Swing and a Kiss: Carolina Waves Series Book 4 Page 5

  Grabbing my clutch and Dale’s present, I stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance. Steeling myself, I stepped inside and gave the hostess my name. She waved to a brown-haired waitress who’d just walked out of the door to the kitchen. The woman walked toward us with a smile on her face.

  “Carly, this is Karen Walsh. She’s with the party on the deck.”

  “Welcome,” Carly said. “Follow me.”

  I said my thanks to the hostess and did as I was told.

  “Is uh, is everyone already here?” I asked.

  “We’re still waiting on two more,” she said. “But I just placed the order for the appetizers and they have pitchers of beer and water at the table. Is there something else you’d like to drink?”

  “Club soda with lime would be great,” I said.

  A cold beer sounds even better but since I’m driving, that’s not an option.

  “Perfect.”

  She led me down a short corridor and stood aside gesturing for me to precede her through the sliding doors. I stepped through and there he was.

  I can’t decide if Dale looks more delectable in his uniform or regular clothes. Both versions are equally yummy. And right now he’s wearing a button-down Hawaiian shirt. I can’t see what’s on the bottom because the table is blocking my view.

  “Can I bring you another pitcher?” Carly asked, drawing everyone’s attention.

  Hannah shared a conspiratorial smile with Jack before turning it toward me. Dan looked a little confused but after seeing Hannah’s face, seemed to catch on.

  Dale glanced at the almost-empty pitchers on the table. “Sure, another pitcher of each would be great.”

  Then he looked up and spotted me. His blue eyes widened then he blinked and his face transformed with a huge smile. I felt the edges of my lips curl up, relieved that he seemed happy to see me.

  “Hi Dale. Happy Birthday.”

  Dale

  * * *

  “Karen. Hi.” I stood and looked around, trying to remember how to speak in complete sentences. Finding inspiration in the empty chair next to me, I pulled it out. “Have a seat.”

  “Thank you.”

  I watched as she walked around the table, keeping my mouth firmly shut so my tongue doesn’t roll out onto the floor. Karen is normally beautiful, but tonight she’s taken it to a whole other level. Her sweet vanilla scent captivated my senses as she lowered into the chair. I had to fight the urge to bury my nose in her hair and inhale as I pushed it beneath her.

  When I first looked up and spotted her, I thought I was hallucinating. But then she spoke. Happy birthday to me, indeed.

  “Would you like a beer?” I asked.

  “No thank you. Carly is bringing me a club soda.”

  Jack told me that her husband was killed by a drunk driver so it stands to reason she wouldn’t drink if she’s driving. I debated on whether or not I should mention that we’re all on foot tonight but decided against it. It seems better to not make a big deal out of it.

  Thankfully Penny and Kenny arrived, before I had to figure out what else to say. I’m not normally tongue-tied around women, but for whatever reason, Karen is different. That combined with the fact that I’m shocked as hell to see her here has me at a loss for words. Thankfully my grandmother ingrained manners into me—more like pounded them in—so I did remember to introduce Karen to my sister and her boyfriend.

  I’d just done that when Carly reappeared with two waiters on her heels carrying armfuls of plates. Hannah told them to just set everything down in the middle and once they were finished, the whole table was covered.

  “Did you order one of everything?” I asked Hannah.

  “No.” She flashed a saucy smirk. “There are four orders of calamari because you guys usually end up fighting over it.”

  She’s not wrong.

  “So there’s one for me and you guys get to share the other three?” Jack asked.

  “Hey, it’s my birthday. If anyone gets his own, it’s me.”

  “Children behave,” Hannah said around a chuckle. “I know you’re hungry after your game today but rest assured, there’s plenty of food. There are more appetizers coming and you can order whatever entree you want.”

  “You can tell she handles whiny, overindulged baseball players for a living, can’t you?” Penny said to Karen.

  “Hey!” Dan, Jack, and I said at the same time, making everyone else at the table laugh.

  As everyone helped themselves to appetizers, the smack talk started. Penny has spent enough time with the guys through the years that they treat her like a little sister. Not only that, but they also remember some of her less-than-stellar and bratty moments and they took the opportunity to jog her memory.

  “All right, let’s settle down and behave,” Hannah interjected. “Let’s not scare poor Karen away.”

  “No, this is fun,” she said. “It’s what my friends and I are like together.” Then she turned to Penny. “And I hope you never even think of dying your hair again. It’s gorgeous. The color is amazing.”

  Her comment is in reference to Jack’s memory of Penny dying her hair when she was seventeen. She’d adopted a Goth look for a short time. Thankfully it was short because I hated it.

  “Thanks,” my sister said. “And no more dying my hair. I’ve come to terms with my ginger goodness. Besides, it’s a pain in the ass to maintain color. I get my hair trimmed a couple times a year and worrying about getting my roots done every few weeks was annoying.”

  “I’m with you. I don’t have any desire to dye my hair but every once in a while I think about getting a new style. But this is so easy to deal with and maintain, I haven’t done it yet.”

  Well that answers the Is she a natural blonde? question. I kind of figured she is. With her pale blonde hair, light blue eyes, and golden skin she looks like the epitome of a California girl. And it’s such a natural look, I’d be surprised if any of it is artificial. In fact, I think tonight is the first time I’ve seen her with a full face of makeup.

  Which definitely makes her different from the other women I’ve spent time with. Most of them wouldn’t have been caught dead with a bare face. To the point where, if we did end up spending the night together, they’d wake before me and fix their hair and makeup before I woke up.

  Also, for whatever reason, I’ve always preferred brunettes. And, since I was looking for a certain type of relationship...if that’s even what you’d call those shallow encounters...I attracted a certain type of woman. Some were models, there was an actress or two, and the rest were women so focused on their career they didn’t want anything else to intrude. But they were all leggy brunettes who always wanted to see and be seen with someone who could up their profile.

  Why the hell was I wasting my time with people like that when someone like Karen was available? Then again, I guess she wasn’t...and technically still isn’t to me since she hasn’t accepted any of my invitations. But she is here tonight so maybe there’s hope.

  At that thought, I glanced over at her and found her blue eyes trained on me. I offered a small smile that made her blush and in that moment, everyone else faded away. They chattered around us, but it was just background noise.

  “Thanks for coming,” I said.

  She bit her bottom lip and I nearly groaned out loud at the sight. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt such an uncontrollable urge to kiss someone.

  “I was afraid you’d be angry that Hannah invited me.”

  I shook my head. “Not at all. I’m glad you’re here.”

  Normally I’m much more smooth, but this woman has me in knots. Besides she deserves something more than pathetic lines I’d use on just anyone. She’s special and should be treated that way. And if she gives me a chance, I will.

  Chapter 6

  Dale

  * * *

  Hannah had promised a simple dinner for my birthday and that’s exactly what she delivered. Good food, good friends...and then some, with the additio
n of Karen...and there’s not a banner or balloon in sight.

  “Thank you so much for planning this, Hannah. It’s perfect.”

  “You’re welcome, but we’re not finished yet. There’s a cake back at our place. I thought about bringing it here but figured we’d be too full to eat it right away.” She stood. “Let me go take care of this and we’ll continue the party at the condo.”

  I reached for my wallet. “I’ll pay. You’ve already gone above and beyond.”

  “You can’t pay for your own birthday party,” she said and walked inside before I could say another word.

  “What just happened there?” I looked at Jack with raised brows. “Do you ever win a debate with her?”

  “Once in a while I do, but I use special tactics.” His smile left no doubt what kind of tactics he was talking about.

  Karen’s shoulder brushed my thigh as she reached down and picked up the blue gift bag she’d brought with her. Plunking it on the table, she said, “This is for you. Happy birthday.”

  I shifted my eyes back and forth between the bag and her. Whatever is in there is heavy.

  “You didn’t have to get me anything, but thank you.”

  “It’s just a little something,” she said, then stood. “Thank you for inviting me. I’ve had so much fun.”

  Hannah had returned and Karen’s last two sentences were directed at her. Instead of answering, Hannah looked my way. After all, she’d gotten Karen here, the rest is up to me.

  “Come back to the condo for cake. I’ll open this there.” I held up the bag, as if there was any question as to what I was talking about.

  “Oh no, I couldn’t.”

  I scrambled for things to say to convince her to come and while a few lines and some bullshit reasons filled my head, I only spoke one word.

  “Please?” I looked her in the eye, feeling vulnerable in a way I never have before.

  She still looked unsure and I fought the urge to push. If she really doesn’t want to come, she’d just say no, not look like she’s fighting an inner battle. She nibbled at her bottom lip as her eyes bounced from me to my friends and back again.

  “We only live a half a block away. You can park in my extra spot in the garage so you won’t have to find something on the street.”

  “Okay, I can come for a little while.”

  Everyone had acted like they weren’t paying attention to our exchange, but as soon as Karen agreed to accompany us, they stood, ready to leave.

  “We can go out the side door so we don’t have to walk through the restaurant,” Hannah said. “It’s really crowded out there now.”

  “Lead the way,” Jack said and slipped his hand to the small of her back as she walked ahead of him.

  We all followed behind and Hannah led us through a short hallway and out to the parking lot.

  I turned to Karen. “I’ll ride with you and show you where to go.”

  “Oh, okay.” She gestured toward a white Subaru Crosstrek two spots away from where we stood. “That’s me.”

  I’ve pictured her driving a little red convertible à la Christie Brinkley in Vacation. She definitely has the look for it. But I suppose this is more practical considering she has Jeremy and Christie’s Ferrari didn’t even have a back seat.

  “You know the code if you get there before us,” Jack said.

  “Yep.”

  That said, the rest of the gang walked one way and Karen and I went in the opposite direction toward her car. I followed her to the driver’s side then reached around and opened the door before she could do it herself. She looked at me with surprised eyes then lowered into her seat with a small smile.

  “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure.”

  After closing the door, I jogged around the front of the car and settled into the passenger seat. The Subaru still holds the hint of a new-car smell but it has an underlying note of vanilla.

  I settled the bag on the floor between my feet and clicked my seatbelt into place.

  “Nice car.”

  “Thanks.” She fastened her own seatbelt then pushed the ignition button. “I got this about three months ago so I’m still getting used to it, especially when I have to parallel park. Which thankfully isn’t too often.”

  She stared straight ahead as she spoke, her hands gripping the wheel. It’s pretty obvious she’s nervous. I just can’t figure out if that’s because of me specifically or men in general. I figured I’d continue the conversation so she has something else to focus on besides the attraction arcing between us.

  “What did you drive before?”

  “A Honda Civic. But it had high mileage and started giving me some trouble so I figured it was time to upgrade. Now that Jeremy is playing travel ball, I wanted to make sure we had something reliable. Plus the extra room is nice.” She shifted the car into reverse and slowly backed out of the parking spot. “I’m guessing I’m turning right,” she said as our group walked in that direction.

  “You guessed right. We’re going to that building right there.” I pointed to the condo complex down the block and across the intersection. “So where is Jeremy tonight?” I asked, since she mentioned his name.

  Her eyes shifted in my direction for just a second before settling back on the road.

  “He’s actually gone to Orlando with my parents until Wednesday.”

  Well isn’t that interesting? Jeremy is out of town and I have a day game Tuesday, leaving my night free. I swore I wouldn’t ask her out again, but I’d be an idiot to pass up this opportunity, give it one last shot. But not right now. No, I’ll ask her later, before she heads home.

  “See that black gate right there?” She nodded as she spotted the iron gate at the ground floor of my building. “That’s where we’re going. Just pull up to that yellow box and I’ll give you my code to open it.”

  She pulled into the turning lane and flipped on her blinker.

  “You sure you want me to have that?”

  “Why, will you come park here all the time?”

  Her laughter made my stomach do that weird flipping thing again. It also seemed to release some of her tension and she loosened her grip on the wheel.

  “Aren’t you worried I’ll come here and stalk you?” she asked as she turned and pulled up to the box.

  “If only,” I muttered under my breath. Karen looked at me and I thought she’d heard what I said, but then realized she was just waiting for my code. “It’s 923427. Just key in the numbers. You don’t have to hit enter.”

  She reached over and entered the code and the gate opened.

  “Turn left then go straight.”

  “Do I need to do anything to close the gate?”

  “No, it’ll close on its own in a second.” I’d just finished the sentence when it slowly started to close behind us.

  “Convenient.”

  “Yep.” She drove slowly down the aisle. “See that black truck straight ahead?” She nodded. “Pull into the spot right next to that.”

  She did as I told her then shifted the car into park and turned off the engine. As her seat belt retracted, she asked, “That’s your truck?” I nodded. “Nice.”

  We got out of her car and walked the short distance to the elevator. The doors opened as soon as I pushed the button and I gestured for her to step inside.

  “So you all live here?” she asked as the door closed behind us.

  I nodded. “Yeah, we’re all in this building. Cal even kept his condo after he retired.”

  This whole complex is only ten stories high and Jack is on the seventh floor but the ride seemed to take forever. I usually feel a connection to Karen, but in enclosed spaces, it’s intensified and just buzzes around us. I felt it in the car and it’s the same now. She keeps glancing at me out of the corner of her eye and nibbling at her bottom lip so I’m assuming she feels it too. At least I hope she does. I’d hate to think this is all one-sided.

  I want nothing more than to push her against the back wall of the elevator an
d take her mouth in a long, scorching kiss, Fifty Shades style. Instead I took shallow breaths to avoid inhaling too much of her vanilla goodness, curled my hands around the handle of the bag, and focused on the numbers changing as we slowly made our way to the seventh floor.

  Finally, finally the elevator stopped and the doors opened. As Karen preceded me into the hallway, I took in a deep fortifying breath. She seemed to do the same as she briskly walked in front of me down the hallway, which I found amusing since she has no idea which door belongs to Jack and Hannah.

  “Karen.” Her shoulders tensed as she stopped in her tracks. “This is where we’re going.”

  She turned around and her cheeks colored when she spotted me two lengths behind her.

  “Sorry.”

  “No need to apologize.” I punched the code into the keypad and heard the lock disengage just as our gang got off the elevator on the other end of the hallway.

  Thank every deity known to man because at least they’ll buffer this...whatever this is...between Karen and me. Because the elevator was bad enough. I can’t promise to control myself in Jack’s condo with a myriad of surfaces I could back Karen against and onto to explore the shy interest I keep seeing in her beautiful blue eyes.

  Karen

  * * *

  “Between these guys and my father, Mrs. Button was in heaven,” Hannah said, after relaying a story of her former neighbor at her wedding.

  It took me a second to decipher her meaning then remembered that Hannah’s father is Mac Flynn...I mean Aaran Diskin...world-renowned actor. And yet again, I’m trying to figure out what the hell I’m doing here with these people.

  When Jeremy found out Jack Reagan was going to be at that CADD beach bash a couple years ago, he’d been so excited. Jack has always been his favorite player and the chance to meet him was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Or so I thought. Here we are two years later and not only does Jack still interact with my son at the beach bash, he also still gives us tickets to Waves games, showers him with swag, and he even gave Jeremy his cell phone number so he can text him.