Jessie

by JJ Aughe

“I have to tell you the truth of the matter, Jessie. For weeks now I have needed to talk to someone, anyone who would listen, about what this opportunity means to the people of the U.S. and to me. So I couldn’t help it. When you asked, I instinctively knew I had to tell you everything.”

  Bailey took a deep breath, decided she had the right to know just how he felt and what he had been going through. “You can’t know how many times I have been turned down, even laughed at for trying to secure financing for a loan of this magnitude. I have to tell you, Jessie, you being interested in helping me, a complete stranger, takes me by complete surprise. Even knowing that you are sincere, I am still having a hard time believing that it is true. This kind of thing just doesn’t happen to a common person like me. But, I can see the truth in your eyes, Jessie. You are interested in helping, and that just boggles my mind.”

  “So, to give you peace of mind or for whatever reason, if going to your lawyer’s office is what you want or need us to do, then that is just what we will do.”

  A full schedule of charter flights and routine maintenance on his plane kept Bailey very busy for the next three days and proved to be not only exciting, but frustratingly hectic. He had to concentrate on the business when where he really wanted was to be with Jessie. He couldn’t figure it out. The woman was on his mind all the time and that wasn’t like him at all. And it wasn’t because she was thinking about financing the purchase of the property either. There was something about Ms. Melano.

  Was it that she set his mind to thinking about a future with her? He didn’t know He knew though, that he had to squash those thoughts. There was no way a woman of her caliber would ever think of a man like him as being husband material or being good enough for her to even date. He realized that and tried to keep his mind on other things. But memories of Tuesday afternoon and evening kept getting in the way.

  Jessie was having the same problem.

  She could get past the attraction she felt for the man. Even her adamant decision never to become involved with another man could stop her from sighing every time she thought about Bailey. And it wasn’t just that he was a real hunk, either. The feelings that coursed through her body every time she thought about Tuesday and the way he had taken everything she wanted to do in stride. It was almost like the man could read her every thought. Her every need.

  No. There was more going on here for both of them than just enjoying each other’s company. Yes. There was the attraction. But attraction wasn’t all of it. Was it chemistry? Did that explain the closeness, the very need she felt to be near him, have him caress her with his gentle hands the way he had Tuesday?

  She smiled as she thought about what had transpired on Tuesday.

  When they arrived at her lawyer’s office on Tuesday her lawyer had quietly listened to Bailey’s story and examined the copy of the agreement Mr. MacTunble had signed, called that man to verify the story and then had silently reached for one of the many volumes on the book shelves behind him. After reading for a few minutes his phone rang. After he hung up he looked Bailey in the eye and offered his hand.

  “Well, Mr. Gilmore,” he began. “All I can say is that you have done your homework. Outside of one or two minor changes I will tell you about later, this preliminary agreement document you have here is as binding on Mr. MacTunble as it is on you. In reading it, I began to wonder if you had studied Real Estate law. If you haven’t, you should. This document is so precise in its description of the parcel’s acreage, the area of its lake and cavern that it only took me a minute to find it on the plat map. And the agreement by Mr. MacTunble to sell to you and yours to buy at the specified amount is worded in such a way that I don’t see one loop hole for either you.”

  “Oh,” he added. “That phone call was from my private investigator. Jessie called on her way here to give me a heads up on the deal you have with Mr. MacTunble. She also gave me your name. I immediately called Damian, my private investigator, to check you and Mr. MacTunble’s background. He tells me that Mr. MacTunble is known throughout the area where he lives to be an upstanding, community minded citizen. He also checked you out, Mr. Gilmore and couldn’t find a single red flag.”

  Reggie turned to Jessie and smiled. “As for your backing Mr. Gilmore, Jess? As long as you don’t sign any documents without my having read them and given the OK, I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t. Personally, if I had this opportunity, I would jump on it with both feet. It is a wonderful opportunity. Gilmore’s plans for the property and the environmental aspects of the way he plans to build the various buildings that will be built on the property make it a very noble and worthwhile endeavor.”

  “Now that I have had my say, Jessie,” he finished. “Do you have any questions about what you want to do and how to go about it?”

  Jessie informed him that to financially back this project she wanted to visit the site on an inspection tour and, if satisfied, be personally involved in it from the start. She then asked him to draw up an agreement for both Bailey and her to sign and to make a copy they could give to Mr. MacTunble so he would be aware of their arrangement and sign off on it as specified in the original agreement.

  Turning to Bailey she asked when would be the best time to visit the property. Bailey checked his reservation log and found that, except for the time he had taken off that day, including scheduled maintenance on the plane, he was booked solid until Friday of the following week. He went on to say that although he had intentionally set that weekend aside this year in remembrance of the anniversary of the passing of his best friend, which this year would actually be on that Saturday, he was certain his friend would understand if Friday was used for something of this importance.

  His statement not only jarred Jessie, causing tears to burn behind her eyes, it brought back all the sorrow, grief, hurt and anger she thought she had dealt with years before.

  That Saturday was a very special day for her too. It was the anniversary of the day her cousin Burney had been murdered in Afghanistan. Jessie could feel the old anger welling up and knew she had to get out of the room before she said things that could not be taken back.

  “Reggie, Bailey, I need a few minutes. Will you excuse me?” Without waiting for a reply she hurried out of the office, down the hall and out onto the second floor deck. She stepped to the railing, gazing out past Lake Washington, past the Olympic Mountains and into the cloudless cobalt blue sky as her resolve fled allowing the tears of grief she had held back for too long make rivulets down her cheeks.

  Alone on the deck, Jessie gave herself over to the need to voice the words she had never allowed herself to say. “Burney,” she moaned. “I miss you so! What happened to you should never have happened. That monster will pay, Burney. I promise you that, somehow, I don’t yet know how I will do it, but I will find him. My private investigators haven’t been able to track him down. They tell me the man has just vanished with no trace. But I will find him, Burney. And when I do that monster will pay for murdering you!”

  She heard the hallway door open and the light tread of someone coming up behind her. Whoever it was silently took her by the shoulders, pulling her against a solid chest. Detecting a spicy scent of aftershave she knew who held her. “Oh, Reggie,” she softly sobbed. “I miss him so much!”

  Turning her in his arms Reggie Harper handed her a stack of tissue and silently held her until the tears subsided. When she calmed a bit he held her out at arm’s length. “I knew you were going to react as soon as Gilmore mentioned the reason he set that weekend aside. This deck is where Burney always came when he was troubled or needed to think through a situation. So I knew you would come here too.”

  “Gilmore seems to be a very compassionate guy,” Reggie commented. “He was worried he had said something to offend you. The sorrow I saw in his eyes and the tone of voice he used prompted me to tell him you were going through a bad time right now and that I’d come out and check on you.”

  Looking up into Reggie’s kind, but worried eyes Jessie
failed miserably as she tried to smile. “Thank you for coming out, Reggie. I knew I was losing it in there. I didn’t want to embarrass you by breaking down. And I sure didn’t want Gilmore to see me cry. I don’t know why. I just didn’t.”

  Jessie had been gazing out over the lake as she spoke. Reggie took her by the chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. “By the way, Jess. Maureen called to tell me you broke it off with Gerald. I don’t know what happened to cause you to do that, and though I have always been fond of him, it was a wise decision. I say that because I found out just last evening that as of last Friday, except for Gerald’s very modest trust fund, his father has permanently cut him out of his will. I don’t know the particulars, but, for all intents and purposes, Gerald is now the same as a pauper.”

  Jessie’s mood brightened a little at Reggie’s news. Reggie being her only confidant since Burney’s death she had no inhibitions in confiding in him. “Boy does that explain a lot, Reggie!” At his questioning look, she explained. “I thought that I loved him, Reggie. So his being a pauper wouldn’t have made any difference to me or how I felt about him. But I could tell by his voice that Gerald was edgy last night when he called to ask me to meet him at Anton’s by the Lake. When I arrived at the restaurant he was pacing back and forth by his car. Then he surprised me by running to my car, opening the door and literally pulling me into his arms and furiously kissing me. It was if he hadn’t seen me for weeks, or months even. Yeah. I was startled. But then he seemed to calm down and we went inside.”

  Just talking about Gerald set Jessie’s emotions off. She could feel the burn of tears again and stalwartly held them back. “Later, while we dined, Gerald kept pushing for me to set a date for our wedding. When I finally agreed and set the date for the first Saturday in August he started talking about how our relationship had never been physical. You know what I mean.

  You also know that, though I know what goes on in the marriage bed, at thirty-four I am still a virgin. Well anyway, Gerald wound up urging, no, that is not the right word. Insisting is more like it, that I get into bed with him and do all sorts of god-awful things with him. He got very specific, too. I won’t repeat his exact words, they were too vulgar to repeat, but what he wanted us to do in bed turned my stomach.”

  Her attempt at holding the tears at bay failed as a lone tear slid down her cheek. Swiping the offending wetness away with one finger, she continued. “I guess when he saw my shock at what he wanted me to do he panicked and made the mistake of saying the first thing that came to his mind, and that just infuriated me. He threatened that if I wouldn’t do what he wanted me to do so he would ‘know if I were exciting in bed’ he would have to go visit Miranda again!”

  Reggie’s shocked expression had her almost laughing. “That’s right. Miranda Bagnold, who I thought was my friend! And, he actually said, ‘again,’ as if he had been seeing her often. I don’t know how long he has been seeing her and I don’t really care anymore. It was the last straw. I was so furious, so very humiliated and devastated, that I lost my temper. I know I shouldn’t have made a scene, but right then I didn’t care. Right there in front of a whole restaurant packed with our friends and business associates, I stood and very loudly told him what I thought of him.” A smile came to her lips as she related the supportive reaction of the restaurant’s patrons as she walked out.

  Stunned by Jessie’s abrupt departure and the lawyer’s brief explanation, Bailey stood at the window watching the sailboat wakes on Lake Washington. He had seen her expression as Jessie fled past him. What he saw written plainly on her beautiful face could only have been the pin of deep sorrow and grief. He intuitively knew she had lost someone close to her, too. Her grief had touched something deep inside him. Something he had never felt for anyone. Was it sympathy? Empathy? Kinship? A common bond? What it was, he wasn’t sure. But, never the less, it was there. All he knew was that the woman was hurting and his heart went out to her. He wanted to hold her, to comfort her, to somehow, take that sorrow and grief upon himself.

  The lawyer returned, interrupting Bailey’s thoughts. Striding purposefully to his desk, Reginald Harper paused and studied the bookshelf behind his desk as if contemplating some pressing matter. Whatever it was he was thinking about made him sadly shake his head. Then he turned to face Bailey. “Be seated Mr. Gilmore. Jessie will be back in a moment.”

  When Jessie re-entered the office, even though she tried to smile and act as if nothing were wrong, Bailey saw behind her facade. Her eyes held a haunted look and the little make-up she had been wearing was gone. The slight redness around her eyes told the tale. She had been crying.

  Having risen from his seat as she entered, he went to her. Keeping his voice low, he gently took her hand and apologized, “I’m sorry, Jessie. You have lost someone close to you and what I said got to you. I realize you’re hurting and I understand completely. I’ve been there. I know you need time to deal with it. So, if you would rather, we can continue this meeting at a later time.”

  Taking a firm grip on her composure, Jessie glanced to Reggie. Seeing his slight nod, she made eye contact with Bailey and asked, “Are you sure, Bailey? I know this is important. And it needs to be discussed thoroughly.”

  “Yes, Jessie. I am sure. I think that right now you should take some time. Go do something that you like to do, something that will give you some peace. This discussion can wait for another day.”

  “If Mr. Harper will relay what we have discussed here to Mr. MacTunble and let him know you have made a conditional agreement to finance the project, I believe he will be satisfied that the sale is a go. So, don’t worry about the timeframe. Take as much time as you need. The deal is going to go through. That property isn’t going anywhere.”

  Seeing his honest sincerity Jessie threw her arms around his waist. When his arms encircled her own waist to pull her close, his scent, the familiar sage scent of the man in her dream, had her melting into him. She knew what she wanted.

  Her voice just above a whisper she spoke into his shirt. “I thought I wanted to be alone for a while. But, I don’t, Bailey. I don’t believe I am in any condition to drive right now, either. But, I would like to go to the waterfront in Seattle. Maybe just spend the rest of today riding The Duck and doing foolish, fun things.” Leaning away, she looked up appealingly at his compassionate face. “Would you mind accompanying me?”

  Reginald Harper saw the look the man gave her and suspected that it wouldn’t be long before there was something more happening between these two than just a business proposition. He hoped so. He had previously heard of Mr. Gilmore. The reports had all been good.

  “You are right, Mr. Gilmore. I will call MacTunble and this business can wait for a day or two. So go ahead,” he urged. “Take Jessie somewhere she will be able to relax. It will do you both some good to have some fun. And Jessie, because I know she’s worried about you, I’ll let Maureen know you are safe and finally having a good, relaxing afternoon.”

  Bailey turned his head, saw Harper’s smile and nodded at him. “It has been a long time since I took a day to just enjoy myself, Mr. Harper. So I believe I will do just that,” he answered as he led Jessie to the door.

  Jessie and Bailey spent the rest of the day, and until after midnight doing whatever came to mind, enjoying every minute. They rode The Seattle Duck and laughed until happy tears came to their eyes when a seagull lit on the driver’s cap then flew off with it.

  They each noticed a young mother and her two children on the corner at First and James Street. The woman appeared nervous and kept a tight hold on her children’s hands, which wasn’t necessary, for the children, a girl of about seven or eight and a boy who looked to be about four, seemed frightened and clung to her. By their attire and the children’s fearful expressions, it was quite obvious. They were new to the area and homeless to boot.

  As soon as that ride on The Duck, their second, was over, Jessie and Bailey stopped at an ATM and each drew out enough cash to accomplish what they had in
mind and went in search of their quarry. It wasn’t long before they found that for which they searched.

  She was huddled with her children in an alley next to a dumpster when they found her. Jessie introduced herself as a volunteer worker at the Rescue Mission and Bailey as her friend. When asked what her circumstances were the woman introduced herself as Martha Murray, from Boise, Idaho and said they were in Seattle visiting a friend, but her daughter tearfully interrupted her.

  “Mommy? Is daddy going to find us again?”

  A worried expression came over the woman’s face as she first glanced at her daughter then back at Jessie. She knelt so she would be on the little girl’s level, pulled her into her arms and assured the obviously terrified little girl. “No, Millie. I won’t ever let that man get near you or Andy again. I promised, didn’t I? He’ll never be able to hurt you or your brother again. That is why we are here instead of at home.”

  She turned her head to look up at Jessie. The fear and hopelessness Jessie saw in the woman’s eyes and the children’s eyes told the tale. This family was on the run from a wife and child batterer, or, worse, a child molester! She knelt beside the woman and her children, glanced back at Bailey and firmly told the woman that her and her children’s plight was now over. Then she handed the woman the cash Bailey and her had withdrawn from the ATM as Bailey, taking his cue from Jessie’s glance, called Jessie’s home. When the housekeeper answered, he handed the phone to Jessie.

  Two hours and many shops later the woman and her children each held garment bags stuffed with new clothes and were, until a later, purposely unspecified date, on their way to be ensconced in Jessie’s guest house. Needless to say, from that point on Maureen would gladly take control.

  Not satisfied, but thoroughly enjoying themselves, the two conspirators headed for the Rescue Mission. They spoke with the director of the mission then approached a young man who looked to be about twenty-five. The Mission director had informed them that the young man had a viral lung condition but, because he had no insurance and refused to ask for help, other than one emergency room visit, he had discontinued further treatment because he had no way of paying for it.