Chapter Nine
AFTER MAKING LOVE again and finally eating those bagels, they spent the day with Vera and the others down by the pool. Jamie, Caden, Kurt, and Tony sat at one of the round tables, playing poker beneath an umbrella. Bella brought a radio, tuned to a top forties station. Jessica, Bella, Jenna, and Amy were lying in the sun on lounge chairs. Leanna was still at the flea market, and Vera was reading beneath an umbrella close to the girls.
Jamie’s head was still spinning from making love to Jessica earlier in the day. He couldn’t get over how trusting she was. Not that he couldn’t be trusted. He was a trustworthy guy, but with Jessica he had nearly zero control. She barely knew him. He could have been a jerk. Maybe he was one. How would he know? Would a jerk have continued making love to her when he realized he was only the second man she’d ever been with? He couldn’t have stopped if his life had depended on it. She had a crazy hold over his emotions, and it became stronger with every second they were together. He’d been a breath away from asking her to shower with him, and he’d forced himself to back off, because he knew if he saw all those naked, luscious curves glistening wet beneath the shower spray, the memory of how good she felt would be too fresh. He’d go back for more without thinking. Instead, he’d rinsed off alone, smelling her scent all around him in the small bathroom.
“Dude, you going to stare at her all day, or are you going to make a move?” Tony arched a brow.
Double entendre noted, Jamie gave him one right back. “Can’t beat an ace in the hole.”
“Unless you’re wielding a longer sword,” Kurt added with a smirk. “Come on, boys, put away your Mr. Happy’s and play your cards.”
Jamie set down four aces. “I was talking about my cards.” And thinking about Jess.
“Son of a gun.” Tony tossed down his cards. “I thought you were day dreaming.”
Caden laid his cards facedown. “You guys are too hot for me today. I’ve got to pick up Evan at TGG. Anyone need anything in town?”
“Condoms, Jamie?” Tony asked. “They sell ’em small.”
“Yeah, that’s why I can’t buy them at the same places as you.” Jamie clasped his hands behind his head and relaxed back in his chair. “They don’t carry triple XL.”
Kurt shook his head. He threw his cards on the table and leaned closer to the others. “I think Tony’s jealous.”
“Pfft. I’ve got women coming out my butt.” Tony ran his hand along his muscular pecs.
“That’s the problem.” Caden rose to his feet. “They’re not supposed to be coming out of anywhere, especially your butt. I’ll see you guys later.”
Kurt pushed out from the table. “Hold up. I’ll walk with you. I have to get some writing done.”
Jamie’s phone rang. He watched Jessica walk over to the pool steps and stick her toe in the water. She held on to the metal railing and stepped down onto the first stair, looking beyond sexy in her pink bathing suit. His phone rang again.
“Get your phone, bud.” Tony pushed the ringing phone closer to Jamie.
He answered the call from Mark, but his attention was focused on Tony as he joined Jessica on the steps of the pool. Tony’s dirty-blond hair had sun-kissed streaks of lighter blond. His muscles glistened in the sun, and Jamie knew the way he was leaning against the concrete edge of the pool, his palms flat, elbows behind him, was a purposeful pose to pump up his enormous biceps. Bastard.
“Sorry, Mark. What were you saying?” He’d been too busy watching Tony to catch what Mark had said.
“Come on, Jamie. Focus. This is important. There’s something going on with the search engine, and it’s worse than we thought. A bug. Every time kids search for…” Jamie lost focus on Mark’s voice as Jessica walked into the water and Tony reached for her hand, drawing her deeper. What is he doing?
“What do you think?” Mark asked.
“What?” Jamie snapped, angry about Tony messing around when he knew Jamie was with Jessica. Tony never did stuff like this. Jamie didn’t know what was up with him today, but he was acting like he was looking for a fight.
“Come on, Jamie. What are you doing? This vacation was a mistake. I told you it was. You should be here dealing with this headache,” Mark seethed.
“It’s my first vacation in eight years, Mark.”
Tony grabbed a raft and lifted Jessica onto it. His hands wrapped around her waist, and when she shifted, her butt was about an inch from his face. Jamie shot a look at Amy, who was scowling, unlike Bella and Jenna, who were rolling their eyes.
“I’ve got to go, Mark. You can handle it however you see fit.” He ended the call, stalked to the deep end of the pool, and dove in. He broke the surface on the other side of Jessica’s raft and shot Tony a dark stare.
Jessica reached for his hand. “Hi.”
“Hey, babe. Enjoying the sun?” He shifted his eyes to Jessica. It was a good thing he was in the water, because he was getting turned on just looking at her, despite his annoyance at Tony, who swam away.
“Yeah. It’s nice. Want to climb up with me?” She patted the raft.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
She wrinkled her brow; then her eyes bloomed wide as understanding dawned on her and she dropped her gaze to the pool with a sexy smile. “Oh.”
Bella, Amy, and Jenna jumped into the water, splashing both of them. Jamie pulled himself up halfway on the raft to shield Jessica from the splashes.
“Mr. Chivalrous, look at you,” Jenna yelled as she doggie paddled around the deep water.
“Lame excuse to get closer,” Tony hollered.
“What’s up with him today?” Jamie asked Bella.
“Ames had a date last night.” Bella swatted Jenna as she tried to cling to her. “He’s been grumpy ever since.”
“Poor guy. He had his chance. How’d it go, Amy?” Jamie climbed off of Jessica but kept his hand on hers.
Amy had a foam noodle beneath her arms as she floated around the pool in her baby-blue bikini. “It was nice. We’re going out again tonight.”
“We’re all going so we can check him out.” Jenna grabbed a noodle and floated over to Jessica’s raft. “You two should come. We’re going to listen to a band play at Marconi Beach. I’m going to make Petey dance with me.”
“I’ve never even seen a band on a beach.” Jessica squeezed Jamie’s hand. “Do you think Vera would want to go?”
“You have no idea how much I love that you want to include her, but she’s been going to bed early these days. I’ll ask her, but it’ll probably be just us. Do you mind if I go spend a few minutes with her?”
“Of course not. Go.”
After a quick kiss, he swam the length of the pool, grabbed a towel, and joined Vera, the call with Mark all but forgotten.
“YOU CAN BURN a hole through a man if you stare too much,” Bella teased.
“Do they sell full-body heat protectors, then? Because there’s no chance that I’ll be done staring at him anytime soon.” Jessica couldn’t believe she’d admitted that out loud, but she was practically salivating over Jamie’s muscles as they bunched and flexed while he dried his delicious body—the taste of which was too fresh in her mind to forget.
“Said by the woman who suspiciously didn’t answer the door this morning at seven thirty.” Bella raised her brows.
“Bella!” Amy yelled. “We said we wouldn’t embarrass her.”
Jessica pulled Amy’s noodle closer and asked quietly, “Did you guys really come by?”
Amy nodded. “Don’t worry. We didn’t stick around and listen or anything. But we heard enough to know that we shouldn’t bother you.”
“Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness.” She covered her mouth and shot a look at Jamie. He was laughing with Vera. She loved how attentive he was to his grandmother. “Oh no. Did Vera hear us, too?”
“No, Vera was playing her violin,” Amy assured her. “Tony was too angry about me going on a date to be aware of anything, Kurt had his nose in his computer, and Caden was out running, so it was only us girls.”
“Oh, thank heavens. I’m sorry I didn’t answer the door.” No, she really wasn’t. She’d had the best morning of her life, and every time she revisited the feel of Jamie lying with her, or… She had to stop thinking of him.
“Don’t be. At least you’re not like Leanna.” Amy laughed. “She leaves her windows open and all of Wellfleet can hear her. That’s probably the real reason they stay at their house on the bay instead of the cottage.”
“Oh, that’s awful. If we ever do that, please, please tell us, because I’d be mortified.” She realized she’d used the term us. It felt natural. It felt good.
“You guys are such a cute couple. I wish my favorite surfer dude would ask me out. I’ve been in love with him forever.” Amy’s eyes went soft when she looked at Tony lying on a lounge chair.
“If he’s that mad over you dating, it means he likes you. I know he was only helping me onto the raft to make you jealous.” Jessica lowered her voice to a whisper. “He looked right past me and stared at you.”
“Well, he sure doesn’t act like it, but I do like the guy I’m going out with,” Amy explained. “Jake Ryder, he’s Blue’s younger brother.”
“Much younger brother. She’s a cradle robber,” Jenna said.
Did that make Jamie a cradle robber, too?
“He’s only twenty-eight, but he’s some kind of hot, mountain rescue guy, so…” Jenna wiggled her eyebrows in quick succession.
Amy swatted Jenna’s arm. “Stop trying to stir up trouble.”
Jenna laughed.
Jamie and Vera walked by, and Jamie crouched beside the pool. “I’m going to help Vera get situated. She doesn’t want to come this evening, so it will be just us. Okay?”
“Sounds good.” Jessica waved to Vera. “We’ll miss you tonight.”
“Thank you, dear. Have a nice time.”
She watched Jamie escort Vera out of the pool gates and sighed, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. She got out of the pool to lie in the sun, and her phone rang with an unfamiliar number.
“Hello?”
“Hi. Is this Jessica Ayers?”
“Yes.” She watched the girls fight over the raft she’d used.
“This is Steve Lacasse. You left me a message the other day.” His voice was energetic and friendly.
“Oh! Steve, yes, thank you for calling back. You had a baseball for sale, the one with Mickey Mantle’s signature all colored in with red ink.”
“Yes, but that’s been sold. Shipped it off the other day.”
“Yes. I know it was sold. I’m ninety-nine percent sure that was my father’s ball from when he was a child, and I’d like to contact the new owner to see if I can buy it from him. I was wondering if you could share his contact information with me.” Please, please, please.
“I’m sorry, Jessica, but I can’t give out any personal information. You can probably track him down on eBay.”
“Yes, I’ve tried that. Could you please pass along my information to him?”
“I suppose I could do that. What’s your email address?”
“It’s Jessica at BSO dot com, but could you please give him my phone number instead?”
“Darlin’, I’m not sure that’s a wise thing to do. Email is much safer.”
She smiled at his concern for her, but she hardly ever used email, and the less she had to rely on the computer, the better. “Thank you, yes, I understand that, but if you wouldn’t mind?”
He agreed, and Jessica hung up the phone feeling hopeful about finding her father’s baseball.
She lay down on the towel as Amy dried off a few feet away.
“Do you think I’m crazy to go out with someone a few years younger than me?” Amy laid her towel on her chair and tucked her wet hair behind her ears.
“I’m not the best person to give dating advice, but I’m younger than Jamie. I think you should follow your heart.”
Amy sighed. “I tried that.” She glared at Tony, who was nose deep in a novel. “I want to run down to the crazy store. Want to come with me?”
“What’s the crazy store?”
“Oh, right. Sorry. You know the two souvenir shops that are across the street from each other in South Wellfleet? Right on Route 6?”
Jessica shook her head.
“The ones with all the inner tubes and blow up stuff all over?”
“Oh, those. Yes.”
“We had a renter here once whose little girl called them the crazy stores, and it kind of stuck. Anyway, they have tie-dyed dresses, and I want to see if I can pick one up for tonight.”
An hour later Jessica, Amy, Bella, and Jenna came out of the crazy store with bags in hand. Jessica had a fun new dress to wear, which went perfectly with her new life. She’d bought Jamie a mood ring, and she’d picked up a cute beach bag for Vera.
When they got back to Seaside, Jessica heard Vera playing her violin. She walked around to the back deck of Jamie and Vera’s cottage to listen and found Jamie sitting with his back to Jessica, working on his laptop. Vera was playing “Czárdás” by Vittorio Monti, a piece that Jessica had always loved. She closed her eyes for a minute and let the music wash over her. Her fingers moved out of habit. She ached to play again. She opened her eyes as Jamie looked up from where he was working on his laptop and smiled.
“Hey, Jess.”
“Hi. I got Vera a little something. I’ve always loved that piece she’s playing.”
“It’s one of my favorites, too.” He reached for her hand as she stepped onto the deck and kissed her cheek.
“I saw this bag at the crazy store and thought Vera might like it for the pool.”
“The crazy store. You must have gone with the girls.” He held up the bag and showed it to Vera. “Look what Jess brought you.”
Vera stopped playing and joined them at the table. “That was very sweet of you. Thank you. This is lovely.”
“I’m glad you like it. I love listening to you play.” Jessica decided to wait and give Jamie his gift when they were alone. A mood ring wasn’t just silly. It implied intimacy, and she was still a little shy after what Amy had said.
“Thank you. Until my fingers won’t allow it, I’m going to play to my heart’s content.”
Jessica knew that feeling. She’d been working hard at ignoring the urge to pick up her cello. She focused on her father’s baseball to stifle the urge to join Vera. “Jamie, I heard back from Steve, and he’s going to give the buyer my number.”
“That’s awesome.” Jamie folded her into his arms and hugged her tight. “You might get that baseball after all.”
“I hope so. I’m going to run this stuff home. I want to call my father and catch up on a few things.”
“I still haven’t given you a lesson on eBay or the computer. I’m sorry that fell through the cracks. Want to do that now?”
She couldn’t tell if the desire in his eyes was her imagination or if he was making up an excuse so they could be alone and intimate again. She already missed the feel of him, and ever since he made the innuendo in the pool about being aroused, she’d been fighting memories of lying in his arms and being spoiled by his hands, his mouth, his body. Oh my. She had to go home before Vera saw right through her.
“That’s okay. You’re working and spending time with Vera. Hopefully, the buyer will call me, so there’s no rush.”
“Jessica, why don’t you bring your cello down and accompany me in a piece? I would love to hear you play.” Vera patted Jamie on the shoulder. “Go on, Jamie. Help her bring her cello down.”
“I don’t want to interfere.” Jessica couldn’t ignore the goose bumps racing up her arms at the idea of playing with Vera. Playing for Jamie was one thing, but Vera was an accomplished musician. She’d appreciate the musicality of Jessica’s style, which would be thrilling, but she would also notice her weaknesses.
“What do you say, Jess?” Jamie rose to his feet.
How could she say no to Vera? “Okay. Sure. Thank you, Vera.” They walked across the quad toward her apartment.
“Where are y’all going?” Bella hollered from her deck, where she was grilling. The smell of seasoned steaks rose around her cottage.
“Jess is going to play with Vera,” Jamie answered. “Come on over.” He turned to Jessica and lowered his voice. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“No, it’s fine.” She wasn’t sure if she was so nervous about playing in front of everyone, or because once she did, she might not be able to keep herself from playing again and again.
“I’ll bring steaks.” Bella hung over the edge of her deck and hollered, “Jenna! Pete! Jessica’s playing with Vera. Grab some salad!”
Jenna ran outside in her new tie-dyed sundress with Joey on her heels. “Really? Oh, yay! I’ll get Ames. Can you tell Kurt and Leanna? Oh, and Tony?”
“Amy left to meet Jake.” Bella stepped off her deck.
“And Tony’s right here.” Tony waved from his side yard. “I’ll be over in a few minutes.”
“Go get ready!” Bella shooed Jamie and Jessica away.
Jessica looked nervously at Jamie, who was smiling with pride in his eyes, while her stomach twisted and turned.
“See? Everyone wants to hear you play.” He draped an arm over her shoulder as they headed up the stairs to her apartment.
Jessica realized the real cause of her stress. She’d played in front of thousands of people, the media, even the president, and she wasn’t as nervous as she was to play in front of her new friends. She wanted to be plain old Jessica Ayers to them, and she knew the minute Vera heard her play, she’d know how accomplished she really was, and even though the others may not realize the level of expertise she possessed, surely they’d recognize that her cello playing was above average. She hoped Jamie was right and that she was misjudging how she could fit her cello into the real world, and more specifically, into their relationship.
In her apartment, she fisted her hands in Jamie’s shirt and kissed him. She needed to get her mind off her nerves and she’d been thinking about his lips all day.
“I’ve waited all day for that.” He sealed his mouth over hers again, and within seconds her legs turned to jelly and her nerves eased.
She was blissfully under his spell. When he pulled back, she was breathless.
“Are you nervous?”
“You can tell?”
He covered her hand with his on his chest. “You’ve got a handful of chest hair in there. Some skin, too.”
She opened her fists. “I’m sorry.”
“Why are you nervous? Didn’t you say that you play in an orchestra?” He drew those sexy brows together.
“Yes.” She went to get her cello before either of them could make another move and they ended up between the sheets instead of down on his deck where everyone would be waiting to watch her play.
Oh gosh.