by Lucinda Race
Her eyes grew wide and he was ready to explain.
“What about Voyager, and what is your favorite movie?”
He leaned in. “Are you a Trekkie?”
She held up her right hand and created a V, the pointer and middle fingers and the fourth and pinkie together. With a coy look, she said, “Live long and prosper.”
“Ah, Spock.”
They launched into the merits of the different Star Trek series and which was their favorite movie. Totally absorbed in conversation, the coffee had long since run out and what remained in their cups was cold. The superhero movies and Star Wars franchise were also thoroughly dissected too.
Alan approached the table. “Excuse me, but would you like a bar menu or to move into the dining room?”
“What?” Anna glanced out the window. “I’m sorry, Alan. We were so caught up in conversation, I had no idea it had gotten so late.”
Colin watched her cheeks grow a shade pinker. “Would you like to have dinner with me, or do you have other plans?”
She twisted her napkin in her hands. “I’m not trying to wrangle a dinner…”
Alan moved away, giving them privacy.
“That’s not what I meant, Anna. I’m having such a good time, and I would love to move this right into dinner, but if you have something else you need to do, can I have a rain check?”
Her smile warmed and her eyes grew wider. “That does sound nice.” She turned and fluttered her fingers at Alan. “Can we have a table in the dining room?”
Colin was quick to follow her until she made a detour toward the ladies’ room.
Over her shoulder, she flashed him another megawatt smile. “Grab a table and I’ll be right back.”
Alan was holding two menus and a wine list near the dining room entrance. He walked Colin to a corner booth. He slid in, facing the direction so he could see Anna.
Handing the menus to Colin, Alan said, “She’s a really nice lady.”
“I knew that the first time I saw her.”
“What, like a week ago?”
Colin wasn’t sure where Alan was headed, but then he remembered he was a friend of the family. “No, the first time I met her was a couple of years ago, when Sam had his first heart attack.”
“Hmm,” Alan said. “Do you have a specific variety in white or red you’d like me to bring out? We have an extensive wine cellar.”
“Either. I’m not a big connoisseur.”
Alan gave a chuckle. “Oh, my friend. You have a lot to learn. I’ll bring out a bottle of Sand Creek, on the house, and I’ll walk you through the tasting.” He was still chuckling as he moved in the direction of the kitchen. Anna came around the corner and Colin stood up.
“Is the booth okay?”
With a slight nod, she asked, “Did Alan seat you here?”
“Yes. Would you rather sit somewhere else?”
“This is fine. It’s one of the more secluded tables.”
“Ah, so it’s more romantic.” He tapped his temple. “I see what he was up to.”
“Buckle up. I hope there won’t be any more treats in store for us tonight.” She eased into the booth.
“Would you rather go to another restaurant?”
“Not at all; the food is really good.”
Alan came back with two glasses and a bottle of wine. He held it out for Colin to see. He had no idea what he was supposed to do.
“Thank you.”
Alan set down the glasses and uncorked the bottle. He poured a little in Colin’s glass and waited. Anna was watching him. Alan gave him a half nod and his eyes dipped to the glass and back to his face. Was he supposed to taste it? Guessing that was the right move, he did.
His eyes widened. “Wow. This is good.”
Alan poured some for Anna and then refilled Colin’s glass with a smile of approval. He mentioned that the waiter would be over to take their order when they were ready.
Anna sipped the wine. “Fuse. This is a special blend Tessa and Max produce at their winery, Sand Creek. It happens to be one of my favorites.”
It all clicked into place. Alan was doing his best to give him some credibility when it came to wine. There was no way he was going to take the credit for this. “Anna, there is something you should know about me.”
She took another tiny sip and smiled at him over the rim of the clear glass. “What’s that?”
He swallowed hard. “I know absolutely nothing about wine. Beer, I can hold my own, but the wine selection was all Alan.”
She gave him an encouraging smile. “Take a sip. Close your eyes but don’t swallow.”
He sat at the table, eyes closed and with a mouth full of wine.
“Now let it slip down your throat.”
He did as she asked.
“Now open your eyes and tell me, did you like it?”
When he opened them, he saw her warm brown eyes, soft and sensual. A small smile played over her lips.
“I did.” Oh wow. He was in trouble, as his heart did a double flip in his chest. If she could make sipping a glass of wine such an intimate moment, what else was there in store for him?
With a tinkling laugh, she said softly, “Then you’ve passed your first test.”
9
Dinner was amazing. Anna closed her journal after writing those three words. She didn’t want to break down her first date with Colin into a bunch of phrases recounting the afternoon that rolled into a long dinner, capped with dessert. It had to have been the single most romantic day of her life. Unexpected but exceptional. She liked how he was upfront about the wine. But how could someone live in this area and have zero idea about it?
She tossed the book onto her nightstand and wandered downstairs through the comforting darkness. The wood floors were icy, but it felt good to be grounded after floating on air all the way home. She knew Colin had enjoyed their date too. He had asked if she’d like to go out again, and without hesitation, she said yes.
Despite the late hour, she shot a text to Liza. Coffee?
Her phone pinged. She read Liza’s response. YES, tomorrow?
She replied with a thumbs-up emoji and then got a glass of water before going back to bed. Sleep might be fleeting, but at least she’d be horizontal. She checked her phone one last time, wondering if Colin would send her a text. But there was nothing new. Just as well. She didn’t want to rush anything, preferring to let things evolve slowly.
Anna waited for Liza while relaxing on her front porch swing. Still nothing from Colin, but she never thought to ask if he had to work today. The life of a nurse practitioner in a hospital must mean there were times when he was on call.
The toot of a horn caused her to look up as Liza’s minivan came around the last bend in her driveway. She crossed the wide front steps and opened the passenger door.
“Hi.” Anna secured her seat belt. “Thanks for driving.”
“I need to pick up a few things at the Gear Up Sporting Goods store before coffee. The boys are going fishing with Jack.” Liza let her gaze roam up and down her sister. “You don’t look different.”
Anna scrunched up her face. “What are you talking about?”
“You went out with the perfect guy. I thought you’d look, you know, different.”
“Ha. He’s not perfect.”
“He might be for you.” Liza navigated the circle drive and down the long gravel road. “Why do you have to live so far back from the main road?”
“Simple. I like the quiet.”
“How could you ever get used to it? Growing up, there was always a lot of noise and people in and out of the house even though we were in the middle of a vineyard. Out here, you don’t have any close neighbors, no road noise at all, and—worse—no streetlights.”
Dryly, Anna said, “You’re such a big city girl.”
Liza laughed. “I know. We live in an area with less than fifteen thousand people but there are amenities that I like. Ten minutes from everything. You’re at least what, thirty?”
“It’s not Siberia, and different strokes.”
Liza waited less than ten seconds and demanded, “Are you going to spill your guts about the date or do I need to call Alan and get the lowdown?”
Anna looked out the window so her sister wouldn’t see the grin on her face. “It was okay.”
Liza banged the steering wheel with the palm of her hand. “You’re a pain in the arse.”
Now Anna couldn’t hold back the laughter. “Is that a word you use around the boys?”
“Well, of course. I certainly couldn’t say ass; then they’d think it’s alright to use. You’ll find out when you have kids of your own.”
Anna didn’t give her usual response that she probably wouldn’t have any. For a long time, she had liked to pretend she didn’t want them, but Liza knew her heart. It was something she longed for. And maybe if she had a family of her own, she might not feel like the odd one out in hers.
She half turned in her seat. “I was kind of surprised no one showed up last night.”
“Everyone was under strict instructions to stay away. But we all wanted to be flies on the wall.”
“Mom running interference for me?”
“Actually, no. It was Dad. Right after you left the house yesterday, he called everyone together and said, Sawyers is off-limits for the day and night. And that was verbatim.” She cleared her throat and dropped her voice for effect. “And then he said, If I find out that anyone took it upon themselves to go to Sawyers to spy on Anna, they’ll have to answer to me. Needless to say, we left you alone to enjoy your date.”
Anna grew thoughtful. “Really? Dad said that?”
Liza’s head bobbed. “Yeah, and he was serious.”
“That’s weird.”
“I get the feeling Dad really likes Colin and wanted the date to go well.”
“I’ll bet he thinks I’m incapable of finding a nice guy.” She felt her cheeks grow warm. “After all, I haven’t brought home one guy that he liked since college.”
She didn’t continue that train of thought to the Vic disaster. All he had been interested in was working for CLW after graduation, and he thought dating the owner’s daughter was the way to secure a high-profile job. The sad thing was that Dad hadn’t seen right through him as usual. He bought his line of bull hook, line, and sinker for quite a while—until he heard Vic trying to leverage his experience at a bigger winery in Napa Valley.
“Are you mad about Vic?”
“I don’t want to be used again.” She gave a curt nod. “Dad liked him.”
“Until he figured out the truth.”
“Dad fired him for lying. That had nothing to do with me.”
“Anna, that’s not true. I heard Mom and Dad talking the day Dad escorted him off our property and told him not to come back. You didn’t know, but Dad called his friend in Napa and gave him the scoop about Vic. He was finished before he even got off the plane in California.”
“What are you talking about? Vic told me Dad gave him a glowing recommendation. That he had called and smoothed the way.” It suddenly dawned on Anna what had really happened. She had been in such a hurry to get rid of him, she hadn’t questioned why her dad had arranged a job for him on the West Coast. But now Liza was saying that Dad had only pretended to do so and had sent Vic out to the Coast, only to arrive and learn there was no job there for him. “Huh. Dad had my back the whole time.”
“Of course he did.” Liza shot her an incredulous look. “Did you think he wouldn’t?”
“He liked Vic. He was a good worker, excellent at creating blends and—” Her voice died off. “Oh, Liza, how could I have thought Dad would have ever helped Vic?”
“Dad was upset, but not because Vic left. He hurt you and obviously left some pretty deep scars. You haven’t dated anyone seriously since then.” Her voice softened. “Dad told Mom that he blames himself for that. He should have seen through Vic sooner. Before you had gotten so involved with that loser.”
Anna remained quiet the rest of the drive. She had a lot to process. All this time, she had thought Dad had chosen to help Vic obtain a new position, all the while keeping her tied to beakers and grapes. She had that all wrong.
The van slowed and Liza pulled into a partially full parking lot. The store looked pretty busy for a Sunday.
“Did you bring your list with all the stuff the boys need for fishing?”
Liza nodded. “Sunscreen, new poles, tackle boxes, nets. Yeah, Jack gave me a long list, including bait.”
The sisters crossed the parking lot and entered the huge store. In front of them was an enormous indoor trout pond. At least that was what the sign said was swimming around. Anna wasn’t big on fishing. To the left were realistic-looking trees with metal platforms hanging off the branches. Beyond that were rows and rows of fishing gear as far as the eye could see. Being in the midst of the lake region, that was to be expected.
“Where do you suppose we can find kid-size gear?” Anna looked around the area.
“I have no idea. Do you think someone can point us in the right direction?”
Another fake tree was placed along a walkway. It had arrows and departments listed. Anna scanned and found the information they needed.
“Come on; we need to go to the right.”
The girls took their time picking out everything the boys needed, right down to new life vests, as they had grown a lot since last year.
“When are you giving the boys their new gear?”
“After dinner tonight. Jack wants to take them out for a little while after school tomorrow, just to whet their appetite for the season. You know Jack loves to fish with them and it gives me a break, which I’m going to spend in my flower beds.”
Anna steered them in the direction of the pond. One of the store clerks mentioned they could feed the fish and she wanted to give it a whirl and Liza was amenable.
After a few minutes, Liza’s cell phone pinged. She pulled it from her back pocket and read the text. “I hate to cut this short, but that was Mom. She asked if we can pick up a few things for them at the store. We can have coffee at Mom’s.”
“Then let’s go.” Anna dusted the fish food off her hands and picked up her bag. Her heart stilled as she stared down an aisle. Colin was there with a tall, slender blond girl.
Liza finished her text and put her phone back into her pocket. “Ready?”
Anna slowly nodded as she continued to watch Colin and the blonde out of the corner of her eye.
Liza’s eyes drifted in that direction. She grabbed Anna’s arm and muttered, “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
Her feet were rooted to the floor. They’d had such a nice time yesterday; was he on a date with another girl? They certainly looked like they knew each other well, laughing and having fun while they looked at golf clubs. She wanted to walk over and say hello, but on the other hand, she didn’t want to embarrass herself. It would just be too much.
“Anna,” Liza urged, “come on.”
She followed her sister through the checkout line and then out of the store. The other girl was very pretty and they looked like they were having a great time.
“I’m such an idiot,” she huffed and tossed the bags into the back of the van and got into the passenger seat. “Will you drop me at home before picking up the boys?”
“Nope. You’re not going home to stew. You have no idea who that girl was and until you do, you’re not going to worry about it. She could be a co-worker who needed advice on buying her husband a gift.”
Anna stared out the window. “Or he could be dating more than one person. It’s not like we’re in a relationship and have stated we’re exclusive.”
“True.”
But despite Liza’s attempt at distracting her with logic, Anna still wondered. Was this why she hadn’t heard from Colin today? Because he had other plans with another woman?
“Liza, it’s official. I’m one of the insane crazy women who meets a guy and imagines after the first da
te it went great and he’ll call.” She smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. “Please don’t tell anyone that I’m neurotic.”
“Your secret is safe with me, but you know the man is going to call. Are you going to tell him that you saw him?”
“I’ll make that decision when and if he calls me.”
Liza said, “Better make up your mind ahead of time. I’ve seen how he looked at you, and the man is going to call.”
10
Anna got home after an early dinner of pizza with Liza, the boys, and her parents. She stood on the porch and watched as the taillights disappeared from view. Ninety-nine percent of the time, she loved the solitude, but tonight she kept seeing Colin with the woman at the store and she was annoyed with herself for feeling jealous. Maybe a quick run on the treadmill and then a hot shower would help. If that didn’t do the trick, there was always yoga and meditation. Or she could forget about all of that and watch an old Star Trek movie.
Before she could make a decision, her cell phone rang.
When she answered, she heard Colin’s smooth voice as he said, “Hi, Anna.”
“Hello, Colin.” She pushed the green-eyed monster away and played it cool.
“I’m sorry I didn’t call you earlier, but today was pretty hectic.”
“It’s okay. I spent the day with my family.” Why she felt the need to give him an explanation was beyond her.
“Sundays are good to spend with the family.”
“Did you have to work today?” She twirled a lock of hair around her finger, a habit she had from when she was a kid.
“No. Actually, I went shopping for some new golf gear.”
She tried to sound nonchalant. “That sounds like fun. Do you play?”
“My parents gave both my sister and me lessons. They said no matter how old you get, you can always enjoy playing a round of golf on a beautiful course.”
“I never learned.” She could hear the clipped tone in her voice.
