“What about your dad?.”
“No dad,” she said. “I mean, I don’t know anything about him. He was nothing of note, apparently. My mother died last year. We weren’t close. In fact, the opposite. I hadn’t spoken to her since Jon’s funeral where she berated me in front of my friends for causing Jon’s death.”
My stomach clenched. “No way.”
“Yes, unfortunately. She was drunk. Not that it’s an excuse. But I was done. Never looked back.” She paused. “That probably makes me sound awful?”
“Not at all. You have boundaries. Good for you.”
“That’s how I see it too. I didn’t need her toxicity in my life. Especially not after losing Jon. I didn’t want her around Annie either.”
“Can’t blame you for that.”
She turned to look at me. “All right, we have to get going or we’ll be late.”
“I can’t wait to see where you’re taking me.”
“I can’t wait to take you.” She grinned, tugging at my hand to hurry me along. “This is going to be way too much fun.”
14
DELPHINE
Idrove us out of Willet Cove, away from Harbor Avenue and the last of the evening crowd wandering between the shops and restaurants. Soft, slanted sunlight gilded the tops of the cypress trees and laid bright stripes across the road.
The picnic basket was already on the back seat, along with a small cooler and the quilt I’d folded over the top. Temperatures on the coast could turn chilly once the sun went down. I’d packed more food than two people needed. Fried chicken from the deli in town, potato salad, salted chocolate chunk cookies, a wedge of sharp cheese, green apples, strawberries, and a bottle of red Vance had recommended.
I glanced over to find Dorian smiling. “What?” I asked.
“It’s fun to be swept away by a beautiful woman to an unknown location. Will it be dangerous?”
“There’s only one dangerous element to this evening, and that’s you,” I said.
He lifted his hands. “What do you mean? I’m completely harmless.”
I smiled and tightened my grip on the steering wheel. “As you charm me once again.”
“I’m just a gentle bookstore owner. Not all that charming.”
“You are. Trust me.”
“I never thought of myself that way, but I’ll take it.”
“You’re sneakily charming. Funny too.”
“Why, thank you. You’re also funny.”
“Not charming?”
“More like mesmerizing.” He rested his cheek against the leather seat, watching me with an expression I could only describe as hungry. How long ago had I seen that in a man’s eyes? Since the early days with Jon. He used to want me like that. Until he didn’t any longer. Or couldn’t. He’d been sick, I reminded myself. It was not me. A man could like me. A healthy man.
This one certainly seemed to. And God help me, it felt intoxicating.
“Mesmerizing. Like in a creepy, hypnotic way?” A smile twitched at the corners of my mouth. I could still flirt. Wasn’t that a discovery?
He laughed. “Maybe. Or maybe you’re just smart and gorgeous and interesting.”
“Let’s go with that.”
