Unchained Memories

by Dena Blake

  Pushing those thoughts from her mind, Amelia pulled open the screen door and went into the kitchen to refill her coffee cup. She’d just sat down and slipped on her glasses to read the paper when JJ stumbled down the back stairs and headed past her to the coffee pot. Amelia scoped her up and down. Pink sleep pants and a thin white cotton tee did wonders for JJ Davis. So much so, Amelia’s libido was revving straight into high gear again.

  “Good morning.” Amelia smiled in amusement when Jillian jumped at the sound of her voice.

  JJ spun around and slapped her hand to her chest. “Jeez, you scared me.”

  “How are you this morning? Did you sleep well? You look a little groggy.”

  “I’ll be much more awake after I have some coffee.” Jillian groaned and turned back to the pot. “I’m not a morning person.”

  What kind of a person are you, JJ Davis? The paper rattled as Amelia folded and dropped it on the table. “I was just thinking about what happened on the porch the other day.”

  “What about it?”

  Amelia held back a smile as she got up to refill her still-full cup. “Since we’re going to be seeing so much of each other here, I don’t think we should let it happen again.”

  Jillian looked puzzled. “What do you mean, we? You kissed me.”

  Amelia reached up and adjusted her glasses. “As I recall, we were both involved. Maybe you should put something else on before you come downstairs.” She moved her cup toward Jillian’s chest before letting her eyes roam slowly down her long, slender body, then back up to her eyes.

  “Me! Look at you.” She motioned to her bare legs and the T-shirt hanging loosely from her shoulders. “Maybe you should put something on.”

  Amelia could do without the grumpy attitude, but God, she looked good. “You’re lucky I put these on. This isn’t the way I sleep.”

  “Wait. Did you sleep here last night?”

  “No.”

  “Then what are you doing here so early?”

  “My dryer’s broken.” Amelia strolled into the laundry room and pulled a pair of sweatpants on over her shorts. She had no idea what she was doing or why she was doing it. Amelia had managed to stay away all weekend, keeping herself busy with work, and had decided she wasn’t going to pursue anything with JJ. Yet here she was on Monday morning, doing her laundry much earlier than necessary just to get a glimpse of her.

  David rushed into the kitchen, pulled open the pantry door, and grabbed a package of Pop-Tarts off the shelf.

  “Where’s the fire, Dave?” Amelia asked, thankful for the interruption.

  “I just wanted to get one of these before they were all gone.” He held up the silver-foiled package.

  “I was hoping to get one of those Pop-Tarts. Guess I’m out of luck now,” JJ said, shooting David an ultra-cute pout that gave Amelia mixed feelings. Was that for her benefit or was she actually flirting with a teenage boy?

  “You can have one.” David ripped open the package, took one, and then handed JJ the other.

  “How sweet.” She smiled at Amelia, who promptly gave her an eye roll.

  Blake came down the stairs next. “You’re still here?” he said to David as he took a mug from the cabinet. “Are you going to take the bus with Shane and Logan?”

  “I’ll get there just as fast if I walk.” David took off out the door.

  “Don’t forget, you might have to put in a little time after school,” Blake shouted after him.

  “Is he in trouble?” Amelia asked.

  “No. I talked to Mr. Wright, his shop teacher.” He poured himself a cup of coffee. “He said we could use the tools at school to get his car fixed up as long as it was after hours.”

  “The beast?” Jillian broke off a piece of Pop-Tart and popped it into her mouth.

  Blake drew his brows together. “Not for long.”

  “If he’s working on the car after school, why is he going in so early?” Amelia asked as she swiped the Pop-Tart from Jillian’s hand and took a bite.

  “Hey,” Jillian said, her mouth dropping open.

  Amelia raised an eyebrow at her before she returned her focus to Blake. “Is he working on the car before school too?”

  “Not that I’m aware of. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. He’s usually the last one out.” Blake took a last swig of coffee and set his cup in the sink.

  “New school year. Maybe learning has finally become interesting,” Jillian said.

  Amelia laughed. “It’s more likely a girl.”

  “We can always hope, can’t we?” Jillian smiled, glancing at the clock. “Oh, shoot. I’d better get moving or I’m going to be late.” She snagged the last hunk of Pop-Tart from Amelia.

  “Hey, that was my half.”

  “Half of my half is not your half.” Jillian grinned and bounced up the back stairs.

  Shaking her head, Amelia picked up the wrapper from the table where David had left it and tossed into to the overflowing trash can. She cursed as it bounced off onto the floor. Yanking the bag out of the can, she tied it and took it out the back door and around to the side of the house. Her eyes adjusting to the darkness, she could barely make out the shadowy figure perched on the fence.

  “David? Is that you? What are you doing?” Without a word, David slid down off the fence to the pathway on the other side. What the hell? He’d left nearly fifteen minutes ago, so why was he sitting on the fence? Amelia let her eyes trace the path from where David was sitting to the house. She saw the light burning bright in the corner room on the second floor. She went over, climbed up on the fence, sat in the same spot, and stared up at the window. It certainly was a gorgeous view, she thought as she watched the curvaceous figure of JJ Davis undressing just on the other side of the glass.

  “One more trip to the hardware store,” she mumbled as she slid down.

  She pushed through the back door, glanced at the clock, and picked up the phone. Maxine was an early riser. She should be in the office by now. She hoped to get a few more dollars out of her for the blinds. If not, they’d have to come directly out of Amelia’s own pocket.

  “Hello, Maxine. Amelia Mathews here.”

  “Good morning, Amelia. How’s everything coming at the house?”

  “We’re working on it.”

  “And the new woman? JJ?”

  “That’s what I was calling about. We need blinds in the windows upstairs. Do we have money for that?”

  “I’m afraid you’ll have to wait another month until the others arrive.”

  “What others?”

  “The woman and her boy.” She said it as though Amelia should’ve already known.

  “Maxine, we can’t fit many more people into this house.”

  “Of course you can. It has three stories.”

  “The third floor is a storage room, not a bedroom. The whole space needs to be renovated.”

  “Then you and Blake better get to work on it. They’ll be here in a month, maybe sooner.”

  “You can’t expect us to renovate without any money.”

  “You should ask Ms. Davis if she can pay for the blinds.” The line clicked and went dead.

  “Ask Ms. Davis?” She slammed the receiver into its cradle. The thought was ludicrous. She wasn’t going to ask JJ to pay for anything. She’d just gotten here and probably didn’t have a dime to her name.

  “Ask me what?” JJ said, fiddling with her bangs as she came down the back stairs.

  Amelia’s train of thought stopped. JJ was dressed in a green-and-white cap-sleeved, floral-print dress. Beautiful.

  “Who was that on the phone?” JJ asked.

  “Maxine,” Amelia said, trying to get back to the phone conversation. “The woman must think we’re miracle workers. We can’t furnish a three-family household with the budget she gives me.”

  “Maxine called you?”

  Amelia shook her head. “I called her.” She pulled a fresh trash bag from under the sink and swung it in the air. Ignoring the loud pop as it ex
panded, she stuffed it into the can. “She’s sending us two more people next month.”

  “Two more?”

  “Yeah, the two we were expecting when you showed up. I’m not sure how she thinks we can manage on the minimal amount of funds we get from the foundation.”

  “Did she say something about me? I mean—” JJ swallowed hard. “Am I going to have to move out?” She looked honestly worried, as if they would actually put her and her niece out on the street.

  “No. Of course not. We’ll just have to make room.” Amelia touched Jillian’s arm and could see the look of relief whoosh across her face. “Don’t worry. We’ll work it all out. I’ll have Blake go up in the attic today and see what kind of furniture is up there.”

  “Thanks.” Jillian gave her a soft smile and held her gaze for a moment. “Well, I’d better get to work. How do I look? Is this okay for a school counselor?” She made a quick twirl, and her dress flew slightly up to her knees.

  “It’s perfect.” The smile Amelia’s comment brought to JJ’s face was worth a thousand more of the same. She followed Jillian to the front door, watching her hips sway as she walked. Amelia refocused when they met Mrs. Cooper on her way in. A heavy-set Irish woman, who could be a little frightening at first, Coop was actually the most selfless person Amelia had ever known.

  “Who’s this?” Jillian asked, tilting her head.

  “This is Mrs. Cooper, our savior. She helps with the cooking and laundry.”

  “You’re the new one, aye?” Her voice was low and gruff.

  “Yes, ma’am. JJ Davis. Nice to meet you.” Jillian held out her hand.

  “Welcome.” Mrs. Cooper gave her a warm smile and swept Jillian into an embrace before letting her pass. “You can call me Coop.”

  Amelia held the door for Jillian before following her out. “I’ll be right back, Coop.”

  “The foundation pays her salary?”

  “I pay her salary.”

  Jillian gave her a puzzled look. “I thought the foundation funded the house.”

  “We’re barely scraping by on the grant money from the foundation. Not that I’m not happy to have the house, but it’s a huge expense in itself. It would just be nice to be able to give the kids some extras here and there.”

  “Oh.” Jillian still seemed confused. “How did you find Mrs. Cooper?

  “I’ve known her for a long time. She makes the place feel like home and keeps us all fed.” Amelia shrugged. “Anyway, I could use some help finishing up a few things around here when you get home this afternoon.”

  “You’re going to make me earn my keep, aren’t you?” Jillian stuck her hand on her hip and rolled her eyes.

  Amelia sucked in a deep breath at the sight. “That’s the plan.”

  “Fine. I’ll be home around four.” Jillian smiled broadly, and Amelia knew she had her. Amelia couldn’t help but watch her walk to the curb. JJ threw her a wave as she slid into her car and smiled as she pulled away.

  “Looks like you got yourself a live one there,” Mrs. Cooper said, startling her from behind.

  “She’s something, all right.”

  “You know what happens when you mix business with pleasure.”

  “I know.” She couldn’t keep the smile from her face and knew Coop could see right through her.

  Coop shot her an I’ve-heard-that-before look. “Be careful, honey.”

  “I will.”

  Coop continued into the kitchen. “So, what are you up to today? Paint or wallpaper?”

  “Neither. I’m putting up blinds. It gets a little hot in that upstairs front window.” The sight of JJ’s curvaceous body shot through her mind. She wasn’t kidding about it being hot. All in all, she deemed the blinds a wise investment, if only to keep the hormones, including her own, from turning everyone in the house into oversexed teenagers.

  “That where the new lady stays?”

  “Her and her niece.”

  “Two more women in the household now.” Coop’s voice rose. “More trouble than you asked for, huh?”

  “Blake’s going to need help. At least the three he had were boys. Women in the house change the whole dynamic.”

  “At least we won’t be outnumbered anymore. Plus, she’s gorgeous.”

  Amelia nodded. “You have no idea.”

  JJ was a beautiful woman but got under Amelia’s skin a little more than she liked to admit. Coop was right. Mixing would be bad, but it was already too late to stop that. Amelia would have to realign and make sure to keep the boundaries clear, if she could.

  * * *

  Jillian waited for the last bell to ring before she went to her office. She flopped down into the chair behind the desk and sat for a minute, deciding what she should do first. She’d read several books while prepping for the teacher role but was totally inexperienced at counseling high school kids. She picked up the phone and dialed Maxine’s number. She was disappointed when it rang a couple of times and then went to voice mail. She wanted to be somewhere where she could dig into what was going on with the foundation funds, not sitting behind a desk at the high school. Maxine had insisted this was the only way she could get close to the goings on at Heartstrings House without drawing attention to herself.

  “Hey, Maxine. I’m here at the school. Everything went as planned. I’ll call you later and let you know how things are going.” She started to drop the receiver into the cradle when she remembered her conversation with Amelia this morning about funding. “Oh, and Amelia said something about needing more money for something at the house. I’d like to discuss some of the funding issues with you. As part of the story, that is.” Jillian couldn’t fathom why there were any funding issues unless she needed to file additional paperwork. She’d funded the grant with plenty of money, enough so that the kids shouldn’t want for anything.

  She finally dropped the phone into the cradle before turning on her computer. Mrs. Patterson had left a few files with notes on her desk. She opened the one on top and thumbed through it. This particular girl had lost her mother to cancer last year, and her grades had gone down drastically since. She could relate. Jillian had enough personal experience with loss. She read the first few pages and reminded herself that she wasn’t an expert on damaged children. Every child was different, and she certainly didn’t want to do anything that would impact someone’s life negatively. She’d need to call Marcus and get his advice before talking to this one. She set it aside and picked up the next file.

  * * *

  It had been a long day of meeting kids, and Jillian seriously doubted she’d be able to keep up this charade. By the time she got home from school, Blake was installing the last blind in her room.

  “Wow.” She flipped them open. “I thought you said there wasn’t any money for these.”

  “Amelia convinced Maxine to give us a little extra in the household fund this week.”

  That was a lie. She hadn’t received a call back from Maxine today, and Jillian was sure she didn’t move that fast. Amelia had probably paid for the blinds out of her own pocket. She’d have to remember to thank her and also pick up the tab for the next load of groceries. It bothered her that they had so little money. The grant was fully funded, so this was a sign something fishy was going on with the grant administration.

  “I don’t suppose you got enough money for an air conditioner as well,” she said, hoping for a light reaction.

  “’Fraid not. This was all she could spare. They weren’t cheap, but installing them myself took a lot off the price.” He climbed back down off the ladder and collected his tools.

  “All finished?” Amelia said as she entered the room.

  “Yep. It should be a little cooler in the afternoon up here now.” He folded the ladder and hoisted it up on his shoulder.

  “Thanks, Blake. These will help out a lot,” Jillian said.

  He dipped his chin and then headed out the door and down the stairs.

  “Thank you, Amelia. I know you paid for these. Abby and I a
ppreciate your thoughtfulness.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “How did you and Blake end up with this house?” Jillian knew full well how it happened but wanted to hear how Amelia felt about it.

  “An old friend donated it.”

  “That was generous.”

  Amelia nodded. “It was very generous of her.” She seemed to be lost in thought as she ran her finger along the windowsill.

  “Does she live in Norman?”

  “No. She lives in New York, but it sure feels like she’s here.” She turned to look deep into Jillian’s eyes, and Jillian almost faltered. “But that’s not possible. She’s a hotshot TV journalist now. She wouldn’t come back. There’s nothing here for her.”

  “But you still consider her a friend.” Amelia eyed her suspiciously, and Jillian knew she should back off. “I just thought if you were still in touch with her, you could let her know how grateful I am.”

  “I’m not in touch with her.” Amelia walked to the window, peeked through the blinds, and looked outside. “You should probably keep these closed in the morning. There’s an easement just on the other side of the fence. The kids use it as a shortcut to school.” Amelia’s gaze swept across Jillian intimately, and her cheeks warmed. “Young men kill for shows like that.”

  She yanked the blind up and looked down onto the easement. “Oh…oh! I had no idea.” She widened her eyes. “Did you see me?”

  “You were hard to miss.” Amelia leaned against the window frame and smiled.

  Jillian let the blind drop closed. “I guess you enjoyed the show too.” Her voice rose as the full impact of what Amelia had meant hit her. “You could’ve told me.”

  “I just did.” Amelia turned and went out the door. “Dinner’s at six.”

  Jillian closed the door and fell onto the bed. “I just did,” she said, taking a pillow into her lap and digging her fingers into it. The woman was infuriating, always wanting the upper hand. Fuck. She tossed the pillow away. That turned her on even more.