Page 45 of Summer Weddings
“Just that I won’t be too late.”
“You’re sure I can’t come with you?” Jeff tried one more time.
Robin didn’t give him an answer, knowing he didn’t really expect one. After a moment, Jeff grumbled, more for show than anything, then went out the front door to their neighbor’s.
Robin returned to the bathroom and smiled into the mirror, picturing Jeff several years into the future and seeing Lenny’s handsome face smiling back at her. She was warmed by the image,certain that her son would grow into as fine a young man as his father had been.
“You don’t mind that I’m wearing the pearls for Cole, do you?” she asked her dead husband, although she knew he wouldn’t have objected. She ran the tips of her fingers over the earrings, feeling reassured.
The doorbell chimed just as Robin was dabbing perfume on her wrists. She drew in a calming breath, glanced quickly at her reflection one last time, then walked down the stairs to answer the door.
Cole was dressed in a black pin-striped suit and looked so handsome that her breath caught. He smiled as she let him in, but for the life of her she couldn’t think of a thing to say.
His eyes held hers as he reached for her hands. Slowly he lowered his gaze, taking in the way she’d styled her hair, the pearl necklace and the outfit she’d chosen with such care.
“You are so beautiful,” he said.
“I was just thinking the same about you,” she confessed.
His mouth tilted in a grin. “If I kiss you, will it ruin your lipstick?”
“Probably.”
“I’m going to kiss you, anyway,” he said in a husky murmur. Tenderly he fit his mouth to hers, slipping his fingers through her hair. The kiss was gentle and thorough and slow. A single kiss, and she was like clay ready to be molded. The realization struck her hard—when Cole touched her, Robin felt alive all the way to the soles of her feet.Alive.Healthy. A red-blooded woman. He released her, and she was shocked to find she was trembling. From the inside out.
“I’ve mussed your hair,” he apologized. His hands slid under the soft cloud of hair to her nape.
“And you’ve got lipstick on your mouth,” she said with a quaver, reaching up to wipe it away. “There. It’ll only take me a moment to fix my hair,” she said,picking up her purse and moving to the hallway mirror.
He stood behind her, hands on her shoulders as she brushed her hair, then carefully tucked the loose curls back into place with the tortoiseshell combs.
“Are you ready?” he asked when she’d finished.
Robin nodded, unable to speak.
Cole led her outside to his car and held the passenger door. He dropped a quick kiss on her unsuspecting lips, then hurried around the car, his movements lighthearted, and got into the driver’s seat.
“You didn’t tell me where we’re having dinner.”
“I told Heather Lawrence in case she needs to get hold of you, but otherwise it’s a surprise.”
Robin wasn’t sure what to think. A number of San Francisco’s restaurants were internationally famous, but her knowledge of fancy dining places was limited. She assumed this one was somewhere in the heart of the city, until he exited from the freeway heading south along Highway 101 toward the ocean.
“Cole?” she asked hesitantly.
“Don’t worry,” he said, casting her a swift glance that didn’t conceal the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “I promise you dinner will be worth the drive.”
The restaurant sat high on a cliff, with a stunning view of the surf battering the jagged rocks below.
Cole parked the Porsche, then came around to help her out, taking the opportunity to steal another kiss. It was with obvious reluctance that he let her go. His arm around her waist, he directed her toward the doors leading into the elegant restaurant. The maître d’ escorted them to a table that overlooked the water and with a flourish presented them with elaborate menus.
Robin scanned the entrées, impressed with the interesting variations on basic themes. She was less impressed with the prices—a single dinner cost as much as an entire week’s worth of lunches.For herandJeff.
“When you said fancy you weren’t joking, were you?” she whispered, biting her lip.
Cole lowered his menu and sent her a vibrant smile. “Tonight is special,” he said simply.
“You’re telling me. If I wasn’t having dinner with you, I’d probably have eaten a toasted cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup with Jeff.”
