right thing to do? I was falling for this American girl…and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could deny it.
“Well, you scrub up nicely.” Jane appeared beside me.
I’d been so lost in my thoughts I hadn’t even noticed her approach.
I leaned away to check out the green dress she’d purchased at the market that morning. It had one of those skirts that floated around her knees. The thing we both liked the most was the intricate gold design stitched into the bodice and skirt hem. It looked Arabian with tiny gold beads outlining the swirls and leaf-shaped patterns.
“Stunning,” I murmured.
“I know, right? My friend Sarah is going to go crazy for this dress.”
Jane sat down opposite me, oblivious to the fact I’d been thinking about her rather than the dress when I murmured stunning .
“She actually designed my—” Her voice cut off and she gave me a tight smile, her eyes glassing over. She picked up her menu and hid behind it while I resisted the urge to probe for more.
She’d probably mutter, “No histories,” anyway, just like I had.
I cleared my throat and perused the dinner choices. “I’ve already ordered a red for us to share.”
“Oh, cool. Was it the one we had a few nights back at the vineyard?”
“It is.”
“You’re a smart man.”
“I know.”
She snickered at my light joke but still wouldn’t show me her face. I was desperate to know what Sarah had designed for her and why she couldn’t tell me about it, but it was pointless to try to find out. More than anything, I wanted to keep the trip light and fun. So far, it’d been exactly that. We had three nights left before we had to drive back to Rye, and I wasn’t about to ruin the end of our trip with awkward, emotional conversations.
The waiter came over, and we ordered our meal. After eating every meal with her for the last several days, I could have confidently ordered on her behalf. She had very similar tastes to mine, and I was struck once again by how easy it was to be with her.
She’d methodically been trying to crush every one of my doubts that falling in love again was a bad idea.
I felt like I’d found my other half.
How could I not fall for her?
But…
Tammy twirled through my brain, her luscious locks of blonde hair, her sweet strawberry scent, the taste of her lips, and that smile that could have made me do anything…well, almost anything.
I closed my eyes and swallowed, turning away so Jane couldn’t see my expression.
We were at an open-air restaurant, seated at a small table on the edge of the large, round balcony. Music played to my right, entertaining the couples swaying in the center of the cobbled eatery. The faint smell of sea salt floated in the air. The nearby ocean was an inky patch of darkness, the sandy beach framed by lights from the bordering houses and restaurants.
I was sitting in paradise across from a beautiful girl, and all I could feel was an aching sadness, a bleak regret. If life had been fair, if I’d been the man I was supposed to be, Tammy would be sitting across from me. She’d be chirping away in her speedy voice, going over everything we’d done that day, linking her fingers and resting her chin on her hands.
But she wasn’t.
And she never would be.
Turning away from the thought that always felt like a punch to the face, I focused back on Jane. She was watching the couples dancing, her lips softly curled at the edges.
The band was performing an acoustic version of “The Edge of Glory.” It sounded great. I bobbed my head while the beat worked through me, and then I glanced at Jane.
“Want to dance with me?”
Jane’s head swiveled in my direction, her eyes wide at first, but then they narrowed and she nodded. “Sure.”
I held out my hand, and she took it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Because it was.
My heart double-thumped as I pulled her against me and we started to dance. Her hips swayed and we easily found a rhythm, getting lost
“Well, you scrub up nicely.” Jane appeared beside me.
I’d been so lost in my thoughts I hadn’t even noticed her approach.
I leaned away to check out the green dress she’d purchased at the market that morning. It had one of those skirts that floated around her knees. The thing we both liked the most was the intricate gold design stitched into the bodice and skirt hem. It looked Arabian with tiny gold beads outlining the swirls and leaf-shaped patterns.
“Stunning,” I murmured.
“I know, right? My friend Sarah is going to go crazy for this dress.”
Jane sat down opposite me, oblivious to the fact I’d been thinking about her rather than the dress when I murmured stunning .
“She actually designed my—” Her voice cut off and she gave me a tight smile, her eyes glassing over. She picked up her menu and hid behind it while I resisted the urge to probe for more.
She’d probably mutter, “No histories,” anyway, just like I had.
I cleared my throat and perused the dinner choices. “I’ve already ordered a red for us to share.”
“Oh, cool. Was it the one we had a few nights back at the vineyard?”
“It is.”
“You’re a smart man.”
“I know.”
She snickered at my light joke but still wouldn’t show me her face. I was desperate to know what Sarah had designed for her and why she couldn’t tell me about it, but it was pointless to try to find out. More than anything, I wanted to keep the trip light and fun. So far, it’d been exactly that. We had three nights left before we had to drive back to Rye, and I wasn’t about to ruin the end of our trip with awkward, emotional conversations.
The waiter came over, and we ordered our meal. After eating every meal with her for the last several days, I could have confidently ordered on her behalf. She had very similar tastes to mine, and I was struck once again by how easy it was to be with her.
She’d methodically been trying to crush every one of my doubts that falling in love again was a bad idea.
I felt like I’d found my other half.
How could I not fall for her?
But…
Tammy twirled through my brain, her luscious locks of blonde hair, her sweet strawberry scent, the taste of her lips, and that smile that could have made me do anything…well, almost anything.
I closed my eyes and swallowed, turning away so Jane couldn’t see my expression.
We were at an open-air restaurant, seated at a small table on the edge of the large, round balcony. Music played to my right, entertaining the couples swaying in the center of the cobbled eatery. The faint smell of sea salt floated in the air. The nearby ocean was an inky patch of darkness, the sandy beach framed by lights from the bordering houses and restaurants.
I was sitting in paradise across from a beautiful girl, and all I could feel was an aching sadness, a bleak regret. If life had been fair, if I’d been the man I was supposed to be, Tammy would be sitting across from me. She’d be chirping away in her speedy voice, going over everything we’d done that day, linking her fingers and resting her chin on her hands.
But she wasn’t.
And she never would be.
Turning away from the thought that always felt like a punch to the face, I focused back on Jane. She was watching the couples dancing, her lips softly curled at the edges.
The band was performing an acoustic version of “The Edge of Glory.” It sounded great. I bobbed my head while the beat worked through me, and then I glanced at Jane.
“Want to dance with me?”
Jane’s head swiveled in my direction, her eyes wide at first, but then they narrowed and she nodded. “Sure.”
I held out my hand, and she took it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Because it was.
My heart double-thumped as I pulled her against me and we started to dance. Her hips swayed and we easily found a rhythm, getting lost
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