Just like that, all of the tension in her body dissolved.
“Hi.”
He stood there silently until she remembered her entire reason for eating lunch at Baxter’s.
“Would you like to join me?”
“Are you certain you want me to?”
She nodded. “I’m here to take you up on your offer.”
“Which one?”
“Both of them.”
He studied her quietly for a few moments before sliding in the booth across from her. “In that case I’d be happy to join you.”
Before she could say anything else the waitress walked up to the table and took their drink orders. When their server walked off, Carson leaned back in his chair.
“So what brings you by for lunch today? I haven’t seen you around here in a while.”
“I’ve been a little busy. I had a few things to do.”
“Did you get everything you needed to done?”
“Yes.”
A few moments of silence fell between them and Imani fidgeted a little.
“Look, Carson—”
“Imani, I—”
They both laughed.
The waitress came back with their drinks and took their food order.
“Are you always a creature of habit?” Carson asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve been to my restaurant three times and each time you order the lobster roll.”
“Actually, I’m usually pretty versatile when it comes to my food, but the lobster roll is so good I’m compelled to order it each time I come here.”
“I’m glad you enjoy it.”
She took a sip of her tea. “I’m not keeping you from anything important today, am I?”
“No. I extended you an open invitation. I meant it.”
Imani stared at the man across from her. He was a very intriguing man. Sitting across the table from him made her realize just how dynamic his presence was. In a way she felt a little jealously at the self-confidence he emitted. He definitely didn’t seem to have a care in the world.
She looked down at her tea and frowned. It made it a little difficult to say what she had on her mind. Would he think she was crazy? Would it change his opinion of her? Would he no longer be interested in her? It frightened her to put herself out there in front a man she didn’t really know, but something told her she had to. If she wanted move forward, she didn’t have a choice.
“You don’t have to tell me anything, Imani.”
His voice pulled her from her inner musings.
“What?”
“I said I’m fine with just sitting here enjoying lunch with you. We don’t even have to talk. I made my offer to you so you felt as if you had one place you could frequent and relax. I can literally see the wheels turning in your head.”
She sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m just a natural worrier. I always have been. I’m also somewhat of a perfectionist. So much so I had what I thought to be a fool-proof plan in place before I came over here today. Yet, the instant you walked up to the table my mind went blank.”
“Good.”
She frowned. “Is it?”
“Yes. Sometimes you have to be a little spontaneous in life. Just allow things to occur naturally. It’s something I’ve had to learn over the years.”
“Really? I would’ve never guessed.”
He chuckled. “Did you think I’d always been this laidback?”
“You appear to be.”
“I can assure you I’m a work in progress.”
“What do you mean?”
He didn’t respond as the waitress walked back up to the table with their food. Once everything was situated, the server stepped away and he resumed speaking.
“I tell you what. I’ll make you a deal. I’ll tell you anything you want to know about as long as you promise not to overthink anything for the duration of this lunch.”
Imani laughed. “I can’t promise that.”
Her laughter died off once she realized Carson hadn’t joined in. Instead he stared at her as if she were some sort of anomaly.
“What is it?”
He blinked slowly, shaking his head. “Nothing is wrong. Just realized how absolutely breathtaking you are when you smile and how much I want to be the person who makes sure you always have a reason to.”
A full body tremor swept through her. Boy, did he have a way with words. Even more terrifying was the fact she knew he meant them. How in the world would she survive this entire lunch?
“I didn’t say that to make you nervous. I said it because it’s true. The last time you were in here I wondered what you would look like if you smiled. Now I know I want to be the one responsible for it every time.”
“Wow. How can you say that and not expect me to become anxious?”
“Easy. Let’s move onto another topic. Ask me a question and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
There was so much she wanted to know about him she didn’t know where to begin. She started with what intrigued her most. “How did Baxter’s come about?”
She reached for her sandwich when he grinned.
“Short version or long?”
“Long,” she replied without hesitation.
“Okay. Several years ago, I’d come to Myrtle Beach on vacation a handful of times. I’ve always loved the area and even thought about how nice it’d be to live here full-time. But it just never felt like the right time. However, the perfect opportunity came about six years ago. The nasty divorce I was going through was almost finalized and I realized I needed a new start. My sister, Kallie, quickly reminded me how I always talked about coming here permanently.”
He paused to take a bite of his burger, chewing slowly before continuing. “I thought it was a great idea, but I had to find a place to live and a way to make a living. It took about six months before anything came through. The former owner of this place put it up for sale. His only daughter had been diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer that’s very difficult to treat. They decided to get her medical treatment at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. I was fortunate because they also put their house up for sale.”
Carson reached for his water. “The restaurant was in good shape, but I wanted to change a few things, mainly the décor and the menu. Another six months and the doors to Baxter’s were officially open. We’ve been going strong ever since.”
Imani sat back in booth, amazed. Perhaps Carson did understand exactly what she was going through, possibly even more so. He’d clearly been through the ringer and managed to come out on the winning end. Still, what he’d revealed only led to more questions.
“Why did you get divorced?”
“Because I married the wrong woman. Everyone tried to tell me she was, some of my so-called friends even went as far as to sleep with her to prove it to me, but I had blinders on. It wasn’t until Misty informed me she was pregnant I’d had enough.”
Imani’s mouth fell open. “What?”
“I might have been an idiot behind my ex-wife, but I wasn’t a complete fool. I knew she hadn’t stopped cheating on me and I hadn’t had sex with her in months.”
“Oh, my goodness.”
She couldn’t imagine how a woman could be so low-class. What in the world could drive a person to do such a terrible thing? She considered marriage to be sacred. Watching her parents over the years had given her a great example of what it should be. Clearly Carson hadn’t experienced that in his relationship with his ex-wife.
“It’s all in the past. I learned from my mistake.”
She cleared her throat. “Are you seeing anyone right now?”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “No, but I’d like to be.”
“You don’t mince your words, do you?”
“No. I don’t have a reason to. I’ve learned sometimes you just have to go for what you want.”
“Even if it’s harmful?”
Carson’s brows furrowed together. “Do you consider me to be harmful?”
“No, I think you could be dangerous.”
“In what way?”
She hesitated, wondering how much she should reveal about herself. He’d been nothing but an open book, telling her what she wanted to know and a few things she hadn’t expected. For some reason she felt as though he’d guard anything she told him closely.
“First, let me tell you why I’m here and that might help clear up a few things.”
“Okay. I’m game.”
She took another sip of her tea then cleared her throat. “A few weeks ago I lost my job. Not through any fault of my own. The company I worked for finally took a financial hit and had to downsize. They also figured it’d be cheaper to run the company in another state. At first I thought my job would be saved by the relocation effort, but it wasn’t.”
Imani sighed. “It really took me by surprise. I’m the sort of person who believes in having a five and ten year plan. Mine was just blown to bits. So I’m here on vacation in an attempt to relax and rest, then come up with a new plan to help me get back on my feet.”
“Understandable. How’s it working out for you so far?”
“Well, I’ve gotten pretty good at the relaxation part this past week. Still haven’t come up with much a plan.”
“Have you given yourself a deadline?”
“Until the end of June. I have a good amount of money set aside to last me way beyond that point, but I don’t want to blow through my savings. I have bills to pay and other things I need to do.”
“Sounds solid so far. What I don’t get is how that makes me a danger to you.”
She studied him silently. “Can I be completely open with you?”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
“You are a major distraction.”
“In what way?”
“While this is a vacation, the main goal is for me to come up with a valid plan. Since I’ve met you it’s been hard for me to focus on my purpose. The last thing I need is to add the complication of getting involved with someone, no matter how casual it might turn out to be.”
He remained silent and she wondered if she’d been too honest. If that was the case, then so be it. She had no choice but to be completely up front. That’s what had been driving her crazy from the beginning. At least now he knew a portion of the thoughts racing around her head.
He pushed his plate aside as he leaned forward. “I’m trying to find a reason to feel bad about causing interference with your plan, but I can’t bring myself to.”
One corner of her mouth twitched. He was something else. One thing was for certain, she’d have her hands full with him. “I’m sure you can’t.”
“So where do you want to go from here?”
“I’m not one hundred percent certain. What I can say is I’m interested in getting to know you better. But I’m only here until the end of June, Carson. My life is in Charleston.”
“Are you certain?”
She opened her mouth to respond, but not a sound came out. Snapping her mouth shut, she frowned. Shouldn’t her automatic response be yes? Then why couldn’t she force the three simple letters out?
“Don’t overthink it, Imani. I just asked because six years ago, I never thought I’d be here permanently, but I am. However, you don’t have to worry. I know you’re just trying to warn me you can only give me until the end of this month at the most, so not to get attached.”
“When you say it like that it sounds heartless.”
“Not in the least. A person who is totally upfront from the beginning can never be called heartless. Let’s just get to know each other and see what happens. No pressure. No expectations.”
She studied his expression and found nothing but sincerity.
“Deal.”
Chapter Four
Imani sighed as she walked back through the front door. It’d been a busy afternoon. After her impromptu lunch with Carson, she’d gone back to the beach house, changed into her swimsuit and spent a few hours at the beach. Then she’d begun working on a new painting, trying to capture the essence of beach life. It’d probably take her a few days to complete it, but that should work out in her favor.
She had a dinner date planned for tomorrow night and she’d need something to keep her as distracted as possible. It was still a little difficult to believe, but when Carson asked, she’d agreed. Laughter escaped her as she sat her tote bag on the kitchen counter. She hadn’t been on a real date in years. He was even going to come by the beach house to pick her up.
Her hand itched to reach for her cell phone, but she resisted. While she wanted to share the news with her sister, there were still a few things she needed to digest. Besides, talking to Naja, would probably leave her a nervous wreck.
Truth be told, she was excited about being able to hang out with Carson. The more time she spent with him, the more she realized there was more to him than she’d originally thought. He had a wicked sense of humor that always either had her smiling or laughing. Maybe her judgment of his carefree attitude had been a little harsh.
It hadn’t taken long for her to realize during today’s lunch he was very well put together. He contemplated the decisions he made with a rational and sound mind. How could she find fault in that?
He was definitely an enigma of a man, one she hadn’t completely figured out what she’d do with. Sure, she’d had lunch with him today and they had a dinner date tomorrow night, but where did she go from there? Would this strictly be a summer fling? Or would it be an on again off again casual relationship? It surely couldn’t be more than that. On a good traffic day there was at least a two hour drive between them.
Imani laughed. She was such a lost cause. As much as she just wanted to kick back and enjoy the experience for what it was, old habits died hard. She couldn’t help analyzing her current situation. It was in her nature. But she had to do her best just to go with the flow. She had enough to worry about.
Kicking off her flip-flops, she made her way over to the door leading to the back porch. Opening the door, she allowed the cool salty breeze in. It was such a nice evening. How in the world had she stayed away from Myrtle Beach so long? Somewhere along the way she’d forgotten how to stop and just enjoy life. Fortunately, she had the opportunity to do it now and she wouldn’t let it pass her by.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped back inside, closed then locked the door. She didn’t need to stay up too late. Tomorrow she had an early morning appointment at the spa. When she booked it a few days ago, she hadn’t realized how much it’d come in handy. Hopefully she’d be able to relax enough before her date with Carson.
Shutting off the lights downstairs, she made her way up to the master bedroom, a wry grin on her face. If anyone had told her a few months back she’d be where she was today, she would’ve laughed in their face.
A short time later she crawled in between the cool sheets, rolling onto her side. The window next to the bed gave her the perfect view of the beach. She focused on the water, allowing the ebb and flow of the waves lull her off to sleep.
* * * *
“Relax, Imani, or you’re going to pass out.”
She stared at her reflection in the mirror and did her best to follow her own advice. She’d just finished putting the final touch on her make-up. Carson had advised her to dress casual, so she’d chosen a teal colored sundress and a pair of white strappy sandals. Her hair fell into soft curls around her face, but she had hair clips and a ponytail holder in her tote bag in case she needed them.
The doorbell rang and she jumped. Laughing at herself, she shook her head, studied her appearance in the mirror one more time, then headed downstairs.
When she opened the door, her breath caught in her throat. While Carson’s usual wardrobe consisted on khaki pants and a golf shirt with Baxter’s Bar and Grill on it, she hadn’t really taken the time to admire his physique.
Have mercy. He had a nice one.
He’d paired a deep purple T-shirt with a pair of white swim shorts an
d a tan flip-flops. A pair of what looked to be designer shades sat on top of his head, keeping his unruly hair in place. Corded muscles in his arms and firm calf muscles let her know he did some sort of workout regimen. He was freaking gorgeous.
Boy am I in trouble.
“Hey, beautiful. You look lovely.”
And you are walking sex-on-a-stick.
He grinned and for a moment she wondered if she’d said the words aloud. Then she realized she hadn’t. In fact, she was just standing there, staring like a loon.
Clearing her throat, she shook her head. “Hi, Carson.”
“Are you ready?”
“Yes. Just let me grab my bag.”
She stepped back to allow him to enter while she walked over to the coffee table where her tote sat. When she turned around, he stood just inside of the doorway, looking as handsome as ever. “I’m ready.”
“Great.”
She struggled to focus on locking up when he placed his hand at the small of her back. The heat radiating off of him threatened to singe her. How in the world was she going to make it through this date in one piece when he made her so…aware?
Carson led her toward a nice luxury sedan parked in the driveway. He opened the door for her, making sure she was settled before heading around to the driver side. Her gaze never strayed from him. It was impossible to look away.
When he slid in the seat next to her, his masculine scent hit her hard, as if she weren’t already overwhelmed enough. He smelled nice, like warm sunrays and the beach. She did a discreet inhale. Nope, the scent was all him. She didn’t detect a hint of cologne.
He started the car, so she settled back and attempted to get herself under control before they reached their destination. It was easy to do since she had no idea where they were going. Her mind raced at the thought of all the places he could be taking her.
She looked outside of the window as he drove. Her eyebrows bunched together once she realized he wasn’t leaving the residential neighborhood to get on the main highway. A few moments later, he pulled into the driveway of a beach home that didn’t look all too different from her grandparents.
“Where are we?”
One Hot Summer Anthology Page 3