Love At Last

by Cooper, Sharon C.

  Why did he have to be married? Even watching him clean the floor, that same intense vibe she felt between them earlier was still there, stronger than before. She’d been around plenty of men to know that there was something different about this guy. Something special. But she would never find out what because he belonged to someone else.

  “I’ve never seen you before.” Lincoln stood, handing her the towel. “Yet today, I’ve seen you twice in only a few hours. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were following me,” he said, humor in his voice.

  “You don’t have to worry. I’m not following you.”

  “That’s too bad. I wou …” His voice trailed off and he rubbed the back of his neck as if thinking better of what he was about to say. “I’m actually glad we bumped into each other. I hope you don’t mind, but Paul gave me your telephone number.”

  Carolyn’s brows dipped. “I’m surprised he would give you my number. I don’t date married men.” She glanced at Lincoln’s left hand, the platinum band standing out even more.

  When a woman bounded down the stairs, Lincoln touched Carolyn’s elbow and another zing of awareness, like earlier, shot through her. “Let’s step over here out of the flow of traffic,” he said guiding her to the hall where the locker rooms were. “I’m not married.” Lifting his hand, he studied the ring as if it was his first time seeing it. Seconds ticked by before he said, “I’m a widower.”

  A pang of sadness stabbed Carolyn in the chest. She hadn’t even considered that scenario. Time stood still as she processed his words, not knowing what to say and wondering if he was telling the truth. It wouldn’t be the first time a man lied to her about his marital status. But her son-in-law wouldn’t give her number to just anyone. This guy had to be on the up and up.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t … I-I’m …” The words trailed off when she realized she still didn’t know what to say. She wanted to ask why he continued wearing his ring, but didn’t.

  “Would you like to go out for a cup of coffee tomorrow?”

  Carolyn studied him, debating with herself. She couldn’t deny her curiosity about him. Besides, if Paul gave him her number, he had to have a good reason.

  Her attention dropped to his left hand again. The way he was standing, she couldn’t see the wedding band, but she knew it was there. Superman had his kryptonite and men with wedding bands were hers. If Lincoln was still wearing his ring, despite losing his wife, that could only mean he wasn’t over her.

  “Thanks for the invitation, but I can’t.”

  He tilted his head and now he was the one studying her. His intriguing eyes pulled her in, tempting her to change her answer, but she had to stay strong. At her age, the days of falling in and out of relationships for the sake of being in one were over. She wanted forever.

  “Why not?” Lincoln finally asked. “Are you seeing someone?”

  Sighing, she shook her head, exhaustion and disappointment weighing her down. “No. It’s not that.”

  “Then what is it?” With his thumb and forefinger, he lifted her chin and a blast of need shot through her body when their gazes connected. She should have been leery and maybe even offended that he put his hand on her, but instead, a desire to accept his tempting offer had her moving closer to him. Just that small touch and her defenses turned to mush. Staring into his eyes, she couldn’t figure out what it was about this man that intrigued her unlike any other.

  Coming to her senses, Carolyn moved close to whisper in his ear. “Give me a call when you’re no longer wearing your wedding ring.”

  She turned and wandered to the women’s locker room. Though proud of herself for being able to walk away, her reluctant steps felt as if bricks were tied around her ankle. Her mother often said, ‘Anything that’s meant to be, will be.’ Yet, tonight Carolyn didn’t want to hear the voice of reason rattling around in her head.

  But then again, she was supposed to be staying clear of men for a while. She’d do good to remember that.

  Chapter Four

  Lincoln filled his large mug with the strong coffee he’d made earlier and stepped outside on his home’s back deck. Unlike most people, the cold weather didn’t bother him. He actually preferred it over the heat which was why he hadn’t ever wanted to leave Cincinnati.

  He leaned his hip against the wood banister. Taking a sip of the coffee, he stared out over the large yard that was usually green with blooming flowers. Today the grass was brown and the blooms were nonexistent. Two squirrels hopped across the yard chasing each other before scrambling up one of the trees near the back fence.

  After another sip of the coffee, which was cooling fast, Lincoln set the mug on the table near him. He lifted his hand, twisting his wedding band back and forth. Ever since running into Carolyn days ago, he’d been thinking about removing it from his finger.

  Looking at the ring now, he thought about the night his life changed. His wife had been working third shift at the hospital. The moment the telephone rang in the middle of the night, he knew it couldn’t be good, but he answered anyway. A hospital administrator insisted that he needed to get to the hospital right away. It wasn’t until he arrived that he found out that he had lost Vicky. That night would forever be burned in his mind. She had died in a stairwell while on duty. A brain aneurysm.

  A chill not caused by the brisk air gripped Lincoln’s body. For the first year, the memory invaded his mind constantly. Lately, not so much. There was a time when guilt was a constant companion. He’d been allowed to continue living his life, while his wife’s life had been cut short. He didn’t know how God went about deciding a person’s lifespan, but there had been many days he had wished that God had taken him and spared her life.

  Lincoln slid the platinum band off. Holding the jewelry between his thumb and index finger, he remembered their wedding day and the promise to love each other until death.

  “It’s time,” he mumbled.

  “Hey, Daddy.”

  Lincoln startled at the sound of his daughter’s voice.

  Shannon pulled the knit cap over her long, curly hair and buttoned the wool jacket. The older she got, the more she looked like her mother with her wild hair, chestnut skin tone, and dark eyes that seemed to take in everything.

  “Hey, baby. I didn’t know you were here.”

  “Yeah, I just arrived. When I didn’t find you in the house, I figured I’d check out here. Why are you standing out here in the cold?”

  He folded the ring into his palm and looped his arm around his daughter’s shoulders. “Just thinking.”

  “About Mom?”

  Lincoln nodded and opened his hand to his daughter. She stared down at the ring that had been a symbol of his commitment to her mother. He hadn’t known what he would feel when he finally took the ring off, but that emptiness that once lodged in his chest whenever he thought about Vicky wasn’t there.

  His daughter lifted the band from the palm of his hand. “I’m proud of you.”

  Lincoln chuckled and pulled her in for a hug, kissing the top of her head. “It’s nice to know I can still make you proud.”

  “So now what?” She handed the ring back and wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the cold.

  “Now I focus on moving on with life. I’ve been living in a bubble. Work, home, and then it starts all over again the next day. With you and Bradford having your own places and only stopping by every blue moon, I—”

  “Hey, I come by at least once a week.”

  “Yeah, to do laundry and grocery shop in my refrigerator.”

  They both laughed at the true statement, but there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do or give to his children. They were his greatest accomplishment and he loved them more than life. That first year without Vicky had been hard on all of them. Yet, they seemed to adjust to the loss of Vicky quicker than he had.

  “I’m also thinking about selling the house.” He and Vicky had moved to the Indian Hill neighborhood when the kids were small, wanting to make sure
they lived in a good school district.

  “Are you selling the house to get away from all of the memories?”

  “That’s part of it. Mostly, I hate yardwork. Now that you guys have moved out, I have to do this stuff myself.”

  “Ha! It gets old real quick, doesn’t it? So, where would you go?”

  “I’ve always wanted to live in a high rise.”

  Her brows shot up. “Really? I didn’t know that.”

  “It’s true. We bought the house so that you guys could have a backyard to play in.”

  “You and Mom could have moved away years ago. Like before we got in high school.”

  Lincoln thought about the number of plans he and Vicky had for when the kids grew up. More traveling, taking up ballroom dancing, and moving into a high rise had been at the top of the list.

  “Time got away from us. That’s why if you’re still interested in relocating to some place warmer, I think you should go for it. Life is too short.”

  “I agree. I applied for a job in Los Angeles that I think I have a good chance of getting.” Lincoln was glad that she was looking at places where they had family. His sister and her family lived in California, while his brother lived in Houston. At least she’d be near people she could count on. “So have you thought about dating? Are you ready?”

  “I think so.”

  “Yes!” She did a Tiger Woods’s uppercut fist pump. “I can introduce you to—”

  “I met someone.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “What? I can’t believe it! You’ve never said anything. Who is she? Where did you meet her? What is she like?” His daughter trembled, rattling off questions as she hopped from one foot to the other. “Wait. Before you answer, can we go back inside? Some of us can’t handle standing in freezing weather.”

  Lincoln laughed and realized he was getting a little cold, too. His tolerance for winter weather was a lot higher than most people.

  “Then you can tell me all about her.”

  “Well, this will be a short conversation. I don’t know much about her … but I plan to change that.”

  *

  Carolyn drove through downtown Cincinnati, heading to the French bistro where she agreed to meet Lincoln. The cloudy sky with a threat of snow resembled the mental chaos battling inside of her head. Rarely did nerves get the best of her, but all day she’d been debating whether or not to cancel. Lincoln might have taken off the ring, but did that mean he wasn’t still in love with his late wife?

  Carolyn had enough heartache in her past. She didn’t need to go looking for trouble by falling for a man who wasn’t emotionally available. So why had she agreed to the lunch date?

  She tapped her gloved fingers against the steering wheel as she sat at a stoplight. Curiosity. That’s what had her saying yes to Lincoln’s invite. It had been well over a week since their conversation at the gym and Lincoln called her the day before asking her out. If it weren’t for Paul, she would have said no on the spot. But her son-in-law spoke highly of Lincoln, saying he was smart, kind-hearted, respectful, and financially secure. Actually, Paul couldn’t seem to say enough about the guy, including that he thought she and Lincoln would be good for each other. Carolyn hadn’t been totally sure what that meant, but she trusted Paul’s judgment.

  Problem was, Carolyn had decided after the gym incident that she would give herself until the new year before dating again. In the meantime, she would embrace the holiday season alone. Then Lincoln called.

  Just have coffee or lunch with him and don’t think about forever. Martina’s words from the day before played around in Carolyn’s head. Her daughter was right. She was making way too much of this … this … Heck, she didn’t know what to call it. This meet up was very different than her norm of jumping right in. And she had a feeling anything involving Lincoln would be different.

  Carolyn pulled into the bistro’s parking lot and grabbed the first spot she found. Pulling down the sun visor, she took one last look in the mirror. Satisfied with her appearance, she stepped out of the car.

  A shiver shot through her and she rubbed her hands up and down her arms when the wind picked up, cutting through her short leather jacket as if she were only wearing a T-shirt. She questioned whether she should have gone for warm clothing instead of trying to look cute. Her mother always said sometimes you can’t be cute and comfortable. But apparently there were times when you couldn’t be cute and warm.

  Carolyn’s steps slowed. Air trapped in her throat when she noticed Lincoln exiting a dark Mercedes E Class with that sexy ass fedora pulled low over his eyes again. Mr. Wall Street was in full effect as he buttoned his suit jacket. Damn. The man had such a presence about him that Carolyn didn’t think she’d ever get tired of looking at him. She’d dated professional men before. Her first husband was a lawyer, but this man …

  Goodness.

  A less secure woman might’ve been intimidated by the picture Lincoln painted. Good thing she wasn’t insecure or easily intimidated. Although she’d be the first to admit that seeing him made her wonder if this time she was way out of her league. The man was a walking billboard for sexy and successful. His tall, muscular body oozed confidence, and his impressive fashion sense would make a man or a woman take notice. Again he wore a power suit. This one, a dark taupe color with a cream-colored dress shirt and a tie that pulled the whole ensemble together.

  “Hi. Thanks for agreeing to meet me.” Lincoln's gaze latched onto hers as he reached for her hand. He kissed the back of her fingers even though they were still covered by her gloves. That didn’t stop the blast of heat from shooting from her hand to her feet, nipping at every nerve in between.

  Damn. This guy is good. With eight little words and a harmless, but skin tingling kiss, he had her nipples perking up while she squeezed her legs together to tamp down the throbbing pulse between her thighs.

  Okay, get it together, girl. He’s just a man.

  Her attention suddenly went to his left hand. Not only had he removed the ring, but there wasn’t even a tan line. Their gazes met again and she released the breath she hadn’t realized she was still holding.

  “Thanks for the invite. I’m starving.”

  He threw his head back laughing. The gentle rumble washed over her like a lover’s caress.

  “All right. Well let’s get you fed.”

  With a hand at the small of her back, Lincoln guided her toward the building. At 5’8”, she was tall for a woman, but being next to him, with his massive football-player build, made her feel petite and protected.

  As they stepped into the lobby of the bistro, Carolyn removed her gloves and shoved them into her handbag. After greeting Lincoln by name, a hostess led them through the semi-crowded space. This was Carolyn’s first time in the quaint establishment. Her gaze bounced around, taking in the exposed brick, concrete ceiling, and pendant lighting hanging strategically throughout the open space. White tablecloths over the tables and soft jazz playing through hidden speakers added to the ambiance. She had never been to France, but the intimacy and elegance of the room had her wondering if the bistros there were similar.

  “Is this okay?” the hostess asked, splitting her attention between Carolyn and Lincoln. The table was near a window in the corner that overlooked a courtyard.

  Lincoln glanced at Carolyn who nodded. He helped her out of her jacket and pulled out the chair. “Have you ever been here?” he asked when the hostess walked away. Carolyn inhaled the fresh, citrusy scent of his cologne, suddenly wanting him to stay close.

  “I have not. Since a few people greeted you by name, I assume you come here often.”

  He set his hat in one of the chairs and settled into his seat. “I do, since it’s close to the office.”

  A server came by and introduced herself while filling their water glasses, then took their drink order before walking away.

  As they perused the menu Carolyn learned that Lincoln had graduated from Xavier University on a full scholarship getting his bachelor’s
degree, and then attended Stanford to receive his MBA. It sounded like his children were following in his footsteps at being high achievers.

  Carolyn grew accustomed to high achievers, since her siblings had earned college degrees. The next generation of nieces and nephews mirrored their parents’ quest for success, leaving Carolyn and her less-than-stellar life choices considered the black sheep of the family. She didn’t normally let that bother her, but after listening to Lincoln, she felt like a slacker. Despite having too much fun in high school, she had maintained good grades and had every intention of going into marketing. Unfortunately, the best laid plans didn’t always come to fruition.

  Carolyn took a sip of her hot tea that the server had delivered moments before. “So why did you ask Paul for my telephone number?” she inquired, unable to contain her curiosity since he’d mentioned it at the gym.

  “This might sound cliché, but the first time I saw you standing behind the bar at Paul’s restaurant, I felt a connection.” Lincoln took a sip from his water glass and set it back down, his dark eyes sparkling with interest. “That feeling only intensified when you walked into his office a short while later.”

  Carolyn studied him. She had never been one for holding back what she thought or felt, and had no intention of starting now. “I felt the same way. But when I spotted your wedding band, it was like having a bucket of ice water dumped over my head. I was pissed. Partly at you for showing an interest in me when you knew you were married. Or at least when I thought you were married. I was also ticked at myself for not being able to stop thinking about you.”

  “Your comment about removing the ring before calling you was the push I needed. For the past couple of years, I wore the ring as a way to remember my wife and ward off women.” Smiling, Lincoln shrugged. He lowered his gaze and fingered the condensation rolling down the side of his water glass before returning his attention to her. “You’re the first woman I’ve met who made me want to remove the ring and start anew.”