Page 12 of A Taste of Grace

Truthteller

I woke up slightly disoriented. The barely there sun shone dimly through the blinds of the guest bedroom at Caleb’s house.

The room was neat and smelled fresh, as if someone recently vacuumed it with a peach fragrance.

I stretched and smiled as I recalled how unexpected my babysitting session was last night.

Although he gave off an undercover bad boy vibe, Caleb was nothing but a gentleman after we ended our conversation early this morning. He walked me to my bedroom door and gave me a clean set of towels along with an oversized white t-shirt.

“You can change into this unless you prefer to sleep naked.” He licked his lips and gave me his crooked little smile.

“Please don’t start.” My heart raced for the umpteenth time as Caleb’s flirty words washed over me.

Did he sleep in the nude?

“I’m kidding.” He reached for my hand and held my fingers loosely in his, rocking his body back and forth.

I opened my arms to receive Caleb’s magnificent body. He walked toward me and gently scooped his arms under mine.

When Caleb nuzzled my neck with his nose, I closed my eyes and tightened my grip on his body. I held this amazing man as close as I could, rubbing the firm muscles in his lower back. I missed warm hugs .

“You smell so good.” Caleb spoke the words into my neck.

Our bodies fit together perfectly, connecting like long lost puzzle pieces.

I pressed my breasts deeper into his chest, inhaling his signature scent and getting lost in a fantasy of resting in his arms forever.

Never had I craved such a connection, but this felt right, like hopes and possibilities rolled into one.

When we finally released our grasp, I brushed my hair behind my ear. Caleb reached for my hand again and kissed it.

“Good night, Grace.”

“Good night, Caleb. Sweet dreams.”

I stopped daydreaming and checked my watch. It was 6:15 a.m.

Me:

Good morning. I want to be out before the girls wake up. If you don’t get a chance to respond before I leave, I’ll lock the door behind me. *smiley face hug emoji*

Caleb:

I wake up at 5 to pray and exercise. Come out when you’re ready. I’ll fix your breakfast to go.

My heart pounded. I hummed my favorite song while I completed my hygiene routine and walked down the hallway into the kitchen with my bag on my shoulder.

“Good morning, Sunshine.” Caleb gave me his biggest smile to date as he fiddled with pots and pans in the kitchen.

“Good morning, King.”

When I said that, he stopped what he was doing and stared at me from head to toe.

“King, huh?”

“I said what I said.”

“I’ve got your king, Ms. Grace.”

“I bet you do.”

“Woman, it’s too early for all that.” He shook his head and redirected his attention to the stove.

When he stopped paying attention to me, I stared at his body. He was so fine in the same T-shirt and shorts from last night. His bare, big feet told me everything I needed to know about how well-endowed he was underneath those shorts.

Damn, Grace. The man is good dick on a stick.

That phrase came to me as I thought about what it would be like to wake up to a sexy man in my kitchen every morning.

“Here’s an egg and cheese breakfast sandwich.” Caleb wrapped the steaming hot biscuit in a square piece of foil and placed it in a plastic Kroger grocery bag before setting it on the counter. “Sorry I don’t have anything fancier for you.”

“Thank you for making the effort. It’s perfect. I really must go though.” I pointed toward the front door.

“I understand. The munchkins will be up soon. I’ll walk you to your car.” He slipped on his slides, opened the front door, and followed me outside.

When I was inside my car and buckled up, I turned on the ignition and lights and rolled down the window.

Caleb placed his hands on the roof of my car and leaned into the window, his lips temptingly close to mine.

Neither of us said anything as we stared at each other like teenagers crushing on each other.

“Call me when you get home.” His low voice made me want to groan.

“Okay.” I focused on his pretty lips then met his eyes.

Before I turned my head, he tilted his head forward and kissed me softly and sweetly. I closed my eyes and opened them slowly, taking in the perfection of his mesmerizing face.

“I’ll see you tomorrow after church and the day after that and the day after that if you’ll let me.”

“Uh…” I didn’t know how to respond to such directness.

“Think about what I said. If you want me to pursue you, I will. Just know when I play, it’s for keeps.”

“I understand. See you tomorrow.”

“Bye, Grace.”

“Bye.” I rolled up the window and disappeared into the morning sun.

The entire ride home, I thought about how fascinating Caleb was.

He was serious and funny with old school charm that had me blushing so hard I couldn’t contain my giddiness.

He was holy and irreverent in a way that didn’t make me uncomfortable.

The bad girl in me wanted to see how dangerous he could be.

Maybe it was the temptation he talked about.

There was something about potentially pushing him over the edge that intrigued me.

Let that man be celibate in peace.

I thought the words and tightened my grip on my steering wheel, taking a deep breath to recenter after the whirlwind of emotions Caleb pulled from me. I didn’t expect to be like a dog in heat when I agreed to care for two motherless girls.

When I entered my house, I locked up and tossed my bag in my room, readying myself for a day of chores and writing. Only after I threw the dirty sheets on my queen-sized bed in the washer did I remember to call Caleb.

“Hello?” His buttery voice made my heart thump.

“I made it home.”

“Thanks for letting me know. The girls are up and want to speak to you. I’ll put them on speaker.”

“Okay.”

I heard the airiness of the room when Hannah and Esther’s voices rang through the phone.

“Good morning, Ms. Grace. We had fun.” They repeated the words after each other.

“I enjoyed you, too. Remember to listen to your Daddy and be good today.”

“We will.” They chimed.

“Say bye.”

After a pause, they each said goodbye. Even through the phone, I heard the patter of their feet as they ran away. I smiled, recalling how energetic they were when something excited them.

“I’m back.” Caleb’s voice deepened again, alerting me he was off speakerphone.

“Call me anytime, Grace. Day or night. I like talking with you.”

“Same. Have a good day.”

“You too.”

For the second time that day, I felt warm and fuzzy as I engaged with Caleb. He knew how to put a smile on my face and keep it there. If I could bottle this goodness and sell it, I would be a billionaire.

I felt so good about my night with Caleb and the girls, I texted Nita and invited her to my house that afternoon as a thank you.

As soon as she accepted, I began my preparation of a light lunch of homemade tuna and fruit salad.

Around noon, I readied a table outside, mirroring the festive, laid-back summers I enjoyed with my parents.

When Nita arrived, she gave me a big hug and presented me with a devotional book and a cute mug that said “Blessed.”

“You didn’t have to do this. Your presence is gift enough.”

“You deserve good things, sweetie. I’m pouring into you so you can pour into others.”

“It’s funny you said that. I thought I was meant to live in my quiet corner of the world and just be.”

Nita rested her eyes on me but didn’t say anything. After we fixed our plates and sat, she blessed the food. We ate in silence for several minutes before she propped her elbows on the table with her hands clasped.

“Tell me about your time with the girls and Caleb.”

I smiled.

“The girls are precious. They stole my heart.”

“Did Caleb steal your heart, too?”

I lowered my head and blushed. Nita was so darn direct, just like her nephew.

“No. I mean, I don’t know. I just met the man.”

Nita shook her head and clicked her tongue.

“You’re deflecting. What happened between y’all last night?” She popped a grape in her mouth.

I poked around my plate, then raised an eyebrow.

“If he weren’t your nephew, I might say. But I don’t want to be messy or inappropriate.”

“I can be an auntie and a friend. We’re having girl talk.”

I took a big breath and nodded.

“Caleb is fascinating and kind. I want to know more about him.”

Nita wiped her mouth with her napkin and chuckled, her body jiggling with each laugh.

“Caleb is the son I never had. He was smart as a whip as a kid and the head of his high school class. He went to Morehouse for his accounting degree then Emory for an MBA. He and his daddy, my brother, were entrepreneurial, so they bought several fast food restaurants and became multimillionaires.”

I didn’t expect that news since Caleb’s house was humble. He must have been a frugal man.

“He was laser focused on his career until he met his ex-wife, Madeline. She was pretty, seductive, and conniving. Caleb’s nose was wide open.

We warned him about her, but Caleb was headstrong.

Like God, I believe in free will, but I prayed that everything would work out.

” Nita’s voice trailed off. “The girls were the bright spot from that union.”

“When did he become a preacher?”

“Before his daddy died of a heart attack. Caleb was called to the ministry years before he accepted his calling to preach. It was a little before he met Madeline. When he said yes to the Lord, all hell broke loose in his marriage. That devil in Madeline came all the way out. Nearly destroyed my baby. But God...” Nita waved her hand and wiggled her body like she had caught the Holy Ghost.

“Where is she?”

“Who knows? She got caught up in drugs. Caleb held on as long as he could, but God said no. It nearly broke him.”

“That’s really sad.”