Shoe Strings

length of the house and
around one side.   He had well-used
rockers and a porch swing that hung in the corner with a pretty red cushion
that matched the shutters on the clapboard house.
    “No, not even close.”   She walked along the porch, leaned over the banister at the corner, and
looked westward toward the setting sun.   The trees, with their budding leaves and long trunks, swayed like lovers
in the wind.   Lita wanted to
unbutton the simple cotton dress she’d purchased at the general store and let
the cool evening air dance over her naked skin.   Where, she had to wonder, had that
impulse come from?
    “I like the dress.”   Jesse came up behind her and wrapped his arms under the chunky sweater
she’d worn over it.   “Not your usual
getup.”
    “I’m not in the mood for getups tonight.”   She turned to face him, tried to
memorize the curve of his cheek, the flecks of gold in his hazel eyes, the
small scar across his temple.   She
didn’t want to forget any detail about him, wanted to be able to shut her eyes
at any time during the day and summon his image in her mind, just as he stood
now, a sly smile playing over his lips, mischief in his eyes.  
    “That sounds like a challenge.”   His smile faded.    “Angelita, what’s wrong?”   He pulled back and studied her.   “You’re pale and…shaking.”   His hands slid to her wrists where her pulse
throbbed beneath his thumbs.
    She pulled him closer, drank in his scent.   “Nothing, just a little cold.   Hold me, would you?”
    He ran his hands up and down her back, soothing, melting her
against him.   Why did she have to
meet him when her life was a mess and her heart so starved for affection?   But it was more than affection she felt
for him, more than wanting.   They’d
exposed the kernel of something in the time they’d shared.   If only her father hadn’t wielded his
puppet strings and caused her to forfeit her right to explore their
relationship.   She pulled back and
tried to smile.   “How about a tour?”
    “Sure.”   He held
her at arm’s length for a minute before letting her go.   He had a way of looking at her that left
her feeling exposed. “Are you sure you’re okay?”   When she nodded, he held the door open
and followed her inside.  
    If the outside of the house hadn’t already astonished her,
the inside would have knocked her off her feet.   She’d never been in a place that so
clearly spelled home.   She heard it
whispered in the creaking of the wide plank flooring, smelled it in the musty
rugs and cinnamon-scented candles on the mantle, saw it in the rich tones of
the wooden staircase and window moldings.  
    “It’s beautiful.”   She crossed her hands over her chest and turned around in the narrow
entrance hall.   Dark woods, splashes
of deep red, gold, and chocolate in the rugs and pillows.   Heavy window panels in the dining area and
naked windows in the kitchen.   Every
room he led her through called to her to linger, slip off her shoes, and
unwind.   “Jesse,” she said as he
wound her back through to the kitchen.   “It’s so wonderful.   I don’t
how you keep surprising me.”
    He pulled a bottle of wine from the counter and retrieved
two glasses.   “The house took a lot
of work; still does to keep it up.   But I like it.”
    “It suits you.   I
never would have pictured you here, but it suits you perfectly.”   She accepted the glass and felt tears
sting her eyes.   She didn’t want to
give him up.   The man she’d casually
dismissed as a carefree loafer owned his own business, had raised a
well-adjusted son, and owned a high maintenance home.   Oh, and he made her toes curl with a
look.   “I half-expected you to rent
a dive apartment or live in a trailer park.”
    “I didn’t start out this way, Angelita.   Your first impression was pretty dead-on
when I was your age.”
    “When you were my age you lived in Atlanta?”
    “Yes.”   He pulled
a tray of cheese from the refrigerator and opened a box of crackers.   “I don’t even think my apartments are
still standing.   At least, I hope
they’re not.”
    “I live next to the park.” She hadn’t thought of her
condominium since she’d arrived.   Funny, she thought.   She’d
always loved it, with its wide windows and funky decorations.   She didn’t miss it a bit.   “I loved the view until I came
here.   Now I can’t imagine all the
streets and city noise.”