She had thought about bringing it all up before church, but they'd been running late, and she hadn't wanted to start a conversation they couldn't finish. But today was the day. No more stalling. Today was actually the day for a lot of things. She was going to tackle Hannah's wedding dress and make some final decisions.
After parking in the lot behind her store, which was closed on Sundays, she walked through the back door and into her sewing and design room. She set down her bag and headed straight to the rack where Hannah's dress was hanging.
Her conversation with Dante on Friday night had given her a lot to think about.
She took the dress out of the plastic and put it on a dress form. She walked around it slowly, noting every lace detail, every line, and every seam. The hem was perfect. The bodice had a beautiful sweetheart neckline with a sexy cut, but it wasn't too much. So, where was the problem?
Hannah had told her from the very beginning that she wanted to look sexy and be comfortable at the same time. She didn't want anything too laced up, or that made it look like she was trying too hard to be something she wasn't. She wanted the gown to feel like her.
As she stared at the lace and beads she had recently added to the three-quarter-length sleeve, she realized her enhancements didn't work. They were too fussy. It wasn't Hannah who was trying too hard; it was her.
Why?
The question ran around in her head. She knew the answer now, and it was exactly what Dante had suggested. It wasn't about the dress. It was about the future. Once she finished the gown, she would have to decide what to do next. She would have to decide who she was—a part-time Realtor, part-time shop owner, or a part-time designer. She was beginning to realize that she couldn't do them all well. She had to pick a lane. She had to stop pretending she could do everything, because the truth was, her everything was turning into half-hearted mediocrity.
She took the dress off the form and laid it on the table, immediately stripping off the sleeve work. Within minutes, she lost herself in the gown. It suddenly became very clear where she had gone wrong, where she had tried to fix something that had nothing to do with the dress.
She didn't know how much time had passed until her phone started buzzing. She looked up from her work and grabbed her phone out of her bag. Her mother's name flashed across the screen.
"Hi, Mom." She glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing it was almost two. She'd been working on the dress since nine.
"How's it going?" her mother asked.
"Good. I figured out my problem with Hannah's dress."
"I'm so glad. I know it was bothering you."
"What are you doing? Are you back home?"
"Yes. Lois and I are playing cards with Susan and Donna. I just took a break to unpack the groceries Mark had delivered for the meal he's cooking us tonight. There's so much food I was thinking that Dante should join us."
"Dante's brother came into town last night. He's only staying until tomorrow, so they'll probably spend the day together."
"Oh, well, you could invite them both."
"Uh, I don't know. I think it's best if we leave them out of dinner."
"Why don't you just ask Dante? I'd really like to get to know him better. And wouldn't you be interested in learning more about him from his brother? It seems like a good opportunity."
Clearly, her mother was matchmaking. "It's probably better if I don't learn more."
"Because you like him too much already?"
"Maybe."
"Just ask Dante. If he says no, fine, but if he doesn't, then that's great."
"I'll think about it." She paused as another call came in. "Actually, he's calling me now."
"Let me know," her mom said.
As her mother hung up, she took Dante's call. "Hi."
"Hey," he said, his husky voice sending a thrill through her.
She really was in trouble if just the sound of his voice got her hot. She cleared her throat. "What are you up to?"
"My brother and I just completed a very long bike ride around the lake."
"That sounds fun and exhausting."
"It was great. It felt good to work out in the sun. What have you been doing?"
"Working on Hannah's dress. I figured out where I went wrong. I have to admit you made me look at it with a new perspective."
"I'm glad I could help. By the way, Micah told me that there are new photos of us online. I didn't look at them, but he said the stories were fairly positive and focusing more on my rehabilitation than on you."
"Really? I'm not still a boyfriend stealer?"
"Apparently, you're the mystery woman who is nursing me back to health."
"I guess that's better."
"You can look them up if you want."
"No, thanks. I'm just hoping the reporters won't be back."
"There's not much of a story left to tell here in Whisper Lake. Apparently, Nikki has also been photographed with a new man, so she has changed up her narrative. I think we may be okay."
"That's good."
"It is, but I'm not good. I miss you, Keira. What are you doing later? Want to hang out with my brother and me?"
"I'm having dinner with my mother and Mark. She would love for you and your brother to join us, but I told her I didn't think you'd want to."
"I want to," he said immediately.
"Really? I think your brother would probably prefer to hang out with you alone at some nice restaurant in town."
"Hey, he showed up without notice. He can go wherever I want to go."
She smiled at his dismissive tone. "Maybe you should ask him."
"We'll be there. What time?"
"Five thirty."
"Perfect. Have you spoken to your mom about Mark yet?"
"No. She's with her friends today. They're playing cards. Hopefully, I can speak to her before dinner, which could make this meal very awkward. Are you sure you want to put Micah through that?"
"He'll be fine. I'll get him up to speed and suggest my brother ask Mark pointed and personal questions. He's very good at that."
She heard the dry note in his voice. "I guess you've been getting a lot of those questions."
"Yes, and I'm ready to expand our group to include you, your mother, and Mark."
"If you're sure."
"I am. I want to see you tonight, even if we will have way too many chaperones."
She smiled to herself. "I want to see you, too." She ended the call and then punched in her mom's number to let her know that Dante and his brother would be joining them.
Keira arrived home a little after four, having finally finished Hannah's dress. She couldn't wait to show it to her. But it would be good to have a night to sleep on it and take one more look before she delivered it to Hannah tomorrow. When she walked into the kitchen, she tossed her keys and bag on the counter, noting an array of grocery items on the counter. It looked like Mark was planning to cook a feast.
The kitchen door swung open, and her mother came in with a vase of flowers in her hands and a very happy smile on her face. "Look what just arrived."
"They're beautiful. I assume they're from Mark."
Her mother nodded as she set the vase on the counter. She pulled out the card and read it silently, her smile broadening.
"Well, what does he say?" Keira asked. "Or is it private?"
"Beautiful flowers for my beautiful girl." Her mother lifted her gaze to Keira's. "He used to call me that in high school. When we went to the prom, he had the corsage sent to me earlier in the day, and he wrote the same thing: beautiful flowers for a beautiful girl. Not that I'm a girl anymore, nor am I beautiful."
"Wrong on both counts," she said, feeling it was now going to be even more difficult to douse her mother's joy with some cold, hard truth, but she couldn't keep putting it off. "Can we talk before the guys get here?"
"Of course."
"Let's sit down."
Her mother's gaze turned wary. "That sounds ominous."
She took a sea
t at the table and waited for her mother to join her.
"I know you have concerns about how much time we're spending together, but I know what I'm doing," her mom said, as she sat down. "I know Mark; you don't. You have to trust my opinion."
"Did you know that there was a fire at his house when he lived in LA? It happened right before he divorced his wife. His nanny died in the fire."
Her mother stared back at her, surprise in her gaze. "What are you talking about?"
"Do you want me to repeat it?"
"Mark never mentioned a fire in his house, but it sounds like it was a long time ago. How did it start? How did the woman die?"
"It apparently started with a lit cigarette in the sofa."
"And Mark was there?"
"No. Mark, his wife, and his son were away that weekend."
"Oh. Well, where did you hear this?"
"It doesn't matter. It's concerning to me that he never told you about it."
"Well, he hasn't told me everything about his past, so it's not that concerning to me. I mean, it's very sad that a woman died, but I don't understand why you and I are talking about it. There are things that have happened to me that I haven't told Mark about." She paused. "You've been digging into his life, haven't you?"
"Yes. He showed up out of nowhere and he's been very aggressive in getting reacquainted with you."
"We're catching up, Keira. We mostly talk about high school and friends we remember from the past. Or we talk about our kids or what we've been doing the last ten years. But our former spouses have not been a real topic of conversation. Is that it? Is that all you have?"
"No, it's not all. The nanny's sister, Mandy, has posted a lot of things about the fire and the loss of her sister online. She talks about someone needing to pay. And I believe she's referring to Mark."
"Why would Mark have to pay for a fire that started when he wasn't home?"
"I don't know, but Mandy is here in town. Dante saw her arguing with Mark in the parking garage at the rehab center, and Lizzie told me that a red-haired woman stopped by the inn yesterday and made some cryptic accusations about needing to be careful around Mark, because he's unpredictable. If you put all the pieces together, Mark could be in some sort of trouble, and I don't want you caught in the middle of it."
"A red-haired woman," her mother mused. "I saw a woman with red hair sitting in her car outside the house today when Lois and I came back from church. She had the windows down and she gave us a funny look, but after we got out of the car and went into the house, she drove off."
She didn't like the idea that Mandy had been here at the house. "You need to talk to Mark about this woman."
"I don't want to pry into Mark's life. It's not my business. He's entitled to his privacy."
"What if he's involved with this woman? What if he's not as single as he claims to be? And the fact that this woman came here to your house makes me uncomfortable."
"She wasn't doing anything. She was just in her car, and you don't know if it was the same woman."
"I can show you a picture."
Her mother held up her hand. "Keira, I appreciate that you want to protect me. But I trust Mark, and if there's something for me to know, he'll tell me."
She blew out a breath of frustration. "Mom, you need to trust me more than Mark."
"Well, of course I trust you, Keira. But you've been suspicious of Mark from the start. I think you've gotten so used to taking care of me that you don't realize I'm better now. I can make decisions for myself. My mind is clear."
"I'm glad, Mom. But you can be blinded by love even when your brain is clear."
"I know I've made mistakes about men and romantic relationships, but I'm a different woman now. Mark is someone I knew and loved a long time ago. It's not like I picked him off the street. Can't you just give him a chance?"
"I'd be more willing to do that if this angry woman wasn't hanging around."
"All right. I'll talk to Mark about her. But I don't want you to bring her up tonight. Mark wants to get to know you, and that won't happen if we start off with accusations. Can we have a nice dinner and then I'll talk to him tomorrow?"
"All right," she reluctantly agreed. "I won't bring her up tonight."
"Thank you. Now, I'm going to take a shower and change. You should do the same. Put on something pretty for Dante," her mom added with a smile.
She rolled her eyes, but she did follow her mother upstairs to change into a short floral dress.
Chapter Twenty-One
Dante felt inexplicably nervous as he rang Keira's doorbell. It wasn't about meeting her mom or talking to Mark. It also wasn't about bringing his brother along to a dinner that could very likely get uncomfortable. It was all about her.
He couldn't get Keira off his mind. It had been a long time since anyone or anything besides baseball had taken up so much space in his head. He told himself it was because he wasn't playing right now, but that wasn't the only reason he couldn't stop thinking about her. She'd gotten under his skin, and that made him feel both happy and unsettled, because he liked to be in control of his emotions. It was how he had gotten to the top of his game. He didn't feel in control now, but he was going to have to live in that space, because the front door had opened and the subject of his thoughts was standing right in front of him, looking even more beautiful than he remembered.
Keira wore a coral-red sundress with tiny white flowers that clung to her curves and showed off her tanned legs. Her brown hair fell in soft waves over her bare shoulders, her eyes sparkling, her smile bright. He didn't know how long he looked at her, but it must have been too long, because Micah cleared his throat.
"Hello," Micah said.
"Hi," Keira said belatedly.
"We brought wine," Micah added. He held up two bottles. "Red and white. We weren't sure what you were serving."
"I'm not completely sure, either. Our chef is apparently delayed, but hopefully he'll be here soon. Come in." She stepped back and waved them inside.
Keira's home was beautifully decorated and felt both comfortable and cool, with dark hardwood floors, exposed beams, and large windows that brought in the light.
"Nice house," Micah commented.
"Thanks. It was originally my grandmother's, but after she passed, my mom did a complete remodel. She picked out all the art." Keira lowered her voice. "Just so you know, she's very proud of it and loves compliments."
He gave her a smile. "Noted. Did you get your artistic talent from your mom?"
"Maybe. We both love art, but she can't sew a hem, much less draw a dress. If I got my sewing skills from anyone, it was from my grandmother." As she spoke, she led them down the hall and into the kitchen. She pulled out wine glasses. "Shall we start with the white? It looks cold, and it's such a warm day."
"Sounds good to me," he said.
"I'm in," Micah added.
She opened the wine and filled three glasses and then suggested they go out to the patio. Her mother was changing and would be with them shortly.
The pool area was just as inviting as the rest of the house, with two seating areas at either end of the pool. Keira directed them to the one closest to the kitchen, where two large umbrellas offered shade for both a dining table and a couch and two chairs. An impressive built-in brick outdoor kitchen filled out the space.
"Is that a pizza oven next to the barbecue?" Micah asked.
"Yes. We put it in about ten years ago," she said, as she sat down on the couch. "It's great and very fun for parties. We love to entertain out here."
He could see why she would. He took the seat next to her while Micah grabbed the chair across from them.
"Who's in charge of parties—you or your mom?" Micah enquired.
"That has always been me," she said with a laugh. "I love a good pool party. I usually host one on the Fourth of July, but this year was just too busy." She paused. "Dante told me you're a chef, Micah. I think he said you have a food truck."
"I had a food truc
k, but it's having a lot of mechanical issues, so I'm debating my next move."
Micah's words were light and casual, but Dante sensed an undertone that he didn't understand. He'd tried to broach the subject earlier in the day, but Micah had shut him down. Since he hadn't wanted to talk about baseball and his future, he'd had to leave Micah and his career plans alone. Maybe Keira would get more information out of him.
"Can you get it fixed?" Keira asked.
"I could, but I'm not sure it's the direction I want to continue going in. I'll see." Micah paused as Ruth stepped onto the patio. "This must be your mother."
Both he and Micah got to their feet. Ruth looked bright and pretty tonight, wearing a short-sleeve light-blue dress.
"Hello, Dante. It's nice to see you again," Ruth said.
"You, too," he replied. "This is my brother, Micah—Ruth Blake."
"Nice to meet you," Micah said. "Your house is great."
"Thank you. Keira takes good care of our home and of me."
"Is Mark on his way?" Keira asked her mother.
"No. He just called." Her lips tightened. "I'm afraid I have some bad news. Mark won't be able to make dinner. An emergency came up at work, something only he can handle, apparently. He's very sorry."
Dante wondered what kind of emergency would take Mark to the rehab center on a Sunday evening. It wasn't like he was a doctor. He could see the same question in Keira's gaze, but she didn't speak it aloud.
"I know he wanted to do this," Ruth added. "And I wanted the two of you to get to know each other, Keira." Disappointment filled her gaze.
"We'll do it another time," Keira said. "We can still have dinner. Mark sent over a lot of groceries. What was he going to make?"
"I have no idea. I think there was lamb and a lot of vegetables. I don't really know. Maybe we should just order a pizza."
"Oh, no," Micah said. "If there's lamb in the kitchen, I am definitely making it. I'm a chef, so I can probably come up with something tasty."
"We can't put you to work," Keira protested.
"I'd be happy to do it. I'd love to cook you a meal."
If We Never Met Page 19