“When I was young, but I haven’t in decades. I’ve been playing closer to home. Ford and Jamie got married here, and I was inspired to try again. I was never very good, but maybe age has given me patience.”
“Well, we’ll have to play sometime.”
“Maybe after I take a million more lessons.” My heart sped at the thought of Cal’s broad and tall frame showing me how to swing a golf club.
“I have an old friend who played in the Pac-12. A big-time pro out on the West Coast. I can set the two of you up.”
I laughed again. “I’m not sure I’m even there yet. I mean ready for a big-time pro. How often do you play?”
“When I have time. I’m on call every third weekend, sometimes taking an extra weekend, but I try when I’m not delivering babies. I’ve never played here.” This time he tossed his thumb over his shoulder toward the darkened golf course.
“You should ask Ford. After getting married here, they love him. He’ll make it happen.”
“I think I’ll make sure he has a baby first. A healthy baby.”
I nodded.
The rest of the evening passed with light conversation. We both liked the DC Zoo and were fans of Dorothy’s shoes in the Smithsonian. It was clear Callum had seen most of my movies, but he wasn’t starstruck, or at least he pretended not to be.
“I can appreciate your talent,” he told me over his lobster tail. “But I enjoy this side of you too. The real you.”
It made me feel good in a way I hadn’t in a long while. I could be myself. In many ways, Jamie showed me this side of me when she and I became friends. Leave it to Jamie to break through to my humanity, and now her surrogate’s doctor was pulling more out of me.
“I didn’t know who you were until about fifteen years ago. A date forced me to see one of your rom-coms,” Callum did admit. He followed up with, “I can’t believe I said that aloud.”
“Sounds like the date didn’t go far, but you found me.”
“I did. That I did.” He set his fork down and stared at me. “This has been great. Really. I don’t want the evening to end, but I have to ask, can we at least lose Frank somewhere along the way? His gaze—I can feel it—is making me come undone.”
My heart sped up—I knew what he was asking. Did he want to kiss me? Come back to my place? I didn’t know the extent of what he wanted, but I heated at the idea of most of it. It was doubtful Frank would abandon ship, but I could ask.
Callum filled the pregnant pause. “Or is that too presumptuous? All I meant was a few stolen moments alone. Maybe a good-night kiss, if that isn’t out of line.”
“It’s not. I’m having a sublime time—shit,” I swore. “I’m talking like a lunatic.Sublime time?I mean, this is great for me too, and I’d have to speak with Frank since he’s not paid to let me wander off. But maybe we can take a walk on the golf course?”
“That would be sublime.”
Just like that, we were laughing. Callum had this amazing way of bringing us back to reality, and I found myself loving it.
Dessert was berries and cream, except my cream was yogurt. Callum dipped his spoon in mine and winked after taking a bite. He pushed his to the side and shared mine with me, both of us dipping our spoons and eating while eyeing the other. I never knew yogurt could be this sexy, but clearly it was an undiscovered aphrodisiac.
Callum
She’d slipped away for a moment, leaning over to say something in Frank’s ear. He motioned for her to stand up, turning her in a protective way and leaning in to hear her. I didn’t like it, but I told myself this was her reality. I noticed her nodding and then touching her cheek to Frank’s shoulder. This I disliked even more, but then she was turning and walking back toward me, her face glowing, her blond hair almost ethereal as it flowed behind her.
I’d stood to greet her and her smile broadened. She made me believe the well-rehearsed smile was only for me. I’d take it.
“I’m going to use the ladies’ room, and then Frank will escort me to the golf course. You exit over there,” she said while looking toward a door at the back of the restaurant.
I nodded.
She defended herself. “It’s the best I could do.”
“It’s better than the best. It’s perfect,” I told her, thinking a walk on the golf course might not be enough. At one point I’d wanted a lifetime of strolls, miles of walking side by side, with a special person. I feared Billy could be that person. What if I could never quench my thirst for this woman? I didn’t want to admit it, but I sensed I was in trouble when it came to Willa Conway.
Now, standing in the moonlight, watching Billy walking toward me, those feelings were heightened.
“Hi,” she breathed into the night sky. “This is nice. I never get to do this in LA. Closest I come to hanging outside is in Ford’s backyard or on my patio.”
