Till There was You

Karen couldn't help but laugh at Will's barb. She was happy to see Victoria was laughing as hard as anyone.

An hour later, Karen was sitting on the beach with Heather next to her. Jess and Will were riding some waves along with several of the guys in Jess' crew.

"You're going to have to take off that cover-up sooner or later. You have an amazing figure. Jess will love how you look," insisted Heather.

"Why do you think I care what Jess thinks?" asked Karen.

"Really? Maybe because he's a dreamboat? Maybe because he's the best guy you'll ever meet? Maybe because you like him so much? Are they good enough reasons?" teased Heather.

"I've hardly spoken with him. We've shared one dance and that's about all the contact we've had, so there's no reason to suggest I like him," stated Karen.

"Karen, I'm not going to argue with you," countered Heather. "It's pretty obvious to me you like him. Victoria seemed to like you. She's a great mom. Will likes you, and you look like a Goddess in my swimsuit. I'll never be able to wear it again."

A short time later the surf boards were set aside and the group sat on the beach watching the late afternoon sun and chatting.

"Will, let's go get a burger and fries at that new place on Main Street, the one with those arches," suggested Heather.

"You spent most of the day handing out ribs and chicken and now you want a burger?" asked Will.

"We hardly had anything to eat, we were so busy," replied Heather. "Karen, did you eat anything today?"

"Not really," admitted Karen. "I was quite busy washing dishes. I pretty much forgot to eat."

"It's settled. Will and Jess are going to treat us to a burger and fries at that new restaurant. Y'all rode with us, so we'll drop you off after we get something to eat," declared Heather.

Karen looked at Jess and shrugged until she realized how she was dressed. "I can't go into a restaurant looking like this! We have to go someplace and get changed first."

"Does anyone see anything wrong with how Karen's dressed?" asked Heather with a grin. "Jess, would you be willing to walk into that new McDonalds with Karen looking like she does?"

"I'll escort you both in if Jess is afraid," promised Will. "Let's go."

The next morning, Karen slept late. When she finally decided to rise and shine, she spent most of her day thinking how much she had enjoyed the previous day, once she shed Ben Giverns. Jess and his crew, including his mother and brother, had treated her as if she was one of them and it felt good.

The next few weeks passed without any real problems. Jess surprised Karen when he began raising the walls. He had built each wall on the ground to give the pad a solid week to cure. Once he and his crew began erecting them, they quickly fit into place like pieces of a puzzle.

While not completely catching up with the other crews, Jess made good headway. It looked like he would manage to remain within the terms of his contract.

It didn't go unnoticed by the other crews that Karen was spending more time around Jess Brooks. To many it was simply an interesting social interaction, but not to Ben Giverns. He had seen how Karen reacted when he suggested she favor his company in return for some compensation.

It was also obvious to his critical eye the homes he was producing lacked the meticulous effort Jess Brooks put into his craft. Ben and his father believed a good finish carpenter would cover most problems in a house created by fast or sloppy work. When finished, his homes would look as good as any, but built a lot less expensively.

Ben still fumed over how Karen had dumped him like a goddamn school boy when she realized he was suggesting a slight bribe. Now she was hanging around Jess Brooks all the time. Would her infatuation cause her to recommend Brooks to the developers? As he considered how much money he would make if his company managed to swing the contract to complete the project, Ben knew he had to find a way to smear Jess Brooks without anyone connecting him to the deed.

As the first phase neared completion, Ben wrestled with several ideas to discredit Jess in some way. He finally settled on one. That day he sat down and typed a letter while there were no others in the office.

A week later Karen realized all the builders, including Brooks Enterprises, would complete the project in a timely fashion and receive bonuses. She had to admit the development was beginning to look like a community. She imagined families in the homes and kids playing in the yards, once they managed to get some grass to grow.

Saturday night found Karen accepting a ride to "Bones" with Jess. They had been slowly drifting closer since they met, but this was the first night he was picking her up from her hotel. She had registered for an extended stay, so she had a small kitchenette, a living area and a small bedroom.

She had shown Jess around when he picked her, so on the ride to "Bones" she asked Jess about his place. "When are you going to show me your house? Heather told me you were living in a big old Victorian while you were fixing it up. She said you're doing a great job and it looks amazing."

"I've got a long way to go on it," responded Jess. "If you want to see it, I'd be glad to show it to you anytime you like. It's turning out pretty good so far."

When they walked through the doors to "Bones", Karen took Jess' hand and led him over to where their friends were sitting. Heather was grinning like the cat that got the cream.

"You finally got him to take you on a date! He's a little slow on the uptake, but he's a keeper," declared Heather as she hugged Karen and then Jess.

Karen once again had a great time. The other guys had accepted her as one of the group. A round faced, somewhat pudgy Tim Ralston kidded Karen about causing him extra work. When she indicated her lack of understanding, he explained.

"Jess has been all over our asses about doing everything perfect. He's always been a perfectionist, but he's trying to impress you. It's up to the rest of us to make him look good."

She danced with most of the guys in the crew, but always seemed to wind up with Jess when a slow song played. They started out dancing with some distance between them, but as the night went on, Karen found herself pressed as tightly to Jess as she could possibly get and he wasn't exactly trying to push her away.

Jess was careful about drinking too much since he was driving, but Karen was having such a good time, she drank a little more than usual. As she and Jess were enjoying the last dance of the night, she looked into Jess' eyes and made a decision.

"Would you show me your house tonight? I can make a pretty good breakfast, or am I jumping to conclusions?" asked Karen coyly.

"I sure can," whispered Jess as he leaned down and gently kissed Karen's lips. "You're sure it's what you want? You aren't drunk, are you?"

"I may be a little, but I'm sure it's what I want. It's what I wanted since that first day you stared at my legs and breasts," admitted Karen before pulling Jess down for another kiss.

Unknown to Karen, a transient passing through Palm Oaks noticed her convertible in the hotel parking lot at the same time she was enjoying her last dance. Taking advantage of his misspent youth, the man soon had her car door opened and the engine started. Driving a new Corvette to Miami would beat the hell out of hitchhiking.

Also because of his misspent youth, he never actually learned to drive a car with the acceleration capabilities of the Corvette. He managed to travel only a few miles before sliding off the road on a curve and smashing into a tree. He woke up with a broken tree limb on the passenger seat and his head on the steering wheel.

Wiping the blood from his eyes, he painfully climbed out the shredded rag-top and staggered into the undergrowth, fearing someone would catch him at the scene. He could ill afford another felony conviction.

"Do y'all want to stop at the all night diner?" asked Heather after the last dance. "The night's still young."

"Thanks, Heather, but I'm ready to call it a night," fibbed Karen. "I just want to get back to my hotel and get some sleep."

"Really? Your first date with Jess and you're going home before the sun comes up? Jess must be getting old, or losing his touch," joked Will.

Once they reached Jess' car, Karen explained. "I really don't want the world to know we'll be having breakfast together. I think that's rather personal."

Karen was properly impressed with the size of Jess' Victorian home. The rooms he had finished were remarkable. He had kept the old woodwork where he could and created new pieces where needed. The only remodeled room on the second floor was Jess' master. Karen praised his workmanship and design. He had made a small adjoining bedroom into a large master bath with a walk-in closet. Jess grinned at Karen as he unplugged his bedroom phone.

Unwilling to wait any longer, Jess took Karen into his arms and kissed her. Karen returned the kiss before stepping back and pulling her shirt over her head.

"Jess, this won't be my first time, but it's been awhile and I'm not very experienced, so be patient," whispered Karen as she removed her bra.

"I'll do anything you ask," replied Jess as he gazed longingly at Karen's breasts. "If you're not comfortable, we don't have to do it. Having you here with me is enough."

"I'm here because I want you to make love to me," was Karen's simple response.

Jess quickly shed his clothes and moved to take Karen into his arms again when she asked, "Would you stand still for a minute so I can drink you in? I've never seen a man who looked so good before. You're so strong, and so...hard! Please be gentle the first time."

Jess found Karen to be a responsive and selfless lover. They made slow, sensuous love twice before falling into a deep sleep.

Tim Morton had intently studied the anonymous letter he had received. The writer didn't identify himself. He did claim Karen Mathers's conduct was inappropriate for both a young woman and the supervisor of a large project.

The writer stated the other builders believed Brooks Enterprises would be awarded the next phase simply because Jess Brooks was sleeping with the project manager. Jess Brooks was a serial womanizer who used women and cast them aside. Karen Mathers was being played by a master manipulator.

The gist of the letter was the company's bottom line, as well as its reputation, was being jeopardized by a young woman who could not keep her legs together. Tim Morton became more upset every time he read the letter, and he had read it often enough to know it by heart.

He stopped on his way home to visit his daughter, Sarah. "I received this letter in the mail today. It pertains to your daughter and her activities in Florida. I'm going to drive down there tomorrow morning."

"I'll pack tonight and be ready to ride down with you. I own thirty percent of the company and Karen's my daughter," replied Sarah Mathers after she read the letter a second time. "Lawrence and Larry can get by without me for a few days."

It had seemed to take forever to get to Palm Oaks, but Tim Morton and Sarah Mathers arrived at Karen's hotel late Saturday night. Neither was overly surprised when they learned Karen was not in her room. They had not seen her Corvette in the hotel parking lot.

Once Karen's mother and grandfather had determined Karen was not in her room, they proceeded to check in. They were glad they had called ahead for rooms since the hotel seemed quite busy. As they were being attended to by the clerk, a police officer interrupted them to question the clerk.

Sheriff's deputy Gus Lassiter had been on routine patrol when his headlights briefly reflected off something in the heavy brush on a curve. He pulled over, grabbed a flashlight and went to investigate. He was more than a little concerned when he found a Corvette badly crumpled with blood splashed on the broken windshield, steering wheel and seat.

He had seen the car quite a few times over the previous few months and knew the woman who drove it was staying at a local hotel. He had seen her with Jess Brooks' crew at "Bones" on a Saturday night while he was off duty.

"What room does the young lady who drives that Corvette have? Do you know if she's in?" asked the officer.

"That's my daughter, Karen," responded Sarah immediately. "She's not in her room. Is she in some sort of trouble?"

"You're her mother? I don't know if she's okay or not. Her car crashed into a tree. Whoever was driving it lost a lot of blood. They must have been hurt. I checked with the hospital and they haven't had any accident victims admitted tonight," revealed the deputy.

Sarah blanched at the deputy's words and began to tear up. Tim Morton quickly introduced himself before asking, "Do you happen to know any of her friends. It's a small town. Do you have any idea where she might go?"

"She does spend time with Jess Brooks' crew. Let me call Will Brooks. I know him, since he's a doctor at the hospital. I'll look up his mother's number. He lives with her and he might know something about your granddaughter," responded the officer as the sympathetic clerk handed a phone book over the counter.

Victoria seldom received phone calls late at night. She knew for a fact when the phone rang after midnight, it was not a pleasure call. She felt some dread as she wondered where her boys were, and if they were safe as she picked up the phone.

She was still speaking with the policeman when she heard Will enter the house. She called for him to join her.

"The police found Karen's car off the road and crashed into a tree. No one was in it. Do you have any idea where she might be, or who she could be with? Her mother's at the hotel and she's extremely concerned."

"She was with Jess tonight, but the last I saw them, Jess was driving his car. They should call him. He'd know more about Karen's whereabouts," responded Will.

Victoria relayed Will's suggestion, along with Jess' phone number to the officer on the phone. As soon as Victoria hung up, Will called Heather and explained the situation. Heather was surprised Will would be calling so soon. He had just dropped her off after leaving the all night diner. When she heard the reason for his call, Heather insisted on driving the short distance to his house. She knew sleep would never come until she found out how Karen was.

It was only a few minutes later that Victoria's phone rang again. Will listened to her end of the conversation with great interest.

"He doesn't answer? He has a phone by his bed. I hope he isn't hurt, too! Why don't we meet at his house out at 213 Davis Drive? I have a key so we'll be able to get in. I'm worried now, too," admitted Victoria Brooks.

As Will and Victoria were getting into Will's car, Heather sped into the driveway. Soon the three were headed to Jess's house to meet the deputy.

"Oh my God!" registered slightly on Jess as he emerged from a deep sleep. He went to sit up, but realized there was weight on his arm. He cracked his eyes open to find his arm under Karen's head with her left breast grasped in his hand. He smiled as he again closed his eyes and laid his head back on the pillow.

"Jesus, Jess!" whispered Will close to his ear. "You really need to wake up. This may get ugly real fast!"

Jess' eyes shot open when he heard his brother's voice. Turning his head, he saw Will standing next to his bed. His mother was next to Will. She was smiling like a Cheshire Cat.

Hearing voices, Jess slowly looked further to the left. Heather was perched at the end of his bed with her hand over her mouth trying to cover her mirth.

Totally confused, Jess caught movement from the corner of his eye. The next thing he knew, a sobbing, but attractive middle aged woman, sat down on the bed next to Karen and wrapped her arms around her!

"Young Man, would you be so kind as to release my daughter's breast so I can wake her up and hug her properly?" asked the woman as she ran her eyes over Jess' exposed torso.

Jess jerked his hand back like it had been scalded. Karen's mom had just asked him to release her daughter's breast! Could things get any worse?

"Mom?" asked Karen in a very subdued voice. "Why are you here? Is something wrong? Grandpa?"

"Everything appears to be exceptionally fine," soothed Karen's mother as she pulled her daughter to a sitting position once Jess relaxed his grip and hugged her daughter fiercely. "I was afraid that you were in that car wreck, Sweetheart. I felt like I couldn't breathe, I was so worried about you."

"Mom, this is kind of embarrassing!" stated Karen as she slowly realized there was a crowd watching. "Why is everyone in Jess' bedroom? Why are the police here?"

"I think I've seen enough to know Miss Mathers is in good shape," stated the red faced deputy.

"You think?" managed Heather as she was no longer able to contain her laughter. "You're very observant, Deputy!"

"I mean it appears she's suffered no injuries. We can conduct an interview at a more appropriate time and place. I'll get back on patrol now," replied the officer as he quickly turned and left the room.

"Did everyone think Jess would hurt me?" asked Karen. "He's a gentleman! He didn't beat me or force me against my will. Is that what you think happened?"

"Hardly, Dear," responded her mother gently. "That smile on your face as you slept told me all I needed to know about your feelings toward your boyfriend. You looked very..."

"Content may be the word you're looking for," suggested Victoria. "I can't tell you how relieved I am to see these two safe in each other's arms."

"Mom? Will? Heather? I'm sure there's a good reason for all three of you to be standing in my bedroom at two in the morning, but I can't think of one off the top of my head," stated Jess as he struggled to maintain his temper. "This may be funny to you, but what about Karen and her reputation? I want you to put my house key on the kitchen table on your way out."

"Sarah, if you're done hugging your beautiful daughter, let's go downstairs and make some tea and get to know each other," offered Victoria while ignoring Jess completely.

"Karen, I'm going to go downstairs and visit with Victoria and the others. Could you pull yourself away from this handsome guy long enough to come down and talk to us?" asked Sarah as she looked from her daughter to the young man in bed with her.

"Sure, Mom. I'm sorry about finding me like this. I'll get dressed and be right down," answered a confused Karen.

"What the hell just happened?" demanded Karen once the bedroom door closed. "My mother and grandfather just caught me in bed with a guy and they were just glad I wasn't in a car crash."

"I can't figure it out either," admitted Jess. "Maybe they think you sleeping with me is preferable to being killed or maimed in a car accident?

"My mother knows better than to walk into my bedroom in the middle of the night. That was your mother and grandfather? They didn't seem too angry, but they did catch us in bed together! That can't be good, no matter how you spin it."

Jess and Karen slowly descended the stairs to find Will, Heather, Victoria, Sarah and Tim enjoying tea and chatting like old friends.

"We owe you both an apology, but first let me make introductions. I'm Karen's mother, Sarah Mathers. This is my father, Tim Morton. We never intended to intrude on your privacy. We're truly sorry about that."

"Tim Morton is your grandfather?" asked a stunned Jess. "Your grandfather is the developer? You're working for your grandfather?"

"Yes, he is. I didn't tell anyone because I didn't feel it made any difference. I was in charge of the phase regardless of how I was appointed."

"You two can hammer that out later," stated Karen's mother. "I'm trying to apologize here. In our defense, a police officer told us he'd found Karen's car smashed against a tree. The seat and steering wheel had blood splattered all over them. We were extremely concerned for Karen's health and safety.