Her Mother's Daughter (12 page)

This time Tansy and Dermot didn't go anywhere. She parked around the back of his house and no one was the wiser. He opened the back door and let her in. She smiled and walked past him slowly, knowing his eyes were on her. Placing her bag on the kitchen table, she stood with her back to him, waiting.

Dermot came up behind her and put his hands on her hips. He lowered his head and kissed her right shoulder. She leaned to the left, giving him access to her neck. There was a quick intake of breath as his lips touched her, his tongue warm against her skin. He kissed her perfumed flesh. It was unhurried, endless. She wanted more. She tried to turn and face him, but he wouldn't let her.

“Please,” she whispered.

“Wait.”

His right hand came up and covered her breastbone, while his left slid around and held her belly, pressing her against his body without releasing his grip, bringing her closer. She wanted to melt into him. Her head fell back against his shoulder. She was breathless.

“There are a lot of things I can teach you, city girl.”

“Do it.”

It was almost dawn when Tansy got out of his bed. He pulled her back for a moment. “What are we doing?”

She reached out and brushed his hair away from his forehead. “I thought that was obvious.”

“This is not what it was supposed to be.”

She touched his cheek with the back of her hand. “And what was that?”

“A one-night stand.”

She laughed. “Now don't go ruining everything by falling for me, Dermot.”

“Hey!” He reached out and messed up her hair. “I think it's the other way around.”

“Stop it, you!” She grabbed his hands, but he pushed her back down on the bed and leaned over her.

“Say it.”

Tansy smiled. “Say what?”

“That you think I'm the greatest guy you've ever been with.”

“Why would I say that? My last guy was a multimillionaire, not a grease monkey.”

“You told me grease could be fun.”

“I did?”

“You did,” Dermot laughed. “Two minutes after we met.”

“That was a mistake. I'll be more circumspect in the future.”

Dermot grinned and sat at the edge of the bed, holding out his hand to pull her up. “Look who's showing off with her fancy language.”

Tansy gathered up her clothes and held them in front of her. “I'm proceeding to the lavatory to expunge your pungent odour from my epidermis.”

“What you really need is a shower.”

Tansy threw her camisole at him.

When she arrived at home she tiptoed upstairs, closed her bedroom door, and waited until seven o'clock to call Gertie.

“Sorry, Gertie, I can't make it for our walk this morning.”

“Can't say I'm sorry.”

“I want you to go for a walk without me.”

“What? That's no fun. Are you sick?”

“No, had a late night.”

“And I bet it wasn't in front of a television set.”

“You know me so well. Now remember, twenty minutes at least.”

“Goodbye, Commandant.”

Tansy put down the phone and went to sleep.

Bay poked her head into Tansy's bedroom before she left for work. She wanted to make sure her sister was home. Despite the fact that she'd been awake for a long time after she went to bed, she hadn't heard Tansy come in. Bay had spent the time thinking up a game plan, because Tansy was right. It was ridiculous that she never made an effort. A dried-up old prune is exactly what she'd be if she didn't soon change her ways.

She was about to go downstairs when she heard a noise in the bathroom. She went over to the door and knocked softly. “Is that you, Ashley?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you okay?”

“I feel kind of crummy.”

“Really? Let me feel your forehead.”

“Mom, I'm not a baby. I have an upset stomach. Probably nerves about the prom tomorrow.”

“You've never changed. You always had a delicate stomach.”

“I'll be fine. You're going to be late.”

“Okay, sweetheart. Feel better.”

“Thanks.”

Bay ran down the stairs and grabbed her granola bar. “Come on, Merlin. You need to go for a pee.”

Merlin got up instantly and ran to the door. When Bay got outside, she smelled the salty ocean air. It was a beautiful day, a day full of possibilities. She ate her breakfast while she waited for Merlin to stop sniffing every bush in the backyard. It had rained during the night, and the small tufts of garden greenery looked fresh and clean nestled in the dark loamy soil. Flo came outside with a container filled with potato peelings and turnip tops from last night's supper to throw in the compost bin. She waved.

“Morning.”

“Hi, Flo.”

Flo came across the yard. “Do you know what time your sister crawled home last night, or should I say this morning?”

Bay ate the last part of her bar. “I really don't care.”

“You don't? God knows what she's up to. People will start to talk.”

Bay laughed. “Flo, people talk whether or not there's anything to talk about. You've lived here long enough to know that.”

“True. I just don't want her running roughshod over you.”

“I'm not the weakling you think I am.”

Flo started to smile. “There's my girl.”

“And guess what? I'm going to invite Dermot over for supper and then let him take me to a movie.”

“Well, it's high time.”

“Better dash. Come on, Merlin.”

The morning crawled by for Bay as she rehearsed what she would say to Dermot. She wasn't going to take no for an answer. There were cabbage rolls in the freezer and it was only a matter of picking up French bread on the way home. He loved apple pie, so she'd make that too.

Lunchtime arrived and Bay closed up shop for an hour. She got in her car and headed for Dermot's garage, where she parked at the side of the building and went around to the front. The garage doors were open and he was servicing a car that was up on the lift.

“Hi, Dermot.”

He looked startled. “Hi.”

“How are you?”

“Good.”

She watched his face. He was clearly uncomfortable and it was her fault.

“Dermot, I've apologized before, but I don't think you believed me so I'll say it again. I had no right to brush you off like that. You're someone I've cared about for a long time, and I don't want you to be afraid to come near me. I was thoughtless and I want to make amends. Please come for supper tonight and then maybe we can go to the movies. I'd really like that.”

He didn't say anything. He looked down at his feet, so she couldn't read his face. Finally he lifted his head.

“Look, Bay, I don't think…”

She walked up to him and put her hand on his arm. “Please, Dermot. I want to be with you.”

He looked like he wanted to cry. Not knowing what to do, she reached up and kissed him, but he didn't respond. She pulled her head away. “Please kiss me.”

He dropped the rag and put his arms around her, then lowered his head and kissed her hard. It felt incredible. She wanted to take him into the office and be with him right there and then. He had the same idea, because he lifted her off her feet and walked into the back of the garage, keeping his mouth on her the whole time. He kicked the office door shut and sat her on his desk before he lifted his head and held her face.

“Do you know how long I've waited for you to say that?”

“I know,” she said breathlessly. “I've been—”

Dermot shut her up with another kiss and reached for her blouse to undo the buttons. She helped him. He pulled it away from her shoulders and leaned her over the desk, kissing under her chin, and then her throat, and then the soft space where her necklace rested. She pulled at his overalls, wanting to feel his skin under her fingers. She forgot where she was. Nothing mattered but this man and his body and how he made her feel.

A voice from out front shouted, “Is anybody here?”

Bay lifted her head. “Oh, God…”

Dermot clamped his hand over her mouth. “Shh. Be quiet, they'll go away.” They held their breath while they looked into each other's eyes.

“Hello? Hello? Do you want me to pay for this gas, or what?”

Dermot gritted his teeth. “Shit.” He lifted himself off her. Bay sat up on the desk and fumbled to close her blouse. He reached out and held her chin in his hand. “Let's finish what we started tonight, okay?”

She couldn't speak, only nodded her head. Dermot disappeared out the door and she sat there not believing what had happened. She never did things like this.

It was a good day.

No one was home when she got there, so she went straight upstairs and had a hot shower, and then hurried about the kitchen in her bathrobe while she made the apple pie. The phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Mom. Maribeth's mother asked me if I wanted to stay for supper. Is that okay?”

“Fine, honey. Do you know where your aunt is?”

“She went into town to buy some new clothes.”

“Like she doesn't have enough. All right, thanks for calling.”

“Bye, Mom.”

Bay fairly hopped around the kitchen. No one was home. The minute Dermot walked through that door, she planned to pounce on him. She hoped Tansy would stay away long enough for them to be together.

She took her time getting ready and wore her blue sweater set and grey skirt, putting her hair up with a rhinestone clip. The table was set, the food ready. The kitchen looked cozy and welcoming. All she needed was for him to come through the back door. She paced back and forth to the living room window, peeking out the curtains every time she heard a vehicle out front. Finally his truck pulled into the driveway. He got out carrying a bouquet of flowers. She bit her lip and ran into the kitchen so she could greet him.

When he came through the door, he gave her a smile and didn't say a word, simply handed her the flowers and gathered her in his arms. He kissed her for a long time before he let her go.

“You look beautiful tonight.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

“I'm sorry about this afternoon. I wanted to kill that idiot.”

She laughed and slipped out of his arms to put her flowers in a vase of water. She placed it on the table. “Sometimes, when you have to wait for something…”

“Get over here.”

She complied. He kissed her again before he whispered, “Is anyone home?”

“No.”

“Let's go to your room.”

She nodded. He took her by the hand and they started up the stairs. That's when another car pulled into the driveway.

Bay craned her neck to look out the window. “Oh, damn. It's my sister.”

“Your sister?” Dermot groaned. “For God's sake, this gets better and better.”

“We'll have dinner and then I'll ask her to leave. She won't mind. She's always telling me I have to get out more.”

“Okay, but then that's it. I'm not waiting a minute longer.”

They went back into the kitchen and that's when Tansy pushed the back door open.

“Hi, hi. I'm home. You're not going to believe…” She stopped dead the minute she saw Dermot, the colour draining from her cheeks.

“Tansy, this is my friend Dermot.” Bay looked back and was startled by the expression on Dermot's face. “What's wrong? Is something the matter?”

He didn't answer her.

“Dermot?”

Tansy recovered first. She put down her parcels. “Oh dear, he's surprised to see me again, that's all.”