What had she been thinking, inviting him to dinner on Sunday? She didn’t know him at all, even if he had been kind enough to stop and fix her tire. But she’d been very aware of him, from the moment he had gotten out of his truck. He was tall, about six-three and she would put his age in the early sixties. He had rugged features, matured features. Features that took her breath away. What she’d noticed first had been his eyes--those beautiful dark brown eyes that nearly matched the color of rich chocolate--beneath thick eyebrows.
He’d been dressed in black slacks and a white buttoned-up collared shirt with a lightweight jacket. It was obvious by the way he was dressed that he was either going to, or coming from, somewhere important. He’d had the kind of walk that demanded attention--and he’d gotten hers. She’d been wary at first, but there was something about his friendly and trusting face that made her feel at ease with him. When he spoke, although his expression was serious and respectful, she could see a hint of a genuine smile on his lips.
She could tell from the way he handled himself that he was a man who was used to being in control and knew how to get things done. While changing her tire, he’d kept her from worrying about her car by asking her about herself. From anyone one else, those questions might have come across as probing, but with him, they’d seemed perfectly natural. In fact, he’d seemed like he was interested in her.
Although he hadn’t been wearing a wedding ring, she’d had to make sure he wasn’t married, which is why she’d phrased the invitation to dinner the way she had. Then again, just because he wasn’t married, that didn’t mean he wasn’t involved with anyone. Older, mature and handsome men who looked like Jeremiah usually were. But then, hadn’t her daughters often said the same about her? That she was too attractive not to be dating? But she hadn’t had any interest in meeting anyone…until now.
Her husband had been a military man. Rigid, stern and sometimes, too hard for his children and his wife to understand. Eric hadn’t been demonstrative with his affections and hadn’t wanted her to be demonstrative with hers. So, she hadn’t. Although deep-down she’d known he’d loved her, he hadn’t known how to tell her, so he’d said nothing at all. Instead he had provided for her and his daughters the way a man did.
He hadn’t wanted her to work outside the home, so for years, her job was to take care of him and their girls. She had enjoyed traveling with him and when he retired from active duty and had taken a job at the Post Office, she had become even more comfortable in her role as homemaker.
She hadn’t truly known what to do with herself when he’d died in a car accident. And when the girls left for college shortly after, she’d felt truly lost. It had been their idea that she should return to school and get a college degree. So, she had. She’d discovered a hunger for learning, and hadn’t been ready to stop when she got her BA, so she went for her graduate degree as well. She worked as a teacher for a while, and then retired at fifty-five as a principal.
She had thought about going back for her PhD, but her only living aunt passed away and left her the house here in Gary. At first, Thea had intended to sell it, but once she’d seen it, she had fallen in love with it. It had been perfect for her and with some minor repairs and renovations, it had become her new home. She had convinced her three daughters, two of whom were now married, that she would be absolutely fine. And she was.
They had stopped flying in to check on her as often as they used to and had finally decided to let her be. She had promised them she would get out more and meet new people, other than the few neighbors she’d gotten to know. She had joined a church in her community and was quick to see that, although the congregation was friendly, a number of the older, single women her age had sent her a silent message that the single, older men in church were spoken for.
She had refused her daughters’ suggestion to join an online dating site. She had believed that when the right man came along, she’d know it. Was Jeremiah that man?
For some reason, she wanted to know more about him, even if a meal was all they’d end up sharing. Several cars had passed her on the road, but none had stopped. But he had. Cooking dinner for him was the least she could do to show her appreciation.
“Baby girl, do you have to ask so many questions?” Jeremiah asked his daughter jokingly, as he settled into his favorite chair. “And should you really be driving?” he asked, staring at her huge stomach. The doctor had finally told them on yesterday what Jeremiah had suspected all along. His daughter was having twins.
“There’s nothing wrong with me driving, Pop,” Carrie Montgomery Hargrove said, easing down on the sofa. “I won’t have the babies for a good five months, although I’m already looking like a blimp. So, stop stalling and answer the question please. When a woman invites my father to dinner, I want to know everything there is to know about her.”
Jeremiah smiled at the daughter he loved so much. Even when his wife had run off with another man and had taken Carrie with her, he had loved his daughter. Even when others had tried to convince him to forget about her because she was probably not his child anyway, he had loved her. And then he and his sons had finally found her. She’d been just a few months shy of her sixteenth birthday, a runaway living on the streets. The whole Montgomery clan--Logan, Lyle and Lance, and of course, Jeremiah, himself--hadn’t wasted any time claiming her. It hadn’t mattered to him whether or not he was her biological father.
The years after she’d entered their lives hadn’t been easy. He and his sons had to earn Carrie’s trust. They’d known her life on the streets had been difficult, but they hadn’t known the half of it. Carrie had been harboring secrets they couldn’t possibly imagine. But everything was good now. They’d proven she was indeed his biological daughter. She’d married a man who loved her unconditionally, and she had a family who adored her for the person she was—the unrelentingly stubborn person she was.
He figured he might as well tell her what she wanted to know. She’d get it out of him eventually. “This woman’s car had broken down and I stopped to help. All I did was change her tire. She invited me to dinner as a way to show her appreciation and I’m going.”
The only reason he’d even mentioned it to Carrie was because he usually joined her and Connor for Sunday dinner, either at home, or at their place. He should have known changing things wouldn’t go over easy with his daughter. She wasn’t just protective--she could be downright territorial when it came to her father.
“Have you considered that the whole situation might be a set-up?”
He couldn’t help but chuckle at something so absurd. “Can’t rightly say I have. Trust me, Carrie, she needed my help.”
Carrie nodded. “Was she pretty?”
He thought about the way his breath had caught in his throat when he’d first seen her. “Yes, she’s pretty. Very pretty.” And because he’d already anticipated Carrie’s next question, he said, “And she was dressed nice, as if she was a teacher or something. A professional lady. Nice dress, high heels, with one of those purses like you carry. The ones that cost a lot of money. More than what I’d pay for a new riding lawnmower.”
Carrie chuckled. “A designer purse, Pop. That means she has class.”
“That’s one of the first things I thought, but it had nothing to do with her purse. It was a combination of things. Her looks, her dress, the way she carried herself and--”
“Umm, sounds like you’re smitten.”
Jeremiah blinked and then gave his daughter an outrageous look. “Smitten? I just met the woman, Carrie.”
“And now you’re going to dinner.”
He smiled. “Yes, I’m going to dinner.”
“You sound excited, Pop. I’m happy for you.”
In shock, Jeremiah stared at his possessive and territorial daughter. He tapped on his ears a few times to make sure his hearing was intact. “You’re happy for me?” he asked, just to be certain.
She gave him a wide grin. “Yes.”
“Then what was the interrogati
on for?”
“To keep you on your toes and make sure you aren’t taken advantage of. You haven’t dated in a while and there are some real barracudas out there. You’ve always been a good judge of character, Pop, and if you feel this lady is nice, then she probably is.”
“Thank you.”
“But don’t think that when and if I ever get the chance to meet her, I won’t be giving her the third degree.”
“There’s no doubt in my mind that you will. I guess if that time ever comes, I’ll have to prepare her for the likes of you.”
“You do that. Your sons might be pushovers with this sort of thing but not your daughter. Not many women are good enough for my pop. But after Edwina, you deserve to be happy. You raised Logan, Lyle and Lance and then when you thought your daddy days were over, you guys rescued me off the streets, put a roof over my head, gave me plenty to eat and showered me with more love than I could ever imagine. So yes, Jeremiah Lazarus Montgomery, it’s your time for happiness. I hope this Thea Manchester delivers.”
Jeremiah didn’t say anything, but deep down, he was hoping Thea delivered as well.
7
LOGAN
That’s not too tight is it?”
Claire smiled as Logan snapped on her seat belt. They were in the cockpit of the plane he’d rented and were about to take off. “It’s fine, thanks. You smell good.”
He chuckled. “Thanks.”
Maybe she should not have said that, but it was the truth. Besides, they were friends. Good friends. Otherwise she wouldn’t be here with him. And good friends could say anything to each other.
“I appreciate your trust in me, Claire.”
She glanced over at him. “My trust?”
“Yes. Not once have you questioned my ability to fly this thing.”
She smiled again as she looked at the controls. “Well, it does look rather complicated; however, I figure any man with the ability to take a handicapped child and make it possible for him to become the captain of his baseball team sixteen years later, well, that man is just shy of being a genius.”
Logan threw his head back and laughed. She settled in her seat, enjoying the sound. She needed to hear somebody laugh, even if she was having a hard time doing it herself these days. But she had to admit, Logan had gotten several chuckles out of her over the past few days.
Yesterday they had gone shopping together to purchase what they’d need for their Grand Canyon trip. Hiking boots, rugged clothing, water bottles, backpacks, hats—they bought it all. Since it was late September, they didn’t expect the weather—or the tourists--to be a real problem. But it was better to be safe, just in case.
Last night, at her kitchen table, they had excitedly mapped out their destinations. His job would be to get them from place to place. Hers would be to make sure they had a sufficient roof over their heads when they got there. She had spent most of the night booking reservations at various lodges, reserving a car at each point, and checking out various eating places near where they would be staying.
She glanced over at Logan. He had shown up on her doorstep looking good in his jeans and t-shirt, and she couldn’t resist thinking that those aviator sunglasses made him look pretty darn sexy. The only problem was that the lenses were so dark, she couldn’t tell when he was looking at her. Why that concerned her, she wasn’t sure. But then, it really didn’t concern her as much as it made her curious. She could have sworn that more than once, she’d caught him staring at her when he thought she wasn’t noticing. What was that about?
She recalled her last conversation with Asia, and how she had planned to introduce Logan to a female pilot. Would he have enjoyed this trip with Susan more than with her? The other woman knew how to fly a plane, too. She was tempted to ask him, but he might wonder why. The last thing she wanted was to give him any ideas that she considered him anything other than a friend. He might take her concern about Susan as jealousy, and that wasn’t the case at all. She didn’t want him to get mixed up with just anyone, no matter how compatible Asia thought he and this other woman were.
She continued to watch him. He was flipping pages on a clipboard and she couldn’t help but study his hands. They were big, strong, and caring. He was caring. She’d read all about the many charitable surgeries he’d performed over the last few years. For the first time ever, she had been driven to go on the internet and Google him, and not only was his bio impressive but some of the testimonies from his patients had touched her heart. It seemed the Stewarts weren’t the only ones who’d been blessed by his kindness. But then, wasn’t he helping her out, right now? It had definitely been thoughtful of him to ask her along, to allow her to intrude on his vacation because he felt she needed to get away. And OMG, she really did.
He glanced over at her and this time, he was the one who caught her staring. Logan smiled. “Ready for take-off?”
“Yes. All systems a go,” she said playfully. “Where to, Captain?”
“First stop, the Grand Canyon. All amenities taken care of?”
“Yes, sir. The rental vehicle is waiting at the airport and our accommodations are at the Skyway Canyon Lodge. Everything’s all set,” she said.
“Then let’s get this baby in the air and enjoy the view.”
“Definitely,” she said. For some reason, she had a feeling that the view inside the cockpit would be as hard to resist as the one outside the window.
She was checking him out. Logan was sure of it. Although she, too, was wearing sunglasses, hers weren’t quite as dark as his and he could see behind the lenses. What he saw was female interest, and the thought that she had started to notice him as more than a friend made his heartbeat in his chest pound.
“It’s so beautiful up here, Logan.”
He glanced over at her and saw the look of awe in her features. “Yes, it is.”
“As many times as I’ve flown, I’ve never experienced anything like this. It’s like I was cheated, sitting in the cabin instead of the cockpit. I doubt I’ll be able to fly again without remembering how this feel. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He knew what she meant. Piloting a plane always gave him a particular high, one he could only share with his brothers who also had their pilot’s licenses. It was something they’d done as a team with the intention of going in together and buying a Cessna. So far, they hadn’t done that. Maybe it was something they needed to revisit.
“How long have you been flying?”
He glanced over at Claire. She said he smelled good, but so did she. But then, she always smelled good. “For about nine years now. Lance, Lyle and I took classes together from a friend in Gary one summer when we were all home together.”
“You guys did that a lot, didn’t you? Return home periodically to check on your dad.”
“Yes. We did the drop-in visits, but we also made it a priority to come home at the same time every summer and spend an entire month with him. We considered it family time. We owe him so much. For years, he was our rock. He still is.”
“Do you ever hear from your mother?”
He flinched, instantly wishing he hadn’t. However, whenever he thought of the hurt and pain Edwina Montgomery had caused his family, he couldn’t help but react. He doubted he would ever forgive her for what she’d put Carrie through. “No, and I’m glad none of us do. Our lives are better off without her in them. I could never understand how any one woman could be so heartless.”
Needing to change the subject he said, “I talked to Lance this morning. He said you’d talked to Asia the other day, so he was aware that we would be taking this trip together.”
“Asia finally broke down and called me. A day before the week I asked for, mind you. She tried to encourage me to come to Paradise. She even used Leland as bait. I almost faltered, but decided I’d rather join you on this adventure. When I go to Paradise, I need to be ready to deal with my sister. Marriage has made her think she’s the oldest now.”
Logan laughed. “Must be
a Paradise Island thing. Every once in a while, Lance acts the same way.”
“What about Lyle?”
Logan shook his head. “So far, Lyle is still Lyle. He has no problem staying in his lane as the middle brother. And speaking of children, Carrie texted me this morning. The doctor confirmed she’s having twins.”
“Twins! Oh, Logan, that’s wonderful.”
“Evidently she and Connor think so, thank goodness.” He adjusted one of the controls before saying, “She also mentioned that Pop met some woman who invited him to dinner Sunday.”
“Anything wrong with that?”
Logan smiled. “Not in my book. Trust me, if there was, Carrie would find out. She’s very protective when it comes to Dad. I’m happy for him. He deserves to meet a nice lady. Don’t get me wrong, he’s been invited to dinners at ladies’ homes before, but according to Pop, they were looking for something he wasn’t ready to give.”
“Which was?”
“A commitment. Now, though, I think he might be ready. All his kids are married off.”
“You’re not married off,” she said.
“Not yet. I guess he figures I will be in a year or so.”
“Why? Does he anticipate you will embark on a whirlwind romance or something?”
Maybe he just knows that I’m finally doing the smart thing and going after the only woman I’ve ever wanted, he thought. “I’m not sure what Pop thinks, but as long as he’s concentrating on himself and not me, it’s all good.”
He checked his watch. “We’ve got a couple of hours to go. Did you want to take a nap?”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll stay awake and see everything. You never know when I might decide to learn to fly one of these things. I wouldn’t want you to keep flying by yourself all the time.”
AT LONG LAST (The Playas Series - Book 4) Page 6