Murmuring, “I’ll bet,” Lori Beth let him lead her up the stairs and into the house.
It was the most amazing place she had ever seen. Each room she saw looked as though it had been lifted out of the pages of House and Home Magazine. The paintings on the walls were exquisite. The carpet in the living room was white plush. She had never known anyone who had white carpeting in their house. She glanced behind her as she crossed the room, hoping she wasn’t leaving any dirty footprints behind.
She held tightly to Carter’s hand as they walked through a set of French doors and out into the back yard. She stared at her surroundings in awe. She had seen smaller golf courses, she thought. A pool sparkled in the middle of the yard. There was a tennis court to the left, a basketball court to the right. A white gazebo rose in the center of a rose garden. Tall trees whispered and sighed as a mild breeze played among the leaves.
A man and a woman sat at a black wrought iron table playing cards, a crystal pitcher of iced tea between them.
They both looked up when the door opened. The woman was lovely, with short, dark brown hair and hazel eyes. She wore a pink sweater, a pair of crisp white slacks, and white sandals. The man was tall and spare, with light brown hair just going gray, and blue eyes. He wore a tan shirt, brown trousers, and tan loafers.
Wearing a maternity top and jeans, Lori Beth felt like a poor relation who’d come calling at the big house.
Mr. Hastings rose to his feet. “You must be Lori Beth,” he said, extending a hand.
She forced a smile. “Yes.” She took his hand. “I’m pleased to meet you, sir.”
“Winston,” he said, his voice cool. “Call me Winston.” He turned to the woman. “This is my wife, Suzanne.”
Lori Beth nodded. “Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Hastings.”
“Suzanne.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Come, sit down,” Winston invited. “Would you care for a glass of iced tea?”
“Yes, thank you.” Lori Beth sat down and Carter sat across from her.
Mrs. Hastings rang a bell; a moment later, a maid came out with a tray bearing two crystal glasses filled with ice.
“Thank you, Bernice,” Mrs. Hastings said. She filled the two glasses and handed one to Lori Beth and one to Carter. “We’ve been so anxious to meet you,” she said. “Carter has talked of nothing else since he got home.”
Lori Beth smiled self-consciously.
“He also told us you’ve decided to get married next week.”
Lori Beth nodded. Here it comes, she thought.
“Naturally, it’s your wedding, but if there’s anything Winston and I can do, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you.” Lori Beth glanced at Carter. “We haven’t really talked about it.”
“Well, we’ll leave you to discuss it,” Mrs. Hastings said, rising. “Come along, Win, I’m sure these two would like to be alone for a while. Lori Beth, Carter will show you to your room when you’re ready. Let us know if you need anything.”
“I will, thank you.” Lori Beth stared after them. “They don’t like me, do they?”
Carter took her hand in his. “It doesn’t matter. I like you. They’ll warm us after a while. My break up with Ginny came as a bit of a shock. Her parents and mine are good friends.”
“I guess I can’t blame them. I am pregnant with another man’s child, after all, and we just met. They probably think I’m some kind of gold digger.”
Carter laughed softly. “We don’t have to stay here if you’d rather not. I’ve got my own place in town. It’s not as grand as this one, but I thought you’d get a kick out of staying here for a few days.”
“Well, I have to admit, I’d love to swim in that pool.”
“All right, then. We’ll stay until the wedding. I’ve got an inheritance coming when I get married. We’ll be able to buy a nice place. Not as big as this, but better than my pad in town.”
“Whatever you want,” she said. “But if this is all a dream, please don’t wake me up.”
* * * *
Ginny had just finished trying to call Jake for what seemed like the hundredth time when the doorbell rang. She glanced at the clock. It was almost ten. Frowning, she wondered who it could be. Her parents weren’t likely to come calling at this time of the night. It was too late for salesmen.
Ginny shook her head. If she didn’t answer the door, maybe whoever it was would just go away. She really wasn’t in the mood for company, especially uninvited company. She’d had a busy day. She had gone straight to the hospital after work, pleased to find her aunt sitting up in bed. There was color in her cheeks again, and her eyes had their old sparkle.
“I can’t wait to get out of here,” Aunt Gen had told her, smiling. “I miss my cats.”
“And I’m sure they miss you,” Ginny had replied.
From the hospital, she had gone to Kroger’s to pick up some milk, fruit, and a loaf of bread. And now she was home, all comfy in her nightgown and robe.
When the doorbell rang a second time, she decided she might as well answer it.
She opened the door, blinking in surprise when she saw the last person she had expected to see standing on her doorstep. “Jake! What are you doing here?”
“I came to apologize for my rude behavior.”
She stared at him, her heart beating double time as her gaze moved over him, from the crown of his black hat to his snakeskin boots. She had never been so glad to see anyone in her life. Her first impulse was to throw her arms around him but she decided it might be more prudent to wait and see what he had to say.
“Can I come in?” Jake asked.
“What? Oh, of course.” She stepped back, allowing him entrance to the house, and then closed the door, wondering what he would think of her home.
“Nice place,” he remarked, gazing around the room.
“Thank you.” She gestured at the sofa. “Sit down, won’t you?”
Jake sat on the sofa and after turning off the TV, Ginny sat beside him, close, but not too close, her hands folded in her lap.
Jake tapped his fingers on his knees a moment, his gaze not meeting hers. And then he looked at her, his expression solemn. “Listen, Ginny, I’m sorry for the way I acted on the phone the other day. I thought, hell, it doesn’t matter what I thought. I was wrong and I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”
She nodded, wondering if that was the only reason he had flown across the country to see her. But surely not. He could have apologized on the phone.
“So,” he said quietly, “do you want to tell me why you left without a word?”
“I got a phone call from my mother saying my aunt was in the hospital, in intensive care. I left as soon as I heard. I tried to call you, but…” She shrugged.
“Is she all right? Your aunt?”
“Yes.” Ginny smiled. “She’ll be home in a couple of days, thank God. She’s such a wonderful lady. I can’t imagine her not being around. I was named after her, you know? We’re always been close. Whenever I was upset with my mom, or needed to talk to someone, I turned to Aunt Gen. It was almost like having two mothers.”
“If she’s half the lady you are, she must be something special. I’d like to meet her.”
“You can go with me to the hospital tomorrow, if you like.”
“It’s a date.”
His gaze held hers. “There’s something else I need to tell you.”
Ginny felt her heart skip a beat. He looked so serious. Had he brought her bad news?
“I love you, pretty lady.”
“You do?”
“More than you know. Hell, more than I knew, until you were gone.”
Her heart swelled at his words, swelled until she thought it might burst. “Oh, Jake.”
“You still love me, don’t you? I didn’t kill it with my big mouth and my bad temper?”
She laughed softly. “No, it would take more than that to change the way I feel about you.”
“Then why are you sitting way over there
?” he asked with a roguish grin, and held out his arms.
She went into them gladly, feeling everything in her world fall into place, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Apart, they were nothing, but together, ah, together, they made a perfect picture.
With a sigh, she closed her eyes and lifted her face for his kiss. Warmth spread through her, warmth and a sense of being right where she belonged, in Jake’s arms.
He kissed her again, and then again before he let her up for air.
“I guess you have to work tomorrow,” he said.
“Yes, but things are slow. I could probably get away around three.”
He nodded. “I should probably get going so you can get some sleep.”
She didn’t want him to go, but she was tired. “Where are you staying?”
“At the hotel here in town,” he said. “Room 225.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’ll see you here tomorrow at three.” Rising, he pulled her to her feet and into his arms. “Dream of me, okay?”
“I always do.”
“That’s my girl.”
She walked him to the door, melted into his arms when he pulled her close for one more kiss.
“Good night, pretty lady.”
“Good night, my love.”
“My love,” he repeated with a grin. “I like the sound of that.”
She stood in the doorway and watched him drive away until he was out of sight.
She was smiling when she got ready for bed, still smiling when she fell asleep to dream of Jake.
* * * *
He was at her doorstep at ten minutes to three the next afternoon. Ginny had left work at two-thirty and she was there, waiting for him.
“Hi,” he said, sweeping her into his arms.
“Hi.”
“So, what’s on the agenda for today?” he asked.
“Well, I need to go see my aunt, and then I’m supposed to go to my folks house for dinner. Deb’s here, too.”
“Deb? Your sister?”
“Uh huh.”
“I think I’m about to get the third degree,” Jake muttered uneasily.
“Afraid, cowboy?”
“Who, me? You’re darn right.”
Laughing softly, Ginny grabbed her handbag. “Let’s go.”
Aunt Gen was sitting up in bed, playing solitaire, when Jake and Ginny arrived. Upon entering the room, Ginny’s first thought was that her aunt looked like a queen granting favors. Ginny’s mother had bought Genevieve a white granny nightgown and a pink, quilted bed jacket. Someone had brushed Genevieve’s hair and coiled it atop her head.
Ginny kissed her aunt’s cheek but before she could introduce Jake, Genevieve said, “Ginny, who is this gorgeous hunk of masculinity?”
“This is Jake Running Horse,” Ginny said. “Jake, this is my aunt, Genevieve Harper.”
Jake smiled at Ginny’s aunt. “I’m pleased to meet you, ma’am.”
“And I you. Running Horse, eh? I dated a Cherokee some years ago. Should have married him.” She sent a look at Ginny that clearly said, Don’t let this one get away. “Sit down, both of you,” Genevieve said. “I want to hear all about how you met.”
As succinctly as possible, Ginny related how she had met Jake when Deb’s VW broke down. She elaborated on how he had rescued her when Belle got stuck in the quicksand, and how he was a genius at restoring old cars.
Aunt Gen listened attentively, smiling at Jake from time to time. “Well,” she said when Ginny finished, “that’s quite an exciting tale. When’s the wedding?”
“Auntie!” Ginny chided, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
Jake laughed good-naturedly. “Well, Mrs. Harper, to tell you the truth, I was going to pop the question tonight, but since you brought it…” Jake dropped to one knee in front of Ginny. “Will you marry me, pretty lady?”
“Are you sure this is your idea and not hers?” Ginny asked mischievously.
“Yes, ma’am. So, what do you say?”
“I say yes, yes, yes!” Ginny exclaimed, her heart filled near to bursting.
“Land sakes, boy, kiss her,” Aunt Genevieve said, grinning.
Rising, Jake drew Ginny into his arms and kissed her. “You can’t change your mind now,” he said with a teasing grin. “You said ‘yes’, and I’ve got a witness.”
“Don’t worry,” Ginny said, “that’s the last thing on my mind.”
“Now that that’s settled, don’t wait too long to set the date,” Aunt Gen said. “I won’t be around forever.”
“Auntie, what a dreadful thing to say!”
“I think she’s right,” Jake said, winking at Genevieve. “The sooner, the better as far as I’m concerned.”
They visited with Aunt Gen another half an hour, then took their leave.
“I hope she didn’t embarrass you,” Ginny remarked as they left the hospital.
“No, she’s a great old girl. I like her.”
“And she obviously likes you.”
“I hope your parents will feel the same,” Jake muttered.
“I’m sure they will,” Ginny said. And prayed she was telling the truth.
Chapter 16
Jake took one look at the house where Ginny’s parents lived and wished he had stayed home, or at least worn something besides jeans and a western-style shirt. He’d known Ginny came from a well-to-do family, but this…he shook his head. The house, which sat atop a small rise, was three stories high, with a wraparound veranda and a pair of red brick chimneys. A copse of trees grew along the south side of the house; a narrow stream meandered along the north side.
“What’s the matter?” Ginny asked.
“I just didn’t expect…”
“Oh, the house. It’s something, isn’t it?”
“I’ll say.”
“It was willed to my mother by a distant relative she didn’t even know she had. It’s the reason they moved here.”
“Where did you live before?”
“In Seattle. I moved to Georgia a few years after they did. Come on.”
Taking him by the hand, Ginny led him up the porch stairs. She took a deep breath, and opened the door.
Jake whistled softly. It was a beautiful old house, with its large windows and high ceilings. A sofa covered in a green and mauve print and two matching love seats were arranged before a marble fireplace. A number of photographs in silver frames occupied the mantel. Jake assumed they were pictures of Ginny’s family. A grand piano occupied a place of prominence in one corner. Pale green velvet draperies hung at the windows; a forest green carpet that probably cost more than his whole house covered the floor. A winding staircase led to the second floor.
“They’re probably in the back parlor,” Ginny said, tugging on his hand.
Feeling like a Christian being led into the lion’s den, Jake followed Ginny down a hallway lined with paintings.
“Here you are,” Ginny exclaimed as they crossed the threshold.
“Ginny,” her mother said, “we were just wondering where you were.”
“I was visiting Aunt Gen,” Ginny replied. “Mama, Daddy, Deb, this is Jake Running Horse. Jake, this is my mother, Frances, my father, Arthur, and my sister, Debra.”
“Hello, Jake,” Deb said with a cool smile.
Jake nodded at her. He recognized her as the wife of one of the men he had played ball with one summer. He shook hands with Ginny’s father and mother, acutely aware of the fact that their hands were as smooth as his were callused. Looking at Mrs. Whelan, it was easy to see where Ginny got her good looks. Mr. Whelan had the build of a man who worked at staying in shape. Her parents made a handsome couple. He wondered if either of them had ever done a hard day’s work.
“I was at the hospital this morning,” Deb remarked to no one in particular. “Aunt Gen’s looking good, isn’t she?”
“Yes, she is,” Ginny agreed. Sitting on one of the sofas, she looked up at Jake and patted the place beside her.
Aware of being scrutinized by her family, J
ake sat down, his hands resting on his knees. He hadn’t been this uncomfortable since he was a teenager calling on a girl for the first time.
“Jake Running Horse,” Arthur Whelan said. “Am I correct in assuming you’re Native American?”
“Yes, sir. Lakota.”
“How interesting,” Frances Whelan remarked. “I don’t believe I’ve ever met a Native American.”
Jake nodded, his discomfort growing.
“What is it you do for a living, Mr. Horse?” Arthur Whelan asked.
“I’m a mechanic,” Jake said flatly. From the disdainful look that Ginny’s parents exchanged, he might have said he collected garbage and dealt drugs on the side.
“Jake owns his own garage,” Ginny said brightly. “He repairs and restores old Volkswagens.”
Mrs. Whelan smiled faintly. “How nice.”
Ginny turned to her sister. “Where are the boys?”
“Upstairs playing one of their computer game.”
Ginny looked at Jake, smiling at him with her eyes. “Deb’s boys are going to be computer geniuses. They already know more about them than I do.”
“Is that right?” he replied.
“How long will you be in town, Mr. Horse?” Ginny’s father asked.
“I’m not sure. I came with a friend.”
Ginny looked at Jake askance.
“Lori Beth came with me,” Jake said quietly.
Ginny’s eyes widened. “She’s here?” In all the excitement of seeing Jake again, she had forgotten that Carter and Lori Beth were planning to be married.
Jake nodded. “I asked her to call Carter for directions to your place and they decided since I was coming down here, she might as well come, too.”
“Are you a friend of Carter’s?” Mrs. Whelan asked.
“No, ma’am.”
“But you said you called him.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Carter and Jake have a friend in common,” Ginny explained. “Her name is Lori Beth.” She paused. “She’s engaged to marry Carter.”
The silence that followed Ginny’s announcement was absolute.
“Well,” Deb said, “I think I’ll go up and check on the boys.”
“We’ll go with you,” Ginny said.
Jake could have kissed her for getting him out of there.
Loving Jake Page 13
