First Kiss, On the House

by Judi Lynn

  Joel had seen better parades, but he knew almost every participant in this one, which made it special. Once the parade was over, people milled around, visiting with one another. Miriam’s family came to greet them and then drifted off to chat with friends. Joel pumped more hands than he ever had, but that was what he liked about Mill Pond. Most people were friendly.

  At noon Chase and Harley took their places behind four grills, and soon, they were passing out burgers and dogs. Paula and Tyne had made big batches of baked beans and potato salad. Art had donated bags of chips. It was a low-key event, and people ate, then wandered off to yak with clusters of friends, walk the beach, and watch kids play in the shallow water of the lake.

  Miriam saw Maya with Paula’s mother, Hazel, and made a beeline for them. “Maya, this is Joel. And Joel, this is Maya and Paula’s mom, Hazel.” She smiled at the girl. “Are you enjoying your summer break?”

  Maya glanced at Hazel and the woman gave her a firm nod. Uh-oh [ something was up. Miriam noticed, too, and frowned.

  “Go ahead. Tell her,” Hazel said.

  Maya firmed her shoulders and looked up, past them, then gave a big smile. Joel turned to see a kid with scruffy hair and whiskers walking toward them. When Miriam saw him, her lips tightened into a thin line.

  Joel gently touched Miriam’s arm. “This must be T. J.” He held out his hand to greet the boy.

  Miriam looked surprised but waited to see what would happen.

  T. J. moved to stand beside Maya. He was a good-looking boy. Joel could see why girls fell for him, but he was smarter than Miriam gave him credit for. His gray eyes sparkled with intelligence. Right now, he wore a fierce scowl. He reached for Joel’s hand and pierced him with a quick scrutiny.

  “If you let us explain, it’s not as bad as Miss Reinhardt thinks.”

  Joel nodded, encouraging him.

  T. J. wrapped his arm through Maya’s. “I was never very good at schoolwork, but I’m not stupid. I just didn’t like it.”

  Miriam nodded agreement. “You’re plenty smart. I never questioned that.”

  T. J.’s shoulders relaxed a little. “I’m starting at a trade school soon, getting paid while I’m learning furnace and air conditioning. I won’t make good money for two years, but I’ll make enough to rent a house and pay our bills.” He looked at Maya. “I want to be with her. She can drive back and forth to Bloomington for her classes. I love how smart she is. I love how strong she is.”

  Joel studied him. “You’re both really young. I got married young, and it was a mistake.”

  T. J. shrugged. “My parents got married right out of high school and they’re still together. Still happy.”

  Hazel cast her vote with T. J. “I married my Pete right out of high school, just before he joined the military. I never regretted it.”

  “Are you ready to settle down?” Miriam frowned at T. J., unconvinced.

  Maya answered this time. “Neither of us wants to get married or to spend every second with each other. If he sees his friends a couple times a week, I don’t care. Then I can do what I want to. But he’d better always make me feel like I come first.”

  T. J. grinned. “If she’s unhappy, she lets me know. I like that about her. I’m the one who’d like to get married. It scares me that she’ll meet someone smart and cool in college and I won’t be good enough for her.”

  Maya gave an exasperated sigh. “That’s not going to happen.”

  “It could,” T. J. argued. “But I’m going to make you so happy, you won’t want anyone else.”

  Miriam blinked and Joel smiled. She hadn’t thought about this scenario. The mousy little girl she’d told him about wasn’t as mousy as she looked. Joel guessed the girl had an inner core of steel. “I think they have a shot.”

  “So do I.” Miriam hesitated. She still had doubts but was willing to concede.

  Maya let out a breath of relief. “Thank you. I know this isn’t what you wanted.”

  “When is life ever that easy?” Miriam tossed up her hands in defeat.

  Hazel glanced at Paula and Chase and her two grandkids on the beach. “Nothing goes according to plan. Sometimes it turns out even better than expected.”

  T. J. tugged at Maya. “You feel better now?”

  The girl blushed and nodded at Miriam. “I didn’t want to tell you. I didn’t want you to be disappointed in me.”

  “Hey, a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do.” Miriam waved them away. “Go have fun. I wish you the best.”

  Joel watched Hazel, Maya, and T. J. head to the beach to join Paula and Chase. He raised his eyebrows at Miriam. “Are you really okay?”

  “Yeah, but I need a little pick-me-up. Tommy and Tuppence will miss you if you don’t come home with me. Want to come to my place for supper?”

  Uh-oh. “You’re not going to cook, are you?”

  “Nope, but there’s a meal waiting for us.”

  He knew this woman and her appetites. “I’ll need more than a tuna salad sandwich.”

  She gave a secretive smile. “It’s a surprise.”

  That worried him, but when they got back to her cottage, Daphne and Tyne were already there. The water was still cool, but they were swimming. They came to shore when they saw them. Wonderful aromas drifted from the kitchen and Joel felt himself drool. “What did you make this time?” It was hard not to stare at Tyne’s eight-pack abs. How did the man cook all day and still look like that? It wasn’t fair.

  Tyne grinned. “I decided to keep it simple. I made a sheet-pan meal of chicken quarters, potatoes, and carrots. It’s in the oven, cooked, and all I have to do is reheat it later.”

  Joel had no idea what a sheet-pan meal was, but it smelled wonderful. Garlic and onions permeated the kitchen. He heaved a sigh of relief and Miriam raised an eyebrow.

  “I heard that.”

  He didn’t deny it. “Can you boil an egg?”

  She pursed her lips, hesitant to answer. Finally, she said, “No.”

  “My point exactly.”

  Tyne laughed. “Everyone’s good at different things. Miriam said you’d help me put out the pier. She lets us use her pontoon, but I’d like to buy a boat this year to keep at the marina. I want to teach Daphne to tube.”

  Daphne stared at him, alarmed. “You didn’t tell me that.”

  “You’ll love it.”

  Joel decided that was between them and headed to the shore with Tyne to help with the pier. A neighbor came by to lend a hand and Tyne invited him to supper. “There’s plenty.”

  And there was. Tyne didn’t cook small portions. Three hours later they all stopped for supper, which was delicious, as always when Tyne made it, then went back to work. In an another hour the pier was ready to go, and Joel drove Tyne to the marina to claim Miriam’s pontoon. Then they loaded the girls onboard for a short ride before the sun set.

  When they returned to the cottage, Tyne stretched and sighed. “I love the water. It relaxes me.”

  “Me too. It makes me tired.” Daphne reached for his hand and tugged him toward her yellow SUV. “It’s back to work tomorrow, but this was fun. Thanks.”

  “Thanks for the supper, and borrow the pontoon any time.”

  When they left, shadows stretched across the lawn and stars twinkled into view. Miriam nodded toward the house.

  Joel shook his head. “Don’t expect much tonight. It’s been a long day.”

  “I’ll be gentle.”

  Like hell she would. But the bed felt wonderful and he loved the room itself—her four-poster bed, the beams on the ceiling, and the deep window casings. She tugged his T-shirt over his head and he thought of Tyne. No firm abs here, but Miriam didn’t seem to care. He couldn’t believe how lusty she was, but it suited her personality. She didn’t shy away from anything. Once they sank onto the bed, he said, “Remember. Be docile.”

  She snorted. “Right.”

  Wrong word choice. But it didn’t matter. Miriam always excited him. Once they’d finished, th
ough, and rolled to spoon each other, they both fell asleep.

  Chapter 21

  Miriam didn’t want to get up when the alarm buzzed. Only four more days of school and she was almost as unmotivated as her students. Not that she could have Joel all to herself today anyway. His alarm buzzed, too, and he had to rush into town to shower and get dressed for work. He yanked on his clothes and bent to kiss her good-bye.

  “Damn it.” She sat up, scooting the cats to the foot of the bed. Tuppence took it in her stride. Tommy glared and moved begrudgingly. “I wish I could tie you to the bedpost and have my way with you.”

  He mussed her curls. “No need to. You can have your way with me whenever you want to.”

  “Tonight?” She held her breath, waiting for his answer.

  “Perfect, I’ll pick up something to eat on my way here.”

  “You just don’t want me to cook.”

  “There’s that, too.”

  She threw herself back on the mattress. The cats stared at her in surprise. Since when had she gotten so melodramatic? But the days were going too fast. Soon, Adele would be home again, and then what would happen? Would he kick her to the curb? Spend all his time with his daughter? That was one of the things she admired about him, that he was a devoted dad. And once he opened the brewery, he’d be even busier. Would he make time for her? Ever?

  He laughed at her exaggerated suffering. “I take it something’s bothering you?”

  “I’m going to miss you when Adele gets back, and it’s going to be even worse when you open the brewery. You won’t have time for me.”

  He studied her. “That depends.”

  She sat up again, intrigued. “On what?”

  “On where Adele and I live. If we moved in with you, you’d get sick of seeing us. We’d be underfoot when you were ready to call it a day and relax.”

  Move in with her? Was he serious? The last time she’d had a roommate was in college. But if he stayed in his apartment and worked long hours at the brewery, she’d only get bits and pieces of his time, and eventually, he’d even get tired of that.

  He shook his head. “We’ll figure something out. I’ll make time for you.”

  She watched him walk away, and somehow, it felt symbolic. Final. Yes, he was coming back tonight and, hopefully, the night after that and the night after that. But it wasn’t enough. She wanted him. She wanted to wake up to him every morning and to fall asleep with him every night. But did she want forever? How long would this feeling last? She had no idea, but she was pretty sure she’d feel empty and hollow without him. Could they just play house for a while and see where that led?

  What about Adele? If they moved in together and it didn’t work, would she feel abandoned when Joel moved into his own house?

  Chapter 22

  Joel made two stops on his way to Miriam’s that night. One was at Art’s Grocery. The other was for a surprise for Miriam. When he pulled into her drive, he saw her and her cats, sitting in the backyard, staring at the lake. A book lay open on her lap. He grabbed the bag of groceries and went to join her.

  “Do you have a grill?” He hadn’t paid as much attention as he should have. Lately, his mind was on other things.

  She stood to give him a kiss, to nuzzle against him. He loved the feel of her. She motioned to the gas grill near the kitchen door at the edge of the patio.

  He grinned. “I bought salmon steaks on cedar planks.”

  She frowned when he showed them to her. “They’re on wood. Won’t they burn?”

  “Oh, woman, you have no cooking finesse at all.” He pulled out half a dozen zucchini. “These are great on the grill, too.”

  “If you say so.”

  Her eyes lit up when he showed her a tub of pasta salad. Pitiful. “I should have known. The one you recognize is premade.”

  She had no shame and went to get them each a beer. She hovered around while he grilled the food, carrying plates and silverware to the circular picnic table when supper was ready. They ate with a soft breeze blowing across the lake, the air soft against his skin. She told him about her day.

  “I’ll have all my paperwork finished by Thursday. We only have a half day of school on Friday and that’s a goof-off day. Some of the faculty challenge the basketball team to a silly twenty-point game in the auditorium. Then kids are allowed to yak and get their yearbooks signed before they leave.”

  “Sounds like a nice way to end the year.”

  “It is.” She carried the dirty dishes into the kitchen and came back with two more beers. They went to sit in the Adirondack chairs. They’d pulled them closer to each other, so their legs touched. She glanced at him sideways. “You go to pick up Adele on Saturday, don’t you?”

  He surprised her by saying, “Want to come along?”

  She’d been trying to steer the conversation to him and Adele, but this threw her off. “To spend a day with your parents?” That sounded scary. She fidgeted nervously.

  “They like you.”

  “For real?” She’d worried about that. Daphne’s parents had always treated her like a bother, giving the impression they’d be happy if Daphne became immune to her.

  “I’ve met your family.” He took another sip of his beer.

  Her family could be intimidating, but he’d braved them anyway. Fair was fair. “Then, yeah, why not?”

  A small smile lifted his lips. “If they’re polite to you, they don’t like you. If they give you grief, you’re in.”

  She laughed. The same could be said of her folks. A duck swam past them, slowing down to scope for food. Miriam shooed him away. “I’ve seen your messy ways. No handouts here.”

  Tommy ran toward the water, crouching to spring—not that he would. He hated to get wet. The duck didn’t know that and left.

  “Did you train him to do that?” Joel asked.

  “Nope, but I like it.” She scooped up the cat when he sauntered back toward them and settled him on her lap.

  Not to be left out, Tuppence jumped on Joel and curled up. He stroked her smooth fur and gave a satisfied sigh. “I’m hoping to have the restaurant finished on Friday.”

  She blinked at him, surprised. “Then what? Are you doing a grand opening?”

  “I’ve hired enough staff, but I have to admit, I’m a little nervous. I wish I had a backup manager for a few weeks, just to see how things go.”

  “When do you open?”

  “Next Monday. The beer’s ready. The tanks are full. The food supplies are in, and Tyne went over them with me to make sure I had enough. I’ve researched everything out the kazoo and bantered ideas around with Ian, Chase, and Harley, but I’m still worried I forgot something.”

  “Hey, who wouldn’t get a case of nerves before their grand opening? I’ll show up next week every day if you need me. I can’t cook, but I’m great at dishing up.”

  He stared. “You’d really do that? Just to help me out?”

  “We’re friends. No, we’re more than that.” Something in his expression tugged at her heart. Hadn’t anyone ever come through for this man but his parents? “I don’t have to wear roller skates, do I?”

  That caught him off guard. He tossed back his head and laughed. “No, but I’d love to see that.”

  “Won’t happen.”

  They finished their beers and finally headed inside. He stopped at the door and said, “Forgot. I have something in the truck.” When he returned, he carried a froufrou little bag with lots of tissue paper inside. He handed it to her.

  She took it, her brows furrowed in suspicion. “This doesn’t look like chocolate.”

  “Does everything revolve around food for you?”

  “Not everything.”

  “Look inside.”

  She pulled out a black, sexy, push-up bra and a thong. Her eyes went wide. “Good God, I don’t have anything to push up. I’m skin and bones—tall and gawky. I’ll look like Olive Oyl in these.”

  He shook his head. “Hey, your boobs are perky. There’s a good cupf
ul each. Anyway, Popeye thought Olive Oyl was sexy, so it’s all in the eye of the beholder.”

  That was the beauty of him. He really did think she was sexy. He made her feel special. “Let’s go see how they fit.”

  He smiled. “That’s what I was looking forward to.”

  Chapter 23

  Joel spent every night at Miriam’s house for the rest of the week. She’d never said a thing about when Adele came home, so he assumed they’d go back to the way things were—with him staying in his apartment and them seeing each other occasionally—but he was determined to see her as often as he could. True, she’d volunteered to help out when the brewery opened next week, but they’d be so busy, they’d hardly have time to talk. He’d toyed with the idea of closing on Sundays, like Chase did, so that he’d have one day off a week. Most shops in Mill Pond closed then, but boy, if he stayed open, he’d have lots of business, so he’d decided to put in the time and go for the extra income. He couldn’t spend all day, every day there, though, so he hired an assistant to share the hours—a kid taking business classes at IU, home on summer break.

  “I’ll work as many hours as you give me,” Collin said. “I need the money.”

  They’d decided to work most of the week together to get a feel for things, then Collin would take over Sundays and three evenings on his own. But first, Joel needed to finish the final details of the brewery. The kitchen appliances were in, but the fixtures needed to be installed. The furniture needed to be arranged, but they could easily wrap up everything before the weekend.