So tonight he intended on being one.
Ashley settled into the low leather seat of the sports car and buckled her seat belt. For some reason, she’d pegged Justin as a truck guy. The flashy red car surprised her.
But one thing she’d learned was that people weren’t always what they seemed.
Justin hopped in the car and started the engine. He flashed her a smile. “Hope you’re hungry. Our reservation is at the Peninsula Grill.”
Ashley raised her eyebrows. She’d never been there but had heard good things about the place. It was a little more upscale and romantic than she was used to. And definitely not what she’d had in mind for a first date. “Sounds great.”
He merged onto the interstate going south, cutting off another vehicle in the process.
Ashley cringed as he maneuvered the little red car through traffic like they were in a life-sized game of Frogger. She gripped the seat belt and prayed they’d make it safely.
“Not going too fast for you, am I, babe?” he asked, adjusting his sunglasses.
She furrowed her brow. Babe? “Um. Actually you are going a little fast. I didn’t realize we were in some kind of race.”
He chuckled. “Life’s one big rat race, didn’t you know?” But he slowed down some. “So tell me about yourself.”
Ashley took a deep breath. She was really doing this—dating. Moving on. Getting to know someone new. It felt scary, but the good kind of scary. Like when she’d gone paragliding that time in Switzerland. “I’m originally from a small town in Alabama. I graduated from Auburn with a degree in business and lived in Birmingham for a while.” She shrugged. “And I moved to Charleston three years ago.”
Justin reached over and patted her on the leg. “I’m so glad you did.”
She froze. It was way too early for any kind of physicalcontact. She wasn’t a prude, but she did think the hand on the knee should wait until they at least knew each others’ birthdays. She shifted in the seat, hoping he’d get the hint. “Yeah, it’s been a good move. I enjoy working with Summer, and I’ve found a church I like.” There. Surely a mention of church would shame him into taking his hand off of her.
“That’s great.” He squeezed her knee again.
She jerked her leg out of his reach. “Please don’t do that.”
He pulled his hand away. “Sorry. You just look so good in that dress.”
“Thanks.” Relief washed over her as they got to the restaurant.
Justin pulled the car into a space and hopped out.
Ashley sat for a long moment, but he didn’t open her door. How strange…and rude. He’d seemed so normal the other night. But now…he was another person. She got out of the car and walked over to where he stood on the sidewalk. “I’m starved.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Most of the girls I go out with only eat salads.” He looked her up and down. “But you look like you enjoy a real meal every now and then. Not like those stick-straight, skinny girls.”
She widened her eyes in horror. She’d always been curvy, but she wasn’t overweight. But to hear a guy she barely knew comment on her shape threw her for a loop. Still reeling, she followed Justin up the sidewalk.
They entered the restaurant, and Justin sauntered up to the hostess. “We have a reservation.” He grinned. “For Sanders.”
The girl returned his smile and scanned the list. Shelooked up with a puzzled expression. “I don’t see that name on the list.”
Justin leaned forward. “Can you check again? S-a-n-d-e-r-s.”
The flustered hostess shook her head. “I’m sorry. It’s not on here.” She glanced at Ashley. “I’m really sorry about that.”
“You’re sorry about it? How exactly does that help us?” Justin sneered.
The hostess glanced down at the list. “We’re not too busy tonight. If y’all don’t mind waiting a little while, we’ll be able to seat you even without a reservation.” She looked at them hopefully.
Ashley gave her an encouraging smile. She’d worked her way through college as a hostess and knew all too well what it was like to deal with rude people.
“How long will the wait be?” Justin asked.
The hostess checked the list again. “Probably about thirty minutes. Maybe forty-five.”
“That’s not acceptable,” Justin said. “It isn’t our fault that you messed up our reservation. Is there a manager I can speak with?”
Ashley couldn’t take it any longer. She placed a hand on Justin’s arm. “Actually, if it’s okay with you, I’d like for you to take me home.”
He whipped around and stared at her with wide eyes. “Take you home? But we haven’t eaten.”
She would’ve liked nothing more than to tell him exactly what she thought of him. But she wanted to make it home in one piece. “I’m not feeling that great. I’d appreciate it if you’d take me home now.”
Ashley didn’t even try to make small talk in the car on the way back to her house. There was no point. She wanted to get home and change into her comfy clothes and forget that this disaster of a night ever happened.
Chapter 13
What is wrong with you, man?” Luke asked. “Why would you ever think that was a good idea?”
“I’m a complete idiot.” Justin put his head in his hands. He’d been so distraught, he’d asked Luke to meet him for lunch. Except that after last night’s disaster, Justin had completely lost his appetite.
Luke shook his head. “Not usually. But this time, yeah, you were.”
Justin cut his eyes at Luke. “Thanks for the brutal honesty.”
Luke held his hands up. “I’m sorry, but pretending to be someone you’re not is kind of idiotic.”
“Yeah, she wasn’t much of a fan. In fact, she asked me to take her home after the fiasco with our reservations.” He made a face. “I should’ve come clean right then, but I knew how dumb it would sound.”
Luke nodded. “It does sound pretty dumb.”
“Cut me some slack, okay?” Justin asked. “You know my track record. I date women who end up leaving me for guys who treat them like dirt. It’s a never-ending cycle.” He took a sip of his Coke. “Look at Samantha. She’d rather exchange letters with a guy in prison than date me.”
Luke almost spit out his drink. “I’m not sure, but I think the problem might be them. Not you.” He shook his head. “I’m only going to tell you this because you’ve clearly gone off into the deep end here.” He met Justin’s gaze. “But I think part of the problem is the women you choose. I’ve watched you go through them. And Justin, these ladies have problems. Problems too big for you to fix.”
Justin nodded. He did have a habit of getting involved with women whose lives were in shambles. “I like to feel useful.”
Luke snorted. “Okay. So find a nice, normal girl who needs help mowing her yard. Or changing a tire. Not raising a child or bailing her mama out of jail.”
Justin managed a smile. He had definitely gone out with some colorful characters. “Ashley seems like she’s got it together.”
“She does. At least as far as I know.” Luke took a sip of his drink. “I’m thinking you might want to give that one another shot. Only without your alter ego.”
“You think she’ll speak to me again?” Justin asked.
“I have no idea. But there’s only one way to find out.” Luke glanced at his watch. “I have to run. I have a meeting.” He pounded Justin on the back. “But good luck.”
Summer paced the length of her office. “I’m really sorry. That doesn’t sound at all like Justin.” She couldn’t believe the story Ashley had told her. “If I’d had any idea he would act like that, I never would’ve encouraged you.”
“It’s not your fault.” Ashley looked up from her computer. “I thought I’d become a pretty good judge of character, but clearly I was way off the mark with this one.”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I never would’ve thought he would act like that.” Summer sat down at her desk and crossed her
legs. “But then I’ve never been on a date with him.” She was glad to see a smile finally brighten Ashley’s face.
“Maybe it’s me. I’m some kind of magnet for bad boy behavior. Clearly I can turn even the nicest guy into a world-class jerk.” She shook her head.
“Don’t say that.”
“Seriously. My ex-husband had everyone snowed. Me especially. I didn’t know what I’d gotten into until I was legally bound. And now with Justin…” Ashley trailed off. “I know I’d only met him once, but I thought he was one of the good guys.”
Summer smiled. “Think of it this way—you’re slowly but surely weeding out the guys who aren’t right for you.”
Ashley sighed. “I guess.”
“Don’t give Justin another thought.” Summer locked eyes with Ashley. “Put him out of your mind. At least you didn’t invest more than one night, right?”
“Right.” Ashley brightened. “You’re exactly right. I’ll forget him and move on.”
Summer motioned toward the door. “Now I’m going to run and grab some coffee from City Lights. You want me to bring you a muffin or something?” City Lights Coffee on Market Street was one of Summer’s favorite spots. She adored local places where the barista knew her name and the coffee was served in a real porcelain mug.
Ashley shook her head. “No. Thanks though. I think I’ll go out to lunch to cheer myself up.” She managed a smile. “Maybe splurge and get a cupcake or something.”
“A girl needs a cupcake every now and then.” Summer grinned. She shoved her sunglasses on top of her head and hurried outside. Just as she was about to cross Meeting Street, she saw Luke standing outside of Toast. The restaurant was one of their favorites. If she’d known he was going to be around at this time of day, she would’ve offered to meet him for lunch.
“Lu—” The word caught in her throat as she watched him wave to a familiar redhead.
Sherry. The girl from the Sand and Suds.
Summer watched in horror as Luke held the door open for Sherry. She froze on the sidewalk, causing a woman to run into her.
“Sorry,” the woman said. “I didn’t see you stop.” She shot an irritated look in Summer’s direction as she passed by.
Summer struggled to keep breathing. She leaned against the brick building she was in front of, hoping her legs were steady enough to get her back to the office. Her knees wobbled, nearly buckling underneath her.
“Ma’am,” a college-aged guy said. “Are you okay? Can I help you?”
“I–I’m not feeling well,” she said weakly.
He peered at her through kind brown eyes. “You’re white as a ghost.” He jerked his chin toward a bench. “Let me help you sit down.” He grasped her by the elbow and led her to the bench.
“Let me run inside there and get you a Coke.” He pointed at the Subway restaurant across the street. “I’ll be right back, ma’am. Just sit tight.”
Summer had never been more thankful for well-brought-up Southern boys. Although she could’ve done without the “ma’ams.” She took a deep breath and wondered what she should do next. Confront Luke? March right inside the restaurant and act surprised to see him?
“Here you go.” The young man walked up clutching a fountain drink. “Maybe your blood sugar was low.”
“Yes…maybe.” She took the drink and smiled at him. “Thank you so much for your help.” She dug through her purse and came up with a five-dollar bill. “Here you go—this should cover the drink.”
He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. You can be my good deed for the day.” With a wave, he was gone.
Her blood pumped so quickly, it thundered inside her head and drowned out the street sounds around her. The thought of Luke with another woman made her physically ill. Sure, they’d been going through a rough patch, but she’d never dreamed he might turn to someone else.
Summer kept her eyes glued to the door of Toast.
After what seemed like an eternity, Luke and Sherry exited the restaurant. They stood on the sidewalk, talking and laughing.
Sherry reached up and gave Luke a hug and hurried off down the street.
Summer stood. Had they made another date? She quicklycrossed the street and stopped in front of her husband. “Fancy meeting you here.”
She watched as Luke’s eyes grew wide. And couldn’t help but see the flicker of guilt flash across his face.
Chapter 14
Luke couldn’t believe his luck. He must be cursed or something.
“Hi there, honey.”
Summer narrowed her eyes. “Don’t ‘honey’ me. Do you have lunch with groupies often? Or is the redhead special?”
He groaned, wondering if he could talk his way out of this disaster. “No. I ran into her, and we were both headed to the same place.” He shrugged. “No big deal.” He looked closely at Summer’s face to see if she believed his fib. Clearly she did not.
“I saw you meet up with her on the sidewalk. It was a planned meeting. Don’t lie to me, Luke. We’ve been through too much for that.”
He swallowed. Maybe it was time to come clean. “I’m parked in the lot on Queen Street. Come with me, and I’ll explain.”
He put his hand on the small of her back to guide her, but she sidestepped away from him.
“I don’t want to go anywhere with you.” She looked at her watch. “Besides, I should be getting back to work.”
Luke sighed. Her life revolved around work. “Ashley cancover for another hour.” He faced her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Please. Trust me. There’s something I want to show you.”
She didn’t speak for a long moment. “Fine. But I need to be back to the office in an hour.” She locked eyes with him. “Promise?”
He nodded. “Come on.”
They walked silently to his truck. It took all his restraint not to let his anger out. The idea that he was the kind of man who’d sneak around on the sly and meet up with random women really annoyed him. Summer had been the absolute center of his universe since he was barely seventeen. Seeing the accusation on her face and hearing it in her voice ran all over him.
“Where are we going?” she asked once they were in the truck.
He shook his head. “Nope. Just be patient.” He cast a sideways glance at her. “Please?” This wasn’t how he’d wanted to do it. He’d expected to have more time to plan. But he’d learned a long time ago to roll with the punches.
Twenty minutes later he slowed down and pulled into a parking lot.
“The marina?” Summer looked at him with narrowed eyes. “What are we doing here?”
He couldn’t hide his smile. “You never were very good at patience, were you?”
“Might not be my best virtue, but I’m good at other stuff.”
Luke chuckled and brought the truck to a stop. He walked around and opened the passenger door and held out a hand.
Summer accepted it and stepped daintily to the ground. “This had better be good. Because I haven’t forgotten about you and that woman.”
Luke shut his eyes. If he were still in the habit of praying, he would’ve prayed that the Lord would give him strength to tolerate her barbs without snapping. But instead, he’d just wish for it. “I have a surprise for you, actually. And that’s what my meeting with Sherry was about.” He reached over and grabbed her hand, hoping she wouldn’t jerk away.
She didn’t.
“Honestly. I wasn’t having some covert affair with Jimmy’s cousin.” He shook his head. “I would hope you know me better than that by now.”
Summer gripped his hand. “Sometimes I don’t feel like I know you at all anymore,” she said quietly.
The words pierced his heart. His only hope was that the anniversary gift he’d gotten her would help bring them closer together. “Sure you do. I’m still the same old Luke.” He pulled her into an embrace. “I’m the same boy you fell in love with. And the same man you married seven years ago.” He’d missed having her in his arms. They fit together perfectly. “I
wanted to give you this gift on our actual anniversary, but since you caught me finalizing the deal, I’m going to go ahead and give it to you today.”
He led her down to the water where a line of boats sat in a row.
They stopped at the third boat. “See that?”
She looked at him with a puzzled expression. “Yeah.”
“Look at the name of the boat.”
She took a step closer and peered at the side of the boat. “No way,” she said.
“The Summer Girl,” Luke said. “I hope you love it.”
Summer smiled. “I can’t believe you did this.” She shot him a sideways glance. “We’ve always said we were going to buy one.”
“And spend our weekends out on the water, just the two of us.” He returned her smile. “I even got a life vest for Milo so he can come, too.” He chuckled. “Although he might have to lose a couple of pounds first.”
She joined in his laughter. “We’ll have so much fun.”
Fun. They hadn’t had much fun together over the past year. It seemed like it had been one thing after another. Luke had hoped that purchasing the boat would bring them closer together again. “I’m glad you like it.”
She threw her arms around his neck then pulled back. “But how does the redhead figure into things?”
Luke laughed. “She paints names and scenes on boats. It’s part of her business.” He rubbed Summer’s back. “I mentioned to the guys several weeks ago that I’d bought the boat, and Jimmy told me about his cousin.” He shrugged. “She’s had some hard times and could use the business, so I hired her. I didn’t want to have lunch with her at all. I’d just planned to drop off a check. But then she begged me to sit with her, said she hated to eat alone. So I did.” He tipped Summer’s chin. “Nothing more to it.”
She at least had the decency to look sheepish. “Sorry.” She drew her brows together. “But how did you manage to make a purchase this large without me knowing?” Summer keptthe books for their accounts because she loved the satisfaction of seeing all the numbers balance.
A Wedding to Remember in Charleston, South Carolina Page 8
