Читать книгу Lessons From A Younger Lover - Zuri Day - Страница 17

It had been three days and Ransom couldn’t stop thinking about her. Gwendolyn Marie Andrews, according to Kristy’s Aunt Betsy, had been Adam’s classmate. She’d pored over old yearbooks and found Gwen’s picture. Ransom couldn’t believe she was the same age as his older brother.

A little digging and he’d found out more: that she was the new first-grade teacher at his daughter’s school. She’d be Isis’s teacher. Since Ransom didn’t plan on quitting until he’d scored at least one date with Miss Gwendolyn Andrews, he loved this little tidbit of information. It would give him legitimate, almost unlimited access to the woman who had captured his interest from the get-go. After all, he was a concerned single father, and when it came to his daughter’s education, a very involved parent…especially now.

“I’m going to Kristy’s. Anybody want anything?” Ransom’s crew murmured various orders. He waved away the offers to chip in on the purchase and jumped into his Jeep. On the way, he continued to think about Gwen, his mind swirling with questions. Why is she not interested in going out? Does she think she’s too old for me? Is she married? Ransom didn’t know the answer to any of these questions, but he fully intended to find out.

Gwen ran a hand through the straight hair she was still getting used to. Whenever she touched her hair, she thought of that guy, Ransom, who’d shaken her to her very foundation with a simple kiss, even as he massaged the tresses at the nape of her neck.

Ransom, she thought, as she walked to her pre-owned Toyota and slid into the driver’s seat. What kind of name is that, anyway? Gwen realized she had more questions than she did answers. Like where was he from? Gwen prided herself on staying somewhat current with the Sienna population, at least until ten years ago, the last reunion she’d attended and the time she’d married Joe and begun to gain distance from her hometown. Aside from Chantay, she didn’t really have any inside connections to the goings on in her city. She definitely couldn’t depend on her mother for information. Miss Mary would probably tell her everything about Ransom she wanted to know, and then promptly turn around and tell him she’d asked. One question to her about Ransom, and not only he but half the town would know about it. She needed someone closer to her own age, or at the very least, closer to what was happening in twenty-first-century Sienna.

Which is why she’d finally decided to take Joanna up on her lunch date offer. Chantay was her closest connection to Sienna, but she lived in Los Angeles, and aside from her mother, hadn’t been a real part of the community either. She doubted the constantly flirting Adam would appreciate an inquiry regarding another man, and although a conversation with Mrs. Summers had uncovered a variety of people and interests they had in common, Gwen wasn’t quite ready to call a senior citizen her sistah-girl confidante.

Not that she was interested in Ransom. I’m a married woman, she reminded herself…again. Plus, he looked like trouble waiting to happen, with those enchanting eyes and hair so straight it looked like a weave. Could it be? No, she concluded, there’s no way a man that manly would don fake hair. No, she wasn’t interested in Ransom from a personal perspective but from one of a concerned resident wanting to know more about the man kind enough to track down troublesome squirrels for Miss Mary.

Gwen eased into the coffee shop parking lot and parked next to a Jeep that seemed more suited for the desert than a sedate town of ten thousand. Still, there was something about the ruggedness and strength that struck her as thoughtful. In a world where everything was about the bling-bling, like Adam’s sporty Porsche or Chantay’s champagne wardrobe on a beer budget, this display of restraint was welcomed.

The twinkling of the door chimes to Kristy’s Coffee Shop welcomed Gwen into the establishment and provided a strange comfort. Since leaving Joe, or vice versa, and the news about her mother’s deteriorating mental state, her life had been anything but routine. Coming here almost every day gave the place a familiar feel. In the few weeks left until the first day of school, Gwen was determined to find the peace and predictability she once took for granted.

Gwen stepped into the cool confines and tantalizing smells of the eclectically decorated establishment. Again she noticed the homey, personal touches Kristy had used to make her business feel as if one were sitting in someone’s home. Cozy, overstuffed chairs in deep mustards and burgundies vied for space with two colorfully striped love seats that anchored each wall. Two tall, worn bookcases held the latest newspapers, gossip rags, and a variety of used books. The ledge under a game table housed chess, checkers, Scrabble, and a couple decks of cards. Four round wooden table and chair sets lined the back wall. Local artists added their creative flair to the salmon-colored walls with prices for the artwork discreetly displayed on wooden blocks beneath each piece. The overhead lighting was subdued, with lamps strategically placed throughout to give the readers additional illumination if needed. The low-playing music had a world beat sound that lent an organic quality to the overall vibe.

“Hey, Gwen.”

“Hey, Kristy. You know, I’ve been meaning to tell you that I love the decor here. Is it your design?”

“Design may be a bit lofty a description. Basically I scoured estate sales and flea markets for whatever I couldn’t steal out of my parents’ basement.”

“You gotta appreciate a woman who can improvise.”

“That’s what I say. Your favorite double-Dutch chocolate today?”

“Actually, I think I’ll wait to decide. I’m meeting someone.”

“No problem. I’ll just finish up this order. Let me know when you’re ready.”

As Gwen studied the menu on the wall, a man came up behind her.

“There’s my butterfly. How long have you been waiting for me?”

Gwen jumped at the husky sounding voice perilously close behind her. Knowing the man behind the voice, she closed her eyes and swallowed before stepping out of his reach and turning around.

“Hi, Ransom,” she said in her best professional, nonchalant, you-don’t-affect-me-at-all Mrs. Smith voice.

Ransom took a step toward Gwen. Gwen took another step away from him.

“Why do you keep running from me?”

“I’m not running from you. I just like my personal space, that’s all.”

Ransom narrowed his eyes and nodded slowly. “Is that so?”

“Yes, that’s so.”

“Well, I like it too. Although I am respectful. I wouldn’t want to step on your wedding vows and whatnot, try and take something that doesn’t belong to me. Is that why you’re unavailable, because you’re married?”

Tell him, Gwen. Just say yes! But she could not. While technically true, she felt that to say this would be lying. But to say she was separated would invite questions about Joe, the last person she wanted to discuss. And while she wouldn’t dare admit it, a part of her wanted very much to be available to the man in front of her. So she danced around his question.

“I didn’t say I was unavailable. I said I was uninterested. There’s a difference.”

“So then you’re gay.”

“Ha! Hardly, though I’m sure you believe a woman who isn’t interested in you must be gay.”

“No, but I think a woman who is hiding her true feelings must have a reason.”

Before Gwen could think of a sassy retort, Kristy spoke.

“Your order’s ready, Ransom.”

Ransom placed a credit card on the counter without taking his eyes off Gwen. “Add whatever the lady is having,” he said to Kristy.

“She hasn’t ordered yet.”

“Add an extra twenty and tab whatever’s left.”

Kristy’s eyes sparkled as she looked from Ransom’s predatory gaze to Gwen’s deer-in-headlights one. “Wow, Gwen. You’ve got Ransom peeling off the big bucks. You go, girl.”

“That’s quite all right, Kristy,” Gwen replied. “I’ll be glad to take care of my purchase.”

Kristy looked from Gwen to Ransom.

Ransom gave Kristy an authoritative look. She simply nodded and rang up his purchase, plus twenty dollars.

He turned impatient eyes on Gwen and took another step toward her, gently grabbing her arm before she could retreat again.

“I see we’re going to have to establish early on who’s the boss around here,” he whispered, his breath dangerously warm on her temple.

Gwen resisted the urge to shiver and instead steeled herself with resolve. “Kindly take your hand off me.”

“Don’t make a scene,” Ransom continued in a near whisper. “Just give me your number.”

“Give you my…what?” Gwen struggled again to break free from Ransom’s grasp. His grip was deceptively light but firm. There was no way she could move without the two customers who’d just come in knowing there was a disagreement happening. Gwen hated acting out in public but realized now might have to be one of those times. Maybe it was because she and Joe rarely had sex in their last three months together, but strange things happened when this man touched her. She lowered her voice to match his. “Please, let me go.”

“Hey, Gwen!” Joanna walked to the end of the counter where Gwen and Ransom stood. She leaned in provocatively and added, “Hey, Ransom.”

“What’s up, Joanna?”

“You, gorgeous…always.”

Gwen tried to ignore the stab of jealousy that whipped around her heart as soon as Joanna started flirting. Ransom was not her business; maybe if he focused on Joanna he would leave her alone.

“You sure do get around, Ransom,” Joanna continued. “What do you do? Get a heads-up from city hall whenever somebody new moves in?”

“What I do is mind my own business,” Ransom replied. “You would do well to do the same.”

Kristy chuckled behind the counter, which drew a heated glare from Joanna.

Ransom turned and gave Gwen a hug. “I’ll see you later,” he vowed. And was gone.

Joanna eyed Ransom until he was out of view and then whipped around to Gwen. “How’d you meet Ransom?”

Gwen’s female antennae instantly went on high alert and her plans to ask Joanna about Ransom changed in that moment.

“Here, at Kristy’s.”

“You guys didn’t seem too casual. In fact it sounds like you’re hooking up later on. If that’s true, I need to warn you. There’s a line a mile long ahead of you trying to tie him down.”

“Don’t listen to her,” Kristy chimed in. For the moment, they were the only three in the shop. “Everybody tries to act like they know Ransom’s business, but nobody does.”

“Including you,” Joanna snapped.

Gwen groaned inwardly. More and more, this lunch idea with Joanna was proving to be a bad one. She had no desire to sit down and be interrogated for an hour by an obvious busybody. When her phone rang and she saw Chantay on the caller ID, she could have kissed her friend.

“Hello?”

“Hey, girl, what’s happening?”

“Yes, this is Gwen Smith.”

“I know who the hell you are. What are you doing, drinking Sienna tap water and losing your mind?”

“Oh, I see. Well, I’m at lunch actually, but I could come right now.”

“Who are you trying to give the heave-ho to? It better not be that fine man you keep acting like you don’t like.”

“Okay, I’ll leave right now and get there as soon as I can.”

“Okay, Oleta Adams. Railway, trailway, cross a damn desert and come see my ass!”

Gwen ended the call and crushed down a guffaw. When she saw Chantay, she would strangle her!

“Is everything okay?”

“Actually, no, Joanna. That call was regarding something urgent. I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to take a raincheck. Kristy, can you make me a large double-Dutch to go?”

As soon as she got in the car, Gwen couldn’t get her Bluetooth on fast enough. She hit Chantay on the speed dial and eased out of Kristy’s parking lot. Chantay was laughing hysterically when she answered her phone.

“That wasn’t funny,” Gwen said, unable to contain the laughter spilling out of her own mouth. “You don’t know what was going on. It could have been important. I could barely keep a straight face. Chantay, stop laughing!”

Chantay tried to stop, and spit words out between giggles. “Okay, girl. Ooh, man, I haven’t laughed like that in a long time. Whew, that was good.” She took a couple deep breaths to regain her composure and wiped tears away from her eyes.

“Yeah, well, I’m glad I helped you get your laugh on.”

“Who was it…Adam?”

“No, Joanna, the first-grade teacher. And I can see right now that she’s messy, and will be the last one in town who I tell my business.”

Gwen relayed what had happened at Kristy’s and made plans to visit her true-blue friend the following weekend.