Jared handed Sara her laptop. “Thank you!” she said tersely.
“Sorry I snapped at you, again,” he sighed and leaned to kiss her neck. Conveniently, she moved and double knotted her shoelace. He stared at her back. When she didn’t turn, he exhaled and sat at the piano.
Sara closed her eyes and fought the urge to go to him. She didn’t like hurting him, but he’d left her with no choice. She was tired of tearing down his brick walls. Every day she faced a new wall, each one a brick higher than the last. Something had to give!
She started her composer program, made a copy of the files, and handed it to him. Jared deliberately brushed his hand against hers. She acted like she hadn’t notice, as if his touch hadn’t affected her. He uploaded the file to his piano and glanced at her with puzzled eyes. “Ready when you are.”
Sara took a slow breath, nodded and played the intro to the first new song. She was hurting, but giving into her feelings wasn’t part of the plan. She put all her pain into her music.
~ ~ ~
They went through the songs a couple of times. Jared changed a few bars of the melody and slowed the tempo, but those were the only changes he’d made. She put her guitar on the stand and blew her bangs from her eyes. “What do you think?”
“I like it,” he smiled. “I’ll get the rest of the band over here.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Now? It’s almost eleven, Jared!”
“So,” he frowned. “They won’t care. They don’t sleep anyway.” He swiped his phone. “Hey, Steve, grab Luce. You and Carl head over. I wanna rehearse.”
Sara couldn’t hear what Steve was saying, but it didn’t sound as if Lucy wanted to rehearse this late.
“OK, but tomorrow’s Saturday,” Jared said. “She shouldn’t have to work,” he broke off and listened. “Well, check with her and see. Alright, Steve. See you then. They’ll be here in thirty minutes.” He forced the air from his lungs. “Wanna go for a walk?”
“No, but I feel like dancing,” she said. She needed to work off some stress before the rest of the band got there. “Wanna join me?”
“Sure. We can work on the dance routine. I’ll patch this through and be with you in a minute.”
Sara went into the dance hall and did some stretching exercises to loosen up. Jared started the music and approached her. “Can I have this dance?” he asked, being cute.
She arched an eyebrow. “Promise not to step on my toes?”
He smirked and pulled her into his embrace. Her plan had backfired; he’d called her bluff. Staying mad at him wasn’t easy. She’d almost forgotten why they were fighting, almost.
Jared pulled her closer, looked into her eyes and smiled.
“This isn’t the music we were practicing,” she softly said.
“I needed to be close to you. This was the only way I could do it. You seem mad at me. What’s wrong?”
“I don’t wanna talk about it right now. Please, just hold me and dance with me.”
To Sara, this felt natural and right. Why had it been so hard to get close to him lately? When they first met, he couldn’t get close enough to her. Now, when she tried to get close to him, he pulled away. “You feel so good in my arms,” he whispered in her ear. “I don’t wanna fight, angel. Tell me how to fix this.”
“Easy, love me. Let go. Don’t hold back. Don’t stop what happens. If things get heated up, don’t fight it. Go with it. If it takes us all the way, then let it.”
“Sara,” he drew out.
She put a finger to his lips and shook her head. “Jared, nothing will happen between us unless I want it to. I want you. I know you want me. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t fight so hard. Look into my eyes. Say I’m wrong. Say you don’t want me. Say it, and I won’t bring it up again.”
“Sara, I,” his voice trailed off.
“Just say it Jared. That’s all you gotta do.”
“I can’t. I do want you.”
She smiled. “If you’re being honest with me, when we’re done rehearsing, and it’s time for bed, please don’t walk away again. If all you do is hold me, please, stay with me. I feel safe in your arms, Jared. I won’t push you if you don’t fight your feelings.”
A slow smile spread across his mouth. He cradled her face in his hands and stared into her dark eyes. He kissed her thoroughly several times. “I love you. That’s all I know.”
“Will you?” Sara’s eyes glossed; she waited. Finally, he nodded.
------------
The other band members arrived. Lucy hugged Sara. “Hey, kid, how’re you doing?”
Sara glanced at Jared. He smiled. “I’m fine,” she sighed.
“Want me to help you get your things in the morning?”
“Um,” she hesitated.
She narrowed her eyes and looked directly at Jared. “She’s not coming back, is she?”
He approached Sara from behind and rested his hands on her shoulders. She sighed and smiled. “He wants me to stay.”
“Is it what you want, kid?” she asked in a serious voice.
Sara looked up at Jared. He bent his head and kissed her. “Yes, it is, Luce.”
“I knew if I let you anywhere near her, this would happen,” she exhaled, saddened. “Kid, your mother is gonna kill me for this!”
“I love Sara, Luce.”
“I know, but you’ll still have to tell your mother,” Lucy said, resolvedly. “She’s not gonna like this. She’ll probably blow her top, and come after you.”
“She can’t make me go home!”
“She won’t make her go home!” Jared said, firmly in a low voice. “Sara is home.”
Lucy glanced at him, peripherally. “I know, Jared, but Kaye can make it hard for Sara. Kid, you know how she is. She’ll lay the guilt trip on you. She’ll badger you until you think it’s your decision. The next thing you know, you’ll be heading your car south, and you won’t even understand why.”
“I’m not going back to Crooked Creek!”
“I know, kid,” she sighed. “We’ll deal with my sister when the time comes.” And for Kaye’s sake, I hope she doesn’t cross Jared. That’s one fight she’s gonna lose.
~ ~ ~
Raging Storm rehearsed until Jared was convinced the songs were right. When he was satisfied, he made a demo CD for the DJs to play as an advertisement for the show. He wanted them to promote the gig at least a week beforehand. He and Sara designed the sleeve for the jewel case; everyone was pleased with the results. The band didn’t stop rehearsing until 1:30. Jared offered for them to stay over, but they’d refused. Steve and Carl were going fishing, and Lucy had to work half a day.
No matter how much she was looking forward to tonight, Sara had butterflies. She wondered if Jared did, probably not. Too chicken to ask, she suffered in silence. To clear her thoughts, she sat on the bench by the pond for a while.
Except, for the somewhat off-key symphony, provided by the crickets and frogs, the night was dead quiet. The breeze was heavy with the scent of roses and wisterias. The sky unfolded like a navy blanket, sprinkled with silver glitter. Far off, a lonesome whip-o-will called to its mate. There was the occasional howl of a wolf pack in the nearby woods. Wisteria Hall was a paradise. Sara understood why Jared had wanted it so badly.
She slid off the bench and lay back on the cool grass. She propped her head on her arms and watched the misty clouds drift over the half full moon. For seconds, she closed her eyes. When she opened them, she jumped. He was there, lying beside her, propped on one elbow, looking down at her.
“Can I come in?” he asked in a soft warm voice.
She arched an eyebrow. “Come in where? I don’t understand. How did you sneak up on me like that? I didn’t hear a sound.”
“Redman - remember?” He smirked. “It’s in my genes.”
“Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot,” she sighed. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“You were a million miles away. I wanted to know if I was still allowed, in your world. What were you thinking about?”
Sara looked back up at the sky. “Nothing, in particular. Just enjoying the night. Well, morning, now. I was thinking, how peaceful it is. I love it here. It’s not loud and busy, like at Lucy’s.”
“I knew you would, even when I bought it,” he sighed. “It’s one of the reasons I snapped it up.” He laughed. “I’ve always liked ‘Gone With the Wind’. This place reminds me of it.”
Sara watched a shooting star. “It does, kinda.”
“Our house in Texas was rather small,” Jared said without prompting. “I kept my trinkets and artifacts, hidden away in storage boxes. I made a promise to myself. I vowed someday I’d buy a big house and put them out so they could be seen and appreciated. When I bought Wisteria Hall, I made the Navajo room and put them in there.”
“You’ve done a good job. The room looks more like a museum exhibit.”
He chuckled. “I know I went overboard, a little, on some things, here at the house. I spent a lot of money, researching its past. I wanted to restore it to its original state as closely as possible. The stone bridge across the stream and the arch in the rose garden, for example. They were gone when I bought the house. The old lady inherited it, after the war. She never had them restored. The bridge stones were piled in a heap, toward the back, near the property line.” He slid a finger along the side of her cheek. “A lot of the original house was destroyed during the war.”
“The Civil War?”
Jared nodded. “I guess she was less attuned to detail than I am. The west end of the house was falling down. According to the local library, a cannonball hit next to the foundation, and the whole west side of the house crumbled to the ground, killing some of the slaves. The owner used that part of the house for servants, which is why it’s not as lavish as the rest. Slave quarters weren’t important. They were usually constructed with more common material than the main house. I left it that way on purpose.”
“I wondered about the wooden floors and the old-style wallpaper. Even the curtains looked like movie props. Were they your idea, as well?”
He smiled and nodded again. “It’s the reason I chose to build the Navajo room in that part of the house. It reminds me of where my people came from.”
Sara studied his eyes. “I’m looking forward to seeing that. When’s the convention?”
“In Arizona you mean?”
“Mmm, hmm,” she nodded.
“Near the end of August. We’ll need to start getting ready for the show, after the reunion gig.”
The butterflies in her stomach changed to pterodactyls. “How many people do you think will be there?”
Jared smiled. “If I have my way, more than you can count. I intend to get at least a week’s worth of advertisement from the radio stations. I’ve got a few, incentives for them to play our stuff.”
“You mean you’re gonna bribe them?”
He reflected her grin. “I’m gonna pull in a few favors. Besides, once they hear you sing, I won’t need to bribe them. You’ll have them eating outta your hand.”
Sara swallowed hard. “Could we talk about something else? I’ve had butterflies ever since you told me about it.”
He caressed her face with his fingertips. “You have nothing to worry about. Like I told you. I’ll get rid of all your fears, beginning tonight.” He leaned down. At first, his kiss was soft and gentle, as before. Then, he deepened it until she forgot how to breathe.
“Don’t!” she said and pushed his face away. “Please, no more games. No more teasing, I can’t take it.”
Jared rolled on top of her and propped his weight on his elbows. “No more teasing,” he whispered and claimed her mouth; his kiss hot, wet and hungry. Her body became a pool of desire. “If you don’t want this, tell me now, while I’ve got an ounce of control left,” he said. “Are you sure you want me this way?”
“More than anything.”
He helped her to her feet and pulled her hard against his body. He kissed her again and stole her breath. When she swayed, he scooped her into his arms.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers in his long black hair. She was heated up, but afraid to let go. Afraid of the disappointment which would follow, when he pulled away, again. But he didn’t. His lips left her mouth and trailed kisses over her face, and down the sides of her neck. He kissed her thoroughly again and stared into her eyes. “Let’s take this upstairs,” he whispered.
Sara tried to read his eyes. “OK,” she nodded, no hesitation or doubt in her answer.
Without taking his eyes off her, Jared carried her back into the house. They were a fourth of the way up the stairs, when Gerald, the butler, stopped them. “Sir, there’s a call for you, from your father.”
Jared kept his eyes locked on hers. “I’ll take it in the bedroom.”
~ ~ ~
He sat her on the bed and kissed her again. “This won’t take long.” He put the phone to his ear and looked back at her, hunger blazed in his eyes. “I’ve got it, Gerald.” He turned his back and spoke softly so she couldn’t hear. Minutes later, he turned and sat on the side of the bed. His eyes glossed.
“Jared, what’s wrong?”
“It’s my granddad. He had another stroke and lapsed into a coma. I have to go to Arizona.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “They’re not expecting him to live. I’m sorry to do this to you, but I have to go. You can stay here, or I’ll drop you off at Lucy’s.”
“I wanna go with you,” she said.
He held her and nodded. “Call Luce. There are some suitcases in the closet. Pack our things. Whatever else we need, we’ll buy it in Arizona. I’ll go down and arrange our flight from the office. You do understand we might be gone for a while?”
“Yeah, I understand,” Sara said and nodded. “It’s fine, just go.” She pressed speaker, laid her phone on the nightstand, and started packing. Several rings later, Lucy answered in a sleepy voice.
“Lucy, it’s me. Sorry to wake you, but Jared’s grandfather had another stroke.”
“Oh, my God. Is he OK?”
“He’s in a coma. They don’t expect him to live.”
“Oh, Sara. Is Jared OK?”
“No. He’s hurting. I’m flying with him to Arizona.”
“Your mother will not like that,” she enunciated.
“Lucy, I love him, and I need to be with him. If Mother calls, tell her what you have to. It won’t make a difference. I’m already in the doghouse. I gotta go. I’ll see you when we get back. Oh, Jared said to tell Steve and Carl, he’d call them when we got to Arizona, and let them know what’s going on.”
“Alright, I will. Take care and be careful. I’d say have a pleasant trip, but I doubt you will.”
“Thanks. I love you, Lucy. I wish my mother was more like you!”
“Hey, kid, do you have enough clothes? You haven’t picked up the rest of your things.”
“Jared said he’d buy me whatever I needed. He’s back. We have to leave.” Sara ended the call. “Get it done?”
“We have to be at the airport in fifteen minutes.”
“That was quick. I thought it would take longer to get the tickets.”
He added some items from the bathroom to their suitcase. “Not if you tell them you’re a doctor, and it’s an emergency. Are all of your things in here now? Can I close it?”
“Yeah. Can I bring my laptop and guitar?”
“Laptop, yes – guitar, no. It might get damaged in cargo. Since it won’t fit in the overhead compartment, they’d regard it as a safety hazard. Besides, I’ve got an old one at my parents’ house.”
“I’m ready then.”
“I called my mother. She knows you’re coming. She said we could stay at the house with the rest of the family. Joe, my older brother, and his wife Kate might fly in from New Zealand, but you’ll like them too, especially Joe. He’s a paleogeologist.”
“A paleo-what?” Sara frowned.
“A paleogeologist,” he chuckled. “He deals with the historical, geological state of a particular area.”
“So, he studies rocks and minerals?”
“He tries to figure out how they were formed.”
“Oh, I see,” she said, none the wiser. “I thought your parents lived in El Dorado.”
“They did,” Jared frowned, slightly, “but they moved to Arizona when my grandmother passed. Dad wanted to live closer to his father so he could look after him. Taking care of our elders is important to my people. You don’t remember me telling you this already?”
“Oh, yeah, right. Sorry,” she snorted. “Are they gonna be OK with me being there?” she asked, apprehensively. “Under the circumstances, I don’t wanna cause problems.”
“Sara, they’re excited about meeting you, my mother and my sister, especially.”
She sighed, noticeably. “I was afraid they might try to scalp me or make me go through a swatting line, first.”
Jared grinned; she was joking with him. “Um, Sara, the Apache make you run the gauntlet, not the Navajo. Besides, my mother’s wall is already lined with scalps from mine, Joe’s and Myra’s previous conquests,” he said looking deadly serious. Sara’s eyes widened; she swallowed hard. He grabbed the suitcases. “Come on, silly. We don’t have time for this. Our taxi should be here any minute.”
“We’re not taking your car to the airport?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know how long we’ll be gone, and I don’t trust airport storage.”
Sara swung her purse and laptop case strap over her shoulder and followed him downstairs. Gerald met them. “I’ll take those, sir.”
“Put them in the foyer. I’m gonna make sure the studio’s locked up tight. Tell Steve and Carl, if they use it while we’re gone, to make sure it’s locked before they leave.” Jared kissed Sara. “You wait for the taxi. If it comes before I get back, send Gerald out for me. I’ll try to be quick.” He kissed Sara again and left.
She followed Gerald to the foyer. “Gerald?”
“Yes, Miss Sara?”
She lounged against the wall. “How long have you worked for Jared?”
“About five years.” He sat the luggage by the front door and stepped next to her. “I was part of the house staff, when Dr. Thundercloud became the new owner of Wisteria Hall. He doesn’t need us, but he let me and Cassie stay on.”
“That sounds like Jared,” she smiled.
“Will there be anything else, Miss Sara? Perhaps some coffee while you wait?”
“Yes, please,” she said. Coffee would help her stay awake and alert. It was late, and she was exhausted from all the rehearsing, and the emotional stress of the day.
“I’ll bring it out for you shortly.” He disappeared.
Sara sat at the foot of the stairs and waited.
~ ~ ~
Gerald wheeled a serving cart next to her. “Sugar or cream, Miss Sara?”
“Just cream.” He tipped some into her cup. “Thank you,” she smiled.
“Well, everything’s secure,” Jared said and took his cup. “Oh, thank you, Gerald. I needed this.”
“I thought you might, sir,” he nodded. “Will there be anything else?”
“No, this is fine.”
“Then I’ll say goodnight, sir. Have a safe trip, and I do hope your grandfather will be well soon.”
Jared smiled slightly. “Thank you, Gerald.” He sat on the step beside Sara while they drank their coffee. He smiled. “I can’t tell you, what it means to have you with me. For you to want to go with me, like this. You don’t have to, you know. After all, you don’t know my family, yet.”
“I always wanna be with you, Jared.”
He laced his fingers with hers, squeezed her hand and kissed it. Then, he kissed her mouth. Despite the circumstances, the fire was still there.
The doorbell rang. Jared answered it. “Yes, you can take those. We’ll be right out.” He poked his head around the corner. “Time to go, angel. Leave your cup on the serving cart.”
~ ~ ~
They got in, and the driver headed for the airport. Jared leaned his head down and kissed her. “I’m sorry we were interrupted,” he whispered in her ear and kissed the side of her neck. “We’ll get there. I promise.”
Sara sighed and softly smiled. I hope so.