Pining for You
Chapter 1
Theo
Three weeks into dating, and already odds he’d marry this woman were approaching 45 percent.
It was a spontaneous though not unexpected thought, flickering in and out as quickly as the votive between them. After all, here he sat: Theodore Watkins III, bachelor of thirty-five years, financial adviser who lived by facts and figures. He was well aware of the statistical odds of discovering an eligible woman within ten or so years of his own age in Abingdon, Virginia, town of eight thousand. Aware even more, as he looked into the blazing blue eyes of one of the most beautiful women he’d ever encountered, of the slim chance of stumbling upon one so poised and intelligent. Compatible. Charming.
Absolutely perfect.
Although, yes, the last time he walked into her home he’d discovered an unnerving number of framed photographs of herprevious boyfriend lining the hallway. One was so candid of the man walking to his car, sunglasses on, you could almost,almostwonder if she’d snapped it from across the street. And sure, judging the bizarre shift in neckline from blue to green in that framed snapshot at the end of the hall, you could almost,almostbe led to believe she’d photoshopped him into the family Christmas photo, Santa hat and all.
But what was photoshopping a person into a photo besides a noble desire for inclusion? And what was snapping a photo in broad daylight without the subject’s knowledge but one mere step beyond affection? Skew it a bit one way and it might require a restraining order, sure, but skew it the other and she was the world’s best girlfriend.
Right now, she was the world’s best girlfriend. Theo couldn’t think of one person he’d rather be sitting with at this moment.
Well, one. But that person was fourteen years and 2,629 miles away, and he had learned a long time ago how to carry on with a good life despite the ever-present memory of her in the back of his mind.
Ashleigh glanced up from the menu and caught his gaze. Her lips, pink as the roses decorating the tables, parted slightly. Her cheeks warmed as her eyes slipped back to the menu, no doubt attempting to hide similar thoughts behind her long black lashes. But the secret was out, had been out for a few dates now. She was enjoying herself as much as he was, and neither of them was interested in playing games.
At this rate, they’d be shopping for rings by June.
“You know,” Theo said, placing the menu and its lines of French descriptions on the crisp white linen tablecloth. “Fiddler on the Roofis opening on Saturday. I wondered if we couldwatch the performance, take Bree and Chip out after the show to celebrate her role as Golde—”
“You mean voluntarily sit beside our exes so we can reexperience at what precise moment Chip lost interest in me?”
Ashleigh delivered her polished words with nothing but serenity as she gazed at the menu, although he could’ve sworn he saw her left eye twitch.
She set her menu down and reached out to give his hand a lighthearted squeeze. “I will be forever grateful to those two for setting us up, Theo, but that doesn’t mean I can forget so easily. You, however, are a wonder.”
She held his hand until he bowed his head with a nod.
“Of course. My apologies. I brought it up too soon.”
He hadn’t lied. Bysoon, he just meant relative to the life span of a two-hundred-year-old bowhead whale.
It had been more than a year since Chip and Bree had said their “I dos,” almost two since Theo and Ashleigh each had to endure “the talk” with their former significant others. Despite the unpleasant conversation, Theo had understood Bree, both then and now. The heart wanted what it wanted. Openness to heartache, unfortunately, came with the dating landscape. Through it all, Theo had maintained a friendship with both Bree and Chip. The weekend prior he even celebrated with them at their baby shower.
Baby steps. Ashleigh just needed to take baby steps.
Like removing the framed photographs of her entwining her arm with someone else’s quite-possibly-photoshopped husband. That would be a good start, particularly before any unfortunate incident whereby Chip or Bree happened to see it one day.
Theo’s pocket vibrated just as the waiter stepped up to the table. The man gave a short dip of the head. “Good evening, ma’am. Sir. Are you ready to order?”
“You go ahead, Ashleigh,” Theo said as he slipped his hand into his pocket and peeked discreetly at his phone. His occupation often leaked into his life after hours, but he did his best to remain courteous in the company of others. Especially Ashleigh.
But one glance at his phone and he paused.
The name hovering on his screen wasn’t from Harris, calling about the upcoming company merger, or from gubernatorial candidate Lee, wanting reassurance about how the investment into Quicken would affect his future and reputation. It wasn’t even his frequent after-hours caller, multimillionaire Hardy, announcing he’d “accidentally” purchased another Jaguar while on vacation and needed to hide the diminutive expense on the account report from his wife.
No, it was a name much more important. One that caused him to do something he’d never done in the middle of their meals—slip from his seat with a “Forgive me, I have to take this” to Ashleigh and the waiter.
The caretaker of his family’s Christmas tree farm.
The caretaker himself.
Skye’s father.
