Chapter 7
Mary took in the hard lines of his body and felt her own heart beating a little harder in her chest, the breath coming out in short spurts as she looked at him. His shirt was off and he was glistening with sweat. He was more than enough to keep her eyes bugging out and Mary felt her face get red as he walked towards her.
His strides were long and it was no time before he was there in front of her. Pulling her in for a hug and a kiss on her cheek, Mary had so many mixed feelings running through her. It was hard to not feel something as he pressed her against him.
The touch surprised her and it looked like it surprised him for a minute, but Mary wasn’t complaining. “Sorry, I forgot I was all sweaty.”
“No, it’s fine. Really.” Mary’s voice quavered as she talked, but she couldn’t help it. There was something about him and feeling him up against her was one of the hardest moments in a long time. There was a need there and if how he felt to her was a clue, Henri was feeling the same way.
“So what do you think of my side of the world?”
Gemma just smiled at her brother, hoping he wouldn’t put his foot into his mouth. His grin was large and it was nice to see him looking so happy. She went in the house to give them some privacy, but she did update Elna on the couple on the porch.
“I think it is great.” Mary couldn’t keep her eyes off of his chest and when she saw him looking at her, she looked away. “I can’t believe you would ever want to leave. It is so beautiful and peaceful here, Henri.”
He just nodded at her, not really listening except to hear the sound of his name on her lips. She was looking at him strangely, he was staring again. Smiling back at her, he asked if she had any bags to take in.
“No, I will get a hotel in town or something. I don’t want to be an imposition.”
“I insist. There is plenty of room here, there always is. You will get your own room and everything. I haven’t heard too many good things about the place in town.”
Mary was torn, but he was already walking into the house and she didn’t seem to have any real choice. She didn’t want to offend him, but at the same time, Mary was far more worried about trying to breathe around him. Did he know what he was doing to her with no shirt on? It was hard to concentrate, but Mary was given relief by there being more people in the main living room that she walked into. She was introduced to Elna and Gemma.
They were both sizing her up, she could tell and it made her feel a bit more nervous, but it also took her mind away from Henri.
“Son, why don’t you go put a shirt on. It’s not that hot in here.”
Henri shook his head and walked off dutifully. Mary would have thanked his mother, but that didn’t seem the right thing to do. She could breathe again, but the pressure was back on for the rest of them looking at her.
“Well come sit down honey. We don’t bite. It’s nice to see Henri bring someone back home.”
Mary sat down, as dutifully as Henri had gone to do as he was told as well. Elna was a woman that she didn’t want to cross. While she was smiling in front of her and she was as nice as can be, in the city she was known for being pretty cut throat. It was said that she had to be that way, a woman running the company alone, but Mary wondered then if she was not pulling the strings all along.
There was nothing to say to her comment though and Mary liked to hear that she wasn’t one in a long line of women, but Henri didn’t seem the type. He didn’t seem to be the sort of man that would have enough time to be bothered with more than one woman. He was so straight forward and that was one of the things that Mary liked best about him.
“So where are you from dear?”
“Houston.”
“Oh, I live there too on the weekdays. This week I have been off though, getting ready for my daughter to get married.” The older woman looked at her daughter with such love and Mary’s heart constricted a little. It was clear that they were both looking forward to it. Mary had done her research, found out that she only had the one daughter, so it would seem that there was even more anticipation because of that. Belinda had asked her again to find out a few things, ask a few questions about the wedding, but she had declined, not wanting to be involved. She was only a photographer after all.
“Congratulations Gemma. Your brother didn’t even tell me about it. He had said there was something going on, but not a wedding.” Her mind went to what she had packed. There was nothing in there for a wedding!
“That is like Henri. Guys hear the very word and start heading for the door.”
Mary smiled back at Elna, seeing the glint in her eyes. She would marry her off right then and there to Henri if she was able. It was clear from the look in her face. “Yeah, I can see that happening. I have never even talked about it with a guy. I think I was afraid that would head for the hills.”
“I never really thought about marriage, until one day I did. I would have been happy with or without a marriage.” Gemma was getting everyone drinks and didn’t see the scowl on her mother’s face.
“Hush your mouth young lady. You old mother wants you married.”
Mary liked to see the interaction, the two women so animated.
“Don’t believe anything they tell you. It is probably all a lie.”
Mary’s attention went back to the son and even with his shirt on, it was hard not to remember the bare chest from before. She didn’t want to forget and was more than thankful to see him coming towards her.
“Now, Henri, don’t be fibbing on us. You know your mother doesn’t lie.”
Henri wasn’t paying her much attention. “Yeah, so you say.” He turned his attention to Mary fully and asked her if she wanted to go for a walk.
“I can do the pictures then if you want.”
Henri tried to make a face, tell her silently to drop the subject. It was not going to end well and Elna already had her ears perked up. “What pictures?”
Mary was about to tell her, but he stopped her and talked over with a different answer. “She is a photographer and is working with an author who wanted some pictures. I thought it would be a perfect place for the western theme of the book.”
Elna nodded her head, but looked at them both a little strangely. There was something going on, more than was said, but she ignored her inner voice telling her to say something. Henri looked so happy and she didn’t want to spoil it with all kinds of questions. There was her concern, their family always a target because of their success. “You two just make sure you are back for dinner.”