by Terri Osburn
“And then Daisy can spread the word tomorrow,” Will said, almost under her breath.
Before Randy could respond, the waitress returned. “Final ticket is done.” She set a tray loaded with two dinner plates, two glasses, and an empty breadbasket on the bar. “I’ll load these into the dishwasher, then start sweeping.” With a light punch on Randy’s arm, she added, “Feel free to help, big guy. These chairs aren’t going to lift themselves.”
Will’s full lips flatlined as she kept her head down, moving glasses from soapy to clear water.
“I’ll get on that in a second,” Randy said, focusing his energy on trying to read Will.
He couldn’t figure out what he’d done to piss her off. The day before they’d parted on more than friendly terms. So why did this visit make her so mad?
Daisy headed for the kitchen, and Will turned to the cash register. She tapped the screen three or four times and what must have been the closing tape starting running from a small box to the right of the keyboard.
Randy waited for her to tell him what was bothering her, but instead, she headed for the front door without so much as a glance in his direction.
Before she’d clicked the lock, he was behind her.
“Do you want to tell me what’s going on here?” he asked. “I was under the impression after yesterday afternoon that you’d be happy to see me.”
“I’m trying to make Daisy think I’m not happy to see you,” Will said, finally meeting his gaze, her face flushed. “When I said our little secret, I meant it.”
This was why he didn’t like that part of the deal. “I told her I was here about the wedding.”
“At nine o’clock at night?” Will hissed. “She’s going to wonder why you didn’t use the phone.”
She had a point. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to keeping secrets. I wanted to see you.”
Her body wilted and she leaned against the door with her arms crossed. “Then maybe this is a mistake.” Will shook her head. “I’m too much of a mess for this to work.”
“You’re a beautiful mess,” Randy said. Her eyes softened and he wanted to pat himself on the back for saying the right thing. “Breathe, gypsy. We’ll figure it out.”
Will struggled to keep her heart in her chest, but it was no use. The damn thing lay prostrate at Randy’s feet, and she feared getting it back wasn’t going to be easy.
“How are you not running the other way?” she asked. Leave it to her to find the one man who didn’t run. Or push. Or have a mean bone in his body.
Damn him.
Another step and his clean scent filled her senses. The heat of him threatened to melt her into a puddle right there on the dusty floor next to her heart.
“Maybe I like a challenge.” Randy tucked a dark curl behind her ear.
Will’s knees threatened to buckle as she found herself lost in his whiskey-brown eyes. At this rate, she wouldn’t be a challenge for much longer.
“I can’t find the dustpan again,” Daisy said, stepping out of the kitchen and sending Will and Randy jumping in opposite directions. “What the hell is wrong with you two?” she asked, hovering behind the bar with a broom in her hand. “Why are you over there at the door?”
“I was locking up,” Will said, racking her brain for some excuse for what they were doing. “I saw a spider and Randy killed it for me.”
Great. A bug in a restaurant. Could she not have come up with anything less damaging?
Daisy took the broom in both hands as if ready to defend herself against an attacker. “Is it dead? I don’t do spiders.”
“All gone,” Randy said, rocking on his heels, his eyes on the floor as if making sure their imaginary arachnid was indeed deceased.
“So do you know where the dustpan is?” Daisy asked again.
“Sometimes Chip moves it to the far side of the kitchen after he sweeps his station,” Will said. “Try over there.”
As the waitress disappeared, Will slumped again. “That was close.”
“You’re the one who made the rules.” Randy slid his hands into his pockets. “You sure we can’t be open about this? We’re consenting adults. I don’t see the problem.”
Will could almost feel Sid’s poke as she railed about Randy getting his happy ever after. She couldn’t be that for him, but without revealing why, Sid would never understand. As badass as the mechanic pretended to be, she had a soft heart and loved her brother more than anything.
“No,” Will said. “Nothing has changed. At least not on that front.”
“Then maybe we should start on the chairs. I need something to do with my hands or our secret will be out the minute Daisy returns.”
Will knew what she wanted to do with her hands. “The chairs. Good idea.”
Thanks to Randy, the closing routine took half the normal time. Daisy was happy to get out early, and Will was able to relax once the waitress had driven away, since that meant no more pretending there was nothing between her and the big man working by her side.
Will spun the key in the lock, tugged on the restaurant door to make sure it was secure, then turned to find Randy looming in the dark on the top step.
“Thanks for helping,” she said, shuffling from foot to foot. “I think you made Daisy’s night by getting her out of here quicker.”
“My pleasure,” Randy replied, his voice carrying softly on the breeze. “Want to sit out here for a while?” He gestured toward a bench on the porch.
“I can do that.”
They dropped onto the bench, Randy waiting for Will to sit before lowering onto the seat beside her. He didn’t seem as imposing tonight. Maybe she was getting used to the size of him. Used to being with him and not feeling as if something bad was going to happen. Part of her argued that feeling safer with him around was worse than the fear.
But the other part, the part that liked being near him, ignored the warning.
“Sorry about earlier,” she said, watching a moth dart around the streetlight at the edge of the parking lot. Will understood how the moth felt, drawn to something that could do it harm. “I really do have a good reason for acting the way I do. It’s hard to explain.”
“If my guess is right,” Randy said, “you’ve been in survival mode for a while now. Being suspicious is part of that.” He laid an arm across the back of the bench, turning his body toward hers. “But you’re still here. That’s a good sign.”
His face was hard to make out in the low light, but she caught a glimpse of white teeth and could imagine the grin that accompanied it.
“Does anything ever bother you?” she asked, truly curious. “I’ve never met anyone so mild-mannered.”
“Well,” he said, followed by a long sigh. “When I think about another man hurting you, I want to find him and break both his legs. So that bothers me.”
Will held her breath. “How do you know a man hurt me?”
Randy leaned close, the hand behind her toying with a loose lock of her hair. “For months, I watched fear fill your eyes whenever I was around. With Joe or Lucas or even Tom, you’re relaxed. But not with me.”
With a lump in her throat, Will whispered, “I’m sorry about that.”
“No apology needed. It took me a while to realize it wasn’t about me.” He lifted her chin until her eyes met his. “Then last weekend, when we talked outside the restaurant, I knew.”
The truth swirled at the end of Will’s tongue, choking her with the need to blurt out everything. The need to share the burden of what had happened to her. Of what could happen again if Jeffrey found her.
But emotion drowned out the words, and tears flooded her vision. For the first time in more than three years, Will felt safe. As the first tear fell, Randy pulled her into his arms, holding her as she sobbed into his neck. Rocking her back and forth, rubbing her back, whispering reassuring words against her hair.
The crying jag lasted several minutes and left Randy’s collar a sopping mess. As she slipped into the hiccup phase, Will reached int
o her purse for a travel package of tissues. It was bad enough that she’d soaked his shirt; using it as a snot rag was out of the question.
He gave her space to clean herself up but didn’t completely let go. A mixture of relief and mortification made it hard to meet his gaze. “How could you not think I’m insane at this point?” she asked, followed by a hiccup that jerked her body.
“Fear can do crazy things to a person,” Randy said. “That doesn’t mean you’re crazy.”
Will sniffed while dabbing at her eyes. “You probably won’t believe this, but I’m actually a very even-keeled person.”
“You’ll get back there again.” With a squeeze of her shoulder, he asked, “Which shift are you working tomorrow?”
“I always open on Tuesdays,” she said, exhaustion washing over her. “Which means I should probably get home.”
Randy rose, pulling her with him. “Then why don’t you let me make you dinner tomorrow night? I’ll regale you with stories about Sid as a child, and all you have to do is listen.”
With a jerky breath, Will was relieved to find the hiccups had subsided. “I’d like that. But Tuesdays are our girls’ night meetings at Opal’s place.”
“That’s right. I guess keeping this a secret means bowing out of Opal’s to have dinner with me wouldn’t work.”
She smiled. “That would be hard to explain.”
“Then how about Wednesday?” he asked.
His persistence was flattering. “I can do that.”
A car drove by but Will hardly noticed. Randy looked so happy in that moment, they could have been the only two people on the island.
“Then it’s a date,” he said, taking her hand in his as they walked down the stairs.
A date with Randy Navarro. Will waited for the unease to creep in, but it didn’t come. When they reached her van, he pulled her into his arms and dropped a warm but chaste kiss on her lips.
“I’ll be home tomorrow night,” he said. “If you don’t want to wait until Wednesday to see me again, you could always drop by.”
The words were filled with such boyish charm, Will couldn’t help but smile. “Do you have a favorite from Opal’s?” she asked.
“Hmm…I don’t splurge often, but it’s been a while since I had some of that chocolate torte she makes.” His smile grew wide. “I happen to know she uses a vegan recipe.”
“You’re so well-behaved, even with desserts?” Will admired his discipline.
“I’m trying to be well-behaved right now, but it’s harder when you look at me like that.”
Another car went by and Will realized someone they knew might see them, so she stepped back. “I’d better get home. I’ll see what I can do about that chocolate torte.”
Drifting backward toward his truck, Randy replied, “I’ll leave a light on.”
CHAPTER 16
Sid and Beth were both seated at Opal’s by the time Will arrived and had ordered her pie already. She’d been distracted all day, thinking about Randy and how good she felt whenever he was around. But it was more than a physical thing. His kindness wrapped around her like a warm blanket. His mere presence felt like a protective barrier between her and the rest of the world.
The world that had been one giant threat for way too long.
But then she had to remind herself that Randy didn’t know everything, and even if she revealed the rest, the threat was still there. Looming around the next corner.
“I hear Randy helped you close up last night,” Sid said in lieu of a hello. “Is there something you want to tell us?”
Will hedged by filling her mouth with rhubarb pie. Sid waited, undeterred.
“He remembered a detail about the deck at Adventures that we missed the day before.” She threw in a shrug for good measure and reloaded her fork. “Since he was there, we put him to work.”
“He couldn’t have called over with the detail?” Sid asked, removing the rest of the liner from her cupcake. “He had to stop by and tell you in person?”
Whether she was guessing right or not, Will couldn’t let Sid get her hopes up. She was not going to be Randy’s happy ending, and it was best if everyone understood that.
“I have no control over how your brother chose to tell me.” Changing the subject, Will turned to Beth. “We’ve got the layout for the deck all set. The ceremony will be closer to the water, with the tent set up on the top level, closer to the building. That gives us more room inside, cuts down on the travel distance for the food, and gets the DJ closer to the outlets.”
“Is that what you and Randy came up with on Sunday?” Sid asked. “At his house?”
The woman would not let this go. If Will didn’t know Sid’s heart was in the right place, she’d be getting royally pissed right now.
“Yes, I went to his house this weekend, which you know since you gave me the address.” Will set her fork on the plate and wiped her mouth. “If this is going to turn into an inquisition, I can take my pie and go.”
“Let’s calm down, ladies,” Beth said, joining the conversation for the first time. “We’re all on the same team here, and no one is going anywhere. Sid,” she said, turning on what Will considered a mom voice. “Will and Randy have been nice enough to help with the wedding. Stop harassing her because you’ve got the love bug and think everyone else should have it, too.”
Sid stabbed her cupcake but remained silent.
“Thank you,” Will said, happy to have an end to the questions. “The caterer asked if kaiser rolls were okay, but I told them no seeds, so they’re supplying plain dinner rolls.”
“That’s good.” Beth cut her carrot cake into pieces. “The last thing I want is seeds in my teeth as I visit with the guests.”
They passed the next several minutes in silence, something new for their little gathering. Sid was pouting, which wouldn’t normally bother Will, but there was something more worrisome on her face. A trace of hurt in her eyes.
Guilt weighed heavily on Will’s shoulders. What was she doing? Sneaking around. Lying to her best friends. For what? A short break from loneliness? Some sexual release? They hadn’t even had sex yet and the complications were mounting.
“Randy and I are becoming friends,” she said, breaking the silence. It wasn’t the entire truth, but it was something.
Sid stopped with the last bite of cupcake halfway to her lips. “You are?”
“We are.”
Her friends looked at each other, Sid seemingly speechless. That was something new.
“That’s great,” Beth said, her smile beaming as she exchanged an enthusiastic look with Sid.
“Now don’t you start,” Will said, dropping her fork again. “I like Randy. He’s a good guy, as Sid has always said. I know the two of you are lovesick and want everyone else to pair off and go all googly-eyed, too, but that’s not going to happen with me and Randy. You guys need to face that right now and stop this tag-team Cupid stuff.”
“But if you like him—” Sid started.
“Uh-uh,” Will said, holding up a hand to halt whatever was coming next. “Believing he’s a good guy and going all till-death-do-us-part are two different things. I’m flattered you think I could be the woman for him, but I’m not. Okay?”
Regardless of the fact she wanted to be, some things were impossible.
Sid’s shoulders dropped, but she looked less petulant. “It’s your loss.”
“I won’t argue with that,” Will said. Whoever ended up as Randy’s forever would be a very lucky woman. “Now, can we talk about something else? How’s the baby stuff? Any movement yet?”
The rest of the chat centered around Beth’s baby bump, which was nonexistent as of yet, and ideas for the nursery. The future parents were also torn over whether to find out the sex when they had the chance. Joe wanted to know, but Beth wanted to be surprised. Will had no doubt when the moment of truth arrived, Beth would cave and demand to know as well.
The women were heading home by eight, each with a dessert for the
road. Will set the chocolate torte on her passenger seat, then stared out the windshield, debating whether to drop by Randy’s or not. She couldn’t help but feel like a hypocrite.
She’d had to make it clear that she and Randy would not be traipsing down the aisle together. Well, other than at Beth’s wedding, but not at their own. So why did she still feel guilty?
Pulling into Randy’s driveway a few minutes later, Will smiled at the fact he really had left a light on. The porch light beamed bright, casting a yellowish glow across the worn planks.
After three deep breaths and an extra minute to gather her courage, Will walked up and knocked on the door. Torte in hand, she mumbled, “A quick visit. Drop off the food, make a little small talk, then get out.”
Then Randy opened the door looking like sex on a stick and all thoughts of a short visit melted away.
Until he saw her standing in the glow of his porch light, Randy hadn’t believed she’d come. He’d hoped, but every time Will had a few hours away from him, she seemed to change her mind about them.
“We need to talk about us,” she said, once they’d reached his kitchen.
And here they went again.
“Nothing good ever follows a statement like that,” he said, sliding the torte into the fridge. “Let’s sit down on the couch.”
Hesitantly, Will nodded. Then she froze. Pointing into the sink, she asked, “What is that?”
Randy followed her gaze. “That’s a wine glass.”
“It has lipstick on it.”
He looked closer. “Yes, it does. I had company earlier.” Knowing what it looked like, and not interested in giving Will a reason to storm out, he explained. “Remember Kayla? My friend we met at the Thai restaurant over the weekend?”
“Yes,” Will said, lips tight.
“She and her boyfriend,” he emphasized the last word, “came down to see me today. Austen, the boyfriend, and I had tea while Kayla had a glass of wine.”
Will chewed the edge of her bottom lip. “Oh. That must have been nice.”
“We enjoyed catching up,” he said, escorting Will toward the couch. “I like Austen, so I’m happy for Kayla. She deserves a good guy.”