Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
C helsea looked at the clothes laid out on her bed. Six outfits from her closet were already put back, but the three that remained were her top choices for her date. The memory of her high school prom firmly in her mind, she shook her head at the absurdity.
She took a sip of her Pinot Grigio and sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Maggie.
“What am I doing?”
Maggie laughed. “This isn’t rocket science, Chelsea. You’re just picking out something to wear for your date. You’re making it more difficult than it needs to be.”
Maggie’s dog jumped down off her lap and up onto the bed. She sat on top of Chelsea’s white linen pants, causing immediate panic. The women jumped so quickly, Lexi got the message and bolted out of the room.
“Did she wrinkle it?”
Chelsea shook her head and ran her hand over the fabric. “No, it’s fine, but Lexi’s cuteness wouldn’t save her if she did. Would you like a little more wine?”
Maggie put her hand over her glass. “No more for me. I had sweet tea at my lunch with Mom, but when we got back, Kat and I had a glass of sangria. This is my limit.”
Chelsea held up a teal-colored linen top with a matching turquoise and sterling silver necklace.
“What do you think?”
Maggie nodded. “I love it. I think with the white pants, it will look perfect. I like the sandals you picked. I don’t remember you ever wearing them.”
Chelsea shrugged. “Good reason for that. I bought them this morning.” She walked to the closet and reached for a tissue-wrapped handbag. Pulling the tissue off, she swung the bag over her shoulders.
“I got this too. I think it goes well with the sandals.”
“Oh, I love that. When this date is over, I think you should let me borrow it.”
Chelsea laughed. “Do you think this is overkill? I mean, what if this date goes horribly wrong?”
Lexi’s head peered from around the corner of the door. Carrying a sock in her mouth, she didn’t wait for an invitation, instead jumping back on Maggie’s lap. As Maggie petted her, Lexi kept an eye on Chelsea.
Chelsea faced Lexi and asked, “Is that my sock?”
Maggie pulled the sock from Lexi’s mouth. “Where did she get that?”
“Probably from my laundry basket. I left the laundry room door open.”
Maggie held the sock up. “Seriously, Chelsea? The sock has a teddy bear face?”
Chelsea quickly grabbed the sock from Maggie and threw it on top of her dresser.
“For heaven’s sake, it’s a slipper-sock. It’s not like I wear them outside. For the record, I think you’ve stalled enough. Don’t you think it’s time you told me how lunch went, or was it so terrible, you’d rather not?”
“Actually, it went well. Mom and Kat seemed to appreciate each other for the first time in their lives.”
“Wow, that’s wonderful. Were any decisions made about her marriage?”
Maggie shook her head. “No, and I don’t think that was the plan. I believe Kat felt isolated in her life. I think it’s why she came to Captiva. I don’t necessarily think she’s going to move here permanently, or maybe not at all.”
“Really? So she’s down here for…?”
Maggie smiled. “Family. I think she needed her sister and mother. Living in California, she’s so far away from the women in her family. Our brother, Michael, lives there but not near her, and they’re not that close.”
“Plus, he’s a guy,” Chelsea added.
Maggie ignored Chelsea’s comment.
“I think Mom is easier to deal with since she moved down here. I don’t know what it is, but it feels like I can talk to her without getting upset like I used to when we lived in Andover.”
Chelsea put her hand on Maggie’s shoulder. “I’m glad to hear you say that, because your mother called me a few minutes before you got here.”
“She called you? What for?”
“Linda St. James is not letting this book club thing go. She got in touch with your mother to ask her to join. Of course, she said yes. Linda already has four other women who want to join. Two live in Sanibel. She said their names, but I can’t place them.”
“And the other two?”
Chelsea rolled her eyes. “Isabelle Barlowe and Kristin Anna Wright.”
“Kristin Anna Wright? Isn’t that the woman who runs the clothing boutique near the post office?”
“That’s the one.”
“Oh, dear. I thought I read something in the paper about her. Some legal mess, but I can’t remember.”
“I remember perfectly well. She and her husband owned the place jointly. They are wealthy, but there was no prenup. She divorced him, and rightly so. The man was up to some shady business, gambling deals with people who had little patience for people who don’t pay their debts. They wanted to get their hands on the boutique, but Kristin fought them in court and won. Her husband went to jail though. His illegal business dealings finally caught up with him, I guess. I’m not sure how that played into her divorce settlement.”
“Holy cow. That’s awful. Do you know more about her, or only what was in the paper?”
Chelsea shook her head. “We nod when we see each other in passing. She always seems sad to me.”
Maggie chuckled. “Well, wouldn’t you be sad if you’d gone through all that? Does she have children?”
Chelsea shrugged. “No idea. Anyway, I told your mother that I will probably join the book club.”
“You didn’t! That’s just great. Now I’ll have to join.”
“Don’t be silly, you don’t have to join if you don’t want to.”
Maggie got up from her chair and attached Lexi’s leash to her collar.
“That’s easy for you to say. She’s not your mother.”
The minute Steven Ellis Thompson took Chelsea’s hand in his, a surge of energy traveled through her body. It wasn’t just his touch, but also the way he looked at her…as if they were the only people in the room.
“Isabelle has told me so much about you,” he said.
“Really? I wish I could say the same. I know nothing about you, but then again, I think Isabelle loves surprises,” Chelsea responded.
He smiled. “And are you surprised?
“About?” she asked, leaving him to probe her feelings further.
“Maybe I should have said, pleasantly surprised?” he clarified.
Chelsea blushed. “Let’s say that I’m glad Isabelle decided to invite me for dinner.”
Chelsea could see Isabelle and her husband Sebastian lean toward each other as they walked to the lanai, no doubt talking about her and Steven. She hoped Isabelle would let the evening evolve naturally, without interference from either her or Sebastian.
She wondered if Steven knew of her past romantic relationship with Sebastian, and if he did, what he thought about it, or if he thought about it at all.
“Isabelle tells me that you’re an artist. I’d love to see your paintings. Do you have them displayed at any of the local galleries?”
“My friend Jacqui Hutchins has a new gallery near the marina. To get her started, I have a few pieces there. She’s filling the gallery with work by local artists. I’m sorry you just missed the Grand Opening.”
“I am as well. I’m sure I would have walked out of the place with one or two or your original paintings. I’d love to see what you’ve created. Perhaps I can stop by tomorrow to take a look. That is, if you still have something for sale.”
Chelsea smiled. “Oh, you needn’t worry about that. I only sold one piece at the Grand Opening. There are four additional pieces still for sale.”
She so badly wanted to tell him that she had dozens of pieces of her work filling a room in her house. She knew the implication of such a statement, and her heart raced at the thought. It was too soon to invite him back to her place. There was still so much to learn about the man.
Dinner was served outside on the lanai. There was a slight breeze coming off the water, which didn’t touch the candle flames. The food was impeccable, and each plate was a work of art that was almost too beautiful to eat.
Chelsea was starving, and yet, she couldn’t eat. She needed to get as much information about Steven as possible. She’d already decided there would be a second date, and she didn’t want to ask so many questions that there’d be nothing to talk about the next time they met.
“Tell me about your work. What do you do for a living?” she asked.
“I have a luxury real estate development firm. We build sustainable living structures. Thompson Green Developments has projects in major cities across the U.S. with a presence in eco-friendly urban renewal and high-end residential communities.”
Chelsea shook her head. “You lost me after you said the words luxury and sustainable living in the same sentence. How does one accomplish those two things simultaneously?”
He smiled. “That’s a great question, and one that I get asked all the time. I’ll give you the same answer I always give. Luxury doesn’t mean you have to assault the environment.”
The more Steven talked, the more Chelsea liked him. Whether love would follow, she had no idea. For now, liking him made her happy.
Does he like me?
It was a simple question, and she smiled, realizing how young she felt. It was the kind of thought she’d had as a young girl wondering if a boy liked her.
Steven held up his wine glass, looking at Sebastian and Isabelle.
“Thank you both for having me over and hosting such a lovely dinner.”
The others lifted their glasses, and then everyone took a sip. He then turned to Chelsea and looked into her eyes. “And to you, Chelsea Marsden, for agreeing to come here tonight. I hope I’ll see you tomorrow at your friend’s art gallery. Let’s say, one o’clock?”
Chelsea nodded and sipped her wine, her heart racing with the knowledge that they would see each other again, and soon. Any fear she had about attending this dinner paled in comparison to the realization that she nearly missed meeting Steven Ellis Thompson—someone she now believed would change her life forever.