EYES ON YOU Page 9

  “She and her helpers get up at 3:30 during the summer. My Aunt Ruth is just all-out awesome!”

  Roman reflected his amazement while sipping wine and eating more salad. “Totally,” he said with his mouth half full. “Do you remember that commercial years ago where the guy gets up very early every morning and deadpans, “Gotta go make the donuts?”

  “Gotta go make the donuts,” she repeated while nodding and chuckling. “I surely do remember that one. It’s one of the classics. I don’t even remember what the commercial was about. Do you?”

  He admitted, “I don’t have a clue. Where’d you grow up?”

  “Colorado,” she answered. “Boulder.”

  “A Rocky Mountain girl.”

  Nodding and smiling, she paused from the salad to drink more wine. Then she said, “Born and bred. Every summer, my mom would bring my brother and me to visit Aunt Ruth. We picked lots of blueberries when we weren’t playing in the ocean. Here was this gigantic expanse of water…”

  Roman was nodding, wondering how it must have seemed to a kid growing up inland. He’d always taken the Atlantic Ocean for granted, for much of his life.

  “Which one of your relatives owns Mayer’s Fresh Market?” she asked.

  He told her, briefly. “My dad built the store. After he passed away, the current owner, Albert Kromer, kept the name. He’s done a terrific job of adding so many new features and items. This salad is scrumptious, and no doubt, enhanced by the company I’m eating with.”

  “Aunt Ruth told me you like it.”

  “She knows me.”

  Jess laughed again and then said, “Evidently, knowing everyone in town and on the island has significant perks. Thank you for what you did.”

  Roman played the innocent. “What’d I do?”

  “Made a kid who loves to play baseball happy.” Jess paused from eating to look at Roman. With an earnest look, she said, “Really, I can’t thank you enough for what you did.”

  Roman took another sip of the wine before saying, “He needed a worthy diversion.”

  Roman had to be careful not to divulge what he’d been told by Aden, walking a fine line. “You said the other day that your ex-husband’s case is ongoing?”

  A look of seriousness etched her face, the tiniest of frown lines appearing near her eyes and above her brows. “It is. Once the police were sure that I hadn’t…killed Gary, they understood my need to get the kids and myself away from Seattle. Gary’s brother, Bill, said he was hiring his own private investigator to look into Gary’s death, but I don’t think that he has. He’s just saying it so that Aden will believe him.”

  “What have you told Molly about her father?”

  Jess gathered her thoughts before replying, “I told her that her father might have killed himself, but that no one knows for sure, and that the police were looking into it. I told her the truth, Roman.”

  Nodding as he finished his salad, he said, “You did the right thing, Jess. At nine years of age, Molly’s capable to understanding that there are ambiguities in life.” He had noticed that Jess had pushed her half-eaten salad away. He could tell that she was actually quite thin, and suspected that she had lost weight after what had happened in Seattle, and from what she was trying to accomplish here, making a new life for her kids and herself. He said, “I’m glad you’re officially staying. You’ve bought this house…” His eyes grew brighter.

  “This is the first time in our lives that we’ve had a regular house. We’ve always lived in an apartment or condominium. The kids love some of the nooks and crannies in this place.” She stood, held her hand out for him to take, and said, “Come and let me show you something.”

  He got up with her, liking how her hand felt in his. For the first time, they were actually touching each other, holding hands. He looked down to see that Mona had made herself at home, lying on the rug that was in front of the stove, and was taking a nap. Roman was enjoying the bit of intrigue, as Jess led him around the kitchen, then down a passageway to a room beneath the stairwell. She opened the door with a modest look of excitement.

  When she flipped on a light, the first things he saw were pictures of her kids, along with some of Ruth and the employees of her restaurant. Most were close-ups and wonderfully vibrant. Many had apparently been recently dried from processing, hanging by small clips on a cord that stretched across one end of the room. He saw the developing trays, in fact smelled some of the fluid, and realized that he was in a full-fledged darkroom.

  “You’re a photographer,” he said.

  “I am.” She smiled, and then said, “I even make a living at it.”

  More closely, he began examining the photographs again, realizing that she was into photography in a BIG way. He hadn’t noticed until then that Molly wore some sort of appliance on her teeth, and he smiled at how angelic she appeared in her pigtails. Aden appeared shier, the photos of him capturing some of his more serious looks, but Jess had caught him actually grinning in a couple of her photos. He looked at the photos of Ruth and her employees, realizing that he knew all of their names and that a couple of the women had gone to school when he had.

  “You’re really good.” He kept looking at the photographs, and then he looked at her.

  Suddenly, Jess took a step back, hit the light, and the room was plunged into complete darkness. There wasn’t even a sliver of light coming through from the bottom or sides of the closed door.

  Playfully, she asked, “Can you find me?”

  Tentatively, Roman reached out in increments, as far as his arms would go. He didn’t want to accidently plow into her face with his fingers or with one of his hands.

  “Here I am,” she said.

  He did not know where she was. The utter and complete darkness was disorienting, totally baffling him.

  She laughed. “I play this game with the kids.”

  His heart began racing, his mind actually confused by the stark degree of darkness, but he said, “Sensory deprivation.”

  “Right,” she said. And then, she fumbled around until she found his wrists and hands, taking hold of both of them, and she slowly moved into his arms.

  Within the stark void, he held her in his embrace, feeling both relief and excitement surge through him. He began to caress her back, and when she drew even closer and their bodies came together, he felt sheer pleasure surging through him.

  He warned, “I’m going to kiss you.”

  “Can you?” she asked.

  “Watch me.” He smiled into the darkness as she laughed at his inane comment.

  He took a small step backward, allowing his hands to work their way onto her shoulders, maintaining contact so that he could move his hands upward. Tentatively, he began to feel the contours of her slender neck, to trace its fragile curves and the delicate indenture of her throat, feeling her rapid pulse. She raised her head, her nervous swallow moving him, even as his own heart wildly beat inside his chest. Totally mindful that he wanted this kiss to be like no other, he kept his focus on proceeding slowly, raising his hands to her jawline, tracing its firm planes with his fingers. He then caressed her cheeks, wanting the sensation of touching her to last as long as possible. With his fingers, he felt the tentative smile on her lips, tracing it with his fingers, not surprised that the muscles near her mouth were trembling. He held her cheeks, softly threading his fingers through the hair at her temples. His caress intensified before he brought his head down to hers, tenderly capturing her upper lip with his.

  Responsively, she caught his lower lip to suckle it too, allowing her hands to rest on his chest. The kiss became stronger and encompassing, neither of them shy about revealing their desire. And neither wanted to breathe, making the kiss last for as long and it possibly could. They finally had no choice, pausing for fuller breaths. He kissed her yet again before slightly pulling away, yet unwilling to let go of her. They clung tightly, their hands reassuringly caressing each other’s backs.

  A false calm gripped him as he muttered, “Is
this just a dream—a fantasy I’m having?”

  “If it is, I’m having it too,” she softly admitted.

  She finally pulled away to turn on a small lamp, obviously embarrassed by what she had provoked, attempting to say, “I was just going to show you…this...”

  Ignoring her, pulling her back into his arms again, Roman bestowed a long, deep kiss on her lips. He could see her now—plainly viewing the desire written on her face that was reflecting his.

  As another means to distract, she reached upward, to a shelf that held several types of cameras, most of them with attached lenses, and pulled one of them off. “The light’s terrific for me to get a few shots of Mona. Let’s go out to the backyard with her. She probably needs to go out anyway, doesn’t she?”

  After all of the water that Mona had drunk when she had first come inside? The woman he followed out of the room was batting well over a thousand in every way that he could possibly imagine.

  *****

  The car parked out front of the Hartman House had a solitary occupant inside. Cynthia Ralston sat in the driver’s seat with the engine off, her visor down, and long past freezing her buns off. She had followed Dr. Roman from his clinic, hoping that he would observe his regular Friday routine. But no, he hadn’t, and Cynthia had known that he wouldn’t be, as soon as he exited the island and turned north. There was no point in denying that he was seeing this woman who’d recently moved from Washington and who was now carrying on with him. Cynthia Ralston was mad as hell.

  CHAPTER 13

  Before he and Mona left, he asked Jess if she and the kids would like to go to the high school basketball game being played in Portland that evening. Jess was quick to say yes, punctuating her reply with a big smile.

  “I’ll tell Aden that you’re helping us get to know people in the city, as those on Whittler Island like to call it,” she teasingly said.

  “Actually, I am,” he said, having some concern about how Aden was going to react.

  After kissing his cheek, she said, “It’s going to be all right. You’ll see.”

  *****

  Roman had just gotten out of the shower when Jess phoned him. “Would you like to know what Aden said about us going with you?”

  “I’d love to know.” He was excited to hear her voice. Before he had left, they had exchanged cell numbers.

  “He said ‘that’s cool.’”

  Feeling relieved, Roman asked, “How did you broach this?”

  “Honestly,” she answered. “I told him we’d like to see each other, and asked what he thought about it. He said, ‘I’m good with it, Mom. Doc’s a cool guy.’ I think he was being honest about how he feels.”

  With no one there to see him, Roman raised one of his fists in triumph. “I’ll ask him when he and I meet on Monday. I wouldn’t want a relationship between us to affect how he relates with me.

  “Me either,” she said.

  *****

  It was another moment to act cool.

  Like Jess had said, Aden appeared genuinely happy to have him show up for a family outing. She had told him that they were still staying at Ruth’s, and to pick them up there. When he got to Ruth’s door, Molly happened to be the one who answered the doorbell, jerking it open a millisecond after he had rung the bell to smile and loudly announce, “Mom! He’s here.”

  Jess was coming from the hallway into the living room, with her jacket and purse hung over an arm, and fastening what appeared to be an earring. She smiled at him as Ruth Fenwick and Aden came from the kitchen. Ruth enthusiastically greeted him. “Roman—how are you?”

  “I’m doing quite well, Ruth,” he answered. “Don’t you want to go with us this evening?”

  Predictably, the woman replied, “Just who do you think would make the pies if I was to go?” She accompanied her comment with a twinkle in her eyes toward Jess.

  Aden swept up his jacket, nodding at Roman with an abbreviated smile, while Jess looked her children over, saying to Molly, “Get your jacket, Punkin.’”

  The girl darted across the living room, got her coat, and began tugging it on, before retrieving her I-Pod with ear buds dangling from it.

  “We’re off then,” Roman replied.

  Ruth said, “Everyone have a good time. Roman, I’m so thrilled that this family’s met you.”

  Roman’s smile grew. “I’m thrilled that I’ve met them!”

  “You’ve got yah key, dear?” Ruth asked.

  “In my purse,” Jess answered.

  “Jessie’s not on pie detail tomorrah,” Ruth announced as everyone scurried out the door, leaving Roman at the door with her.

  “That’s good,” he said. “It’ll be late when we get back.”

  “I’m not a bit worried,” Ruth said with certainty. “They couldn’t be in safah hands. They’re movin’ to their own house tomorrow, ya know?”

  “Yes…uh…Jess told me.”

  “I’m gonna miss ‘em so much.” Ruth did indeed appear downcast, but she brightened when she said, “I haven’t seen Julia in a week or more, so I think I’ll call her this evenin.’”

  “She’d like that,” Roman assured. “Take care, Ruth.” Briefly, he touched the woman’s arm before turning to leave.

  Once in the Navigator, he noticed that all three of his passengers were waving at Ruth, prompting him to do likewise. She stood at the door, waving back.

  He began backing down the driveway when Molly said with certainty, “Auntie Ruth is going to miss us.” There was sadness in the girl’s voice. Yet, rapidly she declared, “But I’m getting my own room again…and no more sleeping with Mom!”

  “That bad, huh?” Roman asked.

  “It’s been pretty bad,” the nine-year-old candidly admitted. “Every night, I read her a story and she ends up falling asleep and snoring while I’m still reading.” Molly huffed in mock agitation. Roman chuckled.

  “I do not!” Jess emphatically retorted.

  “You do!” Molly insisted, giggling.

  Still laughing, Roman glanced over at her, seeing Jess’s look of acute embarrassment, mixed with a tepid smile. She managed a disparaging look toward those in the backseat. “We’ve been in this vehicle for less than a minute and little family secrets have already begun tumbling out of some people’s mouths.”

  “I snore sometimes too,” he admitted. “Molly, did you know that kids snore too?”

  “We do?” Molly asked in disbelief.

  “I snore,” Aden interjected. “Not bad…but sometimes.”

  “There you go,” Roman lightheartedly said. “Something we humans all have in common, along with lots of other animals. Even Mona snores!”

  Molly enjoyed another round of giggling.

  “Mom?” Aden called out from the backseat. “You’re just so tired lately and who wouldn’t be? Getting up at oh-dark-thirty to make those stupid pies!”

  *****

  The large gymnasium was filling up when Roman ushered the Leitners inside. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the crowd were fans and family members of the Hawks, yet he spotted Cheryl fairly quickly, her tall presence standing out from those already seated in the bleachers. Eli was next to her, scarfing down popcorn, and beside Eli, Danny was leaning backward to talk to another boy.

  As soon as they were close enough, Cheryl briefly raised an arm, with a smile igniting her face. Eli did a noticeable double-take before he, too, began grinning, saying something to Cheryl. Roman was last up on the bleachers, but suddenly realized that Jess didn’t know where they were going. “This way, Guys,” he instructed, grasping Jess’s hand. Aden looked back at him with a look of puzzlement on his face before advancing to where Roman was indicating, recognizing Eli fairly quickly. Consummate professionals who kept their work and private lives totally separate, Eli and Cheryl both stood, and Eli stuck out his hand to grasp Aden’s and then Jess’s as though for the first time, while Roman began making introductions. “And this is Molly,” he added, which garnered another round of greetings. Danny got into the i
ntroductions as well, shaking hands as heartily as his father.

  With a brilliant smile, Cheryl stooped to say, “You’ve got a wonderful voice, Molly.”

  “Thank you,” Molly modestly replied.

  Roman wasn’t sure how Aden was going to fit in with all of this newness he was having to process—he himself was a little fazed by it, but when Danny motioned for Aden to step around his parents and take a seat on the bleachers behind his parents, Roman wanted to hug his nephew for his thoughtfulness. He hadn’t known whether he should mention to the Leitners that his brother-in-law was the acting police chief who had questioned Aden. He should have known that all of the Randalls would handle things gracefully.

  He sat down beside Molly, glad that the seating arrangement had worked out that way. He had a feeling that he could be in this little girl’s good graces without too much effort. When everyone stood for a recording of the anthem, he reached around Molly, found Jess’s hand, and allowed a sense of calm to settle into him.

  Before the game began, and between quarters, Cheryl and Jess conversed in mom-speak and women-talk, both seemingly becoming right-off-the-bat friendly with each other. Eli’s look at Roman had a downright prophetic dimension to it.

  *****

  “Hey Mom.”

  “When am I going to meet her?” The question was the first thing out of Julia’s mouth. Roman was still groggy-headed, and Mona was performing her elaborate form of a greeting dance around him. He had gotten to his mother’s earlier than he usually did on Saturday mornings, hoping that they could get her shopping done sooner. There was, in fact, a sense of urgency involved.

  “Soon,” he said while rubbing his dog’s ears. “Thanks for keeping Mona overnight.” He always thanked her for doing something she adored doing anyway, never wanting her to think that he took anything she did for him for granted.

  “How soon?” Julia persisted. “The reason I’m asking is because I need to include some things on my list if I’m to take a housewarming meal over, meet her and her family—like today, or maybe tomorrow?”