CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
If Charley had been asked to describe her perfect date, she would’ve painted something that looked a lot like this—an incredible meal, effortless conversation, and just enough romance to make her heart feel full. The only thing missing was a walk on the beach, though there was still time for that.
Because Pierce had refused to tell her where they were going, Charley had played it safe with what she wore.
She opted for something casual, but a little classy.
The brown wide-leg jumper she’d chosen draped softly over her frame, the one-shoulder cut making it feel a little dressier without losing its easy comfort.
Her heeled sandals gave her a bit of extra height, though standing next to Pierce still made her feel tiny in the best way.
She’d even wrestled her blonde hair into an updo with the help of a YouTube video, which had taken far longer than it should have and nearly ended with her giving up entirely.
Somehow, though, she’d managed to make it work, with a few loose tendrils framing her face and softening the whole look.
She looked at Pierce across the table as he settled the bill with the waiter. Her eyes then moved toward the second-best view of the evening. From their table on the rooftop terrace, Charley had a clear view as the last of the sunset had melted into the dark blue water of the San Diego Bay.
From the start, the night had been amazing. When Pierce pulled up to the restaurant, Charley tried to hide her excitement about where they were, but she failed. She had heard about the place for its gorgeous views of the water and, of course, the food.
Speaking of the food, she had practically licked her plate clean. The Cajun pasta dish she had was delicious and extra spicy, just the way she liked it. Pierce’s plate was empty as well, except for the last smear of sauce from his filet mignon.
The entire evening had been perfect. Conversation had flowed from the second they sat down, moving from teasing banter to stories about work, people in their lives, and just learning about each other with none of the awkward pauses she’d braced herself for on the drive there.
She’d been nervous in the beginning. But Pierce had looked at her across the table after the drinks arrived and admitted, with that crooked grin of his, that he had been a little nervous too.
The confession had stunned a laugh out of her and shattered the last of the tension sitting in her shoulders.
Since then, she had felt almost ridiculously comfortable with him, which should have unnerved her more than it did.
Instead, it had only made her like him more.
She glanced back at him and caught him watching her over the rim of his glass and felt that now-familiar little flutter in her stomach.
He’d smiled at her so many times tonight she had lost count.
Each smile had been warmer than the last, each one doing stupid things to her heart.
It wasn’t just attraction anymore, though God knew there was plenty of that.
It was the way he listened when she talked, the way his focus never seemed to drift, the way he made her feel like there was nowhere else he would rather be than sitting across from her at this table.
Her phone buzzed against the table beside her, pulling her from the thought. Charley glanced down, expecting maybe a message from Jessica or Alyvia asking how the date was going. Instead, the screen lit up with a photo Bailey had sent, and Charley couldn’t stop her smile as she opened it.
“What?” Pierce asked, his mouth curving when he saw her expression.
Charley turned the phone toward him. “Bailey just texted me a picture of Sienna.”
Pierce leaned forward slightly. The photo showed little Sienna standing in what looked like the middle of Bailey’s living room, grinning as if she’d just won the lottery.
She had on a camo-colored ballerina outfit, complete with a fluffy little tutu and tiny matching slippers, and the whole thing was so absurdly adorable that Charley’s chest tightened.
Pierce huffed out a soft laugh, the sound warm and genuine. “Well, that’s about the cutest thing I’ve seen all week. Who is she?”
“Charley laughed. “That’s Sienna. A little girl I used to babysit. Her mom said she refused to take it off after dance class and insisted on showing everyone her ‘military ballerina’ costume.”
Pierce’s smile lingered as he looked at the photo for another second before leaning back in his chair. “You seem close to them.”
“I am.” Charley locked her phone and set it down again, still smiling. “I miss them a lot, especially Sienna.”
His expression softened. “I’m sure that she misses you, too.”
The words landed somewhere deep and tender, and for a second, Charley just looked at him. “She’s a sweetheart,” she said quietly. “I love that little girl.”
A flicker of something warmed in his eyes, and it loosened the next thought from her before she could stop and overthink it.
“I love kids in general,” she admitted, tracing one fingertip around the base of her glass. “I always have.”
Pierce nodded once, easy and relaxed, but Charley found herself studying him now. She had seen him around kids at Ray and Jessica’s. The image of him holding that baby close to his chest while it slept floated through her mind. The thought made her heart skip a beat.
She swallowed and looked down at her drink for a second, suddenly aware of how personal the question forming in her head was.
This was their first real date. She had no business stepping into territory like that.
And yet curiosity kept nudging at her, along with something softer she didn’t want to name yet.
When she lifted her gaze back to his, her voice came out quieter than before. “Can I ask you something?”
He gave her a small smile. “You can ask me anything, sweetheart.”
The endearment did nothing to help her nerves.
Charley drew in a breath. “How do you feel about kids?” She gave a tiny, self-conscious shrug. “I mean, have you ever wanted kids of your own someday?”
She barely had the question out before something shifted in him.
It happened so fast that it took her a second to understand what she was seeing.
The warmth drained from his face. Not all the way, maybe, but enough.
Enough that the easy openness that had been there all evening vanished like someone had flipped a switch.
His jaw went tight. His gaze, which had been fixed on her, seemed to focus on something behind her.
A blank expression wasn’t quite the right word, but it was close enough to make unease creep through her.
“Pierce?”
He pushed his chair back so abruptly that it scraped against the rooftop floor, drawing a quick glance from a couple seated across the patio. Charley’s heart jumped.
He stood, reached for his wallet where he’d set it on the table after paying, and looked down at her with an expression she couldn’t begin to read.
“Let’s go.”
That was it. Two words. Flat enough to steal all the air from her lungs.
For half a second, Charley just stared at him, her mind scrambling to catch up. Then heat rushed to her face. Shit! She thought to herself. She had overstepped, crossed some line she never should have touched, and now she was seeing the consequences of it.
“Okay,” she said quickly, already reaching for her purse.
Pierce was halfway across the rooftop by the time she got to her feet. Panic fluttered hard in her chest as she hurried after him, the legs of her chair bumping awkwardly against the one behind it.
Pierce didn’t look back, nor did he slow down. He headed straight for the stairwell that led down from the rooftop, moving with long, clipped strides that forced her into a near jog to keep him in sight.
“Pierce,” she called, trying to keep her voice low enough not to draw attention.
She got nothing from him, not even a glance back.
The sound of his steps echoed down the concrete stairwell as Charley followed, one hand clutching the railing while the other held onto her purse.
Her heels weren’t built for speed, especially not on narrow stairs, and by the time she hit the second landing, her pulse was pounding for reasons that had nothing to do with the exertion.
Why had she asked that?
Because she had been comfortable. Because the night had felt too good.
Because he had looked at her like she was something precious, and for one reckless moment, she had forgotten how new this was.
Forgotten that not everyone wanted the same things she did.
Forgotten that there were questions you didn’t ask on a first date unless you were trying to ruin it.
By the time she finally made it down all three flights, Pierce was already pushing through the side door that led out toward the stretch of beach behind the restaurant.
“Pierce, wait.”
The words came out breathless, but either he didn’t hear her or his head wasn’t in the right place to listen.
Charley reached the door and stepped through, the cooler air off the water rushing against her bare arms. Ahead, the beach opened up, the moonlight guiding her towards the shoreline where the water rolled in.
Pierce was already crossing the sand, nearing the water.
She stopped long enough to kick off her heels, fingers fumbling with them as her toes sank into the sand. She started after him again, her breath catching when he finally came to a stop near the waterline.
He stood there with his back to her, shoulders broad and rigid beneath his button-down, his head bowed slightly as waves rolled up the shore and retreated.
Charley slowed several feet behind him, her heels dangling from one hand, her purse clutched in the other. All she could think was that an hour ago she had been smiling across a candlelit table, thinking this night might turn into something she would remember for all the right reasons.
Now her throat felt tight, and dread sat like a stone in her chest.