Chapter Six

 

Waking fully dressed always disconcerted Tessa. Added to her confusion was the memory she’d gone to sleep in Lucas’ arms on the couch but found herself tucked into his bed. The last thing she could recall had been his insistence they had to part. I’m not going anywhere without him, Tessa vowed. She called his name but he failed to answer. Tessa peered outside but his truck remained parked in the same spot so she rose to find him.

Before she reached the kitchen, Lucas came through the back door, whistling an old tune. He grinned from ear to ear and swept her into his arms. After spinning her around till she squealed, Lucas set her feet on the floor and kissed her until she couldn’t breathe.

“Good mornin’,” he said when he let her come up for air.

“You’re in a good mood,” Tessa told him, unable to stop her smile. After last night, she thought he’d be morose and distant. “You must be feeling better.”

“I do,” Lucas said. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes, a little.”

“Let’s go get some breakfast,” he told her.

Tessa looked down at her rumpled clothes and touched her hair. “I need to brush my hair first and change. I must look awful.”

His smile softened, sweet as molasses. “You’re beautiful, Tessa.”

She started to protest but the look in his eyes swore he meant it. “Thanks. Give me five minutes.”

At the small café on the edge of town, he ordered biscuits and gravy with a side of sausage. Tessa abandoned any idea of ordering an egg-white omelet and ordered the same. As they sipped coffee, she realized they were the center of attention. Some customers stared openly, others peeked, but everyone watched them. By the time she tucked into her breakfast, Tessa noticed the café had fallen so silent she could hear every scrape of each fork against the plates, and the quiet ticking from the clock. She understood nosiness but this was more. No one hollered “good morning” or said a word. Last night she’d thought he might’ve exaggerated some of the shunning, but she didn’t now.

After the meal, Lucas headed in the opposite direction, toward her folks’ place. “Where are we going?”

“I thought I’d drop you off at home.”

“So I can pack and head off to Tennessee?” Tessa asked. “It’s not happening, Lucas.”

Lucas blushed pink. “Well, I kind of changed my mind,” he said. She gasped with surprised pleasure but he held up his hand. “I still think you need to go but I figured since you’re here, I’d like to spend a little time with you. So I thought you could stay with me a little while. It’ll be probably the last chance we’ll ever get and I don’t want to waste it. Whaddya think?”

“It’s fine with me.” Let him think she’d stay a short time. “So why take me home?”

He tried to hide his grin but it burst out, brighter than dawn. “I figured you’d want to pick up your suitcases, all of your stuff. But if you want to run around in the same jeans or wear my shirts all the time, it’s okay by me.”

At her parents, he rolled to a stop. “When you get ready, come on back. I’ll be home.” Tessa’d been counting on his moral support. “Aren’t you coming in with me?”

“Nope. I figured you’d want to explain to your folks, and it’ll go better without me around. Besides, you want your car, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.” If he hadn’t mentioned it, she probably wouldn’t have given it a thought.

Melissa Owens feigned surprise when Tessa strolled into the house. “Oh, is it you? Hi, Tessa,” her mom said, cool but not ice cold. “I wasn’t sure when you’d be back.”

“Hi,” Tessa replied. “How’d the graveside service turn out?”

“It went just fine. Everyone missed you at the church dinner, and people couldn’t stop talking about how pretty you sang. Aunt Vernie wants you to call her, though, before you head back to Nashville.”

There wasn’t an easy way to break this news. “Mom, I’m not going back right away.”

Her mom beamed. “Sure, baby. Stay as long as you like. Your room’s always waiting.”

“I appreciate it but I’m not staying here.”

“You’re not? Did you already talk to Verna? She said she’d be glad of the company if you wanted to stay over there.”

Telling the truth became more difficult with every minute. “I’m not planning to go to Aunt Verna’s either.”

A frown creased her mom’s forehead. “What’re you trying to tell me, Teresa Lou?”

“I’m going to be over at Lucas’ place.” She said it straight out with no frills.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” her mom asked.

Tessa nodded. “Yes.”

“From what Ted said, I’m not sure I should let you go over there.”

“Mama, I’m a grown woman, twenty-seven on my last birthday. I’ve been living in a big city for years. It’s not up to you to ‘let me’ do anything or keep me from going.”

Her words managed to evoke anger. “No, Miss Big Britches, I suppose I can’t,” Melissa Owens snapped as her eyes flashed fire. “But if you value my opinion at all, I think you’re out of your mind to rush over to his house and into his bed after seven years. He’s not the boy you left behind, Tessa. He’s the sin-eater now and he keeps to himself. You don’t even know him anymore.”

I know him like my own heart, Tessa thought. He’s still as familiar to me as my favorite patchwork quilt or my best doll. “I do, Mom.”

“Well, I can’t stop you but I don’t like it,” her mother’s voice cracked like a whip. “Neither will your daddy or Ted.”

Tessa shrugged both shoulders. “I’m sorry. I don’t want a fight and I’ll keep in touch. I’m just doing what feels right, what I have to do.”

“You’d best be gone before Daddy comes in for lunch,” her mother warned. “You think I’m bad, you won’t want to tangle with him. He’s been in a mood since you left the funeral home anyhow.”

Tessa gathered up her stuff and stowed it into her bags. She added a few favorite things from her room including a favorite pillow, some keepsakes, a couple of quilts, and a framed photograph of Lucas. Packing didn’t take long, but while she could get a signal on her phone, Tessa phoned the hotel where she worked back in Nashville and gave notice. If she went back, she’d find another meaningless job. Then she called Jed and Carin and left messages. “Tell everyone I’m home to stay awhile,” she said.

****

After a tense farewell with her mother, Tessa headed over to her aunt’s. She found Aunt Verna in the herb garden her aunt had nurtured over the years.

Verna looked out from under the huge straw hat she wore outside. “Hello, Tessa. Are you heading back to Nashville?”

Tessa shook her head. “No, I’m staying awhile.”

Surprise widened the older woman’s eyes, but after a moment she stripped off her garden gloves and stood upright. “Sounds like it’s time to take an iced tea break. Come on in the house, honey, and we’ll talk.”

The tall striped glasses dated long before Tessa’s childhood and the strong brew hadn’t changed a bit. Aunt Verna still added too much sugar for her taste, but she didn’t complain as they sipped the cool beverage at the worn kitchen table.

“I hope you aren’t mad because I didn’t make it to the cemetery or the dinner at church.” With one nervous hand, she wiped the rings her glass left on the wooden surface.

“Oh, no, takes more than that to get me riled up,” Verna said with a laugh. “I kind of figured where you were, anyhow. How’s that boy feeling this morning? He sure looked like death warmed over yesterday.”

Pleased someone offered some concern for Lucas, Tessa smiled. “He’s much better, thanks. He had a rough time, though.”

Verna patted Tessa’s hand. “You’re staying for him, I guess. Well, I wish you luck. God knows I didn’t get much in the love and kisses department. Now that he’s dead and buried, I’ll admit marrying Calvin was the biggest mistake I ever made, but its water under the bridge now. We spent a lot of years together and I had some fondness for the fool, mean as he was, but I saw you go to Lucas on Sunday, like a moth to a porch light. You’ve got something special, Tessa. Hang on tight and keep it.”

A rush of affection surged through Tessa. “Thank you,” she said. “Mama wasn’t very happy about it. She doesn’t like the fact he’s the sin-eater or how long we’ve been apart. I guess she thinks it’s been too long but it’s not.”

“She just worries about you, honey. I do, too, but since I never had kids, maybe I don’t know what it’s like to be a parent.”

“You would’ve made a great mother, Aunt Vernie.”

They parted in harmony, and her aunt’s approval confirmed she’d made the right choice.

****

On the way back to Lucas’, she stopped at the supermarket. His cupboards were barer than Mother Hubbard’s and his refrigerator didn’t offer much beyond Pepsi, bologna, and cheese. Unless his tastes had changed in a major way, Tessa knew what he liked and bought it all. She added a few of her favorites, too, and paid with plastic. Checking out reminded her she’d have to make a decision about her apartment soon. Good thing I have the utilities set up on auto-pay.

Lucas had talked about a short stay and a short time to spend together, but he believed she’d return to Nashville. Tessa planned to enjoy every precious moment and she planned to stay a long time, if not forever. At his place, she burst into the kitchen.

“Hi,” she called. “I stopped at the store.”

Lucas took the groceries from her and grinned. “So did I.”

The kitchen table held many of the same things she’d just bought and enough food to last awhile. “Well, at least we’ll eat.”

“I hope that’s not all.” Lucas’ eyes locked with hers, potent and filled with fire.

Tessa pretended not to understand. “Oh, I’m sure we’ll sleep, too. And maybe watch a little television, listen to some music…”

“Screw television. I’m thinking we’ll do more of this.”

Lucas kissed her before she expected it, with lips fierce against her mouth. He ignited her the way a match bursts into flame and Tessa gave back the same wild heat. She locked her lips onto his with long-denied hunger, and their mouths fused with a rich pleasure, sweeter than chocolate. Who’d have thought one man’s mouth could create such sweet bliss or send ripples of a potent desire through her veins?

Her nervous system went haywire as delicious little sensations rushed through her body. Each thrill packed an electrical charge combined with pure enjoyment. Lip to lip, Tessa melted against Lucas. She seldom let down her defenses or let her senses run wild, but she lacked any resistance against him. She didn’t want any, either. Her mouth savored his and when Lucas kissed her throat, Tessa leaned back to get the full effect. Her pulse throbbed as his mouth evoked passion, his lips hotter than fever.

Beneath her thin shirt, Tessa’s nipples roused to hardness. As her body charged with a potent power, Tessa grew needy. Her sweet spot between her legs vibrated with anticipation and grew moist. As Lucas nibbled at her throat, his male shaft rubbed against her, hard as stone. She rubbed against him, subtle as a cat in heat.

Lucas ripped her T-shirt away. In seconds he undid her bra and dropped it onto the kitchen floor. His fingers stroked her breasts, the tips caressing her nipples. She drowned in the intense sensation, but when he lowered his mouth to suckle, she moaned with wordless delight.

Between the kitchen and bed they shed clothing with speed. By the time Tessa laid down across his rumpled sheets, they were naked and aroused. Her vaginal passage begged to be filled and her needy tension expanded. Lucas lowered himself onto the bed and bent low to tongue her tender folds. He licked her clit and she screeched, unable to stop the noise. Tessa grasped him with both hands. Her fingers clutched his shoulders as she begged.

“Don’t tease me. Love me, Lucas, please.”

His warm breath against her thighs intensified her need to come. With skill, he guided his cock into her body, packed it to the max, and filled her emptiness. He worked up and down. Each stroke delivered pleasure in intense waves, and Tessa thrust up against him to give back the same.

From the moment he’d kissed her in the kitchen, Lucas lit a slow-burning fuse. Now they moved toward the explosion. They rocked each other, skin to skin, and the sound their bodies made fired Tessa even more. Each wave of pleasure spiraled higher and closer to the final rush.

Lucas planted his mouth on hers, and when they came their bodies shuddered with an intense paroxysm of pleasure that titillated every sense. They climaxed together in an ultimate burst of erotic delight. Power shook her body and hit every nerve with such an intense orgasm, Tessa thought she’d die—but what a way to go. As they reached the final peak, she freed her mouth to cry out, a hoarse wordless scream of pure enjoyment. His guttural shout joined hers and when the explosion faded, Lucas collapsed against her.

“Oh, Lordy,” he whispered. “I needed something like this for a long time. I think you just saved my life.”

She stretched out, her body sated and content. “I think it was worth waiting seven years to have,” she said, teasing and yet serious, too. “Lucas, I love you.”

“Honey girl, I love you, too.”

Tessa curled up in the curve of his arm. “I don’t want to ever get up.”

“Me either.”

Practicality worn, though, after a few minutes. “We need to put the groceries away. The cold stuff will ruin if we don’t.”

He arched an eyebrow in question. “And do we care?”

“I do,” she replied.

His sigh shook the bed. “Oh, all right.”

Naked and laughing, they sped to his kitchen and put everything in its place. In the full light of day Tessa admired his body, his taut muscles beneath the flesh, and the beauty of his limbs. He gave her the same scrutiny, and judging by the look in his eyes, Lucas liked what he saw. His big hands caressed her. “You’d better get some clothes on or we’ll never have any lunch.”

“Do we want any?”

“I do. I’m hungry. Besides, I ran into Buddy in town and he’s coming by anytime now.”

Tessa smacked his shoulder with the flat of her hand. “He could’ve shown up while we were in bed?”

“Possible.”

“Lucas!”

“Buddy wouldn’t care.”

“I would!”

The distinct rumble of a diesel truck engine approached. “Then get dressed, because he’s here.”

Tessa needed a shower first so she splashed through one and dressed. Ten minutes after Lucas’ pal showed up, she sauntered out to the kitchen to join them.

“Hi, Buddy,” she said. She’d known him almost as long as she had Lucas, but Tessa lacked any sense of familiarity with the man. “What’s up?”

He acknowledged her greeting with a nod. “I came to borrow his johnboat. I’m going fishing.”

“On the river?”

“Yeah,” Buddy said. “It’s too late to head for the lake, although I might this weekend.”

“Shouldn’t you be working?”

“I work second shift at the chicken plant. I’ve got time, and I don’t care if I sleep or not. You want to come, Lucas?”

If he went she’d be mad, but Tessa said nothing. Lucas shook his head. “I’ll pass this time. I need to check the cows and get something to eat. Go ahead and take the boat.”

“All right, man. Thanks. I’ll catch y’all later.”

The wooden screen door banged shut and the spring vibrated. To see what he’d say, Tessa told Lucas, “You could’ve gone with him.”

“Nope, you don’t want me to leave.”

Damn, he read her like a book. “I didn’t say anything.”

His grin evoked hers. “You didn’t have to, honey. I know.”

Standing less than a foot away from him, she crossed her arms. “How?”

“Because I don’t want to be anywhere but with you right now,” Lucas replied. “I plan to make the most of this since it’s gotta last me the rest of my life.”

His calm statement rattled her and eroded some of her joy. Tessa wanted more than a pleasant interlude, and she didn’t want to count the hours or days. His quiet fatality irked her, too. Tessa hadn’t liked his earlier comments or his notion he wouldn’t make old bones. Tessa changed the subject. “What do you want for lunch?”

“I don’t care, as long as it’s quick,” Lucas replied. As if he’d never said anything else, he continued, “I do need to check the cattle. They’re where I get my cash money. Good thing I don’t need much but the truck and farm were both paid for a long time ago.”

“People pay the sin-eater, don’t they?”

Lucas twisted his lips into a frown. “Well, yeah, but some don’t give me much. It doesn’t bring in enough to make a living.”

Tessa peered into the well-stocked fridge and freezer. “I can make sandwiches or heat up some frozen pizza.”

“Sandwiches are fine.” They ate bologna and cheese on white bread, one of Tessa’s simple favorites. Lucas asked her about her life back in Nashville, and she offered him a look into her existence, the real one, not the dream.

“So where do you work? I always thought maybe you’d be a secretary at some record label or someplace where they’d discover your talent.”

“I’m a desk clerk in a hotel downtown. It’s easy work, not glamorous or exciting. Anyone could do it but most of my jobs have been like that. I’ve lost count of how many I’ve had in Nashville.”

He cocked his head. “What else have you done?”

She sighed. “Name it, and I’ve probably done it. I’ve been a waitress, worked in a convenience store, did temp work for an employment agency, spent some time as a Wal-Mart checkout cashier, swept floors as a janitor, and was even a substitute teacher for a little while. I didn’t like it much. I’m not cut out to be a teacher. I don’t have enough patience.”

“Sounds like you changed jobs a lot.”

“Yeah,” Tessa admitted. She didn’t mention she quit her latest job this morning so she could stay. “I have. My favorite one was working in a country music record store, but it was just seasonal, during Christmas one year.”

“What about the singing career?”

Tessa told him the unadorned truth. “I sing whenever I can. I’ve done a lot of gigs, bars, picnics, performing in the park, and stuff. I’ve played as a Patsy Cline impersonator twice. I made one record but it didn’t do much good.”

“Which one of your songs was it?”

“It wasn’t mine. I covered Johnny Horton’s ‘Take Me Like I Am.’ I haven’t sung any of my own in public, not yet anyway.”

Lucas finished his sandwich and stuck his hand deep into the potato chip bag. Before he crunched a chip, though, he shook his head. “Why not? The songs you wrote back when were all good. Don’t you write songs anymore?”

“Oh, yeah, I do,” Tessa said. “I even sold a few to other artists but I’m afraid to record any.”

“You didn’t used to be scared of anything.”

Until now, she hadn’t talked about her music this much with anyone, not even Jed, and he was her guitar man. Lucas somehow conjured the truth out of her. “I’m afraid I’ll fail.”

The sweet, caring look in his eyes would melt steel. “Honey, you won’t. You’re as good as any of those chart-topping babes, better than most of ‘em.”

His praise boosted her ego and restored her joy. “You believe in me. It makes a difference.”

Lucas’ blue eyes caught and held her gaze as if he hypnotized her. “Oh yeah, honey girl, and I don’t think you know how much.”