his hand down his face, he thought about Francie and then Vivi. Gideon was right. He needed to figure it out.
***
Joel checked his watch for the thousandth time as he sat in front of the TV watching some old movie. It was 12:42, and there was no way that she needed to be out so late. Standing, he then walked to the front room and looked out the window…again. He’d turned on every light in the front and had the place lit up. It would take a brave man to kiss a woman in those conditions on a first date, and he was praying that Wyatt wasn’t the exception to the rule. A pair of headlights came down the quiet street, so Joel moved quickly away from the window. Hustling, he moved back to the family room, lay on the couch, and thought about closing his eyes. He decided not to, because Vivi was a smart woman and she would figure it out. Car doors slammed, and he let out a breath. About damn time.
Fifteen minutes passed, and he was about to jump out of his skin. There was no way that Vivi was kissing Wyatt. No fucking way. The front door opened, and he lay back and tried to appear relaxed. He heard the click of her heels again and knew that he had to do something. Because there was no way he was going to sit here and watch a parade of men woo the woman who had him so tied up. This was like BUD/S: assume success and never let another option enter your mind.
Casually, he glanced over the top of the couch and waved. “Did you have a good time, honey?” That sounded normal. Right?
Slowly, she moved toward him, and he noticed her dazed and happy smile. He might have to kill that dumb federal agent after all.
Flopping onto the couch, she sighed. She slipped her sandals off and put her feet up. Lying back, she beamed. What the hell had the kid done to make her beam?
“I had a lovely evening.”
Her feet were resting against his leg, so he lifted one and started massaging it. When she let out a murmur of enjoyment and her eyes rolled into the back of her head, he relaxed slightly. “What did you have for dinner?”
“What didn’t I have?” Lifting her head, she grinned. “I love to eat. So I went a little crazy when I ordered for us. I wanted Wyatt to see how wonderful the food is here, so I started us off with oysters Rockefeller. The original sauce was invented there by Antoine in the 1800s, so it’s worth having. Then we had alligator bisque, which was delightful. We each had gulf fish. I had it fried with the meuniere sauce, and he had his stuffed with crab meat. We shared the creamed spinach and potatoes au gratin. Then we had baked Alaska and café brulot diabolique.” Patting her stomach, she moaned. “I don’t feel very well, but it was completely worth it.”
The fact that she had just taken ten minutes to describe the food and not the man gave him a small measure of hope that she wasn’t really that interested in the guy.
“Then he took me dancing. I love to dance and haven’t been in probably ten years. It was so much fun to be in a man’s arms and move around the dance floor. It was so romantic.”
He picked up her other foot and started massaging it. “So are you going to see him again?”
Opening one eye, she studied him. “Probably not. He’s going to North Dakota tomorrow to work the investigation from that end. He really didn’t tell me too much, but it has something to do with the gangs in the area that traffic prescription drugs.” Sighing, she closed her eyes again. “I guess the one date will have to do.”
He watched her eyes close and heard her breathing even out. “I guess so,” he replied quietly. He let go of her foot and saw that she’d fallen asleep. Her long dark lashes rested against her cheeks as she breathed quietly. Why was Vivi the one to make him feel things? It was a crush that no one understood, including himself. His rational brain was making rational arguments against it. And failing miserably. The feelings didn’t stop just because he wanted them to. He
***
Joel checked his watch for the thousandth time as he sat in front of the TV watching some old movie. It was 12:42, and there was no way that she needed to be out so late. Standing, he then walked to the front room and looked out the window…again. He’d turned on every light in the front and had the place lit up. It would take a brave man to kiss a woman in those conditions on a first date, and he was praying that Wyatt wasn’t the exception to the rule. A pair of headlights came down the quiet street, so Joel moved quickly away from the window. Hustling, he moved back to the family room, lay on the couch, and thought about closing his eyes. He decided not to, because Vivi was a smart woman and she would figure it out. Car doors slammed, and he let out a breath. About damn time.
Fifteen minutes passed, and he was about to jump out of his skin. There was no way that Vivi was kissing Wyatt. No fucking way. The front door opened, and he lay back and tried to appear relaxed. He heard the click of her heels again and knew that he had to do something. Because there was no way he was going to sit here and watch a parade of men woo the woman who had him so tied up. This was like BUD/S: assume success and never let another option enter your mind.
Casually, he glanced over the top of the couch and waved. “Did you have a good time, honey?” That sounded normal. Right?
Slowly, she moved toward him, and he noticed her dazed and happy smile. He might have to kill that dumb federal agent after all.
Flopping onto the couch, she sighed. She slipped her sandals off and put her feet up. Lying back, she beamed. What the hell had the kid done to make her beam?
“I had a lovely evening.”
Her feet were resting against his leg, so he lifted one and started massaging it. When she let out a murmur of enjoyment and her eyes rolled into the back of her head, he relaxed slightly. “What did you have for dinner?”
“What didn’t I have?” Lifting her head, she grinned. “I love to eat. So I went a little crazy when I ordered for us. I wanted Wyatt to see how wonderful the food is here, so I started us off with oysters Rockefeller. The original sauce was invented there by Antoine in the 1800s, so it’s worth having. Then we had alligator bisque, which was delightful. We each had gulf fish. I had it fried with the meuniere sauce, and he had his stuffed with crab meat. We shared the creamed spinach and potatoes au gratin. Then we had baked Alaska and café brulot diabolique.” Patting her stomach, she moaned. “I don’t feel very well, but it was completely worth it.”
The fact that she had just taken ten minutes to describe the food and not the man gave him a small measure of hope that she wasn’t really that interested in the guy.
“Then he took me dancing. I love to dance and haven’t been in probably ten years. It was so much fun to be in a man’s arms and move around the dance floor. It was so romantic.”
He picked up her other foot and started massaging it. “So are you going to see him again?”
Opening one eye, she studied him. “Probably not. He’s going to North Dakota tomorrow to work the investigation from that end. He really didn’t tell me too much, but it has something to do with the gangs in the area that traffic prescription drugs.” Sighing, she closed her eyes again. “I guess the one date will have to do.”
He watched her eyes close and heard her breathing even out. “I guess so,” he replied quietly. He let go of her foot and saw that she’d fallen asleep. Her long dark lashes rested against her cheeks as she breathed quietly. Why was Vivi the one to make him feel things? It was a crush that no one understood, including himself. His rational brain was making rational arguments against it. And failing miserably. The feelings didn’t stop just because he wanted them to. He
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