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I rested my head against Jacob as we just sat and gazed out to sea. My eyes found a trawler out on the horizon, which I watched until it disappeared from view.
I could sit with Jacob all day in silence and yet still be more than aware that he was sitting with me. That was how comfortable I felt being with him.
If I was to sit at home with my parents, I would be twitching and desperate for an escape within five minutes, but not Jacob.
“Rose, will you tell me a bit about yourself? About your family?”
I quickly glanced at my watch and realized fifteen minutes had past while we’d both been lost in our own world. “I’m not sure we have time, but I’ll tell you that there is my brother, JT, and my parents. We also have a housekeeper who tries her best to keep JT in line, but she tends to fail more often than my parents would like.” I grinned. “I think we need to make a move.”
“I know. I’m having trouble moving. I just want to stay here all afternoon with you in my arms. I’m really falling for you, Rose,” he gulped, looking so vulnerable.
“I’m falling for you too . . . but I need to get back. I don’t particularly enjoy my job, but it annoys my father.” I grinned and Jacob laughed.
He stood up first, jumped down from the rock and then turned around. He placed his hands on my hips and I loved his touch. With his eyes alight with mischief, he lifted me down from the rock, moved his hands to my bottom, and pulled me against his body to claim my lips.
Jacob broke the kiss and rested his forehead against mine while he wrapped a piece of my hair, which had come loose from my braid, around his fingers.
The way he looked at me, as though he wanted to devour me, had my heart beating rapidly in my chest with what felt like butterflies fluttering around in my stomach, and tingles between my legs.
“I can’t see you again until Friday, but I want to take you dancing. Will you come dancing with me, Rose?”
Without thought, I said, “Yes.”
Once back on the sidewalk we agreed the time and place to meet on Friday then said our goodbyes. We both left, walking in different directions.
I missed him already.
Chapter 6
Mack lay in bed, alone with her thoughts on Rose and Jacob the following morning, not really wanting to move.
The cottage was known as ‘Rose Cottage,’ so it didn’t take a lot of imagination to realize the cottage was named after her. That must mean she was a relative of Thomas, as he said he changed the name when his father died. Was she dead? Was that why the name of the cottage changed from Degan House to what it was today? In her memory. It would certainly explain Thomas’s reaction to seeing the diary.
Mack pushed the duvet to the side and climbed out of bed. After a quick shower, she dressed, and then walked across the hall to check on Lucas before heading downstairs to start breakfast.
“Auntie Mack, when will Thomas be here?” Lucas asked, not even five minutes later.
Mack turned around and found Lucas standing in the doorway, fully dressed with a wet face. “I didn’t know you were awake, and you’re dressed as well.” She hid her smile. “He’ll be here later today. Come and eat.”
Once Lucas sat down, Mack placed his breakfast in front of him. “Hot cereal! Are you sure that’s what it’s supposed to be?” Lucas asked in disgust as he dipped his spoon into the bowl of white mush.
“Yes, it’s hot cereal, Lucas. Try some syrup or natural yogurt with it.”
“I’m not sure I like hot cereal.”
“Just be glad I didn’t put prunes and apricots in yours.” Mack tried not to laugh at the look of horror on his face while she placed some yogurt and syrup in her own bowl.
“Ugh, yuck. Can we have proper food . . . like a burger for lunch?” Lucas whined.
“If you eat your breakfast, we’ll find a fast food place for lunch, a treat on the way back from shopping. How’s that sound?” She laughed.
He’d started to shovel his breakfast into his mouth rather quickly in reply.
After Mack had strapped Lucas into the car, they headed to the closest supermarket. With hardly any traffic around, it was so peaceful. She drove through tunnels of aging trees, past vast farms, some with the tractors working in the fields. She was even lucky enough to drive through a covered bridge, and all this had made her want to pack up home in Roslindale and move to Cape Elizabeth.
It wasn’t that Mack was unhappy in Boston; it was just that she felt as though something was missing. She hadn’t had a boyfriend in a very long time, and although her parents and sister were near, they had their own lives. Besides, Cape Elizabeth was only a couple of hours drive away so she would still be able to see Lucas and her family on the weekends.
Perhaps, in the next few weeks, she would check out the local schools to see if they had any positions for the start of the semester. She really would give the idea some serious thought.
