Way to Her Heart

chapter 2

Sherri was surprised at how much she enjoyed her excursion with Lucas. Sydney was supposed to go with them, but she opted to stay and play with the dogs. She doted on the energetic little Corgis and Sherri had no doubt that there was going to be a puppy or two in their very near future. So that left her all alone with Lucas. It wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable at all because she was used to him. Ever since her bestie Alexis had married Jared VanBuren, the members of his family had become fairly familiar to Sherri.

She and Lucas had been partners in the wedding and he’d been a lot of fun. He was a good dancer and a great conversationalist. Since he’d moved to Columbia to take over as executive chef at Seven-Seventeen, the restaurant owned by the VanBuren brothers, she saw him fairly often. Lucas was a swell guy, no doubt about it. He was also quite good-looking. He was a perfect combination of his African-American mother and Caucasian father, with thick, wavy, golden-brown hair, green eyes and tawny skin. He was nice and tall, too; all the VanBuren men were inches over six feet.

“Is there something in my teeth? Do I have a hanger or something?” He flipped down the visor to peer in the mirror and stare in his nostrils with mock anxiety.

“No, you don’t. I’d tell you if you did, promise,” Sherri said with a laugh.

“You’re staring at me. I thought I looked weird or something.”

“Not at all. I was just thinking about how good-looking you are. Your whole family, I mean. You VanBurens are a handsome crew,” she said.

“Thanks, but I can’t take credit for that. I merely reap the benefits of a beautiful mixture of races and genes. My mom and dad are the ones who have the good looks. They were just kind enough to share them with us. Just like you shared yours with Sydney. She looks just like you,” he said. He had a deep, rich voice and she enjoyed listening to him talk.

“Our baby pictures are identical,” she confessed.

“Okay, here’s the place,” Lucas said as he turned into the parking lot of the giant farmers’ market located on a part of Hilton Head island known as Honey Horn.

Sherri was duly impressed with the huge, immaculately kept facility. She was so busy looking at the market that she almost missed the fact that Lucas had opened her car door. She put her hand into his absently until she felt the warmth of his strong fingers. A sensation like a mild electric shock raced right up her arm, spreading warmth as it went. Wow. What was that? Profoundly glad that Lucas had glanced at something in the distance, Sherri gracefully exited the car. She was pretty sure she had a goofy expression on her face and she was relieved he hadn’t seen it. Luckily, he didn’t seem to have noticed her momentary schoolgirl foolishness. As they entered the market, Sherri inhaled the fresh smells of the gorgeous produce displayed in tempting piles.

“Sydney would love this. She might have forsaken her beloved doggies to see all of this.”

They stopped by a stand that sold locally made baskets. Lucas bought two large ones and a T-shirt with the market logo for Sydney. “Now she won’t feel like she missed out. We’ll have to bring her here the next time we’re on the island.”

“That’s so thoughtful of you,” Sherri said warmly. “She’s a big fan of yours. She thinks you’re the funniest man she ever met and she says that you cook better than Jared, and that’s high praise because she knows her food.”

“You have an amazing kid, Sherri. Smart, well-behaved, cute as a button and a budding gourmet. You’re a great mom.”

Sherri stopped looking at the heirloom tomatoes in unusual colors and gave him a big smile. “Thank you for saying that. My life is all about Sydney and my job. I had just started my internship when I found out I was pregnant. It wasn’t easy, but it sure was worth it. She’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“I hope her father feels the same way about her.”

Only someone who knew her really well would have been able to read the look on her face, fleeting though it was. She was about to give him an answer when her cell phone rang. Grateful for the distraction, she hastily answered it. It was Alexis, being her usual nosy self.

“I was just checking on you,” she said cheerfully. “You two got out of here so fast I didn’t realize you were gone. Having fun?”

“Yes, I am. Is my daughter behaving?”

“She’s always a perfect little lady, you know that. I’m going to let you change the subject because you get that weird look on your face when you don’t want to talk about something and I don’t want Lucas to think you’re nuts. So you’re safe for now.”

“You’re too kind,” Sherri mumbled.

Alexis ignored her snarky reply and went on. “My darling husband wants his brother to bring home more lemons and shallots and some fresh basil along with whatever else he went to get. And he says he’s making the fire now so it’ll be hot when you two get back.”

“I’ll let him know. We should be back soon.”

“Good because while they’re grilling dinner, I’m gonna be grilling you!”

Sherri ended the call while Alexis was still giggling madly. As she put the phone back in the pocket of her shorts, Lucas returned to her side. She relayed Jared’s requests and he nodded absently. Taking her hand, he began to lead her to the aisle where the shallots and other aromatics were. He looked down at her with a warm look of concern.

“Is everything okay? You had kind of an odd look when you were on the phone,” he said.

“It’s a bad habit,” she admitted. “I make the strangest faces without realizing it. I don’t do it at work—just when Alexis is picking on me.”

“You two are as close as sisters and if you’re anything like my family, y’all probably pick on each other constantly. Besides, it’s cute as hell when you do it.”

He squeezed her hand and gave her another of his crooked smiles. The same warm thrill ran through her as before, making her forget about the teasing she’d endured earlier and the interrogation she was sure to face once Alexis got her alone. For once, she was in the moment, just enjoying Lucas’s company.

* * *

As far as Lucas was concerned the weekend was a total success. He got to take the baby steps that Sydney had advised simply by taking Sherri to the farmers’ market. They had some time alone and he got to look at her long, shapely legs as much as he wanted. Everything about her appealed to him, from her thick, coarse hair with its stylish cut, to her sweet, natural face with the sprinkling of tiny freckles across her nose. She was graceful and sexy without making a big deal of it. He was used to artificially pretty women who made a big deal of their beauty like it was a new kind of currency. The message they sent out was “I’m irresistible because I have long hair and big boobs, so have sex with me!” Lucas was no snob and he had a very high sex drive besides, so their willingness to engage in frisky sex was very convenient for much of his dating life, but not anymore. Now it was annoying to Lucas. It was easy enough to get what he wanted from the bouncy-boobie-bunny kind of woman, but he no longer desired that kind of relationship. It was like eating in five-star restaurants after a lifetime of fast food; now that he knew better, he did better.

Sherri was a different kind of woman altogether. She was a challenge. Besides being fresh, pretty and accomplished, she was a mother with a very smart and charming child. There was no margin for error here. He had to come correct or not come at all. When kids were involved, all other bets were off. He couldn’t just hop aboard Sherri for some fun-filled sex and go on his merry way—not that he wanted to. He had a strong desire for her—that much was true. But he wanted way more than sex. Sex was a wonderful thing and he looked forward to having lots of it with Sherri, but that was just the beginning of what he wanted to share with her.

He had sat across from her at the dinner table just to watch her eat. Everyone raved about the food and ate with great appetites, but the way Sherri consumed her meal was extremely enticing. He and Jared had made a real feast, starting with goat cheese crostini and a platter of marinated vegetables fresh from the market. The way she looked eating the spears of asparagus and cucumber was stimulating to say the least. The entrée consisted of grilled lobster and jumbo shrimp, with tender breasts of chicken and petite filet mignons. This was accompanied by dainty grilled pattypan squash, colorful fingerling potatoes and long, crisp haricots verts with cremini mushrooms. When he wasn’t watching the sensual way Sherri enjoyed the meal, he was keeping an eye on Sydney. She had excellent table manners and an equally good appetite. She ate everything on her plate and came back for more of her favorites, the pickled golden beets and the squash.

After the sumptuous meal, everyone had decided to wait a while before having dessert. The men cleaned up the kitchen and the women walked off their meal on the beach while the dogs got a nice run. With all the inquiring minds away from the house, Jared decided it was a great time to get in his younger brother’s business.

“You were all but drooling on Sherri, bro. What’s going on there?”

Lucas didn’t take offense; he just shrugged. “Nothing’s going on yet. I’ve asked her out a couple of times and she’s been busy, but I think that’s about to change. I’m ninety percent sure that the next time I ask, she’ll say yes.”

Jared raised an eyebrow and said, “That’s all well and good, but don’t be fooling around. In case you haven’t noticed, she’s not your typical empty-headed glamazon. And she has a child, a very smart and lovable child, so you can’t be treating her place like it’s got a revolving door on it.”

“Don’t hold back, Jared. Tell me how you really feel,” Lucas said dryly. “I’m not an idiot. I know exactly what kind of lady Sherri is and I have nothing but respect for her. And love for her daughter, if you must know. Sydney’s an amazing kid. I’d never do anything to hurt her.”

Jared opened his mouth for a comment, but his father spoke first. “Glad to hear you say that, son. Dr. Sherri Stratton seems like a lovely woman and she’s certainly raised an exceptional child. Go slowly and carefully on this, Lucas. They’d make great additions to the family, so take your time and do this right.”

He gave his son a mock punch in the arm as he went to the mudroom to fetch a handful of small bags. “I’m going down to meet the ladies and scoop the poop. Be back in a few,” he said as he headed to the deck. Lucas watched him leave with a bemused look on his face.

“Don’t look so surprised, Luc. Dad and I could both see that Sherri knocked you flat out the day you met her. It’s a family trait. When we meet the right woman, we just know. When I met Alexis, I knew she was the one woman in the world for me. It’s just how it works for us. I knew at the wedding that it wouldn’t be long before you’d be going down the same path. I told Alexis that Sherri needed to put on her running shoes because you were gonna chase her down until you got her.”

Lucas gave a loud shout of laughter. “Thanks a lot. So I’m so ugly that I’m gonna have to ambush her, is that it?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying at all,” Jared replied. “I mean, yeah, you’re ugly as homemade sin, but that’s not why you’ve got your work cut out for you. Sherri had a really rough time when she got pregnant with Sydney. Sydney’s father cut and ran as soon as he found out and he hasn’t been back since. Her family wasn’t any help at all. They pretty much turned their backs on her, so she was all alone trying to raise her child and finish school. If it hadn’t been for Emily and Alexis and their mothers, I don’t know how she would have done it,” Jared said solemnly. “She hasn’t had anything to do with the male species since then and if you’re gonna be the first man she trusts enough to try again with, you better have your shit together. Alexis loves her like a sister and so do I, not to mention Miss Sydney. If anything happens to hurt the two of them, the consequences will be dire. And I’ll be one of the first ones in line to extract retribution, so don’t get it twisted, Lucas. This is not play time.”

Lucas was running a damp mop over the hardwood floors in the kitchen and dining room while Jared was delivering his summation of the situation. He narrowed his eyes at his older brother and pulled his earlobe, a sure indication of his annoyance.

“What have I ever done to make you think that I’m some kind of pond scum–sucking lowlife who’s going to subject Sherri and Sydney to emotional turmoil? Your track record was no better than mine before you met Alexis. I date a lot, sure, and I haven’t gotten serious with anyone, but it’s not because I’m a sociopath. And if memory serves, you hold the family record for the most women in a month, so you really don’t have any grounds for lecturing me.

“I like Sherri a lot and I love Sydney and I do take this situation seriously, which is why I’ve been taking my time. I’m not trying to mess up their lives,” he said heatedly. “I’m trying to make them both happy so I’d appreciate it if you step off. Give me some credit for having some common sense, you damned asshat,” he muttered under his breath as he stowed the mop in the mudroom.

To add to his growing irritation, Jared was laughing when Lucas returned to the kitchen. “Now what? What’s so freakin’ funny?”

“I’m proud of you, Luc. You reacted the way I wanted you to, which let me know that you’ve got your head on straight. I think that you and Sherri are a good idea, a really good idea. But I’m not the one you have to convince. Your intentions are all in the right place, but Sherri’s gonna take a lot of tender loving care if you want to make her your lady.”

Just then the doors in the dining room opened and in raced the dogs, followed by Sydney and everyone else. Further conversation was impossible, so the only alternative was dessert. But while he was serving the strawberry shortcakes with homemade vanilla-bean ice cream, Lucas couldn’t keep his eyes off Sherri. He’d fallen hard and fast for her. Lucas was a true VanBuren through and through because he knew at that moment he would do whatever it took to find the way to her heart.