How Sweet the Sound

by Jacquelin Thomas

  Shaking her head, Margaret murmured, “I don’t know why y’all think your parents don’t know nothing. I’ve already walked the road you’re on. Darlin’, I may not hear like I use to, but I’m not blind. Bradley Rhodes is interested in you.”

  Desiree did a final check in her mirror before grabbing her purse. “I really thought he was here to tell me he was quitting.”

  “I never thought so.” Margaret said in a loud whisper. “After you leave, I think I’m gonna take me a long hot bath and just relax. Your father should be coming home in another hour or so. He’s picking up some chicken dinners for us.”

  “Sounds like you two are going to have a quiet evening.”

  Margaret nodded. “We are. Your dad’s been workin’ real hard lately—they’re shorthanded at the factory. I thought we’d have a light supper and then go on up to bed.”

  “That sounds nice, Mama.”

  Desiree introduced Margaret to Bradley, who was as charming as ever. She stood there watching him work his charm on her mother.

  After a moment, Margaret gestured toward the front door. “Y’all have a nice time tonight.”

  “It’s nice meeting you,” Bradley said on his way out.

  Outside, he held the door open for Desiree.

  “Thank you,” she murmured softly as she climbed inside a Nissan Pathfinder.

  “Is this a new car?” Desiree inquired. “It’s nice.”

  “No, this is mine. I had it shipped here about a week ago. The other car I’d been driving was a rental.”

  They continued to chat as Bradley drove them over to a restaurant on Main Street. And, still being the perfect gentleman, he even opened doors for Desiree and escorted her safely to the front entrance of Romano’s Italian Restaurant, where they were seated almost immediately.

  While they waited for the waiter to take their food order, Bradley lapsed for the first time into a story about Indigo.

  Desiree burst into laughter. Bradley was a lot of fun when he allowed himself to relax, she silently acknowledged. There was something warm and enchanting in his humor.

  “What’s so funny?”

  A flash of merriment crossed her face. “You are. I can’t believe you did that.”

  “What else could I do? We were on stage in the middle of a song. I couldn’t just leave.”

  “I know. But to have the speakers fall over while you’re singing. How humiliating for you, Bradley.” Desiree brought her hand up to stifle her giggles.

  His laugh was marvelous, catching and had her totally enchanted. “It was no joke, but I got through it. I was never happier to leave New York.”

  “You poor thing,” Desiree murmured. She enjoyed seeing this side of him. Bradley didn’t seem so much like a stick-in-the-mud. She was actually having a wonderful time with him.

  Over dinner, Desiree gave Bradley an overview of Summerset. “The town is named after George Rutherford Summerset. His axel broke on the way to Shreveport, so he settled here and raised his family. It’s a wonderful place to live…”

  Desiree reached for her glass of water and took a sip. “Our deputy mayor is African-American and so is the sheriff… Oh, you’re going to enjoy the Annual Harvest Celebration. We have a parade, music—the highlight is the gospel concert and the county fair.”

  “Where is it held?”

  “On the college campus. Have you seen Summerset Junior College yet?”

  Bradley shook his head no.

  “It’s just outside of town. Their music department is outstanding. My friend Grace—she was the old music director for church—used to be part of it.”

  “I’ve heard a lot about Grace. She sounds like she was a nice lady. Heard about her husband, too.” Bradley finished off his pasta before asking, “Have room for dessert?”

  Smiling Desiree nodded. “I have a terrible addiction to the chocolate mousse cake here. I can’t leave without having a slice.”

  Bradley’s tender gaze met hers. “I guess I’ll just have to try it for myself then.”

  Desiree’s heart did a flip in response.

  “So what are your plans for this weekend?” Bradley inquired after parking his car in front of Desiree’s childhood home.

  “Well, I close on my town house tomorrow evening and then I’m moving this weekend.”

  “Congratulations on your new home.” He turned up his smile a notch. “Do you need any help with moving?”

  Desiree couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice. “You’d help me move?”

  Bradley nodded. “Why not? Looks like I’m going to be looking for a place myself—I’m going to need some help moving.”

  Desiree laughed. “So you help me and I help you—is that it?”

  His eyes brightened with pleasure. “I think it’s the perfect plan.”

  “I do, too,” she confessed.

  “Alton told me that you recently moved back home.”

  Nodding, Desiree replied, “Yeah. I attended college in Dallas and was recruited by Texas National Bank for their management-training program. The corporate offices are based in Dallas but I got a promotion about four months ago and so I’m the assistant manager at the Summerset branch.”

  “Congratulations again.”

  Desiree saw that he was watching her intently, his gaze bold. Bradley’s eyes continued to travel over her face; something intense flaring through his entrancement.

  For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her and Desiree’s insides jangled with excitement.

  “What is it?” Bradley questioned.

  “N-nothing,” she managed to reply. “I’d better go on in. I’ve got a long day tomorrow.” Desiree’s pulse skittered alarmingly. “I’ll see you on Saturday.”

  Bradley surveyed her face. “You sure you’re okay?”

  “I am.” Desiree clenched her trembling hands into fists. She was acting like a schoolgirl. “I’m just tired, I guess.”

  “I’ll let you go.” Bradley opened his door and got out. He strolled around the car to assist Desiree.

  She was touched when he escorted her safely to the front door.

  “Bradley, I had a nice time tonight.” Desiree could hear the faint ringing of a telephone coming from within her parents’ house. Considering the hour, it was probably for her.

  “I had a good time myself. Thank you for having dinner with me. It can get lonely at times.”

  “I know. That’s how I felt when I first moved to Dallas.”

  They talked for a few minutes more before Desiree unlocked her front door and entered inside. She watched Bradley drive away from the picture window in the living room.

  It had been hard drawing the evening with Bradley to a close.

  Alton handed the television remote to Nina who said, “I just got off the phone with Mrs. Coleman. Desiree and Bradley had dinner together tonight. Can you believe that? I can’t believe she’ll actually make it through an entire meal without wanting to kill him.”

  “I told you that Bradley is one of the good guys. You just have to get to know him, Nina. Give him a chance.”

  “He’s your friend. Not mine.” Nina surfed through several channels, looking for something interesting to watch on television. She and Alton both enjoyed the Law and Order spinoffs.

  “I want him to be our friend, sweetheart.”

  Nina settled back against the cushions of the leather sofa. “Okay. I’ll give him another chance, but Bradley Rhodes had better not blow it. I’ll see how he acts this weekend when we’re helping Desiree move.”

  She handed the remote back to Alton. “Without a Trace is coming on after this show. I think it’s CSI—we missed the first half.”

  Alton wrapped his arm around her. “We’re going to have a good time, Nina. You’ll see.”

  “Humph.”

  “Hey, wouldn’t it be something if Bradley and Desiree really hit it off?” Alton questioned in the middle of the first commercial break.

  “Don’t tell you’re actually playing matchmak
er?”

  “I’m not. I’m just saying—”

  Nina interrupted him by saying, “Humph, I really think Desiree can do better.”

  “She’ll be good for Bradley.”

  “Let’s just change the subject,” Nina suggested. “I’m not completely sold on them as a couple. I can’t even see them being friends.”

  “You’re not going to give my man a break, are you?”

  She laughed. “You can relax, honey. I’m not going to interfere with whatever Desiree wants. If she wants Bradley, then that’s between them.”

  Chapter Seven

  On the way to the church, they passed the Dairy Queen. Bradley made a mental note to stop there after the lesson to grab a chili cheese dog. He’d become addicted to them since his move to Summerset.

  At the church, Bradley got out and opened the door for Desiree. Together they walked into the church.

  “Believe it or not, Bradley, I have tried to practice my singing,” Desiree announced as she laid her purse and car keys on the front pew.

  Bradley sat down in front of the piano. “Really?” he questioned as he thumbed through a stack of sheet music. “Show me what you do.”

  When she was done, he said, “I think I know what you’ve been doing. Watching too much television. We’re going to start with something simple. What you’ve seen are some of the more complicated techniques and exercises.” He picked up a piece of paper. “We’re going to try this today. I brought along the tape if you’d like to hear it.”

  Desiree nodded. She took the paper from him and scanned the lyrics. “I know this song.”

  “I thought you might. Now remember, you don’t have to overpower your singing. The exercises you just did will massage and loosen your vocal cords. As we move forward, you’ll learn how to hit the same pitch both powerfully and gently, but with very little effort.”

  Encouraged by his words, Desiree murmured, “Okay. I’ll give it my best.”

  Bradley sat down in front of the piano. He could hear Desiree humming softly. He began to play and nodded when he wanted her to start singing.

  “Much better,” Bradley murmured when she finished. “You did great, Desiree. Let’s try it one more time, okay?”

  She nodded.

  Two hours later, Desiree handed the sheet music back to Bradley, saying, “This session was wonderful. I never realized singing was such hard work.”

  “It’s worth it though, don’t you think?”

  Desiree nodded. “Oh, yeah. I love it.”

  “Why do you love it so much?” Bradley wanted to know. “Why is this so important to you?”

  “I’m not doing this for fame. I just love singing and I want to do it for God.”

  “Okay…” he waited for her to continue. When she didn’t, he asked, “Is that it?”

  Desiree broke into laughter. “All my life I’ve wanted to sing, Bradley. It was my dream. I promised God that if He gave me a talent for singing, I would do it only for His glory. I believe that He honors faith and I have that mustard seed faith that He will give me the desires of my heart. Well, singing is one of them.”

  “What’s the other?”

  “Marriage and a family.”

  “You don’t want much, do you?”

  “I don’t need much, Bradley. I’m twenty-seven years old. I have a great job and now I have a chance to do something I have a heart to do. I have God’s favor and I’m so blessed. I’m happy.”

  Bradley was quiet.

  “What do you want for yourself?” Desiree inquired.

  “I want to manage some of the greatest singers in the music industry. I want to be back on top one more time.”

  “What else do you want, Bradley?”

  “That’s it,” he responded. “I don’t need anything else. I just want to be back on top. Only this time, I don’t intend to take it for granted. Before, I didn’t even appreciate what I had. When I got burned out, I just walked away.” Bradley shook his head. “That was so stupid.”

  “I don’t think it was stupid. Maybe you needed a break from everything at the time.”

  “Perhaps. I just didn’t think I’d be forgotten so easily.”

  “Is that why you decided to get into gospel music?”

  Bradley was mildly surprised. “How do you know about that?”

  Grinning, Desiree replied, “I did some research on you.”

  “I see.”

  “What happened? You only recorded one album. I have to warn you that I’m on the look out for it, by the way.”

  “My album bombed, so I walked away a second time. If you want a copy of the album, I can give it to you.” Bradley gave a derisive laugh. “I have plenty. Anyway, that’s when I started my management company.”

  “Bradley, you definitely weren’t forgotten. Everyone was so excited when they found out you were going to be our music director. Even I was.”

  He broke into a smile. “Then I opened my mouth.”

  Desiree smiled back. “But it’s gotten better. Look at us now—at least we’re talking and being civil to one another. This is a blessing in itself.”

  They both laughed.

  After gathering up his things, Bradley said, “Let’s get out of here. They’re having something tonight at the church.”

  “The Men’s Bible Study.”

  Bradley nodded. “That’s right.” Shrugging, he added, “I couldn’t remember what it was. My memory’s fading, I think.”

  He walked her to her car. “I won’t forget that I’m helping you move Saturday though.”

  “Thanks for taking time out of your weekend to help me like this. I really appreciate it, Bradley.”

  “I don’t mind. It’s not like I had something planned. It gives us a chance to get to know us better.”

  “You want to know me better?” Desiree teased.

  Bradley gazed into her eyes. “I do. You are very interesting, Desiree.”

  “And you as well,” she said. Desiree unlocked her car and climbed inside. She started her car before confirming, “I’ll see you Saturday.”

  He nodded and waved as she drove away.

  Bradley carried a cardboard box into Desiree’s new town house and gently set it down in the kitchen. Wiping his brow with a paper towel, he asked, “Is this everything for the kitchen?”

  “I think so.” Desiree’s eyes scanned the boxes arranged haphazardly around her kitchen. “They’re all here. There were only three of them. The other boxes contain the china my gram gave me before she died.”

  Alton entered the town house carrying a box with Nina on his heels. In her hands she carried a smaller box.

  “Where do you want this one?” he asked. “It’s not labeled.”

  Desiree pointed toward the second bedroom. “In there.” She followed Bradley toward the front door and outside.

  “You have a nice place,” he said.

  “I like it. Actually, I love my new town house. I considered buying a house, but then I decided I could always sell this place if I ever needed something bigger. This is all I need for right now.”

  After all the boxes were inside the town house, Nina and Desiree began to unpack her bed linens while Alton and Bradley set up her bed.

  “This place is beautiful, Desiree. I love it,” Nina said.

  “I do, too. When I saw it, I just fell in love with the open floor plan and the view.”

  “I can truly see why. The builder did a great job of duplicating the old world charm of homes that were built almost a century ago in Summerset.” Nina’s eyes bounced around, admiring the interior of the house.

  Desiree agreed. “It adds to the nostalgic charm of Summerset. But modern enough for me.”

  “Who knows, I may buy one of these for myself.”

  “You should, Nina. They have so many different styles to choose from.”

  “I picked up a packet a while ago. They have one that I love. It has a huge living room—”

  “Perfect for a baby grand piano, huh?”r />
  Laughing, Nina nodded. “Just planning ahead.”

  “No harm in that.”

  They burst into laughter.

  “Why are you two in giggles?” Bradley questioned as he and Alton entered the room.

  This sent them into more laughter.

  “So you like her, don’t you?” Alton inquired when they were alone near the rented U-Haul truck.

  “I do,” Bradley confessed. “She’s an incredible woman.”

  Alton grinned. “But a handful.”

  “That, too.”

  “I think she’d make some man a wonderful wife. Desiree is not the type of woman you play around with, Bradley. She’s the marrying kind.”

  “I realize that.”

  “Don’t break her heart. If you have no plans of getting hitched, just leave her alone. Be her friend and nothing more.”

  “I hear you.”

  “Better me than Nina or Desiree’s mama. Those are two women you don’t want to mess with.”

  “I wouldn’t do that to Desiree. She’s a sweetheart. Besides, I’m more concerned about incurring her wrath. She might be tiny, but as you said earlier, quite a handful. I have a feeling she’d come after me with everything she’s got.”

  They burst into laughter.

  “How are things going between you and Nina?” Bradley asked as they headed back into the building.

  “Great. In fact, I’m planning to ask her to marry me but I want to wait for just the right moment.”

  “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks, man.” Alton tossed a look over his shoulder to see if Nina or Desiree were within earshot. “So do you think you’ll be happy living here in Summerset? It’s nothing like Los Angeles.”

  Bradley gave a slight shrug. “I don’t know. I’ll tell you in a couple of months. I grew up in a small town in Georgia, so I don’t think it’ll be that much of an adjustment. Although I think Brunswick might be a little bigger than Summerset.”

  When Desiree strode toward them, Alton broke into a grin. “Somehow I think you’re going to end up staying here.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not. If things go the way I want, I could end up almost anywhere.”