Sweeter Than W(h)ine

by Nancy Goldberg Levine

  They got through the rest of the meal and dessert without any more mishaps. Rafe ordered a couple of the Baumgartner Boys mini chocolate cheesecakes, and Dina ordered two peanut butter and jelly chocolate cupcakes and two of Jonathan Levine’s brownies. “I got one of each for Jay,” she admitted, with a laugh.

  “He gets chocolate and a tip?”

  “Of course,” Dina said. She smiled back at Rafe when he grinned at her. “We never got to finish our conversation about me being a geek. I really wasn’t. I played for the Walnut Hills Girls’ Basketball Team and took piano lessons.”

  “So you’re a Renaissance woman.”

  “I guess you could say that.” She was tempted to call Rafe “preppie” since he’d gone to the Ida Malloy Academy, but she decided to stick with “Doc.” The morning passed quickly, and she didn’t even mind when Nan had classical music piped in, as opposed to Dina playing the piano. It was mature and classy, very un-like her next-door neighbor’s taste in music.

  Chapter Six

  The weather looked bad when Dina looked out the window. She didn’t know if Rafe or her parents would show up for dinner tonight or not. They hadn’t made any dire predictions on the TV or radio–yet, so she hoped they would.

  She called Krysta because she’d heard they’d gotten a lot of snow in Hillsboro. Her friend lived in the small town, which was about an hour and a half from Cincinnati.

  “Hello?” Krysta said.

  “Hi. They said on the radio that you all have about eight inches of snow up there. Are they right?”

  “For a change, they are. I think it’s about ten out by my house.”

  She lived away from the city in a comfortable ranch house. Dina had visited there a lot and loved the country setting. When it snowed, though, it was probably treacherous to get around.

  “Rani and Tyler got off school early. I’m just going to heat up some chili I bought and then we’re going to watch some DVDs and stuff on the sci fi channel.”

  “Sounds nice,” Dina said. “Rafe and my parents are coming over for dinner, so I hope the storm passes over here.”

  “I hope it does, too. How are things going with him?”

  “He’s a great kisser,” Dina said, with an enthusiastic sigh.

  “He seems like the right person for you.” Krysta was usually right about things like that. But then there was her neighbor, Holden. Dina liked him, but he seemed to be a ladies man, and oh, that darn dog. Dina said her goodbye to Krysta, and thought more about the two new men in her life. She wished she knew more about Rafe, and why he’d clammed up so much when he’d talked about his niece. Holden was much more forthcoming about his life – what she saw was what she got.

  When the phone rang again, she hoped it wasn’t Rafe, cancelling their date.

  “My date cancelled,” Jay said when Dina answered.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, Jay. You have the worst luck.”

  “I don’t think things were gonna work out with this lady anyway. She always talks about herself. It’s all about her.”

  “Jay, you know it’s all about me.”

  “Of course it is, honey.”

  “How’s the weather?” Dina asked. “Was it that bad that your date had to cancel? My mom and dad and Rafe are coming over for dinner.”

  “They should be okay.”

  She’d barely hung up the phone with him when Rafe arrived.

  “I thought I’d get here early so I can beat the traffic,” Rafe said. “Then hopefully this front will pass over and I’ll be able to get home safe after dinner.”

  “Okay,” Dina said, as Rafe slipped off his camel hair coat. Everything about him spoke class. She wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to resist him, and wasn’t sure if she wanted to.

  ***

  “Okay, are you coming in or not?” Dina called from the kitchen.

  Rafe looked up from the Patrick O’Brian book he was reading. “Yeah. I’ll be there in a second.”

  Dina walked slowly into the living room, where Rafe sat on her sofa. She and her mom were cracking up, and Rafe didn’t know why. Dina was probably remembering something funny the peerless Jay Galloway had said, Rafe thought sarcastically. That usually made her laugh at the strangest times.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  “She was talking to Schmoopie, y’know,” Dina said, when she’d finally finished laughing. “I have his cat food all ready, but he’s not ready to eat yet, I guess.”

  Rafe tried to look mad, but he gave in and chuckled, too, especially when he saw Schmoopie stroll into the kitchen.

  “I’m starting to think Jay’s date had the right idea,” Stella Solomon said, looking out the window and frowning. “It’s really coming down out there.”

  Herman Solomon looked out, too. Rafe heard cars trying to negotiate the side street near Dina’s condo.

  “I guess we’d better eat fast,” Dina said.

  They rushed through the blessings over the candles, bread and wine, and tried to eat as quickly as they could. Rafe had almost forgotten how much fun Friday night dinners welcoming the Sabbath could be. He started thinking about his niece again, and the first time she’d said the blessing over the candles in Hebrew. He was so proud of Gracie, but wondered what she’d think of him now, here on earth feeling sorry for himself. He bit back his sorrow, and fed Schmoopie bits of leftover chicken from his plate. Then he gave another small piece to Dina’s mom so she could take it her cats, Seymour, Pete and Franklin, who were all named after former Red Wolves ball players.

  Once dinner was over, Rafe decided to go outside to see how bad the snow was. Dina turned the television on in the living room, and they had just announced that five to six inches of snow had already fallen in Roselawn, and they were expecting at least ten. There was ice underneath the snow, plus high winds that had already blown down some power lines.

  “Be careful, Doc,” Dina said, reaching up to pull his woolen scarf around his neck.

  “Don’t worry about me,” he said, liking the idea that she cared about him. For a change, it was nice not to have to rely on himself. It’s all in the attitude, he thought, as he let himself get a little closer to Dina and her parents.

  Walking out to the street wasn’t easy, but Rafe did it. He walked back inside the warmth of the condo. “It’s really bad. I don’t know how I’ll get home. And you two probably won’t be able to get a cab. My aunt will probably close the office because she won’t want her drivers getting into accidents.”

  “You can all stay here tonight,” Dina said.

  Rafe didn’t know if that was a good idea. Staying overnight with Dina, and her parents? There’d be plenty of time for them all to grill him, and he wasn’t ready to share. He didn’t see much choice, though. “I don’t want to put you out.”

  “It’s no trouble,” Dina said. “My living room couch is a sofa bed, and there’s another sofa bed in the den. It’ll be fun. My mom and I can play the piano and sing and make popcorn. Maybe we’ll watch a movie.”

  ***

  Dina had to admit, she looked forward to the unexpected evening. She’d learn about Rafe fast if he stayed overnight. When her phone rang, she answered, “Frosty the Snowman’s Bar.”

  She heard Jay laugh. “Hi, honey,” he said.

  “Hey, Jay.”

  “The weather’s terrible. Did your mom and dad and Rafe show up.”

  “Yeah. They’re staying overnight.”

  “Is that right? Well, at least you and Rafe will have chaperones.”

  “Very funny.” They didn’t need her mom and dad as chaperones, for crying out loud. She barely knew Rafe. Of course, there was the kiss…

  Dina heard a huge gust of wind outside, and suddenly, her conversation with her friend ended. The lights and TV went off in the house, giving the place an eerie air.

  “I was going to make us all some hot chocolate, Dina said. “So much for that idea.”

  She walked through the house, but her knee started to hurt. Fortunately, s
he located ome flashlights and flameless candles. “Looks like we’ll be singing after all.”

  “That sounds good,” her mom said.

  “After that, I could read you all some of the book I’m reading,” Rafe said.

  Dina’s mom gave him an approving smile. “Sounds like a plan.”

  Dina played her battery-operated radio, and they listened to details about the blizzard.

  The flashlight illuminated Dina’s piano and sheet music. Rafe sat next to her on the piano bench, and her mom and dad sat on the couch. She felt comfortable having him there; safe.

  It was a magical night with the snow falling and swirling around outside and the four of them snuggled inside next to the piano. She played “Beyond the Sea” and “On the Sunny Side of the Street.” Rafe joked about there not being any sunny side of the street with all the snow.

  Dina took a break when she got tired and her mom took over the piano playing. She wandered into the kitchen to see if there were any brownies left from dinner, and Rafe followed her in there.

  “Hi,” she said, looking into his eyes, then taking a big bite of the brownie. “I really shouldn’t be eating these but…”

  “Are there any left?”

  “Nope.”

  When she finished the brownie, Rafe leaned closer and Dina took a breath. As he held her close, he started to kiss her. She felt her knees go weak, and not because of the still-lingering pain. His kisses took the chill off the cold and snow outside. She felt warm all over, like she’d just had a cup of hot chocolate. She heard the wind howling outside, but she wasn’t afraid. She felt secure and comfortable.

  “We’d better get back,” Rafe said in a husky voice. “Your mom and dad are probably wondering where we are.”

  “You’re right. And they’ll come looking for us any second.”

  Rafe’s hand was warm as he helped her negotiate through the house with her cane. Though she was used to not asking for help, it felt good to have his assistance. She’d never forget about Rob, but it was wonderful just having him nearby.

  The piano playing went on, with Dina and her mom taking turns playing. Dina’s mom and dad danced to a few of the songs she played and Schmoopie stopped in to watch.

  As the evening went on, she wished Rafe would talk about how things were when he’d grown up, or something that would give her some kind of signal. She felt that they were getting closer, but she longed to know more.

  ***

  Rafe settled himself on the makeshift sofa bed Dina’s dad had pulled out for him in the living room. Dina walked in with some pillows and blankets. She handed him the purple blanket on top first.

  “This will make you feel better,” she said. “It’s the old woolen type, not that kind they make nowadays.”

  “I agree with you on that. Some things are better these days, like computers and coffee makers, but they haven’t made much progress with blankets.”

  “I like to buy stuff from this store in Mensocket, Maine. They have a lot of the old-time products. I don’t know if I told you, but I love catalogues and I’m addicted to shopping on TV.”

  “You didn’t tell me. Anyway, I’ve never heard of that store in Maine,” Rafe said. It sounded like a place that was right up his alley.

  “I never heard of it either until my mother-in-law told me about it. She lives in Mensocket.”

  “We should get some sleep,” Dina said. “Goodnight, Doc. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Would he be able to sleep tonight? He doubted it, even with the toasty warm blanket Dina had given him that came all the way from some small town in Maine. He’d be awake, with thoughts of Dina’s sweet kisses, wondering what he was going to do now.

  ***

  “Good morning,” Dina greeted Rafe. Bright sunlight poured in through windows, but she didn’t know if that meant the snow would melt. Dina was making scrambled eggs and coffee in the kitchen. Her mind wasn’t on food. It was on Rafe, and last night’s kisses.

  “Good morning. I listened to the radio earlier, and it said the road crews were out last night. The temperature’s going up today, too, so most of the snow should be melted by noon.”

  “Didn’t you like staying here?” Dina asked. She pretended to her hurt that he’d want to leave, but she didn’t know if Rafe got the joke.

  “Oh, I liked it a lot,” Rafe said. “It’s just that I need to get home and see how things look at my house. I might have lost power through the night, too. I’m glad it’s back on now.”

  Dina’s parents showed up and sat at the round oak dining table. Dina gave them eggs, toast and made them each a cup of coffee. She gave Rafe the same breakfast.

  “Mazel Tov!” her mom said. “The city cleaned off your street.”

  The doorbell rang, and Dina’s mom got up to answer it since Dina had just sat down to eat.

  Dina heard the familiar voice of Holden. “Hello, folks,” he said, stepping inside. “I just stopped by to see if you were okay, Dina.”

  “I’m fine,” Dina said. “But Buster sure barked a lot last night. I had trouble falling asleep. I guess he doesn’t like snow.”

  “Oh, did Buster’s barking bother you? I’m sorry. He’s never seen snow before and it looks like he doesn’t like it.” Holden glanced at Rafe, and Rafe did not look happy. “You’ve got a big strong protector here so you must be okay.”

  For heaven’s sake, Dina thought, at Holden’s pointed glance Rafe’s way. “Rafe and my parents got stranded here last night.”

  “I see,” Holden said, eyes twinkling. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay. I’ll be on my way.”

  He was cute, Dina thought, but she was glad he was gone. “I like the idea of snow,” Dina said, trying to change the subject so Rafe would forget about her handsome neighbor. “And I love looking at it and even having snowball fights, or building a snowman. But I don’t like being out in it. I used to take the bus to work before my arthritis made that impossible, and it’s a wonder I didn’t break my neck sometimes.”

  “I’m glad that didn’t happen,” Rafe said.

  Dina’s mom gave her a hug. “We all are.”

  When she thought about what could have happened to her at the hospital, Dina’s eyes filled with tears. “Me, too. I love…” She stopped herself, looked at Rafe, and then spoke right up. “I love you all!”

  Chapter Seven

  Had Dina just said she loved him? Rafe thought. Sure, she’d said she loved her mom and dad, too, but…

  “Even me?” Rafe asked. “Your big, bad doctor?”

  “Even you.” Her tone was light, but she still had tears in her big eyes. “And Krysta and Jay…”

  Rafe played along, but he sensed that her “I love you all” wasn’t meant to be funny. “Well, of course, you love Jay. A day without the superior shining star of cab drivers, Jay Galloway, is like a day without sunshine.”

  “No doubt,” Dina said.

  Rafe tried to deal with the feelings stirring within him. It had been a while since he’d met anyone like Dina, but he didn’t know if he was ready to use the “L” word–yet. He couldn’t let her know that he might love her either. That would definitely land him in hot water. But he couldn’t deny the emotions that had stirred inside him—jealousy of her neighbor, happiness, fear that she’d want to start being a grief counselor and delve into his psyche.

  “So I’d better get going,” Rafe said. “May I drive your parents home, too?”

  Dina came up to him and took his hand. “That’s so nice of you.”

  Her parents agreed, and seemed grateful to accept his help.

  “Not that I don’t want my aunt to get the business,” he said, sending them a smile. “But it’s on my way, so there’s no problem.”

  Dina hugged her parents and took Rafe’s hand. “I’m so glad you came for dinner. Be careful going home, okay?”

  “Sure,” he said, lingering in the living room after everyone had put on their coats. “I’ll see you soon.”

  “Okay.”
/>
  When he drove her parents home, he thought about how much fun they had had waiting out the crazy snowstorm, and of Dina and how much she said she’d liked the snow, but not when she had to be out in it. He agreed with her—he was perfectly content to watch it from his window. It would have been nice to have someone to watch it with. He thought of Dina, sitting by him on his plush leather sofa, both of them sitting by the fireside, drinking hot chocolate. He also knew that the closer they got, the more she’d try to probe his emotions, asking her about his niece and all of the other losses in his life. That was why he wanted to keep things light between them. He wasn’t ready to unleash about bunch of raw emotions or talk about his “feelings.” Let her go back to her depressing job counseling people about their grief. He didn’t want to think about it, but he didn’t mind thinking about Dina, the woman.

  She was lovely and sexy and funny—that was all he needed.

  ***

  Dina watched Rafe and her parents from the window. She loved the way he behaved toward them, like they were his own parents. She wondered about his parents—what had happened to them, and why he didn’t have family photographs of them on the walls in his house. She knew she was going into counselor mode again, and that she should keep things friendly and open, and not try to pry. If she did, she’d end up having a bad date, like one of Jay’s, with a man she was starting to care about.

  If only he’d open up to her—at least a little. He covered everything up with jokes and presents and sweetness and light. There was nothing wrong with that, but she wanted a little emotion, too. It wasn’t good to keep things bottled up, as she’d learned from the kids she’d counseled. Many a time, she’d seen little boys who were afraid to cry because it wasn’t “manly” suddenly lose it over the loss of a sibling or parent.

  Her doorbell rang. She found Holden standing there, sans puppy.

  “Where’s Buster?”

  “He’s asleep. I really am sorry he kept you up late last night. Not that you need your beauty sleep.” Holden winked at her and gave her a smile that seemed genuine. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay from the storm and to see if I could make you another pizza as a peace offering for my dog’s bad behavior. I’ve got to look into obedience school, man.”