CHAPTER 6 Sunday dawned sunny once again, and Sandy breathed a sigh of relief as she got out of bed and threw on her clothes. She had slept longer than she had intended, and was thankful that Bob hadn’t arrived yet. Quickly she skipped down the stairs to the kitchen and put on the coffee, and was just rummaging through the fridge when Ty appeared from the back door. “Lost something in there?” he asked, jokingly. “Oh!” she jumped. She hadn’t realized he was already awake, and hadn’t expected him to come from outside. “Are you always up this early?” she asked, bending over again and reaching back into the fridge. “Not always. Just when I have work to do.” He smiled at her and sauntered to her side, where he rested one hand on the edge of the fridge, the other on the open door, and leaned down to peer inside, effectively trapping her between him and the fridge. “What are you looking for?” “Breakfast,” she said, as she moved a jar of mayonnaise to get to the jam that was hiding behind it. “What are you serving?” he leaned down a little closer to her. “Well, I slept in. I don’t have time to make a big breakfast, but I thought I’d make eggs, and bagels and jam.” She stood as she spoke, a carton of eggs in one hand and the jam in the other, and turned to find her face pasted up against his. “Oh!” she gasped, but there was nowhere for her to go, and he just held her startled gaze with a calm one of his own and did not budge. “Excuse me,” she said, struggling, trying to get around him. “Ty, I have to go cook the eggs.” He said nothing, however, and his eyes were clouded with a look she could not understand. She felt her knees turning to jelly and her breath catching in her throat as the corner of his lips slowly crept upwards. “Ty?” she whispered, almost inaudibly. “Mm hmm?” he said, and without taking his eyes off hers, he reached for the carton of eggs, took them from her, and placed them back on the shelf in the fridge. As her eyes narrowed slightly, he did the same with the jam, and then his eyes dropped to her lips. In the split second that followed Sandy had just barely enough time to realize his intentions before his lips were on hers. Startled, she stood motionless and let him kiss her. His lips explored hers, and without any input from her brain, hers parted to accept his kiss. His hand left its place on the fridge door and landed gently on her arm, slowly brushing its way upwards until it rested on her shoulder, coaxing her even closer to him until their bodies were pressed together. In a slightly defensive attempt, Sandy rested one hand against his chest, but it refused to push him away, and instead her chin tilted upwards. His lips left hers, just barely, and their eyes locked once again. “Ty?” she whispered again, struggling with the emotions that were churning inside her. “I’ve been wanting to know what that would be like for days.” he said, by way of explaining his actions, but before she could think of anything to say, let alone speak it, he kissed her again. “Sandy -- Ty! We’re here!” Serena’s cheerful song filtered through to Sandy’s ears. “Bob’s just getting his tools out of the truck.” Sandy gasped and straightened, pulling away from Ty and finally managing to convince her hand to push against him. He grinned at the look of panic on her face, and hesitated only a second before finally moving aside to let her free. Ignoring the whole idea of eggs and bagels, Sandy practically flew to the other side of the kitchen, as far away from Ty McKinley as she could get, and rested her hands on the edge of the sink. She was shaking like a leaf, and the last thin she wanted at that moment was to have company! “C’mon in, Serena,” she heard Ty say in a low drawl, as he made his way towards the front door, “Sandy’s in the kitchen. Let us know when the coffee’s ready.” The smugness in his voice made Sandy groan, and she quickly turned on the tap and pretended to be washing a plate that had been sitting in the sink. Serena appeared in the kitchen doorway moments later, glancing back over her shoulder. “That sure is one hunk of a man you’ve got there, Sandy. If I wasn’t a happily married woman I tell you, I sure would envy you!” “Serena...” Sandy said, her shoulder sagging as she turned to face the girl. Serena laughed at her. “Oh don’t you worry, Honey, you don’t have to worry about me. Bob and I are deliriously happy, and this baby has him walking on air. But a girl can look, you know, and be appreciative all the same.” Sandy shook her head. Serena had totally missed the point of her objection. It wasn’t that she questioned the girls motives toward Ty, it was that Serena was greatly misinformed on her own. “But Serena, Ty and I...” “Oh, you don’t have to tell me, Sandy, I can see it in the way you look at each other. Reminds me of when Bob and I were dating. Now, since I got pregnant he’s been so sweet, fussing over me all the time. He’s always worried about whether I’m eating right and making sure I’m not doing too much or lifting anything too heavy. “ Sandy sighed and gave up trying to explain things to the girl. It was obvious she had moved on in the conversation anyway, and maybe just continuing to steer her off the topic would be better than dragging it through the mud. She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders and smiled. “So everything is going well with the baby then?” she asked, and Serena beamed back at her. “Well over half way there! I’m into these maternity clothes now but I’m not quite ready for tent dresses yet.” She chuckled, and clasped her hands out in front of her, pretending to encircle a full term belly. “I’ll be out to here soon enough. My cousin Marie, she was like the Goodyear Blimp by the time she reached eight months, so I guess I’m pretty lucky. Bob is just hoping he won’t be out of town on a run when the baby comes! He’s worried about me being alone when that happens. That’s another reason why he misses his old roofing job. My family doesn’t live around here and it really worries him that he has a job that takes him out of town.” Serena sighed, and Sandy guessed that it wasn’t just Bob that was concerned about the situation. “I’m sure everything will be just fine when the time comes,” Sandy said, trying to reassure her. “You’ll see.” “You’re probably right,” Serena said, thoughtfully, then she put on a happy smile. “And there’s still lots of time before we have to worry about that anyway. I’m sure by then we’ll have worked out a solution.” “I’m sure you will,” Sandy smiled. “There must be someone you know who can stand in for Bob if he is out of town?” Serena sighed and shook her head. “Neither of us have family around here, and none of them are free to be able to come stay with me, and I hate to burden people like that.” “I wouldn’t consider that a burden at all if a friend of mine needed me to be with her at a time like that!” Sandy stated, and Serena smiled at her. “You must be very special to your friends,” Serena smiled. Sandy’s thoughts drifted back over the past couple of years. Back home, the girls she had considered her friends had gossiped about her just as much as the rest of the town. Her best friend had moved far away, and Mikki was the closest she really had these days. “What are friends for.” She smiled at the girl. “Oh Sandy, you have given me a wonderful idea!” Serena looked at her hopefully. “Would you do that for me -- if Bob does end up being out of town? Would you come if I needed you?” Sandy’s eyes widened, surprised that the girl felt close enough to her to ask her this. “Why Serena, of course I would!” “You would? Really?” Serena’s face showed both surprise and excitement, and when Sandy nodded, she instantly pulled her into her arms for a long sisterly hug. “Oh Sandy, I feel so much better knowing you will be here to help!” “What’s taking so long for the coffee?” Bob’s voice greeted them. The two women turned and saw Bob, with Ty close on his heels, at the kitchen doorway. “She’s not boring you with baby talk is she?” Bob continued, as Serena beamed at him. Serena threw her arms around her husband in an animated hug and Bob lifted questioning eyes to Sandy. He held up his hands pretending to be defenseless in this attack of affection. “Oh Honey, you’ll never guess what! You know how worried you are that you might have to be out of town when the baby comes, and I’ll be all alone? Well, Sandy has offered to be with me if it comes to that.” Serena positively bubbled out the news, and Bob grinned at Sandy though he tried to hide his relief behind his masculinity. “Is that a fact, huh? Well that ought to take a load off your mind.” He looked down at his wife with a wide grin. Serena pretended to slap him on the chest. “Robert Mitchell, you know perfectly well you’ve been just as worried about this as I have!” Bob feigned ignorance. “Who, me? Never!” but he winked at Sandy, just as Serena turned her smiling face toward Ty. “This girl of yours is a lifesaver!” Serena announced. Sandy sputtered, and spun around to the cupboard to reach for the coffee mugs. With her back to the group, she heard Ty speak. “I won’t argue with you on that, she sure saved my hide.” “Coffee’s ready!” Sandy chimed, and was relieved when no one picked up the conversation. Coffee was poured, drank, and the men headed back outside, and soon the sound of rhythmic hammering was heard from above. “You’re so lucky to have Ty to do all this work for you,” Serena said, as the two women moved into the living room a little later. “Your front porch looks beautiful. It fits the period of the house perfectly!” Sandy smiled. For once, the subject of Ty didn’t bring panic to her chest, for it was true, she really was lucky to have him working for her. Though she had thought, when she bought the house, that she would assert her independence and fix the place up herself, it was now quite obvious that Ty knew his way around a saw and hammer much better than she did. Even with Herbert Witherspoon’s friendly advice, she could never have restored her porch to the masterpiece she now considered it to be. It was funny, she thought, how the directions one’s life takes can change the way one looks at things, and what one considers of value. Two years ago, as she had prepared for her wedding, beauty had been defined by fine dresses and beautiful bouquets and priceless crystal. As Jonathan had courted her, she has been rendered breathless by intricately wrapped gifts and their expensive contents, the decor in fine restaurants, and the antique furniture and fine art in his grandmother’s house. Now, without question, she considered her screen door and front porch a work of art, and Ty McKinley the artist. “Now there’s a look I recognize.” Serena’s voice penetrated her thoughts, and she realized the girl was standing there with a knowing glint in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Serena,” Sandy apologized. “I was a million miles away.” Serena nodded, and winked. “Yeah. Are you sure you weren’t just up on the roof?” Sandy wrinkled her brow questioningly and Serena laughed. “Oh hey, I understand! You won’t get any complaints from me, he’s definitely worth the daydreams.” “Serena!” Sandy exclaimed, groaning, and the other girl laughed at her. “Alright, I’ll change the subject,” she said, with a wink, and promptly switched to baby talk. Despite Serena’s belief that she and Ty were a couple, and her habit of referring to it often, Sandy really liked the woman and enjoyed her company. The day passed like a warm breeze, and before they knew it, the men were breaking for lunch. Sandy and Serena made sandwiches and soup, and the two hungry workmen wolfed it down appreciatively and returned to the roof. After that, it didn’t seem like any time had passed before Sandy noticed the hammering had stopped. When she and Serena stepped outside to take a look, the men were sitting on the roof with a beer each, looking as comfortable as if they had been sitting on her living room couch. “Job’s done!” Ty called down to her, when he noticed them, lifting his beer in salute and smiling. “Looks great!” Sandy called back up, shading her eyes from the sun with her hand. She couldn’t believe that just the morning before none of this work had even been started, and now it was all complete. “You two make quite the team,” she commented, as the two men reached the ground. Ty patted Bob on the back and grinned. “Best I’ve worked with in a long time!” he announced, bringing a proud grin to both Bob’s and Serena’s faces. “I’d hire him in a minute,” he continued, then quickly added “If I were ever in a position to do any hiring, that is.” Serena chuckled. “Well, you just keep that in mind,” she teased, and beamed up at her husband who now stood with his arm draped over her shoulders, looking down at her like a man definitely deeply in love with his wife. He leaned down and dropped a loving kiss on his wife’s lips, and in spite of herself Sandy’s gaze quickly flitted to Ty. To her dismay, he was looking at her too, and the look in his eyes clearly told her he knew what she was thinking about. Quickly she diverted her eyes and cleared her throat. “Sorry guys,” Bob grinned. “Sometimes I get a little carried away when my beauty is around.” He kissed her briefly again, then drew his arm away and adjusted his work gloves. “Time to pick up all the mess we made around this place I guess, huh Ty?” he said, as he opened the door of his pick-up. “Right,” Ty agreed, and while Bob backed the truck into position, Ty started picking up old shingles and boards and throwing them into the back of the truck. By the time everything was cleared away they had made several trips to the dump and both looked tired, yet pleased with the day’s accomplishments. The couple was in no hurry to leave, however, and accepted Sandy’s invitation for the men to bring their beer inside and take advantage of a more comfortable place to sit. Bob stretched his arm across the back of Sandy’s couch behind his wife and sighed after a long gulp of beer. “You two should join us for dinner some night this week,” he said, as he rested the beer bottle on his thigh. “Serena is a wicked cook.” “Oh — well — uh —” Sandy sputtered, and glanced at Ty, who was lounging in the arm chair on the other side of the room. “Oh yes! Why don’t you? That’s a wonderful idea!” Serena seemed positively thrilled by the suggestion, and beamed like a child, from ear to ear. “We haven’t had company in such a long time, and I do love to cook.” “We’ll have to see,” Ty said, eyeing Sandy’s panicked expression. He casually took a drink of his beer, as if there was nothing unusual about the request — or more like it — the prospect of them accepting it. “I’ve got quite a bit still to do around here, and didn’t you say you were back on the road at the end of the week, Bob? You’ll want to spend as much time as you can with your beautiful wife before you head out. Another time might be better? Give us a call when you’re back home on your next long stretch, Bob, hopefully things will have settled down around here by then.” Serena was sufficiently flattered by his compliment, and wiggled into the crook of Bob’s arm. “Promise?” she asked, looking from Ty to Sandy. “Certainly!” Sandy agreed, glad to be off the hook for a while at least. She liked Bob and Serena, but to be in their company, together, when they thought she and Ty were a couple made her tense. “Alright then, I’ll hold you to that!” Serena grinned and nodded. When Bob gets back after this run, we’ll give you a call.” “Make sure you do that!” Ty nodded, and stood up, downing the last of his beer. Bob took the cue, and got up as well, holding a hand out to help his wife off the couch. Pleasant good-bye’s were said all round, and Serena gave Sandy another hug thanking her for offering to be labour coach when the baby came if Bob was out of town. Sandy stood on the porch and waved goodbye to her new friends, and watched as they drove down the street before turning back into the house, purposely avoiding looking at Ty as she slipped past him. “Sandy...” he spoke softly. “It’s been a long day, Ty. Bob looked exhausted. You must be really tired too. You two worked a miracle today. ” She didn’t look at him as she went around the living room straightening cushions and picking up beer bottles to take into the kitchen. “Sandy!” he repeated, standing his ground as she again swept past him into the kitchen. “Ty, look, I haven’t done anywhere near as much work as you did today, and I’m tired, so you must be really beat. I think I’m going to go up to my room and read a book and relax. I’ll see you in the morning if you’re around before I go to work.” She squared her shoulders and walked out of the kitchen back towards the stairs, passing him once again on the way. This time as she did, he reached out and grabbed her gently by the arm, and she hesitated for a moment. “Sandy, look. About this morning — I know that’s what has you hot under the collar, but I’m not going to lie and tell you I hadn’t been wanting to kiss you long before then. It was bound to happen one of these days. It’s no big deal.” Sandy shot him a fierce look, but tried to keep her composure as she seethed inside. There was no way she was going to let him know how his words stung, no way at all! “McKinley, I am not hot under the collar, as you put it, and I would thank you to remove your hand from my arm. Please don’t even give it another thought. It is obvious it meant nothing, it was just another kiss, and I am just one more woman for you to claim victory over -- one more notch on your tool belt. You’re absolutely right, it was no big deal. Now if you will excuse me, I will be going to my room now. Please make sure the doors are closed and the lights are off when you got to bed. Goodnight.” She shook herself free of his grasp and walked directly up the stairs without looking at him, holding herself tall to prove to him that he had not touched a nerve. He was right, it was no big deal. It was just a kiss. It wasn’t like she had never been kissed before! She had been engaged hadn’t she? She had shared many a passionate kiss with Jonathan, there was no reason in the world why Ty should think that that kiss in the kitchen had been anything more than — more than... Sandy closed her bedroom door firmly behind her, her fingers gripping the door handle too tightly, and stood there for a moment trying to catch her breath. No big deal? Who was she trying to kid anyway? Maybe her charade had fooled him, but she wasn’t naive enough to think she had fooled herself. Never in all the time she and Jonathan had been engaged, had she ever experienced a kiss like that! It may have been just another kiss to Ty McKinley. He probably kissed every woman he came into contact with — had probably kissed Karen Smithers for that matter. Oh, Sandy was certain he knew his way around a woman’s lips and to him a kiss was just a kiss, but to her, no other kiss would ever be able to compare. She clenched her eyes tight as she heard the front door close and the unmistakable sound of his footsteps on the porch steps outside, followed by the roar of his bike engine as it pulled out of her driveway.