She also might need to go for a run around the block to calm herself down. It had been a couple of days since she’d gotten any meaningful exercise, and there was plenty of time before six. She changed clothes again, put stabilizers on her shoes, and did, in fact, go for a run. More than around the block, although it was a large block and would have been enough for quick exercise.
Half an hour later, sweaty and less jumpy, she threw herself into the shower to clean up before getting dinner started, although in this case it really meant “take the lasagna she’d made last month out of the freezer and defrost it” rather than actually cooking everything from scratch. Things were pretty much ready just before six, when a knock on the door sent her heart fluttering again. She ran over to open it, and found Zane there, a small grocery bag over one elbow and a carefully-wrapped flower bouquet clutched to his chest.
“For you,” he said, without any motion at offering it to her. “But I’m going to arrange it for you, so I can’t give it to you until it’s done. Did you know you have to be really careful with flowers in this weather, or they’ll freeze and die immediately? I did not know that.” His eyes were a little wide. “Ask me how Inowknow it.”
Vicki laughed as she stepped back to let him in. “I’m guessing Delores over at Floral Delights spent at least ten minutes lecturing you?”
“Yes. Yes, she did.” Zane came all the way in, put the groceries down, and turned to her with the flowers still in his arms. “You look beautiful.”
“Oh.” Vicki tucked a strand of hair behind her ear self-consciously and glanced down at herself. She’d ended up wearing a cute little dress more suitable for summer, but layered with thermal tights and a contrasting long-sleeved thermal shirt beneath it, and felt rather cute, in fact. She still somehow hadn’t actually expected him to say anything about it. “Thank you. I…thank you. So do you.”
Of course, she hadn’t seen him lookinglessthan beautiful, but this evening was no exception. He wore the same suit he had that morning, but it was the softness of his dark-lashed grey eyes that really arrested her. There was a smile in those eyes, and on his lips, and the faintest glow of roses against his jaw from where the top of the flower bundle had loosened. His hair looked windswept, like he’d been busy in the outdoors all day, although she couldn’t imagine him spendingthatmuch time outside with those shiny patent leather shoes.
Except he wasn’t wearing those ones anymore. She blinked at his feet, now in leather loafers. “You brought more than one pair of shoes on an overnight trip?”
“Oh, darling,” Zane said with an over-the-top flourish, “you should see what I bring for a weekend! Yes,” he said in a lessdramatic tone. “Although I should have broughtboots.Normally Dion would warn me about the weather. He’s falling down on the job.”
Right. Dion. Vicki should have invited him, too, but then again, if they were a couple, maybe Zane should have mentioned bring him. Or maybe this was just a professional dinner with a professional tailor and a random woman he was going to make a professional dress for.
In that case, it was entirely unfair of him to be sohandsome, never mind for his presence to be so comforting. Vicki felt like she could relax around Zane in a way she hadn’t with anyone in years. Especially anyone in Virtue, she thought: they were all friendly, but kept their distance. She hoped it wasn’t because there was some kind of terrible drug-running ring being hidden in the small town.
Zane took a deep breath, looking as if he might float away with happiness. “It smells wonderful in here, Vicki. Can I put these down and put the salad together for you?”
“Oh! No, I’ll do the salad if you want to do the flowers.”
“Sounds like a good balance of tasks.” Zane smiled at her, and Vicki thoughtshemight float away with happiness. For a few minutes they worked alongside each other, Vicki putting garlic bread in the oven and making up the salad, and Zane doing something arcane with the flowers in a vase he’d brought with him. She took the food out of the oven at almost the same moment he stepped back from the flowers, and she stood for a moment, eyes wide with appreciation.
A riot of orange lilies and pink roses made an absolutely gorgeous contrast with each other against a background of dark green leaves and tiny pale purple thistles. Zane had done something so they were all at different levels in the vase, showing each bloom off to its best advantage in a wonderfulcascade of color. “Oh, Zane, it’s gorgeous! Thank you! Oh, that should go on the table!”
“My pleasure.” Zane carried the arrangement to the table, looking pleased with himself, and Vicki hurried the food over so they could sit and eat. She took one side of the table, gesturing Zane to the other, and they both sat, smiling at each other.
Then, after a few long seconds, they both giggled. The arrangementwasabsolutely gorgeous. It filled the room with the tender scent of roses, sent a shimmer glow over the table…and completely blocked them from seeing each other. Vicki leaned to her right; Zane leaned tohis, so they went opposite directions and laughed again. Zane came back to his left, tilting far enough to see her around the beautiful bouquet, and although he was grinning widely, said, “Maybe on the counter during dinner?” in very solemn tones.
“I think so, yes.” Vicki got up and moved it, then came back to the table to grin at Zane. “That’s better. No point in having the town’s most handsome dinner date if I can’t see him.”
“Or the most beautiful,” he said gallantly. “Oh, God, I have to tell you, Vicki, I mistook someone’s coat for yours this afternoon and accosted a complete stranger. It was not my finest moment.”
“Oh, no! Agnes Delacorte, I bet. About seventy and feisty? She and I complimented each other on our choice of coats at the last parent-teacher conferences.”
“…she’s surely not a parent?”
“No, but she’s the grandmother of one of my students, and their parents couldn’t make it in because of work commitments, so she came. It’s things like that that make melikeVirtue, but then I run into Arthur Lowell…” Vicki sighed, then shrugged it away, except Zane’s expression darkened.
“You had a run-in with him? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, yes. He’s just an unpleasant old man. Did you know him when you lived here? I have the impression he thinkseverybody should know him. And do what he says. Immediately, and without question.”
A thin smile stretched Zane’s mouth. “I’d say you’ve got his number, then. Yes, I knew him.” He hesitated a moment. “He’s my father.”
“He’s what?” Vicki’s voice rose in surprise, although as soon as Zanesaidit, she could suddenlyseeit. Both men had the same length to their jaws, and the same wintery grey eyes, although the resemblance ended there, as far as Vicki could tell. “I had no idea!”
“I don’t advertise it.” Zane considered his lasagna for a moment before speaking again. “My parents divorced when I was seven, and I lived with my mother. When she went back to her maiden name, so did I. I was about nine, then. I changed it legally when I turned eighteen. I also left town, and so did she.” He lifted that pale grey gaze of his to Vicki, smiling wryly. “Neither of us have been back since. She lives in Los Angeles near me. I’d love for you to meet her someday.”
A thrill shot through Vicki and she gave the flowers a quick glance. “Wow, from bringing flowers over to meeting the mother in less than half an hour. That’s quite an escalation,” she said breathlessly.
Zane grimaced. “Probably too much. Sorry, I didn’t mean right now!”
“No, I know. I’m teasing. Tell me about her? You’re—I don’t mean to be rude about your dad, but you’re way prettier than he is. Did you get that from her?”
