How Sweet the Sound

by Jacquelin Thomas

  “I used to manage both Common and Michael James,” Bradley began. He gave Alton a brief summary of his time with them.

  “That’s cold, man. I had no idea.”

  Bradley agreed. “No it wasn’t right, but look how well they’re doing and look where I am. In Summerset, Texas. Something just doesn’t seem right, if you ask me.” Bradley made his way over to his bed and sat down on the edge to remove his shoes. “I have to find a way to make this up to Desiree. I think I kind of spoiled the evening for her.”

  “What about flowers?” Alton suggested.

  “Flowers,” Bradley repeated as he stood up. “You think I should buy her flowers.”

  “Don’t you? You just said that you ruined her evening. Women like getting flowers, you know.” Picking up the remote, Alton began surfing television channels.

  As if to make his point, he stopped and pointed. “See. Women love flowers.”

  Bradley eyed the television a moment, watching a romantic commercial, before saying, “I hope this is not where you get your ideas for your relationship with Nina.”

  “I’m telling you, Desiree loves flowers. Get her some flowers and she’ll forget all about last night.”

  Walking briskly across the room carrying his overnight bag, Bradley tossed a glance over his shoulder and replied, “Flowers, huh? I’ll give it some thought.”

  He entered the bathroom and showered quickly. Bradley was tired and couldn’t wait to get into bed. His mind traveled to Desiree and he couldn’t help but wonder how she was feeling. He’d wanted their time together in Dallas to be special but then he had gone and ruined it.

  After he toweled himself dry and put on pajamas, Bradley considered calling Desiree but after stealing a glance at the clock on the nightstand, he changed his mind. Climbing into bed, Bradley fell asleep almost immediately.

  The next morning, Bradley was up early. He told Alton, “I’ve got to go out for something. I’ll be back before we meet Desiree and Nina.”

  He left the hotel in search of flowers and returned forty-five minutes later. With a dozen roses in hand, Bradley took the elevator up to the room where Nina and Desiree were staying.

  Desiree opened the door, wearing a tangerine-colored dress with silver accessories. Bradley surveyed her from head to toe, smiling in approval. She looked stunning.

  “What are the flowers for?”

  “What do you think? I bought them for you,” Bradley announced. “I’m sorry for being a jerk last night as you so eloquently put it.”

  Grinning, Desiree reached for the yellow roses. “They’re beautiful. Thank you, Bradley.”

  Nina joined them. “Oh, my goodness,” she exclaimed. “They’re beautiful.”

  Desiree embraced Bradley. “Thank you. I love them.”

  “I’m glad.” Looking over Desiree’s head, he asked Nina, “We should call Alton and have him meet us in the lobby for brunch.”

  She nodded. “I just got off the phone with him. He should be on his way down there now.”

  “Then we should be leaving. You two have everything packed?”

  “We do,” the women answered in unison.

  Desiree sniffed her rose bouquet before setting the vase down on the dresser. She met his gaze and smiled.

  They took the elevator down to the lobby where they found Alton waiting for them. As soon as Bradley had a moment alone with Alton, he said, “You were right. The flowers were a hit.”

  Chapter Nine

  On Sunday, the adult choir had the day off, so Desiree and Nina sat together in the congregation, four rows from the front.

  The youth choir was singing an original song written by Bradley which moved Desiree to tears, it was so beautiful. She closed her eyes, impressing each word upon her memory.

  She’d observed Bradley on several occasions as he rehearsed with the youth and found he was totally a different person with them. It was clear he genuinely loved children—especially toddlers and babies—and they responded to him as well. On more than one occasion she found Bradley in the back of the church singing to one of the little girls or trying to bring a smile to a little boy.

  Just before he took his seat, Bradley stole a peek at Desiree and smiled.

  She smiled back. Every day her feelings for him deepened and intensified. Despite the maddening hint of arrogance surrounding him at times, Bradley projected an energy and power that drew her.

  Pastor French’s voice intruded her thoughts making Desiree suddenly feel guilty. She turned her attention to his sermon.

  After church Bradley and Desiree went to her parents’ home for dinner. They sat around the table talking and laughing over a meal of fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and corn bread.

  Margaret served slices of sweet potato pie for dessert.

  Later, they all gathered in the family room.

  “I rented a couple of movies,” Desiree announced. “And y’all don’t have to worry. I didn’t get any love stories.”

  “What did you get, then?” her father inquired.

  “Thrillers. I know how much you like them. Bradley likes them, too.” Desiree walked over to the entertainment unit and started the first movie.

  “I’ll make some popcorn for us in case we feel like snacking,” Margaret announced.

  “I’ll go with you,” Barton said.

  “Thanks, sweetheart,” Bradley whispered when she sank down beside him.

  Desiree gave a tiny shrug. “I don’t mind really. I like to make people smile.”

  Bradley’s gaze was as soft as a caress. “You certainly make me smile.”

  Drawn in, Desiree leaned forward, lifting her lips to his.

  Margaret cleared her throat noisily. “The movie has started,” she murmured with a laugh.

  A blush like a shadow ran over Desiree’s cheeks. She buried her burning face against Bradley’s shoulder.

  Three hours later the movie ended, bringing Bradley to his feet. “I’m going to get out of here, so you all can get relax. Mrs. Coleman, thank you for inviting me to have dinner with you all. I don’t get much home cooking, so I really appreciate it whenever I can get some. Everything was delicious.”

  While he talked to Barton and Margaret, Desiree strolled off to the kitchen, returning a few minutes later carrying two covered bowls containing leftovers.

  She handed the bowls to him before turning around to embrace her mother. “Thanks, Mama. I’ll see you on Tuesday. We’re having lunch, remember?”

  Next she hugged her father. “Bye, Daddy. I love you. I love you both.”

  Bradley watched as she blew a kiss to them before walking out the front door. Desiree was very close to her parents. He and his parents had been close like that as well. Seeing them together like this served as a poignant reminder of all he missed.

  He followed her out to the car.

  “Thank you,” Desiree murmured as she climbed into the car.

  Bradley went around to the driver’s side and joined her. “What are you thanking me for?”

  “For being such a charming man. My parents are really crazy about you. They like you a lot.”

  “I like them, too.”

  They continued to discuss her parents until they reached her town house. Bradley escorted Desiree safely to her home. They stood in the foyer holding hands.

  Bradley bent his head to kiss Desiree.

  Standing on tiptoe, she inhaled his masculine scent as his kiss left her mouth savoring every sensation.

  He reluctantly pulled away from her. “I’d better go.”

  Desiree nodded. “Okay. I’ll see you Tuesday evening.”

  Bradley took her face into his hand and held it gently. His heart was hammering foolishly, his breathing uneven. “I…I’m crazy about you, Desiree.”

  “I’m crazy about you, too.”

  Bradley knew they shared an intense physical awareness of each other, but both were committed to celibacy. It was one of their very first conversations when they decided to take
their friendship to the next level.

  He kissed her again before leaving.

  Bradley drove home, his mind clouded with thoughts of Desiree. He was in love with Desiree. He’d almost confessed as much to her earlier but chickened out. He had never felt so deeply for a woman in his life and it unnerved him.

  Later at home, Bradley changed into a pair of sweats and reached for his Bible, removing the thin layer of dust. It had been months since he’d picked it up to read or study the Word.

  He closed his eyes and began to pray. Heavenly Father, thank You for Your grace and Your mercy. I know it’s been a while. I have no excuse and I ask for Your forgiveness. Father God, I have been so angry about everything. I just thought that when I gave up the secular music, You were going to make me a star. Bradley paused a moment before continuing, Instead I’m here in Summerset, Texas…. He shook his head. I’m sorry, Father. I’ll do whatever You want. I’m not sure why You brought me here, but I will stay here until You call me to do something else.

  Bradley continued to pray in earnest. When he finished, he opened his Bible and began to read, stopping every now and then to take notes.

  An hour passed before Bradley closed his Bible and turned on the television. For the first time in a long while, he felt at peace.

  T.C. Holloway was on television.

  Bradley settled back against the leather cushions of his sofa to listen to his friend.

  “In my morning devotion,” T.C. was saying, “I came across this verse in Proverbs. ‘Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord; but they that deal truly are his delight.’ God wants his children to be real. So much of what is happening in our churches and in the lives of God’s people becomes fake. It is more show than glow….”

  Bradley sat up and leaned forward.

  “When Satan encouraged Christ to add some excitement to his wilderness experience, Christ chose the glow over the show. He chose to live by every word that proceeded from the mouth of God.”

  Guilt poured over Bradley as he continued to listen to T.C.

  “I’m going to leave you all with this—are you real, or just show? Only the Word of God can make you glow.”

  For the rest of the evening, Bradley considered T.C.’s words.

  Chapter Ten

  “What are we doing here?” Nina asked when Alton parked his car in front of Desiree’s town house. “She’s not here, baby. She went to her parents’ house.”

  “We’re not here to see Desiree.”

  “Then why are we here?” she asked a second time while following Alton to the sales office.

  “We’re here to look at the model and the floor plans. When we get married, we’re going to need a place to live. I know how much you love it here.”

  Nina stopped walking. “Are you serious?”

  Alton pushed his glasses away from his nose. “I’m very serious, honey.”

  Nina held up her hand. “Just so you know, I’m still waiting for you to ask me to marry you proper.”

  He laughed. “I hear you. Now come on and let’s buy us a house. I already know which one I want. I need to see if you agree.”

  “Hmm, you’ve already picked one, huh?”

  “I have my favorite. I think it’s the same one you’re going to pick.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Alton insisted they check out the model before speaking to the sales agent. He led her to the steps leading into the town house.

  “What’s going on with you, Alton? You’re acting kind of strange.”

  “How do you like this floor plan?”

  “I love it.” She glanced over at him. “This is the one you chose?”

  He nodded.

  “I really like the idea of having a morning room but I can’t quite visualize it.”

  “They have one available with the morning room. Want to see it?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Alton introduced Nina to the sales agent who immediately turned over a key to one of the homes.

  Nina was suspicious. “She acted like she knew you well. Just how many times have you been out here?”

  “Jealous?”

  “No. Just curious.”

  Unlocking the door, Alton held it open for Nina to enter. She glanced down at the hardwood floors and broke into a smile. Her eyes traveled from room to room, trying to absorb everything.

  “This house is stunning. The owner and I have a lot of the same tastes. The walls are painted vivid colors—you know how much I hate white walls. The hardwood floors…I love it.”

  Alton led her upstairs. “We’re saving the master bedroom for last,” he announced as he led her from one room to another.

  When they walked into the master bedroom, Nina gasped.

  She turned to face Alton. “I don’t think we should be in here. Somebody has already moved in—at least partially.” Nina looked over her shoulder at the beautiful four-poster bed with the leather-and-suede comforter in an emerald color. The room itself was decorated exquisitely in emerald and cream with splashes of burgundy.

  On the bed lay a bouquet of red roses. Alton walked over and picked up the flowers.

  “You’d better put them back,” Nina warned. “We don’t know if the owners are coming back anytime soon. Let’s get out of here.” She headed for the door.

  “Honey, it’s okay. These are for you.”

  Nina stopped walking. She turned around. “Those are for me? You brought me flowers?”

  Alton nodded and hand them to her.

  Smiling, Nina sniffed, inhaling the sweet fragrance of the red roses. Her eyes traveled once more to the bed and noticed a tiny gift box lying in the middle.

  “What’s that?” she asked with her heart racing.

  “Pick it up.”

  Nina did as she was told. She screamed when she opened the box. “I can’t believe it.”

  Alton turned her around to face him. “Honey, I love you so much and I don’t want to spend another moment without you being my wife. I know you want a big wedding and all, but I have to tell you—I want to marry you today. I can’t wait no more.” He paused a second before saying, “Nina, will you marry me? This house that we’re standing in is ours.” Alton gestured toward the bed. “That’s our bed over there. This is our home.”

  Tears streamed down Nina’s face. “I love you, Alton Stone.” Wrapping her arms around him, she added, “I don’t care nothing about a wedding. I just want to be your wife. We can get married tomorrow morning and move in this house tomorrow evening.”

  Alton laughed. “There’s a three-day waiting period.”

  “The point is that I want to get married as soon as possible. I want to be with you.”

  Two weeks after the impromptu marriage of Alton and Nina, the month of October burst in, changing the leaves of the trees to vivid colors of gold, orange and red. It was less than seven weeks away from the Annual Harvest Celebration and the air in Summerset was electrified by the excitement of the upcoming event. Bradley was proud of how well Desiree was progressing with her singing lessons. They continued to practice every Tuesday and Thursday.

  For Bradley, seeing a visual transition from summer to fall was something he’d missed while living in Los Angeles. He liked to take early morning walks just to enjoy the scenery. It was also a time that he chose to meditate on what he’d studied in the Bible before his stroll.

  When he returned home, Bradley headed to his piano. Putting on a set of headphones, he decided to devote the next couple of hours to his music. He’d been inspired by his walk and wanted to get the lyrics floating around in his head on paper.

  Ten minutes after twelve, Bradley removed the headphones and got up from the piano.

  His cellular phone rang, jarring him from his thoughts. He answered it. “Hello.”

  “Bradley, I’m so sorry for just getting back to you. I just finished my tour in Japan—I’m actually at the airport now. I heard the tape and you’re right. That Veronica girl has a beautiful voice.”

&
nbsp; “Kandi—” This was the last person he’d expected to hear from.

  “Bradley, you there?”

  “I’m here, Kandi. Thanks for getting back to me. I—”

  She interrupted him. “Hon, they’re calling me. I have to go, but I’m going to be in Dallas next week. Let’s get together.”

  “Sure.”

  “I’ll call you later. Love ya.”

  Kandi was gone.

  I didn’t have a chance to tell her about Veronica. Bradley vowed to tell her when she called him back. Her call reminded him of everything he’d dreamed of—managing top singing acts. Maybe God had finally answered his prayer.

  Later that evening, Kandi called him back and wanted to meet with him at the end of the week. Bradley decided to hold off until he saw her in person to inform Kandi of Veronica’s death. He didn’t want to risk her changing her mind about coming to Summerset. Although Desiree’s singing was rapidly improving, she wasn’t a Veronica.

  Three days later, Bradley was seated in the lobby of the elegant Hubbard Hotel. He picked up a newspaper to read while waiting on Kandi to come downstairs. Because of their past history, he opted to meet in the restaurant instead of her suite. Bradley didn’t want to give his ex-girlfriend the wrong idea.

  “Hey, what are you doing here?”

  Surprise flowed through Bradley when he looked up into the face of Desiree. What is she doing here? He wondered to himself.

  “Are you meeting someone?” Desiree inquired.

  Bradley nodded and answered, “I’m meeting an old friend. What are you doing here?”

  “I had a workshop and luncheon in the Crystal Room. I’m on my way back to the bank now.” Smiling down at him, Desiree asked, “How long will you be here?”

  To her, Bradley seemed a bit nervous about “meeting an old friend.” She noted the way he kept glancing over his shoulder. “You okay?”

  He nodded. “I’m fine.”

  Desiree surveyed his face. “You sure?”

  “Yeah, I’m okay.” He laid down the newspaper and rose to his feet. Together, they walked to the lobby entrance. “I’ll give you a call later, sweetheart.”