CHAPTER 11 #3
Uh oh. Now he’d opened a can of worms. He’d already told her about his dad’s health scare a couple of years ago. His guilt trip sister. His daughter he’d had with his high school sweetheart. What else was there?
This wasn’t the night Lainey had planned. A detective showing up on the one night she was entertaining. And not just anyone, but Robert.
Over the last three years, nothing. But now it felt like Geoff had some cosmic power from beyond the grave to disrupt her evening. It’s like he could sense another man in his home, and he didn’t like it.
What nonsense. This is my wild imagination mixed with some deep-seated guilt for trying to move on from Geoff.
She wanted this to be a night for her and Robert to connect in person like they’d done over the phone so many nights.
This was supposed to be a controlled environment.
No young, skinny college girls walking in and distracting her or him.
No interruptions by the police in a darkened parking lot either.
She also realized her anxiety had gotten the best of her. When she saw Robert at her door, she froze, scurrying out of reach like a scared bunny. He probably wanted to greet her with a hug, but she’d made it uncomfortable, creating a distance between them almost immediately.
She topped off her wineglass and fetched another beer from the fridge.
He didn’t ask for another, but she wasn’t drinking alone.
She looked around the kitchen, discovering he’d not only washed the dishes, but had placed leftovers in Tupperware, wiped the counters and neatly folded and hung her dish towels.
Geoff wouldn’t have ever done this efficient of a job. Robert was different, and the more she thought about it, if this WAS Geoff’s doing, she was angry. Did he expect her to live out the next fifty years of her life pining over what could have been if he hadn’t died?
She rounded the corner back to the living room and found Robert lounging on the couch. “Here,” she said, handing the beer over before claiming the seat next to him. “I know you didn’t ask for another, but this is your night off, right?” she smiled.
He snagged the beer out of her hand, smiling in agreement, then took a swig.
“Okay, where to begin..” she said, taking a big gulp of wine.
“Slow down, slugger,” Robert laughed, “we have all night.”
All night? Do we? We do. Stop overthinking everything he says. It was just an off-hand comment, she thought.
She felt rattled. Detective Moore, showing up had thrown her off. And Robert was so sweet and so caring, she couldn’t help but rush and hug his large frame as a gesture of apology.
But Robert had questions. Why wouldn’t he? She did too.
Lainey told Robert everything. Jan Bingman’s visit, the four-million in missing coins, the last thing she’d said to Geoff, Drink a margarita for me.
Rolling her eyes at herself for divulging that tidbit.
Including finding Geoff on the floor and rushing to put Viv in her room, distracting her with toys once she realized he was dead.
Next was his family and her brother-in-law seeing her walking into Mavericks to meet Robert. Every piece of information she spouted out while taking sips of wine in between sentences, which fueled her onto another segment of crap which had completely stressed her out over the past month.
Robert didn’t interrupt. He had relaxed into the couch and listened, taking swigs of his beer here and there, letting her get it all out.
He didn’t minimize her thoughts or feelings about the Drink a margarita for me mini crisis she’d put herself through.
He didn’t even grin or chuckle as she’d expected him to.
“That’s it in a nutshell,” she concluded, knocking back the last of her wine. She got up. “I’m getting a refill. You want another?”
“Hold up.” He reached up lightly grasping her hand. “Sit back down for a sec.”
Lainey peered down at his calloused hand holding onto her manicured fingers. She stiffened a bit. “Please?” he asked. She gave in, slowly lowering herself back down.
He guided her to sit even closer to him. “I had no idea you were going through all this.” His tone was tender. “I could tell you were holding back in our phone calls, but I didn’t know.”
Lainey met his eyes. She leaned forward and claimed a kiss. A soft, small kiss. The taste of beer on his lips mixed with his masculine scent was intoxicating. When she released his lips, she instantly wanted more. She waited for him to pull her towards him again, but he just stared into her eyes.
Robert had seen her cards now. Her crazy may have shocked him, and she questioned if she’d scared him off.
He sat up and set his bottle on the coffee table. He took the empty wineglass from her hand, which she’d somehow forgotten was even there, and did the same.
He caressed her cheekbone with the pad of his thumb and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
She blinked into his paralyzing hazel eyes. The wine definitely settled her nerves once it had hit her bloodstream. Her nose tingled, and she felt herself melting into the moment. She didn’t move, but the room pulsated in her periphery.
She’d planned for this night, maybe ending with a polite goodbye kiss. But now she wanted much more.