A Summer Romance

by Tracey Smith

  As she paced anxiously waiting for Aaron to appear she saw a spark of light flash in the woods. She stopped walking and stood transfixed as another and yet another little light exploded along the tree line. She stared into the forest as tiny little lights began appearing everywhere. She’d never seen anything like it.

  “You look as if you’ve never seen lightening bugs before.” Aaron’s voice startled her and she spun around to face him.

  “Lightening bugs?”

  “Fireflies,” he clarified.

  “Is that what they are?” she asked with all the wonder of a child. He smiled at her excitement.

  “You’ve really never seen them?”

  She shook her head emphatically. “Never,” she confirmed, turning back to watch the lights. “It’s beautiful.”

  “They’re just getting started,” he told her. “There’s a great view of the woods from the loft.” He gestured toward the large window near the barn roof. “If you’d like to come in.” He sounded almost shy in his invitation. Maggie smiled up at him.

  “I’d love to,” she said as she slipped her hand into his.

  They walked to the small side door hand in hand. Aaron reached for the handle and pushed the door open, gesturing for Maggie to step inside. She crossed the threshold and looked around, taking in the high arched ceiling with exposed wooden beams. She was surprised at how beautiful it was. She’d never been inside a barn before, but this one was not like any she’d seen in movies or on TV.

  The concrete floors were swept clean, without a trace of hay or dirt. A large rug covered a good portion of the central floor space along with a small couch, coffee table, and an old-fashioned TV complete with the “bunny ear” antennae on top. Maggie had never actually seen one of those in person. To her right she noticed a ladder leaned against the wall leading up to what she could only assume was the loft area he’d mentioned.

  Across the room was a series of wooden partitions dividing the far side of the room into three sections. She imagined those had at one time been horse stalls, however, each section now served as a make-shift room in this large open space.

  One area held a very small rounded refrigerator, a deep basin sink, and a very small antique stove that must have been from the 1950’s. In fact, Maggie realized as she looked around the room, all of the furniture appeared to be circa 1950. A single barstool and high wooden table completed what Maggie realized was the kitchen. She noticed that the next partition had been filled with shelves to provide a sort of pantry. The shelves were filled with a variety of canned and dry foods as well as dishes and cookware. Maggie glanced over her shoulder to see Aaron still standing near the doorway watching her cautiously as she explored. She smiled at him before turning back to walk farther into the room.

  The final segment revealed a small single bed with a nightstand and plain wooden dresser. The nightstand held a lamp and a pile of books. Curiosity drove Maggie into the small bedroom where she reached for the first book on top of the stack.

  “Great Expectations,” she read the title and turned to face Aaron again. He’d stepped farther into the room but still kept his distance, standing near the small couch. He shrugged dismissively.

  “I like to read,” he said quietly as he looked down and nervously shifted his feet. This was a side of Aaron that Maggie hadn’t seen before. She didn’t understand why he was acting so shy with her now.

  “So do I,” Maggie said, placing the book back on his nightstand and closing the distance between them. She reached for his hand, holding it in hers until he raised his eyes to look at her.

  “Great Expectations is one of my favorite books, but I never understood why Estella was so awful to Pip,” she told him.

  “She didn’t believe he was good enough for her,” Aaron responded.

  “She wasn’t good enough for him,” Maggie countered. “It doesn’t matter how you grew up. It matters who you are,” Maggie said, looking deep into his eyes. He finally smiled, showing one sexy dimple before lowering his head to capture her mouth in a searing kiss.

  Maggie wrapped her arms around his neck, molding her body to his and losing herself in the kiss. He slid his hands down her back, resting them on her hips and pulling her in tighter.

  “I pray every night that that’s true,” He whispered against her lips and the raw emotion in his voice pulled at her heart. Her need intensified as she grasped his shoulders, pressing her body against his. His hands roamed over her backside and she could feel the hardness of his excitement pressing against her. A small voice in the back of her mind warned her that this might be the last moments of intimacy she shared with Aaron, depending on how the evening went. So she didn’t want to let it end. She wasn’t ready to.

  She whimpered as he broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, still holding her body tightly against his own. “Did you want to watch the fireflies?” he asked breathlessly.

  “What fireflies?” she asked, stretching up on her tiptoes to try to find his mouth again. He chuckled and then placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose.

  “Come on, the sun just set, it’s the perfect time. You’re not going to want to miss this,” he told her as he took her by the hand and led her to the ladder near the side door.

  They climbed the ladder to the narrow landing above. The walkway that ran the length of this side of the building was only wide enough for a single person, but it led to a larger loft space positioned just above the big double doors beneath. When they reached the loft Maggie saw that a pallet of large cushions was set up just in front of the loft window. Aaron gestured for her to have a seat as he unclasped the doors and pushed them wide open revealing a stunning view of the grounds.

  “Oh!” Maggie gasped as she took in the spectacular view. The sun had just set and the sky was infused with vibrant purples, golds, and reds. From this vantage point just above the tree line the roof of the plantation home could be seen as well as the expanse of manicured orchards that lay in the distance. The space between the barn and the big house was filled with dense forest. Aaron sat down beside her and pointed into the woods.

  “Look,” he said, and that’s when Maggie saw the first spark in the trees, followed by another and another. It seemed as if each spark was met by five more until the forest came alive with the little sparks of lightening. It looked magical. Maggie allowed herself to imagine that the woods were filled with fairies dancing in the evening dusk.

  “It’s magnificent,” Maggie whispered, afraid to break the spell.

  They sat together with his arms wrapped around her as they watched the dance of the fairies until the sky had darkened and the stars had taken over. Holding on to the magic of the moment Maggie imagined that the stars were the fairies ascending back into the heavens.

  “That was amazing,” Maggie said, finally breaking the silence. “Thank you for bringing me up here.” She looked up at Aaron and found that he was already watching her.

  “I’m glad you came,” he said, smiling down at her.

  “Are you?” she asked. “It seemed like you didn’t really want me to.”

  Aaron looked away for a moment and took a deep breath before he spoke. “I know you only came to Sweetwater for a short time,” Aaron began as he looked back into her eyes, “but I was hoping that after everything that’s happened between us, well, I was hoping that you might be considering staying a little longer.” Maggie smiled at his words, which encouraged him to continue.

  “It’s just that I didn’t want you to think that if you chose to stay, that you’d be choosing a life living in a barn.” Aaron smiled weakly as he gestured at their surrounds. Maggie finally understood.

  “Aaron, what we have, it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. It’s true that when I first came here I had only planned on staying the summer. But I didn’t expect to meet you. The longer I stay, the harder it is to consider leaving,” Maggie told him as she looked down at their clasped hands.

  “But you are still considering it
?” Aaron asked cautiously.

  “Yes,” Maggie admitted, “but it has nothing to do with barns versus big houses,” she assured him, looking up into his eyes. “If that was the only factor I would choose this barn with you over the biggest mansion in the world.”

  “But it’s not the only factor, is it?” Aaron asked solemnly.

  “No. It’s not. When I left Boston, I left in a hurry. I left a lot behind.” Maggie took a deep breath before continuing. “I was finishing my second year of medical school. My whole life all I’d ever wanted was to be a doctor. I left the Hamptons, left my family and all their wealth behind to pursue that dream. My mother had never supported my aspirations and I had to choose between a life of privilege or the one I really wanted. It’s been six years since I’ve seen my family.”

  “That’s a long time to be alone,” Aaron said quietly, and Maggie knew that he of all people truly understood what it meant to be alone.

  “It is, but I promised myself that I wouldn’t go home again until I was a successful doctor. So that I could show them what I had achieved, so that they would be proud of me,” Maggie’s voice faltered.

  “But now you’re here.” Maggie could hear the desolation in Aaron’s voice as he realized the gravity of the choice that Maggie was facing.

  “Now I’m here.”

  “What happened?”

  “I became obsessed with perfection. I had to score the highest on every exam, had to be at the top of every class. I had to be the best. I worked myself into the ground trying to achieve that perfection. I rarely slept, barely ate. I studied until my eyes felt raw and then pushed myself to study more. I had no friends, no life, and no other purpose. Then one day it all caught up with me. The pressure I put on myself, it was too much. I cracked.” It felt therapeutic to say it out loud, to admit her weakness.

  “Anybody would have,” Aaron said soothingly.

  “Unfortunately that moment came for me when I was taking the medical licensing exam. I had aced every other test I’d ever taken, and yet the one test that mattered the most, the one test that determined if I would go on, that was the one that broke me. I had a panic attack. I completely froze. I couldn’t breathe.” Maggie’s chest tightened as she remembered that awful moment.

  “I ran from the lecture hall straight back to my dorm room. I felt as if my life was over. Like everything I had spent my life working for had just slipped from my grasp. I felt completely hopeless. And that’s when I saw it. A flyer tacked to the corkboard in my dorm hall advertising the need for a summer caretaker. It was like a saving grace,” Maggie explained.

  “So you just left?” Aaron asked.

  “I just left,” Maggie confirmed.

  “And now it’s time to go back,” Aaron stated sadly. She could hear the resignation mixed with pain in his voice. He pulled her against him hugging her close, but it felt like a goodbye.

  “But I’m not ready to say goodbye,” Maggie whispered against his chest. She wanted him to ask her to stay. She needed to know that he wanted her to. Not just for a little bit longer, but forever. Because only forever would be worth staying for.

  “Maggie, I don’t want to lose you, but I can’t ask you to stay. I can’t ask you to give that up. Not for me.”

  “What if I chose to stay?”

  “Don’t.” He averted his eyes, refusing to meet her gaze.

  “You don’t want me to?” Maggie’s voice trembled as fear and doubt took root in her mind. Maybe forever was too much to ask for.

  “I was there last night, and I watched you deliver that baby. You were meant to be a doctor, Maggie. As much as I want to hold on to you, I love you too much to take that away from you.”

  Maggie’s heart skipped a beat. He’d just said he loved her. It’s what she needed to hear. She made her decision, now it was his turn to make his.

  “There may be another option,” she said hopefully. “Harvard isn’t the only medical school. There’s a program in Savannah that I could apply for,” Maggie suggested. Her heart was in her throat. She held her breath as she waited for his response.

  “You would do that?” she could hear the excitement in his voice as he sat up propping himself on his elbow to look down into her face. “You would really stay?”

  “If you want me to,” Maggie whispered. “If you ask me to, I’ll stay.”

  Aaron grasped her face between his hands and stared down into her eyes. Maggie looked up at him hopefully.

  “Stay,” Aaron said as he brought his mouth to hers. “Please stay,” he whispered against her lips. The kiss was hot and demanding laced with a mixture of relief and need. Maggie felt her body melting beneath his.

  She wrapped her arms up around his back and pulled him closer. Her knees bent as she curled her legs around his waist. He slid his hand up her thigh, under her skirt as he kissed her passionately.

  “Make love to me, Aaron,” she begged.

  He quickly undressed and then helped her remove her clothing. He laid over her again, gently caressing her face and placing soft kisses on her lips, her eyelids, and the tip of her nose. His tenderness brought her to the edge of tears. She could feel the smooth tip of his erection pressing against her slick opening. She lifted her hips to him but he just rubbed against her seductively, making her whimper. He was in no hurry. He looked down into her eyes, holding her gaze as he slowly pushed inside her.

  She felt him fill her completely. She arched beneath him, digging her nails into his shoulders as she opened to him taking all of him inside her. But she never looked away, never broke the trance that he held her in as he moved inside her. He made love to her slowly and sweetly, just as she’d asked. Caressing her, kissing her, loving her with everything he had. As their bodies moved in a slow, passionate rhythm her tears finally overflowed. She felt as if their souls were connecting, as if they had become one.

  “I love you!” she cried out as she climaxed.

  “Forever,” he promised as he buried his face against her neck.

  Forever was all that mattered. The rest would work itself out.

  ~18~

  Maggie lay with her head on Aaron’s chest listening to the steady beat of his heart.

  “We should go. It’s getting late,” Aaron said as he softly stroked her hair.

  “I don’t want to go,” Maggie said with all the petulance of a small child. She felt his chest rumble as he chuckled.

  “Don’t you have to work in the morning?”

  “Yes,” Maggie sighed. She wasn’t ready to let reality seep into the moment.

  “Then you need a good night sleep, and you’re not going to get one up here in this loft,” Aaron said reasonably.

  “I’m comfortable,” Maggie insisted as she snuggled against him. The balmy night air made it quite comfortable to stay just as they were with their naked bodies entwined. She saw no reason to leave.

  “If we fall asleep like this we will be eaten alive by mosquitoes come morning,” Aaron warned.

  “Okay, I’m up.” Maggie leapt up from the pallet on the floor with comic speed. Maggie had learned her lesson about mosquitos the day she’d napped on the rock by the pond. She wouldn’t make that mistake again. Aaron laughed as he sat up with her.

  “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you move that fast,” he teased as he pulled on his jeans. Maggie was searching for her clothing but so far had only come up with her wrinkled skirt.

  “Here take this.” Aaron tossed her his t-shirt. “I think some of your clothes may have gone out the window accidentally,” he said apologetically, glancing out the loft window as he closed the doors.

  Maggie pulled the t-shirt over her head as she followed Aaron to the ladder. He climbed down first and then braced the ladder from the bottom as he gestured for her to follow.

  Halfway down she glanced over her shoulder to find Aaron staring up at her. More specifically staring up the shirt she was wearing, with nothing underneath. Maggie recognized the desire burning in his eyes and she smiled seducti
vely as she slowed her movements down the ladder. As soon as she reached the bottom she felt Aaron’s arms snake around her waist.

  “I can’t seem to keep my hands off you,” he whispered against her neck.

  “I’m not asking you to,” she replied coyly as she turned her head to the side, exposing the length of her neck to him. She felt him laugh against her shoulder as he brought his mouth to her bare skin. She shivered as he began leaving a trail of kisses up her neck.

  She continued to hold onto a high rung on the ladder as his hands moved from her hips around to her thighs. He pressed against her backside as he kissed her neck and began to slowly slide his hands up. She rotated her hips against him, feeling his excitement and taking pleasure in the groan her movements elicited from him.

  His hand moved between her legs, finding her wet center ready and waiting for him. He slipped a finger inside her and she arched her back in response, leaning her head back against his shoulder as she pressed against his palm. He continued to stroke her as he kissed and nipped at the back of her neck. She held onto the ladder as her knees buckled beneath her and she began to whimper. Then she felt him pull his hand away and she began to protest but before she could form the words he was inside her, entering her from behind as she held onto the ladder for support.

  She cried out in pleasure as he began to pump into her, gripping the sides of the ladder and caging her in between his strong arms. She arched her back, pressing her backside up against him so that he could enter her fully. This allowed him to reach a new depth inside her that had her screaming in ecstasy and begging for more. She braced herself against the ladder as he pushed into her over and over, with each thrust she cried out until finally she felt the flood gates released between her legs and all her strength seemed to flow from her. She began to collapse and Aaron caught her in his arms, lifting her up and carrying her to the bed.

  ~∞~

  Over the next several weeks Maggie fell into a wonderful routine. She loved working with Ms. Brandy at the antique store, having lunch with Andi each day at their favorite café, and coming home to Aaron every night. One morning when Maggie came into work she found a brochure for Mercer University conspicuously lying on the counter. She picked it up and began flipping through it.