Tay and Lance ch 4

Chapter Four

Lance showed up right on time.  Lynn showed him all the projects that needed doing and asked where he wanted to start.  “It’s supposed to be nice the next few days, so I will start with the painting I think.”

She smiled. “That sounds good.  Let me show you where my office is so you know where to find me if you need anything.”  She walked with him to the back of the house where her office was located in the smallest bedroom.  It was still large enough for her computer, file cabinet and a twin sized bed for company.  “This is where I spend most of the day.”

He smiled, liking the room.  “Ok.  What do you do, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I’m a writer.  I have four books out and one due out in two weeks.  I have another one started and am working out the details in the outline right now.”

“Sounds exciting.”  She had followed her dream to be a writer.  It was what she had always wanted to do and she had forever been writing stories all those years ago.

“It is.  And a lot more work than I used to think.”  They smiled at each other.  Lynn’s stomach had been doing somersaults since she opened the door to him this morning.  He was so handsome and his smile too her breath away.  Get a grip, she told herself.  He’s just another good looking guy.  So many have hit on you in the last year and you haven’t given them another thought.  What made him any different?  He probably was one of those all brawn no brain types anyway.  She had to get a grip.

“Well,” he said looking at her, “I should get to work.”

“Right. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen.  If I’m not doing anything at lunch time I will make up something.  But no guarantees.  When I get on a roll I have no concept of time.”

“I’ll remember that.”

He left to start working without looking back.  He paused before leaving the house for the back and took a deep breath.  It was so hard to look at her and not touch her.  She was so beautiful and his heart pounded when he was near her.  He was just glad she couldn’t tell.  He didn’t know if he could do what he had been sent here to do.  Could he help her heart heal without wanting to stay?  Maybe he had made a mistake.  Once again he heard his daughters pleading voice for help and knew he couldn’t have done anything else.

 

“So tell me about the guy your mom hired.”  Amber asked quietly her dark head bent closely to Jazzy’s as they shared lunch.

The lunch room was crowded and their table was full of their friends. Seth sat beside her, his arm over the back of her chair.  He looked cute today in his jeans and black shirt.  The black made his dark eyes only darker.

“I don’t know much.  Except he is cute for an old guy.  Blonde hair and blue eyes as dark as mine.”

“I’ve never met someone with eyes as dark blue as yours, Jazzy” Marina commented, her head on Rylan’s shoulder.

“I know right? I haven’t either.  Mom said I have dad’s eyes and that she had never meet anyone else with eyes that dark.  I wonder if she has noticed Lance’s eyes.  She was trying to tell me last night that she hadn’t really noticed him.  And she banned me from matchmaking.” Jazzy frowned as she said the last part.

“You really want another dad after the way Adam treated you?” Eden Zander asked.  Her parents were divorced also but at least she had a dad.  Sometimes she really got on Jazzy’s nerves but she was Rylan’s twin sister so they included her.

“No, but it would be nice for my mom to have someone to love her and be there for her.”

“Not all stepdad’s are awful like Adam was. You know that.” Amber commented.

Jazzy smiled at her best friend.  Her parents had been married forever.  And her dad was great.  “I know, Am, but I’m just not sure I want to risk it.”

“Now you sound like your mom.  She doesn’t go out because she doesn’t want to ‘risk it’ again either.”

Jazzy sighed.  “Maybe, Am, but maybe she is right.”

“And maybe not” Marina piped up.  Her mom had recently remarried and to a guy who treated Marina like his own daughter.  “My mom felt that way after my dad left.  But when she met Craig she said that she just couldn’t resist falling in love with him.  I for one am glad she did.”

“I thought you didn’t like the fact that she was going to have another baby.   Or that you didn’t get any time with her anymore.”

“Yeah, but he makes her happy.  And I am getting used to the idea of being a big sister. I only have to live with it for two years and then off to college.  I am just embarrassed more than anything.  Good grief I’m 15 and going to be a big sister.”

“No worries, Rina, you can always hid at my place” Jazzy told her friend.

“Mine too.” Rylan smiled.

Marina leaned up and gave her boyfriend a quick peck on the cheek for his comment.

Seth piped up, “I think you should listen to your mom on this Jazzy and not push them together.  Let them find their own way to each other if it is meant to be.  And no teasing her if she does decide she likes him.”

Seth’s mom had been married four times and he had three siblings that he loved.  But he always felt strongly about not pushing people together.  He had pushed the last time his mom met someone.  They had married then divorced 6 months later.  His youngest sister, Robin, was the result.

“I hear you, Seth.  I’m praying about this.  If I feel I should give them a nudge I will, but I’m not going to push them.”

Seth gave her what she called “the look”.  It was his way of quietly disagreeing on what she said.  But now was not the time to talk about it.

“Anyway, that’s all I know about him.  And he will probably be gone by the time I get home so I won’t find out anything else. “

“What are your plans tonight, Jazzy” came from both Seth and Amber at the same time.

Everyone laughed.  “Aunt Savi and Uncle Kyle are coming over for a BBQ.”

“You know I know how to run that thing too.  You could always invite me over when you want to BBQ” Seth told her.

“You could join us tonight.  Mom won’t mind.  She loves having you over. Besides she brought up my dad again this morning so I know she spent the night thinking about him.  That is probably why she’s invited them over.  So she and Aunt Savi can reminisce.”

“I’ll call mom and ask.  If she says yes then I will have Lark bring me over.” The end of lunch bell rang and they all headed off to their next class. Seth walked Jazzy to her class and left her with a quick kiss. “I’ll text you when I hear from mom.”

“K. I will see you in 6^th period.”  She smiled and headed into her English class.