His Duty to Accept by Shanae Johnson

Author:Shanae Johnson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Those Johnson Girls

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Caleb sat across from Glinda in the cozy ambiance of the family-style restaurant, his gaze fixed upon her. There were subtle differences he noticed in her appearance this evening. It wasn't the yoga clothes. Even though the garments weren't her usual wardrobe, they still matched in the muted tones she preferred.

No, it was something else.

Her hair was loosely pulled back. Tendrils escaped the clasp, but they didn't get far. Caleb didn't blame the loose strands of hair. If he had that kind of access to Glinda's face, he would curl himself around her temple, her cheek, her nape just like those flyaways were doing.

He realized what was different. It was her face. Her eyelids and cheeks were all free of the usual meticulous makeup. She looked fresh. There was a lightness, an innocence, about her. There was nothing guarded about her in this moment. Caleb found her utterly captivating.

As Glinda fidgeted in her seat, a self-consciousness etched into her features, Caleb's admiration for her grew. There was a raw and unfiltered beauty in her presence, a genuine authenticity that shone through even without the accouterments she usually adorned.

Her natural grace and genuine nature were on full display. The absence of perfectly matched outfits and flawless makeup allowed Caleb to see a different side of Glinda. It made her more approachable, relatable, and real.

"Stop fidgeting," he commanded. "You look beautiful."

"I look like something the cat dragged in. And look over there; it's the judge who married us."

Caleb took her hands in his. "Then he'll see that I love you not because of the clothes you wear or the makeup you put on, but because of who you are—inside and out."

He had no idea where those words came from. They were illogical. Filled with emotion. Completely unlike him.

"Are you playing the part of my doting husband right now?"

"Yes." Caleb nodded. "But I also never lie."

He meant every word he’d said about her appearance. He searched deep inside for the emotions he’d spoken of. The L word was something he'd never uttered before. Not to his mother, who had already been sickly by the time he'd been born. Certainly not to his father, who barely paid him any attention through his grief.

That kind of emotion wasn't something he and his siblings shared. Caleb knew he would do anything for his brother and sister. Wasn't that the highest expression of love? Weren't actions better than words in the long run?

"You never lie?" asked Glinda.

"Never."

She eyed him skeptically.

"I don't have the talent for it. My head has always been full of facts. That's why I was an analyst and not an operative in the military."

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Starr, what a pleasure to see you," Judge Thompson greeted them warmly, a smile on his face. "Looks like marital bliss is still upon you. I know my clerk had her doubts, but I can always tell when a couple is going to make it. It's in the kiss. Though by then, it's too late to back out.

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