Chapter 34
On a warm day in May, Anne opened some windows to let the fresh air blow through, bringing with it the invigorating scent of Anne’s lavender Petunia’s. She was particularly cheerful and took me along to pick up some things in town. Before heading to the supermarket she stopped at a home improvement store and asked my opinion on some paint colors. I shrugged my shoulders and told her she had better taste than I did. She insisted I choose so I picked out an earthy shade of taupe. Next, we walked across the street to a department store where she steered me towards the bedding department. I immediately protested, not wanting her to spend any more money on me. Anne shook her head boldly.
“Willow, it’s been months since you moved in with me and you have yet to make this your home. You treat your room like it’s one of my guest rooms. I’ve seen that stunning painting of Ben’s but even that is resting against the wall. This is your home now, for as long as you desire. I want you to treat it as such.”
Surprised, I removed my hand from a comforter and looked at Anne. I hadn’t been aware of it, but she was right. I was living more like a guest than a member of her family. I looked down briefly, trying to find the right words.
“Since dad’s death I see things as temporary. I knew that when I turned eighteen you had no legal obligation to me and I didn’t want to change your room too much since I thought I wouldn’t stay for over a year.”
Anne’s chocolate brown eyes softened and her lips turned up in a half smile. “I care for you because you’re family, not because I have to. You’ve had so much loss in your life, too much, and I want you to feel like the home you live in is our home. You will always have a place here. Because of that, I want you to pick out things for your room that make you happy.”
Anne picked up a small throw pillow and tossed it to me. “Pink,” she teased with a wink. “But, it’s not you.”
Laughing, I told her I didn’t need anything since what I had in my room sufficed, but I did say I would enjoy painting later.
Later came that very afternoon. I pulled my hair into a high ponytail and donned an old white t-shirt over a pair of faded jeans. Anne had helped me move the smaller things from my room into hers and I began taping the edges of my window when Anne came in.
“You’re having company today while I head over to Jericho’s for dinner.”
“Oh?” I asked.
“I invited Reece over to help you. It will go that much faster with a friend.”
I froze and stared at the wall. “You didn’t…”
“Of course I did,” she laughed. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the tension between you two. Besides, Reece is a good friend to have. I want you to patch things up and he was more than willing to come over. In fact, he seemed relieved by the invite.”
“Did he now?” I murmured. I couldn’t help but feel some excitement over seeing him alone again. It had been so long but I feared being with him knowing how I felt and maybe, how he felt as well. Doing the right thing was not easy and I willed myself to win the battle…for a friend that was worth it.
“Is there anything to eat?” I asked. “I’m sure we’ll work up an appetite.”
“I left you some money on the table. You can call for pizza when you’re ready.”
“Thank you. What time will he be here?”
Anne raised her red painted fingernails to her mouth and paused. “Well…he’s already here,” Anne remarked softly. She looked behind her and motioned with her hand. “I’ll leave you two…You know where I’ll be.”
I stood up, holding the masking tape in one hand while smoothing my hair with the other. No time to primp, no time to figure out what to say and no time to say goodbye to Anne because Reece walked right on in. His face broke out in his typical grin. He was dressed almost identical to me and his eyes registered that fact as his gaze swept over me.
“Manual labor,” he began, still grinning. “I guess it’s the only way to get close to you.”
I swept a tendril of hair behind my ear and smiled back at him. “You’re welcome here anytime, you know that.”
“Am I?” He questioned. My heart skipped as he walked towards me. He lowered his chin and looked at me thoughtfully. “I might have known that had the invitation come from you.”
“You’re here now,” I said with a smile. “Why don’t we get started?”
Reece chuckled and picked up a brush. “Whatever you say, Willow.”
An hour later we were nearly done with the first coat. We didn’t speak much but would laugh or tease if we bumped into each other, which seemed to happen on a frequent and intentional basis. The tension between us was palpable.
I used the back of my hand to brush some stray hairs from my face and reached for my cup and took a sip of water, which spilled and ran down my neck. I coughed and Reece, who was kneeling, put his brush down as he looked me over before chuckling.
“Now I know what you’ll look like when you’re seventy,” he said, gesturing to my hair.
I bent down to look in the mirror of my armoire, which was pushed up against my bed.
“Oh,” I groaned. “That’ll be fun to get out.”
“I happen to like it,” Reece said. “My dad always said gray hair was distinguished.”
“Gray hair, yes, not white,” I complained as I picked through the strands of white hair. The paint had dried so some of it just flaked off. I stood and put my hands on my hips. I looked down and caught Reece looking at my chest.
“Reece Anderson,” I scolded while crossing my arms.
“Yes,” he replied, turning his attention to my face. I stared at him, silently rebuking him.
“What?” He asked. “I like the view.”
Knowing that our flirtation could progress very easily I decided to change the subject. “I’m hungry...Should we order in or take and bake?”
“Order in, but when we finish and clean up, I’m taking you into town for dessert. Deal?”
“Dessert?” I raised my eyebrow. “Don’t tempt me.”
“I’ll do anything I can,” he smirked. “To win you over.”
“Winning isn’t the goal Reece…Isn’t it said that a war is made up of battles, just as a journey is made of steps?”
“So take your steps with me.”
Shaking my head I sighed, but smiled just the same. “Ice cream sounds good. Why don’t you order that pizza and while we’re waiting we can get started on the final coat.”
“Yes ma’am,” he obliged happily.
After several slices of Hawaiian pizza and a job well done, we relaxed on the porch swing. The sweet spring air was light and cool against our flushed skin. Reece’s arm was resting behind me on the swing and not caring how forward it was, I leaned in and rested against him. “This is nice,” I murmured.
Reece said nothing but our legs kept meeting as we rocked back and forth.
A short time later, with the gentle sway of the swing, I found myself growing tired so I began to lift myself off him when I felt his hand on my arm. “Not so soon,” he whispered as he gently squeezed my arm.
As much as I didn’t want to, I pulled back from him and stood and stretched. I lifted my arms above my head and swept my pony tail off my perspiring neck. I pulled out the band and shook my hair in the light breeze.
“I’m ready for ice cream…or I will be once I fix myself up,” I laughed.
“You’re a tease,” he chastised with a twinkle in his green eyes.
“Hardly,” I grinned. “I didn’t want to fall asleep, I was that comfortable.”
I smiled back at him. He rolled his eyes and stood up, letting the swing rock behind him. “Of course you were. You were with me,” he winked.
I grinned again and skipped inside the house. As soon as I entered the bathroom I pulled off my soiled clothes and adjusted the temperature of the water. I unhooked my bra and let it drop. I picked up a clean towel and held it against me. While steam began to pool around me I lifted the window slightly and what I saw down below caused my breath to catch. I was looking past the yard to where Reece parked his truck; he had the door open and he had pulled off his t-shirt and was reaching for a clean one. His chest was smooth, his arms were lean and ripped, and no man could have looked more perfect, at least in my eyes.
He leaned down and in the side mirror, raked one hand through his straight brown hair, letting some of it fan across his face. Turning towards the house he automatically looked up to the bathroom window and just as quickly I moved away. My heartbeat accelerated and I dropped the towel on a rack and stepped into the shower where I picked up a bar of white soap and rubbed it across my abdomen. I lathered shampoo through my hair and all I could think was that I loved watching him and that he caught me doing so.
I didn’t have time to dry my hair but I combed it and pulled it back with a headband. I found a white blouse and tucked it into my dark jeans and searched around in my closet for a pair of sandals. When I sat down at my armoire to powder my face and apply some lip gloss I saw a folded note resting next to my perfume. I looked at my reflection and with nervous hands, opened the note.
Willow,
You don’t know it yet, but you’re already mine. Just like I’ve always been yours.
Reece
Two sentences, but they conveyed everything. I read the note a few more times and looked at my reflection and noticed that my features were those of a happy young woman – a woman in love.