The Heart Remembers (8 page)

This time her prayers were answered. When she swung the door open, she found Jake, not a guest.

After one swift, assessing glance he took her arm and ushered her inside, forcing her to sit in the closest chair before he knelt beside her. He put his cool hand on her forehead. Bliss. But he didn't look happy.

“What are you doing with that mop?”

“Cleaning.”

“What happened to Eileen?”

“She has the bug, too.”

“Why didn't you tell me that earlier?”

“What good would that have done?”

He ignored that comment. “Have you called the doctor?”

“It's just a bug, Jake. Something's been going around. I guess it was my turn. I'll be okay.”

Ignoring that comment, he stood up and held out his hand. “Come on. You're going back to bed.”

She shook her head. “Jake, you don't understand. I have ten guests arriving this afternoon beginning at two o'clock. I've only cleaned two of the four rooms and I still have the cottage to do. I'll barely make it as it is. I can't lay down now.”

“Maggie, you're sick. You should never have gotten up today in the first place.”

She sighed, blinking away the tears of weariness that sprang to her eyes. “Jake, try to understand. Eileen and the girls are my only backup. There isn't anyone else I can call.”

“Yes, there is.”

She gave him a puzzled look. “Who?”

“Me. I learned to wield a pretty mean mop in the navy. They don't tolerate slobs, you know.” He flashed her a brief grin.

She stared at him. Jake West cleaning a house? It was incomprehensible. As she recalled, he had always put housekeeping duties on a par with going to the dentist.

Once again, he read her mind.

“Don't look so shocked. Times change. People change. You can trust me to do a good job. I promise your guests won't complain.”

“It's not that…” She was still having a hard time comprehending his generous offer. And even if he was sincere, it was too much to ask. “Jake, I can't let you do my work. It's not right. And don't give me that good deed business. This goes way above and beyond that.”

He crouched down beside her once again, his warm, brown eyes level with hers, and took her cold hand in his. “Maggie, I
want
to do this, okay?
You're sick. You'll only get sicker if you push yourself.” He paused a moment, then took a deep breath. “Look, I know that you're still trying to grapple with this whole situation between us. To be honest, so am I. But fate, or whatever you care to call it, brought us back together. I don't know why. But at the bare minimum I'd like to be your friend—whatever that takes, and despite the fact that I don't deserve it. And friends take care of each other. Let me take care of you today, Maggie. As a friend.”

She listened to Jake's heartfelt speech in silence, unable to doubt the sincerity in his eyes—or ignore the tenderness. He cared for her, that was clear. And she was beginning to care for him again. She didn't want to. She told herself it was unwise. That it was risky, that she could get hurt again. But she couldn't help it. Because the Jake that had walked back into her life not only had all the good qualities she remembered, he had become even better. Under other circumstances, he was the kind of man she could easily fall in love with. There was nothing in his present behavior to make her cautious. It was his past behavior that worried her. His track record wasn't good. And that made her
very
cautious. Her wariness wasn't something that could be overcome in a week, or a month, or maybe even
a year. She'd been burned once before by this man and left with scars—plus a very real fear of fire.

Jake waited. He didn't want to push himself on her, but he'd already decided he wasn't going to walk away and let her face the housecleaning task alone. If necessary, he would insist—and deal with the consequences later. But he hoped she would just accept her limitations and be sensible.

At last, much to his relief, he heard her soft sigh of capitulation.

“All right. Thank you. To be honest, I—I'm not sure I could have made it anyway.”

Considering how she prided herself on her self-reliance, Jake knew she must be a whole lot sicker than she was letting on, to admit that she wasn't able to handle the task in front of her. Once more he stood and reached for her hands, drawing her to her feet. He put his arm around her shoulders, and as they ascended the stairs she leaned on him heavily—another indication of her weakened physical state. No way would she lean on him—literally or figuratively—unless she was in bad shape.

He paused at the landing, giving her a chance to catch her breath. “Where's your room?”

She nodded toward the back stairway at the end of the hall. “Third floor.”

By the time they made it up the much narrower stairway to her bedroom, he could feel her
quivering. They passed an open door that revealed a spacious, bright dormer room with two twin beds. The twins' domain, he concluded with a smile, noting the posters of the girls' latest movie heartthrobs.

Maggie's room was much smaller, squeezed under the eaves near the front of the house. It was very simply furnished and decorated, as if she'd poured all of her attention into the rest of the house and not bothered with her own little piece of it.

As he gently eased her down onto the narrow twin bed, his throat contracted with tenderness and admiration for this woman who had struggled against all odds to overcome traumas and challenges that would have overwhelmed most people. Jake didn't know where she had found the strength to face each day, especially in those early years. Yet she had.

But how had she managed emotionally? Maggie had so much love to give. Had it all been directed to the girls? He suspected so. As he tucked the covers around her shoulders, the single bed in the small attic room spoke more eloquently than words of her solitary state. He started to speak, then realized that she had already fallen asleep. Reaching down, he leaned close to brush a wisp of hair off her forehead, his fingers dropping to linger on her
cheek. As he gazed at her pale face, a fierce surge of protectiveness washed over him.

Ever since their paths had crossed, Jake had felt drawn to the woman who had once, long ago, claimed his heart. At first, he'd looked upon their reunion as a chance to at last find a way to ease the guilt that had plagued him for so long. Only a few minutes ago, he'd told Maggie he hoped they could be friends. But now, as he stood beside her, he knew that his interest wasn't motivated by guilt, and that his feelings went far beyond friendship.

He loved her. It was as simple—and as complicated—as that.

As he gazed down at her, he thought of the Maggie he'd once loved. All the essential qualities he'd cherished were still there. But she'd changed, too. And he found that he loved the new Maggie, with her self-reliance and confidence and decisive manner, even more than he had loved the dependent young woman who had deferred to his every decision. He liked her grit and her spunk and her strength—and her soft heart, which hadn't changed one iota.

Jake walked slowly to the door, pausing at the threshold to glance back once more at Maggie's sleeping form. She was quite a woman. And she deserved a man who would love her and stand by her no matter what, who believed in honoring
commitments and wasn't afraid of responsibility, who could be counted on to stand with her through good times
and
bad.

Jake had failed her once on that score. But he never would again.

The question was, how could he convince her of that?

Jake didn't have the answer. But he knew one thing with absolute certainty. He would find a way. Because suddenly a future without Maggie was not something he was willing to consider.

“S
ee, Allison, I told you it was him!”

Abby's triumphant voice heralded the arrival of the twins at the kitchen door, and Jake glanced up from the pot he was stirring to grin at them. “Hello, ladies.”

They simultaneously dumped their knapsacks on the floor and joined him.

“What are you doing here?” Abby peeked into the pot. “And where's Aunt Maggie?”

“She's in bed with the flu. I'm making her some soup.”

“You're cooking?” Allison was clearly impressed. Jake's lips twitched. “I don't think heating up a can of soup qualifies as cooking.”

“How sick is she?” Abby propped a hip against the counter and frowned.

“Pretty sick.”

“Where's Eileen?”

“She's got the same bug.”

“But…but what about the cleaning?” Allison asked in alarm. “What will we tell the guests when they arrive?”

“The guests have already arrived and they're all settled in.” Jake transferred the soup to a bowl and put it on a tray. “Your aunt started the cleaning, and I finished up.”

“You mean…you mean
you
helped clean the rooms?” Abby's eyes widened.

Jake gave them a look of mock indignation. “Don't you think I'm capable of wielding a mop and broom?”

“It's not that,” Allison said quickly. “It's just that…well, guys don't usually offer to pitch in on stuff like that.”

“Well, let me tell you ladies a little secret,” Jake dropped his voice and leaned close. “Men know how to clean. They just pretend they don't. So keep that in mind whenever you meet Mr. Right.”

“I bet you had trouble convincing Aunt Maggie to let you help,” Allison speculated.

“A little. But I can be very persuasive.” He winked at them.

Abby bit her lower lip. “Gosh, she must be really sick if she gave in and went to bed.”

“It's just the flu.” Jake added a cup of tea and some crackers to the tray. “But she's probably not going to have a whole lot of energy for a few days. Do you think you two can pick up the slack?”

“Sure. No problem. This is our summer job, anyway. We'll just put in a little overtime. Aunt Maggie's done it often enough for us.”

They were good kids, Jake reflected. Maggie had raised them well. “Great. Now, if you two can get the breakfast preparations under way, I'll take this up to your aunt.”

The twins watched him disappear through the door, then Allison sank down on a convenient chair and sighed. “Wow! Talk about Sir Galahad!”

Abby joined her on an adjacent chair and propped her chin in her hand. “Yeah.”

There was silence for a moment while they both mulled over this latest turn of events, and then Allison turned to her sister. “Do you think maybe something might come of this after all? I mean, I know Aunt Maggie keeps saying that their relationship is in the past and all that, but how many guys would clean toilets for a woman they don't care about?”

“I think it has some very interesting possibilities.” Abby's expression grew thoughtful. “I think Aunt Maggie still cares, too. She just won't admit
it—to us or herself. But maybe we can find a way to give her a nudge.”

“And how do you propose we do that?”

Abby smiled smugly. “As a matter of fact…I have a plan.”

 

Jake eased Maggie's door open with one shoulder and cast a worried glance toward the bed. He'd checked on her a couple of times during the afternoon, and she'd been sleeping soundly. Now, however, she was sitting up, bent over, struggling to tie her shoes.

He pushed the door all the way open and strode inside. “What are you doing?” He deposited the tray on the dresser and turned to face her, clamping his hands on his hips.

She looked up, startled. “Jake, it's after five! I'm surprised none of the guests have arrived yet.” Her voice was edged with panic.

“They have arrived. All of them.”

Her eyes widened in alarm. “Oh, no! What did you tell them?”

“I told them hello. Then I welcomed them to Whispering Sails and asked if I could help with their luggage. I think that's the spiel, isn't it?”

Her frantic hands stilled on the laces. “You mean…you checked everyone in?”

“Mmm-hmm. I looked them all up in the guest folder on your computer in the foyer. It was a piece
of cake.” He picked up the tray and came to sit beside her. “Dinner.” He placed it on her lap.

She stared down at the soup, then back at him. “Jake, I…” Her voice choked, and she looked down in embarrassment. She was usually able to keep her emotions under control, but she couldn't stop the tears that sprang to her eyes. It had been a long time since anyone had stepped in, as he had, to ease her burden. The twins were great, of course. And they would have helped if they'd been here. But they were family. Family members did those kinds of things for each other. But Jake wasn't family. He was… Well, she wasn't sure exactly what he was. He said he wanted to be her friend. But a moment later, when he took her chin in gentle fingers and turned her head toward his, the look in his eyes said a whole lot more than friendship.

“Did I pick the wrong kind of soup?”

She shook her head. “No. Th-this is fine.”

“Then, what's wrong?”

She swallowed with difficulty. “It's just that I—I appreciate all you did today, Jake. It was too much to ask.”

“You didn't ask.”

“No, but…well, I feel like you were sort of forced into this.”

“I wasn't forced into anything, I wanted to help.”

“I guess I owe you now.” She shoved her hair back from her face and sighed. “Big-time.”

Jake cupped her flushed face with both hands, and his gaze locked on hers. It was difficult to concentrate on his words when his thumbs began to stroke her cheeks. But she tried.

“Maggie, you don't owe me a thing. If I spent the rest of my life trying to ease your burdens, I could still never make up for what I did to you.”

Maggie's spirits took a sudden, unaccountable nosedive. Was that the only motivation for Jake's good deed—to make amends? Was that the reason he'd offered her his friendship?

As if sensing her change of mood, Jake frowned. “What's wrong now?”

She shrugged and played with her spoon. “Nothing. Just tired, I guess.”

Jake studied her a moment, then nodded toward the tray. “Well, eat your soup and get back in bed. Everything's under control downstairs. The girls will take care of breakfast.”

“I feel better since I slept, Jake. I can—”

“Maggie.” He cut her off, his voice gentle but firm. “I want you to promise me you'll take it easy until at least tomorrow afternoon. You need the rest.” When she didn't reply, he sighed. “Look, if you won't do it for yourself, do it for me, okay?
Otherwise I'll be awake all night worrying about you.”

She looked at him curiously, started to ask “Why?” but stopped herself in time. She could deal with those kinds of questions later, when she'd regained her strength. In the meantime, after all he'd done for her today she could at least give him some peace of mind in return.

“All right.”

“Good.” He glanced at his watch, then grinned ruefully. “Well, I better get home and put together some dinner for Dad and me. Or maybe I can convince him to go out. He hasn't been in the mood yet, but it's worth a try tonight. Now eat your soup.”

She gave him another mock salute. “Aye, aye, sir.”

He grinned, sheepish. “Sorry. I got used to giving orders in the navy. It's a hard habit to break. How about, please eat your soup?”

“Better.”

He sat there for another moment, his eyes soft on her face, and Maggie felt her breath catch in her throat. She knew that look. It was the look he used to get at his most tender moments, right before he kissed her, and her pulse went into overdrive.

Jake's gaze dropped to her full lips. Lingered. Returned to her eyes.

His irises had deepened in color, and Maggie stared into their unfathomable depths as he reached over to stroke her cheek with a featherlike touch. A pulse began to beat in the hollow of her throat as he slowly, very slowly, leaned toward her.

Maggie knew she should resist while she still could. But instead of listening to logic, her eyelids fluttered closed and she leaned toward him, inviting his kiss, powerless to stop herself.

And then his lips, warm and tender, gently—and briefly—brushed her forehead. That was it. The kiss was over in an instant, so fast that Maggie, who had expected so much more, was thrown off balance. Her eyelids flew open and she blinked up at him as he abruptly stood.

“Good night, Maggie. I'll call you tomorrow.”

And then he was gone.

She stared after him, still trying to figure out what had just happened. She'd expected him to kiss her. Really kiss her. And she'd offered no resistance. But instead of a passionate kiss, he'd given her a brotherly peck on the forehead.

Why? Was it because he really did care about her only as a friend? Because he was afraid of getting the flu? Or was he just being noble, refusing to take advantage of her weakened physical condition?

Maggie didn't have a clue. But she did know
one thing. Jake's brotherly kiss on her forehead just hadn't cut it. For better or worse, she wanted more.

 

Jake pulled up in front of his cottage and turned off the engine. It had taken the entire drive from Maggie's place to his for him to regain some semblance of control over his emotions. And he was still shaken by how close he had come just now to blowing it with her. Thankfully he had found the discipline to back off, to stop at that brotherly kiss on the forehead, when what he really wanted to do was claim her tender lips with a kiss that expressed all the passion and love that was in his heart.

As each day passed, he knew with greater certainty that his feelings for this special woman had never died. During all the years of separation they had simply been stored in a quiet corner of his heart, growing in intensity as they waited for the opportunity to be given full expression. Now that the opportunity was at hand, they were clamoring for release.

But he had to be cautious. He felt sure that Maggie wasn't yet ready to accept such an admission on his part, that she was still very confused about her own feelings, grappling with questions and doubts, just as he had been initially. She needed time. He needed patience.

Jake drew a slow, deep breath. Only now was
his pulse returning to normal, his respiration slowing. He'd known any number of women through the years who attracted him, but he'd never come this close to losing control. The only woman who had ever been able to do that to him was Maggie, beginning that summer when he was seventeen. She obviously hadn't lost her power over him.

Jake stepped out of the car and walked toward the house, trying to psyche himself up for the long evening ahead with his father. He didn't feel up to that ordeal—or to cooking. Wearily, he pushed the door open, took one step inside, then stopped in surprise. Appetizing aromas were wafting his way, and he frowned in puzzlement. Warily he made his way to the kitchen door, where a quick survey revealed the table set for two and his father at the stove.

“Dad?”

Howard turned in surprise. “Oh. Didn't hear you come in. Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes. You have time for a shower if you want one.”

His father turned back to the stove. It took Jake a moment to find his voice again. “You're making dinner?”

“Looks that way, doesn't it?”

“But…why?”

The older man shrugged. “You worked all day over at Maggie's. That was a nice thing to do, with
her sick and all. Figured you'd be hungry when you got home. I didn't have anything else to do anyway.”

Jake struggled to grasp this unexpected turn of events. His father actually sounded…well, if not friendly, cordial at least.

A nice way to end the day.

“I bought some sparkling cider when you first arrived. I thought we could have it with our first dinner here in the cottage. But…well, things didn't quite work out. If you'd like to have it tonight, it's in the cabinet next to the dishwasher.”

His father's only response was a grunt, which Jake couldn't interpret. But when he reappeared ten minutes later after a quick shower, dinner was on the table. And so was the cider.

 

“Maggie, my dear. How are you feeling today?”

Maggie glanced toward the familiar voice of Millicent Trent and smiled at the older woman seated in a wicker settee on the front porch.

“Hello, Millicent! Welcome back to Whispering Sails. I'm much better today, thank you. And I'm sorry I wasn't on hand to greet you when you arrived.”

“Don't give it a thought. The young man who showed me to my room last night was very nice. And he seemed quite concerned about you.”

Maggie flushed. “It was just a flu bug, I think.”

“Well, I must say you still look a bit peaked.” Millicent peered at her over her glasses.

“I'm a little tired, but I feel fine. I'm sure I'll be completely back to normal by tomorrow. The girls won't let me lift a finger today, so I'm getting lots of rest.”

“Well, then, can you spare a few minutes to visit with an old lady?”

Maggie smiled. “I don't know about an old lady, but I certainly have time to visit with you.”

Millicent chuckled. “You do have a way with words, my dear. Oh, Allison, would you mind bringing your aunt and me some tea?” She waved at the younger girl who had just stepped outside.

“Not at all, Ms. Trent. I'll be back in a jiffy.”

“Now then, we can have a nice visit. Let's start with that young man. Who is he, my dear? I've never seen him around here before, and you know I've been a regular since the first year you opened.”