by Savanna Grey
She could feel the grime across her face that had been transferred from Drue’s when he had kissed her.
No. No need to review that scene in her mind. She needed to forget all about it, although she doubted she would be able to any time soon.
She playfully punched Kevin’s arm.
“Your brother was paying me back for sneaking up on him, nearly giving him a concussion,” Tori grumbled.
“I thought it was you. You have to admit, your back sides do resemble one another,” Tori said laughingly.
The image of Drue’s backside as he was bent over the tractor invaded her memory. Heat spread through her entire body.
“Stop it.” she mentally scolded herself. “Nothing good can come of those kind of thoughts.”
Kevin reeled her thoughts back in.
“So, I guess this means you and Drue didn’t kiss and make up?” he teased.
Tori’s face paled, and she thought she would faint.
Had he seen what had happened, she wondered?
“Hey,” Kevin said more seriously. “I was just kidding. I know you and Drue have always been a thorn in each other’s sides, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why.”
Kevin just shook his head. He hugged Tori close once again.
“I am just so glad you are here.”
“I have a lot to take care of over the next month.” She stated sadly.
“You’ll get through it. It will be tough, but you are not alone, Tori. My whole family is here to support you.” Kevin affirmed what she already knew.
“Well, I need to go get settled at the house. I haven’t been there yet.” Tori moved away from Kevin.
“Alright, but come have dinner with us tonight. Mom and Dad will be thrilled to see you.”
“That would be great. Normal time? 6:30?” she asked.
“You betcha. Be here or be square.” He taunted her.
“As if!”
Victoria walked to her car as Drue watched from his upstairs bedroom window.
Lord how that girl, correction – woman, got under his skin. Time had apparently done nothing to change that with the exception that the result of his reaction to Tori had definitely intensified. She had always been cute and full of energy, but she was all grown up.
She had turned into a beautiful vibrant woman. Her petite frame with her dark wavy auburn hair that curled halfway down her back was enough to catch any breathing male’s attention, but it was her eyes that always held Drue. Their deep brown depths always held so many emotions. She never had a poker face. She expressed herself freely and openly.
He had worked hard over the past several years to ignore the attraction he felt for her.
He couldn’t believe he had kissed her! What was the matter with him? He could still taste her on his lips and smell her sweet scent of lavender and lemon.
She had always brought him to the brink of his control, and today he had lost it. Never had that happened. Even when the tables had been turned and she had surprised him so many years ago with a kiss.
Drue had controlled himself then even though he had found himself wanting to return her kiss. He couldn’t. It would have been wrong. She was Kevin’s girl. At least that was how he had always looked at her.
Even though it seemed amazing that there had never been any kind of romance between them, Drue fully expected them to end up together. Their lives had always been so closely intertwined. Even now he knew they spoke weekly.
Victoria was off limits. That was why he had always pushed aside any feelings he may have harbored for her when they were growing up. Something had always been there nagging in his gut that intensified whenever she was near.
What rattled him was that just the sight and sound of her today had unleashed such a reaction that he had actually kissed her.
He had meant it in anger but when his lips had touched her, his anger turned into such a heated rush of desire it had unsettled him.
Never had he experienced such a reaction to any woman.
He didn’t like it. He had always practiced self-control. It seemed that Victoria could reach something in him that no one else ever had. He was going to have to be very careful not to let that happen again.
The further away from her he stayed the better. He knew that would be difficult, but she would only be here a few weeks, right? He would just have to deal with it until she left.
A heavy feeling settled in his chest at the thought of being so close but yet so far from her.
He knew the sooner she left the better.
Chapter Three
Tori climbed the white slightly wobbly front steps to her grandparent’s front porch. The wooden weathered porch swing creaked back and forth in the gentle fall breeze to her left. Her grandparent’s white wicker chairs with bright yellow and blue patterns welcomed her home.
So many nights had been spent on this front porch. So many wonderful memories. They were like a picture show in her mind full of vivid colors. Her first skinned knee when grandpa taught her to ride her bike. Her excitement telling her grandma how Kevin had stood up for her that first day of school, writing for the school newspaper, her first kiss, breaking up with Bobby Johnson and so much more.
This front porch had been an integral part of her childhood. How could she feel so sad when she had been blessed with so much love?
Tori took the three additional steps to the front door, took a deep cleansing breath and turned the key.
Warmth surrounded her. She sat her bags down at the foot of the stairs in the foyer. It had been just two weeks since she had buried her grandmother. The house felt so empty and quiet. No one greeted her. No sounds but the creaks and moans of an old house.
She felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness.
Walking through the house to the living room, Tori stopped in front of her grandmother’s rocking chair. It had always been her favorite chair, one that had rocked her since she was a baby. She had always felt safe and loved wrapped in her grandma’s arm, singing her to sleep to “In the Garden” her grandma’s favorite church hymn.
Curled up in an afghan rocking back and forth, tears pricked her eyelids. “I miss you both so much," she whispered.
All of her life was tied to this house. It’s contents. It’s memories. Even the cement outside had her handprint in it when grandpa had poured new steps to the back door.
What was she going to do? She had a meeting with the solicitor in two days to go over the estate. She already knew the house was hers. The question was what was she going to do with it? Her life was in Chicago. Her friends. Her career. Her publisher.
For the past three years Tori had worked as a Senior Editor for McNutt Publishing House. Losing herself in the pages of a story and picturing the people, their habits, their adventures and hardships brought to life by the creative minds of the writers wasn’t work to Tori. She loved every minute of her work. What she desired even more was to write her own stories. Even now she was awaiting the review from her publisher on her first submitted novel. She knew it was good, but would they see it as good enough? Soon she would know. Then what?
She loved the city, but it felt so good to be home. Home. There was no doubt that this was still home.
Can I sell it and walk away? That thought made her even sadder. Taking care of a property this size was a lot of responsibility. She couldn’t do it from Chicago. She really had a lot of thinking to do over the next few weeks and decisions to be made.
Well time’s a’ wastin as grandpa would say. Tori folded the afghan and decided a cup of coffee is just what she needed before unpacking.
Wiping her eyes and telling herself yet again that she was so grateful for the love and life she was given by her grandparents, she made her way to the kitchen and instantly stopped. Closing her eyes she breathed the scents in.
The smell of sugar and cinnamon greeted her. She expected to open her eyes and see her grandmother standing at the stove. She breathed in deeply. Oh how she loved the smell. A smil
e graced her tear-stained face as an idea grew. She knew just what she was going to take to dinner with the Morgans.
Chapter Four
“Knock! Knock! Anybody home?” Tori asked as she entered the back door through to the kitchen at the Morgan’s home that night.
“Victoria, come in. Come in, dear. It’s so good to see you.”
Mrs. Morgan said, drying her hands on a dishtowel at the kitchen sink.
“I brought sugar crème pie.” Tori offered, handing the pie to Mrs. Morgan.
“Oh, we better put this up before the boys smell it, or else they won’t eat any dinner first.” Mrs. Morgan teased.
“Is that sugar crème pie I smell?” Mr. Morgan entered the kitchen and wrapped his arms around his wife and nuzzled her neck.
Mrs. Morgan swatted at him.
“You go on out of here, Bob Morgan. No pie until after dinner.”
Bob and Claire Morgan had been married for 30 years and still acted like newlyweds. Tori was always amazed at how evident their love for each other was. They were an amazing couple and were like surrogate parents to her.
Bob enveloped Tori in a bear hug.
“Welcome home, honey. We’re glad you’re here.”
He held her at arm’s length and looked closely at her. His eyes narrowed with concern.
“You doing all right? You look like you need that pie more than I do. Apparently you didn’t forget how to cook, so what’s your excuse for losing weight?” he scolded lovingly.
“I know. I know. Kevin already lectured me. He’s promised to fatten me up while I’m here.” Tori joked.
Speaking of the devil…
Kevin stormed into the kitchen and grabbed hold of Tori around the waist from behind.
“Say you’ll marry me now so I can have a lifetime supply of sugar crème pie!” he swooned.
Tori smiled up at her friend.
“Then all your teeth would fall out, but I guess you could gum sugar crème pie.” she offered.
Everyone laughed, including Tori until she turned in Kevin’s embrace and her eyes met Drue’s at the kitchen door leading to the dining room.
He was frowning at her as usual.
“I see some things never change.” he stated dryly.
“Don’t worry bro. I’ll share the pie.” Kevin grinned mischievously and released Tori.
“Dinner’s ready. Everybody go wash up.” Mrs. Morgan ordered.
“Victoria, would you please help me with the food.”
“Absolutely. Everything smells mouth-watering as usual, Mrs. Morgan.”
Tori had eaten many a night at the Morgan dinner table.
“Your famous barbeque chicken if my nose is not mistaken.” Tori stated.
“Flattery will get you everywhere, won’t it Mom?” Kevin teased as he came into the dining room.
Everyone was taking a seat at the round table, and it appeared Tori was being left the chair between Kevin and Drue. Lucky her.
Okay. She could do this, she kept coaching herself.
Just act normal. Forget that kiss ever happened.
Yeah right. Like that was going to happen.
The conversation caught her up on what had been happening around town. The talk of course of the success of the crops that year, new machinery they were looking at for planting in the spring, who had gotten married, who had babies.
It was all so comfortable and familiar. Tori felt a tug at her heartstrings. She loved these people and this place. It was so much a part of who she was.
“So, Kevin tells us you are on a leave of absence until after Thanksgiving to settle things with Mildred’s estate.” Mr. Morgan began.
“If you don’t mind me asking, honey, what do you plan to do about the property?”
“Bob Morgan! Give the child a chance to get settled before you start giving her advice. My goodness!” Mrs. Morgan chastised.
Tori smiled weakly.
“It’s okay, Mrs. Morgan. You know you all are like family to me. There isn’t anything you couldn’t ask me.”Tori replied.
“Tori, we are worried about you. We know you have decisions to make about the house and the estate. We also see that, not to keep bringing it up, but you have lost weight since the funeral. You have to take care of yourself, sweetheart.”
Their concern was her undoing. She had kept so much of her grief inside. Now being here with all of them so caring and loving, a tear escaped down her cheek.
“Excuse me.” Tori quietly left the dinner table to go into the kitchen.
She just needed a minute to pull herself and her emotions back in check. She stood at the kitchen sink looking out the window.
She didn’t hear him come in, but she felt the hand on her shoulder. She thought it would be Kevin.
“I’m fine Kevin. Just a little weepy. Stupid girl thing I guess.” She joked pathetically.
“I’m sure he will be glad to know that.” Drue replied softly.
Tori gasped as she realized it wasn’t Kevin that had followed her into the kitchen, but Drue.
“You know, Sprite, I don’t think I have ever actually seen you cry in all the years I have known you.”
Tori didn’t miss the mention of her childhood nickname Kevin had given her. She was surprised to hear him use it.
Drue turned Tori around to face him. He studied her face as her doe-like brown eyes and pixie-like face stared up at him.
She was at a disadvantage this close. She had to bend her neck back to look up at him. Drue gently wiped the remaining tears from her cheek with the pad of his thumb.
“You know, my mom is always trying to convince us boys that it isn’t a sign of weakness to cry. Maybe you should listen to her as well.” He said tenderly.
Tori’s heart thudded. Her breath caught in her throat. Being this close to Drue was nerve-racking, especially in her vulnerable state.
“Did you come in here to make fun of me, Drue?” Tori asked.
Drue smiled.
“No, I came in here for pie. The one Mom has been trying to hide until we finished our supper.”
Drue grinned cheekily and wriggled his eyebrows mischievously.
Tori laughed. She couldn’t help it. She hadn’t seen this side of Drue up close before. It was unnerving. Kevin was the playful, teasing one. Not Drue.
This was dangerous ground.
“Well, don’t let me keep you. You better take it in before they all come looking for it.”Tori conceded.
Drue took the pie from Tori and started back to the dining room. He stopped and turned to Tori.
He cleared his throat and looked uncomfortable.
“Look, Victoria. I wanted to apologize for this afternoon.” Drue started.
Tori looked at Drue in shock. Had she heard him correctly? Were her ears deceiving her? In twenty-four years she had never heard Drue apologize for anything. Never. Sure, he would be the first to admit he was wrong about something, but when it came to Tori he always thought he was right in their disagreements.
“You caught me off guard today, and I reacted unacceptably. I am not making excuses. I only hope you know I would never…”
Drue fumbled and shuffled his feet.
Tori could see his discomfort as well as his genuine effort to smooth things over. This was a new side to Drue for her. First the fiery, passionate man who had kissed her that afternoon and now a reluctant unsure side that was most definitely not his comfort zone.
Tori was fascinated by this new insight. She had always sensed so much more hiding under the surface that he would not let be exposed. She only wished she were the one who could free him from his emotional constraints of always being the strong dependable and responsible son.
At least make him realize that it wasn’t a weakness to have feelings and live life. Have some fun.
Just maybe the next month would give her the opportunity to show him. Dare she set herself up to fall for Drue all over again, or could she be stronger than that?
She would just have t
o keep reminding herself that Drue did not feel that way about her.
“Drue, it’s alright.” Tori started. “I know you would never hurt me intentionally. We just seem to have the knack for pushing each other’s buttons, don’t we?”
Tori smiled at Drue, her eyes warm and forgiving.
Drue shook his lowered head and chuckled, returning Tori’s smile.
“No argument there, Victoria.”
Now why did her name have to sound so seductive on his lips? She had never really cared for everyone calling her by her given name until she had gotten older. It had always irritated her that Drue would never call her Tori, but when he said her name it took on a seductive tone.
“Why do you suppose that is, Drue?
“I don’t know if I have an answer to that. Sometimes it’s just the way it is between two people.” “We are very different.”
He sure as hell wasn’t about to tell her he burned to push her up against a wall and kiss the living daylights out of her.
“Well, the way I see it we have two choices. We can continue to hen peck each other at every encounter, or we can call a truce.”
“I am after all going to be here for a month. We will more than likely be seeing a lot of each other. I don’t know about you but the thought of being at odds with you is not very appealing, so what do you say Morgan? Do you think the grown up Victoria and Drue can play nice?”
She leaned back against the kitchen counter to look directly at him.
Was he frowning or pensively considering her peace treaty?
He looked directly at her then. Something was there in his face. She couldn’t quite identify what. She could sense it more. His mood shifted. The tension in the air was thicker, but it wasn’t unpleasant. It was electric and made her fidget.
“Drue?”
“Thank you for believing me, Victoria. It means more than you know.” He stated very seriously.
“And as far as the truce is concerned, I accept that challenge. It should prove to be no ordinary task for either of us.”
Tori laughed. “We’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?”
She playfully bumped her hips into him.
“Come on then. Everyone is going to be thinking we ate the pie ourselves.”
