“Understood. Thanks, I really appreciate this. I’m positive it was Van Winkle that torched the vegetable stand, but there’s no way to prove it. That sick bastard is capable of doing even worse things, I’m sure. I don’t trust him one bit, and I’m afraid he might do something to harm Victoria. I know he scares her.”
“It’s a done deal then,” said John. “Don’t worry about it; we’ll be out there early tomorrow to put the cameras up, then you can monitor everything on your computer. Besides, you’ll be doing me a favor. I have plans to get to know that hot friend of Vicky’s a little better. What’s her name, Marsha? Man! That girl’s smoking hot. What a rack on her, know what I’m saying?”
* * *
Before she left the next morning, Vicky sent Marsha a text to let her know she’d be at church with Diane and told her to make herself at home. Switching on a fresh pot of coffee, she went outside to where Joe and Diane were waiting.
Joe was lifting potted plants from the back of his truck. He smiled broadly when he saw Vicky. “While you girls are at church, I’m going to put in a few perennials in back there,” he said, motioning towards the flowerbeds. “These are the bee balm and butterfly bushes we talked about, Vicky. I can get them in this morning, and they’re talking rain later. That’ll be good for them.”
“Nice! Thanks Joe! That’ll be cool. Hey, my friend Marsha is still asleep upstairs and probably won’t be up until after noon. I kept her up pretty late last night.”
“Why don’t I drive you ladies to church, since Joe will be busy?” They all turned to see a smiling Jack Conner approaching, dressed for church.
“Jack, that would be great,” said Diane. “Let’s go before we’re late.”
“Mind if I take your truck, Joe?”
His friend shrugged and made no reply. In a moment, Jack and the two women were down the gravel drive and turning onto the road toward town. Joe sighed and picked up his shovel. The bastard even had the nerve to drive off with her in my own truck.
Marsha opened her eyes at the sound of the truck doors slamming. It took only a few seconds for her to recall that she was in Vicky’s farmhouse and not on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. She rolled over and stretched, just listening to the birds outside her window. There were no traffic noises, no police sirens, no one yelling down below in the street. She slid her legs off the bed, yawned, and began to entertain thoughts of coffee. Reaching for her cell phone on the bedside table, she peered at it checking the time, and saw the text from her friend.
“She’s probably left for church by now, but I’ll bet Vicky has a pot down there all brewed and ready for me. Yes, I’m sure I’m smelling coffee. Slipping from the bed, Marsha padded in bare feet down the stairs, wearing only a sheer nightie and panties. Reaching the kitchen, she found to her delight that Vicky had indeed left the pot on and quickly filled a mug. Sipping, she looked out the windows and saw no one around. Making her way to the front door, she eased the screen open and stepped out onto the porch. The sun warmed her and a light breeze tickled her bare legs. Feeling a little naughty, she took a sip of the scalding black coffee and grinned. No one’s around to see me. Couldn’t do this in the city.
She let her mind wander back to her conversation of the night before, with Vicky. That girl needs to jump start Jack Conner. I know she didn’t get out much and hasn’t had a lot of experience, but it shouldn’t be difficult to hookup with him. The way he’s always watching her, he’s gotta be in love. Now I think, I can’t remember her ever mentioning a relationship before this.
“Well, Hel-lo!”
Marsha gave a little squeal of surprise and jumped back. A couple of ounces of coffee jumped from her cup as well, hitting the porch floor with a splat. She turned to see a tall good-looking blond guy grinning at her over the porch railings. Oh my god! Where the hell did he come from?
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. I’m Joe Vandersmoot, a friend of Vicky’s. You must be Marsha? I just finished doing Vicky a favor, planting some perennials in the beds out back.”
“Hi.” Her voice came out in a whisper. She tried not to stare but she couldn’t stop. There he was with the sun shining on his blond hair and a crooked smile on his handsome face. Yum.
Joe couldn’t help looking at her long shapely legs and flowing honey colored hair. His eyes slid over her in an admiring gaze as a light wind blew through her hair, and lifted the hem of her brief nightie, dangerously high on her thighs.
Marsha recovered first. “That’s okay; I just didn’t think anyone was around. It’s um, well, nice to meet you.” Smiling sheepishly, she backed towards the screen door. “Listen, I need to run up and get some clothes on.”
“Hey, don’t do anything on my account,” he laughed.
Marsha grinned. “Why don’t you go in and fix yourself a cup of coffee. I’ll be back in two seconds.” She whirled around, dashed inside and raced back upstairs
Oh god! This totally hot guy drops out of nowhere and here I am wearing practically nothing and no make-up. I’m so not ready for this!
It didn’t take her long to slip into her favorite summer dress and some strappy high-heeled sandals. Expertly she applied a light makeup, emphasizing her eyes with mascara. Smoothing lip-gloss on she said to herself, “This will have to do.”
“Hey.” she said when she found Joe in the kitchen waiting for her. She smiled and reached for the coffee pot. “I don’t think I ever drank the first cup. Not sure even where I left it.” She brought a fresh mug to the table and sat down with him.
Joe laughed and leaned back, stretching out his long legs. He found that he had trouble keeping his eyes from the woman sitting across from him. For the next half hour, Joe and Marsha relaxed comfortably in the kitchen, becoming acquainted. They talked about Joe’s plans for his nursery, her life in the city, the Victorian house he was restoring and their mutual friend Vicky. Joe was smitten already, and Marsha thought he was at least as much of a hunk as Jack Conner.
“So, what exactly is it that you do in New York?”
Marsha needed to think quickly. I don’t need to lie, in order to keep Vicky’s secret. She simply told him the truth. “I work for a literary agency. You know, the publishing business. It’s a job and it pays the rent.”
“Sounds interesting,” said Joe. “Did you guys meet in New York City? Did Vicky live in Manhattan too?”
That was tougher to answer. “Oh you know, we knew the same people in the city, and out in Jersey.” She changed the subject. “Joe, are you hungry?”
“Starving."
"Want some breakfast?” Marsha looked vaguely around the room at refrigerator and stove. “I guess you could fix us some eggs, or something. I’m not much in the kitchen.”
“No need. You’re a guest in the Grove this weekend. We don’t want to leave a mess for Vicky either. I know a great breakfast place in town. We can run in, grab a bite, and come back. They’ll be in church for a while yet. What do you say?”
Marsha beamed at him. “Awesome. Let’s do it.” She quickly shot a text to Vicky to let her know where they’d be.
Joe laughed as he watched her lock up the house. “Most people don’t bother locking the doors around here in the daytime.”
“Oh yeah. It's different than what I’m used to,” said Marsha.
“I know where I’m going, if you want me to drive.”
Marsha nodded so Joe opened her car door for her and went around to slide into the driver’s seat.
A few minutes later, they were on their way to town.
Bathed by the soft breeze and bright sunshine, John was driving his Mustang with the top down, on his way to Jack's. The radio was turned up high and he sang along with his favorite country songs. He couldn’t wait to see the beautiful blue-eyed Marsha again. Just the thought of all that golden hair and her incredibly perfect boobs had him grinning.
Then just as he was slowing to make his turn into the farm's gravel drive, he saw Marsha’s car pull out and come toward him. Jaw hanging
, he looked over amazed as Joe, the gorgeous Marsha seated close beside him, smiled and waved at John as they sailed past.
“Damn! What the hell is Joe doing with her? Where the hell are they going?”
When Vince pulled in behind his car a few minutes later, John was waiting for him. “No one here Vince. Even Jack is gone. His truck’s in the garage, but he’s not upstairs.”
“Not a problem, John. He said to use our judgment. Let’s get these things up under the eaves, and out of sight as much as possible. I’ve got a honey-do list waiting for me at home.”
They found a ladder in Jack’s garage and went to work. Just as they’d promised, the cameras were installed in an hour and John took the instructions up to Jack’s apartment.
When Jack returned with the girls from church, he noticed that Marsha’s car was gone, but Van Wart’s was there. He must be here to install the cameras.
“Marsha’s gone somewhere,” he said to Vicky.
“Oh that’s right; she texted me. She and Joe went out to breakfast,” she said, thumbing through her phone messages. Diane and I can fix us all some lunch. Want leftovers from last night? Maybe John’s hungry too.”
“Absolutely Victoria. When is John not hungry?”
Jack found his friend upstairs pouring over the installation instructions for the camera system.
“Jack, boot up your computer. This will only take a few minutes. Got to install software and tweak a few things.”
It wasn’t long before they were looking at the camera view of the back yard, barn, and garage.
“John, the resolution is incredibly clear. You can see everything. This is amazing.”
“Van Wart smiled. “Awesome isn’t it? Now watch, I’m going to cycle through the four cameras and we’ll look at the sides and front.”
Soon they were looking at a view of the front yard and the road beyond.
“There you go pal. You’re a lot more secure than you were yesterday.” John turned to his friend, frowning. “Jack what was Joe doing with Marsha? They took off in her car. I passed them on the way in. What’s up with that?”
“Don’t know John, but you can ask them yourself in a minute,” he said, pointing at the computer monitor.
As they watched, Marsha’s car pulled into the farm drive and came to a stop. For a minute, no one emerged, but then Joe and the girl got out. Both were laughing at something. They got only half way across the lawn and stopped, turning towards one another. Their smiles faded and Joe looked up at the house. It seemed as though he were looking directly into the camera.
“Hey John, you remember that old TV show, Candid Camera?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“Look.”
Suddenly Joe and Marsha were in one another’s arms, lips locked together. The men stared at the screen as the girl put her arms around Joe’s neck and kissed him, running her fingers into his hair. Gathering her into his arms, Joe deepened the kiss, stroking up and down her back. She didn’t seem to mind when Joe’s hands strayed slowly down until he grasped Marsha’s beautiful round rear end and crushed her up against him. As he did so, the short dress rose, revealing a hint of white panties. Marsha kept her hands on the back of his head, holding his lips to hers, not letting go.
“Joe! Buddy, Get a room.” laughed Jack.
Beside him John could only groan, “Oh god! Damn! How did this happen?”
Grandmother Buonadies’ Chicken Sausage & Potatoes
Grandma used all kinds of Italian sausage; hot or sweet, with basil or cheese, they were all delicious. The links can be cut in half. I like to use chicken thighs although my grandmother used an entire chicken. If your Italian grandmother is particularly fond of roasted garlic and she's coming for dinner, throw in several more cloves. A roasted clove, a bite of potato, and a tidbit of sausage on the fork together is heaven. Serves four.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 lb. fresh chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 large sweet onion, sliced into thin wedges
12 whole cloves garlic
4 medium russet potatoes, sliced into long wedges (like steak fries)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Wash and pat dry chicken parts and combine with potatoes, onions, and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Add olive oil and spices, mixing thoroughly until everything is well coated with oil and spices. Line a half-sheet pan with heavy-duty foil. Pour in the mixture and arrange chicken evenly on top, skin side up. Nestle sausage links between chicken. Place pan in pre-heated 400F degree oven and cook for about 45 to 50 minutes until well browned and chicken juices run clear.
Chapter 23
Jack came through the back door looking for the lunch Vicky and Diane had promised. “Hey there,” he said nodding to the others. His face broke into a stupid grin as he eyed his friend Joe, with his arm possessively around Marsha’s waist. Yes! He did a mental arm pump. With the competition sidelined by Victoria’s friend, things were looking up.
The girls had an impromptu buffet of cold chicken, sandwiches, and salads laid out. Arranging the dishes on the kitchen table, Diane stepped back and smiled at Vicky. “It looks so good.”
Vicky put a pitcher on the table and looked around at her friends. “Anyone want ice tea? I just made a fresh pitcher.”
Glancing at Jack, she saw he had a mischievous grin plastered all over his face. What’s up with that? Following his gaze, she saw he was watching Joe whispering intimately to Marsha, pulling her close. She had the distinct impression that something had changed while she was at church, but wasn’t precisely sure what it was. Marsha certainly looked happy with Joe’s attention.
Diane looked around the kitchen puzzled, asking, “Jack, where’s John? Doesn’t he want lunch?”
“He umm, said he had to take off.”
“Marsha and I just had breakfast in town, but tea sounds good. Want some tea Marsha?” said Joe, turning to her with a smile.
“Sure. Let me get it.” Marsha lifted the pitcher and began to fill glasses. “Vick, this is so nice of you.”
Sitting down at the table filled with food, Vicky asked, “So, who’s going to eat all this?”
Jack pulled out a chair next to her and sat down. “It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it. Victoria and Diane went to a lot of trouble.” Quickly he filled a plate and dug in. Still grinning, he chewed and moaned with pleasure, reaching for the salad. “Victoria, this is incredible.”
Joe looked over the table with interest and sat down. “I guess I could eat something.”
Marsha watched in amazement as he filled a plate and began to dig in.
* * *
Vicky and her friend were relaxing after breakfast on the porch. It was Monday morning, their weekend was over, and Marsha needed to be back to work on Tuesday. Smiling, Vicky gave her friend a knowing look.
“You and Joe seemed to really hit it off!”
“Oh I know. I really had a great time with him Vick; I can’t thank you enough for inviting me. You didn’t tell me you were hiding Joe Vandersmoot up here. I plan to get to know him a whole lot better.”
“See Marsha, didn’t I tell you the other night you’d find someone else after dumping Frank what’s his name?”
“Yeah. You did. Oh, did I tell you? Joe’s asked me to have lunch with him at his place today. He lives in an old Victorian house he’s fixing up. Sounds totally awesome! He told me I couldn’t leave Pippen’s Grove without seeing all the work he’s done, so I’m stopping there on the way back to the city.” Marsha bubbled, “Do you mind?”
“Sure, I’m okay with that. No problem”
“Thanks! I’m going to pack, have my shower, and make myself look unbelievably charming and sexy. Be down soon.”
Vicky remained on the porch and contemplated
doing a little work. I think I’ll check out Tori Baxter’s web site, answer some fan mail and check out her Facebook page while I’m at it. Apparently, Jack hadn’t revealed Tori Baxter’s secret identity. “It was so much easier to keep a lid on things when I lived in that little apartment in New Jersey.”
She envied Marsha with her easy casual way with men. Her friend possessed a self-confidence that must come only with experience. I still can’t even figure out if I’m really in love with Jack. Marsha seems to think I am. My feelings for him are so much stronger than any I’ve ever had before, but what do I really have to compare it to?
Jimmy’s mail delivery Jeep pulled to a stop in front of her box on the road. He waved through the open window and Vicky waved back and smiled. She heard the metallic crump as he closed the box and then he rolled off down the road.
“Come on Romeo. Let’s go get the mail.”
She scratched the cat’s ears and he got to his feet, leaving his patch of sun on the porch floor. He trotted along with her in a zigzag pattern down the lawn, first in front, then behind. Why do kitties always do that?
Opening the mailbox, she pulled out the catalogues and flyers, then the envelopes. Behind them was a cardboard box about six inches square, addressed to Jack. I wonder what that is.
Suddenly she felt a prickling of apprehension between her shoulder blades. She spun around but there was nothing there. Shrugging the feeling away, she began shuffling through the envelopes while Romeo paced back and forth around her legs. Then she heard a noisy vehicle slowing as it approached her.
The little pin pricks of fear came again as she slowly turned to see Van Winkle’s dirty truck coming toward her. He stopped, got out, and came around the front of his truck to stare at her. Neither of them spoke as Vicky’s fear mounted. What am I afraid of? Marsha’s upstairs in the shower, but I’ve no idea where Jack might be. She remembered hearing his tractor way off in the fields behind the barn earlier in the day, but now there was only silence. She was entirely alone, and feeling vulnerable.
Keeping Victoria's Secret Page 23
