A Dream Too Far (Summer Lake Silver Book 2)

by SJ McCoy

  Chris took it with a smile. “Thanks.”

  “And don’t worry,” said Missy, “I don’t need to keep you if you’re busy.”

  “No. I’m not busy. Come on in.”

  Missy followed her into the kitchen and pulled out one of the stools at the island. Once she was perched on it, she took a lick of her ice cream and wrinkled her nose. “So, what’s going on with you?”

  Chris gave her a shrewd look. “Why do I get the feeling that this visit is about more than ice cream?”

  Missy tried to look innocent but failed miserably and laughed instead. “Because you know me too well, and you know how this town works. I told myself I could be subtle and not ask you anything, but you know me, I’m too good at being upfront. So, what’s the deal? When are you going out with Seymour?”

  Chris rolled her eyes. “I do know how this town works, but it still surprises me how fast gossip travels. And I have to tell you, I’m surprised at Chance; I didn’t think he’d say anything.”

  Missy laughed. “He didn’t. He wouldn’t; ever. To say that we’re brother and sister, we couldn’t be more different. Chance didn’t say a word, and neither did Hope. You’ve got Kenzie to thank for the whole world knowing that you and Seymour are about to be an item.”

  “I should have known. That little madam …”

  “You know you love her, really. And it’s not malicious. She was thrilled.”

  “Maybe so, but she still shouldn’t be gossiping about people’s private business.”

  Missy gave her a curious look. “You surprise me. I wouldn’t have thought you’d mind people knowing.”

  Chris shrugged. Normally, she didn’t mind people knowing her business. She wasn’t a very private person, more of an open book.

  Missy smiled. “So, why does it bother you? Is it because it’s important to you?”

  She shrugged again. “I don’t really know why. I mean, to be fair, I’ve made no secret of the fact that I like him.”

  “Yeah, and it’s been no secret when you’ve dated people before. But Seymour’s different, right?”

  Chris pursed her lips. “Not really. Maybe it’s just because this has been such a long time in the making.”

  Missy looked like she wanted to say more, but instead, she took another lick of her ice cream. “So, when’s the hot date?”

  “I don’t even know if there’s going to be one yet. I don’t know what Kenzie overheard; all I know is that we ran into each other at the Boathouse. He asked if I’d say yes if he asked me out to dinner. I told him I would, so he took my number and said he’d call me.”

  “And he hasn’t called you yet?”

  Chris laughed. “Don’t look so disappointed, that was less than twenty-four hours ago.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “But I hope he hurries up and calls soon. I feel like a schoolgirl waiting on her crush to call.”

  “Aww. I love that. And that’s exactly what’s happening, isn’t it?”

  Chris made a face. “I suppose. But my school days are a long way behind me, and I’d like to think that I had a bit more sense than that these days. Don’t get me wrong. It’ll be nice to go on a date, but it doesn’t hold the same kind of importance as it did back then.”

  “It doesn’t? Or you just think it shouldn’t?”

  Chris sighed. “It doesn’t. Granted, I might want it to, but at my age, it’s all so different. Back then, I was thinking about the rest of my life and finding the man to spend it with. Now I’m just thinking about one night in the next week and how much fun it might be to spend it with a man whose company I enjoy, instead of a game show host on the TV.”

  Missy narrowed her eyes. “Are you deliberately playing this down?”

  “Maybe. I like the man. That’s no secret, but come on, Missy, I’m a realist if nothing else. I know you girls are all so happy that you’ve found your happily ever afters that you’d like to set everyone around up with one of their own, but you’re forgetting that I had mine—a long time ago. That’s a young woman’s dream. I’m more interested in making a new friend. Spending some time with a man whose company I enjoy,” she waggled her eyebrows, “and maybe getting a little physical enjoyment out of the arrangement, too.”

  Missy pursed her lips.

  “What?” Chris laughed. “Don’t you dare look all disapproving at me like that. You might not like to think about it, but we oldies still have our desires, you know.”

  “Hey! I wasn’t looking disapproving at that. Though I wouldn’t want to be around if Jack heard you say it. I was pissed at you for thinking that’s all you can have. You’re saying there’s no reason you shouldn’t still be dating and having sex—I’m saying there’s no reason you can’t fall in love again and have a happily ever after—and one that’s happy this time.”

  Chris shook her head. “It may be possible, but not for me.”

  “Why? Because you won’t let it happen? That’s the only reason I can see.”

  “No, because—” Chris was grateful when her phone rang and interrupted her. Missy might be right, but Chris didn’t want to talk about it, because she didn’t know what she thought about it. And anyway, it didn’t matter because she had to answer her … Her heart started to race as she picked up her cell. It was a number she didn’t recognize … was it him?

  “Hello?”

  “Hi Chris, this is Seymour.”

  She felt the heat in her cheeks as she looked at Missy. “Hi there.”

  “Hi. How are you?”

  Missy raised her eyebrows and pointed at the phone. “Is it him?” she asked in a loud stage whisper.

  Chris nodded. To her relief, Missy slid down from the stool and made her way to the door. She turned back when she reached it and held up her crossed fingers. Chris was relieved when she let herself out and closed the door behind her.

  “Hello?”

  Oops. She should have answered him, instead of making him wait till Missy had gone.

  ~ ~ ~

  “Hi, sorry about that. Missy was just leaving when you called.”

  Seymour frowned to himself. She sounded flustered. “Is this a bad time? I can call back.”

  “No. Not at all. She’s gone now. It’s lovely to hear from you.”

  He relaxed a little. It’d been so long since he’d called a woman to ask her out that he’d been nervous about doing this. The sound of her voice reassured him. She was pleased he’d called, and so was he. “Okay. And Missy? She’s Chance’s sister, isn’t she?”

  “She is.” He could hear that she was nervous, too, as she laughed. “I was thinking about that after I saw you yesterday. “Chance is your son-in-law; Missy is my daughter-in-law. Does that mean we’re related somehow?”

  He thought about it for a moment. “I don’t think so. At least, not in any way that means we can’t go out—if you still want to.”

  “I do. I’d like that. When were you thinking?”

  “I’d like to say tonight, but we ran into Anne and Graham Hemming this morning, and they insisted on inviting me over to dinner. They’re very old friends. Do you know them?”

  “I do. Their son, Pete, is my Jack’s best friend and business partner. They’re lovely people. How do you know them?”

  He held his breath for a moment, then had to clear his throat before he could answer. This was strange. This was why he didn’t make the effort to get to know women or to date. It was why he hadn’t made the effort to come and see Chris before now. “Kate” was the only word that came out when he finally made his voice work. He’d meant to say that they’d been his wife’s friends.

  “That’s nice. I hope you have a good evening catching up with them.”

  “Thanks.” He needed to pull himself together. “How about tomorrow? Are you free?”

  “I am. Where would you like to go? We don’t have much choice around here. There’s the Boathouse or we could go over to the Lodge at Four Mile Creek or there’s a little Italian place called Giuseppe’s.”
/>   “Chance recommended Giuseppe’s—if you like it there?”

  “I do. The Lodge is all the way on the other side of the lake. The Boathouse is good, but …”

  He chuckled. “I think I already figured out the problem with that place. If we go there, there’ll be no hiding from prying eyes.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Giuseppe’s it is, then. What time is good for you?”

  “Say seven? I’ll meet you there?”

  “I’ll pick you up—if you like.” He wasn’t used to this. His mind was racing, considering all the angles. To his way of thinking, a guy was supposed to pick a girl up to take her out. But he hadn’t done this in a long time. Maybe these days women preferred to make their own way? Maybe it was a safety consideration—so he didn’t know where she lived. He smiled to himself while he waited for her answer. He needed to slow down.

  “If it’s not out of your way?”

  “You’ll have to tell me where you are first, but it’s hardly going to be out of my way wherever it is. I’m staying at the resort.”

  “Okay.” She gave him her address, and he wrote it down. “And don’t worry if you want to have a glass of wine or two. We can always walk back. Giuseppe’s isn’t far.”

  He didn’t like to tell her that it didn’t matter if he had a drink; he wouldn’t be the one driving. Ivan, his driver, was here with him. Now he stopped to think about it, it probably wasn’t necessary, but it was just normal to him. Wherever he went, Ivan went, too. He hoped that wouldn’t be an issue for her, but there was no need to bring it up now. “Okay.”

  He wanted to keep her on the phone, wanted to talk to her, maybe even suggest that they shouldn’t wait till tomorrow night—that they should go out and get some lunch right now. He looked out the window at the lake. But no. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow at seven then.”

  “I’ll look forward to it.”

  He hung up and sighed. He should have asked. But it was too late now. He’d just have to wait. He looked around the cabin. It was nice enough, not his usual kind of place, but Hope and Chance stayed here whenever they came to the lake, and this time, they’d booked another cabin for him. He should just relax and enjoy himself, maybe sit out on the porch and take in the view. He didn’t feel like sitting around and relaxing, though. It wasn’t his way. He looked over at his computer, which was sitting on the dining table. He could get a few hours work in while Hope and Chance were visiting their friends. But no. He knew part of Hope’s motivation for bringing him with them was to make him take a break from work. He’d promised her that he wouldn’t spend the whole time with his nose in his laptop, and he was a man of his word.

  He went into the kitchen and looked around, opening and closing cupboards as he went. Then he smiled. Hope wanted him to relax and do something that wasn’t work, and now he knew what he could do. He could bake! He could go up to the grocery store that he’d seen in town and get what he needed and have cookies ready by the time she and Chance came back. He picked up his phone to call Ivan, then set it down again. He could at least walk over to Ivan’s cabin.

  ~ ~ ~

  Chris picked up a basket and wandered over to the produce section. She deliberately hadn’t gotten anything in for dinner—in case Seymour called and asked her out. Now at least she knew that their date was happening, but she still had to find something for tonight.

  She felt like a salad. After that ice cream Missy had brought her this afternoon, she didn’t need anything too heavy. She picked up a tomato to feel how ripe it was and almost squashed it when she saw Seymour walking toward her. He hadn’t noticed her. He was too busy studying the list in his hand. She wondered if she should just let him go by. No! Why would she? She could be called many things, but a shrinking violet wasn’t one of them.

  “What are you doing here?” she called.

  He looked up from his list and looked around, obviously unsure if someone was addressing him or someone else.

  “Seymour,” she waved her tomato at him.

  That caught his eye, and he smiled and came to her. “Hello! This is a nice surprise. I didn’t think I’d see you until tomorrow.”

  “Neither, did I, but a girl has to eat tonight, too.”

  He looked at the tomato she was still clutching.

  She felt foolish. “I wouldn’t have expected to see you here, though.”

  “Oh.” He held up his list, looking a little sheepish. “Yes. I don’t need to make dinner, but I wanted to make …” He looked embarrassed, and she felt bad for putting him on the spot.

  He let out a small laugh. “Don’t look like that. It’s nothing too shameful, though I’m probably making it sound that way.” He showed her his list. “I’m making cookies.” He shrugged. “I’m not the most domesticated person on earth, but these last couple of years I’ve been trying my hand at all kinds of things. I’m pretty good at cookies.”

  “Good for you!” Chris didn’t know what else to say. She wanted to hug him. He’d gone from looking embarrassed to looking proud of himself. It was such an unexpected confession; it made her heart melt a little bit.

  “I’ll bring you some tomorrow if you like.”

  “Thank you. I’ll look forward to sampling your talents.”

  His chin jerked up, and he met her gaze for a moment before looking away.

  Oh, no! He didn’t think she’d meant something else by that, did he? From the look on his face, she’d guess that he thought she meant a very different kind of talent. If the truth were told, she wouldn’t mind—but she’d hardly suggest it out of the blue in the produce aisle of the grocery store!

  She looked at her watch as if she were in some kind of hurry. “And on that note. I’d better get going. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  She hurried away from him, still clutching her tomato and headed for the laundry aisle, where she was fairly certain he wouldn’t come looking for chocolate chips.

  ~ ~ ~

  Seymour smiled to himself as he watched her walk away. He had a feeling she knew full well how that had sounded. His smile faded. He hadn’t tested his talents in that department in a long while. Still, he was confident he wouldn’t be too rusty. The way her backside swayed from side to side as she hurried to the end of the aisle made him want to find out. He looked down at his list. Back to the business at hand. For now, he needed to buy the ingredients and get back to making his cookies. He’d save some for her. And he already knew that they were the only kind of dessert he’d be indulging in with her tomorrow night, but maybe … He drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Maybe one day they’d get to that stage.

  For now, he didn’t need to get ahead of himself. This would be his first date in a couple of years. That was enough to navigate without thinking about where it might go in the future—or even if it might go anywhere.

  Chris was fun. She was a breath of fresh air. He wanted to get to know her better. But that didn’t mean anything. She might find him too stuffy, too driven, too work-focused. He’d been working on the stuffy thing. He didn’t know how not to be driven, and the work focus? That was the only focus he’d had or wanted in his life after Kate died. It was only in the last couple of years that he’d managed to open up to his own daughter. How was he supposed to focus on a new woman in his life?

  He reached the baking aisle and stopped. He was getting way too far ahead of himself. One step at a time. The first step would be tomorrow night. They’d have dinner, maybe they’d find the attraction wore off over the course of the evening. If not, they could take another step. Right now, the only step that needed his focus was to find the chocolate chips.

  Chapter Three

  Chris looked herself over in the mirror in the hallway. “Not bad,” she said with a smile. “Not bad at all.” She’d never understood women who struggled with their own image. As far as Chris was concerned, everyone was beautiful in their own way. You just had to figure out what your way was and make the most of it.

  She considered herse
lf fortunate that she’d inherited her mom’s dark hair and complexion and hour-glass figure. Her sister, Marianne, was slimmer; she always had been. When they were growing up, Chris had envied her that, but as she’d matured, she’d learned to be grateful for her own curves.

  She looked at the clock in the living room. It was only six-forty, but she was all ready to go. If Seymour hadn’t said he’d pick her up, she’d be leaving now—and that would still put her at the restaurant ten minutes early. It was just her way. She picked up her purse and looked inside. She had everything she might need—except, oops, that wasn’t like her. When she’d been gathering her things earlier, she’d slipped her wallet inside—and it was the wrong one. She hurried upstairs and fetched the matching wallet from the shelf in her closet. She had a collection. Most of her wallets matched her purses; she liked to buy sets. Some weren’t exactly matched, but she still knew which went with which. Her sister teased her about that little detail sometimes—and about many others. But to Chris, it was important. She wasn’t sloppy; she wasn’t careless.

  She sat down at the kitchen table and transferred the contents of her wallet into the new one, then slipped it into her purse. And now it was six-forty-five. She smiled. She liked this time; she saw it as time that she’d earned. It was her little bubble, the ten or fifteen minutes she bought herself by being ready in advance. It meant she got to arrive places early and observe the people around her, or times like tonight, it meant she got to sit with her thoughts for a little while and check in with herself.

  She pushed her hair back from her face. How was she tonight? She smiled. She was good. She was excited, thrilled to finally be going on this date that she and Seymour had talked about back in LA. She was a little nervous—she liked Seymour. She hoped he liked her, too. She was hoping that this might be their first date. But if it turned out to be their only date, she’d live. It’d be another experience that she’d collected along this journey that was life. It was like she’d told Missy yesterday; she wasn’t looking for someone to share life with, just someone to share some time with.