of his knees. "I'm sorry, Griffin. I know that whatever her motivation, it was a horrible event. A tragedy for her family and something that hurts you terribly."
He drew back, blinking at her. "Jane," he began, then shook his head. "Jane, you're wrong. I don't know if it's my reporter training or just a tic of my particular personality, but I don't feel anything close to terrible."
A moment of silence passed, and then he dropped the truth on her. "Ninety-nine percent of the time I don't feel anything at all."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
TESS SANK ONTO the couch in the small, low-lit living room at Beach House No. 8 and watched the flames lick the Pres-to-Log she'd put a match to before checking on the boys. It wasn't cold, really; she was dressed warmly enough in a pair of yoga pants and matching top with long sleeves and a collar that she'd zipped to a point above her cleavage. But she'd decided the fire would be nice company for the night. Rebecca was sleeping over at a friend's, and her sons had slipped into dreamland not long after dark. An inflatable canvas raft had occupied Duncan and Oliver all afternoon. Riding the small waves near the shoreline had so worn them out that they'd almost been asleep before Russ.
She propped her bare feet on the coffee table, bumping the framed photo of the kids that she'd brought from home. With the four either asleep or absent, it was time to think of herself. It was time to decide what she wanted to do with her life.
A knock on the front door startled her. Griffin or Jane, she supposed, needing to borrow a cup of sugar or something similar. But it was Teague White standing in the dim glow of the porch light, his athletic build nearly filling the opening. He smiled, a flash of white in his tan face that struck her somewhere below her heart.
She placed her hand there. "Hi."
He glanced over his shoulder. "I was at Captain Crow's...and then I thought of you. Would you like to share a drink with me?"
Oh, to be so free! She couldn't remember the last time she'd been able to take off for a drink or anything else without making plans and backup plans and backup for the backup plans. Was that what she wanted for herself? she wondered. More freedom? She had divorced friends and knew it was an unexpected by-product of shared custody. When the kids were with Dad, Mom had hours and hours of alone time.
"Tess?"
"Oh." She laughed. "Sorry, took a hike on a mind trail."
"Mind trail?"
Her next laugh wasn't as amused. It was a phrase that she and David had coined long ago. One of those private codes that came out of a long marriage. "I was daydreaming." She took a breath. "But as to your offer - I'm sorry, I can't go anywhere. The boys are asleep and - "
"Even if I brought the drink to you?" He held up a chilled six-pack of Mexican beer.
Her favorite brand. She hesitated only a second, then held open the door. "I have limes."
As he stepped inside, she hurried to turn on another lamp. She didn't want to send the wrong message with a romantic ambience. In the kitchen, she sliced a Mexican lime into quarters and placed them on a small plate that she set on a tray beside a basket of tortilla chips and a bowl of mango salsa.
"You didn't have to go to all this trouble," Teague said as she slid the items onto the coffee table.
Embarrassed heat washed up her neck. Was he thinking she'd misread the situation? That she considered it some kind of date?
"But now that you did," he said, giving her another of his easy grins, "thanks."
From their opposite corners of the short couch, they both slipped a wedge of lime into their golden brew. Then their gazes met, and with tacit agreement they held out the longneck bottles. It seemed a natural thing to do. But at the click of glass against glass, it suddenly felt datelike. Another wash of heat climbed up her neck, but Tess ignored it and forced herself to relax against the cushions. Try this out, she told herself. Your life could be like this. A romantic evening. A different man.
More of her tension dissipated as beer was sipped. Small talk was exchanged.
"I ran into your brother earlier today," Teague said. "He didn't look very happy to find me talking to