Читать книгу Return To Me - Jacquelin Thomas - Страница 14
ОглавлениеAustin arrived at Ethan and Jordin’s home fifteen minutes early. He was surprised to find that Bree had already arrived. She was standing at the wrought iron railing on the second-floor balcony, facing Jordin as they talked.
He stared at Bree, looking her over. The deepening sunlight framed her figure, outlining her curves. She was beautiful in a simple, natural way. Austin was shocked to feel desire streaking through him like a current.
Jordin saw him and waved. “C’mon in. The front door is open.”
Austin entered the house and was met by Ethan. “Hey...” he greeted. “Your wife told me to just walk in.”
“No problem. Good to see you, man.”
He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Jordin descend the stairs followed by Bree.
“Austin, I want you to meet my best friend,” she said. “Actually, she’s more like a sister to me. Bree, this is my brother, Austin.”
He was rendered speechless for a moment by her beauty. Austin swallowed hard, struggling to recover his voice. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said finally.
His eyes darted to hers and locked.
He cleared his throat softly.
She met the smile and the hand that was offered. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, as well. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Austin lost himself momentarily in their chocolate depths. His gaze fell to the creamy expanse of her neck. She was dressed to perfection in a teal-colored, sleeveless silk dress. Bree was tall and slender, but with an athletic build. She wore her shoulder-length hair in soft curls around her heart-shaped face. Her flawless skin was the color of a new penny.
“Dinner will be ready in a couple of minutes,” Jordin announced. “We’re still waiting on a few people to arrive.”
“Would either of you like a glass of wine?” Ethan offered.
“I’m fine,” Bree responded.
“Austin?”
“I’ll take a glass.”
Austin could feel Bree’s eyes studying him. He met her gaze, forcing her to look away. He smiled to himself.
The front door opened.
“Hey, family,” Ryker said with a grin. “Look at this...the newlyweds are hosting their first dinner party.”
His wife, Garland, gave him a playful pinch. “Leave them alone.”
There was something in the wistful turn of Bree’s lips that made Austin sense the pain beneath the surface, and he longed to make it better. She had lost her husband in a tragic way and he could only imagine that while she was truly happy for Jordin—grief still resided in her heart.
Jadin arrived with a date a few minutes later, whom she introduced as Michael.
Austin leaned over and said to Bree in a low voice, “I guess we should’ve brought a plus one.”
“I think you’re right.”
“Well, will you be my plus one for the evening?”
She turned, easing into a smile. “Sure.”
Austin glanced up and saw Jordin standing in the doorway. She gave him a quick thumbs-up, then announced, “Dinner is ready.”
He and Bree were seated beside one another.
“How do you like living in Charleston?” Bree inquired as she used her fork to slide the fettuccine noodles around her plate.
Austin smiled faintly, laid his napkin across his lap and, picking up his knife and fork, sliced into a strip of grilled chicken. “I’m enjoying it. I’ve always liked this area.”
He took a bite of his food. The delicate Alfredo sauce and chicken were cooked to perfection.
“Jordin, did you cook this?”
Ethan chuckled and was awarded a sharp glance from her. “Just so you know, I can cook. I will confess that I called Aubrie for help with ingredients and such.”
“It’s delicious,” Ethan said.
Everyone agreed.
“Does Aubrie ever hang out with the family?” Austin asked. “I think I’ve seen her maybe three times since I moved here. I’d like to get to know her better, especially since she’s my first cousin.”
“My sister spends a lot of her time in New Orleans,” Ryker announced. “She goes there to spend time with the chef who mentored her in culinary school. Each time she comes back with new entrées for her restaurant.”
Bree took a sip of her iced tea. “She must really enjoy her work.”
“I’m not so sure this is just about her work,” Jordin stated. “I think there’s another reason why she spends so much time there.”
Jadin agreed. “Aubrie isn’t talking, but I suspect she’s seeing someone.”
“She was always one to keep secrets,” Ryker said. “My parents keep hoping she’ll come to her senses and join the firm, but it’s not going to happen.”
“How’s Aunt Rochelle doing?” Jordin inquired.
“She hates being on crutches, having a cast on and not being able to drive. Mom’s driving my dad crazy. He threatened to come stay with us until she’s back on her feet.” Ryker wiped his mouth on his napkin. “I love my mom, but when she doesn’t get her way...”
“When Aunt Rochelle isn’t happy—nobody’s happy,” Jadin said.
They all agreed.
When they finished their meal, they gathered in the family room.
Austin couldn’t tear his gaze away from Bree.
Members of his family wandered in and out of his line of vision, locking Bree and him together, but nothing could shatter the connection alive and sizzling between them.
She felt it, too.
He could see it in her eyes, in the firming of her luscious lips. Just as he could see that she was trying to make sense of what she was feeling.
Their gazes connected and held.
Bree was an incredibly beautiful woman. Ravishing didn’t even come close to describing her.
Austin broke eye contact with her and stared down into his glass of wine. He bit back a satisfied smile. Good to know he wasn’t the only one being twisted into knots. However, he couldn’t help but wonder if this attraction he felt would complicate his plan to get his son.
* * *
Bree was powerless to stop staring into the most beautiful set of eyes she’d ever seen. They were a stunning chestnut brown with golden flecks throughout, large and thickly lashed. Austin DuGrandpre bore a strong resemblance to his father. They had the same honey-colored skin, a muscular build and both stood about six feet three inches.
Men shouldn’t have eyes this pretty, she thought.
He wore a light blue dress shirt that fit snugly over wide shoulders, then tapered, tucked into slim-waist navy trousers.
Austin smiled, revealing two small dimples Bree hadn’t noticed before. She tried to throttle the dizzying current racing through her. He radiated a vitality that drew Bree like a magnet. Whenever he laughed, his full-throated masculine sound sent strange waves through her stomach.
Girl, you need to focus.
It wasn’t easy, though. Austin made Bree feel things she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Not since Caleb.
At least I still have those feelings, she reasoned silently. For a while she worried that they had died with her husband.
“Jordin told me that you’re a psychologist.”
“I am,” Bree confirmed.
“I think it’s cool. I’ve always been fascinated with human behavior, especially when it comes to the criminal mind.”
“Okay, you know I’m going to ask the question. Why do you defend criminals?”
He chuckled. “I’ve come to expect it. All criminal defense lawyers are asked this question. It’s part of the criminal defense experience.”
“I’d like to hear your response, as well,” Garland said. “I don’t think it’s something I could ever do, especially if I knew my client was guilty.”
“Innocence is not the chief driver for me,” Austin stated. “You all may find this strange but I enjoy working with guilty people. I have an interest in the causes of human conduct. I search to find the humanity in the people I represent, no matter what they may have done. I started out practicing family law, but I didn’t find it as fulfilling,” Austin said. “Nobody knows this, but I once considered studying forensic psychology. I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology.”
Bree reached for her glass. “Really?”
He nodded. “I love law and psychology—pursuing law just seemed the natural way to go for me.”
There was something in his manner that she found soothing. It was easy to talk to him. “That’s because you’re a DuGrandpre,” Bree responded. “It’s in your blood.”
“I suppose so,” Austin said with a smile.
She felt a lurch of excitement within her. “It seems we have something in common,” Bree told him. “I briefly considered going into law, but decided that I loved psychology more.”
“Do you have any regrets?”
She shook her head. “I know that I’m exactly where I should be.”
“I feel the same way.”
Bree felt there was some type of deeper significance to the visual interchange between them.
The thought struck a vibrant chord in her.
She contributed to the conversation going on among everyone, but found herself studying his profile.
Bree had to deliberately shut out any awareness of Austin just to focus on Jordin’s words.
“What do you think about a girls’ night next weekend?”
“That’s fine,” she responded.
Jadin agreed, then asked, “What about you, Garland? Can you join us?”
“She can,” Ryker answered for her. “It’ll do her some good to get away from the children.”
Garland pointed to him and replied, “What my husband said...”
At the end of the evening, she bid everyone a good night. As she gathered her purse, Austin volunteered to walk her down to her car.
“Bree, travel safe,” he told her.
She tingled as he said her name and a quiver surged through her veins. “You do the same.”
Bree unlocked the door and got into her car. She was soon pulling out of the driveway and traveling toward the freeway.
It had been a long time since a man had struck her interest, filling Bree with a strange inner delight.
* * *
Two days later Bree walked out of Marbelle’s Children’s Boutique, juggling her tote and a couple of shopping bags in her hands as she neared her car.
“Hey, are you following me?”
She glanced over her shoulder, her steps slowing. “Austin...what are you doing on my side of town?” Her heart danced with eagerness over seeing him again.
“I have a client who lives over here. Hey, thank you for being my plus one the other night. Everyone was coupled up...it could’ve been a little awkward if you hadn’t been so gracious.”
“I didn’t mind. I enjoyed talking to you,” she responded. “You’re a very interesting man.”
He grinned. “Do you have some time for lunch?”
“Sure.” Bree looped her purse over her shoulder while her insides jangled with eagerness. She felt the blood surge from her fingertips to her toes. “So, where are we off to, Austin DuGrandpre?” She was thrilled that he wanted to continue their conversation.
“There’s a little place around the corner.”
She chuckled a little. “You use that line often?” she asked playfully, glancing at him.
Austin laughed, full-throated and sexy. “I don’t believe I’ve ever used it before, as a matter of fact.” He adjusted his long stride to her much shorter one.
“I wouldn’t recommend using it again,” she remarked with a chuckle. “The only thing around the corner is a bank.”
He laughed. “I’m still learning my way around.”
“There’s a sandwich shop that’s two blocks away. It’s walkable.”
“Perfect. Let me help you with your bags,” he offered.
* * *
They walked past a pizza place in full lunch swing, the scents of robust sauce and spicy sausage filling the air.
Bree’s stomach rumbled. If he heard, there were no outward signs of it.
“You in the mood for pizza?” Austin inquired.
“Not really.” Although the pizza smelled great, at noon the place was usually overrun by high school kids, and Bree didn’t want to get caught in the wave of teens.
In the middle of the next block, the sandwich shop was trendy and casual.
“Have you been here before?” she asked.
“No. How’s the food?”
“Very good. I highly recommend the club sandwich. It’s roasted turkey breast, smoked ham with bacon and avocado. The roasted garlic mayonnaise is made in-house and is delicious.”
“You find a table and I’ll order our food,” Austin suggested.
Bree found one near a large window facing the street. She hadn’t expected to see him quite so soon. They would’ve run into each other at some point, she knew. This was perfect as she had been thinking of him earlier.
Austin walked up with two trays laden with sandwiches, potato chips, pickles and drinks.
Bree blessed the food.
“Jordin tells me that you have a little boy.” He bit into his sandwich.
“I do,” she exclaimed with intense pleasure. “He’s my whole world.” If Austin hadn’t mentioned it, she would’ve told him about Emery. It’s one of the first things she usually told men who seemed interested in her. It helped to eliminate the ones who were simply looking for a good time.
“That’s cool.”
“Do you have any children?” Bree inquired as she studied his profile.
It took a moment for him to respond. She wasn’t sure he’d heard her. Bree opened her mouth to repeat the question.
“No,” Austin interjected. “But I’m looking forward to having a child one day.” He wanted to bring up the subject of Emery, but didn’t want to make her suspicious as to why he’d be so interested in her son, especially since they’d just met.
“I think being a parent is probably my best achievement. My late husband and I really wanted children.” She took a sip of her drink. “He would’ve loved Emery.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
Bree smiled. “Thank you, Austin. There was a time when it was hard for me to think about Caleb, but it’s gotten easier. We had a lot of good times together.”
“I can’t imagine going through something like that.” Austin took another sip of his water when she moistened the top of her lip with the tip of her tongue. “I know my family would rally around me,” he said, shifting slightly in his chair.
“You’re lucky in that respect. I have no family,” Bree stated flatly. “I’ve had to deal with everything alone.” Austin had no idea just how lucky he was to have supportive family members. Anyone she’d truly cared about in the world was gone except for Emery.
“You’re not close to them?”
“I grew up in a drug-infested apartment in Atlanta for the first six years of my life. My mom died of a drug overdose, and I lived with my paternal grandmother. When she died a couple of years later, I was placed with a foster family. I don’t have any other relatives—at least any that I know about.”
“I had no idea,” he uttered.
Bree gave a slight shrug. “There’s no way you could’ve known. Besides, it wasn’t that bad. I had good foster parents. We lived in a nice neighborhood in Atlanta, with a great school. I was on the basketball team and even earned several college scholarships.” She wiped her mouth with a paper napkin, then said, “I think I turned out okay.”
“I agree,” Austin said with a smile.
Bree settled back in her chair. “So, tell me about you.”
“Well, I grew up believing that my dad cared more for his twin daughters than he did me. Moving here and spending time with him, I found out that it wasn’t the case and that I’d wasted a lot of time being angry with my father.”
“Jordin adores you,” she said. “Jadin, too.”
“I have two incredible sisters.”
“What made you choose law, Austin?” Bree asked. “Especially since you were angry with your father during that time?”
“I think it was a way for me to feel close to him. Maybe I wanted to make him proud.”
“What’s the story behind that scar above your eye?” she questioned.
“You noticed?” He grinned. She smiled back.
“When I was in the ninth grade, I got into a fight with a bully at school. He picked up a stick and hit me with it.”
“Wow... I hope he got the worst of it.”
“Oh, I left some scars,” Austin stated. “When I saw that I was bleeding, I lost it. I was told that it took three people to get me off him.”
“I had a fight in high school,” Bree said. “It was with a jealous teammate. She got into some trouble in one of her classes, so she had to sit out a game. It was my chance to finally show the coach what I could do, so I took it and I got her spot.” She sipped her tea. “The thing is I really needed to be noticed—it was the only way I could go to college. My foster parents were good to me, but they’d made it clear that with four kids—we needed to try to get as many scholarships as possible.”
Austin took a sip of his drink. “My dad paid for my college education and trust me, I’m grateful. I’ve already started an education fund for my children.”
“I thought you didn’t have any,” Bree interjected.
“It’s never too early to start planning,” he responded.
She smiled. “You’re a very smart man, Austin. I have a college fund for my son, as well.”
It pleased Austin to hear this. At least Emery had been placed with a responsible woman. “How did you end up in Vegas? Was it because of your husband?”
“After I graduated, I landed a great job there with a mental health center. My husband was a musician and found work right away—it just worked out. But when he died, I didn’t want to stay in Nevada. Jordin had been urging me to move closer to her for years, and since she was the closest thing I had to family, I moved to Charleston and decided to open my own practice.”
“When I was growing up, people didn’t openly admit to seeing a psychologist. They didn’t even talk about mental illness,” Austin countered.
“In the African American community, there are still some people who consider mental illness to be a white person’s disease,” Bree stated. “It’s terrible because statistics tell a different story. Twenty percent of blacks are more likely to experience some form of mental illness than Caucasians.”
“I think it has to do with socioeconomic disparities from slavery to race-based exclusions when it comes to health care.”
“It’s true,” Bree said. “People who live in poverty or have substance abuse problems are at higher risk for poor mental health.”
Austin couldn’t help admiring her intelligence and compassion.
They finished off their meal.
“I’m glad I ran into you,” Austin told her. “I hate eating alone.”
“Same here.” She wrenched herself away from her ridiculous preoccupation with his arresting face.
“Bree, that’s not exactly true,” Austin confessed. “The truth is that I’d like to get to know you better. I enjoy your company.”
His words pleased her. “I’d like to know more about you, as well.”
They exchanged phone numbers.
Bree checked her watch. “I need to get back to my office. I have several appointments this afternoon.”
He took her hand in his and kissed her on the cheek. “Until next time.”
“Goodbye,” she whispered, pulling her hand away from his grasp, his touch sending shivers through her.
Their steps were hurried once they exited the shop. She needed to get to her office and Bree was sure that Austin had to return to work, as well.
Many hours later she still couldn’t escape the gentle look he’d given her as they parted ways.
* * *
That evening the phone rang as Bree came out of the bathroom, clad in flannel pajama bottoms and a T-shirt. She padded barefoot around the king-size bed to answer it.
“Hey, it’s Austin.”
She hadn’t expected to hear from him so soon, but his call thrilled her. “What’s up?”
“I wanted to tell you again that I had a great time with you. I’m glad we ran into each other.”
Bree’s heart was hammering foolishly. “Same here.”
“Do you have some time to talk?”
“Yes,” she responded. “Emery’s sleeping, so we’re good.”
They made small talk for a few minutes before Austin said, “Bree, I have a confession to make. I’m very attracted to you and I’d like to take you out. That is if you’re not involved with anyone.” He gave a short laugh. “I guess I should’ve asked this first.”
She couldn’t deny the spark of excitement she felt at the prospect of dating him. “I’m single, Austin. As for spending time with you—I don’t have a problem with it. You’re not exactly what I’d call boring.”
“I guess the next step is when and where. How about tomorrow night?”
“I need to check my calendar really quick,” she said. “I have to attend a fund-raiser at my son’s preschool. I’m not sure if its tomorrow or the next day.” Bree quickly checked the calendar on her cell phone. “Okay, tomorrow I’m free.”
“Can you get a babysitter lined up for your son or is this late notice?” Austin inquired.
“It’s not a problem. I have someone who can pick him up from school. She watches him for me whenever I need her. She lives next door.”
“That’s great to hear.” Austin didn’t have a problem with her bringing Emery, but Jordin had forewarned him that he couldn’t rush Bree where the child was concerned. She didn’t bring her dates around Emery until she felt the time was right.
They spent the next sixty minutes on the phone talking.
Bree hung up to call her neighbor. “Hey, Miss Sara. How are you?”
“I’m fine, sugar. How’s my li’l sweetie?”
“He’s doing fine,” she responded with a smile. “I’m calling to see if you can watch Emery for me tomorrow evening. I’m going on a date.”
“It’s about time you got out and found yourself a nice man. I been praying for you.”
Bree laughed. “He seems pretty nice.” Just thinking about Austin sent shivers of delight down her spine.
“Now, don’t you worry about Emery. I’ll pick him up from school and make him some spaghetti. We’ll have ourselves a good time.”
“Save me a plate of spaghetti, Miss Sara.” She and Emery both loved pasta. “And thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure, Bree. You know it’s no trouble at all.”
She checked on Emery, then made her way to the master bedroom.
Inside she crossed the room toward the walk-in closet. Bree pulled out a black pantsuit to wear to work the next day. She didn’t like waiting until the last minute to decide on an outfit. Her eyes landed on vibrant blue maxi dress hanging in the closet.
Bree took it and hung it on the door. I’ll wear this tomorrow night. It was the perfect “first date” dress. Not too sexy, but showed enough skin to hold Austin’s attention.
She was excited. This was the first date she’d had in probably six months. Bree hadn’t been sitting down twiddling her thumbs, though. Emery and her work kept her very busy. However, if things went well with Austin; her schedule might open a bit more.
Bree had a good feeling about him. Jordin had always spoken highly of Austin and she could see why. He was charismatic, bringing an air of sincerity with it. It was refreshing to be able to talk to someone who understood her field of work and showed a genuine interest in it. Bree hadn’t really put too much thought into it before, but some of the guys she’d dated in the past weren’t comfortable with her because they felt that she was analyzing them.
A smile lingered on her lips. There was something different about Austin. If she wasn’t careful, this man would own her heart.
Bree stifled a yawn. She was exhausted, but it was still too early for her to go to bed.
She thought she heard a sound and quickly made her way to her son’s room.
He had changed positions, but was sound asleep.
She stood there, watching him, her heart swelling with pride. Bree sent up a silent prayer of thanks to God for sending her this beautiful little angel.
She padded barefoot to the bookcase in the family room where the photo albums were kept on the bottom shelf. She ignored the dust gathering. There hadn’t been time for dusting because of her busy schedule. Bree pulled out a small blue album—Emery’s baby book, taking it with her to the couch.
You were such a tiny little thing. Fragile and amazing.
From the moment Emery was placed in her arms, a fountain of love rose within her, stronger than any force she’d known. Bree traced her fingertip along the button shape of his cute little face, and gazed at those beautiful brown eyes staring up at the camera.
She drank in a last long look at Emery’s innocent, sweet face, and the love within her strengthened, just as it did every time she saw her son.
The slam of the neighbors’ car door cut through Bree’s thoughts. She closed the album and slipped it back onto the shelf as the muted sound of voices outside shattered the peaceful silence of her home.
