Love At Last

by Cooper, Sharon C.

  This year, Conrad Lee, one of Lincoln’s business partners, was hosting the annual dinner party.

  Lincoln stopped near the doorway that led to the main hallway and turned back to his assistant. On the ride back to the office, Lincoln thought about asking Carolyn to attend the party with him. Right now she was a little skittish, but he had a few weeks to convince her that he was one of the good guys. There were no guarantees that she’d say yes, but if that kiss they shared was any indication, she might.

  “I’ll be there. With a plus one.”

  Pamela’s brows lifted and her mouth dropped open before she quickly shut it and smile. “So, is this plus one like … a date?”

  Lincoln’s smile matched hers and a feeling he couldn’t quite describe swirled in his gut. “Yeah, a date.” He didn’t elaborate, leaving the office before she could ask any more questions.

  Now all he had to do was get Carolyn to say yes.

  Chapter Six

  Martina rushed into the house the moment Carolyn opened the front door. “Okay, how was lunch?”

  “Well, come on in,” Carolyn mumbled sarcastically and closed the door. She went back into the kitchen where she’d been chopping celery and carrots for the homemade chicken noodle soup she was preparing. The aroma of sautéed onions and broth simmering on the stove filled the small home. Cooking always relaxed her and making soup was perfect for the chilly weather.

  After washing her hands in the guest bathroom down the hall, Martina ambled into the kitchen. Making herself at home, she pulled orange juice, a loaf of multi-grain bread, and lunch meat from the refrigerator.

  “I thought you were going to call me after the date.”

  “You were at work. I figured I’d talk to you before the day was over.”

  Martina was a carpenter by trade and a construction manager for the family’s business, Jenkins & Sons Construction.

  “Well, tell me everything.” Martina spread mayonnaise on the bread and layered turkey and cheese between the slices. They worked on opposite sides of the center island of the kitchen that Martina had renovated a few years ago. Her daughter removed walls and incorporated some square footage from the family room to expand the kitchen. The bungalow wasn’t big, and with the open floor plan, Carolyn could practically see the whole first floor, including the hallway that led to the three bedrooms.

  “What did you eat? How did it go? Did you guys hit it off?”

  Laughing at the barrage of questions coming at her, Carolyn pulled more carrots from the package. Only her child would make her first question be about food. Carolyn chopped while she described the bistro and the meal she’d eaten. “Lunch was great. Lincoln seems like a real sweetheart.”

  Martina must have heard something in her voice and narrowed her eyes. “And?”

  Carolyn’s stomach churned with anxiousness. “And he asked me out again.”

  “That’s cool … right?”

  All afternoon, Carolyn’s mind drifted back to her lunch date. She and Lincoln talked and laughed as if they’d been longtime friends. Turning him down had been hard. She so wanted to say yes. Just thinking about him warmed her inside. And that kiss. Her skin tingled remembering his sweet and gentle lips pressed against hers. She could honestly say that she hadn’t been kissed like that, with such tenderness, in a long time. Not since…

  She shook her head to stop that last thought before it fully developed. The last person she wanted to think about was Martina’s father.

  “I told you weeks ago that I’m taking a break from men. I only agreed to go out with Lincoln because you talked him up so much. I was curious. But to be honest, after spending the afternoon with him, I don’t think I measure up.”

  “What do you mean measure up?”

  “MJ, Lincoln is well educated, successful, and has experienced a love with his late wife that women like me only dream about. I have nothing to offer this guy.”

  “What? Mom. Come on. That’s crazy! You have never suffered from low self-esteem. Heck, for as long as I can remember, no matter what people have said about you or who you dated, you’ve always carried your head high. So why the self-doubt now?”

  Even as a child, Carolyn marched to a different beat and did her own thing. She prided herself on being unlike anyone else, even if those differences weren’t always positive. She liked standing out, making heads turn because of her looks, as well as the confident way she carried herself. Lately doubt snuck into every choice she made. Questions about her dubious decisions as a younger woman crept into her thoughts more frequently, especially after meeting Mr. Tall, Dark, and Fine. Lincoln’s perfect life magnified her bad choices and short-comings.

  “I don’t know, MJ. I guess … heck, I’m fifty years old and—”

  “Well, actually you’re fifty-one.”

  Carolyn glared at her child. “Okay, fifty-one. At my age, I should have more going for me. I barely finished a semester of college before getting pregnant. I’m a part-time bartender in my son-in-law’s restaurant and I rent a house from you. I live paycheck to paycheck, and my biggest fail … I couldn’t even raise my only child.”

  “But I came out all right,” Martina shrugged, “for the most part.”

  Carolyn smiled despite the frustration strumming through her body. “Yeah, during those first thirty years you were a piece of work.”

  “I’m not counting the BP years.”

  “BP years?”

  “Before Paul,” Martina said, referring to her husband. They both laughed. “I’m only counting this last year. But seriously, Mom, maybe you took a different path than most people. And maybe you’ve done things unconventionally. So what! That’s okay. You’re a cool mother, a beautiful woman, and you have a lot to offer in a relationship.”

  “Like?”

  “Oh, so now you’re fishing for compliments?” Martina gave an exaggerated sigh and walked past Carolyn to put the knife in the sink. “You want me to make a list? You’re an excellent cook. You have a great sense of humor and you’re fun to be around. And truth be told, you look hella good for an old lady.”

  “Hey!” Carolyn shoved Martina, making her laugh.

  “You’re also resilient. Considering my loser father and how I’ve treated you over the years, any other woman would have fallen apart.”

  Carolyn’s gaze traveled over her daughter. It was hard to think of Martina’s father, Rodrick, without disgust, but when she looked at Martina, her heart burst with love. Yes, that man nearly broke Carolyn’s spirit, but nothing was harder than the pain of how she had failed Martina. For years she lived with the knowledge of knowing her daughter didn’t respect her as a woman or a mother. And rightfully so. She was an awful parent and a horrible example of what a woman should be. But those days were long gone.

  Had Steven and Katherine Jenkins, Carolyn’s parents, not stepped in, there’s no telling what would have happened to Martina. After she was born, Carolyn changed men like some people changed shoes. Her daughter hated her lax morals, often calling her fickle, trampy, and a host of other names you’d never see inside a Mother’s Day card.

  Martina grew distant and didn’t want anything to do with her. Carolyn couldn’t blame her. Unfortunately, she continued to make mistakes and repeatedly entered unhealthy relationships trying to fill the hole Rodrick had left in her heart. But despite how rocky Carolyn and Martina’s relationship started, last year they made amends, wiped the slate clean and started fresh. Carolyn treasured their growing mother-daughter friendship.

  Staring at her daughter who was now standing next to her eating, Carolyn hated how much time she’d lost with her, but never again. Her goal was to make her daughter proud.

  Martina’s brows dipped and she set her sandwich down. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  Carolyn’s chest tightened with the guilt she’d been carrying for years. She pushed a long curl off of Martina’s forehead and moved it behind her daughter’s ear. “I might not have raised you … but, baby, you�
�re my greatest accomplishment. God, I just love you so much.”

  Martina jerked away and fluffed her hair before cringing. “Mom! Don’t go getting all mushy. You know I don’t do mushy.”

  With the back of her hand, Carolyn dabbed at the tear in the corner of her eye and shook her head, chuckling. Some things hadn’t change. Martina had never been a big hugger. At least not until Paul and their daughter, Janay, came along. She typically saved her hugs and kisses for them.

  “If you like Lincoln, I say go for it. He might be college educated and have it going on, but you have been schooled by the life of hard knocks and lived to tell about it. I don’t care what anyone says, you have a lot to offer in a relationship. Besides, you might want to give him a shot since you’re not getting any younger,” Martina cracked with a smirk and sat on one of the bar stools.

  Rolling her eyes at the last comment, Carolyn stirred the sautéing carrots and celery. Martina telling her to go for it with Lincoln was huge.

  “I do like him,” she said more to herself than Martina. “I like the way he makes me feel. Yes, it’s a little intimidating being around him, considering all of his accomplishments. But my time with him was different, special. I loved how he listened to me. Like what I had to say was important. I don’t need a man to take care of me, but I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t feel damn good to be the center of a man’s attention.”

  “I know that’s right.” Martina grinned.

  “With that said, though, I don’t think I’m going out with him again. You know I’ve been taking a break from men since breaking up with Daniel.”

  Saying Daniel’s name reminded her of their earlier encounter. He had never snarled at her or acted a fool before. Back in the day, she would have slapped him. But because she was trying to make a good impression with Lincoln, she hadn’t followed through on her first instinct.

  Clingy ass. His shocking words played on a loop in her head after leaving the bistro. Never had he accused her of being clingy before, but clearly he had thought it.

  “Yeah, yeah. I know about the dating break, but I think Lincoln is the perfect candidate to help you get back into the dating groove. He’s not one of those chumps you usually attract, so going out with him will be a better experience.”

  After breaking up with Daniel, Carolyn had decided to date herself. At first the idea was a little weird, but for the past few weeks, she challenged herself to go on dates alone. Considering she didn’t like being by herself, she thought the feat would be harder than it had been. She’d done everything solo from having coffee at a nearby coffee shop while reading a romance novel, to playing pool at a local pool hall. She proved to herself that she was fine without a man.

  Her ringing cell phone interrupted her thoughts.

  “Get that for me. It’s probably Momma. She’s still trying to set up a time for us all to get together to discuss plans for Christmas Eve.” They hadn’t even celebrated Thanksgiving, yet her mother was already tossing out ideas about Christmas.

  “Hello,” Martina said into the phone which had been on the living room table.

  Carolyn pulled the baked chicken out of the oven and set the pan on a cooling rack.

  “No actually this is Martina. Who’s calling? Oh hi, Lincoln. It’s good to hear from you.”

  A tingle scurried over Carolyn’s flesh and her pulse kicked up. She hadn’t forgotten that he said he would give her a call, but that still didn’t stop the nervous butterflies from fluttering in her belly.

  “Yeah, she’s right here,” Martina said in a sing-song voice walking toward Carolyn. She placed her hand over the phone and whispered, “You gotta go for this, Mom. He would make a great stepfather.”

  Laughing, Carolyn shook her head. “Whatever, just give me the phone. Oh, and since I’m sure you’re staying for dinner, finish up the soup.”

  Carolyn left the kitchen carrying the phone to her bedroom, her nerves on edge. She had to chuckle at how giddy she felt. It didn’t matter how old she got, getting a call from a handsome guy took her back to her high school days.

  She curled up in the upholstered chair near the window and blew out a nervous breath. “Hello.”

  *

  Lincoln didn’t think he’d ever get used to Carolyn’s sultry voice. He had left work before 7:00 pm for the first time in months, whistling on his drive home. Shortly after walking into the house, he dialed her number.

  “Hi. Is this a bad time?”

  “Not at all. How are you?”

  “I’m great now.” Grabbing a beer, he carried the bottle into the den and settled into his favorite reclining chair. For the next hour, they talked and laughed. Like earlier that day, their conversation flowed effortlessly. When he heard Martina tell Carolyn that she was leaving, Lincoln thought for sure it would be the end of his and Carolyn’s conversation. Instead she put him on hold for a few minutes, and then they picked up where they left off. They discussed everything from the inconsistent weather to NFL football. Lincoln was shocked to find out she knew so much about the sport. According to her, growing up in a household with four brothers she either learned to appreciate football or miss out on watching TV from October through January.

  “I hadn’t realized you had to work today,” Lincoln said when she mentioned the restaurant.

  “Yeah, I went in at 3:00. The restaurant hosted a private party this afternoon and for the most part everything went smoothly. Unfortunately, there’s always one jerk in the bunch who can’t hold his liquor and acts a fool.”

  She told him how the fool got fresh with a couple of servers, before some of the waiters escorted him out. She also mentioned how she often didn’t leave the restaurant until well after midnight.

  Unease crept along the back of Lincoln’s neck. Carolyn wasn’t his woman. So why did her working the night shift bother him? Paul’s strong security measures—including surveillance cameras surrounding the building, and policies prohibiting any employee working the late shift to leave the restaurant alone—did little to quell his anxiety.

  Lincoln smiled to himself, realizing he missed having someone to worry about. Someone to love. Sure he still checked in with his kids regularly, making sure all was well, but what he was feeling at the moment regarding Carolyn was different. Getting to know her better was definitely something he intended to do.

  “I was just thinking …” he said when there was a brief lull in the conversation.

  “Oh boy. Every time you start thinking I have to grab my dictionary or pull up Google to figure out what you’re talking about,” Carolyn cracked.

  Lincoln laughed. Her refreshing sense of humor had kept him on his toes all night. “No dictionary needed for this thought. Actually, I was thinking we should go out tomorrow night. Like on a date. Do you have to work?”

  Silence. Lincoln thought for sure he had worn her down. He understood she’d been taking a break from dating, but that didn’t stop him from hoping she would change her mind about going out with him.

  “Carolyn, I get that you’ve had a rough time with men. But I’m not like anyone you’ve ever dated.” He waited for a response. When none came, he continued. “I won’t lead you on or disrespect you. And I promise, I won’t hurt you.”

  Still she said nothing. Had it not been for her deep breathing in the background, he would have thought she’d hung up.

  “I can’t … tomorrow. I have a date with myself. How about Thursday night? Do you bowl?”

  A date with myself. Now that was something he hadn’t heard before. He wanted to question the concept, but decided to focus on the alternative she offered. “Bowling? It’s been a while, but I’m game.”

  Normally he was cool and calm under pressure, especially at work, and he had survived thirty years of marital bliss with only a few disagreements with Vicky. Yet, Lincoln had a feeling he had one shot with Carolyn to prove to her that she could take a chance on him.

  Chapter Seven

  Carolyn felt at home in bowling alleys. She love
d the sounds of balls rolling down the oiled wood planks and then crashing into pins, mixed with loud chatter and bursts of cheers that filled the huge space. They were lucky to get a lane since a bowling league dominated most of them. She hadn’t bowled in a couple of months and had been looking forward to the activity since suggesting it to Lincoln.

  She glanced to where he searched for an alley ball to borrow, and her pulse kicked up. A Lamman Rucker look alike except older, the man was too handsome for his own good. Wearing a herringbone cap pulled low over his eyes, a gray long-sleeved Henley that hugged his muscular upper body, and dark jeans that emphasized his long legs, he appeared even more sexier than he had in a suit.

  She tried not to stare, but couldn’t help admiring his smooth, confident stride as he made his way back to the lane. He set a bowling ball on the rack near hers and dropped the rented shoes next to his chair. She almost groaned when the woodsy scent of his cologne wafted past her nose.

  God, he smelled good. Whatever fragrance he was wearing was different than the other day.

  “With you having your own bowling shoes and ball, I’m guessing you must be a pro.”

  Carolyn smiled, lacing up her shoes. “I wouldn’t say I’m a pro, but I do all right.” She and her siblings bowled on a league for several years. Growing up in a house filled with competitive brothers and sisters forced her to excel in whatever goal she set out to achieve. Otherwise she would’ve been subjected to years of ribbing. This was true except for whenever college was mentioned. During those times, Carolyn extracted herself from the discussion. She often considered going back to school, if for no other reason than to shut them up from reminding her that she was the only one without a degree or a trade. But after Martina was born, the desire to return to college had never been strong enough.

  Carolyn moved to the console to type in their names. “Do you want to go first?”

  “Ladies first.” Lincoln stood resting his hands on her shoulders as she finished inputting their information. On the ride to the bowling alley, he’d held onto her hand, caressing the back of it with the pad of his thumb. Since arriving, there had been several instances where he’d had his hand at the small of her back or around her waist, letting her know that he was a touchy-feely kind of guy. That might’ve turned off some women, but not Carolyn. She enjoyed the feel of his large hands on her body.