2 Maid in the Shade (30 page)

Facebook Post: Sometimes it is understandable when we don’t listen to our hearts. But to ignore the lessons in countless horror movies—now that is just inexcusable.”

Chapter 22

J
ared and I cleaned up quietly then let Mosey out a final time before turning in. The giant schnauzer loved it here. We watched him cavort around the pond from the front porch until I broke the silence.

“If something happens to me, and I end up sick or hurt or something can I ask you a huge favor
?”

“I’ll take him
,” he said looking straight ahead.

“And you won’t give him
back to cadaver work unless it’s imperative and you go with him?”

He
nodded. “Why’d you make me do that Gretchen? That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. They took it badly.”

I
studied my hands, “I didn’t have anyone else and you knew the whole thing. They deserved to know before it leaks out. I didn’t want to see their faces, the pity, I hate that. And I am a coward.”

“You’re
right; I mean I already had to explain the whole tub thing to Lucy, although I didn’t give her all the details.”

“Ah!” I
stood up, “she was going to replace the tub, and I can’t have anyone seeing that mess. That’s my job.”

“Taken care of,” he said.

“When? Who? And how in the world?”

“Me, that night, while you were sleeping, Rod came over with a sh
otgun and sat on the porch. I cleaned it with all your supplies. I knew the crime lab people were done so I took care of it.”

“Well, I apologize again
. I owe you a huge debt.”

“Not a problem,” he said and took a healthy swig of tea.

“And you’re no coward; I don’t understand why you think that at all. I think you’re one of the bravest people I know, physically, emotionally. You do what’s right and you do what’s hard and you may like your privacy but you’re honest as hell.”

I
didn’t know how to respond to that so I just put my fingers between my lips and gave my best New York cab summoning whistle. Mosey came bounding toward us.

He
looked over and gave me a little grin. “And surprises, you’re full of surprises.” He reached over and held my hand for a moment.

I
let go first.

T
he next morning I woke up in Jared’s bed again. He was lying on his back, his hair curling slightly against the pillow and the sheets twisted a few inches beneath his navel. If he was going to retrieve me from my nightmares the least he could do was wear a shirt. He was so golden. I closed my eyes and nestled closer to him until my face was against his chest. I was wearing one of his old football t-shirts and a miniscule lace thong. The t-shirt was long enough, I had reasoned the night before when I chose it, although I joked that the Tar Heel logo made my skin burn.

“Gretchen,” Jared
said firmly. “I told you no more. It’s one thing to bring you into my bed when you are having bad dreams; I am not getting ensnared again until you make up your mind.”

“That’s fair,
” I said, “I have to say I admire your standards, in the face of any temptation you are so resolute.”

He
gave me a self-satisfied grin.

I
sat up and stretched and got slowly out of bed. When I got to his doorway I pulled off the shirt and tossed it to him. “Thanks for the loan,” I said in a whisper, and shut and locked my door behind me.

I
showered and dressed in record time and beat Jared down to the kitchen to make coffee. I had watched him with the percolator twice and mastered it pretty well.

“You look tired,” I said brightly as he
folded himself onto a barstool. “Trouble sleeping?”

“How could I have trouble sleeping with you in my bed? Wearing my shirt and
a pair of panties that would fit inside an acorn cap? He shook his head, “Nope, nothing to keep a man up at night there.”

“Well, I’m
really going home today,” I said. “Once I’m gone you should be sleeping like a baby.”

He
started to protest and I said “You know it isn’t your choice to make. I belong at my own house. This isn’t right to impose on you this way.” I held up my finger to his lips. “I’ll just keep teasing you, and you’re right, it isn’t fair to anyone. I know you like to work and I miss my house. Nothing else has happened there. So call off the night patrol and let’s get back to our lives.”

“You play hardball don’t you
?” He gave me a martyred look, “All right, if you’ll stay I’ll have sex with you.”

I
laughed. “No you were right about that, it wasn’t a mistake, it was something I needed to get past, but I need to sort out my feelings and my life and you sir, are a HUGE distraction.”

“What about the bad dreams
?”

“I wasn’t even aware I had them until you told me
, maybe I’ve been having them for months; I might have them forever. Come on, I already packed,” I nodded toward the bag of clothes, my purse and dog food. “Let’s go now and I’ll buy you breakfast.”

“Breakfast, in public at this hour
? You always want to avoid gossip.”

“
Well, today I don’t care. Too bad we didn’t give them more to talk about. Your loss,” I winked.

I
fastened Mosey’s leash and Jared grabbed my bag of clothes with a grumble. “Now I’m not going to be sleeping because I’ll be worried. And here I thought last night was torture.”

W
e went to the Oasis and grabbed a table. There were some furtive glances in our direction and a few overtly hostile ones. The waitress only took Jared’s order, ignoring mine until he repeated it. When she brought our food she slammed my plate down hard enough to make the eggs quiver.

“This was a splendid idea,” I laug
hed.

He
shrugged, “I warned you. Just say the words “I’m choosing you Jared” and I’ll take you right here on the table.”

I
gasped. “I’m glad we drove separately.”

“Why’s that
?" He asked, his eyes filled with mischief.

“Because right now I think I would say just about anything
for you, so you-—pal o’ mine are not coming home with me.”

“Oh
, now I most definitely am. I’m still on the clock watching you. I have a reputation to consider.”

“Yeah, NOW
we worry about reputations.”

“I warned you,” he said, his eyes gleaming
as he took a big bite of his biscuit. We finished up quickly. Despite the furtive glances I didn’t take them all personally. I was reasonably sure Jared got them whenever he publicly breakfasted with a woman.

He
followed me home and came inside to check the house. As soon as he was inside he said “My gosh, it is so hot in here, how do you bear it?”

I
looked at him in confusion. “It feels fine to me.”

“Nope it’s like a jungle in here,” he said firmly,
and removed his shirt as I studiously looked away. He stretched up to check the kitchen cabinets and flexed his muscles as I rolled my eyes.

If you’ll remember, I’m very thorough,” he leered
. He bent over to look under the table and wiggled his rear, turning back with his mouth set in a burlesque style “0” then straightened up and put his hands behind his head, making his biceps flex as he innocently asked me if I wanted security lighting.

I
was laughing hard as he said, “now for the upstairs,” and literally swept me off my feet holding me against his bare chest as we started up. He sniffed the air, “what is that manly fragrance? It smells like hard muscles and gleaming sweaty skin...Oh that would be me right?”

I
pressed my face against his neck and inhaled, he smelled so good, I wanted to bite him.

W
hen we entered my room his grip on me was a little tight. My heart was beating wildly in my chest as we passed through the doorway.

He
set me down. All the ugly memories of the last time I had been in my bedroom had been swept away. There was a huge crystal vase filled with roses and baby’s breath on my dresser. There was handmade pale lavender, green and ivory wedding ring quilt on the bed. “This is really lovely,” I breathed.

He
took me into the bathroom where the claw foot tub had been replaced by a Porcher Draped free-standing tub with a sheepskin rug beneath it. The angle had been changed so that now it was facing the bedroom rather than horizontally. It helped. I wasn’t sure when I would brave a bath again but it helped.

“Lucy bought the tub
?” I asked in wonder.

H
e nodded and pointed to the beautiful matching sink. “And the sink of course. The rug is from Jackson and the quilt?” He hesitated. “Do you like the quilt?”

I
nodded; it was the most beautiful quilt I had ever seen. “My mother,” he said. “She made it and she wanted you to have it.” I wiped at my eyes quickly. “I’m guessing the flowers are from you? I don’t know how to thank you.”

“
You’ll get your chance. They didn’t want to overwhelm you the first night so Jackson is spending the night with you tonight, Mona tomorrow, Lucy next, then me. If you can trust yourself,” he smiled, “I go in the rotation. A squad car will patrol the neighborhood. But I have to tell you Harlan and Bud wanted to express their displeasure. Dallas is out of the country hunting?”

I
nodded, “He goes to Argentina this time every year.”

“Well
Harlan wants you to know that when Dallas finds out about you coming home before they catch this guy he is going to tan your hide.”

“What about my
dad?”

J
ared gave me a look laced with disapproval, “We didn’t tell him, you’re grown; you told us not to.”

“Thank you. Now I’m going to see if I have any jobs to do today.”

“Are you crazy?”

“Yes.”

“Can I at least listen to your messages with you, make sure they’re for real and where you’ll be?”

I
bit my bottom lip, considered it and shrugged, “I think you just want to see if Ben called, but sure, one condition.”

“What’s that
?" He asked warily.

I
laughed, “A kiss.”

He
looked me up and down and shrugged, mockingly. “Sure, why not? But we listen to your machine first, I don’t trust you.”

“My how the tables turn!” I headed do
wnstairs and set the Iphone down. I had thirty two messages. I set it on speaker as I rolled through the personal ones that didn’t count. Jared, still shirtless, went to the refrigerator and fixed himself a glass of ice water. When he noticed me watching him he dipped his fingers in the water and began to let the droplets run down his chest. I burst into laughter and had to restart the last message.

I
t was an order from a tearful mother in Bridle Springs Country Club whose son had done his best to destroy their home in a steroid and alcohol induced rage.

I
called her back to let her know I would be there within a few hours to assess and estimate. “We had to put him in jail” she sobbed. “We’re going to a hotel. Can I just leave a key and a check for you? Call me if it isn’t enough and we’ll send someone over with more.”

“Ah, that is going to be one hot mess over there,” Jared
spoke up. “I heard about that one. They would beat the daylights out of that boy at the jail if they didn’t like the parents so much.”

I
called Jackson and thanked him for the rug and asked if he could get a few guys over to help me clean and repair the house at the country club. He launched into a complaint immediately. I smiled. I appreciated the fact that it may have taken some effort to respond as he normally would.

“Every
time I think I put this hard manual labor behind me you dig up a job and pull me back in.”

“Well, if your d
addy cuts you off maybe it will get you a bus ride to New York. But hey, if you want I can call someone else.”

“Gimme the address,” he said impatiently. “Do you need a maid too
?”

“Sounds like it.”

“See you in an hour then.”

“Okay, I know where I’ll be,” I told Jared, “Give up the goods.”

I stood up as he walked toward me with a bit of swagger. “Close your eyes,” I whispered and he did.

I
kissed him on the cheek with that great popping sound you give a small child.

He
opened his eyes in astonishment. “That’s it? That’s all you want?”

“Yep,” I smiled “
Thank your mother for me, I’ll write her a note.”

I
handed him his shirt and pushed him out the door. I looked at his confused expression and smiled. “Cocky doesn’t do it for me honey. I hate it when my power paradigm shifts.”