“I don’t know. Maybe.”
They ate quietly for the rest of the meal. Jack paid the bill, and they headed out to his truck. Soon, they were on the road again, and paused at a small shop to pick up some fresh fruit, nuts, candies, a deck of cards, and jerky. It began raining, so they made their way back to the bed and breakfast. A big old gray house with paisley and floral wallpaper that smelled like caramel, fresh rain, and cinnamon. It was run by twin middle-aged daughters, Annie and Amelia, who were delightful, shared jokes, cooked amazing pies, and served hot appetizers to guests after 6:00 P.M. Coffee was always available—twenty-four-seven.
They made their way to their room on the second floor, a large bedroom and en suite bathroom—one of the few in the house.
The chill in the place struck her as soon as they stepped foot inside, and without missing a beat, Jack lit a fire in the fireplace after placing their shopping bags on the small dining table. There was no television. No modern appliances. Only a few outlets to charge their phones, a microwave, plates, utensils, teacups and assorted tea bags, a collection of old mystery paperbacks, and dated country living magazines. She decided to put on some music and grab the deck of cards.
“You want to play War?”
“Yeah. I’ll play.” He slipped his sweater over his head, tossed it on top of his luggage, and shook his hair into place. There he was, bare chested, abs looking amazing, chest broad and hairy. Above all, so oblivious to her gaze on him. She spun away from him, lit a candle, and turned on some music on her mp3. JMSN’s, ‘So Badly’ was the first song to play.
Moments later, she was sitting crossed-legged on the bed, while he sat across her, one foot on the floor and the other folded. They tossed down cards, laughing along the way, engaging in small talk. Normal things. She won and did a victory wave, totally gloating. He took it like a champ.
The rain was coming down hard now, and the lights kept flickering. Putting the cards away, they crawled into bed, under the thick sheets, and she opened a book she’d found on the shelf called, “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” by Patricia Highsmith. Jack wrapped his arm around her, kissed the top of her head, and squeezed her as she read aloud. This was amity in the midst of uncertainty. She read a line in the book that made her pause. Placing the book down for a moment, she looked up at him.
“Jack, can I ask you a question?”
“Why would you ask me if you can ask me a question instead of just asking it?” he said with a smirk.
She rolled her eyes.
“Your ex-wife, Francesca… you said you two didn’t work out. You were young.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you work out? Was it just your age?”
“That played a part in it. We were just better off as friends than lovers and life partners.”
“Yes, but why?”
He slipped his arm away from her, scratched his eyebrow, and studied the fireplace.
“Our personalities didn’t mesh. We were just then coming into ourselves. Who she thought I was, I wasn’t,” he pointed at himself, “and vice versa. We tried to make it work for the sake of Chad, but we argued too much, and realized that was hurting him, more than helping him.” She nodded in understanding. “So, we parted ways. It was the best thing for us. We became best friends after the divorce. It was uncanny.” He smiled sadly.
“What was it about her that first appealed to you?”
“She had big tits.”
She playfully pushed him in the shoulder. “Come on, Jack! I’m serious.”
“I’m serious, too. I was like sixteen when I first met her, for goodness’ sake. What do you really think is going on in a sixteen-year old’s mind when he’s horny, girl crazy, and runs across a really cute girl who’s willing to give it up? Sex. That’s what.” He tossed up his hands. “That’s what was on my mind, so it came as no surprise that Chad showed up a couple years later. It was a miracle that it even took that long before I got someone pregnant. All I did was play baseball, give my mother grief, horse around in high school, and fuck. I was completely out of control.”
They had a chuckle at that.
“Can I ask you something else?”
He grimaced.
“Okay.” She chuckled. “I’ll just come out with it. Were you faithful to your ex-wife and other women you dated?” Her face heated as she was met with a strange look in his gray eyes.
“Do you think I’ve been cheating on you?”
She wrapped the trim of the quilt around her finger and tugged. “No… I was just curious about you and your past regarding fidelity.”