A few moments later, the door opened and there stood Sebastian. He was wearing a black button-up shirt, the cuffs loose and rolled up over his muscular forearms.
His lips stretched into a smile. "Hello, Jane." He held his arms out for the large box in her hands. "Let me take that." With ease, he lifted the heavy weight out of her arms. "Please come in."
She followed him into the house. She had been inside the home numerous times when the Johnsons had lived there. However, the décor was now dark, gothic and sexy, and she realized that's exactly how she could describe Sebastian. There was something about him that made her heart flutter.
"I'm sure the house looks different," he commented, as if he had been reading her mind.
Jane nodded slowly. "Just a little," she joked.
He grinned. "Let me show you the library."
She followed him down the hall and into the vast room. Bookshelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling, and Jane remembered how jealous she was the first time she had been in the Johnsons' library. Her own library at home consisted of two bookshelves, and she was constantly rearranging them to make room for new books.
She noticed that Sebastian had filled some of the shelves, but most remained empty. "Mr. Johnson had a vast collection. That is why he put in the custom bookshelves," she explained.
"Ah, yes. I remember seeing his collection when I was interested in purchasing the house."
Jane decided to pry since he had brought up the subject. "Why did the Johnsons move anyhow? They never told me a thing."
She saw Sebastian pause and shift uncomfortably. "They wanted to move closer to their daughter in Virginia."
Jane furrowed her brow. The Johnsons had made it very clear to Jane that they had not been on speaking terms with their estranged daughter for years. Maybe they had a change of heart, she thought.
Sebastian set the box down on an overstuffed chair. "How much do I owe you?" he asked.
Jane pulled a receipt out of her pocket. The total was $480. When Sebastian glanced at the receipt, he didn't so much as flinch at the bill. Judging on the house, his car and the way he dressed, she didn't think he worried about money.
"I'll be right back," he said, leaving the room.
Jane walked to a bookshelf that was full of books. Her eyes scanned over the titles. All of the books were extremely old and well preserved. When she turned, Sebastian was leaning against the doorway staring at her. She could feel her face flush. She normally never got this embarrassed around people, but there was something about him that intimidated her.
He held an envelope out, and she crossed the room to take it from him. As she grasped the envelope, their fingertips touched, and she once again felt the spark of electricity. Her lips parted as she stared up at him. Strange desires flooded her mind. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted his hands to lift the hem of her dress and for his fingertips to graze over her body.
"I assume cash is okay?" he asked, his voice bringing her back to reality.
She cleared her throat. "Yes." She took the envelope and tore her gaze from his. "I should be going," she said quickly.
"All right." He walked her to the front door. "Thank you for bringing the books."
"You're welcome," she said as she stepped out onto the front porch. "Thank you for your business. And welcome to the neighborhood. It really is lovely."
He stared at her. "Yeah, I'm starting to get a sense of how lovely it is."
Jane felt her cheeks warm instantly. "Well, goodnight," she said, leaving the porch.
"Goodnight, Jane," he called after her.
She walked across the lawn, holding a hand over her hammering heart. Once inside the house, she let out a sigh of relief. Sebastian made her feel things she hadn't felt in a long time, and it scared and excited her at the same time.
CHAPTER 17
THE NEXT DAY at the bookstore went quickly. As Jane walked home at the end of the day, she took her time, enjoying the warm spring weather. She stopped at the mailbox. It was empty.
"Good afternoon," said a voice.
She looked up to see Sebastian in his yard. "Good afternoon," she said.
"Beautiful day, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is."
He motioned to the back of his house. "I was just going to enjoy some wine on my back patio. Would you care to join me?"
Jane hesitated. She wanted to say yes, but a piece of her wanted to say no. In her mind, she was still devoted to Jack, and it felt like betrayal to agree.
"If you have other plans, I understand," he said.
She could detect the disappointment in his voice. "No. No plans." She walked over to him. "Wine sounds great."
He smiled and led her to the back of his house. The backyard was landscaped beautifully with a large in-ground pool being the centerpiece. "Have a seat," he said, motioning to one of the patio chairs. "I'll be back with the wine." He disappeared into the house.
Jane sat in one of the chairs and stared at the blue pool water glistening from the sunlight. Within a few minutes, he was back. He popped the cork on the bottle and poured wine into two glasses.
"Thank you," Jane said as she took one glass and brought it up to her nose and inhaled. The smell of the wine was intoxicating. She took a sip. The taste was even better. From the look of the old label on the bottle, she knew it was a very old wine. "Are you enjoying the books?" she asked, attempting to make small talk.
He sat down into the chair across from her. "Yes, I am, and they look wonderful in my library."
Jane was pleased that he enjoyed the books so much. Not many men came into her shop, let alone the severely good-looking ones. "How are you liking Bedford Valley so far?"
"It's a very nice town. It seems like a close-knit community."
"It is. I think you'll like it here."
"Thanks. I’m sure I will."
Sebastian stared at the diamond ring on her left hand. Her eyes caught his stare, and then his eyes met hers. "I haven't had a chance to meet your husband," Sebastian said. "How long have you been married?"
Jane hesitated. "Actually…I'm a widow," she said, the words sticking in her throat.
He absorbed the information for a few moments before saying, "I'm sorry to hear that."
She took a long drink of the wine. "It's been a little over a year now, so…" her voice trailed off.
He nodded.
Jane's eye searched his hand for a ring, but there wasn't one. Before she could ask, he said, "I'm not married."
She looked up at him. It seemed as if he had the uncanny ability to read her mind. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "More wine?" he asked.
Jane drank the last few drops and stood. Her mind was getting foggy, and it was time for her medication. She feared that she would pass out in front of her new neighbor if she didn't get home as soon as possible. "I should be going actually," she said. She held the empty glass out for him to take.
When he reached for the glass, their hands touched, and that same electric feeling sent a shockwave through her. A charred image of a long forgotten memory flashed in her mind. Before she could grasp onto the image, a tingling sensation started at the base of her neck; and she knew she was going to pass out. "I'm going to faint," she warned him hastily.
He looked at her with alarm. "What do I do?"
Before she could say anything, she fell into his arms, and the world around her went black.
* * *
When she awoke, she was in Sebastian's lap and looking up at the beautiful orange and red clouds from the sunset. His face came into focus. He looked worried. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.
"Yeah". It had been months since she had fainted, and she really thought the new medication was going to stop it altogether. She sat up slowly. "I shouldn't have come over here," she muttered, scolding herself. She grasped a chair to balance herself and stood. "I should go."
Sebastian grasped her elbow to keep her steady. Jane felt the electricity feeling again and quickly moved awa
y from him. "I'm sorry. I have to go."
"Are you sure you're okay? Do you need me to call you an ambulance?"
She stared up at him. "No."
"Will you tell me what happened?" he pleaded.
Jane took a deep breath. "I suffered some severe head trauma a couple of years ago." She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the look of pity that she had seen on so many faces. "I have these episodes now and then where if I'm overwhelmed, my brain just kind of shuts down my body."
"Overwhelmed. What overwhelmed you?" he asked.
She shook her head. She couldn't tell him about the feeling she had when he touched her or the almost memory that his contact had invoked. "I don't know," she lied. She turned to leave.
"Jane," he called.
She turned back to him. "Yeah?"
"I'm glad you came over tonight. I hope that we can do it again sometime."
She nodded and walked back to her house. Once inside, she leaned against the door. She stared down at her wedding ring, and she suddenly realized why she had continued to wear it that long. Protection. Subconsciously she was using it to protect herself from a relationship she just wasn't ready to have with anyone.
CHAPTER 18
JANE WALKED HOME from the bookstore Friday afternoon. Matt would be picking her up soon for their weekend getaway. She checked the mailbox and retrieved a few envelopes, mostly junk mail.
"Hello, Jane," Sebastian said as he went to his mailbox.
She was beginning to wonder if he was going out of his way to be outside the moment she arrived home after work. "Hi, Sebastian."
"Do you have any plans tonight?" he asked.
Jane was taken aback by his question. She wondered if he was going to ask her out on a date. But, unfortunately, she would never find out, because she was going to the lake house for the weekend. "I'm going to be leaving in an hour or so. I'll be gone the entire weekend."
"Oh," he said. She could hear the disappointment in his voice, which surprised her.
"I'll be back Sunday afternoon."
"Okay. Well, enjoy your weekend."
"Thanks. You too." She walked to the house and upstairs to pack a small bag of clothes and essentials. She packed an assortment of clothes, as she was unsure of what the weather at the lake house had in store for the weekend.
At five o'clock on the dot, Matt rang the doorbell. Jane was quick to answer it. "Ready?" he asked.
"Yes."
He took her bag and carried it to the car, stuffing it in the trunk before he hopped into the driver's seat. Jane buckled her seat belt as he started the engine.
As the car pulled away, Jane stared in the side mirror at Sebastian's house. She realized she was going to miss him. Even though she knew absolutely nothing about him and had just met him, she strangely felt close to him. And a little piece of her wished for the weekend to go fast so that she could get back to Bedford Valley and get back to Sebastian.
* * *
Jane and Matt stood on the boat dock overlooking the large lake. The sky was various shades of purple and pink and looked like a perfect oil painting.
"The sunset is so beautiful," she said.
"It really is," Matt agreed.
Jane glanced up at him and smiled. A strong breeze from the water blew past them, and she shivered.
"Cold?" Matt put his arm around her and ran his free hand up and down her chilled arm.
From the close proximity, Jane could smell his cologne. She instantly tensed.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Your cologne."
He stared down at her with a puzzled look on his face. "You don't like it?"
"No. It's not that." She bit her lower lip not knowing what to say.
"Jack wore it," Matt stated.
She nodded.
"I won't wear it again if it bothers you."
"No," she said quickly. She inhaled the scent again. "I've missed that smell."
They both turned their attention back to the sunset and the water. After a few minutes, Matt said, "I'm really glad you came."
"Me too."
He turned to face her, his hands on her arms. "You've been so distant since Jack died. I just have a bad feeling that I've done something to make you not like me."
She shook her head and closed her eyes as she felt the tears welling up in them. "Matt," she started, but he didn't let her finish.
Matt leaned down and gently kissed her. His kiss was so much like Jack's that she had a hard time keeping a grip on reality. She closed her eyes and kissed him back.
His mouth became eager on hers, his tongue parting her lips. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and pulled away from him. "Matt, we can't do this," she said breathlessly.
He stared at her. "Why? Tell me," he pleaded with eager eyes.
"You look like him. You act like him. You smell like him," she said softly. "It's so hard for me to be around you."
He pulled her back into his arms. "Don't hate me because I look like him," he whispered against her ear.
"I could never hate you," she said, her voice breaking. "I'm just not…ready." She put her face in her hands. "I'm not over Jack."
He nodded slowly. Then he pulled her hands from her face and held them. "Then I will wait until you are ready." He pulled her hands together and placed a kiss on both of them. "I would wait forever if I had to," he whispered.
She smiled.
"Are you two coming in for dinner?" Margaret called from the patio.
Matt called back, "We'll be there in a minute, Mom." He glanced at Jane. "Are you ready for Uncle Don's tall tale?"
"Wouldn't want to miss it," she responded, grinning.
Matt took her hand in his and led her up to the two-story log house. Five bedrooms and a half bath were on the second floor. The downstairs contained an open floor plan with a large kitchen, living room and a bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub.
As they walked through the French style patio doors, Margaret beamed at them. "There you two are. How was the sunset?" she asked, winking at Matt.
Jane felt her cheeks warm. It was as if they had been caught in some forbidden lovers' tryst. "It was beautiful," Jane said.
"Yeah, it was," Matt chimed in.
"I hope you two are hungry," Margaret said. "Uncle Don is frying some of the big fish he caught in Alaska, and Aunt Stacy is making her famous potato salad."
Jane was famished. "Sounds great," she said.
* * *
Jane sat beside Matt at the dinner table. To his right were his mom and then her brother Don and his wife Stacy. "The fish is delicious, Don," Jane commented.
"Why thank you, my dear," he said with a wide-toothed grin. "Wait until you hear how I caught those fish. Jane, your dreams will be full of the biggest fish you've ever seen!" he exclaimed. Don was about as tall as he was wide, and his belly shook as he chuckled.
Jane smiled. "I'm sure they will."
As Don recounted his fishing story, the rest of the table hung on his every word. The story was obviously a tall tale, but Don was quite the storyteller, and he made it seem so real. His wife Stacy rolled her eyes periodically when the story grew too far-fetched.
"I have tried to catch the same fish for over ten years, and this year I finally got 'em." He put his hands up to gesture the size of a humongous fish. "Snapped my rod clean in half one summer!"
The table laughed at the exaggerations, and Don sat back in his chair with his chest out, proud of the story.
After the meal, the wine began to flow freely, and Jane found herself having a great time. She hadn't smiled or laughed that much in a long time. Periodically, she would catch Matt staring at her. He had a look on his face that she could remember quite well on Jack.
At around eleven, Don was snoring loudly in one of the armchairs in the living room. His wife tugged on his arm, and he awoke with a start. "What? Huh?" he asked, confused.
Stacy stood and tugged on his hand to help him up. "It's past our bedtime," she joked.
"Yes. Goo
d night, all," he said before walking up the stairs.
Margaret yawned and said, "Well, it seems all the old people are hitting the sack, so I better join them." She gave Matt and Jane a hug. "Goodnight, you two. See you in the morning."
When they were alone, Matt turned to Jane. "So how did you like Uncle Don's story?"
"It was great," she said, laughing.
Matt stared at her. "I love your laugh."
Jane grabbed her wine glass from the coffee table and took a sip. She didn't know what to think of Matt's compliment and the looks he had been giving her. She returned the glass to the table. "Maybe we should think about going to bed too."
Matt nodded. "Okay. I'll walk up with you."
They ascended the stairs together. Their bedrooms were right next to one another. Matt lingered in the doorway as Jane entered her room. "Goodnight, Jane," he said. "Sweet dreams."
"Goodnight, Matt." She closed the door slowly.
She changed into pajamas and climbed into the soft bed. She was exhausted, and it didn't take long for her to fall asleep. That night she didn't dream about enormous fish. Her dreams were of Sebastian Alexander.
CHAPTER 19
THE NEXT MORNING, she showered and returned to her room before everyone else had awakened. She wanted to go for a hike, which had been something that her and Jack had always done when they visited the lake house. The woods and trails in the surrounding acreage were beautiful, and she looked forward to reconnecting with nature every time she visited the area.
She put on a pair of black Capri yoga pants, a tank top underneath a light blue zip-up jacket, socks and white and blue sneakers. When she was finished getting dressed, she could hear the house coming alive. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted into her room, and she inhaled deeply. Her stomach growled in response to the smell.
She opened her door and retreated down to the kitchen. Don was doing all the cooking while Stacy set the table and Margaret popped bread into the toasters. "Hungry, Jane?" Don asked while flipping some eggs in a skillet.
"Starving," she said.
"Good morning, everyone," Matt said, walking into the kitchen. He was dressed in a white long-sleeve shirt, black track pants and sneakers. He glanced at Jane. "I think we had the same idea for this morning. Hike?" he suggested.
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