she had to walk away before he noticed the heart she was wearing on her sleeve.
“We’ll talk tomorrow, it’s late.” Her voice cracked, and the dam broke, setting free a torrent of tears.
Without looking back, she threw open the door and ran.
Chapter 19
Emily sat back in the booth at The Terrace Restaurant and sipped her glass of chardonnay. She tried to squelch the anxiousness she felt at seeing Preston. She pulled a compact mirror out of her purse and checked her reflection. Her hair was perfectly smooth, pulled back into a French twist. Her makeup was subtle, her eyes smoky, her lips lightly glossed. The diamond studs adorning her ears once belonged to Preston and Nathan’s grandmother and were a gift from Nathan on their first wedding anniversary.
Preston and Nathan had been best friends as well as brothers. In the years since Nathan’s death, Preston had honored the promise he’d made to his brother and watched closely over her. She wondered if Nathan ever considered how hard it would be on her year after year. She doubted he had, he’d never do anything maliciously to bring her pain. But seeing Preston did bring her pain, and the effort it took to cover the fact, always left her tired and sad for days.
She’d been able to maintain her distance from him to some extent, but the Nathan Talbot Foundation’s annual auction brought them together each year. Preston would escort her to the auction and diligently stand next to her singing her praises as they socialized. He’d act like the host he believed himself to be in his brother’s stead. And each year she’d swear that next year she was planning a masquerade ball instead of an auction. She never did.
She watched with trepidation as the maître d’ slowly walked Preston toward her booth. He wore black slacks and a sea foam green sweater that made his hazel eyes vivid. He had only the slightest amount of creases on his beautiful face, and his hair was just slightly peppered. He appeared distinguished rather than older. His smile was bright and genuine. His stride was confident and powerful as he spotted her and increased his pace.
Her hands began to shake and she clasped them together on the table top. Her stomach churned, and her heart raced. Her eyes welled with tears as she blinked rapidly to hide any evidence of her reaction. Pasting on a bright smile of her own, she stood to greet her late husband’s identical twin brother.
He pulled her into his arms and exuberantly lifted her off the ground. “You get more beautiful every day,” he said, setting her down gently and kissing her cheek.
She wanted to hold on, to close her eyes and feel his arms around her. Nathan’s arms. She wanted to bury her head in the crook of his shoulder and listen to him say her name in Nathan’s voice. She wanted to cry at the injustice of it all. The living, breathing replica of what her husband would be like if he were with her today. How easy it would be to pretend.
“Preston, it’s so nice to see you.” She smiled and squeezed his hand affectionately.
Sliding back into her seat, she fought the urge to toss back her wine rather than sip it. He slid in across from her. Ordering a glass of wine and taking it upon himself to request another for her, he nodded his thanks to the waitress, laid the menu down, and turned his full attention to Emily.
“So how are things? It feels like forever since we’ve spoken.”
“Things are good. The auction is coming together beautifully thanks to my new assistant. The yard modifications are more than I’d hoped for, and McKenzie should be home in a week or so. How about you?”
“I’m doing great. Business is good, better than good actually. Home sales may be down, and the economy is a bit of a mess, but the rich still want vacation homes, and they still call me to locate them.”
Over dinner of grilled salmon for her and strip steak for him, they continued the small talk of business, McKenzie’s latest venture,
“We’ll talk tomorrow, it’s late.” Her voice cracked, and the dam broke, setting free a torrent of tears.
Without looking back, she threw open the door and ran.
Chapter 19
Emily sat back in the booth at The Terrace Restaurant and sipped her glass of chardonnay. She tried to squelch the anxiousness she felt at seeing Preston. She pulled a compact mirror out of her purse and checked her reflection. Her hair was perfectly smooth, pulled back into a French twist. Her makeup was subtle, her eyes smoky, her lips lightly glossed. The diamond studs adorning her ears once belonged to Preston and Nathan’s grandmother and were a gift from Nathan on their first wedding anniversary.
Preston and Nathan had been best friends as well as brothers. In the years since Nathan’s death, Preston had honored the promise he’d made to his brother and watched closely over her. She wondered if Nathan ever considered how hard it would be on her year after year. She doubted he had, he’d never do anything maliciously to bring her pain. But seeing Preston did bring her pain, and the effort it took to cover the fact, always left her tired and sad for days.
She’d been able to maintain her distance from him to some extent, but the Nathan Talbot Foundation’s annual auction brought them together each year. Preston would escort her to the auction and diligently stand next to her singing her praises as they socialized. He’d act like the host he believed himself to be in his brother’s stead. And each year she’d swear that next year she was planning a masquerade ball instead of an auction. She never did.
She watched with trepidation as the maître d’ slowly walked Preston toward her booth. He wore black slacks and a sea foam green sweater that made his hazel eyes vivid. He had only the slightest amount of creases on his beautiful face, and his hair was just slightly peppered. He appeared distinguished rather than older. His smile was bright and genuine. His stride was confident and powerful as he spotted her and increased his pace.
Her hands began to shake and she clasped them together on the table top. Her stomach churned, and her heart raced. Her eyes welled with tears as she blinked rapidly to hide any evidence of her reaction. Pasting on a bright smile of her own, she stood to greet her late husband’s identical twin brother.
He pulled her into his arms and exuberantly lifted her off the ground. “You get more beautiful every day,” he said, setting her down gently and kissing her cheek.
She wanted to hold on, to close her eyes and feel his arms around her. Nathan’s arms. She wanted to bury her head in the crook of his shoulder and listen to him say her name in Nathan’s voice. She wanted to cry at the injustice of it all. The living, breathing replica of what her husband would be like if he were with her today. How easy it would be to pretend.
“Preston, it’s so nice to see you.” She smiled and squeezed his hand affectionately.
Sliding back into her seat, she fought the urge to toss back her wine rather than sip it. He slid in across from her. Ordering a glass of wine and taking it upon himself to request another for her, he nodded his thanks to the waitress, laid the menu down, and turned his full attention to Emily.
“So how are things? It feels like forever since we’ve spoken.”
“Things are good. The auction is coming together beautifully thanks to my new assistant. The yard modifications are more than I’d hoped for, and McKenzie should be home in a week or so. How about you?”
“I’m doing great. Business is good, better than good actually. Home sales may be down, and the economy is a bit of a mess, but the rich still want vacation homes, and they still call me to locate them.”
Over dinner of grilled salmon for her and strip steak for him, they continued the small talk of business, McKenzie’s latest venture,
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