Whisper's Edge

by LuAnn McLane

  “Oh…” Tristan said as if he were trying to digest all of the information.

  Kate chuckled. “Tristan, this is a small town. Everybody knows everything about everybody.”

  “I’m starting to get that,” Tristan said. “I was lucky to know the names of my neighbors in my complex much less their pasts.”

  “Welcome back to Cricket Creek,” Kate said and winked at him.

  “After you.” Ben opened the door for Kate to enter. He suddenly wanted to put his hand at the small of her back and usher her in but he didn’t dare. Instead, he held the door for Tristan and Savannah as well and then followed them inside. For once he wouldn’t be asking for a table for one or sitting at the counter trying to avoid small talk.

  Bella, the perky little hostess, gave them a bright smile. “Well, hey there, Kate. I haven’t seen you in a while. How many?”

  “There are four of us,” Kate answered. She pointed at the necklace Bella wore. “One of your mother’s creations?”

  Bella lifted the bold coral and silver necklace from her chest. “Yes, Designs by Diamante is doing fabulous. In fact, Mom is having a difficult time keeping up with the demand. I help her out when I’m not working here or watching Logan play baseball, but unfortunately I didn’t get the creative gene.”

  “Good to hear business is brisk but I’m not surprised,” Kate said. “I really need to pop in there soon.”

  “I’m sure she would enjoy that,” Bella said. “So, will it be inside or outside tonight?”

  “Anyone have a preference?” Kate asked.

  “I’ll let you ladies decide,” Ben replied. “If that’s okay with you, Tristan?”

  “Sure, I’m fine either way,” Tristan replied, but Ben noticed that he looked at Savannah in question. Damn, this was feeling more and more like a double date.

  Bella picked up four menus. “It’s gorgeous outside with no wait, if that helps you make your decision.”

  “I enjoy dining outdoors,” Savannah said. “And the patio is so pretty this time of year.”

  “Sounds like the patio?” Bella asked. After the nods of agreement she said, “Oh, and we will have some live music later this evening. A duo from Lexington. They’re fantastic. We can even push back tables to make a dance floor if you’re so inclined.”

  Ben couldn’t help it. “Well, ladies, you could do an encore of your earlier dance routine.”

  “Do I want to see this dance?” Tristan asked.

  “Um…no,” Savannah said but Kate grinned. “I think we’ll pass.”

  “Ya never know. The night is young,” Kate warned as they followed Bella through the double doors out to the outdoor seating.

  “Oh boy,” Ben said with a slow shake of his head. For a moment he felt like his old fun-loving self. “Heaven help us,” he added as they sat down, but the word heaven reverberated in his head. Was Anna watching? He used to feel her presence almost like a tangible thing and hear her lovely laughter as if she were in the room with him. Sometimes, he swore he could smell her perfume and feel the warmth of her smile. But lately he found himself going for days without thinking of her and it frightened him. Would he forget what she looked like? Sounded like? Would the memories fade and curl up on the edges like old photographs?

  “Ben?” Kate asked softly. “Bella wanted to know if she could go ahead and take our drink order.”

  “Oh…I…” Ben stuttered and glanced up at Bella. “Sorry. My mind drifted away there for a second. I’ll have a Manhattan,” he said, hoping the strong cocktail would dull the sudden shot of sadness.

  “No problem! Happens to me all the time,” Bella said with an understanding wave of her hand. “Especially at the end of a long week. But hey, it’s Friday”—she looked at her watch—“and still happy hour for twenty more minutes!”

  “I say we suck ’em up,” Kate announced and ordered a glass of house Chardonnay.

  “Will I like that?” Savannah wanted to know. “I’m not much of a wine drinker,” she explained with an apologetic little wince.

  “Maybe you should give it a try,” Tristan said. “Dinner is on me tonight, so have some fun exploring new things.”

  “Thanks, I think I’ll try the wine,” Savannah declared with a determined lift of her chin. Ben had to grin. He had grown fond of Savannah over the past few years. Her sweet smile and easy demeanor had often chased away his sorrow for at least a little while. She was one of the few people Ben actually would talk to for more than a few minutes. He could also sense that although Savannah was beloved throughout Whisper’s Edge, there was loneliness beneath her cheerful exterior.

  “Bring the ladies a bottle to share,” Tristan requested. “Do you have a recommendation? The only one I really know is Kendall Jackson.”

  “Jessica is always adding something new and she was just talking about the Bogle Vineyards from California. The Chardonnay is rich and buttery with a lime finish.” Bella put a hand to her chest. “I personally like a new wine from Cupcake Vineyards called Angel Food.”

  “Ladies?” Tristan asked, but Ben noticed that his gaze once again landed on Savannah and lingered. Oh, it had been a long time, but Ben recognized that look. If he wasn’t mistaken, the boy was smitten.

  “Oh, the Angel Food sounds scrumptious,” Savannah said and Bella nodded. “Good choice.”

  “For you?” Bella asked Tristan.

  “Well, since we’re walking I think I’ll join Ben with a Manhattan, Woodford Reserve, please. I enjoy an old-school cocktail once in a while.”

  “Nice choice. We only serve top-shelf bourbon here,” Bella told them. “Jessica’s daughter, Madison, is bartending tonight. She steps in once in a while and loves to mix drinks. The last time she was at Sully’s she challenged Pete to a best martini competition.” Bella shook her head and chuckled. “That would be something to behold! Your server will be back with your orders in a few minutes. Hope you enjoy your evening.”

  “Thanks for treating us to dinner,” Kate said, but then winced. “Although, I had considered expensing it, anyway.”

  “I would have approved it,” Tristan said. “After looking over the finances, I have to say that my hat’s off to you, Kate. Whisper’s Edge is still up and running largely due to your ingenuity.”

  “Thanks, Tristan,” Kate said but shook it off. “We’re pretty tough here in Cricket Creek. We don’t give up without a fight. Whisper’s Edge is important to a lot of people. It’s definitely worth saving.”

  Ben watched Kate’s eyes get a little misty and had the urge to reach over and cover her hand with his. It hit him hard that he missed tender moments like this in life, but he toyed with his napkin instead. Ben also noticed that her comment made something flicker in Tristan’s eyes. Tristan McMillan seemed like a straight-up kind of guy, but Ben had a sudden inkling that there just might be something more to his buying Whisper’s Edge than he was letting on. The retirement community wasn’t exactly a cash cow, but Ben just bet that the riverfront property itself must be worth a mint with the addition of the nearby baseball park, coupled with the new strip mall. He certainly hoped he was wrong. But before he could think much more about it their server came over with the bottle of wine.

  “Hey there, I’m Sunny and I’ll be your server on this lovely night.” She flashed them a smile as bright as her name. “I have a bottle of wine for the ladies and the Manhattans are coming right up.” She showed the bottle to Savannah. “This is what you ordered, right?” After Savannah nodded, Sunny took a corkscrew out of her apron and deftly opened the bottle. She then poured a small amount into Savannah’s glass. When Savannah’s eyes widened a bit Sunny said, “Try it, please?”

  “Oh…okay.” When Savannah swallowed hard, Ben had to hide his grin.

  Ben remembered being green around the ears like that when he’d first started dating Anna. She had come from an upper class family and knew about all that stuff. Ben was the son of a construction worker and didn’t know a good wine from a hole in the ground but he had
quickly learned. Ben believed that when you loved someone you learned to enjoy their favorite things too. He learned to appreciate a fine wine, and Anna went fishing.

  Savannah looked at Tristan. “Maybe you should do the…uh…honors.”

  Tristan shook his head. “It’s for you to decide if you like it or not, Savannah.”

  Ben watched the exchange with a lump in his throat. He remembered feeling like a fish out of water in this kind of situation but Anna always put him at ease until he eventually felt comfortable in any setting. He leaned forward and said, “Savannah, my wife loved her wine and I watched her do this many a time. She called them the five S steps…see, swirl, sniff, sip, and savor.”

  “Oh…so what do I do?”

  “Pick up the glass. Look at the wine,” Ben instructed.

  Savannah nodded. “Pretty? Now what?”

  “Swirl the glass to get the aroma going and then take a deep sniff.”

  Savannah obeyed but then appeared confused.

  “What did you smell?” Ben asked.

  “Um…” After sniffing again Savannah tilted her head and frowned but then her eyebrows shot upward. “Oh…apples? Like, tart ones.”

  “Granny Smith,” Kate supplied.

  “Yes!” Clearly warming up to the process, Savannah took another sniff. “Oh…ah, vanilla! Yes, definitely vanilla!” Her eyes rounded. “Wow and it does remind me a bit of the sweet smell of Angel Food cake. Amazing! Can I take a sip now?” She looked up at Sunny, who stood there patiently and nodded. Ben thought it was cute that Savannah looked at everybody for a moment, building the anticipation before taking a sip. After she did, Savannah shook her head. “Well, now…the wine does have the subtle flavor of tart baked apples and vanilla but with a toasty kind of aftertaste, you know?”

  “So, you approve?” Sunny asked with a slight smile.

  “Yes!” Savannah said with a laugh. “I guess I wasn’t supposed to take so darned long, huh?”

  “Not at all.” Ben shook his head while Sunny poured more Angel Food into Savannah’s glass and then filled Kate’s. “It’s part of the fun.”

  Kate looked at Ben with a sense of wonder. “You surprise me once again.”

  “I’ll bring a bucket of ice and those Manhattans,” Sunny promised.

  Savannah grinned. “Well, that was pretty darned cool.” She took another sip and rolled it around on her tongue.

  “My mother enjoys attending wine tastings,” Tristan said. “Personally, I’m more of a craft beer kind of guy but I can see where it would be interesting.”

  “Kate, I think we should do wine tasting at Whisper’s Edge.” Savannah looked at Ben. “You and Kate need to go shopping for some wines. I wouldn’t know what in the world I was doing. We can charge a cover fee and have, you know, cheese and crackers and all that stuff. What do you think?” she turned to Kate and asked.

  “I think it’s a great idea, Savannah. It’s something different, that’s for sure. Maybe you could put the word out and see if there’s any interest,” Kate said and then turned to Tristan. “Do you have any thoughts?”

  Tristan waited while Sunny delivered their drinks and topped off the glasses of wine. “I guess you’ll need a few minutes to look over the menu or would you like to start off with an appetizer first.”

  “The artichoke and spinach dip is good,” Ben said, drawing a surprised look from Kate. “What?” he asked her with a grin.

  “I had you pegged for a buffalo wings kind of guy,” Kate answered.

  “Actually, I am,” Ben admitted. “But I guess there’s more to me than meets the eye.”

  “Then we should share an order of both,” Tristan said with a nod to Sunny.

  “Coming right up,” Sunny said and hurried off to place the order.

  Over appetizers they chatted about the wine-tasting idea. Ben felt himself becoming more relaxed and joined in by suggesting that they add craft-beer tasting to please the men who might not enjoy sampling wine.

  “I agree,” Tristan said with a nod. “And we’ll have to do some sampling of our own first.”

  “For the sake of the event of course,” Ben said after scooping up some dip with a chunk of pita bread. He tried to convince himself that it was the Manhattan that loosened his tongue but in truth he knew it had a lot to do with the company.

  “We’ll do a raffle for charity,” Savannah said. “I’ll hit up Mia Monroe over at the Cougars’ front office. I haven’t begged for baseball tickets in a while.”

  “Didn’t her daddy marry Bella’s mama?” Kate asked.

  Savannah took a sip of her wine and then nodded. “I heard it was an autumn wedding held right here beneath that gazebo. It must have been gorgeous. Cricket Creek is so pretty in the fall.”

  “I have to agree with you,” Kate said with a glance toward the large gazebo at the far end of the patio.

  Sunny returned to refill the wineglasses and take the entrée orders. They all opted for the pot roast special except for Savannah, who was determined to have her potpie. After it arrived conversation continued in between bites and moans of appreciation for the food.

  “I remember eating a burger and fries here with my mother when I was a kid,” Tristan said, but then shook his head. “But wow, this food is off-the-charts good.”

  Savannah nodded. “I think Guy Fieri should pay Wine and Diner a visit.”

  “Who is he?” Tristan asked.

  “Host of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” Ben explained and got another raised-eyebrow look from Kate.

  “Who knew that you were such a foodie?” Kate asked with a shake of her head.

  Ben chuckled. “What can I say? I like to eat.” When he reached for his glass of water his elbow brushed against Kate’s arm. It was just an innocent touch, not even against skin, but the soft material of her sweater sent a shot of male longing straight through him. He sucked in a breath, trying to clear his head but the subtle scent of her perfume befuddled him further. Ben took a quick swallow of the cold water hoping to cool his ardor but when he moved in his seat, damned if his leg didn’t press against hers.

  He waited to feel guilty but he didn’t. He felt alive.

  If she noticed, Kate didn’t react or at least she did a damned good job of hiding it. Of course, perhaps the attraction was one-sided. The only indication that she felt anything was that while Tristan and Savannah chatted about flying pigs of all things, Kate remained silent and seemed to be concentrating on cutting her pot roast. Throwing caution to the wind, Ben decided to test the water and, this time, with his heart pounding, he subtly allowed his leg to brush up against hers. But as soon as he did it, he felt silly and immediately pulled his leg away from any and all contact.

  What in the hell was he doing? He decided to concentrate on his food as well but risked a sideways glance at Kate. How was it that he had never noticed how pretty she was? Sassy, funny…smart but never pretty.

  And sexy as hell.

  The realization was more intoxicating than the bourbon in his Manhattan.

  When the sun sank lower in the sky, shadows danced on the brick wall opposite of where they sat. Suddenly, twinkling lights woven through several trees came on and illuminated the patio with a soft glow. Candles flickered in the evening breeze, which carried a hint of the nearby river and sweet summer blossoms. As Bella promised, a duo set up shop in the far corner.

  The tall, gorgeous woman flipped her long dark hair over her shoulder. “Welcome to Wine and Diner!” she announced in a smoky voice that sounded destined for singing. “I’m Rita and this is my husband, Rick. We’re the Watsons but we go by simply Rick and Rita. We take requests and we’d love to see y’all get up and dance.” Rita nodded to Rick on the keyboard and grabbed the microphone. They started out with a medley of Captain and Tennille songs that had many of the patrons tapping their feet and singing along.

  “They’re really good,” Ben leaned over and said to Kate.

  Their shoulders touched, but just when he was about to pull back
, Kate leaned even closer and said in his ear, “I’ve heard them before. Rita has an amazing voice. I’m so glad that we came here tonight.”

  “Me too,” he said knowing that he wouldn’t muster up the nerve to ask her to dance but something inside of him shifted, softened. And when Kate briefly touched his hand, Ben closed his eyes and swallowed. Maybe he could finally find the courage to start healing.

  9

  Lucky Dog

  NO MATTER HOW HARD SHE TRIED, WHICH AT FIRST WASN’T very much at all, Savannah could not stop thinking about Tristan McMillan. After the dinner on Friday, sleep eluded her pretty much the entire night. She’d tossed and turned for hours, getting all twisted up in the bedclothes while thinking about the way he looked, the way he smelled—which was very nice by the way—and the warmth of his smile. Savannah had chuckled in the dark while recalling funny things he’d said after he’d loosened up. She smiled at the memory of the promises he made to help Kate manage Whisper’s Edge.

  Tristan had seemed to have a good time with them, laughing easily as the night wore on and even walking her to her door. He’d asked for her phone number, and for one heart-pounding moment Savannah even hoped he might kiss her! Or at the very least ask to do this again sometime. He hadn’t.

  Yes, okay technically he was her boss, but Savannah decided to ignore that little detail.

  Savannah wondered if thoughts of her were keeping Tristan awake. Would Tristan call or text to let her know? She thought it would be incredibly sweet to talk softly to each other while lying in bed.

  But her phone remained stubbornly silent.

  When Savannah didn’t hear from Tristan on Saturday morning she cleaned every inch of her little house in an effort to keep him off her mind, but as she ran the sweeper, polished the furniture and, yes, even washed windows, his face kept sliding into her brain and refused to budge. Oh, and doing the laundry brought back such vivid memories that she finally had to walk away from the washing machine and go outside to cool down.