Now & Forever 3 - Blind love (31 page)

“I know
you’re right, but it isn’t easy.” She held out her hand and Sam helped her get
up.

“Just
for the record, I didn’t seduce you. You came to bed with me of your own free
will. You could’ve said no.”

“I know
I did and I’m not sorry.” Pat piled up dishes.

“Is that
the best you can do…not be sorry?” Sam carted the dishes into the kitchen with
Pat following.

“Why,
Sam, I think you’re insulted.”

“You’re
damn right I am.” He put the dishes in the sink and filled the coffeemaker.

“I’m
sorry…”

“There
you go, being sorry again.”

Sam turned
on the coffee. Pat felt confused. She hurt Jack, now she was hurting Sam. She
came up behind him and put her arms around his waist and hugged him. He smiled
and patted her hand.

“Is that
the best you can do, pat my hand?” she said with a snicker.

He
laughed, turned around and took her in his arms for a passionate kiss.

“Oh no,
I can do better…much better…” he said, unzipping her sweater and unhooking her
bra. His mouth found hers again and she parted her lips. Sam took possession of
her mouth while his hands took possession of her body. She unbuttoned his shirt
and pushed it off his shoulders. They stood half-naked in the kitchen, kissing.
Pat took Sam’s hand and led him into the bedroom where they made love.

After a
short cuddle, Sam rose up and walked to the chair where his clothes lay.

“Are you
going home?” Pat sat up.

“I was
planning on it, why?”

“Can’t
you stay the night?”

“What if
Jack calls?” Sam reached for his shirt.

“You
won’t answer the phone and I don’t have to tell him you’re here.”

“That’s
being Mrs., not Miss. I don’t want to sneak around like I’m some…some…seducer
or something. This is an adult relationship, Patsy. I won’t make any excuses or
explanations. Are you Mrs. or Miss?”

“Please
stay. Can we talk about this tomorrow?”

“We can
talk about it forever, but until you make up your mind, nothing will change.” Sam
got dressed and returned home.

A week later,
Sam and Pat had not ironed out their relationship. Sam was still frustrated
with how little time he had with her. She wouldn’t commit to more time and was
uncomfortable about stating her feelings directly. She couldn’t say, I love
you.

A few
days later, Sam picked up the phone.

“Simon
Westfield, please. Simon, how are you? Sam Caldwell. I’m calling to accept your
kind offer. Yes, I’ll be there…yes and Austen Mansfield and Orlando
Environmental College too. Right. See you February first.”

Sam hung
up the phone and took his suitcase down from the closet shelf. Pat and Sam saw
each other on the two weekends left in January. Sam was not content.
Nothing like a change of scenery to clear my
head.

Chapter
Twenty-one

In the small rental house across town

In January, Marcia started to think about the university. Her
sabbatical was coming to an end in four months. She had no idea what to do. She
had planned to return to teaching, figuring she’d want to get back into a
familiar routine and surroundings, but now with Jakub in her life, she wasn’t
sure.

Her thoughts kept returning to children. Jakub’s
grandchildren came to visit them again after the Christmas visit. Annabeth
warmed up to Marcia. They played games, went to a museum and cooked together.
Jakub had fun with the children, allowing them to climb all over him, laughing
with them, soothing them and feeding them. Watching him with Joey and Annabeth,
Marcia grew to love him more and more. She was sorry to see them leave.

* * * *

One morning, Rebecca picked them up because she was curious
to see what Marcia looked like. She was rewarded when Marcia opened the door.
Rebecca’s eyes opened wide. Marcia was dressed in a low cut red tank top, a
man’s red and black buffalo plaid flannel shirt open over the tank top and
black leggings hugging her slim hips and gorgeous legs. Her chin-length black
hair was shining, her lips were light red and her gray eyes twinkled. She was
younger and more beautiful than Rebecca expected. She now understood Jakub’s
attraction to the young woman.

“You must be Rebecca,” Marcia said, extending her hand.

“Yes,” Rebecca was barely able to choke out the word.

“Please come in. Joey and Annabeth are almost ready. Hot
chocolate?”

Rebecca stepped into the warm house. A fire was blazing and
the children were gathering their toys and belongings scattered around the
living room.

“We made hot chocolate with Marcia’s secret recipe,” Joey
said.

“We roasted marshmallows in the fireplace,” Annabeth said.

“You can’t do that at home,” Rebecca said.

“I know, but Grandpa and Marcia said it was okay here.”

“Your children are delightful.”

Jakub came up behind Marcia and put an arm around her
shoulders. She slipped her arm around his waist. Jakub looked years younger
standing next to Marcia.

“Thank you,” Rebecca mumbled.

“So now you meet Marcia, Rebecca. What you think? She is
beautiful, yes?”

“Jake!” Marcia blushed.

“She is beautiful, yes.” Rebecca laughed.

Jakub took the children out to the car and fastened them in.
Rebecca could feel the warmth coming from Marcia. She was drawn to her, as she
imagined Jakub was drawn to her. They certainly looked like a couple in love.

When she returned home, Rebecca was determined to bring
Johnny to his senses.

“I met Marcia today.” Rebecca set out the silverware while
Johnny put out plates.

“Yeah? What did you think of the whore?” Johnny popped a
beer, took a swig.

“Johnny!” Rebecca’s hand flew to cover her mouth.

“Okay, okay.” Johnny lowered his tone of voice.

“She is beautiful. And young…warm.” Rebecca put chopped meat
on the counter.

“I’ll bet she’s warm. Warm for the old man.” Johnny tossed
lettuce in the sink.

“They seemed very happy together. Jakub looked years younger
with her.”

“Yeah? Horny bastard.” Johnny turned on the water and put
down his beer.

“What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you let him have a life?”

“Because…because…I don’t know. I don’t like that she was
cheating on her dying husband with my dad.”

“I understand, but that was months ago. She’s a widow now and
it’s okay for them to be together. Why can’t you accept it and be happy for
them?”

“Maybe…I can’t see my dad with anyone but my mom.”

“But she’s been gone now for almost three years, Johnny. Give
Jakub a break. Don’t make him choose between you and her.” Rebecca poured some
olive oil in a pan.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t make him choose between happiness with a woman or his
family.”

“You think that’s what I’m doing?” Johnny began to tear
lettuce.

“I don’t think you mean to, but that will happen if you don’t
accept her.”

“Why should I?” He threw the lettuce into a bowl.

“What if they get married?” Rebecca chopped garlic.

“He’s not going to do that! He’s just sleeping with her.”

“Don’t be so sure. It looked like they just might, they were
that happy.”

“Oh, God.” He took salad dressing out of the refrigerator.

“Talk to him. Do it for the kids. They adore him and seem to
like her.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll talk to him, only talk.” He chopped up a
tomato and cucumber.

“I’ll arrange a meeting on neutral ground.”

“How about a beer at The Shotglass?” Johnny poured the
dressing on the salad.

“I’ll call him after dinner.”

* * * *

Jakub got to The Shotglass on time. Johnny was waiting in a
booth. Jakub sat down, his eyes hooded as he looked at his son.

“Hi, Dad. You’re looking good.” Johnny smiled a cold smile.

“Thank you. You too.” Jakub kept his eyes focused on his son.

“So, Dad…how are things with Marcia?”

“Good.” The waitress came and both men ordered beer.

“Where is this going with you and her?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is this just a fling or what?”

“Fling?” Jakub cast a questioning look at his son.

“Temporary. Just for now.” The waitress put two frosty
glasses filled to the brim with beer down in front of the men.

“I hope not.” Jakub took a gulp of his drink.

“Is this just sex?” Johnny avoided his father’s stare by
taking a drink.

“Watch it, Johnny!” Jakub’s eyes flashed, anger flickered.

“Well?” Johnny prodded.

“We love each other.” Jakub wiped the beer mustache from his
upper lip with his napkin.

“You do, eh?” Johnny asked, swallowing some beer and biding
his time.

Jakub nodded while he took a gulp of his beer.

“What about Mom?” Johnny blurted out, putting his half-empty
glass down hard.

“Ah. I see.” Jakub narrowed his eyes and paused. “Nika was a
special woman and I shall always love her, Johnny, but she is gone. She has
died. I have not. I want to be happy, the way a man is happy, with a woman.
Nika would want. I am happy with Marcia. She is good to me and to my
grandchildren.”

Johnny looked at his father. He had noticed the bounce in his
father’s step as he entered the bar. Jakub seemed to have fewer creases on his
face, his brow appeared smoother. Something seemed to be pumping new life into
his old man, Johnny couldn’t deny what he saw. His reasons for hating Marcia
were getting harder to justify.

“Try not to be mad at her…or mean to her. I love her. Please
give her respect, like you respect me.”

“So I don’t have to like her?” Johnny finished his beer.

“Just respect. That’s all.” Jakub licked his lips.

Relief soothed the tension in Johnny’s temples. The pounding
stopped. All he had to do was hold in his temper and be civil to this woman and
his feud with his father would end.

“Okay. I’ll try.”

“Thank you, Johnny. Thank you.” Jakub broke into a big smile.

They talked about the children while they finished a second
beer, then Marcia showed up. Johnny got his first glimpse of her in many
months.

She came up behind Jakub and placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Ah, my love.” Jakub took her hand and kissed it.

Johnny was dumbstruck because Marcia didn’t look like she had
when he last saw her. He remembered her as shrunken, sickly, overcome by grief.
He couldn’t imagine what Jakub saw in her. He couldn’t believe this was the
same woman.

Marcia was wearing a light blue wool dress cinched at the
waist. She looked soft, warm, beautiful and very desirable. Instantly he saw
why his father was attracted to her.

Jakub stood up and she sat next to him, afraid to look Johnny
in the eye.

“Hello.” Marcia took a sip from Jakub’s beer.

Johnny nodded to her, his gaze sweeping over her.

“What are your plans, Mrs. Wilton?”

“Please, call me Marcia.” She brought her gaze up to meet
his.

“You’re my tenant, Mrs. Wilton, not my friend.”

Marcia looked down at the table. Jakub shot his son a stern
look.

“So, what do you plan to do now you’re…you’re…on your own.”

“I don’t know.” Marcia shredded a corner of a paper napkin.

“I get what my father sees in you.” Johnny purposely let his
stare rest on her curves. Marcia colored and looked away, folding her arms
across her chest.

“But what do you see in him?” Johnny leveled his stare at
her.

“I don’t see why I should share such personal information
with someone who is not a friend.” Marcia looked straight into Johnny’s eyes.

Hell, she’s not afraid
of me. She’s got guts.

“I don’t want to see him hurt.” Johnny took a drink but kept
his eyes on Marcia.

“I have no intention of hurting him. I love him.”

Jakub took her hand and planted a kiss on her cheek. She
smiled at him.

“I’m really not comfortable talking about Jake as if he’s not
here. It’s condescending.” Anger flashed briefly in Marcia’s eyes.

“Jake?” Johnny asked, raising an eyebrow at his father.

“That’s what she calls me.” Jakub smiled.

“We don’t have anything more to say, do we?” Marcia pushed to
her feet.

Johnny shook his head.

“Jake, I’ll see you at home.” She bent down to give him a
kiss. Then she looked Johnny straight in the eye.

“Goodbye, Mr. Novacek,” she said and was gone.

Johnny looked at his father.

“She’s got guts, Dad.” Johnny finished the last of his beer.

“She’s smart too.”

“And I suppose sexy fits in there somewhere, doesn’t it?”

“Watch your mouth, Johnny.” Jakub finished his beer too.

“Are you going to marry her?”

“I don’t know if she wants to.”

“But you want to?” Johnny signaled for the check.

Jakub nodded.

Johnny felt a hand on his heart squeeze it as he thought of
his mother. If Jakub married again, he’d forget Nika…have a new life. But
Johnny realized he had no right to deny his father some happiness. Even if it
was only sex, Jakub had a right to do what he wanted.

“Okay.” Johnny said, after a long pause.

“You stop fighting with me, calling Marcia names?” Jakub paid
the check.

Johnny nodded.

“Good. Good,” Jakub said, clapping his son on the back.

* * * *

Marcia was angry after her meeting with Johnny, who made her
feel cheap. It was obvious he didn’t understand what she and Jake had together.
She had been thinking about Jake and commitment. She’d soon have to tell Dean
Caldwell whether she was coming back to the university or not.