Read Online Summer Vows (Arabesque) by Rochelle Alers - Free Book Online
Authors: Rochelle Alers
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recalled her saying she’d planned to run away from home to live in Key West. He didn’t live in Key West, but it was close enough for him to drive her there to show her some of the historic cottages and restored century-old Conch houses. With the influx of tourists mingling with the locals they were certain to blend in enough to enjoy the nightlife.
Over the next forty minutes he busied himself uncovering the deck furniture, hosing down the deck, and then opened several umbrellas, positioning one near the table and the other two behind cushioned recliners. Jacob tried, but he was unsuccessful in erasing the image of Ana’s eyes whenever she gave him a direct stare. There was something about her eyes that reflected a boldness and wisdom that made him believe she was much older than thirty-three. Perhaps, he mused, it was the role she’d taken on as CEO of a very successful recording label. If she had been any woman other than David Cole’s daughter she never would’ve been able to achieve the business success Ana had accomplished since she’d assumed control of Serenity Records. Jacob smiled. Her father had taught her well. He checked on the large dog in the crate that lifted his head from between his paws with his approach.
Bending slightly, he said, “Don’t worry, boy. I hope to have you out of there sometime tomorrow.”
Jacob had removed the fish from the packaging and had placed them in a bowl of cold water when the soft chiming of the telephone garnered his attention. He punched the speaker feature on the wall phone before the third ring.
“Hello.”
“Jacob. It’s your mother.”
“How are you, Mrs. Deavers?”
There was a slight pause before Gloria Deavers’s soft voice came through the speaker. “Why are you so formal?”
Resting a hip against the countertop, Jacob crossed his arms over his chest and stared up at the skylight in the kitchen. “You are Mrs. Deavers, aren’t you?”
“I’ve been married to Henry for almost fifteen years, and yet you still haven’t let me forget it.”
“Mom, I know you didn’t call me to talk about your husband.”
“You’re right. I called because when I contacted your office they told me you were on vacation leave. Are you all right?”
The lines of tension in Jacob’s face softened. “I’m fine. It was mandated that if I didn’t take at least half of my accrued vacation, then I would lose it.”
“How much time is that?”
“Eight weeks.”
There was another pause from Gloria. “When was the last time you took a vacation?”
Jacob shook his head although his mother couldn’t see him. “I can’t remember. It has to be more than five or six years.” He’d accrued not only vacation leave, but also compensatory time.
“Maybe I’ll take a few days off and come down to see you.”
Now it was Jacob’s turn to find himself at a loss for words. “When do you want to come?”
“It probably won’t be until mid-July. That is if you don’t have anything planned for that time,” Gloria said quickly.
He quickly calculated. It was now the second week in June and he’d hoped it wouldn’t take six weeks to catch the man who’d attempted to kill Ana. “That sounds good, Mom. However, if my plans change, then I’ll call you.”
“I know you don’t like me asking, but I’m going to do it anyway. Are you seeing anyone?”
“No, Mom.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t have the time. At least not right now,” he added truthfully. Even if he wanted to he couldn’t see anyone—not with Ana living with him.
“When are you going to have time, son? Thirty is in the rearview mirror and you’re fast approaching forty and you’re still single. I would like to have a couple of grandkids before I die.”
Exhaling an audible sigh, Jacob closed his eyes. Every time he had a conversation with his mother invariably the topic of his single status would come up. He wanted to tell her he had yet to celebrate his thirty-sixth birthday,
Over the next forty minutes he busied himself uncovering the deck furniture, hosing down the deck, and then opened several umbrellas, positioning one near the table and the other two behind cushioned recliners. Jacob tried, but he was unsuccessful in erasing the image of Ana’s eyes whenever she gave him a direct stare. There was something about her eyes that reflected a boldness and wisdom that made him believe she was much older than thirty-three. Perhaps, he mused, it was the role she’d taken on as CEO of a very successful recording label. If she had been any woman other than David Cole’s daughter she never would’ve been able to achieve the business success Ana had accomplished since she’d assumed control of Serenity Records. Jacob smiled. Her father had taught her well. He checked on the large dog in the crate that lifted his head from between his paws with his approach.
Bending slightly, he said, “Don’t worry, boy. I hope to have you out of there sometime tomorrow.”
Jacob had removed the fish from the packaging and had placed them in a bowl of cold water when the soft chiming of the telephone garnered his attention. He punched the speaker feature on the wall phone before the third ring.
“Hello.”
“Jacob. It’s your mother.”
“How are you, Mrs. Deavers?”
There was a slight pause before Gloria Deavers’s soft voice came through the speaker. “Why are you so formal?”
Resting a hip against the countertop, Jacob crossed his arms over his chest and stared up at the skylight in the kitchen. “You are Mrs. Deavers, aren’t you?”
“I’ve been married to Henry for almost fifteen years, and yet you still haven’t let me forget it.”
“Mom, I know you didn’t call me to talk about your husband.”
“You’re right. I called because when I contacted your office they told me you were on vacation leave. Are you all right?”
The lines of tension in Jacob’s face softened. “I’m fine. It was mandated that if I didn’t take at least half of my accrued vacation, then I would lose it.”
“How much time is that?”
“Eight weeks.”
There was another pause from Gloria. “When was the last time you took a vacation?”
Jacob shook his head although his mother couldn’t see him. “I can’t remember. It has to be more than five or six years.” He’d accrued not only vacation leave, but also compensatory time.
“Maybe I’ll take a few days off and come down to see you.”
Now it was Jacob’s turn to find himself at a loss for words. “When do you want to come?”
“It probably won’t be until mid-July. That is if you don’t have anything planned for that time,” Gloria said quickly.
He quickly calculated. It was now the second week in June and he’d hoped it wouldn’t take six weeks to catch the man who’d attempted to kill Ana. “That sounds good, Mom. However, if my plans change, then I’ll call you.”
“I know you don’t like me asking, but I’m going to do it anyway. Are you seeing anyone?”
“No, Mom.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t have the time. At least not right now,” he added truthfully. Even if he wanted to he couldn’t see anyone—not with Ana living with him.
“When are you going to have time, son? Thirty is in the rearview mirror and you’re fast approaching forty and you’re still single. I would like to have a couple of grandkids before I die.”
Exhaling an audible sigh, Jacob closed his eyes. Every time he had a conversation with his mother invariably the topic of his single status would come up. He wanted to tell her he had yet to celebrate his thirty-sixth birthday,
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