Page 18 of Love You
“You tell her the truth?”
“Not yet. I’ve been too busy setting up our weekend.”
For a minute, he looked confused, like he’d forgotten that they were supposed to entertain the very people who could make or break her promotion. “I told you we were going to be spontaneous, let Mother Nature and the vibe I get from our prospective clients dictate our schedule. It’s good to get a read on the mood, then make a plan.”
“Well, TJ wanted us to be more structured.”
“My brother has a stick up his ass.”
His brother ran a successful company with that stick up his ass. Darcy handed Win a stack of printed material.
“Our itinerary, including pictures, bios, and cell phone numbers on the FlashTag veeps so you can be familiar with their faces, names, and positions.”
He studied the pages for a few minutes. “Looks good. Want to come to TJ and Deb’s for dinner tonight? They’re grilling steaks with the fam and we may go out on TJ’s boat.”
It took a moment for her to grasp that he was inviting her to a family dinner. She was an employee, not family, and she certainly wouldn’t be Win’s date. So what was he up to?
The skepticism must have shown on her face because Win quickly amended, “We could use the time to go over this.” He held up the itinerary she’d just handed him. That made sense, though Win doing after-hours homework was a surprise. He typically flew by the seat of his pants. She knew because she was constantly trying to hunt him down and keep him on course to ensure the schedule didn’t get screwed up.
She’d never been to TJ’s house but had heard it was spectacular. Right on the lake with its own dock. But as much as she’d like to see it, there was her mother to consider. This was Geneva’s last night in Glory Junction. Although her parents only lived in Reno her mother would take it as a personal slight if she didn’t have dinner with her.
“I can’t,” she said, already regretting not being able to go. Even though the Garners en masse turned her into a timid bird, she much preferred their company to Geneva’s. Especially after Win’s whopper of a lie about their engagement.
Her parents adored Lewis and she’d deeply disappointed them when she’d filed for divorce. Geneva had all but said she didn’t think Darcy could do better. And judging by her social life, Geneva was right. But if Darcy had to do it all over again she would. Not the marriage part, just the divorce. Because it was easier to be unhappy by herself than with a controlling husband who reinforced all her insecurities and expected her to be his full-time caretaker with none of the rewards.
And even though her life lacked the kind of adventure she’d hoped for by moving to Glory Junction, it was still better than living in Reno with people who made her feel bad about herself.
“Why not?” Win continued to stand there, looking supremely surprised that anyone would turn him down. Darcy didn’t think that happened to him too often.
“I have to hang out with my mother.”
“Don’t you think your fiancé should come first?” he said, and his mouth quirked. Everything was a joke to him.
“Earth to Win, we’re not engaged.”
“Don’t make me go to this alone.” He perched on the corner of her desk as much as a two-hundred-pound man could perch.
“It’s your family,” she said, baffled. “Not a wedding.” There was nothing worse than going to a wedding alone.
“Everyone is coupled up, I’ll be odd man out.”
“So? It’s not like you couldn’t have a date if you wanted one.”
“Damned straight but you’re better than a date.” He grinned.
She didn’t know what that meant exactly but suspected it was offensive. Instead of going head-to-head with him, she let the comment slide. “Sorry, no can do.”
* * *
Win didn’t know what the big deal was. It was just dinner at his brother’s house and probably a few turns around the lake in TJ’s boat. It would’ve been nice for him to have a plus one for a change. The last woman he’d brought to a gathering with his family had been Britney and that hadn’t gone too well. Before that, Deb. But that was back in high school. Deb was with TJ now.
When TJ had been single, Hannah and Delaney had tried to set him up with all their girlfriends. But no one did that for Win. He supposed they thought he could find his own dates, unlike TJ, who’d been too busy working twelve-hour days to meet women.
Besides wanting a companion to accompany him, Darcy had sort have become his El Capitan. Painfully shy one minute, ballsy smart-mouthed the next, she’d become as challenging as scaling Yosemite’s three-thousand vertical-foot sheer rock granite.
Five days ago, she wanted him to have sex with her. And now he had to beg her just to go to the rodeo with him. She was exasperating, that’s for sure.
He was getting ready to walk away when a statuesque blonde came through the door into the lobby and flipped her designer sunglasses to the top of her head. It took a while for Win to realize she was middle-aged, probably in her late fifties. But she hid it well. Just enough makeup to highlight her Nordic features without showcasing the subtle lines near her eyes and mouth and a tailored dress that hugged a toned, tanned body. She wasn’t from Glory Junction, Win could tell that right off the bat. San Francisco, LA, maybe Sacramento, or some other big city.
