by Lynn LaFleur
“We’re due more than a little rain, Teanna. It could get messy.”
She would not give in to her weakness, no matter how much she’d rather hide beneath her bed. “I won’t melt. I’ll be fine.”
Once Uncle Lloyd left the room, Teanna thought about what he’d said. She knew little about James’ background. They’d talked a lot last night, but mostly about his travels. It was fascinating to hear about some of the things he’d seen while driving cross country.
Still, it would be nice to talk about his past, his family, what he did for a living…all those things a couple discussed when they were getting to know each other.
Tonight, after supper with her aunt and uncle, she’d ask him about his family. That would be a start to getting to know James better.
*
James grabbed the door of Caldwell Apothecary before the wind could snatch it from his hands. It had been calm this morning when he said goodbye to Teanna. After she’d left his cabin, he’d driven back to the river that ran through the county. He’d found a spot that looked great for fishing during his outing with Teanna yesterday.
The sudden appearance of the wind and dark clouds made him give up his fishing long before he wanted to. Since Mother Nature changed his plans, he decided to take Teanna to lunch. She’d invited him to her home tonight to have dinner with her aunt and uncle. He’d accepted her invitation, but didn’t want to wait that long to see her.
Plus, he had a sinking feeling in his stomach that something was wrong. He needed to see her, to be sure she was all right.
Several customers were in the store. A twenty-something brunette rang up purchases while a woman who appeared to be in her early sixties helped a couple in the greeting card section. A stunning blonde stood behind the soda fountain. James did a double take when he saw her. Her hair was much shorter than Teanna’s and she stood a couple of inches taller. Her eyes were blue instead of brown. Other than those differences, he could be looking at Teanna in twenty years.
James straightened his shoulders. He wanted to make a good first impression on Teanna’s aunt…a better one than he’d made on her uncle.
She smiled at him as he approached the fountain. “You have to be James.”
His steps faltered before he caught himself. Teanna must have described him to her aunt for Ruth to recognize him on sight. “Yes, ma’am.”
Her smile widened and she held out her hand to him. “I’m Ruth Caldwell.”
“I know.” He took her hand and shook it. It was as soft as Teanna’s, with the same slim fingers. “I mean, Teanna looks just like you.”
“Except for the eyes. She inherited the Caldwell brown eyes. Teanna’s mother was my twin sister. Her father and Lloyd were brothers.”
“Wow. Two sisters married two brothers? Isn’t that unusual?”
“Not as unusual as you might think.” She gestured toward one of the stools. “Sit down. Would you like something to drink?”
“No thank you. I came to take Teanna to lunch.”
“She isn’t here. She’s making deliveries to our customers.”
A flash of lightning lit up the dark sky, closely followed by a loud clap of thunder. Ruth bit her bottom lip as she looked outside. “She should’ve been back by now.”
“Are you worried about her?”
“I always worry about her when there’s a storm.” Ruth looked back at him. “Did she tell you about her parents?”
“She said they died in a tornado when she was eight.”
“Teanna has been terrified of thunderstorms ever since. She tries to be brave, but I know how scared she gets at the first sign of dark clouds.”
The sinking feeling that had gripped James’ stomach earlier today came back even stronger. “Did you call her cell?”
Ruth nodded. “She didn’t answer, which isn’t unusual when she’s with a customer. We make deliveries to a lot of elderly people. They all love Teanna. She’ll usually visit with them and won’t interrupt their conversation to answer her cell.”
It didn’t surprise James to discover Teanna was considerate and caring as well as beautiful and sexy. That didn’t get rid of the tightness in his stomach.
He had to find her.
“I can run a couple of errands while Teanna is finishing her deliveries. Will you ask her to call my cell when she returns? I’ll come back and take her to lunch.”
“Certainly. Are you still coming to supper tonight?”
He smiled, even though he had to force it. “I’m looking forward to it.”
*
“Shit.” James disconnected the call when he heard Teanna’s voice mail. He didn’t want to leave a message, he wanted to talk to her. Now. He had to know she was safe.
He had no idea where to look for her. One leisurely drive through the county wasn’t nearly enough for him to know the area, even with help from the GPS in his vehicle.
James glanced at the clock on the dash to see it was almost noon. Taking a chance that Teanna went home for lunch, he made a quick U-turn and headed for her house.
The clouds grew darker, thicker, lower. He pressed the gas pedal harder and squealed around the corner of County Road 2012.
“Jesus.” James slammed on the brakes. His heart shot up into his throat when he saw the funnel cloud. Less than two miles away, it hung down from the heavy clouds, tail almost touching the ground. It appeared to be on a direct course for the Caldwell house.
If Teanna had seen it, she had to be scared out of her mind.
He hit the gas pedal again and sped toward Teanna’s house. He whipped his SUV around the driveway. All the breath left his lungs in relief when he saw Teanna’s car parked beneath the carport.
The wind was even more fierce, whipping at his hair and clothes as he ran to her door. He glanced over his shoulder at the dark sky. The tail of the tornado rose back up into the clouds and disappeared. He didn’t know if that meant the danger had passed, or if the worst was yet to come.
He opened the unlocked door to Teanna’s apartment and slammed it behind him. “TEANNA! Teanna, where are you?”
He checked her bedroom first, then ran through her living room and into the kitchen. “Teanna!” He stood in the middle of the room, unsure which way to go. The muffled sound of crying drew his attention. James hurried through the kitchen and into the breakfast nook. He found Teanna huddled in a ball in the corner, her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms covering her head.
His heart swelled with sympathy. In that moment, he knew he loved her.
He dropped to his knees before her. “Hey, it’s okay,” he said softly. “I’m here.” He tried to tug her arms away from her head, but they were stiff and unmoving. “Teanna, let me hold you.”
The tension relaxed in her arms. Slowly, she raised her head. Her face was pale and tears flowed down her face. “James?”
“I’m here, sweetheart.” He tenderly wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs.
“Did you see it? The tornado is coming right at us!”
“No, it isn’t. We’re fine.”
He could tell by the terror still filling her eyes that she didn’t believe him. He tightened his hold on her face. “You’re safe, Teanna.”
“A-are you sure?”
“I’m sure. I watched it go back up in the clouds. It’s gone.”
More tears flowed from her eyes. “I-I‘m so scared!”
“I know.”
“Hold me.” She lowered her legs to the floor. “Pl-please hold me.”
She came up on her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his. James spread his legs and held her as close as he could. A loud clap of thunder made her jump. He tightened his arms around her. “I’ve got you.”
“Don’t let go.”
“I won’t.” He dropped a tender kiss on the side of her neck. “Nothing is going to happen to you. Not as long as I’m here. I promise.”
*
All through supper, Teanna had expected Uncle
Lloyd to have his “talk” with James. The four of them had discussed today’s storm, and how lucky Lanville had been to avoid any serious damage. The conversation then turned to local people, upcoming events, the best fishing spots. Aunt Ruth had looked at Teanna with a teasing grin on her lips when James brought up fishing. There was no quicker way to win over Uncle Lloyd than to talk about his favorite sport.
Even though she’d expected her Uncle Lloyd’s interrogation, it surprised her when he started it during dessert.
“Teanna told me you’re from Los Angeles.”
James swallowed his bite of peach cobbler. His eyes showed that deer-in-the-headlights shock, as if he never expected that comment. “Yes, sir.”
“What kind of job did you have?”
Teanna watched James lay down his spoon and wipe his hands with his napkin. She could feel his discomfort from across the table. He obviously had a problem with talking about his past.
He laid his napkin on the table and looked at Uncle Lloyd. “I worked in the entertainment business.”
“Movies? TV?”
“Music.”
Uncle Lloyd leaned back in his chair. “Let me guess. It wasn’t for a country band.”
James chuckled. “No, sir. Rock.”
“Why did you quit?”
“Because I didn’t want that kind of life anymore.” He glanced at Teanna before looking back at Uncle Lloyd. “I did some things I’m not proud of and don’t want to do again. I thought the best way to avoid temptation was to get away from that life totally. I’d managed to put away some money, enough to get by until I decide what I want to do with the rest of my life.”
“Savings won’t last unless you replenish it.”
“Yes, sir, but I’m okay for a while.”
Uncle Lloyd entwined his fingers on his stomach. “Are you interested in a job?”
James blinked. “A job?”
“My assistant, Billy Bradley, has gone back to pharmacy school for his degree. He made all the deliveries for me. I do them when I can, but I’m usually needed to fill the prescriptions. That’s why Teanna took over and made the deliveries today.”
James gazed at Teanna. She remembered how he’d found her this afternoon, shaking and scared out of her mind. She didn’t know how long he’d stayed on the floor and held her. When she’d finally pulled back from him, he’d kissed her with a tenderness that brought tears to her eyes.
She could tell by his eyes that he, too, remembered their time together. He’d insisted she call Ruth to let her aunt know she was fine before he took her hand and led her to her bedroom. Fully clothed, he’d lain on the bed with her and held her while she fell asleep. He was still holding her when she awoke. Her kiss of gratitude turned into slow, sweet lovemaking.
He shifted his attention back to Uncle Lloyd. “Your offer is very generous.”
“You haven’t heard the salary yet,” he said, his eyes twinkling with humor.
James chuckled. “I’m sure it would be fine, whatever it is. But I don’t know the area well enough to make deliveries.”
“You’ll learn it, in time. That is, if you plan to stay around a while.”
He looked directly into Teanna’s eyes. The heat she saw sent butterflies zinging through her stomach. “I plan to stay for a long time.”
*
James carried the stack of plates from the dining room to the kitchen. Teanna had volunteered them to do the dishes while her aunt and uncle left to visit friends. He didn’t mind helping her, especially when it left them alone in the house.
“Is that everything?” she asked while placing a glass in the dishwasher.
“That’s it. Anything else you want me to do?”
She gave him a devilish smile. “Not until the dishes are done.”
He laughed when she bobbled her eyebrows. Tugging her closer, he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Why, Ms. Caldwell, that sounds like a proposition.”
“We do have the whole house to ourselves.”
“When will your aunt and uncle be home?”
“Not until really late.”
“Really late is really good.”
He kissed her, slowly, deeply, then held her close so their bodies touched from chests to knees. All the blood in his body rushed to his cock at the feel of her soft breasts against his chest. Dropping one hand to her ass, he pulled her even closer and kissed her again.
He nipped the spot beneath her ear that he’d learned was so sensitive. “I think we should continue this in your bedroom.”
“I think we should finish the dishes first.”
James lifted his head and sighed heavily. “Do you have to be so practical?”
“Apparently one of us has to be.”
“You started this with that eyebrows thing.”
Her grin turned impish. “Yes, I did.”
“You realize I’ll make you pay for this.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Chuckling, James squeezed her cheek before he released her. “Work fast.”
He pulled himself up on the counter and watched her load the plates into the dishwasher. He had to fight himself to keep the silly grin off his face. When he left the city limits of Los Angeles two months ago, he’d never imagined he’d find a new life in Lanville, Texas. He knew he’d find Teanna. The main purpose of his trip to Texas was to find and bed her. One look at her in Caldwell Apothecary and he’d known she would be so much more to him than a fast fuck.
Teanna’s aunt and uncle liked him. Lloyd had invited him to go fishing Sunday morning. He looked forward to spending time with the man who already treated him like he belonged in Lanville.
Life couldn’t get any better.
“Which group did you work for?” Teanna asked as she filled the sink with hot water.
Her question surprised him, so much that he couldn’t think of anything to say. She looked at him, a curious expression on her face. She obviously expected him to answer her question.
“Group?”
“You said you worked for a rock group. Which one?”
He scrambled for a convincing lie and couldn’t come up with one. He said the first thing he could think of to stall. “You listen to classical.”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t recognize the names of other musicians. What Texan hasn’t heard of Willie Nelson? Becca always has rock music blaring at her place. I know a lot of the songs from groups like The Rolling Stones and The P.J. Kendall Band.”
He flinched at the mention of his band. He couldn’t help it. He hoped Teanna didn’t notice it.
His hope quickly died when her eyes widened. “Did you work for The Stones?”
James didn’t want to lie to Teanna, but he couldn’t tell her the whole truth. He carefully chose his next words. “I worked for Kendall’s band.”
She smiled, apparently pleased with his answer. “Becca will have a fit. That’s her favorite band. She has all their CDs, ticket stubs from concerts, magazine articles. She even has a huge poster of P.J. Kendall on her bedroom wall.”
James knew exactly which poster Becca had. The almost life-size picture had been taken outside on a breezy day. The wind tousled his hair and blew open his unbuttoned shirt. His faded jeans rode low on his hips, the top button unfastened. He had his thumbs hooked through the belt loops, which pulled the jeans even lower. One knee was bent, his foot braced on the tree behind him. The position emphasized the bulge behind his fly…a bulge made even more prominent by him stroking his cock moments before the photographer snapped the picture. The poster had earned him almost as much money as one of his CDs.
“That poster is very sexy.”
Teanna’s eyes twinkled with humor while James’ stomach tumbled. “Yeah.”
“You’ve seen it?”
“Yeah, I’ve seen it.”
“Oh, of course you have since you worked for him.” She placed a casserole dish in the soapy water. “What did you do?”
“Just…stuff.”
&nbs
p; He couldn’t say any more for fear of giving himself away. He slid off the counter. “I’d better get out of here before your aunt and uncle come home.”
Teanna faced him, her expression now baffled. “You’re leaving?”
He didn’t doubt her confusion. He’d done a complete one-eighty from a few minutes ago when he’d propositioned her. “Yeah.” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “I’ll call you in the morning.”
“Wait.” She grabbed his arm with a soapy hand. “I thought you’d spend the night.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He kissed her again, longer this time. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“James!”
He hurried out the back door before Teanna could stop him again.
Once out of the Caldwells’ driveway, James hit the steering wheel with his fist. You’re an idiot, Kendall, to think Teanna wouldn’t be curious about your past.
Of course she wanted to know about him, the same way he wanted to know about her. People in relationships talked to each other. James had talked a lot with Teanna, yet he’d been careful to always turn the conversation back to her and her interests to keep the focus off him.
That dodge wouldn’t last forever. The longer he put off talking about himself, the more curious she would be.
He could give her information in little dribbles, enough to satisfy her. He could tell her about his childhood. Up until he formed the band, he’d been a regular teenager with all of a regular teenager’s problems. He’d had parents he adored, a brother he fought with almost daily just like normal siblings. There’d be no harm in telling Teanna about his life before The P.J. Kendall Band hit it big. He could even tell her the truth so he wouldn’t get any lies mixed up in his head.
That would work. He’d make it work. Now that he’d found a new life and a woman he wanted to be with, he wouldn’t do anything to lose either one.
Chapter Ten
April 3
Teanna withdrew the small card from the envelope and read it for the fourth time in the last hour.
You changed my life one month ago. Please join me for dinner tonight and a special weekend.
James
She’d found the note on her desk this morning. A call to James’ cell had resulted in leaving a message on his voice mail. He hadn’t called her back yet.