Three of Hearts

by W. Ferraro

  THREE

  of

  HEARTS

  W. FERRARO

  AuthorHouse™

  1663 Liberty Drive

  Bloomington, IN 47403

  www.authorhouse.com

  Phone: 1-800-839-8640

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.

  © 2012 by W. Ferraro. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

  Published by AuthorHouse 10/18/2012

  ISBN: 978-1-4772-6683-0 (sc)

  ISBN: 978-1-4772-6682-3 (hc)

  ISBN: 978-1-4772-6681-6 (e)

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2012916732

  Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

  CONTENTS

  ~ONE~

  ~TWO~

  ~THREE~

  ~FOUR~

  ~FIVE~

  ~SIX~

  ~SEVEN~

  ~EIGHT~

  ~NINE~

  ~TEN~

  ~ELEVEN~

  ~TWELVE~

  ~THIRTEEN~

  ~FOURTEEN~

  ~FIFTEEN~

  ~SIXTEEN~

  ~SEVENTEEN~

  ~EIGHTEEN~

  ~NINETEEN~

  ~TWENTY~

  ~TWENTY ONE~

  ~TWENTY TWO~

  ~EPILOGUE~

  To G

  For the love you’ve shown and given

  To S & E

  For the blessings and fulfillment you have brought

  ONE

  “Okay, so you think you can find the house?”

  “Yes, I have my GPS. You said 311 Locaboo Way, correct?”

  “Yes ma’am, the drive is after the house; just follow the drive all the way to the back. Use the stairs on the far side of the place. See you in 20 minutes, Ms. Turney.”

  “Please call me Mae”

  “Great, see you in 20, Mae”

  Mae hung up the phone. From the short conversation with Robyn Finn, she immediately liked the woman. She was so happy one of her patients at the hospital had given her Robyn’s number about the apartment for rent. Mae couldn’t wait to be out of her current apartment that she shared with another nurse. Mae realized after moving from Boston to Hamden, Vermont that she was done sharing space with others and just wanted space of her own. Space where no one would drink all the milk or say “oh you didn’t mind that I used some of your shampoo, did you?” Mae realized that it was kind of petty to be annoyed over use of shampoo, but every day? Really?

  Mae had punched in the address to the apartment and as it was calculating, she turned up the volume of the Madonna tune pumping out of the speakers. Mae loved the vibration of the bass pulsing over the smooth baby soft leather seats of her Camaro. The cream colored leather was such a contrast to the shiny black surface on the outside. The roar of the V6 340HP manual transmission always made her feel powerful and in control.

  As she turned on to Locaboo Way, the view of the lake immediately awed her. She had heard of the beautiful, tranquil water but the breathtaking sight was something she had not imagined. Crystal blue ripples moved with the motion of all the different types of boats cutting through its water. Trees of all different shapes and sizes bordered the water, showcasing hues of green that Mae didn’t even know existed.

  Trying to keep her eyes on the road proved to be challenging given the scenery around her, but she didn’t want to miss the driveway. She was watching the house numbers and slowed as she approached 303. She proceeded to go around a bend and saw a white mailbox with beautiful orange lilies protruding around the granite stand and the number 311 painted on the side. Mae pulled the car into the drive and followed Robyn’s instructions. Before she could cut the engine she heard yelling coming from the dock about 100ft in front of her and saw three teenage boys running towards her. She noticed the two taller boys running were as different as two boys could be. One had light blonde hair and a fair, almost red complexion while the others skin was dark like her favorite cashmere sweater, with long hair reaching his shoulders. Both boys were immediately bending down in front of her car and Mae noticed the last of the trio had come right behind them, but rather than go to the front he went to the open passenger window and felt the leather interior. Since she was still in the car, she could see he was fair-skinned like one of the others but smaller in build and stature. She saw that his eyes were a unique green color that reminded her of the trees she saw. She guessed the young man to be around 12 years of age. Just as she was about to ask him his name, she heard “Conner, Aidan and Michael… get away from the car, you’re going to scare Ms. Turney away! She doesn’t need a bunch of drooling motor heads getting finger prints all over her car.” Mae turned her head to see who was calling to the ‘motor heads’ and knew she was looking at Robyn Finn.

  Robyn Finn was a beautiful woman. She had beautiful reddish blonde hair that hung in straight layers to her shoulders with not a strand out of place. Her eyes were green, but lighter than the vivid green of the smaller boy. Robyn’s figure was as opposite to Mae’s as you could get. Where Robyn was tall and willowy with long limbs and athletic grace, Mae was short in stature and, as society put it, “full figured”. Mae always considered herself pleasantly plump, with emphasis on the plump. She was well endowed in the chest area but so were all the other women in Mae’s family. Her hips were a trouble area for her but she thought they gave her a female curve that some women such as Robyn never would have. Mae didn’t think she was ugly; just not what the world considered beautiful. She wished that her body was different but at the age of 32 she realized with genetics and the late night rituals of Oreo cookies and a large cold glass of milk, her figure was not going to be slim.

  The boys scurried away. However, not far enough, Mae could still hear the ongoing talk of the great piece of machinery that was now parked in the driveway.

  “Hi you must be Mae, I’m Robyn Finn.” The two women shook hands.

  Between the commotion of her vehicle, excited adolescence and mental comparisons, Mae didn’t notice the house in which Robyn had come from. Mae was mesmerized by the beautiful multi-tiered decks and huge floor to ceiling windows. Antique white vinyl clapboard covered the house and was trimmed with midnight blue shutters and doors of the same shade. Impressive potted flowers adorned with every color of the rainbow. The yard between the house and dock had multiple mulch paths winding through with more potted flowers and planted shrubbery. In the rear corner of the property amongst the winding paths was a gazebo. A perfect place to curl up with a good book while she listened to the ripples of the water. Mae was already falling in love with the place and she hadn’t even seen the apartment.

  “Any trouble finding it?”

  “No, not at all. Your home is beautiful Robyn.”

  “Oh well, thank you, it is my brother’s place.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry I thought you were renting the apartment.”

  “Well in a way I am” Robyn chuckled

  “Seth owns the house and lives here with the kids. I live in the apartment on the far side, and I’m moving. So that is the apartment for rent. I’m showing the place and deciding if the person should meet with Seth.” Robyn explained.

  “Oh I see. Well if you don’t mind me asking Robyn, why are you moving from such a s
tunning place?” Mae asked

  “Well my fiancé, Bryan, has asked me to move in with him and I figured why wait until after the wedding.” Robyn said, with a look of pure happiness and blush to give her cheeks a bit of color.

  “Congratulations on your engagement.”

  “Thank you. Come let me show you the place and we can get to know each other.” Robyn started toward the far stairs but then halted and turned to the boys who were still staring at the car but had at least put some distance between themselves and the vehicle. “Conner, Lynne and Megan will be coming home with the groceries soon. Please help her carry everything in. And please keep an eye on Megan; you know how fast that little spitfire moves.” Robyn turned from the boys and started to climb the stairs. Mae thought it odd not to wait for Conner, whom she assumed to be the taller of the blonde boys, to respond. But just as Mae finished that thought, she heard, I’ll take care of it Aunt Robyn

  Robyn climbed the stairs to the first landing and turned and walked through a screen door to a sizable screen porch that opened to an open deck spanning the remaining length of the home. Inside the porch was a lightly battered brown wicker love seat with matching arm chairs. All three pieces had a large red botanical print. There was a French door going into the house.

  Robyn opened the French door and Mae took the lead and entered the room. Mae was in awe of the large, bright and beautiful open concept room. To her right was a small but adequate kitchen with stainless steel appliances, including a refrigerator that Mae was sure she could fit in it. There was a greenhouse window over the sink that looked out over the side yard and was filled with all kinds of small potted plants with ceramic label picks indicating they were herbs. There was a breakfast bar that had seating for two. To her left was a dining table with four chairs and matching server, and more greenery in various pots around the room. Straight ahead was a cathedral ceiling living room with large windows on two sides. Tucked in the corner, a gas fireplace surrounded by ivory tile and an oak mantle, with a large flat screen television hung above. As Mae walked farther in she noticed a door on the left side of the room, which she assumed connected the apartment to the main house and a staircase that went up to an open loft. The entire space had a rich caramel color on the walls, with beautiful oak trim. The floors, with the exception of the kitchen area that had ivory ceramic tile, had wide pine boards polished to a shine and colored to compliment the overall color and warmth of the space. The banister on the stairs to the loft had the same oak wood but the stairs were covered in a plush beige carpet. There was a large overstuffed sofa with matching loveseat in a color that reminded Mae of dark chocolate. Mae turned in a circle to take in everything and said “WOW!”

  Robyn giggled. “Yes it is quite nice, but then again everything my brother builds is gorgeous.”

  Mae turned to her and asked “Mr. Finn built the house?”

  “Yes he did, he bought the lot and tore down the original house and built the current home with this attached apartment for me when I moved in.”

  “Is Mr. Finn a contractor?”

  “Yes, he is. He owns S&D Contracting with his longtime friend Dylan Cross,” Robyn explained.

  “I’ve heard of them or at least seen their name. Didn’t they just finish the new children’s wing at Hamden General?” Mae asked.

  “They sure did. In fact their other friend, Wes Thompson, was the architect for the design of the wing. Seth, Dylan and Wes have been friends for as long as I can remember. We all grew up here in Hamden.”

  “That’s great, and must be nice to have the same friends in adulthood as you did growing up.” Mae added, “I moved around a lot growing up. My dad is in the Air Force. I went from base to base with him and Mom, until I went off to college. After I graduated, they left the States and went to Germany, where they have been ever since.”

  “To move around so much must have been exciting. I’ve never been outside New England. Bryan keeps saying we need to honeymoon south of Connecticut just so I can’t own that fact anymore,” Robyn chuckled.

  Mae laughed, already feeling herself comfortable with Robyn Finn. Given that she was new to Vermont she thought it would be nice to have a girlfriend who she didn’t work with.

  “Let’s go upstairs and see the bedroom and bath. You’ll love it. There is a whirlpool tub that I’ve been known to fall asleep in.” said Robyn. Mae followed her upstairs and noticed in addition to the multiple windows and skylights, there were two French doors that opened to a balcony that overlooked the water and were currently open. Robyn’s bed was cornered in the room and covered in deep plum with sage green accents. There was a huge walk in closet with so much shelving and drawers, Mae knew there was no need for a bureau in the room. In fact Robyn must have thought the same thing since she didn’t have one but instead had a plum chaise lounge opposite the bed. To the right of the room was the bath that did not disappoint. A huge ivory whirlpool tub was placed in the corner with a large window looking out over the lake. There was a pedestal sink and a ceramic tiled shower that the shower head hung from the center of the tiled ceiling.

  “Well Robyn, this is more than I was expecting when you said there was an apartment for rent. I’m afraid this is probably way out of my price range, but I have to say, I would love to live here.”

  “Mae, it just so happens I know the owner, and I think I could get you a deal,” Robyn said with a smile.

  Without getting too excited, Mae tried to contain her emotions and dared to hope.

  “I will have to speak with Seth, but I’m sure we can come up with something you can agree with.”

  Just as Robyn finished her statement, Mae heard a loud, massive-sounding diesel engine pull into the yard.

  “Speaking of the devil, there is Seth now. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable and I’ll go talk to him and see what we can come up with.” Robyn started to descend the stairs. Mae stopped her. “Thanks Robyn but I really can’t wait; I’m due at the hospital in 30 minutes. Could you discuss it with Mr. Finn and give me a call?”

  Robyn walked Mae out through the screen porch and went down the stairs. Mae stopped and realized she left her bag in the kitchen. She went and retrieved it and walked down the stairs towards her car and noticed Robyn talking to a brick wall. Well, not really a brick wall but a man bigger than she had ever seen. Even at the distance she was, she could estimate he was easily over 6 feet tall and honestly looked just as broad. Mae didn’t even notice she had stopped walking and was staring. She gave her head a mental shake and continued towards her car. She had almost gotten there when she heard Robyn say “Before you leave, Mae, let me introduce you to Seth.”

  Seth looked over Robyn’s head just as a curvaceous woman wearing pink scrubs the color of Megan’s favorite doll blanket descended the stairs. As she walked, Seth couldn’t help but notice that she jiggled in all the right places. Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail and seemed to be quite curly. The ponytail swished back and forth with every step she took. When Seth pulled in the driveway and saw the car he assumed there would be a guy looking at the apartment but seeing her, he realized it must be her husband or boyfriend’s car.

  “Seth Finn, go say hello to Mae. I really like her and think she is the one for the apartment.” Robyn instructed her brother. Even though Robyn was a full head shorter than her brother and twelve years his junior, she knew how to get her brother to do what she wanted. And as if she had a rope around his waist, Seth followed Robyn toward the woman named Mae.

  As Seth got closer he noticed that the ponytail continued to swish but her hair wasn’t the only thing that swished. The sway of her hips was almost hypnotic. Her hips would have been completely hypnotic if he wasn’t trying to focus on her face. Her face was very pleasant to look at, more than pleasant in fact. She had blue eyes that reminded him of the water he loved so much. Whether it was her boyfriend or husband, he was a lucky man.

  “Mae Turney this is my brother Seth Finn. Seth this is Mae, your new tenant.” Robyn
said definitively.

  Seth wanted to throttle his baby sister. He told Robyn numerous times he didn’t want to rent to a couple, but to a single person who wasn’t going to pry into the kids time in the yard and overall run of the house. “A professional,” is what he said, someone that wouldn’t be around a lot. But, oh no, not Robyn. Robyn did as she wanted and probably found this lady at the salon or something. All Seth could think was Robyn wouldn’t be interfering around the house much longer she will soon be Bryan’s full time problem. Seth loved his sister and wouldn’t let her consider marrying Bryan if Seth didn’t feel he was a standup guy who would take care and respect his baby sister.

  So now Seth had to somehow undo what Robyn had done as far as promising this lady the apartment. Just as Seth was about to start this sticky conversation, Mae spoke. “Well Robyn, like I said, I think this is out of my price range and I do have to get to the hospital. So please give me a call and let me know what you are looking for rent and we can go from there.”

  To Seth, Mae said “Mr. Finn your home is beautiful and I appreciate the opportunity to view it. It was a pleasure meeting you and I will look forward to your call.” Mae opened the Camaro door and before sliding in she turned and added, “I know it isn’t any of my business but I think Conner should put some sunscreen on. He is starting to get sunburned.” And on that note, she slid into the car, started the engine and backed up the driveway.

  Robyn waved goodbye and then turned to where Conner was out on the dock and called him in so she could examine the boy’s skin. Sure enough, Mae was right; her oldest nephew was getting quite the burn. “Conner, you need to put sunscreen on or go inside” Conner looked as if Robyn struck him with a hot poker. “No way, we are on some prime fishing right now, I’ll put my shirt on.” And on that note, he headed back to the spot he vacated moments earlier. Seth yelled to his younger boy and said, “Hey Aidan, make sure you cover up too, we all can’t be as lucky as Michael and have a suntan twelve months a year.”