Dane's Storm(32)

I looked at Audra, and she was watching the scene as well but turned her eyes back to me. For a few seconds we just stared at each other, when suddenly her lip quirked up and she started laughing softly. Surprised, I chuckled too, rubbing at the back of my neck.

I poured her more wine then picked up my glass. “Cheers to them.”

She inclined her head. “May their marriage last longer than ours did.”

I made a sound in my throat that I wasn’t sure was a laugh or a groan, and clinked my glass on hers. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Uh oh. I guess.”

“You work in the wedding business. Does it ever bother you that you never got that? A real wedding, I mean?”

“No. All that stuff’s fun. But I never felt like I didn’t get a real wedding, Dane. To me”—she took a breath, her eyes moving away and then back again—“to me, it was very real. Despite everything that happened later, I . . . I hope you know that.”

Our gazes lingered, the air filling with . . . something. That something I couldn’t define then and still couldn’t now. The difference was, now I knew the rarity of the unknown something that had always flowed between Audra and me. And apparently, not time, nor distance, nor a hundred unspoken hurts had diminished it. I nodded once, a quick, jerky movement, and smiled, a smile that I hoped acknowledged my appreciation for the honesty with which she’d spoken. It had been so very real for me too.

The waitress brought the check and Audra excused herself to go to the ladies’ room while I paid. I gathered my coat and Audra’s sweater and waited at the front for her. Once she’d joined me, I asked, “There’s this great gelato place a couple of blocks over. How about I tell you about the industrial park while we get one. We never really made it to that.”

She glanced at me once we’d stepped onto the sidewalk and though she looked a bit uncertain, she nodded and said, “Okay, sure.”





CHAPTER FIFTEEN


Audra



We started walking toward the shop, and I pulled my sweater around my shoulders. It was a cool night, but not overly cold, and the sidewalks were full of people sitting at outside cafes, wearing light jackets or sweaters like myself. “Is this the coldest it gets during the winter here in San Francisco?”

“It gets a little chillier than this, but nothing like Colorado.”

“Don’t you miss the snow, though? You always loved it.”

“Yeah, I do, which is why I do as many weekend trips to Tahoe in the winter as possible. My brother and I went in on a ski lodge there.”

“Ah. Nice. How is Dustin?” The last time I’d seen his brother, he’d been a kid. He was a man now, though it was difficult to picture him any differently than the way I’d known him.

“He’s good.” Dane smiled. “Still the annoying little brother who likes to get on my case as often as possible.”

I laughed. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.” We walked for a couple of minutes in silence as I people-watched, smiling at an older couple who walked past us. I felt mostly relaxed at the moment, though dinner had been a roller coaster of emotions. I’d expected it, somewhat, though not to the degree reality had proven the experience to be. As much as spending time with Dane made me feel high-strung and off-balance, so did it offer this surreal feeling. It was almost like I was in one of those dreams where you wake up crying very real tears or with your throat full of laughter. Like fantasy and reality colliding. This night would be over soon, though, and then we’d fly to Colorado and that would be it. I’d probably never see Dane again. That was good, of course, and yet the thought resulted in indescribable distress.

“What did you think of the miniature industrial park you saw in my office?”

“It looks like it’s going to be beautiful. I was surprised. When I first heard ‘industrial park,’ I pictured something square and gray. It somehow manages to look quaint and upscale at the same time.”

He smiled, seeming pleased by my impression. “Thanks. That’s exactly what we were going for. We want it not only to bring in tech jobs, but to bring in new shops, restaurants. I think it’s going to be a really great thing for your business, Audra.”

“I thought the same thing actually—if everything works out with your grandmother.”

“I told you. It will. She’ll come around. I’ll make sure of it.”

I nodded. He did seem sure, and I wanted so much to believe him, but when it came to me, Luella had never “come around.” Why would she now? I decided that worrying any more than I already had was pointless, though. I would trust Dane for now and hope to God he was right.

We talked a little more about the specifics of the park as we bought a gelato, stepping back outside where we took a seat at one of the outdoor tables, covered by an awning and warmed with heat lamps. There were twinkle lights on the awning and though it was warm and charming, apparently the other customers either preferred to sit inside or had taken their treats to go, as we were the only people out there. Things felt easier than they had at dinner—maybe because I was getting used to his company, and maybe because we’d covered the topics we’d agreed to talk about. I was also more relaxed, because even though Dane had brought a few things up I hadn’t wanted to discuss with him, he hadn’t pushed me, and I felt relieved. There was no point resurrecting subjects that did nothing but bring hurt and cause us both to relive painful memories. No, some things were better left in the past.