“I respect that,” Cavin accepted his facial expression showing understanding.
“Thank you,” Noel responded, but she had no idea what to suggest.None of this had been thought out, and she hated that she kept running into snags at every corner.
“We can go to the grocery store and pick out ingredients, and I can cook a meal for you at my place,” Cavin offered.
“No,” Noel responded promptly and more harshly than intended.“I mean that’s nice of you to offer, but I definitely am not ready for that either.”Being together in public with a man seemed scary enough; she couldn’t fathom being alone with Cavin at his house.
“I am open to any suggestions,” Cavin replied.Too bad his family didn’t have a private jet yet.He could fly Noel anywhere she wanted—somewhere she wouldn’t know anyone.
“Let’s go to Swansboro.”
“Sure,” Cavin replied although he had no idea how far away this town could be.He didn’t remember driving through the place on his trip from the airport.It didn’t matter; he didn’t have anything else going on tonight.
The neighboring towns like Morehead City and Atlantic Beach would be too close, Noel decided.The chances of them running into someone there that she knew seemed likely.
“There’s a nice Italian restaurant on the Swansboro waterfront.How does that sound to you?”Noel inquired.
“Absolutely perfect.”
Noel figured the time she and Cavin spent figuring out where to have dinner should have given Mrs.Madelyn ample opportunity to get the kids settled in the car and off to their destination.
“Where is your Santa hat?”Cavin asked with a grin.He never saw Noel without it until now, and he wasn’t sure which look he liked better.The chin-length wavy bob seemed to fit her face just right.Of course he previously noticed the rich brown color spilling out from beneath the white puffy rim of the hat, but in a way it was as though he was seeing Noel Puckett for the first time all over again.While she looked super cute wearing the Santa hat, this Noel, with her hair fixed and a smidge more makeup than he remembered, was absolutely stunning.
19
Noel thought she and Cavin would escape to Swansboro without a hitch, but she failed to consider the walk from the candy shop to the adjacent lot where Cavin parked his vehicle.It just so happened that as Cavin opened the passenger door for her like a gentleman which ironically made her feel a bit uneasy, Chelsea and Rainey pulled in one space over and quickly hopped out of their car.
“Hello there, Noel,” Chelsea greeted with her eyes dancing from across the roof of her car.
Cavin couldn’t see Chelsea from his vantage point, but at the sound of her voice, he turned and spotted Officer Rainey dressed in plain clothes and then the source of the voice, a blonde-haired woman on the other side of the vehicle.
“Hey, guys,” Noel replied, trying to play it cool.
“Good evening, Officer Rainey,” Cavin said while extending his hand.
“You can call me Rainey,” Rainey responded, since Cavin was with his friend Noel.
Noel suddenly looked perplexed.“Do you know everyone in Beaufort?”she questioned without even thinking.
“I have not met Rainey’s wife,” Cavin teased.However, earlier today he noticed the ring on the officer’s finger.
“I am Chelsea,” she introduced herself as she hurried around the front end of the vehicle to extend her hand to the handsome man opening his vehicle’s door for her best friend.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Chelsea,” Cavin remarked.“I am Cavin Dawson.”
Chelsea studied him from head to toe, none too discreetly.“How do you two know each other, and where are you heading?”Chelsea inquired her eyes darting between Cavin and Noel impatiently waiting for an answer.She tightly clutched the purse dangling at her side.
“Business,” Cavin answered quickly while recalling Noel’s words from earlier.“We have a business meeting this evening.”
Rainey’s eyes widened, and he couldn’t help but smirk while studying Noel’s facial expression.
“Right,” Chelsea laughed.“I am not the police officer here, but I can see straight through that lie.”
Cavin’s face turned a light shade of red and Noel’s a noticeable amount darker.
“Would the two of you like to join us for a ‘business meeting’ at Clawson’s?”Rainey invited holding up air quotes for the wordsbusiness meeting.
Cavin looked to Noel for a response, and Rainey and Chelsea followed suit.
