by Ines Saint
They stopped at a red light. “Me too. It’s almost haunting sometimes, when lyrics and music come together in a certain way, echoing something you feel.” She glanced over at him and caught him watching her. He looked into her eyes and they studied one another, a moment too long for comfort, before each quickly snapped their head in another direction.
• • •
They reached the coffee shop a while later, and Nick asked Jamie to stay to make sure the generic battery brand Mr. Brooks carried fit properly.
He tried to put the new battery in while Jamie looked over his shoulder, wanting to learn because she needed to know how to do these things on her own now. He could feel her soft breath on his neck, and he was having a hell of a time focusing.
On top of that, she smelled great. He thought it must be some sort of cream or lotion because the scent wasn’t perfume-like. It was both sweet and sensual, sort of like vanilla and whisky. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but it was driving him nuts.
“What’s this?” she asked, leaning forward and pointing to a curious-looking bolt. Her hair brushed his arm, and he was now aware of her breath near the back of his ear. When he turned to explain, he banged his head on the open hood.
“Ouch!” Jamie cried as he got up.
Nick sat down on the front bumper and rubbed his head. “It’s good to know you feel my pain.”
She checked his head and Nick swallowed hard as her fingers sifted through his hair. “Oh, geez, there’s a little bit of blood. I don’t see a bump or anything, but I’ll go inside and get some ice just in case. Would you like me to grab some coffee for you, too?”
Nick agreed to coffee, even though he’d already had some before his battery died. If she stayed away a few minutes, getting the battery installed would be a breeze.
Attracted to her as he undoubtedly was, he’d figured Jamie to be safe because she wasn’t looking for anything, and he had nothing to give. But now, his head throbbing, he realized she was a bit dangerous.
He installed the battery and closed the hood of his pickup just as Jamie came out saying, “Here’s your ice. And here’s your coffee.”
He put the ice to his head just as a car pulled in beside them. “What are you two doing here? Together?”
Chapter Five
Nick recognized the voice before turning around.
“Justin!” Jamie sounded happy to see her brother.
“Just spending some time with your sister.” Nick smiled wide.
“We’re replacing a battery,” Jamie explained, rolling her eyes at Nick. She leaned into Justin’s car and planted a kiss on his cheek. Something pricked Nick’s chest, and he realized it was the first time he’d actually been jealous of Justin Viera.
Justin pointed to the bag of ice on Nick’s head. “You know, a real man can do something as simple as change a battery without harming himself.”
“Play nice, now,” Jamie warned.
“A real man drives a truck, Viera, not a minivan with an I heart Justin Bieber sticker on the window,” Nick shot back.
“Okay, leave it for the rink, guys. Your little hockey season is coming up soon, I’m sure you can wait a bit longer,” Jamie intervened, laughing.
“Little hockey season?” Nick echoed in mock astonishment.
“You’re clueless.” Justin shook his head at his sister before turning back to Nick. “Do you need my little sister to change the oil for you, too, or can she leave?”
“Oh, she can leave. But I think she wants to stay and enjoy her coffee. Come on, Jaime. Let’s go sit in my pickup.”
Jamie shook her head at both of them.
Justin put his car in reverse and slowly pulled out, glaring at Nick, who grinned and waved in return.
“You know, it’s hard to believe you and Justin are thirty-seven.”
“Age is just a matter of perception. Truth is, I feel more like a twenty-eight-year-old now than when I was twenty-eight. When I was twenty-eight, I had the weight of the world on my shoulders.”
“You weren’t even close to behaving like a twenty-eight-year-old — you were both behaving like teenage boys.”
“Trust me, we weren’t. If Justin would’ve caught me talking to his sister when we were teens, the manager of the coffee shop would be breaking up a fight right now.”
“It was that bad, huh?”
“That bad.” He touched the scar on top of his right eyebrow. Justin had a deeper one right above his knee, courtesy of Nick.
Jamie turned to walk toward the outdoor patio, saying, “I’m going to sit and finish my coffee before I go.”
He followed her, watching how her long hair brushed her small waist. Unwilling to leave her company just yet, he took a seat facing her, saying, “Thanks for your help, Jamie.”
“Sure, anytime.”
They sipped in companionable silence until an idea occurred to him, but he wasn’t sure how to bring it up, so he began with, “So, what do you do with yourself on weekends? Do you ever get any alone time?”
Jamie shot him a funny look, but didn’t answer. He looked at her expectantly, “Well?”
Finally, she said, “I’m sorry, Nick. It’s been fun, but I’m not done raising my kids, so I’m really not looking to fill my alone time with anyone.”
Nick looked back at her as if she were crazy. But then, slowly, it dawned on him. He’d basically asked her the same thing she’d asked him before he’d gone into his whole I’m done raising kids … I’m not looking to fill up my time speech.
He hung his head. “Did I really sound that arrogant?”
“Yes.” She laughed.
“Are you ever going to let me forget it?”
“I’m a Viera — it’s in my DNA to never let you forget anything potentially humiliating.”
“It can’t be in your DNA because I’ve always gotten along just fine with your parents.”
Nick was quiet for a moment, enjoying her laugh. Physical attraction aside, he liked Jamie and her kids. Today they had latched onto the initial connection they’d shared that very first day. He thought he had ruined it for good, but the impish light was back in her eyes.
He’d been asking about her weekend because he wanted to help her with the swing set strewn around her backyard, but he didn’t know how to offer. It wasn’t about returning the favor she’d done for him today, though he could present it that way. It was about the feeling he’d gotten when he saw it. He knew how difficult being a single parent could be at times, not wanting to rely on anyone, yet needing a break once in a while.
A swing set for the kids would be a break for Jamie, too. Something they could entertain themselves with. It would give her a bit of alone time. “What are you doing tomorrow morning, specifically?”
Jamie blinked. “Hanging out with the kids at home … ”
“Then how about I come by and help you put the swing set together for Michael and Timmy? I’d love to return the favor you did for me today. It wouldn’t even be the first swing set I’ve helped someone from school put together.”
“You don’t have to return the favor, okay? Justin will get to it, I guarantee it.”
“Listen.” He faced her. “Emma’s off at college, hockey practice is at least six weeks away, and someone spread a rumor that I have a huge ego, so I’m not getting asked out much lately. You should repay me for spreading that nasty rumor by giving me something to do. Old guys — lonely guys — need projects. I go nuts when I don’t have enough to do.”
“I’m sure there are quite a few women at The Golden Meadows Retirement Community who would be delighted to have you ask them out. They can also find plenty of handyman things for you to do, if that’s really how you want to spend your Saturday mornings.”
Nick laughed and got up to leave. It seemed Jamie wouldn’t be taking
him up on his offer. He threw his empty coffee cup into the trash, called, “Thanks again, Jamie. See you at school,” over his shoulder, and headed to his truck.
“Wait,” She called. He watched her hesitate. “Have you really helped others from school like this?”
“Sure. And a few moms have babysat for me. Accepting help is no big deal, Jamie.”
“Then I think I’ll let you help with the swing set tomorrow … if you really want to, that is. I’ve got so much work next week and having it up will help keep them busy so I can catch up.”
And the strangest feeling, something like joy, shot through him.
“Besides, it’ll drive Justin crazy to know you helped me put the set together. Sisterly love aside, he can be a bit of a smart-ass sometimes.”
He turned to share his most evil smile, but was instead caught by the look on her face. A breeze blew her hair away from her face and he studied her for a moment, noticing a change. She seemed less guarded, but more vulnerable.
Something in his chest ached at this little glimpse.
• • •
The next day, Jamie tried to resist the temptation to put a little effort into her appearance and made sure she looked the way she did on any given Saturday morning. She pulled on an old pair of khaki shorts and a simple white V-neck.
The idea of having the swing set up filled her with enthusiasm. It would keep the boys entertained and she could catch up with work. But she was no longer sure how she felt about spending the morning with Nick, though it seemed harmless.
As soon as she’d stopped being so uptight around him, she’d enjoyed his easygoing ways. She was lighthearted by nature, but the last few years had changed her.
Being with both Nick and her brother, and sharing in their ribbing, had opened her up to him a bit. It was a battle between wanting to have a little fun and not wanting to enjoy it too much. The fact that Nick was leaving for a year tipped the battle in fun’s favor.
The doorbell rang and Jamie’s stomach dropped like a rock the moment she opened the door. Nick walked in, looking incredibly sexy in a faded T-shirt and jeans.
“Good morning,” she said, a little too cheerfully, wondering if she could keep the physical effect he had on her under wraps.
“I like your bright red door. It really stands out.”
“Well, our townhouse in Lexington had a bright red door, and I thought I’d make it a tradition.”
The twins burst out of the hallway, ecstatic to see him and eager to let him know how they were going to “help” him. The guy didn’t know what he was in for. She doubted he’d make it to lunch, even though she’d promised the kids she’d ask him to stay.
“Are you guys ready to get to work?” Nick asked them. Their enthusiasm level was at about rock-concert high, and Nick got down to business quickly, sorting through everything on the ground.
Jamie turned her head up to the sky, grateful for the mild, sunny weather. Nick began to assign tasks and seemed to really enjoy Michael and Timmy’s curiosity and willingness to learn. He patiently let them take turns at the things they could do while he and Jamie worked the more strenuous tasks.
Just when it was beginning to feel a little too much like a made-for-TV movie, Timmy became bored with the project and started doing something way more fun. He began to pick fights with Michael. A nice, long dose of reality ensued. The twins fought, Jamie was firm, they found alternate forms of entertainment, Jamie continued to work — until the twins got in each other’s way, and the cycle began all over again.
Between trying to keep peace between her boys and occasionally brushing against Nick as she helped him, Jamie was feeling a completely different set of emotions every five minutes.
At one point, she looked over at Nick and tried to guess what he was thinking, wondering if he was regretting the project, when she caught him lifting his shirt up to wipe his forehead.
The man had abs … an honest-to-goodness six-pack. She forced herself to look at the sky instead — to ask God what she had done to deserve feeling so out of control over the sight of a male body.
She’d accepted a sinfully good-looking man into her house, that’s what.
After what seemed like an eternity of time-outs, refereeing, and long faces, the twins found something that engrossed them enough to let Jamie and Nick finish without interruptions. Michael pretended to be a rocket scientist entrusted with building Santa Claus’s new rocket-fuel-powered sleigh.
Hiding a smile, Jamie thought this would be the last time Nick would volunteer to spend time with them. She knelt down over Nick’s toolbox and helped him put everything away so he could get going, figuring he was dying to leave.
When she got up, she was surprised to see him looking completely relaxed and at ease as he watched the kids with a faint smile playing on his lips. He looked over at her and caught her gaze.
“Sorry it got so noisy and out of control for a while.”
“You call that noisy and out of control?” He paused. “You are aware of the fact that I run a school?”
“Right. Exactly. You probably crave peaceful and quiet Saturday mornings.”
“Trust me, Jamie, peace and quiet are highly overrated.” He gestured to the swings. “Sit down, you need to loosen up.”
Jamie walked over, and sat down. He pulled her back and let her go, then leaned on one of the wooden beams. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the breeze on her face.
He hadn’t minded the noise. It didn’t even seem like he was in a hurry to leave. She opened her eyes just as he was looking away from her. “So, peace and quiet are overrated?”
“You’d be surprised,” Nick answered. He began circling the swing set, examining it.
“How are you going to deal with the extreme peace and quiet when you’re off climbing the Himalayas?”
“The Himalayas?” He stopped examining the swing set to shoot her a quizzical glance.
“Well, isn’t that what you’re taking the year off for? Okay, I guess not,” she answered her own question when it became obvious he was trying to understand what she was talking about.
“Who told you I was climbing the Himalayas?”
“Justin, that’s who.”
“No doubt he’d love that. Probably wishes I’d disappear in an avalanche.”
“He’s not that macabre. I think. I hope. Okay, so maybe he wouldn’t mind if you lost a toe to frostbite, you know, so you lose a bit of your edge on the ice, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want you dead.”
“Well, I’m not hiking up the Himalayas just yet. For now, I’m traveling to sixteen different countries. Emma’s joining me on a few treks in the summer and on one during spring break.”
“That sounds amazing. You must be so excited.”
“Well, I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time. It’s the trip I originally wanted to take right after college, before starting real life, you know? The time is finally right, and I’m counting the days.”
Jamie could feel his eagerness. He was now leaning on the beam behind her, and Jamie twisted around to study him. “It sounds like you’re going to have the time of your life. And I’m sure you deserve it. Emma seems like such a wonderful person.”
“Yes, well, I had to grow up fast when she was born.” He hesitated before looking at her again. She simply nodded, not trying to feign surprise. He surely knew the story of his life had been recycled quite a few times in town and at school.
“She’s pretty much been the center of my world and I’ve never regretted anything. Not for an instant. But there were times when I was sitting there, playing Barbies with her or having a tea party, pretending I was having a blast … ” He shook his head and gave the memory a wry smile. Jamie couldn’t help but mirror it. “I decided I needed something more personal to look forward to.”
She was about to tell him she knew what he meant, but the way he was gazing at her, convivially, told her he was aware of that. Instead she said, “Sometimes it feels like your life belongs to others.”
They were quiet for a while until Jamie saw him watching the twins again. Both Timmy and Michael were so completely absorbed in their game that they hadn’t noticed the swing set was completed. “I’ve never really thought about what I’m going to do when the twins go off to college. It seems far away.” Jamie thought out loud.
“Your odd moratorium on dating will expire, remember?” Though his familiar nature was comforting, his brilliant eyes were sending her heart into a tailspin.
“I’m not sure you’re one to talk about dating.” She got up and leaned against one of the poles.
“And why’s that?” Nick walked up to stand in front of her.
“Well, you said you’re not getting asked out much lately, and maybe it has nothing to do with you leaving for a year. Maybe you’re just losing your touch, Nick Grey.” She looked up at him, feigning solemnity. He laughed.
For some reason, Celine Bliss, the woman she’d seen him with downtown came to mind, and she wondered what role she played in his life.
Nick pulled down, hard, on one of the beams, to make sure it was sturdy. The man couldn’t seem to keep still. Jamie looked up and saw the muscles of his arms contract. What was it with her and arms? Her throat felt thick, and she was overwhelmed by the desire to know what those strong arms would feel like around her.
It had nothing to do with his comforting nature. It was purely physical. It had been a long time since she’d had a nice, strong, masculine embrace. Her mouth became dry when she actually pictured him wrapping his arms around her.
She pushed herself away from the swing set as if it were on fire. Why would she ever allow herself to picture that? She called over to the boys. “Who wants to try out the new swings?” The boys looked up in surprise. They instantly dropped what they were doing and ran like wild dogs toward the swings, nearly knocking Jamie down on their way.
