Tom, you sly dog,Julia thought, unable to keep from chuckling with delight.Did you just ask one of the most famous movie stars in the world to go on a date with you on Sunday?
It made sense, she realized, that the two of them were aware of a romantic spark between them. She’d been noticing them smiling at each other and holding sparkling eye contact all evening. It still seemed incredible to her, though, that an actual relationship might be forming between them. Julia thought the world of Tom, but she wouldn’t have expected Delilah to be interested in a chef from a small town. She wouldn’t haveexpected the down-to-earth, jovial Tom to be interested in a movie star, for that matter.
Not wanting to eavesdrop anymore, Julia hurried back to the front door and handed Bernie to Macey.
“Did something happen?” Cooper asked, noticing his wife’s dazed expression.
“I’ll tell you later,” she said, not wanting to voice her theory in front of Macey. The little girl was too small to understand that there were some things she shouldn’t repeat to anyone else.
As she stepped out into the spring night with her little family, Julia’s thoughts were on Tom and Delilah. She knew that a romance between the two of them was highly unlikely, but she couldn’t help secretly wishing that it could work out somehow. She felt strongly that they both deserved happiness, and she wanted everyone to experience the kind of joy that she’d found in her love for Cooper.
A gust of wind blew across the front lawn, scented sweetly with the first blooms of spring flowers and the refreshing tang of the ocean. Julia looked up at the glittering stars and smiled, thinking to herself that there was nothing quite as thrilling as an unexpected romance.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Tom cleared his throat as he approached the gazebo in the center of town. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his leather jacket despite the fact that it wasn’t very cold outside. There was a strong breeze blowing, but it was warm enough that it felt almost balmy. Tom sniffed the fragrant air and felt his spirits lift even further.
This is perfect weather for my walk with Delilah,he said.I’m so glad it isn’t raining or cold today.
He felt a flutter of nervousness as he stepped inside the gazebo. He was early, and Delilah wasn’t there yet, but he knew that she would be there soon, and his hands were sweatier than they’d been since he took the SAT in high school. He sat down on one of the benches, cleared his throat again, and then stood up and began to pace.
His mind whirled. He couldn’t believe that he was really about to spend time with Delilah for a reason other than reading the screenplay together. Of course, they’d already cooked a meal at The Lighthouse Grill together, but that was because they’d already been there because of the screenplay. Spending time together at the Owens’ had been wonderful, but that had been different as well. This was the first time that Delilah wasspending time with Tom simply for Tom’s own sake, and he could hardly believe it was happening.
It feels like a date,he thought, and his face turned bright red a second later.
At that moment, he noticed movement out of the corner of his eyes, and he turned and saw Delilah walking across the town square toward him, wearing a pink floral tunic over leggings, paired with a long white jacket. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her, and for a second, he forgot to be nervous, he was so struck by how beautiful she was.
“Hello, Tom,” she said as she approached him.
She looked happy and full of energy, and he wondered what had put her in such a wonderful mood. A moment later, it occurred to him that she might be in such a wonderful mood because of their walk, and he felt himself begin to blush again, even though he immediately told himself that couldn’t be the case.
She gave him a friendly, gentle hug, which he returned with polite hesitation, even though he would have loved to give her a bear hug. He felt so grateful that she was there with him, and seeming so happy to spend her time off with him.
“Thanks for coming with me,” he said, starting to walk toward his car, which was parked on the edge of the town square.
“Thanks for inviting me.” She smiled. “Where are we headed?”
“It’s a surprise,” he said, feeling almost gleeful. He was excited to show her the place that he’d picked out for her. He didn’t know what she’d think of it, since he was sure she was used to far more breathtaking locations, but he still felt proud of the beauty that Rosewood Beach had to offer.
They reached his car and he opened the passenger door for her. He offered her his hand as she got into the car and she took it, holding onto his fingers a little more firmly than might havebeen necessary. Tom’s hand tingled as he walked around the car and got in on the driver’s side.
He realized that his nerves had greatly subsided, and he knew it was because she seemed so eager for the adventure they had planned. He’d been worried that she might regret her acceptance of his offer, but it was clear that she was just as excited to spend time with him as he was to spend time with her.
He drove his car along the quiet streets, heading toward the edge of town. On the way, he pointed out various landmarks and popular stores and restaurants to Delilah, who looked at everything with what appeared to be genuine fascination.
Finally, he reached the park that he’d been headed toward. He parked his car at the bottom of a hill which was overgrown with birch and pine trees. A wooden staircase led up the hill, the top of which was obscured by foliage.
“This seems very mysterious.” Delilah laughed as she got out of the car and took in her surroundings. “Are we on our way to a wizard’s tower?”
“Something like that,” Tom said, delighted by her imagination.
They began to climb the staircase together, and Tom had to repress an urge to hold her hand more than once. In the woods surrounding them, birds trilled and called out haunting notes, and the wind sighed sleepily in the pine branches. The air smelled spicily of old dead leaves and pine needles, and all of the new plants that were pushing up through them, ready for a new summer of growth.
At last, they reached the top of the staircase, and Delilah gasped. Stretching out in front of them was a beautiful rose garden, well-tended and arranged in a tidy, meandering pattern. Various stone fountains gushed sparkling, clean water, and the sunlight that was no longer obscured by the pine trees fell in dazzling brightness on the garden. Tom had to admit thatDelilah’s joke about a wizard’s tower wasn’t too far off, since the place did seem almost magical.
Delilah clasped her hands, staring about her in wonder. There was a shining look in her eyes, as if she was a child who could still appreciate simple joys. Tom’s heart stirred as he watched her, thinking to himself that she fit so well in his world, even though he never would have expected a Hollywood star to be so content with the simple beauty of Rosewood Beach.
“Do you like he?” he asked her, his voice soft.
