When Sparks Fly (7 page)

“Are you sure you don’t want my help at the grocery?” Monica asked, grabbing her purse from the floorboard.

“No dear, I’ll be fine. I rather like doing the shopping. Gives me a chance to have some time alone with my thoughts.”

Helping Kimber climb out of the SUV, she took her hand, waving goodbye as the woman drove off to complete her errands. Strolling around the square the pair admired the window displays, stopping once to duck into a shop to buy a glass hummingbird feeder for Fran and Bill’s garden, as a thank you for their hospitality.

The downtown area seemed busy for a weekday morning but each person they encountered was quick with a smile or friendly ‘hello’. How different from life in Manhattan, where people passed by without even a second glance much less taking the time to speak. The atmosphere here was more relaxed, and Monica found that she liked it. She’d never been a fan of fast-paced city life, having stayed after graduating college because of Phillip. They’d gotten engaged during her last semester, and married two years later. By that point, they were both fully established in their respective careers and saw no reason to move. One month shy of their fifth wedding anniversary, Kimber was born, and though she’d expressed a desire to raise their child in a more rural setting, he had pointed out all of the advantages to staying in the city.

After the divorce, she couldn’t wait to be free of New York and the memories of her life with him, and her first thought had been to put as much distance as she could between them. California seemed like the logical choice and she’d begun faxing resumes immediately, never taking into consideration the possibility of moving to a less urban area. Now though, walking around Celebration, she began to wonder if she’d made the right choice. Certainly the west coast would be different from the east but LA was a city, and a big one at that. She’d already planned to hire a sitter for Kimber, and between her long hours at work and what she’d heard could be a god-awful commute, she doubted there’d be much time to spend with her daughter. A slight flash of panic went through her, leaving behind an unsettling doubt. The sun chose that moment to slip behind a cloud, casting a shadow over her that deepened her uncertainty in the decision.

“Are you okay, Mommy?”

She looked down at the angelic face of her daughter, puckered up in concern, and reassured her, using a phrase that made them both laugh. “I am A-okay, baby. What do you say we go to the park?” Checking for traffic, they crossed the street, running the last few feet to get to the freshly cut grass. The park was large, with a playground, horseshoe pits, picnic tables, and several covered pavilions complete with cooking grills. A small concession stand stood next to the baseball diamond and a paved bike path encircled a large lake, winding in and out among clusters of trees.

They headed for the playground first, and Monica sat on a bench while Kimber played on the slide, crawled through the tire tunnel, and climbed to the top of the castle fort. Several other children were there also and they wasted no time in becoming friends with the newcomer. An impromptu game of hide-and-seek began and lasted for several minutes before the children abandoned it in favor of swinging on the swings. Shrieks of laughter filled the air along with the chant ‘higher, higher’. Monica smiled, enjoying every moment of her child’s gaiety, certain that one of them would sleep well that night.

The sound of hammering caught her attention, and she looked out beyond the ball field. Piles of lumber were stacked near a partially completed structure. Next to it was a man leaning over a pair of sawhorses, driving a nail into a piece of wood. Even at this distance, she knew it was Joe and her pulse quickened.

“Quite a sight.”

“Excuse me?” she said, looking over at the woman who had sat down next to her.

“Joe Callaghan. Most eligible bachelor in town. Sexiest, too. He can bring his tools to my house anytime,” the woman said with a suggestive smile.

Monica just stared, not knowing quite how to respond. Young, shapely, and blonde, without a visible wrinkle or gray hair, the woman looked like a cover model for a fashion magazine. She was clad in Lycra leggings and a sports bra, with bright orange running shoes on her feet. An Ipod was clipped to her waistband, the earplugs dangling around her neck. Though it seemed obvious that she had been running, not a drop of sweat showed on her body nor a strand of hair in her neatly made ponytail lay out of place.

“Think I’ll go over and say ‘hi’.” The woman got up and jogged over to where Joe was working, her tight ass bouncing in rhythm with her steps. Watching while he straightened to talk to her, Monica narrowed her eyes as the mystery blonde squeezed his bicep. Feeling a tiny bit of satisfaction when he promptly removed the woman’s hand and turned back to work, she almost laughed when ‘Barbie’ stared at him, then stomped off, seemingly forgetting about her run.

“I’m thirsty.” Kimber ran up to the bench demanding her mother’s attention. Pulling a pint-sized bottle of water from her purse, she handed it to her daughter. When it was empty, she tossed it in a nearby recycling can and suggested they take a walk. Always up for an adventure, the little girl readily agreed, chattering away about the new friends she’d made.

Telling herself that it was strictly out of curiosity, they set out in the direction of the construction site. The park was full of activity and they passed by families enjoying picnic lunches, a group of teenagers playing baseball, and a couple strolling hand in hand by the lake. It was beautiful day to be outdoors; puffy white clouds chugged across a brilliant blue sky. Sunshine beamed down, warming the air to a pleasant temperature, while trees provided cooling shade for those who tended to overheat.

Reaching their destination, Monica held back to study the structure. A waist-high railing wound two-thirds of the way around a wooden 12 x 24 foot platform, across the back and down both sides, and on six foot sections at either end of the front. Two broad steps, twelve feet in length, led up to the platform, the railing extending down to the ground on both sides. Wooden benches had been installed along the inside of the railing on one side and across the back. The braces for the last section had been nailed into place; it was this bench that Joe was working on when they walked up.

“Leroy!” Kimber shouted, running over to greet the dog that was bounding towards her. She threw her arms around the pooch and tumbled to the ground giggling, the dog on top of her, stubby tail wiggling madly as he licked her face.

“Easy, boy,” Joe admonished, not really concerned that the pup would cause her any harm. Turning his attention to Monica, his face broke into an easy smile. “Hi.”

“Hi,” she smiled back. “Whatcha’ working on?”

“It’s a podium slash dance floor for Fourth of July. I mentioned there was a parade?” At her nod, he continued. “Well after that, pretty much everyone in town comes to the park. A brass band plays, there’re arts and crafts booths, face painting, balloon animals, that kind of stuff. Before lunch, there’s a friendly baseball game. Once that’s over, people picnic or grill out. As soon as everyone’s had their fill, the mayor stands on this here podium,” he gave the platform a smack, “and talks for a bit about the town and civil responsibility. A few key members of the town council get up and add their two cents. Kind of boring, really.” He grinned with a mischievous look in his eye. “That’s usually the time a bunch of us sneak off behind the concession stand for some of Frankie’s homemade hooch. By then, the sun’s goin’ down and people start gathering for the fireworks.”

“Wow. Busy day. You left something out though.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I believe you mentioned something about a dance floor.”

“Ah, yes, how could I forget? After the politicking has ended but before the pyrotechnics begin, the platform is opened up to anyone wishing to show off their dancing skills. What about you, Monica?” He took a step towards her. “Do you like to trip the light fantastic?”

“Depends on the song,” she replied, trying not to notice how incredible sexy he looked with sawdust in his hair. “And the partner.”

Leaning in, he whispered in her ear, “Well, I guess you’ll have to save me a dance then.”

Beating so loudly she was stunned he couldn’t hear it, her heart played hopscotch in her chest. Merely being in close proximity to this man caused her to feel like a teenager, complete with
oh my god, did he just ask me out?
incredulity. Attempting to effect an indifferent expression, she smiled and tossed her head. “Maybe I will.”

Joe grinned broadly at her playful response. “It’s a date! What time should I pick you up?”

“Whoa there, big fella. I need to leave my options open.”

He felt a momentary stab of panic. Had someone else asked her out? His concerns must have shown on his face because she laughed and placed a reassuring hand on his arm.

“I was only kidding. We’d love to go with you.”

“We?” he asked, blinking rapidly, before looking over at Kimber, who was still rolling around with Leroy. “Oh, of course. I’d be honored to bring you both.” Afraid that he’d offended her, he offered an apologetic grin.

Though she knew he hadn’t purposely intended to forget her daughter, she couldn’t help but laugh at the ‘oh shit’ expression on his face. “It’s okay, really. Trust me, it’s a rare moment that you can forget about her.” Dropping her hand, she walked over to the platform, running her fingers across the boards. “By the way, thank you for going to get her booster seat from my car. It was very considerate of you.”

“You’re welcome.” He watched as she caressed the wooden planks, his groin tightening, envisioning those same fingers gliding across his skin. The midday sun felt exceptionally hot on his face and sweat trickled down his neck as he struggled to get ahold of his raging libido. The sight of her climbing the steps up to the dance floor didn’t help as he admired the shapely curve of her ass. She closed her eyes and spun in a circle, her arms outstretched, pulling her shirt tight across her breasts. He had to look away before his lascivious thoughts got the best of him.

“You’ve done a fine job. I think the citizens of Celebration will approve.” Monica leaned against the railing, her forearms resting on the top. “Joe?” He turned back to look at her, his eyes locking onto hers. There was no way to misconstrue the desire exhibited there, and she straightened slowly, holding on to the rail to steady her quaking limbs. His gaze burned into her, igniting her soul, and she found herself wishing that they were alone. “I… I’d better let you get back to work,” she stammered, bounding down the steps.

“Monica….”

Circumventing him, she hurried over to Kimber, stopping to give Leroy a pat on the head. “Come on, honey. We should get going.”

“But I wanna stay and play with Leroy.”

Taking her daughter by the hand, she pulled her away from the dog, ignoring her loud protests. “You can play with Leroy later. Joe has to get back to work. We’re distracting him.”

No lie there, Joe thought. “How are you getting back?”

His words stopped her in her tracks. “What?”

“I assume Mom dropped you off since you mentioned the booster seat. It’s a seven mile walk from here,” he squinted up at the sky, “and even though it’s a nice day, that’s a mighty long trek, especially with a little girl.” He struggled to keep a straight face as she processed her dilemma. “It’s time for lunch anyway. Why don’t I give you a lift?”

Seeing that she had no feasible alternative, she lifted her chin in a vain attempt to reclaim her dignity. “Thank you. That would be very nice of you.”

“What can I say?” he shrugged, “I’m a nice guy.”

She burst out laughing, her prim expression melting away. “Modest, too.” Waiting while he gathered up his tools, she walked beside him to the truck. Stowing everything in the back, he whistled for Leroy who came bounding up, Kimber not far behind.

“Can I sit with Leroy? Please Mommy?” Monica shook her head but Joe intervened.

“There’s a seatbelt back there,” he assured her. “Technically, it’s safer than her riding on your lap.”

“Alright,” she agreed. “But you have to stay buckled in, understand? No matter how much Leroy wants to play.”

“Yay!” Kimber jumped up and down, clapping her hands.

“C’mere pipsqueak.” Joe lifted her up and settled her into the back. “Good thing I sprung for an extended cab.” Winking at Monica, who had climbed into the passenger seat, he shut the door and walked around to the driver’s side, whistling for the dog. Leroy hopped up onto the bench seat and rested his chin on Kimber’s lap, his eyes half closed in doggie delight as she stroked his ear. “I think you might have to get someone a d-o-g when you get to California.”

“It certainly looks that way,” Monica answered, a bit disconcerted by the thought of resuming her journey. Hard to believe that one day in Celebration had her second guessing all of her plans.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Joe remarked as they pulled out of the park, noting the pensive look on her face. “Something I said?”

“No, everything’s fine,” she answered, looking over her shoulder to check on Kimber.

He didn’t believe her but thought better than to push the issue. It was clear she had something on her mind and he thought it best to let her work it out on her own. They continued the seven mile ride back to his parent’s house in silence with the exception of an occasional groan from Leroy. He wasn’t sure which would miss the other more – the girl or the dog.

Pulling up the driveway, he started to get a prickling feeling at the back of his neck. Something was wrong; he could sense it and his heart plummeted when he saw the flashing lights of the ambulance parked in front of the house. “Dad.”

‡
Chapter Five