HouseWarming

Part 1

She raised her lips to his and kissed him lightly.  He eagerly returned the kiss and deepened it’s intensity.  She clung to him, holding on for dear life.  He grabbed the back of her head and devoured her mouth.  She could feel his hardening member grow with each second.  The heat was growing between her thighs,.  Finally, when she felt she couldn’t take another second of the passionate kiss without crawling up into his body, he gently pushed her head down.  She knew exactly what that meant and grew wetter as she dropped to her knees.  As she unbuttoned the top of his jeans, she looked up into his whiskey colored eyes.  He had the look of Neptune ruling over his underwater world.  He quickly closed his eyes and moaned as her lips touched the tip of his rock hard member.  As he thrust forward into her mouth, she began hearing the roars of the crowd.  She turned her head quickly to see what they were cheering about.  As she turned, she felt herself fall.

As Gabby’s body hit the ground, she awoke.  “Damn” she said out loud.  She hadn’t fallen out of her bed in over twenty years.  As she got up and rubbed her bruised hip, she remembered the dream.  “Why, oh why did I have to wake up just now.  Just when it was getting good, as usual, I kill the moment.  Maybe real life does imitate dreams or is it dreams imitate real life?  All I know is that a grown woman should not sit up all night and chat with  friends in the chat room, while The Little Mermaid is playing on the DVD player.  It really does mess up a good night’s rest.” 

Gabby looked out the window as she heard a loud roar.  She recognized the sound as the “crowd” in her dream.  As she looked for the source of the sound, she saw a man next door, driving a lawn tractor.  “Good” the house beside her was vacant and after two long summer months, someone was finally mowing the yard.  “Maybe Mr. Ames decided to hire a couple of teenagers to finally take care of the yard.”  As she took a second look at the figure on the lawn mower, she rethought the idea of teenage boys cutting the yard.  This was a full grown, handsomely built, tan and toned man sitting on the tractor.  She could see dark broad shoulders and well shaped muscles down his back.  She couldn’t tell much else about the man, he was wearing a baseball hat, cut off khaki shorts and tennis shoes with low cut socks.  All she knew is that this man looked very interesting, especially to a single woman who had just fallen out of a very hot dream.

Still grumbling to herself, she quietly peeked into the other room where six year old Cheyenne was sleeping.  The grumbling was hushed when she brushed the curls off of Cheyenne’s forehead and gazed proudly at the strawberry blonde curls splayed across the pillow and the angelic face of her child.  All thoughts of handsome men left her mind as she busily began to awaken her daughter and get ready for work.

Gabby was twenty-six and had been widowed when Cheyenne was only a year old.  The accident that had claimed her husband’s life had changed her life.  She had gone from being a 21 year old wife and mother to a single mother and successful career woman.  She was glad she had been convinced by her best friend, Gina to pursue a real-estate career.  She now worked in an upscale real estate office, with top sales plaques all over her walls.  She had sold over 20 million dollars worth of property in the past five years.  Life would have been perfect, if only she could find a decent man to share it with.  The problem was, there weren’t many men in her small resort town who she believed were good enough to be a daddy to Cheyenne.

She rushed around, fixing Cheyenne breakfast and preparing her lunch for camp.  Cheyenne was happily rattling on and on about camp and swimming and her new friends and her counselors.  Gabby listened with half an ear, occasionally nodding “uh, huh” to Cheyenne.  She was mentally trying to prepare for the grueling day she had before her.  She had two closings after lunch, and still had to show three different houses to a prospective buyer this morning.  She quickly hustled Cheyenne out the door, only to have to run back inside three different times before she could finally pull out of the driveway and head to work.  As she pulled out of the driveway, she realized that she was running late this morning.  The delay in finding Cheyenne’s shoes, forgetting Cheyenne’s bathing suit and towel for camp, and then forgetting to lock the door, had caused her to leave her house 10 minutes late.  This meant that she would be stuck in traffic for ages.  She quickly dialed Gina’s number and explained that she was running late.  Luckily, there wasn’t much chance that she would lose her job, since Gina and her husband owned the real estate company where she worked.  Gina had two children, so she understood exactly what was involved in trying to get out of the door on time
.
By the time Gabby had dropped Cheyenne off at Summer Camp and had negotiated the traffic to the office, she was nearly an hour late.  Gabby was  a “control freak” when it came to her job.  She needed that hour that she was missing just to prepare herself and make sure all of the paperwork was in order and  that nothing was missing for the two closings she had today.  Luckily, Gina had agreed to show her prospective client the three houses this morning.  Thankfully, she had made sure all the paperwork was in order before she left work yesterday.  She knew it was all there, but just didn’t like to take chances.  As she sat down at her desk, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. 

She smiled when she thought back to her early morning dream.  “Why can’t I find someone like Mr. Wonderful that is just as wonderful for Cheyenne” she asked herself.  She had a conversation with some of her chat friends about it the night before.  Her friends had agreed that Cheyenne’s security was top priority. There was no man worth giving up her child’s happiness for.  They had all agreed that Jackson Abrahms would be first choice, because he seemed to be a wonderful man, but that just wasn’t in the cards for Gabby.  Just because she had fallen for the man the first time she saw him, did not mean that he, Mr. Rock Star 2006, would ever know that Gabby existed.  She could always dream - and dream she did.  She couldn’t wait for the day to be over to tell her friends about this wonderful dream.  Of course, they would laugh at her for falling out of bed over a dream, but they would be there to support her and to help her think her dreams could become reality.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Two Weeks Later

Gabby took a deep breath, then quietly let out a silent scream.  As much as she loved Aunt Sheila, she just wasn’t in the mood for company.  Aunt Sheila had been in Birmingham with friends and she had come home wanting to tell Gabby all about it.  She had met a new friend that was from the small resort town they lived in and wanted Gabby to meet her.  Since Sheila had helped raise Gabby from the time she was fourteen, Gabby knew that this was a request for a home cooked meal.  Just because Gabby enjoyed cooking and was very good at it did not mean that she wanted to cook all the time.  Tonight, she had planned to treat Cheyenne to take-out pizza.  Now, she had to go home and cook.  As she broke the news to Gina, she packed up her desk to leave for the weekend.  Gina told her that since she needed a break, no questions asked, she would be over on Saturday to pick up Cheyenne.  Cheyenne would spend the night with Ryan - Gina’s 7 year old daughter.  Since Cheyenne and Ryan were best friends, Gabby sighed a deep breath of relief.  All she had to do was get through tonight - after a long week of work, and she could relax for the weekend.  Gabby looked forward to the bubble bath that she promised herself as soon as she had a free moment.

She rushed home, after stopping by the market and began preparing dinner.  As dinner was cooking,  classic rock was playing softly in the background and Cheyenne was excitedly telling her about her day, and how her special friend from camp had come back after two long weeks.  “Manna and me played Marco Polo, then Manna teached me how to jump in the water from the diving board, then Manna helped me fix my hair after I losted my ponytail in the pool….” Cheyenne prattled.  Gabby listened with half and ear, and then scooted Cheyenne upstairs to make her bed before Aunt Sheila got there.  She hummed along to the song on the radio.  Maybe tonight would be a short one and she could get to bed early.  She just didn’t feel up to going to the chatroom tonight after the week that she had.

Aunt Sheila’s candy apple red Thunderbird drove up just as Gabby was pulling the biscuits out of the oven.  “Perfect timing”  thought Gabby, but then again, Aunt Sheila had always been able to time preparing dinner to the moment that Gabby finished the last item.  Thank goodness she loved Aunt Sheila, or she would have killed that woman years ago.  As Sheila got out of the car, a spry older woman got out of the passenger seat.  She looked familiar, but she could have been someone she had seen in Walmart, or the grocery store, or even someone she had showed a house too.  Before she had time to consider where she knew the woman from, Aunt Sheila came in and gave her a big hug.  Cheyenne ran out to hug Aunt Sheila and stopped in her tracks and ran to the older woman first.  “Miss Manna, how did you knowed where I lived?”  and “ How come you know Aunt Sheila?’  The older woman, Miss Manna gave Cheyenne a big hug and Cheyenne whispered to her “I still dinnit tell no ones our secret.”  Miss Manna whispered back to Cheyenne “I don’t think we will have a secret for long.  Thank you, sweetheart, I knew you wouldn’t tell.”  As they walked into the house, Miss Manna introduced herself.  “Hello Gabby,”  she said “ Thank you so much for inviting me to dinner.  I’m Amanda, I’ve heard so much about you from Cheyenne and Sheila.  I’ve been so looking forward to meeting you.”  As she sat down, she continued.  “I didn’t realize that Sheila was Cheyenne’s great aunt when we met in Birmingham.  And to think that this beautiful child, Cheyenne is your daughter, well that’s is such a wonderful coincidence.”    As Miss Amanda spoke, Gabby looked at her in awe.  Miss Manna was none other than Miss Amanda Abrahms, the grandmother of her fantasy, her dreams, her chats on her favorite site , and the Rock Star 2006 - Jackson Abrahms.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gabby was 5’3”, with dark curly hair, that fell down past her shoulders.  Although she was petite, she was usually a force to be reckoned with.  Not many people crossed the dark haired beauty,  Tonight, one of the few people who felt comfortable messing with Gabby safely had just left her at a loss for words.  She finally understood completely what the phrase “knock me over with a feather” meant.  There were no other words for it.  The idea that she had the man of her dreams’ grandmother in her house left her stunned.  As she gaped, grasping for sane words to say, she stuttered “M, Miss A, Amanda - it’s so n, nice to h,have you in m,my h, home!”  As she glared over Miss Amanda’s head at Aunt Sheila, she mouthed the words, “ I will kill you” to Aunt Sheila.  Aunt Sheila only sat and grinned.  Sheila knew how Gabby felt about Jackson Abrahms.  In fact, she sat with her every Wednesday night and Thursday night cheering and voting for Jackson Abrahms.  For the woman who she looked up to as a mother to pull something this underhanded on Gabby, Sheila was definitely dead.  “She could have given me a little warning,” Gabby grumbled to herself, as she smiled politely at Miss Amanda, “she could have given me a chance to make sure I looked like a Southern Belle, so that she would want to introduce me to Jackson, when he was down.”  Gabby mentally gave herself a shake as she realized that Miss Amanda was speaking to her again.  “I hope you don’t mind, sweetie, but I invited him over for dinner with us.” 

“What, what did you say Miss Amanda, I think I must have missed some of this conversation.”  Gabby, turning bright red with embarassment, asked Miss Amanda.  “I’m sorry dear, I hope you don’t mind, but since my grandson has just bought the house next door to you, I invited him over to eat with us.  I know it’s a little presumptuous of me, but Sheila assured me it would be okay.”  As Gabby tried to recover from this latest news, she remembered the one piece of information that had passed over her head.  “He bought the house next door to me?” she sputtered.  “Oh yes, dear, didn’t Sheila mention it to you?  He bought it a little over two weeks ago, you haven’t seen him out working on it?”  Gabby thought back to the morning two weeks ago when she fell out of bed.  She remembered the tanned body, and muscular back and legs on the lawn tractor.  She sputtered again “How come this was kept so quiet?  I knew from the news that you lived in Bay Shores, but even with me in the real estate business, I didn’t even know that the house next door to me had been sold, and no one even mentioned that there was the possibility that Jackson would come here to buy a house.  What about his career.  What about his Tour Bus.  What about him moving to New York, or Los Angeles.  Why doesn’t anyone tell me anything?”  Sheila laughed  “Calm down Gabby.  You don’t have to know everything that goes on in town, much less in the world of Jackson Abrahms.  I realize that you feel like you should know everything, and be able to be in control of everything, but sweetie, you cannot control destiny.”  At that moment, there was a knock on the front door.


Chapter 2

As Gabby sat in shock over this latest announcement, the knock came again.  Sheila looked at her motionless, stunned niece and got up to answer the door.  In the moments between Miss Amanda’s announcement and the knocks on the door, Gabby took a deep breath and calmed herself.  She quickly composed herself, and in an instant, she was once again a woman who could take on the world, come home and be a mother and throw together a wonderful meal within a couple of hours.  She could hear Aunt Sheila chattering in the foyer and quickly got up to welcome her new guest.

As she greeted Jackson she looked into his eyes and realized that these were the eyes she had been seeing in her dreams every night.  She looked up at his magnificent torso and mentally gave herself a shake.  She reached out to greet him and shake his hand - as any professional woman would do. 

Jackson grinned and grabbed her in a hug.  “I feel like I already know you,” he said.  “I’ve watched you rush off to work every morning for the past few days, and I’ve watched you come home and water your plants and feed your dogs.  I’ve watched you swim with your beautiful daughter in the pool in the evenings, and I’ve even watched you try to teach her how to throw a softball.”  As Gabby became speechless once again, he continued  “I’m so glad that I was invited to dinner, I was getting tired of my own cooking.”  He then winked at her and said “I thought I might have to lure one of your puppies to my house to get you to come over and introduce yourself.”

The night continued in an unexpectedly calm manner.  Jackson Abrahms and his grandmother were warm and friendly, and there was not much talk of the ongoing Rock Star Tour, which was quickly coming to a close nor was there any discussion of what the future held for Jackson.  It was like Jackson was just an average Joe, in an average world, meeting his new neighbors and getting to know them. 

If only Gabby could quit looking at his eyes, she figured she could pull this evening off in a reasonable manner, “you are not some crazed teenage fan, you can act like an adult for the rest of the evening.  Just DO NOT look at his eyes” she muttered to herself. 

“I’m sorry, Gabriella, did you say something?” asked Jackson. 

As he spoke, she looked at him, and out of habit, straight into those eyes again.  “N,No, was just thinking about how I need to get Cheyenne into bed, without interrupting this wonderful evening” she lied. 

As she said this, Miss Amanda and Jackson both stood and Miss Amanda said “Oh dear, I didn’t realize how late it was.  I really need to get home and get my beauty rest.”  They all chuckled and reassured Miss Amanda, that indeed, she did not need to get anymore beautiful. 

As they gathered to say their goodbyes, Jackson looked at Gabby and winked at her.  Flustered, Gabby graciously bid Aunt Sheila and Miss Amanda goodnight, and then looked at Jackson again.  He was standing off the side, looking innocent. 

She watched the red T-bird pull out of the driveway and turned to Jackson.  “Jackson, it’s been wonderful meeting you.  If you need anything, please feel free to let me know, I’ll do what I can do to help.” 

He looked at her and winked again.  She knew that look - she had seen it when he sang on Rock Star.  He was flirting with her.  Then, as quickly as he started the flirting, he turned neighborly and gave her a quick hug.  He told her “I’ll be around, I’m on a short break from the tour, and I would love to get to know you better.  I’ve enjoyed this evening, I’ve missed just being at home.  Good night Gabriella, Sweet Dreams.”  He then lightly touched his lips to hers and walked across the yard to his new home.

Gabby stood there speechless.  Her emotions were in a spin.  Was he flirting with her, or was he being nice.  She thought she knew this man, inside and out.  It wasn’t like she didn’t spend several nights a week chatting about him with her  friends in the chatroom on his fansite. 

They all knew exactly what they needed to know about Jackson, or so they thought.


Chapter 3

The next morning, Gabby once again found herself falling out of bed with THE dream.  This time though, she caught herself just as she hit the floor.  She knew what was happening.  This man of her dreams had become reality.  At least in his existence.  The unknown Mr. Wonderful now had a name.  His name was Jackson Abrahms.

She pulled on a light robe over her short nightgown and went downstairs to make coffee.  Suddenly, she heard the roar of the lawnmower next door again. 

She peeked out of the kitchen window and saw Jackson wave, just as she looked out.  “Damn,” she thought “how did he know to look at the window just as I looked out?”  She halfheartedly waved back, wishing she was fully dressed so that she had an excuse to go out and talk with him.  She sneaked a look out the window again and saw his tanned bare shoulders and back. 

Today, Jackson was not wearing his baseball hat, and the sun danced off his hair.  Sweat glistened off of his shoulders and back, and she watched as he wiped his arm across his forehead.  She ran for the shower and jumped in.  A healthy young woman, with no man around did not need this kind of excitement so early in the morning.  She immediately turned the cold water on further and cooled down her shower.  All she could think about was the dream, and Jackson’s tanned shoulders and back, and his chest and face dripping with sweat.  At this rate, she would save tons on her electric bill.  She wouldn’t be using hot water for showers for a while.

By the time she got through washing her hair and showering, Gabby had recovered some semblance of her sensible self.  Cheyenne had wakened and was sitting in front of the TV, watching cartoons and eating dry cereal, straight out of the box.  After she dressed, she went and sat down with Cheyenne and gave her a hug.  “Shy Belle, where do you know Miss Amanda from?” 

Cheyenne looked at her with a grin and told her “I been telling you bout Manna all the time.  She comes to swimming when I come to swimming.  But” Cheyenne giggled “I don’t really think she needs swimming lessons like me.  She swims real good.”  Cheyenne jumped up into Gabby’s lap and snuggled with her.  “Mommy, don’t you eber listen to me when I tell you bout Manna?” 

Gabby knew she had been caught by her “oh, so wise” six year old.  “Shy Belle, sometimes Mommy’s mind goes for a swim.  You know how you get water in your eyes and ears when you swim?  Well that’s what happens to Mommy’s mind.  It gets so many things in it that it’s like water in your eyes and ears.  But I just have to shake the things out and I can see and hear just fine then.  I promise, I’ll try to make sure my mind doesn’t go swimming off, like my little Tadpole here, when your talking.”  She gave Cheyenne a tickle and soon they were wrestling on the floor tickling each other.

By noon, Jackson had finished cutting the yard, and Gabby and Cheyenne were packing Cheyenne’s clothes for her to spend the night with Ryan.  Gina was due to be there at any moment and they still couldn’t find Cheyenne’s favorite Princess shoes.  As she tore through the house, looking for her shoes, Gabby heard the doorbell ring.  Cheyenne ran and opened the door before Gabby could get downstairs.  Thinking Gina was at the door, Gabby hollered down “Be right there Gina.  Can’t find Shy Belle’s Princess shoes anywhere.” 

As Gabby’s feet hit the bottom tread of the stairs, she looked across the room and started drowning once again.  She saw those whiskey eyes and felt herself stop in her tracks.  “I’m sorry,” she stuttered.  “I thought you were Gina and Ryan to pick up Gabby.” 

Sheepishly, Jackson looked at Gabby and held out a measuring cup.  “I seem to be out of sugar” he began.  “I wanted to know if you had a cup of sugar I could borrow?” 

Giggling, Cheyenne jumped up on Jackson and said “I got some sugar for you” and gave Jackson a big kiss.  Jackson threw back his head and laughed at Cheyenne.  “I think your mommy has given you the wrong nickname.  You should be Luva Belle, because it’s obvious that your no Shy Belle.” 

Cheyenne leaned back in his arms and said “My name is Cheyenne, that’s why cuz she calls me that.  If my name was Luvanne, than she could call me Luva Belle.  Don’t you understand nicknames?”  Then  Cheyenne jumped back down on the floor and looked at Gabby.  “Mom, I still need my Princess shoes.”  With that comment, she started tearing through the house again.

Jackson looked at Gabby once again and shrugged.  “She’s awful shy, isn’t she?”  He threw back his head and laughed again. 

Gabby stood and grinned like an idiot.  All she could think of was the fact that her daughter had been lucky enough to be in Jackson’s arms.  What she wouldn’t do to be in his arms like that.  Gabby gave herself a mental shake and grabbed the measuring cup from Jackson.  “Sure,” she told him, “I have plenty of sugar.  What are you making?” 

Jackson answered “I had a craving for some sweet tea, and found out that my sugar was gone.  I’m too hot and tired to go to the store at the moment, so I figured that I’d be neighborly and borrow some sugar.” 

Gabby grinned and got the sugar for him.  As she stepped back for the cabinet to give him the sugar, she found she couldn’t move.  The was something blocking her path.  She felt Jackson take hold of her arms and turn her around. 

He gently took the cup out of her hands and told her “I really wanted the kind of sugar that Cheyenne gave me.”  As he said this, he lowered his head and kissed her lightly.  Gabby moaned and kissed him back.  The kiss deepened and the next thing Gabby knew, she found her hands entwined in his golden mane.  He had his hands splayed across her butt and was pushing her forward.  She could feel him hardening and felt herself grow wet with desire.  Suddenly, there was a voice shouting from upstairs.

“I finded ‘em Mommy  They were under my Huggy Bear blanket.  I’m ready.” Cheyenne shouted. 

Gabby pushed herself away from Jackson and heard him mumble “I’m ready too” 

She gathered her wits about her and walked to the bottom of the stairs in order to give Jackson time to recover.  “Shy Belle, did you remember your toothbrush?”  she called up the stairs.  Cheyenne came jumping down the stairs with her pink and purple backpack and said “it’s right here.  I gotted my sleeping bag too, cuz Ryan said we could camp out in her tent in her bedroom.” 

Gabby gave her a hug just as the doorbell rang again.  Once again, Cheyenne ran and opened the door.  Suddenly, there was a dark haired little girl running through the house giggling with Cheyenne.  Gabby looked up to see Gina walk in.  At the same time that Gina walked in, Jackson walked out of the kitchen. 

“Jackson, I didn’t know you had met Gabby already.  I didn’t think you were in town this week.” said Gina.  Gabby looked from Jackson, her neighbor to Gina, her best friend.  Her mind started spinning.  “Gina,” she began “where did you meet Jackson, and why didn’t you tell me about him buying the house next door?”  “I thought you knew,” Gina told her.  “He bought his house through our agency.  Remember when you took Cheyenne to Disney World?  Well, Jackson came into town wanting to buy a house in this area that week.”

Jackson just shook his head and laughed at the two friends arguing with each other. 

“Let me try to explain this, before you kill Gina.  I knew your company’s name thanks to Miss Cheyenne.  She told Grandma where you worked, and Grandma was just so smitten with your daughter, she recommended that I contact you to find a house for me.  The week I was in town to find a house, Gina met me instead and showed them to me.  They were too close together for my use.  I need to have a little privacy to be able to get away and relax in my down time.  Gina remembered that the house next door to you was vacant, and since this little riverfront community is relatively unknown and hidden, she convinced Mr. Ames to sell the house to me.  Because of my new found popularity, I couldn’t go buy a house under the name of Jackson Abrahms, so I had a company formed to hide my identity and bought the house without anyone knowing I’m here.  Gina has been sworn to privacy and couldn’t reveal that I was here.  It was up to me to make myself known to my neighbors, if I wanted.”

“But, why couldn’t Gina tell me about you?” Gabby questioned. 

Jackson continued “By the time I decided to buy the house, I had already seen who you were.  I asked Gina to let me introduce myself as your neighbor, not as a client.”  Jackson smiled and looked down at her, with a pleading look on his face.  “Please don’t stay mad at Gina, she did this for me.”

Suddenly, Cheyenne and Ryan came running up to Gina and Gabby. They were giggling as Cheyenne introduced Ryan to Jackson.  “Jackson, my friend Ryan wants to meet you.” Cheyenne explained.

Jackson kneeled down to Cheyenne and Ryan’s eye level and put out his hand.  “Hello, you must be Ryan.  I am Jackson.  So nice to meet you.” 

Ryan looked at Jackson with a look of adoration on her face.  “You are the man we seed on TV all the time.” said Ryan.  Ryan turned and looked at Gabby.  “Miss Gabby,” grinned Ryan, “is the man you always shouted for on the TV.  I thought you said he was famous and we would never meet him.  Does this mean that your going to marry him?” 

Gabby was ready to sink down into the floor.  Her face pinkened and she stammered.  Luckily Gina became her best friend again and laughingly told Ryan “Not if he marries you first my little punkin.  Now, you and Cheyenne grab your stuff and take it to the car.” 

Gabby breathed a sigh of relief at being rescued from that embarrassing situation.  Before Gina left, Gabby and Gabby went over all the particulars like mom’s do. 

Gabby gave Cheyenne one last hug for the night and told her “behave, or Aunt Gina will hang you by your toes on the back porch.  I love you and your toes, so you need to come back with all of them.”

Finally, Gabby and Jackson were alone again.