Chapter 14 #2
Cadie leaned back and closed her eyes, tilting her face toward a shaft of sunlight that had broken through the canopy. Barrett rested the oars and let the boat drift, content to watch her and to hold the moment without trying to make it into anything more than what it was.
After returning to the dock, the attendant caught the bow of the boat and helped Cadie onto the platform. Barrett climbed out after her and reached for her hand. She took it, lacing her fingers through his.
"That was better than any date I imagined in high school," she said.
Barrett smiled. "We're just getting started."
*****
In the late afternoon, Barrett took Cadie to The Rooftop at the Vendue.
The bar occupied the top floor of the hotel, and the elevator opened onto a terrace with views that stretched across the rooftops to the harbor and the distant line of the Atlantic.
The sky was beginning to deepen toward evening, and the first warm tones of sunset were spreading across the horizon.
He chose a table near the railing where they could see the full sweep of the city below. The steeples of St. Michael's and St. Philip's rose above the roofline, and the Cooper River Bridge was visible in the distance, its cables catching the fading light.
Barrett ordered bourbon and Cadie chose a glass of white wine. They added a plate of shrimp crostini and a charcuterie board. When the food arrived, Barrett enjoyed eating slowly, and watching the sky change colors.
"This has been a special afternoon," Cadie said. She put down her wine glass and looked at him across the table. "It's like we're making up for all we missed together."
"I know we can't really do that," Barrett said, "but I want to try."
Cadie held his gaze, and he realized that she believed him. That was the thing about Cadie—she didn't need grand gestures or practiced speeches. She needed honesty, and she recognized it when it was offered.
After their lingering over drinks, Barrett watched Cadie as the sunset deepened and city lights began to emerge below.
The rooftop filled with other guests, but Barrett didn't care.
His attention was on Cadie and her loveliness in the fading light.
He liked the way she leaned toward him when she talked, as though the distance across the small table was still too far.
When the plates were cleared and the drink glasses were empty, Barrett leaned back in his chair. "I have one more stop in mind," he said.
"Where?" Cadie said.
"I'm taking you to dinner at the Peninsula Grill."
Cadie's eyes widened, then she laughed. "I don't think we could have afforded that on our high school allowances."
Barrett realized how much he enjoyed being with her and seeing her laugh.
"I'm sure we wouldn't have been able to," he said. "But I can now."
*****
Peninsula Grill was on the ground floor of Planter's Inn on Market Street.
The entrance was understated, marked by a small awning and a pair of gas lanterns that cast a warm glow on the brick facade.
Inside, the dining room was elegant and intimate.
Velvet curtains framed the windows, and the tables were draped in white linen and lit by candlelight.
The atmosphere was the kind that encouraged conversation and made the rest of the world feel very far away.
The host led them to a corner table that offered privacy without feeling isolated.
Barrett pulled out Cadie's chair, then took his seat across from her and opened the wine list. He chose a bottle of Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley.
The sommelier brought it to the table, presented the label, and poured a small taste.
Barrett nodded, and the man filled their glasses.
After a while, orders were taken. Cadie chose the pan-roasted sea bass, and Barrett selected the filet. The waiter left them alone, and the candlelight settled between them in a warm glow.
Barrett lifted his glass and held it across the table. Cadie touched hers to his, and the crystal rang softly in the quiet dining room.
Cadie told him about the first time she'd played a blues club in New Orleans, how her hands had been shaking so badly that she nearly missed the opening chord.
Barrett told her about the first time he jumped out of a plane during SEAL training, how the instructor had said fear never goes away, but you learn to jump anyway.
"That sounds like a philosophy for more than just parachutes," Cadie said.
"It is," Barrett said.
The meals arrived. The sea bass was arranged over a bed of risotto, and Barrett's filet was seared with a side of roasted vegetables. He ate slowly, watching Cadie savor her food.
As the evening deepened, he poured the last of the wine into their glasses, then looked across the table. Cadie watched him, the candlelight reflected in her eyes. Her expression was tender and cut through the last shred of his defenses.
The dining room was quiet around them, as the other guests were absorbed in their own conversations. The moment felt suspended, as though the room and the evening and the years that had brought them here had all converged into one single point.
Barrett tried to breathe. "I love you…with all my heart." He held her gaze without flinching. "I know I've done a poor job of showing you how I feel, but I intend to mend my ways."
Cadie's eyes filled with tears. She didn't try to hide them or look away.
"I love you too," she said, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand. "I just can't believe that after all this time we found each other again."
Barrett reached across the table and took her hand. "Believe it, my love." His heart swelled with emotion. "And I don't intend to lose you again."
As the hour grew late, the dining room emptied. The sommelier cleared the wine bottle, and the waiter brought the check. Barrett signed it without looking at the total. He helped Cadie with her chair, then led her through the restaurant.
He stopped in the lobby and turned to take both of her hands. "I want to spend the night with you…on this special day," he said. "I want to share the depth of what I feel for you."
Cadie gave him a coy smile. "Plus…no one knows we're here."
"There is that, too." Barrett kissed her. The look in her eyes held the promise of so much more. It would be a night to remember, a new beginning. And he planned to spend the rest of his life loving her, showing how much she meant to him. He couldn't believe his fortune that Cadie loved him back.