Fall for Me (Danvers #3)(19)
Suzy looked at her friend in admiration. “Ohhhh, I like where you’re going here. Hey! If you need a babysitter, why haven’t you asked me? Gray and I are perfectly capable of babysitting.”
Claire threw an arm around her friend’s shoulders and laughed. “The last time I was at your house you set my diaper bag and purse on the sidewalk when Chrissy started crying.”
“Hey, I couldn’t see you pop your boob out one more time. The kid’s going to choke on that thing, or something. Those babies are never going airborne again after the workout she’s giving them.”
Ella looked even more mortified if that was possible. Beth quickly asked Claire, “You would actually trust us to babysit for you? You know we don’t actually have much baby experience.”
“I trust you completely, Beth. You were an elementary schoolteacher for years. We can go over all of the details and I’ll run you through her routine. She goes to bed early so you guys wouldn’t be on duty the whole time. If you want to see how Nick is around a baby, this is a perfect chance.”
“Hmmm, okay. Why not? I might as well start getting some practice in, and Nick needs to know what he is trying to get himself into. How about Saturday night?”
Claire smiled. “That sounds great. Jason will be so excited. It will be nice to go to a restaurant to eat without spit-up all over us. I don’t think we’ve had a conversation since the baby was born that didn’t involve the contents of her diaper. Maybe we should just use our date time to catch up on our sleep in the car.”
Suzy snickered. “That’s just sad. It must be depressing to have a stallion that you never have the energy to ride.”
Ella almost fainted when Claire smiled and said, “Oh, honey, my stallion is never in the stable. I’m never too tired to give him a good workout.”
Beth grabbed Ella’s elbow and pulled her out of her chair. “Let’s go before you’re ruined forever.”
She was surprised when Ella said, “Oh, man, I just love them. I didn’t know that Claire had a horse, though.”
Beth’s mouth dropped open in shock. Surely, Ella wasn’t that naive. When Ella doubled over in laughter and said, “Got ya,” Beth had to admit that her shy little friend had certainly come a long, long way.
Chapter Ten
Beth was relieved to see that Nick wasn’t at her apartment when she arrived home. She didn’t know who she thought she was fooling by insisting that they didn’t live together because he was always here, and she didn’t even question it anymore.
She quickly showered and pulled on a black jersey dress that landed just above her knees. It was sleeveless with a daring neckline. She pulled on some black sandals that added inches to her height. A pair of simple silver hoops and a matching necklace completed the look. She was supposed to meet Seth at one of her favorite seafood restaurants in half an hour. She grabbed her purse and gave a prayer of thanks that she had avoided a confrontation with Nick.
* * *
Seth was waiting for her in the lobby of Sara J’s. Beth just loved the restaurant’s beautiful view overlooking the marsh in Garden City, South Carolina. She summoned up her best “date smile” as Seth leaned in to kiss her lightly. “You look beautiful, Beth. I’m happy to see you again.”
Seth Jackson was tall and thin. He had sandy blond hair that he kept neatly trimmed and groomed. He was the manager for one of the bigger hotels on the Grand Strand, and he was always trying to convince her to come take advantage of the many amenities that it offered. He placed a polite hand at the small of her back as he led her to the hostess stand. The restaurant was crowded, as usual, but they were quickly seated at a table on the outdoor patio.
“I thought you might enjoy dining outside this evening.”
“This is lovely; I’m glad you thought of it.” Conversation with Seth was always easy and uncomplicated, just as life with him would probably be. He was attentive, polite, and funny. He didn’t set her on fire like Nick did, but he wasn’t likely to burn her in the end, either. She ordered a glass of tea and Seth ordered a glass of red wine. When their drinks were delivered, she took a sip of hers and smiled at Seth as he regaled her with tales of the more unusual hotel guests in the last few weeks.
The hair on the back of her neck started to prickle as she felt someone watching her. She looked around, not noticing anything unusual. You’re paranoid. Who would be watching you? When nothing out of the ordinary happened, she finally loosened up and enjoyed herself. When the door to the outside area opened, her mouth fell open. Sauntering toward her, looking like the devil himself, was none other than Nick. She knew what she must look like to Seth. She had stopped talking in midsentence and was now gaping at the man approaching their table. I wouldn’t hold out much hope of another dinner invitation anytime soon.
Nick smiled as he reached their table. He laid his hand on her shoulder in a proprietary manner. “Wh— What are you doing here?” she stuttered.
“Hey, princess. I was having dinner with a customer.”
She looked around suspiciously, seeing no one waiting for him. As if he knew what she was thinking he added, “They’ve already left. I happened to see you when I was leaving, so I thought I’d come say hello.” Leaning over her shoulder, Nick extended his hand toward Seth. “Nick Merimon.”
She could see that Seth was very curious about their exchange as he politely shook Nick’s hand and introduced himself. “So, how do you two know each other?” he inquired.