Eric planted his fists on his hips. “You didn’t say anything to me about going out of town. Where are you going? Who are you going with?”
Cecilia glanced around, hoping they wouldn’t be overheard. “I’m just taking a couple of days off. I’ll have my cell phone with me, and I’ll only be an hour away if anyone needs me.”
“Surely you’re not going away with—”
“Eric.” She put a hand on his arm, squeezing to get his attention. “I’d rather not announce my personal business to anyone within hearing distance, if you don’t mind.”
He subsided to a disgruntled mumble that would carry no farther than their table. “You’re going with Geoff Bingham?”
She should have known she couldn’t pull this off in secret. “Yes. And I shouldn’t have to remind you that I’m old enough to make my own decisions about my weekend plans without clearing them with you first.”
“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Eric muttered.
“No, it doesn’t,” she agreed evenly.
Still frowning, he asked in the same quiet tone, “So where is this thing with you and Bingham headed, anyway? I mean, are we going to end up married to cousins?”
Vanessa propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands, apparently interested in that answer herself.
“No,” Cecilia said firmly. “That is an extremely unlikely possibility. Geoff and I are friends, and we’ve both been working very hard lately. We need some time off for relaxation, and we’ve enjoyed spending that time together. That’s pretty much the extent of it.”
She told herself it wasn’t really a lie, since she had summed up the relationship quite well—except for the making-a-baby part she had chosen not to mention. If Eric was this freaked out by her going away for a weekend with Geoff, she couldn’t imagine how he would react when she told him she was pregnant with Geoff’s child. But she would face that hurdle when—if—it became necessary.
“Since I’m obviously not going to change your mind about this, I’ll just tell you to have a good time.” He leaned over to brush a kiss against her cheek. “Don’t forget to call me when you get back, CeCe.”
“I won’t forget. Enjoy your nice dinner with Hannah.”
She watched her brother walk away, still shaking his head in disapproval. And then she drew a deep breath and turned back to Vanessa. “Shut up.”
Vanessa lifted her eyebrows. “I haven’t said anything.”
“You don’t have to. That dopey grin says it all.”
“What happened to your policy of not dating men who are prettier than you are? Not that I’m saying he is, of course.”
“Are you kidding? He’s gorgeous.”
“You’re hardly plain yourself, kiddo.”
“Thank you. But you’re my friend and you’re hardly objective.”
“Perhaps. Anyway, I think it’s really great that you’re having a good time with—” she lowered her voice to a stage whisper “—you know who.”
“You, um, don’t think less of me for going away for a weekend with a man I’ve only known for a week?”
Vanessa seemed surprised by the hesitant question. “Come on, Cecilia. You’re a mature woman. You’ve been married. It’s not like Geoff’s a total stranger you know nothing about. I’d say as long as you’ve both been clear from the beginning what you expect from each other so we don’t have any broken hearts in the making, there’s no reason at all why you shouldn’t have a little fun.”
Cecilia sat back in her chair, satisfied with her friend’s blessing. For a moment she was tempted to tell Vanessa everything. But that was a bit more than she was prepared to share.
“Geoff and I have both made it perfectly clear what we want from each other,” she said, instead. “No hearts are going to be broken.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Was that just a hint of warning in Vanessa’s voice—a touch of concern despite her support?
Cecilia glanced at her watch. “I’d better get back to the madhouse. I’ve got an appointment in fifteen minutes.”
“Me, too. And Cecilia?”