Sweet Silver Bells

He lifted a shoulder. “Somehow I got the impression you were in Charleston to audit some company’s books.” There was something about her demeanor that called to mind the no-nonsense accountants at ColeDiz.

“You’re not even close. I’m here to decorate the interior of an inn and B and B for the owner of Beaumont House,” Crystal said.

Now he knew why she was living in the penthouse. He stayed at the Beaumont House because it was rated as one of the best hotels in Charleston. And if the owner of the hotel had elected to have Crystal decorate his other establishments, then there was no doubt she was at the top in her field.

“Congratulations.”

She flashed a wide grin. “Thank you.”

Thoroughly exhausted, Lily pushed two fingers in her mouth and closed her eyes. Within seconds she was asleep as Crystal savored the warmth of the small body molded to her chest. She closed her eyes for several seconds and when she opened them she was shocked by the tender expression on Joseph’s face as he watched her rock the child. Seconds ticked as they continued to stare at each other.

Xavier shattered the spell as he gently extricated his sleeping daughter from Crystal’s arms. “Let me take her.”

“Does she usually take a nap this early?” Crystal asked him.

“Her sleep patterns have been haywire since we came back from vacation.”

Xavier placed Lily in a playpen in the corner of the kitchen while Selena removed the pan of golden-brown biscuits from the oven, setting them on a warm plate. Temporarily fortified by the dish of fruit, Crystal stood up, washed her hands and assisted Selena in setting a bowl of grits and a platter with crisp bacon, julienned ham and country links on the table in the breakfast nook in the large eat-in kitchen, while Xavier ladled fluffy scrambled eggs into a serving bowl. Crystal had to do something so as not to sit and stare at Joseph.

* * *

Joseph, seated next to Crystal, took surreptitious glances at her. Each time she asked him to pass her a dish, their shoulders brushed, making him more than aware of her feminine scent.

He was surprised at how comfortable he felt interacting with her and her cousins.

It had to be an Eaton thing because he had experienced the same thing when meeting Solomon for the first time. He’d been referred to the judge by one of his law professors who’d attended law school with Solomon.

Although passing the bar on his first attempt, Joseph found himself mildly intimidated working for the former celebrated U.S. prosecutor, who struck fear in defendants and the opposing counsel whenever he entered the courtroom. Solomon never went to trial unless he was certain of a victory. Joseph’s mentor jurist treated him as an equal, and he learned more about the law working with Solomon than he had in three years of law school.

Joseph swallowed a forkful of grits and eggs, savoring the piquant flavors. “Do you guys eat like this every morning?” he asked.

“I wish,” Xavier intoned. “Most mornings I have breakfast at school. It’s not as appetizing as it is health-conscious.”

Selena smiled at Joseph. “I save the grits, eggs and pork for the weekend or whenever we have houseguests. If I ate like this every morning, I’d end up going back to bed instead of working.”

Joseph slathered apple butter jam on a fluffy biscuit. “Xavier told me you have a home-based mail-order business.”

She nodded. “Yes, I do. I closed my shop on King Street and went completely mail order after Lily was born. We expanded the house and installed a commercial kitchen. Working from home allows me to spend time with Lily and to do what I love.”

He picked up the small jar of jam, staring at the label printed with the Sweet Persuasions website. “Do you sell these, too?”

Selena nodded again. “Those I give away as complimentary gifts for first-time customers. Most times they order the larger size whenever they place subsequent offers.”

“Do you also make them?”

“No,” Selena said, smiling. “I can’t take credit for the jams, jellies and preserves. My grandmother makes them for me and I sell them in two-, four-and six-ounce sizes.”

“How large an order can you accommodate?”

“How large are you talking about?” Selena asked.

“I’d like to begin with an assortment of at least five hundred jars. My family own and operate a number of vacation resorts throughout the Caribbean, and a variety of gourmet jellies and preserves would be perfect for breakfast breads and high tea. The larger sizes could be sold in the gift shops.”

“Which resorts?” Crystal had asked the question before a seemingly stunned Selena could respond to Joseph’s offer.

“ColeDiz International Limited.” Joseph’s expression was deadpan.

A soft gasp escaped Crystal’s parted lips. “You’re one of those Coles?” Even though it’d never been substantiated, the Coles were purported to be the wealthiest African-American family in the United States. It was then she remembered he’d introduced himself as Joseph Cole-Wilson.

The hint of a smile flitted over his mouth. “And you’re one of those Eatons.”

Xavier’s gaze shifted from his cousin to Joseph. “Am I missing something here?”

Joseph told Xavier he’d been a law clerk for Solomon Eaton and that they also belonged to the same fraternity. “Now I’m a true believer that it’s a small world, but I never would’ve expected to meet the judge’s niece when I checked into the Beaumont House.”

Xavier nodded. “Fate is a fickle woman. You never know what to expect from her.”

“Why does it have to be a woman?” Crystal and Selena chorused in unison. Sharing a wide grin, they exchanged a fist bump.

“I think we’d better quit while we’re ahead, brother,” Joseph suggested, as he and Xavier executed their own handshake. He redirected his attention to Selena. “Do you think you’d be able to meet my request?”

She closed her eyes for several seconds. “I...I don’t know. I have to think about it.”

He nodded. “Take all the time you need. However, I’d also like to invest in your company. Just name your price. While you’re thinking about it, can I place an order and have you overnight it to Diego Cole-Thomas. He’s the CEO at ColeDiz.”

A heavy silence descended on those sitting in the kitchen as Crystal stared at the contents of her plate instead of the man sitting next to her. He definitely was one of those Coles, she mused.

She didn’t know if Selena was willing to give up a portion of a business she’d worked to grow over the past three years, and if she did agree to Joseph’s offer, then the Eatons and Coles would be linked even further.

Crystal knew Joseph’s family guarded their net worth like a top-secret government document, and had elected to remain a private company instead of going public like many billion-dollar conglomerates. People such as Joseph sealed deals with a single phone call or with a stroke of a pen.

And he had it all: looks, brains, wealth and power. Something told Crystal to run in the opposite direction, that when they returned to the Beaumont House she should end her association with him. But realistically she knew that wasn’t possible. Xavier had invited him to their Super Bowl party.

Although Crystal did not want to become involved with Joseph, fate, destiny, providence or external circumstances had intervened. He would become a part of her existence while in Charleston and possibly beyond because of her uncle.

Chapter 4 (#ulink_106f6b61-685b-5eba-85a6-c3c2de4c2bad)

It was after one when Joseph and Crystal returned to the Beaumont House.

When he called the front desk and was told the smoky condition had been extinguished, Joseph made arrangements for the driver to take them back. They hadn’t exchanged a word during the return ride.

He reached for Crystal’s hand, guiding her through the throng of guests to the elevators. Aside from reconnecting with his parents and siblings, he couldn’t remember when he’d spent a more enjoyable morning since returning to the States.

The cooking skills of the owner of Sweet Persuasions were superior and the interchange between Crystal and her cousins light, lively and easygoing. He listened closely when Xavier talked of his intent to become a career officer, but after being seriously wounded he’d smoothly transitioned to civilian life and moved to Charleston to teach military history at a prestigious military prep school.

His interest in history was evidenced by the memorabilia in Xavier’s home/office that included military maps, books on military history and black-and-white photographs of players from the Negro Leagues, and different countries and cities he’d taken while on leave.

Selena recounted her career from actress to pastry chef, and now mother of a precocious two-year-old. She admitted to being a frustrated interior decorator, teasing Crystal that whenever she decided to give up her mail-order enterprise she wanted to assist her at Eaton Interior and Design.