Page 36 of Switching Places

“No tennis match?”

“What?”

“Didn’t you tell me a few months ago that you were spending a lot of time at the tennis club down on Mulholland?”

She looked away from his penetrating gaze.

“Not today.”

Emma enjoyed tennis and was pleased Lily did, too. Maybe she could use Lily’s membership and play a few sets some afternoons. Time hung a bit heavy with her sister gone.

The kitchen timer chimed.

“Oops, time to get busy.”

Emma escaped into the kitchen, placing her almost-empty wineglass on the counter. She had set the dining room table for the meal, feeling it was too windy on the deck.

Running her fingers through her hair, she wondered what it looked like. Did she have time to dash upstairs and run a brush through it?

“Can I help?”

Logan followed her in, his glass and the wine bottle in one hand.

“No, you’re the guest. I can manage.”

“I’m sure you can.”

Something in his tone caused Emma to spin around and look at him.

“What?”

“I’ll admit being surprised you’re so efficient and organized. I’ve always pictured you a bit helter-skelter. Doing things at the spur of the moment, at the last minute.”

“Inviting you was a spur-of the-moment thing.”

He nodded. Placing the wine and glass on the breakfast table, he spun a chair around, straddled it and rested his stacked hands on the high back.

“Have you made stir-fry before?” he asked lazily.

“Sure, a million times.”

Emma was comfortable in the kitchen. She turned back to the stove, glad to have something to do besides stare at her sister’s neighbor. Smiling in simple joy as she prepared the meal, she almost pinched herself to assure herself the evening was real. She was in California, preparing dinner for a man she’d only met yesterday. It was just as she’d always pictured her sister.

Logan proved attentive and easygoing during dinner. If he looked at her oddly from time to time, Emma ignored it. The magic in the air thrilled her. Conversation proved easy as they moved from books they enjoyed to a discussion of how different books could be made into feature films. Emma forgot she was a rather shy librarian from Charlottesville, Virginia. She talkedeasily, flirted a bit and covered her own shyness with the mantle of worldly Lily Rambeau.

“Want to take a walk?” Logan asked as they finished their coffee.

“I’d love to.”

The two glasses of wine made her feel warm and mellow. Logan’s presence notched up the temperature. She quickly stacked the dishes in the sink as the thought of a moonlit walk along the beach hummed through her.

“Do you think I need something for my arms?” she asked when ready.

“No. The wind’s died down and it’s still warm out.”

He took her hand casually as she passed through the door, lacing his fingers through hers. Slowly they walked to the cliff and down the rock stairs. The soft crash of surf provided a gentle background to the waning twilight. The sunset had been spectacular, the sky still showed a hint of lingering color. High over the bluff the full moon shone, its light growing brighter as the sky darkened.

Emma kicked off her sandals when she reached the bottom, noting Logan had slipped off his shoes. The sand held the day’s warmth as they walked toward the water. It grew damp and firm close to the water’s edge. Logan headed south. The surging and retreating surf sprayed mists that hovered, cool in the gentle stirring of the evening air.

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