“No, we have a destination.”
“How do you know where to go? I mean, you can’t exactly stop for directions.”
“Men don’t stop for directions anyway.” He winked and pointed to a screen in front of them on a dashboard of levers, gauges, and buttons. It looked like a mini computer screen tucked between a compass and the throttle. “This shows us the way.”
“That little screen tells us where to go?”
He nodded.
“Wow, too bad you can’t fasten those onto people. There would be a lot less heartache and a lot more direction.” If she’d had one of those little gadgets she’d have never married Eric.
“I think they only work on water.” He pushed a button and the screen made a blip, blip, blip sound. “Besides, we’re all already equipped with one.”
She frowned. “Mine must be broken.” Seeing as how she was a twenty-eight-year-old with not even an inkling of what she was going to do with her life . . . broken compass seemed possible.
“Nah, sometimes it shows us a really clear picture of where we’re headed.” He pointed to the now garbled screen. “But sometimes it’s fuzzy.”
“What do you do when it gets fuzzy?” Her screen had been muddled for a long time.
“You stay the course.” His eyes left the screen and found her. “In time, everything comes into view, and the course we’re meant to steer crystallizes before us.”
It wasn’t that simple. Maybe one day she would have a picture of the future. But it seemed far away. She’d spent so many years making sure Eric had what he wanted, got what he wanted, went where he wanted . . . well, she didn’t even know what things she liked anymore. It had all been about him. She’d grown up thinking that’s how marriage was supposed to be. That’s what her mother had done. That’s what all the women in her family did. Unlike Eric, Adrienne’s father never took advantage of the kindness. Adrienne supposed she’d done it all wrong, creating a monster rather than a loving partner. But she wouldn’t dwell on that. Each morning she reminded herself that life was a gift, something she’d learned from Pops. Each day was a present to be opened and relished. So today she’d cherish the gift. And do the only other reasonable thing.
Stay the course. Until the screen cleared.
“Can I take you to dinner?” Will’s voice cracked. Like the words he’d just spoken surprised him as much as they did her.
Her eyes went to his. “Uh . . . ”
“It’s just dinner.”
Like that made it less intimidating. She needed to answer: No. The answer would be no as soon as she found her voice. “Yes,” she said, and that surprised her too. Well, if the screen had cleared at all, this had just succeeded in scrambling the message.
“Where are you taking her?”
Will turned to the doorway where Pops leaned against the wall. The last thing in the world Will needed right now was the third degree from his grandfather. “I made reservations at Palermo’s.”
“Oh, on the water. She likes the water. And I hear Palermo’s is first rate.” Pops had caught him in his room, staring into the full-length mirror. “I’m glad you took off the tie. Makes you look snooty.”
Will flipped the tie over the hanger and headed for his closet.
“Here, I’ll take it,” Pops said. When he didn’t return, Will dragged a deep breath into his lungs, trying to calm his ragged nerves. He’d been on dates before. Plenty. He was thirty. He’d done his share of dating. But Adrienne was . . .
“What about this shirt?” Pops stood in the closet doorway holding a polo that had seen better days.
“Kind of ratty.” Will’s heart rate sped up. Was he actually this inept at dressing himself for dinner?
“But Adrienne likes blue.”
Heat rose to Will’s forehead. “I think a jacket is required.”
Pops tilted his head. “It’s not a stuffy place is it? Adrienne’s a free spirit. She’s like the wind, and stuffy places don’t appreciate wind.”
This really wasn’t helping. He’d thought this through, whether Pops knew it or not. Palermo’s because they would pamper her and because it had an amazing view of the pier. After dinner they could walk out and see if the night fisherman were catching anything. Perfect remedy for a stuffy dining room. Plus, he wanted Adrienne to be pampered. He wasn’t sure why, but he did. Adrienne with her movie-star smile and stained fingers. Adrienne with the giant eyes and all that sadness lurking in the depths of them. “Maybe you need to be going out with her, and I can stay home.”
An aged hand curled, one crooked finger pointing at him. “Now that’s just silly. Don’t get smart with me, young man. You’re not too big for me to put you over my knee.”
Will chuckled. “I think I am.”
Fists to his hips, Pops stared him down, the blue shirt dangling at his side. “Shall I prove it?”
Will’s hands flew up in surrender. “No, sir. I know when I’m outmanned.” Most things, Will could handle—the three-hundred horsepower luxury boat, the down-and-dirty negotiations of a million-dollar loan app—but when it came to Pops, and a certain hot little brunette, Will felt outmanned. Maybe outmanned wasn’t the right term where Adrienne was concerned. He certainly felt matched. And that was as intriguing as it was sexy.
The smile appeared, then fell from Pops’s face. “Did you wash your car? You should never pick up a lady for a date in a dirty car. It’s disrespectful.”
“Yeah, I drove it through Rub-a-Dub two hours ago.”
Pops nodded approvingly. “Got some ideas for conversation? Be sure to ask about her. Ladies make connections face to face.”
Will bit back a grin. His grandfather was actually coaching him on dating. “And how do men make connections, Pops?”
He looked up at him as if surprised by the question. “Shoulder to shoulder, Will. Side by side.”
Will thought of Pops and the men he was probably shoulder to shoulder with during his time in the war. He quickly brushed that image from his head. “So, do I look all right? I’ll try not to ruin the Bryant men’s swagger.”
A wrinkled face scrunched. “Swagger? You just be a gentleman. Don’t forget to open the car door and walk her to her door when you drop her off.”
“Got it.”
The look on Pops’s face turned serious. “Adrienne’s special, Will.” It wasn’t so much a comment as an invitation to agree. He wasn’t telling Will anything he didn’t already know.
“Yeah. I think she was pretty torn up by that divorce.”
“Protect her heart. That’s what gentlemen do.” Pops’s hands brushed Will’s shoulders as if dusting him off or maybe smoothing wrinkles from his freshly pressed shirt. Will couldn’t help but feel there was more to it than that. Maybe he’d spent too long in the sun today, but Pops’s action felt almost like a mantle being placed upon his shoulders.
Slowly, his grandfather turned and headed for the door. “Have a nice time. I won’t wait up for you.” He darted a glance over his shoulder and winked.
“Are you sure this isn’t too much?” Adrienne angled in the antique mirror, looking at her backside and wondering if the dress was just a little too snug.
Sammie turned her by her shoulders. “You look amazing. Really. You’ll have him eating out of your hand.”
Adrienne pursed her mouth and stuck her stained fingers in Sammie’s face. Sammie’s eyes widened. “They aren’t so bad.”
“That was the worst lie I’ve heard from your mouth.”
Sammie turned her to face the mirror. “No one will be looking at your hands.”
The white dress was trimmed with tiny silver rope that hung from one shoulder and tucked into the fitted waist. The hem, about two inches above her knee, also sported the silver thread. It was a fairy-tale dress. White and whimsical and almost as tight as a second skin. And scary, she realized. This was a grown-up dress and she was going on a grown-up date. With Ryan, they’d usually just grabbed a burger—both of them in jeans and T-shirts. This was di
fferent. Like her first step back into the magical kingdom of dating. Adrienne’s hand dropped to her stomach. “I think I’m going to throw up.”
“Ooooo, let’s see the shoes.” Sammie—ignoring her plight—grabbed the shoe box from the bed.
In spite of herself, Adrienne got a little bit excited about the shoes. “I don’t know what I was thinking when I bought them the other day. They’re totally impractical.” Impracticality was a constant in her world in Chicago. Too-tall shoes, too-expensive handbags. It all seemed so ridiculous now. She could buy a brand new toilet for the price of one handbag. Maybe a sink and faucet to go with it. When she realized the comparison she’d just made, the nausea returned in full force, and the excitement waned. Until Sammie plucked the jewels from the velvet-lined box.
“Oh, these are gorgeous.” She held the sparkly sandals to the light, where a rainbow of sparks danced in each rhinestone. “Nice call, Chicago. Are you going to talk to Will about Sara and what you’ve learned?”
“No. I don’t know enough yet, and he always seems pretty testy about his grandfather. I think he thinks I’m too nosy already.”
“Well, whatever you decide, in these stilettos he’d forgive anything.”
Adrienne rolled her eyes. “They’re completely impractical, right?”
Sammie nodded, earrings tinkling. “Right. Which is what makes them so awesome. Have fun tonight with Prince Charming.”
Adrienne slipped her feet into the tall sandals and paused to look at Sammie. “Oh, he’s not all that charming.”
“Well, have fun with Prince Mediocre, then.”
“He’s definitely not mediocre.” She moved to the armoire and searched for her white evening bag. “He’s . . . well, I don’t really know what he is, but he’s all it.” She checked herself in the mirror once more.
Sammie moved behind her and placed her hands on her upper arms. “It’s just a date, Chicago. An important step in your return to singleness, where people go out with one another.”
Adrienne looked at her through the mahogany-trimmed antique mirror. “Normal, right?”
“You told me yourself it was different with Ryan. More like going out with a friend. This is a real date. With Prince Normal. Have fun. Have a normal, mediocre, charming night. Whatever. But go. And don’t be so worried about it.”
Adrienne soothed her hands over her hips, the soft cotton material of her dress cool against her palms. “I would feel better if Pops were going with us.”
Sammie’s eyes widened and she squeezed Adrienne’s shoulders. “Yeah, you know what? That sounds crazy. Don’t say that again.”
The tinkle of their laughter filled the room as Sammie took Adrienne by the hand and dragged her toward her fate.
Will knocked on her front door. He pulled in a breath through his nose and let it escape slowly from his lips, the sound of his own breath calming him. He needed calm right now. His heart rate had slowed to a normal whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—until she opened the door.
The remaining air in his lungs left in one quick burst. His mouth dropped open, and mercy—if someone had held white-hot pokers to his eyes and told him not to look down, he still couldn’t have stopped his gaze from traveling over her. White dress. Tiny waist. Legs, legs, legs. And sandals cradling her delicate feet. Had someone just punched him in the chest?
She clutched a small purse in front of her, and her fingers fidgeted with the clasp. Some gentleman he was; he couldn’t even form two words.
A second later, Adrienne spun from the doorway, mumbling something about changing.
One brain cell kicked in, and he snagged her by the arm. “Don’t you dare.”
She pivoted on those high stiletto heels and gave him a sheepish look. “I told Sammie it would be too much. Just a stupid cocktail dress Eric chose for me. I feel totally . . . ”
He needed to shut her up. She looked too amazing to be self-conscious. He should kiss her. Without being able to stop himself, his other hand found its way to her opposite arm, and there he stood, staring into those beautiful coffee eyes. Those gorgeous eyes. “Adrienne,” he said, little more than a whisper.
This stopped her. Confusion flickered in her gaze. But the self-consciousness was gone. Completely gone, and knowing that he’d chased it away with one word was a heady feeling. He moved closer, making the space between them almost disappear. “You look incredible.”
She let out a relieved sigh that rushed into his face and caused him to breathe her in. She smelled like life and anticipation and excitement. All of it spun together and surged into his being, curling in the deepest part of his gut.
A smile appeared on her face. “Thank you.”
Sad eyes. His mind and his desire fought. He wanted to kiss her. Right now. Needed to. But all she’d been through . . . Pops’s words echoed back to him. Be a gentleman. Will made tiny circles on her arms and noted the goose bumps as they appeared across her skin. She wasn’t making this any easier—reacting to his every word, his every touch. He released a long surrendering sigh that came from deep in his throat. “We should go.”
She blinked, eyes lined with charcoal and magic. “Yes.”
Neither moved.
He needed to say more, something else, or he was going to . . . “Are you hungry?”
Her gaze left his and drifted down to the floor, thick lashes creating half moons over her eyes. On the quietest breath, she whispered, “Starved.”
Will’s throat closed because he knew her words referred to more than just food. It was a heart plea. Anger over her ex-husband’s foolishness erupted. How could anyone hurt an amazing woman like this? What had that guy done to her for her to still be this broken? But he knew. In one fateful word—when she’d sat at his house, eating with Pops—she’d uttered all that haunted her. Unfaithful. Ultimate betrayal, as far as he was concerned. A woman like this should never suffer that. No one should.
Protect her heart. He could manage that. He hoped.
Every head in the restaurant turned when Adrienne entered the room. She didn’t seem to notice. Maybe it made her uncomfortable, so she just ignored the stares. Whatever, it didn’t matter to him. It was difficult not to puff up his man chest like a rooster. She was easily the most beautiful thing in town.
He’d asked for the table in the corner overlooking the water and the pier, where the evening’s parade of fishermen and their pull-along coolers worked their way to their favorite spots on the wooden structure. The restaurant was lit with soft cascading chandeliers and candles that caused ribbons of flaming light to flicker about the space. The sound and scent of the ocean drifted up to them as they perused the menu.
They did the customary chit-chat before ordering. But Will wasn’t one for a lot of surface conversation, so he dove right in. “Tell me about your marriage.”
Adrienne nearly choked on her ice water.
“I’m sorry. It’s just that . . . ” How could he explain? “You still seem so sad about it. But I know you told us he wasn’t really a nice guy.”
Adrienne dabbed her napkin to her mouth. “I seem sad?”
Yes, and the biggest part of me wants to drag you into my arms and kiss it away. Will reined in his thoughts and cleared his throat. “It’s in your eyes.”
She looked away and focused on the water beside them. Moonlight flashed and disappeared in a dance with slow-moving, puffy clouds.
“That was an inappropriate question, wasn’t it? I’m not great with women.” Like she didn’t already know that.
“You look like the type that’s very smooth with women.”
He chuckled. “Looks can be deceiving.”
She narrowed her gaze on him. “So can eyes.”
“So I misread you?” Will dropped his napkin to his lap. A whisper of a breeze flickered the light on the table as if the wind were changing course.
“Not entirely. I’m very sad my marriage didn’t work. But I’m very happy to be out of it. It was wrong from the beginning. I kept making excuses for the nar
cissistic man I chose. Finally, the excuses ran out, and I had to take a hard look at who he really was.”
Will leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “The excuses ran out?” He wanted to keep her talking, there was something intimate about knowing she’d share it with him.
“He was having an affair, and I tried to deny it for a while. Then I confronted him. He told me I was crazy. So I followed him one night.”
“Ouch.”
One shoulder tipped up. “I knew what I would find. Do you know he actually had the nerve to write his dates on our home calendar in our kitchen? Lunch with Jilly.”
Will tried to swallow, but his throat was thick, his heart starting the familiar thrashing of anger toward this destructive man.
“I mean, that’s not even a grown-up name. Jilly. Dinner with Jilly to discuss new hospital wing. Drinks with Jilly. Like I was too stupid to figure it out.”
“Was there anyone you could talk to?”
“My folks in Missouri, but my mom just didn’t get it. She thought I should stick it out. ‘Be tough, Adrienne, when the smoke clears, you’ll be the one he wants to stay with.’ Like I’d want him after that.” She shook her head, and a cloud of mink hair fluttered around her.
“What about friends in Chicago?”
“All my friends were through Eric. Doctors’ wives, society types. They’d have to pick sides and it would put them at odds with their husbands. It wasn’t worth it to them or me. I really wasn’t close to anyone. Eric was my full-time job.” Her gaze drifted out to the water where pillow-soft whitecaps rolled toward the beach. “And even that wasn’t enough for him.”
“How could anyone cheat on you?” Will hadn’t intended to say those words out loud, but there they were, big and bold. He wanted to come around the table and pull Adrienne into his arms. She looked so lonely over there behind the candlelight. There was a seat right beside her. He started to move but stopped. What had Pops told him? Women connect face to face.
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