The soft, husky tone of Syd’s sleepy voice brought a sense of peace to Abby that she’d never experienced before.
“I’m really here, baby. For as long as you’ll have me.”
Syd moved on top of Abby and kissed her with her soft, full lips. “Will forever be long enough?”
Abby wrapped her arms low on Syd’s waist and caressed her back before sliding her hands over Syd’s perfectly round backside. “I may need a little longer than that, but it’s a start.”
“It feels amazing to wake up with you and not dread you having to leave to go do your chores.”
Abby laughed. “Agreed. So, what are your plans for today? I know I showed up unexpectedly, and I don’t want to disrupt anything you have going on.”
“I’m supposed to have brunch with my parents, but I can call and cancel.”
“No, don’t do that. May I come with you? I’d love to meet them.”
The tears that welled up in Syd’s eyes along with her watery smile nearly undid Abby.
“I’d love for them to meet you. We still have a few hours before we have to meet them, so we can discuss what’s going to happen next.”
Abby laughed and turned them both on their sides. “I’m glad because there are a few things I’d like to talk to you about. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to accompany you to the grand opening of the center, and I’d like for Gran to be there. She was absolutely tickled that it was named after Virginia.”
“I’d love for both of you to be there.”
“Good. I figured I could fly back to Iowa in a couple of days so we can start packing up some of the house. Gran and I can fly back here a few days later and start looking at places for her to live. I can get us a room at a nearby hotel so we won’t be in your way.”
The look of outrage on Syd’s face frightened Abby a little, and she almost expected to be smacked.
“You’ll do no such thing. You and Bernice will stay here. I have a nice guest room she’ll be comfortable in. Unless she’d be uncomfortable knowing you and I were sleeping in the same bed across the hall.”
Abby laughed and shook her head. “I’m pretty sure she won’t mind as long as we keep it quiet.”
The sultry look on Syd’s face got Abby wet and she considered continuing the conversation later, but what she wanted to ask next was very important to her and she was hoping Syd would agree to her request.
“Syd, would you consider allowing me to help you run the center? Since I’m a writer, I can make my own schedule. What you’re doing for the kids is so amazing and I really want to help.”
“I’d love for you to do that. Thank you, baby.”
“No, thank you. I’ve always wanted to be able to do something meaningful, and now you’re giving me the opportunity.”
“Abby, volunteering at the animal shelter was meaningful. I told you that before. And you helped out my grandmother with her farm. You are an incredibly giving woman, and I’m so happy you’ll be here to help. The kids are going to love you.”
Abby could feel the blush creep up her neck and into her face. She was ecstatic that she’d be able to help Syd help the kids, and even more so that they wanted to spend their life loving each other. It was unbelievable that within one day, all of Abby’s dreams had come true, and it was all because of the woman in her arms whose hand had parted Abby’s wet folds and was languidly stroking her. Abby’s hips began moving back and forth slowly, matching the rhythm of Syd’s strokes. She felt the beginning of her orgasm start low in her belly and she sped up the thrusting of her pelvis. Syd slipped two fingers inside while her thumb continued to increase the pressure against the hardened bundle of nerves. Abby cried out Syd’s name as she climaxed over and over until the tremors had subsided and her breathing returned to normal.
“I love you so much, Syd.”
“I love you too, Abigail. I’m going to spend every day making sure you know that.”
Chapter Twenty-two
“Come on, Syd. We’re going to be late to our own grand opening,” Abby yelled from the living room.
“Abigail, calm down. We have plenty of time,” her grandmother said as she sat patiently on the couch.
Abby looked at her watch for the third time in five minutes and continued her pacing. “We need to be there early, Gran. We have to be there before the caterers arrive and show them where to set up.” Abby had pleaded with Syd to allow her to pay for the catering, and Syd conceded only after Abby agreed to keep it low-key.
Syd’s explanation was that she didn’t want the investors and donators to think they had plenty of money to spend on expensive hors d’oeuvres and flutes of champagne. She settled on a taco bar with chips and salsa, quesadilla quarters, and taquitos as appetizers. Syd, Abby, and Vanessa had spent all morning at the center setting up tables and chairs, and decorating with colorful tablecloths and streamers hanging from the ceiling.
Abby had gone to the florist and grabbed up a bunch of carnations that were inexpensive but colorful, and placed two in a vase on each table. Vanessa had forgiven Abby for her earlier treatment of Syd after Syd told her how Abby had shown up declaring her love and that she wanted to spend their lives together. Vanessa had spent the early morning fan-girling that her best friend was in love with her favorite author, but after a couple of hours together talking and laughing and joking around, Vanessa accepted Abby as Abby who also happened to write romance novels. The whole center looked festive by the time they locked up to go home and get ready.
Abby was just about to look at her watch again when she heard their bedroom door open. She looked up to see Syd emerge in a stylish yet simple black dress that hugged every mouth-watering curve. Her hair was pulled up in a twist; she had on light makeup and strappy three-inch heels. She also wore the simple diamond earrings and matching pendant Abby had given her in private the night she and her gran had arrived in Chicago. She promised Syd, before they made love that night, that they would soon pick out a ring that would match the design. Abby’s mouth had gone bone-dry at the gorgeous vision walking toward her, and she had to clear her throat to find her voice.
“You look stunning.”
“Thank you. You look pretty spiffy yourself,” Syd replied as she adjusted Abby’s tie. Abby had rented a black suit for the night, but she wore her own white linen blouse and she bought a silk tie patterned with different shades of blue to bring out her eyes. When she had shown the tie to Syd, she showed her the different ways she could use that tie once they were home from the opening. As enticing as those options were, she asked for a rain check for when her grandmother was in her own place. If they were going to get a little creative in their lovemaking, she wanted it to be uninhibited.
“You look lovely, Sydney.”
“Thank you, Bernice. You look quite exquisite yourself.” While they’d been at the center earlier, Abby’s grandmother had gone to have her hair and nails done. She had explained that since that night was going to be the first time in many years she’d had an opportunity to get gussied up, she was pulling out all the stops.
They arrived to the center by five o’clock and the caterers were to arrive at five thirty, half an hour before the shindig was to start.
“See, baby? Right on time.”
Shortly after they arrived, Vanessa and Syd’s parents came in.
“Hey! What are you doing here so early?” Syd asked as she hugged them hello.
“We’re here to do any last-minute things you may need,” Jillian responded.
“Thanks, but everything is set. The caterers are setting up the food and drinks, and as you can see,” Syd raised her arms, “we’re all decorated and ready to go.”
Isaiah threw his arms around Abby and squeezed her shoulder. “How about I try to calm this young lady down? I think you’re more nervous than Syd, Abby.”
Abby nervously laughed. The butterflies had long ago started fluttering in her stomach, and at this point, she was just trying not to throw up or sweat through her suit. “I jus
t want everything to be perfect, Mr. Carter. Syd has worked so hard for this and her dream is finally coming true.”
Isaiah squeezed her again and smiled down on her. He was a good six inches taller than Abby and about seventy-five pounds heavier. “I think her dream came true when you decided to move here. I’ve never seen my daughter as happy as she’s been these past two weeks. I’m thrilled to see her in love.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Abby’s grandmother came back into the reception area after touching up her lipstick in the bathroom. Abby held her hand out to her grandmother as she made her way toward them.
“Mr. and Mrs. Carter, this is my grandmother, Bernice Price.”
Jillian stepped forward and gave Abby’s grandmother a hug. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’m Jillian and this is my husband, Isaiah. We want to thank you for being so kind to Sydney while she was in Iowa. She said you and Abby were a big help.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. Besides, Abigail is the one who did all the work. I’m very fond of your daughter. You both did a wonderful job of raising her and you must be very proud.”
“We are extremely proud of her. I also want to thank you for your friendship with my mother. Syd gave me the letters to read.” Jillian dabbed the corner of her eye before a tear could escape. “I wish I had read those letters when she sent them. There was so much hurt and misunderstanding between my parents and me, and I wasted all those years when I could have had her back.”
Bernice took Jillian’s hand in hers and gently patted it. “If it makes a difference, your mother loved you until the day she died. She was aware that you and Isaiah had been successful educators and loving parents to Sydney. She was also very proud of Sydney, and the young woman she grew up to be.”
“Thank you.” Jillian pulled a tissue out of her purse and dabbed her eyes before wiping her nose.
“Now, no more crying. This is a special night for Sydney and Abigail, and there should be happiness and laughter, not sadness and tears.”
Once the invited guests started arriving, Syd and Abby made introductions, then gave the group a tour of the center. They received a ton of compliments on what they were going to offer, and a few even took out their checkbooks to add a significant amount to the center. Syd might be able to build that basketball court out back sooner than she thought.
The rest of the evening had been spent eating and mingling. Syd had brought her high-end docking station speaker and cued up the playlist she had made specifically for that night, and she was overjoyed when some of the people moved the furniture out of the way and started dancing. One of the highlights of the night was when Syd’s father asked Bernice to dance and they moved across the floor, turning and twirling, dancing like they’d been partners for years.
Syd was finally able to get Abby alone off to the side of the dance floor and she held her hand. “So, what do you think? Tonight went pretty well, right?”
Abby looked at Syd with eyes that shone with pride and awe. “Tonight was perfect, my love. I’m so proud of you.”
“I’m proud of us,” Syd said before kissing Abby. “We’re going to do amazing things with this center. There’s no one I’d rather take this journey with than you. I love you, Abby.”
Abby took Syd in her arms and held her close. “I love you, too, baby. Let’s dance.”
Syd, Abby, and Bernice got home a little after midnight, and Syd went to the refrigerator to pull out a bottle of champagne. She brought three flutes into the living room and poured, then handed a glass to Abby and Bernice. She held up her own to theirs and toasted. “Here’s to a fabulous evening and a wonderful new adventure.”
“Cheers.”
Bernice set her glass on the table and sat back into the couch. “I haven’t had that much fun in ages. I never knew what I was missing by not being in a big city.”
“Mm-hmm.” Syd looked over the rim of her glass and winked at Bernice. “I saw you and Mr. Abrams talking quite a lot this evening. Care to share?”
“Oh, Sydney.” Bernice waved her hand as her face turned red.
Syd laughed at Bernice’s reaction, then Abby’s.
“Share what?” Abby asked, looking to Bernice and Sydney.
“I think Mr. Abrams took a fancy to your grandmother.”
“Sydney,” Bernice warned her, which made Syd close her mouth, but she continued to grin.
“Gran? Was he hitting on you?” The smile that crept up on Abby’s face was enough to make Syd and Bernice laugh.
“Please, Abigail. We’re much too old to be ‘hitting,’ as you put it. He asked me out for coffee and I agreed. We exchanged numbers and he said he’d call to set up a date and time.”
“Oh, my God. Gran has a date.” Syd and Abby laughed.
“It’s not a date. It’s more like a meeting. If I’m going to live here in Chicago, I need to meet some people my own age. I can’t be spending time with you two all the time. Speaking of, I’m going to put an offer in on a place I like.”
Syd looked at Abby, unaware that Bernice had already found a property.
“There’s a building on the next block that I really like. It’s for fifty-five and older.” Bernice went to her room and returned with a flier that she handed over. “It’s a two-bedroom, two-bath with an updated kitchen and baths. It’s a nice building, but it was the amenities that sold me. They have monthly excursions to museums and tours, movie night every Thursday, Bingo every Monday, and other random activities. It also has a workout room, indoor pool and spa, and a concierge service. And get this. They even have a salon and dry cleaner next to the building. That place is perfect for me.”
The excitement bubbled over like a shaken soda over to Syd and Abby.
“This place looks great, Gran. And you’re still close enough to be within walking distance to us.”
“I’m really happy for you, Bernice. And I’m really happy you’ll be close by.”
“Sydney, I really appreciate your hospitality and letting me stay here with you two, but it’s time I get out of your hair and let you girls start your life together without me intruding on you.”
Syd hugged Bernice then kissed her on the cheek. “You’ll never be an intrusion. You’re part of my family now.”
“That makes me happy. I love you, Sydney. And I love how happy you make my granddaughter.”
“The feeling is mutual, Bernice. Let’s go to bed so I can treat you Price women to breakfast, then we can all go take a look at that condo.”
Abby and Syd undressed and climbed into bed after brushing their teeth. They lay on their sides facing each other, smiling.
“What a night, huh?”
“You were great tonight, baby. You sure know how to schmooze the checkbooks out of pockets. They teach you that in business school?”
Syd chuckled. “Nope. It’s just the Carter charm. It’s how my daddy got my mama to fall in love with him, and it’s how I got you to fall in love with me.”
Abby laughed. “Is that right? You think it was your charm that got me hooked?”
“Well, yeah. What else could it have been?”
“Your cooking.” Abby smiled and let her hand drift down and squeeze Syd’s behind. “And how your ass looks in jeans.”
Syd feigned outrage and pushed Abby’s shoulder, but she was quick enough to pull Syd on top of her.
“Maybe it was all of the above. No matter what it was, I did fall and I am hopelessly, madly, forever in love with you. And I will spend every day showing you how much I love you.”
Syd kissed Abby and let their lips linger. “You’re such a romantic.”
Before kissing Syd again, Abby said, “That’s why I write romance novels, baby.”
Epilogue
Six months later
Syd left work at lunchtime in order to get some errands run. The new hours she was working were much more conducive to having a personal life, and it allowed her to be home at a reasonable hour to have dinner with Abby and spend some alone
time together. They worked together at the center, but they remained professional with each other. Syd was finding it very difficult to not be able to show affection to Abby while they were at work, so it was important to have that time together at home. One Friday a month, however, she taught a cooking class at the center in the afternoon. The teens who were interested cooked their own dish, and it ended up being a “family dinner night” for the staff and young people who wanted to stay. They would set up some tables and chairs together in the lounge, and they would all sit down to eat and discuss how their month had gone.
On good days, they would hear about the accomplishments—a good grade they received, an award, a good deed they performed. But since they were dealing with mostly teenagers, there were also problems that came up. Sometimes a kid got a bad grade on an assignment, or they were being bullied at school, or home life wasn’t going well. The great thing about the “family night” was there was a roomful of people ready to cheer, listen, offer some helpful advice, whatever they needed to hear. Syd loved these nights, and she wouldn’t miss them for the world.
She arrived at the center after picking up groceries and called on Reggie and Dwayne to help her bring the bags into the kitchen. In one of the corners of the room, she spotted Bernice playing chess with Chandra. Once she and the boys had put the groceries on the counter, she thanked them then returned to see Bernice.
“Better be careful, Bernice. Chandra is a really good player and she’ll make you win fair and square.” The pleased look on the thirteen-year-old’s face indicated Syd hit the mark with her compliment. Chandra was a shy girl who had trouble making friends, but being at the center and interacting with the other kids had helped build her confidence.
Bernice accepted Syd’s kiss on her cheek. “I’ve been playing this game a lot longer than she has, so if she wins, it won’t be easy for her.” Bernice moved her piece and Chandra’s face lit up.
“Check mate!”
Syd busted out in laughter. “Nice job, Chandra. Are you going to help with dinner tonight?”
A Call Away Page 22