If We Never Met (Whisper Lake #5) - Barbara Freethy Page 0,21
you sing as well?"
"Only in the shower. How are the margaritas? They're not too strong, are they?"
"Perfect," he said, catching Justin's small smile.
"Great," Lizzie returned. "We're going to open the buffet in a few minutes. And I hope you'll stay for the show, too. I haven't had a chance to show you much hospitality yet."
"Not true."
"I promised Grayson you would be well taken care of, so while I know you're in town for serious reasons, I want to make sure you also have some fun."
"Don't fight it," Justin told him, as Lizzie moved away to speak to another group of guests. "Lizzie is a force of nature. If she wants to entertain you, then you will be entertained."
"I'm beginning to realize that."
"She thinks of every guest as family. When I first came here, I thought she was over the top when it came to events, but I soon realized that what she does is what makes this place special."
"I have to admit I've never stayed at an inn before."
"It wasn't my thing, either. But my grandparents held their fifty-seventh wedding anniversary vow renewal here. I came and met Lizzie, and the rest is history. I never expected my life to go this way, but I'm thankful it did." Justin paused as another couple stepped up to the bar. "What can I get you?"
As Justin poured more margaritas, Dante moved away from the bar, thinking that he'd never expected his life to go this way, either, but he didn't feel thankful. He was frustrated and restless to get back to normal. But normal seemed very far away.
As he headed into the dining room, he saw Keira set down a large sheet cake at the end of the buffet table, and his heart jumped. She looked beautiful in dark jeans, and a gauzy top that fell off her shoulders. Her face was a little flushed when she stepped back to admire the cake. When she looked up, she caught his gaze, and her eyes sparkled as a smile spread across her lips.
His gut clenched. Damn! He hadn't reacted like this to a woman in a long time. And she wasn't even trying to get his attention. In fact, she'd made it clear she wouldn't try, because he was attached.
And he was still attached. His tentative suggestion that he and Nikki take a break had gone nowhere. Now he wished he pushed the issue, because Nikki was turning into a shadowy figure he could barely remember while Keira was a bright light that he couldn't see past.
Keira came over to join him. "Hi," she said softly.
"Hi," he echoed, as they exchanged a long look that sent blood racing through his body.
She licked her lips. "What did you do today? More rehab?"
"No, I walked around town. I went through the park and down to the lake. The beach was fairly crowded."
"Wait another week and you'll barely be able to put a towel down. Fourth of July is a big holiday. You'll still be here then, won't you?"
"I think so. We'll see how things go."
"It's a good time to be at the lake. The weather is great. The water is getting warmer every day. And there are lots of activities going on all over town."
"It sounds like people do nothing but party around here."
"The vacationers do nothing but party. As for the locals, we still work a lot. However, it was a long, cold winter, and now that it's summer, everyone wants to be outside, celebrating."
Summer had always been his favorite time of the year, but that's when he'd been playing baseball. There had been nothing better than a Saturday or Sunday day game, except maybe a double-header. But he didn't want to think about that right now. "What did you do today?"
"A little digging and not only in the garden. I finally got online and looked up Mr. Langley."
He saw the gleam in her eyes. "Did you find something?"
"Yes. I'm not sure what it means or if it changes anything, but it was a little odd." She looked around, but no one was paying them any attention.
"If you're looking for Langley, I haven't seen him," he told her.
"He's probably on his way to my house. He's taking my mother out for dinner."
"If you found some dirt on him, why is your mother still going out with him?"
"I didn't tell her yet. It's not solid. She'd tell me to butt out, and I can't do that."