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After thirty excruciating minutes, I finally hear the sound of Jake’s SUV pull up outside. Standing, I drop my book to the table, and head toward the front door just as Rona enters. She looks really happy, which makes me smile.
“Hi, I guess by your smile that you had a good day with Jake?”
She has a slight blush. “I did have a good day, but my smile was actually for you. I’m glad you’re here. I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” She looks lovely with color in her cheeks and windswept hair.
“Let me take your jacket.” I stand behind her as she slips her arms out.
She mumbles, “Thanks,” unwinding the scarf and hooking it over her jacket on the stand.
“Can I get you a c
offee?” I offer.
“Yes, please. Can you give me five minutes, though? I want to upload the photographs I took today to my iPad so I can show them to you.”
“I’d like that. I’ll make us some coffee and wait for you in the living room.”
Just as she turns to go upstairs, I ask, “Is Jake coming in?”
She turns back to me. “No, he said he’s going to call down to the stables, something about the feed being delivered.”
“Okay. Thanks, Rona. I’ll see you in a few minutes then.”
I watch from the bottom of the stairs until Rona is no longer in view.
Sighing, I head into the kitchen to make some coffee, and while it’s brewing, I stare out of the back window as deer forage at the edge of the trees.
My mind wanders—as it has since I met Rona—wondering what the hell I’m going to do about her. I can honestly say I can’t remember the last time I took something for myself, regardless of how I thought everything would turn out. How I’m supposed to stay away from her, I have no idea. She’s everywhere. In my home. In my head. And I have a feeling she’s already in my heart.
A friend of mine, Declan, met his wife one day, and day two they were married. Twenty-two years later, they are still as happily married as they were back then.
The gurgle of the coffee machine pulls me out of my wayward thoughts and I pull two mugs out of the cupboard.
After pouring the coffee, I take both mugs to the living room. I sit on the sofa this time, hoping to have Rona in my arms, at least for a short while before I come back to my senses, and start to struggle again with the twenty-one year age gap.
I find I don’t have long to wait for Rona, and watch her jog downstairs. She’s changed into sweats and a long-sleeved tee shirt, which we both seem to favor, with thick socks on her feet.
“I managed to get them all on and they look pretty good.” She doesn’t even hesitate to join me on the sofa. Sitting down, she snuggles into my side and looks up at me. “Hi.” She moves her hands to my chest, and stretches to kiss my lips.
Managing to hide my surprise at the unexpected kiss, I caress her face. “Hi. Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?”
“I just had to touch you.”
She really tugs at my heart. “You can touch me anytime you want.” I kiss her on the forehead. “And before I lay you down on this sofa and strip you naked, I think you’d better show me your photographs.”
“Spoil sport!”
God, she really is trying my patience. I’ve never wanted a woman so damn much. Jake, Anna and Beth are all in their twenties, so if I brought Rona into their lives as my woman, it probably wouldn’t go down as well as someone more my age.
Unaware of my thoughts, Rona starts the slideshow on her iPad, and I can tell she certainly saw some sights while she was out with Jake today. There are some pictures of her that Jake has obviously taken. I wouldn’t mind having a copy of one.
“Didn’t you take any pictures from the tram? There are usually some good shots from there.”
“Um, no. I was too terrified to think about anything except putting my feet on the ground. I kind of buried my face in Jake’s jacket and didn’t look up until he dragged me off at the top and into the restaurant. The trip down wasn’t any better.”
I tighten my arms around her. “Is it the first time you’ve been on an aerial tram?”
