"I wonder if they still run," she said, surreptitiously keeping the two wheelers between them, although she was pretty sure J.R. noticed.
"I'll have to check. I think I drained the gas when I knew I was leaving. It shouldn't be much to get them going."
"It might be kind of fun to take them out again," she suggested and then mentally slapped herself. The last thing she needed was to be alone with him. Yet, in true J.R. form, he latched onto her suggestion and flew with it.
"Let's run into town and pick up a battery, some spark plugs, and some oil and gas. I think that'll do it."
The rolling bench forgotten, he started moving the old lawn mower and the storage bins so there was a clear path to the front of the garage. Absentmindedly, Julianna started helping, tugging on the boxes and setting them on top of each other. The dust made her cough and stung her eyes. "Let's go to the store first and work on this later. I can't breathe in here." For more reasons than one, she thought.
J.R. ran into the house to let Mama know they were going to the store. Julianna heard Mama remind him to be home in time for dinner.
It was as though the years had suddenly melted away and she found herself fourteen years old again, waiting for J.R. to come back so they could be off on their next adventure. Not that they were too adventurous at that age, but it was then she started fantasizing about what it would be like to be more than just his best friend. Awkward and gangly, her new-found feelings remained dormant in her heart until senior year when other boys began noticing her.
At that point J.R. had taken her on a long wheeler ride in the middle of the woods behind Mr. Johnson's place and told her he loved her. She would never forget that moment. The air had held its breath, and she felt like they were the last two people on earth. He'd kissed her then, for the first time; a tender and delicate kiss that filled her heart with happiness. After that, her life was better than ever. On the outside, no one could tell that they were anything more than the best friends they had always been. But when they were alone, his sweet kisses rocked her world.
"Ready?" J.R. said, running for the truck, out of breath.
Jostled from her reverie and trying not to let her hot cheeks get noticed, she made a dash for the passenger door and slipped in. With the sun low in the sky, they headed for the only auto parts store in town.
There was an energy coming from J.R. that Julianna hadn't felt since his return. Finding the wheelers must have stirred something inside him, and it was rubbing off on her. She realized halfway to the store that she hadn't thought about losing the promotion at the store for hours. Normally it would have kept her up at night and grouchy all day. But working with J.R. and now off on this errand to bring the ATVs back to life took center stage, and she was glad.
"Do you think they'll have everything we'll need?" Did he notice her joining him in her question?
"Hope so. We'll need to find the compressor and inflate the tires. They're dead flat. Not that it's surprising after all these years. Won't it be great to take them out again?"
J.R.'s excitement was contagious, and Julianna laughed at his enthusiasm. She matched his grin, and he glanced over at her. He winked.
He winked? What was that about? A week ago, she was in the way and today he's winking at her? Not to mention that almost kiss on the stairs. A slow panic started to worm its way through Julianna's body. What was she thinking? They weren't fourteen anymore. They were grown people with their own lives and...and...and she was mad at him. Right? Her palms started to sweat. Her breathing fluttered. What if she fell for him again? What if he took advantage of that...again? No, that couldn't happen. She wouldn't let it. She was a different person than that poor high school foster kid. No one would ever take advantage of her again. Her heart calmed, and her breathing returned to a regular rhythm. She said a silent prayer for guidance and help and a warm feeling of peace wrapped around her. He could wink all he wanted. She would be strong.
Getting the parts proved too easy. Once they were back home, J.R. pulled the first wheeler out of the garage while she waited outside. The dust and dirt were too much for her sinuses. Plugging the compressor in and filling the tires inflated her sagging spirit, too. She could get excited about this. They could have fun together. There wasn't anything wrong with that.
The scratched red paint of the wheeler spoke of endless trips through the woods, especially during the summer when the blackberry vines were at their most "captivating." Many nights she had nursed inflamed scratches from getting caught by the blackberry bushes, usually when she was trying to fill a bucket of that succulent fruit.
"Hand me the oil, this is all drained out," J.R. interrupted her thoughts again, and she chastised herself for getting distracted.
Retrieving the oil, along with the oil spout, she handed it to him and waited for his next request. Even though he was doing all the work, she felt like she was a part of it. She couldn't help but smile.
"Okay," he said with a grin, "let's see if it works."
J.R. sat on the seat and pushed the gear into neutral. Pushing the start button with his left hand, he pumped the throttle with his right thumb. Julianna willed the engine to start. Her heart matched the whine of the engine trying to catch, over and over until J.R. let off the gas. Trying again, he pushed the start button and pumped the throttle.
"Did you put gas in it?" Julianna asked, even though she knew it was a stupid question.
"Oh my gosh!" J.R. started laughing. "Forgot the gas." He got off the machine and grabbed the gas can, swiftly opening the cap to the gas tank.
Julianna laughed with him.
He was still chuckling when he set the gas can on the floor and climbed back on the wheeler. "Pretty dumb, huh?"
"It could happen to anyone."
"I guess I was distracted."
His eyes bore into Julianna's, and her breath hitched. Did she affect him the way he affected her? She jumped when the wheeler exploded to life, and J.R. revved the engine to keep it running. Just like he revved her engine.
CHAPTER SEVEN
A fter a quiet dinner with Mama, they bundled up in heavier coats than usual and told her they were taking the wheeler out.
The rumble of the wheeler's engine vibrated through J.R.'s body and he felt more alive than he could remember. The second wheeler never did start which meant they had to ride together. It wasn't the way J.R. had first imagined it when Junior suggested they go for a ride, but Junior wouldn't hear him complaining.
Their shared seat forced Junior to hug onto him, heating him up inside. He tore down the road. The faster he drove, the tighter she clung onto him, and he liked it. Whizzing past the elementary school and down Mr. Johnson's lane, he slowed in front of the run-down cabin. Looking at the town with real estate eyes, he noticed there were a lot of homes that needed fixing up. In fact, it wouldn't be such a bad little town with the houses dressed up a bit. Maybe he could see if Mr. Johnson was interested in doing what Mama had taken on.
Knocking on the door, Henry Johnson, answered, "What do you want?" His gruff manner put the fear of God in most kids, but J.R. knew better.
"Hey, Mr. Johnson," he said. "Remember me? I'm Sharon Bentley's son, J.R."
Henry's stern expression softened. "'Bout time you came home."
J.R. swallowed his guilt once more. "Yes, sir. Uh, I...I mean, we were wondering if we could drive around your property like we used to?"
"We?" he asked, looking over J.R.'s shoulder.
"Yes, me and Junior...I mean Julianna." Saying her name made J.R. uneasy. He had never called her by her given name when they were kids. When he said it now, he couldn't help but think about her all grown up and less like the children they used to be. It was as though by calling her Junior, it kept them in safer territory.
Henry's eyes narrowed. "I suppose so," he said reluctantly. Turning to go back inside, his crusty voice called out. "Behave yourselves!"
J.R. jumped at the command and automatically answered, "Yes, sir." Scurrying down the st
eps of the broken-down porch, he made a mental note to talk to Henry later about fixing up his house.
"We're good," he said as he climbed back on the wheeler, careful not to clip Junior in the face.
Taking the main path into the forest, J.R. noticed how the thick trees darkened the daylight. They had an hour and a half left before the sun went down, but the trees made it seem almost like nighttime. The dim lights on the front of the wheeler illuminated the overgrown road as J.R. barreled up the hill to the first viewpoint. Pulling out of the trees briefly, they hopped off the machine to admire the glorious territorial view over Cooper Springs' valley.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
"Yeah," J.R. agreed. The wistfulness in her voice tapped on his heart. He didn't want to think of this place as beautiful and appealing. His home was in Portland now and as long as she was here and they weren't together, he couldn't be here, too. But she had softened toward him in the last day or two. Maybe there was a chance. How many times in the last few years had he wanted to call to find out what went wrong but lost his nerve? How often had he thought about asking Mama what was going on in Junior's life and then didn't bring it up when they were on the phone? What could he say that would get her to tell him what happened?
J.R. moved closer behind Julianna, wanting desperately to touch her. He felt her shiver and caught a little tingle himself sliding down his spine. Did she feel it, too? Maybe if he tried winning her over again, she'd come clean about senior year. Then they could either rekindle whatever they had begun or find closure. The thought of closure landed like a damp rag on his heart, but the idea of rekindling something scared him to death. When Julianna leaned back close enough to touch him, his arms instinctively wrapped around her. He heard her sigh, and a light went on inside his chest. She felt perfect in his arms.
Not wanting to disturb the moment but knowing they didn't want to get caught in the woods after dark, J.R. took her hand and led her back to the wheeler. "Let's go."
"Sure," she said.
Conversation was impossible while they were riding. The noise from the ATV's engine roared as they raced down the roads that crisscrossed Mr. Johnson's forest. The rain from earlier in the week left the paths muddy but passable. With darkness creeping in, J.R. finally headed back out and toward Mr. Johnson's house. Hesitating to stop again, he just beeped the little horn on the machine as a "thank you" and kept on going. Junior held on tighter, and J.R. wanted to stop and find out what was going through that pretty head of hers. But he was afraid if he said something, she would retreat again, and they would have lost all the ground they'd gained in the last little while. Best to just let his actions speak for him.
Parking the wheeler in front of the garage door, he waited for Junior to get off first. She helped him open the garage door again, but this time, they were both on the outside and standing on opposite ends of the door. He wasn't sure just how, but he knew he needed to find a way to get her alone again and try out that kiss.
"We never found the rolling bench," Julianna said as J.R. pushed the wheeler into the area they cleared.
"It's okay. We'll find it tomorrow."
"Why don't we look now? We know it can't be where we've already moved stuff."
"Okay." When opportunity knocks...
Julianna flipped on the overhead light which was nothing more than a single bare bulb hanging in the middle of the ceiling. J.R. pulled more filthy sheets off hidden outdoor equipment, working his way to the back of the room. Julianna started from the opposite side and did the same thing, heading his direction at the back. Once she made it to the far back corner, she exclaimed victory. "I found it!"
"Great." J.R. turned her way, squeezing past the riding lawn mower. "Hang on, I'll help pull it out."
"I can do it."
J.R. stood beside her now. "I know you can but let me help anyway."
As Julianna turned to respond, she looked up, her deep brown eyes darkened with emotion. J.R. wasn't sure this was the moment, but he couldn't wait for candles and romantic music. He leaned closer. Her eyes widened. He brushed the back of his fingers across her soft cheek and then along her neck until they rested at the back of her head. Pulling her ever-so-slightly toward him, she parted her lips as an invitation, and he covered them with his own. As tender as any kiss he could remember, he gently took her mouth on a pulsating journey, letting her shy response strike deep within his soul.
She knew it was coming. She thought she had prepared appropriately. Never intending to go along with the kiss, somehow the idea to push J.R. away didn't get all the way from her brain to her hands as he gradually pulled her into his exploration of her mouth. Recollections of thrilling kisses from a lifetime ago resurfaced, and she didn't even want to stop to consider the consequences of how this changed things.
Time stood still. She'd been alone a long time. So long, with Mama as her only friend and advocate, she faced the prejudices of this community and worked hard to earn their respect. Nothing had taken the place of the feelings she had for J.R. She reached her hands behind his back and pulled him closer, opening herself to a deeper kiss. Her heart thumped like a bass drum, beating in time with his.
Too soon time started up again, and J.R.'s touch turned into only a brush of his lips against hers and then...she breathed again. Afraid to look back into his fathomless eyes, she held on and rested her head against his chest. The steady racing of his heart brought a sigh from her lips. She closed her eyes to block out everything but the pure contentment radiating through her body.
"I probably shouldn't have done that," J.R. said tentatively.
"Don't spoil it, J.R."
"Oh, okay."
"It may not be the smartest thing I've done in a while, but it was certainly up there with the most wonderful."
"Junior."
He was talking again, and Julianna just wanted to absorb the moment and keep it going for as long as possible.
"Junior, we can't just not say something."
"Why not?"
"I need to know what you're thinking."
"I'm thinking you're a great kisser."
J.R. chuckled, and Julianna loved feeling his chest rumble. "Thanks, I guess. You're not so bad yourself."
"Let's just leave it at that."
"I can't, Junior," his words turning serious. "I need to know what's going on."
"I don't know what's going on, to be honest. I don't want to feel anything for you, but you feel good." Her arms tightened around his waist.
"I've missed you," he said.
And that was the best thing he could say to her. She wouldn't believe the "L" word, and she didn't want to hear any insincere promises. "I've missed you, too."
"Can we talk about what just happened?" J.R. sounded hopeful.
"Can we let what just happened be and enjoy the moment?" she countered.
"We're going to talk about it sometime, Junior."
"Well, today is not that day," she said to his shirt. "I mean, tonight is not that night."
Another chuckle and J.R. let go. Julianna immediately missed the warmth of his arms as she stepped back, daring a glance at his face. The simmering sizzle in his eyes belied the delicacy of his kiss. He quickly kissed her forehead and reached around her to lift the little bench out of its resting place.
"Come on," he said, draping his other hand around her shoulder. "Let's see what more we can get done tonight."
"Tonight?" she asked. Hadn't they already worked all day?
"Yes. Tonight. I'm not ready to say goodnight, and if we work together, we can get something done, and I can be with you at the same time."
Hours later, Julianna was exhausted. Emotionally, the atmosphere where they'd been working was as charged up as a beehive in the summer. But her eyes were starting to close on their own, and she couldn't hold her paint brush up to the wall, let alone keep her head from drooping. Yawn after yawn serenaded the room as J.R. rolled the walls and she tried to keep up by cutting in along the trim and baseboards. Ev
entually, she stopped and straightened her back, bending over backwards to get the kinks out.
"I have to stop, J.R. I'm not used to putting in eighteen-hour days."
J.R. looked at Julianna and remorse filled his eyes. "Oh, Junior, I'm sorry. I was lost in my thoughts. I didn't realize how late it is."
"Can we finish this tomorrow?"
"Sure."
They sealed the paint can and wrapped the brush and roller in plastic wrap. Julianna took a few deep breaths, trying to stay awake long enough to head for her trailer. Walking downstairs, she noticed Mama's light was out indicating she had gone to bed. Well, Mama got her wish. They were getting along just fine now. She only wondered what was worse, them getting along with no future or at each other's throats.
This romance really had nowhere to go. It's not like she could erase the past and forget it ever happened. The more J.R. pretended he didn't know what the problem was, the more she felt her blood simmering again. Maybe they did need to talk about it. She promised herself to make it the subject of her prayers tonight and see where Heavenly Father wanted her to go with it.
As Julianna made her way through the kitchen, J.R. pulled his jacket off the chair. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked.
"I'm going to walk you home."
"J.R.," she said, her tiredness turning a little cranky. "I'm only across the backyard."
"I know exactly where you live, Junior. And I'm going to walk you home."
"Uh huh." Too woozy from fatigue to argue, she opened the back door, raising her face to the crisp night air.
Rock My World Page 5
