Without Saying a Word (3 page)

Laura unlocked the door and went inside. Everything was just as she’d left it, of course. The pile of magazines still lay unread beside her chair, the games system still next to the television, and photographs still on the wall. But, something was different inside her, as if a great weight lifted off her shoulders. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she realized that the children would be home soon. Laura shrugged off her coat and long cardigan, as she mulled over the events of the day and the caring way Rhean treated her. They had many things in common, and found pleasure in each others company, watching TV shows while sharing meals he’d ordered in. She knew Rhean didn’t date, and often wondered if he wasn’t interested in women. Admittedly, Laura found his dark gypsy looks very attractive. Rhean’s whole persona screamed male, but there wasn’t an arrogant bone in his body. Nevertheless, he
could
be exceptionally bossy at times. Whether that was part of his upbringing as the eldest son, or his teacher training, she didn’t know. It was part of who he was, and for Laura, acceptance of their differences was a big plus in their friendship. He was never condescending with her. Laura considered him her best friend. After moving to Kirkleigh, she had kept to herself. It took quite a while for her to become comfortable with their relationship. As to whether or not he found her appealing, the matter just never arose. With that thought in mind, Laura stood up, put away her outdoor things, and got ready for the arrival of her children.

Later that evening, Laura lounged on the sofa, her feet tucked up under her. She was sipping a mug of hot chocolate when she heard a knock at the door. The sound of thudding feet down the stairs heralded a teenage boy’s impatience to get to the door.

“Great, food at last,” Theo announced, his adolescent voice cracking. He took the large bags from Rhean and went into the kitchen. “Food!” he yelled and Laura winced.

“Hi Rhean, thanks,” said the provider of the food, coming through the door. He winked at Laura. Her heart jumped in her chest at the sight of him.

“I gather the hordes are hungry.” Rhean sat on the couch next to Laura. As their arms touched, she felt the tingle of an emotion she could not put her finger on.

“Are you okay now? You look much better.” Rhean’s voice was full of concern.

She nodded.

“I am Rhean, and thanks.” Laura felt grateful for the way he looked after her.

Theo yelled again, “Hey guys, dinner’s ready.”

Laura winced as she heard more thuds on the stairs. James walked into the living room and loped through to the kitchen, with a careless hello to Rhean. They were so used to their headmaster coming round that seeing him on the couch didn’t appear to faze them. In fact, only the other day, Theo asked her why she hadn’t given Rhean a key yet so they didn’t have to keep letting him in.

“Where’s Maisie?” Rhean asked looking toward the stairs. “I counted only two teens.”

“Where is Maisie usually?” Laura asked.”She’s in the den, as usual.”

In the dining room, a door led down a steep flight of stairs to what had originally been a cellar. Together, Laura and Rhean redecorated it and made into a den for the children to go to when they needed some peace and quiet. It was lined with bookshelves, and had bean bags, cushions and even a small TV/ DVD player. Maisie, the reader and dreamer in the family, found it the ideal place for her, and was quite often found curled up asleep there at night.

Rhean stood up and held his hand out to Laura. “I think we’d better go get something ourselves before your darling children eat all of it.”

Laura put her hand in his, and as he pulled her up, she stumbled and fell into his arms. As she tried to conquer her involuntary reaction to Rhean’s gentle look, he gathered her into his arms. Laura felt reluctant to move away. She felt safe there, and feelings long suppressed bubbled to the surface. Feeling suddenly uncomfortable, Laura tried to move away. His arms loosened and she took a much needed step back, plucking at some imaginary fluff on her skirt, and tried to regain her equilibrium.

“Careful Laura, this might become a habit,” Rhean warned her in a quiet voice. When their eyes meshed, Rhean’s had an expression Laura couldn’t quite put her finger on, but chose to ignore. Her hips swayed as she walked into the kitchen, but to her chagrin, she could feel his eyes on her.

****

“One I could become accustomed to,” he murmured to himself but could not stop himself from following her.

Rhean went into the kitchen and helped himself to the promised kebab and salad. Theo and James were at the dining table munching away. He sat down at the table and looked around for Laura. “Where’s your Mum?” he asked.

With a mouthful of food, James answered him with his head with a nod to a corner of the room. “Getting Maisie.”

Rhean nodded in acknowledgment, and looked at the doorway to the den. A few moments later, Maisie and her mother came into the room and sat at the table.

“Have you all thanked Rhean for dinner?” Laura reminded her children,”Though by rights, none of you should be hungry.” She looked pointedly at Theo and James. “And what happened to the pizza that was left out for all of you?” she asked.

Her sons grinned at each other, partners in crime. “Evaporated?” Theo countered cheekily. Laura groaned as everyone erupted into giggles—even Maisie.

Laura announced in a deadpan voice, “There are days when I wonder why I pushed.”

Rhean choked on a piece of kebab and James thumped his beloved headmaster soundly on the back. Leaning back in the chair, tears of laughter streamed down Rhean’s eyes cheeks, as his breathing returned to normal. .

They finished their meal through much giggling and chatting about their day. Even the boys were remarkably chatty and less sulky for a change. As Laura got up from the table, she went ’round clearing the plates and kissing each of her children on the tops of their heads. Her sons groaned and her daughter visibly shuddered.

“You know what though? I’m so glad I did push,” she said lightheartedly as she went into the kitchen to tackle the task of cleaning the dishes. Hearing the scrape of chairs, Laura called out, “Don’t forget to do your homework,” then smiled as she heard her children groan out loud.

****

A few minutes later, Rhean came through with the sauces and started to put them away. He switched on the kettle and with a tea towel in hand wiped the plates and cutlery as Laura washed. He studied her intently. Laura wasn’t a classic beauty who turned heads. His though, had turned toward her during the week she had been at the cottage on holiday, and he hadn’t looked away since. There was a fragility and gentleness about her. Laura’s emotions were always clear on her face — he could tell what kind of mood she was in just by looking at her. Her eyes, dark hazel flecked with gold were framed with thick lashes that swept over cheekbones the color of rose and pearl. Her figure was made for him to snuggle against and caress each curve and indent. She wore her bronzed, gold-streaked hair neck-length, pulled back in a barrette or in that just-washed way, kinking and curling against her forehead— the exact spot where Rhean felt the desire to put his lips.

It was all he could do in the quietness of the room not to turn her toward him and kiss her, the way he’d dreamed about for months. Although they started out as friends, for Rhean it had been love at first sight. The time that they spent together,  grew into a deep, lasting love for him, and he knew there would never be anyone else. Rhean by nature was a patient man. Having spent thirty-four years waiting for her, he wasn’t about to frighten her off by making a move too soon. When the moment came, he planned to embrace it with every part of his being.

Working as a team, they soon had the kitchen cleared and hot drinks made. Rhean and Laura moved to the lounge where James leaned against the cushioned footstool with his laptop balanced on his knee. They laughed when Tubs attacked the computer’s mouse. As James moved the mouse out of the cat’s way, Tubs attacked his hand.

“That’s it,” he grumbled good-naturedly. “May I use the PC please, Mum?”

Laura nodded. “Go on, but if anyone else needs it, an hour at most okay?”

James closed down the laptop, put it on the poof and left the room.

“How you manage all day with them is beyond me,” she said to Rhean as she sipped her hot chocolate and looked at him.

“I don’t mind,” Rhean said. “I don’t usually teach nowadays. It’s mostly all administration, finance, forms, etc.” He let his head fall back against the sofa and closed his eyes. “Thank heaven it’s Friday,” he sighed.

Laura sat up.  “How did you know I needed to do.......” her voice trailed off and she gestured with her hand toward the door.

“Give it some welly you mean?” Rhean’s eyes were still closed.

Laura nodded.

“That’s easy, you told me.”

Laura shook her head.”I never said anything at all.”

“You didn’t have to. I’ve known you for over a year. We see each other every day and spend more time together than most married couples do, except we don’t live together or...” He stopped before he finished the sentence and a flush of red spread across his sharp cheekbones.

“A bit like that old TV show,
My Wife Next Door
,” Laura remarked. Rhean looked puzzled.

“Great, I’m showing my age now. Look it up,” she told him.

“Oh I will do, but back to the original question. You changed your mannerisms.″ Rhean pointed to the heaped pile of magazines next to her chair. “And the biggie, getting your shopping delivered, not going out anywhere... I could continue, but I won’t.”

“So you guessed then?”

Rhean nodded.

“Yep, you weren’t going to ask for help, so I took matters into my own hands so to speak.” Rhean turned his body toward Laura’s, gazing at her intently.

“Worked though, didn’t it?” Rhean grinned at her, as his fingers stroked her arm sensuously enticing her to be aware of him. The softness of her skin slid against his roughened fingertips. His body reacted sharply. Rhean looked into the deep languid pools, searching for a flicker of awareness from Laura. He knew an attraction between them could be perilous, but felt an overwhelming need to know how her lips would feel against his. Their gazes meshed, the air around them electrified, and for a second he was afraid to take things any further.

Rhean saw the conflicting emotions in her face and knew deep down that now was his chance. He seized it. Moving closer to her, his thigh pressed against hers.

“Laura,” he whispered her name raggedly. When she tried to turn away, Rhean stroked her face with a long finger back to him.

“Please,” he begged, his voice harsh and raw with emotion.

Their breaths mingled, and his hand rested on her smooth cheek, caressing it with his thumb. At the same time, yet hesitantly, gently, his mouth covered hers. A delicious sensation of caressing more than kissing flooded him. Rhean’s lips thrummed from the feel of her mouth on his, but then as if in a blind panic she turned her face away from him, and broke their kiss. Rhean pulled her back into his arms

″No,″ he whispered,  “Trust me Laura.” As they embraced, his mouth recaptured hers  crushing her to him, deepening the kiss. Tentatively his tongue slipped onto hers. Stroking, dancing, they melded into one, aware of nothing but each other.

Rhean’s heart soared. He was lost in the heady sweetness of her taste on his tongue and his lips. Finally, he hoped, she would be his.

“Mother!”  Rhean and Laura moved apart. They looked at James, standing in the doorway with an amused expression on his face. Laura’s face flushed red and Rhean stood up, feeling as though he had been caught with his hands in the cookie jar. He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets then relaxed after the wink James gave him.

“I think I’d better go,” Rhean said sheepishly, but he grinned. “Oh, what the heck?” He bent down and kissed Laura gently on the lips, loving the way hers felt on his.

“Get used to it James; you will be seeing a lot more of that.”  He took his coat from the hook, and flicked it over his shoulder casually as he left.

****

James sat next to Laura who was still red-faced with embarrassment, shocked at being caught by her son.

“Have you any idea how tempting it is to tell everyone I caught you snogging the head?” her son teased.

“You wouldn’t dare,” she warned him, but James laughed.

“Good job it was me that saw you. Maisie would have gone all grandma on you and Theo would have hit the roof.” James knew his brother and sister very well, and of the three, Laura was lucky that James was the most easy-going.

“So why are you so calm about seeing me kissing Rhean?” Laura pressed.

“He’s not bad for a head teacher, and he’s fancied you for so long I’m surprised you didn’t notice,” he answered carelessly.

Laura raised her eyebrows at her son’s comment, wondering which of them was the parent. She shook her head, and for a moment thought she could still feel the pressure of Rhean’s lips on hers. Had their kiss been a big mistake or could this be the start of something?

It was almost time for Laura and Maisie’s DVD viewing. It was a regular Friday routine that they’d begun soon after the divorce. It gave the two of them a chance to be together while James and Theo went off and did their own thing. Maisie and Laura would get into their nightclothes, grab hot chocolate, and some snacks and watch a light-hearted film in Laura’s room.

James kissed his Mum and headed off up the stairs. Laura made the hot chocolate, checked on Tubs and ensured the house was safely locked up. She went upstairs, knocked on Maisie’s door then went into her own room. After washing and cleaning her teeth, Laura got undressed and snuggled under the bedclothes. There was a knock on the door and Maisie, dressed in her pajamas. came in with a selection of DVD s. Choosing one and sliding it into the player, Maisie got into bed with her mother and cuddled up, munching on the sweet popcorn.

After the film ended and Laura was reading, the phone rang. Looking at the clock she saw it was after eleven. Quickly, she picked it up and in a whisper said, “Hello?”

“It’s Rhean. I was ringing to make sure you were okay.” His voice was deep and husky sending shivers down Laura’s spine. Her mind went back to the kiss they shared.

“I’m fine,” she whispered wincing at her daughter’s rainbow toenails next to her on the bed. Maisie lay sprawled out with her head at the foot of the bed. “But I have to be quiet. Maisie’s in here.”

“I forgot it was DVD night.” He sounded apologetic. “I’m trying to do paperwork and for some strange reason I cannot concentrate on it at all.”

“And why not? Have you forgotten how to do it, or is it past your bedtime?” Laura teased him.

“Not at all. Some gorgeous woman kissed me senseless tonight. I can’t stop thinking about her.”

“Oh right. Well in that case I would suggest—”

Rhean interrupted her by teasing her back.

“Coming over right now for another one? I’d love to.”

“No. Make a hot drink and go to bed,” she chided at him as if he were one of her children.

“You do realize this is only the beginning.”

“Of what?” Laura was puzzled

“Us,” Rhean replied, and in an exaggerated deep voice said,”good night my darlinʼ.” and hung up.

“Drat the man,” Laura muttered to herself as she switched the light off and snuggled down under her thick duvet. Her mind would not switch off. After she gave her pillow a good thump, she settled down for a sleepless night with her daughters toes waggling about in front of her.