Cherise turned her full attention to William and graced him with one of her beautiful, winning smiles. "Thanks. Yes, it was my idea, and it's working out well. We have a good business here year-round compared to many of the other places."
"That's important in a seasonal tourist town," William said.
Cherise nodded. "Well, I guess I'd better get back to the kitchen and help out. It's busy today. It was nice meeting you, William. I hope you enjoy your lunch."
"I'm sure I will. It looks delicious. Nice meeting you, too. I'm sure I'll be seeing a lot of you now that I know about this place."
Cherise looked over at Annie. "I will definitely be seeing you soon," she said with a grin and headed back to the kitchen.
William chuckled. "That sounded interesting. What did she mean by that?"
Annie just waved her hand in the air as if to brush the comment aside. "Oh, we live right next to each other so we see each other all the time."
William nodded, and they both started eating their sandwiches.
William left an hour later, after they had made a date to go out to dinner Friday night. The lunch crowd had dispersed, and the place was quiet. Just as Annie was getting ready to leave, Cherise came out of the kitchen and headed straight for the booth. She sat opposite of Annie and stared at her with her brows raised.
"Well?" Cherise asked.
Annie sighed. "Okay, just say it."
Cherise placed her elbows on the table and leaned in close to Annie. "Oh my God. It's him. It's your dream man, literally. Why didn't you tell me you were dating the man from the photos?"
Annie shook her head. "I know it seems weird. I had no idea who he was when I took the photo assignment. After I met him, I realized it was him, and his house was the one I photographed from the beach."
"And that he was the guy you've been taking pictures of for the past couple of years?" Cherise interrupted.
"I know, I know. But we hit it off so well. It's all been happening so fast," Annie said.
"Do you know how amazing this is?" Cherise asked in a near whisper. "He's the man of your dreams, living in the house of your dreams. And now you're dating him."
Annie nodded, thinking back to all the times William had haunted her dreams long before she ever saw him on the porch of his house from the beach. Her dreams of him were connected to the same dreams she had of the ribbons of colors, only glimpses of his face appearing through the colors. She never understood the meaning of the dreams, and even now, she had no idea why he invaded her dreams.
Cherise reached across the table and lightly touched Annie's arm, bringing her attention back to the moment. "Annie, William must be your soul mate. You two are meant to be together."
Annie shook her head vehemently and sat back in the booth. "No. You know I don't believe in such things. It's just a coincidence that we met. That's all."
"Then why have you been stalking this guy?" Cherise asked with brows raised.
"I have not been stalking him. I saw him by accident," Annie said indignantly.
"And photographed him. And continued looking for him every time you walked on the beach."
Annie sighed. "You make it sound so terrible. You know I didn't mean anything sinister by watching him. I was just drawn there. Drawn to him…" Annie stopped, realizing what she was saying.
Cherise smiled. "You mean drawn to him like you would be drawn to a soul mate?"
Annie rolled her eyes. "For the last time, I don't believe in the idea of soul mates," she insisted. "This is not some grand scheme. It's not divine intervention. It is just pure coincidence. That's all."
Cherise sat back in the booth and stared at her friend. "Mmm-hmm."
"Don't mmm-hmm me and don't give me that look," Annie told her friend. "Besides, I'm still not sure what's happening between us. He still seems to be clinging to his wife's memory. I'm not sure there's room for me in his life yet."
Cherise shook her head at her friend. "I saw how he looked at you. He's very interested in you, Believe me. Did he ask you out again?"
Annie nodded. "We're going out Friday night."
"If he was still hung up on his deceased wife, would he ask you out again?" Cherise asked.
"I suppose not," Annie replied.
Cherise sighed. "Girl, why don't you just sit back and enjoy your good fortune of meeting the man of your dreams? How many women can say they dreamt about a man, then started dating him? It's meant to be, I tell you. It's meant to be."
Annie rolled her eyes. "We'll see."
Friday night, William picked Annie up from her place at six, and they drove down the coast to Cannon Beach to a delightful restaurant right on the beach with a spectacular view of Haystack Rock. Annie had decided to wear her favorite sleeveless, black dress that fell to just above her knees and was decorated simply with a few select sequins and beads around the scoop neck. Her black, high heel pumps gave her some height, but William still had several inches on her. In her dress and his dark suit, they were a handsome couple and the people in the bar couldn't help but stare at them as they sat to have drinks while they waited for their table.
"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" William asked as Annie gave him a smile.
"Yes, you did, but I won't complain if you tell me again," Annie teased.
"Okay, you look beautiful tonight." William smiled back at her, a mischievous twinkle in his brown eyes.
"Thank you," Annie said and took a sip of her soda as William sipped his wine.
The bar was busy and noisy with chatter and music. One group of young people seemed to be having a little more fun than everyone else, talking loudly and slamming back shots.
Annie excused herself to freshen up in the ladies' room and carefully made her way through the throng of people, trying not to bump anyone and have a drink spilled on her. Luckily, there was no line, and she entered the restroom without having to wait. As she stood in front of the mirror reapplying her lip gloss, she heard someone throwing up in one of the stalls. Concerned, she asked tentatively, "Are you okay in there?" All Annie heard in reply was a grunt and the sound of the toilet flushing.
Annie turned back to the mirror to give herself one last check, when the door to the bathroom stall opened up and out stumbled a young woman, who looked a little worse for wear. As she locked eyes with the woman in the mirror, it took Annie only a second to realize she was staring at William's daughter, Sandy.
Sandy stared at Annie a moment, then scrunched up her face. "What are you doing here?" Sandy asked as she walked on wobbly legs to the counter. Steadying herself against the counter, she looked at Annie with hazy eyes. "What?" she demanded.
Annie turned and looked directly into Sandy's eyes. Her pupils were dilated, her hair was in disarray, and her mascara was smudged under her eyes. Sandy couldn't seem to stand steady, even when leaning against the counter. She was dressed in a too-tight, hot pink, mini skirt, a low-cut black tee, and ankle boots with heels too high for her to balance on in her condition.
Remaining calm under Sandy's angry stare, Annie said, "The real question is what are you doing here? The last I heard, you're only twenty years old. Aren't you too young to be drunk at a bar?"
Sandy sneered at her. "Who do you think you are, my mother? Mind your own business." She turned to look in the mirror and stumbled, losing her balance. Annie reached out and grabbed her arm to steady her.
"No, I'm not your mother and thank God for that. Because if I were your mother, you wouldn't be here, high on alcohol or drugs," Annie told Sandy, who responded with wide eyes. "Honestly, Sandy," Annie continued, "why are you here? And what are you high on? You didn't get this way by just drinking alcohol."
"Well, aren't you just full of questions," Sandy slurred. "What about you? Why are you here in your fancy dress? Are you trolling for men? Won't my father love to hear that."
Annie's eyes sparked. "I'm here with your father," she retorted.
Sandy seemed to sober up by a few degrees at this news. "Crap.
My dad's here? Shit! Did he see me here?"
"No, of course he didn't see you or else he'd already have dragged you out of here. I didn't see you either until I came in here."
Sandy sighed. "Good." She wobbled a little again, and Annie grabbed her arm to steady her.
"Come on, Sandy. Let's get you out of here. You are obviously high on something, and we need to get you home." Annie had just begun to pull Sandy along with her when the door opened, and a young woman with jet black hair and thick eyeliner walked in.
"Oh, there you are," the woman said, staring at Sandy. "Come on. We're blowing this place and heading up the coast to another bar." The woman looked from Sandy to Annie and back again. "Hey, what's going on here? Who are you?"
Before Annie could reply, Sandy pulled away from her grasp and said, "Don't mind her. She's nobody." Sandy turned to Annie. "And you'd better not say anything to my dad about this. It's none of your business, you hear?"
Annie stood there a moment, not knowing what to do. How could she knowingly let William's daughter leave in her condition? Yet, was it really her business? At last, she grabbed Sandy's arm and spun her around to look her straight in the eyes. "Give me your phone," she demanded.
"What?" Sandy stared at Annie in shock.
Annie insisted again, "Give me your phone."
Looking dazed, Sandy produced her phone from the small purse she carried and handed it to Annie. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm putting my phone number into your phone in case you need to call someone," Annie replied as she typed in her name and cell number. She handed the phone back to Sandy. "Call me anytime of the day or night if you need someone, okay?"
"Are we leaving or what?" the dark-haired girl asked, annoyance edging her voice.
For one brief second, Sandy stared at Annie, trying to figure her out. Then she turned and let the other girl lead her out of the bathroom.
Annie turned back to the counter and rested her hands on it. She closed her eyes and letting out a big sigh. She didn't know if she'd done the right thing by not bringing Sandy out to William. She could only hope that Sandy would be okay, and her friends would take care of her. Annie took another deep breath, let it out, and headed back to the table.
"Oh, there you are," William said with a smile as Annie approached him. "Our table is ready."
Annie followed William and the hostess to their table, glancing around to see if Sandy was still in the bar. Their table was near the fireplace next to a window with a view of the beach. It was the perfect, romantic setting, but all Annie could do was worry about where Sandy had gone and who she was with.
Once they were settled at their table and had menus in front of them, William commented, "Looks like we have the best table in the place."
"Yes," Annie replied, glancing out the window at the view of the ocean and Haystack Rock. She returned her gaze to the dining room and quickly swept her eyes toward the bar area. She hoped that Sandy wasn't driving, and that the person who was driving was sober.
"Are you okay?" William asked, noticing Annie's distraction.
Annie quickly nodded. "Oh, yes, I'm fine. Just looking around. This is a wonderful place. I've never been here before." She opened her menu and looked at the dinner choices, angry with herself for lying to William. He was a nice guy, and her feelings for him were growing. She felt caught between telling him about Sandy and minding her own business.
William reached out and touched Annie's hand. Her eyes rose to meet his. He knew those eyes. They were so much like his wife's had been. Not only in color but in how they seemed to cloud over when she was distressed. "Does your change of mood have anything to do with seeing Sandy?"
Annie stared for one long moment at William before letting out a sigh of relief. "You saw her here?"
William nodded. "Yes, I did. I saw her go down the hall toward the ladies' room a moment before you went. Did she say something that upset you?"
Annie shook her head. "No, I'm just worried about her. She'd been drinking, and she didn't look too good."
William nodded. "I think she was with that noisy group of young people. I recognized one of the girls as one she'd gone to high school with."
Annie frowned. "They aren't old enough to be drinking in here. Why didn't you stop her?"
It was William's turn to sigh. "What good would it have done? She's almost twenty-one, going to college, and living away from home. Even if I had approached her tonight and taken her home, she'd just be angry and go out again tomorrow night. I just have to trust that they have a designated driver, and she's safe."
The waitress approached their table, interrupting them, and William asked for a few more minutes before ordering. Once she had left, he looked at Annie, who had been quietly watching him.
"I know what you're thinking, and I know how I must sound to you. I hate that I sound like a father who has given up and hopes for the best when it comes to Sandy. But there really isn't much I can do about her behavior. She goes to school, makes good grades, and has never been in trouble with the law. I have to believe she will grow up eventually and stop acting this way."
Annie nodded. William looked so sad that she didn't want to argue with him about his grown daughter. After all, she was not a mother and was certainly not Sandy's mother, so who was she to judge how William handled his daughter.
"Why don't we start this night over again?" Annie said. "It's too nice an evening to ruin."
"Thank you," William said, offering her a smile.
When the waitress came back, they ordered the shrimp dinner and the clam chowder, instead of salad, because it was a house specialty. They were not disappointed when it came. Annie sighed with delight after her first taste of chowder. "Oh, this is so creamy and delicious. It's almost decadent."
William wholeheartedly agreed.
Over dinner, they talked about their work week and the projects they each had over the next few weeks. William was working on drawing up house plans for a man in Santa Barbara, California, who wanted a twelve-thousand square-foot home that felt cozy. They both laughed at this, a house that size was more like a shopping center than a home.
Annie told him about the photo assignment she had that upcoming week at a home north of Seaside that sat high on a cliff above the ocean. "It should be challenging. The deck literally hangs over the cliff. I'm not afraid of heights, but that one makes even me think twice."
By the time they had finished eating their meal, they were feeling satisfied with both the food and each other.
"So, what's Sam up to tonight?" Annie asked as they relaxed over coffee. The restaurant was quieting down, and there were only a few tables that still held people finishing up their meals.
William looked at his watch. "By now he's probably already in bed, asleep. He has a golf tournament tomorrow, and they have to drive an hour to it, so he'll be up very early."
"Oh, will you be going to watch him?" Annie asked.
William shook his head. "No, not this time. I go to some of his bigger tournaments and walk along, but this one is part of a junior traveling tournament circuit that he does in the spring and summer. I don't usually go to those, and he's fine with that."
"I really like Sam," Annie said. "He's a nice kid and easy to be around."
William smiled. "I can't argue with you on that. He's pretty easy-going."
They left the restaurant and drove along the coastal road.
"Would you like to go somewhere and listen to music?" William asked.
"I'd rather just go somewhere quiet where we can talk," Annie said. She enjoyed spending time with William and wanted to get to know him better.
"I know just the place." He drove a little longer, then pulled onto a side-road where there was a lookout on a cliff over the ocean. He parked, and they sat and watched the waves caress the shore under the full moon.
"Tell me more about Sandy," Annie said. "I hope you don't mind my saying it, but she seems so sad and angry. Did she and her mom have a good re
lationship?"
William turned to Annie with a puzzled look on his face. "Do you really want to talk about this? I mean, I don't mind, but I don't want to bore you."
"You won't bore me. I like Sandy. I think that deep down, she's a good person, and I just want to know more about her."
"Okay. Well, Sandy has always been a little difficult. Sara had so much patience with her, and I think Sandy understood that even when they didn't see eye to eye. Sandy was devastated when her mother died. We all were, but her death seemed to hit Sandy the hardest. She didn't say much for weeks. I sent her to a grief counselor and a therapist for a short time, but she wouldn't open up to either of them. I just figured she needed time to come to terms with the loss of her mother. We all did. In some ways, I think Sandy is still trying to deal with her grief by acting out, but she won't talk to me about it."
"What about you?" Annie asked in a soft voice. "Are you still grieving?"
William looked down at the steering wheel, contemplating the question. After awhile, he answered. "When Sara died, I felt like the best half of me died also. Her leaving was never even a consideration. I depended upon her for so much. Not just the everyday things, although she did all of that, too, but also for the important things, like being supportive and loving no matter what stupid things I did."
William took a deep breath, and Annie reached out and took his hand in hers, feeling he needed her touch.
"I felt much more than loss when Sara died. I also felt an enormous amount of guilt. I should have known she was in more pain than she showed. I should have insisted on taking her to the hospital that night instead of taking Sam to the driving range. Sara never let on she was suffering, but I should have paid more attention. If I had, she'd still be alive today."
William's admission of guilt told Annie that deep down, he wasn't completely over Sara. Yet, for some reason, this didn't upset her. It made her feel closer to him. He felt his loyalties strongly, and she liked that about him. She'd never been with anyone who was that devoted and he was certainly worth waiting for.
Sara's Promise Page 7