rest of her life, dawned.
The boys clambered into the
backseat, their excited chatter filling the minivan. “We caught frogs today,
Mom,” and “Peter got in trouble on the playground today, Mom.” She loved their
prattle, the enthusiasm of youth, the battle for each to tell her his news
first, tripping over their words, laughing.
Today, however, in the midst of all
their babble, she wondered how on earth she was going to serve dinner on the
same kitchen table where Jace had given her such pleasure.
Chapter Six
“Taylor, are you sure this is
right?”
Friday morning. Each minute ticking
by seemed like an hour.
“What’s the matter, Evelyn?”
“This says the checking account has
a negative balance.”
That couldn’t be right. Frowning,
Taylor punched up the file. It was negative. Where had she gone wrong?
Don’t ask that. She’d gone wrong
the moment she’d thrown herself at Jace in his truck. She’d gone wrong in her
kitchen. Twice. But she didn’t regret it. Not one single moment. She merely
felt sad that it would have to end.
“I’ll go through it, Evelyn.”
Scanning a couple of pages, she saw her error immediately. She’d put an extra
zero on one of the checks she’d entered. Could happen to anyone. Except that
she usually double-checked everything she input. Then triple-checked the
balance. “Here it is. I’ll fix it.”
“Is something bothering you,
Taylor?”
Taylor stiffened. Her mother-in-law
had already been at the front desk when she arrived. They’d shared coffee,
talked about what Taylor was supposed to bring for Sunday’s barbecue, and what
time she’d drop off the kids tonight. Nothing unusual in all that. Nothing
suspicious.
“Everything’s fine, Evelyn. Why do
you ask?” Now, that was a stupid leading question.
“You seem preoccupied. It isn’t
like you to make mistakes.”
It was only one. Except that
yesterday she’d forgotten to take the receipts down to the bank. And she’d
forgotten to pass on a message from the Montgomerys about some additional work
they’d wanted done. Which had sent David and Mitch back out to the property to
finish up.
What was she supposed to say?
I’ve been unfaithful to your
eldest boy’s memory with your youngest son. And I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop
after tonight.
“I’m a good listener, honey.”
Taylor smiled. “I know you are, and
I love you for it.” And for the first time since Saturday, she didn’t lie to
her mother-in-law. “I need to work this one out on my own.”
After tonight. After she’d finally
done the dirty deed with Jace. That would be the cure. Then she’d stop the
insanity. She had to.
* * * * *
He’d never get her out of his
system.
It had been all Jace could handle
not to call Taylor since he’d made love to her in the kitchen two days ago. He
hadn’t come, he hadn’t even gotten inside her, but what he’d done to her was
making love.
This morning, he’d done all the
loading and hauling while David, Mitch, and his dad did all the cutting. He
hadn’t trusted himself in the trees or with a chain saw in his hand.
He was counting down every hour.
Ten hours till Taylor. Six hours till she was in his arms. Four hours until he
filled her with everything he had, everything he was.
He quit at five and headed to his
apartment. He wasn’t a guy who gave a rat’s ass what he wore, but he picked
black for tonight. Black jeans and a black button-down shirt. Taylor always
looked at him when he was wearing black, and he’d long suspected she had a
thing for the color. He took his truck by the car wash, stopped at the
superstore for a blanket and a bottle of wine. She liked the sweet stuff. He
chose a white burgundy for something unusual.
He pulled up next to the old barn
at Miller’s Pond before eight. The sun hadn’t quite set, and it shimmered
across the water. He wished Taylor could see it that way.
Miller’s Pond and the old barn was
a hot make-out spot when he
The boys clambered into the
backseat, their excited chatter filling the minivan. “We caught frogs today,
Mom,” and “Peter got in trouble on the playground today, Mom.” She loved their
prattle, the enthusiasm of youth, the battle for each to tell her his news
first, tripping over their words, laughing.
Today, however, in the midst of all
their babble, she wondered how on earth she was going to serve dinner on the
same kitchen table where Jace had given her such pleasure.
Chapter Six
“Taylor, are you sure this is
right?”
Friday morning. Each minute ticking
by seemed like an hour.
“What’s the matter, Evelyn?”
“This says the checking account has
a negative balance.”
That couldn’t be right. Frowning,
Taylor punched up the file. It was negative. Where had she gone wrong?
Don’t ask that. She’d gone wrong
the moment she’d thrown herself at Jace in his truck. She’d gone wrong in her
kitchen. Twice. But she didn’t regret it. Not one single moment. She merely
felt sad that it would have to end.
“I’ll go through it, Evelyn.”
Scanning a couple of pages, she saw her error immediately. She’d put an extra
zero on one of the checks she’d entered. Could happen to anyone. Except that
she usually double-checked everything she input. Then triple-checked the
balance. “Here it is. I’ll fix it.”
“Is something bothering you,
Taylor?”
Taylor stiffened. Her mother-in-law
had already been at the front desk when she arrived. They’d shared coffee,
talked about what Taylor was supposed to bring for Sunday’s barbecue, and what
time she’d drop off the kids tonight. Nothing unusual in all that. Nothing
suspicious.
“Everything’s fine, Evelyn. Why do
you ask?” Now, that was a stupid leading question.
“You seem preoccupied. It isn’t
like you to make mistakes.”
It was only one. Except that
yesterday she’d forgotten to take the receipts down to the bank. And she’d
forgotten to pass on a message from the Montgomerys about some additional work
they’d wanted done. Which had sent David and Mitch back out to the property to
finish up.
What was she supposed to say?
I’ve been unfaithful to your
eldest boy’s memory with your youngest son. And I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop
after tonight.
“I’m a good listener, honey.”
Taylor smiled. “I know you are, and
I love you for it.” And for the first time since Saturday, she didn’t lie to
her mother-in-law. “I need to work this one out on my own.”
After tonight. After she’d finally
done the dirty deed with Jace. That would be the cure. Then she’d stop the
insanity. She had to.
* * * * *
He’d never get her out of his
system.
It had been all Jace could handle
not to call Taylor since he’d made love to her in the kitchen two days ago. He
hadn’t come, he hadn’t even gotten inside her, but what he’d done to her was
making love.
This morning, he’d done all the
loading and hauling while David, Mitch, and his dad did all the cutting. He
hadn’t trusted himself in the trees or with a chain saw in his hand.
He was counting down every hour.
Ten hours till Taylor. Six hours till she was in his arms. Four hours until he
filled her with everything he had, everything he was.
He quit at five and headed to his
apartment. He wasn’t a guy who gave a rat’s ass what he wore, but he picked
black for tonight. Black jeans and a black button-down shirt. Taylor always
looked at him when he was wearing black, and he’d long suspected she had a
thing for the color. He took his truck by the car wash, stopped at the
superstore for a blanket and a bottle of wine. She liked the sweet stuff. He
chose a white burgundy for something unusual.
He pulled up next to the old barn
at Miller’s Pond before eight. The sun hadn’t quite set, and it shimmered
across the water. He wished Taylor could see it that way.
Miller’s Pond and the old barn was
a hot make-out spot when he
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