He walked over to the small house he was renting. When he glanced back, he saw Donna standing in the doorway, watching him. That Donna Foster was an interesting woman and she intrigued him. He waved, then unlocked the door and slipped inside.
Donna checked on Parker’s,but the Keating brothers had everything under control and chased her away, assuring her things were going well and they expected tonotsee her tomorrow. She went back home and set the table on the lanai for two. A strange number for her. It was usually just for one…and truth be told, she often just ate standing at the counter in the kitchen. And if she did set the table out here, it was for three when Olivia and Emily would join her.
She placed white plates on sunny, yellow placemats with multi-colored cloth napkins. She grabbed the teal solar lantern from its place in the sun and placed it on the table for light after the sunset.
After fluffing the pillows on the chairs and glancing around to make sure everything at least looked picked up, she hurried inside to change clothes. She stood in front of her large closet and stared into the abyss of familiarity. She’d basically worn the same size for years…and some of her clothes had been in this very same closet all that time. How could a woman have all these clothes, yet nothing to wear? Olivia was always offering to take her shopping, and now she wished she’d taken her daughter up it at least once. All her clothing was so…dated.
She finally decided on a pale yellow top and a pair of soft gray slacks. She pulled her hair back and twisted it into a bun, though a few locks escaped. Glancing in the mirror, she hoped it came across as casual-chic and not messy-disheveled.
She returned to the kitchen and made the salad, then looked around the room and put away some items that had accumulated on the counter until the kitchen looked all picked up. At the sound of a knock, she quickly hung up a kitchen towel and went to answer the door.
She caught a glance of her reflection in the mirror by the door and tucked a flyaway hair behind her ear, still hoping for the casual-chic look. When she opened the door, Barry stood there, his arms laden with packages. A cloth bag of groceries, a bottle of wine tucked under his arm, and a bouquet of flowers in his other hand.
“For you.”He handed her the flowers.
“Thank you.”She motioned him inside and led him to the kitchen. When was the last time anyone had given her flowers? She couldn’t remember. A very long time. The simple gesture pleased her. Pleased her more than she could say.
Barry set the bag and the wine on the counter.“I went ahead and made up the burgers, and I got some buns from the bakery, and…well, they had peach pie and I couldn’t resist. So I got us some slices.”
“Perfect.”She hadn’t even thought of making a dessert. Besides, she was a so-so baker, not an expert like Evelyn.
She arranged the flowers in a mason jar, admiring their simple beauty. Daises, white and yellow carnations, and a few bunches of baby’s breath.“They really are pretty. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”Barry glanced out to the lanai.“Let me open the wine, then should I start the grill?”
“Sure. It’s gas. Should be all ready to go.”
She handed him the wine opener, and he deftly uncorked the red wine. Then he walked outside and lit the grill, glancing back toward her once and smiling.
It seemed…strange. Strange to have a man here doing such simple things as opening wine for her and starting the grill. She was always the one in charge. The one opening wine. Starting the grill. Cooking.
He came back inside and poured wine into the two glasses she’d placed on the counter. He handed one to her and their fingers brushed. She looked quickly up into his eyes, and he was staring right back. Then a brief smile crept over his lips.“Ah, it’s nice out. Should we sit outside while the grill heats up?”
She cleared her throat.“Yes, let’s.”
They moved outside and settled onto two lounge chairs, facing the view out over Sunset Lake. Silence hung between them. She debated if it was a comfortable silence or an awkward one…
Just talk to her.Say something.
Barry silently commanded himself, not sure why he was so tongue-tied all of a sudden. He tried again.“Ah, it’s a nice evening. And your view is nice. It does look like we’ll have anicesunset.”Nice, nice, nice. What was wrong with him?
“It is a pleasant evening. I love this time of year. Well, I love all times of the year except maybe the dead of summer when it rains all the time and the humidity skyrockets. But even then, I’m okay with it. Wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
“So you’ve lived here your whole life?”
“I have.”
“I can’t imagine that. I’ve lived…everywhere. Truly. I mostly just travel from job to job. I have a small apartment in Chicago. I’m rarely there, though. Mostly just a mailing address.”
“Any family?”
“Ah…no. I’m an only child. And both my parents are gone.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It was years ago. I was a bit of a—how should I say this—surpriseto them later in life. They were thrilled though. They were great parents. They both died when I was just out of college, though.”
“No aunts or uncles? Cousins?”
