The Swear Jar (38 page)

Duncan had never spoken openly to
his family about his feelings.  Sean sat in silence.  Lisa’s eyes filled with
tears.  His eyes misting up, Andrew pulled over to the side of the road.

He turned to Duncan in the
backseat.  “Then don’t.  We love you too, Dad.  We’ll get to know her.  We want
to make sure Meara is right for you.  If she is, you won’t get any problems
from me or anyone else.  Is that clear?”  Andrew looked at Sean pointedly.

Sean nodded.  “I wanted to know you
hadn’t forgotten Mom.  Or us.”

Hugging Sean, it was Duncan’s turn
to tear up.  “Never.  On either count.  Meara’s right.  You do have your
mother’s eyes.”

“Do I get a hug?” asked John from
his car seat.

“Of course you do, little guy.” 
Duncan hugged John.

Duncan’s trip was relatively
uneventful, although he missed Meara terribly.  Her trip was another story. 
She was nightmare-free their first night apart.  He was relieved.  He heard
from her each day.  Diana, Ben and Anne dropped Meara off at her mother’s on
Thursday.  Almost immediately, her mother, Kay, began her interrogation.  He
chuckled to know Lisa and Kay were kindred spirits.  He also said a silent
prayer for Anne since she had been the one to reveal his existence to Kay. 
Meara was holding up under scrutiny.  The Swear Jar was going to have a large
donation in it upon her return.

Meara didn’t say much about her
mother-in-law, Jane.  The two mothers had a polite relationship, but they wore
on Meara’s nerves.  She started a countdown to when Diana would pick her up. 
He chuckled, knowing she was putting on a brave front.  She missed him and
wasn’t sleeping well.  On Saturday afternoon, she brightened up when Diana and
Anne rescued her.  Her phone call from Ben’s parents’ house that night was
cheerful.  Now the countdown was for when she would return home to him.  His
heart skipped a beat.  He wanted her in his arms.  Christmas was going to have
to be different.  The separation was too much for either of them.

“Tomorrow night, we’ll be
together,” she whispered.

“I’m not letting you out of my
sight.  I don’t care if I have to tie you to the bed.  You’re not going
anywhere for at least a day,” he growled.

“You won’t have to tie me down. 
But if you do, I won’t complain, Mr. Phillips,” she giggled.

“Not fair.  There’s no privacy
here.  I’m outside in Andrew’s car, looking up at the stars.  Lisa keeps giving
me looks after you call.  If I stay out here too long, she’ll send Andrew to
find me.  I have to know something.  What are you wearing?” he asked
seductively.

She giggled again.  “Now let me
see.  I’m barefoot, as usual.  My hair is down around my shoulders.  I’ve
brushed it nice and soft, just the way you like it.  I have a confession to
make.  My mother was driving me crazy on Friday, so I borrowed her car and went
to the mall.  I ran some errands for her.  It kept you from having to bail me
out for murder.  While I was in the mall, I visited a lingerie shop.  I had a little
fun.”

“Really?”  He was intrigued.

“I was thinking of going
dominatrix.”

He grimaced.  “Not interested.”

“I know.  There is only one
disciplinarian and it’s you, Mr. Phillips.”

He nodded.  “Good.  So?”

“So, I went temptress or
seductress.  I have a few soft, silky nightgowns and some pretty undergarments
to show you.  Right now, I’m wearing an embroidered, dark blue bra.  It is
working wonders on your favorite pillows.  I’m also wearing matching panties
and a dark blue cotton baby doll nightdress.  It’s delightfully low cut, but
demure.  It’s rather short.  It comes to the top of my knee, but if I stretch
out on my back here on the bed, I’m afraid you can see my thighs.  Or, oh my,
you can see my panties if I roll over onto my tummy.  I’m not sure you would
approve, Mr. Phillips.”  She pouted.

He let out a long exhale.  “I’ll
have to give it a close inspection before I give it my seal of approval.  What
are you doing now?”

“I rolled onto my back again.  This
bra is so soft.  I feel so good in it.  Your pillows are aching to be touched. 
See?  I’m running my hands all over them and giving them a squeeze.  The
panties are the same material.  I hope you’ll like them.”

He hoped no one would disturb him
since he was enjoying this very much.  He wondered how far she would go.  He
wondered how far he would go.  This conversation was building up tension
quickly.

“Are you alone?” he whispered.

“Yes, I have a room to myself in
the basement.  Everyone else is upstairs,” she smiled.

“Meara?  Will you do something for me?”
he begged.

“Yes, Duncan.  What do you want me
to do?” she panted.

“Masturbate for me,” he said.

She gasped.  “Yes, Duncan.”

Chapter Forty-Three

Closing his eyes, Duncan found
himself aroused.  As difficult as it was, he decided he would take a cold shower
later that night instead of relieving his tension in the backseat of Andrew’s
car.  Eagerly following his instructions, Meara described what she was doing. 
Although she was trying to be quiet, she began to moan softly and breathe
heavily.  He wanted to be in bed with her, to see what she was wearing, and to
see what she was doing because he told her to do it.  He was thrilled with the
control he had over her, the control she was willing to give him.

Emboldened, he talked dirty to
her.  He encouraged her, telling her where to touch herself.  He told her what
he would do to her if he was with her.  He explained how he would kiss her
deeply, where he would put his hands, and that he would make her beg for him to
take her.  Her breathing became raspy and her soft moans turned into a groan. 
He recognized this as only the first of her orgasms.  She had not completely
let go.  When they made love, he did whatever he had to make sure she was
satisfied, no matter how many orgasms it took.

“Again, Meara,” he said.

She gasped.  “Yes, Duncan.”

Now more comfortable with dirty
talk, he told her she was a bad girl for holding back.  He would make her beg
for mercy now.  She inhaled sharply and moaned.  He told her what he was going
to do when he saw her again.  He would spank her bottom until it was red, then
push her down and ravish her.  He was going to smother himself in her breasts
and suck on her nipples until they were raw.  He would bite her neck while he
pushed between her thighs.  He was going to dig his fingers into her buttocks
and thrust wildly until they rocked in orgasm.

Her breathing came in rasps as she
said his name over and over again.  Finally, she stopped breathing.  She had
let go.  He exhaled, feeling a little discomfort from his own unresolved tension. 
He wondered if he should rethink the cold shower and have her reciprocate the
dirty talk.  Grinning, he shook his head.  He was willing to wait for her.  If
he stayed any longer in the car, Andrew or Lisa would come looking for him.  He
didn’t want to embarrass himself or Meara.

She sighed.  “Please, no more. 
Have mercy on me, Mr. Phillips.”

“Just for tonight.  Tomorrow, I
make no promises.”

She giggled.  “But sweetheart, what
about you?  I feel guilty.”

“Don’t.  I’m building up tension. 
I’ll have a great deal of it to release tomorrow.  You’ll need to take a sick
day for real, because after I’m done with you, you won’t be able to walk.”

“Oh, baby, is that a promise?” she
cooed.

“You’re an evil woman.  Temptress,
seductress.  Perfect.  And yes, that’s a promise.”

“Then I should get some sleep. 
I’ll need all my strength.”

“Yes, you will.  And I have to find
a place to hide until my tent goes down.  My face is still red from what I said
to you.  Talking dirty is new to me.”

“Don’t you remember the shower at
the Shore?  And Halloween?  You’re damn good at it.  I’m still blushing.  Thank
you.”

“Anytime.”

“Oh, more promises.  I like it.”

“Until I see you tomorrow then.  I
love you, Meara.”

“I love you, Duncan.  Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”  He hung up, waiting a
few minutes before going back into the house.

“Is everything all right with
Meara, Dad?” Lisa asked, waiting for him.

“Yes, Lisa, thank you.  Meara’s
fine.  She’s looking forward to going home tomorrow.”

“Will you see her on Monday?”

“I’ll see her before that.”

He hadn’t told his family he was
living with Meara.  He wanted to take it one step at a time.  There was no need
to explain it all at once.  He chuckled.  From what his family knew, he had
gone from being her friend to being her boyfriend.  Soon, he would have to
explain they shared homes and he intended to marry her.  It sounded crazy, but
for once in his life, everything made absolute sense to him.

“Good.  I’ll see you in the
morning, Dad.”  Lisa kissed him on the cheek.

He took a cold shower.  It was
going to be a long day tomorrow.  At the end of it, Meara would be back where
he wanted her, in his arms.  He slept soundly until his alarm went off.  He
bounded out of bed and got dressed quickly.  Entering the living room, he was
delighted to find John already awake.  Lisa looked tired since John didn’t
sleep so well away from home.  Part of the family tradition was Lisa’s mom and
aunt left bright and early for a cruise on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  His
family now had the house to themselves.  He kissed John and Lisa on the tops of
their heads.

“Why don’t you go back to sleep,
Lisa?  I’ll watch John.  We can read.  Go.  Curl up with Andrew.  Maybe even
lock the door.”  He winked at her.

She looked shocked.  “I do need to
get you silk boxer shorts, don’t I?”

He laughed.  “Go before I change my
mind.  Don’t come back until you both have smiles on your faces.”

“DAD!”  She cried, taking off
towards the bedroom.  “Thank you!”

Duncan and John were quietly
reading in the living room when Sean found them.  Still half asleep, Sean’s
hair was mussed and he yawned loudly.

“Hey, Dad.  Hey, John.  Where’s
Andrew and Lisa?”

“Having some adult time, I hope.”

Sean stared at Duncan.  “Ew. 
That’s a nasty image burned into my mind.  I need some coffee to drown the
image out.  Want some?”

“Sounds good.  John and I will
finish up this book and we’ll meet you in the kitchen.  Lisa’s mom and aunt
left earlier this morning on their cruise.  We have the house to ourselves. 
Let’s leave Lisa and Andrew alone if we can.”

“Again, ew.  I’ll avoid that side
of the house.”

About an hour later, Andrew and
Lisa joined them in the kitchen.  Duncan and Sean were on their second cups of
coffee.  Duncan was pulling together the breakfast Lisa’s mom had set aside for
them.  Lisa blushed when Duncan raised his eyebrows, but Andrew was beaming. 
John ran over to give Duncan a picture he had been coloring with crayons.

“I miss having a little one
around.  You kids grew up too fast,” Duncan said.

Sean, Andrew and Lisa started at
him blankly.  He continued to make breakfast, unaware of their confused looks.

“Does Meara have any children?”
asked Lisa.

“No, but she hasn’t hit menopause
yet,” he said absentmindedly as he bustled around the kitchen.  “It’s always a
possibility.”

“I’m going to be ill,” said Sean. 
“Dad, major TMI!  I need another cup of coffee.”

The long drive back to Duncan’s
house was quite different from the drive that had started the trip.  Their
travels were filled with laughter and reminiscing.  Sean was warming to the
idea of Duncan and Meara.  Duncan breathed a sigh of relief.  When they arrived
at his house, everyone needed to get out of the car.  He was eager to see
Meara, but she would be horrified if he chased them away.

Everyone needed to use the
bathroom.  When he opened the door, they scattered in different directions. 
Pausing as she came through the door, Lisa followed him upstairs.  The boys
stayed downstairs.  As he used his bathroom, he heard her flush in the other
bathroom.  There was a distant flush downstairs.  The third cup of coffee had
gotten to all of them.  Lisa walked around the rooms on the second floor.  He
also heard Sean and Andrew murmuring downstairs.  He braced himself.

“Dad?”  She called.

He met her in the hall.  “Yes,
Lisa?”

“Are those Meara’s shoes
downstairs?”

“Yes, those are.”

“The bedrooms have new decorations
in them.  Are they Brenda’s things?”

“Yes.”

“DAD?” Sean called upstairs.

“Yes, Sean?”

“On the kitchen table, is that the
squirrel-shaped napkin holder I made for Mom?”

“Yes, Sean it is.”

Duncan and Lisa went downstairs to
the living room.  John was playing happily with his teddy bear.  Andrew sat on
the couch watching John.  Lisa went to sit next to Andrew.  Standing, Sean held
the napkin holder in his hands.

“Do you want to tell us what is
going on, Dad?” asked Andrew, pointing to an afghan behind him on the couch. 
“Mom made that for me.  I thought she and Lisa had gotten rid of everything.”

Duncan stood in front of his
family.  “Your mom got rid of a lot, but I kept some things to remind me of
her.  I hid them from her and Lisa.  I stuck them in the back of a closet.  I
didn’t want to let them go.  I wasn’t ready and I’m still not ready.  There’s
an afghan on my bed your mother made for me.  I know your mother meant well.  I
know Lisa means well, but once again, I’m not a silly grandpa who needs to be
coddled.  I need to grieve my way.  And my way includes seeing things of your
mother’s.  Meara made me get out all the stuff I hid and put it around the
house.  It’s helped a great deal.”

“My old shop project helps you
grieve?  I didn’t think it was such a bad job.”  Sean joked, turning the napkin
holder over in his hands.

Duncan laughed.  “I remember how
proud you were to make something for her.  Your mother loved that thing.  It’s
not a bad job at all.  You’ve always been good with your hands.  Andrew, that
afghan took a long time for your mother to make.  Love went into each stitch. 
You curled up with it all the time.  It made your mother smile.  Lisa, there’s
a jewelry box upstairs you gave Brenda when you and Andrew were first dating. 
Brenda loved it because it was a present from her daughter.  She knew you and
Andrew were meant for each other.”

“Dad, what’s gotten into you?”
asked Andrew.

“It’s Meara,” he said simply.

“Dad,” Lisa said.  “Do you have
something else to tell us?  Like why Meara’s shoes are here?”

Sighing, he sat down on the couch. 
“Meara and I are living together.  We live here part-time and at her house
part-time.  Until I can convince her to commit to something more permanent.”

“What are you saying?” asked Sean. 
“In five months you’ve gone from friend to live-in girlfriend to fiancée?”

“Meara doesn’t know about the
fiancée part yet and I would appreciate if none of you mentioned it.  I’m
asking you to not even joke about it, Sean.”

“Trust me, I’m still working on
live-in girlfriend.  It’s nice to see Mom’s stuff around.  I thought you had put
all the stuff away,” said Sean.

Andrew chimed in.  “No, Sean, it
was always Mom and Lisa.  If you had paid attention, you would have known.  If
it makes you happy to have Mom’s stuff around, then do it.  I’m glad Meara was
able to help you where we failed.”

“I’m sorry.  I thought I was doing
the right thing for you.  I’m a little hard-headed at times.  I had your best
interests at heart,” said Lisa.

“Lisa, I know that.  I love you. 
You aren’t here all the time.  I need gentle reminders of Brenda,” replied
Duncan.

“If you’re at Meara’s house half
the time, are there reminders of her husband there?” asked Sean.

“Meara’s husband, Hank, is a whole
other story.  What I know of him, I don’t like.  Meara has her reminders firmly
locked away.  She doesn’t need or want them around.  If she’s happy, then I’m
happy.  The less I hear about Hank, the better, as far as I’m concerned.  If
she wants to talk about him, I’ll listen.”

“Is that a snarl I hear, Dad?”
Andrew asked with concern.  “Is Meara all right?”

“Meara is fine,” Duncan said,
gritting his teeth.

“If you’re going to marry her, we
better get to know her,” Sean said.  “She’ll be here for Christmas?”

“Yes, from here on out, Meara will
be with me for family gatherings.  I’ll be meeting her mother at Christmas. 
It’ll be my chance to be nervous.”

Sean laughed.  “I’m sure you’ll
charm Meara’s mother.  After all, you’re a Phillips man.  We’re all charming
and dashing.”

“What a load of crap that is in
your case, Sean.”  Duncan smirked, realizing too late Sean might not appreciate
the comment.

Sean roared with laughter.  “I love
this new Dad.  Thank you, Meara!”

Before his family left, they made
plans for Christmas.  Christmas Eve was on a Saturday, so they would arrive
Saturday morning.  He wondered if Meara could handle both families at one
time.  He would need to use a great deal of Duncan magic to make it happen. 
After a round of hugs and kisses, he was finally home alone.  As soon as
Andrew’s car was out of sight, he called her.

She answered on the first ring. 
“Duncan.”

“Were you waiting by the phone? 
I’m sorry.  They just left.”

“They’re your family.  I can wait.”

“Can you?  I can’t.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“I’ll come to you.  I don’t want
you getting lost.”

“I’m already out the door.  I won’t
get lost.”  She hung up.

He was puzzled.  She was acting
strangely.  He shrugged and went upstairs to unpack his bag.  He could see the
driveway from his bedroom.  He was sorting the last of his clothes when her
Jeep pulled up.  She was earlier than he expected.  He worried something was
wrong as he heard her enter the house.

“Duncan?” She called from the
entryway, kicking off her sneakers.

Quickly, he came downstairs.  “I’m
here.”

He followed her to the kitchen. 
She wore a dark blue raincoat he had never seen before.  She was carrying a
wicker picnic basket and a large paper shopping bag.  She was barefoot and her
hair flowed over her shoulders.  He raised an eyebrow.

“What’s all this?” he asked.

She put the basket on the table and
the shopping bag on the floor.  She threw her arms around his waist and pulled
him close.

“I missed you so much,” she said,
squeezing him tightly.

Returning her embrace, he kissed
the top of her head.  “I missed you too.”