Chapter 36
“Okay, Kitty Purry, what do you think?”
The sparkling blush is chilling in the refrigerator.
I’ve changed out of my work clothes and into a flowy dress that hits mid-calf, a row of cork buttons marching down the front.
Teardrop leather earrings in the same shade of blue as the dress hang from my ears and frame my face.
The paste jewels have come off my head, and so far, that part of me is bare.
I eye the wig draped over the bust on the counter. Kitty Purry must have the same idea because her yellow eyes go that direction as well. One of her tiny paws reaches out and bats at the synthetic tresses.
I take a deep breath as I meet my own gaze reflected in the mirror. “I think I’m going to go without it, Kitty.”
There’s nothing wrong with wigs or wearing them. There is, however, something injurious in the path my thoughts have traveled since losing my hair. In how I’ve viewed myself since then.
Tai calls me beautiful, and I’m beginning to believe it. Strangers in a grocery store say I’m an inspiration, and I want that to be true. Tai loves me. It’s about time I start loving myself.
Kitty Purry stares at me, her head tilted. I know she has no idea what I’m saying so I don’t take it personally when she hops off the bathroom counter and slinks around the door to somewhere more interesting.
I pick up the tube of lipstick from my makeup bag and swipe the cherry color over my lips. My gaze strays back to my bald head. It just seems so naked. Bare.
A mental picture of the woman with the henna tattoo on Tai’s social media materializes. My phone is lying face-up on the counter, and it only takes a few swipes and taps before the photos are on the screen. She’s gorgeous in a raw and powerful way. In an inspiring way.
I look between the photo and my own reflection in the mirror, a seed of an idea, of want, burrowing into my soul. But then I catch sight of the time and I scramble to collect my things. If I don’t leave soon, I’m going to be late.
I grab the two bottles of sparkling blush from the refrigerator. “Wish me luck, Kitty,” I say as I sling my purse over my shoulder. Predictably, she doesn’t even look up from where she’s grooming herself on the couch.
Tai’s parents live on the other side of Little Creek, closer to the foothills and a little deeper into the woods.
Their driveway is a bit on the steep side, and I’m glad I’m not attempting it in winter without the help of four-wheel-drive.
The house comes into view over a rise, but I don’t spend too much time noticing the homey porch or the welcoming pots of hanging plants because I’m too relieved to see Tai’s Challenger parked in front of the garage door.
I park behind him and kill the engine. By the time I gather the beverages from the passenger seat, my door is being opened and Tai is standing there, grinning down at me.
He offers me a hand, and even though I’m perfectly capable of exiting a vehicle under my own steam, I slip my palm into his and let him help me out of the car.
He immediately tugs me to him, and I fall against his chest as he wraps his arms around the small of my back. “I’ve changed my mind. Let’s skip dinner and get out of here,” he says against my neck right before I feel his lips press a kiss to my thrumming pulse.
“You don’t want me to meet your parents?”
“I don’t want to share you. Can’t I keep you all to myself? Once my mom gets ahold of you—”
“Tai, stop hogging the poor girl and bring her here,” a woman’s voice calls.
Tai groans but pulls away, tucking me into his side. “You look amazing, by the way.”
My fingers twitch with the need to self-consciously touch the base of my scalp, but I keep them by my side.
Tai leads me toward the house and the petite woman standing at the top of the porch stairs.
She smiles with her whole face, the same way Tai does, and the resemblance somehow calms the butterflies in my stomach.
“I’m so glad to meet you, Evangeline.” She pulls me into a hug, squeezing me tight.
“Mom, you might want to let her breath.” Tai’s voice hums with humor.
His mom releases me and steps back. “I’m sorry. I’m just happy to meet you. My son never brings girls home. I was beginning to despair.”
I look over at Tai and raise my brows at him.
He smirks back at me. “I told you I wasn’t a rake.”
Mrs. Davis glances between us, confusion written on her face. “Why would you be a garden tool, Tai?”
Tai folds his arms over his chest and casually leans against a porch pole. “Yeah, Angel. Why would I be a garden tool?”
My face heats, but there’s no way I’m explaining to Tai’s mom the historical romance definition of the word. I clear my throat and make a show of looking around the front porch. “What a lovely house you have here, Mrs. Davis.”
“None of that Mrs. Davis nonsense. Call me Missy. And thank you, dear. Let me show you around.” She links her arm with mine and pulls me through the front door, Tai trailing behind. “Walter’s out back manning the grill. I hope you like barbecue.”
“What’s not to like?”
“My thoughts exactly.”
Missy takes the paper bag from me and hands it to Tai with instructions to put it in the kitchen, then shows me around the house, including the timeline of photos of Tai as a child that hang in the hallway.
“He was such a cute kid,” Missy says.
“That hasn’t changed, has it, Angel?” Tai winks at me as he joins us again.
“I’m afraid if I answer that your head will no longer fit in this house.”
Missy laughs like that’s the funniest thing she’s ever heard. “Oh, I like this girl.”
“Me too, Mom.” Tai’s look is heated.
I flush, but Missy breezes past me without noticing, thank goodness.
“Let’s go outside so you can meet Walter.”
I step behind her to follow but am halted when Tai snakes an arm around my waist and hauls me against his front.
“Come on. We can still sneak out while she’s not looking,” he says low in my ear.
He’s kidding, but that knowledge doesn’t stop the thrill of pleasure his words send down my spine. Being wanted is extremely heady. I turn my chin and peck a kiss onto his cheek, then thread my fingers through his and tug, following his mom outside.
Tai’s dad is standing in front of a steaming grill, brushing barbecue sauce onto glistening cuts of meat. He finishes, closes the grill’s lid, wipes his hands on a Grill Master apron, then turns to me with a wide smile. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the librarian we’ve been hearing so much about.”
I shake his proffered hand. “Thank you for having me.”
“I’m going to head inside and grab some of the other food.” Missy hooks a thumb over her shoulder and pivots on her heel toward the house.
“Go help her, son.”
“Oh, I could go,” I offer.
“No can do,” Walter says. “I need you for something out here. Tai can go.”
Tai holds up his hands as he turns to follow his mother. “I guess Tai will go, then.”
I turn to Walter. “What did you need my help with?”
He waves me over to the table. “Not sure you knew we’d be eating outside.
Didn’t want your head to burn if you hadn’t put sunscreen on already.
” He holds out a tube of lotion with palm trees on it with one hand and rubs his hand over his shiny pate with the other.
“Take it from me. A burned head is not fun.”
I wordlessly accept the offering. I have no idea if Tai told his parents about my condition beforehand or not, but at this moment, I realize there’s no elephant in the room. No surreptitious curious glances. No outright questions.
“This may be the first time I’ve ever given this compliment—and pardon me if it’s in any way untoward—but you have a beautifully shaped skull.”
“I . . .” No one has ever said that to me before. As far as compliments go, I doubt it’s one that has passed many lips, but it’s also one that warms me more than any other. “Thank you.”
The sliding glass door opens, and Missy and Tai step out, holding platters of baked beans, coleslaw, sliced tomatoes, and corn fritters.
“Wow. This looks amazing.” I take the bowl of baked beans from Missy and set it on the patio table already set for the meal.
Walter plucks barbecued chicken off the grill and heaps a serving dish full of smoky drumsticks.
After a quick blessing over the food and the passing around of dishes, Missy jumps back into conversation. “I promised Tai I wouldn’t pester you with questions right away, and since you’ve been here at least twenty minutes, I’d say I’ve kept that promise.”
“Mom.” Tai’s voice holds exasperated warning in its tone.
Missy shoos away her son’s complaint. “This is your fault. I had to hear from Bella Johnson that you were even seeing someone. Imagine my surprise when she said the romantic tension from you and the new librarian would put Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy to shame.” She picks up her fork, then wags the utensil at Tai.
“And don’t think Hayley is off the hook either.
A romance happening under her nose and she didn’t tell me? Tsk.”
“Hayley’s the reason we met, actually,” Tai supplies.
“That girl is going to get an earful next time I see her. Come on. Spill the beans. What’s the story?” Missy turns to me. “If Hayley is a part of the plot, I can only assume one of their little dares was involved. And then what happened?”
I look past Tai’s mom and latch onto the man’s gaze. He’s shaking his head, but every revolution only tugs at my lips. He sees my burgeoning grin and hangs his head in mock defeat.
I look back to Missy, letting my smile break free. “And then we struck a bargain in which my end required me going out with him.”
She gasps a no while Walter’s silverware clatters onto his plate and he glares at his son with threatening malice. “You forced your attention onto a woman? Stand up. You and me need to have a conversation right now.”
Tai lifts his head and pins me with a look that promises retribution. A look that has me curling my toes in my strappy sandals.
I clear my throat. “That’s not necessary.”
“The devil it isn’t,” his dad says.
Oh dear. Maybe I shouldn’t have used Tai’s parents to tease him.
“It really isn’t. Tai didn’t circumvent my consent.
Well, technically I guess he did, but somehow he knew my refusal came from a place of hurt and that I needed someone who wouldn’t give up on me.
Not that I’m saying any man shouldn’t take a woman’s no as the final answer, but in this case—” I scrub a hand down my face. “Wow. I’m really muddling this up.”
“You aren’t here against your will?” Walter is still scowling at Tai like he wants to find a willow switch and drag his son behind the woodshed.
“No, I am not.” I meet Tai’s gaze again, hoping he can read the apology in my eyes.
“And you’re with Tai because you want to be? No other reason?” Missy sounds as if she’s afraid to hear the answer.
“I’m with Tai because he’s the best man I’ve ever met. He’s shown me what unconditional love looks like at a time when I thought love had given up on me. I’m with him because there’s no other person I’d rather be with. I fell in love with him, and he has my heart.”
“I am so in love with you, Angel. Even your favorite romance authors wouldn’t be able to put what I feel for you into adequate words.” He stares at me with fire in his eyes.
“Well.” Missy fans her face with her fingers. “That was . . .” She trails off, not finding a satisfactory adjective.
Tai winks at me across the table.
“So, Evangeline, where are you from originally?” Missy tries to bring the conversation back to polite get-to-know-you grounds.
“I grew up in Chattanooga.”
“Such a nice city. Are your parents still there?”
I take a bite of baked beans and chew, giving myself a moment to think.
I’ve already made the conversation awkward once.
No need to do it again by mentioning my parents’ accident.
I swallow and take a sip of water. “My grandparents are. They’re about to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. ”
“How lovely.” Missy pauses. “There’s something I’ve wanted to say ever since I saw you step out of the car, but I didn’t want to be gauche.”
My muscles tense as I prepare for whatever she plans to say next.
But then I surprise myself as I hear my voice saying, “It’s about this, I suppose?
” I wave in the direction of my bald head.
“Did Tai not tell you beforehand?” I’d been wondering.
Assumed he must have since the topic hadn’t come up yet.
Missy narrows her eyes at her son. “Like I said, Tai told us nothing.” She looks back at me, her expression softening. “I just wanted to say how striking you are, dear. Seeing you immediately put me in mind of Nefertiti. Both of you with your long, elegant necks and regal beauty. Simply striking.”
My spine hits the back of my chair as shock puts me in a temporary paralysis.
“That reminds me of that tattoo you did a bit ago, Tai,” Missy continues, as if she hasn’t left me utterly speechless. “The one on that woman’s head.”
“You looked through my online portfolio?” Tai asks her incredulously.
“Of course I keep up with your art.” Missy sounds affronted. “Just because I don’t want you to jab me with needles doesn’t mean I’m not proud of you.”
“Wow. Thanks, Mom.”
“Actually.” I finally get my vocal cords working again. “I was just looking at those photos earlier today myself.” I take a deep breath, then put to words a desire that has taken root and bloomed inside me. “I want to be your next canvas, Tai.”