He chuckled as he cleared the table. “Maybe I know you better than I thought.”
“If you don’t mind, can we wait a bit for it?”
“Just what I was thinking.”
They continued to visit but eventually started to carry things back into the house. Cleanup was easy, and soon they were back on the deck, where the sunset was growing even prettier.
Nicole slowly shook her head. “I used to think that Seattle had the best sunsets in the world, but now I’m questioning myself. Savannah might have Seattle beat. Honestly, I’ve never seen so many great sunsets.”
“I’m glad we’ve been able to accommodate you.”
As the sky began to grow darker, Nicole was surprised to feel a slight chill in the normally warm, humid air. “I guess I should’ve brought a sweater,” she said with a shiver.
“I forgot to mention there can sometimes be a cool breeze off the river. Just one more reason I like living here.”
“It is refreshing.”
“I’ll be right back.” Ryan went into the house and quickly returned with a fleecy jacket, which he slipped over her shoulders. “How’s that?”
“It’s perfect.” She snuggled into the wrap, even enjoying the smell, which had vague traces of a woodsy aftershave that she’d smelled on him before. Not too strong, just nice. “Thanks.”
“Maybe I should make our espresso before the fireworks begin,” he said.
“Good idea.” She started to stand. “I’ll help.”
“No, you stay here and keep watch—just in case they start the fireworks. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
With the jacket over her bare shoulders, Nicole leaned back and sighed. Being here with him, looking out at the river and the paddle-wheel boats, waiting for the fireworks . . . it all felt almost heavenly. So much so she never wanted this evening to end.
“Here you go.” He set their espresso cups on the table. “I’ll be right back with the gelato.”
“I feel so spoiled.”
“Good. Remember, this is supposed to be my thank-you for all your help with the McDaniel place.”
“Oh yeah.” She hoped that this was more than merely a payback dinner. She wanted it to be more—much, much more.
He returned, setting her dish of gelato in front of her, complete with a biscotti biscuit on the side. “How’s that?”
“You are amazing,” she said. “The perfect host.”
He laughed. “My mom would probably not agree with you.”
“Well, that’s because your mom is a different kind of perfect.”
“How about if I extinguish this during the fireworks.” He leaned over to blow out the candle.
“Good idea.” Nicole dipped her spoon into the gelato and took a small bite, savoring it. “This is really, really good.”
He explained that it was handmade by the Italian family who owned the deli. “In my opinion, Marzano’s is the best deli in Savannah. I’m a regular customer there.”
“I can see why.” She was reaching for her espresso when the boom of a cannon made her jump.
“That’s the signal—the fireworks are starting.” He pointed to an unoccupied section of the river. “Watch right there.” Just like magic, an explosion of red, white, and blue painted a huge starburst across the darkened sky, right where he was pointing.
“Beautiful.” Nicole reached for her espresso, but before she took a sip, she heard a ringing sound. “Is that your doorbell?” she asked.
“Huh?” He turned to her.
“I hear something ringing inside your house.”
Before he could get up, a woman’s voice called out. “Ryan? Are you out there?”
“Cassidy?” He got up as she came through the door to the deck.
“Oh, there you are.” Cassidy stepped outside with a big smile. “I thought I could watch the fireworks with you.” She held up a bottle of wine, seemingly oblivious to Nicole’s presence. “That little boy’s parents, the one who had the BMX accident—they gave me this today. I thought I could share it with you.” She paused as another firework exploded, illuminating the deck so brightly that Cassidy couldn’t help but see Nicole. “Oh.” She seemed only mildly surprised. “Hello.”
“Hello.” Nicole tried to sound more congenial than she felt.
“I didn’t mean to intrude.” Cassidy started to back into the house. “It’s just that I can’t see the fireworks that well down in my condo, and I thought . . .”
Nicole stood up, feeling guilty for wanting Ryan to herself. “You’re not intruding,” she told Cassidy in a kind voice. “Although I’m not sure if Ryan has another chair.”
“Of course he does.” Cassidy poked Ryan. “Don’t you?”
“I, uh, I—”
“What about your desk chair?” she suggested. “In your office. You go get it and I’ll open this wine. Hurry, you don’t want to miss anything.”
They both went back inside, and Cassidy returned first, carrying a corkscrew and some plastic cups. She sat in the other wicker chair and started to open the bottle. “Ooh, that’s a pretty one,” she said as another rainbow of lights flooded the sky. “Isn’t this fun?”
Ryan came out, wheeling an office chair beside Nicole, but then Cassidy came over and sat down in it. “I don’t want to take your chair.” She pointed him back to the wicker chair. “You can pour the wine for us.”
“I don’t care for any.” Nicole knew she sounded overly prim, but she couldn’t help it. “I’m driving.”
The previous magic of the evening had been extinguished like a puff of smoke. The gelato was no longer sweet, the espresso tasted flat, and the fireworks had lost their sparkle.
27
When Nicole got home later that night, she was inexplicably homesick. And she missed her sister. Since it wasn’t even nine on the West Coast yet, she decided to call. Trying to keep her voice light, she told Katy about how she and Ryan had relived some old memories. “It was fun to commiserate about how our older siblings used to abuse us,” she said in a teasing tone.
“Alex and I were pretty horrible,” Katy confessed.
“Well, at least you grew out of it. I’m not so sure about Alex.” She told Katy about Alex’s pending divorce and how he’d been sort of pursuing her. “At first I was pretty flattered,” she admitted. “Then I got to know him better.”
“Yeah, I used to think he was pretty cool,” Katy said. “But looking back with twenty-twenty hindsight, I realize he was sort of a jerk. Pretty full of himself.”
Nicole hadn’t intended to tell Katy everything—like how she felt about Ryan—but the more they talked, the more she shared.
“Ryan sounds like a keeper,” Katy finally told her.
“Except that he may already belong to Cassidy.”
“You don’t know that for sure. And think about it, Nic. If Ryan is that into Cassidy, why aren’t they married or at least engaged? They’re both done with schooling and it sounds like their careers are launched. What’s holding them back?”
“Yeah, I’ve wondered the same thing.”
“Maybe it’s time my sweet little sister quit being so nice.”
“What?”
“Oh, you know what I mean. You’ve always been so sweet and nice. Maybe you need to take off the gloves and go for what you want.”
Nicole couldn’t help but laugh.
“Seriously, Nic. If you feel that way about Ryan, let him know. It sounds like he was trying to communicate something to you tonight. Well, until that hussy showed up.”
Nicole laughed harder. “Cassidy is not a hussy. She is, in fact, very sweet.” She started to tell Katy about Cassidy’s many attributes but was interrupted.
“See, there you go again. Nice Nic. If Miss Cassidy is so sweet, why did she crash your party with Ryan?”
“Well, she didn’t know I was there . . .” Nicole paused, giving this more thought. “Unless she did know.”
“Huh?”
Nicole told Katy about Alex’s i
nvitation to his party. “He acted like he’d already called Cassidy, but now I’m wondering if he called her after I left. He might’ve told her I was at Ryan’s.”
“Alex has always been a manipulator. And he’s always had it out for his baby brother.”
Nicole talked briefly about Bernie. “I feel really bad for her. Between Alex and Lori, she didn’t exactly win the parent lottery.”
“At least she’s got nice grandparents. I’ll bet Ryan is a good uncle too. And you’re a good aunt, Nicole. Not that I want to lose you—especially for my boys—but I would understand. I’d be happy for you.”
“I don’t think you need to be worried about losing me.” Nicole sighed. “But thanks for listening. I feel better now.”
“Remember what I said, Sis. If you want something, you should be willing to go after it. I remember how shy Ryan used to be. We all knew about the crush he had on you. But don’t forget how you used to snub him. You might need to make up for that.”
“If you could see Ryan now, if you were around him, you’d see that things have changed. He’s got plenty of confidence. I’m sure he could have his choice of women these days. In fact, I’m sure that’s just one more reason Alex resents him.”
“Maybe . . . but you never know.”
Nicole considered this as their conversation wound down. Before they said goodbye, she promised to keep Katy’s words in mind.
Nicole had every intention of bailing on Alex’s July 4th party, but knowing that the alcohol would be flowing freely, she was concerned for the welfare of Bernie and her friends. She decided to confront Alex.
“Do you really think it’s wise to have so much alcohol in the house with young teenagers around?”
“You mean for the party?”
“Yes. And in general.”
“For your information, Nicole, this is how we live. All the parents I know are comfortable drinking around their kids. When we have a party, we let the kids hang with us. Not all the time, of course. But it’s a way to teach them to handle alcohol responsibly. With adult supervision.”
Although this made a little bit of sense on some levels, Nicole still felt concerned. “But what if some of Bernie’s friends sneak some alcohol? Wouldn’t that make you responsible?”
“Bernie knows better than that.”
“Maybe she does. But what about her friends?”
Alex patted her cheek in a condescending way. “For a single woman with no kids of her own, you have a very maternal side to you. Don’t get me wrong, I like that you’re worried about Bernie. But you don’t need to be. Okay?”
Feeling even more aggravated, she looked him directly in the eyes. “I have one more question for you.”
“Yeah?”
“Did you call Cassidy while I was at Ryan’s? Did you tip her off?”
Alex just laughed.
“I thought so.” She turned to walk away. Despite his irritating interference in an evening that had been going so well, she was glad to know the truth. It painted Cassidy in a different light. She’d been fully aware of Nicole’s presence when she’d knocked on Ryan’s door. Maybe Katy was right, maybe it was time to take off the gloves—whatever that meant. But it was time to do something.
She gave Ryan a call. When it went directly to voice mail, she decided to leave a message. “Hey, Ryan, I wanted to thank you for such a great time last night. Everything was so wonderful.” She paused to gather her thoughts. “But I wanted to apologize for leaving so abruptly. I’d like to explain it to you . . . but not on voice mail. Maybe if you come to Alex’s party tonight, I could tell you in person. And if not, well, thanks for a fun evening. See you.”
In the hopes that Ryan would get her message and come to the party, she decided to wear her coral sundress. She knew she looked exceptionally good in it and hoped it would get his attention. Was this taking off the gloves?
Before the party, Nicole took Bernie aside. “I know I’m not responsible for you, but I do care about you.” She conveyed her concern about Bernie’s friends and the alcohol that would be flowing at the party. “I just want to remind you that you’re sort of like a host tonight. I mean, with your friends. You wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to any of them.” She gave Bernie’s shoulder a squeeze. “And I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
“Nothing bad is going to happen.”
Nicole looked into her eyes. “Good. But just in case, I’m around. Okay?”
Bernie just shrugged, as if Nicole’s warning had gone in one ear and out the other. Of course, that was a typical adolescent reaction. Why should Bernie worry about any of this stuff? That was her father’s job.
To Nicole’s relief, the guests who began to arrive seemed to be fairly normal and responsible adults. This wasn’t going to turn into some crazy frat party gone amok. Why had she been so worried? These were business friends, young professionals. Well-dressed people in their thirties and forties. And the young people, for the most part, seemed content to hang in the basement where there was plenty to amuse them.
By eight o’clock, Nicole was getting a little tired of making small talk with strangers. So far she hadn’t seen any sign of Ryan or Cassidy. Perhaps they’d decided to do something else. Who could blame them? She hadn’t heard back from Ryan regarding the message she’d left earlier, but she hadn’t checked her phone lately either. It was possible he’d left her a message.
She was just heading for the stairs to get her phone when she heard Alex call out a greeting. “Hey, Cassidy,” he said. “I’m glad you could come. Where’s my little bro?”
Nicole went around the corner, spying Cassidy in a pale pink strapless dress and heeled sandals. She looked very pretty.
“Isn’t Ry here yet?” she asked.
“I haven’t seen him.”
“Well, he probably thinks I’m still at the hospital. I got off earlier than I expected.” Cassidy noticed Nicole. “Hey, Nicole, how’s it going?”
“Great.” Nicole forced a smile.
“Could you believe those fireworks last night?”
“Yeah. It was really nice.”
“But you left too soon.” Cassidy came closer. “You missed the grand finale.”
“I was sort of getting a headache.” This wasn’t untrue. Cassidy’s presence last night had made Nicole’s head start throbbing.
“I’m sorry.” Cassidy looked sympathetic. “All better now?”
Nicole stood up straighter, smiling brightly. “Oh yes. Much better. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to check my phone. I’m expecting a message from Ryan.” Without looking back, she hurried up the stairs. She didn’t really expect a message from Ryan, but when she picked up her phone, she was pleasantly surprised to see that he’d texted her, saying he was on his way.
Feeling encouraged and hopeful, she hurried down in time to see that Ryan had just arrived.
“Hey, little bro.” Alex was leading him through the house. “Your lady is out by the pool. And if you don’t mind me saying so, she’s looking pretty hot.”
Nicole paused on the stairs, unsure of how to proceed. Maybe it would be better to simply make herself scarce. Alex was obviously trying to make it seem like Ryan and Cassidy were together tonight. Nicole knew better. At least she thought she did. If she was wrong, she was determined to find out before the evening was over.
She might have left the party early last night. But tonight, she was determined. She was not about to slink off like a whipped dog. She would give Alex and Ryan enough time to go out by the pool, then make her entrance. Well, maybe not an “entrance,” but she would show up.
Sure enough, Cassidy seemed to have glommed on to Ryan already. To Nicole’s relief, he didn’t seem that comfortable with it. The two of them were in conversation with several others, and when Nicole approached them, Cassidy was talking.
“So after we saw that movie, we made the same promise to each other,” she was saying. “You know how thirty seems so far off when you’re only sixteen,
but we promised each other that if we weren’t married when we were thirty”—she turned to Ryan with a sly smile—“we would marry each other.” She laughed loudly. “Ry is already thirty, but my birthday is in two weeks.” She put an arm around his shoulders. “Getting nervous yet, Ry?”
Nicole froze, suddenly feeling in way over her head. So much for taking off the gloves and bravely stating her claim. This was too much.
“Hey, Nicole,” Alex said. “Come join the party.”
Ryan turned around to see her, giving a nervous-looking smile. “Hey, Nicole, good to see you.”
Holding her head high, Nicole strolled over to their group and, composing herself, looked at Cassidy. “I heard you have a birthday coming up.”
Cassidy smirked. “Yeah, the big 3-0. Did you hear about the deal Ry and I made when we were sixteen? Isn’t that hilarious?”
“It’s definitely amusing.” Nicole smiled at her. “You’re planning a wedding then?”
“No, of course not.” Cassidy laughed. “I just thought it was a fun story.” She jabbed Ryan. “Do you even remember it?”
“Barely,” he told her. “But I didn’t think either of us took it seriously.”
“I’m turning thirty this month too,” Nicole told Ryan in a flirtatious tone. “Maybe I should get in line.”
To her relief, Ryan laughed. To change the subject, Nicole told the others about the McDaniel Mansion’s upcoming open house. “Even if you’re not in the market for a McMunster Mansion, you should stop by to see it,” she urged them. “And tell your friends. At least the ones with deep pockets. This estate is a really amazing piece of architecture, and Ryan’s done a fabulous job renovating it. It would make an incredible bed-and-breakfast.”
A friendly woman named Theresa started questioning Ryan about the estate, and the more she talked, gushing about how she adored restorations, the more it sounded like she might be a potential client—or else she was simply flirting. It was hard to tell. But eventually, Ryan gave her his business card, even offering to give her a private showing. Theresa’s eyes lit up as she assured him that she’d be calling.
Under a Summer Sky--A Savannah Romance Page 23