bad."
"But it is, Jason. It is," she cried. "You can't begin to imagine what a nightmare this day has been!" Hot, salty tears were running in streams down her lovely face.
Jason laughed a mirthless laugh. "I think I can," he said sympathetically. "Mine hasn't been what you'd call a red letter day either." His eyes took in his wrecked car.
"Oh, I know, and I'm so sorry about your truckand now your car. Then there was that ridiculous will." She sniffled loudly. "And then thisthisdespicable piece of junk," she exclaimed as her foot shot out kicking the truck that was meekly sitting quiet now on its tires, "has done nothing but torment me all day!" She turned back to the haven of his arms, dissolving in a new round of fresh tears.
"Well, it could be worse," he said with not much conviction. "I don't think the car has quite as much damage as the truck."
"Really?" Her spirits lifted slightly.
Leaving the security of his arms for a moment, she looked up at him in earnest. "My insurance does cover me," she cried jubilantly, trying to improve his day.
A hint of amusement was in his eyes as he answered, "What do you say, let's go in now and wash that pretty face of yours. After that you can fix me a big glass of
Page 60
something cold to drink.'' With his arms still around her waist he tucked her closely to his side and began walking to the house.
Coming through the door of the living room, Jason pitched his Stetson in Uncle Fred's big reclining chair in front of the stone fireplace.
As Jessica entered the kitchen she asked, "Iced tea be all right?"
"Sounds good to me," he assured her as he sat down at the oak table. "Boy, does this kitchen bring back memories." He sighed, his eyes roaming around the room. "I'd like to have a nickel for every piece of Rainey's apple pie I've eaten in here." He laughed.
Jessica smiled, removing a tray of ice from the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. "You'd be a wealthy man," she kidded back, pouring his glass full of cold tea.
Jessica felt an unusual self-conciousness steal over her with him sitting so close here in the kitchen, his presence filling the room. One of her recurring daydreams crept into her mind. She would be standing here, fixing him something to drink, he, just coming in from the fields that day. Dinner would be simmering on the stove and his favorite apple pie bubbling hot in the oven. He'd come up behind her, putting his arms around her waist, and begin to nuzzle her neck, planting soft, searching kisses along her cars and throat as he reached down, turning off the burners on the stove. Then he would scoop her up in his strong arms, with all thought of food forgotten for the moment, and start carrying her toward their bedroom . . . Jessica's mind jerked back to his voice.
"I'm afraid I was neglectful in my visits to them in the last few years," he said softly to himself.
Jessica picked up his glass and carried it to the table. She felt so guilty about her previous thoughts that she could not meet his eyes as she asked, "Sugar?"
"No, this will be fine," he answered and took a long refreshing swallow. "That tastes good."
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She walked back to the counter and picked up her glass, bringing it back to the table and seating herself opposite him, her back to the open window.
''Well, Jessie," he said idly, "how have you been these last few years? You're certainly as pretty as you ever were," he added in a light tone.
A pink blush crept into her cheeks as she replied softly, "Just fine, Jason."
"Rainey said you stayed on to teach in Austin when you finished school. What do you teach?"
"I teach home economics in high school there," she informed him.
"Is that right?" His gaze fastened unconsciously on the graceful curve of her slender neck, running down to the more than ample swell of her breasts in her skimpy halter top. Where had his little Jessie Cole gone? In her place sat a lovely, desirable woman. "I would have thought you'd be married again by now, with a couple of
"But it is, Jason. It is," she cried. "You can't begin to imagine what a nightmare this day has been!" Hot, salty tears were running in streams down her lovely face.
Jason laughed a mirthless laugh. "I think I can," he said sympathetically. "Mine hasn't been what you'd call a red letter day either." His eyes took in his wrecked car.
"Oh, I know, and I'm so sorry about your truckand now your car. Then there was that ridiculous will." She sniffled loudly. "And then thisthisdespicable piece of junk," she exclaimed as her foot shot out kicking the truck that was meekly sitting quiet now on its tires, "has done nothing but torment me all day!" She turned back to the haven of his arms, dissolving in a new round of fresh tears.
"Well, it could be worse," he said with not much conviction. "I don't think the car has quite as much damage as the truck."
"Really?" Her spirits lifted slightly.
Leaving the security of his arms for a moment, she looked up at him in earnest. "My insurance does cover me," she cried jubilantly, trying to improve his day.
A hint of amusement was in his eyes as he answered, "What do you say, let's go in now and wash that pretty face of yours. After that you can fix me a big glass of
Page 60
something cold to drink.'' With his arms still around her waist he tucked her closely to his side and began walking to the house.
Coming through the door of the living room, Jason pitched his Stetson in Uncle Fred's big reclining chair in front of the stone fireplace.
As Jessica entered the kitchen she asked, "Iced tea be all right?"
"Sounds good to me," he assured her as he sat down at the oak table. "Boy, does this kitchen bring back memories." He sighed, his eyes roaming around the room. "I'd like to have a nickel for every piece of Rainey's apple pie I've eaten in here." He laughed.
Jessica smiled, removing a tray of ice from the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. "You'd be a wealthy man," she kidded back, pouring his glass full of cold tea.
Jessica felt an unusual self-conciousness steal over her with him sitting so close here in the kitchen, his presence filling the room. One of her recurring daydreams crept into her mind. She would be standing here, fixing him something to drink, he, just coming in from the fields that day. Dinner would be simmering on the stove and his favorite apple pie bubbling hot in the oven. He'd come up behind her, putting his arms around her waist, and begin to nuzzle her neck, planting soft, searching kisses along her cars and throat as he reached down, turning off the burners on the stove. Then he would scoop her up in his strong arms, with all thought of food forgotten for the moment, and start carrying her toward their bedroom . . . Jessica's mind jerked back to his voice.
"I'm afraid I was neglectful in my visits to them in the last few years," he said softly to himself.
Jessica picked up his glass and carried it to the table. She felt so guilty about her previous thoughts that she could not meet his eyes as she asked, "Sugar?"
"No, this will be fine," he answered and took a long refreshing swallow. "That tastes good."
Page 61
She walked back to the counter and picked up her glass, bringing it back to the table and seating herself opposite him, her back to the open window.
''Well, Jessie," he said idly, "how have you been these last few years? You're certainly as pretty as you ever were," he added in a light tone.
A pink blush crept into her cheeks as she replied softly, "Just fine, Jason."
"Rainey said you stayed on to teach in Austin when you finished school. What do you teach?"
"I teach home economics in high school there," she informed him.
"Is that right?" His gaze fastened unconsciously on the graceful curve of her slender neck, running down to the more than ample swell of her breasts in her skimpy halter top. Where had his little Jessie Cole gone? In her place sat a lovely, desirable woman. "I would have thought you'd be married again by now, with a couple of
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