After their shower, they joined the family at the kitchen table.
Her father stood and shook Salem’s hand. “Congratulations, Salem.”
Salem’s startled gaze shot to Emily and she could see the wheels spinning. He’s congratulating me for sleeping with his daughter?
Laughter sparkled in her dad’s eyes. “I mean I’m glad they found the right man and that you’re off the hook for murder. Sit down.”
Salem moved to stand behind one of the chairs. “I want you to know, sir, my intentions toward your daughter are honorable.”
“I never assumed they weren’t. Emily’s a grown woman and can make her own decisions, but I appreciate your concern. Now sit. And relax.”
Salem did as he was told and Emily sat beside him. As a father of two daughters, this had to be hard for him. As for Emily, she was too high on love and happiness to care what anyone thought. This had been a long time coming. She and Salem deserved their chance together.
“Thank you for the lawyer and the private investigator.” Salem sounded stiff and formal. “I’ll pay back every penny.”
Her dad waved that away. “Nope. I wanted to do it. You’re our friend, Salem. Practically a member of the family.”
He raised his eyebrows at Emily and she nodded.
Her father’s satisfied smile spoke volumes. “It’s about time.”
She noticed Pearl’s gaze resting on her. A gentle smile curved her lips. She brought her hand up to give Emily a thumbs-up and they laughed together. Okay, she had the family’s approval. No hurdles to jump over here. But what about Salem’s daughters? It was one thing to hang around and teach them music, but would they want her as a stepmother?
Cody helped Laura pass around bacon and eggs then sat on Salem’s other side.
“Hey, man, really good news you got out of jail yesterday. Listen, how would you feel about me asking your daughter out?”
“On a date?”
“Yes, he means on a date.” Emily bit back a duh. Salem was brand-new to this business. He was probably scared to death of the whole process.
“I’ll take care of her, Salem. I’m nothing like Justin.”
“Aw, I know that, Cody. It’s just...I can’t believe my girls are old enough to date. If I trust anyone, it’s you. If she wants to go out with you, it’s okay with me.”
Cody wolfed down his breakfast then excused himself from the table. Emily heard him trot upstairs. A few minutes later, he came back downstairs ready for school with a satisfied grin on his face.
“Couldn’t wait until you got to school to ask her, could you?” Emily asked.
“Didn’t want to take the chance I’d miss her. She said yes. We’re going out tonight.”
I never doubted you, Cody, Emily thought.
Laura clapped her hands. “So...any good news you’d like to share, E-mi-ly?”
“Yes, Lau-ra, Salem and I are getting married.”
After all the hooting and high-fiving, Laura asked, “So, when can we start planning the wedding?”
“Just as soon as I get back from the Sudan,” Emily said, spreading jam on her toast.
The startled hush around the table had her glancing up.
“What? Oh, I didn’t tell you. I have to go back to take care of the prayer book.”
“What prayer book?”
She finally felt free enough to tell the whole story. When she finished, Salem asked, “Why do you have to go back? Why can’t Penny take care of it?”
The temperature in the room had dropped. She explained about the young PhD student, about her attempted suicide, about how Emily felt she had to finish this with Jean-Marc, to somehow make Jean-Marc accountable for his actions.
Salem stood and strode to the front door. She caught up to him just as he stepped outside.
“Salem, listen, please.” She described how cathartic dealing with her old demons at school had been and how she needed to do the same here.
He didn’t respond.
“You were right last year when you said I was running away. I’m not running this time. I’m finishing something.”
She thought about his mother leaving him and never coming back. “I will be back, Salem.” She grasped his arms. “Look at me.”
When he did, she said, “I’m asking you to trust me. I have so much to come back to now. I’m finishing an ugly chapter of my life and coming back to the best thing that has ever happened to me. You.”
He stared into her eyes for a moment, and then took her into his arms, pressing her heart against his.
“Trust me,” she whispered.
“Yes.”
* * *
SALEM STEPPED INTO his house with Emily, still unsettled by her news. He didn’t want her to go back, not because he didn’t trust her, but because he never wanted to let her go again. What if her plane crashed? What if war broke out while she was there? What if she never came back to him?
Mika and Aiyana entered the foyer, ready for school.
“Hey, guys. Where were you?” Mika slung a knapsack over her shoulders.
Oh, boy, Salem thought, how does a father answer that question when the answer is I was with this lovely woman beside me, and we weren’t playing cards. He’d tried to set a good example for his daughters in every area. It was beyond surreal that Emily’s family had taken the situation in stride, but they were all older than his girls.
“Mika,” Aiyana said, her face a study in older-sister patience, “they were with each other.”
“I can see that. I meant where were they? Did you guys go out for breakfast? Didn’t you bring back any of Laura’s cinnamon buns?”
Aiyana nudged her out the door. “Mika, you and I need to have a serious talk about the birds and the bees.”
“Oh, they were doing that? Why didn’t they just say so?”
Salem’s mouth dropped open. His younger daughter was okay with her dad doing that with a woman who wasn’t her mother, and to whom he wasn’t married?
Aiyana sent him a smile and a tiny thumbs-up before turning onto the sidewalk to head to school. Well, that was two thumbs-up. First Pearl and now Aiyana, and not a single objection from anyone.
“Does all of this seem really strange?” Salem scratched his head.
“Sort of like a magnetic flip of the earth? As though everything you knew to be real is all new and different? Yeah.”
“Is the world crazy, or is it just me?”
“Everyone’s happy for us, Salem. I guess they all saw it coming. That’s why they aren’t shocked.”
“But do teenagers really see sex so casually these days?”
Emily raised her eyebrows.
“Was it casual sex?” At the voice behind him, Salem spun around.
“Dad.” Salem expelled a sharp breath and his dad grinned at his exasperation. “You aren’t supposed to be listening in on private conversations.”
“Then don’t have them in the hallway of the house I live in.” The exaggerated circumflex of his father’s eyebrows mocked Salem. He held used dish towels and dishcloths. “Everybody is happy, eh?” His chuckle followed him to the laundry room at the back of the house.
“Life is strange, Salem. Let’s just accept all of the goodwill and move on.” The tone of Emily’s voice changed, became speculative. “Are you working today?”
“I don’t have to. No.”
“We can’t go back to my place, not with Pearl and Laura, and maybe my dad, there.”
Oh. He knew what she meant. Making love. He wanted more, too. Desperately.
Salem’s father came out of the laundry room at the back of the hallway and marched to the front door. “Just remembered I was supposed to meet a bunch of the guys at the bakery for coffee. I’ll be gone for hours.”
Wily old coot was giving them privacy. “How did you hear that all the way down there when most of the time you don’t catch a word I say?”
His dad sat on the bench beside the door to tie his shoelaces. “Don’t always want to hear you. This time I did.” He opened the front door. “I’ll bring Ansel those cinnamon buns he wanted.”
As though he could see Salem’s guilt kick in, he said, “He’s my friend, Salem. I want to take care of him.” He winked at them. “Have fun.”
“Well,” Emily said when the door closed behind him, “I guess we have as much encouragement as we’re ever going to need. Race you to your room.”
Salem won, but only because he lifted Emily into his arms while she squealed, and carried her up the stairs. Once in his room, he tossed her onto the bed. On his pillow, her hair burst into rays of sunshine and shadow around her face.
He undressed slowly, taking his time because he liked the way she smiled as she watched him.
They made love in the morning sunlight streaming through the window and long past lunchtime, their only hunger their desires for each other.
In time, they showered and dressed and prepared to greet the girls when they came home from school. They found his father sleeping in the armchair downstairs, the footrest out and an afghan across his chest.
He snorted and awoke, then shook himself. His spine popped.
“You awake, old man?” Salem asked with deep satisfaction in his voice.
“Am now.” He tossed off the blanket and flipped the lever to put the chair upright. “Couldn’t take my nap upstairs. Too noisy.”
Emily gasped and her cheeks turned pink. Gotcha, Salem thought, now you know how I felt this morning with your family.
A smile lurked in his dad’s eyes.
“He’s pulling your leg, Emily. This is his favorite chair. He sleeps here every evening. Not usually in the afternoon, though. You okay?”
“Yep. Didn’t sleep as well at the res as usual. Too worried. All is good now.”
Salem didn’t think he would ever be able to relax completely where those he loved were concerned. Maybe he was destined to be a worrier.
Aiyana and Mika came home and joined them in the living room.
“Hey, girls, sit down.” He waited until they were settled on the sofa. “How would you feel if Emily and I got married?”
His dad nodded, a sage old Indian seer. He’d probably seen the whole thing coming. Heck, he’d encouraged it, hadn’t he?
She’s fun trouble, he’d said, and he was so right. Emily brought color and music and life into his world.
Mika squealed, because that’s what Mika always did when she got excited. Aiyana’s reaction was more subdued, but no less gratifying. In her smile, Salem saw approval, love and hope.
They’d both weathered their storms. They couldn’t have done it without the woman by his side.
* * *
AIYANA DRESSED WITH the same care she might use had the president invited her to the White House. Cody had called before school to ask her out on a date. A real one. He was taking her to dinner to celebrate her dad’s exoneration.
The dress Dad bought her fit perfectly. She slipped into her black ballet flats. The diamond necklace he’d also bought her sparkled on her dresser. Dad was right. It was probably the smallest diamond on earth, but she loved it. After she put it on and finished applying makeup, a light touch of mascara and pink lip gloss, she studied herself in the mirror.
Never again would she put on more makeup than she liked just because she thought a boy might want it, or because it was fashionable. Justin might be a boy she would always remember with distaste, but he’d taught her a lot without meaning to. He’d taught her to be herself and to not dress for others. If a boy couldn’t accept her for who she was then he wasn’t worthy of her.
She dusted the tiniest bit of blush on her high cheekbones, the ones she’d inherited from her father. There. Done. She looked good, but still like herself. No more pretending. No more striving to be someone she wasn’t.
The doorbell rang and her pulse fluttered in her throat. She might have more confidence since that debacle with Justin, but come on, she was going out on a date with Cody Jordan. She sighed, because it was hard not to. Cody. Never in her wildest dreams...
When he saw her coming downstairs, Cody’s face lit up.
“Wow. You look gorgeous.”
It warmed her heart. Yes, she had more self-confidence, and yes, she was sure of who she was and that she was worthy of any boy, but Cody’s smile made her feel amazing.
Handsome in a plain white dress shirt and dark jeans, Cody escorted her to the car and opened her door.
“I mean it, Aiyana. You look incredible.”
“Thanks. My dad got me this dress and the necklace for my birthday. It’s the first really grown-up things he’s ever bought me. He says the diamond’s too small, but I love it.” She was babbling. Why, oh why, did she have to be so lame? Despite the confidence, let’s face it, she was still a nerd.
“Aiyana?”
“Yes?”
“Relax. There’s no pressure with me. We’re just having a nice dinner together. Okay?”
The tension in her shoulders eased. “Okay. This is my first real date. I don’t count that disaster with Justin. It’s lame that I’m so nervous, isn’t it?”
“Everyone has a first date sometime in their lives.”
“I can’t believe you were ever nervous on a date.”
“Are you kidding? My first date was with a girl a year older than me who I had the hots for like crazy, and I was terrified.”
“Even you?” She giggled. “You mean you didn’t come out of your mother’s womb full of self-confidence and swagger?”
Oh, she liked the way his lips looked when he grinned. “I had my awkward phase.”
“No way. I grew up in this town and watched you growing up. You’ve never been awkward. You’ve always been gorgeous.” She clapped a hand to her mouth.
Cody laughed. “Hey, thanks, Aiyana.”
She was horrified. “I can’t believe I said that out loud.”
“You’ve been watching me, eh?” His voice took on a speculative note beneath the humor. “I noticed you, too, once you started to grow up. I like how unique you are.”
Unique. Yeah, she liked that. Aiyana Pearce was unique, and there was nothing wrong with that.
At the restaurant, Cody behaved like a perfect gentleman. He even pulled out her chair before she sat down. She felt like a grown-up.
“What do you think of your dad and my sister hooking up?”
“I like it. It’s more than a hookup. They’re getting married.”
“It’s awesome, huh? They belong together. I think they’ll be good for each other. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but how do you feel about Emily as a stepmother?”
“I think she’s amazing. I love her already. I think she’ll make a great mother.”
“And if they have more children you won’t be jealous?”
“No. I’m too old for that. Besides, I had Dad’s love for a lot of years. I don’t think he would love another baby more than he loves me and Mika. It will be really cool to see him happy again.”
They talked about what happened with Justin, and about how Emily had helped her to see it had nothing to do with her heritage.
“I’m surprised you thought it did.”
“I’ve always been embarrassed about how different I look from, you know, the Brittanys and Madisons of the world.”
“I’ll tell you a secret. Brittany and Madison at school?”
She nodded.
“Dead boring to date. They think the sun rises and sets on them. All they talk about is themselves and gossip. It’s a relief to go out with so
meone who isn’t totally self-centered.”
“They’re older than me. I don’t know them well.”
“Trust me. You’re easier to spend time with. You should celebrate who you are and try not to envy other girls. You’re pretty and smart.”
They toasted with their sodas.
Aiyana reached into her purse and took out the leather band she’d bought for Cody. “I wanted to get you something for helping me at school. I don’t know if you’ll like it.”
He opened the box. “Hey. Cool. This is great.” He put it on right away. It looked really good on his wrist, totally masculine.
“I didn’t know if I should give you jewelry. Even saying the word jewelry when it’s a gift for boy is strange, but I really liked it and—”
“Aiyana?”
“Yes?”
He squeezed her hand. “It’s great. Thank you.”
When Cody drove her home, he said, “Do you want to hang out this summer? I’ll be going away in the fall, and you’re only sixteen, so it’s not like we can get all serious, but I like spending time with you.”
“I’d like that, Cody. I honestly don’t want to have sex with any guy. I realized with Justin I’m really not ready. I want to wait until I’m positive that’s what I want to do.” That she could even utter the word sex in a conversation with Cody said a lot about what a good job he’d done to help her relax this evening. The big thing, though, was realizing how true it was. She wasn’t ready for sex and wasn’t ready to settle for just any guy. She would know when both the time and the boy were right. She was sure of it.
Cody nodded. “Good. Glad to hear it. In the meantime, let’s hang out.”
He walked her to the door, gave her a chaste kiss on her cheek then said good-night.
She watched him drive away.
He’d given her a gift.
Celebrate who you are.
What a crazy beginning to her summer, from the lowest low to the highest high. There wasn’t going to be a big romance with Cody—and that was okay—but he had confirmed what she was only just beginning to learn about herself. She was going to hang out with him all summer, with the coolest guy around, and not have to worry about impressing him—he already liked her the way she was—and not have to worry about him pressuring her to have sex. What could be better?
Always Emily Page 27