Page 16 of Miles. Alton & The 9:04 (Modern Mail Order Brides #19)

“Okay, Sir,” she said, smiling. The smile only widened when he removed a jar of peanut butter and six mini trains. Her mouth grew wide. “No, you didn't.”

“Hey, Mr. Brown comes prepared,” he said, smiling. “Come here, beautiful, and kiss me.”

“I'm afraid if I kiss you, the food might get cold,” she said.

“All things in time,” he offered, “plus, I have been thinking about that deep dish for four hours and I really want that pie.”

“Well, that is disappointing,” she said. “I was hoping you were ready to dive into my...wait. What am I saying? I’m embarrassed.”

“Don't be, my lovely lady. We eat, talk about what is happening on your job, and why someone is threatened enough to scratch up your vehicle,” he said. “I find out what kind of music you like, we put some of that on, polish off most of this wine, and end the evening in each other's embrace.”

“I like your approach,” she said, cocking her head, appreciating the nuance. “Not aggressive. You're not making me feel like a jump off or a jump on...I like you.”

“I'm a man working for my future, Mary. The moment I saw you on that train, pulling into my station, I knew. I just have to be cool,” he said, removing the hat, allowing it to roll down his arm and catching it in his hand.

“I have to move slowly, to let you feel me out, to see if I feel good to you.”

“To see if you feel good to me,” she repeated, looking at his mouth.

“You repeat me a lot. Is that what you normally do to ensure clarification?” Thom asked moving closer, being drawn in by the heady scent of her perfume.

“Trying to anchor myself, but it’s not working with you. Thom, you feel good to me as well,” she replied.

Mae Weston stepped in for a kiss, which led to a dance in the middle of the floor, and dinner was definitely cold by the time they made it back to the dining table.

Thom Brown also learned his lady enjoyed Papa Joe Olivier, Louis Armstrong, and stroll jazz from the South Side of Chicago.

As long as it wasn't smooth jazz, he could live with it; even that wouldn't be a deal breaker.

*****

A SONG FILLED THOM'S heart as he made his way down the hall to start breakfast, his hair still damp from the shower.

A pair of travel slippers covered his feet as he sang aloud, “A Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong since it was the last song he and Mae had danced to before taking matters down the hall.

He arrived in the kitchen to find a black man holding a watering can.

Thom scanned him quickly, noting the family resemblance. “Ah, brother.”

“And you're not,' the man said.

“In my soul, perhaps; in real life, I am what you see,” he replied. “Thom Brown.”

“Jae Weston,” he answered. “I didn't expect to find that voice attached to you. Actually, I didn't know she was home, hence the watering of the plants.”

“She's home. I'm making breakfast. Are you staying?”

“Interested to understand, so yes,” Jae replied.

“Good,” was all Thom had to say as he went to the music player he had seen her use last night, cuing up some tunes.

He started a pot of coffee. Next, he grabbed the sweet potatoes, onions, and parsley from the growing live potted herbs near the deck.

Jae continued to water as he watched the average looking white dude chop up the potatoes and onions.

He drizzled the mixture with olive oil and shoved it into the air fryer.

Bacon came from the fridge, and he used the rack over the microwave to start six strips.

Eggs were next, and Thom whisked them, adding milk along with cheese, and then scrambled them in a pan.

As the microwave and air fryer dinged, Mae Weston made an appearance.

She appeared to float down the hall, a far off look in her eyes as she came to the table. “Morning all,” she said, staring at Thom, who brought her coffee.

“Morning,” Thom replied, bending down for a morning peck.

“Hey!” Jae said, uncomfortable at seeing the strange man make lip contact with his baby sister.

Thom replied, “This is her house, Plant Waterer. Go wash your hands, please, so we can eat.”

Jae didn't like being bossed about, but his sister appeared to be ...off. His first thought was that the man had drugged Mae and planned to sell her to some sex trade workers. He hurriedly used the hall bathroom to clean his hands, returning to the table to see the beautifully plated food.

Seated at the table, he watched in dismay as his boss of a sister sat twiddling a lock of hair, a far away look in her eyes.

Under the table, he could feel the side-to-side movement of her feet as if she'd just gotten an ice cream cone for being a good girl.

Thom held her hand and Jae held Mae's for a brief prayer.

Mae didn't seem to be eating as she looked at Thom, blushed, twirled her hair again, and grinned at him. The new man in her life didn't seem to be phased by the unabashed adoration. Thom picked up a piece of bacon eating as if this were a normal occurrence for the two of them.

“After breakfast, I'll take a look at your car and get started unless you have other plans for the morning,” Thom said.

Jae jumped in, “What's wrong with her car?”

“Just some scratches on her vehicle that I'm going to buff out for her,” he replied.

“She needs to have a professional do it so you don't mess up the paint job or make an issue with the lease,” Jae protested.

“I am a professional,” Thom said, looking at Mae, who appeared to have gone slack jawed.

“Okay, Okay! What is going on here! Has my sister been drugged?” Jae asked, feeling his hackles rise.

“Oh hush, Jae. I am having a meal with my man, and you're bringing all of this negative energy, ruining my love hangover,” she said, looking at Thom moon-eyed.

“Love hangover? Sir! I am asking to know your intentions with my sister,” Jae demanded.

“Depends,” Thom said. “Mae, do you want or are you planning to have children?”

“Sure, I want about four or however many we can afford,” she said, twirling her hair again.

“Baby, I have the land, and the room to make it happen,” Thom said, smiling.

“What about the finances? Are you some car detailer? Mae, who is this man and Sir, again, your intentions with my sister!”

“My plans are to make her my wife,” Thom said, “but there are details and decisions she will need to make pretty soon to cut down on the back and forth between here and there. Plus, I need to know the four major items on her list to be content in her new life.”

“Back and forth where?”

“I live in Alton.”

“And why can't you move here?”

“I have a museum inside of an old train station with at least three hundred train sets in every model rail car ever made, taking the total to about five hundred in all,” Thom explained. “I would not be able to afford the square footage to move it here, nor would I want to since I work there.”

“And my sister works here, and her family is here. She's worked very hard to get where she is and you expect her to pack it all up to move to Alton to bear your brood? Sir, I am not understanding. Explain yourself.”

Thom made direct eye contact with him. He knew the tactic since he and Adriano had used it with his sister Kimbrae's dates.

Technically, he didn't owe the man shit, but he wanted his respect and favorable report to the family.

Photos on the mantle of recent images of the family denoted her parents were still alive.

“Mary, what are the four items off the top of your head that you would need for a life with me in Alton?” Thom asked.

She twirled the end of her hair as she looked at him. “I’m paying ridiculous amounts each year to store my train. Plus, each time I try to work on it, there are dudes trying to mansplain maintenance of my own train to me which is annoying, so that would be one.”

Thom inquired, “And the other three items?”

“I would need a vehicle, more than likely an SUV, for plants and decorating. By plants, I would also want a good-sized garden. The fourth, well, you already have the house, it’s not technically in the country, but it’s good. I love the house.”

Jae didn’t like it. He didn’t like the vibe of the man, being so Alpha male and his sister kowtowing to it like some housebroken Geisha.

“I don’t like this. We know nothing about this man.

He’s just going to build you a place to store an entire train engine with railroad tracks? Get the heck out of here!”

“I hear you, Jae. However, I will to build a home and work space for her train engine and possibly lay a good 600 feet of switching tracks for a simple crossover, with a rotunda for turn arounds to steer her in and out of the barn,” Thom replied.

“You'd do that for me, Thom? You'd build a barn for my baby?” she asked, looking at him with tears in her eyes.

“I will build you anything you need if it makes you content and brings you joy, Mary,” Thom told her.

Mae got to her feet. She moved around the table to grab her brother by his arm. “Jae, it was good seeing you. I look forward to chatting with everyone at dinner on Sunday,” she said as she pushed him towards the door.

Mae walked past Thom, her nails grazing his back. The man did not move but continued to sip his coffee. He said nothing as the brother protested being thrown out and Mae returned to the table.

“My family likes to argue at mealtimes. Everything is so contentious.

I've enjoyed several meals with you, and it has been splendid,” she told him.

“Last night was amazing and I'm over here floating.

I'm praying I don't start long conversations with fairies or other invisible creatures.

Thom, I don't know what this is, and I don't care, but I want more.”

“You've asked for what you needed to be content and make me and Alton your home, I heard you and therefore I shall provide,” he said, giving a wry smile.

Thom Brown was more than pleased. He'd found his wife.

Now, the hard part would begin, or maybe it was the easy part.

It simply depended on what his lady would deem to be more important.

Unfortunately, it wasn't going to take them long to find out.