Now and Forever 5, Love's Journey (32 page)

“I met Marcia today.” Rebecca set out the
silverware while Johnny put out plates.

“Yeah? What did you think of the whore?”
Johnny popped a beer, took a swig.

“Johnny!” Rebecca’s hand flew to cover her
mouth.

“Okay, okay.” Johnny lowered his tone of
voice.

“She is beautiful. And young…warm.” Rebecca
put chopped meat on the counter.

“I’ll bet she’s warm. Warm for the old man.”
Johnny tossed lettuce in the sink.

“They seemed very happy together. Jakub
looked years younger with her.”

“Yeah? Horny bastard.” Johnny turned on the
water and put down his beer.

“What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you let
him have a life?”

“Because…because…I don’t know. I don’t like
that she was cheating on her dying husband with my dad.”

“I understand, but that was months ago.
She’s a widow now and it’s okay for them to be together. Why can’t
you accept it and be happy for them?”

“Maybe…I can’t see my dad with anyone but my
mom.”

“But she’s been gone now for almost three
years, Johnny. Give Jakub a break. Don’t make him choose between
you and her.” Rebecca poured some olive oil in a pan.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t make him choose between happiness
with a woman or his family.”

“You think that’s what I’m doing?” Johnny
began to tear lettuce.

“I don’t think you mean to, but that will
happen if you don’t accept her.”

“Why should I?” He threw the lettuce into a
bowl.

“What if they get married?” Rebecca chopped
garlic.

“He’s not going to do that! He’s just
sleeping with her.”

“Don’t be so sure. It looked like they just
might, they were that happy.”

“Oh, God.” He took salad dressing out of the
refrigerator.

“Talk to him. Do it for the kids. They adore
him and seem to like her.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll talk to him, only talk.”
He chopped up a tomato and cucumber.

“I’ll arrange a meeting on neutral
ground.”

“How about a beer at The Shotglass?” Johnny
poured the dressing on the salad.

“I’ll call him after dinner.”

* * * *

Jakub got to The Shotglass on time. Johnny
was waiting in a booth. Jakub sat down, his eyes hooded as he
looked at his son.

“Hi, Dad. You’re looking good.” Johnny
smiled a cold smile.

“Thank you. You too.” Jakub kept his eyes
focused on his son.

“So, Dad…how are things with Marcia?”

“Good.” The waitress came and both men
ordered beer.

“Where is this going with you and her?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is this just a fling or what?”

“Fling?” Jakub cast a questioning look at
his son.

“Temporary. Just for now.” The waitress put
two frosty glasses filled to the brim with beer down in front of
the men.

“I hope not.” Jakub took a gulp of his
drink.

“Is this just sex?” Johnny avoided his
father’s stare by taking a drink.

“Watch it, Johnny!” Jakub’s eyes flashed,
anger flickered.

“Well?” Johnny prodded.

“We love each other.” Jakub wiped the beer
mustache from his upper lip with his napkin.

“You do, eh?” Johnny asked, swallowing some
beer and biding his time.

Jakub nodded while he took a gulp of his
beer.

“What about Mom?” Johnny blurted out,
putting his half-empty glass down hard.

“Ah. I see.” Jakub narrowed his eyes and
paused. “Nika was a special woman and I shall always love her,
Johnny, but she is gone. She has died. I have not. I want to be
happy, the way a man is happy, with a woman. Nika would want. I am
happy with Marcia. She is good to me and to my grandchildren.”

Johnny looked at his father. He had noticed
the bounce in his father’s step as he entered the bar. Jakub seemed
to have fewer creases on his face, his brow appeared smoother.
Something seemed to be pumping new life into his old man, Johnny
couldn’t deny what he saw. His reasons for hating Marcia were
getting harder to justify.

“Try not to be mad at her…or mean to her. I
love her. Please give her respect, like you respect me.”

“So I don’t have to like her?” Johnny
finished his beer.

“Just respect. That’s all.” Jakub licked his
lips.

Relief soothed the tension in Johnny’s
temples. The pounding stopped. All he had to do was hold in his
temper and be civil to this woman and his feud with his father
would end.

“Okay. I’ll try.”

“Thank you, Johnny. Thank you.” Jakub broke
into a big smile.

They talked about the children while they
finished a second beer, then Marcia showed up. Johnny got his first
glimpse of her in many months.

She came up behind Jakub and placed her hand
on his shoulder.

“Ah, my love.” Jakub took her hand and
kissed it.

Johnny was dumbstruck because Marcia didn’t
look like she had when he last saw her. He remembered her as
shrunken, sickly, overcome by grief. He couldn’t imagine what Jakub
saw in her. He couldn’t believe this was the same woman.

Marcia was wearing a light blue wool dress
cinched at the waist. She looked soft, warm, beautiful and very
desirable. Instantly he saw why his father was attracted to
her.

Jakub stood up and she sat next to him,
afraid to look Johnny in the eye.

“Hello.” Marcia took a sip from Jakub’s
beer.

Johnny nodded to her, his gaze sweeping over
her.

“What are your plans, Mrs. Wilton?”

“Please, call me Marcia.” She brought her
gaze up to meet his.

“You’re my tenant, Mrs. Wilton, not my
friend.”

Marcia looked down at the table. Jakub shot
his son a stern look.

“So, what do you plan to do now
you’re…you’re…on your own.”

“I don’t know.” Marcia shredded a corner of
a paper napkin.

“I get what my father sees in you.” Johnny
purposely let his stare rest on her curves. Marcia colored and
looked away, folding her arms across her chest.

“But what do you see in him?” Johnny leveled
his stare at her.

“I don’t see why I should share such
personal information with someone who is not a friend.” Marcia
looked straight into Johnny’s eyes.

Hell, she’s not afraid of me. She’s got
guts.

“I don’t want to see him hurt.” Johnny took
a drink but kept his eyes on Marcia.

“I have no intention of hurting him. I love
him.”

Jakub took her hand and planted a kiss on
her cheek. She smiled at him.

“I’m really not comfortable talking about
Jake as if he’s not here. It’s condescending.” Anger flashed
briefly in Marcia’s eyes.

“Jake?” Johnny asked, raising an eyebrow at
his father.

“That’s what she calls me.” Jakub
smiled.

“We don’t have anything more to say, do we?”
Marcia pushed to her feet.

Johnny shook his head.

“Jake, I’ll see you at home.” She bent down
to give him a kiss. Then she looked Johnny straight in the eye.

“Goodbye, Mr. Novacek,” she said and was
gone.

Johnny looked at his father.

“She’s got guts, Dad.” Johnny finished the
last of his beer.

“She’s smart too.”

“And I suppose sexy fits in there somewhere,
doesn’t it?”

“Watch your mouth, Johnny.” Jakub finished
his beer too.

“Are you going to marry her?”

“I don’t know if she wants to.”

“But you want to?” Johnny signaled for the
check.

Jakub nodded.

Johnny felt a hand on his heart squeeze it
as he thought of his mother. If Jakub married again, he’d forget
Nika…have a new life. But Johnny realized he had no right to deny
his father some happiness. Even if it was only sex, Jakub had a
right to do what he wanted.

“Okay.” Johnny said, after a long pause.

“You stop fighting with me, calling Marcia
names?” Jakub paid the check.

Johnny nodded.

“Good. Good,” Jakub said, clapping his son
on the back.

* * * *

Marcia was angry after her meeting with
Johnny, who made her feel cheap. It was obvious he didn’t
understand what she and Jake had together. She had been thinking
about Jake and commitment. She’d soon have to tell Dean Caldwell
whether she was coming back to the university or not.

Marcia didn’t intend to fall in love with
Jake. She was hoping a brief affair would get her over the loss of
Jay, but Jake surprised her. He had been there to take care of her,
day in and day out. Marcia began to depend on him, to look forward
to being with him…which slowly evolved into love. Now she wanted
him in her life. After getting to know Joey and Annabeth, Marcia
knew in her heart she was ready to have a baby.

* * * *

Jake secured a job with a construction
company just outside of Willow Falls right before he met with
Johnny. After the successful meeting with Johnny, Jake returned
home smiling.

“Tonight we go out to dinner, Marcia,” Jake
said when he got home.

He had taken a shower and stood in the
bedroom with just a towel around his waist. She was putting away
clean clothes when he came in. She looked at him, so strong and
handsome and her thoughts turned away from food.

“Since you are fresh from the shower, maybe
we shouldn’t go out right away.” Marcia flashed him a sexy
grin.

“Tonight we celebrate.” Jake went to the
closet and pulled out a shirt.

“There are lots of ways to celebrate,”
Marcia said, pulling her sweater over her head and unfastening her
bra. She walked over to Jake and put her hands on his chest,
running them up through his soft dark hair, to his shoulders, to
his neck and into his thick graying hair. Jake couldn’t resist her.
He pulled her closer and kissed her passionately and the towel fell
to the floor. She led him over to the bed where they made love.
Afterward, she rested in his arms while he slowly caressed her
breast.

“I got job today. Full time job at Davidson
Construction. Now we have enough money to live.”

“Wonderful!” Marcia looked into his
eyes.

“Now, we get married…if you want marry me.”
A tinge of doubt crept into his voice.

“I do! There is just one thing.” Marcia
chewed her lower lip in excitement.

Jakub sat up, worried.

“What thing?”

“I want to have a baby. I want to be a
mother. I want to have your baby.”

“A baby? You want baby? I’m fifty, Marcia. I
have three grown children. A baby?”

“I know. But I don’t have any children. My
one regret is that I never had a child. I’m not too old yet. Please
think about it.”

“I do think. No baby. I have grandchildren,
how can I become a father again?”

“But you’d be such a good father.” Marcia
put her hand on his arm.

“I don’t think so. Look at Johnny. He’s a
pain.”

“But the way you are with Joey and Annabeth.
You’re so wonderful! You’d be like that with our child. It’s what I
want.”

“No. No baby,” he said, shaking his
head.

“No baby? No marriage.” Anger mixed with
disappointment filled her heart.

“Marcia, my love! No! No marriage?” Jakub
sat up straight.

“That’s right. No marriage. If you don’t
want to give me a baby, then I must find a man who does,” she said,
getting out of bed.

“No!” The creases in his forehead
deepened.

“Yes! I want…I need to be a mother. And if
you won’t give me…” Tears flooded her eyes and she couldn’t blink
them back.

Jakub shook his head. His eyes flashed
anger.

“You crazy! I’m too old for baby.” He waved
his hand at his head and then her.

“If you believe that, then I guess you are
too old and you should move out.” Marcia pushed down hysteria
bubbling up in her throat.

Jakub packed a bag and moved back into the
apartment over Johnny’s garage.

Marcia spent the evening crying and couldn’t
eat a bite. She missed Jake already; the house was so quiet without
his big presence there. But she had an ache in her heart that would
only go away if she had a child. Not just any child, Jake’s child.
She wanted…needed his patience, his wisdom, his experience with
children to help her be a good mother. And now he was gone and she
regretted everything she said to him, and wondered if perhaps it
was too late to take it back.

* * * *

Jakub showed up to cook dinner and when
Johnny went to question him, Rebecca took his arm and signaled him
to stop. They all sat down to dinner.

“How come you’re here tonight, Dad?” Johnny
shook off Rebecca’s warning hand.

Jakub ate in silence, his face drawn,
worried and sad.

“I’m too old,” he muttered before putting
food in his mouth.

“Too old for what?” Rebecca asked.

“Never mind.” Jakub waved his hand and
continued to eat.

“Come on…too old for what?” Johnny prodded
his father.

“For baby,” Jakub admitted quietly.

“Is Marcia pregnant?” Johnny shot up out of
his chair.

“No.”

“Then what the—”

“She want to have baby. I’m too old.”

Jakub finished eating and excused himself
after taking his dish into the kitchen. He went up to the
apartment.

* * * *

The little house across town

Marcia put down the phone, finishing her
conversation with Mac Caldwell. A deep sigh escaped her lips. She’d
decided to return to Kensington State in the fall. Without Jake to
support her, she had to work to pay the rent. Marcia started
sorting through lectures and organizing notes, but it was hard to
concentrate.

She wasn’t sleeping well without Jake. She
lost weight and saw new wrinkles and creases in her face when she
looked in the mirror. The loneliness felt crushing some days,
leaving her no reason to get out of bed.