Newton Neighbors (New England Trilogy) (13 page)

Ely hadn’t got very far by the time Josh caught up with her. She was walking slow along the path toward the campus exit. In truth, she had no idea where she wanted to go, and she was hoping either he or Jessie would come after her.

“Sugar, wait up,” he called. She turned and watched him jog toward her. All those hours of practice for football made him supremely fit. Damn, he was sexy.
 

“Honey, I’m sorry,” he said before he’d even reached her. He stretched his arms out toward her. “Come here, Ely.”

She didn’t move, but at least she’d stopped walking away. He finally caught up and wrapped his arms around her. “We shouldn’t have laughed at you like that. We ain’t got vision like you do. Sorry, babe.”

Ely didn’t speak but was happy to be hugged. Like his legs, his arms went on forever. Those fabulous long arms had carried her into the shower just a few short hours ago. Josh’s hands had reached parts of her no shampoo would ever go. How was it possible to stay mad with him when as he was apologizing and so sincere? He cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her face upward.

“Forgive me?”

“I do.” She granted him a half smile. “But you can’t go laughing at new business ideas, especially in these tough economic times. How in the world we ever gonna make progress if we don’t dream big?”

“Babe, you know you’re way ahead of me on this stuff. You’re more mature, smarter, more ambitious, and that’s why I’m crazy about you. Even if you have some harebrained ideas.”
 

She looked at him with a warning glare.

“You dream big, darlin’, and I’ll support you,” he said.

She looked stern. “You sure about that?”

“I’m certain,” he said, and kissed the top of her head and took her hand. Josh stood a good six inches taller than Ely, which was a pretty unusual feeling for her because she was a tall girl, taking after her father in stature. They walked along hand in hand, not heading anywhere in particular. The weather was pleasant for November in New England. It was good to be outside.

“Why don’t you come meet my parents over Thanksgiving?” Josh said suddenly.

Ely stopped walking and looked at him in surprise. “You want me to meet your folks?”

He studied the sidewalk for a moment like he was making up his mind. Then he produced a wide smile. “Yeah, why not? It’ll be fun. They’ll love you.”

It was the first time either one of them had mentioned the L-word. Okay, he hadn’t said
he
loved her but rather his parents would. Ely started to feel unsure, something that didn’t happen to her very often. She hadn’t thought about bringing Josh home to meet her parents yet. It was way too soon for that, wasn’t it?

“Gee, Josh.” Ely started to walk again so she could look at the ground and not him, because this was too intense.

“Thanksgiving—it’s a big time of year in my home,” she said. “I’ve never been away for it before. My little brother, John Jr., will be back from the west coast and my two aunts, too. Marybeth—she’s the one that never got married, and Aunt Mona—she’s married to Uncle John, with the teenage girls. I think I told you about my cousins, Becky and Kaitlin.” Ely was talking too fast—ranting—so Josh had to talk faster to cut in.

“It’s okay if you don’t wanna come. All you have to do is say it.” He sounded hurt.

“It’s not that I don’t wanna. It’s . . .” She thought about rambling on again but then decided against it. Better to be honest. “I’m not ready for Thanksgiving with you just yet, Josh. I’m sorry. You know I like you a lot, and Lord knows, I love the way you can scrub me down.” She laughed, and he smiled. “I sure think you enjoyed our soap-on-a-rope adventure today.” He nodded and Ely continued. “Oh yes, but let’s just take things easy, all right?” She looked up at him with worry in her deep brown eyes.

“You know what?” he said. “I don’t think I want to take things easy. I want to take them fast. In fact, I wanna take them to the next level. I want you in my life, Ely, and there’s no doubt about it.” He took her hand and pulled her back so she had to stop walking and face him. “I love you, Ely Briskin,” he said.

She blinked. “You what?”

“You heard me. I love you. What do you have to say about that?” It sounded like a challenge.

“Josh, oh God. This is, I mean . . . well . . .” She stared up into his face. “Are you sure about this? I’m two years older than you, don’t forget.”

He picked her up and swung her around. “I don’t care, baby. I love you, and that’s a fact. Now, you ready to tell me you love me, too? Because you know you do.”

Ely laughed but pushed against his shoulders to be put back down on the sidewalk. “Put me down, you jackass,” she said and laughed. “Put me down.”
 

He did.

“Well?” he asked.

“Well . . .” she said.

“I could tickle it out of you.”

“No, don’t do that.”

“Then tell me you love me, baby.”

“Josh . . . I want to say it, honestly I do, but it can’t just be a reaction to what you’re sayin’. Can you give me a little more time?”

“What do you need time for? I think you pretty much know every square inch of me at this point.”

“I do, darlin’.” She smiled. “And that’s a lot of fun-filled inches, but it’s just—well, it’s a big step. I think I’m falling, but I really do need a little more time.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re not gonna tell me you love me, are you?”

She gave him a guilty smile.

Josh swung his arm over her shoulder, and they started to walk along the sidewalk again. He gazed up at the cloudy sky. “Well, so what if it takes you longer to fall in love with me? I’m only twenty-one to your twenty-three.” He hugged her shoulder tighter. “Time is the one thing I got plenty of, Ely Briskin. So if you want time, take as long as you like.”

Chapter Nine

Hot to Trot

“This won’t take long.” Maria was a little anxious about her Monday morning run. Jessie had just arrived to babysit Alice.
 

“Take as long as you like. We’re going to play lots of fun games while you’re gone.” Jessie smiled. “It’s nice to be back here, and Maria, I have to say you look fabulous.”

“What? In my sweats? I don’t think so.” She laughed, but Jessie was insistent.

“Last time I saw you, your hair was down and it was pretty, but pulled back tight like you have it now—well, it shows off your amazing bone structure. You’re beautiful.”

Maria was flattered. She knew her big eyes were overshadowed somewhat when she wore her hair blown out, but today, with a long ponytail—yes, her eyes were a lot more pronounced. However, so were her ever-growing butt and waist.

“I wish I could go for a long run—you know maybe an hour or so—but I’m not healthy enough. If I last thirty minutes, it’ll be a miracle.”

“You told me this is your first run since you had Alice? Well then, you’ve got to take it easy or you’ll do yourself harm. You have to start back slow and build it up over time.”

“I know.” Maria sighed. “I never really had to exercise before. This is all new to me. By the way, I haven’t mentioned this to anybody, so I’d like to keep it private until I’m a little healthier. Okay?”

Jessie nodded. “No problem.” Then she focused on the baby.

Maria was glad Alice looked like she remembered Jessie. The baby seemed happy to stay with her while Maria headed out for her run. But it only took a few minutes of jogging for her to discover how out of shape she’d become.
 

She was just past the turn onto Crystal Lake Lane when she had to stop. Her chest screamed for air, her stomach had a stitch, and she just couldn’t keep going—already. Maria considered herself a pretty determined woman and she believed in mind over matter, but her matter overruled her mind today. It seemed like her legs had a mind of their own, too. And they had decided against running, so she walked. She tried to keep a brisk pace because then she was getting some sort of exercise, but it was damn demoralizing.
 

Maria spent so much time in the car, it was difficult not to run over the occasional jogger or Newton runner. They were endemic in the area. Having watched them in action for so many years, she had sort of thought she could join their ranks without too much effort. She couldn’t have been more wrong. Running was torture. After a few minutes of walking, Maria tried to upgrade to a jog again. She lasted even less time. It was humiliating to have to slow down after only a few hundred yards—not that anyone was watching her anyway.
 

How did all those marathon moms make it look so easy? This was worse than waxing, but it was the only way Maria knew she could rescue her old figure from the layers of baby fat and white-wine binges of the last decade. As she lumbered on, she fumed about letting herself go in the first place. What had she been thinking? No cocktail or carbohydrate was worth this torture.

That said, Maria was thrilled when she looked up from her uncooperative feet and saw she had lapped half the lake. She was well into her planned route for the morning. Even more surprising was her husband’s red sports car whizzing by.
 

As usual, he was on his cell and wrapped up in the business world. Maria almost waved to him before she remembered her Operation: Transformation was a secret. Everybody would ask her how she did it, and of course, she would lie. Maria was already fantasizing about how she would accept the Christmas compliments with a shrug, explaining the baby calories had simply melted away by themselves. Wasn’t that how everybody did it? Nobody would admit to the hell she was putting herself through.

She watched Rick turn on his left blinker. Where was he going at this time of the morning? Home? Not possible. He never came home during the day. Unless . . .

“Stop it,” she said. Rick didn’t even know Jessie was going to be there this morning. But then again . . .

“Stop!” she said. Rick thought Jessie was cute. Darn it, even
she
thought Jessie was cute. Cody and Alice loved her, too. So everybody loved Jessie, but that didn’t mean her husband was rushing home to see her.
 

Maria finally gave up all pretense of running and settled for a brisk walk. Her mind moved faster than her feet as she whizzed back through the years and remembered her time at college with Rick. When she’d had a late start and he an early one, he would come to her after his first class to have his wild way with her just as she woke up. Rick was always more of a morning man. He loved sex before breakfast. In those days, he really had loved sex all the time. The memory made her sad. Those years had raced by so fast. Rick still took care of her needs, but he sure wasn’t rushing back from his morning meetings to have his way with her, wild or otherwise. So where was he going?
 

Rick was more surprised than anyone to meet the sitter in his house. “Oh, Jessie, hi. I didn’t realize you’d be here this morning.”
 

Alice bounced up and down on Jessie’s lap when she saw him. “Dada.”
 

“Hullo, Mr. Sanchez. Yes, I’m in for a few hours so Maria can, um, get out.”

“Oh, okay. Funny she didn’t mention it.” He was good at reading people and felt the girl was holding something back. “Did she say where she was going?”

Jessie shook her head with a little too much conviction. “No, she’s just gone out.” Alice strained to get out of Jessie’s arms and into Rick’s.
 

“Wow, who’s a daddy’s girl?” Jessie worked to keep hold of the baby.

“Dada,” Alice repeated, clearly wanting his attention.
 

It worked this time, and he crossed the room, taking his baby girl for a moment. “Hello, little princess. Are you being good for Jessie?” He kissed her soft cheek.
 

Then he smiled at Jessie. “Are you over the shock of your last babysitting adventure in this house?”
 

“What? Oh yes, what an experience that was, Mr. Sanchez.” She grimaced.
 

He looked down at the pretty girl who was sitting at his kitchen table. “Please call me Ricky. I feel so old when you call me Mr. Sanchez. That’s my dad.”

“Oh, sorry—Ricky.”

It jarred in his ear. “Did I say Ricky? Uh, I meant Rick. You better call me Rick. That’s what everybody calls me.” He looked guilty. “Well, Maria calls me Ricky, but she’s the only one.”