Sheet Music - A Rock 'n' Roll Love Story (66 page)

She rolled over onto her back and rubbed at her eyes.  “I’m sorry.  I was thinking about Angel’s temperature.  She’s never had one before and I guess I’m a bit worried she’s coming down with something,” she lied.

Jay slid out of bed and began dressing.  “See how she feels in the morning then call her doctor,” he answered, unsatisfied with her answer.

“Yes, I will.”

He sat on the edge of the bed while he slid on his boots.  “How long do you expect him to be on the island?”

“Who?” “Come on, Annie.  You know who I’m talking about.”

“I wish I knew the answer to that question, but I’m afraid I don’t.”

“Look.  I know at one point you two had something pretty intense, so I wouldn’t blame you if there were still some residual feelings.  I only ask that you be honest with me about it, and I’ll step aside.  You know I’m crazy about you, but I won’t share you with him.”

“How could you even suggest such a thing?  My feelings for Michael died a long time ago!”

Jay smiled at her.  “You know how I feel about you so I won’t bring it up again.  All I’m asking for is honesty.  That’s it.”  He kissed her on the mouth and quietly left the cottage.

For the next several days Annie kept her distance from Michael.  While he played and cared for the girls, she remained out of sight.  The only time she spoke to him was if he spoke to her first.  She became an invisible observer, carefully scrutinizing his every move and the way he interacted with his children.

“I think they’re ready,” Michael announced to her at the end of the week.

Annie lifted her head from the pages of the Sandra Brown novel she was reading and studied his face.  “To spend time at your place?”

He shifted his weight from foot to foot and nodded his head.  “I was wondering if you could bring them by tomorrow for the day.  If things go well, I’d like to keep them over night.  If that’s okay with you?”

Annie shut her book.  “Okay.  What time tomorrow?”

“Why don’t you come by after they wake up from their morning naps.”

“All right, I will.”

He gave her directions and then stood nervously by the door as if he had something else on his mind.

“Is there a problem?” she asked curtly.

“I guess not.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Annie pulled into his driveway the next day at noon with reluctance.  The idea of taking her children to
his
house unnerved her.  It was as if she were relenting to something unsaid between them.  But they were his children too.  She sighed heavily as she removed the keys from the ignition.

The house was much like her own in styling, but had two stories to it.  Weathered Cape Cod shingles covered the sides, with hunter green shutters framing each window.  A small grassy garden area with seasonal wildflowers adorned the front of the house that faced the street and a wrap-around porch overlooked the ocean and the beach in the back.  The house location was just off the main road leading into Vineyard Haven.  It was a quiet side street, with neighbors living close-by on either side.  Annie’s head swirled with concerns about privacy and safety for the girls.  Then again, part of her was looking for any excuse not to like the place.

She proceeded to the back deck with Angel clinging to one hip, while Sammi toddled slowly beside her.  Michael waited on the top step with a wide grin and his hands dug deeply into the front pockets of his pants.  He was dressed in his standard t-shirt that clung shamelessly tight to his wide chest and a pair of faded blue jeans.  He wore no belt, his feet were bare, and his hair uncombed and wild.  Annie’s breath caught dry in her throat.  Instantly, her heart began to pound a little faster.

“Here, let me take her,” he insisted, pulling Angel from Annie’s arms.  “Come on in, I’ll show you around.”

His voice was soft and velvety, which caused every hair folicle on her head to stand at attention.  Again, she silently cursed his existence.

Annie followed him into an informal living room.  As he walked, her eyes drifted down the length of his spine and settled onto his butt.  Then she scolded herself for taking notice and abruptly turned away, dropping the diaper bag onto a near-by couch.

“So what do you think?” he asked, excitedly.

“It reminds me of the beach house.”

“That’s exactly why I picked it.  I thought it might seem familiar to the girls and make them feel more comfortable.”

“It came furnished?” she asked.

“Yeah, pretty much.  I had to buy the cribs and the rest of the baby stuff, but otherwise, it all belongs to the owners.”

Annie’s eyes darted around the room.  “It doesn’t bother you to be surrounded by someone else’s furnishings?”

“Not really.  It was more important that I found a place that was close to you and was available for the summer rental season.  Let me show you the rest of the house.”

Annie followed him through a pale yellow galley kitchen and into the dining area.  Two brand-new highchairs were set up beside the wooden table.  Michael stopped to point them out to the girls.  Then the tour progressed up stairs to the bedrooms.  While he took Angel and Sammi into the soft pink bedroom that would be theirs, Annie drifted into the master bedroom.

This room was much larger than the other bedroom and it overlooked the expanse of the ocean.  The furniture was colonial with dark mahogany wood.  The bed was four-poster and queen-sized, resting between two small windows facing the neighbor’s cottage.  One large bay window graced the water side of the room with a wooden rocking chair to sit and enjoy the view.  Annie was gazing out the window when Michael came up behind her.

“That’s a view I could never get bored waking up to,” he said, his voice rumbling across her shoulder.

She jumped when she felt his breath warming her neck.  “I know what you mean,” she replied, flustered and stepped past him.

He followed her back out into the hallway.  “So, what do you think?  Is it acceptable?”

“Sure, why not.  But you’ll have to address some of the safety issues.”

“Like what?”

Annie’s eyes dropped to the stairs.  “For starters, you’ll need a gate for the stairs.  The outlets will need child proof plugs and the cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom will need safety locks.”

“I’ll take care of it,” he smiled.  “Anything else?”

Her eyes locked with his.  His relaxed manner unnerved her.  “I’ll let you know when I think of it.”

They went back downstairs and out onto the deck.  Annie prepared to leave.  “Can you stay for a bit, just to make sure the kids feel comfortable?” he asked.

“I suppose so.”

Annie stayed the afternoon and managed to converse with him without hostility.  It was the first time since his arrival on the island that they had accomplished that feat.  She even joined in the horseplay on the floor between Michael and Sammi.  The young girl delighted in bouncing from one parent to the other, giggling loudly, while she teased her father.  What had begun as something ordinary changed dramatically when Michael reached to grab Sammi around the waist as she scrambled to take refuge beside her mother’s extended body on the floor.

“Come here, my little one,” he taunted, rolling over to scoop his daughter up in his arms.  When his body came to a rest, he was firmly pressed against Annie’s side, face-to-face, eyes locked and steady.  Overcome with the sudden rush of excitement, and not wanting to back away from the urge this time, Michael lowered his mouth toward hers.  Annie’s eyes widened in alarm and she pushed him away, quickly standing, and brushed herself off.  Michael sat upright, loosely pulling his knees to his chest and shook his head.  Sammi continued to climb her father’s body.

“Annie, I’m sorry,” he sighed.  “I didn’t mean anything by that.”

She spun around to face him, obviously upset by his lame attempt at an explanation and exhaled loudly.

“All right, maybe I
did
mean it but it wasn't planned, if that's what you're thinking,” he continued, standing to face her.

“What kind of sick game are you playing?” she asked.

“Game?”

“Yes, game.”

He bent down and picked Sammi up in his arms and settled her onto his hip.  Then his eyes drifted back to Annie.  “No games, Annie,” he shrugged indifferently.

“Then, what would you call what happened between us in the girls bedroom the other night?”

He smiled knowingly at her, his eyes twinkling, which only added to her agitation.  Then he set Sammi down to explore the toy box in the corner of the room.  “Okay, so you want to talk about the other night?  Fine, lets do it.”

He pushed his hands into his pockets and stared at her, contemplating his word choice.  “Yeah maybe I was testing you a bit and I probably pushed things a little too far to prove a point.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I got the distinct feeling that you
wanted
me to kiss you the other night.  And I got the same feeling just now, too.  Can you stand there and deny that?”

Annie’s eyes narrowed in anger.  “Yes, I can and I will.”

She collected her car keys and headed toward the door.

“Annie, come on.  Don’t go.” he sighed.

“I have to.”

“Why?”

She turned and faced him.  “Because this is wrong.”

“It feels right to me,” he quickly answered.

“Then I feel sorry for you.”  She kissed both girls good-bye and stepped out onto the deck.  “Call me tomorrow if you want me to come and get them.  Otherwise I’ll expect them home before dinner,” she instructed him and left.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

As soon as she got home, she made arrangements to meet Jay in town for dinner that night and then proceeded to consume too much wine with her meal.  The details of the afternoon’s events still played in her head.  One way or another, she intended to forget them.

“Do you really think you need another glass of wine?” Jay asked her with concern.

“I had a hard day,” she tried to explain.  “The wine is helping me to relax.”

Then she leaned across the tiny table and provocatively kissed him on the mouth, while her bare toes began to slide up the inside of his leg.  “And we both know how much you like it when I’m relaxed, don’t we, Mr. Preston.”

Jay pulled several loose twenty dollar bills from his pocket and tossed them on the table.  For safety reasons, he decided to drive Annie home in his car, leaving her car in town.  On the road, she continued her sexual assault on him, making it nearly impossible for him to drive.

“Jesus, Annie!  Can you wait until we get back to your house?”

“Why?  Don’t tell me you’re complaining?”

“Not exactly,” he smiled.  “But you’re not making it any easier to drive.”

Annie had the red dress she was wearing pulled over her head before they reached the back door to her house and tossed it haphazardly at Jay.  Her bra came off just as quickly and thrown onto the floor of the living room.  Before he had removed his shirt, she had flopped herself onto the flowered couch.

“Are you going to start without me?” he asked, studying her half naked form in the moonlight.

“Not unless I have to,” she teased.

When he joined her on the couch, she attacked him with vengeance, almost as if she had something to prove or maybe disprove.  They became so involved, they didn’t hear the foot steps crossing the deck until it was too late.

Michael turned the key in the lock of Annie’s house and eased the door open with his foot.  Before he was able to illuminate the living room, he heard Annie’s screams of panic.

“Michael!” she screeched, bolting up off the couch and making a hasty retreat into the bedroom.  “What the hell are you doing here?” she asked.

Her voice startled him and he retreated cautiously toward the open door, as her bare backside shot past him in a blur.  Then he saw movement on the couch and realized what he had interrupted.  His heart fell to the floor.

“Sammi forgot her blanket,” he answered flatly, watching Jay intently as he slid on a pair of jeans without any attempt to hide his nakedness.  “I thought it might be easier for her to sleep at my place if she had it.”

“Oh my God!  Are the kids with you?”

“They’re in the car.  I figured I’d only be a minute getting the blanket.”

When Jay finished buttoning his shirt, he plunked himself back on the couch with a loud irritated sigh.  His eyes connected with Michael’s in a lengthy stare.  A pained look of total despair registered on Michael’s face, even with nothing more than moonlight spilling in through the over-sized windows to light the room.  It was impossible for Jay to see it and not make a comment.

“Jesus, you’re still in love with her,” he exhaled, finally aware of what he had suspected for weeks.

Until then, it had been a notion Jay had only sensed, nothing concrete.  It was an invisible current he had seen on more than one occasion passing between Annie and Michael.  So subtle, in fact, he wondered if they were even aware of it.  But seeing the expression of anguish blurring Michael’s facial features, it suddenly became all too clear.  He knew, then, there would never be a chance in hell for him to share Annie’s life as long as Michael was still in the picture.  The connection Michael continued to share with her was far too powerful for him to match.

“Michael, could you wait outside on the deck?  I’ll be right out with Sammi’s blanket,” Annie yelled from the bedroom.

Without replying to Jay’s statement, Michael stepped out onto the deck and walked to the railing.  He bent over the wooden structure, thankful for the brisk chill blowing in off the water.  It seemed to be the only thing preventing the rush of nausea from overpowering his body.  Seeing Annie with Jay was more than his heart could bear, and yet; he knew it was inevitable.  She was moving on with her life and loving men was sure to be a part of it.  But knowing that didn’t ease the pain of the reality for him.  A piece of his heart died at that very moment.

Annie slid up beside him on the deck and gently poked Sammi’s soft yellow blanket into his line of vision.  Unconsciously, she had covered herself with the black silk robe Michael had given to her as a gift a few Christmases ago and had it loosely tied around her waist.  “Here, give this to Sammi and tell her I’m sorry I forgot to pack it.”