The Life That Mattered (Life #1)(17)

Right there. That was one thing.

Her smile, an effortless light that couldn’t be dimmed. It grew as we made eye contact, and it felt like she acknowledged something unspoken between us. I had no idea what it was, and maybe she didn’t either. It was just a feeling.

A good feeling. I took all the good feelings I could get. Lord knows I’d had several lifetimes of the alternative.

“Hey! Mind if I sit with you?”

That was another thing. Her playful and flirty personality drew me into her world without even trying. I wanted to roll around in her positivity like a child in a pile of crisp leaves.

“I insist. Besides … saving you a seat seems to be my thing. Even before we met.” I took her bag from her while she finished removing her jacket.

“You’re such a gentleman. How un-American of you.” Her lips twisted into a devilish grin.

“Hey, Ronin!”

I turned to the familiar voice. “Noah, hi!”

My boss held out his hand, and I shook it. “This is my wife, Tami. Tami, this is Ronin. He’s the reason I won’t have to work sixty hours a week.” Noah winked at me.

Tami shook my hand. “Then it’s definitely a pleasure to meet you.”

“You too, Tami. This is Evelyn.”

“Wife? Girlfriend? None of our damn business?” Noah shot Evelyn a smile.

“All good questions.” She shoved out her hand to greet them while her gaze flitted to meet mine.

“Indeed.” I returned a conspiratorial grin.

Okay, Universe, Mother dearest, Cupid, and gods of romance … I get it.

“It’s packed tonight. Friday craziness and it’s not even snowing yet. Tami, let’s grab a drink while we wait for a table.”

“You should join us,” Evelyn said without a second of hesitation.

Noah and Tami shifted their attention to me, a bit of unease etched onto their faces.

I shrugged. “Absolutely.”

Instead of sitting in the booth across from Evelyn, I sat next to her—a huge upside to eating dinner with friends. With every passing minute, my feelings about her solidified. The things multiplied. She was definitely special. As the evening progressed, I discovered Evelyn could get along with anyone. A master conversation starter. She spoke and listened with such truth. It was impossible to not feel her genuine interest in … people. Yes. Evelyn Taylor was just a great person.

Also, as dinner progressed, we navigated closer. I wasn’t sure it was intentional or just natural—magnetic. By the time I paid the check, my hand rested on her leg, and her hand covered mine with our fingers laced together. Sadly, we were forced to let go when it was time to leave.

“What a great evening.” Tami smiled as everyone stood.

She was right. It had been a great evening. But so was the night in Vancouver with Graham and Lila. Again, I think with Evelyn in a group, it was impossible to not have a wonderful experience.

I wasn’t looking for her … or anyone. Nope. Just minding my own business. Living my best life, an unsettled bachelor with no particular direction, no girlfriend, and no penchant for gift giving.

“It really was. I’m so glad we did this.” Evelyn hugged Tami like they’d known each other for years.

Amazing.

She was that amazing.

Then she hugged Noah. He glanced over her shoulder at me, a little caught off guard at first, but his face said the same words that played in my head … I’m one lucky guy.

Again, our hands automatically found each other as we walked out of the restaurant, parting ways with Noah and Tami just outside of the entrance.

“Thank you for dinner,” she said, leaning into me because it was a chilly evening, or maybe just because.

“My pleasure. Where are you parked?”

She pointed to the lot across the street behind the grocery store. “Where are you parked?”

“I’m not yet. Noah picked me up from the airport when I arrived. I’ve been taking the bus and the occasional cab. Vehicle shopping is on my list of things to do.”

“Then I’ll take you home tonight.”

“You will, huh?” I gave her hand a little squeeze. “That’s very kind of you.”

It was about a fifteen-minute drive to my condo, and she spent the entire drive telling me how she met Graham Porter. Letting me know they dated for two weeks in college and had the most regrettable sex. Then she confessed all the reasons she worried that Lila would feel trapped into the family name and politics if Graham ran for governor. I swear the woman didn’t know a stranger. It felt like we’d known each other for years, taking me out of my element, bypassing the point where I’d normally say, “I had fun. We should do it again sometime.” Only … sometime was code for we’re done. Unless … both parties had way too much to drink. Then that led to a clumsy and oftentimes regrettable one-night stand.

I wasn’t opposed to the occasional drunken one-night stand, but not with Evelyn. We weren’t drunk, and I wasn’t okay with an arbitrary time in the future that I may or may not see her again.

“I’ll walk you to your door,” Evelyn said as she turned off her Jeep.

“God …” I laughed, shaking my head. “That’s messed up. Now I feel a huge urgency to get my own vehicle. I think I’ll go tomorrow to buy one just so you don’t ever have to walk me to my door again.”