Heaven and Hell (Page 108)

“I did not raise a stupid man,” she whispered back and this time she just gave my arm a squeezy-hug without the shake.

I smiled tentatively at her.

Her smile wasn’t tentative at all.

She looked forward again and cried, “Thank God! Chai!”

Then she steered us quickly to the line in the coffee place at the airport.

Right. That went well.

And I owed Luci. Big time.

I ordered an iced latte.

And when the girl handed me my plastic cup, I finally relaxed.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Never Use It Just to Breathe

“Look at all these beautiful flowers!” Maris called out.

Since Sam was bringing up her bags, he was trailing me. I was trailing Maris therefore she’d hit the first floor before both of us.

I was learning that Maris making note of something I’d done with her in mind was pure Maris. She was just like her son, talkative, friendly, warm, demonstrative, decisive and totally bossy. It was super cute how she ordered her tall, powerfully-built, definitely adult son around. It was even cuter how Sam put up with it with affectionate patience and indulgent grins.

We took the Cherokee up to Raleigh because it was more comfortable for passengers and meant her bags wouldn’t be exposed to the elements. During the ride home, twisted in my seat most of the time to gab with Maris, I had learned that Sam told his mother about me after he had breakfast with me.

Yes, that’s what I said. After he had breakfast with me.

She’d called him that very day and he’d shared he’d met, as Maris recounted, “a beautiful woman who also manages to be cute.”

At his mother imparting this information on me, with affectionate patience and an indulgent grin, Sam had muttered, “Jesus.”

“Is that not what you said?” Maris retorted.

Patiently and indulgently, Sam muttered, “Yeah, Ma, that’s what I said.”

She grinned at me. I grinned back but I suspected, learning Sam said shared this with his mother after we had breakfast, my grin was a whole lot brighter.

Luci and the news reported widely that Cooter and Vanessa planned to off me filled in the rest. Therefore she wasted no time in finding the opportunity to meet me.

“I hope you don’t find it offensive that we talk, Kia,” she said quietly, studying my face. “We’re family, that’s what families do.”

I liked it that she corralled Luci in her family. I liked that a lot. It said everything about her.

“I have a family, Maris, so I get that,” I replied quietly in return.

She grinned at me again. And again, I grinned back.

Sam was right; I had nothing to be nervous about. Then again, it was good that I was nervous because, clearly, Maris was just as pleased as Sam that I cared.

Now we were home, she liked the flowers and it was all good.

I made sure I was out of his way at the top of the stairs then turned and smiled at Sam to communicate my relief. He caught my smile, stopped, his hand shot out, hooked the back of my neck and he pulled me to him, leaning down to kiss me even as he smiled back.

“Luci!” Maris cried.

Sam’s mouth still on mine, I opened my eyes to see he had too and my surprise was reflected in his.

His head moved away just as Maris exclaimed, “Oh my God! What a lovely surprise!”

Sam released my neck, left the bag where it was and we both moved into the kitchen to see Maris already out the front door and hurrying through the screened porch.

My eyes went beyond her to see Luci on the deck.

She wasn’t alone.

Celeste was rising gracefully from one of Sam’s Adirondack chairs.

“Celeste!” I cried happily, running on my high heels through Sam’s house and out to the deck (Memphis yapping and following at my heels) where I made a bee-line to my friend and threw my arms around her.

“Ma chérie,” she whispered in my ear, holding tight.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” I whispered back.

“Surprise,” she replied softly.

I felt tears sting my eyes as I straightened but didn’t drop my arms.

“Best one I think I’ve ever had.”

She smiled at me, took one arm from around me and laid her hand lightly on the side of my face. Her eyes moved over my features, they got soft and I knew from her look that she liked what she saw. Then they moved over my shoulder.

“Sam,” she said in her rich, cultured voice and moved out of my arms to Sam.

“Kia!” Luci cried and I turned to her just in time to catch her in my arms. We gave each other deep hugs then she pulled back. “Maris told me she was coming to meet you, I told Celeste and we both decided it would be fun to make it a surprise party.” She let me go and threw out her arms. “So we’re here. Surprise!”

“Awesome,” I whispered.

She grinned at me, her head turned then she cried out, “Sam!” like he wasn’t two feet away from her but down on the beach during a hurricane and she threw herself in his arms so hard I saw his body lock so they both didn’t go down.

Celeste and Maris were smiling at them and I let Sam and Luci have their moment by introducing the two women.

“Maris, this is my friend Celeste Masterson. We met in Lake Como. Celeste, sweetie, this is Sam’s Mom, Marisela Cooper.”

“Maris,” Maris stated, lifting her hand that Celeste took, she leaned in, they did the cheek to cheek to cheek business then pulled apart.

“We brought champagne!” Luci announced, moving to a table, lifting a sweating bottle of Cristal and I noted it was one of three.

Yep, Luci and Celeste had decided it was time to party.

So it was time to party.

“I’ll get glasses,” I offered and began to move.

“No, baby, I got it,” Sam murmured and moved faster than me so I settled.

“I love this!” Luci cried, clapping her hands together. “Everyone together! We need to call Hap!”

I grinned at her even as I studied her.

It was still there, the sorrow, not even a little faded. My grin faltered and my eyes moved to Celeste. She tipped her head slightly to the side and shook it once almost imperceptibly. I nodded mine once, hopefully the same. I knew from conversations with both of them that Celeste and Luci spent a lot of time together in Lake Como and Celeste and I had several conversations about Luci. Celeste saw the same thing I did. And Celeste was at the same loss as Sam and I were as to what to do about it.

Then my gaze slid to Maris who I saw was looking between me and Celeste knowingly. She saw it too, she knew what Celeste and I were communicating and this was confirmed when she reached out her fingers and lightly touched the back of mine.