“Come on, Eva,” Lily said.
“I’m leaving,” Eva called up to Daniel after she’d logged off her computer.
“See you at dinner,” he said.
****
Eva and Lily spent the day together, but they never got a chance to talk. The salon ladies made a fuss over them, or blow-dryers were running, or Lily was getting her facial while Eva had a massage.
Still, after their mani-pedis were dry, they had an hour before they were supposed to meet the guys for dinner.
“Time to shop,” Eva said. “My treat.”
Lily looked adorable, fresh, and ready to rock the mall.
Maybe it wasn’t about getting Lily to open up about whatever made her leave home with little more than the clothes on her back. Maybe it was simply about taking care of her in the here and now. Somehow this grouchy girl, who lit up like Christmas at the thought of some shopping, had gotten under Eva’s skin.
Eva thought for a minute about her budget, but pushed away any nervousness about spending even more money than she’d dropped at the salon. This day was doing wonders for Lily. It was worth every penny.
Lily chose jeans, little half boots, and a gauzy tunic. Eva found a white dress with big red poppies all over it that matched her nail polish. When she would have stuck with her plain black ballet flats, Lily had insisted she buy the adorable pair of red kitten heels.
“If you don’t buy footwear, neither will I, and you know I only have one pair of sneakers. Which are like some weird art shoes now with all the paint splatters.”
It was true, so Eva bought the shoes. And some new sneakers for Lily, budget be damned.
****
Daniel watched Eva approach the table, vaguely aware of Lily at her side. Eva was more radiant than he’d ever seen her, and not just because she’d had something nice done to her hair that made it extra shiny and swingy. Maybe it was the dress, the way it scooped low, skimming the tops of her breasts. With extreme effort, Daniel banished thoughts of how he’d had her in his bed, he’d briefly held those breasts. And somehow he’d messed up and that’s all he was ever going to get of her unless he could woo her into intimacy with Mission: Fast Eddie.
“May I bring you something to drink?”
The waitress appeared the moment Lily and Eva sat. Lily and Bob ordered Cokes, and Daniel bent closer than was probably necessary to Eva, asking if she’d like to choose a bottle of wine. She smelled like flowers and something else deeper and more mysterious.
Eva flipped open the menu and said, “You know what I’ve been craving all day?”
He only wished it were him.
“A strawberry milk shake.”
“We can do that,” said the waitress.
Daniel ordered coffee. He had a feeling he’d need it during the movie. He had zero interest in the whole vampire craze.
He looked at Eva next to him, ran his eyes over her body as discreetly as possible. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her legs before. When she sat, a lot of them showed. They were lovely. Her throat clearing signaled that she noticed him staring.
“Great shoes,” he said, although if she asked what color they were, he’d be unmasked as a liar. But was it his fault that he was interested in this new Eva, the Eva underneath the jeans and work shirts?
“Thanks,” she said, about the shoes.
“You look very pretty tonight,” he said.
She blushed.
He didn’t compliment her enough. He should do that more often. But surely she knew how lovely she was? How her face made his heart ache because, for whatever silly reasons, she wouldn’t let him kiss her anymore?
“Get a room,” Lily said.
Bob snickered.
Eva rolled her eyes at the kids.
“Don’t mind them. They don’t get out much.”
To Daniel, the situation was surreal. This wasn’t a date. Not really. More of a family outing, although they made a weird family.
“Eva,” Bob said, grabbing a dinner roll as soon as the basket hit the table, “how do you want me to adjust the payroll for Logan and Tom?”
“Don’t,” Daniel said. Damn it. He’d meant to speak to Bob about the skilled carpenters he’d hired on his own dime.
“Those are the new guys I saw working on the addition last week?”
Bob nodded.
“Yeah,” Daniel said. He knew she could be touchy about her project. “Don’t worry about paying them. They owe me a favor.”
He could see the wheels turning in Eva’s mind.
“Well,” Bob went on, oblivious to the minefield he’d stepped into, “we should only pay Sam half days. That’s all he’s been good for.”
“Does he have a family to support?” Eva asked.
“Wife, grown kids. A couple grandkids, I think.”
“Well, then just continue to pay him the daily rate.”
“If you’re sure.”
She tried to be tough, but Daniel knew that deep inside she was a softie. She sucked on her milkshake, which was possibly the sexiest thing he’d ever seen, while Daniel tried to gauge her reaction to Logan and Tom, but he was totally distracted by her cherry-lipsticked mouth covering the bright pink straw.
At the show, they had to split up. Apparently many teenage girls, plus their mothers and boyfriends, liked vampires. Lily and Bob sat two rows in front of them. While the previews aired, Daniel said, “I wish you’d let me pay for dinner. I know how much Bob eats. Your grocery bill has to be huge.”
“Well, you’re one up on me then,” she whispered, “because I have no clue how much skilled carpenters get paid these days, but I’m betting it’s more than a hundred bucks a day.”
Yep. She was still pissed. He’d only been trying to help get her back into her house sooner. Also he wanted the best workmanship possible, and that just was not possible with the town drunk and a roofer.
“You’ll pay me back this winter. Six months of trudging through the cold and snow every day just about equals what the trades pay.”
“Sounds like fun.”
Fun. Huh. She hadn’t lived through a Blue Lake winter yet.
Chapter Seventeen
Daniel hadn’t paid much attention to the movie. He’d been too busy trying to figure out exactly when he could get Eva’s place done and how much time that left him until September and whether Eva would agree to at least come to Fast Eddie’s and meet his friends, because she needed friends, not just Jane, and then he could ask her to dance. He’d make sure it was a slow one and then he could hold her body very close to his.
“The kids behaved well tonight.” Daniel got out of the car, stood with Eva as Lily and Bob retreated to their cottages. It was now or never. Do or die. If she said no…he wouldn’t think about that.
“Lily’s been dying to see that movie.”
“What? Er, what about you?”
“I like True Blood better.” He had no idea what she was talking about so he skipped over that.
“You—”
“You—”
They both said the word at the same time. “You first,” Daniel said.
“You were a good sport tonight,” she said. The night temperature had cooled and she rubbed her pretty arms with her newly polished fingernails. She turned and headed for her own door.
“It’s not about that,” he said, following her. He couldn’t lose this opportunity. He had to nail the Fast Eddie plan tonight. “It’s what you do when you’re a parent. You put them first.”
Eva opened the door to the office, the next room on his list to tackle. The wood registration counter was like a siren calling him. “I know what you mean,” she said, oblivious that he’d followed her into the house. “I felt a little like that today. I’d never have taken a day off work to blow time and money at a salon if I hadn’t wanted to cheer up Lily.”
She stopped in the office, clearly realizing now that he had come in behind her.
“Staining and varnishing the old counter and the staircase are
my next priority,” he said, thinking fast. “I wanted to run something by you.”
“About the office?”
She didn’t move out of the neutral territory of the office and into her quarters, even though Mama was crying on the other side of the pocket door.
“No, not work. Play. You need to get to know the people our age in this town. We have a thing about going up to Fast Eddie’s Friday nights. No dates or anything. Just whoever is available shows up.”
“Jane?”
“No. Jane is a loner. But you’re not. I can tell. I want you to meet my friends.”
“Are you setting me up? Is there going to be some single guy who has my resume?”
If only she knew how far from the truth that was. He was the guy who knew her resume. And he was the guy setting her up. For himself.
“Promise. Nobody knows anything about you, but they’re all curious. Say you’ll come.”
She stood there looking up at the ceiling like it had an answer. She twisted her lips to one side of her face. After a few disheartening beats, she said yes.
“Yes! This coming Friday. I can pick you up.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
“Nineish.”
“Okayish.”
Instead of pressing his luck, he went home, mission—for now—accomplished.
Chapter Eighteen
The week flew by as every aspect of the renovation and grand opening got checked off the list. Eva could afford to take a night off and meet Daniel and his friends at Fast Eddie’s. She studied her closet for the right jeans and wished Jane was going to be there. She selected her dressier dark jeans. They made her look taller and were the proper length for dancing shoes. She slipped on her favorite ankle boots with wedge heels that were surprisingly comfortable.
When, five minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot, the place was jammed.
Daniel shot up from a table full of people and pitchers of beer the minute she walked in the door. He hustled over to her side, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and brought her to the table. Her cheek still tingled. Oh man. She hoped this was not a mistake.
“Hey everybody, this is Eva.” Daniel’s voice raised above the band. She stood for a minute feeling awkward as Daniel rattled off names. Nobody offered to shake her hand, but every one of them smiled. She recognized a few guys from the work crew. She smiled at the sea of faces and waved as she sat down next to Daniel at two open seats near the end of a long table.
The bar was loud, but the music was good. The only names she remembered were Luke, who she had contracted for lawn and snow services, and Meg, the woman on the other side of her. Luke offered Eva a beer from a communal pitcher, but eying Meg’s glass of sparkling water, which had been served in a wine glass, Eva wondered if they still carried that great brand Jane had loved so much.
A waitress in Daisy Dukes came up and rubbed her hip on Daniel’s shoulder. Eva was sure the touch was deliberate even though Daniel ignored it.
“Don’t worry about her,” Meg said. “Flirts with everyone. You’ll see.” Eva didn’t know how to tell Meg that she was not Daniel’s date, just a friend. She didn’t feel like just a friend. She felt like pushing Ms. Daisy Dukes onto the floor.
The waitress pretended to finally notice Eva. “What can I get for you, darlin’?” She batted her lashes like a silent movie queen. Meg elbowed Eva and snickered.
“Do you still have Jane Augustine’s wine brand? She called it KJ?”
The waitress nodded. “It’s on special,” she said.
“That’s what I’ll have.”
“Another for me, too, Kitty.” Meg held up her almost empty glass, finished it off, and handed the empty to the waitress.
“Is Kitty really her name?” Eva asked Meg.
“Yep. It’s on her birth certificate.”
The band started playing an old Bob Seger song, “Turn the Page.” Everyone in Michigan loved Bob Seger. He was a hometown boy made good who never left. But this was really amazing. Everyone at the table except Daniel, Luke, and Eva got up and walked over to the dance floor.
“You two go ahead,” Luke said.
“No way.” Eva and Daniel said it together and then laughed. When he’d recommended Luke’s services for her resort, Daniel had told Eva Luke had gone through a horrible breakup. No need to make him feel worse by leaving him alone while everyone else danced.
“So is everyone married except the three of us?” Eva asked.
Luke laughed. “Only most of them.”
Kitty came by with her wine. “There you go, sweetheart.” Huge smile, hand on hip, she waited for Eva to take a sip and nod that the wine was excellent. Then she turned and flirted outrageously with Luke. He mostly ignored her, and she left when someone across the room hollered her name.
By the time Daniel and Luke filled her in on the dating couples, the married pairs, and the singles, the song was over and everyone came back to the table.
The band started up a loud Red Hot Chili Pepper number and Meg sat down, gulping her water. “I’m so thirsty!”
“What’s his story?” Eva asked, as Luke got up and headed for the men’s room.
“We’re all trying to help him get over his busted heart. It ain’t easy.”
Eva nodded.
“They lived together. It was totally serious. On his part, at least. So I know you own Blue Heaven. And you’re dating Daniel now?”
Eva tried to wipe the scowl off her face before Meg noticed. “No, just friends.”
“I don’t think he thinks so.”
“Oh, he knows. He’s just pretending he doesn’t.”
They sipped their drinks and friended each other on Facebook as the song wound down and another started up. Meg took their picture and tagged Eva. Eva didn’t recognize this song. When had she stopped listening to new music?
Some people got up to dance again as the band switched singers. Kitty set down her tray and took a mic, starting a version of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” that wasn’t awful. Her perky dance moves and expressive face were great and her voice was in tune most of the time.
Eva noticed only women on the dance floor. Figures. No guy was going to dance to that song.
“Come on.” Meg took Eva’s hand and pulled her onto the dance floor. “It’s a Blue Lake tradition. Girls only.”
Eva got up and happily lost herself in the crowd of dancing women.
It felt good to dance. It felt good to know the song. It felt good to be a part of Blue Lake. Every woman at their table danced her way at some point in the song. They included her in the ritual. She didn’t miss Jane as much as she thought she would.
After two glasses of wine, Eva switched to water. She had to drive home. Even though it was so close she could probably walk, even in heels. But her head was swimming and her system was on social overload. She’d been dancing for hours and even though her feet were starting to ache, when Daniel asked her to dance, she said yes before she realized it was a slow song. Damn.
It felt good to be in his arms. Way too good. She pretended it was just for the dance, but she didn’t push even a little bit away when he pulled her closer. She put her head on his shoulder. It was just a dance to “Closing Time,” an old song, one she’d loved since grade school, before she understood what it felt like to know who she wanted to take her home.
How could it feel so right to be in his arms and how had she not realized that this song was the last song? They’d closed the bar. The hours had passed like minutes.
As everyone headed out to their cars, they were still talking. People shouted goodbyes and a few even said other sweet things to her.
“You’re great.”
“It’s so nice to see Daniel with someone like you.”
“Thank you for renovating your cottages!”
“Our town loves you.”
One by one, Daniel’s friends, and maybe someday her friends, all had something nice to say to her. Meg did one better and grabbed Eva in a tight hug. “I
have a feeling we are going to be friends.” She whispered into Eva’s ear. “So I’ll tell you a secret. I’m pregnant.” Eva hugged Meg back, closed her eyes, and hoped nobody saw her face in the dark. Then there was a flash. Daniel with his phone camera.
“Send me that one!” Meg said. Getting in the car with her husband and heading home to her growing family.
Daniel walked Eva over to her car. “So did you have a good time?”
“Yes. Thanks. It was fun.” She’d been so focused on work that she’d almost forgotten how to be social. She loved dancing.
“I loved dancing with you. Holding you.” Daniel held her gaze. She couldn’t turn away. She had to quiet her mind. She needed to answer him in a way that would not hurt their friendship but would get her “friends only” message across. This was difficult and confusing. But he didn’t want to be “the one”—had in fact stated that he was not the one—so she had to be strong. She was not a one-night stand kind of person. Or even a summer romance type. One by one engines started, headlights flipped on, and a single file of cars left the parking lot, all of them turning left toward town.
Luke gave a quick beep of his horn as he passed them, still there, standing outside her car door. She waved. “How long do you think it will take for Luke to start dating again?”
She’d said it innocently, but Daniel stiffened next to her as if she’d insulted him. “What, you want me to set you two up?”
Oh stars. What an idiot. Didn’t he know she was in love with him? She was. In love. With him. Damn it.
“No, I just wondered.” She felt tender and a little wounded. “But if I wanted to, you’d do that?” Again, the wrong thing to say. And yet she had to say something so she wouldn’t think about what was really on her mind. How could she be so stupid as to fall in love with Daniel?
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