Her greeting died on her lips when she saw Thad. The man seemed to look better each time she saw him. Today, he wore a tailored gray suit that fit his six-foot frame to perfection. Realizing she’d been staring like a love-struck teen, she finally found her voice. “Hi. Come on in.” She moved back for him to enter.
“Hello, beautiful.” Thad handed her the wrapped single red rose and a small, thin package. “You look lovely.”
He bent to kiss her cheek at the same time Celeste turned and their lips met. Thad took full advantage. Her heart skipped. At length, he lifted his head and smiled. It took a moment to clear her head from the sensual fog. “Um…thank you. And you didn’t need to bring anything other than the wine.”
“I brought that, too.” Thad held up the gift bag.” It’s already chilled.”
Celeste led him to the family room, pausing in the dining room to add the rose to the floral arrangement. “Please, have a seat.” She gestured to the sofa.
“After you.” He waited until she sat, then lowered himself next to her. “Whatever you’re cooking smells good.”
She smiled. “I hope it tastes the same.”
“I have no doubts,” Thad said, not taking his eyes off her.
Her heart rate kicked up again and she busied herself with opening the square gift to cover her reaction. She carefully tore away the paper and her smile widened. He had bought one of Brian Culbertson’s CDs she didn’t have. “Thank you, Thad.” The temperature seemed to be rising by the minute and had nothing to do with the oven being on. Celeste jumped up. “Oh, I need to check on the dessert. I’ll put this on when I come back.” She held up the CD.
He smoothly rose to his feet and eased it out of her hand. “If you show me where your player is, I’ll take care of it.”
Celeste directed him to the BOSE system on the kitchen counter, removed the cobbler from the oven and placed it on a trivet. The music started and the sounds of piano floated across the space and she recognized the song, “Together Tonight.”
“I love this song.”
“It’s one of my favorites, as well.” Thad held out his arms. “Dance with me, Celeste.”
The softly spoken request made her pulse skip. “Here? In the middle of the kitchen?” she asked with a nervous chuckle. She knew being in his arms for any length of time could be dangerous because it would remind her of how much she missed having a man hold her.
“Absolutely. We have everything we need—you, me, good music. It’s perfect.” He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. “Perfect,” he repeated as he swayed slowly in time with the melody.
Celeste almost melted in a heap when he pulled her to his hard frame. Her arms raised up on their own volition and wound around his neck. In her three-inch heels, her head came just above his shoulder.
The man smelled so good, it took all she had not to bury her face in his neck. The light, crisp scent surrounded her like a warm summer day. Thad’s voice broke into her thoughts.
“It’s been a while since I’ve danced with a beautiful woman and I’m a little out of practice.”
Celeste stared up at him. Out of practice? The sexy way his body moved against hers said he was anything but. “If you call this out of practice, I’d like to know what you’re like when you’re up to speed.” She averted her gaze and closed her eyes. She hadn’t meant to say those words out loud.
Thad chuckled and the deep sound enveloped her. “I plan for you to be right here when I do.”
His hand made a slow path down her back, igniting a blaze as he went and Celeste sucked in a sharp breath.
He leaned back a fraction and looked into her eyes. “You know what that means, right?”
She was almost afraid to ask. “What?”
A wicked grin curved his lips. “We’ll need to spend lots of time dancing to make sure I get fully up to speed. I don’t want to miss a step with you.” He resumed his close position and continued dancing.
Mercy! They finished the song without further conversation. When he released her, Celeste stood rooted to the spot for several seconds before turning to the stove. “Are you ready to eat?” Her hands shook as she went about removing pans from the oven’s warmer drawer. She could feel the heat of Thad’s gaze with every move. “I…I just need to put these on the serving plates, then we can eat.”
“There’s no need to do all that. I’ll bring the plates from the table and we can serve ourselves in here.” Thad quickly retrieved the plates and handed her one.
“You can go first.”
He eyed her briefly and shook his head. “The lady always goes first, sweetheart.”
The endearment, coupled with the low timbre of his voice had her emotions doing funny things. She placed portions of everything on her plate, took it to the dining room table and came back to get wine glasses. Thad followed with his plate and the bottle of chilled wine. She jumped slightly when his body brushed hers as he pulled out her chair. “Thanks.”
Thad took his seat, reached for her hand and recited a short blessing. “Celeste, I really appreciate you taking time to cook such an amazing meal.”
A playful grin tilted the corner of her mouth. “You might want to hold off on the praise until you taste the food.”
“I’m not worried. I know it’ll be as wonderful as the woman who prepared it.”
Just like that, the heat skyrocketed. This man had a way of making her feel special, even though they had only known each other a short while. “I hope so.” Belatedly, Celeste realized that Thad was sitting in the same chair Gary always used when they ate together. She had set the table by rote. For a brief second, feelings of betrayal surfaced, but she forced them down and reminded herself, once again, that the emotion had no place.
“Is everything okay?”
She glanced over and met Thad’s concerned gaze. She patted his arm. “Everything is just fine.” And it was. How could it not be, sharing a Sunday afternoon dinner with a gentleman? With him. Brian Culbertson continued to play while they ate and laughed. She found herself enjoying Thad’s company more and more.
Thad leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach. “Celeste, you outdid yourself with this meal. And these rolls,” he said as he popped the last bit into his mouth, “are to die for and almost melt in my mouth. What brand are they?”
She laughed softly. “Rolls a la Celeste.”
His mouth fell open. “You made these from scratch?”
“But of course, darling,” she drawled. She toasted him with her wine glass and took a sip.
He lifted her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the back. “Smart, caring, beautiful and a fabulous cook. Celeste Williams, if you’re not careful, I may never let you go.” He picked up his wine and finished it.
Celeste almost fell out of her chair. She opened her mouth to say something and her doorbell rang. She frowned. “I wonder who that is. I’m not expecting anyone.” She stood and Thad followed suit. “Excuse me for a moment, please.”
He nodded and retook his seat.
As she walked to the front, it dawned on her that it might be her sister and vowed to wring Deborah’s neck if she’d showed up to be nosy. Celeste sighed and opened the door. “Emery? What are you doing here?” She sighed again. She did not need this today.
Chapter 6
“Hey, Mom.” Emery bent to kiss Celeste’s cheek. “Did Aunt Deb buy a new car?”
Celeste angled her head. “No, why? And you didn’t answer my question.”
He gestured behind him. “I saw the black Buick in the driveway, and I wanted to see if you were okay.” When she didn’t move from the door, he asked, “So, are you going to let me in?”
“Now isn’t a good time, but we can talk later. I have a dinner guest.”
His eyebrows shot up, then he frowned. “You have a man in here?” Emery pushed past her and strode through the house with Celeste on his heels. “Who are you?” Emery asked Thad angrily.
“Emery!” Celest
e snapped.
Thad came to his feet. “It’s okay, Celeste.” He extended his hand to Emery. “I’m Thad Whitcomb. It’s nice to meet you.”
Emery shook Thad’s hand grudgingly. “Emery Williams.”
If Thad was bothered by Emery’s outburst, he didn’t show it. In fact, he seemed amused. Celeste, on the other hand, wanted to smack her son.
“Your mother and I were just finishing dinner. You’re welcome to join us.”
“No, he isn’t,” Celeste countered, glaring at Emery. To Thad she said, “I’ll be right back.” She pointed toward the living room. Emery looked like he wanted to protest, but he must have recognized the warning in her eyes and thought better about it.
Emery faced Thad. “Will I be seeing you again?”
“Yes, and when we do, I hope we have a chance to talk.”
“Oh, we’ll definitely be talking.” His jaw tight, Emery stalked out.
Celeste braced her hands on a chair and blew out a long breath. “I’m so sorry, Thad.”
Thad brushed his lips across hers. “It’s fine and I don’t scare easily. Don’t be too hard on him. It’s not easy for a son to accept another man being with his mother, aside from his father. You two had a good marriage?”
“We did and I’ll always treasure those memories. But he’s gone now.” She placed a hand against his dark cheek. “Thank you for understanding. You’re the first man I’ve invited here.”
“I’m honored and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you don’t ever regret doing so.” He smiled and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
Celeste returned his smile and left to deal with Emery. She found him pacing the living room floor. “Do not ever disrespect an adult in this house or anywhere again.”
Emery stopped pacing. “But—”
She raised a hand to cut him off. “Do I make myself clear, Emery Jamal Williams?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he mumbled.
“Good. Now, I’m going back to finish dinner with Thad. If you’d like to talk, you can come by tomorrow evening after you get off work. But you’re going to have to check your attitude at the door.” She placed her hands on her hips and waited.
“I’ll be here.”
She smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “I love you.”
“Love you, too, Mom.”
“And stop pouting,” she said with a chuckle. She hooked her arm in his and walked him to the door.
Emery stepped outside and turned back. “Do you like him?”
“So far,” Celeste admitted. “We just recently met and it’s too soon to tell the rest.” Though parts of her had already conceded that she liked Thad a lot. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, honey. Drive carefully.”
“I will.” He hugged her.
She watched him lope down the walkway and laughed softly. His behavior reminded her of how he acted as a child whenever he couldn’t get his way. She closed the door, exhaled and went back to the dining room. She stopped short upon seeing the cleared table. She found Thad stacking the dishes in the sink. “Thad, you didn’t have to do that.” Thad turned from the sink and gave her the knee-weakening smile that always did her in. The one that made her feel special, and the one that made her heart beat a little faster. “Just leave those plates right there and I’ll take care of them later. I have dessert, if you’re interested.”
Thad’s eyes lit with excitement and a hint of desire. “I’m more than interested, but I need some time to let all this good food digest.” He pointed to the baking dish on the counter. “Is that a peach cobbler?”
“It is, indeed. I hope you like them. I probably should have asked first.”
“It’s my favorite, second only to a yellow cake with chocolate frosting.”
Celeste burst out laughing. She didn’t know what she had expected him to say—some fancier dessert or something—but not that simple cake.
“What?”
“That’s such an ordinary dessert. I thought you’d name some lavish treat.”
He grinned and shrugged. “I’m a pretty simple guy. I don’t need anything complicated or extravagant to be happy.”
Simple didn’t come close to describing him, or his effect on her. “So, you’re not a high-maintenance man, huh?” she asked teasingly.
“Nah. What about you?”
Celeste let out a snort. “Please. I don’t have time to do all the things that come with being a high-maintenance woman.”
He grasped her hand. “Then what do you say about two simple, easy-going people exploring whatever is happening between us?”
It took her a moment to reply. Just like the first time their hands touched, sparks shot up her arm. She needed to know why this man, and why now. “I’d like that.”
Thad refilled their wine glasses, handed Celeste hers and lifted his. “To the beginning of something wonderful.”
Celeste touched her glass to his and their gazes held as they sipped. “We can take these in the family room while we’re waiting for our meal to settle.” She led the way and sat on the sofa. Thad took a seat next to her and draped an arm across the back. He sat so close she could feel the heat of his body surrounding her. She couldn’t help but wonder how this exploration, as Thad called it, would play out.
Thad watched Celeste sip her wine. She licked her lips and arousal flared through his body. He took a hasty gulp of his own drink. “Is Emery going to be okay?”
Celeste waved him off. “He’ll be fine. I told him to come by tomorrow and we’d talk.” She placed her glass on the table and shifted to face him. “Today, instead of the twenty-nine-year-old he’s supposed to be, he reminded me of how he was as a child. You mentioned having a daughter.”
He smiled. “Yes, Faith is almost thirty-two.”
“Then you know what I’m talking about.”
His smile faded. “Actually, I don’t. I didn’t have Faith in my life until a couple of years ago.”
Her eyes widened and a soft gasp escaped. “I’m so sorry. Why?” She shook her head. “If it’s too personal, you don’t have to answer,” she added quickly.
“No, it’s okay.” Thad didn’t speak for a few seconds as he pushed down the old pain that always surfaced with the memories. “My wife couldn’t handle my episodes of PTSD, so after my leave ended, she mailed me divorce papers, packed up our two-year-old daughter and moved away. I sent letters for twenty-eight years, praying that my baby girl would answer.” He recalled the devastation he’d felt every time one of them came back with “Return to Sender” written on the envelope.
Celeste covered his hand with hers. “How did you find her?”
“I had hired private investigators over the years to keep up with her mother’s whereabouts. This last time, I had the man search for Faith. It took a little longer because my ex remarried and changed our daughter’s last name.” He told Celeste how he’d sent the box holding all of his correspondence, so Faith would know that he had never stopped looking for her. Then he shared the details of Faith’s car accident when she had come to seek him out. “I didn’t find out about it until she’d recovered.”
“Is she okay?”
“Yes. And the young man who stopped to help her happened to be my best friend’s son.” Thad chuckled. “They’re married now and due to make me a grandfather in a few weeks.”
“That’s wonderful. What about your ex-wife, do you still see her? I’d want to wring her neck every time I saw her if it was me,” Celeste muttered.
“Back then, the thought did cross my mind. It’s all water under the bridge now. It took some time, but I realized the hate and anger was killing me and I had to let go.” Celeste stared at him in disbelief. “I had enough problems and couldn’t afford to let the bitterness consume me. It took a long time, but I have my daughter.” That Francis actually apologized still amazed him.
“I’m so glad she’s back in your life.”
“So am I. She’s anxious to meet you.”
“Is that right? I’ll loo
k forward to meeting her when the time comes. You said you had other problems. Are you talking about the PTSD?”
“That and the injury I sustained.” Thad was hesitant to reveal the information because it always seemed to be the breaking point in his relationships.
Her brow lifted. “Something else?” She eyed him critically. “You don’t look like…I mean.” She cut herself off and a rush of color filled her face.
Thad placed his glass on the table next to hers and lifted his left pant leg. “I lost the lower part of my leg in Desert Storm.” He waited tensely for her reaction.
“Oh, my word! You’ve sacrificed so much.” Tears filled her eyes and she squeezed his hand.
He reached up and wiped the escaping tear from her cheek. “It’s okay. But…” He paused.
“But what?”
“Some women don’t feel they can handle being with a man like me.”
Her face clouded with anger. “What does that have to do with anything?”
Thad didn’t respond. For several years, his thoughts had mirrored those women—that he was half a man.
Another moment passed. Celeste angled her head. “Wait. Please don’t tell me you think you’re less of a man because of this.”
“No, not anymore. But quite a few women do.”
“That’s a bunch of crap. Thad, just because you lost part of your leg doesn’t change who you are. If anything, it tells me you are strong, brave and selfless. I can’t begin to imagine what you went through and I pray you didn’t have to do it alone.”
He bowed his head briefly as emotions unlike anything he had ever experienced welled up with such force they stole his breath. Celeste was the first woman to tell him this. Words he’d expected long ago from the woman who had vowed to love him until death parted them. “So, it won’t bother you?”
She rolled her eyes. “Were you not listening to anything I just said?”
He chuckled. “I heard every word, sweetheart.” Thad stroked a finger down her cheek, then captured her mouth in a soft kiss. The mingled taste of wine and her unique sweetness filled him with pleasure. Shifting slightly, he drew her closer and deepened the kiss. She met him stroke for stroke, her tongue tangling and dancing with his. By the time they came up for air, several minutes had passed. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d sat kissing a woman for any length of time. He glanced at her kiss-swollen lips and the rapidly beating pulse at the base of her throat, and had to look away.
Sweet Summer Days Page 5
