Three
Addy had thought for sure Noel would cancel their date. She half hoped he would. After all her good intentions to finally let him go and focus on finding a decent man to spend time with, one who wouldlike her, for God’s sake, she’d agreed to go to dinner with him.
Solene thought it hilarious that Noel was playing to type and demanded her twenty dollars the moment the guy asked for babysitting services—no doubt during appetizers. But Solene didn’t seem to understand. Noel hadn’t and wouldn’t ask Addy for help with anything. When he’d asked her to dinner, the invitation had seemed to surprise him as much as it had her.
She didn’t think he was settingher up for anything tonight. No laying a grand seduction to get himself a full-time nanny. Solene didn’t agree, but then, Solene had trust issues.
“This is nice,” Addy said as they sat across from each other in Mermaid Kitchen, a new high-end restaurant just a short distance from the ferry. Small tables, each lit by candlelight, were adorned with a small bouquet of fresh flowers. The softjazz playing overhead added to the low key yet no doubt high cost of the dining experience. All the wait staff wore black with aquamarine polo shirts, and they’d all memorized the menus, the wine menus, and could explain, down to the ingredient, what all went into the dishes.
Noel nodded. “I came here a few times this past summer for the food. They have nice quiet tables in the back.”
“Oh.” She liked to eat out, when she could afford to. This restaurant supposedly had terrific food but could be on the pricey side. Sadly, her recent spate of dates hadn’t been keen on forking out a lot of money if she hadn’t planned on sleeping with them up front.
I really do need to find a better class of man to go out with.
Realizing that Noel didn’t necessarily fit thatbill took some of the enjoyment out of the evening. She decided to treat this like an interview instead. With any luck she’d learn something about her mysterious neighbor.
After a moment of silence, Noel jumped into conversation. “You’ve lived here your whole life, right? Except for your time at college in Spokane.”
She blinked at him.
He shrugged and took a sip of water.“Your parents mentioned you once or twice. I was sad to see them go.”
“Probably becausetheynever bothered you,” she said out loud when she’d meant to keep that to herself.
He gave her a rare grin, which lit up his brown eyes and turned them golden.
She blinked, her heart racing at the transition of coldly handsome Noel to warm, out-and-out gorgeous Noel. Amazing what a hintof humor could do for the man. She wanted to touch his mouth, to see what that smile felt like under her fingers. Or better yet, her lips.
Focus, Addy!
“Well, your mom and dad never made me any cookies,” he continued, “but your dad’s a hell of a gardener.”
She nodded, doing her best to regulate her pulse. “He brags about his cucumbers more than he does about me.” She smiled.“He and mom are considering staying in Ballater, in Scotland. My grandmother, my mom’s mom, is from there. Plus, my dad is a golf nut, and they have a big time golf club there. Keeps him out of mom’s hair, and she can bond with Grandma again.” She paused. “What about you? Where’s your family?”
He was about to answer when the waiter arrived to take their order. After they selected theirmeals—he declined any alcohol, she noted while agreeing to a glass of wine—he answered, “My parents died when I was young. Car accident. I don’t have any relatives that I know of. It’s just me.”
“Oh.” She didn’t know what to say. That sounded awfully lonely. “What about Deacon and Hammer? Are they friends of yours?”Obviously, you idiot. Why else would they be at his home?
His lipspinched. “Friends? More like business acquaintances.”
The perfect segue. “Speaking of which, what exactly do you do for a living?”
“I’m in finance,” he said smoothly. “Deacon and Hammer are too.”
“Really? Hammer’s into finance?” She could see the suave Deacon talking people into investing in umbrellas for the Sahara. But Hammer? The man looked like his namesake. He was a giantmass of muscle and intimidation, even when smiling around a chocolate chip cookie.
“Hammer’s got surprising depths,” Noel deadpanned, and she grinned. “But what about you? You’re a teacher, right?”
“Yes.” She warmed up to the topic. “I teach fourth grade. My favorite subject is English, because I love watching young minds create. My kids are vivid storytellers, and any chance I canhook them on reading, I try.” She paused as the waiter brought them their first course then left. “Do you read much?”
“I like biographies and books on gardening.”
“I love fiction. Romance, horror, fantasy. Anything, really. I’m a book addict.” She scrunched her nose, hearing herself sound as boring as she was. “But I don’t just read. I like to do a lot of things.” Did breathing oreating count?
He watched her, and she wondered if he found her stimulating, or something to scrape off the bottom of his shoe. She just couldn’t tell. “What about you? What do you like to do for fun?”
He sighed. “I’m not that interesting, sadly. I don’t party at all hours. When I’m not working, I like to enjoy my downtime with peace and quiet. I’d as much read or garden as stareout at the water and watch the sun set.” He grimaced. “I’m told I sound like I’m seventy.”
