Bells Ringing in the Summer Haze

Isaac opened the car door for Nora when they pulled up to his house. Owning the company allowed him to purchase a home at the age of 20 years old. He took pride in his house, granted it wasn’t the largest home in the neighborhood, but he owned it without help from his family.

Nora had been there before, but always admired the old house style. The three-bedroom house was small but quaint. The neighborhood had huge houses, but they always turned Nora off. Maybe it was due to her family house, and it wasn’t small but it wasn’t huge.

They walked to his wooden gate, he swung it open and ushered her through. She smiled and climbed the wooden steps to his front porch. The entire porch wrapped around the house. That was her favorite part of the house; she always wanted one like it on her own house.

He had Adirondack chairs, a swing and regular chairs with tables along the patio. At one point, he had a hammock but a drunken day drinking event crashed the thing down.

He unlocked the door and put his hand on the small of her back. She flicked the lights on in the living room and watched as he dumped his keys in a bowl, and kick off his shoes.

“Alright, you know where the guest bedroom is, I can bring you a shirt and some shorts to sleep in.”

She nodded and watched as he headed around the corner, slowly following him she made her way to the third door on the right. The spare room, she never slept in, but had seen.

“Here you go,” she heard behind her. Turning, he had his shirt unbuttoned and his bare chest was showing.

She released a slow breath and stepped toward him.

“Thank you,” she brushed his arm as she reached for the clothing. He stilled and watched her.

Her green eyes caught his, and she smiled.

“I know how you can thank me,” he said softly.

“How is that?”

He leaned down and she closed her eyes. His lips brushed over hers, softly at first. He moved his hands down to grip her waist; she leaned up on her tippy-toes to lengthen her height. Running her fingers through his soft hair, she held on to a couple pieces in the back.

He ended the kiss and looked at her. Her eyes were still closed, but when they opened she smiled.

He smiled and pushed hair back from her face.

“I should let you sleep,” he whispered.

“I’m not ready to sleep yet.”

------

“So have you heard from Val?” Claire asked Nora as she shifted through Sunflower’s clothing.

“No, not yet. But I wasn’t expecting them to. They’re on an island, I wouldn’t keep my phone on,” Nora said as she folded new shirts.

Rachel nodded and picked up a maxi skirt, “These clothes are so cute Nor, I may go broke shopping here.”

They laughed and Lily smiled from folding jeans.

“But seriously Nora, my friends at school are all so jealous I work here. I was thinking if you’d like, we could have group shopping parities and they could get a discount.” Lily said as she brought out more clothing from the new shipment.

Lily started school at the community college, she hadn’t saved up for a university, and wasn’t sure what she wanted to do just yet.

The summer was at its end stages. The tourists were still around, but soon kids would be back in school and there wouldn’t be as many vacationers.

Nora shrugged, “Maybe, I’d have to run some number to see if we could do that. But thanks for the idea Lil.”

“When do Val and Brian come back? I forget.” Rachel asked as she brought items up to the register.

“On Saturday night, we’re having a welcome home party at Jo’s.”

“Are you going to go with Isaac?” Claire asked, as her eyes got big. She and Rachel smiled.

“Not sure, it’s been kind of weird since the wedding.”

“What do you mean?” Claire asked as she joined the two at the register.

“Like, he will text me but we never hang out, and we never see each other. He doesn’t even call me. I need Val home to help me figure him out.”

“That’s so weird, why would Isaac act like that?” Rachel asked.

Claire shrugged and added a couple of bangles to her pile.

------

“We just landed! I’ve missed you!” Val said, Nora smiled and put the phone on speakerphone.

“I’ve missed you! And I’m like 20 minutes away, I hope you don’t mind going out tonight.”

“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to? Of course I don’t mind. So how is everything? I feel like we need girl talk, so maybe we can drop off the hubby off at home? Then you and I can have wine time before we go out?”

“I love the way your brain works.”

“It’s been known to be pretty fantastic at times.”

------

“So you slept together?”

“No you perv!” Nora said smacking her cousin. Val and Nora laughed and sipped more wine.

There were gifts scattered around Nora’s bed. Val had bought so much stuff, and she wanted to bring Nora back presents for all her hard work during the wedding.

“We made out, and talked. It was nice,” Nora said smiling. “But now, I don’t know. It’s like he regretted it or something.”

“Have you asked him why he’s being weird?”

“No, I’m not good at this Val.” She gulped down the wine and played with the hair elastic on her wrist.

“Well, since I’m married and hooked a fabulous guy, I think I can help you out.”

“Oh yes wise one? What shall I do?” Val smacked her cousin and got up. She headed towards the closet and began rifling though.

“Where is it, ah ha. I got it.” She pulled out the black dress that Sunflower sold out of the first week. “This is a hot number, wear this and those gorgeous black heels. He will die.”

“I don’t want to kill him, I want him to want to be with me.”

“Same difference.”