Diana turned winsome eyes to Kevin. “Don’t say anything. I know I keep changing my mind, but I’m still not sure about the floral arrangements. I’ve decided to take you and my mother with me Saturday morning. I promise I’ll make my final decision then.”
Kevin grinned. “I’m not saying anything.”
“I’ll go with you again, if you want me to go,” Joy said. “I won’t even try to push my opinion on you.”
“What kind of flowers do you like?” Nick asked Joy.
“Red roses with white carnations and lots of green,” Joy said dreamily. “It is a Christmas wedding.”
Diana sighed. “I like red and white, but what if a lot of people wear navy blue? It will look like flag day.”
Kevin teasingly tweaked Diana’s nose. “What’s wrong with being patriotic?”
“I don’t want my wedding patriotic. I want it romantic. I can’t believe I have no trouble at all making decisions for my clients.”
Kevin’s brown eyes gazed tenderly at his wife-to-be. “I love you getting crazy over our wedding. Are we still set to take your mother to visit your uncle Terry in the afternoon?”
“Yes.” Diana gazed back at Kevin. “You don’t mind driving all the way up to Yonkers, do you? My uncle Terry really wants to meet you, and he’s not going to be able to make it to the wedding with his leg in a cast.”
Kevin smiled. “I’d drive to the ends of the earth for you.”
Joy sat observing Diana and Kevin, thinking how hard this must be on Nick. She could imagine what he was going through.
“Did Eddie make any headway today?” Kevin asked, looking like he’d just suddenly realized that he and Diana weren’t alone.
Nick cast Joy a sidelong glance, his mind putting a different spin on Kevin’s question. Eddie’s headway was blocked tonight, but that was just tonight.
She was looking down at her drink. He knew she didn’t want to drink any more of it.
“He’s getting there,” Diana answered.
“If he started in the morning and not late afternoon, he’d be finished already,” Kevin said, speaking to Nick. “You’ve got to see the way he works. He paints a quarter of a wall and stands back to admire it for twenty minutes. Do you remember how fast we used to paint a room for Mom?”
Nick nodded his head, savoring the pleasant memory.
“You can’t rush an artist,” Diana insisted. “He’s doing a fantastic job. Don’t you think so, Joy?”
“Fantastic,” Joy answered, preoccupied. She was debating whether or not to try another sip of the margarita.
Kevin smiled at Diana. “What about the menu? Have we finished debating that?”
“The menu…” Diana let out a moan. “Right. We haven’t finished deciding on the menu.”
“What we should do is have Nick help us decide,” Kevin suggested. “How about we all go to the restaurant for dinner on Sunday? Okay with you, Nick?”
“It’s good for me, if it’s good for Joy,”
Joy’s eyes went to Nick. “It’s fine with me.” What was one more night of the Nick, Kevin and Diana saga?
“I’ll ask Rachel to come along,” Diana added enthusiastically. “And Mother, of course.”
Joy pushed back her seat and stood. “I’m going to finish my drink at the bar. I really should keep Eddie company for a while.”
Nick’s good mood took a dive. “It’s still pretty hectic at the bar.”
“It’s eased up some.” She wanted to be away from Nick. Between nearly falling over herself while they’d been dancing and then coughing over her drink, this was not one of her better nights. To sit and listen as Diana extolled Rachel, which Joy was certain Diana was going to do, was more than she could take.
Nick tried to come up with something else to say to keep Joy from going to the bar, but nothing came into his head.
“I can’t wait for you to meet Rachel,” Diana said, as Joy walked from the table.
“I think five heads is more than enough to vote on your wedding menu,” Nick replied impatiently, turning in his seat to better keep his eye on Joy. He watched as she took a seat at the bar and began talking to a clearly pleased Eddie.
Nick took a pull on his bottle of beer. Then his view of Joy was blocked as a couple came to stand behind her.
“I still can’t get over your buying the Greenport News,” Kevin said. “I hope you haven’t jumped before thinking it through. I know how you are.”
“I’m not flying by the seat of my pants anymore,” Nick replied. “I had been giving a lot of thought to staying put in one place for a while now.”
“It still seems to me that you got on this rather suddenly.” Kevin gave Nick his legal-eagle look. “How did you know the paper was for sale? Did you make an inquiry?”
“Something like that.” Nick restlessly tapped his index finger on the table. “How long do you think it’s going to be before the group starts playing again?”
Kevin shrugged his shoulders.
Diana did the same when she noted Kevin glance at his watch. “You really have more work you want to get to tonight, don’t you?”
Kevin smiled. “It’s okay. I’ll give myself an extra hour in the morning.”
“I don’t want you having to get up an hour earlier. If you leave now you’ll be able to finish up whatever you have left.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Diana leaned toward Kevin and placed a quick kiss on his mouth. “Go home,” she ordered lovingly.
Nick watched the interplay between Diana and Kevin. They were going to make it, he thought. They really had it right.
Kevin stood and put on his coat. “I’ll say goodnight to Joy on my way out. Sleep well, sweetheart. Nick, I’ll call you as soon as I’ve read through the papers.”
Nick smiled. “Don’t burn the midnight oil too long.”
“Now who’s lecturing?” Kevin replied with a farewell wave of his hand.
Diana and Nick watched Kevin leave. He pushed between the couple behind Joy to say good-night, then headed out the door.
The singer took her place again on the platform, and the group started to play. Nick cursed their timing. He couldn’t very well leave Diana to herself and ask Joy to dance. Yeah, Tremain. And what makes you think she wants to dance with you?
“Would you mind if we left soon?” Diana asked. “I don’t want to get to bed too late.”
“I’m ready any time you and Joy are.” As far as Nick could see, the rest of the evening was ruined.
Diana got to her feet. “Could you see if Joy is ready? I’m just going to the ladies’ room.”
Nick headed for the bar while Diana headed in the opposite direction to the rest rooms.
“How about Friday night?” Eddie was asking Joy as Nick came up behind her. “And we’ll go somewhere after I finish up. I understand you don’t want to stay out late during the week, but you can’t tell me you have to get up early Saturday morning.”
“As a matter of fact, I do have to get up early Saturday morning. I promised Diana that I’d go with her to check on the flowers for the wedding.”
Nick heard enough of the conversation to know Joy was shooting Eddie down. It was a sterling moment for Nick.
“Hey, Nick,” Eddie said, fighting a glower as he acknowledged Nick’s presence.
Joy twisted her head around, startled. She hadn’t realized he was behind her. “Where’s Diana?”
“She went to the ladies’ room. She’s ready to leave. Are you ready?” He put a hand on her arm.
Joy nodded. The hand he’d placed so nonchalantly on her arm made her heart race.
“Hey, it’s not even ten o’clock,” Eddie protested. “Let Diana go with Nick. I’ll take you home. I’m not going to work that late. Gillie will let me go.”
Joy swung off her stool. “I’m already kind of tired.”
“How about Saturday night?” Eddie asked. “I’ll hold a table right up front for you.”
On reflection, J
oy didn’t want to be sitting home like a wallflower on Saturday night. Certainly not in front of Nick. By then he’d probably be dating Rachel, though he’d still be in love with Diana.
“All right.” Joy proffered Eddie a very feminine smile, which threw Nick for a loop. Hadn’t she just been shooting Eddie DeMarco down?
“See you at the house tomorrow night,” Eddie said, as he was summoned by an annoyed customer at the bar.
“So you’re coming here to hear Eddie sing Saturday night?” Nick asked stiffly.
“Yes,” Joy responded blithely, walking with him toward the table. “You could get a date and come along if you like. Diana does see Kevin on the weekend, but Rachel isn’t going with anyone right now.”
“I might just do that,” Nick replied dryly, the prospect only of interest because he didn’t see any other choice if he planned on tagging after her.
“Are we leaving?” Diana asked, as she arrived back at the table.
“We’re leaving,” Nick answered tightly.
“I’ll take Eddie over his jacket,’ Joy said, after quickly picking her coat out from the pile and putting it on.
Nick held Diana’s coat for her. He’d intended to do the same for Joy, but she hadn’t given him a chance. Couldn’t she see that Eddie DeMarco was all wrong for her?
Joy was waiting at the door, and Nick escorted both women out. The car he’d rented at the airport was parked six cars down from the door of Gillie’s. It was windy and icy cold outside. Nick noticed Diana crossed her hands over her head to keep her hair in place while Joy’s hair blew every which way as her hands were girded around her chest to keep warm. He thought of putting his arm around her, but didn’t try. How much of a jerk was he looking to make of himself? If she wanted Eddie, she wanted Eddie.
Joy stood aside along with Diana while Nick swung open the passenger door and the back seat door. Automatically Joy got into the back. Just as automatically Diana sat down in front.
Nick closed both doors and went around to the driver’s side. He started the car, put the heater on and adjusted the rearview mirror to cover more of the back seat.
Joy’s eyes met his in the rearview mirror. She could see herself, as well, and just how wild the wind had made her hair. She did what she could to fix it with her fingers.
“I can’t wait for Kevin to see my wedding gown,” Diana said, beginning a conversation while Nick drove. And Joy just sat.
“I’m still worried about tripping over the train,” Diana continued.
“You’re not going to trip over the train,” Joy assured her sister as Diana looked back to her for a guarantee.
“I hope not,” Diana said with a sigh, facing forward again.
Joy imagined herself in Diana’s wedding gown. It was exactly the gown she would have chosen for herself. She had in fact been the one to select it for Diana.
Nick turned the radio on, as Diana grew quiet.
Joy leaned her head on an angle upon the seat of the car. Tired, Joy closed her eyes.
“Nick says he’s willing to carry you upstairs.” Diana leaned toward Joy, shaking her elbow gently. “Do you want to get up? Or do you want Nick to demonstrate his muscles?” There was a giggle in Diana’s voice.
“What!” Joy rose with a start. “Are we home?”
Diana nodded and backed out of the door, making way as Nick reached in to help Joy out of the car.
Joy pushed his hands aside, getting out on her own. She was shaky as she stood.
“It’s freezing,” Diana said over her shoulder, rushing up the driveway to the front door.
A gust of wind nearly knocked Joy over.
Nick caught Joy to him with one arm, bracketing her against his side. “I really wouldn’t mind carrying you.” His voice was soft, low and sexy.
“Find yourself some other way to show off for Diana,” Joy snapped, pulling free to walk on her own. She was as much cranky as she was tired. And she was good and angry. Somehow she’d started dating Eddie DeMarco again. She didn’t want to be dating Eddie DeMarco.
Once in the house she marched past Nick and Diana and went straight up the stairs not bothering to take off her coat.
Diana opened the hall closet and hung up her coat. “I’m going up. Are you?”
Nick was too edgy to even think of going to sleep. “Not yet,”
“Well, good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good night.”
Nick took off his jacket, hung it up, then checked his watch. It was a little after eleven. Taking his wallet from the back pocket of his slacks, Nick pulled out his phone calling card. He went into the kitchen and dialed.
“Hello,” Teddy Falco said, after the fourth ring.
“You can kill me if I woke you,” Nick said contritely. He’d been just about to hang up.
“Nick?”
“Yeah.”
“If you were here I could kill you,” Teddy ribbed. “In what godforsaken place are you?”
“I’m on Long Island. In Greenport. Did I wake up Quinn?” Nick asked, referring to Teddy’s wife.
“You didn’t wake either one of us up.”
“Don’t tell me I broke the mood?”
Teddy laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to kill you. We’re always in the mood.”
Nick grinned. “I’ll call you back in the morning.”
“Quinn just banged me in the head with a pillow.” There was a chortle in Teddy’s voice. “She wants you to know we were not doing anything. I was talking rock and roll to her and she was telling me about a ballet she wants to see. What are you doing with yourself in Greenport?”
“My brother is getting married here, and I bought a newspaper. I’ll tell you all about it some other time. Right now I need a favor from you. It’s a big one. Feel free to say no.”
“Go ahead. I’ll say no if I feel the need.”
“There’s a rock singer. His name is Eddie DeMarco. He’s opening up at a place called Gillie’s in Westhampton tomorrow night. I’d like him booked on a West Coast tour. Can you arrange it?”
“Is he good?” Teddy asked.
“I have no idea,” Nick admitted.
“Let me guess,” Teddy bantered. “There’s a woman involved and this guy is muscling in.”
Nick groaned. “Exactly.”
“They never have any idea how much we guys suffer over them.”
“Am I stepping on your toes?” Nick asked.
“Yeah,” Teddy laughed. “But I do remember a few times I stepped on yours. What are friends for?”
“Can you do it?”
“Sure. I know plenty of joints on the West Coast. How soon do you want him gone?”
“Yesterday,” Nick answered comically.
“I’ll catch his act tomorrow night.”
“I don’t want him knowing it came from me.”
“Gotcha.”
“Thanks, Teddy,” Nick said, as Diana walked into the kitchen.
“Night, pal.” Teddy rang off.
Nick hung up on his end.
“Was that your friend Teddy?” Diana asked, taking a container from the refrigerator.
“Uh-huh,” Nick said uncomfortably.
Diana poured herself a half a glass of juice. “Do you want some?”
Nick shook his head.
“I remember we went out with your friend Teddy and his wife once. They’re very nice.”
“Yes, they are.” Nick raked his fingers through his thick hair. What were the chances of her remembering that Teddy was a music-business agent and promoter?
Diana downed her juice. “Now I think I can sleep. Good night again.”
“Good night.”
Nick stood there debating whether or not to call Teddy back and cancel out.
Chapter Five
“Between yesterday and today, I’ve got some really great material,” Joy said animatedly, looking over at Nick from the passenger seat of the sports car he’d leased the day before to replace the car he’d rented at
the airport.
Nick smiled. “I didn’t think it was going to do much for the story to include a winery that hasn’t marketed a single bottle yet, but I take it back. It was a stroke of genius on your part. You’re really good at this.” He’d had his first opportunity to watch her do an interview. And she’d bowled him over.
“Thanks. I love when it happens this way, when you get material you haven’t expected.”
He could see that she’d liked his compliment. “Those in-depth questions of yours got right to the heart and soul. The owner here has a really colorful past. It didn’t look like he was going to be forthcoming at all, but you worked away at him without him even knowing he was being handled, and you got him to open up.”
He hadn’t yet turned the key in the ignition. They were finished for the day. The winery was closing, and it had just started to snow—lightly—the first snow of the season.
“I know the pictures you took for me today are going to make the story much more than it is,” Joy said. It was even tougher than she’d expected, to keep herself in a business frame of mind around him. “I think it’s important that people understand all that a winery owner has riding on his business. A sizable investment can be wiped out by the whim of a bad winter or too much rain.”
“Or too much sun,” Nick said lazily. Way to go, Tremain. You, rascal, you.
“Or too much sun,” Joy concurred. She knew he wasn’t referring to the trials and tribulations of making a winery pay off. He was referring to the beach in East Hampton. What did he want from her?
Joy hugged her arms together. “Well…” Her hands got lost in the sleeves of her coat like a muffler, as she clasped them together in front of her waist.
“Are you cold?”
“Not really,” Joy answered, staring straight ahead. The snow was beginning to cover the front window. The muscles in her lower abdomen were shivery, but not because she was cold. “I sampled enough wine in the last two days to keep myself warm for a while.”
“And Diana said you couldn’t handle your wine,” he teased, with one arm draped over the wheel, his back to the driver’s door.
“To be perfectly honest, I am a little tipsy.” Joy wondered if he had any sense of her tension. Sitting alone with him in his car with the sky darkening around them was very intimate..
About That Kiss Page 6
