She lifted her head and rested her chin on the back of her hand. His heart thudded under her palm. “Read through Mary’s journal and Edward’s letters. Jack, they loved each other so much.”
“It’s nice to know the house was built in love and filled with it while they were there.”
“Mary wrote that Edward sailed under a banner of their entwined hearts. He’d surprised her with flags he’d had made. One for his ship...one for their house. That way, whenever he sailed into the harbor, she’d know it was his ship.”
“That’s cool.” He stroked his fingertips along her arm where it rested on his chest. He lifted his other arm and propped it behind his head.
She circled her fingertip around his nipple, satisfied when he gasped. “It would be cool to try to replicate the flag to fly at the house again as a tribute. It will be nice to see the house come back to life again.”
“Maybe you could incorporate the symbol into the logo for the new venture with you and Mal.”
“That’s a wonderful idea! Especially since we’ll be doing a lot of weddings and anniversary parties.”
Jack’s stomach rumbled. Jem pressed a hand against his belly and laughed. “Worked up an appetite?”
“I guess I’m a little hungry,” he said.
“If someone hadn’t interrupted my preparations, we’d be dining already.” She stretched up against him and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
As she rolled away, he gripped her wrist to stop her from rising from the bed. He pulled her back against his chest and worshipped her lips, his hands curved around her shoulders. Heady emotion filled her entire being, a warm glow after the flame they’d lit together.
After a lingering kiss, he broke the seal between their mouths. “We’ll fill the house with love ourselves. I think Mary and Edward would be glad to have us and our family there.”
The warmth she’d been basking in chilled. “Whatever, Jack.” She pushed his chest, trying to wriggle out of his arms. She blinked hard, trying to clear the sudden moisture behind her eyes. It was a shitty time to mention children.
Cradling the back of her skull, he resisted her efforts to leave. “Jem, that didn’t come out like it should have. You and I are family. We don’t need anyone else. But if another little someone comes along, that’s just more love to fill the house. In the meantime, let’s just relax. What will happen will happen in its own time.”
She gave up her attempt to push out of his arms and laid her head on his chest. He wanted her to stay, so any effort to leave the bed would be futile. Just like him wishing she wasn’t so focused on getting pregnant. “And if it never does? Even you have to admit you’re getting concerned.”
“My only concern is your happiness. I hate to see you sad and disappointed each month. But if we don’t become parents, we still have each other. That will never change, sugar.”
“I’m sorry, Jack. I’ve taken something beautiful and lessened it.” His heart pounded strong and solid under her cheek. How had she gotten so lucky?
He squeezed her shoulder, his hand warm, gentle, and steady. “The fault is mine, Jem. I was a fool to remind you we haven’t conceived yet. I’d hoped having the prospect of a new business venture might take your mind off things. Most likely, another grave error.”
“Not at all. I love the idea of branching out. And doing it in Mary’s house is going to be awesome. There’s so much potential there.”
His stomach rumbled, making her smile. “Sorry.”
She patted the flat, muscular abs, and pressed a kiss over his belly button. She’d have to be blind not to see his body’s immediate reaction. “Down, boy. I think we need to get you fed.”
His stomach rolled and gurgled again. This time when she tried to rise, he let her. She strolled around the bed, picked up her clothes, then headed to the big, spa-like bath off the bedroom. “If you’ll go downstairs and turn the burner back on, I’ll be right down. We’ll work on calming that raging beast of a stomach.”
His laughter cut off as she swung the bathroom door shut.
* * * *
Two weeks later, the lunch rush had just about died down at the café. Onions sizzled on the griddle for the order she cooked. What had she been thinking to decide patty melts would be great on today’s menu? She hated the grilling onion smell most days, but when she was tired, it seemed worse. It didn’t help that the day was hotter than Hades, which spiked the temp in the kitchen. Even the oversize, industrial fan didn’t cut the heat.
It hadn’t been any busier than normal, but Jem was exhausted. She swayed on her feet like a drunk at last call. The best way she could think to describe her mood was out-of-sorts. Her day had begun on a sour note when she caught sight of the calendar on her kitchen counter. A hateful red line circled the date. She was due to get her period, and her body felt crampy—the way it did every month. To distract herself, she let her thoughts wander to the reason she was so tired. She’d stayed up late last night reading the book Amy Mastin had given her.
Edward Baron had been somewhat of a rock star in his day. Each time he returned from sea, he threw a huge party at the Sea View. Everyone in Granite Pointe was invited, and the turnout was usually overwhelming. Accounts of several of his parties had been included in the Historical Society’s slim volume. Mary had proven to be a gracious, elegant hostess.
The book also included details about Edward’s shipping business. He’d owned six ships, including the one on which he’d perished. Not a huge fleet, but large enough for him to create the lifestyle he wanted for his beloved. Each ship had flown under the entwined hearts flag.
He could have stayed home from his last fateful journey. He’d just hired a new captain, but had told his man of business he’d felt compelled to take the helm one final time. The day they launched, Mary had stood on the dock with the rest of the employees, dock workers, and family members of the sailors on board. A smiling, waving Edward at the railing by the bridge was the last image Mary had of him. Although her story was included, it lacked details about her emotional state.
But thanks to Mary’s diary, Jem knew. Sadness had nearly overwhelmed Jem when she read Mary’s account of her devastation at the loss of the light of her life. Her distant relation had been distraught, nearly unable to continue living. By the time Jem closed the society’s book, it had been nearly midnight. She’d shut her eyes and snuggled against Jack, holding back tears for Mary’s loss. Dreams of the woman had invaded her sleep...Mary as a hostess, planning her little girl’s life. Jem hadn’t heard the alarm go off and slumbered on until Jack nudged her awake thirty minutes later.
As Jem flipped the grilling onions with her spatula and wiped the sweat from her brow on her shirtsleeve, Donna, her lunch waitress, stepped through the swinging door from the dining room. She walked toward Jem with an order slip in her hand. “Jem, Jack and Sam are here looking for lunch.”
Avery plucked the paper from Donna’s fingers before Jem could. “I’ll fix it, Jem. You go sit. You kind of look like death warmed over.” He tugged on the curling ends of her ponytail and grinned at her.
She scrunched her brows together in a mock scowl. “Fine. You can fix mine, too.”
Avery bent at the waist, sweeping his arm from right to left as he did. “Delighted to. What would you like?”
“Anything but a patty melt.”
Jem untied the strings on her apron. She hung it on a hook by the door as she exited to the dining area of the café. Jack had claimed his favorite table, one right in front of the large plate-glass window at the front of the shop. Thanks to the overcast day, his dark hair looked nearly black. Sam had his back to the room.
Pausing next to another customer’s table, she exchanged pleasantries with them, inquiring about the man’s ailing mother, a regular diner in the café.
“Doing better. She told me yesterday she wanted one of your cinnamon rolls so bad she could taste it,” the man reported.
“Well, if she’s improved enough to want one, we can’t d
eny her.” Jem looked at the pastry case next to the cash register. Great, some were left. Lifting her hand, she snagged Donna’s attention. “Can you box up two of the cinnamon rolls for Brad to take home, please? No charge.”
“That’s nice of you, Jem. Mom will appreciate it.”
Jem tapped the back of Brad’s chair. “You give Sandy my best. Tell her to get back here soon. I miss her smile.” After excusing herself, she moved to the table by the window.
Jem ruffled her brother-in-law’s dark curls as she slipped into a chair across from Jack.
Sam greeted her. “Hey, Jem.” He leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek. Dark circles smudged the skin under his eyes.
“Whoa, Sam! Looks like I wasn’t the only one who lost sleep last night. I was reading. What’s your excuse?” she asked.
“Ava has an ear infection and Rikki’s traveling for the foundation this week. God, I can’t wait until she gets back. Mom is watching the baby today.”
Jem hated that Sam’s one-year-old daughter was in pain. And probably missing the comfort only her mommy could offer. Sam was a great dad, but for some things, only a mother would do. Jem would rather take the pain herself than let her sweet little niece suffer. “Poor baby.”
“Who, me?” Sam’s grin was huge, almost banishing the bags under his eyes.
“No, idiot. Ava. How soon will Rikki be back? I’m sure Ava’s missing her if she doesn’t feel well.”
“Tomorrow. Just in time for me to go back to work. But hey, Jack has something for you.” Sam gestured to his older brother.
Dimples bracketing his mouth, Jack pulled a small packet he’d hidden from under his thigh. “We found another secret compartment today.” He offered the book to her. The familiar heart logo adorned the front of the plain cream-colored cover.
Jem snatched it from his hands. “Oh, my God! Another diary. Where?”
“This one was in the office space. Now that the demo work on the kitchen and front parlor are almost done, we had a team start on the other side of the house. When they removed the paneling, they found another cubbyhole hidden next to the bookshelf.”
Jem flipped the cover open, releasing a hint of lemon lingering on the page. Bringing the book to her nose, she inhaled, pulling the scent in, and let her eyelids drift shut. She definitely associated lemons with Mary. Opening her eyes, she found Jack watching her, a bemused look on his face.
“Have you read it?” she asked as she lowered the book to the table. Her fingers itched to open it again and start reading. Her earlier exhaustion vanished, replaced by exhilaration.
“Not yet.” He stopped talking when Donna deposited plates and water glasses on the table. He snagged a fry off his plate and stuffed it in his mouth. When the waitress left, he continued. “Since she’s your relative, I wanted you to see it first.”
“Thank you.” Jem rested the book on her lap to clear space for her plate and laid a proprietary hand on it, anticipation zipping from her palm up her shoulder. “How is everything going on site?”
Sam smiled around the bite of food he chewed and shot her a thumbs-up.
“We’re ahead of schedule. We might be done by early October.” Jack lifted the top piece of bread from his turkey sandwich. He squirted mustard on it, then with his knife slathered the condiment evenly across. He was a detail man, which delighted Jem in bed. “Want to have a Halloween party before you open for business?”
Jem lifted her brow. A costume party would be amazing. She’d dress as Mary Baron and greet their guests in the parlor, right by the fireplace. “Absolutely. Just family and friends, I think.” She leaned forward in her chair, bouncing her knee. “Oh, Mal and I are going to have so much fun decorating. It will be like a dry run for the new business. Hey, we decided on a name and logo for it. We’re going with SeaView Events. Most people around here think of it as the Sea View anyway. I think the name association will help.”
“Glad you’re keeping it simple.” Jack took a large bite of his sandwich.
Sam wiped his mouth on a paper napkin. “What about the logo? What did you decide?”
“We’re using Mary’s original design of joined hearts and adding sprigs of sea lavender to it. Chloe is already working on a couple of options. She’s very talented.”
Jem picked a cucumber from the salad and popped it in her mouth. A gorgeous bowl full of fresh veggies, and the small crunchy morsel was the only thing that appealed to her appetite at the moment. Maybe she needed a vacation. The up-before-dawn-run-all-day routine was wearing her down. And it would get worse when she opened the catering operation. She would have to hire more help, maybe a catering manager. She was already considering a promotion for Avery. It would allow her to ease back on her schedule in the café.
Silence reigned at the table for a short time. As Sam and Jack ate heartily, Jem picked at her food. She sipped her water and leaned back in her chair.
Jack tilted his head and sent a pointed gaze to her plate. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just not very hungry, I guess.” Jem straightened in her chair and stole a fry from his plate. “I should have told Avery what I wanted instead of letting him decide for me. Won’t make that mistake again.”
Sam crammed the last of his mac and cheese in his mouth, then dropped his fork into the bowl with a clatter. “I’m going to run by Mom’s and check on Ava before I head back to the site. Today’s my last full day on the job until fall break. Classes start next week, and I should be at school prepping.” He stood. The legs of his chair screeched as he scooted it under the table. He pointed to the book on Jem’s lap. “No more late night reading. Get some rest, Jem.”
Jem laughed and gave him a mock salute. “Pot calling the kettle, or something like that.” She put the book on the table and laid her hand on it. She wasn’t a possessive person, so the fact she didn’t want to let go surprised her.
The tinkle of the bell over the door accented Sam’s chuckle as he left the café. As he passed in front of the large front windows, he saluted them with a jaunty wave. Jem could tell he was whistling by the way his lips puckered.
Jack covered her hand with his warm palm. “He’s right. You need more rest. You twitched in your sleep a bunch last night.” He stroked a fingertip along the back of her wrist.
“I had strange dreams all night.”
“Want to talk about them?”
“Can’t remember most of them,” she mumbled, “but they were about Mary Baron.”
Jack rested his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand. “Maybe you shouldn’t read the rest of her writing. Hell, buying the Sea View might have been a mistake. I’m a little worried you’re getting too connected to the history of the place. Like just now, when you put that book to your nose and inhaled. For a minute, your face, I don’t know, was completely blank, like you tuned into something, someplace else.”
Jem pulled her hand from under his and snatched the book off the table. Holding it up to his nose, she challenged him. “Do you smell it? Lemons? The scent is in her diary and in the house. And now, it’s stuck in my senses. Lemons make me think of her. Good heavens, I even bought lemons at the market so I could make fresh-squeezed lemonade. The kind that Mary might have served at her afternoon teas.”
Jack pushed the book away from his face, and Jem let it drop to the table. “I smell it, too. What do you think that’s about?”
“Amy Mastin told me lemons were her signature scent. Maybe the smell is her way of making her presence known.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Really?”
Jack’s skepticism jolted her frustration, making her stomach clutch and roll as if it was possessed. “Don’t get cynical on me here, Jack. I bet you’ve been aware of her, even though you might not have seen her.” She emphasized her point with air quotes.
Jack grabbed her hand. A familiar pulse of electricity traveled up her arm. “You might be right, but I only sense her when you’re around. Maybe it’s because you’re related. Has Mal said anything?”
>
Jem slid her fingers between his, the contact easing her annoyance. “She hasn’t mentioned it. Probably ought to keep this to myself. People will think I’m crazy.”
Jack smiled. He leaned forward and kissed her, his lips a sweet caress on hers. When he pulled away, he held her gaze with his bright blue eyes and said, “Crazy beautiful.”
Heat started in her belly and climbed her torso until it settled around her heart. He always knew the right thing to say to make her want to straddle him and ease him into her body. Dimples appeared on both of his cheeks as his pupils dilated. He seemed to know just what she was thinking.
He held her glance for a moment longer before dragging his gaze to the table. He blew out a long, controlled breath and scrubbed a hand over the stubble on his cheeks. His voice came out hoarse when he whispered, “I hate that we are in public right now. I could bend you over and—”
“Jack!” Her stern scolding lost its impact due to the desire ringing in her voice.
Still holding her gaze, he said, “Will you come out to the site tonight? After six when everyone leaves? We can have a sunset picnic on the bluff. It will be cooler, and the evening breeze from the ocean will pick up.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Jem began planning a menu in her head.
Jack’s smile was lusty. He rose from his chair and leaned across the table to kiss her. He slid his lips across hers for a moment before moving over her cheek to her ear where he whispered, “Bring a big blanket, sugar.” He nipped her earlobe.
As he stood, an erotic shiver coursed through Jem’s body, intense enough to send a rush of damp heat between her legs. He walked past her chair toward the door, slowing to trail his fingers over her shoulder and along her ponytail. After he left the café, he rubbed his hands together as he eyed her through the window. As if he knew he’d sent her reeling into a sexual haze.
How in the hell was she supposed to finish work for the day with need clawing through her body?
Chapter 9
A Spirited Love (A Five Senses Short Book 2) Page 7
