Maddie chuckled. “You would certainly know, Mother. Everything I ever knew about self-confidence I learned from you.”
Paula looked surprisingly pleased by the comment. “It’s good to know I wasn’t quite so terrible as a mother as I’d thought.”
“You were never terrible,” Maddie protested, looking dismayed. “Just a little caught up in your own world.”
“Never a good thing for a mother, no matter the excuse,” Paula said, then waved off the discussion. “Water under the bridge. I hope I’ve made up for it recently.”
Maddie gave her an awkward hug. “You know you have. Now, head on out to the patio. It’s gorgeous out there, probably one of the last days before it gets to be too chilly to sit outside. I’ll bring you something from the café. Laura, will it be another smoothie? We have mango-papaya today. I can personally vouch for it. I had two before I told Susie in the café to cut me off.”
“Oh, yes, please,” Laura said with feeling. “The last one was fabulous, and mango-papaya sounds even better. I’ll need that membership, if I keep drinking those.”
“And I want a muffin, full-strength if you know what I mean,” Paula said. “None of that low-fat nonsense for me.”
“Done,” Maddie said. “Head on out. I’ll be right behind you.”
Once they were seated on the patio and Maddie had brought their snack, then left them alone, Paula regarded Laura with concern.
“You look as if you’ve had an exhausting day.”
“An exhausting few days,” Laura confirmed. “Knowing how high the stakes were for both of these girls put a tremendous amount of pressure on me to handle this well.”
“Then I’m all the more grateful that you’re taking the time to fill me in.”
“If it weren’t for you, it would have been much more difficult to settle this. I’m the one who’s grateful,” Laura told her with total sincerity. “Here’s where things stand.”
She outlined the first steps that had been taken earlier. “Frankly, I’m hoping that the Litchfields will send Annabelle away, but we may not know that for a while. Her father seems inclined to keep her right here so she has to face all the consequences of her actions.”
“There’s a case to be made for that, I think,” Paula said. “But it would be easier on Misty, if she were gone. How has Misty been holding up?”
“She’s relieved on one level, but she’s also terrified there will be fallout, that Annabelle’s friends will simply pick up where she left off.”
“Surely not,” Paula said incredulously, then shook her head. “What am I thinking? It’s entirely possible. Children and teens can be incredibly cruel. Lessons at that age aren’t absorbed all that readily, either, are they?”
“That’s my fear,” Laura admitted.
Paula thought about the situation. “You know,” she began slowly, “there is one person who might be able to intervene in this. Do you know Frances Wingate?”
“We’ve met,” Laura said, “but she retired long before I started teaching in Serenity.”
“Well, she has a very long history with a lot of parents in town. She’s well respected for frank talk and for being a tough disciplinarian. I wonder if there’s not some way we could capitalize on that respect.”
“How?” Laura asked, eager to try anything that might help ease the situation.
“Let me think about that,” Paula said. “And I’ll speak to Frances. She’s had some health issues recently, but I know she’d want to help if she possibly can. I’m thinking she might deliver a real wake-up call at a parents’ meeting, get them to take a hard look at what their kids are up to these days, both at school and online. After all, it’s the adults who bear some responsibility for letting the kids get away with this in the first place. They allow their children unlimited and uncensored internet access apparently, or something like this could never have happened.”
“Talking to the parents would be a great idea,” Laura said. “I’ll mention the possibility to Betty in the meantime, see what she thinks.”
Paula shook her head. “Let me run this by Frances first. I need to be sure she’s up to it. I’ll call you as soon as I’ve spoken to her, and we’ll go from there.”
Laura nodded. “Thanks for thinking of that. Though I’d like to believe this will all stop because Annabelle’s been caught and suspended, deep down I know better. It’s going to take vigilance to see that things improve for Misty, rather than getting much, much worse.”
* * *
J.C. had been pacing in front of Laura’s since six o’clock. Where on earth was she? He knew she must be worn out from the day’s events. He wanted to be here for her, provide whatever support she needed. He’d brought a bottle of wine and planned to order comfort food from Rosalina’s, if she’d let him.
It was nearly seven when she drove up, exiting her car with what looked like the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her expression brightened ever-so-slightly when she saw him.
“I wasn’t expecting to find you here,” she said.
J.C. gave her a rueful look. “And you’re not entirely happy about it, are you? Will it help if I tell you I’m here to offer aid and comfort and then go on my way?”
She seemed intrigued by his response. “Aid and comfort? Explain, please,” she said as she led the way into the building and unlocked her door.
“Wine,” he began, extracting the bottle from a bag. “Pizza and salad from Rosalina’s.” He held up their take-out menu. “See, I came fully prepared.” He pointed to his last surprise, the one he thought might trump all the others. “And chocolate decadence cake from Sullivan’s.”
Her eyes widened, and she immediately reached for the box. “Gimme.”
Grinning, J.C. held it aloft, out of her reach. “Not until you’ve had a bath or shower and relaxed with a glass of wine, while I take care of ordering the main course.”
“I never considered the possibility before, but are you some kind of saint?”
J.C. laughed. “Hardly, but if my gesture keeps me from being tossed back out on the street, I’ll take it as a good sign that I might be on my way to improving my image.”
She gave him a curious look. “Was there something wrong with your image?”
“Guilt by association,” he said.
“Ah, the Bill Townsend connection,” she said. “Of course. I don’t think that’s being held against you so much anymore. I believe some of the Sweet Magnolias have told you that themselves, have they not? And I happen to know that there are a lot of moms who think you hung the moon.” She grinned. “The single ones especially!”
Though she said it lightheartedly, he frowned. “You know I’ve never gone out with any of them, right? Single moms tend to be vulnerable. That’s a bad match for a guy like me who’s not looking for permanent.”
It was her turn to frown. “Message received.”
She turned to walk away, but he caught her by the shoulder and insisted she face him. “There was no intended message for you,” he said. He held her gaze, his expression earnest. “Something changed when we met, Laura. I can’t explain it, and I’m not entirely sure what’s going on with us, but I’m more open to the possibilities than I ever expected to be. Can that be enough for now?”
He waited, his breath caught in his throat. The reaction surprised him. He’d never felt this kind of uncertainty before awaiting a decision from a woman. When he had ventured out on a few discreet dates, he’d been the one in control. Now it was evident that something had shifted, and Laura held all the cards. It unnerved him.
“You’re really open to the possibilities?” she asked, studying his face.
“Completely open,” he confirmed. “Which is not to say that I’m entirely happy about that. Turning my back on a long-held conviction about relationships isn’t easy.”
She smiled. “Yes, I can understand how tough it must be to back down even a tiny bit from a stance once you’ve taken it. There’s all that male pride and determination o
n the line.”
“Something like that,” he agreed.
There was more, of course. There was the risk to his heart, a risk he’d vowed never again to take.
* * *
Pleased by the conversation she’d had with J.C. and feeling surprisingly optimistic, Laura allowed herself to soak in the tub as ordered, while they waited for the food to arrive from Rosalina’s. There was something amazingly sexy about knowing that he was just on the other side of the door while she lay here submerged in a rapidly disappearing sea of fragrant bubbles.
She closed her eyes and had a sudden image of what it would be like if the door opened and a stripped J.C. climbed into the tub with her. She could practically feel his hands sliding over her body, feel his slick skin next to hers, imagine his unmistakable arousal.
“Laura!”
The sound of his voice startled her so badly, she sat up too quickly and sloshed half the water out of the tub and onto the floor.
“You awake?” he asked, amusement threading through his voice.
Awake? She was so stimulated she might not sleep for a week.
“I’m awake,” she said in a voice that shook just a little.
“The food’s here. Take your time, though. I’ve popped the pizza in the oven on warm.”
Suddenly the thought of garlic and cheese and tomato sauce had her mouth watering. She realized she’d missed lunch entirely, and, delicious though it had been, the mango-papaya smoothie hadn’t quite made up for it. She was starving. Or maybe it was sexual frustration that had her craving food, all of a sudden.
She scrambled out of the tub, dried herself and mopped up the floor, then pulled on a pair of leggings and a comfortable shirt that barely reached her knees. Though it was something she often wore around the house, she had a hunch it had a morning-after vibe about it that took it a notch above casual to flat-out sexy. With her hair swept up in a careless knot, strands coming loose around her face, and just a touch of lipstick, she had a pretty good idea of J.C.’s likely reaction. Tongue-tied would be nice, especially since that’s the way he often made her feel.
When she wandered into the kitchen, she saw that he’d made himself at home. The table had been set, the wine poured and the aroma of the pizza filled the room.
“You are very handy to have around,” she said, catching him off guard as he rinsed off the cutting board he’d apparently used to chop a few additions to Rosalina’s traditional house salad.
“It’s my aim to please,” he said as he turned, then blinked. “Holy-moley!”
She smiled at that. “Interpret, please.”
“Did we have sex and I missed it? Because that’s how you look, as if you just crawled out of my bed.”
“Not yet,” she said softly, holding his gaze. “And my bed’s closer.”
Even as the bold words came out of her mouth, she realized this was exactly the moment she’d been hoping for, the chance to shake things up between them, to take the relationship to the next level. It was risky, but what was life without risks? Boring and dull, that’s what, and she’d had a whole lot of that for way too long. She absolutely refused to let a long-ago mistake shape her entire future.
A questioning look crossed his face. “Laura? What exactly are you saying?”
“If you can’t tell, I must not be saying it right.”
“It sounds as if you’re no longer hungry for food,” he hedged.
She smiled. “I am, but I have this other hunger. It caught me by surprise. How about you?”
He shook his head as if trying to clear it. “You’ve been surprising me since the day we met.”
“And the hunger thing? Where do you stand on that?”
He took two steps until he was right in front of her, then leaned down and touched his lips to hers. “Same page as you, apparently,” he said with feeling, then pulled her into his arms for a kiss that was longer, deeper and more amazing than anything Laura had imagined in her bathtub fantasy.
When he released her after what felt like a knee-quivering eternity, she blinked. “For a man who’s supposedly out of practice, you kiss really, really well.”
He laughed at that. “Shall we see if there’s anything else I can remember how to do?”
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” she said, reaching past him to turn off the oven. “And, remember, I’m a teacher. I know the value of doing something again and again until you master it.”
“Laura Reed,” he murmured. “You are a tease. Who knew?”
It was her turn to laugh. “Not me, that’s for sure. You seem to bring out a side of me I never knew existed.” Or one she’d determinedly tamped down until it no longer put her heart at risk.
He studied her. “A good thing?”
She nodded. “Yes. I think it probably is. Scary, though.”
“Tell me about it,” he said wryly. “Have you tested your limits for tonight, or is that bedroom of yours still an option?”
“Not an option,” she said thoughtfully, then grinned at his disappointed expression. “More like a necessity.”
He swept her into his arms before she could change her mind and headed down the hallway.
“I knew it,” he said, just inside the door. “Frilly, girly decor.”
She patted his cheek. “It’s okay. I think you’re man enough to handle it.”
He looked deep into her eyes. “I’ll give it my best shot,” he said as he lowered her to the bed, then tossed all the pillows aside.
As it turned out, his very best shot was mind-numbingly, impossible-to-catch-her-breath amazing.
* * *
It was nearly midnight when Laura looked at J.C. as they devoured the now-cold pizza and warm wine. She was wearing an oversize T-shirt. He was wearing only his boxers.
“I wasn’t expecting it to be like that,” she told him candidly.
He smiled. “Like what?”
She searched for the right word. “Easy, I guess. Comfortable, as if we’d known each other in some other life and got it exactly right.”
He seemed a little startled by her words. “You felt that, too?”
“I kept expecting to wake up and realize we’d made a terrible mistake, reached for something that would change things between us and maybe ruin the friendship we have.”
“I think I can safely say we’ve moved well beyond friendship,” J.C. said wryly.
“How scary is that for you?” she asked, studying him with a considering look.
“Not half as terrifying as I anticipated. How about you?”
“I’m a little shaky, but in a good way. Isn’t that the way it always feels when you step outside your comfort zone and walk into new territory?”
“What do you see happening next?” he asked.
Laura bit back a smile at the edge of panic he couldn’t quite hide. “More of the same,” she suggested. “Tonight, tomorrow, whenever.”
“And that’s all?”
“I’m not rushing out first thing in the morning to book a church, if that’s what’s worrying you. Nor am I hurrying over to Wharton’s to find out who won the pool.”
“There’s a pool on when we’ll sleep together?”
“More than likely, but I was thinking of the one that has us getting hitched. We’re not there yet.” She shrugged in a casual way she hoped would reassure him. “We might never be there.”
Instead of looking relieved, J.C. frowned at her determinedly light tone. “Then this is just a fling to you?”
“No,” she said patiently. “I told you I’m up for more of the same. I think that implies something that continues for an indefinite period of time.”
“Until someone better comes along?” he prodded.
For an instant, she was taken aback by the bitter note in his voice until it hit her that leaving was exactly what he expected the women in his life to do. It’s what his mother had done, what his wife had done. She reached for his hand.
“J.C., tonight was amazing. The past few weeks
have been really good. I’m hopeful that there’s even more good, possibly even great, and a whole lot of amazing on the horizon. I’m not anticipating an ending before we really get started. You shouldn’t, either. That’s not to say it couldn’t end, but it won’t be because I’m not giving it all I have to give. If you can’t do the same, then maybe we should write tonight off as just one of those things.”
“I don’t want to write off anything,” he declared, a note of impatience in his voice. He drew in a deep breath. “I’m all in, for the duration.”
“Brave man,” she praised.
He frowned at her. “Just promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“When you want out, you’ll tell me. You won’t let me find out some other way.”
She knew he was thinking about the way he’d discovered his wife in bed with another man.
“I promise I will always be straight with you,” she said solemnly. “But I can tell you right now that you might have to wait a long, long time before I go anywhere, if ever.”
He smiled at that, his relief touchingly evident. “Sounds good to me.”
* * *
Laura was in her classroom after hours the next day when Sarah McDonald came charging in with Raylene and Annie right on her heels.
“You are not going to believe what Mariah Litchfield has been up to today,” Sarah said, practically quivering with indignation. “I’d have been here sooner, but I was tied up at the radio station, and then I had to track down Raylene and Annie to see what they’d heard before we came to fill you in.”
Laura sighed and set down the pen she’d been using to grade papers. “Tell me,” she said, resigned.
“She showed up at the radio station this morning and wanted Travis to put her on the air so she could talk about the vicious campaign being waged against her precious daughter. Want to guess who’s at the top of her hit list?”
“Betty Donovan and me, I imagine,” Laura said.
“Bingo,” Sarah said triumphantly. “I wanted to wring her scrawny neck.”
“What did Travis do?” Laura asked.
“Showed her the door, thank goodness,” Sarah said. “If he’d so much as cracked open the door to the studio, I’d have wrung his neck, too. He took one look at me and knew it.”
Catching Fireflies Page 20
