Seasons (20 page)

When she pulled into the circular drive of the large two-story home and double-checked the address to make sure she was at
the right house, she wasn’t surprised. She knew he would have a beautiful home. She was also extremely relieved that there
were no other cars in the driveway. She hoped that meant there would be no other guests.

Nor was she surprised when she entered the beautiful, professionally decorated house. “Jason, it’s lovely!” she exclaimed
when she stepped into the wide foyer.

“Come on, let me give you the ten-cent tour. It’s just a place to come to for sleep and other necessities, as far as I’m concerned.”

As they walked from one room to another, Jaci had to keep herself from gasping in admiration. The layout of the rooms and
their size led her to ask, “Is this a custom-built home? I mean normally you don’t find houses like this in this area.”

“Yes, it is custom built. I had an idea of what I wanted, and my brother designed it. I looked all over the area, once I decided
this was where I wanted to live, and didn’t find anything I could settle for. So . . . I decided to do my own thing. This
is the result. As it was being built, and especially after it was finished, we had so many inquiries about buying it that
my brother and I decided to buy and redevelop this entire cul-de-sac. Most of the houses were old and run down and being used
as rental property anyway, and the owners were happy to sell them. You know, there’s a big wave of people wanting to move
back into this area. It’s close enough to the center of things—downtown, the sports arenas, freeways—that it’s suddenly an
attractive area for those tired of the long commutes.”

“So have you had any problems selling the other houses?”

“We can’t get them up fast enough. We’ve already sold most of them and have pending contracts on the rest. It was a good decision.”

“Are you happy with yours?”

“Like I said, it’s really just a place to crash. It doesn’t have that homey feeling I thought it would have, you know. Goes
to show you, a house does not necessarily make a home. But maybe one day that will all change.” He gave her an unexplained
long look.

As they emerged from the second floor and headed into the large family room, a tall, good-looking young man entered from the
backyard. He looked so much like J.P. that Jaci didn’t have to guess who he was. When Patrick saw Jaci, he smiled and walked
toward them with his hand outstretched.

“Hi, I’m Patrick,” he said, shaking her hand.

“Hi, Patrick, how are you? I’m Jaci,” she stated, with an answering smile covering her face.

“Will you two give me the honor of introducing you?” J.P. asked, a frown marring his handsome face.

“Jaci, I’d like you to meet my son, Patrick. Patrick, please say hello to my friend, Jaci Winters.”

Jaci and Patrick looked at each other and burst out laughing, causing a look of dismay to cross J.P.’s face. “Are you guys
laughing at me? What’s so funny?” Although he was a little put off at being the butt of their amusement, he was relieved that
they seemed to like one another.

“You are, Pop. Would you please lighten up. Hey, Jaci. I’m happy to finally meet you. I been trying to get Pop to invite you
over for a long time. Glad you finally made it.”

Jaci threw a puzzled look at J.P., but she followed Patrick’s friendly conversation as he told them he had the fire going
in the pit and the coals were almost ready. “So, what else are we having?” he asked. “Do we have to eat that sorry potato
salad from the deli? Jaci, can you make good potato salad?”

“Pat!” J.P. yelled. “Watch your manners. I didn’t invite Jaci over here to cook.”

Jaci was just about to sit on the large sectional couch, but instead walked toward the spacious, well-appointed kitchen.

“Let’s see what you have. I may be able to throw something together. Ummm.” She said after a cursory look in the refrigerator.
“You don’t have the makings for potato salad—not even the potatoes!”

“That’s because he hasn’t gone to pick up everything else. I do the meat, but everything else comes from the deli,” said J.P.

“Well, let’s make a list of what you need to buy at the store, and we’ll be in business in a little while.”

“Why don’t you go to the store with me?” Patrick asked. “I’m a terrible shopper. I’ll probably forget half the stuff I’m going
after.”

“No!” J.P. said irritably. “She’s not going to the store with you, Pat. Now go ahead and make a list of what we need and get
going.”

Jaci looked around for her purse. “I may as well go with him. Otherwise I’ll just be watching you doing your thing with the
meat.”

“That’s the general idea,” J.P. said, frowning.

Jaci found out quickly that Patrick was a consummate con artist. When they left the grocery store, they had the makings for
potato salad, baked beans, green salad, and cheesecake. “Now I’m beginning to understand. I think you had an ulterior motive
for wanting me to come over. Namely, a home-cooked meal. That’s all right because you’re going to help. Just get your fingers
ready to do some potato peeling and onion chopping.”

As they worked together preparing the food, Jaci realized she had forgotten all about being nervous and was having a good
time. Patrick was a love and fun to be around. And J.P. was enjoying his role as head chef.

They managed to put together a decent meal, with Jaci doing most of the cooking. Patrick was proud of the fact that it had
been his idea. “Just think, we could have been dying of food poisoning from that deli food.”

“And now those dishes are just screaming for your attention,” J.P. reminded him.

“Aw, Pop. Don’t mess up a good thing. Those dishes are not going nowhere!”

“Yes they are, son. They’re going into the sink, dishwasher, whatever—and then into the cabinets. Now get to it.”

“Aw, man!” Patrick grumbled, but headed into the kitchen. Pretty soon, running water and the noise of banging pots and clinking
china were accompanied by blasting music as Pat busily attacked the dirty dishes.

“I like your son,” Jaci told J.P. as they sat close together on the sofa. “He’s a bit of a con artist, but he’s a lovable
one.”

J.P. gave a loud laugh. “Wow, you are sharp. It usually takes a little longer to discover that fact. Yeah. He learned at a
young age how to get his way. And he does it in such a way that it’s hard to say no or get angry. If I didn’t know him so
well, he would run all over me.”

“And who did he learn these particular skills from?” Jaci asked with a smile. “I mean, you don’t just pick up those skills,
you have to be taught.”

He looked at her and said with smiling sarcasm, “And just what are you inferring? That he learned them from me?”

“You know the saying: If the shoe fits . . .”

He tackled her—tumbling them to the floor where he proceeded to tickle her, demanding that she take it back. The tickling
eventually evolved into kisses. Soon, they both realized it was time to stop. J.P. asked if she wanted to go out to a movie
or watch one there at home.

“I’m too full. Let’s just stay here. I should be heading home before long anyway.”

“Uh, uh! Don’t even think about it,” he told her, pulling her over to the entertainment center that housed a big screen television,
a sophisticated sound system, and a wide array of videos and DVDs.

They were arguing over which movie to watch when Patrick came bounding down the stairs, looking like a different person in
dress slacks and a sports coat.

“Wow!” Jaci said. “I almost didn’t recognize you. Where are you going all spruced up?”

“I’m heading back to the yard. Got a hot date tonight. Jaci, I’m really glad I got a chance to meet you, and it was great
spending the day with you. And thank you for fixing that great food. I might have to come back tomorrow to finish off the
leftovers. Hope we can do it again real soon.” He leaned down to hug her and pecked her on the cheek.

“Pop, if I don’t get by tomorrow, I’ll call you sometime next week, okay?”

“All right son, be careful. And don’t forget to get some hot studying in along with the hot dates.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” Patrick answered before the door slammed behind him.

“What? He doesn’t live here with you?” Jaci asked.

“No. He’s a student at UH and lives on campus. He had scholarships offered at some other really good schools, but preferred
to stay close to home.”

“That’s great! It says a lot about your relationship. A lot of kids can’t wait to get as far away from home as possible.”

“I’ve noticed the same thing with you and Randi. I’d say we’ve both done well where our kids are concerned.”

“My answer to that is that the Lord made up the difference.”

“Well, you did your part too, okay?”

He pulled her close and began planting kisses on her neck, face, and finally her lips. All thoughts of the movie were gone.
Before long, Jaci knew it was time to flee temptation.

J
.P. was fighting a losing battle. He tried to force himself to concentrate on other things—things he needed to focus on—but
inevitably, his mind returned to Jaci. It drove him crazy remembering her softness, her kisses, her passionate response to
him. How wonderful it had been to have her presence in his home, and how he wished she would never leave. The physical attraction
between them was explosive. When they got close to each other it was like one of them was the match and the other gasoline.

It scared him! Even though he knew he cared deeply for her, and probably loved her, it made him think seriously about giving
up life as he had known it. And although he convinced himself that this new life was what he wanted, the reality of its happening
was more than a little disconcerting.

His brother Ron was getting a real kick out of it. “Okay, let me get this straight. You bent outta shape over this woman and
she don’t even want your sorry tail? That’s classic. Man, I don’t believe this! I mean, I could see it happening with a hottie
like Sheila or Brenda. Even that witch Vivian. But this chick looks like she’d freeze an ice cube from ten feet away. Dang,
brother, you gone soft in the head or something?”

J.P. didn’t care to explain that the cool façade Jaci presented to the world went up in smoke when they were together. “You
don’t understand because the only way you relate to women is sexually. When you meet a woman who can reach you on other levels,
you’ll understand what’s going on. Until then, back off.”

“Naw, I ain’t backing off, man, naw!” Ron said forcefully. “You’re the legend, man. I gotta save you from yourself.” He picked
up the phone and dialed a number. “Hey, Walt, what’s happening? I need you to round up Charlie and T.C. and come on over to
J.P.’s house. We got some serious de-programming to do. Yeah, man, dude thinks he’s in lo . . . ve.”

J.P. could hear his friend Walt on the other end, laughing his head off along with Ron. Oh well, he had known this was coming
as soon as Ron discovered his deepening feelings for Jaci. He loved his brother, but he often wanted to knock his block off.

Ron was a confirmed bachelor and ultimate player. The only thing he got serious about was his work. When it came to designing
structures, Ron was dead serious, and on it. The demand for his architectural designs was big, and growing every day. J.P.’s
house and the others they were constructing had boosted Ron’s career dramatically.

As J.P. glanced around his house, he appreciatively took note of the intricate details. After describing what he wanted, J.P.
had basically given his brother carte blanche. The results were the ultimate in design, beauty, and practicality. It was a
showplace that had made the list of “houses to see” in the city. The outside was eye catching. Built in a circular configuration,
it was unique in appearance. White brick covered the entire exterior, offset with the unusual placement of windows and angles.
Semi-circular steps led up to the double etched-glass front doors, and a step inside revealed a very special place. Skylights
and dormer windows were strategically placed to give a light and airy overall effect.

The downstairs rooms flowed in an open layout and included formal living and dining rooms, a large family room, a state-of-the-art
kitchen, a home office, a library, and an exercise room. The upstairs rooms were built around the outside perimeter of the
lower floor, providing an open balcony that overlooked the downstairs rooms. Spacious bedrooms encircled three sides of the
house’s upper level. The remaining side showcased an open game room. The game room then opened on to an enclosed sunroom,
which overlooked the backyard and swimming pool. A curving stairway circled up from the foyer to the upper level. Another
stairway led down from the game room into the family room. The whole effect was breathtaking. Yes, his brother had built him
a great house. And a well-known interior designer had done her thing in decorating it.

He reined in his thoughts and prepared himself for attack. The guys would tear him to pieces with every negative thing they
had ever heard of, or experienced, in relationships. And most of them had horror tales. They would extol the virtues of the
bachelor life, then they would demand to meet Jaci, the woman who had somehow caused him to step into insanity.

He could take it, but knew he was reluctant to expose Jaci to them. He was having a hard enough time trying to talk her into
merely accepting their feelings for each other. She would run from him as fast as she could if these guys ever got hold of
her.

By the time his brother and friends left that night, J.P. wasn’t even sure of his own name, and was actually questioning his
desire for a possible future between him and Jaci. What could he have been thinking about to want to give up his life of freedom
for a ball and chain? And he was the one pursuing it!
Oh God, I’m so confused,
he cried to himself.

He had a long talk with his mother the next day, and told her everything. He could count on her to help him put things in
the right perspective.

“J.P., you’ve always known your own mind. Why are you letting Ron and that bunch of heathen friends of yours change it? Maybe
you need to reconsider if your feelings are that easily swayed about this woman. You probably need to back off and give this
some more thought.”