No Matter What (The Billionaires of Sawgrass #4) - Delaney Cameron Page 0,38
looking forward to all day.
“Kait and Owen are at the zoo,” she explained.
The change in Wade’s demeanor was both rapid and comical.
“Oh! That’s all right then.” He belatedly leaned over to kiss her. “I thought we’d go to Ezra’s.”
Taking her to her favorite restaurant was a good first step to getting things back on track. Ezra’s was a family-owned Sicilian restaurant in Vilano Beach. Everything on the menu was made from scratch with locally-sourced ingredients using recipes passed down for generations. The discreet music playing in the background and the intimate candlelit tables added to what was always an enjoyable dining experience.
Robin picked up her purse and the thin sweater she always carried in case the restaurant was too cold. “It’s early enough that we might get a table near a window. The last time we were there, we saw a group of dolphins in the water.”
“We’ll probably see some again,” Wade said as she locked the door, and they walked to the Jeep. “Although they mate year-round, there’s a peak in the spring and fall. The competition for a female can be very robust.”
Robin took the hand he offered to help her climb in. Once he joined her inside, she said, “I wouldn’t want a bunch of males fighting over me.”
He laughed as he buckled his seatbelt and started the engine. “With your looks, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened already. I spoke to my mom earlier today. She reminded me about her birthday party next weekend.”
“You had to be reminded? How could you forget your mother’s birthday?”
“I’ve never been good with dates. Anyway, birthday parties are for kids, not adults. I would never tell her that, of course. She lives for this kind of stuff.”
Robin smiled to herself. “She’s not the only one. I’m into celebrating birthdays and other special occasions.”
“You have to be. It’s your business. She asked if you’re coming with me. I explained about this being your busy season to cover the fact that I hadn’t talked to you about it yet.”
“You’re terrible, Wade.”
His grin was unrepentant. “What’s terrible about it? I avoided hurting my mother’s feelings, and I provided you with an excuse in case you can’t come. I’m not kidding when I say last night’s fundraiser will seem exciting by comparison. We’ll be the youngest people there by twenty years.”
“That won’t bother me. I enjoy talking to older people. They have such interesting stories to tell.”
“Then you’ll have a great time. What have you been up to today?”
“Owen and I cleaned the apartment this morning while Kait was at the shop. After lunch, they went to the zoo, and I finished the last of the baking for tomorrow. I also solved our housing problem.”
“I didn’t know you had one.”
Robin realized the conversation about the apartment being cramped had been with Reece, as had several others during Wade’s absence from town. “With Owen living here now, we need something larger. I mentioned that to Reece last night. He said he knew someone who owns rental property, and that he’d try to get some information for me. I had no idea when or if he’d get back with me. Imagine my surprise when he showed up at Truly Scrumptious this afternoon. He told me his friend had a rental house available in Ponte Vedra. We ended up going to look at it.”
“Who’s we?”
“Reece and I.”
Even from the side, Robin could see Wade was frowning again. “I’m starting to see a pattern. Reece needs to mind his own business.”
“A pattern? What are you talking about? He was only trying to help.”
“We don’t need his help,” he said forcefully. “Ever since he picked you up off the dock, he’s been acting like it’s his job to ride in and save the day.”
“By taking me to look at a rental house? That’s ridiculous.”
A muscle twitched in Wade’s cheek. “That’s what you implied last night. I let you convince me that I was wrong about what I saw. Now he’s dropping by to see you at work. Any way you look at it, that’s a trend. He could just as easily have given me the information. Why didn’t he? And why is he so interested in helping you in the first place?”
“It’s simple. He didn’t give you the information because you weren’t there when we talked about it. He’s helping me because of my connection to you.”
Wade’s crack of laughter held no amusement. “It’s never that simple with guys like Reece. They ease their way in by pretending they want