Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
N ick arrived at the restaurant a few minutes early to avoid keeping Ms. Rose waiting. She’d spent good money on the museum bid, and he wanted to make it an enjoyable evening for her.
Felt a little weird to not know who he was expecting.
He checked in with the hostess then took a seat across from the door.
An older man also waited alone in the lobby.
Each time the door opened, Nick looked up with a smile, ready to greet his date.
So far, only couples had entered. He checked his watch again. Just shy of seven.
Tantalizing scents of spices and sizzling meat from the kitchen wafted through the room. He visualized the menu he’d seen on their website and remembered he hadn’t eaten lunch. Come on, Ms. Rose.
When the door opened again, the older gentleman stood and moved forward.
Nick let out a sigh and glanced toward the door.
He did a double take as a familiar head of white hair appeared at the entrance.
Kat’s grandmother stepped inside, and the elderly gentleman took her hand while pressing a kiss to her cheek.
Whoa, Kitty had a dinner date? Here? Tonight?
Nick rubbed a hand across the back of his neck What were the chances?
He rose to greet her but hung back, waiting for the bottleneck at the door to clear. A couple of women, one carrying a toddler, jostled forward laughing and talking. Nick stepped aside, not sure whether Kitty had seen him. When he turned back, he almost stumbled.
“Kat!” He yelped in surprise, finding himself face-to-face with the woman constantly on his mind. His heart thumped. Blood pounded in his ears. She looked amazing in a bright yellow-orange dress, red lipstick, and hair curling onto her shoulders.
Wide eyes met his, and her mouth fell open. She stopped in her tracks, and he barely caught the door before it hit her.
“Nick! What are you doing here?”
“Um…having dinner.”
Kitty stepped forward. “Hello, Nick. How lovely to see you again. Kat, Nick, this is my friend Charles.”
“Pleased to meet you both.” Charles extended his hand to Nick.
Nick shook the man’s hand but couldn’t take his eyes off Kat. Kitty was having date night and dragging Kat along? Weird.
The hostess interrupted. “Mrs. Andrews, your tables are ready.”
Tables?
“Excellent.” She glanced from Nick to Kat. “Surprise!” Her voice pitched up, and she clapped her hands together. “Nick, I have to confess a little white lie. I’m Cathy Rose.”
“ You’re Cathy Rose?”
She gave a delicate laugh. “Well, Katherine Rose Andrews to be exact.”
“Nana?” Kat turned to her grandmother. “What’s going on?”
“I bought a date with Nick at the museum fundraiser, and I’m gifting it to you.”
Color stained Kat’s cheeks. “You what ?”
“I’m having dinner with Charles, and you two are having dinner with each other.”
Charles looked at Nick and appeared equally confused.
Kitty gestured toward the hostess who still hovered beside them, waiting. “Shall we?” Before anyone could answer, she smiled at the hostess and followed behind her.
Still trying to wrap his head around the situation, Nick waved a hand to indicate Kat should go ahead. He brought up the rear.
The woman seated Charles and Kitty then motioned Nick and Kat to a cozy two-top nearby. Nick pulled out a chair for Kat then sat across from her.
“This is unexpected,” he said.
“I’ll say.” She twisted her hands on the table.
A waiter appeared with glasses of water.
“Good evening, folks. May I start you with a cocktail or glass of wine?”
Nick raised his eyes to Kat. “Bottle of wine?”
“A bottle?” she echoed.
Nick shrugged. He had a feeling they’d want more than one glass.
“Sure. That would be fine.”
He ordered a label they’d enjoyed before. Then he sat back in his chair and regarded his surprise date. “You didn’t know about this?”
“Not at all.”
Nick glanced to the other table where Kitty sat decked out in a cream-colored pantsuit and heavy jewelry, perfectly composed, every hair in place, smiling at her date. He almost laughed. How in the world did she pull this off?
He shook his head. “Your grandmother is pretty sly. I had no idea.”
“Are you mad?” Kat asked.
“I…” He blew out a breath. He would’ve liked the chance to prepare, but Kitty had handed him something he hadn’t been able to achieve on his own. “No. Are you?”
“No,” she said softly.
Okay, at least they were on the same page. Still, she didn’t seem comfortable, either.
The server arrived with a bottle of wine and ice bucket. He poured a sampling and offered it to Nick. He shook his head and gestured toward Kat.
She took a quick sip and smiled. “It’s lovely. Thank you.”
Nick swallowed hard. One thing he had to give her high marks for, Kat never failed to be gracious and polite.
Charming, even. He reached for the ice water as the memory of their first meeting crashed over him.
At the time, she only knew him as a worker-bee in her parents’ home, but she’d invited him inside to save him from waiting for roadside assistance in his frigid car.
After the server poured two glasses of wine and left the table, Kat lifted her glass and raised her brows. “Cheers?”
Nick tapped his to hers.
In the awkward silence, he debated what to say. Keep it light and avoid anything personal? What else was there to talk about? The herd of elephants in the room loomed between them.
Kat sipped her wine and turned her gaze toward the piano player.
Was she deliberately avoiding eye contact? He hesitated a beat then picked up his menu. Before his eyes could focus on the options, the server appeared again.
“We have a few specials tonight, folks.” He rattled off a few choices that included sides and sauces and more detail than Nick could follow under the circumstances.
“Do you need a few more minutes?” the server asked.
Nick cleared his throat. “Haven’t had a chance–”
“A steak is fine,” Kat cut in. “Filet, medium well with baked potato and asparagus.”
Nick handed his menu to the server. “I’ll have the same.”
“Certainly. I’ll be right back with our selection of breads.”
Neither of them responded. Food was the last thing on Nick’s mind. “How are you doing?” he asked finally.
“I’m okay,” she murmured, toying with the silverware in front of her.
He was having trouble reading Kat’s mood. She said she wasn’t mad, but was she nervous? He thought she flicked a glance toward him before lifting the over-sized wine glass, blocking his view of her expression.
He tried again. “What brings you to Colorado? Looks like your grandmother is well. Her mind is sharp, I’ll give her that.”
The next thing he knew, Kitty stood beside their table.
She pressed her lips together and took Kat’s hand.
“My dears, Charles tells me I may have overstepped my bounds and created an uncomfortable situation. I’m so sorry.
Kat, honey, why don’t you join me and Charles for dinner?
Nick, please accept my apologies. Thank you for being a good sport and supporting the museum. You owe the restaurant nothing.”
He flashed a quick glance at Kat whose eyes were fixed on him. Did she want to stay with him? She hadn’t made any move to leave the table…
Don’t blow this, he told himself. Unexpected as it was, he’d been given an opportunity. “Kat, I’d like to have dinner with you.” It took supreme effort to keep from reaching across the table and taking her hand.
With the faintest smile, she turned to her grandmother. “Nana, it’s fine. Enjoy your dinner with Charles.”
“All right. If you’re sure.” She looked at Nick.
He simply nodded.
“You good?” Kat asked quietly after Kitty retreated.
He settled in his chair and held Kat’s gaze. “Let’s talk. It’s been two months.” Two months of waiting and hoping—of feeling like a lovesick fool.
“I know. I…I’m sorry. I needed to sort through everything that happened.”
“Kat, I know what I said hurt you. I did a lousy job of making a point. I’ve felt bad ever since–”
“ You’ve felt bad?” She shook her head. “How do you think–”
The server slid salads and a basket of bread onto the table. “Here we are folks. Main course will be out shortly. Enjoy.”
Kat leaned in, intensity in her eyes. “You’re right, I come from a family with money, and maybe that gives me an unrealistic perspective on life.
I’m sorry if I came across as snobbish and elitist. That is the last impression I ever want to give.
” She let out a long, audible sigh. “We’re all trying to make something happen in whatever way we can. ”
He heard the regret and fatigue in her voice, and he had to stop himself from reaching out and pushing back the hair from her face. He sensed she wasn’t ready for that. “I’m sorry, too. I only wanted to help you find new opportunities.”
Without responding, she looked into her glass and swirled the wine.
In the silence, Nick picked up his fork and stabbed a hunk of cucumber. When he looked at Kat across the table again, she seemed engrossed in pushing lettuce around on her plate.
“Kat, I wish we could rewind, but instead, how about we call it a do-over? Let’s pretend we planned to have dinner on our own.” He forced a smile.
It took a moment, but finally one side of her mouth lifted, and she met his eyes. “You still want that?”
Sitting across from her now, his choice was clear. “Yes, I do.”
She held his gaze. “Okay. I’ve been wanting to talk to you. I just…I wasn’t sure if you still…” Her eyes darted around the dining room then back to him. “I wasn’t expecting an audience.”
“No one’s paying the slightest attention to us, ba–” He caught himself before he said “babe.” How easily the endearment slipped out.
Sucking in a deep breath, she turned and reached for her purse. “I have something for you.” She unfolded a piece of paper and handed it to him.