Standing in front of him felt more awkward than she imagined. The pin was tiny, hard to unfasten. She was so close the soft exhalation of his breath moved her bangs. Her fingers seemed to have doubled in size too. It took her way longer than she anticipated to fasten the silly thing.
She patted the tag. “There. Good as new.”
Dane’s hand brushed hers when he straightened his shirt. “Thank you,” he said. “Say, maybe we can talk again later?”
His eyes searched hers. Soft concern smoothed over the worried wrinkles on his forehead she’d seen earlier. His expression was so bright and hopeful that her pulse quickened, thudding in her ears. Reluctantly, she tucked her hand in the pocket of her jeans, her skin tingling from the contact.
“Yes, I’d like that,” she whispered.
Hilary could hardly focuson the last of the morning speakers, an investment banker from Minneapolis, addressing the group about retirement planning. This was so not her area of interest, but she felt guilted into listening to him. Itshouldinterest her. At thirty-one years old, most of her earning potential was still ahead of her. Relying on Will’s life insurance any longer than she had to was foolish. Still, Jorie got into this stuff, so Hilary scribbled down a page of well-intentioned notes that she’d pass along later to her sister-in-law.
But it was Dane who was foremost on her mind. It was a huge step for her, offering details about what happened to Will to someone who wasn’t family or in her grief support group. But he was so easy to talk to.
“He’s pretty dreamy,” whispered Lucy Riggins, who sat next to her in her usual spot. Lucy sought her out each of the last three mornings. It was too bad she wouldn’t see Lucy after this week. They’d really connected. But that was what social media was for.
Hilary’s gaze immediately went to Dane, who sat across the room by the large bank of windows. She caught his eye and smiled before she realized Lucy meant the speaker, Trec Kingston. He was indeed striking in a darker, more dangerous-looking Clark Kent sort of way.
“You should talk to him at lunch,” Hilary whispered back.
Lucy’s eye’s bugged out at the notion. “What would I talk to him about?”
“He’s a business guy. You want to go into business. Ask him about first steps.”
“I already know my first steps. I worked on my business plan over Christmas.”
Hilary smiled at Lucy’s cluelessness. “That’s not the point. It’s a question to get the ball rolling.”Listen to me giving relationship advice.
“I’m really not his type,” she said incredulously.
“How do you know?”
Lucy rested her elbow on the table, chin in her hand. “Look at him. He’s like a man and a half.”
The coffee Hilary sipped almost blew out of her nose. Hilary dabbed a napkin to her mouth. Across the room, Dane cocked his head, a puzzled smile lighting his face.
The presentation was coming to an end. Papers shuffled around the room as people filled their folders and got ready to transition to the covered tent on the side lawn for lunch.
Hilary pushed away from the table. She put her hand on Lucy’s arm. “You’re selling yourself short. Give it a try.” Weren’t those Dane’s words to her earlier?You don’t give yourself enough credit. Oh boy. He was wiggling his way more and more into her subconscious.
Lucy drew a deep, nervous breath. “I’ll think about it. I’m going to go upstairs and grab a sweater. See you at lunch?”
“Of course.”
Hilary finished gathering her folder and bag. Maybe she should make a quick run upstairs too, freshen up. She made her way between the tables, heading for the stairs, when Dane caught up to her.
“I have an idea,” he said.
“The last idea you had landed us in Lake Superior. Why should I trust your idea?”
He grinned wickedly. “Because life is more interesting when you live dangerously.”
Hilary lifted her eyebrows, intrigued. “True.”
“I’ll meet you near the tent in five,” he said, rubbing his hands together.
Chapter Twelve
Dane hurried down the hall toward the kitchen. One of the caterers, a no-nonsense worker named Mila, assured him everything would be ready before the last speaker of the morning wrapped up his presentation. Dane hoped he wasn’t jumping too fast, but time wasn’t on his side.
