Chapter 22

Jessie was excited to see Matt. He had called to say he was on his way and would be on time. He was mysterious, evading all her questions about their evening. Her curiosity had kicked in. She loved a good mystery and found herself fully engaged in trying to figure it out why he was evasive.

Jessie could hear Katie’s happy voice in the other room. She was excited about Katie going out with Jeremy, even if Sadie was going along with them. Jessie thought they looked great together. If only Katie could settle down and not scare Jeremy off. When she got nervous, Katie chattered in hyper-drive. Jessie grinned. It would make her so happy if Jeremy and Katie got together. They both meant so much to her. She’d promised Jeremy to stay out of it, but maybe she could give a little nudge here and there to help them along the way. Why not? Katie had done it to her often enough. Jessie knew she didn’t have the finesse that Katie did, but she’d like to keep trying her hand at it. Katie was like a bull in a China shop. She did not attempt to hide what she was doing at all. She jumped right in. Jessie looked in the mirror one more time. It would have to do.

Jessie walked out into the living room. “Where are you guys headed?”

“Jeremy didn’t say, he just said we were going.” Katie stood up and turned in a circle. “How do you like it?”

“It looks great on you. A new dress?” She smiled. The jade color made Katie’s green eyes pop, and the fit showed her figure to perfection. Maybe there was hope for her plan yet. “I think it’s perfect for you. When did you get it?”

“I found it earlier when I bought the necklace for Adriana. When you were busy shopping for her clothes.” Katie smoothed her dress as she sat back down. “How is she, by the way?”

“Physically, she’s been given a clean bill of health, but emotionally it will take a while.”

Sadie patted the couch beside her. “Sit down, dear. You look lovely in that dress. I have just the thing to go with it. Wait right here. I’ll be back.” Sadie went into her room and came out carrying a strand of pearls. “The perfect accessory for the little black dress, I always say.” She latched them around Jessie’s neck.

“Thanks, Grams.” She kissed Sadie’s cheek.

“Enjoy yourself tonight. Try to forget about everything for a few minutes if you can.”

“If only…” Jessie sighed.

Matt walked in with his suit coat slung over his shoulder. “All this beauty in one room and you’re all waiting for the guys. Something is wrong with this picture.”

“In my day, it was the other way around. It was always the lady who made the grand entrance and the man had to wait until she was ready.” Sadie grinned. “Making them wait was the fun of it. Waiting for your entrance was the build-up; the look on their faces was the payoff. It was all very romantic.” Sadie blushed.

Well, I’ll be…” Matt chuckled. “I would have never taken you to be a romantic girl, Sadie.”

“There’re a lot of sides to this old girl, Matt. I guess you’re going have to get to know me a little better.”

“I think I would like that.” He winked at her and kissed her cheek. Do you mind if I take my gorgeous date now and leave you girls to wait? Where is Jeremy, by the way?” Matt looked around the room.

“He’s getting ready.” Katie giggled. “It’s too sad when the guy takes longer than the girl.”

“Now, Katie, you know that he only got back a few minutes ago and ran in to change his clothes.” Sadie smiled at him. “You two run along and have fun.”

****

Once in the car, he turned to her. “You’re a knockout as usual. I don’t know what I ever did right that fate dropped you into my hands, but I’m sure happy for whatever it was.”

“You have such a way with words; a regular smooth talker.” She smiled slightly. “You don’t look half bad yourself.” Jessie slowly exhaled. “Where are we headed?”

“We’ll now, ma’am, that’s a surprise. I have a few surprises for you tonight. Sit back and enjoy yourself.” He winked. “I can be a bit of romantic if I try.”

“Is this a new side of you that I haven’t seen yet? I mean you have to admit it’s a little different than the tough guy cop who likes to lecture me.” She grinned at him.

“Time will tell.” He drove to the Palm Springs airport.

“What are we doing here?”

“You’ll see.” He stepped out of the car and walked around to open her door. “I didn’t want you to leave the West Coast having never seen the Pacific. I hope you don’t mind a short flight to San Diego for dinner.”

Jessie’s jaw dropped as she shook her head. “When did you have the time to plan all this.”

“I have my ways. I wanted to get you away from Palm Springs so you could relax for a few hours without worrying.”

“Did Sadie know about this?” She glanced sideways at him.

He grinned. “She sure did. I had to tell her just in case you needed a little convincing.” He placed his hand in the small of her back, escorting her to the waiting small jet.

Jessie sat in a seat by the window. She looked at Matt as he sat beside her. “I’m speechless, thank you.” She glanced at him again, a bemused look on her face.

“Buckle up, sweetheart, and you’re welcome. I chartered the flight with a little help from Tony.”

From takeoff to the landing, it took all of forty minutes. Another surprise for the night was the limousine that waited their arrival. It was a luxury plus, and the driver negotiated the area with flair. Matt put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “One of the perks of letting someone else drive.” He grinned and bent his head to steal a kiss. A quick turn sent her sliding into him. “We used to call those turns opportunity curves.”

“Why is that?” Jessie asked him.

“You did live a sheltered life.” He grinned at her. “You’re closer to me now and I didn’t have to do anything. I can take the opportunity to kiss you.” He glanced at her. “I forget you didn’t have a brother to torture you or educate you. Boys pretty much think about girls all the time. It’s what we do. I think about you all the time.”

She blushed. “I thought you wanted to talk about the case.” She took a deep breath, gazing into his eyes.

“I’ll get to that soon enough. For now, I want to enjoy you and pamper you. Most of our relationship has been about saving one another. Let’s just enjoy being together.”

Their first stop was a restaurant nestled at the water’s edge. They sat at a table by the window with a beautiful view of the San Diego Bay and the downtown skyline. The waiter poured dark, lush Merlot into their glasses, leaving them to enjoy their meal. It was the perfect setting. Jessie enjoyed a salad of field greens, tossed in a ginger orange vinaigrette, topped with mandarin oranges and candied pecans. Matt had the house specialty, Lobster Bisque followed by Prime Rib.

Matt leaned back in his chair resting one arm on the back of her chair. “I’ve wanted to ask you for a while what it was like to grow up as an only child. Our house was wild with my brothers and me. My mother was a saint to put up with it. We pushed her to the limits almost every day. What one of us didn’t think up, the other one did. We had a lot of crazy good times. We fought often and nearly ate my folks out of the house and home—especially in the middle school and high school years when we were playing sports.”

“Ours was a quiet house, as you can imagine.” She smiled when he nodded. “I used to read a lot. I would have had an older sister, but she died when she was a baby.”

“I’m sorry.” Matt touched her hand.

“I never knew her of course, and after me, my mom couldn’t have any more. I think that’s why my dad was so over-protective.” She glanced at his handsome, unreadable face. “No, need to feel sorry for me. I had Katie. We were always together. She made me laugh, and we got into trouble together on many occasions. Her house was like yours, filled with laughter, pranks, and constant teasing. Katie’s older brother, Liam, tormented her.” Jessie giggled. “And I tormented him. I had such a crush on him when he was in high school. He thought I was a pest, and he was right.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“I think it was when I was in high school. He went away to college. He never came home much after that. I think he’s a couple of years older than you.”

“I bet he’d kick himself if saw you now,” he said under his breath.

“He’s supposed to come to visit Katie in the next few weeks. It should be fun to see him again.”

“Is he married?”

“No, but I’m sure there’s someone special. He always had a gorgeous girl on his arm. Katie is thrilled that Liam is coming. The Donovans lived up to their rowdy Irish heritage. I loved to be at their house growing up.” She smiled. “Between them and Sadie, I had a grand childhood.”

“You turned out amazing—that’s all I know.”

“Thank you; I have my good and bad moments, like everyone.”

After the meal had been finished and the check paid, Matt held her coat so she could slip it on. “Would you like a tour of the city, Cinderella, before you have to return to reality?”

“Mm…that would be nice.” She smiled and leaned briefly against him.

“Your carriage awaits you.” He motioned to the entry, where the chauffeur was waiting with the limo door open for them.

Their tour began downtown in the waterfront district of the Embarcadero, winding its way through Point Loma Peninsula. Then the driver took them on a short drive through Old Town San Diego where the city had begun in 1769. The shops, restaurants, and museums all embraced and preserved its rich history. They veered along the coast to La Jolla to the north with its pine-forested oceanfront bluffs. The last stop of the night was Seaport Village. He told her he wanted her at least to see it. Most of the shops closed early, but it was still worth seeing. It looked like she imagined a seaside town would look.

“This has been lovely.” She smiled at him. “I think I would love to come back for a real vacation. Maybe see San Francisco, the Wine Country, and of course, the Redwoods.”

“My parents brought us out here years ago. Naturally, we did the whole Disneyland and Sea World thing. But, I remember being in awe of the giant redwoods.”

“Thank you. I’ve had a great time.”

“The evening isn’t over yet. I have one more place I want to take you.” They drove to a scenic overlook at Mount Soledad Park where they could view San Diego sprawled out in all directions. They walked hand in hand for a few moments, taking in the lights of the city and the smell of the sea air.

Jessie stopped and faced him. “I’ve always loved the ocean; that’s one of the reasons I moved to Blue Cove. I find a sense of peace, hearing the waves crashing on the shore.”

“That’s how I feel when I’m with you.” He gazed into her eyes. He pulled a small wrapped box at of his coat. “I’ve always loved the ocean too. I think I’d always have to live near it.” His hand holding the box moved toward hers.

Her eyes questioned him as she took the box from his hand when he nodded. “Should I?”

“You can open it.”

She carefully started the process. Nestled under the cushioned front was a silver necklace with a starfish pendant. In the center of the starfish was a small diamond. Her eyes lit up. “This is lovely, and an excellent reminder of our special time.” She reached up pulling his head down and kissed him. “Thank you,” she whispered against his lips.

“I take it you approve.” He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.

“The necklace is beautiful and the whole evening has been fantastic. I guess I can add a romantic to the list of your qualities.” She sighed. “You’re full of surprises.”

He looked at his watch. “As much as I hate to have this evening end, it’s time we get back to the airport.”