by Jeremy Asher
Sarah laughed and made a cross-my-heart gesture with her finger. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul.”
“Ever since I read that book to him, he’s called me Ponyboy.”
“That’s funny.” She gave him an astute look. “You know. You do kind of remind of Ponyboy. Intelligent. Sensitive. Boyishly charming.”
“Don’t forget the long hair.”
Sarah leaned forward and ran her hand through his thick brown hair. Jesse caught another whiff of her perfume. “Definitely handsome,” she said.
Their eyes locked and Jesse felt that same magnetic pull he had felt when they were twelve, standing beneath the willow tree. Her eyes drew him in, like a moth to light, a magical spell he felt powerless against. He got the feeling that she felt it, too.
A moment passed before she looked at his empty glass. “Would you like some more?”
Jesse debated. One more and he’d be walking home. But he also didn’t want to leave right now. “Sure. I’ll take one more.”
He watched her as she walked into the kitchen and back, thinking again that she was by far one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.
Snap out of it, he told himself. She’s taken, by Mr. Million Dollar Smile, and like it or not, in just a few short weeks they’ll be married.
“So, how are the wedding plans coming along?”
Sarah handed Jesse his glass and took her seat next to him. “It’s been difficult. With the nursery and my dad’s…” The thought trailed off. “Kevin also works a lot of hours each week. We just haven’t had much time to focus on finalizing the plans.”
“Do your dad and Kevin get along?” Just as soon as the words fell out of his mouth, he wished he could call them back. “I’m sorry. That’s none of my business. I shouldn’t have asked.”
Sarah smiled and placed a hand on his leg. “It’s okay.” Then she removed it and took a drink. “They get along, all things considered.” She paused. “I mean, they couldn’t be any more different from each other. Kevin loves sports and my dad loves plants.”
“Yeah, but wasn’t your dad a big shot at the pistons plant in New Haven? I’m sure he’s used to dealing with people of different interests.”
“He was the VP of operations, but he didn’t love it. He did it mostly to put food on the table. And to make sure my mom had the same lifestyle as the one she was raised with.”
“Ah,” Jesse said, “another Whispering Meadows princess?”
“Something like that. My mom’s parents didn’t really approve of her marrying my dad. His family was far from wealthy.”
“The boy from the wrong side of the tracks?” Jesse placed a finger to his chin. “Hmm, sounds like a familiar story.”
Sarah shot him a knowing look. “Grandpa owned a small landscape company. My father worked for him; that’s how he put himself through college.”
“I see. So Kevin coming from a long line of attorneys probably doesn’t earn him too many points.”
She shook her head. “My dad doesn’t care about money. He only cares about how Kevin treats me. And he is a pretty decent guy. Sure, he has his faults, but we all do. And if it wasn’t for him, the greenhouse would never get built.”
Jesse had no idea that Kevin was financially tied to the greenhouse project. Though it did make sense, them getting married and all.
Sarah studied Jesse. “What?”
Jesse threw his hands up defensively. “I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to.” Her eyes narrowed on his. “You think that’s why I’m marrying him, don’t you?”
“I didn’t say that.” He sat back into the couch, thinking of a subject changer. “So when will the greenhouse be finished?”
“Oh no, buddy. You’re not getting off the hook that easy. What were you about to say?”
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked into her eyes and weighed his response. “I just don’t see the two of you together.”
Sarah sat back on the couch, resting her glass on her lap. “Why would you say that?”
“You see, I’ve upset you. I should just keep my mouth shut.”
“I’m not upset.” But the line of her lips told a different story. Of course she was upset. He just told her he thought she was making a mistake marrying the man she loved.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t know him that well. And I haven’t seen you in ten years.” He paused to choose his next words carefully. “I’ve never been married. Heck, I’ve never come close. But after seeing my aunt and uncle together for all those years, I don’t know, I guess I just have this idea of what I think it should be like.”
“And you don’t see that with Kevin and me?”
“I just think that when the day comes, when I find someone I want to spend the rest of my life with, that I would be saying things like…” He paused, leaned forward, looked her in the eyes. “I’ve waited my entire life to find someone like you. Someone I never knew I could love as much as I love you. Someone who fills the hole in my heart that I’ve been carrying around for as long as I can remember. Someone…” He paused and looked down at Sarah’s ringless finger and then back into her eyes. “Someone who found a man in me that I never knew existed. Someone who makes me a better person just by knowing you. And I can’t wait to begin our lives together as your husband, and to be the man who gets to spend each day waking up next to the most beautiful woman I have ever met.”
The room fell silent, and Jesse’s eyes dropped to his glass. His heart pounded so loud he swore Sarah could hear it. The stillness was killing him. He wanted nothing more than for Sarah to do what she usually did and say something funny to cut the tension in the room.
Sarah cleared her throat. “And you don’t think Kevin says those things to me?”
Jesse shrugged his shoulders. “Like I said, I don’t know him well enough to make that judgment. And I’m sorry I did.”
Sarah pointed at her empty glass. “I’m going to get one more. Are you sure you don’t want another?”
“No thanks. I better stop or I’ll never make it out of here.”
When Sarah stood up, Jesse felt the tension lingering between them. How could he be so stupid? Look at her. So beautiful. So sweet. Feeling unusually uncomfortable, he stood to stretch and made his way into the kitchen to apologize, to make things normal between them again. Lightning sent a bright flash through the window, illuminating Sarah’s flawless skin.
The fragrance of her perfume left a trail he could have followed with his eyes shut. Once again his heart pounded. The closer he got to her the harder it beat.
Just one step behind her, he stopped. She was like a magnet, pulling. It took all the constraint he had to keep from wrapping his arms tightly around her. She poured the remaining red wine into her glass and then set the bottle down. She remained still, with her back to him, as if waiting for Jesse to make his move.
His hands trembled as he placed them on her waist. His pulse raced and desire filled his body. He moved in closer, removing the last of the space between them. She stood frozen with one hand on the bottle of wine and the other on her glass.
She closed her eyes as she tilted her head slightly, giving Jesse full access to her bare neck and naked shoulder. He reached up and gently brushed her hair to the side, revealing her soft, silky skin. He closed his eyes and placed his lips gently on top of her shoulder, sliding them slowly toward the lobe of her ear.
He could feel her tense as she drew in a deep breath. She spun around, placing her hands on his chest. Her deep blue eyes were intense with longing, hunger. Jesse knew he should pull back, but he couldn’t. To feel her touch, her kiss, her embrace would satisfy the unfathomable craving he felt from deep within his heart.
He leaned forward. She wet her lips and tilted her head, granting him permission.
This was it. The moment that had played in Jesse’s mind at least a thousand times since she had reentered his life was finally here.
Chapter 18
He let out a deep breath and took a few steps back, breaking the tension with the suddenness of shattering glass.
Sarah opened her eyes, looking surprised to see Jesse so far away. She blinked and averted her gaze. “I’m sorry,” she said. “We can’t do this.”
“I know,” Jesse said, running his hand through his hair. His desire for her lingered as he struggled to think of anything besides kissing her. “I don’t know what got into me.”
“I have an idea,” Sarah said, holding up her glass of wine. She poured it into the sink and watched as the red liquid swirled down the drain. “I’m not sure what you do to me, Jesse Malone. But as much as I like it, I can’t pretend that it’s okay.”
Jesse rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. Maybe this isn’t going to work.” He turned toward the front door, expecting she would send him packing any second now.
“What are you saying?”
Jesse avoided her eyes. “I don’t know if we can work together.”
She crossed her arms and fiddled with her bottom lip. “I could still use your help with the greenhouse.”
He looked Sarah in the eyes, wishing things were different. Wishing he didn’t feel these crazy feelings for her. Never had a woman tempted him like this.
“How about this? From now on, we meet only at the plant nursery. No more driving around or coming to my place. And certainly no more wine. Strictly business partners. What do you say?” She offered her hand for a shake.
He looked down at her hand and forced a smile. “Deal,” he said. “I’ll see you soon.”
Just as he reached the door, Sarah grabbed his arm. He turned back around, still wanting to hold her, touch her, kiss her.
“Can we start this business relationship stuff tomorrow?” she asked. “I don’t want to be alone tonight. I could use a friend. I promise I won’t do anything. I just don’t want to be alone.” A coy smile formed on her face. “What do you say? Can you stick around a little longer?”
And there it was again. That smile, those eyes, the sweet sound of her voice. How could he say no to her? Especially after her visit to her father earlier. “Sure.”
“Besides, I still have your clothes,” she reminded him.
Jesse looked at the gray shirt and sweat shorts he was wearing and realized he had almost walked out with her father’s clothes.
Sarah gave him a hug. “Thank you for staying.”
“It’s no problem.”
They went into her bedroom and Sarah pulled a photo album from beneath her bed. The pictures were recent, no more than a few years old, and most were of her and Stanley. Jesse could see how the cancer had taken its toll on him. The Stanley in the photos had darker skin and a face that appeared full and much younger. Sarah’s eyes fell and lingered on each one as if mourning the man he once was.
Every single photo held a story, and Jesse could feel how much Sarah cared about her father as she told each one. His heart went out to her.
After flipping to the last page, she slid the album back underneath her bed and laid her head on her pillow. “Don’t go,” she said. “I want you to be the last thing I see before falling asleep. It’ll bring me good dreams.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Jesse assured her.
She closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep. He sat there for a moment, looking out the large bedroom window. The storm had passed and the moon was shining its soft light onto Sarah, covering her like a blanket. She had somehow surpassed beauty and gone straight to mythical.
Jesse’s eyes followed the contours of her body. Her skin glowed from the moonlight and it was all he could do to keep himself from crawling into bed next her and wrapping his arms around her so tightly that Hercules himself wouldn’t be able to separate them. To wake in her arms would be more fulfilling than anything he could think of. Business partners? How could that be possible? For the first time in ten years, he felt in his heart something he knew would bring them misery, just as it did when they were kids.
Jesse knew what he had to do.
After he was sure that she had fallen sound asleep, he stood up and quietly went to the hallway for his clothes. He folded Stanley’s borrowed clothes and laid them neatly on the couch. As he headed for the door, he found a pad of paper and a pen on the coffee table and decided to write her a note. As much as he liked the idea of being her friend, he knew that he would never be able to care for her the way she needed him to. Love always comes with a consequence. And this love was no exception.
Jesse walked back into her bedroom and set the note on the pillow beside hers. Then he kissed her gently on the forehead and whispered, “Goodbye, Sarah. I love you.”
Chapter 19
Robbie
The dark sky let out a crash, drawing Robbie’s attention. A few drops of rain landed on his face.
“Better get moving, champ.”
“How are you going to signal us if someone shows up?”
Ernie held up his phone. “I’ll call Randy if someone shows up. He’ll let you know.”
Robbie looked up at Randy, who was now standing on top of the van. He nodded, agreeing to Ernie’s plan. He offered a hand to Robbie, as if ready to pull him up. Robbie ignored the gesture and walked to the front of the van. Drops of rain fell through the headlight beams, crashing into the garbage filled alley. He thought again about making a run for it. He’d have to head in the direction of the street, giving him plenty of time to disappear before Ernie had a chance to swing the van around and go after him.
He climbed on top of the van. It popped and snapped as the metal bent and reformed with each step they took. Randy, who stood a whole head taller than Robbie, grabbed hold of the iron bars that were left of the fire escape and strained to pull himself up. At one point he started to recede, so Robbie grabbed his boots and gave him a push. “Thanks, champ.” His voice boomed like the cracking of thunder.
Robbie bent at the knees and leapt for the same iron bars. The roof of the van snapped back into place, causing him to freeze. Randy looked around, making sure none of the lights in any of the buildings had suddenly come on. Hanging from a store’s fire escape wasn’t exactly something you could easily explain. Randy gave him a nod and Robbie pulled himself to the top.
Randy tried pulling the window open but it wouldn’t budge. Hoping that it had been painted shut, Robbie gave the window a tap around the frame and then tried again. Still no good. “Now what?” he whispered.
Randy shrugged, looked at the window and then put his fist through it.
“It works,” Robbie said, reaching in and unlocking the window. He pushed it open and they both climbed inside.
Robbie realized that by simply being there he was breaking several laws now, which sent his heart racing. “Let’s get the stuff and get out of here.”
Randy nodded.
Robbie pulled out a flashlight to see where they were. “Looks like Old Man Neeter’s using this as the storage.” Boxes of BluRay players, stereos, and televisions were stacked to the ceiling, creating walls of electronics and a path through the cluttered storage area. He turned the flashlight toward Randy. “We should’ve brought a truck.”
A large smile formed on Randy’s face, revealing at least three or four missing teeth, probably from a lifetime spent on the streets. He picked up three boxes and headed toward the stairs, where he found a light switch and flipped it on.
“What are you doing? Are you trying to get caught?”
His dark eyes narrowed on Robbie. “How else are we going to see to get out of here?”
Robbie looked at the piles and piles of electronics. $5000 was an understatement. He could easily get three to five times that with this score. “All right. But leave the downstairs lights off.”
Robbie turned off his flashlight and loaded up on two of the large screen televisions, imagining what it would be like to have one of these 60 inch TVs sitting on his wall. Everyone would be coming to his house for the Super Bowl. Felicia would
bring out a bowl of chips and dip and then take a seat next to him. He’d rub her pregnant belly and then put an arm around her while she rested her head on his chest.
The sound of Randy trampling back up the stairs brought him back to the task at hand. He headed toward the stairs and carefully made his way down. The main store below was much like their small pet shop. The walls were lined with televisions instead of cages, and instead of leashes and chew toys, the aisles had been filled with every electronic wire and connector needed to set up the elaborate systems.
Robbie saw the pile toward the back that Randy had started in the center of the aisle. He set the televisions next to the pile and headed back for the stairs when he saw something that caught his eye. A photograph, lit by the faint light of a street lamp. A picture of Mr. Neeter and a younger version of himself, most likely his son, smiling proudly in front of the store. Beneath it was a dollar bill centered in a wooden frame with a plaque that read: FIRST DOLLAR!
A fiery pain shot through Robbie’s chest, like an impressive amount of heartburn hitting all at once. He rubbed his chest and felt the cross pendant. The last thing his Uncle August had given him before he died. A birthday present for Robbie that they celebrated at the hospital when August was too sick to come home. He held up the cross necklace from his hospital bed and handed it to Robbie. It’ll keep you safe, Robbie.
Robbie felt tears welling at his eyes. If his uncle was watching him now, he’d no doubt be disappointed. He turned his gaze toward the front door, feeling everything inside of him pull him toward it, like a force of gravity.
Then he felt the vibration of his phone. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw a message from Felicia.
Robbie, thank you for making me the happiest woman ever.
Whether this meant that she received the flowers he had left on her doorstep or that fate didn’t want him going through with the robbery, he didn’t care. One way or another, he was out.
