Читать книгу Sweet Destiny - Rochelle Alers, Rochelle Alers - Страница 11

Mia didn’t fall asleep, preferring instead to stare out the side window at the surrounding landscape. Xavier and Selena had fallen asleep in the rear seat within minutes of getting into the Yukon SUV.

Kenyon had tuned the vehicle’s radio to a station that featured blues music as sad as it was haunting. Music her mother said was played in juke joints throughout the South—music law-abiding and churchgoing folks would never listen to.

A slight smile softened her mouth when a husky-throated woman, accompanied by a harmonica and guitar, sang about loving her no-account, cheating lover. And no matter how many women he’d fooled with, she loved him because he was the only man who made her feel like a real live woman, according to the lyrics.

“She’s a fool,” Mia mumbled between clenched teeth.

“Is she a fool for loving her man, or a fool for putting up with his cheating?”

She turned and stared at Kenyon. He’d removed his hat and she was able to see all of his face. Dark, short-cropped hair hugged his well-shaped head like a cap. It was the first thing he’d said in more than forty minutes, and she chided herself for voicing her thoughts aloud.

“Both. There’s no reason why a woman should have to put up with a cheating man.”

“Why do you think they do?”

The seconds ticked before she said, “Low self-esteem. I believe women who put up with cheating men love the men more than they love themselves, and for me that’s a no-no.”

Kenyon drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, keeping rhythm with the music flowing through the sound system. That single statement told him all he wanted or needed to know about Mia. If or when it came to a relationship, she would be unforgiving.

“You like blues?” Kenyon had asked yet another question, deftly changing the topic.

“Some.”

“Which do you prefer?”

Her eyebrows lifted. “I thought they were all the same.”

Kenyon took his eyes off the narrow unlit road for a second, his gaze caressing Mia’s face as she stared directly at him. “There’s Delta blues, Chicago and Detroit blues.”

“I like B. B. King.”

“Good Mississippi bluesman.”

“What about Eric Clapton?”

Kenyon smiled, and attractive lines fanned out around his luminous eyes. “Another fine bluesman, albeit from across the pond.”

Mia noticed the harsh edge in Kenyon’s voice was missing. Could it be he wasn’t that resentful of her moving into his town? “Should I assume you are the law in Jones burg?”

The vocalist had stopped, and there was only the sound of harmonica playing, the haunting beats keeping tempo with the sound of tires slapping the roadway. She thought he hadn’t heard her, so Mia shifted again to stare out the side window. It was beginning to snow. Tiny flakes fluttered from a sky too dark to see, landing on the asphalt roadway. Naked tree branches along the highway broke up the occasional flecks of light that shone through the windows of those who were still in the partying mood or had left the lights on for latecomers.

They crossed the state line from Kentucky into West Virginia, and if it hadn’t been for the highway marker Mia would not have been able to discern one state from the other. She was in mining country, where the hills rose and fell, and where great mounds of earth were stripped for their rich mineral deposits.

“Yes, I am the sheriff of Jonesburg.”

It had been a full two minutes since Mia had asked the question—so long that she thought Kenyon hadn’t heard it or he had decided not to answer.

She turned to look at him again. He and Selena were cousins, but the only physical resemblance they shared was in their coloring, and she wondered if perhaps they were related by marriage. “How long have you been in office?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“If I’m going to live in Jonesburg, then I believe I should know something about the people who live there.” She’d turned the tables, repeating what he’d said to her.

Kenyon decelerated as he maneuvered around a sharp curve in the road. The snow was coming down harder. “How long do you plan to live in Jonesburg? Two months?”

“Try two years,” she countered. “I have another two years before I complete my residency.”

“What happens after you complete your residency?”

“You’re asking a lot of questions, Sheriff Chandler. If you suspect I have some ulterior motive, then I suggest you have me investigated. That shouldn’t be too difficult. I’ll even help you out. My name is Mia Isabel Eaton. I was born in Dallas, Texas, on June—”

“There’s no need for you to be facetious, Mia,” Kenyon interrupted.

“I’m not being facetious, Kenyon. My living in Jonesburg serves two purposes—completing my residency and helping a semiretired doctor who can no longer make house calls.”

A muscle twitched in Kenyon’s jaw. The image of the woman he’d observed at Selena’s wedding reception was imprinted in his mind like a permanent tattoo. Her hair had been brushed off her face and knotted loosely on the nape of her neck with jeweled hairpins that matched the large diamond studs in her earlobes. She’d worn a one-shouldered dress in a shade that was the exact color of the pumpkins in the centerpieces on each table. She had on snakeskin stilettos in various colors of yellow, red, orange and brown, which added at least four inches to her statuesque figure. She even towered over some of the men in attendance.

A woman’s height was never an issue with Kenyon. At fourteen he was just shy of the six-foot mark, and by the time he’d turned eighteen he stood six-four and his body had filled out where his ribs were no longer visible. By the time he received his official discharge from the Air Force he’d tipped the scales at 220 pounds.

He would’ve asked Mia to dance but didn’t, even after Selena had offered to introduce him to her. The woman with the beautiful face and perfect body, wearing priceless jewelry and haute couture, was a snob, and she hadn’t bothered to hide her disdain for his folk. And for as long as he’d stared at her—not once had she smiled or approached anyone other than her relatives. It had appeared as if the talk about the joining of two families didn’t apply to her.

Now, four weeks later, she had returned to Mingo County, this time to live. Kenyon wanted to warn Mia that her haughty manner would not endear her to the people who didn’t cotton to folks who put on airs.

Mia was right—he had asked a lot of questions, but it been years since someone had come to Jonesburg to live. Most times it was people moving out because they’d either tired of living in a small town where everyone knew everyone and their business, or they were offered better employment opportunities elsewhere. For those living in towns like Jonesburg, generations became miners because their fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers and great-great-grandfathers were coal miners.

He’d decided not to ask any more questions and instead watched her closely. Six months. That was how much time he’d give Mia before she packed up and returned to the pampered life she’d left behind.

The drive to Matewan took Kenyon twice as long as it would have if it hadn’t been snowing. He’d had to slow down because the snow was falling at a rate of two inches an hour, but it was also wet and heavy. The sound of branches breaking under the weight of the frozen precipitation resounded like gunfire in the stillness of the night. Heavyweight snow also meant loss of power when electrical wires snapped, plunging homes and businesses into darkness until utility crews could get to the region to repair them.

Downshifting, he turned off the county road and onto a local one leading to the house where his grandmother lived with his aunt and uncle. His mother had tried to get her mother to come and live with her, but Lily Yates refused to move out of the converted garage Kenyon and his uncle had renovated into a one-bedroom apartment after her husband passed away.

He maneuvered into the carport next to a late-model sport utility vehicle with Texas plates. The silver Volvo hadn’t been there when he’d left for the airport. Apparently Mia had arranged for her vehicle to be delivered to coincide with her arrival. Kenyon had to admire her for planning ahead. What he still found disturbing was that he hadn’t been informed that Dr. Lyman would have a partner.

He turned off the radio and the engine. “Don’t move. I’ll help you down.” Mia had unsnapped her seat belt.

Mia waited for Kenyon to get out, come around and open her door. He extended his arms and she slid off the seat, her arms going around his neck as he held her aloft for several seconds before her boots sank into a mound of drifting snow.

She smiled. “Thank you.”

A beat passed as he stared at her mouth. Even her smile was sensual. “You’re welcome. Go inside the house where it’s warm.”

Mia hesitated. “Aren’t you going to unlock the door?”

“It’s probably unlocked.” Kenyon motioned with his head. “Go! Now, before you catch a chill.”

Rolling her eyes and carefully putting one foot in front of the other to keep from falling, she walked tentatively up the four steps leading to the porch. She’d left the Lone Star State for the City of Brotherly Love, and then went onto the Mountain State, where the temperatures ranged from the low sixties to below freezing. But Mia was totally unprepared for the snow and biting wind that seemed to search through layers of clothing, chilling her to the bone.

The large farmhouse had a wraparound porch; electric candles lit the many windows, and a large, live pine wreath festooned with tiny glazed ceramic apples, acorns and holly berries was attached to the front door. Mia turned the knob and the door opened. She couldn’t believe people actually went to bed without locking their doors at night. She’d grown up where not only were doors locked at all times, but the house and property was wired and monitored by cameras and a 24/7 security company. She knew it would take her a while to adjust to living and working in a small town.

Stepping onto a thick coir mat, Mia stomped the snow off the soles of her boots before she leaned over to unlace them. She left the Doc Martens on a rag rug lined with boots and shoes. Two dimly lit hurricane lamps on either end of a long wooden table revealed a highly polished walnut floor. Her gaze shifted to the smoldering stone fireplace facing her, and the sweet smell of burning kindling mingled with a scent she recognized as pine. She walked into the living room, smiling. A live pine tree decorated in tiny white lights was positioned near the arched entryway to the dining room. The miniature lights were the same as those that had decorated the barn where Xavier and Selena held their wedding reception. However, these blinked off and on like twinkling stars.

Selena, who’d also removed her shoes, joined her in the living room. “If you follow me I’ll show you where you’ll sleep. I’m giving you my old room, because it’s on the top floor and soundproof. That way you can sleep as late as you want and not hear whatever ruckus is going on down here.”

Mia followed Selena as she mounted the staircase, which had a massive mahogany banister and carved newel posts. She couldn’t wait until daylight to see the magnificent beauty of the wood in the farmhouse. Their sock-covered feet were silent as they climbed the staircase from the first to the third floor. Standing on the landing, she saw there were three doors.

Selena opened one door, reached in and flicked on a switch, and the room where she’d spent her childhood was flooded with soft light from a ceiling fan. She stood to one side as Mia walked in, her eyes taking in everything in what had at one time been her sanctuary.

“Awesome, isn’t it?”

Mia nodded numbly. A four-poster bed, draped in a gossamer fabric, was positioned in an alcove facing another recessed area with a massive armoire fashioned out of the same dark mahogany wood. A window seat running the width of the room could easily accommodate six people. The grate in a stone fireplace, similar to the one in the living room, held a supply of firewood. A large bronze bucket was filled with wood and kindling. Someone hadn’t bothered to close the screen.

“It’s incredible,” she said, when she found her voice. “Who designed this room?”

“My grandfather. He built this house and most of the furniture in it. If he hadn’t been a carpenter or furniture maker he would have become a coal miner. Speaking of furniture, there’s a TV and a collection of DVDs in the armoire.”

“Do you have relatives who are or were miners?” Mia asked.

Selena nodded. “There are several generations of miners on my grandmother’s side of the family. Grandma Lily lost two brothers and an uncle in an explosion, and she vowed that none of her children would ever work in a mine. She did everything, taking in wash, making and selling quilts and even babysitting to put away enough money to send my father and aunt to college. Dad majored in criminal justice and he’s now sheriff of Matewan, and Kenyon’s mother is an expert when it comes to textile designs. Aunt Sylvia’s weaving and quilts are exhibited in the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, and she has donated a collection of quilts to the Textile Heritage Museum in Burlington, North Carolina. Thankfully, my paternal grandfather was the last one to work as a coal miner.”

Mia smiled. One of her questions had been answered. Selena’s father and Kenyon’s mother were siblings. There were a few more questions Mia wanted to ask, but she decided it would be impolite to pry. She didn’t know what it was about Kenyon that elicited more than a passing interest. Although he hadn’t worn a ring, she didn’t know if he was married, single or committed to someone. And, if he was committed then the woman could count herself lucky to have snared such a gorgeous male specimen.

The object of her musings chose that moment to walk into the bedroom carrying her luggage. He’d removed his jacket, and the long-sleeved waffle-weave shirt couldn’t conceal the power in his upper body. Her eyes went to the silver buckle on his belt, but she wasn’t close enough to read the inscription on the ornate piece.

“Thank you for bringing up my bags.”

Kenyon nodded, and then set the tote and Pullman on the floor next to the door. “If you’ve made plans to go to Jonesburg tomorrow, then scrap them.”

A slight frown appeared between Mia’s eyes. “Why?”

“I just got an email that because of blizzard conditions the governor has declared a snow emergency for Mingo, McDowell and Wyoming counties. Only emergency vehicles carrying essential personnel will be permitted on the roads.”

Mia folded her arms under her breasts. “Can’t I ride along with you? Dr. Lyman is expecting me Monday.”

“No, you can’t ride along with me, because I’m staying here until the road is clear.”

“But…but aren’t you the sheriff?”

A slow smile spread across Kenyon’s face, the expression making him even more appealing. “I do have deputies who are more than capable of filling in for me. Once the roads are plowed I will give you a police escort to Jonesburg.”

Mia lowered her arms. “I suppose I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

“No, you don’t.”

Selena glanced at her watch. “I don’t know about you two, but I’m going to try and get at least four hours of sleep before I have to get up and start baking. Mia, you’re a guest, so you can sleep in as late as you want.”

Mia wanted to tell Selena she doubted if she was going to get up late because she’d slept during the flight from Philadelphia to Pikesville. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“It’s already morning,” Kenyon said, reminding her that it was after four in the morning.

Selena took Kenyon’s arm. “Let’s go, wise guy. Mia, the bathroom is the middle door in the landing.”

“Thanks.”

“There’s no need to thank me. After all, we are family.”

After all, we are family. The five words stayed with Mia as she opened her luggage to retrieve a nightgown and grooming supplies. Selena may have considered her family, but she doubted whether Kenyon did. There was no doubt he thought of her as an outsider, an interloper who should’ve stayed in the big city. Well, it didn’t matter what he thought or how he viewed her, she wasn’t going anywhere. She’d come to Mingo County to practice medicine and no one—and that included the law—would stop her from fulfilling her commitment to give the residents of Jonesburg the best care she could provide.

Even though the attic bedroom was warm, the lace-trimmed silk garment was definitely not warm enough for West Virginia’s winter. It seemed as if she would have to trade in Victoria’s Secret for L.L. Bean. She took out a matching robe, placing the garments on the foot of the large bed. Sleeping in the bed draped with yards of fabric must have made Selena feel like a princess.

Walking out of the bedroom with the quilted pouch filled with toiletries, Mia opened the door to the bathroom. A light came on automatically when the door opened. The space was small, but homey. A claw-foot bathtub, with a shower attachment, pedestal sink and a commode harkened back to a bygone era. A bleached pine table cradled an assortment of towels, cloths and bottles of shampoo, conditioner and bath gel.

She turned on the faucets, and added a dollop of bath gel under the running water, and within seconds the distinctive scent of lavender filled the space. Mia brushed her teeth and cleansed her face, rinsing it with cold water, before she stripped off her clothes and stepped into the bathtub. A soft moan escaped her parted lips as she sank lower in the warm water. It was the perfect way to end what had become a very long day.

Eyes closed, the back of her head resting on a folded towel, Mia mentally counted the number of married Eatons. All of her Uncle Dwight’s children were married—Myles, Belinda and Chandra. Married only months apart, Denise and Xavier had made their mother, Paulette, deliriously happy. Two of Uncle Solomon’s sons were married. The exception was Levi. Then there was Uncle Raleigh, who was now on his fourth marriage. His daughter, Crystal, who lived with her longtime boyfriend, refused to marry because of her father’s inability to remain in a committed relationship.

That left her and Levi. Not only were they the last two unmarried Eatons, but they also had chosen medicine as their career. Dr. Levi Eaton and several other doctors had set up a medical practice in an affluent New York suburb. He’d invited her to New York for a housewarming celebration after he’d purchased a condominium in a luxury building overlooking the Hudson River.

It was Levi and not her father Mia had talked to when her anatomy professor predicted she would never become a doctor. Levi told her that if she did nothing else, she had to prove not only would she become a doctor but also a very good one. She studied longer and harder for his class than the others combined, and when she saw her final grade she called her cousin, screaming that she had done it. She’d earned the highest grade in the class. She knew there would be roadblocks in her life, but Mia hadn’t expected someone to dislike her on sight. The experience made her even more determined to accomplish her goal and earn a medical degree.

The water was beginning to cool when she picked up a bath sponge and lathered her body. She stood up and, using the retractable shower attachment, rinsed off the bubbles. It was another fifteen minutes after she’d patted her skin dry, slathered on a scented moisturizer and cleaned the tub before she walked out of the bathroom. The scent of lavender trailed behind her as she entered the bedroom and pulled the nightgown over her head.

Peering through the lacy sheers at the window she encountered a wall of white. The falling snow obliterated everything. She was snowbound, but she realized it could have been worse. She could’ve been stuck in an airport, sleeping on a chair or curled up on the floor for hours or maybe even days.

For some reason the bath revived her instead of making her feel relaxed. Reaching into her tote, she retrieved her laptop. Turning on the lamp on the bedside table, she sat up in the middle of the bed and waited for it to boot up. She inserted the USB modem and went online. Mia clicked on her mother’s email address:

Hi Mom, Made it to Matewan safely, but will be delayed going on to Jonesburg because of a blizzard. Will hang out with Xavier’s in-laws until roads are passable. Call or text me once you return to Dallas. Hug and kiss Dad for me.

Love,

Mia.

She clicked on her New Mail folder, smiling. The man she’d dated off and on while in medical school had emailed her. Dr. Jayden Wright had moved to Denver to work as an acute care physician. He was a third-year resident when she began her internship. A year into their relationship Jayden proposed and Mia turned him down, saying she wasn’t mentally and emotionally equipped to juggle marriage and career at that time. They’d parted amicably but continued to see each other whenever they needed a date. Their casual relationship ended once Jayden accepted a position in Colorado.

Hey Mee-Mee,

Hope you’re doing well. Thought about you and decided to write. Let me know what you’re up to. Love always, Jay

Mia clicked on Reply and gave him an update. After typing several paragraphs she sent the message then logged off. She had to get some sleep before meeting the Yateses and the Chandlers later that day.