The ground was soft; it had rained during the night. Rae’s heels sank into the grass as she crossed the landscaped grounds.

“Hi, Leo.” She carefully settled on the bench near his headstone. “I’ve missed you.”

It was a weekday morning, at an hour she should have been at the office. Instead she was at a cemetery, her beeper on, her cellular phone in her purse, trying to shake off the effects of a rough night of no sleep.

“I’m scared, Leo, and I don’t know why.”

The dreams had been nice, at first. She had been with James, she had been happy, she had been in the house she had visited, but the dreams had always ended with her being abandoned.

She sighed, and looked over the grounds, looked up at the beautiful sky. There were no answers to find here. She had thought the dreams reflected what she was still feeling from Leo’s death, but she had been wrong. It was peaceful here today; there was sadness, but the grief was gone.

The grief had moved on without her realizing it.

The trip here had been worth that much at least. It was an hour’s drive. She rarely came, instinctively knowing it was better to let the memories fade.

The troubled sleep did not originate from here.

 

The car ride back to the office was made with her thoughts deep in options. To think ahead for months at a time, to consider options, was part of both her personality and her training. She had some serious issues to resolve.

She was dating James. It had been one date so far, but he was buying a house nearby. Lace had read him right, he was not a man to date casually. The next several months were going to see a relationship being developed. Did she want that?

Yes. She had made that decision the night she had agreed to the first date.

A relationship meant time.

She still had a book to write. That book mattered to her, more than any of her friends understood.

No matter which way she laid out her schedule, she simply did not have enough time to do her job, write a book, and get to know James. Something simply had to give.

The job.

She had to find a partner. She had to. It was that, or sell the business.

 

James was early.

Rae descended the steps quickly, paused at the bottom of the stairs, took a few deep breaths, trying to make her anticipation less obvious. She flipped the locks on the door.

“Hi.” She was past the point of being nervous. She had missed him.

“Hi, lady.”

His smile made her feel so good inside.

She held the door for him as he had his hands full. Something smelled wonderful.

“Mom was making Italian, so I brought us homemade ravioli.”

Rae settled her hand on his arm and liked the strength she felt. She looked into the sack. “Cheesecake?”

“Homemade, too.”

“You can bring dinner over whenever you would like.”

He laughed. “Come on, let’s eat while it’s still hot.”

Rae had struggled with how to set the table. She had wanted it to look nice, but not overly romantic. It was dinner and a movie. She had compromised with elegant place mats and her bouquet of flowers as the centerpiece.

James unpacked the sack. Salad, strawberries, ravioli, homemade rolls, cheesecake.

James told her about progress on the house purchase as they ate, and Rae told him about her day, glossing over the stress. It was a comfortable conversation, but it was impersonal, leaving Rae feeling slightly discontent.

They moved to the living room after dinner, James taking the remaining strawberries with them.

Rae hesitated for a moment, then chose the couch, pushing the coffee table out with her foot so she could sink down in the cushions and use the table as a footrest. “What movie did you end up choosing?”

He slipped it into the VCR, and used the remote to click on the television, set the volume. “An old one. A mushy one.”

She blinked, surprised. “You got a mushy movie?”

He chuckled at her expression, nudged her over to free a pillow, sat down beside her. “It’s a date, Rae. Mushy is good planning on my part.”

“If it had not been a date?”

He stretched his legs out and grinned. “A Western, definitely.”

Rae leaned against his shoulder. “I like Westerns, too,” she whispered.

“Do you?”

“Anything but horror,” she confirmed.

His hand gently brushed through her hair. She loved being this close to him, able to see the expression in his eyes, feel his chest rise and fall under her hand. The movie came on, interrupting the moment. She didn’t move away; instead, settled against him. His arm slipped around her. His hand captured hers.

It was a love story.

Partway through the movie, Rae shifted to rest her head against his chest, snuggle her hands against his shirt, relax further as she watched, captivated by the story.

James’s hand gently stroked her hair.

It was a movie that required a box of tissues.

She was crying toward the end but had no desire to disturb the pleasure of the moment with James. She was supremely comfortable, tucked in his arms.

James grabbed the tissue box and gently wiped her wet cheeks.

When it was over, she dropped her head down against his chest, hiding her face. “Next time, don’t get a mushy movie. I look awful when I cry,” she said, laughing, as she tried to wipe away the damage.

James settled her against him. He studied her face seriously, smiled gently. “I think you look okay to me.”

“You’re being kind.”

His hands brushed her cheeks dry. “No, I’m not,” he said simply.

Rae eased her hands to his shoulders. “James.”

“Hmm?” He drew her closer.

“Isn’t this going pretty fast for a second date?”

“I’ve wanted to kiss you for about twelve weeks now, it feels kind of slow to me,” he replied with a slow smile.

She blushed softly. “Really?”

He grinned. “Quit fishing for a compliment.”

If she leaned forward even a little, they would be kissing. She wanted to kiss him too much to let herself do it.

She dropped her gaze. She wasn’t used to this emotion.

“We need to take a walk,” James said abruptly.

It took Rae a few moments to remember how to breathe again. He got up and held out his hand and she had to shake her head a couple of times to clear it before she could focus on his hand and accept it.

She steadied herself with a hand braced against his forearm. “A walk is a real good idea. Where are my shoes?”

Having him tie her tennis shoe laces helped break some of the tension inside her, the cool air outside helped finish the task.

James put his arm around her shoulders as they began walking down the block. Rae took advantage of the opportunity to tuck herself as close to him as she could get.

“It would have been quite a kiss,” she offered, teasing softly.

He laughed. “Oh yeah, it would have been quite a kiss.”

She wanted this relationship to progress. The realization made her shiver. Her mind was thinking marriage and children. It was too much transition. Fifteen weeks ago she had been grieving over Leo, thinking her life was over, and now she was at this point with another man.

She eased slightly away from him. “It’s been almost two years since I kissed a guy.”

“Try six years since I really kissed a lady,” James replied. He let her ease away, but kept hold of her hand. “I think we would be wise to avoid the situation for a while.”

They walked together in silence. Rae felt herself begin to relax again. Nothing had changed, not really. They were dating. They were both going to have to decide how serious they wanted the relationship to be, where it was heading, how fast it was going to move. It was good to know the potential for a lot more than just friendship was there.

“Rae?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you a tough question?”

She turned and looked up at him, saw how serious he was. “Sure.”

“Were you and Leo planning to have kids?”

Rae felt the wistfulness well back inside. “Yes,” she whispered, looking out at the night. “At least three. He liked the idea of a big family.”

James squeezed her hand. “I didn’t mean to touch a raw memory.”

“That’s okay. We were planning it all, the house, the kids, the dog.”

He tucked his arm around her again, pulling her close. “Tell me to butt out if you don’t want to talk about this.”

She nodded. “What do you want to know?”

“Has the anger faded?”

“At Leo?”

“And God.”

Rae considered it as they walked. “Mostly. It’s just a profound sense of disappointment that lingers now, that the dreams and plans ended so abruptly. How are you doing with losing Africa?”

“Resigned. There’s nothing short of a miracle cure that can bring it back.”

The silence stretched between them. Rae wished they were further along in the relationship so that she didn’t feel so…awkward. She wanted to know what he thought about getting married, having kids…not necessarily with her, but in general, she told herself as she bit her bottom lip.

“What?” He sounded amused.

She looked up at him, this man she had dreamed about, had decided to let past her reserves to say yes to a date, to say yes to possibly a lot more. He was smiling at her.

“What question is circling around in that mind of yours, wanting to be asked?”

She blushed.

His expression grew serious and gentle. He brushed her cheek with a finger. “It’s okay. Ask.”

“Did you buy that house planning to have children?”

“Four,” he replied, smiling. “At least two adopted. I’ve got a wallet full of snapshots of children, I want a few of my own to add to the collection.”

“Four.”

James tugged her hair lightly. “My wife will have a little say, of course.”

“That’s kind of necessary,” Rae reminded him, grinning. So what if it was only a second date? Nothing had been conventional in her life or in their relationship to this point. She might as well ask the questions she would like to have answers to. “What’s your ideal honeymoon?”

Her question amused him. “That’s a tough one.” He thought for a moment. “Three weeks. Somewhere with a private beach, a lot of sun. Maybe Maui.”

“Wedding?”

“Big.”

“Ten-year anniversary gift?”

“Rae…”

“I’m curious.”

“My wife would learn to play golf.”

It was such a specific answer that Rae couldn’t help but laugh. “You play?”

“Not yet. If I get married, I figure I’ll learn.”

“No more questions?” James asked after a moment.

“No.”

He tugged her to a stop. They were in the shadows of a tall oak, moonlight flickering between the leaves. “Then I have a question for you.”

Rae looked up at him.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked, seriously.

There was nothing she would like more. “I’m not so sure it would be a good idea,” she found herself replying.

He linked his arms around her, bringing her close. “Just one kiss?”

She reluctantly nodded. She wanted to kiss him, to find out if it would be as special as she imagined it might be. She eased herself forward, her arms resting on his shoulders.

The kiss was gentle, soft, careful. It made her more vulnerable than she had been in two years. She was letting him inside her heart. It made her tremble under his hands.

He broke the kiss off before it could progress. “Kissing is going to be a problem.”

“We could not do it again,” she felt honor bound to offer. She was still trying to sort out the emotions, how much she had enjoyed that kiss.

He hugged her.

“Rationing. One kiss per date. We might survive.”

She leaned against him and returned the hug. “Come over tomorrow.”

They both laughed.

“Come on, lady. It’s late. You’ve got to go to work in a few hours. It’s time I took you home.”

Rae reluctantly let him start them walking again. After they reached her town house, it took only a couple of minutes for the movie to be rewound, the dishes from dinner to be repacked.

Rae stood in the doorway after James stepped out onto the porch, the sack balanced in his hand.

“I’m not going to do more than simply say good-night,” he cautioned, even as he stepped closer.

“That’s wise,” Rae agreed.

“Do you feel like the rug just got pulled out from under your feet?”

It was nice to know she wasn’t the only one…. “Yanked out,” she clarified.

“What do you want to do about it?”

He was so close she could touch his face if she only raised her hand. “Take it one day at a time,” she replied softly, wisely.

He leaned down and gently kissed her cheek. “Good answer, Rae. You like sandwiches?”

She blinked at the change of subject. “Sure.”

“I’ll bring lunch tomorrow if you can get twenty minutes away. Your complex has a pond, ducks, and a park bench.”

Her smile lit up her face. “Thanks.”

He smiled back. His free hand gently stroked her cheek. “Tell me to go home, I’m in trouble here.”

Her hands gently touched his shirt. She took a deep breath and pushed him a step away. “Go home.”

He stepped back, made it two steps down the walk before he turned. “Rae?”

She hadn’t moved, didn’t have the strength or the will. “Yeah?”

“Sweet dreams.”

Her face tensed.

“What?” He came partway back.

She forced her smile. “Nothing. I’ll dream sweet dreams,” she promised. “I’ll see you tomorrow, James.”

He hesitated. “Good night, then.”

“Good night.”

 

“The duck on the end looks annoyed.”

Rae bit into the center of her sandwich, trying to keep the inch-high stack of condiments from falling off. She was near the end and it was becoming an adventure to eat. “You would be, too, if your wife was flirting with another guy,” she remarked when she could speak again. “That’s Bradley. His wife is the one in front flirting with the mallard.”

“You’ve got them all named.”

She finished the sandwich. “The same ducks have been coming back here for years.”

James shifted his arm across the back of the bench. Rae took advantage of the situation to lean her head back. “Thanks for lunch.”

He smiled. “My pleasure.”

“You look tired.”

“You don’t,” he replied with a grin. “In fact, I would suggest you might have overdone the caffeine this morning. You’re…perky.”

She pushed him in the ribs with her free hand. “I’ll give you ‘perky.’ And quit ducking my question.”

He laughed at her pun.

“Ohh.” She gave up and joined him, his laughter contagious.

“I didn’t sleep because I was busy thinking,” he told her when his laughter died down.

“Serious thinking?”

“Hmm. Got a question for you.”

She rested a hand on his chest. “Oh, boy. Another question. Am I going to like it?”

He grinned. “Well, it took me several hours to phrase it, so you should.”

She ducked her head against his chest. “Ask.”

He rubbed her shoulders.

“You’re not asking…” she said with a chuckle.

“Forgot the question. You’re distracting, lady.”

She sat back up, laughing. She hadn’t felt this lighthearted in ages.

“I think we can safely say we are past the preliminaries in this dating adventure, wouldn’t you agree?”

She thought about it carefully. “Yes,” she said with a decisive nod.

He tickled her for that exaggeration. “Here’s my question.”

She was still laughing. She struggled to get serious. “Okay.”

“This is a really important question,” he reminded her, waiting until she nodded. “Will you…” He paused. “This is a really important question, Rae,” he reminded her.

She tried to stifle the giggle. “Okay, okay. Ask.”

“Rae, will you…help me pick out the wallpaper for the kitchen?”

She blinked at him. “Wallpaper.”

He nodded, his expression serious. “Wallpaper.”

She giggled. “I could probably do that.”

“Will you help me hang it?”

“Only if you buy the brush-with-water kind. I’m dangerous with paste.”

“Important point,” he agreed. “Wallpaper with self-stick adhesive.”

“I’m not very good at vertical stripes.”

“I am,” he replied smugly.

She was laughing so hard she was having a hard time catching her breath. “James, you spent last night thinking about your house?”

“I wouldn’t want you to think I spent it just thinking about you.”

“That wouldn’t do,” she agreed, solemnly.

She reluctantly checked her watch. “I’ve got to go back to work.”

He gently brushed her hair back from her face. “Thanks for lunch.”

She grinned. “I loved lunch.”

“Come here,” he whispered, tugging her toward him.

Her hands came to rest against his chest.

He kissed her, softly, gently. “Go back to work. Think about me occasionally.”

She reluctantly got to her feet. “If I think about you, I won’t get any work done.”

He quirked one eyebrow with his smile. “Your concentration is that distractible?”

“I think I will plead the fifth,” she replied with a smile, reluctantly slipping her hand from his. “See you later.”

“I’m sure you will.”

 

“Dave, the paint is supposed to be on the porch, not on me,” Rae protested, tugging the sleeve of her shirt around to check out the latest white splotch.

“Sorry.”

She gave a resigned sigh. “Sure you are.”

There were footsteps behind them. “Aren’t you two done yet?”

“Lace, you stuck me with someone who bites the tip of her tongue when she paints and who insists we leave no brush strokes visible anywhere. We are still going to be painting this porch next week.”

Lace laughed and tweaked Dave’s collar. “Did you know you’ve got a white handprint on your back?”

“Rae!”

She shrugged, even as she grinned. “Sorry.”

“Would you two children like to come and eat? The pizza is here,” James announced from the doorway. He and Kevin had been plastering the new wall they had built after tearing down two others.

Rae looked up from where she sat on the porch. “Sounds good to me.”

“Feed her, James, please. She’s driving me nuts.”

James laughed and offered his hand to Rae, pulled her to her feet. “Hold it.” He rescued her ponytail from shifting through the wet paint on her T-shirt. He tugged his base-ball cap off and tucked her hair up in it. Grinned. “Okay, you’re safe now.”

“Dave should not be allowed to have a paintbrush.”

James turned her around to inspect what had once been a pair of blue jeans and a hockey T-shirt. “Rae, you sat in wet paint?”

She glared at her friend. “He lied.”

“I only said the step was going to need painting again. It did. You sat in it,” Dave explained.

“I was naive this morning,” Rae told James.

James tried to hide a smile. “Apparently.”

“You’re supposed to be on my side,” she protested, seeing the smile.

He leaned down and kissed her paint-freckled nose. “I am.” He tugged her hand. “Come on, let’s eat.”

Rae sat beside James on the backyard deck sharing pizza off his plate, sitting as close to him as she could get on the stoop. It had been nice, spending the last three weeks dating him. If she had to put it in one word, the last three weeks had been…fun. Wonderful was a good word. Or maybe the word she should choose would be cautious. No. Neither one of them were being cautious, per se, they both knew where they were heading, though they were taking their time.

One of these days she was going to admit to herself she was falling in love again. One of these days…

“I’m glad you came.”

Rae smiled. “So am I.” She lifted his soda can.

“Rae—” Lace pushed open the patio door “—come settle this debate. Dave insists I’ve got this striped wallpaper upside down. It doesn’t have an up or down.”

James smiled. “Go.” He watched Rae head inside to settle the debate between her friends. He loved being around them, their laughter and their jokes, their teasing. A day with all of them meant a lot of inevitable laughter.

He was in love with Rae. In the last three weeks, any doubt about that had been removed. He loved her. He loved the way she looked, the way she smiled, the way she moved, the way she liked to snuggle, her confidence, her willingness to look at something that needed to be done and not shirk back, her willingness to give of herself to her employees, her clients, her friends—even at a personal cost. James could understand now why Leo had been so firm about making sure Rae had time to work on her book. Rae would give herself away and leave no time for herself.

James finished the soda.

They had some major issues to sort out. She needed time to think through what she wanted to do about her work. He wished he could solve the dilemma, find her a partner, but after several long talks with Dave, he better understood the obstacles she was dealing with. He couldn’t add the pressure of an engagement to what she was already struggling with.

A few more weeks of time. It was the best gift he could give her right now.

She was going to say yes. He could read that in her eyes when he kissed her.

She was going to make a wonderful wife.

He carefully rubbed his left wrist. He was back to about an eight on his ten-point scale. A few more days, and even the stiffness should be gone.

He owed Rae some dance lessons.

 

“Rae, are you sure I can’t get you something? A sandwich? A bagel?”

Rae shifted from where she was stretched out on Lace’s couch, turned to look over at her friend. “Thanks, Lace, but really, I’m fine.”

It was a quarter past eight on a Thursday night. At the office, Rae had looked at the clock, decided enough was enough, and tossed the work into her briefcase. The briefcase was sitting in the front seat of her car now, would eventually get opened. The conference call was for 7:00 a.m. She still had eleven hours to get the work done, get some sleep. She would manage. “I like your dog.” The little dog was curled up on Rae’s chest, loving the attention.

“It looks like Tiger likes you, as well.” Lace sat down in the chair. “You need to get a dog.”

“Someday,” Rae agreed. “What time is your flight to New York?”

“Six a.m. I’m on the return flight at two.”

“That means you will get to see the airport, the inside of a cab, and the law offices of Glitchard, Pratt and Walford.”

“Basically.”

Rae struggled to hold a yawn back. Lying down was reinforcing how tired she was. Work was under control for a change, but it was costing her a lot of sleep.

“Rae, are you really thinking about getting married?”

The question caught Rae off guard. “Why do you say that?”

“Little things. The way you smile when you’re with James.”

Rae bit her bottom lip. “I’ve been thinking about it,” she finally admitted. “It’s scary, Lace. I let Leo get so close, and then I lost him. What if something happens to James?”

“Are you really worried about that? Losing James?”

“I don’t know. It’s not like I think he will die in an accident like Leo did. It’s more my cautious side putting up a reason to not let the relationship go any further.”

They both grew quiet.

“I don’t know if I could handle getting married. It changes your life so much,” Lace finally said.

“I don’t mind being single, but I’ve been single for a long time. I’m ready to change that. I still want kids, Lace.”

Lace smiled. “A Sunday morning in the nursery makes that pretty clear. You’re right. It’s one thing to be single for ten years. It’s another to think about being single for your lifetime.” Lace slid over a footstool. “James will make a good husband, Rae.”

Rae moved the dog so he would not tumble off. “Probably. I don’t know if I’m as cut out to be a wife though.”

“What bothers you about being a wife?”

“His expectations. Leo knew me before he fell in love with me. He knew the reality of who I was and who I was never going to be. James—I’m worried that he sees what he wants to see. You know me, Lace. You know how focused I get at work. You know what I think about decorating, and keeping house and cooking. I’m worried about the little things that James doesn’t consider a problem now being a big deal after we have been married five years.”

“You have to learn how to be married. You both will. I’m sure there are things about James that will bug you the same way in five years.”

“Really? What? That’s my problem. The guy is too perfect. He likes his mom. He’s reliable, honest, kind. He knows where he is going. He is good at his job. He thinks for himself. It’s kind of scary.”

Lace laughed. “Oh, Rae. You have got it bad.”

“Change the subject. I’m getting nervous just thinking about it. Can you imagine what the first week of the marriage would be like? What every meal would be like?”

“Let him teach you to cook. In five years, you should have the basics down.”

Rae grimaced. “Thanks a lot, friend.”

“Have you decided what you are going to wear tomorrow night for our night out with the guys?”

Dave and James were taking them out for dinner, then dancing. “No. What are you going to wear?”

“Probably the blue silk. Why don’t you wear the black dress? I’ll loan you my short black velvet jacket.”

“It is a beautiful dress.” It was one of her favorite outfits.

“Dave made dinner reservations for seven-thirty?”

“Yes. Will you have time to get ready, given your flight schedule?”

“As long as the flight is not delayed, I’ll be fine.”

 

James was early.

Rae hurried to gather her clutch purse and shoes, carried them with her as she went downstairs.

“We should have done this a long time ago,” James finally said after a slow appraisal of her, his expression one of frank appreciation.

Rae couldn’t control the blush. She stepped back as he came inside. “I’m glad you like it,” she replied, smiling, trying to keep her voice light. She had never been very good at the emotional interplay and she was on uncomfortable ground, immensely glad he appreciated her appearance, at the same time flustered by the frank attention.

James reached out and caught her hand, drew her toward him. “I think…”

When he didn’t finish his sentence, she looked up. His eyes were studying her face, waiting for that movement. He smiled, his hand reaching up to caress her cheek. “…that we should start this evening with a kiss.”

She suddenly grinned.

She liked being close to him. She could see the laughter and the love in his eyes. It was okay to be a little nervous. It didn’t last. She stepped forward a little so she could lean against him. “Do you really?” she asked, tilting her head back to watch him.

His hands locked behind her waist. “I do.”

She paused to consider the offer. “I like the idea….”

He smiled. “But?”

“It’s going to be really hard to keep my mind on dinner and dancing if every time I look at you tonight, I’m remembering this kiss,” she replied, answering his smile.

“I can fix that.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Close your eyes.”

She giggled; she couldn’t help it. “James.”

“I’m not letting you go until I get this kiss,” he remarked.

Rae thought about it and quietly closed her eyes. She could feel him lean down. Ready for the kiss, she held perfectly still…and the kiss didn’t come.

She opened her eyelashes a fraction.

He was waiting for her to do just that. He smiled and swiftly kissed her. She loved this man so much.

His forehead rested against hers. “We need to go eat.” His voice was reluctant.

“Hmm.” Rae sighed and slowly stepped back, knowing he was right.

James tweaked a lock of her hair. “Do you have a wrap? It’s chilly tonight.”

Rae stepped into the living room where she had a coat that went with the dress.

James held it for her as she slipped it on.

His attention to the details, locking the door for her, walking beside her to the car, holding her door for her, were noticed and appreciated. He did it naturally, and the attention meant a great deal to Rae.

“Where did you and Dave decide on for dinner?”

“Tobias House. It is quiet, elegant, but still has a really good steak.”

Rae chuckled. “Okay. I can tell where your priorities are.”

“I was working on the upstairs guest room today, I’m ready for a good meal.”

“You got the window replaced?”

“Just about. Since we had to open up the wall already to put in the larger window, we decided to go ahead and move some of the electrical wiring, put in more insulation. Another day, and the guest room will be finished.”

“The house is almost done.”

James smiled. “Just needs a woman’s decorative touch,” he agreed.

Rae decided not to touch that comment. They were heading somewhere; she just wasn’t sure how ready she was for the next step. It was hard enough admitting to herself how deeply she had fallen in love with him. That knowledge should be filling her with joy. It was, but it also felt a little scary.

James reached over and gently touched the bottom lip she was biting. “Don’t. We’ve got all the time in the world, Rae. I’m not suggesting anything.”

She stopped the unconscious gesture. “I know, James. It just feels really big sometimes, this relationship.”

He clicked on the right turn signal. “I know what you mean. It’s scary from my side, too.”

She turned to look at him, surprised. “Really?”

“Really. I got a surprise with you, Rae. I wasn’t expecting to come back to the States to stay, let alone find you. I like to plan my life, and I wasn’t planning this.”

Rae leaned her head against the seat headrest and smiled. “We’re even, then. I wasn’t expecting to meet you, either.”

James laughed, reached over to pull her hand into his. “Don’t get me wrong, Rae. Now that I’ve found you, I have no intention of letting you go.”

“I think that’s one of the sweetest things you’ve ever said to me.”

He raised their linked hands and kissed the back of her wrist. “Just don’t tell Dave that, he already thinks I’m way too mushy. Lace wants him to follow suit.”

Rae laughed. “I’m sure he told you to be on your best behavior tonight, didn’t he?”

“Why do you think I wanted to get the kiss in before we joined them?”

 

Dave and Lace had not yet arrived at the restaurant, so James and Rae requested their table and went on in to be seated.

The restaurant had subdued lighting, white linen tablecloths, romantic music. “I can’t believe I’ve never been here before,” Rae remarked, accepting the cloth-covered menu.

“It is a really nice place,” James agreed, glancing around.

They agreed on an appetizer plate, went ahead and ordered soft drinks.

“How is Patricia doing?”

“Fine. Eager to have a baby in the house again. She started decorating the nursery this last week.”

“She’s feeling okay?”

James nodded. “Seems to be. She’s still very active.”

“Are you looking forward to having another niece or nephew?”

“Definitely. I used to baby-sit Emily.”

“You did?”

“I like that stage where they are just learning to walk. Every day you would get surprised with the latest hurdle they had mastered. One day she couldn’t walk, and the next day, there she is, on her feet and wobbling across the room. It was great.”

“I like that age with the kids in the nursery, too. They change from being infants to toddlers almost overnight.”

Dave and Lace arrived with apologies for being late, and the conversation shifted to greetings. They looked adorable as a couple, Rae decided, watching as Dave held the chair for Lace, leaned down to whisper something to her. Lace looked flushed, the apologies had been a little overblown. They had probably been stealing a couple moments together before coming into the restaurant. James had apparently reached the same conclusion, because his greetings to Dave were accompanied by a slightly raised eyebrow.

Dave sat down beside Lace. “We got detained,” he said simply, choosing not to go further. “Have you already ordered?”

A trip to the ladies’ room would have to be engineered, Rae decided. Lace was in love. It had her confused, and off balance, but Lace was most certainly in love.

Rae took pity on her and ensured the next ten minutes of conversation were focused on Dave and how the case he was defending was coming along. It put the evening back on the normal casual friendship tone for all of them. They ate dinner talking, laughing together, as four old friends, not as two couples.

It had been a wise move to make. When dinner reached the dessert stage, Rae felt as if she had finally relaxed. She caught James watching her a few times during the meal, shared a private smile with him, but otherwise the tone stayed in neutral territory.

It was Lace who suggested where they should go dancing, a club that was known for its good blues. The place was typically busy, but not packed on a Friday night. Her suggestion was readily adopted.

Rae indicated she was going to stop at the ladies’ room before they left and Lace joined her.

They were fixing their makeup when Rae finally decided to broach the subject. “What happened before dinner?”

“He wants me to go with him to a dinner party being hosted by one of the firm’s senior partners.”

“That’s big.”

“That’s huge. They don’t like the idea of having a senior partner who is single. That’s the only reason they are throwing the party, to see who Dave will shake out of the woodwork to bring.”

Rae understood. Lace didn’t like being considered a solution to Dave’s problem. Rae was blotting her lipstick when she had a brilliant idea. “Why don’t you accept that job offer from Olsen, Richmond, and Quinn? There is no way Dave would take the member of a rival firm to a party thrown by a senior partner unless he cared more about you than he did about what the other senior partners thought.”

Lace paused, touching up her blush. “That would be devious and underhanded.” She was smiling even as she said it. “I couldn’t do that.”

Rae picked up her clutch bag. “I know you couldn’t. You’re in love. But the thought does makes the situation seem more palatable.”

Lace chuckled. “I think I’ll be more direct. It will cost him that watercolor painting I found at the gallery last week.”

“Bribery works well,” Rae agreed, smiling. Her friend looked good, being in love. It made her eyes glow. Rae wondered if she had the same expression, hoped hers was a little more contained. “Are you glad you came tonight?”

Lace smiled. “Yes. I like having Dave know he has to act like a gentleman. He even brought me flowers.”

 

James made a point of taking hold of Rae’s hand when they reached the club. They walked across the parking lot to join Dave and Lace. He liked holding her hand. She was his date, and he didn’t intend to leave that to anyone’s interpretation. She willingly interlaced her fingers with his.

Dave had his arm around Lace’s waist.

As they opened the door to the club, the music drifted out into the night. Stepping inside was like entering a contained world, the music, the lights, the large group of people, most on the dance floor, some sitting at tables grouped along the walls.

They checked the ladies’ coats, and Dave scanned the room for a table. “Over here.”

James kept his hand on the small of Rae’s back as they followed Dave and Lace through the crowd. It was a beautiful room, decorated in cherry wood, polished gold fixtures, and an abundance of greenery. The tables were packed close together and they stepped to the side several times as waitresses and other guests moved through the same small aisle.

Dave had found a table on the raised-floor platform, near the band. James held Rae’s chair as she took her seat, let his hands gently squeeze her shoulders before pulling out the chair beside her.

“Would anyone like something to drink?” Dave asked, catching the eye of a waitress.

“A ginger ale,” Lace requested, scanning the room to see if she knew anyone present.

“Diet soda,” Rae replied.

“Make it two,” James agreed. “Rae, shall we check out the dance floor?” They could sit and talk or they could dance. James would prefer to dance. She had gone tense as they walked to the table; the fastest way to ease her apprehension was to show her she would do fine.

She wanted to decline, but he held out his hand, smiling, and she conceded, putting her hand in his. “Sure.”

He had yet to figure out what perfume she was wearing, but he liked it. He liked it a lot. She had brushed her long hair back and secured it with a gold clasp, the pattern in the clasp shining under the lights as they walked down to the dance floor.

James paused at the edge of the floor, gently caught both her hands to turn her toward him. She had such a beautiful face. He thought about kissing her but instead simply smiled. “Why don’t you show me what you know?”

His request made her smile, her eyes reflecting her laughter. Her hands rested softly on his shoulders. “I suppose that would be a good place to start,” she agreed demurely.

James settled his hands on her waist with a smile. “Concentrate on where you place those high heels, Rae.”

She chuckled. “Okay, teach me how to dance, I’ll leave you alone.”

James laughed and willingly moved them onto the dance floor.

She fit in his arms, followed his lead, obviously loved to dance, her problem was more a lack of confidence than skill. He solved that problem by keeping her totally distracted. They managed two songs before he couldn’t resist leaning down to kiss her. “You are doing great.”

He loved her smile.

They spent two hours at the club. It was an evening that James was reluctant to see come to an end, but eventually out of courtesy to Rae—he knew how long her week had been—he suggested they call it an evening.

 

Rae slipped off her shoes as she watched James’s car pull out of her driveway. It had been hard to say good-night. She loved being with him, loved being near him. He had stopped at the front door, kissed her good-night, and quietly said thank-you for a wonderful evening. Rae had echoed his sentiments.

Church Sunday and the chance to sit with him was too far away.

She took off the velvet jacket and the dress with care. It had been the perfect choice for an outfit. She smiled as she took off her makeup. James had liked it.

She was tired, a deep tiredness that had settled on her as James drove her home. She longed for bed and the chance to sleep until her body decided to wake up.

Leo’s picture on her nightstand made her pause. She picked it up, carefully slid off the ribbon and the ring. Her smile in the picture was of a woman in love. She had seen that smile again tonight, a few minutes ago, as she washed off her makeup. She was in love with James. The same kind of love she had felt for Leo.

Her finger gently traced over the glass.

She was ready to move on. The past was behind her.

She thought about it for a moment, then carried the picture with her to the drawer where she kept her mother’s diaries, gently set Leo’s picture there.

The ring. She closed her hand around it, feeling the cool metal, the beautiful diamond; she put the ring with her mother’s wedding ring.

The past was closed.