Reckless Beginnings Page 6

  He continued to compliment her. “I love your red hair. We don’t see too many redheads over here.” Feeling more at ease, Raymond leaned back in his seat, rested his elbows on the arms of the chair and smiled. “And that English accent of yours is mighty fine too, if you don’t mind me saying.”

  Feeling herself blush, Tammy lowered her head and thanked him again. Uncomfortable with his praises, she needed an excuse to leave the room so she could compose herself. Secretly, she was wishing her father and Joanne would just hurry up. Using Andrew for an excuse, she quickly leaned over and picked him up. “Will you excuse me for a minute? I need to wash this little boy’s hands and face before dinner.”

  “Sure, no problem.”

  But, before Tammy had a chance to leave the room, Raymond stood and walked over to her. She watched as he put his hand out to Andrew nestled in her arms. He and Tammy chuckled when Andrew grasped one of Raymond’s fingers with his tiny hand and gave them both a goofy grin.

  “He’s growing so fast. Hey there, buddy. How are you doing?” Raymond said in a playful voice while Andrew continued to pull on his finger.

  Tammy hadn’t expected him to approach her. His masculine hands caught her attention as he played with Andrew. Again, she smelled his cologne and took a deep breath, inhaling the delicious scent. Strangely stirred by his presence, she began to back away. “Er, will you excuse me? I won’t be long.” And, without looking back, she hastily left the room, leaving Raymond by himself.

  Relieved to be out the room, Tammy needed some time to pull herself together and calm her pounding heart. She argued with herself about how absurd it was to be attracted to a man twice her age, especially one that was a dear friend of her father.

  With haste, she closed the bathroom door behind her and sat Andrew down on the closed toilet seat before grabbing a soaked washcloth and began to wash his face. Andrew tried his best to pull away and fuss. “Hush, little guy. I’m almost done,” she said as she battled with him to open his hands. While uncurling and wiping down each of Andrew’s tiny fingers one by one, Tammy tried to think of a logical reason why she was feeling flustered around her father’s friend, but couldn’t explain any of it and refused to accept the fact that she might be attracted to him.

  A few minutes later, she heard voices coming from the living room. “Thank God,” she whispered out loud, releasing a sigh of relief. Dad and Joanne must have finally come downstairs. Picking up Andrew, Tammy took a deep breath and returned to the living room.

  Joanne looked attractive in her black slacks and red turtleneck sweater. She had let her long black hair flow freely down her back, which she seldom did, and she had applied some light makeup, which was another rarity. She was standing in the middle of the room talking to Raymond, while her father, who looked comfortable in his tan slacks and beige sweater, poured wine at the table.

  Joanne and Raymond ended their conversation and glanced over at Tammy when she entered the room.

  “There you are,” Joanne said while walking toward her and taking Andrew in her arms.

  “Sorry, I was just giving Andrew a wash before dinner.”

  “Raymond tells me you’ve already met,” Joanne said as she nestled Andrew in her arm.

  “Yes, we have,” Tammy replied, giving Raymond a courteous smile.

  Joanne glanced over at John, who was still at the table. “Well, it looks like your father has poured the wine. Why don’t I go serve up dinner so we can eat?” she said with a satisfied smile. She then proceeded to walk toward the table, where she strapped Andrew into his high chair and disappeared into the kitchen. Raymond took a seat across from John. Within a few minutes, they were sipping on their drinks and engaged in a deep conversation over John’s latest book.

  The sun was beginning to set outside, and a slight breeze caused the lace curtain to flap like a sail. Irritated by the noise, Tammy walked over and closed the window.

  Happy to see her father had poured her a glass of wine, she reached over and took a huge gulp to help calm her nerves. Pausing their conversation for a moment, her father and Raymond watched with amazement as Tammy downed her drink with a single swig before setting the glass back down on the table. With a smirk, she glanced over at Raymond. “Good wine,” she said. And quickly added, “Well, I’m going to go help Joanne in the kitchen.” Giving neither of the men a chance to speak, she quickly vacated the table.

  With the aroma of meatloaf invading the air and dinner served, Joanne took a seat next to Andrew’s high chair so she could feed him while Tammy sat across from Raymond, next to her father. Enjoying how the wine was soothing her, Tammy reached over and poured herself another glass.

  The strong friendship between her father and Raymond was clearly noticeable during dinner. Throughout the meal, they talked and laughed about various topics. John had some questions about the house, and Raymond wanted to hear all about his books and what was next.

  Having been quiet throughout the entire meal—mainly to let her father and Raymond catch up—Tammy was uncertain what to say when Raymond directed a question at her. “So, Tammy, what are your plans now that you’re here?”

  With no hesitation, her father quickly answered for her. “Well, I’m hoping she goes to college and gets a degree behind her,” John said, glaring intensely at his daughter.

  Tammy turned toward her father, giving him an evil but playful stare. “I just got here, Dad. There’s plenty of time for me to go to college. Right now, you’re teaching me to drive and I’m busy helping Joanne with Andrew. Once I have my driver’s license then I’ll look in to college.”

  With a puzzled look, Raymond asked Tammy another question. “How old are you?”

  Tammy took a sip of wine. “I just turned eighteen not so long ago.”

  “But you’re drinking alcohol,” Raymond stated, still looking puzzled.

  “I’ve been drinking since I was sixteen. It’s so different over here. In this country, I can only drink at my dad’s house. In England, you can drink beer or wine with a meal at sixteen in a restaurant, so long as it’s ordered by an adult. You can legally drink in a bar when you turn eighteen. I’ve been drinking in bars since I was seventeen and never been asked for my ID. But, over here, I just don’t get it; you’re legally an adult at eighteen, you can marry, become a parent, go off to war and fight for your country, but you can’t celebrate any of those accomplishments with a drink because the drinking age over here is twenty-one. It makes no sense to me.”

  Both John and Raymond nodded. “Makes no sense to me either,” her father replied.

  “Well, have you seen much since you’ve been here? Have you been to the small Gold Rush town?” Raymond asked. “That’s not its real name by the way, but it’s what we all call it around here.”

  “Er, no, I haven’t seen much yet. Dad is busy working and Joanne has Andrew. I plan on doing some sightseeing once I’m able to drive.”

  “Well, I can take you to the old gold mining town tomorrow if you’d like? It’s only three miles away.” Raymond paused and looked over at John. “If that’s okay with you, John? You’re a busy guy, so I’d be happy to show Tammy around.”

  Tammy didn’t know what to say. Shocked that he may be asking her out on a date, she waited to reply, wondering if her father was going to speak for her again.

  Not having an immediate answer, her father turned to Joanne for some insight. A simple shrug of her shoulders suggested she wasn’t going to offer any help on the matter, so John opted to put her on the spot. “Well, Joanne, what do you think? It’s really up to you. Do you need help with anything tomorrow?”

  Joanne narrowed her eyes at her husband. She didn’t like the decision being left up to her and hesitated before answering. “Er, no, I should be fine if she wants to go.” She turned to Tammy. “Do you want to go?”

  Well, this is awkward, Tammy thought to herself. Of course she wanted to go. It would be nice to do something different for a change, but she still wasn’t sure if it was such a good id
ea.

  Since Raymond’s arrival, her head had been in an all-out tailspin. She didn’t know what to do. What if she was attracted to him? How uncomfortable would it be if she decided to go? She thought for a moment and concluded that whatever she was or wasn’t feeling didn’t matter; Raymond would never be interested in her anyway. She was twenty years younger than him and she was his friend’s daughter, so she figured it would be okay. Feeling a little tipsy from the wine, she gave Raymond a smile. “Yes, I would love to go. I think it will be fun.”

  “That’s great! What time shall I pick you up?” Raymond cheered with excitement lingering in his voice.

  Tammy took another sip of wine. “How about eleven? That’ll give me enough time to help Joanne with breakfast and get myself ready.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll be here at eleven.”

  Tammy gave him another smile and stood up, pushing her chair away with the backs of her knees. “Great. Well, if you’ll all excuse me, I’m going to go on the front porch for a cigarette.”

  A look of surprise blanketed Raymond’s face. “You smoke?” With a contented grin, he added, “So do I. Mind if I join you? I’ve never liked being the only smoker at the dinner table.” With an affirmative smile from Tammy, he excused himself from the table and followed her out the front door.

  It was a cool, refreshing evening with just a slight chill in the air, and hundreds of twinkling stars lit up the dark, moonless sky. The wind had finally died down, the air was still, and the trees rose like soldiers standing to attention across the horizon. Tammy took a seat on one of the wicker chairs, lit her cigarette, and took a long, much-needed drag. The smoke rushing down to her lungs instantly satisfied the deep craving she’d had for some time and delivered a sense of calmness throughout her entire body. Never could she imagine quitting. What else could be more satisfying?

  Raymond remained standing with his back to her, looking up at the skies from the porch. With one hand nestled in his front jean pocket, he looked like a natural smoker. “What a beautiful night this is. It’s so peaceful. I don’t even hear the crickets,” he said, exhaling smoke and turning around to face her. Saying nothing, he stood motionless and stared at Tammy, taking deep hits on his cigarette.

  Tammy looked up and stared back. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, she finally asked him. “What? What are you looking at?”

  Raymond let out a small laugh and looked her straight in the eyes. Leaning back against the pillar of the porch and folding his arms across his chest, he spoke with a grin. “You’re going to do well over here. You’re different and you stand out. You really are quite striking.”

  “Striking? What are you talking about? You’re being silly,” Tammy remarked, trying to brush off the fact that he might be flirting with her.

  “It’s that red hair of yours and your fair complexion and freckles. And that English accent. Oh my, I could listen to it all day,” Raymond confessed.

  “That’s bloody rubbish. After a while, people will get used to it.”

  “Nah, not here. I think you must be the only English girl in town. Trust me, all Americans love the English accent.”

  Meanwhile, back in the house, her parents were having their own discussion at the table.

  “So are you okay with Tammy going with Raymond tomorrow?” Joanne asked John while rocking Andrew to sleep in her lap.

  John sat across from her, looking down at his glass of wine as he curled his fingers in a circular motion around the stem. He looked a little concerned but tried not to show it when he answered. “Sure, why not? I’m sure it’ll be fine. Raymond is only trying to help. He knows neither one of us have time to play tourist guide with her.”

  Joanne knew he wasn’t being entirely honest with her or himself. Surely he must have some concerns. “Are you sure about that? You know how he is with the ladies.”

  Irritated by her remark, he replied with a sharper tone. “Oh, come on. I don’t think he’ll try and hit on my daughter for Christ’s sake. He’s twice her age. Will you quit worrying so much?”

  To help calm him down, Joanne softened her voice. “I’m not worried, John. I’m just a little concerned. But if you think it’s okay, then I do too.”

  Before John could say any more, Raymond and Tammy returned from outside. John didn’t want to admit it, but the luring smile Raymond gave his daughter as he closed the door behind them made him quite uncomfortable.

  “Brrr, it’s getting rather chilly out there,” Tammy said, blowing into her cupped hands and rubbing them together.

  Raymond looked down at his watch and then over at Joanne and John at the table. “Well, it’s getting late. I guess I should get going.” He turned to Tammy. “So, I’ll pick you up around eleven?”

  “Sounds good. And, thank you, I’m looking forward to it,” Tammy answered as she sat back down at the table to finish her wine. John got up and walked Raymond out while Joanne went upstairs to put Andrew to sleep.

  As Tammy sat at the table alone, thoughts of what she should wear tomorrow entered her head. But what was she thinking? This wasn’t a date. This was just a friend of her father’s showing her the town. She stood up, shook her head, and laughed at herself and her thoughts as she began to clear the table.

  After Tammy had washed the dishes, she spent the rest of the night playing scrabble with Joanne. John retired to his office. Nothing more was mentioned about her day tomorrow with Raymond, but the questions and confusion constantly whirled around Tammy’s mind.

  Chapter 11

  With the anticipation of spending the next day with Raymond, Tammy had a sleepless night of staring at the ceiling from her bed. She wanted to break away from what reminded her of a high school crush, telling herself repeatedly that tomorrow she must act mature, stay calm, and not make a fool of herself. She couldn’t let Raymond know about the absurd feelings she was having toward him.

  Tammy woke the next morning feeling fatigued because of her lack of sleep. She glanced over at the clock and saw it was already after eight. She sat up when she heard the clanging of dishes coming from the kitchen. After rubbing her eyes, she swung her legs out of bed, stretched, and stood up. She reached for her light blue housecoat hanging on the closet door, wrapped herself in it, and headed for the kitchen.

  Joanne was now sitting at the table in her red bathrobe with her hair tied back into a ponytail. Andrew sat in his high chair next to her, wriggling with excitement from head to toe every time she fed him a spoonful of oatmeal.

  “Morning, Joanne, want some coffee?” Tammy asked, followed by a yawn.

  “Sounds great. I’ve already made a pot,” she said while coaxing another spoonful of oatmeal into Andrew’s mouth.

  Tammy disappeared into the kitchen for a few minutes. With two mugs of hot coffee in hand, she reappeared at the table and placed the mugs in front of them. Tammy wrapped her hands around the warm cup and took a sip. The hot liquid felt good against the back of her throat. She thought the first cup of the day always tasted the best. “Where’s Dad?” she asked in between sips.

  “He already left for the office. I guess he wanted to get an early start. Looks like it’s going to be just me and the little guy today since you’re going sight-seeing with Raymond.”

  Tammy took another sip of coffee, savoring the flavor before answering. “It was really nice of him to offer to take me. I’m really looking forward to it.”

  Joanne tried not to show her concerns. “Yes, it was,” she agreed. “I’m sure you’ll have a great time,” she added, wiping Andrew’s mouth.

  “Thanks. After my coffee, I’ll take a shower…unless you need help with anything?”

  “No, I’m fine, you go ahead. I can put Andrew in the playpen while I get dressed.”

  After her shower, Tammy faced the dreaded task of figuring out what to wear. She wanted to grasp his attention and look attractive yet not reveal too much or dress too skimpy. She’d heard on the radio it was going to be a warm day of above-average temperatures
in the seventies, with blue skies and no wind. For October, that was good.

  After some major deliberating, she finally decided on wearing a blue denim mini-skirt, brown cowboy boots, and a light blue tank top that showed off just a hint of cleavage. She would bring her short denim jacket for later in the day. Her makeup was light but just enough to accentuate her high cheekbones and green eyes. She took a quick glance in the full-size mirror; happy with her appearance, she smiled at herself, tossed her hair back with a flirty swing, and glanced down at her watch. It was ten thirty. He would be here soon, she thought with excitement. Nervous with the anticipation of his arrival, she had just enough time to step out on the front porch and smoke a cigarette to calm her nerves.

  The cool, brisk air felt good against her skin, and the sun glistened through the trees against a backdrop of cloudless, bright blue skies.

  She had been sitting contently for a few minutes enjoying her cigarette, feeling more relaxed, when she noticed a silver metallic Ford Pick-up truck pull up in front of the house and park. After the driver door swung open, Raymond stepped out. While the shadows of the porch were hiding her from Raymond’s view, she could already see him clearly. She liked what she saw. She couldn’t deny it. He looked sexy, wearing dark shades and jingling his truck keys in his hand as he walked toward the house. His faded blue jeans fit his body like a glove, accentuating every curve in his muscular, toned legs. His gold-tone belt buckle glistened in the sun, and his long-sleeve denim shirt, with the sleeves rolled up mid-way, was tucked loosely into his jeans. Beneath his jeans, the toes and heels of cowboy boots peeked out.

  As he approached the front gate, she stood and walked over to the top of the steps. She took a long hit of her cigarette and exhaled a hurried cloud of hazy blue smoke. “Hi. You’re early,” she said with a soft, alluring smile.

  He paused at the bottom of the steps and looked up in her direction. He removed his sunglasses slowly and smiled. Stunned by her appearance, he ignored her comment. “Wow! Don’t you look nice? May I join you?” he asked jokingly.