Now and Forever 4, The Renovated Heart (5 page)

“Thank you, Becky. Please call me
Sarah.”

“Can I come with you tonight, Mom?”

“This is grown-ups only. I’m sorry. You see
Jim all the time.”

“So do you. No fair.” He folded his arms
across his chest, a frown pasted on his face.

“Are you jealous?”

The boy didn’t answer his mother. Becky
quickly began reading again and Scottie turned his attention to
her. Sarah frowned to herself.
Scottie is getting attached to
Jim.
Is that a good thing? Perhaps not. Dating, I don’t know
what I’m doing.

The doorbell rang. Sarah answered it. Jim’s
jaw dropped when he saw her. His gaze began at her eyes, then moved
down lingering a bit too long on her breasts, making her
shiver.

“You look fantastic,” he said. She felt his
eyes burning through her dress.

Scottie ran over to the door.

“Can I come with you tonight?” the boy
begged.

“What did your mother say?” He glanced over
at Sarah who hid her laugh behind her hand.

“She said it’s just for grown-ups.”

“Right. But we can do something, just guys,
maybe tomorrow. Okay?”

“Yeah! Leave the girls at home!” Scottie
said, his eyes lighting up.

Jim chuckled.

“Scottie, let’s finish the book.” Becky
waved her hand. Sarah kissed the top of Scottie’s head then called
out to her daughter.

“Good night, Laura.” She stepped outside,
closing the door behind her.

“I’m not sure if I’m dating you or Scottie,”
Jim laughed.

“My boy is sure getting attached to you,”
she said, concern in her voice.

“I like him, too. He’s a great kid.”

“Where are we going?”

“Bon Appetit,” he said, opening the car door
for her.

It was a warm night but Sarah toted a
lavender shawl in case the restaurant was cold.

“Hey, Jim. Long time, no see,” Don said,
drying glasses behind the bar.

“Hi, Don. This is Sarah Morgan, Sarah, Don
Rosen.”

“Your taste is improving,” Don said.

“Thanks,” Jim said, red rising up his neck,
“can we get a table?”

“Sure, sure. Sunny!” he called.

“How many women have you brought here?”
Sarah asked.

“Just a couple…I guess.” A flush stole up
his neck showing slightly above the collar of his shirt.

Sunny came forward with two menus under her
arm wearing a big smile. She motioned them to a small table in a
corner. Sunny nodded to Jim, obviously thinking Sarah couldn’t
see.

“Who are these people, your relatives?”
Sarah whispered to Jim.

“Just friends…friends who were with me
through hard times,” he said, laughing.

“You had hard times?”

“Losing Nancy was the worst.”

“Sorry, yes, of course.”

“Didn’t stop there…” he admitted.

“What else happened?”

“I had an engagement that…didn’t work
out.”

“Did you break up with her?”

“She left me for someone else,” he said,
lowering his gaze to his hands.

“Stupid woman,” she blurted out. Jim took
her hand.

“What’s good to eat here? I’m starving.”
Sarah removed her hand from his to open the menu.

Drinks arrived, food orders were placed
leaving the couple deep in conversation about writing.

“How do you find the time to write with
teaching on top of running the English department?”

“I have time…too much time. This might not
be a problem if I had a beautiful woman…like you in my life.” Jim
laced his fingers with hers.

“Well, then, I wouldn’t want to interfere
with your career.”

“Interfere, please, it would be a pleasure.”
Jim took her hand in his. His thumb traced a scar on the inside of
her hand.

“Where’d you get this?”

“Knife…in the kitchen, chopping.” She tried
to ease her hand away but his grip was firm.

“Looks like—what they call on TV—a defensive
wound.” He bent his head to place a soft kiss on the two-inch scar
then released her hand.

Before she could open her mouth, Sunny
arrived with their food. He had Steak Frites while Sarah had
roasted chicken breast with fresh garden vegetables. Her appetite
kicked into high gear. She couldn’t remember the last time she had
eaten a meal she didn’t cook. Glancing up, she noticed him watching
her with an amused expression on his face.

“What?”

“You look like you haven’t eaten in
years.”

“Am I being a pig? I’m so sorry.” Heat rose,
alerting Sarah to the blush in her face, and she dropped her
fork.

Jim reached over to take her hand.

“I never meant to imply…no way. I like to
see you enjoying the food. Please, please eat.”

Hunger gnawed at her belly so she picked up
her fork again. Jim smiled and she shot him a return grin.

“This is the best chicken I’ve ever tasted.”
Sarah stabbed a small piece, raising it to her lips.

“You’ve got…” Jim leaned over. Sarah closed
her eyes while he brushed his lips over hers quickly. Then he sat
back. “…butter on your lip.”

Her eyes flew open. She stopped eating to
stare at hJim, her eyes focused on his lips.

“Do you always kiss away the drips on your
dates…lips?”

“Only the irresistible ones.” She spied a
twinkle in his eye.

They ate in silence for a while glancing at
each other, exchanging shy smiles. When they finished, he ordered
coffee and a special chocolate dessert for them to share. The sweet
confection arrived first.

“How come you don’t have kids, Jim? You’re
so good with them.”

His face turned red.

“I always wanted kids…Nancy…we did. She
actually got pregnant, but lost the baby early on, like in the
first few weeks. That’s when we found out she had cancer. In six
months Nancy passed,” he said, looking down at his hands.

Tears pricked her eyes as she watched him
struggle for control. Her hand covered his.

“How awful for you,” she said, leaning over
to kiss his cheek.

He blinked rapidly then looked away.

“Then I got engaged to Fran. She didn’t want
kids…I foolishly went along. I guess I didn’t want to be
alone.”

“And?”

“She ran off with my niece Lara’s ballet
partner, Andres, to New York City.”

“Oh my God!”

“Actually, I think she did me a favor. I
wouldn’t compromise on having kids again.”

Jim dipped his fork into the center of the
small liquid-filled chocolate cake.

“You want to have a child?” Sarah raised her
eyes to his, scooping up a taste of the dessert with her spoon.

“I’ve been looking for a woman who’d make a
good mother and partner but haven’t had much success.” He raised
his eyes, staring hard at her.

“You’ll be a good father,” she said, trying
to ignore the goose bumps on her arm.

“You think so?” He put his fork in his
mouth.

She nodded, her mouth full of the rich
dessert.

He smiled at her, taking her hand again.
When they finished eating, before the coffee arrived, Jim leaned in
to kiss her.

“You’re easy to talk to,” he said, sitting
back in his chair.

Sunny arrived with two cups of steaming
coffee. Sarah stirred in milk and sugar while Jim drank his
black.

“Nothing you could say can shock me. My life
has been one big disaster area, so…”

“Do you want to tell me?” He leaned forward,
still loosely holding her hand.

“I’d prefer to look ahead, not back,” she
said, lifting her cup to drink.

“A good philosophy.” He drained his coffee
and sat back.

After she finished, Jim paid the check. They
drove home in comfortable silence. He turned into his driveway, cut
the motor then pulled Sarah into his arms. He kissed her gently
then took it deeper, parting her lips, his tongue seeking hers. She
responded, hungry for his affection. Pulling her closer, he
flattened her breasts against his hard body. Her breath came
quickly as desire began to flow again in her veins. When he leaned
back, he locked his eyes on hers as his breathing became ragged,
and the air between them thickened.

Sarah pulled him to her for another long
kiss, winding her arms around his neck. He cradled her breast
gently, feeling its weight...she moaned softly, wishing for more.
His body stiffened as his fingers closed around her flesh. Heat
shot through her veins like a rocket. Her body’s reaction unnerved
her so she pulled back, trying to control her heartbeat. Jim
dropped his hand.

“Do you want to…come inside?” he asked her,
almost panting.

She shook her head. As much as he raised
desire in her, how could she even consider sleeping with him on
their first date?

“Too fast for me.” Her breathing had almost
returned to normal.

“Of course.”

He nodded, moving away from her. They sat
not touching.

“Thank you for the dinner. A great
place.”

“Do you want to go out again next
Saturday?”

“I…I’d love to.” Pleasure colored her
cheeks.

“It’s a date, then.”

“Have to lock in the babysitter.”

He placed his palm on her cheek, tipping her
chin up to face him. He peered into her eyes, his gaze searching
hers. She couldn’t hide the longing there. His warm smile told her
he read her, and knew she wanted him, too. He kissed her then
walked her up to the front door.

“I had a—”

Jim tugged her into his arms to interrupt
her with his mouth.

“Me, too,” he said after releasing her,
“until next Saturday.”

He waited for her to open the door hanging
around to be sure she was safely inside before he returned to his
house.
My first date in so long I can’t remember.
Sarah
smiled to herself before turning toward Becky. Her cell phone
buzzed…a text arrived from Kit.

How was ur date? I’m moving to Grace’s.

* * * *

Downtown Willow Falls, Saturday
afternoon.

Kit opened the creaky gate to walk up the
brick path leading to Gracie’s Mansion. She liked the homey
atmosphere and the eclectic decorating of the old Victorian. Grace,
a recent widow, agreed to a rock bottom rate for Kit because she
made it clear she desperately needed a place to stay at least for a
few days and had limited funds.

She moved her suitcase from the motel into a
room on the second floor. The small room had light blue walls, a
bedspread in a small print fabric in dark purple, lavender and
light blue. The bed had a matching canopy. The only other piece of
furniture besides a small bureau was a little dressing table with a
skirt in the same print. There were two windows, one looked down on
the entrance to Bon Appetit while the other faced the
University.

When Kit signed in, the band of white skin
on the third finger of her left hand, where her wedding band used
to be, caught her eye. She had discarded her ring in the gutter in
disgust on the way home from the French restaurant after Johnny
dumped her.
To pretend you’re married, you need a wedding
ring.
At least until she could accept the divorce.

First stop after unpacking—Willow Falls
Jewelry where she purchased the cheapest plain gold wedding band
they had. Kit wasn’t ready for the attentions of a man or to admit
her husband had left her. The wedding band kept her safe, her life,
private.

Everyday Kit took out her laptop and tried
to write, but nothing came. Setting up in the parlor on the first
floor didn’t work either. Long walks, chatting with Sarah by phone
and email, rocking on the porch with Grace didn’t bring new book
ideas..

Zoe refused to see her, blaming her mother
for the divorce. Kit stayed away. The pain of knowing her daughter
lived so close but was out of reach seared her heart. She had
always made time for Zoe, thought they were close. The divorce
created a wedge between them, a gulf Zoe refused to cross.

While strolling through the small town, Kit
came to know the stores and restaurants. She stopped in at Harry’s
Deli for a sandwich at lunchtime, sometimes, Mary’s Café for tea in
the late afternoon, then skipped dinner. Kit joined Grace for
breakfast at eight every morning.

Willow Falls Seconds, a second-hand shop,
intrigued her. Thumbing through the used books at Bella’s
Bookstore, looking for a book to distract her, helped pass an hour
or two. When she found a good book, she’d curl up on the wicker
sofa or sit in a rocker on Grace’s porch, facing Bon Appetit, and
read the day away.

* * * *

Tunney wandered into Bon Appetit in need of
an excellent meal and good company. He wouldn’t admit to himself he
hoped to see Kit Alexander again. He held his breath as he opened
the door. His gaze went right to the bar. A big grin washed over
his face. There she was, sitting in the same seat with a Cosmo on
the bar in front of her. He stopped for a moment to look at the
back of her sundress, a print in two shades of blue on a white
background. He loved blue. As he let go of the door, his mind
fantasized about the construction of the front of her dress and
what it covered, causing his grin to widen. He placed his hand on
the back of the seat next to her, leaned over and spoke softly into
her ear with his deep, warm voice.

“Your first tonight?”

When she turned around he was rewarded with
a nice view of her fine breasts. He was unable to pull his gaze
away until her tinkling laugh grabbed his attention, and made him
meet her eyes.

“Well, hello again.” Kit raised her drink to
her lips, his eyes followed it.

“Is this seat taken?”

“Not yet”

“My lucky night,” he murmured, sliding into
the seat next to her.

“I promise not to overindulge tonight.” She
tried to form a frown but her lips kept turning up into a
smile.

“Too bad. I enjoyed walking you home.” He
glanced briefly at the neckline of her sundress again, then at the
curve of her leg.