If We Never Met

by Barbara Freethy

  "There's nothing going on. We kissed. It was…amazing. But it was an impulsive moment that won't happen again."

  "Why not? Seems like you're both interested."

  "He has a girlfriend, and he's only in town for a few weeks. Those are two huge strikes against him."

  "Oh. Well, the girlfriend is a problem. The couple of weeks could just be fun. It doesn't have to be something serious."

  "I can't get involved with someone who isn't free. I did that once before; it did not end well."

  "That guy was lying to you," Hannah reminded her. "You didn't know he was hooking up with his ex-girlfriend."

  "Maybe I just didn't see what I didn't want to see. Either way, I learned my lesson. If someone is involved with someone else, he is not involved with me. I don't plan to see Dante again."

  "Got it. But it may not be that simple or clear-cut."

  "Why not?"

  "There's another reason I came by. I was just at the inn, and Lizzie said she's been trying to reach you, but you haven't been picking up your phone."

  "I don't usually check my phone when I'm working. Is something wrong?"

  "A reporter came by the inn, looking for Dante."

  "What does that have to do with me?"

  "He asked Lizzie if she could identify the mystery woman in a photo he'd taken." Hannah took out her phone and set it on the counter between them. "This is the picture and the article that's running online today."

  She stared down at a photo of Dante and herself leaving Micky's the first night they'd met. They were facing each other. He was smiling, and she was laughing as he handed her the bag of fish tacos. But the headline spun the simple interaction into something much more dramatic. "Dante DeAngelis Scores a Beautiful Brunette During Rehab."

  "I can't believe this," she muttered. "He handed me a bag of tacos outside the restaurant. It was nothing. I never even saw the photographer take the picture. He must have gotten it before he jumped out of the van. That's why Dante bolted so fast. He said he wanted to keep me out of any photos."

  "He wasn't very successful. And that wasn't the only time the photographer caught you together." Hannah swiped the screen to reveal another photo of them sitting together in the glass-walled atrium at the rehab center.

  She was shocked. "I ran into Dante when I went to see Mark Langley, my mother's friend. I had a meeting with Langley, not Dante. He just happened to be in the building when I arrived, so I said hello." She paused. "I wonder if Dante has seen these."

  "Lizzie said she texted him, but he's been at the rehab center all day. What are you going to do?"

  "Nothing. I'm sure it will blow over quickly."

  "Maybe not that quickly. It's not just Dante who's famous; it's his girlfriend."

  "Really? She's famous, too?" She hadn't asked Dante anything about his girlfriend.

  "You don't know who he's dating?"

  "I didn't ask him about her. I didn't really want to know."

  Hannah picked up her phone and flipped through it. "It's Nikki Voltari, the supermodel. They started dating in February."

  "Nikki Voltari?" she echoed. "I met her years ago when I was in New York. She was about seventeen then. She met with the designer I was working for. She was stunningly pretty, blonde, tan, thin, with incredible hazel eyes."

  "She's still all that." Hannah turned her phone around once more. "This was taken of them at a red-carpet event in LA last March."

  Nikki was as beautiful as she remembered, but Dante was even more handsome in a black tux. "They look good together." A large wave of disappointment ran through her. "Really good."

  Hannah gave her a commiserating smile. "I'm sorry, Keira."

  She shrugged. "It is what it is. It's not like he didn't tell me he had a girlfriend. Actually, he seemed eager not to call her that. He just said they were seeing each other."

  "Maybe it isn't serious."

  "Or he was downplaying it because he's in a small town and feeling bored."

  "There is that possibility," Hannah admitted. "But he seemed like a nice guy."

  "I think he is a nice guy. But he's injured. He's lost. He's not in his real life. I can't just be a distraction."

  "No, you can't. But even if you don't want to date him, you're going to have to deal with the fallout from these photos."

  She sighed. "I'm going to be painted as the other woman."

  "I'm afraid so. How about I buy you a drink, and we can talk about it?"

  "That would be nice, but I have to meet my mother's friend to show him a house. Do you know Mark Langley? He's the administrator of the rehab center."

  "I met him last night. We had a cocktail party to welcome the new rehab staff members."

  "What did you think of him?"

  "Handsome for an older man. Seemed smart, articulate. Why?"

  "He showed up at our house out of the blue last Thursday. Apparently, he went to high school with my mom, and he's been taking her out ever since then. They've had dinner. They've gone on walks. They talk for hours on the phone. It's weird."

  "Are you saying he's dating your mom?"

  "It sure seems that way. She thinks he's wonderful, but I find him to be overly aggressive. My mother disagrees. She says he's just being nice and they're getting reacquainted."

  "Wow. This is big news. I never pictured your mom dating again."

  "I didn't, either."

  "She is a lot better, though. Maybe this is good for her."

  "She's still vulnerable. I don't know that her ability to see through someone's motives is that good. I need to protect her."

  "I can understand that feeling. I was doubtful of my mother's boyfriend, too, because of her addiction issues. But he seems to respect the fact that she needs to be in a sober environment, so there's nothing else I can do. I just worry that my mom tends to lose herself when men come around. But your mom has never been like that. I hardly remember her seeing anyone when we were growing up."

  "There were a few losers, like the one who stole money from her."

  "Oh, right. I remember that one. So, what are you going to do besides show him a house?"

  "Try to get to know him and see if I can figure out if he has a hidden agenda." She glanced at her watch. "I better lock up. I have to meet him in thirty minutes."

  "Okay. If you want to talk later, you know where to find me."

  "With Jake?" she teased. "Yes, I know where to find you."

  Hannah gave her a big, happy grin. "Even if I'm with Jake, I'm still available to you. You know that."

  "I do. And I'm glad you're with Jake. It was a long time coming."

  "I just had to get out of my own way. That may be advice you need to take."

  "I'm not in my way; there's a girlfriend, a baseball career, and now the paparazzi."

  Hannah gave her a regretful smile. "I wish it were different. You and Dante seemed like you really clicked."

  "I thought so, too. But it was just a click, nothing more—the end."

  "We'll see."

  "There's nothing to see. Go back to being cynical Hannah; I'm not used to this optimistic version."

  "Sorry. I fell in love, and everything just looks rosier."

  She pushed Hannah out the door, then locked it behind her and flipped the sign to Closed.

  She not only needed to meet Mark Langley, but she also needed a minute to think about what the photographs might mean and what she needed to say if she ran across that photographer. One thing was clear: if she'd needed another reason to stay away from Dante, she'd just gotten it.

  Chapter Nine

  A half hour later, Keira pulled up in front of a two-bedroom house in a newer development near the outskirts of town. She wanted to show Mark Langley this house first, simply because it was farther away from the home she shared with her mother. She got out of the car and walked up to the front door to open the lockbox. When she entered the house, she turned on the lights. Even though it was still bright outside, she wanted the house to look inviting, and
it did. The home had recently been remodeled in neutral colors. Everything was sleek, sophisticated, and well-designed. There weren't many frills, just a clean design, and that seemed perfect for a single, older man.

  A car pulled up in front of the house, and she walked out to the porch. Mark Langley got out of the car, wearing brown slacks and a white shirt. He was a handsome older man, she grudgingly admitted. But good looks didn't necessarily make him a fit for her mother.

  He gave her a friendly but somewhat wary smile. "Hello, Keira. Thanks for meeting me."

  "No problem. The house is ready for you to look at."

  She waved him inside, happy that the air conditioning was working well, as it was a warm summer evening. She told him a little about the home as he entered, pointing out a few things before he wandered off on his own. He walked through the house fairly quickly. She wasn't completely surprised, as her male clients were usually focused on only a few key things.

  "This house looks good," he said, as he rejoined her in the living room. "I'm just not sure about the location. It's farther from town than the other one."

  "By only a couple of miles. Nothing is that far in Whisper Lake. This house is probably the most up to date you'll find in this price range. The roof was recently done as well. It's a house you can move right into and just enjoy."

  "I can see that."

  "But you're not sold."

  "As I said, it's nice, but I'm not convinced this is the location for me."

  "All right. We're just starting to look, so that's good to know. I can zero in on better locations."

  "I'm not in a hurry. I'd like to find something soon, but I want it to be the right place for me. In the meantime, I'm happy to stay at the inn. Lizzie does a great job taking care of me."

  "She's the best."

  "Yes." He gave her a thoughtful look. "I feel like we've gotten off on the wrong foot. Have I done something to offend you, Keira?"

  She was taken aback by his direct words. "No."

  "I know you're concerned about my relationship with your mother, but you really don't have to worry. I care about Ruth, and I would never do anything to hurt her. I know she's had a rough time, and I understand your sense of protectiveness. In fact, I admire the sacrifices you've made for your mother."

  "I did what any daughter would do."

  "It sounds like you went above and beyond, giving up your life in New York to be here with her and then changing careers to keep her real-estate business afloat so that she would still be able to earn money."

  She appreciated his words, or maybe they were her mom's words, but she still needed to keep her guard up. Mark was very smooth. He knew the right things to say. "My mom is the one who fought her way back to health, but…she's not all the way back. She has trouble with her memories. Sometimes the right word escapes her. She occasionally confuses faces."

  "I haven't noticed any of that. She seems very sharp to me."

  "Well, you've only been here a few days." She felt compelled to remind him how short their reunion had actually been.

  "That's true. I'm looking forward to getting to know everything about her. I feel so lucky to have found her again. When I saw the job opening in Whisper Lake, the town name jumped out at me. I was fairly certain that's where your mom had ended up, but we hadn't been in touch in years. I wasn't sure she was still here. When I arrived, I told one of the therapists at the clinic that I'd gone to school with your mother, and she knew her. She told me where to find her."

  "Who was that?"

  "Her name is Nancy. Nancy Rodriguez."

  She knew Nancy Rodriguez. She'd been one of her mother's therapists after the accident. "Nancy was very helpful in furthering my mother's recovery."

  "She's an excellent therapist, from what I've been told. Anyway, that's how I showed up at your door last week. I know I took you by surprise. I guess I wanted to see the look on your mom's face. She didn't recognize me at first, but then she saw the photo, and she looked into my eyes, and it all came back."

  She remembered that moment as well as he did, but while it had made him happy, it had made her suspicious. "My mom said you went out in high school."

  "Yes. We dated for a couple of months our senior year, but it came to an end at graduation. We were going in different directions. My parents were moving to California, and I had gotten accepted to UC Santa Barbara. She was going to stay in Denver for school."

  "But it wasn't just because you were moving. My mom told me you cheated on her."

  Surprise filled his gaze. "Really? She said that?"

  "She did."

  "That's not what happened. She actually kissed someone else and then apologized for it. I was a very proud seventeen-year-old, so I didn't accept her apology. I was an idiot. After that, I started seeing another girl, but your mom was the one who strayed. Looking back, I can see why it happened. We were both late bloomers, and we weren't ready to be exclusive."

  "Hmm, I guess she doesn't remember it the same way." It was entirely possible her mother had mixed it up in her mind. Or maybe Mark was just trying to make himself look better. "When did you meet your wife?"

  "She's my ex-wife. We've been divorced for fifteen years. We met at a trade show when we were in our early thirties. She was a pharmaceutical rep. I was working in health care as well. We got married very quickly and then spent about six years trying to have a baby. Eventually, we had my son, Richard. He's twenty-four now."

  "What broke you up?"

  He hesitated. "A lot of things, many of them extremely painful. We needed to split up and move on from each other. It was the best thing for our son and for us."

  "I'm sorry." She felt frustrated at his vagueness. But she couldn't really expect him to tell her his life story. Still, she wanted to push a little. "And you never remarried or fell in love again?"

  "I've had other relationships, but marriage wasn't something I was eager to rush into a second time. Your mother said it was never something she wanted to do a second time, either."

  "That's true."

  He gave her a speculative look. "I'm not after anything, Keira. I just wanted to see Ruth again. It has been fun catching up with her, talking about old times, old friends. We have memories in common."

  "That's what she said."

  "I'm glad she's been enjoying our conversations as much as I am. Now, shall we take a look at the next house?"

  "Yes. I'll lock up here. You can follow me, or I can meet you there, whichever you prefer."

  "Why don't I meet you there? Your mom told me it's just a few blocks from your house, and she'd like to take a look at it as well, so I'll pick her up on the way."

  "I didn't know she was interested in seeing the house. I can get her."

  "It's no problem. We'll see you in a few."

  He was gone before she could protest. What could she say, anyway?

  Mark and her mom had already made a plan, and she'd been left out of it. She locked up the house, feeling decidedly out of sorts. When she arrived at the next property, she felt even more annoyed when her mother got out of Mark's car, looking remarkably put together in white pants and a floral top. When she'd left her mom this morning, she'd been in pajamas and an old robe. But she'd put herself together quite nicely: hair, makeup, and stylish sandals.

  She told herself it was good. Mark was making her mom happy. That was what was important. She just wished she could stop seeing a potentially catastrophic downfall ahead. She didn't want to see her mother end up in pieces again, even if they were only emotional pieces and not physical. She didn't think she could handle it. She didn't think her mother could, either.

  "Hello, Keira," her mom said with a bright smile. "Mark said the first house you showed him was lovely."

  "It was, but the location didn't work for him. This house is in a great neighborhood, of course, but it is older."

  "Yes, but it's charming," her mom said. "Let's go inside. This will be fun. I haven't looked at houses in a long time. It reminds me of the
old days when I spent every Sunday working an open house."

  "You're always welcome to come with me," she said, as she unlocked the home. "I didn't realize you felt like you were missing out."

  "Well, I didn't feel that way until just now."

  As her mother and Mark wandered around the older three-bedroom home, she could hear them chatting and laughing. Her mother seemed to find Mark hilarious. She couldn't fathom why. He had a dry sense of humor, but he wasn't exactly a comedian.

  She popped into various rooms to point out good points as well as flaws, but no one was paying her much attention.

  Finally, they ended up back in the kitchen, which had been the one room in the house that had been recently remodeled, although it was still on the smaller side.

  "This kitchen is beautiful." Her mom ran her hand along the sleek white tile. "It's not huge, but the balance of counter space to appliances and cabinets is excellent."

  "I can see myself cooking here," Mark agreed.

  "Do you cook a lot?" she asked.

  "I do. I didn't start cooking until I was in my forties, but now I love it."

  "I told him we need to check out the farmers' market on the weekend," her mom put in.

  "I can't wait," Mark said. "And I'd love to make you and Keira dinner next Sunday if that works out, if you don’t mind lending me your kitchen."

  "I'd love it," her mom exclaimed. "Keira?"

  She gave a weak smile. "Sounds good."

  "Then we'll count on you being there," Mark said.

  "Great. What do you think of the house, Mark?"

  "It's perfect," he replied. "I love the neighborhood. It's close to everything."

  "It's on the higher end of your price range," she couldn't help noting.

  "I think it's worth it."

  "Are you ready to make an offer?"

  "I need to sleep on it."

  "Of course."

  "But don't wait too long," her mom said. "Houses go fast in this neighborhood. It would be nice to have you close. We could take walks together."

  "I'd love that."

  As they exchanged a warm look, she cleared her throat, feeling very much like a third wheel. "Just let me know what you decide. I'll send you the disclosures tonight."