Chapter 18
Hannah heard the car come up the driveway and, a moment later, her aunt’s voice.
“Hi, Spencer, come on in. Hannah will be right down.”
Hannah assessed herself in her bedroom mirror. The new dress showed off her lightly tanned legs and arms. She’d curled her hair slightly so that it fell in loose waves to her shoulders. A final swipe of gloss over pink lipstick and she was ready to go.
She made her way downstairs and caught her breath for a moment when her eyes fell on Spencer. He looked so good in a black suit with a crisp white shirt and a deep purple silk tie. His dark hair glistened as the overhead light hit it.
She smiled. “You look sharp,” she said casually. “Love the purple tie.”
“Thank you. You look very nice, too.” He sounded more formal than usual and maybe even a little nervous. Hannah noticed that her aunt watched them with amusement.
“You both look great,” she said. “Have so much fun. Hannah, I’ll expect a full report… of the food, when you get home.”
Hannah grinned. “If no one is looking I’ll try to snap a few pictures.”
“Are you ready to go?” Spencer asked.
“I’m ready.” She picked up a small cream-colored leather purse from the kitchen island and wrapped a soft pink cashmere shawl over her shoulders. It was a clear night, warm and still sunny as they walked to the car. Spencer opened her door and she slid into the passenger seat. Three minutes later, they pulled up to the Chatham Bars Inn and Spencer handed his keys to the valet. They walked inside and he handed their tickets to the woman collecting them at the front door.
“Welcome. Head on out to the front lawn for champagne and passed appetizers.”
Hannah and Spencer followed the people in front of them through the reception area to the lush, rolling front lawn that had stunning views of Chatham Harbor. All the buildings were white and the overall feeling was crisp and luxurious. A waiter came by with a silver platter that held flutes of champagne and they each accepted one.
“Have you ever played croquet?” Hannah asked. She sipped her champagne and gazed at a family playing croquet farther down on the lawn.
“Years ago. My grandparents had my cousins over and we played. It’s fun. I like bocce better though. They have that here, too.”
“I’ve played that.” It was a fun game also played on the lawn or in sand, with balls that were tossed toward a target.
Hannah looked around at the crowd. She and Spencer were among the younger ones there. Many of the people were her aunt’s age or older. She supposed that they were more likely to have the money to spend on an event like this. Hannah had glanced at the ticket and the price was not inexpensive.
“Do you know anyone here?” she asked.
“I haven’t seen anyone yet. I’ll probably run into someone I know, though. Chatham is a small town.”
Hannah saw a familiar face first. A few minutes later, Donna’s client, Christine, walked by next to a younger, very handsome man who she realized must be the Pilates instructor she’d mentioned. Christine was an attractive woman. She was slim and toned—all that Pilates no doubt helped—and she was wearing a gorgeous red designer dress and a diamond necklace and earrings. Her date was laughing at something Christine said and his eyes were warm as he looked at her. Maybe it would work out for them. They certainly seemed happy.
A server came by with a platter of crab cakes and they each took one. They were small and light with a creamy splash of spicy mayo on top. A few more appetizers came around, shrimp cocktail and mini beef Wellingtons that were savory bite-sized pieces of filet mignon, smothered in mushrooms and baked in puff pastry, topped with a horseradish cream sauce. Hannah was content to sip champagne and eat the delicious treats. She and Spencer chatted about the different cases going on in the office that week.
“Oh, I got an email as I was leaving with an update on Ernesto’s green card application. It looks good for him. He’ll know more in a few weeks.”
“That’s great news. I really hope it works out for him.”
Spencer looked at her thoughtfully. “How did it go for you these past two weeks? Did you get what you needed?”
Hannah nodded. “I think so. You were right at your grandparents’ house when you told me I was all wrong about the law. This was so helpful to get it right. But also, sitting in the office and just listening and watching how you all work was invaluable.” She grinned. “It actually gave me quite a few story ideas.”
“Oh, that’s good.” Spencer smiled warmly and Hannah noticed how much more attractive he seemed tonight and it wasn’t just the suit. She liked this more relaxed side of him.
Someone announced that it was time for them to take their seats. The dinner was about to get underway. Hannah and Spencer went inside to the main ballroom and picked up their name cards on a side table. It told them they were seated at table eleven.
“It almost feels like we’re at a wedding,” Spencer joked as they made their way to the round table assigned to them. It held ten people and the other couples were all older, but everyone was friendly.
Once everyone was seated, tuxedo-clad waiters poured the first wine, a crisp sauvignon blanc, followed by shrimp toast—a slice of sourdough bread that had been baked with a creamy white bean hummus, then topped with sweet, plump shrimp in a buttery scampi sauce. The acidity of the cool white wine perfectly complemented the richness of the dish.
Chardonnay followed along with diced raw tuna and avocado marinated in ginger, miso, and sesame oil, served with wonton chips.
They moved on to red wine, a fruity pinot noir served with duck confit over pureed parsnips. Hannah loved duck confit, the crispy, savory meat that had been cooked for hours in duck fat. Spencer seemed to be enjoying it, too.
“I’m not usually a fan of overly fancy food, but I have to admit, this is all very good,” Spencer said.
“I’m with you, young man,” said the older gentleman next to Hannah, who’d overheard Spencer’s comment. “This is all fine, but give me a beer and a steak or a hot dog and I’m just as happy.”
“Andrew!” his horrified wife scolded him.
“What? I’m only speaking the truth.” He grinned. “It’s all good. It won’t go to waste.”
The next wine was a reserve cabernet, rich and bold, and it paired well with the braised beef short ribs served with roasted mushrooms over a very cheesy polenta.
They didn’t serve full glasses of wine and the portions were small, tasting size, but still Hannah was very full at the end of the meal.
“Hope you saved room for dessert,” Spencer said. “Whatever that is, it looks good.”
Hannah followed his gaze to a waiter serving dessert to the table next to theirs. She wasn’t sure what it was but it looked very chocolatey.
The final wine was a fruity zinfandel blend that paired well with the dessert, which was a chocolate tiramisu with layers of chocolate ladyfingers soaked in espresso and Tia Maria, a creamy mascarpone cheese filling, hot fudge, more ladyfingers, and fresh whipped cream. It was decadent and somehow the entire table managed to eat every bit of it.
“I think you may need to roll me home.” Hannah laughed.
“It’s early still,” the man next to her said. “You can dance it off.”
“There’s dancing?” Hannah hadn’t realized that.
“There’s a very good band that will play for the next hour or so. And don’t forget about the silent auction,” his wife added.
“That’s right,” her friend added. “There are some great prizes. We should be able to raise a good amount of money for the animal shelter.”
“We’ll have to go check out the auction and see if there’s anything we want to bid on,” Spencer said.
The band began to play as Spencer and Hannah got up to view the silent auction items. It felt good to stretch her legs and walk around. They browsed the tables that were all along the sides of the room. There were quite a few items that seemed interesting, including two pairs of Red Sox tickets. Spencer put bids on both.
“Are you a baseball fan?” he asked.
Hannah grinned. “I go to the occasional Yankees game.”
“What?!”
“Hey, I live in Brooklyn, remember. Of course, I’ll always be a Red Sox fan first.”
He smiled. “As you should be. I try to get to at least one or two games every summer.”
“I haven’t been to a Red Sox game in years.” Hannah continued looking at the spa gift certificates, gift cards from various restaurants, paintings from local artists, two nights at the Chatham Bars Inn, a lunch and autographed book from a New York Times bestselling author who lived nearby, Patriots tickets for the fall, and there was also a raffle. Each ticket was twenty dollars and the grand prize was a weekend at a bed-and-breakfast on Nantucket. Hannah bid on a pedicure and manicure at one of the spas. But she wasn’t optimistic as there were quite a few that bid ahead of her and she guessed someone might be back to top her bid. She and Spencer also both bought tickets to the raffle.
They were on their way to sit back down at the table when a woman came by with a ballot box for the raffle. The box was covered with pictures of cute cats and dogs from the shelter.
“Would you like to buy another raffle ticket? You can buy as many as you like and all the money goes to help the animals.” Hannah took another look at their sweet faces and opened her purse again. She fished out all the money she had left—four twenties—and handed it to the woman, who looked thrilled to receive it. Spencer bought a few more tickets as well.
“Thank you, honey. Best of luck to both of you.” She handed them their raffle tickets and moved along.
“So, you’re a softy for animals? Or do you just really want to go to Nantucket?” Spencer asked.
Hannah laughed. “I’d love to go to Nantucket. I haven’t been in years. But yeah, when I saw their faces, that did it for me.”
“Do you have any pets?”
“Not now. I had an older cat, Misty. She lived to be twenty-one. I took her with me when I moved to Brooklyn. She passed a month before my mother did. I’d had her for so long that I couldn’t possibly get another cat so soon. I’m sure I will eventually, though. Maybe after the summer, when I head back to the city.”
They were both quiet for a moment and then Spencer asked, “You’re heading back in September?” She couldn’t read his expression but it felt like the energy shifted a little. Though she couldn’t tell if that was real or if she was just imagining it.
“Something like that. I don’t have a firm date, yet. It’s kind of open-ended and it depends how well things go with finishing the book. I’m hoping to be done in early August and then have about a month to just relax and enjoy the Cape.”
“Pets are good company. I’m looking forward to bringing Lady and Tramp home soon.”
“When do you think you’ll hear?”
“This week hopefully.”
“What is your place like? Do you have a good backyard for them?”
He nodded. “I do, and it’s fenced in. I’m also near the beach, so I can walk there with them and let them run along the shoreline.”
Hannah could picture it, Lady running ahead and Tramp sauntering along the water’s edge, dipping his toes in the water now and then.
Hannah definitely planned to visit the shelter when she went home in the fall. “I might get an older cat. I know they’re harder to adopt out.”
Spencer’s eyes softened. “That’s a nice thing to do.”
The man to Hannah’s right stood up and glanced at Hannah and Spencer. Everyone else from their table was on the dance floor.
“You two young people should get out there. It’s a good song for dancing.”
Hannah smiled. It was one of her favorite songs, Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight,” but it was also a slow song and she doubted that Spencer wanted that. But he got to his feet and held out his hand. “Shall we?”
She took his hand and he led her to the dance floor and pulled her close. They swayed to the music and she leaned against him and noticed his fresh scent, a mix of cologne and something else—either soap or shampoo, she wasn’t sure, but she liked the combination. She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes, enjoying the moment. It was not an unpleasant surprise to find that she liked the feeling of Spencer’s arms around her.
Spencer’s chin tickled Hannah’s hair as they swayed to the music. She felt light and petite in his arms and as they made their way around the dance floor, she smiled up at him and saw something reflected in his eyes that made her shiver. The energy between them shifted into something unexpected. She held his gaze as he swallowed and leaned in toward her, and she braced herself for the kiss that she suddenly wanted, very much. But then something like confusion flashed across his eyes and he pulled back a little and he loosened his grip across her back.
The moment was gone, just like that. It was fleeting and Hannah was sure it was just the romance of the night, the good wine and food, the music, maybe even the dress Hannah was wearing. It was madness, that’s all it was. She knew that he didn’t think of her that way—he never had and he’d given her no indication to think that had changed. Plus, she was only here temporarily. She’d made that very clear. Hannah was home for the summer but her home wasn’t Chatham anymore.
When the music ended, they were both quiet as they made their way back to the table.
“Spencer. I can’t believe I didn’t see you earlier.” A beautiful woman with long blond hair was suddenly standing before him in a little black dress and red heels. A man who was handsome but looked bored and as though he’d rather be anywhere else stood next to her.
Spencer didn’t look thrilled to see her. “You look well, Michelle. I didn’t realize you were here, either. It’s a big crowd.”
“Our seats are on the opposite side of the room. We were actually just about to get going.” She glanced at George. “Do you know George? George, this is Spencer.”
Spencer nodded at George. “Good to meet you.” He looked at Hannah. “Michelle, this is my friend, Hannah. We went to school together. She’s home visiting for the summer.”
“Oh, you go way back, then.” She sounded curious. “Where do you live now?”
“Brooklyn.”
“Ah, so you’ll be heading home then?”
Hannah nodded. “Yes, that’s the plan.”
Michelle smiled enthusiastically but it didn’t feel genuine to Hannah. Michelle glanced at a clock on the wall. It was a few minutes before ten.
“Well, we’re on our way out. Good to see you, Spencer, and great to meet you, Hannah.” She took George’s hand and they headed toward the door.
“So, that was your ex?” Hannah asked.
“Yes. That was Michelle. I almost proposed to her.” He shook his head. “That’s the guy she dumped me for. I wouldn’t have thought a fisherman would be her type. Anyway, we should probably think about heading home, too.”
Spencer still sounded a little bitter about the breakup. Hannah supposed she couldn’t blame him; if he had been on the verge of proposing he’d obviously thought things were going well. He must have been blindsided.
“They haven’t announced the winners of the silent auction or raffle yet,” she said. “They should do that in a few minutes. I think this event officially ends at ten.”
And as soon as Hannah said the words, the band stopped playing and the evening’s host took the microphone to announce the list of auction winners. Hannah did not win the spa gift card, but Spencer won one of the pairs of Red Sox tickets he’d bid on. When the host was done reading the list of winners, he moved on to the grand prize, the raffle for the Nantucket bed-and-breakfast.
“And the winner of the weekend on Nantucket is ticket number 00897.”
Spencer glanced at his tickets. “Not me.”
Hannah looked at hers while the announcer said the number again.
“I can’t believe it. I have the winning ticket!”
“No kidding? Well, head up there.”
Hannah made her way through the crowd and handed the winning raffle ticket to the announcer. He matched the numbers and then handed her an envelope with her prize.
“Congratulations! Just call the bed-and-breakfast when you’re ready to schedule your weekend.” As Hannah walked away, he thanked the crowd for coming.
Spencer grinned when she returned with her envelope. “Congrats, that’s an awesome prize.”
“It is. I haven’t been to Nantucket for years. Maybe I’ll schedule it for the end of August as a celebration for finishing my book.”
“That sounds good. I’d book it soon, summer is crazy on Nantucket,” Spencer advised.
Spencer gave the valet his parking ticket and they brought his car around quickly. There was a little bit of a wait to get out of the parking lot but once they were on Shore Road, they were home in just a few minutes.
“I don’t think I’ve ever asked where you live. Are you nearby?” Hannah asked before she opened the car door.
“Just a few miles away. Near the beach but it’s also a quiet neighborhood with big yards. Should be good for the dogs.”
She nodded. “I’m glad you don’t have far to go. Thanks for driving. I had a really good time tonight.”
“I did, too. Sleep well, Hannah.” Spencer waited until Hannah was inside the house before he drove off. She was still in a bit of a daze from the evening, from the almost kiss with Spencer, and then winning the trip.
Aunt Maddie was still up, sipping a cup of herbal tea and reading a book in her sunroom. The TV was on the Pandora music channel, the Norah Jones station, playing soft jazz. She looked up as Hannah walked in.
“Hi, honey, how did it go? Did you have fun?”
Hannah flopped down into one of the oversized armchairs that faced the sofa her aunt was curled up on. “It was a lot of fun. So much food and the wines were amazing.” She described all the courses in detail.
“That sounds incredible. Did you get any pictures?” her aunt asked.
“No. I wanted to, but there wasn’t an opportunity. It didn’t feel right. If I’d seen anyone else snapping pictures I would have, but we took Spencer’s boss’s tickets so I didn’t want to do anything that might embarrass her.”
Her aunt nodded. “Well, I can almost picture it anyway from your descriptions. Did you bid on any silent auction items?”
“Yes, but I didn’t win. Spencer won Red Sox tickets.” She grinned. “I did, however, win the big raffle prize—a weekend on Nantucket at a bed-and-breakfast.”
Aunt Maddie was impressed. “Oh, that’s a wonderful prize. All the gifts are donated; someone there must have a connection with that bed-and-breakfast. I’ve heard of that one, too. It’s supposed to be lovely.”
Hannah yawned. The many wines and food had caught up to her and she was ready for bed. “I think I’m going to call it a night.” She stood to head to her room.
“Oh, how did it go with Spencer? The two of you looked cute together. He is single now, I think Joy said.”
“It went fine. We’re friends. He’s not really my type, and besides, I’m only here for the summer.” Hannah felt like she was trying to convince herself to ignore the sparks she’d felt when she was in Spencer’s arms. Even if there was an attraction, she knew it wouldn’t be smart to act on it. She wasn’t looking for a fling and Spencer clearly wasn’t over his ex.
Her aunt raised one eyebrow but only said, “Well, a new friend is always nice, too. Good night, honey.”
Hannah walked to her room, undressed, and climbed into bed. She snuggled into the soft pillow and closed her eyes. Her last thought before sleep took her was that she’d gotten the strong feeling that Spencer wanted to kiss her and in that fleeting moment, she’d wanted it, too. But she may have imagined it—it was likely just the effect of the wine and the romance of the event. It did make her look at him differently, though, at least for a moment.