Duncan headed into the kitchen while she dialed Turner’s cell phone.
Her brother picked up on the third ring. “Hey, Lola. What’s up?”
“I was hoping you could let me and a new friend into the Maritime Museum tonight.” The building was closed for the night, but as her brother volunteered there once a week, she thought he might be able to make an exception.
“Sure, I can let you in for a bit,” Turner said. “Who’s the new friend?”
“His name is Duncan.” Though Turner was the mellowest of her brothers, even he had his Neanderthal moments. Which was why she added, “I like him. So be nice.”
“I’m always nice.”
While that was true, she couldn’t help but think that Turner, as she’d said to Duncan, was keeping a lot more beneath the surface than any of them could guess. She suspected it would bubble up one day when the right woman came along, and nothing her brother did to shove it back down was going to do a lick of good. “See you in fifteen.”
By the time she walked into the kitchen, Duncan was done cleaning up. “Why don’t we take my van, since I’m the tour guide tonight?”
The café had closed while they were eating, so she locked up before they headed out. The Sullivan Café was open from seven in the morning until four in the afternoon. Her mother had set those hours so that she could always be home to make her children dinner, play games before bath time, and then tuck them in. Even after they’d all left home, her parents had kept the same hours for the café, apart from a special event pop-up dinner here and there.
Wishing Duncan had the support of a family like hers rather than a brother who had disappointed him so deeply, she consoled herself with the thought that when they were officially dating, the Sullivans would all support him too.
She barely caught her thought. When they were dating. Not if.
But amazingly, instead of being afraid of how quickly she was falling for Duncan, she was simply happy.
Happier than she had ever been before.
CHAPTER FIVE
Lola’s van was big and blue, with her logo painted on the side. The brightly colored illustrated flower on a white background evoked both style and emotion. It was the perfect brand ambassador for both Lola and her business—everything about her was bold and colorful, yet warm and accessible at the same time.
“My van is always a little messy,” she warned him. “I just need to move a few rolls of fabric off the passenger seat, and then there will be room for you.”
“Let me help you with those. They must be heavy.”
She shot him an amused look. “I have strong arms.” She proved it by easily hefting the large stack of fabric bolts and moving them to the back of the van.
No question about it, Lola was a strong woman on all fronts. “As impressive as your upper-body strength is,” Duncan said, “it’s more impressive that you can do so much in such high heels.”
“I own flats and tennis shoes, but I don’t wear them unless I absolutely have to.” She looked down at her feet. “These heels are some of my favorites.” Her shoes had a bright floral print and sashes that tied around her ankles. “They make me smile every time I look down and see them.”
He hadn’t realized shoes had the power to make people happy, but now he got it. “They’re making me smile too.” Her smile was so bright he nearly gave in to the instinctive need to pull her into his arms and kiss her. Before he could, he remembered about the man she’d had to deal with on the phone that afternoon and her story about her ex. Both men only wanted to use her to sate their own selfish needs and desires.
Duncan would never do that to Lola, no matter how much he wanted her.
They got into the van, and she started the engine, then pulled into traffic. “I think you’re really going to like where I’m taking you,” she told him.
“Wherever we go, whatever we do, I already know I’m going to like it, because I’m with you.” He winced at the way the words came out. “I know that sounds like a sappy line, but I swear it’s not.”
“It does sound sappy, but that’s okay, because I’m thinking exactly the same thing.” She reached for his hand over the gearshift. “We can be sappy together,” she said with a grin.
Again, he wanted to kiss her until they were both breathless. Instead, he lightly stroked his fingertips over the back of her hand. The little shiver that ran through her gave him a good indication of how deeply she was responding to his touch, even the barest one.
She shifted her attention away from the road long enough to meet his gaze. “It’s crazy, isn’t it? This. Us.”
“It is crazy,” he agreed. “I didn’t see this coming. Didn’t see you coming into my life like this.”
Lola Sullivan wasn’t just a wonderful daughter, sister, aunt, and businesswoman—she would also be an amazing wife and mother. It was a startling train of thought for him, given that he’d never before thought seriously about marriage or children. But after little more than eight hours with her, he could already see their future together with perfect clarity.
“I didn’t see you coming either,” she told him. “How could I when I had decided to completely shut myself off to the idea of being with anyone?”
Though he was glad she wasn’t seeing another man, his gut clenched. “Because of what happened with Frank and trouble from men like that distributor on the phone today?”
She shot him a look. “You heard that?”
“I didn’t mean to listen in. But what I caught wind of didn’t sound good.”
“It wasn’t. But I’m used to it and he’s dealt with now.” She seemed a little wary again as she added, “Even before I met Frank, dealing with men was always kind of difficult for me. It’s hard to explain…”
But he understood why. “People probably think you get handed everything on a silver platter and that everything is easier for you.” He didn’t need to say the words because of your looks for them both to understand that was the reason. “But that isn’t true, is it? Instead, you end up having to fight to be taken seriously, don’t you?”
He could tell she was uncomfortable with their conversation by the way she shifted in her seat and frowned, deeply enough to create tiny grooves on her forehead. “Let’s just say that I’ve learned to stand up for myself in the business world. And when it comes to my personal life…well, the truth is that I haven’t found many good, kind, confident-but-not-egotistical men coming into my world. Especially ones that cause my heart to race like crazy and make me want to spill all my secrets to them.” Thankfully, a beat later she was smiling again. A smile that transformed her expression into pure joy as she said, “Not until you, Duncan.”
Even as he drank in her beautiful smile, guilt moved through him at her unabashedly positive view of him. Yet again, he wanted to tell Lola the truth of everything that had happened when he’d worked with his brother. But though the words were on the tip of his tongue, he couldn’t get them out. Not when he knew his admission would cause everything that was beginning between the two of them to abruptly end.