Winter's End by Clarissa Cartharn

his arms wrapped around
her.
    It had been long
since she felt the warmth of a man. Leaning onto Richard right now made her
feel good.
    “I was worried,” he
whispered softly against her hair. “And we seem to be stepping on each other’s
toes lately.”
    She sniffled against
his shirt. “I know. I’m sorry.”
    “Don’t be. I have
been just as bad.”
    “You’ve been so good
to us, Richard. I feel sometimes I take advantage of it. Now more than ever. Maybe
once you’ve settled with your own family, I might be able…”
    He lifted her chin
and looked into her eyes. He ran his fingers through her loose auburn hair. “I
think I probably am going about this the wrong way.” He let go of her and began
to walk out of the kitchen.
    “Richard, what is
it?” she said, baffled. “Where are you going?”
    “To take a cold
shower,” he replied, his voice husky as he tried to stifle a primitive beat in
his heart. She had affected him yet again.

 
    *****

 
    The next four days
were different from the initial days of Richard’s arrival. Emma found herself
to be enjoying them. She was laughing more and cherishing the days Richard was
spending with them. She discovered that both, she and Richard had entered an
unspoken, new level in their relationship.
    They and the children
were seated on a floor rug before the fire in the conservatory while they
lightly bickered and brawled over the games they should play. Richard was
laying comfortably, his head resting on Emma’s lap, his mouth curved into a
small smile as his eyelids fluttered, drifting him into a pleasurable sleep.
    The door bell rang
and Jai offered to answer it.
    “Gran!” he screamed
with delight at the elderly woman.
    “Hi there, lad,”
Ethel smiled. “Where’s the rest of the clan?”
    “In the
conservatory,” he answered cheerfully. “Uncle Richard’s here.”
    “Oh,” said Ethel, her
brow raised. “Who is Uncle Richard?”
    “Oh, my dad’s
brother.”
    “ Ahh ,
okay,” said Ethel, nodding her head. “Let's go and meet him.”
    She followed the excited,
young boy into the conservatory. But she stopped short when she saw the rather
intimate way in which the man was laying on Emma’s lap.
    “Ethel,” said Emma
glad to see her friendly neighbour.
    “I’m sorry,” said
Ethel, frowning. “Have I come at a wrong time?”
    “Not at all,” said
Emma, shaking Richard awake. “This is Richard.”
    Ethel browsed the man
who was now standing by Emma, with her eyes. He was good-looking, almost
handsome. She wondered of their closeness.
    “Jai, tells me you’re
late Mr. Robert Winston’s brother,” she said, once they were introduced.
    Emma grew slightly
flustered.
    “I am,” said Richard.
“Robert’s older brother.”
    Ethel nodded and seated
herself onto a couch.
    “Emma, I would kindly
like a cup of tea, thank you. Probably something citrusy for this beautiful
mid-afternoon. What do you think, Richard?”
    Richard gave Emma a
brief glance. “If it isn't too much trouble?”
    Emma nodded. “No, no
trouble at all.”
    “Jai,” said Ethel.
“Theodore has brought you a new game. Why don’t you have a whack at it with
your sister?”
    Jai gave a squeal of
delight as he raced off to find Theodore with Hannah following close at his
heels.
    “You didn’t have to
Ethel. You do spoil them,” said Emma.
    “ Aah ,”
Ethel sighed. “I don’t know how long I would be able to keep up with it. Let me
enjoy it while I can.”

 
    Finally alone, Ethel
watched the man across her. “How long have you known Emma?”
    “Isn’t that something
I should be asking you?” said Richard. “From what I gather, she has only been
your neighbour for barely four months and the children are already calling you
‘Gran’.”
    “An old woman wants
grandchildren to love. She has none of her own so she adopts them. There isn’t
much interest or suspicion in that, is there Richard? But from what I have seen
a while ago, I cannot say the same for