46. Viola
Viola
Icouldn’t let go of Jacob’s hand.
He helped me up into the carriage. The gentle cling of his fingers held the breath tight inside my chest. Those blasted flutters skittered through me. But there was no kiss pressed to my palm. Of course, there wasn’t.
I slid my hand from his and sank into the carriage seat.
It was Jacob’s last full day in Chicago, and George, Sarah, and I planned to show him a few of our favorite places.
George and Sarah didn’t seem to notice Jacob’s hand lingering around mine. They stood with heads bent together, their words too soft to catch. Since when did they have so much to talk about?
Sarah climbed in after me and, to my surprise, chose the seat across from me rather than beside me. This left Jacob to settle at my side, bumping against me with each gentle sway of the carriage. George cozied up next to Sarah. Those two were absolutely up to something.
George teased Jacob and me gently as we moved through the city. And all the while, Jacob’s thigh pressed constantly against mine—inescapable in the small space. The energy rising in me meant nothing. We were friends. Just friends.
By the time we headed home, heat swirled all through me. I blamed the July weather, but it was also a whole day with his body so close to mine. The thousand little touches, each one a struck match. My senses and my good sense twisted about, wound taut and begging for release.
I was so giddy I actually giggled. The heart-shaped rock lay cool in my pocket, and I resisted the urge to press it to my cheeks. Barely. I rested my hand lightly on Jacob’s arm and urged him to tell Sarah and George about the Lady of the Lake.
He surprised me with a new ending.
“…Rumor has it that the Lady has been spending more time away from her waters. She appeared, hair dripping and green eyes glowing, at the side of a man who would have otherwise perished in a fire and pulled him to safety. She walked among the people of Harmony Lake, dressed as a beautiful visitor, but all who saw her knew her to be the Lady in disguise. The young folk worry she may have left, but those of us who know the lake can still feel her magic, and we assure them that a part of her will remain forever with us in Harmony Lake.”
He turned an easy smile toward me.
My throat tightened too much for words. Had he guessed? Yes, a part of me would stay there forever. If only he knew how much of a part.
We ended the afternoon with a stroll through the lakeside park across from our house, hoping for a cooling breeze.
George swept Sarah off, tugging her away before I was even out of the carriage.
Jacob turned toward me with mock formality and offered his arm.
I took it with both hands and gave a playful tug, stronger than I meant. We collided, magnet to metal. The tension between us grew unbearable, but I held it. What else could I do?
I pressed against his arm, painfully aware of the exact distance between his lips and mine. Blast. I needed relief. I needed to get past whatever this was and back to the only-friends part. My thoughts bolted away into dangerous territory, leaving me without a plan.
George and Sarah walked along the street, but I steered Jacob toward the steep path leading up to the bluff overlooking the beach.
Seemed fitting to take him up a steep hill.
But he didn’t scoop me up and carry me. Not today.
At least the climb bought us a few moments alone.
At the crest, we leaned against the smooth railing that guarded the abrupt drop to the sand below.
The wind off the lake whipped around us, tossing our hair and stealing our words.
Jacob leaned close to my ear. “Thank you for a memorable day. It’s good to see you in your natural habitat.” His breath warmed my ear. Without thinking, I leaned into the shelter of his chest.
He draped an arm around my shoulders, safe and dangerous, then drew me tight against him.
“It is good to be seen.” I hesitated before I admitted softly, “I’ve missed you.”
Jacob stared down at me for a long while, at least a hundred beats of my racing heart. His free hand rose to brush hair back from my face while the wind pushed me into him, urging me closer.
I’d never dared to hope I’d find him in Chicago when I returned. He seemed a trick of the light, too good to be true, but he felt real enough.
He cupped my cheek in his palm until the whole world gathered in our connection. His thumb traced across my lips, so lightly I wondered if I imagined it.
His heavy-lidded gaze fixed on my mouth, his lips slightly parted. A jolt shot straight through me.
Yes. Kiss me. We could be friends tomorrow.
avoid the trials of love and marriage…
Kissing wasn’t strictly forbidden.
“Oh, Viola.” His voice, rough and low, scraped behind my ribs. “I missed you, too.”
But his body stiffened, jaw tightening until the hollows of his cheeks deepened. His gaze slid out over the lake. His hands fell away from me.
Wind swirled in where his warmth had been.
I swayed at the sudden loss—loss of contact, loss of intimacy, loss of Jacob.
I steadied myself on the railing. Out on the lake, boats cut across the waves and threw up white foam.
We stood in silence, close but not touching, until George called out for us and we turned back to the house to prepare for the party.
Why had he pulled away?
Maybe I should have kissed him.
Maybe.