Chapter 7
Chapter seven
“I hope you don’t mind having dinner by ourselves tonight,” Darwin said as the hostess led them to their table in one of the resort’s restaurants the following evening. “I think I’ve had about as much socializing today as I can handle.”
“Definitely not,” Katrina said, giving him a smile. “After the day we’ve had, I could use a little quiet time with just the two of us. Besides, there’s way less chance of Upton finding us here.”
“Yeah, that is a plus,” Darwin agreed with a chuckle. “Can we agree now that if he pops up at the next table, we make a run for it?”
She laughed. “One hundred percent.”
She couldn’t deal with Upton anymore tonight.
They took their seats at a table for two in a nice little nook in the far corner of the restaurant, with a view of the vineyards from the nearest window and lots of privacy. The hostess handed them menus, promising their server would be with them soon.
“Well, that was a painful day of fun and games,” Katrina said to Darwin after the woman left.
He groaned. “I’m not sure what was worse. Everyone figuring out we don’t know almost anything about each other, or Upton making it clear he knows everything about you.”
Yeah, that had been awkward.
“But on the bright side, now I know that you prefer Star Trek over Star Wars,” she said with a grin. “How else would I have learned that?”
“True. Like the way I learned you’re secretly addicted to all those baking competition shows,” Darwin teased.
She laughed. Today had been more mandatory fun for the wedding guests.
While most of the games had been okay, the one where they asked couples questions about each other and then compared their answers ended up being pretty embarrassing for her and Darwin.
While it’d been clear Khloe and Asher––as well as the other couples––knew loads about their significant others, it had been equally obvious she and Darwin didn’t know much of anything.
Especially when it came out that they’d been seeing each other for a few months.
It didn’t help that Upton had showed up in the audience, chirping out answers to questions about her background.
Answers that Darwin couldn’t have known.
Answers that Upton shouldn’t have known either, come to think of it.
Some of that stuff was so obscure that the only way he’d know them was if someone had given him the answers.
She had no doubt that someone was her mother.
Katrina had been both embarrassed for Darwin and annoyed at Upton, a guy she used to think of as a friend. If her mom had actually prepared a background file on Katrina so Upton could show up Darwin in front of everyone else, Katrina was going to be furious.
Of course, it would be yet another example of her mother thinking she knew what was best for Katrina.
And the fact that her mother had enlisted Upton into this scheme––a man Katrina didn’t have any chemistry with or interest in––proved how little her mom knew about her.
If she didn’t realize Darwin was exactly the kind of man Katrina could fall for, it was beyond sad.
“You know,” Darwin said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table, a twinkle in his eyes. “We may just have to accept people are thinking you hired me to be your boyfriend for the week.”
“Huh. I hadn’t thought of that. But now that I think about it, people were looking at us sideways today. I wonder if that’s why?”
“Maybe.” Darwin chuckled. “That’s a thing, right, bringing a random guy to a wedding and telling everyone he’s your boyfriend? I’m sure I’ve seen that on TV or something.”
Katrina couldn’t help laughing. “Look at you, going all Hallmark Channel on me. Have you been holding out on me?”
“Not really. My mom and sisters are big into those kinds of movies, and they always seem to be on when I’m home on leave. I guess I’ve picked up more on them than I thought.”
“Speaking of your family, tell me about them,” she said. “I know you grew up in Pennsylvania, but that’s about all.”
He started to answer, but was interrupted by the arrival of their server, who asked what they wanted to drink while also making some recommendations about the menu.
Darwin motioned at Katrina to order first. “I’ll take a glass of chardonnay, a green salad with vinaigrette on the side, and the honey ginger chicken.”
The man jotted everything down in his notebook before looking at Darwin. “And for you, sir?”
“I’ll take a blond ale, the wedge salad, and Sriracha maple chicken.”
Their server smiled and collected their menus, saying he’d get their order into the kitchen and bring their drinks.
“So,” Darwin said, leaning forward again. “What were we talking about?”
Katrina mirrored his pose. “You were telling me everything about growing up in Pennsylvania, your family, those romcom movies you mentioned, and how you ended up in the SEALs. If you want to spill any other secrets, too, feel free.”
“Wow. I was going to talk about all that?” he murmured with a soft laugh. “I never expected to be so open and forthcoming. You must bring it out in me.”
Their drinks showed up then, along with glasses of ice water. Katrina took a sip of water.
“Well, everyone in my family is an academic but me,” Darwin said after trying his ale. “My mom and dad are both scientists who teach at the University of Pennsylvania. And just so you know how nerdy they are, they named me Darwin after Charles Darwin, one of their favorite scientists.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh, I’m very serious. But wait, there’s more,” he said. “My older brother, Newton, was named after Isaac Newton, my younger brother, Sagan, after Carl Sagan, and my two younger sisters, Mary and Rosalind, were named after Mary Somerville and Rosalind Franklin.”
“That’s crazy!” Katrina said, not sure whether to laugh at the entirely mad concept or be impressed at his parents’ commitment to the sciences.
“Yeah, I’ve always thought so, too,” Darwin admitted with a grin. “But they’re family, so what are you going to do?”
“And all your siblings are scientists like your parents?” Katrina nudged, realizing that Darwin’s family must be a lot closer than her own. She felt happy for him and sad for herself, all at the same time.
“Newton is a wildlife biologist,” Darwin said. “Sagan is an astrophysicist, Mary is a calculus professor at Penn, and Rosalind is a chemical engineer. So yeah, the entire family is a bunch of science nerds except for me.”
“Are you sure you aren’t adopted?” Katrina asked jokingly.
Darwin let out a deep chuckle. “There was a time or two growing up that I actually wondered the same thing. But it turns out I’m simply the exception to the rule.”
Their salads arrived then, and Katrina paused while they both took a moment to add dressing.
“So, no college for you?” she finally asked after trying her salad. This particular restaurant put raisins in it as a nod to all the grape fields around, and they added the perfect touch of sweetness, especially with the vinaigrette.
“Actually, I did go to Penn for two semesters.” Darwin speared a tomato with his fork. “But the classroom setting just wasn’t for me. That’s when I started looking for something different.”
“Well, joining the SEALs is definitely different from that. Why did you pick the Navy?”
“Oh, that’s easy.” Darwin grinned. “I’m a Navy SEAL right now because of one person—Finnegan McMahon.
He was my football coach in high school, but had been in the SEALs during Desert Storm.
He was always telling us stories about the things he’d done in the Navy, but more than the stories of thrills and adventures, it was the stuff he told me about being part of a group so tight it was like having a second family.
That part of it really stuck with me. When I walked into the Navy’s recruiter’s office that day, it was a foregone conclusion where I’d be going. ”
Katrina considered that as she ate. “I guess in some ways, Finnegan is a lot like Francesca. He was an important part of your life and had a huge effect on the person you ultimately decided to be. What did your family think of your decision?”
“They were a little thrown at first,” Darwin admitted, smiling at the memory.
“But my mom and dad fully supported me, even if they didn’t understand it.
My siblings got on board, too. That doesn’t stop any of them from trying to talk me into getting out so I can go back to college every time I go home on leave.
But they still love me, even when I say no. ”
They were still chatting about Darwin’s family, and how he had to be careful how much he told them about the kind of stuff he did in the SEALs when their server reappeared with their entrées, and they both fell silent for a while, just enjoying the good food.
Her honey ginger chicken was cooked to perfection, and the green onion risotto was absolutely delicious.
“Speaking of keeping things from people,” Darwin said. “I should probably mention I called Wes and asked him to have Kyla dig up everything she could find on Arthur, Silas, Harold, and Upton. I know Upton was your friend in high school, but I still think it’d be a good idea to check him out.”
Part of Katrina wanted to deny Upton could ever be involved in anything nefarious. That it wasn’t in his personality. But after the way he’d behaved the past two days, Katrina had to admit maybe she didn’t know him as well as she thought.
“I don’t understand why we didn’t hear a gunshot last night,” she said. “We weren’t that far away from where Arthur got killed.”
“Whoever did it must have used a silencer.”
“Huh. I didn’t realize you could use a silencer on a rifle.” But it made sense. “If Upton did it, though, wouldn’t he have had the rifle on him when we saw him?”
“He could have stashed it somewhere, and then gone back to get it.”
“I suppose. But wouldn’t it have been easier to use a handgun then?”
“Agreed.”