He lowered his head, then hesitated. “I really want to kiss you.”
She couldn’t help smiling as a lightness filled her chest. “Good. Because I really wish you would.”
Eliminating the short distance that remained, he touched his lips to hers. So sweet. So tender. So incredibly right.
With both of his arms wrapped around her waist, Celeste had never felt safer. The protectiveness that enveloped her was something she’d never known before. Something she wanted to last forever. Like Cinderella and her Prince Charming.
But nothing lasted forever. Or so she’d been told.
Question was, what did she believe?
Gage ended the kiss, brushed his nose against hers and smiled. “Clay is probably wondering about us.” He turned the lights back on and she immediately missed the warmth of his embrace.
“I need to get back anyway. Mom’s planning to have lunch at the diner.”
“How are things going with your mother?” he asked a while later as they drove back into town.
“Good, actually. She’s stopped hounding me about moving back to Texas, so I think, maybe, she’s finally come to accept my decision.” She prayed that was the case anyway.
Her mother was waiting when they arrived at Granny’s Kitchen. Gage headed upstairs to check on Logan while Celeste joined her mother at a booth for some baked potato soup.
“How was your morning?” She eyed her mother across the table.
“Wonderful, darling.” Hillary dipped her spoon into her bowl. “I met with a real estate agent who told me that Granny’s Kitchen is prime real estate. She said that if you were to sell, she’d have no problem getting top dollar.”
Chapter Thirteen
“All right, Mom. What gives?”
Celeste had been waiting all day to have this conversation with her mother. Since she’d been gone most of the morning at the mine with Gage, she didn’t want to burden her waitstaff by asking them to carry the afternoon shift as well, and this definitely wasn’t the kind of conversation they could have at the restaurant. Now, though, she stormed into her living room and glared down at her mother.
“Anger doesn’t become you, Celeste.” With a cup of coffee in one hand, Mom sat back in the overstuffed chair, adjusting her long silk robe to cover her crossed legs. “You wouldn’t want those worry lines to become permanent, now, would you?”
Not once in her twenty-nine years had Celeste wanted to scream so badly. But nearly three weeks of her mother’s button pushing was about to send her over the edge.
“Why did you go behind my back and talk to a real estate agent?”
“I’m only looking out for your best interest, darling.” She fingered the corner of a paperback book that was sitting on the arm of the chair. “One of these days you’re going to come to your senses. I just want you to be prepared, that’s all.”
Celeste’s gaze narrowed. “I came to my senses the day I decided to move to Ouray.”
Avoiding eye contact, her mother sipped her coffee. “I hear more snow is in the forecast.”
“Stop trying to change the subject.” Celeste unbuttoned her peacoat. “I don’t care if we’re up all night, we’re going to get to the bottom of this once and for all.”
“The bottom of what, dear?”
“Don’t play innocent with me. I know you, remember?” Celeste took off her coat and tossed it on the sofa. “Why are you still here?”
Her mother looked stunned. Perhaps even hurt. “You don’t want me here?”
Celeste refused to back down. “No, I did not say that. But you know good and well that this is not your MO. You don’t take vacations, you can’t stand to be away from the office and you despise Ouray.”
“So, I needed a break.” Hillary ran a finger around the rim of her cup. “And I do not despise Ouray.”
“You could have fooled me. Not to mention everyone else who was at the festival.” Celeste took a deep breath and sat on the arm of the couch. “Okay, fine. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. That still doesn’t give you the right to come out here and start trying to run my life. A life I chose and happen to enjoy a great deal.”
“For now.”
“No, Mom. Like it or not, this is the real me.” She crossed her arms. “I’m finally living the kind of life I want. I’m sorry if that disappoints you, but Ouray is my home now.”
Her mother moved to the edge of her seat, looked directly at Celeste. “You are so gifted. So intelligent. I had so many plans for you.”
With a calm that had always been her greatest asset, she said, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it’s the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
Her mother rolled her eyes. “Now you sound like your grandmother.”
“I don’t think that’s such a bad thing.”
Her mother stood, moved to the French doors in the dining room and stared into the darkness.
She could try to run away all she wanted, but Celeste was determined to end this tonight. She’d lived her whole life according to her mother’s plan, and yet the woman always expected more. A cycle that had taken a toll on Celeste, both physically and mentally.
These past several months, though, had taught her that she had to live the life God had called her to. Not her mother. And she would not back down.
She shoved to her feet and followed. “Mom, you can’t—”
“I just don’t know how I fit into your life anymore.” Her mother’s voice was so soft she almost didn’t hear her.
Shocked by the declaration, Celeste braced herself against the pass-through. “What do you mean?”
Her mother turned then, her eyes moist with unshed tears. Something Celeste had never seen before. “This is all—” Mom waved a hand through the air “—so different. And what I tried so hard to break free of.”
“Mom, it’s not like you had a horrible childhood.”
“I know.” She set her cup on the table. “But Ouray was too small for me. I was so...driven, so determined to make a name for myself. Your grandmother may have been content to play Suzy Homemaker, but I didn’t want to rely on someone else to take care of me. Then I met your father.” She paused, as though collecting her thoughts. “Oh, how he used to make me laugh. He was one of those people that other people wanted to be around because he made you feel so good.”
Celeste remembered that, too. Whenever she was down, she could count on her father to cheer her up.
“Still, I had no intention of marrying him. Then I got pregnant with you.” She met Celeste’s gaze now. “Your father was raised to do the honorable thing. He promised that I could still have my career and he’d take care of you. Apparently, he forgot that when he decided to take up with his secretary.” Mom snagged her cup again and headed into the kitchen for a refill.
But not before Celeste saw the hurt in her mother’s eyes.
She rounded the peninsula. “You loved him, didn’t you?”
Cradling her mug, Mom nodded. “I didn’t realize how much until he was gone.”
Celeste didn’t know what to say. She’d never heard any of this before. Never imagined the woman who told her not to waste her tears on a man was actually hurting. And why she refused to let go of her now.
“Mom...?” She moved beside her mother. “Are you afraid of losing me, too?”
Her mother nodded as silent tears spilled onto her cheeks.
“Oh, Mom.” She wrapped her arms around the woman, careful not to bump her coffee. “You could never lose me. Don’t you realize that without you and everything you taught me, I wouldn’t have had the courage to take this leap and move to Ouray?” Releasing her hold, she pulled back. “You made me the woman I am today.”
“You mean that?”
“With all my heart.”
Setting her cup on the counter, her mother embraced her, holding Celeste’s head against her shoulder like she did when she was a child. “I do love you, darling. More than you will ever know.”
“I know you do, Mom. However—”
Her mother let go then and Celeste faced her.
“—you have got to stop scheming and trying to force me to come back to Texas.” She took hold of her mother’s hands. “I want to enjoy our time together, not be at odds with one another.”
Mom sniffed. “You really have done a wonderful job with the restaurant.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. And the suites are a stellar idea.” Her mother placed a hand on each side of Celeste’s face and smiled. “You’re a pretty savvy businesswoman.”
Celeste’s heart swelled. “Does this mean you’ll stay a while longer?”
“Yes. And who knows, I might even help out at the restaurant.”
* * *
He got the job.
Gage still couldn’t believe they hired him on the spot, saying his credentials were beyond their expectations and his former boss had highly recommended him. Best of all, he could start on Monday.
He could hardly wait to share the news with Celeste. As he drove back into town, his heart pounded with anticipation. This called for a celebration, and he wanted to celebrate with Celeste. Maybe they could have their first real date. Considering he’d already kissed her, he’d kind of put the cart before the horse. Then again, dating wasn’t the same when children were involved.
He found himself laughing out loud. For more than a year, he’d said he would never marry again. Now here he was talking about dating. And what was the point in dating if marriage wasn’t a possibility? Yet the thought of a future with Celeste somehow seemed so right.
“Lord, Your ways are higher than my ways.” His grip tightened on the steering wheel. Thank You for bringing Celeste into my life.
Retrieving his cell, he called his mother. “Hey, Mom, how would you feel about spending some time with your granddaughters tonight?”
Lucky for him, everything fell into place. Cassidy and Emma were spending the night with his parents, Celeste got someone to cover the restaurant for her and now he was escorting her into the Beaumont Grill for dinner. Man, if he thought she looked good before...wow! The figure-skimming dress she wore tonight nearly knocked his socks off. And he always liked it when she wore her long hair down, spilling over her shoulders.
The hostess seated them at a table near the fireplace and handed them their menus.
“Thank you.” Celeste looked at him as the hostess disappeared. “I haven’t been here before.” Amidst the dim lighting, he watched as her gaze skimmed the tin ceiling and exposed brick wall. “This is really nice.”
“One of Ouray’s finer dining establishments.” He quickly caught himself. “Not that Granny’s Kitchen isn’t great.”
“It’s okay. I know what you meant. They probably don’t serve meat loaf.” She smiled and studied her menu. “You look very dapper tonight.”
He’d worn a light blue button-down shirt over a pair of dark wash jeans. Not a big deal, but to have Celeste notice did strange things to him. “Only because you’re with me.”
After placing their order, she laid her napkin in her lap and leaned forward, resting her arms on the wooden table. “So, are you excited about the job?”
“Beyond excited is more like it. I’ve waited so long for this.”
“I know you have. But God’s timing is perfect and now He’s placed you in the job you wanted.”
“That’s right. And if it had happened sooner, I wouldn’t have met you.”
Her cheeks reddened. “We live right across the street from each other, so we were bound to meet eventually.”
“Perhaps.” Reaching across the table, he took hold of her hand. “But we wouldn’t have been forced to spend so much time together.”
“Oh, so you’re being forced to spend time with me?”
“You know what I mean.” He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “You’ve brought something into the girls’ and my lives that we haven’t had for a long time. If ever. It’s going to be tough not seeing you every day.”
“You’ll still see me. At least I certainly hope so.”
“Yeah, I’ve still got the suites to finish. But even if didn’t...” He squeezed her hand, inching closer. “You mean a lot to me, Celeste.”
“Who had the beef tips?”
Gage looked up to see their server holding two plates. “That was quick.” He let go of Celeste and leaned back in his chair to make room for the plate.
“And the osso buco.” The server set the dish in front of Celeste. “Can I get you anything else?”
Gage glanced at Celeste first, noted the shake of her head, then looked at the waitress. “I think we’re good.”
He again reached his hand across the table. “Do you mind if I say a blessing?”
A soft smile caressed her lips. “Not at all.”
He bowed his head. “Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for Your provision and that You are a God of immeasurable abundance. We ask that You would bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies. Amen.”
“Amen.” Celeste picked up her fork and took a small bite. “Mmm...” She swallowed, then pointed her utensil at the plate. “This is delicious.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I guess I am. I mean, who would expect to find such amazing osso buco in Ouray?” She grabbed another forkful. “I’m going to have to tell Mom about this.”
He picked up his water. “Speaking of your mother. How did things go last night?”
“Quite interesting, actually.” She wiped her mouth with the linen napkin. “I gained some real insight into my mother.”
“Really.” He cut another piece of beef. “Such as?”
“Well, I’ve always thought she was rather unaffected when my father left. She’d always tell me that we were better off without him and that we didn’t need a man to take care of us.” She paused, picked up her fork again. “Turns out my father’s infidelity and subsequent departure left my mother with a gaping wound. I felt sorry for her.”
“It’s tough to be abandoned by someone that you love.” Still, he’d seen Hillary take advantage of Celeste’s tender heart before.
“Yes, it is.” Compassion and understanding filled her brown eyes.
He set his fork down. “I’m not trying to sound unfeeling, but how does all of that play into her trying to get you back to Texas?” Or was Hillary simply trying to use her daughter’s sympathy to save herself?
“It took me a while, but I finally figured it out. Ever since my dad left, Mom has planned out my whole life for me. School, college, my major. That was her way of expressing love. So when I rejected that plan and chose something else, she thought I was rejecting her.”
“I guess that does shine some light on things.” He studied the woman across from him. “I can only assume you set her straight.”
“I did.” She grinned. “She even told me I was a savvy businesswoman.”
He could tell her mother’s words had meant a lot. “I believe she’s right.”
After dinner, they donned their coats and moved into the cool night air.
“Where would you like to go now?” he asked.
“Would you be up for a stroll down Main Street?” The way she looked up at him through those long lashes, he’d have gone anywhere. “I rarely get the chance.”
“By all means, let’s go.” He offered his elbow, then tugged her close when she took hold, covering her gloved hand with his.
They wandered past the window displays, pausing at one that had already been decorated for Christmas. Kind of early, if you asked him. Thanksgiving was sti
ll three weeks away.
“So what do the girls want for Christmas?” Celeste’s gaze roamed the bountiful display of holiday decor.
“Pretty much everything they see in television commercials.”
Her attention shifted to him, a question lifting one brow.
“Okay, maybe that’s only true of Emma.” He chuckled. “Honestly, I have no idea.”
“Well, you’d better start figuring it out, Mister. What if one of them wants this year’s hottest-selling toy? If you wait until December, it might be sold out.”
“That would make for some sad faces on Christmas morning, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes, it would. Is that a chance you’re willing to risk?”
That made him laugh. “You know, for someone who isn’t a parent yet, you’re pretty smart.”
Her smile faltered. She looked away.
He slid an arm around her waist. “That’s only one of the things I love about you. You’re always thinking of others.”
Her gaze jerked to his, a puzzled look on her face. Then he realized what he’d said.
Never would he have imagined that he could feel this way about someone he’d known for little more than a month. Though he also knew that when God was part of the mix, things didn’t always make sense.
He caressed Celeste’s cheek and lost himself in her espresso eyes. “It’s true. Somewhere along the way, I’ve fallen in love with you, Celeste.” Before she could respond, he lowered his head and kissed her, praying she felt the same way.
Chapter Fourteen
Gage’s words had played continuously on a loop through Celeste’s mind for almost a week now. Yet for as much as she longed to reciprocate his declaration of love, she simply couldn’t. Love was about trust and honesty. Respect. How could he trust her when she hadn’t respected him enough to be completely honest?
Of course, he had no idea she was hiding something. Only God knew. And in His infinite mercy and grace, He’d forgiven her mistakes. Still, she had to tell Gage before they could even think of any kind of future together.
So, she made arrangements to drop by his house Thursday night after work. The girls would be in bed, so she and Gage could have an uninterrupted conversation.
A Father's Second Chance (Contemporay Christian Romance) Page 14