Just to Be with You

by Sheryl Lister

  “Grandma. Grandpa. Where are you?” he called out as he entered through the side door off the kitchen. Terrence continued to the living room and found them watching TV.

  His grandmother stood as quickly as her seventy-two-year-old body allowed and engulfed him in a tight hug. “Hi, baby.” She reached up and palmed his cheeks. “How are you, sweetheart? You look tired.”

  He held on to her, basking in the unconditional love he always found in her arms. “A little tired, but I’m good. You’re looking beautiful as usual.”

  His grandfather slowly came to his feet. “Hey, boy. Quit trying to sweet-talk my wife,” he teased.

  Terrence laughed. “Hi, Grandpa.” They embraced. “Well, she is a beautiful woman.”

  His grandfather gazed at his grandmother with glowing eyes. “That she is. Still as beautiful as the day I met her.”

  Terrence was used to the affection his grandparents displayed toward one another. Ray Campbell, Sr. and Eleanor Davis Campbell were as much in love now as they had been during his childhood. For the first time in his life, he began to wonder what it would feel like to have a love that spanned more than five decades.

  “Is everything okay, Terrence?” his grandmother asked.

  “What did you say, Grandma?”

  “I asked if everything was okay. You had this strange look on your face.”

  “Everything’s fine. I came to tell you I cooked dinner so you guys can come eat.”

  “What a nice surprise.” His grandfather patted him on the shoulder. “You didn’t have to cook dinner for us. We know how hard you’ve been working.”

  “I wanted to do it. It’s been three weeks since we’ve been together, and I missed you.” After returning from the latest round of touring, he had been working late, and his grandparents were asleep by the time he made it home.

  “Well, what are we waiting for? I’m starved,” his grandmother said, starting off.

  After his grandfather blessed the food, the only sounds that could be heard for the first several minutes were forks scraping against plates.

  “Son, this is really good. Now, don’t get me wrong, Mrs. Jones is a great cook, but I sure enjoy when you get in the kitchen.”

  Terrence’s housekeeper, Mrs. Jones, occasionally stepped in as cook when he went on tour, or on the days his grandmother didn’t prepare meals. “Thanks, Grandpa.”

  “I agree. It’s a shame you don’t have a special lady here to share these fabulous meals.” His grandmother forked up another portion and moaned appreciably.

  Terrence glanced over at her innocent expression. “Grandma?”

  “Yes, sweetheart,” she answered pleasantly.

  “We’ve had this conversation before.”

  She patted his arm. “I know, dear. But your grandpa and I aren’t getting any younger. We don’t want you to spend the rest of your life alone.” She leaned closer and winked. “And we want a couple of great-grandchildren before the Lord calls us home.”

  He looked to his grandfather for help.

  “Sorry. I’m with your grandmother. We won’t be here forever, and I’d feel better knowing you had someone to share your life with. Besides, I haven’t had anyone to bounce on my knee in quite some time.”

  “I think you’d make a great husband and father. Any young woman would be lucky to have you,” his grandmother added.

  Terrence dropped his head. They’d had this conversation many times, even more so in the past year. He wasn’t willing to open himself up for the kind of hurt love could bring—he’d been there, done that. An image of Janae’s shy smile floated through his mind, and along with it, the familiar stirring in his gut—feelings that seemed to have taken on a life of their own. He squeezed his eyes shut and inhaled deeply, trying to force the feelings away. He felt his grandmother’s hand gently cover his own.

  “Baby, are you okay?”

  Terrence lifted his head and opened his eyes, noting the speculative looks on his grandparents’ faces. He kissed the back of her hand. “I’m fine, Grandma.” He picked up his fork. She continued to observe him, and he sought to reassure her. “Really, I’m okay.” He looked down minutes later to see that they had finished eating. “If you guys are done, leave your plates here, and I’ll take care of the dishes.”

  “Are you sure?” his grandfather asked as he stood.

  “Yes.”

  “Well...okay.” His grandmother caressed his face. “I sense something going on with you, but I won’t pry. You’re our special angel, and we love you. If you want to talk, we’ll be here...no matter what time it is.” She accepted her husband’s help from the chair.

  “I know, and I love you both.” Terrence stood, stacked the plates and took them to the kitchen. As soon as they were gone, he braced his hands on the counter, then took several deep breaths. He’d made it his life’s mission to stay away from serious commitment. Now he found himself actually pursuing a woman. What else could he call contemplating flying across the state for the sole purpose of seeing Janae?

  Chapter 5

  Janae opened the door Saturday morning to her big brother’s smiling face.

  “Hey, baby girl,” Devin said, picking her up and swinging her around like he’d done when she was small.

  “Hi,” she said with a laugh. “Put me down, you nut, and come in.”

  He gently set her on her feet. “How are you?”

  “I’m good. What about you?”

  Devin followed her to the kitchen. “No complaints. It smells good in here.”

  “I knew you’d be hungry, so I fixed you breakfast.”

  “Aw, you’re so sweet. That’s why you’re my favorite sister,” he said with a wink.

  “I’m your only sister. I just need to make the omelets. Everything else is ready.”

  Devin went to the sink to wash his hands. “I can dice the peppers and mushrooms.”

  “Already done. You can set the table and pour the juice.”

  “Okay,” he said, reaching into the cabinets for plates.

  Janae finished the omelets, brought everything to the table, then sat.

  Devin took a seat next to her, reached for her hand and blessed their food. He cut into the omelet and groaned with the first bite. “Man, I’ve missed your omelets. Mine never come out like this.”

  “Oh, I see. That’s why you really stopped by. And here I thought you wanted to spend some quality time with your only sister.”

  “Hey, I didn’t ask you to cook. We could have gone out.”

  “Yeah, uh-huh,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  He reached for the jar of jam in the center of the table. “Please tell me this is some of Mom’s peach jam.” He spread some on his biscuit and took a huge bite. “Mmm, I love this stuff.”

  Janae folded her arms and lifted an eyebrow. “Sorry to disappoint you, sport, but Mom did not make that.”

  He paused midbite and frowned. “Then who made it?”

  “I did.”

  “You know how to make her jams?”

  She winked, giving him a self-satisfied smile.

  Devin picked up her hand. “Janae, if you give me a jar of this, I’ll wash your car, your windows, clean the kitchen...”

  She snatched her hand back and fell out laughing. “I’ll settle for you washing the car. You can have one jar each of peach and strawberry.” She shook her head at his look of pure delight as he finished his meal.

  “Thanks, baby girl. That hit the spot.” He leaned back and patted his belly. “By the way, have you heard from Lawrence lately?”

  Janae spun around from the sink where she stood rinsing the dishes. “No. Why? Have you seen him?”

  “No, but I noticed that huge floral arrangement in the living room.”

  “Please, ev
en when we were dating and he was supposedly in love with me, he never bought me flowers.” Lawrence Mason, a fellow teacher and the last man she’d dated, claimed to love her. They had discussed marriage until she was selected for a teaching position they’d both applied for. He had even gone so far as to suggest that she turn the position down so he could get it, citing his need for a larger salary if they were to be married. She’d refused and broken off the relationship a year ago. He’d harassed her until she threatened to go to the police and report him to the school board. Out of the blue, he’d called three months ago, blaming her for his contract not being renewed, and wouldn’t believe that she had no idea what he was talking about.

  “So where did you get the flowers from? I didn’t see a card.”

  Thank goodness I put the card away. “Just someone I met.” She shrugged, grabbed her keys off the wall hook and tossed them to Devin. “Don’t you think you should get started on the car?”

  He stood and chuckled. “So you’re not going to tell me? I’ll have Erik get your phone records and see if any names pop up.”

  Erik, their middle brother, worked at the Pentagon. She pinned him with an angry glare. “Don’t even think about it, Devin. If and when there’s something to tell, I will. I mean it, Devin.”

  He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay. I’ll hold off. But if this mystery guy hurts you, his butt is mine.”

  “It probably won’t ever come to that, Devin, so you don’t need to worry.” She turned to finish rinsing and stacking the dishes in the dishwasher.

  “If you say so. I’ll be back in a few.”

  As much as she enjoyed her time with Terrence, Janae knew better than to get her hopes up where he was concerned. Besides, she had no desire to have another man rip her heart apart. And Terrence was a heartbreak waiting to happen. He had called twice more, and she’d let the calls go to voice mail. She had to distance herself from him. She dried her hands on a dish towel, then went to clean the bathrooms. Afterward, she headed for her studio.

  “Janae, where are you?” Devin called.

  “I’m in the studio.” She spent most of her spare time in this place. As a child, her parents had signed her up for an art class, and Janae was immediately hooked. While she didn’t possess the skill to draw people, she had an innate aptitude for creating landscapes. At any given time, she could be found sitting in front of a canvas, paintbrush in hand.

  “Are you working on something?”

  “No. Just putting away some supplies. I may paint later, though.”

  He took in the completed paintings and works in progress. “These are beautiful, sis,” he whispered in awe, picking up one of a beach sunrise. “I really, really like this one. You should title it New Beginnings.”

  She tilted her head one way, then the other. “Hmm, I like that. Okay.”

  “You have enough paintings in here for a gallery showing. Have you thought any more about doing that?”

  “No, not really,” she mumbled. “I don’t like all that attention.” He often told her she had a gift he believed should be shared with the world, but she had always shied away from the public, preferring to give away the scenes she created.

  He picked up another one of a mountain sunset. “Wow.”

  “Since you like that one, you can take it,” she told him when he continued to stare at it.

  “No, but what I will do is buy it from you.”

  She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off.

  “No arguments, Janae.” He took out his checkbook, wrote a check and handed it to her.

  Her eyes widened. “Five hundred dollars! Are you crazy?”

  “It’s probably worth three or four times that. You have one week to cash that check. If you don’t, I’ll be back and you won’t like it.”

  She stuck out her lip, then tossed the check on the table while grumbling under her breath.

  He lifted her chin. “One week, baby girl. And stop pouting.” He placed a kiss on her forehead. “What else do you need me to do?” Before she could answer, the doorbell rang. “Are you expecting somebody?”

  “No.”

  “I’ll get it.” He turned on his heel and headed toward the front door.

  * * *

  Terrence followed the directions on the rental’s GPS to Janae’s house, praying he hadn’t made a mistake. He’d never shown up at a woman’s house unannounced, and he’d never, ever hopped on a plane to visit one. This was so uncharacteristic of him, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. He felt as if she’d cast a spell on him. He pulled up to a large one-story house in an established section of the city and parked. He climbed the three steps and rang the doorbell. While waiting, Terrence glanced out over the neighborhood and saw a few people mowing lawns. He turned at the sound of the masculine voice.

  “May I help you?”

  Terrence masked his surprise. The man stood a couple of inches taller, but outweighed him by a good forty pounds. “Yes. I’m here to see Janae. Is she home?”

  The man frowned and looked him up and down. “Who are you?”

  Terrence lifted a brow. “I’m a friend of hers. Is she here?”

  He called over his shoulder. “Baby, there’s someone here to see you.”

  Baby? He remembered Janae saying she didn’t have a boyfriend, so who could this man be?

  “Why are you calling me...?” Janae asked as she came to the door. Her voice trailed off when she saw Terrence standing on the porch.

  The man slung his arm around her shoulder. “Sweetheart, who’s your friend?”

  Janae shrugged the arm off her shoulder and elbowed the man in the stomach. “Stop it, Devin.” She unlatched the screen and opened it. “Hey, Terrence. Come in.”

  Terrence could tell she had a million questions for him, but didn’t say anything. He stepped into the house and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “How are you?”

  “Fine.”

  The man cleared his throat.

  She frowned at him. “Terrence, I’d like you to meet my brother Devin. Devin, this is Terrence.”

  Terrence stuck out his hand and smiled. “Nice to meet you, Devin.”

  With Janae glaring at him, Devin grudgingly shook Terrence’s hand. “Same here.”

  Janae led the way to the living room. “Have a seat. Can I get you something?” She wrung her hands nervously, then rubbed them up and down the sides of her shorts.

  “No, thank you. I just wanted to come by and see how you’re doing,” Terrence answered, hoping to put her at ease. She wore a pair of shorts with an oversize T-shirt, and her hair was pulled into a ragged ponytail. Several strands had come loose, but he still thought her the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

  Devin folded his arms across his wide chest. “So, Terrence, how long have you known my sister?”

  “We met recently.”

  “You look familiar. Are you sure Terrence is your real name? What’s your last name?”

  Janae grabbed her brother by the arm. “Knock it off. You don’t need to interrogate him. I’m sure you have some other things to do, so go do them. And don’t forget your painting.”

  “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

  “Your intelligence astounds me.” She pushed him in the direction of the studio, then waited until he was out of earshot before turning to Terrence. “Sorry about that. My brothers are very overprotective.”

  “Brothers? You have more than one?”

  “Yeah, three. And they’re all older. Devin is the youngest, then there’s Erik and Justin.”

  “It’s obvious they love you.”

  “I guess. Do you have any siblings?”

  “No.”

  Before she could comment, Devin returned with the painting.

  Terrence leaned fo
rward. “Did you paint this? I know you told me you painted, but this is amazing. Have you ever thought about a gallery showing?”

  “Hmph. Imagine that,” Devin said. “I’ve been telling her that for years, but I can’t get baby girl to budge.”

  “You should listen to your brother, Janae. He’s right.”

  “Aren’t you leaving, Devin?” she asked, glaring at him.

  Devin leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Stay out of trouble.” He extended his hand to Terrence. “Nice meeting you. Will I be seeing you again?”

  Terrence shook his hand. “I hope so.” He read the warning in Devin’s eyes—he would stay out of their relationship...for now.

  Janae closed the door behind her brother, then came back to where Terrence sat on the sofa. “Um, are you sure you don’t want anything?”

  “I’m sure. Come sit.” He scooted over on the sofa.

  Janae sat, purposely leaving space between them. “What are you doing here? Do you have a show?”

  “No.”

  “Are you here on business?”

  “Depends on what kind of business you mean.” He slid closer and took her hand. “I came only to see you.”

  “How did you get here?”

  “I flew.”

  “You flew here just to see me?” she asked with surprise. “But...but...why?”

  “I wanted—no, needed—to see you. I wanted to touch you again and, more than anything, I wanted to kiss you again,” he said huskily. He leaned in, his lips hovering above hers. “May I?”

  She opened her mouth to answer, and his mouth came down over hers. Sensations he’d never felt flooded his body. His tongue moved deep in her mouth, staking its claim, causing her to moan.