I Swear Page 17

  “I hope so.” She laid her head on his shoulder.

  Having her so near sent his bloodpressure spiking. He kissed the top of her head, then bent to brush butterfly kisses over her face. More than anything he wanted her mouth, but he made himself wait until he could enjoy her without restraint. “Those notes you wrote me turned me inside out.”

  “Me too,” Delaney admitted. “I’ve never done anything like that before.”

  “I’m happy to be your first,” he whispered in her ear. “In every way you’ll let me.”

  Chapter Nine

  I’m happy to be your first, in every way you’ll let me.

  Delaney savored his words. “Maybe I’ll have beginner’s luck.”

  “Oh, baby, you won’t need luck with me. I’ll take care of you.” He rubbed his nose to hers. “You won’t be sorry you let me love you, I swear.”

  A twinge of longing hit her. His soft words made her want things she didn’t have. She didn’t want him to make promises he couldn’t keep. “Jonah…let’s just enjoy the here and now.”

  “Sounds like a good idea to me.” He kissed her eyes closed. “I’m just so hungry for you. Starving. My hands are shaking I want to touch you so much.”

  Delaney trembled in his arms. “What are you doing to me?”

  “Just wait. Tonight, after Dad goes to sleep, I want to stay up with you. We can put on a movie and make out on the couch.”

  “Yes, please.”

  Jonah could feel her quiver in his arms. “Don’t be afraid, I’d never hurt you.”

  “I know. I’m not afraid. Just excited.”

  “God…” He squeezed her tight, then let her go, lying back with his chest heaving. “You don’t know what you do to me.”

  Too tempted to resist Delaney stretched out next to him, lying her head on his shoulder, and her arm across his chest. “I want to know.”

  “I’m shaking. I’m having trouble breathing.” He whispered in her ear. “And I’m hard as steel.”

  “Good to know.” She giggled and nuzzled his neck. “We’ll be alone soon.”

  “Thank goodness the sun is going down.”

  She gazed at the moon as it peeped at her through the branches of the huge cypress trees growing along the bank of the creek. “At this moment, everything’s magical.” Delaney rested her cheek on his chest. “I hear the water running over the rocks, but I also hear your heart beating. I love the way this feels.”

  He put an arm around her to keep her anchored in place. “God, you’re sweet. Are you for real?”

  She gave him a slight pinch on the side, loving it when he chuckled. “Very.”

  “I got another one! Jonah!”

  “Duty calls.” He gave her a quick kiss, then hopped up to help his father.

  While they were busy, she picked up the leftovers and put them away. As she worked, she appreciated her surroundings. The moonlight danced on the water and the sky was full of stars. She and Jonah might not be alone, but Delaney enjoyed their time together immensely. She couldn’t wait to see what the rest of the night would bring.

  By the time the men returned, she was packed up and ready to go. “I’m not rushing you.”

  “Dad’s tired. Aren’t you, Duke?”

  John managed a yawn. “Yep, I’m bushed.”

  Delaney narrowed her eyes, wondering if he’d picked up on what was going on. “Are you sure?”

  “Yep.” He shrugged his shoulder. “I’m achy and itchy.”

  “We’ll use the calamine lotion again tonight.” She glanced at Jonah. “When’s the appointment?” she whispered.

  “Next week,” he whispered back as he picked up the blanket and folded it. “Dad, I’ll put these fish in cold storage and filet them tomorrow.”

  “And I’ll fry them up with a big batch of French fries and hush puppies,” Delaney offered as she placed the nearly empty picnic basket over her arm.

  “Sounds delicious,” John said as he put the old-fashioned cane pole over his shoulder. “Well, this wasn’t so bad at all. Did you two pitch any woo?”

  “A little bit,” Jonah admitted. “Thank you for being patient.”

  “I don’t remember too much these days, but I certainly remember the ways between a man and a maid.” He fell into step between the younger couple. “Just use your head.”

  “Thanks for the advice,” Delaney told him as she linked her arm with his. “Your son is a total gentleman and I’m not a scheming gold digger.”

  “As if there was any gold to dig.” Jonah reached behind his dad to tug at a lock of Delaney’s hair.

  “I’ve struck gold here with the Callan men, all right. Honor, compassion, and generosity. Those things are much more valuable than wealth.”

  “You’d better hang on to this one,” John told Jonah as they came within sight of the house. “She sounds like your mother. Not like Claudette, that’s for sure.” The moment those words were spoken, all the lights in the house blinked out at once.

  “Oh, no. Look at that,” Delaney exclamed. “What happened?”

  “Huh. Maybe it’s a power outage,” Jonah observed.

  “Nope.” John pointed to a pinpoint of light in the distance. “The neighbor’s securtity light is still shining.”

  “May just be us. I’ll call and report it when we get inside. If the electricity is off, we’ll light the kerosene lamps,” Jonah suggested as they climbed the porch steps.

  “I’ll fetch the lamps,” Delaney offered. “I know where everything is. You just see to the fish.”

  “All right. Thanks.” He mounted the steps, then held the door open for them.

  As they entered, Delaney reached for the light switch. When she flipped it, the lights came on. “Well, look at that. The electricity’s fine. The lights were just turned off. How is that possible?”

  Jonah walked ahead of them into the kitchen. “If I didn’t know it was impossible, I’d say Dad’s right about Claudette haunting the place.”

  “Let’s hope not.” Delaney didn’t want to think about that – not tonight. She placed the basket on the kitchen table while Jonah fetched ice to put on the fish. “I’ll help John get ready for bed. Meet you in the living room later?”

  “I’ll be waiting.” He gave her a glance hot enough to melt chocolate. “Impatiently.”

  …Once she tended John and freshened up a bit, Delaney was ready to go downstairs. She couldn’t help but be a bit nervous. Her whole body was tingling in anticipation of what they were about to do. After checking her reflection one more time in the mirror, she deemed herself presentable. There were times she wished she looked different, but Jonah seemed to like her well enough. Right now – that meant everything.

  Leaving her room, she started down the hall, listening for any sound coming from downstairs. As she headed down the steps, Delaney could hear the television playing. She also detected the clinking of glasses. She didn’t need to look to know he was readying things for them.

  As soon as he heard her approaching, Jonah turned to welcome Delaney. “Hey, you’re here at last. I was afraid you’d changed your mind.”

  “No, I’ve been looking forward to this.”

  “All day?”

  “Since day one.”

  Jonah groaned at her admission. “Come on.” He held his hand out for her to take. “Join me. I poured us a glass of wine. We didn’t have a big selection, it’s a sweet Moscato. I hope you like it.”

  “I love Moscato.” She placed her hand in his, then shivered at the delicious contact. “Do you mind if we don’t turn on the television? Your father’s already asleep, but I need to listen for him.”

  Jonah sat on the couch, then tugged her down to sit next to him. “Not at all. I didn’t really plan on watching anything but you.”

  Delaney closed her eyes for a brief moment, becoming aware of his proximity. He was big and warm – an unignorable presence. His need to be near her was evident and she was exp
eriencing that same longing. “This is new to me,” she muttered softly.

  “What is, love?” He put an arm around her, settling them together so their bodies were touching from shoulder to knee.

  Delaney allowed herself to relax, cataloging the feelings this experience was bringing to mind. “Being this close to someone. My family weren’t huggers. My mother was always emotionally distant from me and she took that after her own mother to a degree, I think. My granddad was warmer, I can remember sitting in his lap when I was small. There just weren’t too many occassions to be this close to someone.”

  “What about men? I mean I know you’re a virgin, but surely a woman as beautiful as you has had occasion to…” He didn’t know how to say it. “To…fool around.”

  His phrasing made her laugh. “A few, not many. I’ve told you a little about my life, how I was the caretaker for my mother, my grandmother, and my brother. This role I took on dominated my life. There wasn’t a lot of time to fool around. I dated rarely and nothing seriously. I was too busy being a caretaker to be anything else.”

  “Yet, things changed.”

  She could sense their breathing synching as he took her hand, their fingers entwining. The nearness of him was intoxicating. “As happens sometimes, everything changed quickly. My grandmother passed, then my grandfather suffered a stroke. He didn’t last long. Ben left the service and moved my mother and brother to Houston. All of a sudden, I was alone. Free of responsibility for others.” She laughed softly. “I didn’t know what to do with myself. My life was fairly encapsulated. I didn’t really have a social network of friends and boyfriends. I’d been too busy to cultivate those relationships.”

  “What did you do?”

  She looked down at their joined hands. He was rubbing his thumb over her palm, caressing her skin. With this small gesture, Jonah was creating a growing need within her. She could feel electric tingles traveling up her arm to other parts of her body. Her nipples tingled and the soft place between her legs grew warm. Just from his simple touch. “Well…” She took a deep breath, trying to concentrate. “I attended some classes at the community college. I had already racked up some hours online when I’d been housebound…I guess you could say. I didn’t really have a choice, there was a lot of catching up for me to do. After all, I needed to get on with my life. Find a way to make a living.”

  “So, you decided to be a teacher?”

  “I did.” She licked her upper lip as he let go of her hand, then trailed his fingers up her arm. “It’s a go to career for women, I think. Especially women from rural areas who have little knowledge of the different jobs available in cities.”

  “What happened to your grandfather’s home? Could you not stay there and find employment?”

  “You’re asking me why I decided to move eight hundred miles just to find a job?” She didn’t wait for him to confirm before continuing, “And, my answer is complicated.” Did she want to explain to him how things worked back home? Right now, he was looking at her with unprejudiced eyes. Highlighing her painful life experiences seemed risky.

  “I really want to know you.”

  Jonah leaned near enough she could feel the warm caress of his breathing. His breath smelled minty and clean. The urge to kiss him was so strong, it was hard for Delaney to process her thoughts. “Several things, I guess. My mother inherited the home place and Ben put it up for sale – which was fine by me, I wanted a fresh start. Somewhere new. Plus, I thought it was easier to get a job where no one knew me very well.”

  Her declaration made Jonah raise his head. “What in the world does that mean?”

  Delaney shook her head, realizing how odd her statement sounded. “I didn’t mean I was a wanted criminal or anything. It’s just…” The words lodged in her throat. Admitting to these things was hard. “In small town, people have a hard time forgetting who you are.”

  Jonah was trying hard to follow her. “I’m not sure I understand. Why in the world would you want someone to forget who you are?”

  Closing her eyes, she steeled herself. What she was about to say seemed antiquated. Yet, prejudice still abounded in all areas of life. Yes, race was a huge part of it – for her as well. But people were judged for everything from the size of their bodies, their capacity to accumulate wealth, to their zip code. “Where I’m from people aren’t judged by what they have so much as they’re judged for who they are, who their parents are, and who their ancestors were.”

  “Really? I think I read something once that stated Louisiana is one of the more diverse sections of the country. There are people living there, who’ve been there for generations, with backgrounds from places like Vietnam and Hungary.”

  “Oh, you’re right. Louisiana is truly a gumbo of culture. Even at that, no one forgets where they came from. They may change the spelling of their name or try to pass for another race, but there’s always someone who knows the truth.” She paused a moment, thinking their make-out session had taken a definite turn. Yet, if this wasn’t intimacy, she didn’t know what was. “I’m sure you could say this has been true from the beginning. The true French, the Spanish, the Creoles, the Acadians, the Native Americans, the blacks – over generations each group assumed a place in society and it was hard to break free of those restraints. Over time, all of the other nationalities found their way into the mix. Some found things easier than the others. Did you know Zwolle was founded by a Dutchman?”

  “No, I didn’t know that.”

  “Most think the town name of Zwolle is a Native American word, like so many places in the country – but its not. The owner of the railroad that was built through Zwolle named the village after his hometown in the Netherlands.”

  “That’s interesting. Considering my background, I’m not sure why I’m surprised. So, tell me about your people. Who are you, Delaney Ellis?”

  She gave him a little crooked smile. “By blood, I’m Delaney Parrie. Born out of wedlock and unrecognized by my father or his family.”

  “And that made a difference?” As he held the beautiful, delicate, perfect woman in his arms, the very idea that someone would judge her for things beyond her control made Jonah furious.

  “In this day and age, it shouldn’t. But I was from an area where everyone knew everyone else – for generations. One family might still be feuding with another family because their great-grandfather accused the other one’s great-grandfather of stealing a hog. So, yes. People never forgot I was born on the wrong side of the blanket.”

  “Even if your father didn’t want to marry your mother or vice-versa, why didn’t he acknowledge you and give you his name?”

  “Bad blood. In our case, it wasn’t a hog. It was a land dispute. Regardless, no one could forget my unfortunate situation beause I looked nothing like the Ellises. I am the spitting image of the Parrie’s.”

  Jonah ran a finger up and down her arm. “And who were the Parrie’s?”

  She snuggled into his arms. “Ah, okay. Knowing your love of the past, let me give you a brief rundown of my people’s history. Before America was a nation, Louisiana and Texas came under different rule. Since Spain was ruling Mexico, their desire to expand into what would become the United States was great. The land on both sides of the Sabine River was a critical piece of real estate. The Spanish, via Mexico, were there first and they doled out land grants to both Spanish as well as Anglo Saxon settlers migrating from the East. These land grants were for thousands of acres and created a whole new class of landed gentry, I guess you could say. For a period of years, these two factions coexisted – not always peacefully, but they cooperated and traded with one another. But…as always power comes into play. I’m sure you’re familiar with the story of Texas independence.”

  “Yea, we became a republic before we became a state. But…what has that got to do with you? You’re from Louisiana.”

  “Yes, but it has everything to do with me. After the war between Texas and Mexico was fought, those land gran
ts to the Spanish were declared null and void. Many people who’d lived on the land for generations were pushed out. Most fled south of the border, but some didn’t want to stray too far from the land they knew as home. Instead, they moved across the Sabine River into what was known as no man’s land.”

  Jonah thought a moment. “Wait, I’ve heard of that, a strip of land between Texas and Louisana whose ownership was always in dispute between the Spanish in Texas and the French in Louisiana.”

  “Right, and since it was in dispute and ungoverned for the most part, it became a haven for outlaws, pirates, and…those seeking to hide from extradition.”

  “Gee, that sounds familiar.” He nuzzled her neck.

  “Hey, the more things change – the more they stay the same.” She turned her head a bit, encouraging him to continue what he was doing. “Anyway I’m sure you know this, but Mexicans are as diverse in their ethnic backgrounds as Americans are. Some are descended from pure blood Spaniards, some are mixed with indigneous people like the Mayan or the Aztec, while some have African ancestry. And racism isn’t just an American problem.”

  “No, it’s an Earth problem, unfortunately.”

  “Correct. As it relates to me, my father’s ancestors came to Louisiana and sought to blend in. I think they wanted people to forget they were Mexican. Over time they intermarried with the people in the region, many of whom were Native American, some were Anglos, and others were descendants of slaves. This mix formed a whole new ethnic group and many of them came to be known as redbones.”

  “What Dad called you. Even though I didn’t really understand the term, I did know it could be construed as a racial slur.”

  “Yea, like so many other nonsenical words people use as weapons. During my lifetime, I’ve seen an evolution of acceptance of the people and the term. It’s slow, but its happening. Like I said a moment ago, many of this group sought to conceal their background. They didn’t want their Mexican heritage to be revealed because of the ancient land grant disputes and the animosity arising from those skirmishes. They were very close-mouthed about it. Over the years, many of them may even have forgotten their beginnings. I’ve seen some who claimed to be Creole, Italian, Roma, anything but who they were. And this is why folks are always surprised to find a region in Louisiana famous for its tamales, a traditionally Hispanic food.”