“I never asked you this before, but what made you decide to open your office in New Haven? Wouldn’t it have been easier to get clients in Norfolk or Virginia Beach? Or go up to D.C. like Elliot? Not that I’m not happy you’re here.” She turned and accepted a menu from the waiter who’d just approached the table.
Nick waited patiently as their server rattled off an impressive list of specials and took their orders. Once they were alone again, he picked up her hand that was resting on top of the table. He’d been touching her like that all afternoon. Just casual little touches, but he couldn’t seem to stop.
He was doing his best not to push after her I think I love you declaration but at moments like this, when they were just hanging out and sharing their lives, it was so hard not to show how he felt.
“I thought about going to other, more metropolitan areas. I would have gotten more clients, twice as fast. But my family is here and I didn’t want to go that far.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a while. Raina seemed to be thinking about what he’d said.
“You know, I don’t think I could have done what you did. Could I have stayed at home if my mother had needed me? Or if Ridley had been scared to be on her own? I want to believe that I’d be that selfless, but I probably would have gone anyway.”
Their server returned then with her chicken salad and Nick’s club sandwich. He immediately took the bun off his sandwich and rearranged the way the lettuce and tomatoes were stacked. When he looked up, she was staring, so he said, “I don’t like too much lettuce.”
“I didn’t say anything,” she said with a smile. “I just never noticed that you’re almost as fussy about food as I am. Anyway, that was really nice of you, Nick. To stay in case your family needed you.”
He took a big bite of his sandwich and shrugged. It was weird to have her congratulating him for sticking around. That was what you did for family. Did she think that he’d just run out on her if she needed him?
“I was raised to believe that when you need help, your family is there. I’m not sure how much you know about Jackson’s story, but his late wife got pregnant while I was a senior in college. It took us all by surprise.”
He figured she had to know bits and pieces about Jackson’s life before he was widowed. Ridley had probably told her about the accident that had killed his first wife.
“I bet. What was she like?”
Nick considered his words very carefully. “Cynthia was a sweet girl. She was pretty quiet.”
Raina watched him take a sip of his drink. “It’s okay if you didn’t like her.”
Nick put his drink down. “I didn’t say I didn’t like her. She was really nice. Just perhaps not the best match for my brother.”
“You don’t have to mince words around me, Nick. I understand. Not everyone gets to have that picture-perfect movie love.”
Nick took her hand. “It’s not that rare. I see it in my parents, and Jackson has found his perfect match in Ridley.” He looked at her long enough that he hoped she could hear what he wasn’t saying.
And I have my perfect match in you.
She cleared her throat and looked away. “Anyway, I’m really glad Ridley has Jackson now. He and the boys are exactly what she needs. I worry about her sometimes.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Nothing. It’s just that Ridley’s been communicating with our father a lot lately. I worry that he’s using her soft nature to worm his way into her good graces. She’s planning to go visit him in Maryland soon.”
“You don’t want to go, too?” Nick asked.
“I wanted to meet him, but that doesn’t mean I trust him completely. Everybody seems to think I should just forgive and forget all those years he wasn’t around,” Raina snapped. Then she sighed. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to take it out on you. This topic just puts me on edge.”
Nick pushed his half-eaten sandwich aside. “I think you’re doing what’s best for you by being cautious. After all, what if he decides to up and disappear again? There’s nothing wrong with taking this slowly. He’s been gone this long, so surely he can wait until you’re ready to take the next step.”
Raina relaxed back into her seat. “Thank you. That’s pretty much how I feel about it, too.”
His phone vibrated in his pocket and Nick pulled back. “Sorry, I meant to turn this off.” He looked at the screen for a minute and then looked up at Raina. “We need to go. Now.”
He pushed his chair back and pulled out several twenty-dollar bills, tucking them under the salt shaker.
“Nick, what’s wrong?”
Raina stood and followed him down the sidewalk. He turned into a little corner store and walked to the checkout aisle. Where are they? Where are they? He didn’t read tabloids, but he knew they were usually sold right near the cashiers. He knelt down and grabbed one of the papers on the bottom row. The bold headline was easy to read.
FAMILY TROUBLE FOR LEGGY?