If You Must Know (Potomac Point #1)(85)

Another period of silence passed before he leaned across the table, dropping his voice. “Since you’re spilling secrets, maybe I should share one of my own.”

Please, God, don’t let the purring in my chest be heard over the twang of Tony’s guitar. “Do tell.”

“The truth is . . .” He swallowed thickly. “You’re the first woman I’ve met since Karen that’s made me feel anything at all. That’s why I came to yoga, and also why that psychic shook me up so bad. I felt guilty, like my being there had hurt my wife, no matter what she supposedly said in her ‘message.’”

Hearing his secret taught me what winning the lottery would feel like, which was equal parts an urge to shriek and an inability to breathe. Amanda would have a smart response—something empathetic and interesting. I wanted to leap over the table and wrap him in a big hug, and maybe add a kiss. Definitely a kiss. Instead, I scooted off the bench and held out my hand. “Let’s go get ice cream.”

“Ice cream?” His head flinched back briefly, brows pulled tight, but he clasped my hand. He didn’t gingerly hold it in awe and trace all the lines on my palm, but my entire body warmed from his touch anyway.

“My dad and I always got ice cream to celebrate a good day or a milestone. From my perspective, what you said is something to celebrate.”

A painfully beautiful smile spread across his face, which pretty much stole my heart for good. It was too soon to say that to any sane person, so it stayed in the vault, but that right there—that smile would make it into the memory jar before the night ended.

Eli gestured toward the door. “Then ice cream it is.”

“Let me tell Lexi. She’ll hang with Tony when he’s done, so it’s no biggie.” Lexi had never been needy or possessive, and Tony’s set would be over soon anyway. It was hard to let go of Eli’s hand, knowing I might not get another chance to hold it for some time.

Less than ten minutes later, Eli and I had ordered ice cream at Dream Cream and found a seat on the bench outside the shop. He’d gotten coffee chocolate chip in a cone, and I’d ordered a sundae with extra whipped cream.

“I’m glad I ran into you tonight.” I licked whipped cream from my chin. No one had ever accused me of gracefully devouring a sundae. “Thanks for the excuse to pig out.”

“You’re welcome.” He’d grown quiet since we’d arrived. Whatever his interest in me, he wasn’t ready to act on it. For all I knew, he was thinking about his wife now, maybe even feeling guilty about what he’d admitted. If I wanted to know this man, it’d require baby steps. Not my strength. “I keep thinking about what you said at the bar—”

“Erin, I—”

I held up my hand. “Let me finish, please. I only want to say that I could really use a new friend. It seems like you could use a new friend, too. So from now on, I’ll drag you out of your house to take walks with Mo, and you think up new excuses to eat more ice cream.”

He tipped his head, blinking at me as if he wasn’t quite sure what to make of me. Most of the time that was probably a good thing.

“The walks will keep us from gaining weight.” He licked his cone.

“They won’t hurt, that’s for sure.”

He tossed the uneaten remains in the trash. “I only see one problem with your plan.”

“Please don’t tell me you don’t like ice cream, ’cause that’s a deal breaker. I got a little suspicious when you ordered a coffee flavor.” An animated grimace accompanied my odd sense of humor. “No true ice-cream lover picks coffee over all the other choices. Were you thinking that sounded more macho than raspberry ripple or tutti-frutti?”

“I can’t say that I’ve ever been accused of acting macho.” He grinned.

“Some people see stuff through rose-colored glasses. Mine are more like mirrors in a fun house. Things get a little weird and distorted, but it’s entertaining!” At least I hoped he thought so.

“Duly noted. But let’s get back to your plan’s flaw.”

“Only one? Wow, I’m getting smarter every year. Okay, lay it on me. What’s the flaw?” I shoveled a huge amount of my sundae into my mouth to stop the nervous chatter.

“Maybe it’s not a flaw but a request.”

I swallowed the giant ball of ice cream and fudge so I could speak. “Ask away. You’ll find me to be a very easygoing friend—open to lots of things.”

He cocked his head, his expression so soft it made my heart mushier than the puddle of fudge and whipped cream in my cup. “Well, then, maybe I have my answer.”

“But I don’t know the question.” I held my breath.

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, head down. “I wonder if, at some point in the future, this new friendship might develop into something more . . .” He glanced up at me without turning his head.

Breathe. “Like I said, I’m open to lots of things.”

Dream Cream’s orange neon sign lit the easy smile stretching across his face. “I’m glad your ex was a thief.”

“Me too.”





CHAPTER FIFTEEN

AMANDA

Any other day, I might’ve raved about the walnut paneling and Concord dentil crown molding in Kevin’s law firm’s conference room. The beauty of the oval burled-wood table would’ve mesmerized me. I might’ve affectionately stroked the butter-soft leather chairs and even admired the freshly vacuumed emerald-green carpet.