Tristan's Redemption (8 page)

The restaurant off Peachtree was upscale, trendy and crowded, but Tristan had called ahead and requested somewhere quiet. He needed them to have time to talk, for Abby to get to know him. She smiled a lot and he was grateful. Her smiles kept his attention off the way that damned dress hugged every curve.

She had a natural beauty. Abby could go out without wearing an ounce of cosmetics and still turn heads. In another life, Tristan used to think it was her smile. Now, he knew it was Abby herself. Her very presence was captivating, so much so that all of his attention was on her. He paid no attention to the authentic Japanese decor surrounding them. He listened intently to her calming voice with the soft Southern drawl, wishing she would talk all night.

Abby was one of the truly good people in the world. Her first year of teaching, there was a child in her class who was in a bad situation. The family was poor, and she’d overheard the child talking about how they didn’t have lights at home, so she’d anonymously paid the family’s light bill. She brought flowers to co-workers, baked muffins for new neighbors and always dropped money in the Salvation Army’s collection buckets during the holidays. Abby’s inner light made her beautiful. The physical part was just a bonus and with her pregnancy, she positively glowed.

However, just as Ehron warned, Abby was clumsy. Tristan chuckled as he unfolded another napkin, while Abby blushed a bright shade of red.

“I am so sorry! I can’t believe I knocked over your drink
and
the soy sauce.”

“
There’s no need to apologize.” He pointed to his black shirt. “You can’t see the stains.”

“
I swear, I have a serious case of the oopsies this trimester. With everyone, not just you. I hate that you’re literally wearing the brunt of it tonight.”

Tristan put the napkin on the
table and signaled for a waiter then grinned. “Oopsies, huh?”

“
Yes. I spilled two containers of paint while helping my mom set up the crafts table at her Bible School. I dropped a bottle of extra virgin olive oil at the grocery store which of course cracked and went all over the place. I knocked over a vase in my house, which spilled water all over my new magazine.” Abby huffed and rolled her eyes. “I should probably wear a shirt that says
accident prone
until I have the baby.”

Tristan ordered another glass of wine for himself and Abby declined anything else.
“Abby,” he said in a low voice as he leaned across the table. “I’m enjoying myself with the most beautiful woman in this restaurant. The stain is for my dry cleaner to worry about, not you.”

She blushed at the compliment.
“Really? Because it felt like cashmere and I—”

“
It’s not important.”

“
What is important, then?”

“
Dinner with you, and any other bones you’d like to throw my way.” Abby’s eyes widened and Tristan winced. “That came out wrong.”
My face feels hot. Am I blushing?
He looked down at the flickering candle. “I meant that future dinners with you would be lovely.”

She didn
’t say anything, and Tristan got nervous. Had he pushed her too far? Nervously, he glanced at her face and nearly gaped at the smile.

“
I would love another date.” She shrugged one shoulder. “Besides, maybe next time I won’t spill anything on you.”

Tristan laughed with relief.
“Good. Do you want to get dessert or go somewhere for coffee? He checked his phone and saw that it was nearly ten. “Are you tired?”

“
Whatever you want to do. I’m not tired.” Abby’s denial was negated by a yawn.

“
Right.” Tristan watched her with concern before turning to the waiter. “Sorry, I won’t need the wine, but could you bring the check?”

“
Of course, sir.”

The waiter went off and Abby
put her hand on Tristan’s arm. “We don’t have to leave because of one yawn, Tristan. Really.”

“
Yes, we do.” The longer he watched her across the table, the harder it was for Tristan not to make a full confession, but nothing would bring the angel charging into this restaurant faster than that. “I am not only denying one person their rest by keeping you out,” Tristan inclined his head toward her belly, “I’m denying two. “

Abby smiled.
“Okay. But I’ll nap before the next date and I’ll pay.”

Tristan gave the waiter cash with a request for no change then turned to Abby in amusement.
“You pay?”

“
Sweater cleaning, remember?”

“
Abby,
mi corazon
, you are going to keep me on my toes.”

Tristan waited for Abby to stand. Her Spanish was always fantastic, so she
’d have known that he just called her
my heart.
He held out his hand. She briefly glanced down before placing her hand in his. She looked up with a smile. “Good.”

~

Abby held her keys as Tristan walked her to the door. “I gather the dog from the house on the corner ran out in front of you.”

“
What do you mean?”

“
The people who live in the house on the corner have a Labrador that chases cars. He’s really a sweet dog, but he’s been to obedience school several times and the owners still can’t keep him from running in the road. I always drive slowly by their house, and you did the same thing driving in.”

Tristan inwar
dly cursed himself for the slip but shrugged negligently. “He did. Just being careful this time around.” He smiled and ran his finger lightly across the back of her hand. “So, do you have plans for Saturday?”

“
No plans,” she responded with a quick shake of her head.

“
Would you like to spend the afternoon together?”

“
That sounds nice.” Abby’s smile nearly brought Tristan to his knees. She looked so full of hope.

“
Good. I’ll be here at noon. I’ve got lunch covered so dress casual and bring your appetite.”

“
I’ll be ready.”

Because he couldn
’t resist, Tristan took her hand and squeezed gently. “I’ll see you Saturday.” He backed away, not trusting himself to touch her again. The brief brush of her hand was a little bit of heaven and hell all rolled into one, and he was skirting the edge of his control. “Have a good night, Abby.”

“
You too.” Before she turned for the door, he saw her smile fade. Did she want a kiss? He thought about the framed quote that hung above her bed:
Always kiss me goodnight.

“
Abby, wait.” He bounded up the steps and took her by the arm. She looked up at him with anticipation, and Tristan’s hope soared. “I forgot something.”

Tristan bent his head and, at the first brush of his lips on hers, shuddered. One feather soft
touch where he lingered seconds longer than he should have, then he pulled back, resting his forehead on hers for the briefest of seconds so he could beg God for the strength to leave.

“
Goodnight, Abby.”

Her blue eyes were wide, and she weakly held up a hand.
“N-night.”

Tristan got in his car and started the Aston Martin, determined not to look at the house again. No man had ever been through the kind of torture he
’d just experienced. The strength of all the Spartans combined didn’t touch what it had taken to get him to that car. He couldn’t look at her again tonight.

But he did. Abby stood at the window, the light from the la
mp framing her brown hair with a halo. His beautiful angel, who had no idea of the kind of power she wielded. Her love kept him here when, by all rights, he should have crossed over.

Tristan held up his hand and waved before clenching his hand into a fist around the gear stick.

Go home now.

Listening to his inner voice of reason, Tristan pulled away. It was going to be a long, lonely night.

Abby put the phone in the charging dock and exhaled a long breath. She’d been so shaken as she watched Tristan drive away, that and as soon as he was out of sight, she’d called Julie.

She threatened to come over i
f Abby didn’t take deep breaths and sit so she could compose herself. When Julie was satisfied that she wasn’t going to hyperventilate, Abby explained everything—from dreaming about David to nearly ruining a cashmere sweater to the crux of the matter—Abby’s overwhelming sexual reaction to the barest of touches from Tristan’s lips.

“
It’s nearly July in Georgia,” Julie replied. “Who wears cashmere this time of year? And so what, you got turned on by a kiss. That doesn’t make you weird. It makes you a woman with hormones. Cut yourself some slack.” Abby groaned and Julie chuckled. “Stop groaning, this type of reaction is normal. So, are you going out with Tristan again?”

“
Saturday, he’s picking me up at noon. I was told to dress casual and bring my appetite. What about the dreams, Julie? I’m dreaming about David right before I go out with someone else.”

“
Dreaming about David is easy. You loved him. He died suddenly. You may be unfinished business.”

Abby didn
’t like the sound of that one bit. “Do you believe in that stuff?”

“
Absolutely. He may want to make sure you’re okay, especially since you’re pregnant.”

The baby moved, and she rubbed her belly.
“That makes sense.”

“
Yep.” Julie paused for a moment. “Tell me again what David said about Tristan.”

“
That he seems like he’s a good guy.”

“
Hmm, well then, David may be letting you know it’s okay to move on.”

They talked for a few more minutes
before Julie had to go. Abby turned off the kitchen lights and walked to the bedroom. In group, she’d talked with several of the women who said they couldn’t sleep in their bedroom anymore—the big empty space next to them in the bed they’d shared was just too much to bear. With Abby, this wasn’t the case. Many nights, even the few that David hadn’t made love to her, he’d held her as she slept. This bed was a place where she’d experienced love. Lying here, sometimes it was easier to forget that David had found it necessary to sleep with another woman.

She took the throw pillows off and turned down the covers. She put on her maternity gown and climbed into bed, snuggling into the pillow she covered in David
’s Georgia Tech t-shirt instead of a pillowcase. Abby cradled her bump. Her son moved in waves and she laughed.

“
So you like the Chinese, huh?”

The next wave was even more enthusiastic, and Abby
’s smile grew wider.

“
Maybe we can get some more with Tristan.”

Tristan. God help her, she
’d come so close to asking Tristan into the house with her tonight. Abby wasn’t sure how comfortable he would have been there with so many reminders of the life she built with David scattered around. But that hadn’t mattered, not in the moment his lips touched hers. There was nothing heated about the kiss, nothing that said Tristan felt any of the shock waves that reverberated through her with his touch.

Maybe it had just been too long. Perhaps she needed to what? Rent a few movies and get a personal toy? Eyes widening at the wanton nature of her thoughts, Abby hugged a pillow and thought immediately of the kiss.

He’d moved so slowly, as if it took effort to control his actions. His dark brown eyes were beautiful, but so very haunted. The moment before he’d slowly brushed his lips over hers, she’d closed her eyes and felt the warm exhalation of his breath. The kiss was innocent, but the anticipation built higher than Everest.

And now, Abby lay in the bed she
’d shared with her husband, missing the touch of another man. She picked up a book that a fellow romance reader at the bookstore had recommended. An hour later, the explicit subject material of the best seller had only served to make her libido spike. Aggravated, Abby placed the book on the night stand. Her cellphone beeped.

A text?
She glanced at the clock. 11:42. Who would be texting her this time of night?

Had a great time. Look forward to Sat.

T.R.

Abby grinned and typed out her response.
Me too. Looking forward to Sat and more kisses.

Forty-five seconds later, there was a ping.
Maybe my picnics are better than my kisses.

She typed with a ridiculously
big grin. Flirting via text? What was she, fifteen?
Then you, sir, must have a PhD in cooking.

The response was even quicker this time and Abby giggled as she read.

I do.

Dr. T.R.

Abby typed and erased before retyping. If she was thinking it, she might as well type it.
Careful, Dr. I’m lying awake thinking about you, as it is. It wouldn’t do for me to think about house calls.

The five-minute wait for the next text was near-torture, and Abby dr
ummed her fingers on her nightstand until the ping sounded.

Sorry. Dr. had to take a cold shower. My poor secretary will be making coffee nonstop tomorrow.

Abby exhaled in relief.
I think I can rest now. Thank you for tonight.

The ping was significantly quicker.
Good night, Abby. Sleep well.

Abby put the phone down with a smile. Tristan wanted her to sleep well. After their text session, she felt relieved enough to do just that.

~

The garage door opened to show Ehron standing by the back wall. Tristan parked the Aston Martin and slung open the door. The angel raised a brow and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Did the date not go well?”

Tristan walked in the house, grateful he
’d given his staff the night off. No one would be waiting to collect his coat or ask if he needed anything. He could talk to the angel freely. “I kissed her.”

“
This is good.” Ehron looked at Tristan’s scowl in surprise. “Or not. Was it a bad kiss?”

“
No, and that’s the problem.” Tristan walked through to the kitchen and paused at the island. “It was perfect. Nothing existed but Abby and me and I wanted to profess my love to her. But I know I can’t do that.”

“
The rules.”

Tristan shook his head impatiently.
“No, not just the rules...Abby. If I told her, it would hurt her and I can’t do that. Before David died, she was hurt in the worst way imaginable. I cannot, will not, be responsible for causing her pain again.”

“
Interesting. How did Abby react to the kiss?”

“
She held her breath.” Tristan looked from side to side, pondering.

Ehron crossed his arms over his chest.
“That bothers you?”

“
I’m not sure. Abby could never play poker professionally. She has tells. Holding her breath means she was anticipating something.” Tristan looked up at Ehron. “What, exactly, I don’t know. Did she think it would be good? Bad? Was she scared?”

Ehron chuckled.

Tristan’s eyes narrowed. Couldn’t Ehron see what he was going through? “What is so funny?”

“
I’m dealing with a teenager, here. Could you please just go unwind a bit? Have a drink then call her.”

Tristan checked the time.
“She was tired. I don’t want to wake her.”

“
Then text her. The message will be waiting for her in the morning.”

“
I...I don’t know what to say.”

Still chuckling, the angel gave Tristan a light shove on the shoulder.
“Go. Tell her you had a nice time, you look forward to seeing her. Wait, you did make another date, didn’t you?”

“
Saturday.”

“
Then tell her you look forward to seeing her Saturday. The KISS philosophy.”

Tristan nodded.
“KISS. Keep it simple, stupid.”

“
Right. Off you go. And remember, KISS.”

Tristan looked over his shoulder as he climbed the stairs.
“I will have no trouble remembering KISS tonight.”