Follow Your Heart (Catalina Cove #4) - Brenda Jackson Page 0,37
had a taste for barbecue and he’d met her outside of Bennie’s Rib Shack. The food had been delicious. They had eaten so much that afterward they felt compelled to walk around the marina a few times.
Now they had a front row seat on his yacht, and were drinking wine and looking at the fireworks that were illuminating the sky with the color blue in every shade imaginable. Several onlookers had their boats out watching, as well. It was indeed a beautiful sight.
“So how did your trip to the museum go?” she asked him.
“I thought it was fascinating to learn even more about the history of Catalina Cove. I hadn’t known about the town before Mint suggested I come here.”
“How did he know about it?”
“Not sure. I didn’t ask. As far as my trip to the museum, in addition to seeing a number of artifacts representing Jean Lafitte’s loot, I watched a video about the town’s history. I found it rather interesting that whenever the pirate Lafitte and his team of smugglers returned to the cove, it mainly was for downtime with their women. That’s why several of the streets in the historical district were named after Lafitte’s mistresses.”
“I saw the same film and found that tidbit interesting, as well. Have you decided where we’ll be fishing this time?” she then asked him.
So far he’d only been fishing in the Gulf. “I think this weekend we should find a spot on the Moulden River. I hear it’s full of trout, whiting, shrimp and oysters. I understand a number of the restaurants on the pier will buy your catch of the day.”
“I heard that, as well,” Victoria said. “Just in the short time I’ve been here, I’ve discovered tourists come from miles around to sample the cove’s seafood.”
Roman could believe it. A short while later he regretted the fireworks show was coming to an end. That meant Victoria would be leaving, since tomorrow was a workday for her. He’d thought about what she’d said yesterday when he’d asked about being free to do what she wanted until Tanner was ready to claim her as his.
She had made several statements... Yes, I’m free to do whatever I want... Until I get a ring on my finger... I won’t accept Tanner’s ring until I fall in love with him.
Roman doubted she knew just how pleased he was with those answers. He didn’t know Tanner Jamison and wasn’t one to encroach on another man’s territory. He hadn’t liked what she’d told him about that guy she’d dated in college. Nor did he like how Jamison wasn’t even giving her the time of day. She needed a man in her life she could trust, depend on and fall in love with.
“Well, that’s it,” Victoria said, standing when the sky went dark, signaling the end to the fireworks.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” he said, standing, too.
“Thanks. But you don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I do.”
He took her hand and led her off his boat.
* * *
VICTORIA WAS AWARE of when Roman took her hand. At first she’d assumed he’d held it to help her off his boat. But they were walking along the pier toward her car and he was still holding it.
She had dreamed about him every night for the last week, and in those dreams they had taken walks in the apple grove and along the pier, and he had held her hand. He’d also kissed her. It had been a real kiss and not the peck on the cheek he’d given her on Sunday. She tried not to let it bother her that he was the man of her dreams and not Tanner. Like she’d told Roman yesterday, she refused to sit and wait for Tanner to decide he was ready to fall in love with her.
“You’re quiet.”
She glanced up at him. “I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
There was no way she could tell him what she’d really been thinking about, so she said, “How much I enjoyed tonight’s show, and that I can’t wait for the other nights. Tomorrow is the color yellow. I’m anxious to see what they will do. I bet the sky will be lit up so brightly, it will look like sunshine at night.”
“We’ll see,” he said, chuckling.
Victoria knew she sounded excited, but she couldn’t help it. She enjoyed being with Roman. He was someone she could talk to and have fun with. “So what are your plans for tomorrow?” she asked him.