Chapter Thirteen
The job had run smoothly. Bethany’s serving skills and people skills were also a success. In fact, Susan figured that the three referrals she received were because of Bethany alone. She’d entertained that book club and Susan was sure not once had they talked about books.
The thought made her laugh as she loaded the dishwasher with the utensils used from the job.
There had been one connection made tonight that had her second-guessing one of her next jobs. She’d met Lydia Morgan, the granddaughter of the man who had called her a few days ago. They spoke briefly and set up a phone appointment for the next day. The woman had been very quiet—reserved. Susan wasn’t sure she was too comfortable to be around, but then again she had a quality that drew Susan to her.
She wished she knew what that was. What was so familiar about that woman that made Susan want to work with her?
As she closed the door on the dishwasher and started it, she looked at the clock over the microwave. It was 10:30 already and she was exhausted. Maybe a nice soak in the big—she stopped thinking. The big tub was in Bethany’s bedroom now and she’d gone straight to bed. Maybe she should have kept that room.
Susan rolled her shoulder back and moved her head from side to side to work out the kinks. Perhaps she’d better get to sleep too. After all, she had a guest coming for breakfast.
When she thought of him, her body heated. It was silly to get so worked up over someone she’d just met, but she couldn’t help herself. It had been a long time since someone made her feel giddy inside. Eric did that to her.
It was a high of sorts, which she knew then meant there would be a crash too. Something made her want to chance it.
The next morning Susan rose early enough to catch a few photos of the sunrise, which was filled with the brightest of colors. She managed to not fall over in the warrior pose while doing yoga, which was a first. In anticipation of the wonderful morning, Susan’s pot of coffee was especially comforting.
Her cooking skills, on the other hand, seemed to be a little off. As she cracked the eggs for the frittata, she had to scoop out at least four shells. The spinach had frozen in the refrigerator, so only half of it was useful. Then it burnt.
Bethany walked through the front door fresh from her run and coughed as she walked into the kitchen. Susan stood next to the oven fanning the towel against the smoke.
“That doesn’t look appetizing.”
“I can’t believe I burnt it. I never burn things. This is horrible. What do I do now?”
Bethany gave her a chuckle as she moved to the window to open it. “I’m sure he’d be happy with cereal. He’s not a picky guy. I don’t think anyway.”
“I don’t mind cereal,” his voice came from behind her and she spun to see him standing in the doorway. “Front door was open. I assume to vent the smoke.”
Bethany winced. “I did that. I saw the smoke and hurried in.”
Susan closed the door to the oven and threw the towel on the counter. “I don’t have cereal.”
Eric smiled at her, one of those endearing grins that had her insides twisting. “C’mon, I’ll take you out. It’s a nice morning. We can walk down the street to the waffle place. That’s vegetarian, right?”
There was ease around him, but she wasn’t sure he was like that with many people.
“I’ll take you up on it, but I’m going to cook for you. This was rare.”
“I’m sure it was.”
Bethany cleared her throat. “Well, I’ll just go get a shower.”
As she passed by Eric, he reached for her and she stopped. “Glenda wants you to come out for Sunday dinner.”
“Me?” Her eyes opened wide. “I’m sure your family doesn’t want me around.”
“She asked for you to come. She’d like to get to know you. There are no hard feelings toward you.”
Bethany puckered her lips. “Just toward my father?”
“It seems the feelings aren’t that hard there either. My family seems to be a lot more forgiving than I am.”
“I wouldn’t be. He doesn’t deserve the loyalty,” she said sharply and Eric couldn’t agree with her more. “I’ll be there, if you’ll be there.”
He nodded. “I’ll be there.” He shifted his gaze to Susan. “She invited you too.”
Susan felt the blood draining from her head. “Me? Why would she want me there?”
“She likes you. She wants to get to know you.” He shrugged. “It seems as though Russell has a big mouth.”
The blood was back and it quickly rushed to her cheeks. “Oh.”
Bethany laughed and pushed past her cousin. Eric walked into the kitchen fully with his hand behind his back.
“I brought you something. It was supposed to be just for the hospitality, but now it seems like a pick-me-up.”
She felt the edges of disappointment slip away. “What did you bring?”
When he pulled his hand around he gripped a small bundle of tulips. “They don’t look so well,” he said looking down at the limp flowers.
“It’s a little early for tulips,” she said reaching out for the flowers.
“That would explain the price of them. I have a few that come up in the spring. Maybe when that happens, I’ll bring you more of them.”
The pitter-patter of her heart was overwhelming. Didn’t waiting for spring mean he was planning on her still being around? Was that what he wanted? Was it what she wanted?
Susan moved in closer to him. “I think they are lovely.”
“Purple made me think of you.”
“One of my favorite colors.”
Eric raised his hand to her cheek and lingered it there. Susan pulled in a quick breath and looked up into his eyes. At that moment she knew she’d miss him if they went their separate ways. There was something about this man whom she met in his parents’ kitchen that made her giddy to be around him. Even her ex-husband had never made her feel as she did when she was around Eric.
Perhaps that should be a warning she thought as she diverted her gaze to the flowers and then back to him. No. She wouldn’t talk herself out of this. Whatever was happening between them could be real. At that moment she knew that was what she wanted. She wanted the love of a man. Oh, they were far from exchanging the words. In fact, she wasn’t sure she felt love—lust perhaps, but there was something to grow on. That was for sure.
“What are you thinking?” he asked as his thumb brushed over her cheek.
Susan swallowed hard. “About how I feel when I’m around you.”
When he smiled, there was a small dimple in his cheek. “And? How do you feel?”
“Alive,” she said as she was very aware of the blood pumping through her veins at a quickened pace. “You make me feel things I haven’t felt in a long time. Perhaps it’s too early in our relationship—if this is indeed a relationship—to say something like that. But that’s how I feel.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
His smiled widened as he stepped in, closing the small gap between them. “I think that echoes what I feel. I don’t know that I could have found eloquent words to cover it as you did, but yeah, that’s what I’m feeling.”
Okay, that was a moment to never forget, she decided. Eric Walker didn’t seem like the kind of man to have soft, gentle moments such as this one. However, he’d shared it with her. That was worth something.
Eric raised his other hand to her other cheek. “I have a lot going on in my life right now. Everything is unsure and it’s consuming me.”
She nodded, feeling the drop in sensation from the good to the bad. This was where he let her down gently. Where he told her that he has feelings for her, but it’s not the right time. Susan pushed her shoulders back and braced for his words.
He dropped his head and placed a gentle kiss against her lips, his eyes locked on hers. “I’m very glad that you’re here to distract me from the negative. I’d rather focus on what could be than on what has happened
around me.”
Perhaps it was wrong, but she needed to know what it all meant. “I’m just a distraction?”
His eyes opened wider. “No. That’s not how I meant that.”
She felt the wash of relief move through her.
Eric slid his hands down from her face and over her shoulders. “I’m not good at this. I never have been. But, there is something about you that makes me just want to forget about everything else and only focus on you. No one has ever made me feel like that. My home, my family, my business have always been the most important things in my life. But since I met you, that scale seems to have shifted.” He let out a little chuckle. “I’m not one for deep, romantic conversations either. Looks like you bring out an entirely different side to me.”
“It’s been a long time since I was at the beginning of a relationship. Is that what we’re building here? A commitment to each other?”
His hands slid down her arms and to her waist. “I’d like to try that.”
She felt her hands begin to shake and a fear take over that quaked her at her core. “I want that. But as you can tell by my track record, I’m not very good at it.”
Eric shook his head. “A ten year marriage is nothing to sneeze at. I don’t see that as your failure.”
Tears now stung her eyes and this wasn’t a moment to cry. This was a moment to celebrate. “You don’t?”
“Are you willing to completely stop loving because it didn’t work out once? That’s like saying you’re willing to stop living because your marriage ended. But here you are. You’re building something new for yourself—by yourself.”
Pride in what she’d done over the past year filled in the hole that doubt had created. This was it.
Standing before her, Eric was validating everything she was doing. There hadn’t been a morning in the past few years where she hadn’t awakened feeling as though she’d lost track of who she was and where she was going. But now, just with his few simple words, she realized she had become who she’d sought out to be. She was independent. She was successful. And now with Eric standing before her with his hands on her hips and limp tulips in her hand, she knew she’d moved on from the failure she thought she was.
If she was to ever fall in love again, he was the man worth falling in love with. There was simply no more doubt. Though doubt still resided in her. Saying she’d love him was something she’d need to evaluate much further. After all, she’d only met him, but it just felt so right.
Susan raised her arms around his neck and plunged them both into a kiss that had them clinging to each other as if every breath after that depended on that moment. The friction between them heated her throughout. Every moment his lips pressed to hers was another moment that she tumbled into a bliss she never thought she’d have again.
When they parted breathless, Eric pressed his forehead to hers. “We’d better go get breakfast. My mind is spinning in directions I hadn’t planned on going yet and I still have a full day ahead of me.”
Susan laughed a deep throaty laugh. “Me too. I have a very important meeting today and class tonight. But…” She looked up into his eyes. “If your mind is spinning where mine is, I think that’s something we’d better think about.”
The dimple in his cheek was back. “Thank God you’re not some prude. I’m a man after all. Being a full fledged gentleman might kill me.”
Susan cupped his cheek in her hand. “I don’t want that to be on my conscience.”