Page 50 of Almost Home
They knew about the date. As soon as I’d sat down earlier, I burst out with the fact that he’d asked me out. But in the flurry of excitement, we hadn’t gotten to this. Andthiswas what I wanted to talk about.
“Yes. I’m not sure I ever stopped, but the last few days have shown me there’s a lot more between us than just our past. In a good way. I am insanely attracted to him, but that’s nothing new. Despite the time apart, I actually still like him, and I like learning who he is now.” A thrill of anticipation rose in me. “I can’t wait to have some non-work time to do that.”
Dahlia clapped, and Sadie and Calla beamed at me.
Only Quinn, ever the voice of reason and pragmatist, had a counterpoint. “I’m not saying this isn’t the best thing since Sadie’s sunflower whole wheat—I’m not. But I do just want to say, out loud, that if it’s not fun, or if it’s all physical and you don’t click personality-wise, or whatever, that that’s okay, too. And that if this doesn’t work out, there’s someone amazing for you.”
“Absolutely true,” Sadie agreed. “You’re amazing, and if Wilder doesn’t recognize that who you arenowis even better than before, then he’s crazy.”
A nervous laugh escaped. “He’s not. He’s solid and reliable and softhearted like he always was, but in a more substantial way. He’s definitely not crazy.”
That softness killed me. He wouldn’t ever call it that, of course, but that desire to help Madeline, to make sure I was okay after my walk, to make peace with his brothers… all of that made up the gooey middle of a man who was uncompromising, stubborn, and a little wild on the outside. That, more than anything, was what told me we had to revisit the past in more depth, but I hoped we’d be able to reconnect a bit morenowbefore we did. He’d be far more likely to open up if we broke through a little more of the ice that’d frozen over between us.
“You’re adorable. And now, I need to go home. Someone told me I’m supposed to hit a second wind with the second trimester, and it can’t come soon enough. So far, it’s a few weeks late. Sorry I’m a lame date, ladies.” Calla slid from the booth and gave us each hugs. She and Sadie worked their way across the space to Wyatt and Warrick, and both of them stood and abandoned Wilder to his drink in seconds.
“I better get back, too. Julian flies in tonight, and he’ll be all needy for my attention.”
Dahlia and I laughed at that, unable to imagine Julian Grenier being any kind of needy. Quinn departed and Dahlia hugged me once more, then nudged me toward the bar. “Go get ’em, tiger.”
I rolled my eyes but inhaled a deep, steadying breath before approaching the man at the bar. He stared into the golden liquid in a high ball glass, fingers on one hand lightly gripping the beverage.
“You aren’t leaving with your friends?” he asked without looking up.
I slipped into the seat next to him. “Your brothers had plans for two of them, and Quinn has to get back to Julian.”
“And the other one?”
“Dahlia? Uh, she thought I might want to come say hi.”Good griefmy nerves were jumping through every limb as though I hadn’t talked to him hours ago. Hadn’t agreed to spend a whole evening with him.
He finally gave me his attention, and like too many times recently, his dark gaze sent my stomach to my toes. “Hi”
I swallowed. “Hi.”
“That’s all you wanted? To say hi?”
“Sure.”Unconvincing.
Dipping his head, he spoke in a low, calm voice. “Shame. I was hoping you had something else up your sleeve.”
I blinked and sucked in a breath, my body flushing with heat at the little taunt in his tone and the thrill twining through me. What? “I—I, uh…”
Before I figured out what to say or the moment could linger, he slugged back the rest of his drink and stood. “Walk you home?”
I nodded, because I’d apparently devolved into a speechless ninny. He held his hand out for me, and I took it. He tipped that same hand just a little, a small urging, and I slid out of my seat. With the slightest nod, he sent me ahead of him, deftly shifting so his hand hovered at my lower back, his shoulder just trailing mine.
My heart fluttered wildly. In fact, all my internal organs were fluttering. Every movement of his in the last few minutes had been confident, smooth, and so purely appealing, I could hardly breathe right.
When we exited the restaurant, he slipped his hand into mine and walked toward my place. I hadn’t given him my address, but knowing Wilder, he’d seen it on my employee paperwork.
That thought clicked a sharp sense of dread into place.
Somehow, I’d ignored that for weeks now. Maybe it’d been a way to protect myself from this crush of humiliation, this feeling of walking naked next to Wilder Saint.
That thought sent my pulse racing even harder as the realization crashed into me. If he’d seen that, he’d seen the background check. And if he’d read that, he’d know everything—all the anti-climactic non-accomplishments of my life and my many, many failures.
Including the words listed under the section for names used for the background check.Name: Sarah Elizabeth James. Other names used: Sarah Wilson.
My mind rioted as we passed people out for spring evening strolls. It was the first warmer weekend evening, and it felt like everyone was out. Between his large, warm hand in mine and the clutching dread of talking through my resume of failures I’d just realized he absolutely knew about, the walk felt like nothing.
