by Regina Hart
“Are you asking me out on a date, Mr. Knight?” Her voice teased him.
“Don’t you think it’s about time?” Darius lowered his voice. Although he doubted anyone could hear his conversation above the usual shouts, ringing telephones, and clacking computer keyboards in the Monitor’s office.
“Yes, I do. But unfortunately, I have a class.” She sounded disappointed. “Why don’t you come to my place tonight and I’ll make you dinner?”
It was Darius’s turn to be disappointed. He smothered a groan at the missed opportunity. “I wish I could. I’m covering the town council meeting tonight.”
“How late will it end?”
Darius skimmed the agenda he’d collected from the Trinity Falls Town Hall office on his way to work. It was long. “Pretty late. Then I’ll need to come back to the office to file my story.”
“Is it like that every week?” She sounded concerned.
Darius enjoyed the hint of caring in Peyton’s question. “It’s not as bad as it sounds.”
“Can we have dinner tomorrow?” Peyton paused as though checking her calendar.
“I’d like that.” Although he’d rather have breakfast with her.
“Great. We can talk about the fund-raiser.”
Had they gotten their signals crossed? “That’s not what I had in mind.”
She laughed at his sarcasm. “Vaughn and Olivia agreed to be on our committee.”
“So did Stan and CeCe.”
“Wonderful. We have our eight members, which is excellent since we have less than five weeks to pull this off.”
“Do you think we’ll make it?” He didn’t want to fail his first community fund-raising assignment.
“Failure is not an option,” Peyton deadpanned the tagline from Apollo 13.
Darius chuckled. He was falling hard for the little professor. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He rang off. Wednesday couldn’t come fast enough.
CHAPTER 17
Trinity Falls Cuisine was slow on Wednesday nights. Darius escorted Peyton into the fancy restaurant, confident his friends wouldn’t be there to spy on him or make him uncomfortable.
“Good evening. Two?” The young hostess was probably a Trinity Falls University student. She seemed uncomfortable in her skinny black pants, starched white shirt, and narrow black tie.
“Yes, please.” Darius rested his hand lightly on the small of Peyton’s back. Her burgundy wool coat was soft beneath his palm, but he’d have preferred the warmth of her skin.
They followed the hostess farther into the restaurant. The scent of tangy spices and rich sauces hung heavy in the air. Lighting was low, lending the establishment a romantic ambience. But it wasn’t so dim that Darius couldn’t make out the beige-and-gray stone walls and dark wood trim. In his peripheral vision, he noticed the attention of the other diners, a few he recognized. They nodded, returning his gaze with open curiosity.
The hostess stopped beside a booth, waiting while Darius and Peyton settled in. “Your server will be right with you. Enjoy your evening.” She handed each of them a menu, then disappeared after he and Peyton thanked her.
Darius studied the menu. The offerings included roasted chicken, wood-fired steak, rosemary salmon, and baked lemon tilapia. Darius’ stomach growled.
“Sounds as though we got here just in time.” Peyton chuckled.
“I guess so.” Darius’s grin was sheepish. “Anything look good to you?”
“Everything does.” Peyton returned her attention to her menu. But Darius couldn’t look away from her.
Peyton’s copper curls bounced free tonight. He wanted to bury his fingers in its mass. Her honey-and-chocolate-cream complexion glowed against the warm gold of her cashmere sweater. Darius had committed to memory the way her straight black skirt traced her firm hips and slim thighs.
“You’re so beautiful.” He hadn’t realized he’d spoken the words out loud until Peyton looked at him in surprise. She seemed uncomfortable with his compliment.
She smoothed her hair in a nervous gesture. “Thank you. So are you.”
Darius’s eyes widened in surprise. “No one’s ever called me that before.”
Peyton leaned into the table, lowering her voice. “Why do you think people stare at you everywhere you go?”
Darius tensed. They stared at him because he was Simon and Ethel Knight’s son. But if Peyton wanted to believe it was because of his looks, he wouldn’t correct her.
“Hi, I’m Agnes. I’ll be your server tonight.” The tall, slender college student suddenly appeared beside their booth. They looked younger and younger every year. “What can I get you to drink?”
Peyton glanced at Darius before answering. “May I have a glass of water with lemon?”
“I’ll take an iced tea with lemon, please.”
Agnes went to get their drinks.
Darius caught Peyton’s gaze. “You’re beautiful, kind, and intelligent. Why aren’t you married?”
Peyton’s gaze wavered only slightly. “I can ask you the same thing.”
Yes, she could, but that wasn’t a conversation Darius was ready to have.
He arched a brow. “Are you calling me beautiful, kind, and intelligent? Thank you.”
Darius scanned his menu, deciding on the roasted chicken before setting it down and looking around the restaurant. Not many people were staring at them this time.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you, but I don’t want to pry.” Peyton’s admission made him both curious and cautious.
“What is it?” He searched her expression for a clue to her topic.
“From the discussion during the Books and Bakery Halloween celebration, I had the impression that Simon didn’t introduce you to Noah. You searched for him.”
“That’s right.”
“Why?”
Darius was taken aback by Peyton’s question. When he’d first told his friends about Noah, whom he’d been visiting practically every weekend for the past six years, they’d wanted to know all about his brother and June, and why he’d never mentioned them before. His parents wanted to know why he’d destroyed their family by bringing Noah into their lives. No one had asked why he’d searched for his brother.
“I don’t have an answer.” Darius shrugged off his discomfort. “The rumors were all over town.”
“That your father had another son?”
“Yes.” He took a sip of his iced tea. “When I first heard that I might have a sibling, I wanted to know what his life was like. Was he being well cared for? Was he a good student? Did he like sports? Was he like me?”
“It sounds like you cared about him even before you met him.” The admiration in Peyton’s eyes made Darius squirm. “You’re a good man, Darius.”
“I just wanted to know.” He shrugged again. “My father was too busy denying Noah’s existence. So I tracked them down and found out for myself. That was six years ago.”
“I’m glad you did.” Peyton smiled. “Noah and June seem like wonderful people.”
“They are.” Darius sat back on the booth bench. “But I don’t want to talk about myself.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“You.”
Peyton met Darius’s gaze. The look in his eyes was like a deep caress. She felt it to her core.
“Your water.” Agnes reappeared. Her blond curls shivered around her head. She served Peyton a glass of water, then gave Darius his iced tea. “Are you ready to order or do you need a few minutes?”
They both ordered the roasted chicken. Agnes again disappeared, leaving Peyton alone once more with Darius.
“So?” he prompted.
“What would you like to know?” Peyton searched his chiseled features.
“Why were you so opposed to my interviewing you for the Monitor?”
Peyton hesitated. Now that she’d returned from New York, his question was easier to answer. But what would he think of her? Would he consider her a coward? Beca
use that’s what she was.
She drank her water. “When I moved to Trinity Falls in July, my parents didn’t know I wasn’t returning to New York. I’d told them I was only staying for the fall semester.”
The look of surprise on Darius’s face would have been comical if Peyton wasn’t so anxious for his reaction. “Why did you lie?”
She winced. “My parents’ ambition for me was to become a full, tenured professor at New York University. But I was weary of the competition.”
“Why didn’t you just tell them that?” He sounded genuinely confused.
“That’s what you would’ve done.” Peyton recalled the Books & Bakery Halloween celebration. “I’m stunned by some of the things you’ve said to your parents. I wish I had the courage to say things like that to my parents, but I don’t.”
“What did your parents say when you told them you’d moved here?”
“They weren’t happy.”
“Did they try to change your mind?”
“Of course.” Peyton could still hear their accusations. “They’re used to getting their own way.”
“Will they change your mind?”
Peyton held Darius’s watchful gaze. “No, they won’t.”
“If they’re used to having their own way—and you’re used to giving it to them—what makes this time different?”
“I’m different.” A whisper of a smile curved her lips. “I’m more confident. And that’s because of this town and the people. Here, I feel accepted for who I am and who I want to be.”
Darius studied her for a long, silent moment. What was he looking for? What was he thinking?
He lifted his glass of iced tea. “A toast to your new home and to your always being happy here.”
Peyton touched her glass to his. “I’m sure I will be.”
A great job in a terrific town and wonderful new friends. What more could she hope for?
The next evening, Darius sat on Peyton’s right at the large conference table in one of the Trinity Falls Town Hall meeting rooms. Since she was the one with the fundraising experience, he’d left the seat at the head of the table for her. He didn’t want anyone to think he could answer the critical questions. He couldn’t.
The meeting would start in a few minutes, at 8:00 p.m. on this Thursday night. Most of the committee members already had arrived. Darius looked at the six other people seated around the table, which could comfortably fit ten. Vaughn and Dr. Olivia Stark had walked in with Peyton. They sat across the table from him. The three professors must have left the university together. Stan, CeCe, and Ethel had shown up just a few minutes apart. They’d chosen to sit beside him. The only volunteer not yet accounted for was his father. Why am I not surprised?
He touched the back of Peyton’s hand to get her attention. “Let’s get started.”
She glanced at her watch. “We can wait a few minutes for your father.”
“No, we can’t.” Darius’s voice was low but firm.
“All right.” Peyton tugged a sheet of paper from the manila folder in front of her and grasped her pen. Facing the group, she raised her voice to gain their attention. “Thank you all for coming. We appreciate your willingness to help make this fundraiser for the Guiding Light Community Center a great success. As Darius and I explained—”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to interrupt.” CeCe looked around the table. “But shouldn’t we all introduce ourselves first?”
Darius winced. Round-robin introductions? No way. “That’s not necessary. We all know each other.”
“You may think so but . . . well, I’ll just introduce myself.” She shifted in her seat, extending her right hand to Stan, who sat between her and Darius. “I’m CeCe Roben. I’m a member of the Trinity Falls Town Council.”
Stan’s eyes widened in surprise. He took CeCe’s proffered hand. “We’ve met, CeCe. I’m Stan Crockett, formerly Trinity Falls’ town drunk.”
CeCe’s whole body shook with shock. “Stan? Oh my gosh! You look so different.”
The recovering alcoholic grinned, releasing CeCe’s hand. “I guess I must for you not to recognize me after all these years.”
Darius resisted the urge to check his watch. He waited for CeCe and Stan to finish. “Does anyone else want introductions?”
Murmurings in the negative circled the room. Across the rectangular table, Vaughn’s dark eyes gleamed as though he found Darius’s impatience amusing. Darius opened his mouth to ask Peyton to continue the meeting. A booming voice forestalled his request.
“Evening, everyone.” Simon surveyed the meeting room. “What have I missed?”
Darius took a calming breath, drawing in the room’s chilly, moldy air. “Take a seat.”
Ethel shifted on her chair beside CeCe. “Is that supposed to be your grand entrance?” She snorted. “You know you can’t come into a meeting late, then ask what you missed.”
Simon appeared to be feeding off her negative attention. He lowered himself onto the chair at the foot of the table. “I’m sorry I kept everyone waiting. I was delayed by some important business.”
Ethel snorted. “This is important business. If you were serious about volunteering, you would have shown up on time.”
Peyton raised her hands, palms out. “Let’s stay on topic.” She lowered her hands and glanced at her sheet of notes. “Thank you for coming. As I’d started to explain, we have a very aggressive schedule. Darius and I have decided to use the fundraiser to celebrate the center’s fortieth anniversary with a dance.”
“That’s a clever idea.” Olivia’s dark eyes sparkled in her brown face.
“I agree.” Peyton grinned at her colleague before again addressing the group. “Darius suggested we hold the dance in the community center so people can see the cause their money is supporting.”
“That’s my son.” Simon’s raised voice drew all eyes to him. “He’s got a good head on his shoulders.”
“Your son?” Ethel’s tone was scathing. “I was practically a single parent.”
The tension in Darius’ shoulders threatened to snap him in two. He faced a familiar dilemma: Should he ignore his parents’ outbursts or drag them from the room?
“Forgive me.” Peyton once again lifted her hands. “I should have explained the ground rules first. As part of our fundraising efforts, each committee member will be charged five dollars whenever their outburst takes us off topic. That means, Simon, you would’ve owed us ten dollars—”
His father gaped. “What?”
Peyton ignored Simon’s interruption. “And, Ethel, you would’ve owed us five.”
Ethel’s gloating expression turned to shock. “Why—”
Peyton continued. “But since I hadn’t explained the rules before, I won’t fine you. However, starting now, each outburst that doesn’t directly advance our meeting agenda will cost the violating member five dollars. Does everyone understand?”
Simon and Ethel glared at each other, then answered in unison. “Yes.”
The other committee members agreed.
The burden had been lifted from Darius’s back. He smiled at Peyton, who nodded in response.
“We have a list of tasks for which we need two volunteers each.” Peyton tapped her pen against her meeting notes, checking off the tasks as she read. “We need a team to handle the registration database, another for catering and room reservation, and a third for entertainment and to coordinate printing for the event program. Darius and I will handle the fundraiser’s promotion.”
Darius touched the back of Peyton’s hand again, this time to interrupt her. He also just enjoyed the feel of her skin beneath his touch. “Before we get to the assignments, are there any questions?”
CeCe raised her hand. “How are we going to pay for all of this?”
He could handle that question. “Peyton and I have already received donations from local businesses to help cover our expenses. And we’re going to continue to ask for sponsorships. The Monitor and the local radio stations a
re giving us free advertising.”
CeCe inclined her head in approval. “It sounds as though you’ve already done a lot of work to cover the costs.”
“It’s still important to keep our expenses down,” Peyton cautioned. “We want as much money as possible going to the center.”
“What you’re doing . . .” Stan looked at the people seated around the table. “You have no idea how much it means to people who need the help the center provides.”
Darius squeezed Stan’s shoulder. “No problem.”
“We’re happy to do it.” Warmth filled Peyton’s voice.
A chorus of agreement circled the table.
“The community center is going to let us use their activity room for free.” Darius returned to the planning agenda.
Simon interrupted. “Bet that was your idea, Darius. You see? I told you my son had a good head on his shoulders.”
Peyton held out her hand toward the older man. “Simon, you owe us five dollars.”
Simon’s eyebrows jumped. “But—”
Ethel exhaled an impatient breath. “You agreed. Now pay the woman.”
The meeting quieted while Simon pulled five crumpled one-dollar bills from his wallet. He handed them to Ethel. The money passed from her to CeCe, then Stan, then Darius before landing with Peyton.
The little professor smiled. “I’ll log this as our first official donation. Now, if there are no other questions, we’d like two volunteers to handle the registration database.”
Olivia raised her hand. “I’ll build the database.”
“I’ll help.” Vaughn lifted a hand also. “Since we’re both on campus, it’ll be easier for us to work together.”
“Great.” Peyton made a note on her meeting agenda. “Catering and location arrangements?”
Stan volunteered. “I know the people at the center.”
“I’ll help Stan.” CeCe volunteered so quickly Darius wondered whether she wanted to work with Stan or whether she just didn’t want to be stuck with either Ethel or Simon. If it was the latter, he couldn’t blame her.