“I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” Rayne squeezed her cousin’s hand as she offered a bit of comfort.
Her thoughts shifted again, but this time she wasn’t thinking of Calvin. Instead, she was recalling some moments when she and Eddie had been on a date and he had realized he’d left his wallet at home. She, of course, paid for everything. Those were the times they’d gone to expensive restaurants. Eddie paid when they went out for pizza or Chinese. He wouldn’t even pay to take her to a movie in the evening. It had to be matinees.
She shook her head, trying to get those doubts out of her mind. Eddie wasn’t like Jeff. First off, Eddie didn’t have a well-paid job. Not yet. Once he graduated with his degree in engineering, then he’d be able to find the job of his dreams.
Her thoughts screeched to a halt, once again. He told her he went to school during the day, which was why he worked in the evenings. But... he always came to her shop to take her to lunch. When he called, it was usually during the day. In fact, she’d never seen him study. And the few times she’d been to his apartment, she’d not seen any study books lying around.
When Sally started talking again, Rayne tried to dismiss the doubts quickly filling her head. No! She shouldn’t think this way. Eddie was not like Jeff. She just needed to ask Eddie to explain why he never studied.
Taking a deep breath, she concentrated on her cousin again, but something else popped into her head. Before marrying Calvin, she’d pleaded with Eddie to take her and elope. At that moment, she’d wanted him more than her inheritance. They’d live just fine without the money. And yet, Eddie was adamant. He insisted she marry Calvin. Eddie made her feel that she deserved the inheritance and that he would be patient and wait twelve months before they could get married.
If a man really and truly loved a woman, would he really push her to marry another man, even if he thought it was in name only? If roles were reversed, she would not push Eddie to marry another woman.
Unease settled inside of her, making her restless. She couldn’t stay and comfort her cousin when she felt this way about Eddie. Rayne really needed to tell Sally she had to leave. But what excuse could she give her?
Just then, Sally’s cell phone rang. She wiped her eyes before answering it.
“Hi, Dad.” Sally moved off the couch and into the kitchen.
Rayne took this opportunity to stand, too. She stretched her arms over her head and breathed deeply, hoping the anxiety inside her would leave. But until she talked with Eddie, she knew these feelings wouldn’t go away.
From Sally’s raised voice, Rayne could only assume that her dad wasn’t giving her good news. Blowing out a ragged sigh, Rayne walked to the sliding glass doors and looked out the back toward the ocean. Sally’s condo was along the beach and had the perfect view, both night and day. Calvin would like it out here. In fact, Rayne would love to bring him out here so they could walk barefoot along the beach at night. Immediately, she pictured what it would be like. He’d hold her hand, of course. They’d stare at each other just like they did right before they kissed the other night.
Rayne stepped outside to breathe in the refreshing air. A light breeze came in from the ocean, cooling her face. Slowly, her body began to relax... or was she feeling calmer because her thoughts had shifted to Calvin?
A grin sneaked across her face. Leaning against the railing, she closed her eyes. It was hard for her to admit how enjoyable it was to be with Calvin now. He’d somehow changed since the first time they’d met. Or was she the one who’d changed?
Sally’s hysterical sobs jerked Rayne out of her daydreams, and she turned back toward the double-glass doors. Sally stood just inside, crying into a handful of tissues.
“What’s wrong?” Rayne asked, moving toward her cousin.
“That was my dad on the phone. He told me...” She sniffed and wiped her nose. “He told me that his lawyer won’t take the case because his associate is taking Jeff on as his client.” She ended with a wail.
Rayne rushed to her and hugged her. “Let him have the associate. I know someone who is better. And he will take Jeff through the wringer.”
Sally wiped her eyes again. “Who?”
Rayne grinned proudly. “My husband.”
TEN
Calvin was very happy to take on Sally’s case, mainly so that he could spend more time with his wife. He didn’t worry about taking on two cases at once, because he wasn’t fully connected to the case the firm had taken on. In Sally Kennedy’s case, the partners in the firm agreed that Calvin could devote most of his time to Sally since her father was a powerful figure around town. And, if Calvin won this case, the attention he’d get from social media would bump up his career.
Although Calvin was excited about that, the main reason he wanted to win this case was for Rayne. As she sat with him and Sally in his office, he enjoyed seeing that special gleam in Rayne’s eyes as she watched him in action. In fact, if he was to give that special gleam a name, he’d say it was pride. Could Rayne be just as proud of her husband as he was of his wife?
As Sally answered questions about her marriage and about Jeff, Calvin was sure he could win this case. In fact, if Jeff was anything like Eddie...
An idea popped into Calvin’s head. “Sally? I think we should hire an investigator and have him follow Jeff. I have a gut feeling that we’ll find something that will help us with this case.”
Frowning, Sally exchanged worried glances with Rayne before the woman looked back at him. “You’re thinking he’s been cheating on me, right?”
Calvin nodded and crossed his arms on the table in front of him. “I’m thinking that since Jeff can’t get your money, he’s going to want to find another wealthy woman who will give him money.” He arched an eyebrow. “And because you are such a kind-hearted woman, you probably don’t want that other woman being taken advantage of either.”
Another tear slid down her cheek. “You’re right, of course. We need to stop Jeff before he finds another woman to steal from.” Her expression hardened and she squared her shoulders. “Hire someone. The more dirt we find on Jeff, the better our chances are of winning.”
“Now you’re thinking.” He winked.
He took a few more notes before ending their meeting. They all stood and he walked them to the door. Sally’s face softened as she looked at him and shook his hand.
“Thank you so much. You have eased my worries.” She touched Rayne’s arm. “My cousin trusts you completely, which helps me have faith in you too.”
His heart did a little flip and he glanced at his wife. Her smile stretched across her face and made her eyes twinkle.
“Then I guess,” he said to Sally, but kept his gaze locked with Rayne’s, “I should thank my wife for believing in me so much.”
The two ladies walked out the door, but then Rayne tugged on Sally’s sleeve, getting her attention. “I need to talk to Calvin for a moment. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
Sally nodded before moving down the hall. Rayne re-entered his office and closed the door. His heartbeat had quickened. Alone at last!
She stared up at him with pleading eyes. “Calvin, do you really think you can win?”
“I do, actually. If Jeff is as clueless as he seems, it’ll be easy to catch him in a lie. And the investigator I hire will dig deep into Jeff’s past. We’ll see if he’s done this to other women too.”
“Oh, I hope so. Sally is so vulnerable right now, and well... I don’t like the idea of someone taking advantage of her and winning.”
“I agree. No man who treats a woman like that should get away with it.” He couldn’t help but think of Eddie again. “But there are men out there exactly like Jeff. They’ll charm women and lie to them, making them think that they are in love and they can’t live without him. And yet, all he’s after is their money.” Calvin bunched his hands into fists, knowing that Rayne was going through the same thing with Eddie. “Thankfully for Sally, Jeff showed his true colors quickly. They could have had two or
three kids by now, and then that would have made the divorce more complicated.”
Her forehead creased and her eyes narrowed. She moved closer to him and took hold of his hands. “Calvin, you seem so passionate about this. Has something like this happened in your life?”
“In a way, yes.” His anger diminished just from her tender touch by seeing the concern in her bright blue eyes. “But it’s nothing to worry about.” He lifted one of her hands to his mouth and kissed her fingers.
A sigh escaped her mouth and the lines around her mouth and forehead disappeared. She didn’t seem so stiff, either. It was all he could do not to take her into his arms and kiss her with all the urgency that had been building up inside him since their last kiss was interrupted.
“I guess,” she said, almost in a whisper, “I should let you get back to work now.”
“I have a few minutes to spare for my beautiful wife.”
Her intake of air was ragged, and her mouth parted invitingly. But he still hesitated, savoring the build-up of passion rolling inside of him that was beginning to play havoc with his nerves.
“After all,” he added, “I still haven’t thanked her for believing in me.” He placed another kiss on her fingers.
“I... um, of course, I believe in you... in your ability to win her case.”
“That’s all?” He shrugged. “That’s the only reason you believe in me?”
Her laugh was awkward. “Of course, not. But... well, Sally really needs you right now, and you put aside your other case just to help her.”
“I’m not doing this for her as much as I’m doing it for you.”
Her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve been looking at me differently. I like the sparkle in your eyes when you smile. I like the softness of your voice when you talk to me.”
A blush covered her face, but she didn’t look away. He liked that.
“I also like the way you’ve treated me lately... like I’m someone important in your life.”
“Of course, you’re important in my life.” Her voice was tight, and her chest heaved with quick breaths. “I think we’ve become good... friends. Don’t you?”
Friends? And yet, friends didn’t kiss with as much passion as they’d done the other night. It appeared to Calvin that she still hadn’t admitted to herself that maybe, just maybe, she thought of him as more than a friend.
“Yes. We’ve definitely become closer.” He brushed his lips across her knuckles. Her breathing sped up.
He was running out of time because if he tried kissing her now, they would definitely get interrupted. Perhaps the key to making her realize what was in her heart was to keep her wanting more. Wanting him more.
Her gaze dropped to his mouth, and his throat immediately became dry. She wanted to kiss him. He was experienced enough to know what that certain look in a woman’s eyes meant. But as much as it would tear him apart not to follow through with both of their wishes, he had to keep her coming back for more.
Expelling a deep breath, he released her hands and stepped back. Disappointment flashed across her face, but then she blinked and straightened her shoulders. When she smiled this time, he could see it was forced.
“I suppose I should call that investigator. The sooner the better, right?” he said.
“I couldn’t agree more.” She turned toward the door and rested her hand on the doorknob. “Will I see you at home?”
“Yes. I’m not going to let the firm keep me late tonight.”
“Good.” This time her smile was genuine. “Then I’ll see you later.”
After she’d left his office, he sat on the edge of his desk and sighed heavily. It was going to be hard to create the right mood for this evening’s meal. But one way or another, he’d make her beg him for a kiss.
RAYNE FINISHED TAKING another order of dresses and hung up the phone. Excitement danced in her tummy, making her want to shout with happiness. So, this was what success felt like.
“Ladies!” she called loudly, getting Dusti and Lacey’s attention. “We have another big order to fill.”
The shop echoed with the screams of Rayne’s assistants. She grinned and hurried toward them. This moment of elation called for a group hug.
As they laughed and hugged each other, Rayne realized how happy she’d been lately. Right before she married Calvin, her world had looked hopeless. She thought the days would drag out and she’d be completely miserable. But the exact opposite had happened, and she liked this trend in her life. She fervently believed God was blessing her in some way.
“Do you want me to place an order for more material?” Dusti asked as she moved to the laptop on one of the tables.
“Yes. Let me write down a list first.” Rayne moved beside her and grabbed her notepad and pen. “Thankfully, we have six weeks to get this order out, but I’d still like to be ahead of schedule.”
She jotted items down on her list, concentrating on the types of dresses in the order. The moment her cell phone buzzed with a text message, her mind went blank. Grumbling, she pulled out her phone and checked the message. When she noticed who’d sent it, her heart melted.
Hey, my adorable wife. This is a formal invite. I want to take you out to dinner tonight. Your choice. Anywhere you’d like to go.
Her heart leaped as a different kind of excitement entered her body.
Anywhere? She texted.
Anywhere!
She sighed, staring at his name on her phone as her mind whirled with ideas of where they could go to eat. But all she could think of was that she wanted to be alone with him, back at his condo, just like they were when he kissed her. What’s the occasion?
Does there need to be an occasion to take out my beautiful wife?
Her heart tripped. Why did she like it so much when he called her his wife? Nodding, she texted, Okay, then... Let’s go to Marino’s Cuisine.
Yes! They have great food.
Not only did she like the food at this particular restaurant, she liked how romantic it was with the soft instrumental music playing in the background, and the dim lighting, not to mention the exotic flowers that were placed in vases around the room making the place smell like it was a tropical island. Lastly, the place was quieter than most restaurants. People whispered words of love to each other, and they could still hear what was being said by their dates.
Perfect! She texted. I’ll meet you back at the condo tonight. Dinner is at seven.
She glanced at the time on her cell phone. It was only one-thirty? She groaned, hoping the time would fly by.
When she slid her phone back into her slacks, she looked up to see Dusti and Lacey standing next to each other, watching her. Both women had wide grins.
“Someone’s in love,” Lacey said in a sing-song voice.
“Ah, mi amore,” Dusti sighed.
Rayne rolled her eyes and moved past them, walking into the warehouse to check her supplies. “You two don’t know what you’re talking about.” She felt her face heating with embarrassment, as though they’d caught her doing something she shouldn’t be doing. She was just texting!
Lacey’s laughter echoed in the main shop, and Rayne shook her head. She’d never hear the end of it now.
“If you’d like my advice,” Dusti said, making Rayne jump. “I think Mr. Attorney-at-Law is a much better catch than ole what’s-his-name who drives a beat-up truck.”
Rayne frowned. “Money isn’t everything, you know.” Her first response was to defend Eddie. Sadly enough, none of her friends and family had really ever liked him. She’d always thought it was because he didn’t have a lot of money – or in his case – no money at all.
“Truly, it’s not. Let me rephrase that.” Dusti paused as she tapped a finger to her chin. “I think Mr. Sweet-as-Melting-Chocolate who adores his new wife and looks at her with stars in his eyes is a better catch than what’s-his-name who has never made Rayne as happy as she is now.”
Her stomach tightened irritably. She
opened her mouth to defend Eddie again, but there were no words. Dusti was right. Eddie had never adored her as Calvin seemed to do. Although she thought she was madly in love with Eddie, she’d never been happier than she was now.
Was it because her business was picking up more orders? Or was it the man himself who made her smile more than she’d ever done before?
Tonight, during dinner, she’d have to think about what she really wanted out of life. She needed to analyze which man – Eddie or Calvin – brought out the best in her.
ELEVEN
“Really, Calvin... What is the reason for this fancy date?”
Calvin pulled out her chair and she sat, but her gaze moved around the secluded room of the restaurant. He would have preferred to get their own private room, but since that wasn’t an option, he’d paid extra for the secluded room which consisted of four tables made up for couples only. He didn’t mind paying extra. Rayne was worth it. And tonight, she looked like a million dollars.
The black, beaded lace long-sleeved gown drooped at the collar, making him want to kiss her exposed neck. The lace appeared more like a jacket that covered the heart-shaped bodice underneath. The pleated black skirt reached mid-calf, showing off her slender legs and black stilettos.
She’d worn her hair differently this evening, loosely piling it on her head in a coil, but leaving tendrils along her ears and neck area. And as always, she smelled like a rose garden. Any man with a brain in his head would be lucky to have her as his girlfriend – or wife. Calvin was blessed that he was the man with brains in his head.
“Reason?” he asked, trying to look innocent as he sat across from her. “Does there really need to be a reason?”
She shrugged. “I guess not, but...” she narrowed her gaze on him, “I think you have created one, anyway. Right?”
He chuckled. “You’re correct, of course. There is a reason.” She gave him that I told you look, which made him laugh harder. “Tonight is our anniversary.”
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