withheld information? And was the distinction even relevant? Obviously she didn’t know anything about the man if he’d kept such a monumental secret from her.
Maybe it was her fault. Maybe she hadn’t asked the right questions. The next time she met a guy, she was going to ask him point-blank: do you have any wives or kids I should know about?
She climbed the stairs toward the back of the theater and squeezed down the aisle toward Holly.
Her friend looked puzzled when Rachel dropped into the seat beside her. “Popcorn?”
She winced. “I’m sorry.”
“You went to get popcorn...and you forgot the popcorn?”
“I ran into Andrew on my way to the concession stand.” She shook her head. “No, not just Andrew. Andrew and his daughter.”
Holly frowned. “I didn’t know he had a kid.”
“Neither did I.”
“Oh.”
Rachel nodded.
“I’m sorry, Rach.”
She nodded again. She was sorry, too. Sorry and sad and angry. She’d honestly thought that he was different, that he was a good guy who might not trample all over her heart. She’d been wrong.
She drew in a deep breath and forced herself to push all thoughts of Andrew Garrett to the back of her mind. The previews were just starting, so she figured the line at the concession stand would be gone. “I’ll go get our snacks now,” she whispered to Holly.
But her friend shook her head. “Forget the popcorn. After the movie, we’re going to Marg & Rita’s.”
* * *
Marg & Rita’s was one of downtown Charisma’s hidden gems. Tucked beside the library and in the shadow of the town hall, it wasn’t obvious to someone who didn’t know it was there. But anyone who lived or worked in the downtown core knew about it.
The restaurant was owned by two women—neither of them named Marg or Rita—and boasted authentic Mexican cuisine and more than twenty-five different flavors of margaritas.
The male waiter offered menus, but Rachel and Holly already knew what they wanted: a plate of nachos supreme and two traditional margaritas. Their beverages were delivered almost immediately, and Rachel lifted the glass to her lips to take a long sip of the tart icy drink.
“I’ve been thinking about this,” Holly said, after she’d sampled her own margarita. “Maybe it’s not as big a deal as you think.”
“He has a child—I’m not sure any deal gets bigger than that.”
“But you like kids,” her friend reminded her.
“I do,” she agreed. “The issue isn’t his daughter...it’s that he didn’t tell me about his daughter.”
“He told you he’d been married. You didn’t think to ask if they had any kids?”
“No—I was too busy empathizing over the fact that his wife had died.”
Holly winced. “Okay. I can see how that might have deflected any further inquiries.”
The waiter delivered a heaping plate of crisp tortilla chips layered with spicy ground beef, onions, tomatoes and jalapeños, and covered in melted cheese.
“Thank God—I’m starving,” Holly said.
“Or you could thank the waiter,” Rachel suggested drily.
Her friend glanced up at the server and gave him a wide smile. “Thank you—sincerely.”
“You’re welcome.” He returned the smile.
Rachel lifted her glass to her lips and realized it was empty.
“Can I bring you ladies another round?”
“Yes, please.” One of the other great things about Marg & Rita’s was that it was within easy walking distance of Rachel’s apartment.
Holly dug into the plate of nachos with enthusiasm. Although it was one of Rachel’s favorite menu items, too, she wasn’t feeling very hungry tonight. But she put a couple of chips on her plate and nibbled on them.
“Getting back to the topic of our conversation,” Holly said, and popped a jalapeño in her mouth. “I just think you should consider giving Andrew a chance to explain before you write him off completely.”
“Okay.” Rachel dunked a chip in sour cream. “Considered and discarded.”
Her friend shook
Maybe it was her fault. Maybe she hadn’t asked the right questions. The next time she met a guy, she was going to ask him point-blank: do you have any wives or kids I should know about?
She climbed the stairs toward the back of the theater and squeezed down the aisle toward Holly.
Her friend looked puzzled when Rachel dropped into the seat beside her. “Popcorn?”
She winced. “I’m sorry.”
“You went to get popcorn...and you forgot the popcorn?”
“I ran into Andrew on my way to the concession stand.” She shook her head. “No, not just Andrew. Andrew and his daughter.”
Holly frowned. “I didn’t know he had a kid.”
“Neither did I.”
“Oh.”
Rachel nodded.
“I’m sorry, Rach.”
She nodded again. She was sorry, too. Sorry and sad and angry. She’d honestly thought that he was different, that he was a good guy who might not trample all over her heart. She’d been wrong.
She drew in a deep breath and forced herself to push all thoughts of Andrew Garrett to the back of her mind. The previews were just starting, so she figured the line at the concession stand would be gone. “I’ll go get our snacks now,” she whispered to Holly.
But her friend shook her head. “Forget the popcorn. After the movie, we’re going to Marg & Rita’s.”
* * *
Marg & Rita’s was one of downtown Charisma’s hidden gems. Tucked beside the library and in the shadow of the town hall, it wasn’t obvious to someone who didn’t know it was there. But anyone who lived or worked in the downtown core knew about it.
The restaurant was owned by two women—neither of them named Marg or Rita—and boasted authentic Mexican cuisine and more than twenty-five different flavors of margaritas.
The male waiter offered menus, but Rachel and Holly already knew what they wanted: a plate of nachos supreme and two traditional margaritas. Their beverages were delivered almost immediately, and Rachel lifted the glass to her lips to take a long sip of the tart icy drink.
“I’ve been thinking about this,” Holly said, after she’d sampled her own margarita. “Maybe it’s not as big a deal as you think.”
“He has a child—I’m not sure any deal gets bigger than that.”
“But you like kids,” her friend reminded her.
“I do,” she agreed. “The issue isn’t his daughter...it’s that he didn’t tell me about his daughter.”
“He told you he’d been married. You didn’t think to ask if they had any kids?”
“No—I was too busy empathizing over the fact that his wife had died.”
Holly winced. “Okay. I can see how that might have deflected any further inquiries.”
The waiter delivered a heaping plate of crisp tortilla chips layered with spicy ground beef, onions, tomatoes and jalapeños, and covered in melted cheese.
“Thank God—I’m starving,” Holly said.
“Or you could thank the waiter,” Rachel suggested drily.
Her friend glanced up at the server and gave him a wide smile. “Thank you—sincerely.”
“You’re welcome.” He returned the smile.
Rachel lifted her glass to her lips and realized it was empty.
“Can I bring you ladies another round?”
“Yes, please.” One of the other great things about Marg & Rita’s was that it was within easy walking distance of Rachel’s apartment.
Holly dug into the plate of nachos with enthusiasm. Although it was one of Rachel’s favorite menu items, too, she wasn’t feeling very hungry tonight. But she put a couple of chips on her plate and nibbled on them.
“Getting back to the topic of our conversation,” Holly said, and popped a jalapeño in her mouth. “I just think you should consider giving Andrew a chance to explain before you write him off completely.”
“Okay.” Rachel dunked a chip in sour cream. “Considered and discarded.”
Her friend shook
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