Southern Heat Ch. 02

(There is no sex for in this chapter, this part of the story is important for the plot. If your used to reading my work, then you know that I there are just some parts of the story that are like that.)

*

Summer 2009, Jen was forty-four, divorced, and had four kids. Anthony was twenty-three, Amanda was twenty-one, Andras, was nineteen, and Antonia was eighteen. Jen's career gave her the opportunity to raise her kids in peace and still make a good living.

She purchased an old plantation home in Mississippi, which had been abandoned for many years, and had spent the better part of two years refurbishing it. Andras and Amanda were close to their grandparents, but their grandparents never thought much of Anthony or Antonia, because of the reasons behind their conception.

Still, their mother loved them all dearly; and nothing would ever change that. Anthony was her pride and joy. She saw his father in him, and her heart still ached for his love. If only she could have told him about his son. Anna being her baby, held a special place in her life.

Jen sat on the porch of the old house, looking out into the bayou that took up most of the west side of the yard, watching the sunset. She sipped along on her tea, and thought about life.

"Hey mom, I was trying to fix that old lamp in the small parlor, do you still want the library in there?" Anthony came towards her.

She looked up at him, his long dark hair and crystal blue eyes taking her breath away, just as his fathers did. "Yes, I think that will be a great place for it, but don't worry about the lamp, I'll get a new one."

"If you're sure? I know I can get it to work, it just may take a while."

She nodded her head. "Tony, come sit with me," she patted the seat of the swing next to her. He came to sit with her and she took his hand, "I've been thinking about something, and I want your opinion."

"Mom, you know I always tell you how I feel."

"Good, then tell me how you would feel if I found your father."

"I don't know." he shrugged his shoulders, "How are you going to do that? After what you tell me happened, I'm not so sure that it's possible."

"But this time Tony, I know I can, with out any interference." She looked out to the water, the sun dipped lower, "I wonder if he hates me."

"Why would he hate you mom? It wasn't your fault, I mean, a little strange because of the circumstances, but hey, I turned out ok."

She reached up and stroked his face, "Yes baby, you did." Jen took a deep breath, "I thought, if we got the house finished in time, maybe we could have a reunion here, maybe he would come."

"Do you think that's a good idea? Gran and Pop may think other wise."

"They have nothing to say, this is my home, and I think that I will invite whomever I please." she smiled at him, "honestly, I thought about contacting him and inviting him out."

"Do you think he would come, it's been a long time mom?"

"Well, we won't know unless we try." she half whispered, half spoke.

"I'm not sure mom, I mean, he doesn't even know about me."

"Tony, if you don't want to tell him who you are, then don't. And if you don't want me to tell him, I won't. Just because I named you after him, doesn't necessarily mean you're his, I mean, if you don't want to tell him, we won't say anything." She looked back across the water, "We were so young, and I never got to tell him about you, but you know what, I bet that some where deep in his heart, he knew." she looked back at her son, smiling.

"Mom," he looked at her, lost for words, "I'm going to go put my tools up, do you want something to eat?"

"Yes. Do we still have left over pizza?"

"No, Andy ate it. But we do have chicken and potato salad left over."

"That sounds good."

He stood up, she caught his hand, "Tony, thank you."

"For what mom?"

"For understanding my heart."

"Your welcome mom." he bent down and kissed her cheek, before going back in the house.

Jen sat alone with her thoughts, watching the sun fade into night. The lightening bugs' danced through the Spanish moss filled oaks, the crickets' chirped as the dew started to set.

She had already written the letter to Anthony, as she had so many times before, but this time, she knew where he was, and it was time he knew. She stood up and stretched, the swing drifting on its own behind her, wondering of what he would think of her now.

***

Three weeks later a truck came barreling down the dirt road that came from the highway into the main drive of the grounds.

Andy was outside with his dog when he saw the dust thrown up in the air, and watched the truck maneuver down the twisted road. He laughed, thinking the driver must be crazy, considering the shape that road was in.

He watched it bank and almost miss the last turn, spending more time in the grass then on the cobblestone drive. The truck corrected itself and slowed as it jarred along the paved rock. Andy looked at the passenger as he passed, wondering who this man was, and why he was here.

The truck came to a halt in front of the main walk and sat there as it idled down before the driver shut it off. Andy walked towards the back of the truck, watching the person inside. He thought it a bit odd that this person would just sit there, thinking that maybe he was a salesman, until he saw the Georgia plates.

The man got out of the truck and stood there, looking around. He straightened his shirt and brushed his hair back, swallowing hard. He held a paper in his hand, looked at it twice and tossed it back in the seat before shutting the door. As he did, Andy approached his side.

"Hey, I bet your looking for my mom."

He turned to him, seeing a tall young man, with golden hair and his mothers smile.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Jen."

"Jen?" Andy looked at him, wrinkling his nose.

"Ah, yeah, Jeana." He looked around, wondering if he was in the right place.

"Oh, yeah, my mom. No one ever calls her Jen." he shrugged his shoulders. Looking at the man, he suddenly realized who he was. He had seen the photographs that his mom had, even though he was much older now, there was no mistaking those eyes. Tony carried the same crystal blue eyes. "I think mom's in the house somewhere, come on, I'll find her for you."

"Thanks." He followed the young man to the house and through the doors, admiring the décor, wondering about Jen, and what she looked like now.

"HEY MOM!" Andy yelled out, echoing through the halls of the large home.

"What is it! I'm in the sunroom, painting."

"There's some one here to see you." he slipped into the doorway. Jen stood there with a tank top and shorts, paintbrush marks strewn over her here and there, a smudge on her face.

"Andy, can you tell them to wait a minute while I wash up." but it was too late, Anthony had already stepped in behind Andy as she spoke. She looked at him, sucked in a quick breath; overwhelmed by emotions and embarrassment by the way she looked. It had been so many years, but his eyes pierced her, as did his smile.

"Hi Jen." his voice was as soft as ever, and it melted her heart.

"Hi Anthony." a demure tone slipped from her lips. She didn't know what to do, should she run to him, should she walk to him, offer him some tea, and spill her emotions?

"It's been a long time baby." He moved around Andy and stepped towards her, not sure what to do himself, but knowing what he wanted to do. He wanted to hold her and kiss her, make up for lost time.

Andy spoke, breaking the weighted silence, "Mom, do you want me to go get you some more tea?"

"Yes, Andy, that would be nice, and some for Anthony too, please."

"Ok, I'll be back." he said in his best Terminator voice.

Jen put her brush down and wiped her hands, then pushed a stray piece of hair from her face as she walked towards him. She started to speak but his voice came first.

"I was shocked when I got your letter," he stepped closer to her, "I couldn't believe it was from you, especially after all this time."

"It's not like I hadn't written you before. I just didn't have the nerve to send them."

"I wish you would have."

"I do too." her voice was softer than he remembered.

They stood close now, still not sure how to react, just like the first night they met. He reached up and touched her face, wiping the paint from her cheek, she smiled, feeling the heat of tears well in her eyes. "Hello Jen." he whispered, love and sorrow in his tone.

"Hi." she looked at him, hoping it wasn't a dream. He grabbed her and held her, squishing her into his body. It felt good to feel him after so many years, and he couldn't resist taking her all in.

"Jen, god I missed you!" he pulled back to look at her, not sure if he should kiss her.

"I have missed you too. But I had something to remind me of you every day." She noticed he still wore her chain around his neck, and she reached up and fondled it with her shaking fingers, "I can't believe you still have this."

"It's only come off my neck long enough to clean it. It was the only thing I had besides a note with your address and phone number on it, and a photograph that I have worn thin." his voice was almost desperate.

"I had something a bit closer to my heart that reminded me of you every day."

The phone rang somewhere in the distance and Andy hurried back to the room where he had left them. He looked as his mom, funny to see her wrapped up in the strangers arms, but held the phone out to her, "Tony wants to talk to you mom."

She felt Anthony stiffen before she eased away, and took the phone from Andy, "Hello." she nodded her head listening to the other end, "Why don't you stop and pick up something for supper from Morgan's, and I'll pay you back when you get home. We have company for dinner, and I'm sure he's going to be staying." she looked at Anthony, as if waiting for his comment.

"Well, I wasn't expecting to be run off." he smiled.

She turned her attention back to the phone, "It doesn't matter, just get enough for the six of us, Mandy will be in soon with Anna, and I don't know if she's going out tonight." Jen bobbed her head again, as if the person on the other end could see, and then said she loved him and good-bye.

Anthony suddenly felt ill, but she had told him in the letter she was divorced, and she had moved back from Florida with her kids.

"Andy, can you go put this back, and listen for Tony? I'm going to show Anthony around, and I may not hear him come in."

"Sure mom. I left Domino out, so be careful if you go outside, he may be wet again."

She sighed and rolled her eyes, "I thought the agreement was that you would put him in back yard when you weren't playing with him."

"I know but when he pulled up, I forgot." he pointed at Anthony.

"It's ok, but if he digs up the roses again, you're going to be the one to replant them!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

She turned back to Anthony, "His Great Dane," she motioned behind her with her hand, "he begged me to let him bring him, and now, it tears up my yard!"

"There's a lot of yard to tear up."

"There's a lot of dog there to tear up my yard." she giggled, "Not only that, I worry that the gators might get him. You know, I do have a few of them here, being this close to the bayou. Louisiana porch puppies, and they are as big as Domino."

"Now that, I would like to see."

"Then shall we?" she held her hand out to him, and he took it, allowing her to lead him through the house.

Jen showed him the work they had done, and explained how she had acquired the property. Sheer luck as it was, the gentleman that had been her liaison for many of her contracts had the property willed to him, but he didn't like the south, and detested the area all together.

She knew the area well, and fell in love with the house after he explained to her that he had inherited it from another family member. Thinking about her being from the south, he offered it to her for a little of nothing to get it off his hands and be done with it. Yes, it was a little weathered due to time and age, but nothing that a bit of TLC wouldn't cure.

After showing him a few of the rooms as they walked to the staircase, she led him upstairs, showing him the beautiful rooms, six of them bedrooms, two very nice bathrooms, and then her room.

It was extremely large with lovely French doors that led to a balcony, and the master bath was just as luxurious. They walked out onto the balcony past her canopied king sized bed, to enjoy the view of the property.

Jen leaned over the edge of the railing and pointed out the carriage house and some other things she liked best about the yard. He came behind her and put his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him again.

She turned to face him, his lips within kissing distance, "Anthony, I'm sorry. Sorry for everything."

"What's there to be sorry for, you didn't do anything."

"Well, all these years, I mean, I should have told you..."

"Shh. No regrets, we get a fresh new start. If you want to?" there was hope in his eyes.

"You may not want me after what I've been through, and what I have to tell you." she looked so sad, just liked the night he saw her cry all those years ago.

"There's nothing that you can tell me that would make me want to turn around and leave you now. Except for the fact that you didn't want me here. And I don't think you would have written me if that were the case," he caressed her cheek, running his fingers over her lips, "besides, I didn't drive all the way from Atlanta, Jen, if I didn't want to be with you again."

"Anthony, I've never stopped loving you, but there's so much that has happened since we last saw each other, my kids, my marriages, my life."

"Baby, we have both had a life that was probably not what we wanted, or thought it would be. Yes, we were young, but now, I think we have another chance."

She smiled at him, whispering, "But we're still cousins."

"No one knows that but you and me, and we're far enough apart in bloodline that it doesn't matter. Everyone seemed to forget that back then."

"I think they were just pissed off because we spent so much time together."

He smiled, "no, I think that one person was pissed off because she wanted what you had, and I wasn't giving it to her because I fell in love with you."

Jen looked at him oddly, "Really now?" she shrugged her shoulders, "Oh well, her loss, my gain, in more than one way." she didn't care, what was done was done, now, she worried about what would happen when he found out about Tony. "Remember the first time we kissed?" her eyes sparkled at him, and she slid her arms around his neck.

"Yeah, you said you just wanted to taste a Georgia boy."

"I would like to taste that Georgia boy again."

"Baby, you can taste me how ever you like."

She smiled, "Can I taste you now?"

"I thought you would never ask."

He pulled her to him, their lips softly meeting. Neither wanted to ravage each other, they wanted to feel the love that was between them, softly and gently.

A tear slipped from Jens eye and down her cheek, trickling to where Anthony's hand held her chin. He whispered through his kiss to her how much he loved, she replied in the same manner. He held her close, taking her all in, adoring every moment with her.

"God I missed you Jen." he entangled himself in her hair, stroking her back.

"I love you Anthony, I never stopped." she cried, burying her face in his shoulder.

A noise came from the distance and she pulled away, turning to see another truck coming up the drive. Taking a shaking hand, she wiped her tearstained face and looked back at Anthony, "That will be Tony, my oldest." She smiled.

"Your oldest?"

"Yes, my oldest." There seemed to be a sigh of relief escape his lips. Jen smiled at him, "who did you think I was talking to earlier?"

"I didn't know, I really wasn't listening, ok, I was but," he stopped and took a breath, "Tony?"

"Yes, Tony." she wondered if it had dawned on him yet, but it didn't matter. She and Tony agreed that they would tell Anthony, if they felt it were the right thing to do, but now that he was here with her, she was sure that he would know when he saw Tony.

The truck rolled to a stop behind the other and Tony got out, walking around to the other side, opening the door. Domino came running up behind him, almost knocking him over.

"DAMN IT ANDY! GET YOUR DOG!" He yelled back towards the house, seeing Andy come from the doorway.

"Yeah, I'm getting the dog! Geeze!" Andy grabbed the collar and pulled him away.

"Come back here and help me get this stuff will you." Tony motioned at the truck.

Jen and Anthony watched from the balcony for a moment before they went down to greet Tony. Jen took a deep breath wondering if Anthony would understand once he was face to face with Tony, but for now, she wouldn't say anything. He followed her as she swiftly descended the staircase, and hurried out to help Tony with the food.

Buy the time they got to the landing, he was already in the kitchen unloading the bags. Andy came back by them, smiling.

"I'll get the rest mom, it's just drinks and dessert anyway."

"Thanks for helping your brother." she turned to Anthony, "If you want to wash up before dinner, there's a bathroom down the hallway there, or you're welcome to go back up to the bedroom." "That guest room looked nice, let me go get my bags and I'll be right back."

Jen put her hands on her hips, trying not to show any frustration, 'guest room my ass', she thought.

"Mom!" Tony called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, I'll be right there." she turned back to Anthony, "Let me go see what he wants. If you prefer the guest room, that's fine. I understand."

"MOM!"

He saw her look, knowing damn well he didn't want to sleep in the guest room, "Jen..."

She left him standing there, both of there feelings hurt from the misunderstanding.

Jen went into the kitchen and caught Tony's look as she did, knowing what he was going to say, but decided to let him before she mentioned anything.

"He's here isn't he?" she raised her eyebrow, a beautiful smile caressed her lips, "I saw the tags on the truck, I know its him." she heard discomfort in his voice, and reach over to him, touching his arm.

"I haven't told him anything. Just that you are my oldest. Tony, he's here, he's going to know when he sees you. You look just like him."

"No I don't mom, I look like you."

"You have his eyes, baby, there's more of your father in you than you know."

"I'm not so sure I want to now."

"It will be all right, I promise." she hugged him, reassuring them both. "Tony, I would never do anything to hurt any of you, you know that."

"I know mom. It's just, you know how we were raised. How do I come face to face with my father, not knowing what to expect."

"Don't expect anything. Just be polite, be yourself, and be understanding." she sighed as she released him, "Tony, I've always told you the truth about what happened. Now, I need to tell Anthony. But no matter what happens, you are my pride and joy, and I will never stop loving you." she kissed his cheek and returned to unpacking the food that he had brought. They set the table in the dining room and placed the food out buffet style.

Anthony walked back in the house with his bags, stopping briefly enough to take in the massive scale of the house from the foyer. Something caught his eye and he walked over, pushing the door open to the library, looking inside.

Among the many books and paintings that graced its walls, were photographs of Jen and her children. He put his bags down and walked over, glancing over the pictures.

One particular photo caught his attention and he picked it up, holding it. She looked the same in the picture as when they had been together, except her belly was bigger, and she was on the beach.