consult, but I got nowhere in Faye’s office. Joseph locked it down, possibly to keep Faye’s assistant from seeing sensitive stuff. I’d really like to know more about the finances at Wharton.” She tilted her head at him. “Which reminds me. You didn’t tell me Candee worked for us.”
“Yeah. She’s a bookkeeper.”
“I ran into her. It was awkward. I offended her, I think. She thought I didn’t know her name, then I cut her off trying to fix it.”
“You were nervous. So was she.”
“I’m sure that’s true.” She looked thoughtful. “I envy the two of you. That you’re friends. You help each other, cook together, do each other favors.”
“It wasn’t easy, believe me. But we both wanted it, so we worked at it.”
“Yeah,” she said, going still. “You think we will ever be like that? You and me?”
No. He knew it instantly. It would be too difficult. He would always want more.
“You don’t,” she said. “I can see that. I’m not the work-for-it kind of person, am I?” She dropped her eyes to hide how hurt she was, pushing her beer forward, then sliding it back.
“It’s not that,” he said, stopping her hand, taking it in both of his. He’d made her feel bad about herself back then. There was the sadness of that beneath every word they said to each other.
“It’s not you, Tara. It’s us. The way we were. It was different with us than it ever was with Candee. Deeper somehow.” He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumbs, wanting to press the truth into her.
“You think so?” she asked.
“I do.”
“So we should give up on being friends?”
“No. But we have to be careful with each other, not get ourselves into tempting situations.”
“That makes sense,” she said, looking down at his hands holding hers so tightly. He didn’t want to let go. They lifted their eyes to each other. Her lips parted, about to speak.
“Watch it! Hot!” The waitress had arrived, holding their food.
They yanked their hands apart, the server’s words truer than she knew.
She set down the dishes and left. The aroma of spicy beef and buttery pastry filled the air.
“Smells great,” Tara said, clearly relieved for the interruption. She seemed as alarmed by the push-pull between them as he felt.
“Yum,” Tara said, licking her lips after the first bite. “These are delicious. I’ve never tasted anything like it.”
“So Wharton does have something you like. First, the empanadas. Next, the whole town.”
“Even you can’t believe that.”
“Wait until you taste the flan.” He didn’t know why he kept pushing her, trying to convince her, but he could no more stop himself than he could stop the fire in his blood when he looked at her.
She laughed, the familiar liquid honey sound he remembered so well. “You’re funnier than you used to be,” she said. “I like that.”
“Good,” he said, entirely too pleased. He remembered that she’d lightened the heaviness of his life back then. She’d kept him on his toes, challenged him. He felt the same thing now, he realized, and he liked it. He had to remember that when he got serious about someone. She needed to...tickle his brain.
“Do you think if I apologized to Candee, she would give me some insights into the company’s finances?” Tara said after they’d eaten more.
“Candee’s a cool head. She’d be discreet. I’ll talk to her.”
“That’d be great. Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet. She’ll probably drag you to her next party. I think it’s candles.”
She groaned, then grinned. “I’ll go if you go.”
“Candles? No way. I’m holding out for power tools.”
“Why? You love candles. Remember that time your parents went on an overnight and you made a path to the bed with tea candles?”
“And Duster knocked them into the curtains, which went up in flames? Of course I remember that.”
“We were beating back the flames with wet towels, the smoke alarm squealing. Good times, huh?”
“To you maybe. Though my parents were so busy fighting they didn’t seem to care what happened to the curtains.”
“Yeah. That was hard on you—your parents’ breakup.” Tara put down her fork. “And, actually, I just found out that my father wanted to divorce my mother.”
“What?”
“Yeah.” She wiped her mouth with a napkin. “We got my dad’s personal effects and I went through his wallet looking for clues. I found an appointment card with a divorce lawyer. I called the office and they told me Dad had met with the guy several times.” She looked bewildered.