Love Finds You in Carmel by-the-Sea, California

by Sandra D. Bricker

  Okay. The moment was fleeting, but it was a moment.

  Chapter Eleven

  “You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve?”

  Lauren Bacall, To Have and Have Not, 1944

  Deke’s surgery went well but he took on a low-grade fever later in the day, so the hospital personnel began watching him closely and guarding against infection.

  Annie placed the paper mask provided at the nurse’s station over her face and fastened it behind her head before walking into his room. He looked ten years older than he had just a few days prior.

  “Thanks for the flowers,” he said, nodding in the general direction of the array of bouquets lined up on the windowsill, the evidence of a man well-loved.

  “Is there anything I can get you? Do you need anything?”

  “Update,” he managed. But before he could expound, the door to his hospital room popped open with a sudden burst, slamming against the wall behind it.

  “Deacon, my man, I’m hurt. You can’t trust me not to run your place into the ground in a few short days?” Nick sauntered up behind Annie and rubbed her shoulder as he leaned down and shook Deke’s hand gingerly, holding his paper mask in place with his chin pressed against his shoulder. “You know I’ll need at least three months to make a real mess of things. Give me some time.”

  “Biddle?” Deke asked, turning his eyes to Annie.

  “It’s all being handled,” she assured him. “Stop worrying about the office and concentrate on getting well.”

  Deke sighed. He didn’t appear to have the strength for a dispute.

  Annie reached up and tied Nick’s mask at the back of his head, and he shot her a quick nod before patting the top of Deke’s hand.

  “Listen to her, Deacon. All is well.”

  Beeps and buzzes and flashing lights resonated from the mass of machinery behind Deke, reminding Annie of how serious the situation actually was. Connected to the equipment by tubes leading to his nose, his left arm and leg bent slightly beneath the cotton blanket, Deke caught her following the path and gave her a weary smile.

  “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

  Embarrassed, Annie chuckled.

  “How about it, Annie Gray,” Nick suddenly exclaimed. “Are you a praying kind of girl? Because I think a little prayer is called for right now.”

  She nodded, only slightly reluctant. “Count me in.”

  Nick turned his palm outward and Annie slipped her hand inside of his, reaching down and touching Deke’s blanket-covered foot with the other. Nick massaged Deke’s neck for a moment then rested a hand on the older man’s shoulder.

  After a quick prayer Annie opened her eyes and wondered how long she should wait before letting go of Nick’s hand. Finally he squeezed hers one more time and did the letting go for her. Though somewhat humiliating to admit, Annie realized that her shoulder still tingled from Nick’s touch throughout several minutes of inconsequential conversation following.

  “Hang on a minute and I’ll walk you down,” Nick suggested once Annie said good-bye to Deke. She felt strangely large and conspicuous as she stood in the doorway waiting for him. The feeling didn’t subside as they rode the elevator down toward the lobby.

  “He looks good,” Nick commented when the door slid open. Pressing his hand against the small of Annie’s back, her heart leaping at his touch, he added, “Are you on your way back to the office?”

  “After a quick stop for supplies.”

  “Why don’t I pick up some lunch and meet you there? Then we’ll have a bit of a status meeting over the open cases.”

  “Sounds good,” she told him. “Do you need anything?”

  “Well, that’s a leading question, Annie Gray,” he replied, and the way he narrowed his eyes at her made her heart start racing again. “What are you suggesting?”

  “Pens?” she replied. “Perhaps a few pads of paper? Brackets, brads, paper clips?”

  Nick tossed his head back and laughed, and it struck Annie like a beautiful song, strong and resounding and sincere. He ran both hands through his thick dark hair and grinned. “Surprise me.”

  Annie watched him jog across the parking lot toward his black Jeep, and he waved his arm out the window as he rounded the curve and slipped into traffic.

  She missed the paper aisle twice at Staples before she shook thoughts of Nick Benchley from the clouds surrounding her brain. She found herself smiling, and she waggled her head at the realization of how much he had changed in her view in such a short time. And then when he prayed for Deke…well, it got to her.

  God-fearing men, being rather hard to come by in today’s single universe, inspired reasonably intelligent, God-fearing women to be bowled over at a few reverent words. Standing in the checkout line, Annie vowed not to be swayed toward romantic hearts and flowers over Nick Benchley.

  Taurie made a soft squeal she hadn’t heard before as she eased into the parking space in front of the office, but she forgot all about it when her cell phone rang.

  “Hey, are we okay?”

  Annie gathered her satchel and purse and Staples bags, propping the phone limply on her shoulder. “Hey, Evan. We’re good.”

  “I’m so glad because… What are you doing tonight?”

  “I’m not sure. I think I’m working late.”

  “Guess what’s playing tonight, right down the street from your office,” he prodded. He answered before she could form a reply. “Casablanca!”

  “You’re joking.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Ohh,” she groaned. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to be stuck. But can I call you?”

  “Sure. If you can get away before eight thirty, I’ll meet you at the theater.”

  “Deal.”

  Evan sighed, and Annie waited for him to break the silence.

  “You’re sure we’re good, Annie?”

  Annie smiled. All of the ups and downs and bumps in the road aside, Evan still felt like a friend. Even an ill-timed kiss couldn’t change that.

  “We’re good.”

  “Okay. See you at the theater if you can make it.”

  Annie folded up the phone and dropped it into her bag as she hurried into the office.

  “Vanilla or chocolate.”

  Annie couldn’t process the question as she struggled with the door, her packages and leather bag now flung forward, blocking her entrance.

  Nick eased the load one package at a time, clunking them down to the desk before taking her bag and purse as well.

  “Vanilla or chocolate?” he repeated.

  “That depends. In what form?”

  “Milk shake.”

  “Oh! Vanilla.”

  “Good.”

  She followed Nick around the corner into Deke’s office, one side of the desk impenetrable beneath organized stacks of files. On the other side, two unfolded napkins served as placemats beneath neatly placed, loaded cheeseburgers and milk shakes with curved straws.

  “Impressive,” she commented with a smile, dragging a chair toward the desk.

  “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

  Annie checked the clock on the wall behind Nick. Already 7:00 p.m.

  Nick smiled at her and winked. “As far as we’re concerned, my curly-headed friend, we can now officially close the case on NorCal Life and Casualty.”

  “Have you heard anything back from them about their next step? Have they contacted the authorities?”

  “By the end of the week, they’ll have nabbed three doctors and two attorneys,” he told her. “I’m guessing this was quite a network of fraudulent behavior.”

  “Awesome.”

  “Awesome, indeed. We done good.”

  Nick stretched his arms out above his head and eased his neck from side to side until it cracked.

  “I have a status meeting at NorCal first thing in the morning, and I’ll meet you here at the office when I’m through.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” she replied. “Don’t forget we’ve got a new client mee
ting tomorrow afternoon.”

  He nodded and stretched again. “So what are your big plans for this evening, Annie Gray?”

  “Well,” she said, as she tidied up the top of the desk, “I was thinking about meeting Evan to see Casablanca.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I saw the sign.”

  “But all I really want to do right now is go home to a hot bath, an early night, and my waiting dog.”

  “You’ve earned it. Go ahead. I’ll finish up here and be right behind you out the door.”

  Annie tossed a used napkin into the trash and, at the doorway, turned back to share a comfortable smile.

  “You know, I was a little worried about working with you.”

  “And now?”

  “Well, you’re still sort of a pain in the fanny.”

  “Goes without saying,” he acknowledged with a straight face. “But aside from that?”

  “Well, you don’t ruin every day. That’s saying something.”

  “You’re not so excruciating yourself. Now get outta here.”

  Two slices of peanut butter toast and a glass of milk later, Annie felt ready for bed. Sherman crossed the finish line first, but she made it under the covers with her head buried in the pillow before the stroke of nine.

  “Long day,” Annie said on a yawn.

  Sherman groaned in agreement as she turned off the light.

  Lunch with Merideth had been planned around catching up. Instead, it became a walking public-relations seminar on behalf of Colby Barnes.

  “I’m sure he didn’t mean it in those terms,” she assured Annie. “He was carried away by the moment. And he probably thought you were too.”

  “The moments that were carrying us were very different moments, Mer. Seriously, I’m not interested in anything else he has to say.”

  “So you’re just going to toss away a perfectly good man and—”

  “Your idea of a good man and mine are apparently polar opposites. Would you let this topic die, please?”

  Merideth waved her hand and turned up her nose in dismissal. Knowing her friend the way she did, Annie realized the matter of Colby Barnes was by no means dead, but she decided to settle for a short coma if it meant the chance to enjoy her Cobb salad.

  “I’d like to express my compliments to the chef,” Annie told Abby, the waitress. “Would you ask him to step out here for a moment?”

  Abby grinned. “Sure thing, Annie.”

  A few minutes later, Evan appeared through the swinging door of the kitchen, his white chef’s smock as clean and bright as if he’d just put it on.

  “I didn’t know you two were here,” he declared with a broad smile. “Hi, Merideth. How are you?”

  “Good, Evan. The primavera was perfect again today.”

  “Glad to hear it. What did you have, Annie?”

  “Cobb salad. Wonderful. Your record stands.”

  “Abby,” he said softly as the waitress passed with a pot of coffee, “their lunches are on me.”

  She nodded without pausing.

  “Evan, you don’t have to cover our meals every time we come for lunch,” Annie exclaimed. “We come here because we enjoy your food!”

  “And we’re willing to pay for it,” Merideth added.

  He grimaced, turning the topic on a dime. “So what are you two talking about today?”

  “The usual. Clothes, shoes, gossip.”

  “I’m trying to bring Annie to her senses,” Merideth interjected. Annie shot her a disapproving glance. “What? I’ll bet Evan would agree with me.”

  “About what?”

  “One bad moment during an otherwise perfect evening. Do you throw the date out with the bathwater, or do you give him a second chance?”

  “Oh.” Evan nodded knowingly. “Nick Benchley?”

  “No, not Nick!” Annie cried, then reeled in her reaction and let out a modulating sigh. “Why would you assume it was Nick?”

  “Well, I saw him last night at The Monterey. His date was an absolute knockout.”

  This one-two punch nearly knocked Annie out.

  “What do you mean? Nick went to see Casablanca?”

  “I forgot that was showing,” Merideth commented. “I love that movie.”

  Ignoring her, Annie pressed Evan for further information. “Are you sure it was Nick?”

  “Oh yeah. I was in line for popcorn, and I was watching the door in case you were able to make it after all. And in walks your buddy with this auburn-haired beauty.”

  “Really.”

  “She seemed a little, I don’t know, sweet? to be dating Nick Benchley, I have to say. But they were pretty chummy, so I’d guess they’ve been going out for a while.”

  Her conversation with Nick before leaving the office for home brushed across Annie’s memory.

  I’m the one who gave him the brilliant idea for his perfect little date with his auburn beauty.

  Acid roared through her stomach, and Annie sipped her iced tea in an attempt to dilute it. Questioning why the mere thought of Nick and Auburn together played such havoc with her equilibrium, she decided she didn’t have the time to wait for the answer.

  “I’m sorry,” Evan said sincerely, and Annie could see that he wished he hadn’t delivered the news so casually. “I didn’t mean to—”

  Using Merideth’s trick of waving her hand to assimilate the ability to deal, Annie shook her head. “No, it’s fine. Nick is free to do whatever he wants. There’s nothing going on between the two of us.”

  Neither of them appeared to believe her, but their failure to call her on it evoked deep relief inside of her.

  “Well, it’s good to see you both,” Evan said, breaking the awkward silence. “If you’re up for dessert, I’ve got a berry tart with your names all over it.”

  “I couldn’t eat another bite,” Merideth groaned, patting her flat little stomach.

  Evan looked to Annie, and she shook her head, forcing a smile that felt more like an open wound.

  “I’ll see you later,” he said. The quick squeeze to Annie’s shoulder repeated his apology.

  “See?” Merideth said in a whisper as soon as Evan returned to the kitchen. “There aren’t many good men out there, Annie. Give Colby another shot, would you?”

  Annie actually stopped to weigh the idea then sniffed out a firm “No” when a three-second instant replay reminded her of the Colby Barnes who walked her to her door the night of the gala. “Not happening, Mer.”

  “Your loss.”

  Annie dug into her purse for Abby’s tip when the front door jingled. She instinctively glanced up at the two women making their way inside, and she watched with increased intensity as the hostess greeted them and led them to the nearby table. Her heart thumped. Her vision became tunnellike, and she kicked Merideth under the table before mouthing her message.

  “Dor–is Da–ay.”

  “Huh?”

  “Doris Day,” she whispered.

  “What?”

  Annie groaned just as her eyes suddenly met those of her idol.

  “Hello.” She smiled sweetly.

  Unsure of how she managed it, Annie lumbered to her feet and took three or four cautious steps to bridge the gap between them.

  “Miss Day. It’s such a pleasure to meet you,” she stammered. “I’m Annie Gray. My grandmother is Dorothy Gray.”

  “Ohh, Annie. What a pleasure to meet you. How is Dori?”

  “She’s great.”

  “Please give her my best.”

  “I will. Thank you. I’m such a big fan of yours.”

  “It’s true,” Merideth added, startling Annie. “She’s seen every one of your movies until she can say the lines right along with you.”

  “Did you both enjoy your lunch?” Miss Day asked them.

  “Y–yes,” Annie answered. “My friend Evan is the chef here, and he’s just one of my favorite chefs in all the world. So I come and eat here as often as I can. I had the Cobb salad today and Merideth—that’s Merideth—she
had the pasta primavera.”

  It was rather like roller skates racing downhill. She knew she should somehow apply the brakes, but the rush of adrenaline kept her from it. When she finally shut up, Doris Day’s polite smile broke into a wide, pearly-white grin.

  “The Cobb salad sounds good to me,” she told her companion. “I think I’ll try that too.”

  “Miss Day, I just admire you so much.”

  “Thank you, Annie. I appreciate that.”

  “I just loved the movies you did with Rock Hudson.” She clamped her hand over her heart. “Those were just…beautiful films.”

  “Annie, thank you so much.”

  “Would you mind?” Merideth asked her, producing her cell phone. “Could I get a picture of the two of you together?”

  “Oh…Mer…”

  “Certainly.” Doris Day stood up and slipped her arm around Annie’s shoulder, smiling as Merideth snapped a digital image.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” Abby asked—and Annie felt the yank of reality.

  “I’m sorry. Go ahead and enjoy your lunch. It was really a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Thank you. Please remember to send my regards to Dori.”

  Annie nodded, feeling like a bull in a china shop as she gathered her things and made her way to the door.

  “Have a great day,” Merideth said from behind her. “It was a real kick to meet you in person. The highlight of Annie’s whole year, I can tell you that for sure.”

  Squeezing her eyes shut, Annie pushed the door open and escaped into the warm Carmel sunshine.

  “Good grief,” she said on a groan.

  Once safely in the car with the doors shut, Annie turned side-ways in her seat and bore down on Merideth with a glare that could cut glass.

  “Well, that was exciting, huh?” Merideth looked at her curiously for a moment and then added, “What?”

  “I’ve seen her movies so many times that I can say the lines along with her?”

  “What? She was flattered.”

  “And I was humiliated.”

  Merideth considered that for an instant before letting out one solid chuckle.