me, laying her hand over my arms. “Thank you, Jordan, for bringing me here.”
I kissed her head. No words were necessary.
We strolled around in Boston Common. Toured Samuel Adams brewery and tasted many samples, discovered a small market, and did some shopping. We had dinner at Turner’s, enjoying the bustling atmosphere of the restaurant.
“Oh my god,” Sandy moaned. “You have to taste this.”
I opened my mouth and let her slide in a piece of swordfish, chewing it slowly.
“That is delicious.”
I slid my plate in her direction. “You have to try the lobster pie.”
She speared a forkful and lifted it to her mouth. She closed her eyes in appreciation. “Wow.”
I nodded. “I know. Good thing we’re walking so much. Otherwise, I’d gain twenty pounds this weekend. Between the chowders, the crab cakes, beer, and the snacks we keep having…” I trailed off.
Sandy winked, trying her best to look lewd. “I’m sure later we can think of another way to burn off some more calories,” she whispered in a breathless voice, then quirked her eyebrows.
I began to laugh. All day, she had delighted me with her sense of humor. I knew she was intelligent and well-read. I expected to enjoy her company, but her surprisingly ribald jokes, her amusing imitations of a Boston accent, and cheeky remarks had me in stitches several times. I couldn’t recall laughing this much for a long time.
“I might take you up on that.”
“I guess I had better get dessert then, just to keep up my strength.”
“Good idea.”
I glanced at my phone. “The latest weather update says it’s supposed to rain all day tomorrow. Maybe you’d like to go back to the MFA.”
“I’d love that.” She ate in silence for a few moments, then spoke. “Um, how bad is the rain supposed to be?”
I rechecked my phone. “Storms overnight and then rain most of the day.”
“Oh.”
Something in her tone made me tense. That one word indicated anxiety. I reached across the table and took her hand.
“What is it, my darling?”
She shrugged, looking self-conscious. “It’s silly.”
“I doubt that. Now, tell me.”
“I hate storms. They frighten me.”
“A lot of people share that fear. It’s not silly.”
“I hate the turbulence they cause. The noise and the wind. All of it.”
“Well then, I guess I’ll have to hold you extra tight. You can use me as a shield. And we don’t have to leave the hotel tomorrow at all.”
“Just rain doesn’t bother me. In fact, I find the sound of rain quite soothing.”
“All right, we’ll play it by ear and see what the weather does.”
She met my eyes, gratitude swimming in her gaze. “Thank you.”
“All you have to do is tell me, Sandy. Whatever you need, however you’re feeling, I’m here.”
She squeezed my hand. “I’m so glad you are.”
“Good.”
At the hotel, I could feel her tension. I had a massage booked for us in the morning, but I had the feeling another one wouldn’t be objected to at the moment. I gathered some lotion and towels in the bathroom and instructed her to don one of the fluffy white robes the hotel provided and asked her to put up her hair. I sat in the large armchair and tossed a cushion on the floor.
“Sit.” I pointed to the pillow.
She did as I asked, then laughed quietly as I bent over her, tugging on the sash of the robe. “I need access,” I teased, dropping a kiss to her neck.
She loosened the robe, and I pushed it off her shoulders, running my hands along her soft skin, feeling the tension under the skin.
“Wow.”
She sighed, letting her head hang down. “My shoulders have been described as cement.”
“Well, let’s see what I can do about that.”
I added some lotion to my hands and began to knead her tight muscles. She groaned low in her throat, but it wasn’t a groan of pain. I worked at the stiffness, massaging and stroking, feeling her beginning to relax. I talked about silly things. The couple we’d seen taking selfies along the pier. A sculpture we’d both guessed at, trying to determine exactly what it represented and being wrong. Amusing little stories about Van, the boys, funny things my kids did as they grew up. Anything to distract her as the storm outside drew closer. I wanted her to concentrate on my voice, the feel of my hands. Slowly, her muscles loosened, her shoulders sagging. I tipped up her head, stroking her neck and along the front of her chest, over her collarbone, keeping my touch light and