An hour later after visiting with several cousins he hadn’t seen in far too long, he headed for the kitchen. Catching up with them had been nice, but he needed some fresh air. He shrugged his jacket off and rolled up his sleeves, but it was still stifling inside.
He found the drink table and poured a glass of sweet tea.
He’d find Noel, give her the wallet, and leave. Had he heard Ms. Vivian right? Noel looking for him? She probably wanted to know what was wrong with her car.
He scanned the kitchen—no Noel.
A collective shout rang from the room adjacent to the kitchen. The excited sportscaster’s voice drew him to the crowd. Football. All right. Maybe this party would be fun after all. Several guests sat on the couch facing the TV while several more stood around, their eyes fixed on the running back headed to the end zone.
Touchdown Saints. Yeah!
The seated guests jumped to their feet, shouting and high-fiving one another. And smack dab in the middle was none other than Noel Winters. Her excitement lit up her face, and her smile beamed at his cousin, Andy, whose hand she’d just slapped.
For her—high five. For him—mid-chest.
Noel a football fan? He hadn’t seen that one. She didn’t seem the type. Did she like all sports or just football?
As he took in her exuberance, her gaze flashed his way and locked onto his. She smiled and the tremor from yesterday returned to his knees. He had to get back to his workouts. Just one week, and he was already feeling weaker. She walked around the couch and stood next to him.
Her lips moved, but he couldn’t hear her.
He bent closer.
She yelled, “Did you see that run? A hundred yards and nobody touched him! I can’t believe it.”
He’d expected her to ask about her car, not this. “Yeah, pretty amazing,” he shouted above the game’s announcer, guests yelling at the TV, the chatter from the kitchen, and music coming from the living room. The temperature in the house seemed to rise another ten degrees.
“Can we go outside?” He guided her to the back door and out onto the screened porch. He tripped on the threshold, nearly spilling his drink onto a woman who was going into the house. Sheesh. What was the deal? He turned into a total klutz around Noel. A few guests milled about gazing at the slow-moving bayou meandering behind the house. Two vacant rattan chairs in the corner beckoned.
Once seated, she asked, “My car. You can fix it, right?”
The Noel from inside the house had vanished. She returned to the cautious, reserved girl from last night, refusing to make eye contact with him. He liked the excited football fan from earlier. Liked the way her face lit up with her grand smile. Liked the way her eyes shimmered when she first saw him. “Yes, it’s the water pump. I had to order a new one. It should be here tomorrow afternoon or Tuesday morning.”
“Good. Do you have an estimate on what this will cost?” She lifted her gaze. Concern flashed through her eyes as she waited for his answer.
A sneaky suspicion told him she was on a tight budget, so he’d omitted the labor costs when he gave her the number.
She breathed out. “Oh, that’s good. No, that’s great.” A flicker of a shine returned to her eyes, giving him a glimpse of what he’d seen earlier.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” He dug into his pocket. The bulky wallet caught on the lining. It finally broke free. “The reason I came today. I found this in your car. I also found a hair brush, but forgot to bring it.”
“My wallet. Where was it?”
“On the floorboard.”
Her lips parted and curled, making her cheeks puff a little. He took in the way her eyes creased a little in the corners as her smile widened.
His stomach did a flippy-floppy thing.
He must be hungry.
Or maybe he was coming down with something.
At least he hoped that was the reason.
Cinq
Noel took her clutch from him. “Thank you.” How had she not noticed her wallet missing?
Now to escape those captivating green eyes and his compelling smile. She didn’t need to spend more time than necessary with Justin. Hiding the truth speared her conscious every time she thought of the article she’d written. She hadn’t meant it to sound vicious, but now that she looked back, she realized it did. Cutting, biting, and downright mean. She’d written it about the time her mother had been diagnosed with cancer. But that was no excuse. What had come over her? If he found out, he’d be furious. And what would Vivian think of her?
“Do I need to give you a deposit or anything for the parts?”
“No, that’s not necessary.” He shifted in his seat.
She stood. “Well, thank you. I should check with Vivian to see if she needs any help.”
“Oh, yeah, um, OK.” He unfolded from the low chair, rising to his full six-feet-two inches.
Noel felt smaller than usual standing next to him. Was that strictly because of their height difference or because of the guilt coursing through her?
A slow tilt of her head revealed his steady, welcoming gaze. When their eyes locked, she knew she had to keep her secret. There would be no way she could survive him looking at her any differently than he did right now.
The squeeze in her chest reminded her she needed to flee. His close proximity made her knees weaken, her breath catch, and her thoughts spin out of control. She reined in the image of standing on tippy-toes to adjust the flipped-up collar of his polo shirt, and settled for the safer place—wallowing in her regret for the words she’d written.
“I’ll call you when I know more about your car.” He stepped aside.
“Sounds great.” She tried to smile but feared her attempt came across as insincere—forced.
As she walked into the house, she resisted the pounding urge to look back. Deep down she knew his soulful green eyes would send her further into her guilt-riddled spiral.
Not even the cheers from the football fans lifted her spirits and did little to entice her back to the game. She had to find Vivian. Maybe, her hostess needed help. Anything to keep her mind off Justin Gravois.
****
The image of Noel’s reluctant smile burned through Justin’s brain. Was it something he’d done, or was she like this to everyone? She retreated into the house, and he couldn’t help but remember the exuberant smile and shining eyes of the girl from earlier, the one watching the football game. That was the Noel he wanted to see again.
Shake it off. She was just passing through. Why was he letting this stranger get under his skin? He liked her. That’s why.
He’d dated girls in the past, especially since he’d turned professional. Women sought him out. While his ego enjoyed the stroking, he couldn’t help feeling duped. He knew most of them only wanted him because he was a professional ball player with a bright future. He hadn’t met anyone that unsettled him, in a good way, like Noel.
“Justin, there you are.” His uncle stepped on to the porch. “Have you talked to Noel?”
“I did.”
“Vivian tells me that Noel is here because she believes Delton Detiveaux is her father.”
The glass in Justin’s hand stopped halfway to his lips. “What? The Delton Detiveaux?”
“Yep, the one and only. Can’t imagine what dat meeting will be like.”
Justin shook his head. “Neither can I. What makes her think Delton is her father?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you should talk to her. Be there for her.”
“Why? She’s a big girl.” Justin sipped from his glass.
“Because we both know Delton’s got his sights on the governor’s mansion, and he won’t acknowledge any wrongdoing or accept the fact that he may have an illegitimate daughter.” His uncle met Justin’s gaze straight on. “And he won’t be nice about it. Way I see it, she’ll need a friend to be there for her after that kind of fall.”
Justin stared into his glass. “I don’t think she’d want me.”
“You might be surprised.
I see the way you look at her. I see the way she looks at you when you’re not lookin’ at her. Trust me. I may not be up on the latest things you young people read, do, or listen to, but I think I know what attraction looks like. And with you two, there’s something there.”
“Something where?” His Tante Cookie poked her head over Justin’s shoulder.
His uncle Al wrapped his arm around Tante Cookie and guided her toward the food table. “I’ll tell you later. Come wit’ me to get some more of those little crab cakes.”
Something there? If there was, he didn’t see it. All he saw was someone trying to avoid him whenever possible, but she intrigued him and he wanted to get to know more about Noel Winters.
Six
Noel placed the last glass on the glittering placemat. Ten regulars plus their guest, Noel.
Vivian gave her a gentle hug. “Thank you, Noel. You’ve been a true Godsend. I’m glad you’re joining our little Monday night Bible study.” Vivian glanced at the clock. “They should be here any minute.”
“You’re welcome.” Noel followed Vivian to the kitchen while her emotions spun like a raging tornado. Her faith had taken a nosedive. While she’d promised her mother she’d reestablish her relationship with Christ, it seemed hypocritical. She’d tried to pray after her mom died, but the words always dissolved into the cold air. Would the women see through her facade tonight and know the truth about her lack of faith?
Thankfully, the day was filled with a cooking lesson from Vivian and helping return the house to normal, so Noel hadn’t had much time to dwell on tonight.
“So, what do you think? Our roasted duck came out good. Yeah?” Vivian removed a tray from the oven. Noel’s mouth watered at the sight of the browned, glistening bird.
“It looks great. What do you think the other ladies will bring?”
“Well, they’ll bring something from a recipe out of The Southern Heritage Magazine. That’s how we got our name: The Southern Heritage Magazine Supper Club and Bible Study. We cook something from the current month’s issue and bring it to our Bible study night. The hostess does the main dish and the previous hostess brings the dessert. The other ladies bring side dishes.” She placed the duck onto a serving platter and then garnished it with lemon wedges and leaves from her lemon tree.
“Oh, I almost forgot. Cookie, who’s one of our Bible study ladies, called and said Justin needed to talk to you about your car. He’s dropping her off tonight and should be here any minute.”
Great. Regardless of how busy she’d been, images of Justin’s emotion-packed green eyes flashed in her thoughts at unexpected moments throughout the day. Now she’d have to actually look into those gorgeous eyes. Each vision throughout the day made her heart beg to know him, but the louder voice from her brain screamed, “Stay away!” If she got close to him, she’d have no choice but to tell him the truth. Then what? It wasn’t only Justin she’d upset.
Justin was Bijou Bayou’s hero. If they knew she’d been the one to disparage him, they’d turn her away. And, although, she’d only been here a few days, she found she liked Vivian and her family and didn’t want to disappoint them. She liked being accepted and included, if only for a short time. She imagined this was how it would be with her father and his family.
The doorbell chimed, and when Vivian opened the door, voices drifted into the kitchen.
“Where’s Noel?” Cheryl’s question rose above the cheerful chatter from the foyer. She recognized the voices of Vivian’s mother and sister, Melanie, and, Mamere, but couldn’t place the others.
Before Noel or Vivian could answer, Cheryl appeared in the dining area carrying a platter with donut-looking squares piled high to form a tree. “Hi, Noel. I’m supposed—“
“What is that?”
“It’s my beignets Christmas tree.”
“It’s beautiful. But what are…ban…yays?”
“They are fried dough, like donuts, only much lighter and usually have a hollow inside. They’re covered with powdered sugar. These are special. I’ve filled each one with banana cream.” Her eyebrows arched. “So good.”
She centered the platter on the large table and clapped her hands to shake off the confectioner’s sugar. “Justin’s out on the porch. He needs to talk to you about your car.”
Noel inhaled deeply and headed to the front door. Justin’s aunt Cookie, whom she’d met briefly at church and at the shower, removed her coat and walked toward her. For the first time, Noel noticed a pronounced limp. His aunt, like Vivian, embodied the true southern lady: coifed hair colored to perfection, impeccable clothing, and a smile so genuine you knew your heart was being blessed. With those two, bless your heart meant nothing else but bless your heart.
“Noel, I’m so glad you’re joinin’ our little group.” Cookie wrapped her arms around Noel as though she’d known her all her life. The hug warmed Noel, but gave her pause. She was getting far too close to these people. She returned the hug. What was she doing? She was going to regret this.
“Justin’s waiting out on the porch. He said he didn’t want to intrude on our study. Of course, Vivian well told him that he could come in, but he asked if you’d join him out there.”
Noel grabbed her coat and slipped out the door. Justin sat on the red and white striped cushions of Vivian’s rattan furniture. He stood as she approached. Must be that southern charm she’d heard so much about.
A four-foot-tall lighted Santa cast a soft glow over the entire porch while the multitude of decorations lit up the yard. When Noel walked in front of the Santa, he belted out, “Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas.” She jumped back and a nervous giggle escaped.
Justin laughed and reached out to her. “Here. Walk around this way. He’s motion activated. Don’t feel bad. I did the same thing. He about scared me half to death.”
She wasn’t sure if her legs quivered because of Santa’s scare or the way Justin’s eyes twinkled in the soft light when he smiled at her.
Maybe praying wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Lord, if You are listening, guide me through this situation. I think I’ll need it.
****
“Here, have a seat.” Justin pointed to the candy-cane cushion next to him. He turned toward her and had to take a deep breath when he peered into her eyes. “I’m afraid I have some not-so-good news. The pump I received for your car was the wrong part. I’m sorry. The company’s paperwork shows the correct make, model, and year, yet they sent the water pump for an earlier year model. It just doesn’t fit.”
She returned his gaze, sending him to a happy place he hadn’t been in a while. Her softness brought out his protective streak.
“So where do we go from here?”
“I’ve called the company, and they’re overnighting another one. I should have you up and running by this time tomorrow night.”
She nodded. “Good.”
“So, my uncle tells me that you’re here to meet your father, Delton Detiveaux.”
“Yes, well, I believe he’s my father. Seems he’s leaving town in a couple of days, so it’s kinda important that I get my car back soon. Although, Vivian has been so kind with her offer to stay as long as I need, I don’t want to wear out my welcome.”
Justin smiled. “That doesn’t surprise me. She’s one of a kind.”
“She is. The whole family has taken me in. It’s amazing, but even in this short time, I’ve come to feel like family.” Her smile bore into his heart.
“Welcome to Louisiana. It’s what I miss the most about this place when I’m gone.”
“I can understand.”
He turned to face her and for the first time saw vulnerability in her eyes he hadn’t seen before. “Um…Noel, your part won’t be in until the afternoon. I would be happy to drive you over to Delton’s place tomorrow morning. I know where he lives, and he knows me.”
“You know Delton?”
“Yes, I used to mow his lawn when I was a kid. This was before he’d been elected. Been friends with his son since middle sc
hool. He’s a few years younger than me.”
“Er…I don’t…” She squirmed in her seat and lowered her eyes. “I…um. Maybe that might work. Thank you.” She lifted her gaze, and gratitude and something else shone in her eyes. But for now he would concentrate on her gratitude.
“How many children does he have?”
The twinkle in her eyes captured him. By asking about Delton’s children, she would find out about her half siblings. “Only the son.”
“Wow, the thought of having a brother blows me away.” She hugged the pillow propped next to her. “It was only mom and me. Do you have any brothers or sisters?
His chest tightened. Again his protective streak rose. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and tell her all was OK. “No. My parents died in a plane crash when I was eight. An only child raised by my aunt and uncle. They took me in and treated me like their own. I would do anything for either one of them. Last June, when Aunt Cookie got in a crash and we almost lost her, my world about fell apart. Happened the day before my debut in the majors. They were driving to the airport to fly to Denver for the game. I was a wreck, and my performance showed it.”
Noel inhaled sharply. “I’m so sorry.” Rain pelted the tin roof of Vivian’s porch.
Justin raised his voice. “I hope I didn’t ruin my chance for ever showing the critics, the fans, and the coaches what I can do.”
Sept
Noel gulped past the lump in her throat. It’s no wonder he’d had such a hard time in the majors. He was worried about his aunt. She got a glimpse into his heart and his love for his aunt and uncle. Boy, had she misjudged him. Big time. His words turned the knife of guilt wedged in her heart. Now she regretted more than ever writing the article. If she could take it all back she would.
“I think we have a cold front coming through,” Justin said.
As the patter of the raindrops intensified, Noel stood. “Does it get pretty cold here?”
“Not as low as the temperatures in Colorado, but forty degrees here can feel much colder because of the humidity. So don’t let the temperatures fool you.”
Gumbo Weather Page 3
