"Are you sure?" Ruth asked.
"Absolutely. Do you mind if I just forage in the refrigerator and come up with a meal?"
"I'd be very happy for you to do that," Ruth said. "I'll show you where we put things."
As Micah and Ruth moved into the house, Dante sat back down next to Keira, immediately pulling her into his arms and taking the kiss that had been on his mind since the last time his mouth had touched hers. She tasted even sweeter than the wine on her lips, and he felt like an addict who'd finally gotten the hit he desperately needed.
She kissed him back with the same hungry desperation, making him feel that he wasn't alone in this crazy attraction that they had for each other. He wished Micah and her mother were far, far away, but he was very aware that one or both could come back at any minute. He reluctantly lifted his mouth from hers. "We had a moment. I had to take it."
"I'm glad you did." She licked her lips, making his groin tighten once more. "When is your brother leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning. We could get together later tonight at the inn."
"No. You should spend your time with Micah."
"We've been together all day. We'll have had enough of each other. And believe me, he would understand."
"Still. It would be better to wait until he's gone."
"All right," he said, seeing the firm look in her eyes. "Let's change the subject. What do you make of Mark not showing up?"
"It's very strange. This whole dinner was his idea. By the way, I talked to my mom about Mandy, the argument in the parking garage, the fact that Mandy was looking for Mark at the inn—"
"Wait," he interrupted. "When was she at the inn?"
"Oh, that's right, you don't know. When I was talking to Lizzie after you and Micah went to dinner last night, she said that a red-haired woman came looking for Mark and was agitated that he wasn't there. She took a long time to write him a message, which Lizzie did not read, but did deliver to Mark's room. Lizzie also said that Mandy made some cryptic remark about no one should trust Mark. She didn't know what that meant."
"So, Mandy is still in town."
"Yes. When I told my mom about her, she said she saw a red-haired woman sitting in a car in front of this house when she came back from church with her friend. The woman drove off after they went into the house. I don't like that Mandy was here. She must have thought that Mark and my mom were together."
"Maybe it's good that they weren't."
"Exactly." A troubled glint entered her gaze. "But if this woman is even a little off, I don't want her around my mom."
"What did your mother say?"
"She dismissed the whole thing. It's Mark's private business, and he doesn't have to tell her everything. She hasn't told him everything. She said she knows him, and she trusts him. She did agree to talk to him, but she didn't want to do it tonight. Now, she won't have that opportunity, anyway. I wonder if he cancelled because he needed to see Mandy."
"Who knows?" He didn't like the idea of Mandy being in front of the house, either. If she was stalking Mark, then Ruth could be an obstacle in her path. "If your mother won't confront Mark, maybe you need to do it, Keira. Or I'll do it. He has the room next to mine. I can knock on his door and tell him what we know."
"I appreciate that, but I think I'd rather do it myself, if my mother won't." She blew out a breath. "Anyway, that's all going to have to wait. I can't say I'm totally unhappy about him not showing up. I worked a lot today, and now we can just have a nice dinner. I'm sorry your brother has to cook. It was very generous of him to offer."
"He loves to cook. It will be a good meal."
"But he's supposed to be having a fun weekend."
"Cooking is fun for him. Or at least it used to be. I'm not sure what's going on with him now. He's very mysterious about his food truck." He paused as Ruth rejoined them, a glass of wine in her hand. "Does Micah have everything under control?"
"He seems to," Ruth replied. "He insisted I come out here and have a drink. But I think you should go and help him, Keira. I'll entertain Dante."
He could see the determined glint in Ruth's eyes. So could Keira.
"All right," Keira said, as she got up. "But don't ask Dante twenty questions." She gave her mom a pointed, warning look and then headed into the kitchen.
As Keira left, he smiled at Ruth. "You can ask me as many questions as you want."
"Actually, I thought you might have some questions for me."
"About?"
"My lovely daughter. Would you like to know more about her?"
"I would," he admitted. "What was Keira like when she was a little girl?"
"Stubborn, independent, and creative. She was also very active. She always had a ton of energy. In the winter, she would spend hours skiing or snowboarding. She was a bit of a daredevil. Gave me a few gray hairs, I'll tell you. In the summers, she'd paddleboard or swim or spend time with her friends. Actually, whatever she did, she rarely did it alone. She had a great group of girlfriends. Most of whom still live here."
"I've met some of them. They are great."
"I don't know if Keira told you, but we've always been close. It was just the two of us for a long time. I was really sad when she went to college in New York, but I was also excited for her. I wanted to see where she would take her artistic talent. Unfortunately, I had my accident, and she gave up everything to come back and take care of me. My daughter is one of the most loyal, generous, loving people you'll ever meet."
"It's great how close you are."
"We get along really well. Sometimes we butt heads, but what mother and daughter don't? Are you close to your family?"
"With my brothers, yes. My mom died when I was young, and my father retreated from the family after that. My brothers and I raised ourselves with a little help from my grandmother."
"I'm sorry about your mother."
"Thanks. I wish now I'd known her better. But when I was a kid, I just thought of her as Mom. I never asked her about her life before I was born. I heard bits and pieces, but I feel like I didn't really know the woman she was."
"I'm sure your father or grandmother could help."
"My grandmother passed away several years ago, and my father hates to talk about my mother. He basically leaves the room if her name comes up."
"It must be painful for him."
"I suppose."
"What do you remember about your mom?"
"She liked to cook. I didn't, so I didn't hang out with her in the kitchen. But Micah did. I think cooking keeps him close to her memory. I wish I had that." He thought for a moment. "She also liked to dance. There was always music on in the house, and she was dancing to it, even if she was folding laundry. Sometimes when my father would come home, she'd grab his hand and make him spin her around." He stopped abruptly, surprised by the image in his head. "I can't believe I just remembered that."
"Memories are precious. Mine were gone for a while. They've mostly come back, and I'm grateful for each and every one of them now. Mark has helped me remember a lot of my youth. It's so lovely to revisit that time. Keira isn't a fan of Mark's, but she doesn't know him the way I do. I don't think Keira realizes that I had a life before she was born, either, and Mark was part of that."
"That makes sense," he said slowly. "But from what I know of Keira, she's a fair person. If she has doubts about someone, maybe it's smart to listen to those doubts, or talk them out with her."
"We did that a little today. I heard what she said, but I do know that Keira has gotten overprotective since my accident, so I have to weigh emotion with facts. But I will speak to Mark." She cleared her throat. "What about you and Keira? Are you falling for my daughter? Am I being too nosy?"
"Yes and yes," he said with a smile.
"I think she likes you, too. But it's complicated, isn't it?"
"Very much so."
"The best things usually are. I just hope that I'm not one of the complications that keeps the two of you apart. Keira has given up so much f
or me. I want her to have her life."
"I think she'd say she's doing exactly that."
"Oh, I know she'd say that. But it wouldn't be true. She's always been more of a giver than a taker."
He thought about her words. "I think I've been the opposite."
"Tell me about yourself, Dante."
"What do you want to know?"
A smile played across her lips. "Whatever you want to tell me."
"What was it like growing up with Dante?" Keira asked Micah as she sat at the kitchen counter, sipping her wine and watching him cook. She'd offered to help chop something, but Micah had waved her off and was moving around the kitchen at the speed of light.
"Frustrating," Micah said with a laugh. "Hard to follow in the footsteps of a kid who does everything really, really well."
"You mean sports?"
"And school. He wasn't just great at baseball, he got straight As."
"Seriously? When did he have time to study?"
"Late at night. He was a night owl."
"I always got a lot done late at night, too. It's so quiet; it's easier to focus. What about you, Micah?"
"I like nights. Working in restaurants, I'd always volunteer to close, so I could play around in the kitchen, make my own creations, and think about one day having my own restaurant."
"Is that still the goal?"
"I don't know. I'm not sure where I'm headed next, but I'll figure it out. I can always go to work for someone. I'd just like to have more autonomy, which is not easy to find." Micah paused as he put the lamb in the oven. Then he said, "Dante tells me you'd like to be a full-time designer one day, but you have a lot of other responsibilities right now."
"Yes. I have lots of autonomy, but that also means I have an enormous amount of work. I design on the side right now, but I am interested in making that a priority. I just have things to figure out." She sniffed. "It already smells good in here."
"I'm just getting started."
"I'm sorry we're making you work for your dinner."
"This isn't work, and I'm happy to do it. Plus, I get a chance to talk to you. And I'm curious to get to know the woman my brother is so taken with."
She flushed at his words. "I don't know about that."
"Trust me, I know my brother. The way he talks about you—it's not like anything I've heard before."
"Really?"
"Really," he echoed. "Baseball has always been his passion. There have been plenty of women who have tried to divert some of that passion to themselves, but they didn't even make a dent."
"Maybe this is just a weird time for Dante. He doesn't have to choose between baseball and seeing me, because there is no ballgame for him."
"That's true," Micah said, a somber note in his voice. "I'm hoping he hears what he wants to hear tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"He's meeting with his orthopedic surgeon."
"He said Grayson was coming to check on him, but I didn't realize it was tomorrow. He must be stressing about that."
"He's trying not to think about it. Dante has a way of locking away things that bother him and not taking them out until he has to. I guess it's how he keeps his focus. He doesn't let distractions take over."
"How do you think he would react if he couldn’t pitch the way he used to?"
"I hate to even think about it. Baseball has been his entire life. It was the way he connected to our dad. It was his escape when our mom died. The ballpark was his happy place. It's where he found himself, found a purpose to keep going. I don't know what he would do if he lost it all."
She could feel the pain of Micah's words. "I hope he won't have to face that. I want him to keep doing what he loves."
"So do I." He paused, giving her a smile. "You've been good for him. He was in a dark place after the surgery. He's like a different person now."
"His arm is getting better, so he's feeling better."
"And you've gotten him talking. He said he's told you more stuff than he's ever told anyone. How did you make that happen?"
"I have no idea," she said with a laugh. "When we first met, I felt like I was the one rambling on about everything. I'm very different from Dante. I don't lock anything away. When I'm feeling something, I tend to talk about it."
"Maybe you inspired him to talk, too."
"If I helped, I'm glad." She sipped her wine. "Tell me some Dante stories, and the more embarrassing the better."
He laughed. "Let me see…"
It was almost seven when the four of them sat down together to eat. Keira felt like she'd gotten some insight into Dante: the kid, the man, the ballplayer, and the annoying older brother. She had a feeling that Dante had probably gotten similar inside information from her mom.
"This is the best lamb I've ever had," her mother said, as she tasted a bite of the well-seasoned meat.
"Thanks," Micah said. "Your kitchen was well-stocked."
"But Micah knew exactly what to do with all the herbs," she interjected. "I never really know how to use spices appropriately."
"It's trial and error," Micah said.
"I would have to agree," Dante put in. "And I've tasted a lot of Micah's errors over the years."
"Very funny," Micah drawled.
She smiled at the fond, teasing look that passed between the brothers. "Micah said he started cooking for everyone after your mom died."
"He did," Dante agreed. "We were his guinea pigs. Those early years were rough, but by the time we got to high school, he was very good."
"The DeAngelis brothers never quit, do they?" she asked.
"Never," Dante and Micah echoed together, then laughed.
"Well, I think it was smart of you to take up cooking," her mother told Micah. "Cooking is the way to a woman's heart."
"I thought it was the way to a man's heart," she countered.
Her mother shook her head. "No. Women often do all the cooking. When the man cooks, he's more likely to win her over."
She smiled at Dante. "Did you hear that?"
"I wouldn't hold your breath," he returned with a dry smile. "Any other tips, Ruth? If a man can't cook?"
"Humor. If you can laugh with someone, there's a good chance you can stay together." A smile parted her lips. "Mark and I laugh a lot. He's quite funny. He has a very sarcastic, dry sense of humor. He's very quick. I enjoy how fast he can find a joke. I really wish he'd been able to come tonight. But even if he's not here, we can enjoy the food that he dropped off and that Micah cooked so excellently."
"I'll drink to that." Keira lifted her wine glass. She really didn't want to hear any more about the amazing Mark at this moment. She clinked glasses around the table and then went back to her meal.
When Micah brought out the dessert, a tart with fresh strawberries and cream, she was even more impressed. "You really need to be in a restaurant," she told Micah. "Or get that food truck fixed. You're too good just to cook for friends and family."
"Thanks," Micah said. "Tonight gave me a chance to remember how fun it is just to make something out of a bunch of ingredients I hadn't picked out. I've gotten so bogged down with the business angle, I almost forgot how much I love to experiment with my cooking. I had a chance to slow down, look at my priorities." His gaze moved to Dante. "And what's really important to me."
Something passed between the two brothers. She couldn't read the message, but she suspected Micah was making a point about Dante and his priorities. But Dante's arm was going to make his choice, not his brain.
"Maybe it's the mountains, the beautiful lake, this nice town," Micah continued. "It has a good vibe. It opens your eyes."
"I love Whisper Lake," her mom said. "But sometimes I think the mountains act as barriers, instead of motivators. We have everything we think we need right here, but maybe we don't."
She met her mother's gaze. "I know you're talking about me."
"Not completely," her mom denied. "I was just thinking that Micah found clarity when he left his home and came here. May
be it's leaving your comfort zone that really makes the difference, not the location. Not that I want you to leave, Keira. I just don't want to be the reason you stay."
"Mom, you don't have to worry about that." She didn't want to have this conversation with her mother now, not with Dante and Micah listening in.
"But I do worry about you, Keira," her mom continued. "I was the reason you came back. It wasn't your choice. You've taken such good care of me. However, I worry that you're missing out on the life you were meant to have."
"I make my own choices. And I don't think being happy is about geography; it's about who you are with and what you do with your life." She cleared her throat, realizing she was getting too close to her issues with Dante. "Let's talk about something else. What were you and Dante laughing about when I called you in for dinner? I have a feeling you were talking about me."
"I'm afraid I can't reveal that," Dante said, a smile playing around the corners of his mouth.
"That answer will drive her crazy," her mother said. "Keira hates when people have a secret."
"I do hate that." She gave Dante a pointed look. "So, spill."
"Your mom told me about the time you tried to dye your hair blonde and ended up a greenish-yellow color," he said.
She groaned. "You told him that story, Mom?"
"He mentioned how we both have the same beautiful brown hair, and I told him that in middle school you really wanted to be blonde like Chloe and Gianna, so you tried to dye your hair, but it turned green and yellow, and you couldn't go to school for a week until we got your hair fixed."
"Why did you want to be blonde?" Dante asked.
"I'm pretty sure there was a boy involved. I was thirteen and stupid. I'm sure you did dumb things at that age."
"Did he ever,” Micah said.
"Hold on," Dante interrupted, putting up a hand. "I think we've all shared enough family stories for one night."
"That's true," she agreed. "I'm going to clear the plates."
"I'll help." Dante got to his feet.
"And I'll keep your mom company," Micah said.
They cleared the plates from the table, making several trips in and out of the kitchen before she started to rinse and load the dishwasher. "I can take care of this," she told Dante, "if you want to hang with my mom and your brother."
If We Never Met Page 20
