope nothing will get in the way.”

  Sarah noticed the surprised look that crossed her daughter’s face, and in that moment, she confirmed all her suspicions of trouble.

  Jessica said nothing. Excusing herself from the table, she rose to leave the room. “I hope you don’t mind if I go to bed now, Mother. I’m tired after the long drive here today.”

  “No. You go right ahead. I’m just going to do up these dishes and read a book for a while.”

  Jessica laid her hand on her shoulder and kissed her goodnight. Sarah reached up and squeezed her daughter's hand in return. As she watched her leave the room, she had an uncanny sense of disaster.

  Jessica had a similar sense, as she lay restless in her bed. Visions danced in her mind, teasing her senses. She thought about Brandon and his deep, sensuous face and handsome smile. Against her will, Jeffrey’s form took the place of Brandon’s, as if he were willing himself into her life. She stirred, tossing and turning, forcing the images to go away. She saw Jeffrey smiling down at her.

  She relived her captivity. She imagined Jeffrey had been the one to come to her rescue, instead of Brandon. She woke and tried to shake off the feeling as she rose from the bed. She crossed to the bathroom, picked up a glass, filled it with water from the faucet, and drank with insatiable thirst.

  As she replaced the glass in its holder, she caught her image in the mirror. She pondered it for a moment. She had changed in the brief time since she had known Brandon. A smile had replaced the lines that had once been frowns. It was strange, but she had thought she was happy before. However, now that she had Brandon, knew what it was like to have his love, she realized just how unhappy and empty her life had really been.

  Then why did she continue to think of his brother? Could it be that the attention he showed her intrigued her? Did she, in fact, secretly encourage his advances? She knew there were people who caused tragedies in their own lives, just for the attention, but she had never been that way. Had she? She was flattered by his interest, of that there was no doubt. Who wouldn’t be? Jeffrey was handsome, fascinating to talk to, and educated in the ways of the world. Because she also had traveled, they had something to share.

  She tumbled back to bed and fell into a deep sleep.

  The remainder of her visit sped by, a pleasant distraction for her. She had asked Brandon to join her if he could. Not expecting to see him, she was pleased when he showed up on the doorstep with bouquets of flowers for both Sarah and her.

  They spent a glorious couple of days doing nothing but relaxing, enjoying each other’s company, and helping Sarah plan the wedding.

  By the time Jessica prepared to return home, all the feeling of foreboding had left. She was in high spirits when she left her mother’s house. The only thoughts she had on her mind were of Brandon and the impending weddings.

  His presence, as comforting as it had been, left her wishing he lived closer, so they could spend more time together.

  Jeffrey had not been mentioned during their visit. Brandon hadn’t brought him up, and she certainly wasn’t going to ruin their time together by mentioning him.

  When Jessica pulled into the parking garage, she began to feel anxious. She half expected to see some sign that Jeffrey had been there, but there were no notes, no visitors hanging around unexpectedly, and no flowers waiting on her doorstep. She sighed in relief, irritated by the stress his stalking had placed on her.

  Tired from her drive home, she climbed into bed, leaving the unpacking for the morning.

  She woke to the alarm clock and moaned. Looking at the clock, she noted it was already past eight. She had plans to run downtown this morning to do a few errands, but she had no intention of going into work.

  Just as she finished dressing, the telephone rang. As she reached for it, a feeling of uneasiness swam over her. She was relieved to discover John’s voice coming at her over the line.

  “Hey, Jess. Are you feeling nice and relaxed now?”

  “As a matter of fact, I am. I really needed the trip. Is this an official call or did you just call to say you missed me?” she asked, not sure if she really wanted to know the answer.

  “Well, actually both. I am glad you’re back, but I also wanted to ask if you could stop by the office sometime today.” She started to protest, but John cut her short. “I know you weren’t planning on working today, but this is really
important. I need your advice on something.”

  She sighed and promised John she would be in sometime that morning.

  She picked up her purse and headed for the door. She was just about to open the door, when she heard a knock on it. She opened the door to find Karen standing there, looking pleased.

  “Hello, Karen. I was just on my way out.”

  “Yes, I see that. I just wanted to let you know that your gentleman friend never came back while you were away.”

  “Thanks. I didn’t think he had, but it’s nice of you to reassure me. I feel much better about it now.” She started to walk past her, but Karen continued to speak.

  “There was a delivery for you, though.”

  Jessica froze in her steps. She turned to look at Karen. “What kind of delivery?” she asked nervously.

  “Roses,” she said. “The biggest bouquet I’ve ever seen. Even bigger than the ones your fiancé sent you that time.”

  “When were they delivered?”

  “Just yesterday. It’s funny though; they were addressed to you but had my address on them. It was as though whoever sent them knew you weren’t going to be home. Of course, there was no card attached,” she said smugly. “It appears to me, my dear friend, that you have a secret admirer.” She turned to walk back toward her apartment. “Wait here, I’ll bring them back.”

  Jessica reached out and grabbed her shoulder. “No, don’t. You can have them. I don’t want them,” she said biting her lower lip.

  “Okay, if that’s what you want. But I sure wouldn’t go giving away expensive roses, no matter who sent them.”

  She turned and walked into her own apartment, shutting the door firmly behind her, cackling a laugh as she closed the door. It was obvious Karen was beginning to view this as a game. But Jessica knew who the secret admirer was, and she didn’t think the game was much fun.

  She was trembling when she arrived at the office. Her head had begun to ache, making her irritable.

  John greeted her, “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine, John, really. What’s so important you had to call me back early?”

  He led her to the studio. “I wanted to show you these photos. I developed them while you were away. I was so excited about them that I could hardly wait for you to get back.”

  He spread the pictures out before her. Vivid flashbacks of her trip to Australia came flooding back as she viewed each one. She cringed.

  “They’re good,” she agreed. “But I thought we decided to scrap the project. We never even got the photos we really wanted.”

  “I thought so, too, at first. Then I saw all these and I thought it was such a waste to have them go to the incinerator. I thought that maybe we could approach the new executives over at the store. Even though Phillip isn’t in charge, and they weren’t the ones requesting the trip…well, I just thought that maybe when they see these, they’ll want to push ahead with the project, then our whole trip wouldn’t have been a total wash, and maybe something good can come out of those awful memories.”

  She looked thoughtful for a moment. John left her to her dilemma, patiently waiting for her decision.

  “I haven’t said anything to Clair yet, just in case… well, you know, in case it’s too painful for you. You know Clair; she’ll run with it at any cost.”

  She smiled and hugged him. Poor John, she thought, always trying to make something good out of a bad situation. What right did she have to crush his hopes?

  “All right, John. You run the idea by Clair and see what she thinks. Make sure she knows it’s your idea. I’m leaving here soon and she’s going to need a new lead photographer. I’ll back you on it.”

  “Yes!” he shouted, pumping his fist. “I love you.” He danced in circles, leading her along beside him. She laughed, and it felt so good. “We can make it work. I know we can. Trust me on this.”

  “Oh, I do, John. I do. You go talk to Clair. I’m going into my office to put my head down for a while. I have an awful headache. Come and see me after you’ve talked to Clair.”

  “It’s the caffeine. I keep telling you to get off that stuff.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she mimicked, slamming the door shut behind her.

  On the short distance to her office, she brooded over what John had said. The photos had brought back painful memories.

  She wondered if these memories ever would get easier. She made a desperate attempt to conjure up the good memories, but Phillip’s face, shrouded in the dim light the flashlight had provided, kept creeping in. She pushed aside the memory, laid her head down, and drifted into a restless sleep.

  **********

  CHAPTER 22

  It’s a strange feeling knowing you’re being watched. Jessica was becoming quite familiar with the feeling, and she didn’t like it. The part that really puzzled her about Jeffrey’s pursuit was that he always presented himself when he knew she was not available.

  Since the incident several weeks ago with the flowers, she had received several other shipments of flowers and candy, none with cards attached, of course.

  She also received several messages at work that a man had called for her but refused to leave his name.

  She began to watch around corners, waiting for a glimpse of Jeffrey, but she never saw him.

  She was beginning to think he was playing a game for his own satisfaction, and did not intend to present himself to her at all. He never called her at home anymore, always the office, and always when she was out.

  She had considered mentioning Jeffrey’s silent pursuit to Brandon. She had even come close a few times, but had decided against it. There was no telling what his temper might cause him to do. She was actually beginning to find a little humor in it. Suddenly, he didn’t seem harmful anymore.

  The day of her mother’s wedding was drawing near. Between work and last minute preparations for the wedding, she was busy. She barely had time to think of either Jeffrey, or Brandon.

  Amy called often to keep her informed about the baby. She reported that she was showing quite a bit, and had even heard the baby’s heartbeat.

  Randy was acting as if the baby was his, and all Jessie’s misgivings about their marriage disappeared.

  The baby was due to arrive in mid-October, and Amy had begun preparing the nursery. She reported that she was content staying home and being a wife and expectant mother. She made Jessica promise she would come out soon and visit.

  Jessica and Brandon set their wedding date for the following spring, wanting to give Amy plenty of time to recover from childbirth, and not wanting to crowd her mother’s wedding.

  Two days before Jessica was to depart for her mother’s wedding, she received a phone call at work.

  “Jess, you have a call on line three. I think it’s your Romeo,” Sandy said disgustedly. She lifted the receiver, expecting to find Brandon on the other end.

  “Hey, sexy,” she greeted.

  “Hey, yourself,” came a familiar, but unwanted reply. He laughed at her boldness. “I’ll take the compliment.”

  “What is it, Jeffrey? What do you want?” she asked, trying to sound angry but smiling flirtatiously, thankful this conversation was taking place over millions of tiny wires, instead of face-to-face.

  “I thought maybe we could see each other. There are a few things I would like to talk to you about.”

  “That’s not possible. I promised Brandon I wouldn’t see you. In fact, I think his words were something akin to ‘avoiding you like the plague’.”

  He laughed. “He would. Honestly, though, it’s your decision, not Brandon’s. Please tell me you aren’t going to be one of those women who do everything her husband says. It doesn’t suit you.”

  “I can’t possibly imagine what you have to say to me.”

  “I want to talk to you about Brandon. It’s very important. There are a few things I think you should know that I’m sure he hasn’t told you.”

  “I’m hanging up now, Jeffrey. Please don’t call back again.
She slammed down the phone. A moment later, an outlook window popped up, announcing she had new mail to read, and did she want to read it now. She clicked yes.

  I’ll be waiting lunch for you. Meet me at one at Alejandros.

  Love,

  Jeffrey

  She clicked off the email program and tried to concentrate on her work. She did not meet him.

  She worked late that evening in hopes of catching up. As she was leaving the building she had the feeling she was being followed. Her heart pounded madly and she turned to find herself staring right into Jeffrey’s eyes. She gasped.

  “Jeffrey! You scared me half to death. Who do you think you are sneaking up behind me like that? You’re lucky I didn’t mace you.”

  “Sorry, but I really need to talk to you. You were so rejecting on the phone and then again in the email. And then you stood me up for lunch; I’m hurt by the way.”

  “Ask me if I care.”

  “As I was saying, you must be starving. Please let me buy you dinner.” His eyes were pleading and Jessica found herself relenting.

  “I am hungry. I suppose I could use a nice dinner. Okay, Jeffrey, I’ll go, but just dinner. Then you have to promise to leave me alone. And I don’t want to hear anything about Brandon.”

  Jeffrey nodded and led her to his car, which was parked a short way down the street.

  “I see you have the same good taste in cars as your brother.”

  “Better,” he said as he put the car in gear and sped off.

  “Of course,” she replied, “always a competition,” she muttered under her breath.

  Jeffrey drove to a quiet, secluded, and romantic restaurant on the other side of town. They drove in silence, both feeling the awkwardness of the situation.

  She had to admit she was more than a little curious about what Jeffrey felt so compelled to tell her, but she wasn’t going to give in to her curiosity.