Callie wasn't home when I left to grocery shop. Jim had gone to O&C Biomedical for a meeting. Although he and Ray had turned over the reigns to their children, they were still involved in the company which they had built.
I spent the morning working but suddenly felt uneasy with certain tasks, like folding Jim's clothes including his boxers. Even changing his sheets felt intimate.
The night before, we talked, as he held my hand. When I told him goodnight, he kissed my forehead. His limited contact left me longing for more. I wasn't sure what exactly. As I loaded his slept-on sheets into the washer, the faint scent of his aftershave lingering in the cotton bedding made my pulse quicken.
Was it crazy to be attracted to a man who was almost sixty and ten years older than me? I was just the housekeeper, but he didn't treat me like an employee. I felt like his friend and my belly fluttered, as I imagined being more than friends.
When I returned with the groceries, I heard laughing on the porch. Jim said, "Gin."
"Not again!"
Both turned to me smiling. Their smiles were different as my daughter's conveyed she was happy and relieved some of the weight I carried. Jim directed his smile at me and my heart raced.
"Where were you, Mom?"
When I answered, Jim jumped up. "Can I help?"
I smiled, because he wanted to help even though he was paying me to do the job. As he followed me out the door, he grazed the small of my back and sent pulses through my body.
"I was disappointed to come home to an empty house. A month ago, I was content living here alone. Now I'm not."
"I see you and Callie were entertaining each other."
"Yes, but as great as she is, she's not you."
I handed him bags and our hands touched. Just being near him, I felt the desire to press myself against him. Before I could continue my fantasy, Callie appeared. "Mom, don't you want to hear about my day?"
"Of course."
Callie talked nonstop, as I unpacked the groceries and put them away.
"Oh shoot, I meant to tell him you are a big fan."
"You can embarrass me another day." I laughed and behind her, Jim smiled. He and I had a lot in common. Although I had Ray at home, I had been used to being alone too.
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A Summer Thing
Romantik(Completed) When Patricia's daughter comes to her battered, she has to look at her own past as she helps her heal. As she focuses on mothering, she becomes aware that she is also woman. After leaving Parker, Callie never thought she would have a sum...
