Page 6 of The House on Blueberry Lane

All six houses on Blueberry Lane backed up against massive yet scenic blueberry fields. What he liked about this house was that it was the only one in a quiet cul-de-sac and had the most land and trees. People rarely drove into the cul-de-sac and he liked the privacy and planned to use it to his advantage.

As he got out of his car, he felt deep flutters in the pit of his stomach. Although he’d kept his distance from Velvet, there wasn’t a morning he hadn’t stood in his kitchen, after returning from his morning jog, and through the window watched her get into her car to leave for school.

“Hello, Mr. Colfax,” Velvet said to him as she exited her car.

If she was intent on keeping things formal between them, he would let her. For now. “Miss Spencer. And how was your day?” he asked as his gaze raked over her, taking in everything about her, especially her gorgeous smooth, creamy and flawless cocoa-colored complexion, shoulder-length dark brown hair that fell in waves to her shoulders, her black eyes and high cheekbones.

“My day was challenging, and yours?”

He smiled. “Challenging as well, but I’m finding this is a good town with a lot of nice, hardworking people.”

“Yes, I love it here. It’s peaceful.”

Had she said that as a hint that her life was here now and not in Phoenix?

She then said, “Well, have a nice evening.”

“You do the same.” There was no need to tell her that as long as he slept alone and didn’t wake up with her in his arms, it wouldn’t be a nice evening, night or morning. He watched her hurry up the steps to her door, open it and then close it behind her.

He grabbed the bags from the passenger seat; he’d picked up dinner from the Witherspoon Café. He headed up his walkway to the side of the house where his entry door was located, but not before glancing back at the door through which Velvet had disappeared.

VELVET CLOSED THE door behind her, then leaned against it, drawing in a deep breath. The moment she’d gotten out of her car and seen Jaye, she had been transported back to the time when seeing him would have been the highlight of her day...and then her night. Those days were long gone. Now she left her house and returned home, hoping she wouldn’t see him at all.

Typically, there was no reason for their paths to cross since she had teachers’ hours and he had bankers’ hours. That meant she was in her classroom getting her day started before he even left for work. However, because he was an ardent morning jogger, she would get a glimpse of him out her kitchen window while enjoying her morning coffee. There was nothing like starting her day seeing all those rippling muscles, firm abs and bulging biceps. It was a good thing he jogged through the blueberry fields behind the houses and not out on the open road. She could just imagine being a female driver and seeing all those toned muscles sprinting about. It would probably cause car accidents.

She pushed away from the door, recalling how when they’d been a couple, Jaye never invited her to go jogging with him, even those days when she would spend the night over at his place. He said jogging in the morning was his personal time alone to clear his head. It was when he could really think, strategize and plan his day.

Sighing deeply, she placed her briefcase on the dining room table and wondered if Jaye had recognized it as the same one he’d given her as a birthday gift. Unfortunately, it hadn’t it been the engagement ring she’d been hoping for.

What had been the turning point in their relationship was overhearing Jaye tell his best friend, Mercury Steele, that he loved her, but had quickly explained that meant he loved to bed her. That’s when she had finally seen the handwriting on the wall. After engaging in an exclusive relationship with Jaye for three years, he still had no intention of ever settling down and marrying her.

Needing a drink, she went into the kitchen for a glass of wine. Every time she saw Jaye, it would remind her of just what she hadn’t done in two years—namely, made love with a man. When they’d been a couple, she and Jaye had maintained a very active sex life. It didn’t take long to realize her battery-operated toy couldn’t replace the real thing and she’d gotten rid of it, deciding to do without. She’d been fine since then but now her body’s radar seemed to hone in on the very person who had taken care of its needs for three solid years.

Not wanting to think about that, she took a sip of wine and then went back to the dining room to pull the papers from her briefcase. She always gave an algebra quiz on Fridays. Sitting at the table, she began grading papers, deciding to do it now rather than wait until Sunday evening. Less than an hour later, she was finished. All the students had aced the quiz, except for Lenny.

When Velvet heard her cell phone ringing, she smiled, recognizing the ringtone. It was her best friend, Ruthie, who’d been her college roommate and the reason Velvet, after her parents’ death, had relocated from Seattle to Phoenix.

“Hey, Ruthie. How are the wedding plans coming along?” Ruthie was getting married in June.

“Great! I’m working with a wonderful wedding planner, and she has a lot of great ideas.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“I just wanted to check in to see how you’re doing and ask if you’ve seen your sexy neighbor lately.”

Velvet rolled her eyes, knowing Ruthie thought the entire situation with her and Jaye was rather amusing. She had spent two years putting as much distance between them as she could and then fate delivered him practically to her door.

There was no need to tell Ruthie that she saw Jaye most days; especially when she made sure she was standing at a particular spot in her kitchen to catch a glimpse of him leaving to go jogging. “Funny you should ask. I saw Jaye today when I came home. He was coming home as well.”

“And?”

“And we spoke and then I went inside my side of the house, and I assume he went inside his.”

“Umm, did you get all hot and bothered when you saw him?”

“Why would I? I don’t love Jaye anymore.”

“Who said anything about love? I’m thinking of hot sex. The two of you used to mate like rabbits, and if I recall, just a couple of months ago you mentioned the idea of engaging in a steamy affair just to take the sexual edge off.”

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