Page 120 of A Soldier's Return

“So what do you think?” she asked Will.

He smiled ruefully. “I’m the wrong guy to ask. Afraid I’m not the best judge of that kind of thing. Robin used to throw a fit because I usually didn’t even notice when she bought something new.”

He didn’t often refer to his late wife or their life together and she could tell it still bothered him to do so because he quickly changed the subject.

“The Sea Urchin, huh? Hot date?”

If only. She burned with embarrassment again, remember her first conclusion when Eben asked her. “Not quite. I’m taking an eight-year-old. One of my day campers. Her dad is negotiating with Stanley and Jade to buy the hotel and he and his daughter have been invited to dinner. Eben, in turn, invited me. They’re coming in exactly—” she glanced at her watch as they pulled into the Brambleberry House driveway “—forty minutes now.”

“You’d better hurry then. Run in and put on your fancy dress. I’ll put your bike away in the garage for you.”

On impulse, she leaned across her dress and kissed his cheek, smelling sawdust and sweat, a surprisingly pleasant combination.

“Thanks, Will. I owe you. Come for dinner next week, okay?”

“As long as there’s no tofu on the menu.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

She opened her umbrella, clutched her dress to her as if it were spun gold—a fair description, really, penny for penny—and dashed out into the rain.

She reached the porch just as Anna opened the door to let Conan out. The dog barked a greeting, but to her vast relief he didn’t jump all over her in his usual away, almost as of the uncanny beast knew she didn’t have time to play.

“That looks like something fabulous,” Anna exclaimed, gazing at the dress. “Let’s see.”

Sage held it up, gratified by Anna’s moan of appreciation.

“Gorgeous!” she exclaimed. “What’s the occasion?”

“I’m having dinner at The Sea Urchin tonight with Eben and Chloe.”

Anna gave her a careful look, then smiled. “Do you have any jewelry to match?”

Ha. After buying the dress, her budget barely stretched to a new pair of pantyhose. “I’ll find something.”

“Don’t forget we have Abigail’s whole glittery collection to choose from. Go get dressed and I’ll bring her jewelry box up and see what we can dig out.”

Sage raced up the stairs two at a time. This excitement pumping through her was only adrenaline, she told herself, just a normal reaction to her urgency and the ever-ticking clock.

She hadn’t been on a date in a long time. Did this qualify, since Chloe would be along? Probably not. But she still couldn’t shake the bubbling anticipation and she took the fastest shower on record.

She raced through her makeup—something she rarely bothered with—then took a page out of Anna’s fashion book and pulled her still-damp hair into as smooth an updo as she could manage with her unruly frizz.

She had just slipped into the dress and was working the zipper when Anna knocked on the door.

“It’s open. Come in,” she called.

Anna’s arms overflowed with Abigail’s huge jewelry box, but all Sage focused on was the astonished admiration in her eyes.

“Wow. That’s all I can say. Wow. That dress is perfect for you. The coloring, the style, everything.”

“That’s why I spent far more than I could afford on it. Stupid, isn’t it, for a dress I’ll probably only wear once.”

“Every girl needs something completely, outrageously impractical hanging in her closet.”

“I guess I’m covered, then.”

“Not yet. Let’s see what Abigail has in her magic box.” She held out the jewelry box that contained what had been another of Abigail’s passions—vintage costume jewelry, which she wore loads of at every opportunity.

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