HE HEARD THE KEY IN THE LOCK and Charlie smiled. He and Evie had spent the last three nights together and this would make a fourth. Though their nights began late, usually around midnight, they could afford to sleep in. Eve usually left for the restaurant at eleven.
“I’m in here,” he called when he heard her footsteps heading toward the kitchen. A few moments later, she appeared at the end of the sofa, a bag slung over her shoulder. “What’s that?” he asked, pointing to the bag.
“I’m tired of rushing home to shower and grab fresh clothes in the morning. So I brought a few things along. If you have a problem with that, then tough.”
Charlie grinned. “No problem. But we should probably set some ground rules if you’re planning to move in.”
“I’m not moving in. I’m just visiting. Both you and I know that this is a short-term thing.”
“You could move in,” he said. “It would make things more convenient.” There was a time in his life when he never would have made a suggestion like that, but now, the prospect of having Evie with him full-time had distinct advantages.
“No. I think we’re fine the way things are.” She dropped her bag on the floor, then sat down next to him on the sofa. “What are you doing?”
“Putting together a slide presentation on the seven summits. I’m doing a couple of lectures at the university next week.”
“So that’s why you came back,” she said. “It wasn’t for me.”
“No. Not technically. But when I accepted the job, I knew I might see you again.”
“Show me,” Evie said, pointing to the computer. “I’d like to see what took you away from me the first time.”
Over the next two hours, Charlie went through the photos he’d compiled, explaining the challenges of each climb and the significance in his quest. They opened a bottle of wine and curled up together, the computer resting on his lap and Evie tucked beneath his arm.
When it was over, she took a deep breath and sighed. “I don’t understand it,” she said. “You risk your life. People die. They freeze to death or fall. For what?”
“I don’t know,” he said.
“What do you mean, you don’t know?”
“I used to believe that it was about the challenge, facing nature head-on and coming out the winner. Conquering my environment. You do it, too. I’ve seen you in the kitchen. When things seem to be the most chaotic, you get this look on your face. This determination to overcome anything that fate throws in your way.”
“No,” she said. “There’s no comparison. My life doesn’t hang in the balance because of a cheese soufflé. Weren’t you scared you might die out there?”
“No,” he said. “I never thought about it.”
“Maybe that’s because you didn’t have something to live for,” she said.
“Maybe,” he murmured.
She was right. If he’d had a wife and kids, he wouldn’t have had the nerve to risk his life. Even now, after just a few days with Evie, the stakes were suddenly so much higher. Though he didn’t have her—not yet—there was the possibility he might have her sometime. And that was enough to keep him on level ground.
“And it’s not all that dangerous,” he said. “It is if you make stupid decisions. But if you’re smart, the odds are pretty good you’ll get up and down safely.”
“So, what’s next?” she asked.
“I thought maybe you’d like a bath,” Charlie re plied. “You always take a shower before bed. I thought a bath might be nice.”
“I meant, where are you going next?”
“I know what you meant. I don’t know. I’m just thinking about a bath right now.”
“You just want me to take my clothes off,” she said.
“I could take them off for you if you don’t want to,” he suggested.
“Go ahead,” she murmured. “I’m too tired to move.”
He pulled her to her feet and led her to the bathroom. As he filled the tub, Charlie slowly undressed her. He loved the way her body moved beneath his touch, always seeking the warmth of his hands. He’d become incredibly possessive over the past few days, almost jealous of the time she’d spent with her ex.
As he skimmed her jeans down over her hips, she wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes. He took his time as he came back up, smoothing his palms over her hips and torso. Though he’d grown familiar with her curves, her body never failed to intrigue him.
He wanted to know about the tiny scar on her knee and why she always painted her toes red but left her fingernails untouched. He wanted to analyze the patterns of freckles on her arms and memorize the scent of her hair. Would these things ever begin to bore him? Or would he always find things to intrigue him?
When she was completely naked, he helped her into the tub, then sat on the floor beside it. “This is wonderful,” she murmured, sinking into the hot water. “I never take baths.”
“Maybe you should start,” he said, smoothing his hand over her damp shoulder.
“It’s relaxing,” she said, her eyes closing and her lips parting slightly. He watched her as she drifted off to sleep, her body relaxing completely and her features growing soft and girlish. Charlie couldn’t remember ever feeling this content. He wasn’t thinking about where he had to be next or what he had to do to get there. He wanted to be here with Eve, to fall asleep with her in his arms and to wake up to the sight of her pretty face.
“God, you’re really losing it,” he murmured, smoothing a strand of hair out of her eyes. This was crazy. Something had happened to him on that mountaintop. The lack of oxygen had scrambled his brain. He was actually imagining he’d fallen in love with Eve.
He stared at her face, at the features that had quickly become so familiar to him. Something was driving him forward, pushing him to learn more, to deepen their relationship just to see where it took them both.
Maybe this was just another adventure, he mused, another environment to conquer. But what then? Would he move on? Would she turn into just another conquest? God, he didn’t want to hurt her. Though she wouldn’t admit it, his leaving five years ago had changed the course of her life—and not necessarily for the better.
He was determined not to make a mess of this a second time. When and if he left, it would be her decision, not his. For now, he’d stay as long she wanted him.
“Evie?” Charlie smoothed a palm over her cheek. “Sweetheart, wake up.”
She opened her eyes and smiled. “Did I fall asleep?”
Charlie nodded. Hell, what did he expect? She hadn’t had more than four or five hours’ sleep the past three nights and she’d put in a full day of work after each. Maybe it was time to spend the night sleeping. “Come on, let’s put you to bed.” He helped her out of the tub then grabbed a towel from the basket and wrapped it around her. She followed him to the bedroom, stumbling over her own feet along the way.
When he pulled back the covers, she crawled beneath them and moaned softly. Charlie quickly stripped off his clothes and lay down behind her, tucking her body into the curve of his.
He expected her to drift off, but instead she moved against him until he was fully aroused. They didn’t speak, but it was clear what she wanted. And when he sheathed himself and gently pushed inside her, she moaned softly. It wasn’t like their previous encounters in the bedroom—wild and passionate, desperate.
This was gentle, almost soothing. For a long time, he barely moved, enjoying the warmth that surrounded him. To Charlie’s surprise, he found himself dancing perilously close to the edge, the power of his release relegated to his mind rather than his body.
Reaching around, he touched her, slipping his fingers between her folds and caressing that spot that made her crazy with need. She arched back against him, resting her hand on his hip. And when the spasms rocked her body, it was more than enough to send him over the edge.
They didn’t say a word to each other, yet Charlie was aware of a silent pact that they’d made with each other. Her body was his refuge, a secret place he’d found that no one else could share, a place where he could lay his soul bare without fears or doubts.
Evie had given him that gift and with it came a grave responsibility. Her happiness had become inextricably intertwined with his. They were no longer two separate people. They had a relationship now, a bond that couldn’t easily be broken.
He closed his eyes and nuzzled his face into the hair at her nape. Was he feeling the first stirrings of love? Or was he merely trying to convince himself that he was capable of experiencing that emotion?
In the end, it didn’t matter. Everything would become much clearer with time. And Charlie had more than enough time to invest in the woman lying next to him.
“YOU NEED DECENT FOOTWEAR,” he said, staring into the window of the outdoor equipment store. “If we’re going to do any hiking, you have to have boots. Come on, let’s go inside and get you a pair.”
Charlie grabbed Eve’s hand and she reluctantly followed him inside. He’d become particularly obsessed with taking her hiking and Eve had to wonder what was behind the obsession. She had been quite content to spend the previous week in bed, but Charlie seemed to be growing less interested in marathon sex and more interested in…exercise.
Eve wondered if this was just a prelude to the inevitable, a way to ease her into the notion of him leaving again. Though his first lecture at the university was scheduled for the end of the week, and the second four days later, it was conceivable he could pack his bags and leave the moment he was finished.
Eve had to prepare herself for that eventuality. And though she’d done her best to maintain an indifferent attitude about the future, she knew their parting would come with at least a small amount of pain.
She’d grown used to having him near, to coming home to him each night, to exhausting herself in his arms before she fell asleep. It would be so simple to fall in love with Charlie Templeton, if she’d only allow herself that luxury. But Eve had learned a few things from her failed marriage, the most important being never to depend upon a man for her happiness.
Charlie picked up a hiking boot from a display and handed it to her. “These are the best,” he said. “I have a pair. They’re easy to break in and they’re waterproof.”
“Why would they have to be waterproof? We’re not going hiking if it rains.”
“We may have to walk through streams,” he said. “And if your feet get damp, they get cold and you get blisters. Believe me, dry feet are important.”
“These boots weigh a ton,” she said.
“They’re sturdy. You can’t hike in Birkenstocks,” he said. “Or those silly plastic clogs you wear in the kitchen.”
“Why do we have to hike at all? There are perfectly decent sidewalks all over Boulder. We could just…stroll,” Eve said.
“Nope. We’re going to get some real exercise. You’re feeding me far too much and I have to work it off. Since I want to spend as much time as possible with you, I figure you can come along and get some exercise, too.”
“I hate exercise,” Eve said.
“For someone who is so conscious about what you eat, you don’t do a very good job with the rest of the equation.” He turned to the salesperson, a petite college student with a nose ring. “We’d like to see these in a size…”
“Seven,” Eve said.
“Bring us a seven and a half, too,” Charlie added. “You should wear heavy socks with them.”
Eve sat down on a nearby bench and kicked off her Birkenstocks. “You know, I eat well because I hate to exercise. I’ve had to make compromises.”
Charlie sat down next to her, wrapped his arm around her neck and kissed the top of her head. “You’ll like it. I promise. I’ll make it fun. We’ll go camping. And you can cook over an open fire. Won’t that be a challenge?”
Eve had been so busy at work the past weekend, she and Charlie hadn’t had much time together beyond their time in bed. But carving out hours in the day for recreation seemed a bit strange—and a waste of what little time they had left. But she’d given him a peek into her world at the restaurant. Maybe he was interested in doing the same. His world was the great outdoors.
Since the moment she’d set eyes on him again, Eve felt as though the connection they’d made five years ago had survived their time apart. Everything felt comfortable and easy with Charlie. And there was no denying the sex was good.
But she’d fooled herself once before with Matt, imagining that everything was perfect between them, only to discover that she’d been wrong all along. She’d have to try harder to maintain her objectivity with Charlie, especially when he was doing everything in his power to charm her.
“I thought we could leave tomorrow afternoon,” he said.
“Leave?”
“We’ll drive up into the mountains. I know a beautiful spot to camp, right by a lakeshore. It’s about a two-hour hike in. We’ll spend the night and then hike back out in the morning.”
“I have to work,” Eve said.
“Come on,” he replied. “You know as well as I do that the restaurant can do without you for a night. It’s a Tuesday. No one eats out on a Tuesday.” He leaned closer. “Have you ever had sex in the great outdoors?”
“No,” she said. “Have you?”
“No,” he said.
“You are such a liar.”
“Eve, when I’m with you, everything feels like the first time.”
There wasn’t much she could say to that, Eve mused. She knew exactly how he felt. When they were together, her past experiences with men seemed to fade away until her only memories were of Charlie. “Good answer,” she said.
The salesperson handed Charlie two shoeboxes and he removed the larger pair and strung the laces through the hooks and eyes. Then he retrieved a pair of wool socks from a nearby rack and slipped them on her bare feet.
Eve watched as he tucked her foot inside the right boot and laced it up. This was his world, she mused. She was comfortable with knives and graters and small electric appliances, the smells and sounds of the kitchen. Charlie lived in a different world, a world of skies and streams, fresh air and rocky ground.
“How do they feel?” he asked after he’d laced up the second boot.
“Like I’m wearing cement overshoes,” Eve replied, rising to her feet. “And they’re so attractive.”
He looked up at her and gave her an impatient glare. “You’ll get used to them. Just wear them for the rest of the day to break them in.”
Eve glanced at her watch. She and Charlie had shared a late lunch together, eating at one of Eve’s favorite Chinese restaurants a few blocks from the Garden Gate. “I need to get back,” she said. “My sous-chef took the day off and I’ve got a lot of prep to do for this week. Especially if I’m taking tomorrow off.”
He handed the sales clerk his credit card and Eve reached for it. “You don’t have to pay for these,” she said.
“I want to. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be buying them yourself, so they’ll be my treat. And just to make sure you wear them today, I’m keeping your Birkenstocks.” He put her shoes in the empty box, then leaned over and kissed her softly. “I’ll see you later tonight.”
“Why don’t you come in for a late supper?” she suggested.
“I’ll do that,” he said. “I’ll see you later.”
Eve hurried out of the store, nearly tripping over herself in the hiking boots. Though she knew she looked foolish in them, the residents of Boulder were quite forgiving when it came to outlandish outfits. Boulder was a city of wildly diverse individuals. On her way back to the restaurant she saw plenty of tie-dyed T-shirts, Western wear and bicycle shorts.
The dining room was empty when she walked in the front door. She smiled at Sarah, who was stacking glasses behind the bar, then strolled into the kitchen. Lily had the luncheon receipts spread across the worktable.
“There you are!” she said, spinning around to face Eve. Her gaze took in the boots and she frowned. “What are those on your feet?”
“Hiking boots,” Eve said. “Charlie bought them for me.”
“What happened to lingerie or perfume or a nice bouquet of roses?”
“He said I’d need them if we go hiking,” Eve explained.
“And you’d need a parachute if you were going to jump out of a plane. But I can’t see you doing either of those things.”
“I can be outdoorsy,” Eve said. “Besides, hiking is just walking…uphill…over rocks and branches and stuff. How hard can it be?”
“You must really love this guy,” Lily said.
“No!” Eve cried. “Far from it. I’m trying my best not to love him.”
“Be careful,” Lily murmured. “I know how long it took you to get over Matt.”
“This is different. I’m not planning to marry Charlie.”
The kitchen door swung open and Sarah poked her head inside. “Eve, you have a visitor.”
“Oh, good grief,” Lily said. “Can’t he spend a minute away from you?”
“It’s not Charlie,” Sarah said. “It’s your ex-husband.”
Eve glanced up at Lily and winced. “What does he want?”
“He didn’t say. He looks a little…nervous?”
Eve nodded. “I can’t imagine why he’s here, unless he’s looking for a free lunch.” She pointed at Lily. “You stay in the kitchen. I don’t need you stirring things up with him.”
Lily had never been fond of Matt and she wasn’t shy about letting her hatred show. They’d met while Eve was going through her divorce. When it had come time to buy Matt out of the restaurant, Lily had decided to come in as a partner. It had been the best thing to ever happen to the Garden Gate. Lily was a wonderful business manager and a good friend.
When Eve emerged from the kitchen, she found Matt sitting at the bar, a half-empty glass of beer in front of him. She stood at the door watching him, wondering what she’d ever seen in him. He was self-involved and immature and a…a wimp. “Matt,” she murmured, as she stepped up beside him. “What can I do for you?”
He turned and smiled, but Eve could see it was forced. “Eve. Hi. Wow, you look good. How long has it been?”
“A while,” she said. “Why are you here?”
It was clear he’d expected some polite chitchat before getting down to the business at hand, but Eve didn’t have time to stroke his ego and make him feel comfortable. “Word around town is that you’ve got a new boyfriend. People have seen you out together.”
“So? I’m single. I’m allowed to date. You dated while we were married and it didn’t seem to bother you then.” She sighed. “What do you want?”
“I also heard you’ve been talking to some investors about a restaurant in Seattle.”
“Where did you hear that?” Eve asked.
“A reliable source.”
“What do you want, Matt?”
He looked uneasy and a bit pale. “Business has been a little down lately. And I—I figure since I helped build your business, I should get a share of anything that comes out of it like this new restaurant. Of course, if you want to buy me out right away, we could negotiate a fair price.”
“Buy you out of what?” Eve said, staring at him in astonishment. He really was an idiot. How could she have missed that?
Matt cleared his throat. “A lawyer friend of mine mentioned that I might want to consider renegotiating the divorce settlement, seeing as how it’s had such a negative impact on my earning ability.”
“Did you ever think maybe it was your bad behavior that had an effect on your business? Messing around with college-age girls doesn’t make you look particularly responsible.”
“Come on, Eve. Both you and I know that our marriage was a mistake from the beginning. You didn’t want me anymore than I wanted you.”
“Get out of here,” she said. “If you want to try to renegotiate the settlement, feel free. But I don’t think there’s a judge in this county who will side with you.”
Eve could see that he hadn’t expected the response she gave. In the past, Eve might just have given him the money, hoping to keep their relationship pleasant. But she wanted Matt out of her life. If she paid him, he’d be back for more.
“I’m not looking for much,” Matt said. “I just have some…unexpected expenses. My lawyer says I’ve got a good case.”
“Great. Go for it. Show the entire city of Boulder what a horrible excuse for a husband you were.”
He stood up and drained the rest of his beer, then set it down on the bar. “You don’t have to be so nasty.”
It felt liberating to tell him off, Eve mused. She was slamming the door shut on that part of her life and moving on. “I made a mistake five years ago,” Eve said. “But I’m not going to make another one tonight. If you come after me for more money, I will spend every last cent I have making sure you don’t get anything. Now get out of my restaurant.”
He walked to the door, his shoulders slumped. When he was finally outside, Eve leaned back against the bar and tried to slow her pounding pulse. She’d never loved him, that much was clear to her now. And he’d never loved her. Their marriage had been a huge mistake.
“Good for you.”
Eve looked over to find Lily watching her from the kitchen door. She smiled weakly at her friend. “Thanks. It felt good. How could I have been so stupid? Why couldn’t I see what kind of man he was?”
“Maybe you were in love with someone else?” Lily offered.
“Maybe,” Eve admitted.
Perhaps Charlie had been the reason her marriage had failed. Maybe, deep down in the secret corners of her heart, she’d loved him and not Matt. And now they had a second chance to make things right.
But did she have the courage to put her heart on the line all over again? Or would she let another chance pass her by?
“THIS IS WEIRD,” CHARLIE said, glancing over his shoulder at Jack’s two kids sitting silently in the backseat of the SUV. “I haven’t spent a whole lot of time around kids.” He lowered his voice. “They’re kind of scary.”
“Yeah, just don’t look them in the eye or they’ll throw themselves on the ground and pitch a fit.”
“Don’t they talk?”
“Sure,” Jack said. “But if they’re quiet in the car, we stop for ice cream. I have them trained well. Their mother doesn’t like them to have sweets.” Jack looked in the rearview mirror. “You guys can talk. You’re starting to scare Charlie a little bit.”
The boy and girl both grinned then launched into a series of unrelated questions. Was his watch waterproof? Did he own a dog? How many pieces of bubblegum could he fit in his mouth at once? Was he going to get ice cream, too?
They were odd kids. The boy was nearly nine and the girl had just turned six. According to Jack, they were both quite bright and inquisitive, but easily bored and distracted. Though they were on their best behavior at the moment, Jack had warned Charlie that they could have a meltdown at any moment, for any reason.
Charlie tried to answer their questions, one by one, and the conversation slowly disintegrated into silliness, with a long series of poop and fart jokes. Jack seemed completely oblivious to it all. Charlie was almost relieved when they pulled up to the park. The kids jumped out of the car and ran toward the playground equipment, while Jack grabbed the basketball from the cargo area.
“Aren’t you worried about them?” Charlie asked. “How are we going to play ball and watch them at the same time?”
“Don’t worry,” Jack said. “As a parent, you develop a very keen sense of where they are at all times. It’s like they have a built-in global positioning chip. If they wander too far, an alarm goes off in your head. And then there’s always their instinct to tattle on each other. If one does something wrong, the other will scream bloody murder in a matter of seconds. They monitor each other’s behavior.”
Charlie shook his head. “I don’t know how you do it. It’s got to be overwhelming. You’re responsible for making sure they don’t both turn into a couple of losers.”
“You just do your best,” Jack said. “They’re good kids. Most of the time. Hell, look at you. You didn’t have a dad for most of your teenage years and you turned out all right.” Jack dribbled the ball, then took a jump shot. “Do you want to play some one-on-one or should we play HORSE?”
“I think we should stick to HORSE,” Charlie said. “I haven’t played basketball in a couple years. There aren’t a whole lot of courts at base camp.”
Jack tossed him the ball. “You start. For every one you miss, you get a letter and you have to answer a question.”
“A question about what?”
“It can be about anything. But you have to be completely honest.”
Charlie smiled as he remembered. It was the same way they’d played it when they were in college. It was so much easier to talk about sticky subjects when they had basketball to focus on. “All right.” He took a shot from the baseline and missed.
“How is it going with the girl? Eve, is that her name?” Jack asked.
“It’s going well. Really well. We spend every night together. The sex is incredible. She’s funny and smart and she’s an incredible cook, even though all she cooks is vegetables. I’m taking her camping tomorrow, so she might even like the outdoors.”
Jack took a shot from the top of the key and missed. Charlie scooped up the rebound and dribbled over to the right corner. “Your turn,” he said. “Were you there when your kids were born? I mean, did you see it all?”
“Sure,” Jack said. “It was pretty cool. I got to hold them right away and cut the cord. They were all slimy and red. They looked like hell. But they got a lot cuter after a few months. And once they started walking and talking, the fun began.” Jack chuckled. “You wouldn’t believe half the stuff that comes out of their mouths.”
Charlie took his shot and made it. Jack jogged over and took the same shot and missed. “That’s H,” Charlie said. “So is it true what they say? That your sex life goes to hell after you have kids?”
“Things change,” Jack said. “But it stops being about the sex. That’s not really how we express our feelings for each other. At least, not exclusively. It’s about making a home and watching over each other. Helping each other through the rough times. Cleaning up the puke, taking out the garbage, snaking the drain in the kitchen sink. Those are the kind of things that Jenny loves. When I do those things, the sex gets even better.”
“When did you know you were in love with her?” Charlie asked.
“Man, you have it bad, don’t you?” Jack said. “I can hear it in your voice.”
“No,” Charlie said. “I’m just curious, that’s all.”
“When did I know I was in love with Jenny? We were playing softball. You were there, remember? She took a line drive to the face and went down. She was crying and her makeup was running down her face and her nose had swollen up to twice its size. She asked me if it looked bad and I couldn’t bring myself to tell her the truth. I told her she looked beautiful. And it was the truth. At that moment, she was the most beautiful woman in the world to me. She still is. That’s when I realized I had to marry her.”
“I get that,” Charlie said. “I used to be into a woman’s looks. The hair, the boobs, the butt. It made a difference in the attraction I felt. But with Eve, I don’t really think about those things. She’s just…Eve. And she’s perfect exactly the way she is. In fact, I really like the imperfections.”
“So what are you going to do about this girl?” Jack asked.
“I don’t know. I guess I’m going to have to see where it all goes and then I’ll decide.”
“Don’t let her get away,” Jack warned. “It’s the worst thing you can do. If she’s the one and you mess it up, Charlie, you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life.” He chuckled. “And just think, a few years from now you can have a couple of those.” He pointed to his kids. “Brenna, don’t eat sand. Garrett, why would you let her do that? Come over here, both of you.”
Charlie watched as Jack tended to his children, wiping his daughter’s face clean with the hem of his T-shirt and gently scolding his son. In all the years Charlie had known Jack, he’d never once imagined him in the role of father. But Jack was good at it. He seemed to maintain a sense of humor, even when his children misbehaved. And it was apparent that his children adored him.
“You know what would get rid of that nasty taste in your mouth, Brenna? Ice cream. I think we should go get some right now. In fact, I know a place where we can find the best ice cream sundaes in town.” Charlie reached out and took the little girl’s hand. “I know the lady who makes them.”
“Where are we going?” Brenna asked.
“A place not too far from here,” Charlie said. “The owner will make us whatever we want.” He glanced over at Jack. “I might as well introduce you.”
“This is a first,” Jack said.
“You’ll like her,” Charlie said. “And whatever you do, tell her you like her boots.”
They drove downtown and parked a half block from the restaurant. The dining room had a scattering of guests and Charlie saw Eve sitting at the end of the bar, a bottle of wine open in front of her and a man he didn’t recognize.
The guy wasn’t any older than Eve and was dressed in casual business attire, a freshly pressed shirt and trousers and a navy blazer. Charlie glanced down at his clothes, a T-shirt and a pair of cargo shorts. He thought about running home to change, but his curiosity got the better of him.
The bartender recognized him and gave him a wave, then leaned over to Eve and informed her of his arrival. She turned and smiled, then slid off the bar stool to greet him. “Hi,” she said. “What are you doing here?”
“I promised these two an ice cream sundae,” he said, pointing to Garrett and Brenna. “Can you fix us up?”
“Sure,” she said.
“Hi,” Jack said, holding out his hand. “They be long to me. I’m Jack Finnegan and this is Garrett and Brenna. I’m an old friend of Charlie’s.”
“This is Eve,” Charlie said. “Eve Keller. Jack is my college roommate.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said. “You’re the first friend of Charlie’s I’ve met.”
“I could say the same for you,” Jack replied. “Charlie’s been telling me all about you.”
Her eyebrow went up and she glanced back and forth between the two of them. “Really?”
“About your cooking,” Jack said. “And…other things.”
“Well, why don’t I take the kids back into the kitchen and we’ll get started on the sundaes? You guys look like you could use something to drink. Kenny, get these boys a cold beer, would you? And finish up the wine order with Ed.”
Charlie watched as she escorted the kids through the bar and into the kitchen. Unlike him, she didn’t seem to be nervous around children.
“She’s nice,” Jack said.
“She is. And beautiful. And smart. And talented.” He looked over at Jack. “And I’d be a fool to let her go, wouldn’t I?”
“Yeah, you would. She runs a restaurant. You could have all the free food and beer you wanted. I should bring Jenny here for dinner. She’d like this place.”
“They only serve vegetables,” Charlie murmured, watching Eve through the open door of the kitchen.
“Jenny is crazy about salad. That’s all she ever eats. You two should come over for a barbeque some night this week.”
“Only if you barbeque vegetables,” Charlie said. “That’s all Eve eats.
“I can do that,” Jack said.
Charlie smiled. This was a big step, finding mutual friends, socializing with other couples. It’s what normal people did when they were involved in a relationship. And wasn’t that what Charlie had been looking to experience—a normal relationship?
“I’ll bring the beer,” Charlie said.