Pick Me (11 page)

Dennis punctuated his request with a small laugh then gave her the same look he’d given her countless times over their three years together, a soft-eyed, you-know-you-can’t-resist-me expression.

Thea had often wondered if he used that same puppy dog look in front of a jury—and if it worked on them as well as it had always worked on her.

“I was hoping we could get something to eat after the meeting,” he said. “Maybe some lunch?”

“I don’t know, Dennis. I was planning on heading back to the Bay right after this—”

“Oh, so you’re staying in Magnolia Bay.” His eyes twinkled with satisfaction; the mystery of her whereabouts finally solved. Thea knew she should have resisted spilling the information but a part of her wanted him to know where she was, where he could find her if he wanted to talk. As hurt as she was, she wouldn’t deny that seeing him there in her doorway wasn’t entirely unwelcome. Maybe he’d had a change of heart. Maybe he knew he’d made a terrible mistake breaking things off between them. Maybe he’d come to beg her to try again.

“Please, Thee,” he said. “Just one meal. I think after all the years we’ve had together, we deserve at least a meal.”

Hope shifted to anger—Suddenly their relationship deserved his attention?

Still, her heart thundered with anticipation. Hadn’t she secretly been hoping that Dennis would reach out?

Now he was here. Smiling. Asking her to lunch.

Wanting to talk.

She held the files tighter against her chest, as if worried he might somehow see the way her heart was flip-flopping behind them.

“I’ll call you when the meeting’s over,” she said.

His smile grew. “Perfect. I’ll be waiting.”

* * *

One meal. What was the harm in one little meal
?

Thea asked herself the question on a continual loop for the next forty-five minutes as she listened to the firm’s potential client’s case and tried to keep her thoughts focused. When the meeting was over, she waited until she was in the privacy of her office before she called Dennis. He picked up on the first ring and told her he was in the lobby.

When the elevator doors opened, he was standing there with a single peach rose. Her favorite color.

She took it and pressed her nose into the bloom for a whiff of the sweet fragrance.

“I thought we’d go to Husk,” he said as they exited the lobby into the bright midday sun. “I made us a reservation.”

A last-minute reservation at Husk? The waiting list for that place was weeks. And he’d made a reservation for them
today
?

Her skepticism must have been apparent in her expression. “I pulled a few strings,” Dennis explained, taking her hand as they crossed at the light.

Thea knew she should have been impressed, but the information irked her more than pleased her. He’d made the reservation because he assumed she’d say yes. His offer wasn’t a question but a statement. His bullish nature had once impressed her—today, it left her feeling fragile and inadequate. Did he really think she’d be so easily charmed again?

The waitress, a lanky redhead with big brown eyes, sat them in front of the window, their table bathed in sunlight.

Dennis helped Thea into her chair. “I wish you’d told me about the termites,” he said. “I hate that you had to leave town. You know you could have stayed with me.”

Thea observed him coolly as she took up her menu. “How could I have stayed with you? You broke up with me, Dennis.”

Her reminder did nothing to dim his smile. “We have a lot to talk about, Thee.”

“Do we?”

“But first, wine.” He reached for the list and scanned the bottles. Thea stared at him, startled. Wine? Since when did Dennis order wine in the middle of a work day? Didn’t he have to get back to the office?

When the waitress arrived with their waters, he ordered a bottle of Chardonnay and a plate of fried oysters.

“I’ve missed you, Thea. I’ve missed
us
.”

Thea reached for her water, afraid to meet his eyes, knowing they’d be pooled with the same pleading warmth he’d tried to drown her in earlier—and knowing she was in danger of sinking fast. On the walk to the restaurant, she’d planned to play hardball, not to give up her cards so soon, but hearing those words thawed any chill she may have hoped to steel herself with.

“I’ve missed us too,” she admitted.

He searched her face. “Thea, we’re a team. We’ve always been a team.”

“I wasn’t aware I was the one who needed convincing of that.”

“You weren’t, I know.” He leaned forward and shook his head. “These past few months have been so strange. Not exactly like I thought they’d be.”

“And how did you think they’d be
exactly
?”

“All I know is that it’s true.”

“What is?”

He smiled. “Distance does make the heart grow fonder.”

She stared at him. “What are you saying, Dennis?”

“I think you know what I’m saying, babe.”

“Don’t,” she said, stiffening. “Don’t do that. You don’t get to call me Babe again just because I agreed to come to lunch with you.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“It doesn’t work like that, Dennis. You can’t just show up at my office and pretend these last few months never happened. I’ve been going crazy trying to understand this. One minute we’re this perfect couple and the next minute you’re dumping me over a pile of crab legs!” Her heart was racing now. Thea stopped a moment, hoping to slow its frantic rhythm, knowing tears were dangerously close.

She sat up straighter and smoothed her napkin in her lap, determined not to lose her composure in the middle of the most talked-about new restaurant in Charleston.

“All I’m saying is that it’s been hard for me, Dennis. And I’m not sure you have any idea.”

“And I’m telling you I do,” he said. “Because I’ve been going through it, too.”

Had he really? Thea scanned his eyes behind his glasses, trying to read through the familiar wash of complacency to something deeper. How did she know this wasn’t just a prepared speech no different from the way he scripted opening statements in a court case? Memories of her night with Calder returned—her concern that her feelings for Dennis might have been clouded by her myopic need to belong to someone suitable—whatever that meant; to follow some life plan instead of her heart.

Or maybe she’d just let the stars go to her head.

She looked at him, hard. “I’m still not understanding what it is you’re trying to say, Dennis.”

“Then I guess I should just come right out with it.” He sat back. “I was hoping we’d be further along in our meal, but…” He glanced around, as if looking for someone, then returned his gaze to her. “I have a feeling if I don’t come clean soon you’re going to steal my punchline.”

Come clean?

“Just so you know,” he said, reaching down, “I had something much more amazing planned than this. But the thing is, when you know something’s right, you don’t want to waste time.”

Even before he slid the velvety black box from his pocket and set it down on the table, Thea’s heart had already resumed its mad thrumming.

Her fingers trembled as she picked up the box and snapped it open. It was stunning. A cushion cut diamond solitaire.

“Oh my God.” She blinked at him. “But we’re…I thought…”

He leaned in. “Do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful. Of course it is. But, Dennis…”

“I know, I know,” he said gently, sitting back. “And you don’t have to say yes this minute. I mean, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that, but I know it’s a lot to take in.”

“A lot,” she repeated, her gaze shifting from the ring to him.

“I just wanted you to know where I stand, Thee.”

She closed the box slowly and held it out to him.

“Just keep it, okay?” he said. “I want you to keep it while you think it over.”

“I don’t know if I should.”

“I want you to.” He nudged the box back toward her. “Please.”

She consented and set it in her purse.

The waitress returned with their wine and let Dennis taste it. He approved and she left them with filled glasses.

Dennis raised his and held it up. “To you and me. To new beginnings. And the hope you’ll give me the chance to make them for us.”

She met his toast and his eyes, but her mind raced. She wanted to know more, what had brought him to this great epiphany, but the words stuck in her throat. It wasn’t the time, she told herself, looking around at the other tables, the other patrons enjoying their meals, their wine.

She’d ask him later, when they were alone, which they would be soon enough.

For now, she just wanted to let the moment wash over her.

And anyway, if it came to it, she had counsel of her own to reach out to.

Chapter Ten

Despite
the perfect weather, Thea spent the rest of the day inside, wandering through the condo like a ghost. Work was hopeless. Every time she sat down in front of her computer, her thoughts tangled up again with memories of Dennis’ proposal and she couldn’t sit still. She’d been so certain the time alone would allow her to process the shock, but all it did was make her more confused. She’d opened and closed the ring box so many times, she feared the hinge would give out and finally had just left it on the dining room table, vowing not to pick it up anymore today. After a sorry dinner of toaster waffles and a glass of wine, she decided that sleep might be the only way she’d shut down her racing thoughts, but when she’d changed into her night clothes, a knock sounded.

Her first thought was a hope that it might be Calder—and the fact that she’d imagined it was him before the possibility of it being Dennis filled her with guilt.

A guilt that was only made worse when she opened the door to be relieved to find it wasn’t Dennis, but her sisters, Peach and Willa.

“Hi there!” Peach wore a strapless lilac sundress, her red curls swept back in a floral-print band. “We just came back from our book club meeting at Back Bay Beans and I wanted to see your little hideaway.”

Willa offered Thea a rueful smile and a hug. “I told Peach we should call first in case you had a guest.”

“No guest,” Thea said, stepping back.

“Lord, I hope not in
that
outfit,” Peach said, giving Thea’s yoga pants and t-shirt a disdainful once over as she came inside and glanced around. “You know, it’s not nearly as bad as I thought it would be in here.”

Willa frowned. “Not all of us need six bedrooms and five bathrooms to be comfortable, Peach.”

“For your information, Brady and I have five bedrooms,” Peach corrected hotly. “And two of our bathrooms are halves.”

“Oh, my apologies. That makes all the difference.”

Any other day, Thea would have shut down her sisters’ fighting in a second—God knew she’d had to do it plenty in those strained months when Peach was getting ready to marry Brady Loveless and Willa was accusing Peach of betraying the family, and the sisters were at each other’s throats constantly. But tonight it was all Thea could manage to lead everyone toward the kitchen for some wine.

“So how was the book club?” she asked, pulling out a bottle of white from the door of the fridge. “Y’all want some Chardonnay?”

“Sure, I’ll take a glass,” said Willa.

“None for me,” said Peach. “I already feel bloated from the one glass at the meeting. Which was great, by the way. I chose the book this time and everyone loved it.”

“I wouldn’t exactly say
everyone
.”

“Fine,” Peach consented testily, waving her hand to swat Willa’s point away like it were a lazy fly. “Maybe a few women weren’t over-the-moon, but it did make for some good conversation.”

“Funny, I thought it was the wine that did that,” Willa said, grinning over her glass.

“You would,” said Peach. “You didn’t even finish the book.”

“Yes, I did.”

“On the way over in the car!” Peach exclaimed. “It’s just like high school, I swear. You on the bus, madly finishing your homework.”

While Peach continued her tirade, Thea corked the bottle and returned it to the fridge, a smile playing at her lips. As much as Thea had wanted to mull over Dennis’ proposal on her own, the sight of her sisters in her kitchen filled her with immeasurable relief and comfort. From haircuts to new homes, there wasn’t a single decision they made without consulting one another. Rule number three of the Sister Code.

The only question was how to bring up the subject—or better yet, how to shoehorn it in to Peach’s tirade. When she got on a speech, their baby sister was like an express train: she wouldn’t stop for anything.

Except the sight of a black velvet box on the dining room table.

“Oh my Lord!” Peach gasped. “Tell me that’s not what I think it is!”

In the next instant, both of her sisters were snaking around the counter and rushing toward the table. Thea dashed after them, hoping to temper their reactions as Peach swept up the box and snapped it open with a squeal.