Keeping Victoria's Secret by Melinda Peters

She’d hung her baskets of
impatiens on existing hooks around the porch, imagining Nanna
tending to baskets of flowers hanging in these same places. Her new
sleigh bed was made up with smooth sheets and her grandmother’s
quilt in the largest bedroom at the back of the house. From there,
she had a clear view of the orchards, barn, and garage.
    Afternoons, she took her laptop to the front
porch to work outside. Jimmy would arrive in his Jeep with the
mail. If she saw him, they’d chat for a minute as he handed it to
her. Jack’s would be deposited in the box, while Vicky carried hers
into the house.
    She decided that it was best to have as
little contact as possible with Jack, because he seemed to want it
that way. Since their trip to town together, he’d come and gone,
driving past the house, not even glancing in her direction.
    One morning he’d written down his internet
password and cell number in a note and left it on the back porch.
“In case you have any questions, or need anything.”
    A week went by and at last, Vicky felt that
she had things under control. She took her laptop out onto the
front porch and got comfortable on one of the large wicker chairs,
hoping she could write uninterrupted for an hour or two while
waiting for the mail truck to arrive.
    Jimmy’s wife was pregnant with their first
child and due within the month. Every day when he made his
delivery, he gave her an update of his wife’s progress. He'd
mentioned Penny craving lemon pound cake with vanilla ice cream so,
using a favorite recipe, Vicky had baked one for her.
    The sound of an approaching truck caused her
to look up expectantly. Slowing, on the far side of the road was
Van Winkle’s pickup truck, easily distinguished by the broad dent
in the rear left panel where Ben Cohen’s Caddy had left its
mark.
    Rolling to a full stop, she saw him lean out
the window and stare at the house. Then he turned and grinned at
her. Oh God! Please don’t let him come up here. After a while, Van
Winkle pulled away and vanished up the road. Leaning back in the
wicker chair she sighed with relief. No use trying to continue
writing, her mood was broken.
    When she heard the mail Jeep pull up in front
of the box, she grabbed the pound cake from the table and trotted
down the steps waving.
    “Hello Jim,” she called to him.
    “Only seventeen more days ‘til her due date,”
he announced passing the mail through the open window and accepting
the cake. “Wow, this is great! She’ll love this. Thanks Vicky.”
    “How’s Penny feeling?”
    Quickly, he told her about the latest doctor
appointment. While they were talking, Jack’s truck came from the
back, rattling and crunching down the gravel drive. He halted
before getting to the road, opened his door and climbed out.
    “Morning, Jimmy, Victoria. How’s
everybody?”
    “Just super, Jack. Vicky’s got the mail.” He
grinned at her. “You folks have a good day now. Vicky thanks again
for the cake. See you tomorrow.”
    Jimmy accelerated for a few seconds, braked a
hundred yards down the road at the next box, and then he was off
again vanishing around the bend.
    “Baking cakes for Jimmy?”
    She looked at Jack, squinting in the sunshine
and smiled. “He’s such a nice guy always very pleasant and helpful.
I thought I’d do something nice for him.”
    “Jimmy is a married man you know. Very
happily married I might add.”
    Her smile faded and her tone became guarded.
The remark had stung, causing her to bristle in response. “So yeah,
I know that.” She turned and marched towards the porch, mail in
hand. Speaking over her shoulder she said, “Penny’s having a baby
soon and Jimmy told me she had a craving for lemon cake so I made
them one. Got a problem with that?” She rapidly blinked back tears.
Does he think I’d try to hit on Jimmy? What an idiot!
    Jack followed her. Feeling a little foolish
he said, “I’m sorry. Guess that was kind of a stupid thing to say.
My experience has been,