Chapter 8
Eight
Play it cool. That was Dan’s strategy for the evening with Kara.
Don’t act too interested or too charming or too anything.
It had taken weeks of effort to get her into his car, and he was petrified he’d say or do something to ruin his chances before he could get to know her better.
And he desperately wanted to know her better.
The car itself might’ve been his first misstep of the evening.
Unlike the women he dated in LA, she hadn’t seemed impressed by the convertible Porsche he’d spent an ungodly amount of money to have shipped to the island.
Some things a guy shouldn’t have to live without, and his car was definitely one of them.
In hindsight, he realized the car contributed to her already formed impression of him as a pretentious climber who cared more about things than he did about people. He’d considered telling her the truth about his work, but he decided to save that ace for when—not if—he needed some points.
He’d like to share with her the story of how he came to have the car at some point if the opportunity presented itself.
“Nice car,” she said after a protracted period of silence that did nothing to settle his nerves.
He’d been reeling from the second she opened the door, and he caught sight of her in the incredible red dress.
And her hair… It was so smooth and shiny, falling in soft waves around her face.
As he’d suspected, underneath her tomboy exterior lurked a very sexy woman. The tomboy was sexy as hell, too.
“Thanks.” Why not tell her? He wanted her to know him—really know him. “It was my brother’s. He was an army ranger, killed in Afghanistan.”
Gasping, she rested her hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry, Dan.”
“Thanks. It was a long time ago.”
“I… I thought…”
“What?”
“My first thought was that the car is pretentious, and now I feel terrible for thinking that.”
Dan laughed. “It’s pretentious as all hell, and Dylan loved it. Having the car he loved makes me feel closer to him if that makes sense.”
“It does. It makes perfect sense. Do you have other siblings?”
“Two sisters, both older.”
“It must’ve been so hard to lose your only brother.”
“Worst thing I’ve ever been through. Wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
Kara seemed to be chewing over what she wanted to say next, so Dan forced himself to stay quiet and let her ask whatever she wanted to. “The other day when we talked about your work, why didn’t you tell me what you really do?”
Dan grimaced. “Heard about that, huh?”
“Yes.”
He couldn’t tell if she was annoyed or merely curious. “Are you mad I didn’t tell you?”
“I’m more surprised, I guess. It’s been my experience that people like to talk about themselves, especially when they’re trying to impress someone.”
Her blunt approach to life was so damned refreshing.
“Is that what I’ve been doing? Trying to impress you?
” He was mindful to interject a suitable amount of humor into the question lest she think he was making fun of her.
Had he ever tiptoed so carefully around another woman? Not that he could recall.
He could feel rather than see the roll of her eyes. “What would you call it?”
“Well, I, ah…”
“Are you this articulate in court when you’re pontificating on behalf of your clients?”
“Okay, first, I don’t pontificate, and second, I’m known for my articulate elocution.”
Her lusty laugh did strange things to his insides. He suddenly felt warm all over, so he opened a window.
She gathered up her hair and kept a firm grip on it.
“What’s the matter?”
“The fog will make my hair huge in like five seconds.”
“Sorry.” He put up the window, resigned to being far too warm in her presence.
“So why didn’t you tell me about your work?”
“I don’t know.” He tugged at his shirt collar. “It wasn’t because I don’t want you to know about it. I didn’t want to sound, you know…arrogant.”
“Far too late for that,” she said, laughing some more.
While his arrogant self might be annoyed that she found it so easy to poke fun at him, the part of him that ached for what she’d been through loved that he could make her laugh.
For that reason, he was happy to have her laughing at him.
“You’re being kind of mean to me, considering it’s our first date. I’d think you’d want to impress me.”
“Is that so? I thought I’d already impressed you just by having freckles and wearing Levi’s. Are you saying I need to do more?”
“If you want to keep my attention.” He’d meant the comment as a joke, but immediately regretted it. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded, Kara. You have my undivided attention, as you well know.”
The animation had left her voice when she said, “I knew what you meant.”
Dan took a huge gamble and reached for her hand. At first, she resisted, but then she relaxed and seemed to accept the intrusion. “He was crazy to let you go.”
“When you get to know me better, you might not think so. For all you know, I’m a controlling shrew who likes to be in charge all the time.”
His heart did a happy dance at the idea of getting to know her better. “Why, Ms. Ballard, are you talking dirty to me?” he asked with a dramatic shiver.
“Shut up,” she said, laughing again.
He really loved it when she laughed.
“So, hey,” Mac said as the fabulous party at Stephanie’s Bistro was winding down, “who’s in for sailing tomorrow? I’ve gotten a definite from Grant. Anyone else? Going once…”
They were gathered on the deck of the Sand & Surf Hotel with Stephanie, Grant and many of their family members and friends.
“I’ll go,” Evan said. “I’m at a standstill until my equipment gets here. May as well play while I can.” Grant’s brother, a singer and songwriter, was starting a recording studio on the island.
“I could use one more able body,” Mac said.
“What for?” Dan asked.
Mac explained that the crew of one of the boats competing in Race Week had been sidelined by the flu, but the captain was still hoping to race if he could get four people to crew for him.
“I’ll do it,” Dan said.
“Do you even know how to sail, Torrington?” Grant asked with a laugh.
“I’ll have you know I was on the sailing team at Yale,” Dan retorted.
“Oh, pardon us and your Grey Poupon.” Grant’s snobby tone made the others roar with laughter. “You might be too good for this crew.”
Dan grinned at him. “I can probably teach you a few things.”
“You’re in,” Mac said. “I’ll text the captain and let him know we’re good to go. Zero seven hundred, boys.”
The others groaned at that announcement.
Dan and Kara hung out as the others began to take their leave in grand fashion with the guys trying to outdo each other by carrying their wives and girlfriends off the porch at the Surf.
Shane, one of the McCarthys’ cousins, got up, said good night and went inside.
“He’s so quiet,” Stephanie said. “You’d never know he was here until he says good night.”
“He never used to be,” Grant said. “But he’s been through some rough shit.”
Dan glanced at Kara. “Haven’t we all?”
“I worry about him,” Grant said. “I’d hoped he’d be bouncing back by now, but he just gets more withdrawn all the time.”
“Give it some time.” Kara surprised the others with the comment. “Not everyone bounces back on the same schedule.”
“That’s very true.” Dan gazed out at the darkened sea, thinking of Dylan as painful memories threatened to ruin the best night he’d had in years. He couldn’t let that happen, so he shook it off. “We ought to call it a night, too.”
“Don’t even think about trying to outdo the others,” Kara said in a warning tone that made Grant and Stephanie laugh.
Grinning, Dan said, “Wouldn’t dream of it.” Instead, he stood and bowed before her, holding out his hand to help her up.
“Honestly,” she huffed as she took his hand.
“I like to think I’ve got my own moves, thank you very much.”
“Don’t injure yourself showing them off.”
Grant howled with laughter. “Oh, I like her. I like her very, very much.”
“So do I.” Dan shocked Kara when he brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I like her a whole lot.”
“Best of luck to you, Kara,” Grant said gravely. “You’re going to need it.”
“I can handle him. He’s mostly all talk.”
Dan’s mouth fell open in surprise as desire hit him like a streak of lightning. “Not all talk.”
“I like her, too,” Stephanie said.
Kara smiled at her. “Thanks for inviting me, and best of luck with the restaurant.”
“I appreciate that. I need all the luck I can get.”
“If tonight was any indication, you’re going to be a huge hit.” Dan bent to kiss Stephanie’s forehead on the way by. Since they’d worked together to get her stepfather out of jail, Dan had begun to think of her as a close friend, especially since she was so happy with Grant.
“See you in the morning,” Dan said to Grant as he kept a firm hold on Kara’s hand and led her to the stairs.
“That’s seven a.m. East Coast time,” Grant called after him. “Not seven a.m. La-La time.”
“Yeah, yeah, I got it.”
After they’d walked the three blocks to his car, Dan held the door for Kara, and then drove them toward North Harbor. “I’m not ready to go home yet.” He wanted more time with her.
“What do you want to do?”
“What’s there to do around here?”
“Not much.” Kara was quiet for a minute before she said, “I know something we can do.”
“Sounds promising,” he said in his best suggestive tone. He knew it wasn’t wise to needle her, but he couldn’t seem to help it.
“Not that.”
“Oh, damn. Can’t blame a guy for being hopeful. What, then?”
“How about a ride on the Salt Pond?”
“In the dark?”
“You’re not afraid, are you?”
“Of course not, but how will you be able to see where we’re going?”
“I have exceptional night vision.”
“This I have to see.” A few minutes later, Dan parked in the lot at McCarthy’s and followed Kara to the floating dock, where he got on first and held out a hand to help her aboard the launch.
“I’m only allowing you to help me because I’m wearing a dress.”
“I’m only helping you because you’re wearing a dress.”