“Tell me.” It wasn’t a question—a conversation style she’d noticed and chalked up to his low-key alpha-ness.
“Okay, but it’s a bit of a tale.”
“I have all night.”
Oh, boy. That was a long time.
Taking the invitation to share, she dove into the whole history of the Summer House, trying to relate an abbreviated version. But he asked a lot of questions, not too probing, butthoughtful enough to show he truly understood just how thorny family history could be.
“So, it sounds like you’ll keep the house and stay in Destin,” he said as she finished.
“Not necessarily, but maybe.” She smiled. “How’s that for definite?”
“Do you like that uncertainty or does it bother you?” he asked, again taking the conversation a little deeper than she would normally want with a client, but…she liked his questions.
And, if she was being honest, she also liked his food, his looks, his beautiful waterfront deck, and this whole night. She likedhim.
She lowered her fork, thinking about his question instead of his direct and interested gaze.
“Uncertainty doesn’t bother me as long as I feel like clarity will eventually come,” she said. “I am trusting the process.”
“Which involves…”
“Other people’s opinions, lives, finances, and relationships,” she said, thinking about the scope of the whole Lawson-Wylie-Summer House saga. “For the moment, for the very short term, I’m taking it one day—and one job—at a time.” She angled her head toward his house and gestured to the upstairs. “Thank you for giving me this one.”
“You’re quite welcome,” he said, finishing by putting his knife and fork on his plate and leaning forward. “As you can see, I’m making this place a home, so…”
She looked up expectantly, not sure where he was going.
“I’ll likely be staying here, too. I’m even considering selling my condo in New York.”
“Really? That seems like a big change. Would you move here because of Fiona?” She thought of his sister, her difficult client.
“I know, hard to believe I’d upend my life for a person so…not wonderful.”
She smiled. “You told me she had a good reason for her, uh, prickly personality. You also told me you’d share. Can you, or am I overstepping my bounds?”
“After you just gave me the whole backstory on your family feud? Of course I’ll tell you. After we put all this away and settle in to watch the moonrise.”
“Oh…I…”
He stood slowly, a smile pulling. “Or is that too much like a date and not enough like a business meeting?”
She gave in to a smile. “That obvious, huh?”
“Yep. And I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but when the sun goes down…” He jutted his chin toward the last vestiges of a golden glow on the water. “It becomes a date. So, you decide if you want to hang out here or grab your bag and samples and schedule our next business meeting.”
For a long moment, she looked up at him, letting the offer settle on her heart.
“I’ll stay for a while,” she said softly, getting another shiver from his look of satisfaction.
After cleaning up together, they took decaf back to the patio, sat side by side on a comfy rattan sofa, and lost complete track of time.
True to his word, he delved into Fiona’s story, sharing with great grief the fact that his sister had lost a child at a young age. She’d never had another, and it changed her completely.
The story not only broke Vivien’s heart, it gave her incredible respect and sympathy for Fiona, and touched her that Danny could tear up when talking about a nephew who’d never made it to high school.
They talked more about families, work, books, art, movies, and marriage. Eventually, they returned to their decisions about where to live.
