If We Never Met

by Barbara Freethy

  He grabbed his keycard and phone, slipped them into the pocket of his jeans and headed downstairs. The laughter and chatter hit him as soon as he reached the foyer. When he walked into the living room, he saw that Lizzie had rearranged the room so that all the couches and chairs faced a large-screen TV. The bar in the corner was quite busy with Lizzie's fiancé, Justin Blackwood, pouring margaritas. In the adjacent dining room, two long tables had been set for a buffet while another six round tables were covered with linen cloths with flower centerpieces.

  There were probably two dozen people mingling between the rooms, but while a few he recognized as being guests at the inn, he didn't see Mark Langley. Nor did he see Keira.

  He headed to the bar. When he reached the front of the line, Justin gave him a smile.

  "Margarita, wine, beer? What's your pleasure?" Justin asked.

  "I'll take a margarita. It looks like that's the drink of the day."

  "It is, and I make a good one. Don't tell Lizzie how strong they are," Justin added with a laugh.

  Justin was a tall, good-looking guy with a dark-blue gaze that sparkled with amusement. From what Lizzie had told him about her fiancé, he knew Justin ran a huge company, specializing in robotics. Apparently, after falling in love with Lizzie, he'd decided to set up a field office in town so that Lizzie could continue managing her inn. The sacrifice was impressive. He didn't know a lot of guys who would move for a woman, although he certainly knew a lot of women who had moved to follow their men all over the country, from the minor leagues to the majors, and city to city.

  Justin handed him a margarita. "Let me know what you think."

  He got a strong taste of tequila. "Very good. I like your pour."

  Justin leaned in, lowering his voice. "It will make watching an awards show a lot more fun."

  He smiled. "Sounds like we're on the same page."

  "Most of the guys here are on that page, not that we don't love Chelsea. Lizzie's sister is a sweetheart and so talented. Her voice can give you chills. I love watching her perform, and I really hope she wins the award she's up for. It would show that she's officially made her comeback."

  "Comeback?" he queried.

  "She quit music for several years. It's a long story. But she's back, and her talent is more impressive than ever."

  "I'll have to listen to one of her songs."

  "She sings a mix of country and pop. She's on all the platforms."

  "I'll check her out."

  "Check who out?" Lizzie asked, interrupting their conversation. "Hello, Dante. I'm so glad you decided to join us."

  "I could smell the food upstairs."

  "That's how I lure people down," she said with a laugh. "So, who are you checking out?"

  "Your sister. Justin said I should listen to one of her songs."

  "Oh, you should. She's amazing."

  "Do you sing as well?"

  "Only in the shower. How are the margaritas? They're not too strong, are they?"

  "Perfect," he said, catching Justin's small smile.

  "Great," Lizzie returned. "We're going to open the buffet in a few minutes. And I hope you'll stay for the show, too. I haven't had a chance to show you much hospitality yet."

  "Not true."

  "I promised Grayson you would be well taken care of, so while I know you're in town for serious reasons, I want to make sure you also have some fun."

  "Don't fight it," Justin told him, as Lizzie moved away to speak to another group of guests. "Lizzie is a force of nature. If she wants to entertain you, then you will be entertained."

  "I'm beginning to realize that."

  "She thinks of every guest as family. When I first came here, I thought she was over the top when it came to events, but I soon realized that what she does is what makes this place special."

  "I have to admit I've never stayed at an inn before."

  "It wasn't my thing, either. But my grandparents held their fifty-seventh wedding anniversary vow renewal here. I came and met Lizzie, and the rest is history. I never expected my life to go this way, but I'm thankful it did." Justin paused as another couple stepped up to the bar. "What can I get you?"

  As Justin poured more margaritas, Dante moved away from the bar, thinking that he'd never expected his life to go this way, either, but he didn't feel thankful. He was frustrated and restless to get back to normal. But normal seemed very far away.

  As he headed into the dining room, he saw Keira set down a large sheet cake at the end of the buffet table, and his heart jumped. She looked beautiful in dark jeans, and a gauzy top that fell off her shoulders. Her face was a little flushed when she stepped back to admire the cake. When she looked up, she caught his gaze, and her eyes sparkled as a smile spread across her lips.

  His gut clenched. Damn! He hadn't reacted like this to a woman in a long time. And she wasn't even trying to get his attention. In fact, she'd made it clear she wouldn't try, because he was attached.

  And he was still attached. His tentative suggestion that he and Nikki take a break had gone nowhere. Now he wished he pushed the issue, because Nikki was turning into a shadowy figure he could barely remember while Keira was a bright light that he couldn't see past.

  Keira came over to join him. "Hi," she said softly.

  "Hi," he echoed, as they exchanged a long look that sent blood racing through his body.

  She licked her lips. "What did you do today? More rehab?"

  "No, I walked around town. I went through the park and down to the lake. The beach was fairly crowded."

  "Wait another week and you'll barely be able to put a towel down. Fourth of July is a big holiday. You'll still be here then, won't you?"

  "I think so. We'll see how things go."

  "It's a good time to be at the lake. The weather is great. The water is getting warmer every day. And there are lots of activities going on all over town."

  "It sounds like people do nothing but party around here."

  "The vacationers do nothing but party. As for the locals, we still work a lot. However, it was a long, cold winter, and now that it's summer, everyone wants to be outside, celebrating."

  Summer had always been his favorite time of the year, but that's when he'd been playing baseball. There had been nothing better than a Saturday or Sunday day game, except maybe a double-header. But he didn't want to think about that right now. "What did you do today?"

  "A little digging and not only in the garden. I finally got online and looked up Mr. Langley."

  He saw the gleam in her eyes. "Did you find something?"

  "Yes. I'm not sure what it means or if it changes anything, but it was a little odd." She looked around, but no one was paying them any attention.

  "If you're looking for Langley, I haven't seen him," he told her.

  "He's probably on his way to my house. He's taking my mother out for dinner."

  "If you found some dirt on him, why is your mother still going out with him?"

  "I didn't tell her yet. It's not solid. She'd tell me to butt out, and I can't do that."

  He had to admit he was a little curious. "Okay, so what did you find out?"

  "There was an article in an LA newspaper where Langley used to live. Fifteen years ago, his house burned down, and his nanny died in the fire."

  He stared at her, surprised by her words. He didn't know what he'd been expecting, but it wasn't that. "That's sad."

  "It is. Langley's son was nine at the time. My mom told me that Mark divorced his wife when his son was nine. It happened the same year."

  "Okay. What does it mean?"

  "I'm not sure. There's something else. When I was talking to Mark in his office yesterday, he asked his assistant to hold his calls. But his assistant came in a few minutes later with an urgent call from a woman, who she claimed was hysterical. As I left the room, I heard Mark say, 'Mandy, why are you calling me here?' He paused to hear something she said, and then he replied, 'This stops now.' He was definitely angry."

  "Okay, but
we don't know who this Mandy is."

  "Here's something else that's odd. The woman who died in the fire was survived by her sister, Amanda. I'm thinking Mandy could be this Amanda. What do you think?"

  He couldn't help but smile. "You have a big imagination, don't you?"

  "Maybe, but I'm not imagining what I just told you."

  "No, but you're taking a lot of small clues and putting them together in a way that sounds sinister. Mandy might not be the same woman. And the fire… Was Mark there? Did he set it?"

  "The article said Mark, his wife, and child were out of town when it happened."

  "Then he was a victim."

  "That's true. I know I could be putting the puzzle together incorrectly, but there's something odd about the story and about his phone call. Even putting the fire aside, I'd like to know who Mandy is and what kind of relationship she has with Mark, because he was definitely angry that she called him. I need to do more research."

  "You do," he agreed. "Try not to look at everything through suspicious eyes."

  "I can't promise that." She gave a helpless shrug. "I feel how I feel, and that won't change until Mark proves himself in some way or I find information that leads me to believe he's a perfectly harmless old high school boyfriend who just happened to end up in the same town as my mom."

  While a part of him thought that Keira was making something out of nothing, he was also impressed with how much she cared, how far she was willing to go to protect someone she cared about. He liked the fierceness of her loyalty and her love. It was kind of strange, but in some ways, she reminded him a little of his mom. His mother had always been on top of everything that they were doing, what was happening in school, who their friends were, what they were thinking. He'd hated her constant questions when she was alive, but after she'd died, he'd missed that, especially when his father's interest in his thoughts or whereabouts was basically nonexistent.

  "Dante?" she questioned. "What are you thinking?"

  Before he could answer, they were interrupted by an attractive woman with hair the color of a dark-red flame. With her was a tall, athletically built guy with brown hair.

  "Hello," the woman said, giving him a speculative look, before extending her hand. "I'm Hannah, one of Keira's best friends. And you are?"

  "Dante," he said, shaking her hand.

  "And this is my fiancé, Jake," Hannah added. "I have to confess that we know who you are. Your presence is all over town. There were reporters in the Blue Sky Café this morning asking where you were staying."

  "Great," he muttered.

  "I don't think anyone said you were staying here. Actually, I didn't even know you were staying here. Lizzie didn't share that."

  "She has been very discreet."

  "I didn't really recognize your name," Hannah added, "but Jake practically had a heart attack."

  "Uh, I wasn't that bad," Jake said. "She's exaggerating."

  "He's lying," Hannah said with a laugh. "Jake knows a lot about your stats. He bored me with quite a few on the way over here."

  "But I won't bore you with what you already know," Jake said, shaking hands with him. "Sorry about your injury. That's rough."

  "Thanks." The word came out short and sharp. He knew he'd been too abrupt, but he didn't know what to say next. He'd let down his guard while he'd been talking to Keira, and now he was caught between his past and his present.

  "We should eat," Keira said, jumping into the awkward silence. "We can talk more over dinner." Keira grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the buffet table.

  He was surprised by the sudden heat of her fingers wrapping around his. She was clearly an affectionate person. He hadn't grown up in a family where people held hands or hugged when they saw each other. Maybe his parents had been like that before his mom died, but since then, he and his brothers and his dad had more of a slap-you-on-the-back kind of relationship, and even that was a rare occurrence.

  She let go of his hand when she handed him a plate. As she met his gaze, a warm flush crept up her cheeks. "Sorry. I shouldn't have grabbed you like that."

  "You got us to the front of the line; I'm good with that," he said lightly, as he spooned some salad onto a plate.

  "You looked like a deer in the headlights when Hannah and Jake recognized you. I'm surprised you're not more used to it."

  "I am used to it, but it was a lot easier when I…" He didn't know how to explain it to her.

  "When you were on top," she said softly.

  He met her gaze. "When I knew who I was." He regretted his words almost immediately. They were too personal. They were too honest. He'd revealed too much. But there was something about Keira's warm gaze that broke down his defenses.

  "I understand."

  "How could you?"

  "Because I can," she said simply. "You don't have to worry. I won't tell anyone your secret."

  He wanted to believe she understood. He wanted to believe she'd keep his secrets. But he'd been let down many times in the past. Trusting someone wasn't a risk he could afford.

  However, he didn't need to trust her. He just needed to keep his mouth shut.

  Chapter Seven

  After filling their plates, they made their way to a nearby table. Hannah and Jake followed shortly thereafter, with Jake sliding into the seat next to him.

  "Hey, I'm sorry," Jake said, giving him an apologetic look. "I shouldn't have mentioned the injury."

  He shook his head, angry at himself for making Jake feel awkward. "It's not a secret. Don't worry about it."

  "I told Jake to be cool," Hannah put in. "He is not usually a fan-boy, but he makes an exception for baseball."

  "I'm not a fan-boy," Jake told Hannah. "I just like the game."

  "I know. I watched you play a lot of games in high school. You were obsessed." Hannah looked at him. "Jake was really good."

  "I was average," Jake corrected.

  "You two went to high school together?" He wanted to move the conversation away from baseball.

  "Yes. We loved each other and then we hated each other," Hannah said. "That's the short version. It took us about twelve years to get back to the love part."

  He saw a hint of that love in the glance they now exchanged.

  "Which I was really happy to see," Keira interjected. "I had a front-row seat to their love-hate relationship in high school, as well as the past year. I was tremendously relieved when they decided to stop fighting each other."

  "What turned it all around?" he asked curiously.

  "I did a lot of groveling," Jake joked.

  "Not any more than you needed to do," Hannah said pointedly. "The truth is, Dante, we both had to grow up and realize we weren't the people we used to be. We also had some family baggage to deal with. When we finally got honest with each other, we were able to see past the hurt and the anger." She held up her left hand, a sparkling diamond on her third finger. "Now, we're engaged, and I'm getting married in less than two weeks." Hannah smiled at Keira. "And I'll be wearing a Keira Blake original."

  "I hope you'll be wearing it. I still need to finish your dress," Keira grumbled.

  "It's already done. You just won't let it go."

  "It's not perfect yet, and for you, it has to be perfect."

  Hannah shook her head in bemusement. "I honestly don't know what's wrong with it, but I will trust you, because you're the designer." She turned back to him. "Did you know that Keira designed the dress Chelsea will be wearing on the awards show tonight?"

  "I heard something about that."

  "I'm sure you're going to get a lot of calls for work after Chelsea walks down the red carpet," Hannah added to Keira. "This could be a big starter for you."

  "We'll see. Let's talk about something else," Keira said. "Did you work today, Hannah?"

  "Unfortunately, yes. I had to cover Rose's shift." Hannah looked at him. "I'm a nurse. The hospital is getting busy as the tourists arrive in town, although summer is never as bad as winter. The snowboarders and skiers b
reak a lot of bones and pull a lot of muscles."

  "I'll bet."

  "Are you a winter sports guy?" Hannah asked.

  "No. I've been snowboarding a few times, but I've never gotten past the medium hills. I bet you're all very good at winter sports, considering where you live."

  "Keira is the best."

  He turned to Keira. "You're a pro, huh?"

  "I wouldn't go that far, but I grew up on these mountains. And I like speed. I was always a very responsible kid, but when I skied, I let myself go. I even did some downhill racing, but I had a bad fall when I was a teenager, and my mom was so freaked out about how I could have killed myself that I backed off the circuit."

  He wondered how many other sacrifices Keira had made for her mom. It certainly seemed like more than a few. He was a little surprised she liked speed and racing, although maybe he shouldn't be. Keira clearly had a zest and an energy to participate in life. She wasn't a spectator. She was definitely a doer. She had multiple businesses, she was the family caretaker, and she was very involved with her friends.

  The conversation shifted as Lizzie and Justin joined them for dinner, and there was an easy comfort among everyone in the group. Lizzie talked about the inn. Justin mentioned his new office center that was apparently being designed by an architect, who was also a friend. Jake spoke about his adventure sports business while Hannah threw shade at just about everyone.

  He liked all of them, more than he would have imagined, and he found himself being drawn into their conversation but in subtle ways. No one asked him about his stats or his injury or anything to do with baseball. That might be because he'd made Jake and Hannah uncomfortable, but he found himself sharing information about his family, growing up in San Francisco, even his old dog, Rosie, who had shagged baseballs for him.

  Apparently, Keira had also had a golden retriever named Dusty, and they bonded even more over stories about their dogs. She mentioned that she and her mom still occasionally thought about getting another puppy, but that was just one more job that she probably didn't have time for. He, of course, had never considered getting a pet, because he was on the road too much, but talking about Rosie made him realize that having a dog was something he'd missed. Having a laser focus on baseball had made him tremendously successful, but in some ways, it had kept his world very narrow.