by Ivey , Tasha
"Explain what, dear?" she asks, trying to look convincing. "I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Oh, yes you do! You think I met someone, but let me tell you, it was absolutely nothing. Actually, I honestly hope to never see the man again."
She looks quite disappointed and confused. "Explain away."
We both sit down on the sofa, and I start talking. "Yesterday, I had a flat tire on my way here, and he happened to be there and changed it for me. When I went for a walk last night, I ran into him again, and we chatted for a few minutes. He started acting as if he didn't want me there, so I left. I guess the locket fell off while I was talking to him. It's as simple as that."
"So you gave a man that you never want to see again your address?" she asks.
"Of course not!"
"How do you explain his knowing where you live, then?"
I'm flabbergasted. "I can't explain that. I have absolutely no idea!"
We sit and stare at each other for a few seconds, and then it occurs to me that there is only one explanation.
"Oh my goodness!" I jump up and start running out the front door toward my room.
Nana yells out the door. "Laura! What are you doing?"
"I'm not exactly sure yet, but I'll give you all the details later. I have to get to the bottom of this."
As Nana shakes her head and goes back inside, I bound up to my room to grab my car keys. I have to go back to that house and find him. It had to have been him that I saw from my door last night, and I want to know why. Just before I start to run back downstairs, I have a sudden urge to clean myself up before seeing him. After quickly changing my clothes and shoes, brushing my hair, and dabbing on a little perfume, I race down to my car and pull out of the drive.
On my way there, I have a strange mix of emotions. I am very interested to figure out why he followed me home last night, and I'm not sure whether I am angry or just freaked out about it. I'm so nervous about seeing him again, and I feel like I have butterflies the size of bald eagles in my stomach. In a way, though, I'm glad I have a reason to see him. My first instinct will be to interrogate him, but I must remember to thank him for having the necklace fixed and for returning it.
I promptly arrive at the grandiose beachside mansion. I hope he is working here today, although I don't see him anywhere out front. I pull into the driveway and come to a stop before I reach the garage. As I get out of my car, I realize that there is a truck turning into the drive right behind me. The sun is glaring off of the windshield, so I can't tell who is inside the vehicle. The white truck has four doors and is covered in shiny chrome. I assume it is the owner, so I can just ask him if he knows where Brooks is.
The truck halts abruptly just behind my car, and an unfamiliar man jumps out of the passenger side with a big smirk on his face.
"I'm sorry to intrude," I say nervously. "Can you tell me if Brooks is here?"
The man walks toward me and laughs as I hear the truck's other door opening. "Now, just what do you want Brooks for? I'm sure I can do more for you than he can."
"Will," a stern voice interjects. "Can you give us a minute?"
"Fine," he says and sulks into the house as I turn around.
I am surprised to see Brooks emerge from the driver's side of the truck. He looks very different, too. He's dressed in a nice pair of khaki cargo shorts and a baby blue polo shirt. He certainly doesn't look like a gardener, and his friend didn't either. I guess even gardeners have to clean up some time, but something doesn't seem quite right.
"Hi, Laura," Brooks says apprehensively, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.
"Hello."
He looks at the locket around my neck. "I see you found the necklace in your mailbox."
"Actually, my grandmother did," I nod. "That's one of the reasons I'm here. I wanted to thank you."
"Oh, you don't have to thank me for anything." He doesn't make eye contact with me. "It's not a big deal, really."
"To me it is. You have no idea what this necklace means to me. It was my mother's."
He nods and glances up at me. "Like I said, no big deal. If I ever find something that has been lost, I always make an attempt to return it."
"Which brings me to the main reason I'm here. How you know where I live?"
His eyes widen, and he looks me directly in the eyes. "I . . . you see . . ."
"Yes?" I say impatiently.
"Okay, I'm just going to be totally straightforward with you," he says as he takes a few steps toward me. "I felt terrible for acting the way I did last night. I should have walked you home to make sure you got there safely. It was so dark. I was so wrapped up in my own problems that I didn't think of it until you were almost out of sight. I followed far enough behind you that you couldn't see me, so I didn't scare you. Once I made it to your house, I recognized it immediately. I'm so sorry if I alarmed you."
"You definitely did. I thought I saw something out there last night, and I saw an extra set of footprints this morning. Once I read your note, I knew that it was you, and I had to find out why you followed me. I suppose it makes sense now."
His cheeks are blushing. "I apologize. I know it looks bad. Once I made it back, I saw the necklace, and I was convinced it was yours. I noticed this morning that it was broken, so I wanted to get it repaired for you before I returned it."
"That was very thoughtful of you, and I do thank you," I say appreciatively. "Most people wouldn't have done that."
He smiles timidly. "You're welcome, Laura."
"Well, I guess the mystery is solved, so I'm going to head back home. Thanks again."
He nods at me, and I turn to walk back toward my car. He just stands there and watches me as if he wants to say something, tormenting over what to say but nothing quite reaching the surface. I open my car door and put my foot inside the door to get in, and he jogs over to the car.
"Laura, do you have a minute?" His hands are fidgeting.
I step back out of the car. "Yes, I suppose I do. Why?"
"There's something I've been meaning to explain to you, but I didn't think it was necessary before. I didn't think I'd ever see you again, but we keep running into each other."
"What is it?"
Brooks looks up at the house and back at me. "Let's take a walk."
Chapter Eight — Clearing the Air
Brooks:
Will keeps looking at me inquisitively as I pull my truck up behind Laura's car. I'm not sure how I'll explain the situation with Laura. He's been my best friend as long as I can remember, but I don't know if I can be entirely honest with him. Do I tell him the truth about my attraction to her, or do I just blow it off as if it's no big deal? I do know that it's time to be honest with her, though. If I'm going to keep running into her, it's time she knows that I'm not the gardener . . . and that I'm engaged.
I can't let Will be the one who lets the cat out of the bag, so I send him inside. Laura and I engage in some very awkward conversation; although, thankfully, she's much more interested in how I returned her necklace rather than why I did it. I confess that I followed her for her safety, and she seems satisfied with that. She thanks me and begins to leave, but I can't let her go without revealing the truth to her. If I don't tell her now, I may never do it, and that will only lead to more problems and wounded pride.
I'm relieved that she agrees to walk with me. "Are you okay with walking on the beach? You'll get sand in your shoes."
She stops dead in her tracks, yanks her white canvas tennis shoes off, and hurls them toward her car. "What shoes?"
I can only laugh, but deep down that coy smile she gives me is driving me insane. After I run inside to ask Will to pull my truck into the garage, we stroll through the backyard to the gate, and I lead her down the stairs to the sand. We walk for a few moments as I search for the right words to say, but I just can't seem to find a good way to start. I haven't been entirely honest with her, but I haven't exactly lied. To me, though, an omission is almost as deceitful.
"Was there a particular motive for asking me to walk with you, or did you just need an exercise partner?" she asks with a grin.
This is it. There is no turning back now. "Yeah, there's a reason."
"What is it?" she slows her stride and gazes at me.
"I have some things to explain to you, and I'm ashamed that I didn't clarify some of these things when we initially met. I didn't think that we would meet again, so I didn't really feel the necessity of going into all of the complicated details of my life."
Laura stops at the water's edge, letting the shallow waves wash over her feet. "I'm listening."
"First of all, I'm not a gardener," I admit as I join her by the water. "I own that house. I don't believe in having someone do the yard work for me when I'm entirely capable of doing it myself. In fact, I enjoy doing it."
She faces me with a rueful look on her face. "I'm so sorry, Brooks. That is completely my mistake for making that assumption. How embarrassing! I can't tell you how ashamed I am."
"No, please, don't be. I could have easily told you when I was changing your tire, but I was in a dreadful mood. I didn't feel like explaining myself, so I just overlooked it."
"So, you own that house," she confirms. "But, what about that 'Joshua' person?"
"You don't miss a thing, do you?" I laugh nervously. "That's another part of what I have to tell you."
I turn to her. "I am Joshua. My full name is Joshua Brooks Tucker, Jr."
Her eyes meet mine, and I see her cheeks flush. She remains silent.
"I should have told you that from the beginning, I know. I probably would have if I hadn't been so wrapped up in my own problems. I've been really self-absorbed lately, and I shouldn't have gotten you mixed up in all of it."
"Wait a minute. If you are Joshua, then that woman is your—"
"Fiancée," I finish her sentence as I nod.
"Wow," she appears surprised.
"Again, I should have let you know."
She attempts to conceal her dejection and turns back toward the water. "Oh, it's fine! Don't worry about it. You don't owe me any explanations. It's my fault for drawing my own conclusions; it's a bad habit of mine."
"But I do owe you an explanation," I say as I kindly touch her arm.
"No, really, it's fine," she says as she jerks her arm away. "I should be getting back home. I'm sure my Nana is waiting on me to get there, so she can start dinner."
She starts making her way back to the stairs. I don't know whether to stop her or let her go. I know that I've disappointed her, which tells me that I'm not the only one who felt some kind of spark between us. I know it's best to put an end to this now before feelings progress any further, but I don't want her to think that I intentionally led her on.
I run toward her. "Laura, wait!"
She spins around, crosses her arms, and waits for me to catch up with her. "Brooks, like I said, you don't owe me anything at all. It's not like anything happened between us. We've only spoken to each other twice. It was just a simple misunderstanding on my behalf and now you've cleared everything up. That's all there is to it."
"No, there's more than that. There's so much about me that you don't know; there is a reason behind the madness."
"Brooks, I get it," she fumes. "You're engaged, you're obviously not a poor gardener, and you clearly have some issues. Who doesn't? All I know is that I made some poor assumptions about you, which led to an entirely inappropriate regard for you. Nothing happened. No one is hurt. Let's just end this conversation before someone is, okay?"
Just as she turns to storm off, I grab her wrist and whirl her around to face me. "I didn't mean to mislead you, and it's obvious to me that we have some mutual feelings toward each other. That is why I knew I had to clear the air with you."
"Mutual feelings?" she says, trying to appear oblivious. "I don't know what you are talking about."
I can't believe I'm about to say this. "Laura, you're gorgeous. The very first moment I saw you, I was drawn in like a moth to a flame. I have seen many beautiful women in my life, but the way that you carry yourself and your personality is unlike any woman I've ever known. The way your cheeks blush when you are embarrassed, your shy smile, your nervous laugh, the way you speak to me like you've known me forever . . . there are so many things about you that I find so attractive. But—"
"Ah, I knew there had to be a 'but' after all that," she said, her cheeks glowing a fiery red.
I shake my head. "No, it's not what you think. The 'but' is that I knew I shouldn't feel that way. I can't let myself feel that way right now. I don't want to get into all the dreadful details, but just know that I wouldn't be in the situation that I am in right now if I had a choice in the matter. It's so easy to forget all of my problems when I'm near you. It's as if I'm someone else when you are around. I want you to be my friend, Laura. Please, say that you'll still talk to me after this."
"I don't know, Brooks. Okay, I'll admit that I have been somewhat attracted to you, too, and I really can't believe that I just told you that. To be quite honest, I was a little excited that I had a reason to come here and see you again. I enjoy being around you, but I'm afraid of what will happen if we continue to see each other. I don't want to come between you and your future wife."
I look down and start nervously pawing at the sand with my toes. "Unfortunately, there isn't anything that will come between me and Jacqueline, no matter how hard I try."
"Why is that?" she says looking confused.
"Never mind," I say. "Maybe I'll explain all of that someday. Just tell me we can be friends. Please?"
"Okay, fine," she agrees. "Even if you weren't engaged, I don't need to complicate my life any more than it already is right now. I have been through enough lately."
Instinctively, I wrap my arms around her and squeeze her tightly, and to my surprise, she does the same. I have never felt anything like this before when hugging someone. Every part of my body that she is touching feels hot and tingly, and her body fits mine like a puzzle piece that was once missing. Her head rests perfectly at my shoulder, and I can feel her moist breath on my neck. I take in a deep breath, and I can smell the sweet, lavender scent from her hair. I almost forget that we just had the "let's be friends" talk until I feel something warm and wet fall onto my neck. Pulling her back away from me, I see that her eyes are glistening.
"I had no idea that I had upset you that much."
"No, it's not that," she shakes her head and wipes her eyes, forcing a smile. "I guess you're not the only one that needs a friend right now. I think I just really needed a hug. It was nice."
I put my arm around her shoulder. "I thought so, too. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
"Wow, could you make it sound any cornier?" she laughs.
"Hey, if you can't be corny with your friend, who can you be corny with?"
She playfully slaps me on the arm. "You got me on that one."
"How would you like to meet one of my other friends, friend?" I ask.
"Sounds good, but what's with all the 'friend' business? I do have a name, you know. It almost sounds like you're trying to convince yourself."
I wink at her. "Maybe I am."
I guide her back up the stairs, and I can't help but to feel euphoric. I was worried about what her reaction would be, but I think it ended well—as well as it possibly could under the circumstances. How strange is it that I feel such a strong connection with a woman I barely know? The conversation that we just had is one that you would hear from people that have known each other for at least a few weeks. Not two days.
Once we make it through the yard and toward the back door, Will meets us on the deck, flashing a devilish grin.
"Will, I want you to meet a new friend of mine, Laura Carey. She just moved into a house about a mile up the road."
"Laura, it's a pleasure," Will says as he turns to me. "I'm hurt, man. I thought I was your only friend, but I can definitely see why you upgraded. If I co
uld fill out a shirt like—Ouch!" He yells after I elbow him in his side.
"Please excuse my friend," I beg. "He has a habit of making himself look like a complete jackass."
"I'll take that as a compliment, I think," she says. "It's nice to meet you, Will."
Will smiles and nods while rubbing his ribs.
"I'm going to have a glass of lemonade," I announce. "Would anyone else like some?"
"Sounds good," Laura says.
Will nods. "Sure."
"Laura, you can have a seat anywhere here on the deck, and I'll bring it right out. Will, I could use some help getting it ready."
Will eagerly follows me inside, anxious to get me alone. "Okay, Brooksey, spill the beans."
I knew this was coming. "I know I have some explaining to do, believe me, but it's nothing serious. Just let me explain everything after she's gone, okay?"
"Sure, buddy, but I just have to know one thing."
I hand him the tray of lemonade and glasses. "What's that?"
"Has Jacqueline met your friend, Laura?"
I shake my head as I grab a package of cookies. "No, not yet. Why?"
"Just asking," he says. "But it doesn't look like you're going to be able to hold off on that introduction for much longer."
I look out the front windows and see Jacqueline's car coming up the drive. "Oh, no. How am I going to explain this?"
"Leave it to me," he laughs. "I'll take care of the introductions."
"Not a chance. It had to happen sometime, so I guess now is as good of a time as any. Finish getting this stuff on the tray and grab an extra glass, will you? I need to warn Laura."
"You got it," he says, still chuckling.
I rush outside to where Laura is sitting. "My fiancée just pulled up."
"Oh, okay," she stands up. "I can leave."
"No, I want you to meet her. It will explain a lot about what is going on with me. Just don't take anything she says seriously. She can be a bit . . . rude."
At that moment, Will comes out with the tray of lemonade and cookies, and Jacqueline is trailing behind him. She doesn't see Laura right away.
