Page 72 of Merging Wright

[Mach]

After kissing Jane senseless and fighting the desire to take her again immediately, reason settles in. She’s meeting Myles soon, and we don’t have time for all I’d like to do with her. I want to carry her to the bed and blow her mind, but I also want more than another quickie with my wife. Tonight can’t come soon enough, but there’s something else I need to say to her.

“I don’t want to fight with you, Jane. Not like we did last night.”

She stares back at me, still naked with an orgasm high lingering in her sparkling eyes. When she doesn’t answer me, I continue.

“You aren’t a means to an end. And please don’t say we aren’t friends.” I don’t have many and when I think about it, Jane is a friend. The best of friends as she’s standing by me with all that’s happening with Wrightwood.

“We’re friends,” she whispers, dropping her gaze to my mouth. Still, something in her eyes dims. When she doesn’t offer more, I give her a few minutes to finish showering.

I’d come up to bring her a mug of tea the way she likes and apologize for how things went down last night when something propelled me to enter the bathroom. I’d already given myself a good rubbing this morning after I woke stiff and desperate because Jane was plastered against me.

She’d had a bad dream during the night, and I only intended to comfort her. I wanted more from her, but she needed me to hold her, and using willpower I didn’t know I had, I did just that. I held my wife in my arms, inhaling the summer rain scent of her skin and slept peacefully. Until this morning, when a raging hard-on woke me, and I needed relief to make it through another day with Jane.

Now, there was no more ‘making it through.’

The dam has broken, and Jane is going to feel the rush of me every evening.

When Jane enters the kitchen in skinny jeans and a soft sweater, I want to take her in my arms and spread her out on the table. She greets Ma, reminding me we aren’t alone in the house. Maybe I should reconsider us finding a separate place so I can do what I want, when I want, to my wife.

“Camilla, are you considering turning this place into a hotel?” Jane asks Ma.

Glancing at Ma, her face alters a slight shade of pink. Is Jane correct?

“Is that why you’re selling Trixie’s?” I ask. Where did Jane get the idea?

“I’ve been standing on my feet a long time in that salon,” Ma says. “And it’s time for something new.”

“Something new?” My mother is in her mid-sixties, having had Myles and me when she was seventeen.

“I want to turn this place into a bed and breakfast.” Pride fills her voice as she glances around the old kitchen, which needs some serious updates before visitors would want to stay here.

“Why?” She’s finally out from under Fischer’s finger. The house is all hers. “You just inherited the place. You can live here free and clear.”

“That’s exactly why I want to change it.” She glances around again. “I have a love-hate relationship with this house, but I think I could make peace with it by offering it to others and bringing a little interest to the area.”

I turn to Jane. “How did you know?”

Jane shrugs. “I didn’t, but the daily fresh towels, and the way Camilla has them displayed in the bathroom reminded me of a hotel.” Jane turns to Ma. “You don’t need to treat us like guests. We’re family.”

At the mention of family, Ma beams. Her hands clasp before her and those grandmotherly hearts of hope fill Ma’s eyes again.

Inside my chest, a few heavy thumps beat. Family. I know what the term means and what it represents. I just hadn’t put the word into perspective with Jane. She’s my family now.

“This house could be a real attraction for people to visit the area, use the river and simply relax,” Jane says.

I don’t know how I feel about her encouraging Ma. The river isn’t the safest to swim in or boat on. Pollution is doing its damage because of chemical plants dumping waste into the natural resource. Once I learned that information, I became more determined not to add another factory along this riverbank.

“I know someone who might be able to help you,” Jane says. “My sister Lindee is a restoration specialist. I don’t know exactly what that means other than she’s good at renovating buildings to enhance the heritage while updating what needs to be modernized. Her specialty is hotels. She’d love a project like this.” Jane waves at the kitchen.

When Ma smiles, there’s nothing I can do but consent. If this is what Ma wants, then turning this house into a bed and breakfast is what we’ll do.

“Where will you live?” I ask.

“Myles doesn’t want to live in the Small House anymore, and I miss my old place. I figure I can fancy it up once I get this place running.”

“I still haven’t seen the inside of Myles’s place. Why don’t we take a look, and I’ll call Lindee to see what she thinks,” Jane offers. “I’ve been meaning to call her for some suggestions for the businesses downtown anyway.”