it, she wanted to keep the moment to herself. She would never see him again anyway. Why bother to explain?
“Ready for dinner?”
“I certainly am.”
They walked the two blocks to the Pine Inn, glancing into shop windows, chatting about friends. Theirs was always an easy exchange, and the silence left Deanna to her own thoughts. She found herself wondering about the unknown Wyeth Ben had suggested he had. Did he really or was it only a poster? Did it matter? She told herself not.
“You’re mighty quiet tonight, Deanna,” Kim said as they finished their dinner. “Tired?”
“A little.”
“Thinking about Marc?”
“Yes.” It was the easiest answer.
“Will he call you from Athens?”
“When he can. The time difference makes it difficult.” And it made him seem terribly far away. In only two days he already seemed part of another lifetime. Or maybe that was just the effect of being in Carmel. When she was at home, with his clothes and his books or on his side of the bed, he felt much nearer. “What about your client tomorrow? What’s he like?”
“I don’t know. Never met him. He’s an art dealer. The Thompson Galleries. As a matter of fact, I was going to ask you if you wanted to come to the meeting. You might like to see his house. I hear he has a fabulous collection in what he calls his ‘cottage.’ ”
“I don’t want to get in your way.”
“You won’t.” Kimberly looked at her reassuringly, and they paid the check. It was already eleven-thirty and Deanna was glad to climb into her bed.
When she slept, she dreamed of the stranger named Ben.
* * *
The phone rang beside her bed as she lay on her back, sleepily wondering if she should get up. She had promised to go with Kim, but she was tempted to go back to sleep. And then take another walk on the beach. The lure of that bothered her. She knew why she wanted to go back, and it was a strange, uncomfortable feeling the way he lingered in her mind. She would probably never see him again. And what if she did? What then? The phone rang again, and she reached over to answer it.
“Rise and shine.” It was Kim.
“What time is it?”
“Five after nine.”
“God. It feels more like seven or eight.”
“Well, it isn’t, and our meeting’s at ten. Get up, and I’ll bring you breakfast.”
“Can’t I order room service?” Deanna had grown used to traveling with Marc.
“The Ritz this ain’t. I’ll bring you coffee and a Danish.”
Deanna realized suddenly how spoiled she’d become. Not having Margaret and one of her perfect breakfasts was becoming a hardship. “All right. That’ll be fine. I’ll be ready in half an hour.”
She showered and did her hair and slipped into a cashmere sweater of a rich cornflower blue, which she pulled on over white slacks. She even managed to look fresh and alive by the time Kim knocked on her door.
“Jesus, you look gorgeous.” Kim handed her a steaming cup of coffee and a plate.
“So do you. Should I wear something more businesslike? You look awfully grown-up.” Kim was wearing a beige gabardine suit with a persimmon silk blouse and a very pretty straw hat, and a little straw bag clutched under her arm. “You look very chic.”
“Don’t look so surprised.” Kim smiled and collapsed in a chair. “I hope this guy is easy. I don’t feel like arguing business on a Saturday morning.” She yawned and watched Deanna finish the coffee in her cup.
“Who am I supposed to be by the way? Your secretary or your chaperon?” Deanna’s eyes sparkled over her cup.
“Neither, you jerk. Just my friend.”
“Won’t he think it a little strange that you bring along your friends?”
“Too bad if he does.” Kim yawned again and stood up. “We’d better go.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The drive took only five minutes, with Deanna reading the instructions to Kim. The address was on a pretty street, the houses all set back from the road and hidden by trees. But she saw when they got out of the car that it was a
“Ready for dinner?”
“I certainly am.”
They walked the two blocks to the Pine Inn, glancing into shop windows, chatting about friends. Theirs was always an easy exchange, and the silence left Deanna to her own thoughts. She found herself wondering about the unknown Wyeth Ben had suggested he had. Did he really or was it only a poster? Did it matter? She told herself not.
“You’re mighty quiet tonight, Deanna,” Kim said as they finished their dinner. “Tired?”
“A little.”
“Thinking about Marc?”
“Yes.” It was the easiest answer.
“Will he call you from Athens?”
“When he can. The time difference makes it difficult.” And it made him seem terribly far away. In only two days he already seemed part of another lifetime. Or maybe that was just the effect of being in Carmel. When she was at home, with his clothes and his books or on his side of the bed, he felt much nearer. “What about your client tomorrow? What’s he like?”
“I don’t know. Never met him. He’s an art dealer. The Thompson Galleries. As a matter of fact, I was going to ask you if you wanted to come to the meeting. You might like to see his house. I hear he has a fabulous collection in what he calls his ‘cottage.’ ”
“I don’t want to get in your way.”
“You won’t.” Kimberly looked at her reassuringly, and they paid the check. It was already eleven-thirty and Deanna was glad to climb into her bed.
When she slept, she dreamed of the stranger named Ben.
* * *
The phone rang beside her bed as she lay on her back, sleepily wondering if she should get up. She had promised to go with Kim, but she was tempted to go back to sleep. And then take another walk on the beach. The lure of that bothered her. She knew why she wanted to go back, and it was a strange, uncomfortable feeling the way he lingered in her mind. She would probably never see him again. And what if she did? What then? The phone rang again, and she reached over to answer it.
“Rise and shine.” It was Kim.
“What time is it?”
“Five after nine.”
“God. It feels more like seven or eight.”
“Well, it isn’t, and our meeting’s at ten. Get up, and I’ll bring you breakfast.”
“Can’t I order room service?” Deanna had grown used to traveling with Marc.
“The Ritz this ain’t. I’ll bring you coffee and a Danish.”
Deanna realized suddenly how spoiled she’d become. Not having Margaret and one of her perfect breakfasts was becoming a hardship. “All right. That’ll be fine. I’ll be ready in half an hour.”
She showered and did her hair and slipped into a cashmere sweater of a rich cornflower blue, which she pulled on over white slacks. She even managed to look fresh and alive by the time Kim knocked on her door.
“Jesus, you look gorgeous.” Kim handed her a steaming cup of coffee and a plate.
“So do you. Should I wear something more businesslike? You look awfully grown-up.” Kim was wearing a beige gabardine suit with a persimmon silk blouse and a very pretty straw hat, and a little straw bag clutched under her arm. “You look very chic.”
“Don’t look so surprised.” Kim smiled and collapsed in a chair. “I hope this guy is easy. I don’t feel like arguing business on a Saturday morning.” She yawned and watched Deanna finish the coffee in her cup.
“Who am I supposed to be by the way? Your secretary or your chaperon?” Deanna’s eyes sparkled over her cup.
“Neither, you jerk. Just my friend.”
“Won’t he think it a little strange that you bring along your friends?”
“Too bad if he does.” Kim yawned again and stood up. “We’d better go.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The drive took only five minutes, with Deanna reading the instructions to Kim. The address was on a pretty street, the houses all set back from the road and hidden by trees. But she saw when they got out of the car that it was a
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