Past Sins Revisited

by Mary Goldberger

  He glanced up a worried look on his face as he stared at Ric wondering what was going through his friend’s mind.

  “Ric, are you sure that you want to go through with the plan?” Tomas finally asked him, and Edric sat back in his seat his green eyes shadowed.

  It was a few minutes before he answered, “It’s already set in motion, Tomas” which Tomas noticed didn’t actually answer his question.

  “Did you get the information on Calida’s parents?” Edric asked before Tomas started out of the room and Tomas shook his head.

  “Not yet, but we should have something in another day or so,” Tomas told him, and Edric nodded his head a distracted look in his eyes.

  Tomas walked out a frown on his face which Calida noticed as she came out of the kitchen her freshly washed clothes over one arm. “Are you okay, Tomas?” She asked in a worried voice stopping at the base of the stairs.

  Tomas stared at her for a second before he nodded his head and walked away not able to answer her as guilt ran through him at what he and Edric had planned for her.

  Chapter 11

  After Tomas walked away from her, Calida headed up to Edric’s bedroom where she changed in the bathroom a thoughtful look on her face as she asked herself, “What does he really want from me?” remembering the flash of guilt she caught on Tomas’s face.

  She shook her head as she finger-combed her hair only to be surprised when Edric said, “If I said all of you, then how would you answer?”

  Her head lifted as hazel eyes met green eyes in the bathroom mirror and she swallowed before she whispered, “For how long?”

  Edric wrapped her arms around her and pulled her back against him as he asked her, “What if I told for as long I wanted you?”

  Calida closed her eyes and her body relaxed against him as she muttered, “I must be crazy.”

  Edric smiled although he didn’t rejoice just yet as he asked again tightening his arms around her, “How would you answer?”

  Calida sighed lifting her hands to cover his and told him clearly, “Then you have me until such time.”

  Edric’s heart stuttered in his chest as he closed his eyes and put his chin on her shoulder letting out a low sigh that Calida heard and her eyes opened to see his open expression.

  “Where you worried?” She asked him a teasing note in her voice and Edric’s eyes snapped open to meet hers in the mirror, and his green eyes lit up with a blazing light.

  “Oh, not really,” he told her before he swung her around in his arms and pressed her back against the edge of the counter. “Should I be?”

  “Hmm,” Calida said tilting her head to the side looking up at him and he took that as an invitation.

  His head dropped as she lifted her head at the same time and their lips met in a slow, tantalizing kiss that left them wanting more.

  “Did you really want to leave at the moment?” Calida asked breathlessly as Edric broke away resting his forehead against hers.

  He lifted his head with a grin and before Calida could blink, he swung her up in his arms and headed for his bed where he dropped her before following her down to continue with what they started in the bathroom.

  A few hours later, Edric and Calida left the house with Ms. Welsh watching them leave with a smile on her face.

  “So where are we going, sir?” Calida asked on a teasing note as she put her seatbelt on.

  “First, I think we should stop off and see Ms. Wilma,” Edric told her as he buckled himself in before starting the car and driving away from his house. “She is probably already upset that you haven’t called even though I’m sure Jake let them know that you were with me.”

  Calida stared at him for a few minutes before she leaned over and kissed his cheek, and said, “So you do have a nice streak, Edric.”

  Edric glared at her before he caught her lips in a rough kiss cutting it short to continue driving as Calida settled back in her seat shaking her head to clear it.

  They pulled up in front of her house not too long later and as they got out of the car, Wilma and Marti were already walking down to them.

  “I hope that you are going to take responsibility for her,” Wilma said with a stern look on her face as she settled her hands on her hips before she introduced Edric to Marti who glanced over at Calida before telling him, “You can call me Aunt Marti if you like”

  Calida was startled at her words as Wilma glanced at Marti who was staring at Edric as he smiled and said, “Thank you, Aunt Marti” before including her as he told her and Wilma, “And I plan on taking full responsibility of Calida.”

  Wilma and Marti shared a look before they nodded their heads until Marti said, “We made a cake today so come in and have a slice.”

  Calida shook her head only to be overridden as Edric grabbed her hand telling them, “We would love a slice, Aunt Marti.”

  They both smiled at him as they turned to go back in the house and Calida whispered to Edric when they followed. “What are you doing, Edric?”

  “Having a slice of cake,” he said glancing at her with a smug smile on his face. “I’m hungry after all that activity we engaged in after breakfast.”

  Calida’s eyes widened and her face flushed as she whispered, “Edric!”

  He laughed as they walked in the house and Calida led the way to the kitchen, and everyone noted the tint to Calida’s cheeks as they walked in.

  “Stop teasing her, Edric,” Wilma advised as she cut the cake. “You are the first boyfriend she’s had since she left home.”

  “I had one while I was away,” Calida defended as she and Edric sat down at the table, and Edric tightened his hand around hers at the comment.

  Wilma’s next words had him relaxing the grip as she stated, “Yeah, for a week until he got pushy about going to bed with him and even tried to force you to sleep with him.”

  Calida nodded her head at this statement admitting, “True, but I wasn’t ready, Wilma.”

  Marti nodded her head as she poured them something to drink while commenting, “You are twenty-nine years old so I guess it was time for you to become a full-fledge woman.”

  Calida lowered her head at that as Edric pulled her over to him and kissed her on top of the head before saying aloud, “I’m glad she waited until she met me.”

  “Suck up,” she muttered lowly as the others laughed and chatted, and Edric tilted her head up with his hand at the edge of her jaw line.

  “Only when I really want something,” he told her seriously before he kissed her without restraint and Calida responded to the forcefulness of his kiss.

  The clearing of two different throats had them breaking apart and Edric had a sense of satisfaction as Calida opened her dazed hazel eyes to stare at him while he let his gaze drift down to her redden swollen lips from their kiss. He let his thumb trace it’s swollenness as her lips parted at the light touch and his eyes flared with male smugness and satisfaction.

  “Not at the kitchen table, please,” Wilma said sternly but when they looked at her there was laughter on her face.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Edric conceded sitting back in his seat, and Calida drew in a deep breath closing her eyes tightly to control her racing heart.

  “Are you okay, dear?” Wilma asked with a frown putting down a plate in front of her and Edric.

  Calida opened her eyes and smiled as she answered, “I’m fine, Wilma, thank you.”

  Wilma nodded her head as she waved her hand for them to eat and settled down at the table next to Marti.

  It was an hour later when Edric and Calida got up to leave, and Jake handed out to Edric a suitcase as Wilma stated, “Everything she needs is in there including any personal items.”

  “What things,” Calida asked in confusion looking around at them before her eyes went down to the suitcase. “Edric…”

  “Thank you,” Edric said reaching out for the suitcase ignoring Calida’s words but Jake shook his head as he indicated he would take it out to the car.

  “I packed
everything I think you would need, Calida, but if we are missing anything then I’m sure Edric will pick it up for you,” Marti said laughing at Calida’s dumbfounded expression.

  “We will take care of the house for you,” Wilma told her as Edric put an arm around her waist and ushered her out as Calida kept twisting around trying to ask them questions only to be interrupted each time by one of them.

  Once in the car and driving away, she asked in a calm and controlled voice, “Would you like to explain what is going?”

  Edric made a turn before he answered, “Oh, I called while Tomas and I was in the office, and asked if they could pack your things as starting from today you will be living with me in my house.”

  “When did we decide that?” Calida asked her hands tightening in her lap. “I have to work you know so can I have a car too?”

  This last question was spoken with a high note of sarcasm and Edric pulled the car over with a jerk of the wheel as he turned to face her after putting it in park.

  “Ms. Wilma told me that your brother would probably continue to hound you especially if he learns that you spent the night at my place,” he told her in dangerously soft voice. “We all thought it would be better if you lived with me especially as we are getting married.”

  “Married,” Calida scoffed glaring at him. “You mentioned it in passing to Mrs. Treston to get me out of work and you haven’t talked to me about it at all.”

  Edric’s eyes flared with emotion before he calmed himself down realizing that what she said was right and said in a gentler tone, “We were only looking out for you, Calida.”

  She glared at him before she sighed and put her head back. “Maybe you were, but I don’t like being manhandled in this fashion. Just be truthful with me and I will work with you if I found what you want to do is reasonable.”

  Edric stared at her before he lifted a hand to her face and said softly, “Will you marry me, Calida Lindley?”

  Calida’s eyes shot open as she stared at him and he saw tears fill her eyes, and Edric smiled sincerely at her. “I had a feeling you would’ve preferred that I ask Calida Lindley instead of Calida Reseda.”

  “It’s the same person,” she murmured, but Edric shook his head.

  “Maybe, but its Calida Lindley that I want to marry,” Edric told her and as he said the words, he knew he meant them although some guilt went through him at the feeling.

  Calida looked at him seeing the guilt that flashed through his eyes and she wrapped her arms around his neck whispering, “I’m sorry for whatever guilt wanting to marry me is causing you. If it’s like that, why do you want to marry me?”

  Edric couldn’t answer that question as he wrapped his arms around her waist and tightened them pressing her against him as his lips brushed the nape of her neck.

  Calida shivered at the touch of his lips and she noticed that he didn’t answer her but she decided to let it go for now knowing that sooner or later she would get the answer.

  “You haven’t answered my question,” Edric muttered in her neck.

  Calida closed her eyes a feeling that she was about to make a mistake but she uttered quietly, “Yes.”

  Edric felt a thrill go through him at the simple word and his arms tightened around her waist before he eased back kissing her on the lips before he said, “So are you okay with going to choose an engagement ring?”

  Calida smiled nodding her head as he winked giving her another kiss before he turned back to the wheel and pulled away from the curb.

  They headed to a small jewelry store that Edric frequented often and as they walked in, the clerk behind the desk smiled.

  “Mr. Walwyn,” she said with a smile. “How may we help you today?”

  Edric laced his fingers with Calida’s as they stepped toward the counter and said, “We want to look at engagement rings.”

  The woman’s eyes widened before she smiled and said, “Miss Jenkins was already in here looking at engagement rings and I do believe she found what she liked.”

  The woman was already opening one of the displays when Edric said with a hard tone in her voice, “I’m glad that Sophia found something she liked for when she got married, but she isn’t my fiancée.”

  The clerk glanced up as Edric pulled Calida forward and said in a soft voice, “Pick the ring that you like.”

  Calida chuckled before saying, “So does that mean I can pick the most expensive ring in the case?”

  “If you would like,” Edric told her giving her a hooded glance as she bent over to look in the case. A few minutes later his phone went off and Edric winced as he looked at the caller id seeing Calida glance over at him with a slight frown but she said, “It’s probably important so take it, Edric.”

  He nodded his head and kissed her lightly before he answered it with a brief ‘hello’ as he stepped outside.

  Calida waited until he left before she turned to the clerk who gave her an unsmiling look although her eyes widened when Calida said, “Do you have any rings that are less showy and not as expensive?”

  “I thought…” she began only to shake her head and indicate a tray in another case and Calida walked over to take a look when she immediately saw the one she wanted.

  “May I take a closer look at that one, please,” she asked pointing to the tray, and the clerk’s mouth tightened for a moment as she unlocked the display and reached inside but when she grabbed the ring that she thought was the one Calida pointed out, Calida stopped her.

  “The one to the left of it,” Calida told her as she went to grab the ring.

  When the clerk realized which one she was referring to, she said with a touch of embarrassment, “This one is my favorite out of these engagement rings.”

  Calida smiled when the clerk held it out to her and as Calida glanced over it, she admired the simple beauty of the ring.

  “Try it on to see what adjustments need to be made,” the clerk suggested, and Calida hesitated briefly before she did as requested only for the both of them to be shocked as the ring slipped on her finger.

  “It fits,” Calida stated although the clerk could read the question in her voice as she reached out to check for herself.

  “Almost as if it was made for you,” the clerk said in awe but Calida laughed and shook her head.

  “I think I just got lucky,” Calida told her with a chuckle as she glanced back down at the ring on her hand before she twisted it slightly to make sure it wasn’t too loose.

  “It fits perfectly,” the clerk assured her as the bell over the door dinged as someone walked in and they both glanced up seeing Edric closing the door behind them.

  Edric walked over to them and asked, “Did you find one that you liked?”

  Calida lifted her hand up to let him take a look at it and Edric stared at the ring looking at the two-tone engagement ring that encircled her left hand. The ring was silver with two hearts that interlocked one being silver while the other went to gold with a silver back.

  “It is called a two-tone engagement ring,” the clerk told him as he took hold of Calida’s hand staring intently at the ring. “Also it is less expensive than the ring that Miss Jenkins chose for herself.”

  Edric tightened his hold when Calida went to pull her hand away and asked, “Does it need any adjustments?”

  The clerk smiled and shook her head as she told him, “We were just commenting on the fact that it fits her so well. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought that the ring was specifically made for her.”

  Again Calida chuckled and shook her head but the clerk beat her to it as she stated, “But she merely believes that she got lucky that the first ring she picked fit her finger.”

  Calida laughed at this as she remarked, “But I did, didn’t I?”

  The clerk laughed herself as she nodded her head and said, “But, Mr. Walwyn, we can look at others if you don’t like it.”

  Edric continued staring down at the ring making Calida uncomfortable as she murmured, “Edric, I can choo
se another if you don’t like it.”

  Edric glanced up his green eyes intense as he said, “You are the one wearing it so if this is the one you want then it is the one you will get.”

  “But…” Calida started and Edric stopped her by leaning forward giving her a sweet but hard kiss.

  “It is beautiful,” he whispered against her lips as he pulled back before he turned to the clerk. “We will take it.”

  The clerk smiled and nodded her head as she closed the display locking it before she said, “It’s one of my favorites, too. May I take it to have it cleaned and checked out?”

  Calida was reluctant to hand it over but she slipped it off and gave it to her. The clerk smiled noticing the reluctance as she told Calida, “I will give it back to you in a few minutes and then you don’t have to take it off again.”

  Calida blushed as she realized how readable she had been and she nodded her head blanking her face which caused Edric to swing her around into his chest.

  “Go ahead and do what you have to,” Edric told the clerk staring down in Calida’s eyes, and the clerk nodded her head giggling at how distracted the young woman was by the man.

  Handling the ring gently before she placed it in a ring case and headed in the back to give to the man who cleaned and checked the rings for the store.

  “Around me, don’t do that,” Edric told Calida getting a bewildered look until understanding crossed her face.

  “I don’t like being readable,” Calida told him honestly lowering her eyes to rest on his chest.

  Edric understood the concept as he didn’t like being readable to others and only one person has ever been able to read him so well, and she was no longer around to do that.

  His eyes flashed briefly with anger before he said a little roughly, “Just don’t do it around me.”

  “I won’t make any promises,” Calida told him lifting her head her eyes flashing with stubbornness and determination.

  Edric stared down at her for a few seconds before a wicked smiled crossed his face as he said, “Then expect a punishment from me whenever it happens.”