Morgan, Nicole - Sweet Salvation [Sweet Awakenings 2] (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Nicole Morgan

  Smiling, Shelby closed the door and locked it. She knew it was foolish to feel so wary of him leaving. How could they survive a relationship if she panicked at the thought of him leaving? He loved her. He told her so. So everything would be fine.

  Rex got into his Corvette and dialed the number. He hated it. He hated what he knew he had to do, but it was also the right thing to do. So he gritted his teeth as the phone rang on the other end waiting for one of them to answer.

  Twenty minutes later, Rex waited on the front porch of Cullen and Colleen Bristow’s small bungalow. The jewelry store they owned did well and he was surprised by the simple little home they had. There was no extravagance to it, it just simply was. The door opened, and Rex was greeted by Cullen Jr.

  “Hey, man, the folks said you were coming over. I don’t have to tell you that I was more than a little surprised. Come on in. You staying for dinner? It’s not for several hours, but Andrew’s coming over with Amanda.”

  Rex stood in the small foyer. He had never been to their place before. Probably because he had always avoided the older couple like the plague. He laughed to himself. The old meddlers had been right, though.

  He looked around the front room and the hallway, which obviously led to the kitchen. Their home was clean with furnishings that were older but well maintained. He could smell the faint aroma of lemon furniture polish mixed with something that smelled like it might be a pot roast cooking in the kitchen. There were pictures on the tables, on shelves, and on the walls. There were trinkets and souvenirs from traveling everywhere. What would appear cluttered to some actually looked stylish in the Bristow home.

  Rex had always avoided coming to the Bristow’s house, no matter how many invitations he had received. But now he realized that it wasn’t someone’s house. It was a home. Their love and devotion radiated off of everything, and he wondered if that was how they had been so right about him. Were they so in tune with love and happily ever afters that they had some sort of special radar? No matter how much he had tried to deny it over the past six months, this was what he wanted. He wanted a home. He wanted a place to grow old in with Shelby. As annoyed as he had been with the Bristows for their constant badgering of him, he had to smile at his own stubbornness. As he was contemplating which of them was more stubborn, he heard a whistle.

  “What? Sorry, did you say something?” Rex asked Cullen Jr.

  “Ah, yeah, I did. But you’re clearly somewhere else right now. I’ll go get the folks. Have a seat.” Cullen Jr. headed down the hallway toward the kitchen.

  Rex was about to sit on the couch when a small picture in an intricate frame caught his eye. It was of a much younger Cullen and Colleen with a young, toothless, red-haired Cullen Jr. standing in front of Mt. Rushmore. He laughed. He used to think the best vacation would be lying on the beach in the tropics, but now, taking Shelby and their children to Mt. Rushmore suddenly seemed like the most wonderful way to spend a summer.

  “Well, there, if it isn’t our Rex. I tell you, I told my Cullen that you would eventually come. But I was surprised that your call came when it did. I did not expect it so soon. But when things are right, well, kismet just takes over, doesn’t it, lad?” Colleen Bristow said to him as she wiped her hands on a crisp, clean, white apron.

  Rex smiled at her. No matter how rude he had been to this couple over the past months, Colleen had always treated him as if he was her wayward son. He walked to her and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and grinned when she blushed. He turned from her and saw Cullen Sr. standing by the stairs. Rex laughed.

  “Something funny there, lad?” Cullen Sr. asked.

  Rex shook his head, still laughing. “You two are amazing, do you know that?” Rex walked away from Colleen and sat on the couch. He was still smiling when he looked back up at them. “You were right. I’m in love.” He laughed again. The irony to the situation was hilarious. He had hated these people for months because they drove him nuts with their constant badgering and stories of true love.

  Colleen and Cullen came together as Cullen placed his arm around her waist and hugged her. “Ah, it has finally happened. We are very happy for you, Rex,” Cullen Sr. said.

  “Well, go ahead, say I told you so. I know I’ve got it coming. But before you do, I would like to say that I’m sorry.” He put up his hands to silence them before they could interrupt him. This was important to him, and he didn’t want anyone distracting him from his train of thoughts. “No, hear me out. I was horrible to you guys. I guess maybe deep down I was worried you were right. But what I didn’t know was that being in love would be such a welcome relief. It’s like I’m finally happy for the first time in my entire life. So anyway, there it is. I’m sorry.”

  They smiled at him. “Dear, Rex,” Colleen said, “you owe us no apologies. You are a good man. A man who deserves happiness. That is all we wanted for you.” Colleen walked over to sit next to him on the couch as she took his large hands in her much smaller ones. Cullen Sr. came to sit in the chair directly opposite them.

  Cullen Sr. spoke with sincerity. “She is right, Rex. All we wanted was for you to be happy. If only our young Cullen would find the right woman. But alas, he is young. He has time.”

  “That he does.” Colleen agreed. Patting Rex’s hand, she smiled at him. “So tell me. Is Shelby glowing with happiness as much as you? Why didn’t she come with you?”

  Rex looked up, stunned. “I never said it was Shelby.”

  Colleen and Cullen Sr. laughed. “Oh, dear boy, who do you think we were speaking of when we said you would find true love. We have always known it would be Shelby,” Colleen said as she rubbed his hands affectionately.

  “How could you possibly have known?” Rex wondered. “I never even see you two, and you never even see us together. I didn’t even start to put things together until recently.”

  Cullen Sr. laughed. “Rex, we saw you with her in the hospital. You fell in love with her back then. You just weren’t aware of it yet. Why else do you think she was so important to you? You didn’t even know her. Did you often drop everything you had for a complete stranger?” Cullen Sr. took a deep breath and continued. “No, of course you didn’t. Shelby was different. Wasn’t she? She was special to you. That is how we knew.” Cullen Sr. got up, walked to Rex, and held out his hand. “Let us be the first to congratulate you.”

  Cullen Jr. walked in the room, dutifully carrying a tray of four iced tea glasses just as his mother had instructed him to do. “Congratulate him for what?” he asked as he stood there.

  “Fate, my dear boy. Our Rex here is marrying our Shelby. Isn’t that wonderful?” Colleen beamed.

  Cullen Jr. said nothing. His hands went lax as he dropped the tray. “What?”

  They all laughed. Rex was especially pleased by his reaction. It was no secret that Rex was probably the last one ever to be expected to settle down. But damn if he wasn’t happier than a pig in mud about it. As Colleen rushed to help her son with the mess he had made, Rex stood to speak with Cullen Sr.

  “I have to be honest with you, Cullen. I have ulterior motives for coming here today. I am sorry for the way I treated you in the past, but I–”

  “Say no more. Off to the store we go. Let’s find something exquisite. Something only appropriate for the timeless beauty of your dear Shelby.” He smacked Rex on the shoulder as he led him to the front door.

  “Dear, we will be back. We must find a ring for his bride,” Cullen Sr. said as he bent over and kissed his wife.

  “You two take your time. You make sure you find something that is just as magnificent as she is,” Colleen said before she kissed her husband back. The door closed, and Colleen resumed helping her son pick up the mess he had made when she noticed he was staring at her. “What is it, son?” she asked.

  “Rex? Shelby? Married? Am I on a hidden camera show?” Cullen Jr. said with complete seriousness.

  Colleen patted his head and smiled at him. “No, dear. It is true, and now I am free to concentrate on find
ing you someone to love.” She smiled, knowing that he would be just as tough a nut to crack as Rex had been.

  “No way, no thank you! I don’t know what you did to him, but I am never falling into that trap,” Cullen Jr. told her, which only made her laugh more.

  Shelby was bored. Rex had been gone a while, and she was going crazy waiting for him to come back. Maybe she should sit on her balcony and read a little and bask in the sunlight of the warm day. Deciding she would do just that, she went to her bedroom to grab the book she had been slowly reading for the past month. She changed into a pink spaghetti strap tank and thin, white, cotton shorts.

  She walked onto the balcony, and the heat hit her like a semitruck. It was a sweltering day, but she didn’t care. For the first time in her life, she was truly and completely happy. She sat in the chair at her bistro table as she brought the other chair to sit in front of her. She propped her feet up and admired her red toenail polish before cracking open her book.

  She had read a chapter when she realized the heat was making her parched. She went back inside to quench her thirst when her phone rang. She picked up the receiver to answer it.

  “Hello,” Shelby said.

  “Soon, my sweet, soon.” The person hung up.

  Shelby stood there confused for a moment. The voice sounded like a gravelly whisper. Not only did she not recognize the voice, but she had no idea what they were talking about. She pulled the phone away from her ear to look at the caller ID. It was a blocked number. She replaced the receiver on its cradle when a chill raced up her spine. Weird.

  “No, Shelby, stop it!” she told herself. You will not let a stupid crank call ruin your newfound happiness. You are in love, and everything will be all right. Because as Rex proved just last night, he really can chase all the bad things away.

  Pouring herself a glass of lemonade, she pondered that. She really was in awe of what had happened. She no longer felt like a victim of rape. She felt like a woman. A woman who could freely give and receive love without any guilt or remorse. Rex truly had healed her in every sense of the word. It was almost like he had been slowly taking her through the steps of recovery these past months. Last night, he made her take the final step, freeing her of all the hurt, the guilt, and the horrible memories.

  She walked back out onto the balcony with her glass of ice-cold lemonade. Setting it down, she stretched like a content cat before sitting back down. She picked up her book and was about to open it when she felt that icy chill race down her spine once again. Was she being watched? She stood up to look out into the courtyard. But she didn’t see anything.

  Shaking off the bizarre feeling, she reached for her lemonade. Would she always be just a bit on edge? Would she ever feel completely safe? Or would she only feel that level of peace when Rex was around. Deciding it didn’t matter and that nothing could get her down today, she took a big, refreshing drink of her lemonade. Her eyes glanced down into the courtyard as she was swallowing and saw something move out of the corner of her eye.

  He stepped out of the gazebo as he stared up at her. She froze. She met his gaze and slowly pulled the glass away from her mouth. There he stood. It was well over ninety degrees and he stood there in jeans, a ball cap, and that same dark-colored, zip-up hoodie jacket.

  He was staring right at her. There was no mistaking it, he had been watching her. She wanted to turn away, to go into her condo and lock the door, but she found herself frozen. Why was he still staring at her? The time seemed to stand still. She was ready to force herself to turn away when he started to say something to her.

  “Soon.” He mouthed the word slowly so that she could understand.

  Shelby dropped the lemonade glass and ran into her condo, quickly locking the door behind her. She could still see outside, but only a far-off portion of the courtyard was exposed from her view point. She tried to stand on her tiptoes to see more. Was he still there? Who was he? One thing she was starting to question was whether or not he even lived in one of the buildings. Had he been following her?

  She remembered the icy cold sensations she felt every time she had found him nearby. It was obvious from what he said to her that he was the one who had called her. Why? She screamed when she heard the knock at her door.

  “Shelby, are you okay?” the voice on the other side of the door yelled.

  Mitch? What was he doing here? She walked to the door and opened it. He stood on the other side holding a dozen red roses.

  Mitch’s grin quickly left his face when he saw how pale she looked. “Shelby, what’s wrong?” he asked as he walked in. He set the flowers down on the entryway table as he reached his hands to cradle her face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “I’m fine, Mitch.” Get a hold of yourself, Shelby. “I just had a crank call, it was really nothing. I shouldn’t have let it get to me.”

  Mitch said nothing. He just shut the door and walked over to the phone. He picked up the phone and checked the caller ID. “A blocked call? Has this happened before?”

  She studied him for a moment. He suddenly wasn’t the sweet guy from the gym. He was now in alpha male mode. “No, never, which is exactly why it’s not a big deal.” She took the phone from his hand and replaced it. “Really, I’m fine. What are you doing here?”

  “Oh, sorry. I guess I probably should have called first. I just thought that–”

  “No, Mitch, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound rude. I just wasn’t expecting anyone.” She apologized sincerely. She felt bad. She had noticed the roses and knew she was going to have to be straight with him.

  “I guess I–oh, hell, here’s the deal. Wait, let’s sit down.” They both walked over to the couch and sat. He turned to her. “I like you, Shelby, a lot. I know you’ve been through a lot, and I don’t want to rush you, but I guess I feel like if I don’t tell you my intentions maybe the chance might pass me by. I’m not sure why I feel that way. But for some reason when I walked you to your door last night and Rex was here, I felt a little threatened. I know he’s your friend. I just –”

  Shelby interrupted him. “Mitch, wait. There’s something I think I should explain to you.” Shelby took a deep breath. She had never had to do this before. She had never had to hurt someone. It was not a task that she was looking forward to.

  They sat on the couch as Shelby turned to him. She figured she would do it quickly, like with a Band-Aid. Maybe he would hate her, but maybe he would understand. So she told him. She told him that she and Rex had feelings for each other and that they were serious. She told him that she wouldn’t be able to see him anymore.

  Mitch sat there a little heartbroken but not completely surprised. “So, you’re in love with him?” Mitch shook his head. “No, forget it. You don’t owe me any explanations.”

  “No, Mitch, I do. I like you, I do, and if I hadn’t already been having feelings for Rex, I could see myself falling for you hard. I’m so sorry,” Shelby said as she watched the hurt in his eyes. She hadn’t realized it, but he must have truly liked her. She hated to do this to him.

  “Shelby,” Mitch said as he took her hands, “it’s okay.” He shrugged. “Rex beat me to the punch. That’s all. I guess, deep down, I must have already known.”

  “What do you mean?” she wondered.

  “Last night, I got a vibe from him. It was like I had impeded on his territory. The look he gave me made me feel very uncomfortable, to say the least. That’s partially why I came here today,” he said as he motioned toward the roses.

  Shelby looked at the roses that were still sitting on the entryway table. “They’re lovely, Mitch. Any woman loves getting roses.”

  “I didn’t get them for any woman, Shelby. I got them for you. I know, I know. I’m sorry. I just can’t turn off my feelings for you. That’s all. I have been falling for you for two months. I guess that’s why I had to come here today. I could sense it last night. I felt like I had to be up front with you about my feelings. I must have subconsciously known that you already belo
nged to him.” He got up and walked toward the balcony doors.

  Shelby was hit with a sudden sense of unease. She had forgotten all about the phone call and the man outside. But now, with Mitch standing there, it all came back to her.

  “Shelby,” Mitch said as he turned around to face her, “why do you have a broken glass out here?”

  Play it down, Shelby. No sense in acting like a sniveling female. “I told you, I was startled by the prank call, and then I screamed when you came to the door.”

  He watched her tell him. He could tell she was leaving something out. “Maybe you need some help cleaning it up?”

  “No, really, I’ll get it.” Shelby took a deep breath as she stood to face him. “Look, Mitch, I really am sorry. I feel like I’ve led you on.”

  Mitch started to walk toward the door and then turned around. “Shelby, I took a chance. You love someone else. That’s not your fault. Heck,” he laughed, “you didn’t even kiss me. That doesn’t really sound like you leading me on. Do me a favor, though?”

  “Sure,” Shelby said.

  “If he ever hurts you, I get to kick his ass.” He laughed. “And, if things don’t work out, call me. I would love to be there to make him jealous,” Mitch told her as he grinned at her.

  She smiled at him. He was really such a good guy. He was sweet and so attractive. Any woman would be lucky to have him. She just wasn’t that woman. She only had eyes for one man, Rex. She picked up the roses and started to hand them back to him when he stopped her.

  “No, I bought these for you. I won’t take them back. Just–look, I’m sorry. Can I at least have a kiss good-bye? Just one little kiss?” Mitch asked her.

  She would have laughed if she couldn’t tell that he was dead serious. She couldn’t kiss another man, no matter how sweet he was, or how guilty she felt. Before she could protest, she found her face trapped in his hands as he brought his mouth down to hers.