* * *
Mike talked about the last time they had been to this restaurant, when they had eaten outside a few weeks ago. It was much too cold tonight. The temperature had dropped twenty degrees since the day before. Besides, it rained, gently, all the way to Lord Fletcher’s. The Wharf, the outdoor dining area, was closed for the season. It was November, after all. Chase remembered her disappointment that their time together hadn’t been more romantic on that visit.
He said a few words to the maître d’ and they were ushered to a table beside a large window. When the waiter brought the wine, he joked with Mike about the fact that, again, the Twins had had no chance of making it to the World Series. After a few one-liners, the waiter asked Mike, “What’s the difference between dirt and the Minnesota Twins?”
Mike puzzled over it for a few seconds. “I give up.
“Nothing much,” said the waiter. “They both always get swept.”
The two men chuckled and the waiter left to put in their order.
Chase was happy to see Mike laughing. “You’re in a great mood tonight.”
“Not being a murder suspect will do that to a person.” His deep, dark eyes twinkled in the soft candlelight. The waiter had poured them each a glass from a bottle of red wine that Chase suspected cost quite a bit more than she would pay if she were buying. Mike had insisted it was his treat tonight.
“Well, I never suspected you,” Chase said. They clinked glasses and she sipped. “Mmm, this is yummy.” The rain pattered against the window beside them and ran down in rivulets.
“I know you didn’t.” He sipped, too, then set his glass down and took both her hands in his. Both of them had healed quickly from their injuries, although Chase still shuddered when she thought about how close they had come to being killed. “I’m not sure I’d be alive right now if it weren’t for you.”
Chase ducked her head, embarrassed. “Oh, sure. Something would have happened.”
Mike lifted her chin with a finger to look into her eyes. “You happened. You wouldn’t give up, and you found me in the nick of time.”
Yes, she had. She had to admit to herself she had saved his life. It was entirely possible that Frank Hardin would have killed him. She didn’t want Mike to be grateful, though. She wanted something else from him. For the rest of the meal, they chatted easily, on the surface, about Quincy, about the parrot, Grey, whom Chase sort of missed, and about the Aronoffs. Inger was still seeing Peter, but not regularly. Inger became more confident with each passing day. Her baby was showing now, and she rubbed her tummy unconsciously when she was working behind the counter, out on the floor, or helping in the kitchen. She was turning out to be a competent baker with a good imagination for putting new ingredients together.
They also talked about the infinite, interminable wedding plans for Anna and Bill.
“It’ll all be over by Christmas Day,” Mike said.
“And not a moment too soon. If a ‘simple’ wedding is this complicated, I wonder how much energy an elaborate one would take.”
Mike’s answer was an enigmatic smile. The rain sprayed in a sudden spurt, clattering against the windowpane. “How’s Julie doing with the new job?”
“She hasn’t started yet. She gave notice last month and will begin at Bud’s real estate firm in two weeks. She’s so excited about it. For the moment, she’s busier than ever, studying up on that aspect of the law every spare moment.”
“She finds time to see Jay, doesn’t she?”
“Oh yes. He says it’s like she’s walking on air, and she says it feels like she lost twenty pounds.”
Mike snapped his fingers. “I keep forgetting to tell you, I weighed Quincy on the last day of the fair, before the contest.”
“And?” Mike was smiling, so maybe this would be good news, Chase thought.
“He was down a half pound.”
Chase knocked her back against her chair in astonishment. “With everything he ate? Everyone there was stuffing him.”
“He also got a lot of exercise.”
Chase nodded. Yes, he’d gotten out numerous times and had run the length of the midway with every escape, sometimes more than once.
That last burst of raindrops seemed to have been the final hurrah. She glanced out the window where the moon was peeking through drifting clouds.
“So he’s not really fat,” Chase said. “He needs more exercise.”
Mike grimaced. “That might be splitting hairs. He could stand to lose another pound or two, but this is a very good start.”
The doctor might not agree, but Chase decided that what Quincy needed was more exercise in the future. She fingered the silver-and-turquoise ring that Anna had given her. It was finally resized and she didn’t have to worry about it falling off, unless she started losing weight. She didn’t think that would happen any time soon.
“What ever happened with Dr. Drood?” Chase asked. “I felt sorry for him, after I calmed down over the way he acted. He was out of his depth.”
“Yes, he was. His name was left on a referral list inadvertently. It’s off now, so that should fix the problem of calling him up to sub. My friend insisted on paying part of what I paid Drood, since he felt responsible. He wasn’t, of course. Anyone could have made the same mistake. His credentials, from when he was active and had his own practice, were good.”
Chase didn’t ask Mike if he’d paid Dr. Drood for a whole day at the fair. She knew the answer.
After they ate, they donned their coats and scarves and strolled onto the wooden deck to watch the moon send its stripes onto the water. The rain had stopped completely now and a half-moon was still playing peekaboo through ragged fringes of clouds. A slight breeze blew across the deck, the air fresh and dry after the shower.
Chase shivered slightly and Mike put his arm around her shoulders. She had such a warm feeling about the meal she had just eaten, but the strange thing was, she couldn’t recall what any of the dishes had been. They had all been flavored by Mike’s smiling, dancing eyes and his soft, expressive lips.
He must have felt the same way, because he held her tighter and tighter, until they were embracing face-to-face. It felt so natural to look up at him and to finally—at long last—kiss those lips that had been tempting her for so long. They felt decidedly something more than grateful. So much better than she’d been imagining. Tender, delicious. The kiss went on and on . . .
Recipes
Harvest Bars
1 box of either carrot cake or spice cake mix
1 15-ounce can pumpkin pie filling
powdered sugar or toasted pumpkin seeds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir the box mix and the can contents together. The mixture will be stiff.
Spread into greased 9 × 13 baking pan.
Bake 20–25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool completely on wire rack.
Slice into desired size.
Either sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds or dust with powdered sugar. If using the powdered sugar, do this just before serving.
Store loosely covered at first.
Wrapped in plastic and refrigerated, these will keep for several weeks.
Go-Go Balls
½ cup water-packed canned tuna fish (or salmon)
4 ounces light cream cheese
2 tablespoons dried catnip (or more)
Drain the fish. If using salmon, be sure to take out the bones and skin. Flake the fish in a bowl and add remaining ingredients, all with a fork.
Form small marble-size balls by hand and store refrigerated in an airtight container.
Makes about 30–32 balls.
