by Terri DuLong
Chadwick smiled and placed a kiss on her cheek. “And Miss Mary, it’s always good to see you. I want you to meet my friend, Isabelle Wainwright.”
She extended her hand and I was surprised at how strong her grip was.
“Miss Isabelle, welcome.”
I knew immediately that Mary was one of those people you meet and instantly know you like.
“Thank you. It’s so nice to meet you.”
Chadwick took my suitcase and deposited both bags at the bottom of an enormous, swirling staircase. He shook a finger at Mary.
“You leave those right there, hear? We’ll bring them upstairs later.”
Mary let out a burst of laughter and nodded. “If you say so. Your parents are out back on the patio.”
“Thanks,” he said, taking my hand. As we walked through the house I tried to take in glimpses of rooms, furniture, framed paintings, and photos on the walls.
We emerged through a set of French doors that took up an entire wall onto a huge brick patio. Big tubs of various plants and bright flowers were placed around the perimeter. The focal point was a large, pristine, aqua pool at the far end.
“Ah, you’re here,” I heard a deep masculine voice say and turned to see a white-haired man rise from a chair and walk toward us. Tall and fit, he wore khaki slacks, polo shirt, and deck shoes.
“Dad, how are you?”
Neither man showed embarrassment as they first clasped hands and then embraced in a bear hug.
“I’d like you to meet Isabelle.”
I got the same warm hand clasp followed by a hug.
“We’ve heard so much about you. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Same here, Mr. Price,” I said, surprised by such a warm welcome.
He shook his head. “No, no. Call me Austin.”
“Oh, they’re here.”
Coming out of the house carrying a tray with pitcher and glasses was a tall, thin woman who appeared to be around my mother’s age. Her salt-and-pepper hair was cut in a short and chic style. She wore capri pants, tunic top, and sandals. Maybe they didn’t dress for dinner in this house after all.
Chadwick went to take the tray from her, kissed her cheek, and placed the tray on the large round table as she walked toward me, both hands extended.
“I’m Ginnie,” she said, a huge smile covering her face as she clasped my hands. “And you’re every bit as pretty as Chadwick said.”
I heard a definite southern accent in his mother’s voice.
“Isabelle,” I said. “It’s so nice to meet you, and thank you for inviting me.” I could feel a blush creeping up my neck at her compliment.
“Oh, it’s our pleasure. I hope you like martinis. I just made a pitcher for us. We’ll have a drink before Austin grills the steaks.”
“Sounds good,” I replied and followed them to the table.
I was aware of how Chadwick pushed two of the chairs closer together, took my hand and indicated I should sit beside him.
“Did you have a good drive?” his father asked as he filled glasses from the pitcher.
“We did,” Chadwick said and leaned forward to take a glass, which he passed to me before taking his own.
“Well, here’s to good health,” Austin said, raising his martini glass in my direction. “And to meeting Isabelle.”
I smiled and nodded before taking a sip.
“So tell us about yourself,” Ginnie said. “Chadwick tells me you have a lovely daughter. She’s how old?”
I smiled and felt good that he thought enough of my daughter to mention her to his parents.
“Yes, Haley. She turns fifteen in September. She’s actually up here in Atlanta for the week, visiting her father.” I wasn’t sure what Chadwick might have told his parents about Roger, so I refrained from mentioning the wedding.
“Oh, that’s nice,” Ginnie said. “After a divorce, it’s important that the children stay in touch with both parents.”
I thought of my own situation, but again I said nothing and only nodded.
“Chadwick told us that your mother has relocated to Ormond Beach,” his father said. “Has she settled in there?”
I wasn’t sure what Chadwick had told them about this situation either, so I only said, “Yes. She seems to like it a lot. She’s keeping very busy with social events and making new friends.”
It was becoming obvious to me that over the course of the past few months my name had been the topic of conversation a number of times in this household.
Chadwick and his father then began discussing general business matters as Ginnie and I listened. Any nervousness I might have felt earlier had quickly evaporated. Ginnie and Austin Price might be wealthy and prominent citizens of their community, but they were down to earth and lacked any pretense.
“Miss Ginnie, I’m sorry to interrupt. But do you need anything?”
We looked to where Mary was standing in the doorway.
“No,” Ginnie replied, standing up. She gave the older woman a hug and I heard her say, “As a matter of fact, we’ll be just fine, Mary. You take the rest of the evening off.”
“If you’re sure, Miss Ginnie.”
“I’m positive. You go relax.”
Ginnie returned to the table and shot me a smile. “Mary has been with us since my boys were little and her mother and grandmother before her were with my family.”
“She seems so sweet,” I said.
“Oh, she is. She’s getting up there in age, though. She turns eighty-five on her next birthday.”
“Gosh, she certainly doesn’t look it,” I said, genuinely surprised.
“I know, but she has a few health problems now and I have to force her to slow down.”
“Does she live nearby?” I asked.
“Oh, she lives here with us,” Austin said. “She had lived with her daughter, but she passed away about ten years ago, so we insisted she stay here. She has her own little suite of bedroom and sitting room upstairs.”
“The stairs were getting difficult for her,” Ginnie said. “So we had a small elevator installed.”
Yup, these people were not the usual type you thought of when you heard the word wealthy.
Austin topped off our glasses and said, “Well, I’m going to fire up the grill. How do you like your steak, Isabelle?”
“Medium, please.”
Ginnie also stood up. “Isabelle, if you wouldn’t mind, could you help me set the table out here? I have scalloped potatoes in the oven and a salad in the fridge, so we can bring those out too.”
“My pleasure,” I said, getting up to follow her into the kitchen.
I had not given much thought beforehand to Chadwick’s parents. But after spending an hour in their company, I knew they were two people I liked a lot. They were the type of people I welcomed into my life.
Chapter 33
I awoke the next morning and saw that it was just beginning to get light outside. I lay there recalling the pleasant evening I had spent with Chadwick and his parents.
After a delicious dinner, I helped Ginnie clean up while Chadwick and his father enjoyed a cigar together. I hadn’t even known that Chadwick smoked cigars, but watching father and son sharing this male ritual made me feel warm and fuzzy.
Then the four of us enjoyed coffee and delicious peach cobbler, which I was told had been made by Mary earlier in the day. And then Austin’s father surprised me by asking if I enjoyed Scrabble. I hadn’t played a board game since I was a child, but shortly into the game, I could see that this was a favorite family pastime in the Price household.
By the time Chadwick and I headed upstairs, it was close to midnight. Our rooms were on the second floor, at opposite ends of the hall. He walked me to my room, opened the door, gently pushed me against the wall and kissed me. One of his special long, passionate kisses. It crossed my mind that he would reach for my hand and lead me to the huge bed. But he did not.
When we stopped kissing, both of us breathing heavily, he whispered in m
y ear, “I really want to share that bed with you. And I really want you. But I don’t want our first time to be here. I want it to be special.”
At that moment I hadn’t been thinking about special. I was thinking pure lust, but I nodded and said, “Okay,” surprised by my own level of desire.
I rolled over in bed and smiled. This bed might be empty but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be much longer before Chadwick satisfied that desire.
By the time I had showered, dressed, and repacked my bag, it wasn’t quite seven. I wasn’t sure if I should venture downstairs alone or wait to be summoned. Just then there was a soft knock on the door and Chadwick walked in.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he said, pulling me into his arms. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be up. Sleep okay?”
“Yes, I did. Very well.”
“I smelled the aroma of coffee and cooking—are you ready for breakfast?”
“Sounds good,” I said, taking his hand and walking out to the hallway.
As we descended the staircase, I paused to glance at the framed photos lining the wall.
“Your family heritage?” I asked.
Chadwick smiled. “Yeah. But I want to show you one in particular.”
We walked down a few more steps and he pointed to a large professional portrait. Ginnie and Austin were sitting on a stone bench with the Price home behind them. On one side Chadwick squatted next to his mother and a very good looking fellow was in the same position next to Austin.
“That was taken a few months before my brother, Aaron, passed away,” Chadwick explained.
“You said it was cancer?”
He nodded.
“Gosh, he looks so healthy here,” I said. “And so young.”
Chadwick nodded again. “Yes, it was very fast, which was good for Aaron but tough on the rest of us. He had just turned thirty—only two years older than I was.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, touching his arm.
We continued down the staircase and walked into the kitchen to find Ginnie and Austin canoodling. She was pouring juice into a glass and he stood behind her, arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck. They both looked up but didn’t pull apart in embarrassment.
“Good morning,” Austin said. “Did you both sleep well?”
“Very well,” I said, smiling at their uninhibited display of affection.
Mary had her back to us and was busy preparing something on the stainless steel stove.
She turned around. “I have some of my famous cheese grits here. And your mother is making omelets.”
“Sounds wonderful,” Chadwick said, and I nodded.
He poured each of us a mug of coffee, which we took out to the patio. It was a gorgeous April morning with the scent of spring flowers in the air.
“Are you sure you don’t mind staying here while I go into the office with my dad for that meeting?” he asked.
“Of course not,” I assured him. “I brought my knitting and I’ll just stay out here and enjoy the morning.”
“We should be back by eleven and then we can leave right away so we’ll be back in Ormond Beach before seven.”
“That’s great.”
Following a delicious breakfast, Chadwick left with his father and Ginnie allowed me to assist with the cleanup. We then spent the next few hours on the patio getting to know each other. There was no doubt that Ginnie had been brought up with southern gentility and money, but I was impressed with how she had chosen to put her wealth to the advantage of others. She told me about various fund-raisers held by her and Austin to support the poor, education, and the arts. I knew that Chadwick did the very same thing in our area, and he was proof that the apple had not fallen very far from the tree.
By the time Chadwick returned, I felt as if I’d known Ginnie Austin forever and I liked her a lot.
Amid hugs and good-byes and promises to visit again soon, we headed outside to Chadwick’s car with his parents following.
“And next time,” Austin said, “you be sure to bring your daughter with you. We’d love to meet Haley.”
We were both quiet as Chadwick pulled the car onto I-75 and we headed south.
After a few minutes, he said, “So did you like them?”
“I adored them. They’re both delightful and made me feel so welcome.”
“Good,” he said, reaching for my hand. “Because they felt the same way about you.”
We made small talk during most of the drive, and as we approached Jacksonville, Chadwick said, “I want to ask you something and I will understand if you say no.”
I shifted in my seat to better see his face, which looked serious. “What is it?”
“Well, I know Haley is gone until Sunday evening. So . . . I was wondering if maybe . . . you’d like to spend the next few nights at my house.”
This was a definite invitation to take our relationship to the next level.
Without hesitating, I said, “I like your idea.”
“So this is a yes?”
“This is a definite yes.”
A huge smile covered his face. “Good. I was hoping you’d say that. Why don’t we pull off the highway and grab a burger and then I’ll drop you at your house so you can repack that overnight bag? I’ll come back to get you in about an hour.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said as butterflies fluttered in my stomach.
* * *
I walked into Koi House and smiled. In three short months my life had done a complete turnaround.
I poured myself a glass of ice water and took it with me upstairs. I emptied out the dirty clothes from my bag and placed them in the hamper and then began to open bureau drawers, refilling the bag with clean items. I spied the tissue paper – wrapped lingerie from Victoria’s Secret and smiled.
“Oh, yeah,” I said out loud. “I think it’s time to christen you.”
I made a dash to the shower and before putting on the sexy bra and panties, I smoothed a fragrant verbena-scented lotion over my body.
By the time Chadwick arrived an hour later, my hair had been restyled, makeup applied, my newly packed overnight bag filled—and my Victoria’s Secret underwear was hidden beneath my sundress. Ready to make its debut.
Chapter 34
Chadwick unlocked the door and I stepped inside to hear the soft strains of Andrea Bocelli fill the air. I looked straight ahead and saw that cushions had been arranged on the floor in front of the sofa and a tripod stood nearby holding an ice bucket containing a bottle of champagne.
He took my hand and drew me into the room. In the twilight I could now see the fire pit on the patio had been lit and red rose petals covered the floor cushions.
This was pure romance and something I had never experienced before.
Chadwick led me to the cushions and pulled me into an embrace.
“We have the entire night,” he whispered in my ear before kissing me.
When we broke apart, he said, “Make yourself comfortable. Champagne?”
I nodded as I sat on one of the cushions and leaned back against the sofa.
Looking up at his handsome face, I said, “Absolutely.”
Chadwick popped the cork, filled two flutes, and came to join me.
Touching the rim of my glass, he said, “Here’s to us, Isabelle. To all our tomorrows, and whatever they might bring.”
“To us,” I whispered and let out a sigh.
After taking a sip, he put his arm around me and I snuggled against his chest.
“Do you remember the day we met last summer?” he asked.
“Of course. I was with Chloe having lunch at LuLu’s.”
“You need to know,” he said. “That moment I saw you . . . that very first moment . . . as soon as my eyes met yours? I knew. I knew we had something very special between us. At the time I had no idea where it would lead. If anywhere. I knew you were returning to Atlanta and I might never see you again, but I also knew I had never met anybody like you.”
I sat up straighter to look a
t him. “You met me for a few minutes and you knew all this?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I guess it’s true what they say. The heart knows. It just knows.”
I thought back to that afternoon and I nodded too. “Yeah, you could be right. I had a lot going on in my life at the time and a lot more followed. I did think of you a few times but I wasn’t even sure we’d see each other again. But in early February when I met you in that rainy parking lot . . . I felt something. I didn’t want to admit it. But it was there.”
He leaned toward me and his lips met mine. I felt him slip the straps of my sundress off my shoulders. He broke the kiss only long enough to remove my dress, and somewhere in the back of my mind I was very grateful that Petra had dragged me on that shopping spree.
I heard him whisper, “You’re so beautiful,” his voice husky with desire. He reached to touch my lingerie. “Very nice.”
We continued kissing and touching and I marveled at the intimacy we shared.
When I wasn’t sure I could hold on much longer, I heard him say, “I want you. I want you, Isabelle.”
I shifted so he could position himself on top of me, looked into his eyes, and said, “I want you too. God, I want you, Chadwick.”
* * *
I woke at some point during the night curled up in Chadwick’s arms. We were still on the floor cushions. The house was silent and the fire pit had died out. By the moonlight streaming into the room I could see Chadwick sleeping beside me and I let out a deep sigh.
What I had shared with him I had never shared with anybody else. Despite romance stories and films, I hadn’t even been sure it was possible to feel such a connection with another person. But Chadwick had proved to me that it was entirely possible. I had been amazed at how knowledgeable he had been with my body. Almost as if he knew it better than I did. The words and they became one floated into my head. Because that’s exactly what had happened. I felt like I was a part of Chadwick Price in every way possible.
I recalled how he had said I love you over and over and when I repeated those words back to him, they came from my soul.
I felt Chadwick stir. His eyes opened and he smiled when he saw me staring at him.
“Hey, beautiful. Have you been awake long?”
