Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
George
I knew the second Madison walked up to my produce stand that she was a remarkable woman. When I saw her, my knees wobbled, and my stomach fluttered with a million butterflies. The atmosphere changed on a dime, the air electrified as if a summer storm had rolled in.
“I want more of this,” she says, her eyes blazing and lifting to meet mine.
We’re sitting at my kitchen table with our fingers entwined together, empty coffee cups, and a half-eaten bag of Jenny’s cookies in front of us. I can’t tell which fingers are hers and which are mine.
“You’ll come back, won’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Or you could move here. Permanently,” I say.
The air is heavy with rumbles of thunder and the smell of lavender, thick with uncertainty and euphoria, nerves and elation. Between this beautiful woman holding my hand and the roar of hot blood pumping through my veins, my senses are on overload.
“Maybe. If I had a really good reason, I could move here.” She cocks her eyebrow in a playful tease.
“Hmm. You need a good reason, huh?” At first, I’m confused. But I quickly realize she’s playing a flirty little game with me. Her grin is coy as she bats her lashes. I decide to play along.
“How about the lavender?” I suggest.
“Yes. I love the lavender. But I’m not sure it’s worth packing up my life in Atlanta and moving to the country.”
“Peanut butter and strawberry jam?”
“Yes. Also, one of my favorites.” She sighs dramatically and lifts her brows. “But probably not a good enough reason to leave my sister. Besides, I can buy both at my local store.”
“I know. Frankie and Earl. They’re the perfect reason to move here permanently,” I laugh.
She laughs too. A part of me wants to draw this fun little game out, but the other part feels like if I don’t tell her the truth now, I’ll never have the chance again. I can’t risk her disappearing right before my eyes. I decide to be completely honest with her.
“Madison, how about this?” I lean both my forearms on the table and reach for her hands. “I’d love for your face to be the last thing I see before I shut my eyes at night and the first thing I see when I open them in the morning. Would you like that too?”
Her answer is but a whisper, her poignant gaze landing on mine.
“Yes.”
My heart hammers in my chest. I feel like I just ran too fast toward the edge of Pine Mountain and have to catch myself before I fly off the ridge. I don’t say anything as a substantial silence settles over the kitchen.
Completeness.
I bring one of her hands up to my lips and place a chaste kiss on her knuckles. I watch her for a moment, trying to remember every detail: the sweep of her lashes. The dimple in her cheek from her satiated smile.
How did I get here? How does someone like me deserve a woman like Madison?
I hold her gaze and admire her breathtaking beauty. There’s a hint of mirth in her bright eyes as she coyly smiles back at me.
Bringing her hand up to my mouth again, I kiss the center of her palm. The pulse-point of her wrist. The flawless skin of her forearm. Her breath hitches with each area I explore with my lips.
“I really want to be different with you.” I stop my kissing trail and trace the swell of her cheek with my thumb.
“Be yourself, George. That’s all I ask.”
I pull her forward and capture her mouth in a deep kiss, warmth spreading through my core. I trace my nose across her neck, breathing her in like one of my favorite flowers.
“Did that really just happen?” I question, images of twisted sheets surrounding her naked body coming to mind.
“Yes.”
She stands and wraps her arms around my neck, hugging me close. I’m shirtless, and the feel of her warmth pressed against my bare shoulders tilts my axis. I wipe my fingertips under my eyes and try to control my breathing.
“You’re trembling,” she whispers.
“No, I’m not.”
She totally calls me out, but I’m too afraid to admit it. The tension in my body mounts, heat gathering like a summer storm. I want to bottle up this moment with her, too afraid to let go.
But I know I’ll have to at some point soon.
Madison has a home in Atlanta and a sister waiting for her return.
What will happen to us now that we’ve crossed over from friends to lovers?
I press my eyes shut and will myself to silently count to ten.
I need to focus on the present. Remain unruffled. Composed. Unemotional.
At least I’ve been honest with her.
A moment later, she kisses the top of my head and takes our cups to the sink. She’s dressed in one of my old tees and gym shorts. My clothes have never looked better.
I realize it took me a long time to find her, yet she came exactly when I needed her.
“I’ll be right back. I heard the buzzer go off on the dryer. I need to check on my clothes.”
I nod and watch her exit the room, my cat following her from behind.
I’m alone again. But the scent of her lingers. I run my hand through my disheveled hair. The memory of her naked body lying next to mine overwhelms me. And her words. I could get used to her words. But did she mean them?
How many times have I fantasized about what just happened?
Her dark hair spilled across the stark white pillow, her breath heavy with desire.
Her soft voice desperate as she whispered my name, saying she needed me.
The sound of thunder in the distance as the summer wind hummed under the windowsills.
Just the two of us sequestered in my tiny bedroom in our own version of paradise.
For a few minutes, I let myself picture what it might be like having Madison living on the farm with me. Breakfast together every morning. Peanut butter and jam sandwiches at every lunch. Dinner together every evening.
She could help me run the farm with her people skills that are much better than mine. We could fire Kip and work together to make it the best farm in Heartsboro.
Just as quickly as the fantasy enters my mind, reality comes along to shatter it.
I know deep down I can’t have that. I can’t have her. Have I lost my mind completely? I’ve only known her for ten days. Ten of the most intensely glorious days of my entire life.
She comes back into the room and puts her arms around my neck from behind again as I remain sitting. She presses her hands directly over my heart. Instinctively, I gently stroke her fingers, mindlessly counting each ragged breath of air I take in and out, in and out until I’m centered again.
The sound of pounding on my front door jerks me out of my euphoric bubble, Madison releasing me and standing erect.
“Who could that be?” she asks.
“I don’t know.” I stand next to her and cup her cheek. “Whoever it is, I’ll tell them to go away,” I reassure.
“What will you say?”
“I’ll come up with something.”
I answer the front door without thinking, belt hanging loosely from around my waist, button-fly unfastened. The door swings open, and I take a step back.
“Whoa! What the…?” Shock immediately registers on Kip Johnson’s face.
I struggle to get the top button of my jeans secured, embarrassed I’m shirtless.
“What do you want, Kip?”
The man looks past me. I follow his gaze, which lands on Madison. She’s standing near the kitchen sink behind me, eyes wide with trepidation. It’s obvious she’s wearing my clothes.
“Why, you little devil,” Kip whispers tersely, lips jacked up into a wicked smile. His eyes twinkle with realization. “Why didn’t you tell me you were sleeping with Miss High and Mighty? Way to go, buddy!”
I don’t admit to anything. I want to close my eyes and disappear. Truth be told, I want to flee to my bedroom with Madison and lock the door.
Kip chuckles, his voice laced with friendliness. “I just came by to tell you your grandfather is looking for you. But don’t worry, I won’t tell him what y’all have been up to.”
He mimics zipping his mouth shut and throwing away an imaginary key before trotting down the front steps into the lingering storm. His loud laughter competes with another round of rumbling thunder.