They were both yawning as they walked through the door. Jenna put the leftovers in the refrigerator and then poured herself a glass of water. The drink at the Chinese restaurant had been a strong one and she was ready to get a good night’s sleep.
“I think I’m going to head to bed. Are you going to stay up?” she asked. Charlie looked restless. He was just standing between the kitchen and living room and looked like he was deep in thought.
“Oh, yeah. I think I’ll head to bed, too. I don’t think I want anything else to drink.”
He walked over to her then, put his hands on her shoulders and drew her closer to him.
“I just want to thank you for coming with me, for being here today. It means a lot.”
Before Jenna could say a word, Charlie leaned in and ever so softly kissed her. It was a fleeting kiss, a brush of the lips. Over before it started. But it was a kiss, and a sweet one at that. Jenna was only sorry that it didn’t last longer, but she understood that it wasn’t the right time. She sensed that soon, it might be.
“Goodnight, Charlie.”
Chapter 12
They both slept in the next morning. Jenna woke around nine to the smell of coffee brewing. She eased herself out of bed and padded to the kitchen where Charlie was adding sugar to his cup. He looked up when he heard her footsteps.
“Morning. Coffee’s ready.”
“I could smell it. Thank you.” Jenna poured herself a cup and joined him at the kitchen table where he was opening a box of coffee cake.
“Aunt Daisy picked this up when she was in town yesterday. There’s also eggs in the fridge if you’d rather have something more healthy.”
Jenna grinned. “I’ll take the cake, please.” She could smell the cinnamon as Charlie cut two thick slices for them. There was a thick sugary topping and plenty of walnuts throughout the buttery cake.
“Oh, this is wonderful,” she said after taking her first bite.
“Do you ride?” Charlie asked after he polished off his second slice of cake.
“Horses?” It had been many years since she’d been on a horse.
“Yes. I thought maybe we’d take a ride around the property.”
“My best friend growing up had a horse for a few years. We were twelve or thirteen or so. I rode a lot back then, but haven’t been on a horse since. It probably will come right back to me, I would imagine?”
Charlie grinned. “We’ll see. I’ll probably give you Betty. That was the horse my Uncle usually rode. She’s very mild mannered and sweet.”
* * *
An hour or so later, they went out to the stables and Charlie introduced her to Betty, a very pretty, caramel-colored horse. Charlie saddled up Sinbad, a slightly larger one with a gorgeous, black coat. He helped Jenna up and then slowly led the way out of the stables and across the field.
“How are you doing?” he asked.
“Okay, so far. Hopefully Betty will go easy on me.” Jenna was surprised at how comfortable she felt in the saddle, even though it had been so many years.
“She will, and we’ll go slow. We can take our time today. There’s nothing to rush for.”
They rode side by side for the next hour, through the fields and meadows, to a pretty pond and a rambling brook. The property seemed endless and soon the ranch was out of sight entirely.
“I don’t remember how many acres are here, but I know it’s a lot.”
He pointed out cattle grazing in an upper field and then they slowly made their way back. By the time they reached the stables, Jenna’s stomach was grumbling and she realized it was nearly noon.
Once they had the horses settled back in their stalls, they went inside and had leftover Chinese food for lunch. After relaxing for a bit and watching the news on TV, Jenna grabbed her camera and asked Charlie to give her the grand tour, so she could get some good pictures.
There were several buildings on the property and she photographed everything. Unlike the day before, the sun was shining brightly and Jenna got some gorgeous outside shots of the stables and mountains in the background. The main house wasn’t as huge as she’d first thought when they’d arrived.
It was just laid out in a way that made it seem spacious and open. There were four bedrooms, three upstairs and one down, and in addition to the kitchen and living room, there was also a cozy study with a fireplace and a large family room that also had a fireplace and a pool table.
“My uncle loved pool, and he was very good. He taught me how to play.”
“I’ve never played, except for one or two pitiful attempts when I was in college. Maybe you can give me some pointers.”
“I’d love to teach you. Maybe we can get a game in later, after dinner.”
“That sounds fun.”
After Jenna finished taking pictures, she transferred the digital files to her laptop and spent the next hour or so going through them while Charlie sat in his uncle’s favorite recliner in the living room. She heard him typing away on his laptop and wondered what he was working on. Probably the new case that he’d mentioned.
She got some great shots of the property and organized them into an online portfolio to show Charlie. When she went into the living room, he looked up and immediately shut his laptop.
“Did you finish what you were working on? I heard you tapping away from the kitchen.”
Charlie hesitated a moment before answering. “Not quite. I’m getting there, though.”
“Work stuff?” She asked.
He smiled. “Sort of. Just trying to get caught up.”
“Want to take a break and look at some pictures?”
“Sure. I’m done typing for the day. It can wait.”
Jenna pulled up the page with the best pictures and pulled up a chair next to Charlie to go through them with him. He was impressed.
“Jenna, these are amazing. I knew you were good, but these shots are really special, the way the sunlight casts a glow on the house and the vivid green of the grass. Anyone seeing these pictures would want to come here.”
“Good, that’s what I was going for. I’m glad you like them.”
“I have to admit, it makes me not want to show anyone, though, and to keep this place for myself.” He stood up then, and added, “But as you said, I don’t have to decide that yet. I think I’m going to jump in the shower and then maybe we can head into town in an hour or so, and explore a bit more before we have dinner?”
“That sounds good. I’ll do the same.”
* * *
After seeing more of the sights in Big Sky, they eventually decided on the steak house they had driven by the day before for dinner. Jenna thought that seemed appropriate, given where they were and all the ranches and cattle in the area. The restaurant was a nice one and they were seated at a cozy table by the window with a breathtaking view of the mountains in the distance.
“I love San Francisco, but it’s really so beautiful here,” Jenna said as the waiter finished pouring wine for both of them. Charlie had ordered a bottle of a good cabernet for them to share, since they’d both ordered red meat.
“It is. I can understand how my uncle just up and decided to move here after visiting once. I really don’t think it’s as crazy as it seems.”
“No. He was in a position to do it and it sounded like he could do his work from anywhere.”
“Yeah, wouldn’t that be nice? To be able to work from home and live anywhere?” Charlie said wistfully.
“That’s more common these days, with technology,” Jenna agreed.
“True, but my job unfortunately is tied to San Francisco. I could never do that kind of work remotely.”
“No, I don’t suppose you could. But they must have a police force here?”
“Definitely, but not the same as in San Francisco. There are only a few thousand people here. That’s a very different dynamic. Different needs.”
“True. Too bad. Well, you’ll just have to come more often, then, for vacations.”
“Yes, I can do th
at. Now, to your birthday. Thanks for spending it here, with me. Cheers!” Charlie tipped his wine glass toward hers and they clinked glasses. A few minutes later, their server arrived with their meals. It was probably the best steak that Jenna had ever had.
They ate quietly, chatting easily throughout the meal and as the server cleared their plates and refilled their wine glasses, it occurred to Jenna that a shift had taken place. Something felt different. There was a bit of a charge in the air. It felt like she was on an actual date.
Charlie smiled at her and looked like he was waiting for a response. Jenna noticed that the server was still standing there.
“I’m sorry, what did you ask?”
He chuckled. “If you were interested in dessert?”
“Oh, yes. What do you have?”
The server recited a list of desserts, all of which sounded good.
“I’ll have the creme brulee, please.”
“You always get that.” Charlie looked at the server. “I’ll just have a spoon, as long as she doesn’t mind sharing?”
Jenna laughed. “Of course.”
The dessert arrived a few minutes later, a creamy vanilla custard with an amber-colored, sugary topping that looked like glass and crackled when she dipped her spoon into it. It was her favorite dessert, but it was very rich and perfect for sharing.
When they left the restaurant, they were both happily full and content.
“It’s still early. We could watch a movie or play some pool when we get back to the house,” Charlie said as they drove out of the parking lot.
“Let’s play pool. I’m so full that if I sit down on that comfy sofa to watch a movie, I think I might fall asleep. It will be good to move around a little.”
They reached the house about twenty minutes later and went inside. Charlie grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and asked Jenna if she wanted a glass of wine.
“Sure, but I think I’ll have to open a new bottle. Aunt Daisy and I finished the one we started the other night.”
Charlie handed her a bottle of Cabernet to open and once she had a glass poured, they made their way into the family room. Charlie racked the balls on the pool table, so they were in the right position to play. He showed her the basics then, how to hold the pool stick, which he said was called a cue, how to shoot and to break, which he explained was the opening shot when you aim at the triangle of balls in the middle.
He then demonstrated a bank shot, aiming the white ball at the side wall so it bounced off and then hit another ball at just the right angle, sending it straight into the pocket.
“That was impressive, but looks ridiculously hard,” Jenna said.
“It’s just math, actually, understanding the angles and a bit of luck. It does take some practice. There are much easier shots you can start with.”
“Easy is good,” Jenna said with a chuckle.
“Are you ready to try playing a game?”
“Sure, let’s give it a shot.”
Charlie racked the balls again until the triangle was just the way he liked it. He then focused and aimed a shot right at the point of the triangle which sent the balls scattering in all directions and two of them dropped into different pockets. He took a look and saw that both a solid and striped ball had fallen and said that the table was still open. Jenna could shoot at any ball she wished.
She carefully took aim at a solid red ball located just a few inches from a corner pocket. She gave a slight tap to the cue ball and it sent the red ball right in.
“Oh, this is fun!”
“Nice job. Now do it again.”
Jenna aimed and missed on her next attempt. She got a few more balls in, but Charlie easily won the game even as she suspected he was going easy on her.
“Another try?” he asked as he gathered the balls from the pockets and dropped them into the plastic triangle to get them lined up properly.
“Why not? I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.”
Charlie smiled. “You’re doing great. It’s addictive once you get going.”
They played three more games, pausing once just to get another round of drinks. Jenna almost won the last round.
“Want to see what’s on TV?” Charlie asked.
“Sure.” They went into the living room and Jenna flopped onto the soft leather sofa. Charlie sat down right next to her and clicked on the TV. He leaned back and put his arm on the sofa behind her. Jenna smiled and leaned into him a bit, and his arm dropped and draped itself over her shoulders.
“Thank you for a great night and birthday. Bringing me here was a wonderful gift.”
Charlie smiled. “It was a selfish one on my part. I wanted you here. We did have fun tonight, though, didn’t we? I think I see more pool games in our future.”
“Yes. Are there any places with tables near us?”
“There’s a few. We’ll find them.” Charlie’s voice grew softer then as he said, “I’ve been thinking about doing this all night.” His arm tightened around her and he brought his lips down to hers. Jenna leaned into him, and sighed when he deepened the kiss. It felt so good and so right. They kissed like that for a while and then Charlie tentatively slipped his fingers beneath the bottom of her thin sweater and lightly traced circles along her back. Jenna pulled him closer, encouraging him to continue. She didn’t want him to stop, but he did, pulling back to look closely into her eyes.
“We could stop now, or go upstairs. It’s up to you.” His brown eyes looked so hopeful and sweet. Jenna hesitated, but only for a minute.
“Let’s go upstairs.”
Chapter 13
When Jenna woke the next morning, she was disoriented as there was an outstretched arm by her head. But then she realized it was Charlie and she watched him sleeping peacefully, remembering the events of the night before. It had been a wonderful weekend and a very special birthday.
But now she was feeling some doubt. Had she done the right thing by sleeping with him? She’d loved every minute of it, but would he regret it? Did she? What if it didn’t work out? All these thoughts ran through her mind as she slipped out of bed and padded down the hall to the bathroom and took a long, hot shower.
By the time she was dressed and her hair blown dry, she heard movement in the kitchen and when she made her way there, she saw Charlie and her heart stopped for a minute. He looked impossibly cute, with his wet hair tousled, and his eyes sleepy as he stood waiting by the coffee pot wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. She couldn’t help but notice what good shape he was in, how defined his abs were and how the muscles in his arms were lean but well defined. It had been too dark the night before for her to really see all of him so clearly.
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” he asked with a smile.
“Very well.” The awkwardness was back suddenly. This was Charlie, her best friend and now what? Her boyfriend?
“I’m going to go get changed.” Charlie poured his coffee and then took the cup with him to get dressed. Jenna sat down with her cup and cut herself a slice of the coffee cake. She told herself that it was bound to be a little weird, getting used to the transition from friend to more. Her worry about his job was still a consideration, too. Could she handle that? Was it fair to keep going if she couldn’t? It was a lot to consider.
Charlie was quiet on the drive to the airport. They didn’t talk much on the plane, just watched a movie and when he dropped her off at her condo, he looked at her with concern.
“You’re awfully quiet. No regrets, I hope?” He sounded sad and a bit nervous, which endeared him to her even more.
“No regrets. It was a wonderful weekend, Charlie. The best birthday possible, except for the funeral, of course. I’m only sorry that I never got to meet your Uncle Bob.”
“You would have loved him. He would have loved you.”
Charlie got out of the car with her and carried her bag to her door.
“Thank you,” Jenna said as she looked for her key.
“Come here
a minute.” Charlie pulled her toward him and kissed her. Softly at first, but then quite thoroughly, until they heard a familiar voice say, “Well, it’s about time.”
They both looked up and saw Joe and Shirley about to walk into their condo. They gave them a wave and then disappeared inside.
“Trivia on Thursday?” Charlie asked
“Of course.” Jenna smiled as she walked into her condo and was greeted by a meowing Felix. Maybe this could work out after all.
Chapter 14
Charlie had called Jenna several times that week to chat and touch base. She was excited by how things seemed to be going and was looking forward to seeing him Thursday night for Trivia. But when he showed up to pick her up, it seemed as though something was wrong. He was much quieter than usual, somber even, almost as if he was rattled about something. As they drove to the pub she asked him if everything was all right.
“Fine, just a long day today. I’m tired. Looking forward to relaxing and having a beer or two.” He smiled and Jenna relaxed. She could certainly relate to having a stressful day. Two of her new clients were the epitome of the bride from hell. Though she was used to dealing with that type, it still was less than enjoyable.
Shirley and Joe were waiting for them when they arrived and they had a good night—until halftime, when there was a breaking news flash on the big screen TV over the bar, and Charlie’s mood shifted again as a cloud seemed to come over him. Jenna wasn’t sure what had happened as her seat wasn’t facing the TV. Joe was watching, though, and shook his head in disgust.
“What is this world coming to? That sweet girl killed her first day on the job. What a shame. Rough day for you, I imagine?” he asked Charlie, who nodded in response.
The Wedding Photo Page 6