Page 18 of Island Homecoming

“Can we please meet at the Inn?Please. If you come here my mom will freak out.”

“Your mom always liked me.”

“Iknow.” He took absurd pleasure at her annoyance about it. “Not a bad freak out. You know her. She’ll start seeing engagement rings and orange blossoms.”

Oh, right.Pamela Keller had been all about seeing her daughter happily married and settled. Must be some innate mom thing. Lately his mother mentioned grandbabies with increasing frequency. “Now I’m following.”

“This date was your deal and it’s your call, but I’m up against it here. Would you please consider letting me meet you there?”

He stared down at his scuffed boots. Thought about what his mom would do as soon as word got around that he and Jess had a dinner date. Roxy would have opinions and she wouldn’t keep them to herself any better than his sister. At least he wasn’t living under the same roof as either of them.

Taking pity on her, remembering the best parts of their friendship before things had gone sideways, he said, “Yeah. We can meet there.”

“Thank you,” she whispered fiercely.

“On one condition,” he said.

She groaned softly. “What’s now?”

He smothered a smile. “It’s an easy one. Tell me where you’re calling me from.”

He heard muffled laughter and something in his chest relaxed. “My bedroom closet.” She giggled. “See you at seven.”

The call ended and he stared down at the phone, laughing.

Jess, a trained and experienced officer of the law, thirty years old, had called him from her closet so her mother wouldn’t overhear the conversation. She probably hadn’t done that when they were teenagers.

It was all too damn funny.

Chapter 6

NasharrivedattheInn a few minutes early and had the hostess seat him. He ordered sparkling water and tried his best to keep his eyes away from the entrance. Couldn’t do it. But that was fine, because he spotted her the moment she walked in and any residual guilt he had about how he’d gotten her here dried up and faded away.

She didn’t look like a teenager. She barely looked like the woman he remembered.

Standing there in a vibrant plum sundress that emphasized every lovely aspect of her lean figure, he was struck by the thought that he didn’t know this woman at all.

The Jess Keller he was gawking at had experienced a life he hadn’t been part of. She wasn’t a complete stranger, but she wasn’t a person he could refer to as a close friend either. Here, in this moment, he felt the full force and distance of the years she’d been absent from his life.

This wasn’t revenge at all. It was a first date on a whole new level. The punch of her, with her blond curls tumbling loose over those sun-kissed shoulders, took his breath away.

She paused at the hostess stand, her gaze moving through the room. His heart kicked when she spotted him. Her slow smile felt as wonderful as the first warm day of spring.

He knew he wasn’t being subtle, staring at her this way, but he didn’t care. It was pure pleasure watching her cross the room. Watching her come to him. She had such a confident stride, her dress floating with her movements. She had to be aware that folks were watching her. Or ratherthem, he realized as heads turned, following her progress.

He couldn’t blame a single person. She was remarkable. Gorgeous. And his date.

He stood quickly, remembering at the last second to pick up the flowers. “You look incredible,” he said, handing over the bouquet. “Courtesy of Nina,” he admitted.

She stared down into the blooms and when she glanced up, she looked almost shy. “This is thoughtful. My thanks to both of you.” She settled into the chair opposite his and set the flowers to the side. “Every woman here is jealous,” she teased. “Nina should get a few orders tomorrow.”

“That will make her happy,” he said. “Maybe that was her ulterior motive.”

Jess’s smile tightened at the corners. “What will make you happy?”

There was a clear challenge in her tone. He could take the bait and launch into a verbal battle. After their reunion at the police station, she probably expected as much. But suddenly he didn’t want to fight.

Because of the dress?

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