a saxophone player.”
“Yes, I know.”
At the slow lifting of his brow she smiled and said, “I was an army brat and traveled around the world a lot. Although I never lived in Sweden, I did live for a while in Liverpool. The Swedish jazz sound was pretty big there.”
Their conversation paused when the server returned with Wilson’s drink. Moments later the musicians took the stage again and Rita became absorbed in her surroundings and the music. At least she tried to become absorbed in them. Neither could compete with the man sitting at her table. The man who—whether she wanted it or not—couldn’t help but claim every bit of her attention.
“Do you think we’ll get to fly out tomorrow?” she decided to ask, for lack of anything better to say at the moment.
“Yes. Are you getting homesick already?”
She smiled and was reminded of why she had liked him. He hadn’t asked with ridicule in his tone. Although it was quite obvious that a man in his profession would be used to giving orders instead of taking them, she felt he could still reach down and converse genuinely on a personal level.
“Yes, I can admit I am homesick in a way. I talked to Brian earlier, to let him know my flight was being delayed, and he happened to be on his way to the airport to pick up Erica.”
Wilson raised a surprised brow. “I thought she wasn’t flying to Dallas until the weekend.”
“I guess she changed her mind.” Rita smiled. “She’s a woman, she has a right to do that, you know.”
He chuckled. “Trust me, I know.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment and then a question came to her mind. “What hotel did your airline put you up in?”
“The Hilton. What about you?”
Rita pulled in a deep breath. “The same one.”
“Oh.”
He’d spoken that one word and she couldn’t tell if it was a good oh, or a bad oh.
As for her, either way, she needed to prepare herself for the walk back to the hotel room, since she had a darn good feeling they would be sharing it.
Wilson glanced over at the woman walking by his side, grateful for the fresh night air. He needed to clear his head for more reasons than one. Although he wasn’t drunk by any means, he still had imbibed more scotch tonight than he had in a long time. However, instead of it dulling his senses, he felt they were sharper than ever. And that had everything to do with Rita.
He glanced up at the sky, saw the stars and the full moon, and for a while he thought the piano music he’d heard tonight wasn’t the only magical thing around here. The night held some wonders of its own and he felt good being here. Especially while walking beside Rita, sharing her space.
Tomorrow they would fly out, go their separate ways, and their paths wouldn’t cross again until the day of their offspring’s wedding. He smiled just thinking about it.
“What’s the smile for?”
He glanced over at her. “I was just thinking about Brian and Erica’s wedding.”
She smiled, as well. “It won’t be long now and I promise to look after her when she moves to Dallas.”
He nodded. “I appreciate that. Karen still isn’t happy about her moving away from Hattersville.”
“But you don’t have a problem with it?”
“No, not a one. I think Brian is a fine young man and it’s her place to be with her husband.” Just like he knew it was his place to be with his wife, although lately he had begun wondering why. He had called her earlier to let her know his flight was delayed and she hadn’t even asked him why. She rushed him off the phone saying she was on her way out and didn’t have time for idle chitchat. When it came to him she’d never had time for anything. And for years he’d let her get away with it. She had conveniently placed him on a shelf and he had stayed there. Tonight he realized how it would be to spend time with a woman, if for nothing more than to share a drink and some music. He and Karen did share after-dinner drinks, but it was only to
“Yes, I know.”
At the slow lifting of his brow she smiled and said, “I was an army brat and traveled around the world a lot. Although I never lived in Sweden, I did live for a while in Liverpool. The Swedish jazz sound was pretty big there.”
Their conversation paused when the server returned with Wilson’s drink. Moments later the musicians took the stage again and Rita became absorbed in her surroundings and the music. At least she tried to become absorbed in them. Neither could compete with the man sitting at her table. The man who—whether she wanted it or not—couldn’t help but claim every bit of her attention.
“Do you think we’ll get to fly out tomorrow?” she decided to ask, for lack of anything better to say at the moment.
“Yes. Are you getting homesick already?”
She smiled and was reminded of why she had liked him. He hadn’t asked with ridicule in his tone. Although it was quite obvious that a man in his profession would be used to giving orders instead of taking them, she felt he could still reach down and converse genuinely on a personal level.
“Yes, I can admit I am homesick in a way. I talked to Brian earlier, to let him know my flight was being delayed, and he happened to be on his way to the airport to pick up Erica.”
Wilson raised a surprised brow. “I thought she wasn’t flying to Dallas until the weekend.”
“I guess she changed her mind.” Rita smiled. “She’s a woman, she has a right to do that, you know.”
He chuckled. “Trust me, I know.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment and then a question came to her mind. “What hotel did your airline put you up in?”
“The Hilton. What about you?”
Rita pulled in a deep breath. “The same one.”
“Oh.”
He’d spoken that one word and she couldn’t tell if it was a good oh, or a bad oh.
As for her, either way, she needed to prepare herself for the walk back to the hotel room, since she had a darn good feeling they would be sharing it.
Wilson glanced over at the woman walking by his side, grateful for the fresh night air. He needed to clear his head for more reasons than one. Although he wasn’t drunk by any means, he still had imbibed more scotch tonight than he had in a long time. However, instead of it dulling his senses, he felt they were sharper than ever. And that had everything to do with Rita.
He glanced up at the sky, saw the stars and the full moon, and for a while he thought the piano music he’d heard tonight wasn’t the only magical thing around here. The night held some wonders of its own and he felt good being here. Especially while walking beside Rita, sharing her space.
Tomorrow they would fly out, go their separate ways, and their paths wouldn’t cross again until the day of their offspring’s wedding. He smiled just thinking about it.
“What’s the smile for?”
He glanced over at her. “I was just thinking about Brian and Erica’s wedding.”
She smiled, as well. “It won’t be long now and I promise to look after her when she moves to Dallas.”
He nodded. “I appreciate that. Karen still isn’t happy about her moving away from Hattersville.”
“But you don’t have a problem with it?”
“No, not a one. I think Brian is a fine young man and it’s her place to be with her husband.” Just like he knew it was his place to be with his wife, although lately he had begun wondering why. He had called her earlier to let her know his flight was delayed and she hadn’t even asked him why. She rushed him off the phone saying she was on her way out and didn’t have time for idle chitchat. When it came to him she’d never had time for anything. And for years he’d let her get away with it. She had conveniently placed him on a shelf and he had stayed there. Tonight he realized how it would be to spend time with a woman, if for nothing more than to share a drink and some music. He and Karen did share after-dinner drinks, but it was only to
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