The days leading up to the Fourth of July passed in a whirlwind of heavy foot traffic at the gallery and a nonstop schedule of activities along the riverfront. But on Sunday afternoon, Nicole was finally able to break away from the gallery, leaving Marcie and Amyra in charge, so that she could pop in to Ryan’s open house. She’d promised him she’d show up, eager to see how the final product looked and curious if he had any interested buyers.
Seeing the Open House signs, she drove into the estate, pretending she was a potential buyer. Driving Vivian’s impressive SUV certainly made that believable. Although if anyone could see her bank account, despite it being padded with her recent commissions from selling paintings, they would surely laugh.
She followed a fortyish couple into the house, listening to their comments as they looked around the foyer. So far they seemed impressed—that was encouraging. Unsure of what to do and not knowing if Ryan was even here, she decided to simply play along, strolling about the large home and imagining she was in the market for a McMunster Mansion.
Disappointed that Ryan did not seem to be here, she eventually made her way to her favorite room, the conservatory, and even sat down in the wicker rocker. She felt a little guilty for this moment of leisure, though Amyra had seemed eager to see her go. Probably because her sales commission potential had gone up considerably with Nicole’s departure. It still seemed lazy to just sit here like this, but she couldn’t quite help herself.
She leaned back in the rocker, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the strains of music drifting through the house. It really had good acoustics, and she’d encouraged Ryan to play classical music for the open house, even suggesting some of the moodier composers who seemed to fit the house.
The only reason she even knew about such things was because of Peter. She smiled, amused she’d even thought of him. He seemed such a distant memory now. Had she ever really been in love with him? She leaned back, listening more closely to the music and thinking it sounded like Rachmaninoff. Dark and eerie . . . perfect for the McMunster Mansion.
“Hello?” A woman’s voice interrupted Nicole’s thoughts.
Nicole opened her eyes to see an attractive woman in a chic dove-gray suit leaning against the door frame and looking down on her. “Oh, hello.”
“Can I help you with anything in regard to this property?” The woman smiled broadly, but beneath the pretty veneer, she looked suspicious. As if she knew Nicole wasn’t a legitimate McMansion shopper. Was it that obvious?
“Oh, no,” Nicole said lightly. “I was just enjoying the ambiance. It’s such an interesting house, don’t you think?”
“Yes.” The woman nodded. “And so beautifully restored too.”
“With ghosts left intact?”
“Well, you never know.” The woman tipped her head to one side, as if to question who Nicole was and why she had planted herself here. “Our Southern homes do come with their history. But you don’t sound as if you’re from these parts, so you may not know about that sort of thing. Savannah offers lovely tours in historical neighborhoods. This is a big weekend for that sort of sightseeing.”
This was obviously a hint, and suddenly feeling like an intruder, Nicole stood up. “Sorry,” she said. “I was just relaxing. You see, I’m a friend of Ryan’s and thought I’d pop in—”
“I’m a friend of Ryan’s too,” the woman said crisply. “And as much as I think an open house should be social, we really are here to sell a house. So if you’ll excuse me.”
Nicole picked up her purse, feeling like a child who had been scolded. Southerners were interesting—sometimes they were sweeter than sugar, other times not so much. It was clearly time to make herself scarce.
“Hey, Nicole.” Ryan jogged out to meet her as she walked down the driveway. “What are you doing here?”
“Getting myself kicked out, I think.” She smiled sheepishly. “Actually, your realtor was just doing her job. Getting rid of the riffraff.”
He laughed. “Oh, that’s Abigail for you. She shows a lot of historical homes and doesn’t have much patience with ‘lookie-lous,’ as she calls them. She thinks they get in the way of the serious buyers.” He grabbed her by the arm. “But that doesn’t include you. Come on back inside. Don’t leave.”
“I don’t want to upset your realtor.”
“Don’t be silly, Nicole. It’s my house, and you helped make it look so great. By the way, Abigail was impressed. Let me introduce you to her. That’ll put her in her place.”
Nicole wasn’t sure she wanted to put anyone in their place, but she let Ryan lead her back inside and introduce her, explaining how she had been his stager.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Abigail told Ryan. “It’s been a long day and I’ve had some strange lookers.” She turned to Nicole, and some of her warmth seemed to evaporate. “Please forgive me. I was simply looking out for my client’s best interests.”
“It’s okay.” Nicole tried not to feel insignificant as Abigail’s attention returned to Ryan. It was clear that Ryan’s realtor thought he was pretty special. And unless Nicole was mistaken, her interest in Ryan was about more than just real estate.
“Well, it’s almost five,” Abigail said. “Almost closing time.”
“Hey, feel free to go,” he told her. “Nicole and I can play host for the rest of the time. I’ll pick up your signs for you.”
“Oh, are you sure?” She gave Nicole a doubtful look. “You did a nice job helping to stage this place, but you’ve probably never sold real estate.”
Ryan laughed. “I don’t think we need to worry about that. If anyone wants to buy it before we leave, I’ll call you right up.”
Abigail gave Ryan a friendly hug, then reminded him about having another open house the following weekend. “Well, unless we get an offer by then,” she joked. “I didn’t get that feeling from anyone, but you never know.”
For the next half hour, Nicole and Ryan greeted the last few people coming to look at the house. It was interesting how they took turns saying things about the house, so much in sync it almost felt as if they’d rehearsed it.
Eventually, the last of the lookers left, and Ryan went out and removed the signs while Nicole tidied up the refreshments that Abigail had laid out in the kitchen. When Ryan came back inside, she still felt reluctant to leave. “It’s so peaceful here,” she told him as she gave the marble countertop a swipe with a paper towel.
“Would you want to live here?” Ryan asked.
She laughed. “No, I don’t think so. Besides being a little out of my budget, I’d never feel comfortable in such a large house.”
He nodded. “That’s how I feel too. To be honest, I’ve had misgivings about trying to sell this house. Usually I try to transform homes that I would be comfortable living in. This one sort of broke the rules. I really hope I don’t get stuck with it.” He frowned.
“Someone is going to want it,” she assured him. “You just need the right person.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you’re right.” He grinned. “Now, as I recall, I owe you a dinner for your staging help. Remember?”
“As a matter of fact, I do remember.” She patted her midsection. “And I’m ravenous. You might not want to take me to dinner tonight—it could be costly.”
“I like a woman with a good appetite.” His smile faded. “But I’m not sure we can get into anyplace decent without a reservation. This is a busy weekend, you know.”
“Oh, that’s right. It was so quiet and calm here, I nearly forgot.” She sighed. “I’m not looking forward to going home.”
“Still a circus there?”
“Well, Gina spent the weekend. And Alex . . .” She frowned. “He’s been a bit grumpy lately.” She explained his irritation about having a less-than-perfect location for his Fourth of July party. “That and a few other things seem to have him acting a little glum. At least toward me.”
He laughed. “That sounds like my big bro.” His eyes lit up. “Hey, speaking of the Fourth, I have an idea for tonigh
t. You like fireworks?”
“Of course. But it’s not the Fourth yet.”
“Yes, but this is Savannah. And we Southerners like to do things up big. Haven’t you heard we have fireworks on more than just one night during our renowned Independence Day festivities?”
“Come to think of it, I do remember hearing about fireworks on Friday night. But I assumed it was for the art walk. We were so busy that I never even got outside to see them.”
“Well, you’re in luck tonight.”
“But you said it was too late to get reservations any—”
“That doesn’t matter for this place.”
“Oh?” She imagined them dining at some greasy dive, but she didn’t think she would even mind. As long as she was with Ryan.
He pulled out a little spiral notepad and wrote something down, then handed the paper to her. “Be there at seven and you’ll see. Okay?”
Her heart gave a lurch when she realized he’d written directions to the Shore. “Is this for your condo?”
He grinned. “It’s not the Ritz or even the Pirates’ House, but the view’s not bad and we don’t need a reservation.”
“And you can cook?”
His eyes twinkled. “Oh, I think I can throw something together. You game?”
Was she game? Was he kidding? “Yeah.” She suppressed the urge to giggle like a middle school girl. “I’m game.”
As Nicole drove home, she started planning it all out, trying to figure out what she would wear . . . and more importantly what she would say. Somehow she had to find out about Ryan’s relationship with Cassidy and whether it was more than just an old friendship. Even if he was as involved with Cassidy as Alex had suggested, Nicole wasn’t sure she wanted to give up on him. After all, if Ryan was truly in love with Cassidy, why would he be inviting Nicole to dinner at his place?
26
Nicole held up her coral sundress, the one Bernie had laid out for her to wear for the “romantic” dinner with Alex. She knew it was the wrong choice, especially when she remembered how Ryan had shown up and seen her with his brother that night. Besides, she didn’t want to overdress tonight, but she didn’t want to underdress either. Finally she decided on her blue and white sundress. Simple but feminine.
After a quick shower and a little primping, she was ready. As she came down the stairs, she was stopped by Alex, who looked like he was in a better mood. “Hey, Nicole.” He put his hand on the banister and smiled. “I need to apologize for my bad attitude. It wasn’t your fault Ryan borrowed all those things.”
She shrugged. “Well, I helped him.”
He waved his hand. “Yeah, but I shouldn’t have gotten mad about it. Bernie sort of set me straight on that.” He chuckled.
“It seemed like Ryan’s open house was a success,” she said.
“So he’s bringing the stuff back?”
She explained about next week’s open house, and Alex looked disgruntled. “I guess that’ll just mean more room for the guests for the July 4th party.” His smile returned. “You’re coming, aren’t you?”
“Uh, yeah, I guess so.” Nicole wished she had an excuse not to come.
“Great.” He seemed to check her out more closely now, noticing she had her purse with her. “Are you going somewhere?”
“Yeah. Out for dinner.” She continued down the stairs, moving past him.
“You better have a reservation,” he said with unveiled curiosity, following her to the foyer. “This is a busy weekend in town.”
“So I’ve heard.”
Alex opened the door for her, going with her out onto the porch. “So where are you going?” he asked. “I might be able to give you some parking tips.”
“Actually, I’m having dinner with Ryan. At his place.” She forced a confident smile. “He owed me one for helping him get ready for the open house.” She wondered why she was telling him so much, but maybe it was for the best. Maybe he would take the hint.
Alex’s brow creased. “Well, since you’re going to see Ryan, you might as well invite him to my party. I haven’t talked to my little bro lately, but I really hoped he and Cass could join in the festivities. In fact, I already told Cass about it.”
Nicole knew exactly what he was attempting to do, but without missing a beat, she pleasantly agreed to extend Alex’s invitation to his brother. Then she told him to have a nice evening and hurried to where she’d parked the SUV on the street. She suspected that Alex hadn’t already invited Cassidy to his party. He’d simply said that to get her goat. The idea of Ryan and Cassidy going to Alex’s party as a couple was unsettling at the least. But she decided to put it out of her mind. Tonight was about fun and fireworks.
She arrived at Ryan’s condo and went up the stairs, wondering if he really knew how to cook. Not that she cared. They could eat ramen noodles and she would not complain. She rang his doorbell, suddenly realizing she’d come empty-handed.
“Welcome!” He opened the door wide. “Come on in.”
As she went into his surprisingly stark great room, she apologized for not bringing a host gift. He apologized for his lack of furnishings. “I raided this place for the McDaniel Mansion,” he explained as he led her through the house. “It usually looks better.” He opened the door that led out to a good-sized deck. “Fortunately, I didn’t take all my outdoor furniture.”
She looked out over the river. “What a view!”
“Great spot for watching fireworks.” He opened a cooler holding a variety of drinks. “Help yourself.”
She took out a ginger ale and looked around the deck, taking in the barbecue that was producing some delicious-smelling smoke. Opposite that, a couple of wicker chairs very similar to the ones in the McDaniel Mansion’s conservatory were positioned next to a card table covered in a red and white gingham cloth. The table was set with oversized plates and plastic utensils. A large hurricane lantern, with a burning candle nestled in some stones, was in the center.
“Very charming.”
He chuckled. “I hope you like burgers.”
“I love burgers.” She leaned against the railing, watching as a paddle-wheel boat made its lazy way down the slow-moving river. “It’s so lovely out here. I think I’d want to live outside all summer long.”
He came over to stand by her. “That’s what I usually do.” He nodded to the chairs. “And that’s why I had to leave these behind.” He grabbed a Coke for himself. “Go ahead and have a seat. The burgers need a few more minutes.”
As they sat down, she told him about Alex’s invitation. “He seemed eager to let you know about his little shindig. I promised to tell you.”
Ryan grinned. “I bet he wants me there just so I can clean up after him.”
“Probably.” She laughed.
Suddenly they were reminiscing about the time Alex and Katy had made a big mess at a campfire site, getting chocolate and sticky marshmallows all over the benches, then acting like they hadn’t done it.
“When my mom sat down and ruined her white pants, I got blamed,” Nicole said. “I nearly forgot that part.”
“We both got blamed,” Ryan reminded her. “Remember how we had to clean it up? Meanwhile Alex and Katy got the sudden urge to take a hike.”
“Yeah, I’m sure they were hiking.” Nicole snickered. “Katy hated hiking. She hated even breaking a sweat.”
“So did Alex. Maybe those two actually made a good match after all.”
“Katy did a half marathon with her husband last year. I think having three active boys helped her outgrow her dislike of exercise.”
“Well, Alex never outgrew his. In fact, he didn’t outgrow a lot of things.”
They both laughed. Ryan got up to check on the burgers, which looked fabulous.
“I’m guessing you’ve done this before,” Nicole said as she peered over his shoulder.
“Yeah, I’m kind of a burger guy.” He expertly flipped a fat, juicy-looking burger. “I like simplicity.”
“Me too.” She glance
d over to where he had a good selection of condiments and burger trimmings waiting. “Anything I can do to help?”
“Wanna get the salads out of the fridge?”
She went into his kitchen, which looked as stark as the rest of his house, but not because he’d removed anything. It simply looked like the kitchen of a bachelor who probably didn’t cook much. But when she removed the attractive salads from the fridge, she wasn’t so sure. One was a yummy-looking pasta salad, and the other was an interesting mix of broccoli, cheese, and raisins.
“Wow,” she said as she carried out the bowls. “These look really good.”
“I can’t take the credit,” he confessed. “I stopped by the deli on my way home.”
“Very resourceful.” She put them on the card table.
The sky was starting to glow with pink and orange when they sat down to eat. To Nicole’s pleasant surprise, Ryan bowed his head and said a quick blessing, to which she said, “Amen.”
“I don’t always pray before eating.” He reached for a salad bowl and passed it to her. “But sometimes I just feel so grateful, I can’t help myself.”
She smiled. “That’s nice.”
Dinner was not only pleasant, it was delicious. “I’m not sure if it’s because I was really hungry or because the food was so fabulous, but I haven’t eaten like this in a while,” Nicole said.
“I hope you saved room for dessert.”
“You’re kidding.” She dropped her used plate and utensils in the garbage bag he’d brought outside. “You made dessert?”
“Not exactly. I got some raspberry gelato at the deli too. But I can make us espresso to go with it.”
“Ryan Graham, you are a man after my own heart!” she exclaimed without really considering how that might sound. “I absolutely adore raspberry gelato! And espresso too. That’s perfect.”
Under a Summer Sky--A Savannah Romance Page 22