Heaven and Hell (Heaven and Hell #1)(132)

“Thanks,” I replied softly then I looked over at my shoulder to see Sam grinning at me.

Then his voice rumbled at me, “Told you.”

Maris looked over her shoulder too and demanded to know, “Told her what?”

“That you’d love her,” Sam answered, I gave him big eyes then quickly rearranged my face when Maris looked at me.

“Were you nervous?” she asked.

“Uh… yeah,” I answered.

She gave my arm another squeezy-hug-shake at the same time waving her other hand in front of her, looking forward and declaring, “I’m harmless.”

“I see that now,” I murmured.

“Unless you break his heart,” she went on. “Then I’ll find you, rip yours out and feed it to my dog.”

Yikes!

“I think, if that happens, Sam will likely be the heartbreaker,” I whispered and I felt her eyes on me so my eyes moved to her.

And there it was again. Just like her son, her eyes were intense, burning into me, saying something I did not get.

“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.