How Sweet the Sound

by Jacquelin Thomas

  Her six-foot-two, 180-pound father stared at her, blinked, then swallowed hard. “No more than I am,” he said, his voice rough.

  Grace had to swallow herself. She hooked her arm through his. “Come on. I have a guest coming for dinner.”

  Caleb stuck the bottle of sparkling grape juice under one arm and rang the doorbell. In his other hand was a box of chocolates. He resisted the urge to ring the bell again when it wasn’t immediately answered. He’d never been this anxious to see a woman. Grace was an unexpected development. He kept catching himself thinking about her. The realization prompted alternate grins and shakes of his head. Who would have thought it?

  The front door finally opened. “Hello, Caleb. Come in.”

  “Hi, Grace.” He stepped inside, intending to kiss her until he realized that the smile on her face didn’t light up her dark eyes. “Is everything all right?”

  “Of course.” She closed the door.

  “You’re sure nothing is wrong?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Not convinced, he handed her the chocolates and juice. “I know you said not to, but I wanted to bring something.” He followed her to the kitchen.

  A smile flirted around her soft mouth. “Thank you. That was sweet. Would you like some juice now or iced tea?”

  What he’d like was some answers as to what was bothering her. “No thanks.”

  Turning away, she put the bottle in the refrigerator and set the two-pound box of chocolates on the island. “The steaks and potatoes are almost ready. Come on outside. I don’t want them to burn.”

  His puzzlement growing, Caleb followed her to the back yard. Smoke and the mouthwatering aromas of grilled food wafted from the grill. He didn’t feel as if he had a right to pry, but he didn’t like seeing her look so sad. “The deck looks great. Your dad is some carpenter.”

  “Thanks on both accounts.” With the prongs of the long-handled meat fork she lifted the edge of the steaks, then nudged over the foil-wrapped potatoes.

  So, it wasn’t her father, he thought. He took a seat on the deck. “Come sit down.”

  She hesitated, then placed the fork on a plate. She didn’t drag her feet, but she wasn’t hurrying, either.

  “I like the dress you have on even better than the one you wore Wednesday night,” he said.

  “Thank you.”

  He didn’t get the same shy, pleased smile she’d given him the other night. Sitting beside him, she folded her hands in the lap of her floral print sundress. He reached out and took one of her hands in his. He felt her pulse leap, then steady. She didn’t pull away, but she didn’t seem inclined to talk, either. It was up to him.

  “Today started off hectic, with two teachers late and one sick. Then I had your kind of lunch.”

  She frowned up at him. He smiled.

  “Candy bar on the run.”

  He thought he saw her mouth curve, before she turned away. “Then, this afternoon one of the students I advise couldn’t start her car. I had to take her to work at the H-E-B grocery store. Traffic was a mess on Main. I might miss Dallas, but not the bumper-to-bumper rush-hour traffic.”

  Grace’s head whipped around. “A student?”

  Encouraged by her interest, he continued. “Macy Peters. She’s a transfer from Temple University. I don’t think you have her. Nice girl, but she talked my ear off. At least I was able to pick up the juice and chocolates at the grocery store.”

  Grace shut her eyes, then slowly opened them. “I need to tell you something, but first I better get the food.”

  “Sure. I’ll help.” He stood, pulling her up with him.

  Grace put the meat and potatoes on a platter then took them inside and set it next to the mangled bread. She picked up the wicker basket holding it and faced Caleb. “This afternoon I stopped to get this, saw you pass with the student, and this is the result.” She returned the mashed bread to the table. “I understand if you don’t want to stay for dinner, but I hope you’ll forgive me enough to still be able to work with me for the celebration.”

  “You thought I was dating another woman while I was taking you out?”

  “I’m sorry. I should have known better.” Regret coated each word.

  “Yes, you should have.” Caleb folded his arms. “If I hadn’t told you about Macy would you have ever told me what was bothering you?”

  She couldn’t evade the truth. “I’m not sure. I was grateful for you helping to heal the rift between me and my father.”

  His brows bunched. “Grateful, huh?”

  She bit her lips. He didn’t seem pleased. “Yes.”

  “Well, it seems I should have followed my first instinct.” Caleb pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “Is there possibly another reason why you’re glad I’m around?”

  Grace stared up into his face. “Beside making me glad to be alive, I can’t think of a single reason.”

  Caleb’s eyes darkened, his head lowered just as the doorbell rang.

  “That would be my father.” Reluctantly pushing out of his arms, she went to the door and opened it. Not only was her father there, but her mother as well. Grace looked behind them. “Should I expect Reginald?”

  “You’re all right?” her mother asked, her dark eyes troubled.

  “Wonderful.” Grace opened the door wider for them to come in.

  “Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson.” Caleb leaned nonchalantly against the entrance leading into the kitchen-dining area.

  Mr. Thompson’s searching gaze went from one happy face to the other. “We were passing by and I thought you might have cut that cake.”

  Grace’s lips twitched. “Not yet. We were just about to sit down and eat.”

  “Then we won’t keep you.” Mrs. Thompson took her husband’s arm and sent Grace and Caleb an apologetic smile. “Your father can get some cake tomorrow.” The door closed.

  Smiling Caleb reached out his hand and this time Grace eagerly took it.

  Chapter Nine

  Grace woke up with a smile, then bounded from bed to get dressed. She and Caleb were going to play tennis. She hadn’t played since her college days and was terrible at it, but that didn’t matter. What she was looking forward to was spending more time with Caleb.

  When the doorbell rang, she went to answer it. Caleb was there in his tennis whites. She greeted him with a smile, a kiss and a cup of coffee. He accepted all three with heartfelt gratitude.

  “Thanks.” Caleb sighed and took a seat on the stool at the kitchen island. “How did you know?”

  “I noticed you always come to meetings grumpy and out of sorts until after your second or third cup of coffee,” she confessed, her hands wrapped around her own steaming mug and took a seat next to him.

  “Oh, yeah.” He took another sip of the cream-and-sugar-laced brew. “Glad to know I wasn’t the only one interested.”

  “But I fought it,” she confessed.

  “You didn’t stand a chance against us.” Before she could comment, he kissed her cheek and she lost her train of thought. “Ready?”

  She slid off the stool a bit reluctantly. “I’ll warn you again that I’m a terrible player.”

  He came to his feet and took her hand. “That’s all right because you’re a fabulous kisser.”

  Laughing at his audacity, she grabbed her racket and purse and let him lead her outside to his car. “Can you put the top down? I figure playing tennis will do a number on my hair anyway.”

  “Your hair could never be anything but pretty,” he commented as he activated the top.

  Grace barely kept from sighing. To think she had almost missed this. Thank you, Lord.

  Rounding the hood, Caleb opened the door. “Let’s go play some tennis.”

  All three courts at the college were being used, as were the city courts. His hands curled around his racket, Caleb tapped it against the side of his leg. “This wouldn’t happen in Dallas.”

  “You can embarrass me some other time.” Grace twirled the racket in her hand
.

  He glanced at her. “You mind waiting a bit? If the court doesn’t clear, we can go have some breakfast.”

  “Stop pouting. I’ve always wanted my date to push me on the swing.” Looping her hand through his arm, she firmly turned him toward the playground in a nearby crop of trees.

  The idea of them sharing something for the first time appealed to him immensely. “How high do you want to go?”

  She cut him a glance. “Probably not as high as you’d like.”

  He chuckled. “Spoilsport, and I wasn’t pouting. I just wanted to show you a good time. It’s difficult enough for a guy to impress his date in a town where there’s nothing to do.”

  Clearly taken aback, Grace stopped and stared up at him. “There’s lots to do.”

  “Not compared to Dallas.” He took her racket and laid it beside his on the grass. The courts and running trails might be occupied, but the playground was deserted. “Hop on.”

  Grace sat down and wrapped her hands around the chain. “Roller-skating, movies, football and basketball.”

  He set the swing in motion. “High school sports are great, but they can’t compare to professional games.”

  She looked at him over her shoulder. “Didn’t all the Dallas teams have losing seasons?”

  He grimaced. “They’re coming back.”

  “Ah,” she said, then continued her list. “Visiting with friends. Church. Dining.”

  He sent her a little higher. “Name me one restaurant that has a linen tablecloth.”

  Grace came back in an instant. “The Longhorn at the Holiday Inn.”

  “One can’t compare to the hundreds in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.” He shook his dark head. “I miss the city.”

  “I thought you liked Summerset?” Grace tried to twist around to see his face and almost fell out of her seat.

  He grabbed and steadied her. “I do. I just like Dallas better.” He looked toward the court. “It’s free. Let’s go.” Caleb picked up the rackets, caught her hand again and jogged toward the court. He didn’t notice the pensive look on Grace’s face.

  The day was sun-kissed and filled with laughter and fun. Grace didn’t mind, at least not much, that she had played tennis abominably. When she finally returned a serve, Caleb had cheered and made a halfhearted attempt to return the ball. Afterward he’d taken her home to shower and change, then picked her up that evening to go to the Longhorn for dinner.

  Grace had such a good time, she managed to forget Caleb’s comment about missing the big city until she crawled into bed that night. Snuggling deeper under the covers, she dismissed the idea that he might leave. He was the chair of his department—the youngest one on campus. He wouldn’t give that up. Assured she was right, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. She had to get up early in the morning for Sunday school.

  Grace wasn’t surprised to enter the sanctuary ahead of the choir and see Caleb. What did lift her brow was seeing him sitting with her parents. He wore a dark-blue suit. His navy-blue-and-red tie looked like silk. If tongues weren’t wagging about them already, they certainly would be. Inclining her head in greeting, she called the members to attention to sing their first selection.

  After service she knew she was right when she walked out the side door of the church and saw Caleb waiting for her. Usually by this time most of the cars parked along the streets and in the small parking lot in front of the church were gone. Not today. Several members, including her father, were talking to Caleb in front of the church.

  As if he had some sixth sense where she was concerned, he looked up. The crazy feeling in her stomach that she had attributed to anything but awareness of Caleb returned full force.

  Excusing himself, Caleb came to her. “The choir was filled with the Spirit today. They were great and so were you.”

  “Thank you.” Adding a bit of swaying motion had certainly rejuvenated them. She had decided to incorporate it into the music they were practicing for the gospel competition. “Looks like you attracted a lot of attention,” she teased.

  “Tell me about it.”

  Her father joined them. “I’m hungry. You two can talk at the house. Your mother went on to get dinner ready.” He held his hands out. “Give me your car keys and I’ll drive your car.”

  She didn’t hesitate. “Thanks, Daddy.”

  “See you at the house. Your brother and his wife are coming,” he told them and went to her car.

  Taking her arm, Caleb led her to his Corvette. “I guess he couldn’t wait.”

  Caleb and Reginald bonded over football…on television and in his parents’ big backyard. The impromptu game of touch football drew several neighborhood men as well. Their wives joined them and cheered them on. Wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt loaned to him by Grace’s father, Caleb made two touchdowns. Fortunately, Grace’s father and brother were on his winning team. He scored points with Mrs. Thompson as well when the neighbors said they were hungry and he volunteered to pick up a couple of buckets of chicken and the fixings for extra food beyond what she’d made.

  Later, sitting on the grass in the backyard with Grace beside him and seeing her contented smile, Caleb felt with growing certainty that he now knew the other reason he had been led to Summerset. A strand of hair blew across Grace’s face and she carelessly brushed it behind her ear. She looked carefree and beautiful in a sleeveless blouse and clam diggers.

  “You’re staring,” she whispered.

  “You’re shouldn’t be so beautiful,” he said in his normal voice.

  Grace hid her hot face behind her hands. The other women there looked expectantly at their husbands. The men good-naturedly teased Caleb, chiding him that beating them at football was bad enough without making them look bad in front of their wives.

  Caleb leaned casually back on his elbows and looked at Grace. “Not my fault. Blame her parents.”

  The men groaned. The women sighed. Mrs. Thompson beamed. Mr. Thompson stuck his chest out with pride. Reginald pulled his own wife closer and nodded his head in approval. Grace openly blushed with pleasure.

  It took over a week for the news that Caleb and Grace were dating to spread through Summerset campus. They decided to tell President Jenkins personally. He took the credit for putting them together and sent them off with his blessings.

  “That wasn’t so bad,” Grace said.

  “Told you,” Caleb said as they started down the hallway. “After rehearsals tonight, want to grab a banana split at the Dairy Queen?”

  “Don’t you ever think of anything except eating?” She walked through the door he held open for her.

  “You mean there are other things out there?” he told her.

  She laughed. “Caleb, you’re incorrigible.”

  “No, I’m a man who is enjoying life. I’ll pick you up around eight-thirty.” Squeezing her hand, he started across the campus with long, ground-eating strides.

  Grace watched him go. He occupied her thoughts a great deal, too. But that was to be expected when you loved someone. The truth no longer scared her. Caleb was a man she could trust and depend on. Hugging her notebook to her chest, she continued to the Meadows Fine Art building, already anticipating seeing Caleb again.

  Over the next month when Grace and Caleb were not conducting joint practices for the gospel concert, they spent as much time together as their hectic schedules would allow. On those occasions when they didn’t go out, they stayed at Grace’s house, relaxing on the finished deck or working in the music room on new songs for the church’s choir or Revelation.

  Grace had just come inside from watering the plants on the deck when she heard the doorbell and saw the familiar shape of Caleb through the half-glass door. They were going to a movie. She hurried the rest of the way and opened the door.

  He scooped her up and twirled her around.

  She laughed and stared up at him when he finally set her on her feet. “That’s some hello.”

  “You won’t believe it.” He shook his head and laughe
d. “I still can’t believe it. It’s the chance of a lifetime.”

  “Why don’t you tell me so I can decide?”

  He shoved the door closed behind him, then took her hands. “Before I do, I think you should know something else that’s even more important.” He glanced around the room. “The phone call I just received made this more immediate. You deserve to be surrounded by roses, candlelight and soft music when I tell you. We’ll have to do it the next time.”

  She began to shake. “Just say it.”

  His hands moved to palm her face. “I love you, deeply, irrevocably.”

  Joy swept through her. “Oh, Caleb!” She launched herself into his arms.

  His arms closed tightly around her. “I hope this means you love me back.”

  Leaning away, she gazed up at him with love shining in her eyes. “So much so that my heart and soul sings with it.”

  He trembled. Momentarily touched beyond words, he leaned his forehead against hers. “You humble me. I definitely should have stopped for roses.”

  “Oh, Caleb,” she whispered. “I’d rather have your kiss.”

  His lips touched hers tenderly. “You are so incredible.”

  “This is incredible.”

  “I’m blessed beyond measure,” Caleb told her. “I can’t believe everything is coming together at once. God is good.”

  “All the time,” Grace said.

  “Amen. Now for the other news. I’ve been offered a position at the Northern University in Chicago for the next school year. They’re renowned all over the nation for their music department, but not gospel. That want me to start a progr—” He stopped abruptly. “What’s the matter?”

  Grace felt as if she’d been given something precious and irreplaceable then had it snatched away. “You’d leave Summerset?”

  “I never intended to stay here,” he told her. “I made it no secret. I thought you knew. I told President Jenkins when he sought me out that I’d be here three years at the most. He said the school wanted me anyway.”