Bear the Heat
By Aurora Cavender
Kitty stood at the kitchen sink, washing the last of
the dishes after her solitary lunch. A feast of garden salad and baked salmon
was something her husband never would have subjected himself to, and it showed
on both of their figures.
She sighed and placed the last plate in the rack to
dry. She didn't know why she bothered anymore. Frank had never taken much
notice of her appearance before and he barely even looked at her.
She looked up into the gingham-curtained window. Her
reflection was the same as always, and she turned away quickly. After years of
marriage, the image staring back at her had lost its allure, even if her
appearance hadn't. She'd always been quite beautiful, but the truth was, she
didn't feel it anymore. Other men certainly found her attractive, but it cut
her deeply that Frank never looked twice, no matter what she wore-or didn't
wear in some cases.
The rough knock on the door pulled her from her
cleaning. "Who could that be?" she wondered aloud. She walked across
the house and pulled open the door.
A man, tall and broad shouldered turned in the
sunlight to face her. He had bright blue eyes and a long, broad nose that stood
proudly from his face. His dark hair was hidden beneath a tattered and worn
hat. He was unconventionally handsome, which seemed to make him all the more
attractive. As though he himself had broken the mould.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
He tipped his hat. "Afternoon, ma'am. I'm here
about the pool."
"Pool? We haven't got one."
One side of his mouth turned up in a smirk. "No,
ma'am. I'm here to take measurements to put one in."
"There must be some mistake. We didn't ask for a
pool."
He stepped back, taking another look at the address
posted on the facade of the house. "My mistake, ma'am. I thought this was number
twenty-one." He picked up his toolbox and tipped his hat at her, letting
his eyes travel down her body.
The bold move made her heart beat faster. It had been
ages since she'd seen someone look at her like that. Most of the men she saw
were far too polite and well-bred.
The man winked and spun on his heel. She let her own
eyes follow the curve of his body. His workman's jeans were tight and showed
the wonderful contours of his backside.
"Wait," she called out, as he sauntered down
the path.
He stopped and turned. "Ma'am?"
"We've been thinking about a pool. What company
are you from?"
A grin crossed his face slowly. "Wainwright Pool
and Supplies."
She cleared her throat. "And do you always put
the pools in yourself?"
"Ask for John," he said before turning back
down the path.
I'll
do that.
If you enjoyed this, "The Lonely Wives' Club" is available on:
Amazon
Smashwords
