Catching Serenity (12 page)

Deidre
’s eyes softened. Reaching across the desk, she took her hand and squeezed. “I don’t mean to be insensitive or disregard what happened, but you need to get on with your life. The way I see it, maybe Jackson can help you find out what happened to your mom. I guess all I’m saying is, try to be open to the opportunities that come your way and the people that come into your life. It’s all for a higher purpose. Trust me on that one.”

Serenity blinked back tears.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve found Jesus, too.”

“
No, but keep working on me,” Deidre said. “I have a feeling I’ll come around. The kids have been asking some tough questions lately and I’ve found myself calling out to God a lot more these days. And I don’t mean that in a flippant way, either.”

Serenity
tried not to stare at her friend. She’d been praying for her but also knew she couldn’t push Deidre. Her parents had divorced when she was ten, and it was a bitter, drawn-out custody fight with her mom irrationally blaming God for her dad’s infidelity. Some of that anger had spilled over into Deidre. Serenity’s best hope was to be a good example of how God had worked in
her
life, just as she’d prayed in church. Sure, she didn’t have all the answers, but did anyone? Jesus found
her
, so He could reach anyone. The key? Being willing to meet Him halfway. That’s what she’d pray for Deidre.

“
Here’s the thing,” Deidre said. “You can’t do anything about your past. It’s done. Over. Change what you can and make your future what you want. You started down that path by getting away from this town and moving to Atlanta. I missed you like crazy, but I think it’s the best thing you could have done. You earned two degrees and, from all appearances, you managed to wrap your head around and survive circumstances that would have decimated most people. And somehow you kept your sanity and emerged stronger than ever. After what you’d been through, that’s nothing short of a miracle. Look at you! How many women would have had the strength, moxie or whatever you want to call it, to even
do
something like that? Not many, my friend, mark my words. Call it God or call it whatever you want, but I happen to think it’s pretty incredible. In some ways, you’re like my...well, you’re my hero—heroine.”

Serenity
wiped away a tear. “Thanks, but that’s just it. I’ve spent so much time taking care of me that I think my heart needs time to catch up.” She smoothed her hand over the rich dark wood of her new executive desk, the most expensive piece of furniture she’d ever owned. “I don’t want to mess up Jackson’s life.” In spite of her best resolve, her eyes filled with more tears that threatened to overflow. “I have a way of somehow tainting or harming everyone precious in my life and I can’t do that to Jackson. I just...can’t.”

Her words broke a
s Serenity surrendered to the emotion and burst into tears. So much for keeping it together. But even Jesus wept, so she was in good company. Still, what a mess.

“
Oh, honey.” As the waterworks started, Deidre grabbed the tissue box on top of the file cabinet. Tossing it on the desk, she ran around behind her, squeezing her shoulders. The cloying scent of expensive Chanel cologne enveloped Serenity. She’d always hated it but didn’t have the heart to tell her best friend.

“
Let it out.” Pivoting the chair in a half-circle to face her, Deidre lifted Serenity from the chair and drew her into a warm, much-needed hug.

Through her tears, Serenity
glimpsed Kelsie peeking around the corner. “Is, um, everything okay?”

Couldn
’t it be enough that Deidre had witnessed her mini-breakdown? Having Kelsie see her made her more miserable. Taking the tissue Deidre shoved in her hand, Serenity dabbed at her eyes. Her shoulders heaved with the force of deep, gulping breaths.

“
She’ll be fine, Kels,” Deidre said. “Having a long overdue cry. I’ll take care of her.”

Serenity started to ask Kelsie to close her doo
r, but what would be the point?

“
Sweetie, listen to me.” Plucking another tissue from the box, Deidre pressed it lightly beneath her eyes. “First order of business is to get you a tube of waterproof mascara. Look, I’ve been your best friend since forever and no harm’s come to me because of my association with you. You didn’t taint anyone or anything, but life happens. What I
know
is you’re scared to open yourself to a possible new relationship, but—like it or not—you’re a beautiful woman, and men notice you. And, I hesitate to mention this, but I heard from Spencer Walton’s stepmom you’re going to dinner with him tonight.”

“
This town’s too small.” Balling the tissue, Serenity tossed it in the trash can. “I also made it clear it’s not a date. No expectations. A chance to catch up with an old friend. Well,” she said, blowing out a sigh, “not even that. He caught me in a moment of weakness, I guess.”

Deidre glanced at her expensive watch and moved back around the desk to grab her handbag.
“I hate to leave, but I have a showing in thirty minutes. Will you be okay? I can reschedule my appointment if you want.”

“
Go. I’ll be fine,” Serenity said with a half-hearted wave. “Really,” she said when Deidre hesitated.

“
One last piece of advice? Jackson won’t be your client forever. It’s not like he’ll need the ongoing services of an on-call interior decorator the rest of his natural born days. And
you
need to let someone love you.”

“
I love
you
.” The beginnings of a smile curled her lips.

Deidre
paused at the door. “Not the same thing and you know it, girlfriend, but I love you, too. Always. I’ll call you tonight.”

Serenity sank back into her chair
as Deidre blew her a kiss and departed. Staring into space, she pondered her friend’s words. Fall in love again? No, thank you. What a scary concept. Sure, she liked Jackson. Liked him a
lot
. He was her client and friend, first and foremost, but Jackson belonged with a woman who could come to him freely without a sullied reputation and a dark past. Her heart heavy, Serenity attempted to get back to work, knowing it would be difficult to concentrate.

Just you and me, Lord
.

Reading at home while eating leftovers, Jackson startled when his phone buzzed on the kitchen table beside him. He glanced at the screen and smiled before picking up the phone.
“Hey there, Mr. Mathias. How are you this fine evening?”

Charlie chuckled.
“Probably not as good as you. I hear you and Serenity hit it off well.”

Jackson frowned.
“If you’re talking about our working relationship, yes. She has some great ideas and I hired her. Thanks for the referral.” He didn’t expect the defensiveness that crept into his tone. “Stop by the office again sometime and I’ll take you to lunch.”

“
I’ll do that, but I’m sure you know I’m talking about more than a professional relationship with Serenity.”

In the short time he
’d known Charlie, the man hadn’t said anything without specific purpose or intent. “She told me a little about her mother. Pretty unbelievable story. I feel sorry for her although she’d hate it if she ever heard me say that.”

Silence on the other end
of the phone ensued for a few seconds before Charlie spoke again. “What exactly did Serenity tell you?”

Interesting. The old
tell me what you know before I slip up and tell you something you shouldn’t know
technique. He’d employed it often enough in his practice to recognize it in others. Or his analytical mind was working overtime like it usually did.

“
Jackson? You still there?”

“
Yeah. Sorry.” Moving into the living room, he collapsed on the sofa. He extended and flexed his leg, grimacing at the moderate pain. His knee was tightening up again, and he needed to find a physical therapist soon. “She told me what you might expect.” If Charlie could be cagey, then so could he. “I encouraged her to share memories of her mother. I sensed Serenity needed a friend to listen, and I’m glad I could be there for her.”

“
Meaning what?”

Good old p
ragmatic Charlie. Perhaps
he
should be the psychologist. “She’s obviously floundering in terms of her mother’s vanishing act and needs closure.” A sharp pain stabbed him in the knee, and he bit his lower lip hard not to groan as sweat beads broke out on his forehead. Shrugging out of his shirt, he tossed it on the carpet and sat back, allowing the air circulated by the ceiling fan to cool him down. He willed Charlie to speak again so he’d be spared a few precious seconds while he regained his breath.

“
Be her friend, Jackson. She needs that more than anything else.”

“
I know. Besides, we’ve both got too much going on right now to complicate it.”

“
She sure is pretty, though, isn’t she?” He heard Charlie’s chuckle.

Not making it easier.
“Serenity’s beautiful, Charlie. Distractingly so.” Serenity was every man’s dream. He knew it, and Charlie knew it. The entire male population of Croisette Shores could see it or else they were blind. Serenity had no clue how gorgeous she was, and that made her even more appealing. She also came with a ton of baggage. Sure, it was his job to figure out what made people “tick,” but everything about her intrigued him. He wouldn’t be honest if he couldn’t admit—even to himself—that he wanted to get to know Serenity better. A
lot
better. Nothing about her shadowed past or her present could scare him away. In spite of all that had transpired in the past, she seemed relatively well-adjusted. He suspected a reservoir of strength was hidden deep beneath her outward, fragile beauty. To be able to help her, he’d need to strip away the layers of hurt, resentment, sadness…guilt.

“
You two will be spending some quality time together,” Charlie said, breaking into his thoughts. “If Serenity wants to share more, she will, but let her call the shots.”

“
Right. Thanks for the advice.” Leaning his head against the sofa, Jackson debated the merits of getting up to retrieve the bottle of ibuprofen. At the moment, he’d stay camped out until the worst of the pain passed.

“
You need a friend, too.”

“
I’ve got you and the crew down at Martha’s Cup & Such every morning. What more could a man need? Listen, I have to sign off now, Charlie, but I’ll talk to you again soon.” His breathing was labored again. Tomorrow morning, he’d make an appointment.

He heard Charlie
’s sigh through the phone line.

“
Do yourself a big favor, son, and go get that knee checked out.”

Jackson ran a hand through his hair. Even through the phone lines, the man knew.

“Thanks. I’ll do that, my friend.”

~
CHAPTER 12~

Serenity surveyed her reflection in the full-length mirror. She
’d swept up her hair in a loose chignon, leaving a few loose strands to frame her face and fall on her neck. The pale pink dress and off-white sandals—the best things she owned—should be elegant enough for The Black Oyster. After fastening the clasp of her dainty silver necklace around her neck and putting on the matching earrings, she closed the bedroom door. Would Spencer apologize for the way he’d treated her in high school? Everyone did foolish things when they were kids. Whether or not he asked forgiveness, the “new” Serenity could give him that much, even if she couldn’t forget.

The doorbell rang loud in the quiet of her small, one-story house as she retrieved her lightweight wrap from the hall closet. The ringing of the doorbell a second time startled her into action. Swinging the front door wide a few seconds later, she welcomed him with a bright smile.
“Hi, Spencer.”

“
Hello, gorgeous. These are for you.” He held out a bouquet of exquisite, deep red roses—two dozen, from the looks of it—wrapped with a matching red ribbon. “To the fairest of them all. Beauty becomes you.” Handsome in his dark suit and royal blue silk tie, Spencer’s hair was slicked back, the facial stubble expertly groomed.

S
erenity tried to ignore the way his eyes roamed from her head to her feet in an invasive manner that made her feel exposed and vulnerable. Not sure whether to be affronted by his boldness or touched by his sentiment, she murmured her thanks and walked into the kitchen, catching a whiff of the heady fragrance from the flowers.

“
You shouldn’t have, but these smell heavenly.” He followed her into the kitchen. Locating a vase beneath the sink—a crystal heirloom Waterford her grandmother brought back from one of her many trips to Ireland—Serenity set about arranging the blooms. “Are you enjoying your visit?”

Spencer leaned against
the kitchen counter, watching her, arms crossed. “I always like coming home to Croisette Shores. You never know what interesting people from the past you’ll run into.”

She lowered her gaze.
“How’s Kendall these days?”

The question seemed to make him uncomfortable and the corner of one eye twit
ched. “She moved to Charleston from what I heard. Or Savannah. I can’t remember. We lost touch after high school. I’ve got an entirely different life now. I’ll be honest, Serenity. It’s nice coming back knowing I’ve made something of myself. People don’t exactly hold high expectations for the high school quarterback. It’s not like I was the high scorer on the SAT in my graduating class, like someone else I know in this kitchen.”

Surprised by
the honesty of his admission, she added water to the vase and finished arranging the roses. “Being a good test taker didn’t mean I made the best choices in my life.”

“
You did the best you could and you seem fine considering everything you’ve been through.” Spencer squared his broad shoulders and pushed away from the counter.

She placed the vase in the middle of the kitchen table and nodded her approval.
“Thanks again.”

“
My pleasure. Are you ready to go?”

“
Sure. Let me grab my purse.” As she stood on the top step and locked her door a minute later, her elderly neighbor, Mrs. Marciano, waved from her front yard.

“
Evening, Serenity.” She tossed Spencer a wary smile. “You look familiar, young man. Grow up around here?”

“
Yes,” Spencer said, but it came out a low grumble. It was doubtful Mrs. Marciano could hear him, and he didn’t appear inclined to engage her neighbor in polite conversation as he steered her in the direction of the Mercedes.

“
Serenity? A word?” Serenity hesitated beside the passenger door as Spencer held it open, waiting. Mrs. Marciano signaled to meet her on the front walkway.

“
We have reservations in twenty minutes,” he said under his breath.

“
This will only take a minute, promise. I’ll be right back.”

Mrs. Marciano met her halfway
and tugged her close. “I remember that guy now. He’s that Shores football player who owns some big sports store in Hilton Head and wouldn’t give a dime to the school when they needed new uniforms last year.” Shaking her head, she clicked her tongue. “Blame fool.”

Serenity
’s brows rose. “Are you calling
me
a blame fool?”

Her neighbor pumped the
rubber heel of her shoe up and down. “Well, of course not. You’re a darling girl, but I don’t want to see you with this man. He’s not the right one for you. Didn’t I hear something about a handsome doctor who’s new in town? Now
he’s
the one who should be bringing you roses and squiring you to dinner, not some full-of-himself hotshot in a fancy suit who thinks he’s too good for the town where he grew up.”

“
Spencer might have had a valid reason for not donating money, and I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt,” Serenity said. Everyone knew way too much about her private life. Hearing a loud commotion, they both looked up to see Spencer by the car. Gyrating like a man gone wild, he shook his leg with Mrs. Marciano’s cat, Mr. Darcy, latched onto his pant leg. His cheeks were beet red as he glared at Mrs. Marciano.
What on earth?

“
Is this your stupid cat?”

“
See, even Mr. Darcy knows a rat when he sees one. I wouldn’t trust that one further than I could throw him.” Her neighbor stomped toward the car, clapping her hands and calling to her cat. Releasing his prey, the feline bounded into the arms of his mistress, leaving behind his flustered victim. After mumbling a few words of apology to Spencer, Mrs. Marciano passed her on the sidewalk with a wink. “Mr. Darcy’s a good judge of character. Don’t let that guy try anything tonight.”

Serenity swallowed her grin.
“I appreciate your concern, but Spencer’s passing through town, and he’s only taking me for a friendly dinner.”

Mrs. Marciano huffed and
snuggled Mr. Darcy close. “Chances are that’s not all he wants. Tell what’s-his-name to go amuse himself and stay home with me tonight, Serenity. I’ll fix you one of those peanut butter and banana sandwiches you love. Then we can make popcorn and watch
Who’s the Boss
. It’ll be fun. Just you and me. The only man allowed is Mr. Darcy.”

“
It’s tempting, but Tony and Angela will have to wait.” Serenity gathered the woman’s bony shoulders in a quick embrace. “Another night soon. I promise.” Spencer chose that moment to lean inside his car and tap the horn, and both women startled.

Serenity closed her eyes.
“Please tell me he didn’t just do that.”

“
Well, I could, but I’d be lying.” Mrs. Marciano quirked a brow. “My offer still stands.”

“
It’s more tempting by the moment, but maybe it won’t be so bad. Say a prayer for me.”

“
You got it, honey, but I’ll have my eye out when he brings you home tonight.” That statement brought more comfort than it should.

Seeing her approach the car, Spencer scurried around
by the passenger door, still open. “I’ll never understand old people,” he groused, watching as she settled in the leather seat and buckled her seat belt. When he slid behind the wheel, he continued his spiel. “Don’t they have anything better to do than meddle in everybody else’s lives? Guess it makes their own lives more interesting.” Before starting the car, he gestured to his pant leg. “That crazy cat put teeth marks on the bottom of my pants. I doubt my tailor can fix them.”

“
I’m sorry about that, Spencer.” Time to distract him. “Tell me more about your business.” That seemed to soothe him somewhat and the lines on his forehead relaxed. Leaning back against the seat, Serenity glanced out the window and spied her neighbor still standing on the front walkway, shaking her head, as he pulled away from the curb. She listened as he told her about his life in Hilton Head, grateful he didn’t seem to expect much of a response. His voice was rather husky, but nice. As he drove, he asked her a few questions about her business, but he managed to bring the conversation full-circle soon enough.

During dinner, they reminisced about growing up in Croisette Shores and the places they used to go
as teenagers. They’d run in different groups in school, so they didn’t share many memories. Still, she enjoyed their conversation about some of the more quirky teachers. As she suspected, he perked up when she told him she’d always liked watching him play football. Thinking better of it, she stopped herself from telling him she’d harbored a secret crush on him. When the subject turned back to the wonder that was Spencer, Serenity focused on the delicious dinner. In the end, listening to the inflections and nuances in his accent was more entertaining. She’d never met a man more impressed with himself.

After returning to her
small rental home a couple of hours later, Spencer shifted in the seat to face her. “Why don’t we stop tiptoeing around the real issue here?” He ran a finger up her arm in a too-familiar manner. The first genuine question he’d asked her all evening, and it had to be
that
one?

Removing her arm from his reach, Serenity frowned.
“We had a nice dinner, but please don’t spoil the evening, Spencer. I thought I made it clear this isn’t a date.”

He sighed and leaned his head against the seat.
“Look, Serenity, I’m sorry for that stupid stunt back in high school. I know I acted like a real jerk, but I say it’s time to get over it. We’re grown-ups now, not silly kids.”

She nodded, somewhat appeased.
“Apology accepted. Thanks for a lovely dinner, but if you’ll excuse me, I should go inside now.”

“
Not so fast.” He exerted gentle pressure on her arm with his fingers, warm but again too familiar. Seeing her deepening frown, he released his hold. “Why didn’t you ever return my calls or emails? I was in Atlanta on business several times, and I know my grandparents told you.” While not accusatory in tone, he sounded pouty, a quality she found neither appealing nor attractive in a man. Slowly running one finger down the curve of her jaw, he kept his eyes on her face, moving from her eyes down to her lips. “I’m sure you appreciated the benefits their generosity offered.”

When he brushed his thumb over her bottom lip, she
recoiled from his touch. Never would she give into this man’s intimidation or anything else. “Yes, your grandparents invited me over for meals and helped me get on my feet when I first moved to Atlanta, but I worked my way through college completely on my own.” Why was she bothering to justify herself? This man deserved no explanations. Her anger almost overtook her as Serenity ground her teeth and stared out the front window of the car. “I’m only going to tell you this once, so please listen.”

“
Anything you want to tell me, babe.” His fingertips caressed the top of her shoulder.

Enough
is enough.
Throwing open the door, Serenity scooted across the leather seat and out of the car. She marched toward the house, not bothering to close the car door. Only a few steps behind her, Spencer was so close that by the time she reached the top step, she could feel his warm breath on her neck. Fear didn’t enter the equation, only irritation and annoyance that she’d fallen for his old tricks.

Whirling around, her lips almost collided with
Spencer’s chin as he leaned close. She should have slammed his luxury car door when she had the chance. “I’m not your
babe
, I owe you nothing, and the only thing I owe your grandparents is a debt of gratitude. I paid them back in full for every monetary thing they ever gave me.” She should send them condolences they had to suffer Spencer for a grandson. “You played me for the fool and used me to make Kendall jealous back in high school, and it seems you haven’t changed your spots.” Inhaling a quick breath, she glared at him. “If you think my friendship with your grandparents gives you inherent rights or liberties, then you’re sadly mistaken. Please leave. This evening is over.”

A small smile played about his lips, a smile she no longer considered the least bit attractive
. “You’re a gorgeous woman, and I’m extremely attracted to you. Come on. We’re consenting adults. Give me a chance to make up for my past transgressions. You don’t want to spend the rest of your life alone, do you?”