Chapter Nine
Emma finished organizing the shoes for Lisa’s charity sale. She’d returned most of them to their original boxes. According to Lisa’s email, that added to their value. And she would know.
With nothing left to do, Emma poured herself a glass of iced tea and went out to the lanai. It was hot outside. More like Miami, she thought as she lifted her hair away from her neck. She reclined in her chair, looking across to her neighbor’s lanai. He must be working late, she thought. School let out three hours ago. Maybe it was parent-teacher conference day. Emma didn’t know, but she did know that she wanted to see him. Their handshake at Vittles the day before hadn’t been far from her thoughts since it happened. Had he felt it too? Was he avoiding her on purpose? Her thoughts were like those of a lovesick teenager.
She heard someone calling her name from the pool area. “Emma.”
She had to stand up and look to her left to see the pool.
Her stomach did a flip-flop. “Hi,” she called to Nash.
“Put your suit on; the water is like hot coffee,” he hollered.
She grinned. “I’ll pass,” she said, immediately regretting it. Then she added, “But I’ll come to the pool. You want a glass of iced tea?” she asked.
“I do,” he shouted, a bit too loud.
Before anyone noticed them, she hurried to the kitchen, refilled her glass, and poured another for Nash. She couldn’t believe he could have seen her on the lanai unless he’d been watching for her.
Three minutes later, she sat on the same chaise longue she’d occupied before. Nash was in the pool, leaning his wet shin against the coping. She’d set the glass down in front of him. She’d thought she would feel awkward hanging out with him like this, but it seemed completely natural.
“Thanks, Emma. You’re a lifesaver. I was thirsty.” He downed the tea in one giant gulp.
“You could’ve drunk the coffee you’re swimming in,” she teased.
“I am one of the few around here who dislikes this heated pool. Especially in the summer months. It’s like I said—diving into a hot cup of coffee.”
She nodded. “I don’t like it either. What’s the point? If you’re hot, you want to cool off, but the water is like a warm bath.”
“We could draw up a petition. Take it to the condo association,” he said, smiling.
She shook her head. “You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”
He pushed himself out of the pool, water dripping off him. She tried not to stare at him but couldn’t turn her eyes away. He was all muscle, with broad shoulders that tapered to a narrow waist. He was tanned all over. It took Emma a few seconds to recover, as it’d been a long time since she’d seen a male specimen in such perfect condition. Actually, she had never seen a guy so male before.
Nash sat down on the lounge chair beside her. Emma could feel his eyes on her.
“Tell me about yourself. I’ve been too busy to be neighborly,” he said.
Unusual, she thought. Men, at least the ones she’d dated, always wanted to talk about themselves—their cars, their bank accounts. She had little interest in that type.
“I just moved in. But you already know that,” she said.
“Why here? Pink Pearl Cove isn’t the most popular beach town in Florida.”
“That’s part of the reason. I lived in Miami my entire life. I wanted to slow down and get out of the rat race. So I did a bit of online investigating, and here I am.”
“Makes sense. Miami’s a nice place to visit, but after spending most of my adult life in New York, I understand wanting to escape the city. It can be intoxicating, though it wears off after a while.” Nash raised his hands above his head, stretching like a cat sunning itself.
“New York?” she asked, her tone curious.
“I worked in investments.”
“I see. That’s where it happens. I’ve been there many times with clients. As you said, it’s intoxicating, but only for a while.”
She couldn’t believe how they were talking, given they’d known each other for barely an hour. But if you added up the time she’d spent spying on him, it would be more than an hour. She wouldn’t say that out loud, of course, fearing she would sound childish.
“Clients? What type of work?” Nash asked. She could tell he was sincere and wanted to know more about her.
Laughing, she said, “I was an attorney. Corporate.”
He whistled. “I guessed you were top-notch and I was right.”
“Why top-notch? Is that good or bad?” she asked.
“Oh, it’s perfect. You look professional, a take-no-bull kind of lady.”
She wasn’t sure she liked his assessment of her. She was professional in her work life, but wasn’t a hard-core, do-or-die person.
“I was very professional when I had to be. But I didn’t bring work home with me.” That wasn’t entirely true. She’d told Amanda how she would call clients from home to save them a few dollars here and there. “I also have my teaching certificate. I received my bachelor’s in education before law school and kept my license current. Corporate law isn’t my calling, so I decided to change my life and career, and here I am.”
“You know I teach math, right?”
“Marlena told me when you were at the store.”
“Vittles is a one stop shop for food and a bit of local gossip,” he said, his green eyes teasing, matching his smile.
“I’ve only been there once, the same day you were,” she said, wanting to clarify that she hadn’t been in the store to participate in any gossip.
“I was in a rush on Sunday. Penny was about to give birth. She’s my dog, in case you haven’t heard. It seems the entire Cove wants one of her puppies. I promised my mother she could have her pick of the litter, but after seeing them, I’m not sure Penny is going to be willing to give them up.”
Emma’s heart clenched. Nash was everything she’d heard and maybe more. “You want to keep all the dogs?”
“Silly, right? What’s a guy like me doing with four puppies and Penny?” He held up his hand. “I know it’s crazy, but when I saw those tiny little girls, their little ears, their little feet, I just had such a possessive rush. I don’t think I can let even my mom take one.”
“So you keep them. Nothing wrong with that.” Lots of people had more than one—or four—dogs. She didn’t see it as a problem.
“You’re serious? You don’t think I’m nuts?” Nash asked, his tone serious.
Emma smiled. “No, I don’t.” Could she tell him that this was yet another trait she found admirable about him? Or was it too soon?
“Go on, tell me what you’re thinking. I can tell there’s more you want to say. It’s okay if you think I’ve whacked out.” He tipped back his glass, crunching on an ice cube.
He had picked up on her thoughts. Was she that obvious, or was he highly intuitive?
Taking a chance, she decided to be honest. Not that she was a chronic liar, but something was going on between them. He might not admit it yet, but she could feel their chemistry. “I think it’s sweet you want to keep the puppies. I hear they’re dachshunds, which is the most adorable breed. I had a roommate in college who had a dachshund named Rex. He made us laugh so much. We went through flip-flops like crazy.” In her third year of college, when she was of legal age, she’d moved out of the dorm into an apartment with two friends. Rex belonged to Cathryn, though they all took turns caring for him.
“You’re not making this up just to make me feel better?” Nash questioned.
“No, I don’t work that way,” she said, wanting him to know she wasn’t the kind of woman to tell him what he wanted to hear to make him feel good. Emma didn’t believe he was the type of guy who played games either. At least she hoped not.
“Good,” he said.
Nash clearly wasn’t one to mince words; she had that much figured out. Emma didn’t have a response, so she didn’t say anything.
Out of the blue, he asked, “What’s your favorite food?”
“In which food group?” she asked, looking at him.
“All of them. For each meal.”
Emma laughed. “I like almost anything except anchovies and corn from a can.”
“That’s pretty specific. No seafood allergies? Peanut allergy? Nothing that would send you to the emergency room? I want to know for when I ask you to go to dinner with me tonight after we stop by the clinic so you can see the pups.”
Had he just asked her to dinner?
“You want to have dinner with me?” Emma said to confirm she’d heard him correctly.
“After I show you the pups. Do you like dogs? I hope.”
Breaking out into a grin as wide as the sun, she said, “I don’t have food allergies and I love dogs.”
“That’s a relief. I wasn’t sure you’d say yes. I’ve wanted to ask you since I first saw you on your lanai. But the timing has been off. Have you been to Cove’s Fish Camp? It’s about some of the best seafood around. It’s been a while since I was there.”
Emma wondered if that was where he took all his dates, but she wouldn’t ask.
“No, I haven’t been out much since moving here. I’ve spent most of my time unpacking and getting organized.” She didn’t feel quite as confident as she had moments before. If this was his go-to date destination, she didn’t want to be just another woman he took to his favorite seafood joint. She couldn’t help it; those were the vibes she’d picked up on.
“Emma, we can go somewhere else if you want. It’s truly the best seafood in town, but there are other restaurants. Heck, I can make dinner if you don’t want to be seen in public with me.” He stood up and swiped his hands through his hair. “If you say yes, I’m going in to shower and I’ll pick you up in an hour. If that’s enough time for you?”
“Half an hour. I’ll be ready,” she said, deciding he wasn’t feeding her a line of bull.
“Impressive. See you in thirty,” he said before diving into the pool. He swam to the shallow end, then used the steps to get out. Then he went inside his condo via the lanai.
“Okay, I’m flabbergasted.” Emma spoke softly to herself as she headed inside. She took their empty glasses with her and put them in the sink. Then she raced to the shower. She shaved her legs and used her favorite gardenia-scented bodywash. After, she hurried to dress. She chose a hot pink, halter-style sundress. In the shoe room, she found the sandals she bought when she purchased her dress online last summer, never having had a chance to wear either. She hoped it wasn’t too dressy—or not dressy enough. Honestly, it didn’t matter. She was going on a date with a man she had a real thing for. She wasn’t going to worry about her clothing.
Emma brushed her hair, letting it hang loose around her shoulders. She added mascara, blush, and clear lip gloss to her face. She whirled around, happier than she’d been in . . . forever. She glanced at the clock; it’d taken her twenty-six minutes to get ready. She stuffed her cell phone, house keys, and wallet in a small clutch purse before returning to her living room to wait for Nash.
At exactly six thirty, the doorbell rang. A guy who was on time—she liked that, too.
Emma ran a hand through her hair, then smoothed the front of her dress before opening the door. “Hi,” she said for lack of anything else to say.
“Hi back,” Nash said. “You look stunning, Emma. I’m the luckiest guy in town.” He took her hand and closed the door behind them. “Keys?” he asked, and she handed her house keys to him. He locked the door, then returned the keys.
All she could do was stare at him. He wore navy dress slacks, a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the top buttons open, and a matching jacket slung over his shoulder. He could be a male model, she thought. He wasn’t the type, though; she just knew it.
“I had to get my car out of the garage. It’s been in there for a while so it needs a bath. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” she told him as they walked around her condo to the back of his.
Idling in his driveway was a cherry-red convertible. “This is your car?” Emma asked, stating the obvious. It didn’t fit the profile she’d imagined for him—she’d envisioned some sort of SUV, something brand-new. So much for speculating. But she’d been mostly right about him thus far.
He didn’t say anything when he saw the expression on her face. He opened the car door for her, making sure she didn’t get her dress caught, then went to the driver’s side and got in. “Are you okay in a convertible? I didn’t want to put you in my old truck.”
Emma wondered how old his truck was, but didn’t want to ask, fearing it would embarrass him. “Of course. It’s the perfect evening for it.”
“Good.” He shifted the car into first gear, then second as they traveled down Flamingo Boulevard. He didn’t drive fast, thankfully. Emma was a careful driver. She never broke the speed limit or ran red lights.
She’d had a date a few years back who’d driven so fast she’d had to call a taxi to take her home. He’d been angry, but there was no way she would have gotten in the car with him again after they’d finished dinner. He’d followed her home and spent thirty minutes doing doughnuts in her parking lot. She’d called the police and they’d issued him a ticket. After that experience, she was careful about whose vehicle she got into.
“This was my dad’s car,” Nash said as though he could read her mind. “My truck belonged to him, too.”
She didn’t know what to say, but assumed Nash’s father had passed away because he spoke in the past tense. “I love it,” she said and meant it.
“He loved old cars. Mom promised him she would give this old T-Bird to me and she did, when I graduated college. I left it here when I moved to New York. You couldn’t find a parking spot there unless you were willing to pay big bucks, which I would’ve, but the car is in mint condition and I wasn’t about to let anything happen to it.”
“I’m sure your father would appreciate the extra care.” She wanted to ask more about him, but she held back. In time they would get to those topics. This was the first date she’d had in over a year. She wasn’t going to mess it up by being nosy. If he wanted her to know something, he would tell her.
“Yes, he was a stickler when caring for cars. Heck, I’m named after one. Anything he worked for he treated with kid gloves. My mom too.” He slowed down, shifting into first gear, then turned down a side street Emma had yet to discover. “Cove’s Fish Camp is a bit out of the way,” Nash explained as he turned to the left. “Great for the locals, not so great for the tourists.”
“I’m intrigued. And hungry! So, are you really named after a car?” she asked when he pulled into a gravel parking area. Next to it was a small house painted red with all kinds of beach paraphernalia surrounding the walkway. Emma was anxious to try the food.
Nash got out first, then came around to open her door. “Sort of. Charles W. Nash was the president of General Motors in 1912 and later the owner of Nash Motors.”
“I love that your name has a history,” she said, hoping he was for real. He was almost too good to be true. Emma crossed her fingers. Nash took her hand, helped her out of the car, then closed the door. Before going inside, he turned to her so their faces were mere inches apart. She could feel his breath on her. He smelled of mint. Before she realized what was about to happen, he leaned in, his lips touching her own—just a whisper of a kiss.
When he took his mouth from hers, she wanted him—more than she’d ever wanted a man. Light as air, her heart fluttered like a hummingbird’s wings.
“Emma.” Nash said her name as though it were a cherished prize.
Hoping he was about to kiss her again, she didn’t say anything, just in case.
“There’s something I forgot,” Nash said as they stood practically nose-to-nose.
Emma hoped he wasn’t going to confess his undying love for her. If he did, all of her instincts had been wrong. Nothing good, at least in her experience, happened when a guy told you he was in love on a first date.
She remained still as stone. His next words could be a deal-breaker. She crossed her fingers again for good luck.
“We forgot to stop by the clinic to see the puppies,” he said.
She let out a sigh of relief. She nodded, thankful he hadn’t said anything worrisome. “What about after dinner?”