Darlings of Paranormal Romance (Anthology) (153 page)

“
So every single line and
shape has meaning?”

“
Yes. I wanted something
special and unique to me.”

I traced the lines on his arm. “I love
it. When did you get it done?”

“
Last year.”

“
It’s really cool,
Jesse.”

“
Thanks.”

“
Tell me, is Big Bear Lake
this pretty in the winter?”

“
Believe it or not, it’s
even more incredible. The skiing is amazing.”

“
I wouldn’t know. I’ve
never skied before.”

“
You will…and I will teach
you. You’ll be off the bunny hill in no time.”

I was taken aback that he was talking
as if we might actually have a future as friends or even something
more. “Wow. I never thought I’d have such a handsome ski
instructor—or any ski instructor, for that matter.”

We gradually picked up the pace,
taking long, smooth strides, then cruised effortlessly down the
trail. I enjoyed the thrill and speed, and I was glad Max’s four
furry legs enabled him to keep up with my eight wheels. I glanced
up briefly and caught sight of an eagle flying majestically
overhead, only to be followed by a pelican a few minutes later. The
lake was amazing, and it looked like an oil painting with the
beautiful mountains for a backdrop. Max barked at the wildlife on
the lake, and I couldn’t help but smile when I saw a mama duck with
all her little chicks paddling along behind her.

When we stopped skating for a moment
to take in all the panoramic beauty, I turned to meet Jesse’s gaze.
His thumb brushed across my skin, sending ripples of excitement
through me where he’d touched. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him,
and in that moment, I truly imagined what it would be like to kiss
him, to be held lovingly in those strong arms of his. I could tell
by the longing in his sky-blue eyes that he was looking for a sign
that I wanted more, and that made the moment all the more
thrilling. He cradled my hand ever so gently in his as our eyes
locked. I was fixated on his piecing stare; even the sky behind him
paled in comparison to the glory of his gaze, and the heat from his
hand felt like a thousand suns. I could have sworn my heart almost
stopped.

His gaze
sizzled with challenge, as if he was just daring me to go ahead and
kiss him. I desperately wanted to, as red-hot flames of arousal
burned through me like a raging forest fire.
How can I resist such temptation? How could any girl resist
him?
I thought. But then I tore my gaze
away and stared at the water trying desperately to regain my
composure. Everything was silent other than the blood gushing
through my temples from the excited and hopeful beat of my heart. I
wondered what he would do if I got up and pulled him into my loving
arms and engaged him in a deep kiss.

However, it was our first date, and I
didn’t want him to think poorly of me in any way. As badly as I
wanted to kiss him right then and there, in that place that looked
like a postcard, I knew it was better to wait. I wanted to be
different than the girls he’d met before, and I wanted him to see
that I was.

* * *

Over the next week, I hung out with
Jesse every chance I got. When we weren’t together, he still
lingered in my head. We went for walks, long hikes, kayaking, and
even jet-skiing. We chatted on my porch for hours and talked about
everything.

One day, I was painting in our back
yard, which was its own little paradise, thanks to Fred’s hard
work. The sun was shining high in the sky like a bright yellow
beach ball, and the birds were chirping in perfect harmony, with
the crickets singing backup. I set up my easel and paints by the
pond, where I could see all the ducks and ducklings gliding across
the water. I was eager to paint a beautiful natural landscape, and,
inspired by the breathtaking view around me, my hand with the
paintbrush in it just glided over the paper, pouring all my
creative energy into a work of art.

My mom approached from behind. “It’s
stunning, Taylor,” she said.

I smiled. “Thanks, Mom, but it’s not
done yet.”

“
Are you coming inside for
lunch?”

“
Sure. Just give me ten
more minutes.”

“
I know very well that your
ten minutes is an hour to anyone else,” she said, crossing her
arms.

I smiled at the woman who knew me so
well. “I know. You’re right. I’ll come now.”

“
I haven’t seen you this
happy in a long time, Taylor.”

“
I just love it out here,”
I said. “The sky is a deeper shade of blue, the grass is greener,
the sun is brighter, the—”

“
And the boys are cuter?”
she asked, then winked. A big smile grew across her
face.

It was
evident all over again that I couldn’t hide anything from my
mother, and I blushed. “Mom! I’m seventeen. I don’t meet boys. I
meet
guys
.”

“
You don’t have to tell me
who he is, but I know you’ve met a nice young man—guy, boy, or
otherwise. It’s written all over your face as clearly as that paint
on your easel.”

I sighed in defeat. “You’re right. I
have met someone, and he has shown me just how beautiful it can be
out here. I don’t ever wanna leave.”

“
You have no idea how happy
I am to hear that. Pulling you out of your old school like
that…well, I know it had to be hard to start over in your senior
year.”

I grinned. “I don’t mind.”

“
You’ve really adjusted
well, honey, and I’m sure meeting new friends has
helped.”

“
Mom, this place is
amazing. I love the forest. There’s fresh air to breathe. The birds
sing beautiful songs. All this nature…and great people too! Who
could ask for more?”

“
Good! I wanted a fresh
start for us, and I think we’ve found it. Your father and I love
this place just as much as you do.”

“
I’m finally over Sean.
He’s nothing but a figment of my imagination.”

“
I think
that has to do with a
certain
boy…er, uh…
guy
you work with at the zoo.”

“
Mom, Jesse is amazing. He
loves animals and wants to be a veterinarian when he graduates.
He’s so charming and friendly, not to mention so smart. We just
have this fantastic connection. We get lost in each other’s eyes.
I’ve never met a guy who has made me feel like that.”

“
So…are you guys going
steady?”

“
What?” I shook my head at
her. “Gee, Mom, nobody says that anymore.”

She laughed, embarrassed. “I suppose
you’re right, but you know what I mean.”

“
We’re just friends. I’d
like there to be more, for him to be my boyfriend though. He looks
like a Gap model, Mom! Can you imagine a guy like that on my
arm?”

“
I’m sure he’s adorable,
dear, but don’t rush into a relationship. For now, just have fun
and date.”

“
You’re right, and that’s
what I plan to do. We’ll take it slow and become good friends, then
maybe move it to the next level and—”

“
Taylor!”

“
Dating,
Mom! I mean I want to
date
him.” I let out a sigh. “I can’t explain it, but
I’ve never felt anything like this.”

“
I remember how I felt
about your father. My head was spinning from all the red roses and
heart-shaped boxes of chocolates he sent me. He was so handsome,
and I was just smitten.”

“
Jesse is too handsome. I
think he’s out of my league.”

She shook
her head and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. “Oh, my darling
daughter, don’t you even realize how beautiful
you
are?”

I smiled.
“You
have
to say
that. You’re my mom.”

She wrapped her arm around me. “You
are a work of art all your own, Taylor—inside and out. I’d say that
whether I was your mother or not.”

“
Thanks, Mom.”

“
I’d love to meet his
parents.”

“
It’s just him and his
mother, his brother, and his sister.”

She furrowed a brow. “Where do they
live?”

“
Bear Lane.”

My mother’s eyes widened. “Really?
Some of the most expensive homes in the area are out there. His
mother must be wealthy.”

“
I’ve never asked because I
don’t care. Rich or poor, I like Jesse for who the amazing person
he is.”

“
Well, that settles it.
You’ve been shot with Cupid’s arrow for sure.”

My face beamed. “Every time he looks
at me, I feel this burst of energy.”

“
I remember that feeling.
Believe it or not, your father still gives it to me
sometimes.”

“
Gross, Mom,” I said,
smiling at her. “Anyway, when I talk to Julie about him, I just
babble and babble, go on and on, like I’m on a caffeine rush. I
just can’t stop thinking about him.”

“
Honey, you’ve got it bad,
but remember that these heightened emotions and euphoria will
eventually fade.”

“
I don’t want them to—not
ever. I’ve never felt this wonderful before. I don’t even know how
to explain it. I just…I wish we could be together all the time. He
makes me feel so calm, so serene, so…safe.”

“
I’m sure you’re feeling
physical attraction and some infatuation, but love has to be based
on more than just that. It evolves in time. You’re in the beginning
stages, but it has yet to blossom and grow before it will get
stronger and deeper.”

“
I’m not saying I love him,
Mom. He just…”

“
He’s swept you off your
feet?”

“
Yeah. Definitely
that.”

“
It sounds like a pretty
severe crush to me, but whatever it is that has made you so happy,
I’m just glad to see it. Your father and I are just as happy as
you. I wasn’t so sure at first, but now I know it was a great idea
to move here.”

“
Mostly, I can’t believe
how well I seem to fit in here, better than I ever did in New York.
Maybe I was never a city girl after all.”

My mom motioned toward the house.
“Let’s go get lunch.”

I smiled. “Thanks for
listening, Mom.”

Chapter 10

It was Monday morning, time to go to
work. As I ate pancakes with my parents, my dad smiled.

“
What?” I asked.

“
I’ve never seen anyone so
happy to go to work.”

“
I love working with the
animals.”

“
I’m sure the animals
aren’t the only perks,” he said.

“
Dad!” I said.

“
Don’t embarrass the poor
girl,” my mom admonished.

My dad set his newspaper down, folded
it up, and looked at me. “She has to have met somebody pretty
special, because I haven’t seen her eyes sparkle like this
since…”

“
Sean,” I finished for him
since he didn’t have the nerve to say it.

“
I’m glad you’re over him.
He wasn’t right for you.”

“
Sean’s a jerk,” I said.
“I’m so over him.” I quickly guzzled down my orange juice as fast
as I could. I didn’t want to talk to him about Jesse or my love
life, at least not yet. “I’ve gotta go,” I said.

“
You never used to keep
secrets from me,” he complained.

“
Dad, it’s no big deal.
It’s just someone who—”

He smirked. “Is he cute?”

I laughed and rolled my eyes. “I’m
gonna be late.” I kissed his cheek, then gave my mom a huge hug and
kiss. “See you guys later.”

“
Have a great day at work,”
Dad said with a grin.

I smiled back at him. “I
will.”

“
Only one thing could put a
look like that on a girl’s face,” I heard my father say as I walked
out and shut the door behind me.

Like most seventeen-year-olds, I found
my dad so embarrassing. I was almost grown, perfectly capable of
handling my relationship without giving him a blow-by-blow
description. Shaking my head, I started my car and screeched out of
the driveway. I drove a candy metallic blue Ford Focus and loved
it. I rolled down the windows and the music blasted.

* * *

Jesse rushed over to greet me when I
clocked in at the zoo. “Hey, you!”

“
Hi,” I answered, smiling
up at him.

He smiled back. “I’ve been dying to
see you.”

Before I could respond, Ms. Aikers
walked straight toward me. Her hair was pinned up, and she was
barely wearing any makeup, if any at all. She always looked nice
but in a much more natural way than my New York bosses, who were
always elaborately made up, with their hair perfect, wearing only
the latest fashions. The people in Big Bear Lake dressed nice but
nothing over the top like the people in the Big Apple.

The truth was, my parents had never
liked New York. They’d only moved there when their books had taken
off, at the demands of their publishers, but they’d never really
been happy among all those skyscrapers. Big Bear Lake was
different. My parents were more relaxed, happier, and loving it,
and I felt the same. Of course it was more relaxing and scenic, but
there was also a hot guy with light blue eyes that I just couldn’t
stop staring at. Because of Jesse, I wanted to stay there
forever.