by Barbara Lohr
Jumping up on her desk with feline grace, Sasha stretched out on her keyboard. “You’re so subtle,” Emily said, smoothing her fur with one hand while Sasha rolled over onto her back. “Lunch, right?” She checked the time on her phone. Once she got into her work, she pretty much zoned out. Sasha was her clock.
After lunch, she opened Lowcountry Singles. Three new candidates. This was way better than sitting on a bar stool waiting for the right man to hit on her. Clicking on profiles, she felt more in control.
Curly hair hung over Vince’s forehead, framing dark, deep-set eyes. A successful business man. He looked athletic and said he golfed a lot. Two children. She had to think about that. Okay, here was a guy who apparently rocked his business. Maybe he’d be more settled, more responsible if he had a family. Her fingers played with the keys. Was she up to the task of co-parenting?
Many guys this age would have children. The thought of taking kids to movies and sharing popcorn made her smile. She wrote back and checked out a couple more responses. They didn’t seem like a good fit so she went back to work. Email made it so easy to keep up with her clients. She kept a calendar for each one. They charted their meals, which should agree with their basic diet. Some were maintaining. Others were working on strengthening their core or losing weight. She’d segmented the group that was working on weight loss. Their success became her success. She felt pretty good about that.
When an email zinged in from Jackson, she stopped working and enlarged her inbox.
Good seeing you this morning. How is the manhunt going?
Manhunt? Emily pictured herself in a Tarzan suit, sporting a spear.
Open season and hunting is good. New prospects every day.
Didn’t she just wish.
Hope I didn’t come down too hard on you the other night. I just want you to be safe.
There it was. That detached brotherly tone again.
I appreciate that, Jackson. Really I do. And from now on I might set up the meetings here in town.
Comeback Inn was near the city limits, a rambling place that the next hurricane might take down. The popular spot attracted people from all around the county. How crowded would it be?
Their parking lot was often jammed.
The thought of being packed into a crush of people made her uneasy. But hadn’t Eileen assured her that with time, these attacks would lessen?
Another message pinged. I hate to think of you driving a long distance at night alone.
Next thing she knew he’d want to go with her. Size up her “prospects.”
Hey, are you my brother?
No answer for a while. But a response from Vince appeared in her mailbox. They decided on Comeback Inn after work, day after tomorrow. Part of her felt excited. But the other part pictured herself jumping off a high dive when she didn’t know how to swim.
While she was congratulating herself on moving ahead, another message popped up from Jackson. No, I’m not your brother. Let’s not forget that.
Excitement pulsed from her forehead into her tummy.
What did he mean? Probably nothing
No problem. Meeting someone in a day or so. Comeback Inn. That should do it.
After she clicked Send, she regretted it. Jackson wouldn’t follow her there, would he? After all, she’d be safe in Sweetwater Creek.
When she walked with Josie and Bryn the next day, she didn’t mention the appointment. No way did she want them showing up, and Josie might convince Bryn to do just that.
Over the next couple days she kept pulling up Vince’s profile. That curly hair and those mischievous eyes? Maybe she could handle two kids. She’d ask to see pictures. If he seemed nice, she’d make it clear that children weren’t a deal breaker.
Before she knew it, it was show time.
Chapter 12
After getting dressed to meet Vince at Comeback Inn, Emily worked on her hair. Using a curling iron, she ended up with soft, layered waves, the style that Victoria wore so well. The weather was turning warmer. Instead of jeans, she wore a pair of black capri pants with an aqua and sea green print top she’d found at Coralee’s. Black slides completed her look, which would have worked fine in Atlanta.
Jackson’s suggestion to meet closer to home had been a good one. Tonight, she wouldn’t face a long drive back to town. That was a relief. He really was looking out for her. The dusky blue scarf she twisted around her neck was the final touch and it made her chuckle. I’ll be wearing a blue scarf, she’d told Vince in her last email.
The Comeback Inn parking lot looked about half full when she pulled in that night. Her heart fell and her chest constricted. Opening the window, she drew in the cool air and went into the deep breathing. “Concentrate on the little things around you,” Eileen had said. “Keep your attention focused. Move slowly into an area and connect to it. Touch a chair. Smile at someone.” Well, she could do that. Glancing around, she focused on the cars, imagining a smiling face for each vehicle.
After all, she was in Sweetwater Creek. Her hometown. The panic rippling at the edges of her consciousness like a stingray she’d see at the aquarium didn’t make sense. But then it had never had. She was moving beyond it.
Maybe three will be the charm for me. Vince had seemed outgoing in the picture with those snapping dark eyes and a ready smile. No more brooding men who shoved free sugar packets into their jackets. That was definitely not her type.
Hope speeding her pulse, she got out. As she closed the distance between her car and the double front doors, she kept her breathing even.
When she stepped inside, excited laughter, the crack of pool balls and juke box rock filled the air. The Comeback Inn was alive tonight. On the left was a long wrap around bar and she headed over, away from the crowded tables. They’d agreed to meet at the bar.
But she didn’t see anyone who looked like Vince’s picture. Although a couple of guys glanced up as she approached, they didn’t come toward her. She dropped her eyes. Vince must not have arrived yet, and Emily hesitated. She didn’t want to sit here alone. Some girls sat giggling at the end of the bar, their eyes continually scoping men out with roving, nervous glances. No way did she want to be one of them. Then two couples arrived and took seats at the bar. She slid onto a stool near them.
“Drink?” a cute bartender asked.
“Sparkling water with lime, please.” Feeling more comfortable, more confident than that first meeting with Keith, she perched on the stool and looked around. The tables were full of people who laughed over baskets of wings or burgers.
Just then a man came out of the men’s room and her heart squeezed tight. The curls were there and the hair was dark. But not brunette like hers. Instead, it was blue black, the kind that came from a bottle. And he was definitely older. If this was Vince, he’d posted a picture from years ago. Disappointment broke over her like an October wave at Butter Bean Beach.
What happened to truth in marketing?
Maybe that didn’t apply in online dating.
Making his way toward the bar, Vince hadn’t seen her yet. Was he a regular here? He greeted women as he moved through the tables. Her excitement fizzled, and she worked to calm herself. Under a blue sport coat, he wore a shirt patterned with palm trees. It hung open for at least three buttons, just enough to reveal the two gold chains. Glancing over, he noticed her and smiled.
Mercy. What have I gotten myself into? Her drink arrived and she took a quick sip, the tart taste giving her a pickup. The song “Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This” came on the jukebox and Emily felt it to her toes.
“Emily?” the man asked when he reached her.
Was he trying to hug her? When Emily stuck out her hand, she nearly punched him in the gut. “Vince?”
His head reared back, as if he were evaluating her. “Right. Have you been waiting long?” They shook hands slowly.
“Just got here.” Close up, Vince was at least fifteen years older than his pictures and quite a few pounds heavier. Sucking in his stoma
ch as if he knew what she was thinking, he heaved himself onto a bar stool. Remembering Shane’s knee action, she swung her legs away on an angle.
The bartender arrived. “Hey, Vince.”
“Hit me again,” Vince told him.
So he’d been drinking here alone? Then Vince turned back to Emily. “Do you live around here?”
“Kind of. In another town. How about you?” She was getting this down. Divert his attention to himself.
“Yeah, I’ve got a place at the lake.” And he named an area known as an upscale resort area with a long man-made lake. Was that where Jackson lived?
“So do you fish or water ski?” she asked.
Shaking his head, he chuckled. “Not anymore. But I sure enjoy the sunsets on my deck. What do you do, darlin’?”
Darlin’? “I’m a nutritionist.” Did any man ever read or did they just look at the picture?
“Now that’s a fancy word. What does that mean?” Yep. He’d just looked at her picture.
Emily rattled off what was quickly becoming her canned speech. Vince smiled and nodded, his eyes roving from her wavy hair to her slides. Legs crossed, she was bobbing one foot and she stopped. His drink arrived and the bartender shot Emily a questioning look, like what are you doing with this guy? Averting her eyes, she nearly missed Vince’s next question. “How long have you been playing this game?”
“What game?”
His hand circled the air, a gold pinkie ring gleaming. “You know. How long have you been doing this online dating deal? Forgive me. I’m not good with words.”
At first she felt insulted by the comment. But that lost look on his face changed her mind. “A couple of weeks.”
With a short, dry laugh, he took another sip of his drink. “A newbie.”
“You nailed it. That’s me.” The place was filling up. She drew in a ragged breath and pressed damp palms against her capri pants. “How about you? Have you been on the site for long?”
“A while I guess.” He fingered his glass, turning it in his hand. “After my wife’s death, I didn’t know what to do.”
His wife died? Cripes, maybe she was the one who hadn’t read the ad carefully. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured.
“Sure. Thanks. Everybody was sorry.” Vince gave a dry chuckle. “Those casseroles. Geesh. But the women all knew my Leena. I figured we’d always be talking about my wife...and I didn’t want that.”
“No, I guess not.” Her heart went out to him. “Was this recently?”
Vince looked up at one of the knotty pine beams. “About a year. And I’ll tell you what. For me, there’s only one Leena. We knew each other from high school. After that, I just wanted to ...”
“...get past the pain?” Sweet Miss Charlotte came to mind. She always said she was glad that her Raleigh had been taken first. “Men don’t know how to be alone.”
“Right. Exactly.” He turned to fully face her, his drink forgotten. At least he wasn’t trying the thing with the knee. “Not happy words but you get it.”
Vince was giving her way too much credit. What this poor guy needed was a friendly ear. “Your ad said you have children?”
He nodded. “Right. Two boys.”
“Do you have any pictures?”
The question seemed to surprise him. Maybe she was overstepping her bounds. After all, Keith hadn’t even wanted her to know his real name. What were the rules with online dating? “I mean, if you don’t mind showing me. I’d like to see if those boys look like their dad.”
“Sure, no problem. I’m proud of my sons.” Reaching into his back pocket, Vince pulled out a worn wallet. One flip and he came to the picture and shoved it her way.
“Oh my gosh.” The “boys” were men, married with families. Why, they must be her age or older. The picture was from a Christmas when they were all together and Emily’s heart pinched to see their happy faces. Vince’s wife was lovely with dark hair like Emily’s, and he had his arm around her. They looked so happy together. Their two sons, daughters-in-law and three grandchildren were on a sofa next to a holiday tree. “How beautiful.”
Someday she wanted to be part of a happy family group, one with children.
“Hey. You okay?” He flipped the wallet shut. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be dragging out all my memories.”
“No, no. I asked.” Vince had what everyone wanted. What she wanted. “Do you see your sons often? Do they live around here?”
Shaking his head, Vince tucked his wallet back in his pocket. “Mickey lives in New York and Vinny’s in California. They both have big jobs. You know how it is around here. Kids go to school and move away.”
She bit her lip. That sure hadn’t worked for her. “You must miss them.”
“Oh, sure. But they invite me to visit.” He went back to his drink. “I have some family here. A brother. That helps. He’s a big shot. I’m proud of my boys and so was Leena. They’re independent. Have their own lives, which is how it should be.”
“Right.” Emily had worked hard so that she wouldn’t have to be dependent on her folks. Looking at the picture of his sons, she wondered how to approach the whole age difference thing. He hadn’t been truthful. “I’m surprised at how old they are.”
His eyes got cagey. “Yeah, right. How old did I say I was?”
Oh, for Pete’s sake. “Forty. I figured forty would be just a little older than me.”
He patted her hand, as if she were a child that needed comforting. “Sorry. I’m just trying to find the right match. The one who might...”
“Replace Leena.” The irreplaceable wife.
“Right. After all, I have a lot to offer. Nice house. I make a nice salary.” His shoulders straightened. “Leena and I used to take cruises.”
If that was a hook, she wasn’t biting. “Maybe you should go back to the nice ladies who were your friends. Maybe you don’t want to forget Leena. It might help to talk to someone who knew her. And who knows you.”
What was she doing? She was a nutritionist, not a therapist.
“You could be right. Who knows?” He peered up from lowered brows. “Sorry I wasted your time.”
“Oh, you didn’t. Really.” No way did she want Vince to feel worse than he already did.
“Nah. You’re a very pretty young lady and I’m almost old enough to be your father.”
Her heart went out to him. He looked so sad. “Have you been eating all right? Sleeping okay?”
He swirled the ice cubes in his drink. “Fast food mostly. Or I come in here.”
Emily glanced around. “French fries and burgers. Smokey ribs and wings?”
“You got it.” He gave her a twisted smile. “Not as good as Leena’s food, for sure. I ate like a king back then.”
“Did Leena fix you burgers and fries?”
He drew back in horror. “Are you kidding me? I had to eat fish. She followed doctor’s orders. As a treat she’d make my favorite chicken with gnocchi.”
Okay, Emily couldn’t resist and she grabbed a napkin. The guy seemed nice enough and he needed some help. “Got a pen, Vince?”
He dug one from his jacket pocket. “Going to give me your number?”
She clicked the pen open. “I don’t think so.”
He gave a dry chuckle. “Can’t blame me for trying.”
“Yes, I can.” Man, she was getting pretty gutsy. “What you need is a decent diet. I’m giving you the name of my website. Do you know how to use the Internet?”
His face collapsed. “What? Do I look that old?”
Oh, dear. “Sorry. After all, you are doing online dating. I forgot about that. It’s just that my folks aren’t that comfortable with a computer.
“So that’s how it is. I’m right up there with your parents.” Vince started to laugh, a hearty, smoke-tinged laugh. She laughed along with him. But from now on, she was going to work on better answers for delicate questions.
Pushing the napkin toward him, she handed him his pen. “That’s my website. I help people eat
healthy. If you have the menus, you can join one of those companies that send you the whole meal.”
Folding the napkin, he tucked it in his pocket. “So do you have any older sisters?”
“Nope. My parents stopped at one. They figured I’d be a handful.” Smiling, she slid from the stool.
“I think they’re right.” And he laughed again. He really was a nice man. Not grabby. Not inappropriate. Just searching.
“You be careful driving home now,” Vince said as if he were her dad.
“You too.” She reached into her purse for her wallet, but her new friend waved her away.
“This is on me. On your way now.” He did that scooting thing with his hands.
Smiling, she turned. The bartender had been wiping down their portion of the bar for at least five minutes. Long enough to overhear their conversation. Young with a shank of blonde hair and tattooed arms, she didn’t want him to get any ideas. Emily scurried from the bar.
Outside, the air was cool and the night was dark. She fell back against the cedar siding and sucked in a deep breath. At least she hadn’t had an attack inside. Vince had kept her entertained. She’d been focused on something besides her fear. Eileen would approve.
Pushing away, she walked to her car. This dating thing wasn’t what she’d pictured. But it wasn’t all bad either. And she was learning. She was much better at asking questions, and she’d be more wary about profiles. On the way home, she realized that once she started talking to Vince, feeling so darn sorry for him, she forgot all about her fear. Her hand went to her chest. No alarming tingles here and wasn’t that great?
All the way home she chuckled. This was a heck of a way to get new clients. Maybe she should have cards made up. Single nutritionist (person who knows about healthy eating) looking for her forever man and clients.
The next morning all kinds of crashing tore her from a sound sleep. Sasha was nowhere to be seen. Blurry-eyed, Emily hung her head over the side of the bed. “Sasha, are you down there?”
No answer. If Sasha were hiding under the bed, she’d come out as soon as Emily put food in her bowl.
The noise continued. When would this renovation end? What a racket they were making down there. After putting food in Sasha’s bowl, she peeked out the back window. No black truck in sight, only a couple of white vans with “Coastal Decor” scripted across the side. Leave it to Victoria to get some fancy designer to handle her job. Mr. Pomeroy must have money to burn.
