Chapter 15
Tess stood in front of the mirror, smoothing her hands down the soft fabric of her dress, nerves skittering in her chest like loose sparks.
Friday night. A real date. She wasn’t sure how it had happened—only that after their walk on the beach followed by lunch the other day, she and Brian had traded a few easy texts, the kind that made her smile at odd moments.
And then that morning, while she sipped her cappuccino and went through the list of the day’s scheduled autopsies, her phone had lit up with his name.
Her heart skipped a beat in anticipation of hearing his voice again as she answered the call.
After brief pleasantries, he asked, “Have dinner with me tonight, please?”
The question was more like a statement, leaving no room for argument. It took her a beat too long to answer, and she still wasn’t sure if her yes had sounded as breathless as it felt.
With Andy staying at a friend’s house for the night to celebrate the end of the school year, she had no excuse to back out.
No distraction to hide behind, even if she could convince herself she wanted one.
In preparation for the evening, she put on a simple navy dress she hadn’t worn in years, a touch of mascara, and the silver pendant her mother once wore.
She pressed it lightly with her fingers, whispering a quick plea for courage, then slipped on her sandals and grabbed her small clutch just as his truck pulled into the drive.
When she opened the back door, Brian was halfway up the stairs, wearing dark slacks, loafers, and a crisp blue button-down, with the sleeves rolled casually to his forearms. Not overdressed, but different enough from his usual uniform that her heart tripped.
He looked up, caught sight of her, and for a moment, something flickered in his eyes—something she couldn’t name, but it settled deep within her.
“Wow, you look beautiful. Are you ready to go?” he asked, and the husk in his voice told her she wasn’t the only one feeling it.
The drive passed quickly, conversation circling safe ground—Andy’s first day at the hardware store, a case Brian had to keep vague, and the start of summer tourists and part-time residents descending on Whisper.
And then, as the truck turned off Main Street, Tess saw the warm glow of lights strung along the porch of a sprawling Victorian home that was clearly a business.
On one side, a single-floor extension jutted out, its wide windows shining warm and bright, revealing candlelit tables and the comfortable bustle of people dining inside.
Above the porch, a wooden sign swung gently in the sea breeze—Cranberry Inn.
“Have you ever eaten here before?” He slowed and put on the blinker to make a left into the parking lot.
“No, I haven’t. I don’t come to the Outer Banks much anymore—not since my parents died.
Over the past few days, I realized how much I’ve missed visiting the beach and all the little towns.
I’ve noticed a bunch of shops that I want to check out this weekend.
” The town itself was nothing if not quaint—pedestrian-friendly, with bike racks tucked along nearly every corner, and plenty of eateries with outdoor seating.
“Make sure you go into Petals—that’s Bonnie’s boutique. Women’s clothes and stuff.”
“She told me to stop by. I might go tomorrow.”
He hitched a thumb toward the Cranberry Inn. “This place is a bed-and-breakfast, but the restaurant’s open to the public in the evenings. I haven’t been here in a while, but the food’s always been great.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Since it was a Friday night after Memorial Day, the place was packed, but Brian found a lone spot, got out, and then rounded the truck to open her door—something so simple, but it set her pulse racing.
Together, they climbed the wide porch steps and stepped inside to the soft hum of conversation, the faint scent of rosemary and wine in the air, and the kind of cozy elegance that made her feel both out of place and utterly welcome all at once.
This wasn’t takeout containers or sandwiches at her kitchen table. This was… something else. Something that scared her as much as it thrilled her.
The hostess guided them through the main dining room.
Almost every table was taken—no surprise—but the atmosphere stayed hushed, most conversations drifting in low voices.
Soft lamplight glowed over patterned carpet in deep red, gold, and green, echoing the striped chairs and ivory-draped tables.
Small centerpieces of roses, ferns, and baby’s breath gave each setting a touch of romance against the cranberry-painted walls and ivory trim.
Tess couldn’t remember the last time she’d been anywhere that was both welcoming and refined at once.
Brian’s hand brushed lightly against the small of her back as he guided her toward their table by the window, and she tried not to read too much into it.
Still, her skin tingled where his fingers had been, and she had to remind herself to breathe as she slipped into her chair that he held out for her.
Once the hostess handed them their menus and left, a smartly dressed male server approached and refilled their water glasses. “Can I get you anything from the bar?”
As he picked up the wine menu, Brian eyed Tess. “They have a really nice pinot noir, if you’re interested. If not—”
“No, that sounds wonderful. I love pinot noir.”
He pointed to the listing and showed the server, who nodded. “Very good choice, sir. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Thank you.” After the man left, Brian leaned back in his chair, studying Tess with an intensity that made her want to squirm. “I wasn’t sure you’d say yes,” he said.
Confused, she furrowed her brow. “To the wine?”
A wry chuckle erupted from him. “No. To dinner.”
Trying to relax, she traced a fingertip along the folded edge of her napkin. “Why wouldn’t I?”
He gave a half smile that didn’t quite hide the seriousness in his eyes. “Because you’ve got plenty on your plate. And because I’ve probably been sending mixed signals.”
Her lips curved before she could stop them. “You mean you noticed that you’ve been sending them?”
“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking less like the confident agent she knew and more like a man fumbling through unfamiliar territory.
“I don’t want you thinking I’m… taking advantage of your situation.
And, the truth is, I’m not great at this.
You deserve someone better than a guy who doesn’t do relationships. ”
Her heart softened, even as it skipped at the honesty in his voice. “Maybe I deserve a pleasant dinner with someone who makes me laugh and was nice enough to give me and my brother a place to stay in our time of need. Relationships haven’t been my thing either, Brian.”
“You’ve had a lot on your plate,” he repeated.
“I have—still do. But there’s nothing wrong with us becoming friends and enjoying some time together, is there?”
That earned her a real smile, slow and warm, and she had to glance down at her menu to steady herself.
After a moment, she looked around the crowded restaurant.
“How’d you manage to get a reservation for tonight?
I thought once the holiday hit, it was nearly impossible to snag one anywhere around here at the last minute on the weekends. ”
He winked at her. “It is. But Bonnie and Dan are friends with the owner, so I called in a favor. He always keeps one or two tables open for special guests.”
After the waiter returned with a bottle and two glasses and took their orders, Tess took a sip of the dark red wine. The taste of rich, dark fruit was silky smooth, tantalizing her palate. “Mmm. You were right. This is delicious.”
“Told you. We came here for Bonnie’s birthday about three months ago, and the owner recommended it. I liked it so much, I made a note of it on my phone. I bought a bottle about a week later, but it’s still sitting at my condo.” He shrugged. “I don’t really like drinking by myself, so...”
“Same.” She let out a small giggle. “Honestly, I still have five beers from a six-pack I bought about eight months ago. I don’t know why, but I brought them to the beach house with the rest of the food from our fridge. I should just pour them down the sink.”
He gasped in mock horror. “That would be sacrilege.”
“True. Next time you come by, we’ll sit on the back porch and finish them off, so I don’t have to see them every time I open the refrigerator.”
“Deal,” Brian said, his gaze holding hers. “So... tell me something you don’t usually share with people.”
She lifted a brow. “Like what? A deep dark secret?”
“Could be. Or something small. Something that’s just... you.”
She hesitated, thinking for a moment, then confessed, “I hate clowns. When I was little, and Andy was just a baby, my parents took us to this traveling combination circus and fair. Not sure why, but I thought the clowns were hideous-looking. I’ve been scared of them ever since.
To me, they’re all like the one Stephen King wrote about. ”
“Pennywise from It. Great book.” He grimaced. “Great if you don’t have coulrophobia, of course—the fear of clowns.”
Tilting her head, she stared at him. “How did you know the name for it?”
He lifted an open palm. “Would you believe it came up in a case once? Never knew what it was called before that, and haven’t forgotten it since for some reason.”
“Well, color me impressed.” She sipped her wine, then asked, “What about you? What’s your deep, dark secret?”
His grin was crooked. “When I was six, I ran away from home with a backpack full of cookies, comic books, and a stuffed rabbit I had since I was a baby. Made it to the end of the block, remembered I wasn’t allowed to cross the street without an adult, and turned around and went home.
The worst part was I thought nobody knew I was missing—for all of five or six minutes—but I found out years later that my mom had watched me from the window the whole time.
She said she was ready to run after me if I tried to cross the street. ”
Tess snickered, the sound bubbling out before she could stop it. “A backpack full of cookies, comic books, and a stuffed rabbit?” she echoed. “That’s the most six-year-old thing I’ve ever heard. Why did you run away in the first place?”
He froze, staring at her for several long heartbeats. “You know, I don’t even remember?”
They both burst out laughing, drawing the attention of a few people around them. With the lightheartedness of the moment, the last of Tess’s nerves slipped away. To her surprise, she wasn’t just comfortable—she was genuinely enjoying herself and Brian’s company far more than she’d expected.
Their food arrived, and conversation flowed easily—stories of childhood summers, the quirks of their jobs, and even teasing about Andy’s teenage moods. Yet beneath it all, the awareness between them pulsed stronger with every glance, every brush of hands when they both reached for the breadbasket.
By the time dessert menus appeared, Tess realized she hadn’t thought about the damage to the house or her endless to-do lists for hours. She’d only thought about the incredibly sexy man sitting on the other side of the table. And that terrified her almost as much as it thrilled her.