Last First Kiss (31 page)

“I can tell you that over here, away from home, I feel free enough to be able to do something like this, and to dance with you the way I did last night. But, when I get home, I’ll still be worried about what people think.” She lifted her gaze to meet his. “And, as much as I’d like to, I still think it’s too soon to take it any farther,” she finished.

Strangely, he felt both exhilarated and disappointed by her admission. “If that’s how you feel, I’ll respect your wishes,” he said. “We won’t take it any farther...as much as I’d also like to.” He moved her away so he could look into her tired face. He placed both of his hands on her cheeks and leaned in to give her the same type of chaste kiss she’d given him the night before. “Let’s go, I’m starving.”

CHAPTER 19

They were on their second leisurely cup of coffee in the dining room, when Jackson answered a call from Red, inviting them to spend the day with him and have lunch. Jackson relayed the message to Giselle, and she agreed. They finished their coffee and went up to the rooms to pack. By ten o’clock, they were on their way to Red’s place.

“
I don’t know if you brought a swimsuit or not, but he’s got a fantastic pool,” Jackson told her.

“
As a matter of fact, I did bring one I’d bought for the trip...Just in case.” She twirled a lock of hair around her finger and stared out the window. “I nearly talked myself into taking a dip in the hotel pool around four a.m. I couldn’t sleep for some reason.”

“
I thought about doing the same but I didn’t want to leave in case you needed me for anything,” he said.

“
Really,” she murmured, turning to meet his gaze. “That would have been something if we’d both ended up there.”

“
Yeah,” he said in a release of breath, as he turned back to the road. “That would have been something...” he said, as a ghost of a smile reached his lips. “Your suit, is it, um, is it a one piece or two?”

Her left brow lifted at his curiosity. “It’s a one piece.” She turned away, adding in a soft murmur, “But just barely.”

Red lived in a rather exclusive, older subdivision on the east side of the city. They pulled into the driveway of a very nice, single story Craftsman style home with a well-manicured yard, and gorgeous landscaping. Giselle climbed out of the truck, toting her leather shoulder bag, and Jackson walked around to meet her, carrying his swimming trunks.

The front door of the home opened up and Red walked out to greet them. He smiled and gave Giselle a hug, shook Jackson’s hand, and ushered them both inside. Giselle gushed over the typical Craftsman style architectural elements and trim work.

“
This is beautiful, Red. When was this built, about the mid 1950’s?” she asked him.

“
1956 to be exact. Look around all you want, or would you like me to give you a personal tour?”

“
No, you guys talk, I can find my way around.” After entering several rooms, she realized Red was another man with great tastes in furnishings. She wondered if he picked his the same way Jackson did, by choosing things out of a display—something told her no.

She walked into his study and saw what looked like a shrine to the LSU Tigers. There were dozens of photographs of the baseball team on display. She screeched in excitement when she saw a picture of Jackson in a full wind up before throwing a pitch. Then she saw shots of Red putting someone out at first, both Jackson and Red at bat, and both of them sliding home.

She also saw group shots of the team with a huge trophy. It seemed like it should have been a joyous occasion, except that no one smiled. On second glance, she realized Jackson wasn’t in the shot. She picked up the photo and turned it over to read a label placed on the back of the frame. ‘
The day we lost Jackson...a glum bunch’
. There were also snapshots of Jackson with his arm in some sort of brace. There were dozens of shots with him in it. She looked around at the room that was such a contrast to the house Jackson lived in, where there were no photos of him displayed at all. It was almost as if Red had tried to make up for it.

“
Find anything interesting?” she heard Jackson ask.

She turned to face him. “You and Red were just kids when you played for LSU, Jackson. So young...Look at that.”

Jackson smiled wistfully and went to look around the room at the different shots. He got to the glum group photo and stopped. “That was the luckiest day of my life.”

“
Why would you say that?” she asked.

He shrugged. “If I hadn’t been injured, I probably never would have met you or the girls.”

She smiled. “That’s very sweet of you to say so.”

“
I hope you don’t think I said it just to score points with you, because I really feel that way.”

“
Really?”

He turned to her and nodded. “It’s true; baseball was fun, but it didn’t break my heart when I couldn’t play anymore. I
thought
it would...everyone around me
assumed
it did, but it didn’t. That’s how I knew It wasn’t meant to be. If I was offered a chance to go back and have that career, and it meant never getting the chance to know you and the girls, I’d turn it down in a second.”

She gazed into his eyes for several moments before she asked quietly, “What if he’d lived.”

He answered without hesitation. “I’d still turn it down. Knowing him changed me...In a good way. His was a friendship I’ll always treasure.”

Her eyes filled with tears at his confession, and he reached out to brush one that fell to her cheek. She reached for the large, gentle hand that had treated her and her girls with such care over the past seven and a half months, and her heart suddenly filled with tenderness for this man. Giselle traced his long lifeline with her slender fingers, and placed a gentle kiss on his open palm. She folded his fingers inside, and closed it. She looked up at him, surprised at the emotion revealed in his eyes.

He pulled her body close, and rested his chin on the top of her head. He ran his fingers through her curly tendrils, massaging the back of her scalp in a way that made her want to close her eyes, and never move from his embrace.

“
Are you still afraid?” he whispered.

Without looking up at him, she nodded.

“
Giselle,” he said softly, “Will you do me a favor?”

She nodded again.

“
The second you stop being afraid, will you let me know?”

Giselle nodded, pulled away from him, and wiped her eyes. “So where’s this fantastic pool of Red’s?”

“
Out back. There’s a pool house back there, with everything you need.” He led her out the back door.

Giselle’s jaw dropped in amazement as she admired the lovely patio area. Pergolas and covered gazebos bordered the huge, lagoon style pool on two sides, while it opened up to a grotto area and waterfall on one end. “Red, this is beautiful!”

Red beamed at her. “Thanks. I’m satisfied with it.”

“
You should be.”

“
Especially since he built it himself,” Jackson added.

She looked at her host. “Did you really?”

Red shrugged. “I had some help here and there, but building things with my hands is stress relief for me. The landscaping around the grotto and waterfall really made the difference.”

“
It’s fantastic; I can’t wait to get in it,” she told him.

Red pointed out a building to the back. “There’s the pool house. You’ll find everything you need in the cabinets.”

She thanked him and walked off toward the building.

The two men watched her disappear into the doorway.

Red turned to Jackson. “She seems as pretty on the inside as she is on the outside.”

Jackson nodded. “She is, Red. If this doesn’t happen for us, I don’t think I could survive it.”

“
That bad, huh?”

Jackson ran both hands through his hair. “I used to think I’d be able to pick up and go on with my life, but the more time I spend with her and those girls...,” his voice trailed off as he shook his head. “I don’t know how she survived losing Toby.”

Red stopped wiping down the grill to stare at Jackson. “It seems with some help from you,” he said. “Giselle’s a beautiful lady, and I’d be envious if I had the time for any kind of a relationship with strings involved, which I don’t. You always were a worrier, Jackson. Why don’t you try to relax and enjoy the moment?”

“
Says the playboy with the Hugh Hefner grotto attached to his pool,” Jackson snorted.

“
Hey, you designed the damn thing,” Red exclaimed, throwing a dishtowel at Jackson.

“
To your specifications, McAllister,” Jackson said, throwing it right back at him. “Besides, I can’t help myself. They’re too damned important to me.”

“
I’d stop worrying if I were you. You two have a real connection. I overheard a couple of women talking about you at the club. One of them wanted to ask you to dance, but her friend said not to bother, because you two were obviously a perfect match.” Red slapped his pal on the back.

Jackson put his head back and placed his hands on his hips. “You can’t imagine how good this feels after fifteen years of Chloe, whom we aren’t bringing up today,” he added.

“
I didn’t do it in the first place,” Red commented. He looked past Jackson to where Giselle was coming out of the pool house in her suit. “Have you seen her in a swimsuit yet?”

“
No, this is the first time, but I’ve got a feeling...”

“
Two kids, huh?” Red asked, as Jackson nodded. “You are in for one hell of a treat, my man.” He whistled one long, slow note as Giselle sauntered toward them.

Jackson turned, stunned by the sight before him. “Holy crap...,” he whispered. Giselle was a beauty, in a solid white halter style suit that dipped in the front just enough to show a little cleavage. Her tanned, shapely legs looked a mile long thanks to the high thigh cut of the suit. The halter style bared her long, lovely arms as well as her shoulders. The contrast of the white suit on her tanned skin was breathtaking.

She smiled at the two men from behind her sunglasses. “Will I be the only one swimming, gentlemen?”

Jackson shook his head then grabbed his trunks off the table, and hurried to the pool house to change.

Red chuckled. “What’s the rush, bro?” he yelled after him.

Jackson was out in under a minute wearing black trunks and his shirt. His heart pounded as he walked up to Giselle. She was standing with her back to the pool and talking to Red. “Ready to go in?” he asked.

“
Can’t wait; Are you coming in, Red?” she asked.

“
I will after I marinade the steaks. You two go on in.”

When Giselle turned slowly toward the pool Jackson nearly lost his breath at the sight before him. The low cut of the suit exposed her entire back to just above her
other
cleavage. He stared at the expanse of tanned, flawless skin that swayed gently with every step.

Giselle kicked her sandals off at the edge of the pool and walked around to the diving board. She stepped up, took two big steps, one good bounce, and executed a perfect dive as she sliced into the water.

“
Very impressive!” Red yelled, clapping and whistling as she surfaced and swam easily to the edge of the pool. He walked inside the house to take care of the steaks.

Jackson walked over and stood next to where she was hanging on to the edge of the pool. “So, Giselle,” he said, casually crossing his arms. “Did you happen to teach diving, too?”

“
Nope, but have I ever mentioned that I was an Army brat? I spent a lot of time at the pool as a kid and teenager. My dad re-stationed so often I never had a chance to make any real friends, but there was always the “Y” to go to, and a few of the bases had pools. Are you coming in, or what?”