Under Currents (5 page)

“Grandma and Aunt Noreen have a secret.”

Now this had her attention. “And you know this how?”

“They thought I was outside with Ally and Grandpa. But I wasn’t, I was playing with my Nintendo DS. I heard everything they said.”

“I think you should keep quiet about it and start minding your own business.” Julie parked beside the house. "Grab a bag of groceries, Scott."

"Yes, ma'am.”

She lifted several bags and walked toward the backdoor. Caleb stood on the steps of the concrete platform that served as a boat ramp. He reeled his line in, then tossed it back out. Though she’d never asked, he seemed careful with his money, and she suspected he didn’t have a lot to spare.

Julie unloaded and put away her groceries before she gathered Caleb's items. She turned to Scott. “Take these to Caleb.”

“Sure. I like him. He’s cool.”

“Can I go?” Ally asked. “I like him too. He’s nice.”

“All right.”

Just as the kids were about to leave, she stopped them. “Wait.” She walked over to the refrigerator and removed the strawberry shortcake she’d made that morning. She sliced a huge square and scooped it out, grabbed the whipped cream and squirted it over the cake, wrapped it loosely in plastic wrap, and handed it to Ally. “Give him this.”

She stepped on the back porch. Ally and Scott walked over to the ramp where Caleb stood. He put down his rod and accepted the bag from Scott and the plate from Ally. He knelt down to Ally’s level. Though she couldn’t hear, Julie suspected he was thanking them. He stood and met Julie’s gaze and flashed a heart-stopping smile.

Her breath left her. She inhaled and replenished her lungs before giving him a slight wave. Scott and Ally sprinted across the yard, stopping at the bottom of the porch, panting. “Can we fish with Caleb?” Scott asked. “Can we, please?”

“No, definitely not. You’d be in his way.”

“He offered. He said he’d rig a couple of poles for us. Please, Mom,” Scott begged.

“Pleeeeease,” Ally echoed him.

“Oh, all right. But only until supper’s ready.”

“He said strawberry shortcake is his fave-wit and to tell you tanks,” Ally said.

Julie waited until her children joined Caleb before returning inside and closing the door behind her. Strange, but she trusted the man with her kids.

But I wouldn’t trust Frank Grear with them.

While she worked, she thought about Scott’s confession. Just what had he heard her mother and Aunt Noreen talking about? How serious could it be? She pushed the thought aside but it kept returning like an itch that needed to be scratched.

Julie stopped mashing potatoes to flip the breaded steaks over in the skillet. She glanced out the window. Ally and Scott fished beside Caleb. Julie turned off the burner and walked outside, then crossed over to Caleb’s yard, remaining a few feet behind them not wanting to interrupt. 

Caleb had the patience of a saint as he untangled Scott and Ally’s lines. He re-baited their hooks and helped them drop their lines back into the water.

”I’ve got one!” Ally screamed.

“Let’s bring it in.” Caleb stood beside her daughter, helping her pull the fish from the water. The small catfish wriggled on the line.

“It’s too little, throw it back,” Scott yelled.

“It is not.”

“Is too.”

“You’re just jealous.” She made a face and stuck her tongue out.

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“Stop arguing,” Caleb insisted. “My granddad always said if they’re big enough to bite, they’re big enough to eat. It’s a nice fish, Ally.”

“I wanna hold it,” she said.

“No, sweetheart. Even a small catfish can fin you.” After he removed the fish, he held it down for her to see. “So what do you want to do, cook him or throw him back? You decide.”

“Ahhh, he’s just a baby,” Ally crooned.

“You want to give him a chance to grow up?”Caleb asked.

She nodded, and tears filled her eyes.

Caleb leaned forward and dropped the fish into the water. “There he goes.”

“Will his boo-boo heal?” Ally asked.

“Yeah, he’ll be wiser and harder to catch when he’s grown.” He squeezed her shoulder. “You’ve got a good heart, Ally girl.”

Scott shouted. “My cork just went under! I’ve got a bite!” He didn’t need any help yanking the fish from the water and pulling the hook from its mouth. “It’s a big bream!”

“Way to go, Scott.” Caleb slapped Scott’s back lightly.

Julie hated to break up their fun, but dinner was getting cold. She walked down to the ramp. “Okay, kids, supper’s ready. Tell Caleb thanks and goodbye.”

They thanked him, then hurried toward her. Ally stopped several times to turn and wave at Caleb.

♦♦♦

Son-of-a-bitch.

Frank Grear lowered the binoculars and stared toward McGregor’s place. Damn, Julie. Didn’t she have more sense than to let her kids associate with an ex-con? Frank hadn’t lived in Faith at the time of the boating accident, but he knew Julie’s family hated Caleb McGregor. Why would she let her kids hangout with the loser?

Using the paddle, Frank pushed away from the underbrush and dangling tree limbs. He’d parked his boat in this spot and spied on Julie many times. He liked watching her, watching her house, and thinking about living there someday. He eased out onto the open river before cranking the boat’s motor.

Was McGregor charming her kids to get into her pants?

If that was the ex-con’s plan, he was in for trouble.

♦♦♦

While putting clothes away in her room, Julie paused and stared at the queen-sized bed that she’d shared with her husband. She remembered what it was like to have Jeremy snuggled behind her. Their legs intertwined. His warmth engulfing her in a blanket of love and security. A yearning to be touched and loved rippled through her, and for a moment her heart ached. She missed him.

Why? Why’d you have to die?

Joan had nailed it. Sometimes the need for sex drove her crazy. Julie admitted the need had grown stronger since Caleb had moved in. She missed being touched by a man. She closed her eyes and visualized Caleb’s mouth lowered to hers, and his hands caressing and exploring her body.  

No. No. No. Cut that out. Don’t let yourself go there.

Julie pushed the thought from her mind. Caleb McGregor was forbidden fruit. She had to suppress the sexual desires the man aroused in her. He’d been gone ten years. What did she really know about him? Still, she couldn’t deny the way her body responded when near him.

One could get hot watching Christian Bale, she reasoned. That didn’t mean you’d eventually sleep with him. Just because she was attracted to Caleb, didn’t mean anything would ever happen between them. It couldn’t. Absolutely not.

But he’d ignited her senses and body and warmed her heart, causing discontentment to creep into her life. She’d adjusted to Jeremy’s death and had finally become content again. Now, everything had changed.

She sat on the edge of the bed. Rarely, did she cry. But for several minutes, the tears flowed freely before she regained control over her dolorous mood.

Julie needed a breath of fresh air to clear her mind. Ally and Scott watched TV in the den. One of the few times they hadn’t fought all day. Rather than disturb them, she slipped out on the back porch and strolled down to the river’s edge.

A full moon spotlighted the river, making it look magical as if brightly colored fairies should be hovering just above the water’s surface. Her life had been a fairy tale, but then the magic disappeared the night Jeremy’s truck had crashed into a tree. The waitress at the diner he’d just left had reported that he drank two cups of coffee and had enough caffeine in him to wake a dead horse. How could he have fallen asleep?

If only I had been with him. He’d still be alive.

Then she noticed Caleb. He gazed at the moon from his boat ramp, appearing every bit as lonely as she felt. As though he sensed her, he turned and stared for a moment before walking toward her.

Her heartbeat increased a notch with every step he took toward her. “Nice evening isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is. Mind if I join you?” he asked.

“No,” she replied and truly meant it. Recalling the fantasy she’d had earlier caused her cheeks to warm. Fortunately, he couldn’t see her face in the moon’s dim light. “Thank you for mowing my yard again.”

“I didn’t mind. It’s not like I have a lot going on in my life. Mowing helps pass the time.” He glanced at the river. “It’s warm tonight.”

“It is. If it stays clear, Boats and Floats will be busy tomorrow and Sunday. Usually, it doesn't get this warm until the end of May.”

“Looks like we might have an early summer,” Caleb said. “I could use that job you mentioned. My money is dwindling fast.”

“We still have some cooler weather to get through. Like I said it’ll be June before I hire any summer workers.” Changing the topic, Julie stared at the starry sky. “The moon is lovely.”

“Yep, it’s hard to believe I went so long without seeing it.” He sighed. “We were only allowed outside in the daytime never at night. No windows. I used to lie on my cot and wish I could see the moon and stars.”

“Odd, how one takes something for granted until it’s gone.”

“Such as my parents. I’d just been thinking how much I miss them. Of course then I remembered my dad’s reaction when I was arrested.” He paused. “Dad was angrier with me for jeopardizing my scholarship. It didn’t occur to him at the time, that I wouldn’t need it, that I’d be spending the next decade in prison.”

Julie realized he’d lost everything. The temptation to ease her hand on his arm as a sympathetic gesture danced before her, but she resisted. His expression showed his torment and regret. She wished she could take away his anguish. This discussion had turned dismal, and no doubt he was in a gloomy mood also. “I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry," he said. "I should keep my depressing thoughts to myself.”

“Don't apologize. I was having my own pity party before you came over. Sometimes, it helps to talk about things that trouble you. And I don’t mind listening."

“What has you feeling down?”

“Jeremy. Thinking about how things used to be.”

“It’s only natural for you to still miss him.”

“I think about him every single day.” When an owl hooted, Julie glanced toward a cluster of trees before turning back to him. “I miss having someone in my life to share everything with. We had a good marriage.”

♦♦♦

Caleb recalled what Mr. Higgins had said. “Someone mentioned you’re dating a deputy in town.”

She made a little huff sound. “Let me stress that I am
not
dating Deputy Grear. My mother talked me into attending a couple of church socials with him. Since then, he’s led people to believe that there’s more to it. I’m not interested in him. He’s delusional.”

An inner joy swelled in Caleb’s chest, but he forced back the smile tugging at his mouth. Without thinking, he stepped closer to her, then realized he’d overstepped his boundary. They stood almost touching. He reminded himself that women like Julie didn’t date ex-cons.

Their gazes locked, and he became paralyzed. In the moonlight, her eyes sparkled with anticipation, and her breathing increased. She moistened her lips with her tongue. Her soft rose-scented fragrance along with her natural feminine scent heightened his sexual hunger. Then he lowered his lips to hers so close he could taste her sweet breath.

Don’t do this.

He opened his eyes and gazed on her face. Her eyes remained closed, waiting for his kiss. Damn, he wanted to kiss her, wanted to taste her, wanted to hold her in his arms.

I’m not the man for her. Hell, I have nothing to offer this woman but shame and disgrace.

As he stepped back, he whispered, “I’m sorry, Julie.”

Julie opened her eyes and frowned at him. “What happened? Did you see big letters flashing—Dork Alert?”

“Julie, you’re beautiful. I wanted to kiss you so much that it took every ounce of strength I had to stop myself. You and I both know the devastation it would cause.”

“You don’t owe me an apology. Let’s blame it on the full moon.”

He smiled, then made a howling sound. “I didn’t mean to turn werewolf on you.”

She laughed. “I’ll bring a silver bullet next time.” She eased into a different subject. “I spoke with a man in Poplar Bluff about putting a fence around my business. He suggested several other things to do as well, but I’m not sure I can afford them.

“Like what?”

“Surveillance cameras and sensor lights.”

“Mom, are you out there!” Scott shouted from the backdoor.

“Yes, I’m coming.” She turned to Caleb. “I’d better go.”

“I want to thank you again for the strawberry shortcake.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“I’ll return your plate tomorrow.”

“Just set it on the back porch.” She paused. “Well, goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

She walked toward her house, glancing back only once.

The lady had wanted his kiss. He had wanted to kiss her, but he couldn’t let his selfish desire ruin Julie’s life. Ruin Scott and Ally’s lives.

♦♦♦

Frank decided to become more aggressive. Just like a filly, Julie needed her spirit broken. He’d break her in right once they were married, and he could hold the kids over her head. But until he had her under his thumb, he needed to play it cool. After reading his two nieces a bedtime story, he settled in a chair and picked up the phone, then keyed in a number.

“Hello,” Martha Webb said.

“Mrs. Webb, it’s Frank Grear. How are you?”

“Just fine. And you?”

“Actually, I’m at my wits end with Julie.”

“Oh, really. How’s that?” her mother asked.

“You know I’m wild about Julie and her kids. If she’d give me a chance, I could make her happy. Those kids need a daddy in their lives, especially Scott. But she refuses to go out with me.”

“I’ve talked to Julie about it until I’m blue in the face. How can I help?”

“George mentioned you’re having the family over for a cookout next weekend. I was hoping you’d invite me.”