“Thank you. Are you ready for your private concert with the little known musician Jackson Redmayne?”
“Little known? That must be by choice.”
He walked over and pulled out the bench. “Any requests?”
“I’ll listen to anything you want to play.”
“That makes it easy. Get ready for some Henry Mancini.”
As he worked his way through such recognizable movie themes as ‘The Pink Panther’ and ‘Moon River’, only one part of his mind was on the music. Jackson had been so sure he didn’t want to love again. He’d even been foolish enough to believe the damage to his heart was past any kind of remedy. But more recklessly unwise than both of those assumptions was thinking he was incapable of loving another woman. Avoiding something is a whole lot easier when you think it can’t happen.
While he could have played for hours, he wasn’t going to subject Violet to that. After one last song, he lifted his hands off the keys and swiveled around to face her.
“You’re not stopping already, are you?” she asked.
“The rule for any performer is to leave the stage on a high note.” He put down the lid and walked over to sit opposite her.
“I knew you’d be good. No one owns a Steinway unless they’re serious. How many years did you take lessons?”
“I never took any formal lessons. As a music professor, my father wasn’t about to let anyone else teach me, but he didn’t have a lot of time to give me himself. So he designed a program and checked on my progress from time to time.”
“It sounds a bit lonely.”
He looked away from her. “It was lonely at times.”
“Now I’m even more in awe of you. I took lessons for eight years.”
“It’s not your skill level that matters. It’s how well you bring your audience into your world, and how quickly you can make them forget everything else. I think of it as paying respect to the composer.”
“All I can say is you pay your respects to the composer very well.”
“I think that had a lot to do with who was listening. It’s nice to find someone who loves music the way I do. When I listen to you play, I can feel the music inside of you reaching out to me.”
“You’ve also got the guys who play in your band.”
“They’ve got wives and families, both of whom take precedence over me.”
She rose to her feet. “Since I can’t convince you to keep playing, would you like some blueberry pie?”
“I’d love some.”
As he followed her into the kitchen, he tried to stem his disappointment. They were nearing the end of the evening, and he was already missing her. As he watched her remove the pie from the box, he mentally reviewed his schedule, trying to figure out when he could see her again.
“I wish I could make pastry this light and fluffy.”
“Is there a trick to it?” he asked.
“According to Rachel, you can’t be in a hurry.”
Walking up behind her, he touched the wisps of silky hair that had escaped her ponytail. When he saw the goose bumps on her neck, Jackson forgot all about the pie. He edged closer, sliding his hands around her waist and putting his lips where his fingers had been. Her movements stilled, and then she leaned back against him.
“That feels nice,” she said softly.
“It’s nice for me, too,” he murmured against her skin. “You feel and smell like rose petals.”
As he worked his way toward her ear, she tilted her head to the side. “Have you ever wondered why roses have thorns? I can’t think of any other flower that has them.”
Jackson raised his head. “I would guess it’s to protect them from being eaten.”
“I kept thinking about that when I was trimming my dad’s rose bushes last weekend.”
“You’re a girl of many talents, most of which you keep hidden.”
She laughed as she turned around to face him, holding out a plate. “Here’s another of my talents. I can talk and slice pie at the same time. I just can’t make pie crust as good as Fresh Market.”
“Jetta likes to go to The Corner Bakery downtown. I might have to stop by there tomorrow and pick up some of her favorite things. Austin told me on the way here that he won’t be able to come into work until next Monday. He’s keeping his sister’s kids while she recovers from a severe case of food poisoning. I won’t be able to do his stuff and mine without Jetta’s cooperation.”
“It’s nice that you’re willing to do that for her. If there’s anything I can do to help you, let me know.”
He smiled as he sank his fork into the pie. “I think you’d be good at selling houses. All you have to do is flash your pretty smile, and they’d be asking where to sign.”
“I don’t think it would be quite that easy. Can you believe it’s after ten already? We crammed a lot of things into one night.”
“In spite of all the cramming, I had a great time.”
“So I haven’t completely turned you off spending time with me.”
“Not one little bit.” He set the plate on the counter. “I wish I could stay longer, but I’ve got an early start tomorrow. It’ll probably be the weekend before I have any free time. I’ll call you when I know more about the details of our fourth date.”
Later when Jackson took Abbott and Costello for a run, it wasn’t the fevered kisses in the bathroom that lingered longest in his mind. It was the gentle kiss Violet gave him on her neighbor’s driveway. Her feelings were real, her reactions without pretense, and her actions uncontrived. She deserved someone who could fully reciprocate. The man he used to be might have been able to. He wasn’t so sure about the man he’d become.
Chapter Twelve
Late afternoon sunlight poured through the wide, arched windows of the ballroom at the Maple Ridge Country Club. Only an hour remained before this room would be teeming with wedding guests. At the moment, it looked like semi-controlled chaos with so many people running in and out. Off to the right, an important-looking pastry chef was assembling a massive wedding cake. And in the corner on a raised stage, a group of men were setting up chairs for the orchestra.
Violet and Cory had spent the last half hour setting up thirty circular tables and covering them with tablecloths. Ignoring the aching of her arms, she wheeled the dining cart next to the first table.
“Got any plans for tonight?” Cory asked as he transformed the napkins into the elegant floral shapes they used to decorate the plates.
His question brought a small smile to her face. She hadn’t seen Jackson in person, but she’d heard from him every day since he kissed her goodnight on Tuesday evening. She’d been on the point of going to bed when he called last night.
“You sound sleepy. I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“No. I’m watching Jeeves try to outstare Bluebell. It’s not working.”
He laughed. “I heard a joke today that I thought you might enjoy.”
“I could use a laugh. Summer and I were honored with the presence of not one or two, but three of the party poopers today.”
“I’m not sure my joke will be enough to overcome that kind of deficit, but here it goes. A man and his wife were sitting at the dinner table. He turned to her and asked, ‘Do you know why God made women pretty and dumb?’ The wife said she had no idea. The man said, ‘He made them pretty so men would like them. He made them dumb so they would like men.’ What do you think of that?”
Violet smiled into the phone. “I’ll be nice and say that neither sex comes off very well in that scenario.”
“Men come off the worst. I guess we deserve it, though. All it takes is a beautiful woman backing into us at a rest area, and it’s over.”
“I didn’t notice any waving of the white flag. You couldn’t get away fast enough.”
“I had to. I was in danger of forgetting my own name as well as the fact that I had a girlfriend. I know that doesn’t sound very nice, but it’s the truth. For years, I’ve been going through the motions of
dating. That’s why I was so surprised when I felt such a connection to you. And before you get the wrong idea, I’m not just going through the motions with you. This is different. Even in a short time, you’ve become very special to me.”
Violet had to wipe a tear from her eye. “I care about you, too, Jackson.”
“Can I see you tomorrow? I should be finished around four.”
“I’ve got a wedding reception in the afternoon. It’ll wrap up around six or so.”
“Where will you be?”
“The Maple Ridge Country Club.”
“If you’re not too tired, we could have dinner at my place.”
There was no such thing as being too tired to spend time with Jackson. “Dinner at your place sounds good.”
“Great. It looks like I’m getting a call from my mother.”
“I’ll let you go then.”
“Okay. See ya tomorrow.”
A hand waved in front of her face. “Hey, where’d you go?”
“I’m sorry, Cory. I was thinking about something else. What was your question?”
“Never mind. I know the answer already.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I don’t think the man headed this way is looking for me. Isn’t he the same guy who spoke French to you at that anniversary party back in June?”
Violet’s heart started to race even before she glanced over her shoulder and saw Jackson. He smiled when their eyes met.
“I bet you didn’t expect to see me here.” Undeterred by the presence of Cory, he dropped a not-so-quick kiss on her lips.
“How did you get off so early? It’s only one-thirty.”
“My last appointment cancelled.”
She waved a hand toward her very amused companion. “Jackson, this is Cory. He’s the genius who comes up with all our unique table decorations.”
Jackson nodded at Cory. “I could use your help when we stage a house. We try to make the homes we’re selling look more inviting by adding fresh accessories, linens and table settings. The interior decorator we’ve used in the past has become so busy she doesn’t have time for small jobs like that. Would you be interested in doing it?”
Cory smiled widely. “I sure would.”
“That would be great. I’ll get your number from Violet. Then we can talk more about it when you’re not busy.”
“Sounds good.”
Jackson looked around the room. “Whoever is getting married must have a lot of friends.”
“I think the bride is the mayor’s daughter.”
“Chris Anderson’s getting married? Good for her.”
“According to Rachel, the groom owns everything from here to Atlanta,” put in Cory.
“That doesn’t surprise me.”
“Are you planning to crash the reception?” Violet asked him.
“I’ll pass on that. No one wants to see an old boyfriend at their wedding reception.”
“You dated the mayor’s daughter?” Cory asked, clearly impressed and not bothering to hide it. Violet got the feeling that only her presence kept Cory from giving Jackson a high five.
Jackson shifted his glance to her. “It didn’t last long.”
Violet wished Rachel hadn’t told her that Chris Anderson had been a runner up in a recent Miss Georgia contest. It made Jackson’s attentions to her even harder to understand. “Are you heading home now?”
“I have to stop by the store first. How about I come back later and help with the cleanup?”
“That’s okay. You’ve got better things to do with your time.”
“Not really. The sooner you get done here, the sooner you can spend time with me.”
What girl doesn’t like to hear that? “That’s true. I’ll text you when we’re ready to start breaking everything down.”
* * * * *
Jackson’s stop at the store took longer than usual. At the moment his pantry was practically empty. There wasn’t enough of anything to make a decent dinner for Violet. At least he didn’t have to worry about cleaning the house. His maid service did a great job keeping things in order.
The last few days at the office had been too hectic for even a self-proclaimed workaholic such as himself. Handling the appointments for himself and Austin had him going in early and working until late in the evening. Texting and snatching a few minutes of conversation with Violet was better than nothing, but he missed being with her. That was the reason for his unplanned stop at the country club. He simply couldn’t wait any longer to see her.
Once his groceries were put away, he arranged shrimp in a pan and covered them with his favorite marinade. Then he put together the sweet potato casserole he planned to bake closer to when they were eating. This only left the corn. He quickly husked and cleaned the ears and wrapped them in foil.
Having done as much as he could to prep for dinner, he went outside to wash the Land Rover. A picture of Leonie flashed into his mind. He’d completely misread Violet’s reasons for keeping her car. What he thought was a financial consideration was actually a sentimental attachment. He should have picked up on that from the fact that she referred to the car by name.
This evidence of following her heart instead of bowing to outside pressure was yet another aspect of her character that appealed to him. She didn’t care what others thought. She stood by her convictions. He smiled to himself. That didn’t mean Leonie couldn’t have a facelift. Some bodywork and a paint job would make her like new again.
The bathing of Abbott and Costello was always an adventure and usually required a change of clothes afterward. The text from Violet came as he was getting dressed. When he was once again walking into the ballroom at the country club, it looked as if a storm had blown through it. Violet and Cory were clearing tables, another man and woman were standing at the buffet dealing with the leftover food, and a few members of the orchestra were leaning against the wall watching the proceedings.
“Hello, again,” he said as he joined her. “Everything go okay?”
She sent him a tired smile. “Yes. It’s nice when there aren’t any major problems.”
“What can I do?”
“You can help Cory take down tables.”
“Sounds like fun.”
Cory laughed. “It’s the opposite of fun.”
After the first dozen tables, Jackson was more than ready to agree with him. They were returning from the room where the tables were stored when he was approached by Violet and the woman he’d seen earlier.
“Jackson, this is my best friend and weekend boss, Rachel Callahan. Rachel, this is Jackson Redmayne.”
Rachel eyed him somewhat curiously as she held out her hand. “It’s nice to put a face with your name.”
“Same here,” he said, shaking her hand. “Violet told me about your engagement. Congratulations.”
Her smile widened. “Thank you. I appreciate you helping out today. An extra pair of hands makes such a difference.”
“I’m glad I could be of some use. I never realized how much work goes into one of these things.”
“Most people don’t. They think everything appears and disappears with a wave of a magic wand. I’m fortunate to have such a great crew to work with. Speaking of which, I need to go finish helping Sully before he thinks I deserted him.”
After Rachel walked away, he looked at Violet. “I can see why you stay so slim. This is hard work.”
“That’s one good thing about this job. I don’t have to exercise. I went with Rachel to the gym a few times and hated it. There were all these super in-shape people walking around. And on top of that, there were mirrors everywhere. I don’t want to see myself or anyone else from every possible angle.”
“It’s good to be in shape and live a healthy lifestyle, but like anything else, it can be taken too far.”
Violet laughed. “You’ve taken it much farther than me. You didn’t get all those muscles from showing houses and running in the park with Abbott and Costello.”
He grinned. “Presenting a professional image is important when you deal with the public.”
“Yeah, it’s professional all right. I know Cory appreciated having someone who didn’t have to keep taking breaks every ten minutes. We never get done this quickly. I just wish you hadn’t had to give up your free afternoon to make it possible.”
He reached over and touched her cheek. “I didn’t give up anything. I wanted to be here.”
On their way out to the parking lot, Jackson heard someone calling his name. He looked over his shoulder. Even with the change in hair color, he recognized the woman. “Hey, Laurel.”
“Jackson! I haven’t seen you in months. How’s the real estate business?”
“It’s going very well.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Violet walk away in the direction of the catering truck where Cory was talking to Rachel. All things considered, it was probably for the best. There was no telling what Laurel might say. Subtlety had never been her strong point.
“I’m glad to hear it. You look great. As handsome as ever.”
“Thanks. I like what you did with your hair.”
She touched the bright strands. “Do you? I thought blondes had more fun. That turned out to be a myth.”
“What are you doing at Maple Ridge? Did you take up golf?”
“No way. I’m the marketing manager.”
Jackson tried not to show his surprise. He didn’t like to judge anyone, but Laurel was the definition of scatter-brained. He couldn’t imagine her trying to do something that required so much attention to detail. “That’s a nice change from what you were doing before.”
“Much better. Answering the phone and typing letters all day is boring. Are you doing anything right now? I only came by to pick up something I left at work yesterday. We could go somewhere and get something to eat.”
“That would have been nice, but I’ve already got plans for the evening.”
“I don’t see a wedding ring so I guess you’re still playing the field.”
Dating two or three women a year wasn’t close to playing the field. “You’ve got me mixed up with someone else. I hate to rush off, but I’ve got some people waiting on me. It was great seeing you, Laurel. Good luck with the job.”
Mine for a Day (Finding Love Book 8) Page 14
