The Swear Jar (35 page)

She gripped the blanket in both
fists and lifted up towards him, panting.  “Harder.”

He changed breasts again.  He
flicked his tongue on her erect nipple, biting it carefully.  He sucked beyond
what he thought was safe.  He wanted to stop.  She wanted more.  The look of
pain came back on her face.  She groaned, tightening her grasp on his leg and
slamming her buttocks up and down.  Her breathing jagged rasps, she moaned
aloud.  She went rigid and stopped breathing.  She shuddered.  Releasing his
leg, she curled up in his arms.  He held her until her breathing slowed.

“Good morning, my love,” he
whispered.

“Good morning, you sexy beast,” she
cooed.  “Is this what I have to look forward to every morning?”

“Mornings, afternoons, evenings. 
You’ll never be sure when I’ll pounce.”

Holding a hand to her forehead, she
said, “I won’t be able to fend you off.  I am yours, Sir Duncan.  Do with me
what you will.”

“Good,” he said, spooning with
her.  “It’s Sunday.  We have a decision to make.  Your place or mine?”

“It depends.  One car or two?”

“It depends.  Are we keeping up appearances
or are we admitting we’re together?”

“We’re together, but we can keep it
discreet.  Two cars.  How about your place tonight?”

“Good.  I have a bigger shower. 
And a bigger bed.”

“You hold me so close, what does
the size of the bed matter?”

“Tickle fights need room.”  He
reached for the back of her knee.

Shrieking, she laughed
hysterically.  “No!”

“I’ll be gallant and stop, but at
my house, all bets are off.  I love the way you spazz out and fight me.”

“I’ll have to work a little hand
magic to throw you off.”

Remembering what she had done, his
face went blank.  “Mission accomplished.”

She laughed.  “What are we doing
today?”

“You’re packing a bag.  We need
food at each house.  I have laundry to do.  This is sounding so boring.”

“It sounds like domestic bliss to
me.  I can’t wait for it to start.  As long as I am with you, it’ll be
perfect.”

“Boy, you are in love.  You
actually made that sound believable.”

“It is!  Don’t make me hit you with
a pillow!”

Chapter Forty

For Duncan and Meara, it was domestic
bliss.  Time flew by as they settled into life together.  Weekday nights were
at her house, weekends were at his house.  He insisted on spending their nights
together in case her nightmares returned.  She hadn’t had a nightmare in a long
time, but he wasn’t taking any chances.  Domestic bliss wasn’t a smooth process
as tempers flared on occasion.  Once, he had to keep her in a bear hug until he
explained himself a little better.  He worked his Duncan magic and she calmed
down.

They discreetly mingled their
private and professional lives.  She was upset he wasted so much time paying
his personal bills and writing checks.  She set up and showed him how to do
online banking.  Seeing how easily it was done, he was thrilled to have more
time for her.  He asked her to set up online banking for the library.  He made
sure the Board’s treasurer knew she had inspired the idea.

She asked him for help when her
Jeep needed to be fixed.  He made minor repairs and took it to a garage when it
needed work he couldn’t do.  He explained to her what work needed to be done
and got her approval to have the Jeep fixed.  She finally felt confident about
car repairs because he took the mystery out of it for her.  She thanked him
again and again that weekend.  Although he was thrilled, he was worn out by
Sunday night.

She couldn’t believe he paid to
have his dress shirts ironed.  He couldn’t believe she liked to iron.  She
liked to cook and he didn’t, so he had no problems eating whatever she made,
even if it was healthy.  She hated food shopping, so they made a game of it by
shopping without a list.  If they forgot something, he picked it up the next
day.  They enjoyed going to the gym, even if it was for different reasons.  She
enjoyed the workouts and the pool.  Sweating right next to her, he enjoyed
watching her.

At the library, their friends knew
Duncan and Meara were together because their private life slipped through now
and then.  One day, she mixed up their lunch bags.  She had added a healthy
snack to his, so she had to swap them in front of Tom.  Tom smiled wickedly. 
She blushed and Duncan grinned.

She would not allow him to make
repairs on her house.  She felt it was Ben’s responsibility.  It was also Ben’s
way of helping her.  Duncan respected this arrangement and tried not to
interfere.  It gave her a chance to lovingly nag Ben when something wasn’t
fixed promptly.  He knew she loved Ben like a brother.  And if she had her
sticking point, he had his.

He wanted photographs of them
together.  She balked since she didn’t like having her picture taken.  He held
firm, gently reminding her they would be separated for four days at
Thanksgiving.  Eyes misting up, she compromised by having Anne be their
official photographer.  Meara had final say on the photographs he could have.

For his nightstand at her house, he
chose a Duncan magic moment.  Holding her in his arms when she was mildly
annoyed, she couldn’t help smiling up at him because he looked at her with such
love in his eyes.  For his desk at work, he chose a photo of them dressed up
for dinner at a fancy restaurant.  They thought of Sophia’s words as they wore
their complementing outfits.  He adored Meara in that dress.  Delightfully, he
had also managed to figure out her tricky bra.

His nightstand at his house held
two photos.  One was their sandcastle because it reminded him he should marry
her.  He intended to follow the young boy’s advice.  The other photo showed
them walking up the driveway to her house, holding hands, and laughing.  She
was the one responsible for making him happier than he had ever been.  He was
the luckiest man in the world.

The weekend before Halloween,
Duncan and Meara took Anne to Maple Tree Farm to pick out pumpkins and mums. 
Anne suggested getting some for the library.  He thought it was a great idea. 
Meara let Anne go crazy and choose enough for all three houses and the
library.  Anne hugged him, thanking him for working his magic.  He chuckled,
winking at a giggling Meara.

The whole family carved pumpkins
into jack-o-lanterns that night.  Anne placed the pumpkins on the two front
porches.  She gave Duncan instructions on how to place the pumpkins at his
house and at the library.  Anne was excited, because on Halloween, she was
going to her first party instead of trick-or-treating.  Meara was going to
spend Halloween night with Duncan.  He enjoyed Halloween because he liked
classic monster movies.  He was planning a marathon filled with thrills and
chills.  And hopefully lots of cuddles too.

On Friday, Halloween morning dawned
brightly.  Duncan and Meara were at her house.  He needed to leave early for
work.  He liked to dress up for Halloween, but this year, he had a serious
meeting with a Board member, making a costume unrealistic and unprofessional. 
He dressed in a black suit and black tie.  At worst, he could say he was a
vampire or an undertaker.  He kissed Meara goodbye and headed out to his car. 
Anne was on the front porch of her house, switching off the battery-powered
lights inside the jack-o-lanterns.

She waved to him.  “Happy
Halloween, Duncan!”

“Happy Halloween, Anne!  Have fun
at the party tonight!”

“I will.  Where’s Aunt Meara?”

“She’s still getting ready.  I have
a meeting this morning.”

“I want to see what she thinks of
my zombie costume.  Thanks for the help!”

“You’re welcome.  I’m sure your
aunt will be disgusted. Make sure you take pictures!”

“I will.  Duncan, can I ask you a
question?”

Detouring to the porch, he always
had time for Anne.  “What’s up?”

“You and Aunt Meara are happy,
right?”

“Last time I checked, yes.  I’m
happy.  I hope your aunt’s happy too.”

“Would you say this is a big change
for her?”

Duncan knew about Hank’s letter. 
Anne was on the lookout for a big change in Meara.  Hank didn’t have any hold
over Meara.  Duncan was curious about the letter, but Meara was unconcerned. 
He was going to answer truthfully.

He said, “We love each other very
much.  It’s a change in our lives, but it’s not an earth-shattering decision. 
It’s a natural progression in our lives.  Your aunt doesn’t like drama, you
know that.”

“I know she doesn’t, but I thought
when she met you, it would be a big change.”

“It was a change from her life
before.  Maybe it hasn’t happened yet.  If you’re looking for changes in your
aunt, it’s really for you to decide when it happens.”

“Thank you, Duncan.  I’ll think
about it.”  Anne ran off to find Meara.

He drove to the library, thinking
about Anne’s dilemma.  He wanted to help her.  He wished Hank had given Anne
better instructions.  It was a heavy responsibility to give a young girl.  Hank
had done damage to two important people in Duncan’s life.  He shook his head.

After going over library business
with the trustee, Duncan mentioned Meara.  He explained how vital she had
become to the library.  She ran the Youth Services Department and assisted in
managing the library.  He relied on her to supervise the library when he wasn’t
there.  She had also made recommendations to improve the library.  He pointed
out changes she had made in the four months she had been there.

The library now had online banking,
which saved time and money.  She had also started a volunteer program for
adults and teens.  Tom and Lucy had thought this might threaten their jobs, but
it had the exact opposite effect.  The library staff was involved in training
volunteers.  It freed the staff up to work on other projects they hadn’t had
time to do before, such as weeding and books displays.

The trustee listened as Duncan
spoke passionately about Meara.  The trustee had heard only good things about
her and everyone liked her.  Duncan explained he would like the Board to
consider promoting her to Assistant Director.  The trustee was surprised and
said he would speak to the Board.  If Duncan was making the recommendation, the
trustee knew the Board should consider it seriously.

Duncan wanted her to be the
Assistant Director because she had earned it.  Even if the Board waited until
she had completed a year of service, he wanted her efforts to be recognized. 
He checked his watch.  He wondered where Meara was.  Tom and Lucy arrived.  Tom
was dressed as a scarecrow with a floppy hat and overalls.  His flannel shirt
had straw sticking out of it.  Lucy was dressed as a 1920s flapper with a
beaded dress and headband.

“Duncan!  Was that a trustee
leaving?  Why aren’t you dressed for Halloween?” asked Tom.

“Yes, that was a trustee.  I had to
get your paychecks signed,” replied Duncan.  “What? All I need is a pair of
fangs and I’m a vampire.”

“Boo.  Hiss,” Lucy said.  “What a
lousy costume!  Wait until Meara gets here.  She’ll whip up something for you.”

“I’m not sure Meara will come
dressed up herself,” Duncan said.  “I never mentioned we celebrate Halloween.”

Tom replied, “I did.  I’m surprise
she let you out of the house without a better outfit.”

“TOM!” Lucy yelled.

“Oops,” Tom whispered.

“It’s all right.  There’s no
fooling you.  I’m surprised she didn’t say anything to me,” Duncan smirked.

Sherrie appeared dressed as a
lumberjack with a red flannel shirt and baggy jeans.  She wore a knit cap and
carried a stuffed blue ox.

“Hello Paul Bunyan!  And is that
Babe with you?” asked Lucy.

“It sure is!  Dave’s camping stuff
finally came in handy!  Duncan, what are you supposed to be?” asked Sherrie,
appalled.

“A vampire?” Duncan said,
uncertainly.  “How about undertaker?”

“I think undertaker will be
convenient.  Duncan, here comes Meara,” Tom said, letting out a low whistle. 
“Now you know why she wasn’t concentrating on you.  Wow.”

Meara entered the library, smiling
sheepishly.  She twirled for everyone to see.

“What do you think?” she smiled,
her dimple deepening.

She was dressed as a black cat.  A
scoopnecked, long-sleeved, knee length black dress hugged her curves.  She had
lost weight with her hard work at the gym.  Black leggings and black flats
showed off her shapely legs.  Around her neck she wore a black ribbon choker
with a large, heart-shaped silver pendant.  Perched on her head were a set of
velvety black cat’s ears.  There was a black spot on her nose and wisps of
whiskers on her blushing cheeks.

“Duncan, you’ll break your jaw that
way,” Tom said.  “Say something or I will.”

“Meow,” Duncan said, mesmerized. 
“You look fantastic.  May I offer you an ear scritch?”

Sherrie chuckled.  “You know, that
constitutes sexual harassment.”

“He’ll take his chances, no doubt,”
laughed Lucy.  “You look very nice, Meara.”

“Thank you, Lucy.  I love your
dress.  It’s beautiful!  Is that Babe the Blue Ox, Sherrie?  And Tom, a
scarecrow.  I like you most of all.”  Meara patted Tom’s cheek.

“Aw, shucks, Miss Meara, you’re
making me blush.  But what about Duncan?  He doesn’t look very Halloweenish,”
asked Tom.

“While Anne was picking out my
costume, I found a pair of unused vampire teeth, still in the original
package.  Ben had a black cape Anne borrowed for me.  Are you willing to be the
undead, Mr. Phillips?” asked Meara.

“Only if you’ll be my first
victim,” Duncan said, without thinking.

“Yep, definitely sexual
harassment,” Sherrie laughed.

Meara blushed.  “Duncan!”

Tom, Lucy and Sherrie were stunned.

“Did you just call him Duncan?”
asked Sherrie.

Meara turned bright red.  “I did.”

Lucy spoke up.  “We’re all adults
here.  If you two want to keep it private, fine.  But call each other by your
first names, all right?  It’s a little weird to hear you be so formal.  Got
it?”

“Yes, Lucy,” said Duncan and Meara
together.

“Now, Meara, go get Duncan dressed
up so he fits in around here.  And Duncan, keep your fangs off her,” laughed
Lucy.

“I’ll try, but I make no promises
when she looks like that.”  Duncan pointed.

“Duncan!”  Meara giggled.

“Or when she giggles!”  Duncan
followed Meara into his office and closed the door.

While Meara was tying the cape
around his neck, Duncan dropped his voice to a low growl and reached for her. 
“If I had known you were going to look like this today, I would have kept you
at home.”

She playfully slapped away his
hands.  “Anne asked me if I was dressing up today.  I said no.  She insisted on
picking out something.  Now hold still so I can get this right.”

She stood between him and his
desk.  While she fussed with his cape, she watched his eyes dart behind her to
his desk, to a side desk against the wall, and then back to her.

She frowned.  “What are you
thinking about in that head of yours?”

“I’m thinking about you, me, this
desk, that side desk, and the floor.  Right now.”

“Think again, sweetheart.  Our
friends know we play together, if you know what I mean.  Going to a first name
basis is the only new indication of our relationship I want to give them
today.  They don’t need to hear us fooling around in here.”

“Who’d fool around?  I’d be quite
serious.  But you’re right, it’s a library.  What I want to do to you would
require a lot of noise.  How do I look?  Could I pass for Dracula?”

“Pop in the teeth and let me see. 
No funny business.  If I leave this office with teeth marks, you’ll be in big
trouble.”

“Not even a kiss for me?”  He
pouted.

“No kisses.  You’ll pass for
Dracula.  If Dracula was a sexy, blonde librarian with green eyes.”

He reached for her and this time,
she didn’t pull away.  He popped out his vampire teeth and kissed her.

“You’re killing me,” he whispered.