“She’ll be okay, George,” Colin said. “Quit babying her.”
The ride to the lake was a transit through hell with the horse going in the direction it wanted to until the four of them rode side-by-side. By the time they neared the lake, Jasmine had a cramp in her hand from gripping the reins so tightly. She worked with horses every day and it didn’t bother her. This felt different.
Two picnic tables were near the lake. Also a gazebo and a river-stone fireplace someone had already lit.
“Who made the fire?” Jasmine asked, gingerly dismounting and rubbing her hands together. She linked the horse’s reins around a post and walked on rubbery legs toward the flames. It was chilly that morning and the dew was still heavy.
“I did. I know you women hate the cold.” Colin rubbed Noelle’s arms.
“I certainly do,” Noelle said as she began to unpack the picnic basket. “I don’t know why you guys wanted to eat out here when we could have eaten in a nice warm kitchen. We could have waited for the temperature to rise to go horseback riding.”
“Haven’t you ever hiked in the cold? It’s fun,” Colin said. “You’ve still got too much city in you.”
“You’re insane,” Noelle said.
“Yeah, but you love me.”
When Colin wrapped his arms around Noelle, it almost brought tears to Jasmine’s eyes.
“Hey. You aren’t going to cry on me, are you?” Drake murmured from beside her.
“Of course not.” Jasmine moved to the picnic table and started to take items out of the basket.
“I could eat a bear,” Drake said.
“Let’s hope one doesn’t smell this food or we’re in trouble.”
“We aren’t that far out. Hey, you two. Enough of that. I’m hungry.”
“Any more appointments today?” Mr. Avery asked later that afternoon.
Jasmine dusted her hands off. “This is it.”
“Why don’t you have dinner with us? Colin will be back here in an hour or so. Noelle’s home but she’ll come over by dinnertime. Girl doesn’t like to cook.”
“Thanks, but I just want to go home and clean up.” She spread her arms. “I’m a mess.”
Mr. Avery chuckled. “This is a horse farm, honey. We’re used to messes. You can clean up at the house.”
Jasmine wrinkled her nose. “I wouldn’t go in anybody’s house like this.”
“We do all the time. I’m sure we can find something for you to wear. Just raid Noelle’s closet. She won’t mind. She always keeps extra clothes here. You two look to be about the same size.” He motioned her toward the truck and Jasmine fell in step with him.
“It’s isolated where she lives,” he continued. “and I don’t like the idea of her being there alone. She stays here sometimes to humor me.”
Jasmine had skipped lunch. Her work was so physically taxing she could eat a cow, and she hated to wait until everyone arrived. But if she went home, she’d have to wait until she prepared something.
“Sure. I’ll be right up.” Suddenly she felt guilty. It wasn’t like she and Drake had made plans, but he usually anticipated that they’d be doing something together. She’d call him. He’d emphasized there were no tomorrows with them. He wasn’t her keeper, but it was a matter of courtesy. She knew he’d wait. She’d become dependent on seeing his face nearly every day.
Jasmine dialed his number. He was with a patient so she left a message.
By the time she sent the info over the BlackBerry to the office computer and drove to the house, Leila had already chosen an outfit for her.
“If you don’t like this you can just go in there and choose something yourself,” the older woman said.
“This is fine, thanks.”
Leila seemed to be able to do a thousand things at once. “Did you see Burt at the stable?”
Jasmine wondered at the question. “Just for a few minutes.”
Leila nodded. “You must be starving. I’ll bring some snacks up while you’re in the shower.”
“I’ll come down for them.”
“Well, don’t dawdle. I think George wants to talk to you. He’s been acting strange the last couple of days. That man. There’s always something going on. Never a boring moment.”
Puzzled, Jasmine started to the bathroom.
“Just hand me those clothes and I’ll wash them for you,” Leila called out.
“Just give me a plastic bag to store them in and I’ll wash them when I get home,” Jasmine said.
“No need. I got a washer downstairs. Just hand ’em over.”
Embarrassed, Jasmine quickly undressed and handed the grungy items to the woman. Obviously, Leila was accustomed to handling clothes where the wearer had wrestled in a stable.
In the shower, the warm water cascaded over her and the pleasingly scented soap smelled and felt heavenly. It had been a long week. Floyd was on call. This was supposed to be her first complete weekend off since arriving in Virginia but she’d had a call at Rocky Ledge Farm.
Sunday was already taken. Drake wanted her to meet his family. Which meant that this dating business was getting more serious. A man didn’t take a woman to meet his family unless he was serious. But he’d made it clear that things could only go so far.
Drake was a puzzle. As kind as he was, he kept his own inner battles close to his chest. For the last couple of weeks, she’d either been at work or with him. But now that she had time to think she realized the relationship was onesided. He knew her deepest desires and hurts. She only knew his goals, but not what touched his core. There was something definitely troubling him. She sensed that much.
They needed to talk.
Jasmine rinsed off and turned the tap off before she gathered up a towel to dry off with.
What luxury, she thought as she used the warm fluffy towel to absorb the water from her now clean skin.
Feeling pampered, Jasmine descended the stairs. Mr. Avery came out of the library to meet her. He was dressed in a jacket and gray slacks. Much more formal than she was.
“Join me in the den,” he said. “It’s a cool night so I lit the fire. It’s nice and warm in there. And Leila brought in a snack.”
Jasmine rubbed her hands together. “The fire and snacks sound wonderful.”
In a gentlemanly manner, he held out his elbow. She linked her hand in the crook of his arm and he guided her into the study.
As they entered, Leila was setting platters of snacks on a table in the corner. And with one look at the cozy room, Jasmine was immediately enveloped in comfort. A warm glowing fire. Shelves and shelves of books. Comfortable seating. It was such a lovely room. She wanted to curl up and relax on the couch.
“Don’t eat too much,” Leila muttered. “I have dinner on the stove almost ready to serve.”
“The snacks look delicious.”
“Well, help yourself,” Leila said before she left.
“I think I like this room best,” Jasmine said. “Anyone could get lost in the comfort here.”
“Feel free to come here anytime you like,” Mr. Avery said, letting her arm go to pour her a glass of wine.
Jasmine’s laugh had a nervous edge even to her own ears.
Mr. Avery handed her a plate and she piled on some of the snacks and began eating. “This hits the spot. Aren’t you going to join me?”
“A spot of brandy, perhaps.” After he poured himself the drink, he wandered over to a side table. “This is my son, Mackenzie. He was a large-animal vet, just like you.”
“I know. A picture of him hangs in the office.”
“His mother and I were very proud of him when he graduated with his veterinary degree. He could have majored in anything and I would have been satisfied, but it did my heart good that he loved horses the way I do.”
“I’m sure he lived up to your expectations.”
He picked up another picture and handed it to her. “This was his mother. She died ten years ago.”
Jasmine set her plate on the table and took the
picture of her grandmother. “She was very lovely,” Jasmine said around the lump in her throat.
“Yes, she was.”
Jasmine’s stomach tied in knots. She needed to tell him the truth, even if he rejected her. The only way to do it was to just blurt it out.
“Mr. Avery,” she said.
“Yes?”
“Your son, Mackenzie, was my donor father. I’m not here by chance. And I don’t want anything from you, nor do I expect anything,” she said quickly, remembering his nephew and the actress. “I came because I wanted to meet you. I wanted to know about Mackenzie.”
He looked stunned. A flicker of apprehension coursed through Jasmine as he regarded her closely. Her mind was a crazy mixture of fear and hope, but the fear was overwhelming.
“It must have been the eyes and nose that made you look so familiar,” he finally said. “Leila mentioned how familiar you looked every time she saw you. I don’t know why I didn’t recognize it from the beginning. Please, tell me about yourself. Did you always want to be a vet?”
Jasmine cleared her throat. Was he accepting her just like that? “From as far back as I can remember. I know lots of children want to be vets, and they outgrow the fantasy, but it was more than a childhood dream for me.” Jasmine couldn’t believe they were having this conversation.
“As it was for Mackenzie. I’m glad you’re working in the practice he started. It’s only right that his own flesh and blood follow in his footsteps. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have you for a granddaughter. I don’t want to step over my bounds, but I just can’t contain my joy.” He stopped. Took a deep breath. “When Mackenzie died I thought my life had ended, too. It was bad enough when my wife died, but at least I had Mackenzie. But without him, what was all this for? I’m an old man.”
“Not that old.” She smiled.
“Tell me about your family,” he said.
She told him that her mother was the personnel manager for a large company in L.A., her stepdad was an accountant; and then she filled him in on her stepsiblings. “They will be visiting soon,” she added.
“I’d love to meet them.”
Jasmine knew that wouldn’t go over well with her mother.
“Were you happy growing up?” Mr. Avery asked.
“Sure. There were always things to do. I liked the year-round nice weather, but I like it here, too. The snow should be nice.”
“I’ll remind you of that when you have to drive to your appointments through it.”
Jasmine chuckled and began to relax as he continued asking her questions about her life.
“How did you find me?” he finally asked.
“Mackenzie left it so that I could contact him when I turned eighteen.”
He regarded her a moment. “If Mackenzie had told me that he was going to be a donor when he was in veterinary school, I would have opposed it vehemently. But then I wouldn’t have you and Noelle, would I? It was years after he married before they discovered his wife couldn’t have children. It was a disappointment for both of them. For his mother and me, too. We always wanted grandchildren,” he said. “But the Lord always works things out for the best. We don’t always know His reasons for arranging our lives the way He does. I’m so happy you’re here and I hope you will let me be a part of your life.”
“You don’t know me. How can you accept me—” she searched for words “—just like that?”
“You’re my granddaughter. That’s all I need to know.”
All her life she had wanted the acceptance of a man. Her father, her stepfather, boyfriends. She was never good enough to keep them. And here, this relative stranger was accepting her without question. Jasmine’s chest hurt. She couldn’t breathe. She needed distance so she could think this through.
Darn it, she wanted to cry. She didn’t want to fall for this man only for this to backfire in her face the way everything else had.
He looked at her expectantly. She didn’t want to disappoint him.
“I don’t know what to say,” she finally said. “I never expected to even tell you, much less…”
“You don’t have to say anything,” he said quietly. “We’ll take it one day at a time. I would like you to spend the rest of the weekend here. Noelle needs to know she has a sister. I want to tell her about you.”
“She’s been very good to me,” Jasmine said.
“Can you spend the weekend?”
“Tonight I can. I actually have plans for tomorrow.”
“Thank you. And Jasmine?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t worry about the practice. Your job is safe.”
“I’ve always earned my way with hard work. I don’t expect or want any special privileges now,” she said. “As a matter of fact, I don’t want anyone to know I’m your granddaughter yet.”
A flash of disappointment brushed across his face before he quickly contained it and smiled. “For now, let’s just get to know each other,” he said quietly.
An hour later Jasmine spoke to Drake on the phone. “I told Mr. Avery I’m his granddaughter.”
“And how did he respond?” he asked.
“I can’t believe it. He’s really happy I’m his granddaughter.”
“Anyone would be happy to have you for a granddaughter. You’re a wonderful woman, Jasmine Brown.”
She chuckled. “You’re biased.”
“You bet I am.”
She was blissfully happy, fully alive. “It was a night of dreams,” she told Drake. She relaxed on an overstuffed couch in the huge bedroom. It was all her childhood dreams come true.
“I’m glad for you,” Drake said.
She missed him, really missed him. “How is Hugs?”
“All healed. I think she misses you—almost as much as I do.”
Her heart leaped. “I miss you, too. I know this news is going to cause all kinds of friction in the office. Ponce will jump on it immediately. And so will Floyd, because it’s going to affect Mr. Avery’s decision about the practice. I don’t want anyone to know I’m his granddaughter right away.”
“Secrets have a way of revealing themselves,” he responded after a moment.
“I mean it. I’ll be very angry if word gets out.”
“I won’t say a word.”
“Well, give Hugs a hug for me. What a play on words.”
“What about me. I need one, too.”
She made kissy sounds. This was not the usual Jasmine. She felt so giddy.
“Are we still on for Sunday?”
“Definitely.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
They disconnected and Jasmine lay back against the couch cushion. She was so hungry and nervous before that she didn’t take the time to appreciate her room. Decorated in green and burgundy, her suite was beautiful. Heavy drapes matching the bedspread covered the window. A zillion pillows rested on the bed. The room was larger than her two bedrooms put together. It had a green couch and floral chair. And a little writing desk occupied one corner. There was even a tiny refrigerator. Jasmine got up off the couch to inspect the contents. It had sodas, a bottle of white wine and bottled water.
Maybe she should put a small fridge in her guest room and her mother wouldn’t have to go downstairs during the night for a drink of water.
She was bone tired, but felt too energized to sleep. There was a knock at the door.
“It’s me,” Noelle called out, and Jasmine beckoned for her to enter.
“Here’s a bathing suit. Let’s have a swim. Or we can hang out in the whirlpool.” She tossed it on the bed.
“Tonight?”
“No time like the present. It’s early still.”
“Okay.”
Noelle sat on the bed. “Grandpa told me. I’m glad you’re my sister. I liked you from the beginning,” she said, watching Jasmine closely. “I understand why you didn’t say anything. It’s hard to do, isn’t it?”
“Very.”
“You have to meet my brother. He’ll be here
soon.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Is he Mackenzie’s son?”
“No. He’s my dad’s. It just happened when they stopped trying so hard.”
Jasmine wondered if that had happened with her father, although her mother swore his second wife got pregnant by another man.
Noelle headed to the door. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”
So much for sleep. Jasmine took the two-piece swimsuit into the bathroom to change. Noelle would understand what it felt like to be the product of artificial insemination. She knew how it felt for a father not to be a father.
Jasmine finished changing and joined Noelle.
“For me?” Drake asked when he picked Jasmine up. She placed a beautiful arrangement of flowers in the backseat.
“For your mother.” He’d been so sweet to her. She took a rose out of the bunch and handed it to him with a kiss.
“May I have another one?” he said, drawing her close and deepening the kiss. When he drew away, he said, “I think we have an audience.”
Sure enough, Jasmine glanced toward the house to see Mr. Avery and Leila standing at the window. She waved and got into the car.
They started down the long lane to the highway.
“I told my mom I was bringing a buddy,” Drake said.
Jasmine chuckled, reaching out and stroked his thigh. “Is that what I am? Your buddy?”
He grabbed her hand, holding it in place. “You’re going to cause an accident, woman. Get me all heated up. To answer your question, I would have had to field a thousand questions from my mom had I told her I was bringing you.”
“We wouldn’t want a thousand questions now, would we?” It did not escape her observation that he didn’t name their relationship. But they had made love. Everyone didn’t take lovemaking as seriously as she did. She wasn’t going to put too much stock in their intimacy. She wasn’t going to hope for a connection that he’d already told her would never happen. But her stomach churned with the thought of being his…
“What are we?” Jasmine asked.
Then Comes Love Page 11