Holding Hands (7 page)
Authors: Judith Arnold
Tags: #judith arnold novella romance romantic getaway cape cod dog sexy romantic
And then holding more than hands. Holding her
hips, holding her breasts. Lifting her onto him, giving himself to
her, letting her take. Sweet and slow.
Chapter
Six
THE BREAKFAST CINDY SERVED at the main house
was delicious and much too fattening. But after a belated supper of
salad and a morning of lovemaking, Meredith was starving. She
indulged, savoring every bite of scrambled eggs, every sip of
fresh-squeezed orange juice, every last crumb of the warm, buttery
corn muffin she’d taken from the linen-lined basket at the center
of their cozy table. Scott ate twice as much as she did. But then,
he never had to count calories.
The air was cool, the sun was bright when
they left the house. Evidence of the previous night’s storm
littered the property: fallen twigs, scattered puddles, the carpet
of pine needles damp and spongy beneath their feet. But they were
on Cape Cod, and Meredith wanted to see the beach.
“
It’s a two-block walk
straight south,” Cindy had directed them. “I’ve got some beach mats
and chairs if you want to take them. The sand’ll probably be
wet.”
Scott had accepted a rolled-up straw mat from
Cindy, and he carried it tucked beneath his arm. His other hand was
free, but as they ambled down the road, avoiding puddles and
stepping over downed branches and one massive sycamore limb that
jutted out into the street, Meredith didn’t slide her hand into
his. She felt closer to Scott now than she had in months, in
years...but still, a small voice of doubt nattered inside her head
like a buzzing wasp, waiting to sting.
She waited until they’d reached the beach.
They pulled off their sneakers and stepped barefoot onto the sand.
It was cool and moist, its surface pock-marked from last night’s
rain. What little dune grass hadn’t died with the end of summer had
been flattened by the storm, lying in long green ribbons across the
sand’s surface. Beyond the beach the water spread to the horizon, a
peaceful expanse of blue- gray that lapped gently against the beach
in a soothing rhythm. The breeze carried the tangy perfume of salt
and seaweed. A couple of gulls strutted along the water’s edge,
searching for food.
No one else was on the beach. The vacation
season was long past, and the air held an autumn chill. Locals who
could visit the beach any time they wished were probably spending
this Saturday morning at their children’s soccer games, doing their
grocery shopping or cleaning up the damage left by the storm.
Still, Meredith considered having this lovely
stretch of beach all to themselves more of an indulgence than
eating eggs and a corn muffin for breakfast.
Scott unrolled the mat and she sat. He
lowered himself to sit beside her and they stared out at the water,
the wind tugging their hair back from their faces, the gulls cawing
and mewing as they trotted along the sand. Meredith was glad she’d
packed her sweatshirt. She drew her knees to her chest and hugged
her arms around her legs.
“
I have to confess
something,” she said.
Scott tilted his head toward her. A thick
tumble of hair blew across his brow, and she reached up to nudge it
back behind his ear. Then she withdrew her hand and hugged her legs
again.
“
I saw one of your
emails.”
He continued to watch her, saying
nothing.
“
It was an accident. You’d
headed up to bed, and when I moved your laptop the screen-saver
stopped and an email appeared. It was from one of your students.
Caitlin.”
He nodded.
“
In the email, she said she
had to see you, and she was willing to come any time, day or
night.”
He exhaled. “She’s willing, all right.”
That didn’t sound promising. “Is she pretty?”
Meredith asked anxiously.
Scott laughed. “Meredith. She’s a
student.”
“
Yes, and you’re surrounded
by students. Pretty female students.”
“
And I look at them and
think of my daughter, who’s also a pretty female student. Honestly,
Meredith—do you think I could look at those students and think of
them as anything other than someone’s daughter?”
“
Even if they’re
willing?”
“
There are always some
willing girls. They get crushes. Or they think they can seduce a
professor into raising their grade. So I meet with them in the
lounge or one of the dining halls, surrounded by lots of witnesses,
and I explain that if they want to raise their grades they should
work harder on their essays, or participate more in class. And I
work in a mention or two of my wife. They take the hint.” He arched
arm around her. “I’m fifty years old, Mer. What the hell would I do
with a twenty-year-old girl?”
“
I think you know what you
would do,” she said, feeling reassured enough to tease a
little.
“
Yeah. I’d tell her about my
book. I’d bore her to death explicating the shifts in voter
participation as states became more identified with one party or
the other. And she’d have to sit there and pretend to be interested
so I’d give her a good grade.” He kissed the crown of her head.
“I’m too old and dull to keep up with some hot-to-trot
undergrad.”
“
Even if she’s
beautiful?”
“
I love the way you look
these days. But you were always beautiful to me. Thin, plump,
waddling around like a walrus when you were pregnant... You’re it,
babe.”
She’d never loved him more than she did right
then. Not when they’d first met, not when they’d been young and
infatuated, not just a couple of hours ago when they’d been locked
rapturously together on the bed in their cabin. She was about to
tell him that—but then she heard a chirping sound coming from her
purse. Her cell phone.
She pulled it out, recognized the phone
number, took a deep breath and lifted the phone to her ear,
wondering if this fragile new closeness blossoming between her and
Scott was about to disappear.
***
A FEW MINUTES LATER, she closed her phone.
“That wasn’t your mother,” Scott guessed.
“
It was Lucy at the
veterinary clinic.” She studied his face as she spoke, trying to
read his thoughts. “The dog made it through the night fine. He’s
ready to be discharged.”
Scott nodded slowly, his eyes searching her
face as hers searched his. “Did the animal control officer find his
owner?”
“
No.” She took a deep breath
for fortitude. “The dog is neutered, Scott. He’s had his shots. He
obviously belonged to someone, but no one has reported him missing.
According to Lucy, some people abandon pets that way. It’s always
possible that the owner will step forward eventually, but it’s not
likely. Without an owner, Lucy said the clinic will have to send
the dog to a shelter.”
Scott said nothing.
“
Remember how we felt the
day the doctor told us I was carrying twins?”
Scott closed his eyes and chuckled. “Complete
panic.”
“
Yes. We panicked. And then
we said, ‘Well, we’ll just buy more diapers.’” She reached for his
hand and gave it a squeeze. “We can just buy more
kibble.”
He sighed.
“
Please?” When he didn’t say
yes, she said, “Last night I had a vision of you and me walking
that dog and Skippy, side by side. We could take walks together
with the dogs every evening, and you can tell me about your book
and your research and your students while we walk.”
Another sigh, and a slight, barely visible
curve of his lips. Almost a smile. “What are we going to call him?
Gimpy? Limpy?”
Joy swept through her in a warm rush.
“Lucky,” she said. “We’re going to call him Lucky.”
“
Okay.” She heard not just
resignation in his voice, not just acquiescence, but acceptance.
Affection. Maybe even a hint of enthusiasm.
He rose to his feet, helped her to hers, and
together they shook out the beach mat and rolled it up. “We can
pick him up later,” he said, capturing her hand in his. “First, I
want you to model that lacy thing for me. The teddy.”
Another rush of joy. Her hand felt so good in
his, so secure. So right, as they walked up the beach, heading back
to the cabin. Heading back to each other.
###
About the Author
Judith Arnold is the award-winning,
bestselling author of more than eighty-five published novels. A New
York native, she currently lives in New England, where she indulges
in her passions for jogging, dark chocolate, good music, good wine
and good books. She is married and the mother of two sons.
For more information about
Judith, or to contact her, please visit her
website
.
Here’s a list Judith’s e-book reissues, all
available for sale: