Read Online Project Valentine (A Homespun Romance) by Geeta Kakade - Free Book Online Page B

sweetness of every second. She concentrated on absorbing the feel of Karl, inhaling his personal scent, listening to his heart pound under her ear.
    No one, Jessica acknowledged dreamily to herself, had mentioned a kiss could have so much power.
     
     
    Molly called Jessica, Thursday night. "Uncle Karl's picking me up straight from school, Friday afternoon. Can you come over Saturday morning to help me give Arthur a bath?"
    He hadn't contacted her since Tuesday, proof that the kiss had been just a we're-both-curious-so-let's-get-it-over-with type of thing. Of course the way she'd acted after it wasn't exactly cover material for Poise magazine either. She'd backed away from him, opened her eyes with a super human effort, to find him watching her. Straightening her angled neck she'd pushed her glasses up and said. "I have to get back to work."
    Karl hadn't tried to stop her, merely nodded.
    She was on the second step of the redwood deck when Karl had caught her arm. She'd looked up. Another kiss and she wouldn't have the use of her legs.
    "The front door's the other way, Jessica," he'd said kindly, turning her towards it.
    She hadn't looked at him as she'd fled.
    Now Molly wanted her to go back.
    "Have you checked with your uncle about having me over?"
    "I did," came the airy reply, "He said it was fine with him but I wasn't to monopolize all your time. He has to go to the clinic for a couple of hours. If you can come I don't have to have a baby sitter."
    The patent disgust in Molly's voice at the idea of needing a babysitter, made Jessica chuckle. If he wasn't there, going over to bathe Arthur could hardly be classified as chasing the man.
    "I'll be there."
     
     
    Defiantly Jessica looked at her reflection. Her closet had yielded long magenta shorts, and a matching tank top. Over it she wore an outsize emerald shirt. Massive green triangles dangled from her ears. She didn't care if it wasn't haute couture. It was the ideal dog bathing outfit for a warm California day.
    Karl had left a brand new hose hooked up to a tap in the yard. To look at the yard now no one would guess it had been redone only recently. Money and instant grass had worked wonders in five days.
    Molly hugged Jessica. Her smile was bright with affection. Jessica smiled back. She was becoming very attached to the eight year old. "Uncle Karl said we could bathe Arthur on the side patio."
    Jessica followed Molly around the side of the house. The patio was covered with tiny grey and black rock embedded in a bed of concrete, shaped a perfect oval.
    Molly pointed to the closed double doors, "That leads to the formal dining room. When Uncle Karl has parties he opens the doors and people sit out here and look at the view."
    It was certainly worth looking at. From this angle, the snowcapped San Gabriel Mountains were plainly visible. At night, the cities clustered at its foothills would sparkle like a diamond necklace.
    "The last party Uncle Karl had here, I saw him kissing Maddy Brenton, his dentist friend." Molly giggled at the memory. "Mommy says she wishes Uncle Karl would hurry up and get married but that Maddy Brenton's not the right one for him."
    Already Jessica found herself liking Karl's sister. She bent down to pat Arthur. There was no explanation for feeling winded. It was obvious Karl would have someone in his life.
    "Jessica?"
    "Hmm?" Maddy Brenton. Jessica rolled the words on her tongue. It was an awful name.
    "How do you know the right person when they come along?" Molly looked extremely thoughtful.
    "Well," Jessica said softly, her eyes on the grey blue mountains in the distance, "When you meet someone you want to spend all your time with. When being away from that person makes you feel part of yourself is missing. When you look at him and know you don't want to change places with anyone else in the world. Then that's the right person for you."
    "Oh!"
    Jessica wondered what had prompted Molly's question. But a more urgent thought of her own pushed