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Isaac shook his head. Going was a bad idea. Why hadn’t he just stuck to the plan? “I…can’t.”
“Can’t?” she asked softly. “Or won’t?”
He met her pleading gaze, torn. Del had been so giving to him, so selfless since the day they met. Clearly, this party was important to her. But what if the others didn’t keep their word?
A knot formed in his stomach. He was no longer in control of keeping his whereabouts secret. Then again, if her neighbor truly had already figured it out, she might not be the only one. Which meant, in truth, he likely never did.
“I shouldn’t,” he whispered, his resolve wavering.
Del’s hands cupped his cheeks. “No, honey. You absolutely should. And I promise you, your secret is safe with us. Our Bourbon Falls family takes care of our own, and you’re a part of that now.”
She was right—he hadn’t come from a supportive, loving family. He came from one where individual priorities and ambitions outweighed those of the collective. It was difficult to imagine there being another way, yet here was Del, promising exactly that. Isaac pulled her into his chest, seeking strength from the woman who always seemed to have plenty.
“You can even bring Louie,” she said, wrapping her arms around him. “I’d love to have you both stay over. And have I mentioned I make a mean French toast?”
Now she wasn’t playing fair.
“French toast?” He kissed her neck. “How can I say no to that?”
Del stayed over that night, her presence and her touch helping to soothe his anxiety. Though he’d always been a bit of an introvert, staying away from society these past months had made him even more so. Thankfully, his date for Saturday was as extroverted as they came. Surely, she would help balance him out.
With his elevated workload, and a growing number of daily texts from his staff, Friday went by in a blink and suddenly Saturday evening was staring him in the face. Before he knew it, he was pulling his SUV into a paved driveway amid a row of well-kept Craftsman homes and other assorted bungalows. Yards were small but neat and tidy, and shared a common sidewalk that ran the length of the block. Her entire street had a cozy feel to it, and Isaac found himself green with envy.
His minimalistic apartment in New York City was nothing like this.
Del’s home was painted a subtle green—sage, would be his guess—with cream-colored columns and matching wooden shutters. Her front porch looked as inviting as its owner always was, adorned with numerous hanging and potted plants. A chain-strung swing hung to the left of her front door, its style and color matching the shutters. Though similar homes lined the street, Isaac felt drawn to hers the most. As he exited his vehicle to take it all in, Del stepped out from a side door and came to greet him.
“You found it.” She stretched to give him a soft welcome kiss. “Welcome to Casa de Del.”
“Your home is gorgeous. And about a million times nicer looking than my rental. You must feel like you’ve been slumming it with me these past few weeks.”
“Not in the least. And you’re only seeing it as it is now. When I bought it, this place was in sad disrepair. It took many months and many helping hands to get it restored, inside and out. But it was totally worth it—I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. I’ll give you the grand tour later.”
He nodded, his gaze shifting to the fenced-in backyard. Was that a pergola with string lights back there? “Can’t wait to see it.”
“You ready?” she asked, tipping her head toward the collection of voices coming from the backyard next door. A four-foot wooden fence separated Del’s yard from theirs, an entry gate to the other yard standing a few paces away. Once he passed through that gate, there’d be no turning back.
He grimaced. “I’d like to say I was.”
“You’ll do great.” She took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “And good news, you won’t be the only guy here. Robyn’s husband, Drew, came. He’s super chill and loves to talk baseball. So does Chase, who said he’d try to make it after a bit. And Nan Harrington’s husband, Harold, is in there—if you’re a card player, you two will totally hit it off.”
Cards and baseball, both doable topics. Even so, knowing more people would be here instead of fewer didn’t exactly lower his anxiety.
“And you’re sure they’re not going to go and, you know…”
“Tattle on you?” Del laughed. “No, I’m pretty sure Drew and Harold would rather poke themselves in the eye than get involved in media drama. Now grab Louie and let’s get in there. We’ll hang out with everyone for a while, then head back to my place for the rest of the night.”
She waggled her brows, the implication sending Isaac into motion. It’d been a few weeks since their first time together, but the fires hadn’t cooled. If anything, they’d heated up.
Damn, he was going to miss that.
Oh, who was he kidding? He was going to miss all of her, from those bright-blue eyes and welcoming smile, to the way she always gave so freely of herself to meet everyone’s needs. Tonight, he hoped to help meet her needs, too, by being at her side and joining in on the celebration.
Isaac helped Louie from his vehicle, then looped arms with Del and let her lead the way.
“Here goes nothing,” he said.And everything.
Chapter Fifteen
