Chapter 14
Kelsi
Two hours later, Kelsi smoothed the satin skirt of her dress across her thighs, her palms sweaty and leaving faint marks on the fabric.
The dress was a rich sapphire blue that complimented her auburn hair, with a cowl neck that emphasized her hourglass figure.
Her hair she had swept up into a sleek ponytail, and her makeup was done naturally, with a swipe of light-pink gloss on her lips.
The butterflies in her stomach were going crazy.
She couldn’t decide if it was the idea of going on a date with someone new or the idea of a date itself that was making her more nervous.
She regretted agreeing to the date, but she did need to take that first step in putting herself back out there and Tom—and Dylan—behind her.
Maybe this would be the plunge she needed.
Staring resolutely at her reflection in the mirror mounted on the wall next to the front door, she told herself, “You can do this.”
She grabbed her keys and, giving herself a final once-over, slung her purse over her right shoulder.
Kelsi locked the door behind her and climbed in her car.
Driving in heels was never fun, but she figured she would be fine for the ten-minute drive on the country roads.
As she took the blind curves slowly, her mind drifted to Dylan.
There was something so tortured about his eyes, and she wondered what he’d seen in his life since law school. The two of them were completely different people now than they were all those years ago.
Lost in thought, she felt like the drive took no time at all, and soon she found herself parking in the small lot behind the restaurant.
It was an adorable old cottage that had been renovated and remodeled to house a small seafood restaurant, and it was hands down the best place in town.
She caught sight of a group of women walking in that she recognized from the Sunday services her mom dragged her to.
The downside to it being the best restaurant in a small town on a Friday night?
It was full of people who were guaranteed to gossip about her being on a date.
Kelsi gave herself one moment to lean her forehead onto the steering wheel and wish to be anywhere and anyone else before her phone rang. Grateful for the interruption, she answered without checking the caller ID.
“You’re sitting in your car right now, scared to go inside, aren’t you?” Abby’s voice came through the car’s speakers.
Kelsi scowled at her phone. “How did you know that?”
“Because I know you.” She could practically hear the eye roll Abby was giving her.
“Now, get your cute butt out of that car and go have fun. There’s no pressure on this date, okay?
Just go, talk to a cute boy, eat some good food, maybe have two glasses of wine, and forget about the assholes of the past. If anyone deserves to have a good night, Kelsi, it’s you. ”
“Thanks, Abby.” Kelsi’s eyes were slightly misty, definitely from allergies and not Abby’s words, as she said goodbye and glanced back toward the restaurant. Reminding herself there were no stakes for this date, she pulled herself together and stepped out of the car.
She made her way up the wide porch steps and into the restaurant.
The first thing she noticed when she walked in wasn’t the delicious aroma of crab cakes and pasta sauce and she-crab soup, but the man leaning against the wall next to the host’s stand, dressed down in dark jeans and a black Henley that stretched indecently across his chest.
He glanced up from his phone when he heard the door open and did a double take when he saw her. His jaw slackened as he traced the exposed line of her neck down to the silk she was draped in, following the lengths of her calves to her black pumps and back up again.
His blue eyes were full of so much heat that she imagined she could actually feel his touch where they lingered.
She shivered involuntarily as gooseflesh rose on her arms, and Dylan pushed off from the wall, pocketed his phone, and slowly strolled toward her.
She barely noticed his limp, his gaze holding her own until he stopped only a foot away.
Absent-mindedly, she thought about how the shade of his eyes was the exact same blue of her dress.
“Red,” Dylan said, voice low. Nothing else, only his nickname for her.
His cologne, a subtle but masculine mix of amber and sandalwood, enveloped her. She inhaled deeply, feeling heat pool in her core at his proximity and overwhelming presence.
Kelsi cleared her throat. “Dylan,” she answered in kind.
“You look absolutely breathtaking.”
Her breath hitched. He towered over her; even in her five-inch pumps, he still had a solid four inches on her. A stray lock of hair fell over his brow, and her hand twitched with the urge to brush it out of his face.
The door at her back opened once more, warm and humid summer air blowing the strands of her ponytail lightly.
A warm hand wrapped around her waist as Sheridan came up on her right side.
He was dressed smartly in black slacks and a simple white button-down, the top few buttons undone.
His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, making his ensemble casually sexy.
She supposed he did look rather nice, but she thought she might prefer the Henley look.
She glanced over at Dylan, and his eyes burned furiously as he stared fixedly at where Sheridan’s hand rested on her hip. A muscle feathered in his jaw as he clenched it tightly.
Sheridan seemed unaware of the heated glare his left hand was receiving and reached his right hand out to Dylan in greeting. “Hey, man. Haven’t seen you in a bit. How are you?”
Dylan pulled his gaze from her waist and turned his attention to Sheridan’s outstretched hand, reluctantly taking it and giving a perfunctory shake. His expression didn’t change, but she saw Sheridan shake out his own hand slightly after Dylan released his grip.
“Good.” Dylan glanced between the two of them. “Are you two . . . ?” he ground out, letting the question drop off, looking as though the words themselves had to fight to get past his lips.
Sheridan, once again seemingly ignorant of Dylan’s behavior, grinned at him and said, “On a date? Yeah, we are.” He squeezed Kelsi tightly to him.
Her smile felt brittle on her face. Dylan smiled at Sheridan, but it was all teeth.
Sheridan finally turned fully to take in Kelsi’s appearance. “You’re looking good tonight, Kelsi.”
Dylan scoffed and said, staring directly at her, “She’s looking more than good. She’s perfection.”
The sincerity in his tone made her chest clench. She stopped breathing altogether as she held his gaze.
The moment was broken by the host calling out Dylan’s name. He turned to retrieve a takeout bag, and Kelsi and Sheridan followed him toward the stand, Sheridan separating from her to give the host his name for their reservation.
Dylan stopped by her side, so close that his arm brushed hers. “See you around, Red.” Her eyes followed him as he walked out of the restaurant, limp more evident than before.
“Kelsi,” Sheridan’s voice called to her. “Our table’s ready.”
She walked past him to follow the host to their table, and his palm landed on her lower back. It was chivalrous and expected of a Southern boy in these parts, but it weighed heavily and uncomfortably against her.
Her mind kept going back to the way Dylan had looked at her, his words. Had he meant them? That she looked perfect? Her heart fluttered, but she’d had enough men in her life disappoint her that she couldn’t let herself fully believe it, not yet.
Plus, the warmth of Sheridan’s hand seared like a brand against her hip.
She was on a date with another man, and she owed Sheridan a chance.
He’d been nice to her so far, he was handsome, and they didn’t have nearly three decades of history.
She cut a sideways glance at him as she dodged a table in their path, and he caught her gaze with a wink.
Yes, this was exactly what she needed.
The host sat them at a central table, couples on either side of them, and handed them both menus, leaving a wine list on the table.
Kelsi’s nerves came back full force. She hated small talk, and that was what first dates were, right?
Oh God, she thought, starting to panic. It had been way too long since she’d been on a first date with anyone. She couldn’t remember what to do.
Sheridan picked up the wine menu and scanned it for a brief moment before looking to her. “Wine?”
“Please,” she answered quickly.
He smiled at her enthusiastic response while she cringed.
“Preference on white or red?”
“Red, please. If that’s fine with you.”
“Absolutely.”
He turned back to the menu for another second before their waitress stopped by their table and introduced herself.
When she asked if they wanted anything to drink, Sheridan said, “Cabernet, please. House cab is fine.”
She nodded and took the wine list from him. “Are you ready to order, or do you need another few minutes?”
Kelsi knew what she wanted, but only because she ordered the same thing every time she came here. Sheridan looked at her and the menu in his hands, then back to her.
The waitress could see his indecision and said, “I’ll grab your wine and let you have a few more minutes to look the menu over, okay?”
Sheridan gave her a relieved smile and thanked her as she walked off to the bar to get their wine and glasses.
He turned to Kelsi sheepishly, a cute blush faintly coloring his golden cheeks.
“Sorry if you were ready to order. I thought I knew what I wanted but something else caught my eye, and I was too indecisive to make a quick decision.”
She laughed and said placatingly, “No, don’t worry. I know what I want, but I’m not going to starve to death or get hangry waiting another few minutes.”
He chuckled with her. “I have a feeling you’d even look cute hangry.”