Waking Up (7 page)

Since she had worked yesterday, she had waited until today to mow the lawn, and so she straddled the riding mower and started the engine. Soon she was going merrily around and around the lawn, in smaller, and then even smaller squares until she felt dizzy and the front garden looked neatly shorn. Then she went to the back garden, starting at the left and then going towards the Morrows’ yard. When she had almost finished, Jason leaped over the fence that separated the gardens and walked casually her way.

She sent him a wild, gleeful look, and with a horrified shriek, she frantically turned the unwieldy mower around and started riding bumpily away. She heard his aggressive roar in response, and soon he had leaped on to the back to seize control of the steering wheel, leaning over her apprehensively crouched figure. At that, she tried cravenly to abandon ship, but he laughingly grabbed hold of her, clasping her against his chest.

“Whoa, careful!” he exclaimed, while turning the mower back to the small plot of grass still uncut. At the feel of his hard chest at her back, with his arm a strong barrier around her waist, she fell quite still, feeling an absurd surge of pleasure. “There now, finish your job, and I’ll wait inside for you.”

“Okay!” she replied, as she leaned her head back briefly against his shoulder. He squeezed her tightly in response and then leaped off gracefully to stride towards the back door.

She completed the job as quickly as she could, anxious to finish so that she could see Jason, and soon the mower was tucked back in its usual place beside her father’s dark sedan. She pushed a button located near the door to the family room, and sent the garage door down before lightly running inside.

On her way, she peeked quickly into the living room and grinned as she saw Herb still snoring away loudly on the couch. His head was hidden under a sheaf of the Sunday comics. Then she skipped into the kitchen to find Jason finishing a beer. Beside him sat a newly poured glass of lemonade, which she took with thanks, drinking the cold, tart liquid with pleasure.

She then walked to the table to sprawl in a chair, throwing back her arms and arching her back in a lazy stretch. The movement sent her slight, rounded breasts straining against her tank top, and Jason’s eyes lingered on her chest, reminding her that she didn’t have a bra on. She abruptly drew straight, flushing slightly as she realized her nipples must have been clearly outlined against the thin, sweat-dampened fabric. She asked, ostensibly nonchalant, “Having a good weekend?”

“Yeah, I hate to see it end,” he replied, strolling over, beer in one hand. He pulled the chair around to sit on it backwards, lean legs straddling the seat. He leaned his forearms against the back, idly shaking his nearly empty can. “I have a few weeks of vacation coming up after next week, and then a few more at Christmas.”

“Really? That ought to be fun. Have you decided what you’re going to do?” She reached for her glass and sipped at it.

He shook his head. “Nope. I think I’ll just take things as they come. How was work last night?”

“Tiring,” she said and then stifled a yawn. One of the waitresses scheduled called in sick, and the others had to share her station between them, as the manager had been unable to reach anyone else at such short notice. They had been frantically busy, and she had felt as though she’d been run off her legs, but she had walked out of the restaurant with a hundred dollars in tips tucked into her purse.

“Got any plans for the rest of the day?” he asked casually.

Her easy manner and open smile vanished slowly, and she stared at him warily before saying, “I’m going out with Ian.”

At first she thought there was no visible reaction to her reply, but a closer look at Jason had her noting the suddenly rock-hard rigidity of his jawline, the odd angry glitter in his gray eyes, the white-knuckled appearance of his right hand as he clenched the beer can tightly. It began to crumple under her eyes. “You’re a fool,” he said through stiff lips.

For a moment she couldn’t speak, and then with her own anger rising, she said, a thread of steel in her voice, “I’ll thank you to keep such comments to yourself.”

“He’s called Linda three times throughout the week, trying to get her to see him,” Jason continued harshly.

She stared at him for a moment, feeling that perhaps she had begun to understand a little. “Did she go out with him?” she asked finally, her voice hushed.

“He was out of town, she said, until Friday, but she went out with him last night,” he bit out and apparently only then realized what he was doing to his beer can. He loosened his grip and set the gnarled cylinder carefully on to the table.

“I’m sorry,” she offered sympathetically. He must really be hurt. She hadn’t realized that he cared for the brunette so much. A leaden ache started somewhere in her chest.

He thrust out of his seat violently, strode away, and then came back. “Doesn’t that mean anything to you? Can’t you see even now that Walsh is just playing with you?”

“Ian plays with everybody!” she expostulated, rising to her feet also, in her agitation. “For God’s sake, it isn’t as if he’s married to me!” At that, Jason’s head reared back and his nostrils flared. He stared at her, eyes leaping. “What in the world is the matter with you?”

“I don’t want to talk about it!” he snapped and strode out of the open glass doors. For a moment she just stared at the blank space where he had been standing. Then she raced to the door to stick her head out.

“That’s convenient!” she shouted furiously to his retreating back. He didn’t respond. She thrust out her chin and her brown eyes narrowed in grim determination. She was going to thrash this out with him once and for all, whether he liked it or not.

She whipped out of the back door and raced after him.

Chapter Four

When she reached Jason’s side, she had to skip to keep up with his long, angry stride. Apparently he had no intention of stopping, nor did he look down at her. He stared straight ahead, his eyes ominously narrowed, his face hard. If it had been anyone else, she would have thought twice about confronting such strangely intense emotion, but this was Jason. She used to wrestle with him in the dirt, and once, when he had teased her too hard, she had hauled off and let fly with her right arm, bloodying his nose.

She hopped around until she was right in front of him, slim legs planted firmly apart, arms akimbo. He stopped short to avoid smacking into her full tilt and glared at her. “Get out of my way,” he growled and tried to sidestep around her.

She moved into his path again. “Hold it, mister.” She shook her finger under his nose and gritted, “I have a bone to pick with you. You seem to have picked up a nasty habit of starting arguments and then walking out on them, but you’re not going to get away with that around me, Jason Morrow!”

He blinked, and his expression grew somewhat milder, but she was too angry to notice. He folded his arms across his chest, muscles flexing, and cocked his head quizzically to one side. “It appears to me that I can do just about anything I damn well please,” he commented then, deliberately infuriating her.

Robbie eyed him up and down as though seriously contemplating doing him bodily injury. “What the hell has got into you? I can’t figure you out. I don’t know you anymore!” she exclaimed exasperatedly.

The expression in his gray eyes changed, and his lips took on a sardonic, wry twist. “No,” he agreed quietly. “I don’t believe you do.”

“I’m sorry your girlfriend went out with Ian,” she said between her teeth. “I’m sorry that you mind so much, but there’s nothing I can do about it. You’re just going to have to accept it.”

He began to look thoughtful, as he considered her dark brown, rather flushed countenance. When he spoke next, his tone was actually cautious. “Do you mind, Rob? You don’t seem too upset.”

“Of course I’m upset!” she shouted and then made an effort to calm down. Her anger ebbing somewhat, she poked her finger halfheartedly into his chest. He snatched at her hand and held it, warm fingers curling around hers. “I’m upset with you, you big jackass,” she mumbled and tried to tug her hand away. “My God! I’ve never known such an obtuse man! I’ve tried and tried to tell you, Ian is just a good friend. The only one who seems to mind him around here is you.”

“I don’t have to like the man just because you do, Robbie.” He seemed quite intent on keeping her hand for a while and playing with her fingers. Light color suffused her cheeks. She grew absurdly flustered with the half-smiling consideration he was giving her slim hand. He appeared to be in sudden good spirits, and she resigned herself to the realization that she might never grow to understand him.

“That’s certainly not surprising, with all the attention he’s been giving your girlfriend, but don’t take it out on me, do you hear? I won’t stand for it.” Her tone of voice was growing more and more absent, as she found herself tangled into a knot of confusion. He cradled her hand against his chest while watching her face, lightly alert. His actions were totally strange to her. Never had he given her such attention. How odd he had become!

“Sorry,” he said then, rather indifferently. “Last week I got the impression that you were hurt.”

“I told you I wasn’t.”

“I know, but every other woman I’ve known says just the exact opposite of what she’s feeling,” he told her, audible amusement in his voice.

She gave a hard yank and snatched her hand free as she snapped irritably, “That’s one of the grossest stereotypes I’ve ever heard!” Just how many women had he known intimately? Good grief, he was only twenty-four!

“You know what they say to do when the shoe fits.” He was entertained now, which irritated her all the more.

“One thing hasn’t changed about you,” she told him peevishly. “You’re still the most exasperating male I’ve ever met!” He threw back his head and laughed aloud. Growing diffident then, she turned away and showed great interest in the bushes he kept in such good shape. With a restless hand, she plucked at the tiny leaves, feeling quite warm under the direct glare of the blazing sun. She heard Jason shift behind her and then gave in to the curiosity that had been eating away at her ever since seeing the brunette with him Sunday night. “How long have you been seeing that Linda what’s-her-name?” she asked, supremely indifferent.

“A good four years now,” he replied cheerfully. Her back stiffened as she tried to make sense out of that. Then he explained, “We went to college together. Linda was in many of the same classes that I was, and when the firm that hired me came to the school to interview graduating accountants, she was hired at the same time.”

She nodded her head jerkily. “I see.” Her fingers plucked more of the leaves, sending them scattering lightly to the grass.

“We’re quite close,” he told her, watching her every move with a guarded closeness that, had she seen it, she would have found quite puzzling.

“I see,” she repeated in a low voice. Of course they would be close. They had many similar interests. Linda was a vibrantly beautiful woman. Apparently she had the intelligence that would have earned his respect as a professional. That would be important to him. Feeling very low in spirits suddenly, she put on her bright face determinedly before turning around to smile at him. “Well! I suppose I should go inside to get ready for tonight.” He gave her a curious, unexpectedly sweet smile. It prompted her to pat his arm. “I shouldn’t worry about Linda too much if I were you,” she told him quietly. “Sooner or later, she’ll see what a treasure you are.”

With that, she walked quickly back to the house. She forced herself not to glance back, so she couldn’t have known that he turned to stare at her until she rounded the back of the house and was out of his sight. But her back burned the whole way.

She was very subdued when Ian picked her up at six thirty. He also seemed preoccupied, frowning, withdrawn, as they went straight to the cinema. The show started at seven, and soon Robbie had to wipe her streaming eyes while Ian unashamedly slapped his knee and roared. The film ended up turning the mood of their evening around, and so when they went out for dessert afterwards, they were more relaxed and jovial.

She sat back in her seat at the family restaurant while watching him stir his coffee endlessly. His was a more cheerful countenance, but he still wasn’t the Ian she knew, and after a few moments, she leaned forward and asked him, “Ian, what is it? You’re acting as though you haven’t a friend in the world.”

“Good God, am I that obvious?” His quick, accompanying gaze was contrite and rueful.

She smiled a little. “I think I know you rather well by now,” was her only response.

“I’m sorry I’m not better company.”

“That’s quite all right,” she was quick to reassure him. After contemplating him for a few moments, she took a gamble and commented softly, “She’s very beautiful, isn’t she?”

His dark eyes flashed to her face, surprise blazing hot. “What do you mean?” he asked very fast.

She confessed, letting her own gaze fall to her hands, linked on the table in front of her, “Jason told me that you went out with Linda last night. I took a guess. She’s the one you’re thinking of, isn’t she?”

For a moment he didn’t say anything, but then with some heat he exclaimed, “Never in my life have I taken out one woman to discuss another! Yes, damnit, and I’m sorry. I just can’t get her out of my mind.”

“She seems to have that kind of personality,” Robbie said mildly, though it wasn’t exactly Linda’s personality that she was thinking of. A sort of resigned sadness settled on her shoulders while she took her cup and sipped at her hot drink. She wondered briefly, without malice, how it would feel to attract all sorts of men, to hold their attention even when they weren’t with you.