by SJ McCoy
I can’t wait.
That was the truth, and she wasn’t one for playing games. If it was too much, it was too much, but it was her truth, and that was all she could go with.
~ ~ ~
Ted checked himself over in the mirror and nodded. He’d do. He wore a black shirt and black jeans. This place was casual. He hoped that Audrey hadn’t gone to any great effort. He rubbed his cheek. Perhaps he should shave? He didn’t want to. The guy in the mirror gave him a rueful smile. He’d heard April telling Eddie that he didn’t need to shave, because he looked sexier with a bit of scruff. If he was honest, Ted was hoping that he could maybe work the same angle on Audrey.
He’d been a clean-shaven kind of guy ever since … he stopped and thought about it and his smile disappeared. Since he went to work in the city after he and Irene had separated. He blew out a sigh. He didn’t need to be thinking about that. In one respect, Irene cheating on him and telling him that she wanted a divorce had been the best thing that had ever happened to him. It had changed him and changed his life. He’d gone into business for himself, met Diego and gone into partnership with him and career and money-wise had never looked back. But he had one big regret. He’d never looked back at Eddie either. He’d left his son behind.
He went back out into the bedroom and stood before the windows looking out at the lake. That had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. He’d believed he was doing it for the right reasons, but … He shook his head. You can’t change the past. He knew that. He pulled himself together. The only place you ever get to live is in the present. And he knew he was doing a good job of making up for his mistakes.
He checked his watch. He had a good feeling about tonight … a good feeling about Audrey. He liked the idea of making the most of the present with her. He didn’t need to look back at the past; he just needed to enjoy tonight, enjoy this week—and try to hold himself back from wondering whether this was something that might have a future.
He’d said that he’d meet her in the lobby at seven. It was only six-thirty. He picked up his phone with a smile and tapped out a text.
Did you mean it when you said you couldn’t wait?
He waited for a reply, wondering if she was perhaps getting ready and wouldn’t even see his message.
Of course. I don’t say things I don’t mean. Why?
He wasn’t one to insert emojis in his texts, but he found one that was winking and sent that first, then hurried to tap out.
Because I can’t either. I’m ready whenever you are.
His phone rang and he hit answer with a smile.
She laughed. “Are you serious? You’re ready now?”
“Yes, ma’am. But I can wait. I’m not trying to hurry you.”
She laughed again. “You’re not. I’ve been sitting here for ten minutes wondering if I should go for a walk while I wait.”
He laughed with her. “Maybe we should … go take a walk around the plaza”
“I’d love to. See you in the lobby?”
“I’ll be right there.”
He grabbed his room key and wallet from the counter and hurried to the door. He wanted to get there first, not leave her standing around waiting for him.
He was glad the elevator arrived almost as soon as he pressed the button. He hurried across the lobby and stood near the reception desk where he had a full view of both elevators and would see her the minute she arrived.
“Evening, Mr. Rawlins.”
“Oh, hi Roxy. How are you?”
“Great thanks. Almost ready to go home. Are you off out for the evening?”
He nodded, keeping one eye on the elevators.
Roxy gave him a knowing smile. “You have a date … don’t you?”
He nodded, not sure that this was a conversation he wanted to have. He liked Roxy. She was friends with Eddie and April, but he wasn’t one to discuss his personal life.
She covered her mouth with her hand and looked at him with wide eyes. “I am so sorry! It’s none of my business. I’ll shut up.” She smiled. “It’s only because I’m so surprised … and so happy for you! Who … oh, shoot. Ignore me. I’m sorry.”
He had to laugh. It wasn’t like her to be so unprofessional, and he could see that she was genuinely pleased for him. He waved a hand at her. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not annoyed with you.” He winked at her. “I’m nervous!”
She grinned. “You have no reason on earth to be nervous. Whoever she is, she’s a lucky lady.”
Ted drew in a deep breath when Audrey emerged from the elevator. She’d looked amazing in the dress she’d worn last night—classy, elegant and sexy all rolled into one. Tonight, she looked like a breath of fresh air. She wore jeans and a white top with long sleeves and lacy edges. It was a simple outfit, but finished with red heels and gold jewelry. She was breath-taking.
“Oh, she’s lovely!” He heard Roxy speak beside him but didn’t take his eyes off Audrey—he couldn’t.
She smiled when she spotted him, and when she reached him, he greeted her with a hug. She even smelled wonderful. He didn’t know what it was, but he breathed her in as he pecked her cheek.
“You look wonderful.”
“Thank you, so do you.” He loved the way she let her gaze rove over him, and got the impression that his choice of outfit met with her approval, too.
“Shall we?” He offered her his arm, and she took it with a smile.
“Aww!”
Ted shot a quick glance at Roxy who was watching them with a big silly smile on her face. He winked at her, and she grinned back at him and held up her thumbs.
Audrey turned, too, and Roxy made a big show of lifting her thumbs up toward her hair as she pushed it back behind her shoulders.
“Oh, hi, Roxy. I thought you were off until tomorrow.”
“I was supposed to be, but I had to cover for a little while.” She smiled. “I don’t mind. In fact, I’m glad I was here for this.”
“For what?” Audrey gave her a puzzled look, and Ted had to laugh.
“To see us go out on a date,” he explained. “I was just telling Roxy how nervous and excited I am. I didn’t know she knows you, too.”
“Aww.” Ted wasn’t sure if it was Audrey or Roxy who made the sound this time, but judging by the look on Audrey’s face it didn’t matter—it was a good thing.
~ ~ ~
The butterflies swirled in Audrey’s tummy as they walked down the steps in front of the lodge. If someone had told her even this time yesterday, that she’d be out on a date this evening she would have laughed at them. She would have laughed even harder if they’d said that she’d be out with a very good-looking man whom she felt completely at ease with.
He turned to look at her as they reached the bottom of the steps. “How was your day?”
“It was good thanks. After we saw you at the Boathouse, I saw the kids off … and Izzy.” She smiled. “Have you heard from Diego?”
“No.” Ted smirked. He knew what she was getting at. “Have you heard from Izzy?”
“She called to let me know that she was home and reminded me that I’m supposed to be taking a break from work this week and that she has everything covered.”
“No mention of her trip home, or Diego?”
“Not a word—which in itself, speaks volumes. I’m just not sure what it says.”
“I think they’d make a great match,” said Ted.
“They do seem well suited, but perhaps what we’re seeing is just that they’re similar?”
“Perhaps.” Ted smiled. “Only time will tell. Do you think that being similar means they’re not well-suited?”
Audrey thought about that. “Not necessarily.”
“Good.”
She looked up at him as they reached the main square in the plaza. “Why’s that?”
“Because, from the little I know so far, I’d say that we’re similar.”
“You would?”
“Yes. Diego and Izzy are outgoing, whereas you and I �
�� we’re much less so.”
“True. I don’t see you as being reserved though.”
“I’m not. I just prefer to observe. I see more than I say.”
She smiled. “Then we are similar. I tend to live inside my own head. I don’t need to be the center of attention; I’m happier being the glue that holds things together.”
He squeezed her hand. “Are you truly happier in that role, or is it just what you’ve gotten used to?”
She thought about that. “Honestly? I don’t know. I am used to it. It’s part of being a working mom. You take care of everything, of everyone. You make sure that the kids have what they need and the office is running as it should …” She shrugged. “I’ve never really questioned it before.”
“And who takes care of you?”
“I do.”
He raised an eyebrow. “And how much time and energy do you put into that?”
She laughed. “Whatever’s left over. And besides, it’s not like the kids are at home anymore. They’ve been out on their own for years now. And for the last few years, I’ve been on my own.” She gave him a puzzled look. “What are you getting at?”
“I’m not getting at anything, just trying to get to know you.” He smiled.
“Well, going back to the question of if we’re similar, I’d say that we probably are. I might be less outgoing than Izzy—but to be fair, that’s not hard—but I’m not some poor little wallflower. I’m driven, in business, and in most things. I’d guess that you are, too.”
“Absolutely. I don’t see you as a wallflower. You couldn’t be one if you tried; you’re too beautiful for that. I just wondered if you’ve gotten used to putting yourself last. And only because I’d hate for that to be the case.”
“No. Well, maybe. To be honest, I’ve been lost for a while. But remember last night? Izzy told you we were celebrating my new beginning? That was because … because it’s finally dawned on me that I’m not who I used to be. I suppose that’s what you’re talking about. I don’t have any of the roles I used to have. I get to do and be whatever I want now.”
He held her gaze for a moment. “It took you a long time to get over your divorce?”
The question surprised her, but she didn’t mind him asking. “It’s not that so much as it took me a long time to get over losing who I was. I struggled a bit when the twins went to college, but I’d had time to get used to that. And then … Richard … we hadn’t been close for a long time, but I was used to being his wife, you know?”
He nodded, but she wasn’t sure that he could understand.
She let out a nervous laugh. “I thought first dates were supposed to be light and fun. Why on earth am I rambling on about my life?”
“Because I asked you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to …” He frowned. “I’m sorry. It’s just that …” He met her gaze and smiled. “Apparently, I’m not very good at this dating thing.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you don’t date. I won’t believe you.”
He dropped his gaze and smiled. “I do date, but not … I date because Diego drags me along mostly. It’s easier to go out and have a few drinks or dinner than it is to have him nag me about it.”
She had to laugh. “Well, there’s a difference between us. Izzy tries to do the same with me, but I don’t let her.”
He looked serious now. “When was the last time you went on a date?”
Her heart hammered in her chest. Did she really want to admit the truth to him? She looked into his eyes. She couldn’t find the right word to describe what she saw in them, but it was something that she trusted. She blew out a sigh. “If you really want to know, it’s been …” She did the math in her head; it wasn’t something she’d ever wanted to put a number to before. She made a face when she figured it out. Thirty-three years.”
A look of surprised crossed his face, but he recovered quickly.
“Does that make things awkward?” she asked. “I feel kind of embarrassed.”
He stopped walking and slid his arms around her waist, pulling her to him and looking down into her eyes.
She smiled nervously, wondering what he was going to say.
“It doesn’t make things awkward; it just makes this even more important.”
“This? Tonight?”
He nodded and dropped a kiss on her lips. “Tonight, tomorrow, this week, and after we leave.” He dropped another kiss on her lips. “You and me.”
She let herself sag against him. All she was letting herself think about was tonight. She was trying not to think about the rest of the week—she didn’t want to get too carried away. She wanted to protest that he didn’t even know her, but she couldn’t help feeling that somehow, he did, just as she felt as though she knew him.
He held her gaze. “Too much?”
She shook her head slowly. She knew she should tell him that it was, but she didn’t want to.
Chapter Nine
Ted looked around the terrace. He enjoyed eating out here when the weather was nice enough. There were a dozen tables and a stone balustrade with a beautiful view of the lake and the mountains beyond.
He’d thought it would be quiet this evening. Being a Sunday night and still early in the season, he’d assumed that they might have the terrace to themselves. He’d been wrong. When the waiter had led them out here, almost all the tables were occupied. Ted was glad that he’d requested this table specifically. It had the best view.
He got to his feet when Audrey came back from the ladies’ room. She took his breath away every time he laid eyes on her. He knew he’d probably scared her off a little earlier, talking the way he had as they walked over at the plaza, but he just couldn’t help himself. She had his head turned right around, and he was thinking all kinds of things, he shouldn’t be. He’d promised himself that he’d keep it lighter over dinner, and he’d managed to, but now the end of the evening was looming, and he got the impression that she was nervous about what might come next.
Once she was seated, she looked around. “This place is quite something, isn’t it?”
“It is. They’ve done a great job with the lodge and the restaurant. It’s hard to believe that it’s only been here a couple of years.”
“It has? I didn’t know that.”
“Yes. It hadn’t opened the first time I came to visit Eddie and April. I stayed at the resort in town. It’s a great place—for what it is, but I’m more comfortable here.”
“I’m the same. I looked at the resort and might have stayed there if it was just for the weekend, but since Izzy insisted that I take the week off, I thought I’d feel more at home here.”
He reached across the table and took hold of her hand. “I’ll have to thank Izzy.” He wondered if he was saying too much too soon again, but she smiled.
“Me too. Just think, we probably wouldn’t have met.”
He smiled. “We would. I would have seen you in the Boathouse last night and introduced myself.”
She laughed. “Then maybe I shouldn’t thank Izzy. That would have been preferable to you catching me gawking at you through the window in the gym.”
He laughed. “I’ll never forget that. That was the first time I ever saw you.”
She made a face. “Yes. And I was still a bleary-eyed mess, and I didn’t even notice you at first.”
He gave her a sad look. “You didn’t?”
She laughed. “You know I didn’t. I didn’t expect anyone to be there, so I didn’t notice that there was. But when I did see you …” She waggled her eyebrows.
“What?” he asked, liking this new playful side to her.
She pressed her lips together and shrugged.
“What? You can’t say that and then leave me hanging. When you did see me … what?”
Her cheeks flushed, but she met his gaze. “Let’s just say I liked what I saw.”
“Good to know. I liked what I saw, too.”
She laughed. “Now you’re just being kind. I was a mess! I hadn’t
even had coffee yet.”
“It’s the truth. I thought you were beautiful.”
“Then you must need your eyes tested. My hair was all over the place, I had no makeup on. I was wearing sweats …”
He had to laugh. “I know. I saw you. And I promise you, I’m not blowing smoke up your skirt.”
“Seriously?”
“If you don’t believe me, you can ask Diego what I said.”
“I’d rather you tell me yourself.”
He could hardly get out of it now. He hoped that it would come across the way he meant it. “I told him that I’d seen a woman when I was in the gym, and that …”
She watched him expectantly. There was laughter in her eyes.
“That we’d had a moment.”
She nodded. “I thought that, too. But it does nothing to dispute the fact that I looked terrible.”
There was nothing for it. “Okay. Don’t take this the wrong way.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
“I told him that you were a beautiful mess.”
To his relief, she laughed. “Wow! I think that might be the best compliment I’ve ever had. It’s certainly the most real.”
He squeezed her hand. “I’m nothing, if not real.”
“I can tell. I like that about you. What I don’t understand is why someone like you isn’t married or at least, taken. You’re a good-looking guy, you’re kind and …” She shrugged, “successful. Did you never remarry after Eddie’s mom?”
Ted’s smile faded, and he shook his head. “I never wanted to. The only good thing that came out of my marriage was Eddie and …” Damn. Was he really going to tell her what he’d done? It wasn’t something he liked to think about, let alone explain to people he barely knew. But he felt as though he already knew her. And if he wanted to spend more time with her, if they wanted to explore what could happen between them, then he owed her this. She needed to know what kind of man he’d been.
Her smile had faded, too. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. Forget I asked. Do you want dessert?”