Color Blind (Able to Love) (6 page)

Macy threw her head back and chuckled. “I see why Saul likes you.”

He liked her? Yeah, but he told his girlfriend, so he didn’t
like her
like her. She kept her voice neutral. “I like him too. He’s a joy to work with.”

Macy arched her brow. “Are we talking about Saul Sweeterman? Because he’s a boar when he’s sick. He ran us all out of his room. He mentioned you called him on it.”

Evidently, Saul told his woman everything. Annie relaxed. “I only told the truth.”

“Yes, but you don’t get it. Many of us tell him about himself too. He never listens. However, he listens to you.”

Annie bit her lip. Macy had a pensive expression on her face. She didn’t know what to do, so she re-opened the refrigerator door and pulled out some turkey meat and all the trappings to make a sandwich.

“Ooh, can you make me one?”

Annie’s mouth popped open.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Macy laughed. “Where do I put it? Saul says I eat like a horse.”

Annie nodded. “If I ate like that I wouldn’t be able to fit through the door.”

They heard the click-clack of Saul’s cane and turned in his direction. He looked like he’d just awakened from a nap. “I thought I heard noises in here.”

“Annie and I were just getting better acquainted,” Macy said. “She was talking about how she fears getting fat.”

“I don’t think she has to worry about that,” Saul replied. “She seems very fit to me.”

He couldn’t see the sharp look Macy threw his way, but Annie could. She busied her hands.

“Do you want a sandwich?”

Saul faced her way. “I told you that you don’t have to do any cooking. Macy and I would have gladly ordered carryout.”

“It’s only a sandwich,” she recountered. “Do you want one or not?”

“All right, feisty lady. I’ll have two.” Saul waved at her.

Macy held a hand towards her. “You, see Annie. That’s what I mean.”

Saul crooked his head. “Meant about what?”

***

“What did you mean by what you said earlier?” Saul asked Macy that evening. They were lounging in the lanai as Annie had decided to go to the movies. He recognized that was her way of giving he and Macy some privacy.

“You’re different with her,” Macy said.

Saul wished he could see her face. Something about her tone heightened his senses. “How different?” He reached his hand out to search for hers. He smiled when her fingers grasped his.

“I don’t know, exactly. Your face glows.”

Saul used his free hand to touch his face in a reflexive action. “I glow.”

“Maybe glow isn’t the right word. You’re happy and you listen to her.”

He wasn’t sure how to respond to her statement when he couldn’t gauge her mood. “So you want me to be angry and nasty?” he chuckled.

He felt her slap his hand. “No, silly. I want you to be nicer to me.”

Saul withdrew his hand. “Is this about us not sleeping together? Macy, I’m going through a big ordeal right now and I’m barely finding my way. I thought you understood.”

“I know you’re going through a difficult time and I can’t even begin to imagine what I would do if I…”

Saul gritted his teeth. “Say the words. You don’t know what you would do if you were blind. Blind. Blind. I’m blind!”

In a huge swoop, he swung his hand across the table. The lemonade jug and glasses all landed on the tile with a loud crash. Macy inhaled.

“There you go with that awful temper of yours! You need to control yourself. I know you’re blind but you don’t need your eyes to make love to me. We both have needs and maybe if you got some you wouldn’t be so…disagreeable.”

“I can’t believe you! You’ve been crowned the most beautiful woman in the world and you’re throwing a tantrum because I’m not swooning for you. Forgive me if I’ve been caught up in the fact that I can’t see!”

Her heels protested as she dragged the chair across the tile. Her heels hit the floor with a vengeance. Where was she going? Within seconds, Saul heard Macy’s muttering and heard the vigorous sweeping of a broom.

“Move your feet!” she commanded.

Saul complied. He released a long breath. “Macy, I’m sorry.” He heard a hiccup and knew she was crying. “Darling, please don’t cry.”

“You like her. Admit it. That’s why you won’t touch me. You have her in your bedroom and we’re sleeping in separate bedrooms.”

Saul wasn’t about to admit to something he wasn’t sure about. “You never liked my bedroom, remember? You said the color scheme was depressing which is why you decorated your bedroom down the hall.”

“Yes, but…”

“But, what? You told me you liked Annie. You said she was good for me.”

“But that was before I saw you with her.”

Saul lifted his hands to the heavens. “I’ll never understand how the female mind works. Macy, you’ve never been the jealous type. You’ve never questioned or wondered about my loyalty before.”

“She’s beautiful,” Macy supplied.

He’d wondered about that but he knew better than to continue that conversation thread. Instead he asked, “What makes Annie different from the countless women you’ve seen me with at the dealership?

“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me? What makes Annie different from all the other women at the dealership?”

Chapter Eleven

“I’m sure your girlfriend would’ve been happy to take you,” Annie declared.

“You’re right. She would have but Macy is jet-lagged. I couldn’t ask her to drive me down here. Besides, she has another job in Japan. This is a brief layover. She’ll be gone again in a day of two. He wasn’t about to admit that he and Macy had gotten into a fight because of her.

Truthfully, Saul hated that Annie had to be his guide. He wasn’t use to depending on anyone and he wanted to drive himself into town and handle his business. “I’ll be back in a minute.” He made it out of the car but cringed when Annie had to get out to help into the front door.

“Saul!” Greg greeted him.

Saul gripped Greg’s arm. “I came to see how things are going,” he joked.

“I’ve got him,” Greg said. Saul knew he was talking to Annie.

“I’ll be in the car,” she said.

Within thirty minutes, he was in her car and they were back on the road.

“How’s everything?” she asked.

“Greg has everything under control and he went over my earnings assuring me all is well,” Saul replied.

“It must feel good to have those around you whom you can trust.”

“Yes, it does. He was with me from day one. I trust him with everything. He’s Cassandra’s godfather. Speaking of which, he urged me to pay her a visit. Would you mind if we went by her house?”

“No, what’s the address?”

Saul recited the address that Greg had provided. He didn’t want to tell Annie that he’d never set foot in his daughter’s home—didn’t even know where she lived. Her house was twenty minutes away from his dealership in the next town.

“Is she expecting you?”

He knew the question she was really asking, and answered, “No, but I’m going anyway. If I wait on Cassandra to respond to me, I might enter another lifetime. Greg advised me to just show up.”

“I agree with him,” Annie said. “My family lives in Jacksonville, and believe me, if I were freezing my parents out, they’d be at my door.”

A thought occurred to him as she mentioned her parents. “How do your parents feel about you living with me?”

He heard her hesitate before she said in a low voice, “I didn’t tell them.”

“Say what?” Saul wished he could see her face. He used her voice as cues to determine how she was feeling but there was nothing like being able to look a person in their face.

“I don’t know why I didn’t tell them,” she confessed. “I’ve also limited my conversation with them to about five minutes, or else I’ll be spilling the proverbial beans.”

“But this is a job,” he retorted. “You’re a professional. I can’t see why you wouldn’t inform them.”

“I can,” she said. “My mother would insist on seeing a picture of you and if she did—

Her voice trailed off as she put the car in park. They must have arrived at their destination. Saul sat forward in his seat and reached for her hand. “If she did, what?” he wanted to know. He discerned she really didn’t want to answer, but waited her out. He wasn’t moving until she answered.

“Well, let’s just say that she would think my moving in with you had nothing to do with a job, and she would be right.”

He smiled, loving the ego boost from her bold words. Annie, however, was done talking and exited the vehicle. He jumped from the loud slam of her door and within seconds, she opened his side and proclaimed, “We’re here!”

Saul gripped her hand. His throat felt dry, his palms sweaty and his heart was beating so loud that he was convinced all of Northport would hear it.

“Have you changed your mind?”

He heard the sympathy in her tone and resented it. “No, and for the record, I don’t need coddling. I can get there on my own two feet.”

She sucked her teeth, and said, “Suit yourself.” He heard her flip-flops as she left him to fend for himself. The thing was he couldn’t see where he was going. He reached behind him for the cane, but paused.

Saul exhaled and his shoulders slumped. Why had he done that? He had no reason for attacking the one person who was helping him and putting up with his nasty attitude. “Annie, I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have snapped off at you like I did. You’ve been in my corner and all I’ve done is push you away. It’s hard for me to admit, but I need you.”

“Okay, I forgive you.” Her cheerful tone made him wonder at her sanity. Was she really over it, or was she going to make him pay?

“You accept my apology?” he creased his eyebrows, not understanding.

“Yes, I do. What did you expect me to do? Rant and rave and carry on? You said you’re sorry and I accept it.”

Saul shook his head. “Annie Hays, I think it’s safe to say I’ve never met anyone like you.”

She took his hands in one of her hands and placed her other hand on top of his head so he wouldn’t hit it as he got out of the car. Then she guided him to the front door.
 “Your leg is coming along nicely,” she remarked. “I think Dr. Pryor will recommend more strenuous activities when we go in to see him next week.”

Saul harrumphed but said nothing. He asked Annie to ring the doorbell and attempted to compose himself as he heard a little voice yell, “Mommy! Mommy! Someone’s at the door!”

“Go in your room!” he heard his daughter say. Saul steeled himself. He reached his hand over to Annie’s searching until she clasped her hand in his. He sighed with relief. Now, he was ready.

The door swung open and he heard a high-pitched, “Dad? What’re you doing here? Where’s Macy? And, why are you here with
her?”

Saul was a bit put off by her tone. He played the father card. He turned his head, and prayed he was looking her in the eyes. “Cassandra, you’ve ignored my calls and now it sounds like you’re being rude to my guest. If you must know, Macy is at home resting. She has a big job coming up.” He wasn’t about to elaborate any further. He continued, “Now, are you going to let us in? Or, are you going to broadcast our business for the neighbors to hear?”

Chapter Twelve

Count to ten.

She bit the inside of her cheeks following the Holy Ghost directions. If it weren’t for Him, she’d wrap that corn silk hair around her hands at that “And, with her?” comment.

Ten—nine –eight—
Let it go, Annie, let it go.

Naw, but what did she mean by
her?

The old Annie would’ve turned on her heels and returned to her car at Saul’s daughter’s belligerent tone. She knew that look and what it meant. Cassandra wanted to know why her father was at her home with a black woman. She’d seen that sneer enough times to know.

Instead, she held herself upright, led Saul into the home and settled him onto the couch. Once she was sure he was situated, Annie announced, “I’ll be back. I’m going to T. J. Maxx.”

Cassandra rushed over and touched Annie on the arm. “May I speak with you a minute?” The young woman gestured towards the kitchen. It took Holy Ghost power for her not to shrug the other woman off, but she followed.

“I’m sorry for how I sounded. It’s just that I would’ve never expected my father to show up here with a black woman,” the young woman whispered. Her friendly eyes tempered the implication behind her words.

Annie arched her eyebrow. “Yes, I’m black. So what?” she snipped. Really, in this day and age, she was sick of racism masked under polite southern gentility. Never mind that Port Charlotte had plenty of interracial couples, the racist attitudes were just as prevalent.

Cassandra took a small step back at her tone. Annie resisted the urge to go off on her. She bit her lip determined not to live up to the stereotype of the angry, black woman. She also didn’t want to make Cassandra nervous.