As she’d done once before, Sam abandoned the boots, jeans and work shirt in favor of a light cotton dress with flared skirt, its pinched-in waist giving her the appearance of a curvaceous figure. She’d let hair fall loose down her back just the way he liked it and had applied her make-up carefully but not heavily to give her a natural, unaffected look. She’d even gone and had her eyebrows waxed which had the effect of making her eyes stand out in all their deep-brown glory. If Jake McKoy hadn’t noticed her before, today he most certainly would.
Sam was humming under her breath as she rang the doorbell and waited for Jake to let her in. When the door opened she held up her bundle to a sleepy-looking Jake. “You won’t believe what I have here,” she said eagerly. “The perfect material for the music room.” She barely gave him a chance to step aside before she breezed in, the bulky bag of fabrics clutched to her chest. “Come on. Let me show you,” she said and, not waiting to see if he was following, she headed for the room in question.
When she got to her location she made a beeline for the sofa where she sat down and began to spread out her pieces. “Come look at these rich colors,” she gushed, bubbling with enthusiasm. “They’ll be the perfect palette for this room, with its deep mahogany paneling and, of course, the solid ebony of your grand piano.”
She waved a hand, beckoning to Jake who seemed to be hovering in the doorway. “What are you doing all the way over there? Come closer.” She leaned over and patted the other end of the sofa.
He came but then he looked so strange, his back so straight and rigid. He didn’t look comfortable at all.
She frowned. “Are you okay?”
Only then did his posture change. Her question must have made him conscious of how weird he was acting because he gave a sheepish grin and relaxed into the chair.
“Do you like the colors?” she asked, trying to draw him into conversation.
“Yes,” he said with an almost reluctant smile. “Very much.” Now he was beginning to look like his old self again. Thank goodness.
After that things went back to normal with Jake holding lengths of fabric while she matched and measured and shared her plans for recreating the room with matching rug and classic paintings for the wall. Working with a man like Jake was a decorator’s dream. He did not question her choices and, as for the budget, he approved without comment.
Sam was a bit surprised when Jake invited her to stay for lunch. After the way things had started off she’d expected him to see her to the door as soon as their business was done. But no, he’d asked her to stay and she graciously accepted, smiling inwardly. Her improved look must be working.
They lunched on green salad with baby tomatoes followed by grilled cheese and tuna sandwiches, compliments of Chef McKoy, and with each passing moment his spirit seemed to lift. Relieved at his change of mood Sam began to relax and she gladly accepted the wine he offered her at the end of the meal.
“Mm, nice.” She sipped slowly, savoring the tart liquid as it bathed her tongue. “What year?”
“Nineteen eighty-three, from the best vineyard in the Niagara Falls area.” Then he tilted his head and gave her one of his crooked smiles. “Just doing my part to support the local economy.”
“Thanks,” she said with a little giggle. “You’re doing a great job.”
She lifted her napkin to her lips to dab lightly at the moisture there and when she looked up again Jake's eyes were trained on her and the intensity of his blue-eyed gaze brought a hot flush to her cheeks. He did not look away, and even as she lowered the napkin his gaze did not waver. It was almost as if he were captivated by her. Had her charms worked that well?
Suddenly feeling nervous, she gave a little laugh. “The lunch was great,” she said, trying to break the tension. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome,” he said quietly and only then did he look away. His brows furrowed and he looked like he had a lot on his mind.
Whatever his issues were, Sam knew there was one thing guaranteed to make him feel better. “Jake, can we go for a walk? Just down to the stream. I’m so full. I think a walk would do me good.”
His face softened and he nodded. And then his eyes were on her lips again and this time she knew he wanted her. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind. Why didn’t he just take her in his arms and kiss her? He wanted it and so did she. But Jake McKoy was trying hard to resist the attraction between them. Well, she wouldn’t let him.
She stood and raised her eyebrows at him. “Coming?”
Even though they strolled it took them less than three minutes to get to the stream but the closer they got the more at ease Jake seemed to become. When they got to the bridge they went to stand in the middle at its highest curve then leaned over to look into the cool, clear water. For a while they stayed silent, breathing in the freshness of the air. When Jake finally turned to her and looked deep into her eyes she knew exactly what he was feeling. She could feel it, too – the pounding of the heart, a quickening of the breath, all in anticipation of a kiss. His eyes, so intense and so blue, said it all.
Her lips parting involuntarily, Sam closed her eyes then turned her face up to receive his kiss. She waited on his lips to descend on hers. And waited. And waited.
What was taking him so long? Her eyes popped open. What she saw made her heart plummet. Instead of staring down at her with eyes full of desire Jake was scowling. Bewildered by his contrary response, she took an involuntary step backward.
And then Jake spoke. “Stop it, Sam,” he said through clenched teeth. “I don’t want to do this. I can’t.”
His words were like a slap to her face, startling her out of her dream world and dragging her back to reality.
Never in her life had she felt so embarrassed. She’d laid herself open and vulnerable before Jake and he’d rejected her, treating her with a contempt that left her devastated.
Her body suddenly cold and trembling, Sam turned and ran back across the bridge, cursing the day she’d decided to take her mother’s foolish advice.