Read Online Scraps of Evidence: Quilts of Love Series by Barbara Cameron - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Cameron
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shoulders.
Wow. Double-wow. The everyday Tess was pretty. This nighttime Tess looked stunning.
“Hi,” she said, sliding into the passenger seat.
“You look nice.” Lame, he thought. But better to err on the side of caution with a partner.
Tess tugged at the hem of her skirt. “Thanks. I can’t remember the last time I got dressed up.” She glanced at him. “You look nice, too.”
“I brought a sport coat. I wasn’t sure if I needed one.”
“We’re pretty casual in Florida. It’s totally up to you.”
“You’re not cold, are you?”
“I’m fine.”
He tried to ignore the faint scent of her perfume—something light and lemony—drifting toward him. “I’m hungry. I hope this isn’t one of those places where they act all arrogant and give you little bitty portions?”
She laughed. “No, Aunt Kathy and Gordon went there for their anniversary, and they were both very pleased with their dinners.”
He parked, and they got out and walked the short distance to the restaurant.
“Tell you what, if you’re still hungry after we eat, I’ll treat you to a pizza on the way home.”
He grinned. “Sounds fair. Joe’ll like that, too.”
“Joe?”
“The cat.”
“‘The cat,’ not ‘my cat’?”
“The goal’s to find him a home.”
“So he likes pizza, huh?”
“Yeah. Pepperoni.”
Logan opened the door and delicious scents poured out as Tess walked inside. The lighting was low, the mood intimate. They were seated at a small table in a secluded corner, and a server came immediately.
“Good evening, folks,” he said. “Are we celebrating any special occasion tonight?”
Logan looked at Tess.
She smiled. “Just a nice dinner. Logan’s new in town.”
“Well, welcome to St. Augustine,” the man said.
They ordered sweet tea and spent a few minutes studying the menu.
“I warned you about the prices,” she whispered.
He made a dismissive motion with his hand. “It’s good to get out someplace nice like this once in a while, don’t you think?”
Tess settled back against her upholstered chair. “It is nice. I always wondered what it would be like to eat here. Dine,” she corrected herself. “We eat at some restaurants. We dine at places like this one.”
She spread her napkin on her lap and smiled at him. “I hoped we’d come here for dinner before the prom but of course it was way beyond the budget of a high school boy.” She sighed. “Everything looks good. What are you going to order?”
“The steak. I know, predictable, but I saw one go past on the server’s tray and it looked good. You?”
“The lobster ravioli. The ravioli’s not just stuffed with lobster, it comes with a lobster tail.”
“So, can friends share the ‘baked Brie for two’?”
She made a face at him. “Very funny.”
They chatted easily over the appetizer—kind of a fancy way to serve cheese, in Logan’s opinion but it seemed like a night to try new things. Well, the steak wasn’t new, but the way the menu described it, he figured it was new for him. The cheese came wrapped in flaky pastry with apple chutney on top. He’d never tried chutney, but it tasted so good that Tess was going to have to eat fast or he’d be taking more than his share.
The diners seated at nearby tables were mostly couples although there was a small group here and there. Logan liked looking over occasionally at one elderly couple who sat holding hands while they enjoyed their meal.
Tess saw them, too. “Anniversary? Wonder how long they’ve been together?”
“Who knows. They remind me of my parents. The two of them always looked happy together.”
“I’m sorry. It’s tough to lose family.”
“And friends who become family, like Sam.”
She nodded. “Like Sam.”
A waiter carried a small cake to the table, and the couple beamed.
Tess and Logan exchanged a look. “Has to be an anniversary. Or a birthday.”
They finished dinner and asked to see the dessert menu.
“I could read this
Wow. Double-wow. The everyday Tess was pretty. This nighttime Tess looked stunning.
“Hi,” she said, sliding into the passenger seat.
“You look nice.” Lame, he thought. But better to err on the side of caution with a partner.
Tess tugged at the hem of her skirt. “Thanks. I can’t remember the last time I got dressed up.” She glanced at him. “You look nice, too.”
“I brought a sport coat. I wasn’t sure if I needed one.”
“We’re pretty casual in Florida. It’s totally up to you.”
“You’re not cold, are you?”
“I’m fine.”
He tried to ignore the faint scent of her perfume—something light and lemony—drifting toward him. “I’m hungry. I hope this isn’t one of those places where they act all arrogant and give you little bitty portions?”
She laughed. “No, Aunt Kathy and Gordon went there for their anniversary, and they were both very pleased with their dinners.”
He parked, and they got out and walked the short distance to the restaurant.
“Tell you what, if you’re still hungry after we eat, I’ll treat you to a pizza on the way home.”
He grinned. “Sounds fair. Joe’ll like that, too.”
“Joe?”
“The cat.”
“‘The cat,’ not ‘my cat’?”
“The goal’s to find him a home.”
“So he likes pizza, huh?”
“Yeah. Pepperoni.”
Logan opened the door and delicious scents poured out as Tess walked inside. The lighting was low, the mood intimate. They were seated at a small table in a secluded corner, and a server came immediately.
“Good evening, folks,” he said. “Are we celebrating any special occasion tonight?”
Logan looked at Tess.
She smiled. “Just a nice dinner. Logan’s new in town.”
“Well, welcome to St. Augustine,” the man said.
They ordered sweet tea and spent a few minutes studying the menu.
“I warned you about the prices,” she whispered.
He made a dismissive motion with his hand. “It’s good to get out someplace nice like this once in a while, don’t you think?”
Tess settled back against her upholstered chair. “It is nice. I always wondered what it would be like to eat here. Dine,” she corrected herself. “We eat at some restaurants. We dine at places like this one.”
She spread her napkin on her lap and smiled at him. “I hoped we’d come here for dinner before the prom but of course it was way beyond the budget of a high school boy.” She sighed. “Everything looks good. What are you going to order?”
“The steak. I know, predictable, but I saw one go past on the server’s tray and it looked good. You?”
“The lobster ravioli. The ravioli’s not just stuffed with lobster, it comes with a lobster tail.”
“So, can friends share the ‘baked Brie for two’?”
She made a face at him. “Very funny.”
They chatted easily over the appetizer—kind of a fancy way to serve cheese, in Logan’s opinion but it seemed like a night to try new things. Well, the steak wasn’t new, but the way the menu described it, he figured it was new for him. The cheese came wrapped in flaky pastry with apple chutney on top. He’d never tried chutney, but it tasted so good that Tess was going to have to eat fast or he’d be taking more than his share.
The diners seated at nearby tables were mostly couples although there was a small group here and there. Logan liked looking over occasionally at one elderly couple who sat holding hands while they enjoyed their meal.
Tess saw them, too. “Anniversary? Wonder how long they’ve been together?”
“Who knows. They remind me of my parents. The two of them always looked happy together.”
“I’m sorry. It’s tough to lose family.”
“And friends who become family, like Sam.”
She nodded. “Like Sam.”
A waiter carried a small cake to the table, and the couple beamed.
Tess and Logan exchanged a look. “Has to be an anniversary. Or a birthday.”
They finished dinner and asked to see the dessert menu.
“I could read this
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