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It was light. Bright and airy, like the mood around us, and like her. I couldn’t get enough.
“You don’t seem dark to me,” I argued. “Dark implies… I don’t know… moody?”
She smiled. “I don’t have time for that, and I definitely don’t sweat the small stuff.”
“Life’s too short, right?”
“Right.”
We’d drifted to a stop somewhere during that exchange, grinning at each other like a couple of fools. But when a man ina suit and mask stepped up with a tray of champagne glasses, I regretfully tore my eyes from hers and hoped I didn’t look too mad about it.
“New Year’s Champagne?” he offered, swallowing hard.
Whoops. Maybe I did look a little mad.
Red faced the server, hands fisted at her sides. “Shoot, is it already that late? Sorry, does anyone need any?—”
“We’re all set,” he replied, holding out the tray.
She hesitated for a quick second before taking a glass, then handed one to me, and I breathed out a sigh of relief. As far as I could tell, her dedication to this job knew no bounds. It had to be a good sign if she’d rather stay out here and talk to me than run off to play party host. Right?
“Cheers,” she said, suddenly looking a tad nervous. We clinked glasses and sipped, and a slight blush colored her cheeks as I held her gaze over the rim of my glass. “It’s your turn. Tell me about you. But remember, no more work stuff.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice. Um… let’s see.” I gestured with my champagne. “I come from a big family and grew up in a small town.”
“Uh oh, this has country singer written all over it,” she teased.
“Is that a job question?”
She held up a hand in mock apology.
“But, no, not me,” I went on. “You don’t wanna hear me sing. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s illegal in a few states.”
She let out a laugh, and as the sweet sound floated between us, I realized I’d say whatever I had to so I could hear it again. Even in the amber lighting from the old-fashioned lanterns and strings of tiny bulbs, her eyes were a brighter green when she laughed.
They were like emeralds.
Wait, emeralds? Even in my own head, it sounded impossibly cheesy to compare a woman’s eyes with a precious jewel. Was I a Marine or some kind of poet?
“What else?” she prompted.
“I don’t have much time to myself these days, but when I do, I like to relax.”
“With your big family?”
A pang of homesickness washed over me. I loved my family, but family wasn’t the only thing I missed now that I’d been living in California for the past few years. Charlotte Oaks had always been my home, and no matter how far I traveled or what I experienced in the military, I hadn’t found anything that beat it.
The people, the traditions, heck… even the smells.
“I wish I could hang with my family, but I’m livin’ too far away for that right now. Someday, though.”
“Plannin’ to move home someday?” she asked, studying me intently.
I’d been waffling about doing just that for going on a year now, and yet… the second her words were out, I was ready to say yes. It was almost like hearing it from her lips cemented the plan in my gut, and I had no idea how that was even possible.
I was relieved, though, after so much indecision. So, I went with it. “Yeah, actually. Not just yet, but soon.”
“I won’t ask because I’m afraid it’ll ruin our game,” she said, tapping her fingertips together in front of her, “but just so you know, that loyalty of yours is showin’ again.”
