Willow (23 page)

Anne raised her red painted fingernails to her mouth and paused. “Well…he’s already here,” Anne remarked softly. She looked behind her and motioned with her hand. “I’ll leave you two…You know where I’ll be.”

I stood up, holding the masking tape in one hand while smoothing my hair with the other. No time to primp, no time to figure out what to say and no time to say goodbye to Anne because Reece walked right on in. His face broke out in his typical grin. He was dressed almost identical to me and his eyes registered that fact as his gaze swept over me.

“Manual labor,” he began, still grinning. “I guess it’s the only way to get close to you.”

I swept a tendril of hair behind my ear and smiled back at him. “You’re welcome here anytime, you know that.”

“Am I?” He questioned. My heart skipped as he walked towards me. He lowered his chin and looked at me thoughtfully. “I might have known that had the invitation come from you.”

“You’re here now,” I said with a smile. “Why don’t we get started?”

Reece chuckled and picked up a brush. “Whatever you say, Willow.”

An hour later we were nearly done with the first coat. We didn’t speak much but would laugh or tease if we bumped into each other, which seemed to happen on a frequent and intentional basis. The tension between us was palpable.

I used the back of my hand to brush some stray hairs from my face and reached for my cup and took a sip of water, which spilled and ran down my neck. I coughed and Reece, who was kneeling, put his brush down as he looked me over before chuckling.

“Now I know what you’ll look like when you’re seventy,” he said, gesturing to my hair.

I bent down to look in the mirror of my armoire, which was pushed up against my bed.

“Oh,” I groaned. “That’ll be fun to get out.”

“I happen to like it,” Reece said. “My dad always said gray hair was distinguished.”

“Gray hair, yes, not white,” I complained as I picked through the strands of white hair. The paint had dried so some of it just flaked off. I stood and put my hands on my hips. I looked down and caught Reece looking at my chest.

“Reece Anderson,” I scolded while crossing my arms.

“Yes,” he replied, turning his attention to my face. I stared at him, silently rebuking him.

“What?” He asked. “I like the view.”

Knowing that our flirtation could progress very easily I decided to change the subject. “I’m hungry...Should we order in or take and bake?”

“Order in, but when we finish and clean up, I’m taking you into town for dessert. Deal?”

“Dessert?” I raised my eyebrow. “Don’t tempt me.”

“I’ll do anything I can,” he smirked. “To win you over.”

“Winning isn’t the goal Reece…Isn’t it said that a war is made up of battles, just as a journey is made of steps?”

“So take your steps with me.”

Shaking my head I sighed, but smiled just the same. “Ice cream sounds good. Why don’t you order that pizza and while we’re waiting we can get started on the final coat.”

“Yes ma’am,” he obliged happily.

After several slices of Hawaiian pizza and a job well done, we relaxed on the porch swing. The sweet spring air was light and cool against our flushed skin. Reece’s arm was resting behind me on the swing and not caring how forward it was, I leaned in and rested against him. “This is nice,” I murmured.

Reece said nothing but our legs kept meeting as we rocked back and forth.

A short time later, with the gentle sway of the swing, I found myself growing tired so I began to lift myself off him when I felt his hand on my arm. “Not so soon,” he whispered as he gently squeezed my arm.

As much as I didn’t want to, I pulled back from him and stood and stretched. I lifted my arms above my head and swept my pony tail off my perspiring neck. I pulled out the band and shook my hair in the light breeze.

“I’m ready for ice cream…or I will be once I fix myself up,” I laughed.

“You’re a tease,” he chastised with a twinkle in his green eyes.

“Hardly,” I grinned.  “I didn’t want to fall asleep, I was
that
comfortable.”

I smiled back at him. He rolled his eyes and stood up, letting the swing rock behind him. “Of course you were. You were with me,” he winked.

I grinned again and skipped inside the house. As soon as I entered the bathroom I pulled off my soiled clothes and adjusted the temperature of the water. I unhooked my bra and let it drop. I picked up a clean towel and held it against me. While steam began to pool around me I lifted the window slightly and what I saw down below caused my breath to catch. I was looking past the yard to where Reece parked his truck; he had the door open and he had pulled off his t-shirt and was reaching for a clean one. His chest was smooth, his arms were lean and ripped, and no man could have looked more perfect, at least in my eyes.

He leaned down and in the side mirror, raked one hand through his straight brown hair, letting some of it fan across his face. Turning towards the house he automatically looked up to the bathroom window and just as quickly I moved away. My heartbeat accelerated and I dropped the towel on a rack and stepped into the shower where I picked up a bar of white soap and rubbed it across my abdomen. I lathered shampoo through my hair and all I could think was that I loved watching him and that he caught me doing so.

I didn’t have time to dry my hair but I combed it and pulled it back with a  headband. I found a white blouse and tucked it into my dark jeans and searched around in my closet for a pair of sandals. When I sat down at my armoire to powder my face and apply some lip gloss I saw a folded note resting next to my perfume. I looked at my reflection and with nervous hands, opened the note.

Willow,

You don’t know it yet, but you’re already mine. Just like I’ve always been yours.

Reece

Two sentences, but they conveyed everything. I read the note a few more times and looked at my reflection and noticed that my features were those of a happy young woman – a woman in love.

Chapter 35

“All set?” Reece asked as he watched me descend the stairs. He was standing near the banister with one hand resting on it. He didn’t mention the note.

I swept my hair behind my shoulder and gave a knowing smile.

We parked near Main Street and walked while savoring the aroma of spring. We stopped at a local eatery with a small ice cream bar. I challenged Reece to pick something I liked and laughing, he told me to do the same. I reached up and covered his eyes and motioned to the chocolate almond gelato and held up two fingers for two scoops. Next, Reece covered my eyes and I was struck by their warmth. When he told me to open my eyes, we both laughed simultaneously as the server handed us both two scoops of chocolate almond gelato.

“That’s my favorite,” I laughed.

“Mine too!” Reece concurred.

After paying we walked up the street and towards the park. He took my hand in his and I didn’t pull away. When we reached the park we sat down on the soft, green grass and licked the sweet cream from our cones. He asked about my life in Woodland Park and if I was happy to be here. My eyes flickered with a silent longing of nostalgia but I shrugged my shoulders as I told him I was enjoying knowing my aunt and that it was good to have friends. He asked who I meant specifically and I smiled broadly.

“Amber, Tavia…
you
.”

“I knew you could say it,” he teased with affection. He drew me in and I rested my head on his chest. I didn’t object when he ran his fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes and drank in the sweetness of the air and the tranquility of the late afternoon. We didn’t say much more, we didn’t have to. We just reveled in shared company.

Sometime later a sudden cloud of darkness swept over us. Before I opened my eyes I felt a single drop on my cheek. I looked up to see voluminous dense clouds rolling in. Reece nudged me and we both sat up. “I guess we better hurry before we get drenched.”

“I don’t mind the rain,” I said. “But I do mind the lightning.”

He helped me up and we hurried towards Main Street. The clouds didn’t release their storm but one by one we felt a trickle of what was to come. On our way we heard someone call out from the pizzeria. “Reece, Willow! Over here!”

We looked and saw Tavia and Amber holding their plates and drinks. They were heading into the restaurant from the patio and Tavia motioned with her head for us to follow them. The expression on Amber’s face said it all. I immediately felt guilty, like I had been caught doing something I shouldn’t have. With a lump in my throat I followed them. I glanced at Reece but he seemed fine.

“What have you two been up to?” Tavia asked cheerfully. She offered Reece a slice of her veggie pizza but he smiled and said, “No thanks, we had some earlier.”

Amber seemed anything but happy. She eyed Reece and then me. I felt a chill colder than the approaching storm.

Directing her attention towards me Tavia asked, “What’s in your hair Willow?”

As everyone looked at me I scratched my neck. “Paint probably...” Looking at Amber I added, “My aunt invited Reece over to help.”

She seemed to relax a little and spoke for the first time since Reece and I joined them. “I hear a huge storm is in the forecast.”

I nodded and then remembered I had left Pandora outside. “Oh no...I have to get home before the downpour.”

“We can go now if you like,” Reece suggested.

“No, stay!” Tavia insisted. “Until we’re done, then we can walk out together.”

While we sat there chatting, I kept looking outside in worry. Reece raised his hand to wave at friends and Tavia asked the server for some more cherry coke. Amber was picking at her calzone and leaned towards me to ask if I wanted to go to the movies with her when Tavia interrupted her. “Are you still seeing Haven?”

“No,” I muttered. “We were just friends.”

“I don’t think anyone could be ‘just friends’ with Haven,” Tavia snickered. “I know I couldn’t.”

“You and most of the female population,” Amber chimed in.

I sat there growing increasingly uncomfortable. “Yes, he’s very attractive,” I agreed. “But it takes more than that.”

When the rain started coming down harder we all agreed it was time to go. After saying goodbye, Amber and Tavia ran off in one direction while Reece and I went the other. By the time we reached his truck we were wet. Not only was my blouse sticking to me awkwardly, but my hair was beginning to drip. Reece opened the door for me and ran around to the driver’s side. Once inside he fished around in the cab and pulled out his jean jacket. He laid it on my lap for warmth and I pulled it up around my shoulders while he drove me home.

“I’m not used to the feelings you command from me,” he said unexpectedly.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I feel possessive for one. I even felt it as I gave you my jacket. It’s something I would do for almost anyone but with you the only jacket I want you to wear, other than your own, is mine.” He laughed and shook his head, as if what he was saying amused even him.

“I think most people feel that way when they like someone...” And then I laughed too. I was almost embarrassed, like I was saying something presumptuous.

“Like?” Reece repeated. “We’re beyond like.”

We both grinned.

“Well...” I began. “I think most people get jealous.” 

“Is that a way of admitting you do?”

I looked over at him and he seemed to be enjoying himself and all I could do was nod. “It’s not a fun emotion to contend with but maybe it tells us we feel threatened somehow.”

“Cole…” Reece hissed. “When I think of him I feel it come on like an inferno. The things I could do to him…I try to justify it you know…and then I wonder if I hate him because he wants you too.”

“There is no competition,” I assured him.

“Regardless,” Reece said. “There is a competition, whether you realize it or not, and that’s because one wants what one cannot have, and right now neither of us can have you.”

“I’m not worth having,” I stated firmly. “Not like this.”

“That’s B.S.” Reece exclaimed. “No one is perfect. We accept each other as we are and grow throughout a lifetime. You should know, as well as I do, that waiting wastes time…and sometimes the people we care about are not there later.”

I closed my eyes longer than necessary, knowing full well he was right. “Why can’t love be simple?” I lamented.

“Because people are involved,” Reece answered.

“And there aren’t always happy endings,” I added.

“Let me ask you this,” Reece put forth. “It’s easy to get drawn to them because they have human characteristics and they are different, even superior. Could you really be happy with one of them, with
him
?”

“I’m not with him though…I couldn’t be with someone unless I loved that person entirely. You can love someone and not like everything they do. The difference is you accept them.”

For a while there was silence on both ends.

“So, why don’t you tell me,” I began with a grin. “What don’t you like about me?”

Reece threw his head back and his laughter filled the cab of his truck.

“Where do I begin?” He chuckled. “You’re stubborn, maddening, secretive, and way too distant.” I bit my lip in quiet reflection while he reached over and tousled my hair. “I can’t help but love all of you.”

I raised an eyebrow suggestively. “Love? What if I gained fifty pounds?”

“Well…there would be more of you to love.” He winked and searched my face for a reaction. “I would enjoy the ride.”

My eyes widened and I stifled a giggle. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

“Believe it baby,” he teased. “You’re one catch I can’t let go of.”

Reece reached over to search for my hands under the jacket. His big warm hand covered both of mine and I felt him trace the ring on my middle finger. If it weren’t for my conflicting feelings about love and friendship my time with Reece would have been perfect.

Reece walked me to the door and as much as I wanted him to come in, I couldn’t bring myself to invite him in. His finger traced down the hollow of my back, sending shivers up my spine. As the rain continued to fall and beat down on the roof of the porch, I dropped my hand from the door and turned to face him. He was looking down at me. His eyes were soft and kind. My lips curved up and I reached up to brush his face with my fingertips.

“I had the perfect, happy day.”

I began to turn towards the door when he stopped me.

“Let me ask you again…” he started. “Will you be with me?”

My brows drew together and my eyes reflected the internal struggle I was feeling as I stood there in short-lived silence.

“You know we can’t…” I whispered.

“I know we should,” he countered, leaning in to me. The more I felt his form so close to mine, the more I felt myself losing. We stayed together, soaking up each other’s presence until headlights flooded the porch. I leaned to the side to see over Reece’s broad shoulder.

Haven stared from inside the car. He stepped out of the driver’s seat and with a face as cold as stone approached us. Reece tensed up and faced Haven with a severe disposition. Reece was too polite to make a scene but I knew if he wasn’t on my territory he would have said something. Haven didn’t acknowledge him but his piercing blue eyes swept over my haggard, unkempt appearance. I felt myself flush under his serious gaze.

“It’s Lauren,” Haven said gravely. “She’s asking for you.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Is she alright?”

“No, I’m afraid not. Will you come?”

I nodded.

“I’ll take her,” Reece offered, causing Haven to look at him for the first time that night.

“That won’t be necessary,” Haven responded.

“It’s okay Reece,” I said, realizing time was of great importance. “You know where I’ll be. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

Reece broke his silent battle with Haven to look down at me. “I’ll wait for you,” he offered, but I shook my head.

“I appreciate that Reece, but I’ll call you when I get home.” With that I squeezed his hand and ran inside to let Pandora in.