Love at Last (Finding Love Book 6) Page 11

“Just the rice. It’s on the stove. And the salad dressing.” After he left, Ellen said to Jase, “I’m sorry I interrupted the basketball game earlier.”

  “I’m sure Quinn’s not sorry,” he replied with a saucy grin.

  She pointed one of the salad tongs at him. “You better behave, or I’ll tell Rosemary all your secrets.”

  “I have no secrets. My life is an open book, no pun intended. How are the interviews at work going?”

  “I think I might have found someone. She has some experience as a florist, but it’s been about five years. She stopped working to stay home with her children.”

  “What does Frank think about her?” Quinn asked as he took the seat opposite Jase. “He’s the one who’ll have to work with her.”

  “Frank can get along with anyone. He’s the most adaptable person I’ve ever met. I’m so lucky to have him.” Ellen turned to Rosemary. “Did you find what you were looking for at Nelson’s?”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “I love wallpaper. It can really transform the look and feel of a room. What I don’t like is the process of getting it on the walls. Fortunately, I married someone who doesn’t mind doing it for me.”

  “It’s not something I’d attempt on a really large room. I’m doing a bathroom so hopefully it won’t be that bad.” She nodded in Jase’s direction. “And I’ll have someone there to calm me down if I get too frustrated.”

  “Just don’t let him stand on a ladder,” Quinn said, with a teasing glance at his brother.

  Jase laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ve had my fill of ladders for a while.”

  Quinn looked at Ellen. “Kelly asked me if we could watch Samuel and Chelsea Friday evening. Zander is taking her to dinner in Savannah.”

  She put down her fork and grabbed his arm. “Is he finally going to do it?”’

  “I hope so. He’s had the ring for weeks.”

  “Quinn’s talking about his secretary and his nurse,” Jase explained. “We’ve been waiting anxiously for Zander to pop the question. Kelly’s first husband treated her pretty bad. She had a lot of things to work through. On top of that, she had her children to consider. I’m glad things are working out for them.”

  “Me, too,” Quinn agreed, “but it means I have to break in a new nurse.”

  “So Zander decided to find another job?” Jase asked as he passed the bowl of rice to Rosemary.

  “He thought it would be better if he and Kelly didn’t work so closely together. He’s going to transfer to one of the other doctors in the clinic.”

  “That’s a smart move,” Ellen said, with a sideways glance at her husband.

  Quinn laughed. “I’m not sure how to take that. Does that mean you wouldn’t want to work with me?”

  “Not at all, but I do think it would be hard to be impartial and that could lead to problems with other employees.”

  “I guess you’re right.” He picked up Ellen’s hand and kissed her palm. “I definitely wouldn’t be able to concentrate with you walking around in scrubs all day.”

  Jase shook his head. “You guys can discuss that later; after we’re gone.”

  “We need to savor this moment, darling,” Quinn said. “It’s a rare day when we can embarrass Jase. The shoe is usually on the other foot.”

  “Don’t you know that embarrassing someone is the highest form of flattery?”

  “That might be, but I’m not sure that’s been your motivation.”

  “It’s fifty-fifty.”

  Ellen looked across the table at Rosemary. “This goes on all the time. I have a sister, but we never carried on like these two.”

  “It’s fun to watch. I grew up in a household where the only people who talked at the dinner table were the adults. I’m twenty-five now and not much has changed. My stepfather is very much a ‘children should be seen and not heard’ individual.”

  “Once the baby is here, our meals should really get interesting.”

  “I, for one, can’t wait to see this intriguing combination of Quinn and Ellen,” Jase announced. “Just think of it, this is the last Thanksgiving and Christmas you two will be just a couple. By this time next year, you’ll be a threesome. You better enjoy the peace and quiet while you can.”

  “Speaking of Thanksgiving, I realized this morning that it’s only a few weeks away. I’ve got two weddings on the Saturday after.”

  “I don’t get it. Who would want to get married around a major holiday?” Quinn asked.

  “Especially Thanksgiving,” Rosemary added. “It’s one of the heaviest travelled holidays. I usually spend as much or more time getting to my parents’ house as I spend being there.”

  “It’s good that you make the effort to go, and I’m sure your family appreciates it,” Ellen said. “My parents are actually coming to us this year.”

  Jase looked up from removing a piece of lobster from the shell. “Are Bethany and her crew coming, too?”

  “Yes. It’s going to be controlled chaos around here.” Ellen turned to Rosemary. “Bethany is my sister. She and her husband have two kids. They’re six and eight, and very energetic.”

  Jase’s eyebrows rose. “That’s putting it mildly. They make my childhood look tame by comparison. The worst thing I ever did was intercept the sound system at my middle school dance and pipe in German polka music.”

  Rosemary’s mouth fell open. “Did you really do that?”

  “Someone dared me to. I only got caught because my mother was one of the chaperones, and she recognized the songs.”

  Quinn nodded. “I remember her telling me about that. She couldn’t decide whether to be upset or impressed that you were actually able to do it.”

  “She obviously decided to be upset. She grounded me for a month.”

  As Rosemary listened to the conversation taking place around her, she realized she hadn’t enjoyed an evening so much since she spent a weekend with Collette and Marcus in the early part of the year. This is what she missed by being on the road so much.

  Later when she and Jase walked back to his place, she said, “Ellen and Quinn are really nice. I had a great time tonight.”

  “I couldn’t ask for better relatives or neighbors.” He tried to hide a yawn and couldn’t.

  “I saw that. You’ve done too much today.”

  Jase drew her into the shadow of the cottage. “Nothing a good nights’ sleep won’t cure.”

  The next few minutes were pure bliss as he kissed every inch of her face, leaving her lips until last. Her fingers twined into his hair before sliding to caress the nape of his neck.

  He lifted his head, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Did I do better this time?”

  It took a few seconds for Rosemary to come down to earth enough to realize what he was referring to. “I could hardly say otherwise, now could I? I’ll be here at nine in the morning to pick you up. Have your stimulating conversation topics ready.”

  Chapter Eight

  The wallpapering project took longer than expected. Jase readily admitted that the extended time was entirely his fault. There were, however, some mitigating circumstances. The small dimensions of the bathroom were the first problem. Rosemary herself was the other. Didn’t she realize that wearing a tank top and pinning up her hair was just asking for trouble? That combination left way too much exposed skin on her neck and shoulders for one man to take.

  She put up a token protest at first, but after a while she cooperated fully which led to even more interruptions. Jase had never thought something as tedious as wallpapering could be so invigorating. He’d been sorry to see the job come to an end.

  After they ate lunch, they gravitated to the porch steps. Ambrose planted his large body in the miniscule amount of space between them. The cat’s appearance reminded Jase of something he’d conveniently pushed to the back of his mind: Rosemary’s impending departure.

  Country music stars didn’t stay in little towns fixing up houses. They went back to recording hit songs and touring the country. When she
left St. Marys in ten days, would all of this just be a memory? Or was it the precursor to something that could endure beyond the present?

  His glance slid to the figure next to him, lingering on the now-familiar lines of her face. The wild and mystifying feelings growing inside him weren’t infatuation. For the first time in his life, Jase understood the all-encompassing nature of love as well as the satisfaction of finding the person whose presence in his life made everything before fade into insignificance.

  As certain as he was about his own feelings, he was unsure whether his companion was on the same page. Although they’d moved beyond friendship, he knew Rosemary was still dealing with the repercussions of Randall. He could understand why she might be hesitant to jump into another serious relationship and risk the kind of public scrutiny and humiliation she’d experienced before. There was also the little matter of who she was and what she did for a living.

  A rueful grin appeared on his lips. The path ahead contained some serious hurdles, but no one had ever said that finding love was easy.

  Rosemary sat up suddenly and pulled her phone out of her pocket, startling both Ambrose and Jase. After checking the screen, she said, “My brother took third place in the regional science fair.”

  “That’s great! I was in a science fair when I was in high school. My friend and I built a solar-powered oven.”

  “Did it work?”

  “Surprisingly, yes, it did.”

  “Just think of what the world of science lost when you decided to write.”

  Jase pulled her back to lean against him, liking the way her body felt next to his. “It didn’t lose much because my heart was never in it, much to the disappointment of my father.”

  “I know all about that. My parents weren’t thrilled with my career choice, either.”

  “You’ve more than proven that you did the right thing. They can’t help but be proud of you now.”

  He felt her shrug. “I guess so.”

  She guessed so? What did that mean? “How did you get discovered or whatever they call it?”

  She traced the outline of his watch, sending tiny shivers up his arm. “I was performing at the Georgia State Fair in Perry. Randall happened to be in the crowd. He’d been told about me by one of the judges of a state-wide contest I’d won six months before. After hearing me perform, he was impressed enough to get me an audition as a contestant on a music show. I ended up making it to the final round. Even though I didn’t win, I was offered a recording contract. My first album was released six months later; it sold close to a million copies.”

  “A million copies? That’s incredible.”

  “I still can’t believe it sometimes. As much as I dislike what Randall did to me, he believed in me enough to put his reputation on the line. I’d still be singing at state fairs if it wasn’t for him.”

  “As your manager, I’m sure he was repaid for that many times over.”

  * * * * *

  Rosemary tried not to wince. Her discovery of Randall’s misuse of his expense account was another sore spot. He’d taken from her in every way possible. “Our careers took off at the same time. My success was his success. I guess it was inevitable that I would fall for him. Looking back, I can’t really say if he ever loved me, too. Everything is colored by his involvement with April. I thought he was planning our future, his and mine. It was a rude awakening to realize I was merely dollar signs on a contract and a means to enhance his popularity.”

  “That’s what you meant when you said he used you to further his career.”

  “He’s still doing it. Last time he was interviewed, he insinuated that I dumped him and backed out of our contract. According to him, I’m at an exclusive location with someone new.”

  Jase laughed. “I wouldn’t call St. Marys exclusive, but the other part of that is true.”

  “The difference is my meeting you wasn’t planned. It just happened. The press can take the most innocent of things and turn it into something ugly. If it became known where I am and who I’m with, pictures of us together would be all over the internet. They’d be picking apart your life with a fine-tooth comb. Nothing you’ve ever done would be a secret anymore.”

  “There’s a lot of negative there. On a positive note, the notoriety might help my book sales.”

  She pinched his leg like she’d done before. “Is that all you can say?”

  “I told you how I am: it’s my nature to look for a silver lining.” He ran his fingers down the length of her arm, lingering at the sensitive skin of her wrist. “Did you realize that you and I have been in the same place three different times seven years apart? We met here when we were eleven, I was in Kennesaw when we were eighteen, and we were both on a plane in Atlanta when we were twenty-five. That’s a statistical relationship no matter how you look at it.”

  “Does the Kennesaw one count? We didn’t actually meet that time.”

  “Of course it counts. Who knows? Maybe the third time will be the charm.”

  “One thing’s for sure: you’re easy to be with.”

  Jase turned her hand over and skimmed his finger along the lines on her palm. Her toes curled inside her shoes as the warmth of his touch spread through her body like slow moving lava. “Being with someone you like should be easy.” He looked up at her. “I just had a great idea. Let’s go to Fred’s.”

  “To get pink bubble gum ice cream?”

  “If that’s what you want, yes.”

  By the length of the line extending out the door of Fred’s, they weren’t the only ones who wanted ice cream. It was some time before Rosemary was seated next to Jase at one of the tiny tables situated in front of the big glass window overlooking the St. Marys River. She smiled as she watched him dip a cherry into the mound of whipped cream on his banana split and hold it out to her.

  “Thank you,” she said, taking it from him and eating it.

  “You’re welcome. I want you to know that I don’t share cherries with just any girl. There are a series of stringent requirements to be met.”

  Rosemary laughed. “Can one inquire about these ‘stringent’ requirements?”

  “Since you passed, there’s no harm in you knowing. Number one. We have to hold hands on an airplane. Number two. The girl has to cook a meal for me. Number three. She has to wear one of my shirts. Number four. I have to kiss her while she’s standing on a ladder.”

  “Those are very specific requirements.”

  “Yeah, but one has to have standards or the gesture doesn’t mean anything. Number one seems to be the sticking point. You’d be surprised how hard it is to get someone to hold hands with me on a plane.” He handed her another cherry.

  She twirled it around by its stem. “What does getting two cherries mean?”

  Jase’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “I’ll have to show you later. There are children at the table next to us. What are you doing tomorrow?”

  “Taking Mrs. Jenkins to the hardware store to buy paint. Then she’s going to show me how to make baklava.”

  He put down his spoon and sat back in the seat. “That sounds like I won’t see you at all. This is very disappointing.”

  “We could do something on Saturday.”

  He ate the last cherry. “Would looking at hot rod cars from the sixties and seventies be too boring for you?”

  “I’ve never done it, but I think I’d like it.”

  “There’s a car show in Kingsland this weekend. It’s only about twenty minutes away.”

  “Let’s do it.”

  As they were walking to her car, he started laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked.

  “I was remembering the last time I took someone to a car show. Her name was Lori. She came home with me for spring break my last year of college. We weren’t dating at the time. She just wanted to spend a week near the beach. The thing is; I didn’t tell my mom beforehand.

  “You should have seen her face when she opened the door and saw the two of us standing ther
e. In spite of my assurances that there was nothing romantic going on, my mom put Lori in my sister’s room and made me sleep in the living room downstairs. My feet hung over the end of the couch, and I fell off twice when I turned over.”

  “That’s nothing. The first time I took Randall home to meet my parents, they wanted him to sleep in the basement on a fold-out couch instead of the guestroom two doors down from my room.”

  “My mom was, and still is, a very hands-on parent. When I lived at home, I was amazed at how she always knew what I was up to. It was like she had an underground network of spies watching me.”

  “My parents didn’t need an underground network. By the time I was sixteen, my stepfather had moved up the academic ladder from an elementary math teacher to the assistant principal of my high school. That was the kiss of death to my social life. No boy wanted to take me out and risk meeting the stern-faced man they saw in the halls every day at school.”

  “I spent a lot of time in the principal’s office because I used class to catch up on my sleep. I didn’t have to study a lot so I found school very boring.”

  Rosemary pulled into Jase’s driveway and shut off the car. “And then there was me: studying for hours every night and praying that the teacher would curve the test.”

  “I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I was usually the student who set the curve for the test.”

  “It’s a good thing we didn’t go to the same high school. I really disliked people like you.”

  “But think of all the tutoring sessions we could have had. You would have aced your tests, and I would have had someone to teach me how to kiss. Do you realize how many years I’ve been doing it wrong?”

  She laughed as she preceded him to the door of the cottage. “If my stepfather had caught us kissing, you would’ve been cleaning the school bathrooms every afternoon for the rest of the year.”

  He came up behind her and slid his arm around her waist. “It would have been worth it,” he said softly.

  A shiver coursed down her spine even as her body instinctively turned toward him. She noticed for the first time the tiny flecks of gold in his otherwise green eyes. Then his lips touched hers, and she forgot everything else. He tasted of a delicious mixture of whipped cream, hot fudge and caramel. The gentle kisses drew her out of the present and into a place where the only anchor was the man holding her. As his lips moved slowly across her cheek, the stubble of his beard grazed her skin, sending jolts of electricity through her.