Vanessa's Match by Judy Christenberry Page A

here. If I needed help, they’d come. Out there, the only person we could call on was our neighbor and…well, she had the hots for John.”
    “Now, honey, there’s no need to tell Rick all our problems,” John said hurriedly, anxiety obvious under his forced laugh.
    Vanessa immediately stepped in and changed the subject, much to Rick’s relief. “Well, I guess I don’t have to sell you on Dallas, since you’re already from here. It’s a great city, isn’t it?”
    Fortunately, the waiter arrived to take their drink orders and tell them the specials.
    “Everything sounds wonderful,” Hillary said when he left. “With the kids we don’t go out much, and when we do it’s nothing fancy like this.”
    Rick smiled at her obvious delight. “Then I’mglad we’re all out tonight. This restaurant is famous, and rightly so.”
    Vanessa was surprised to find herself appreciating Rick’s easy manner and how quickly he made the Williamses so comfortable. They’d come close to disaster a few minutes earlier. She’d done her best to steer the conversation in the right direction, but it was Rick who set the tone now. In no time they were all relaxing over drinks.
    She was actually enjoying herself, but she’d also warmed to their conversation in the car earlier. And now she was finding more depth to Rick and appreciating his ease in social situations.
    Which made her nervous.
    She began to see him as a danger zone. For one, he was way too handsome. But she’d assumed, as with other good-looking men, that he would be fixated on himself, and much to her surprise, he seemed more interested in other people. And for another, his attention to her was too flattering. An inner voice kept telling her not to be affected but wasn’t sure she was heeding the warning.
    “Honey, have you decided what you’ll have?”
    She looked up in surprise. Was Rick talking to her?
    With his dark eyes gazing into hers, she suddenly lost her train of thought. She swallowed back a gulp and somehow remembered something on the menu. The endearment meant nothing, she told herself. They were playing their roles.
    The foursome chatted during the appetizers, Vanessa telling Hillary how Dallas had changed since she’d moved away. Her occupying the spouse gave Rick an opportunity to speak to John about the Austin Group. From what Vanessa overheard, she thought John had a good grasp of the corporation.
    “How long have you two been dating?”
    She almost choked on a shrimp at Hillary’s question. What was she supposed to answer?
    Fortunately Rick had heard the question and turned to answer. “Not long,” he said. “I just met her a couple of weeks ago.”
    “Really? You two seem so in tune to each other’s needs, it’s amazing it’s been such a short relationship,” Hillary said. “You seem as comfortable together as we are.”
    “I don’t think Rick needs any encouragement, Hillary,” Vanessa hurriedly said. “He knows me for what I am.”
    Both John and Hillary looked at Rick.
    “I can assure you I’m moving as fast as I can,” Rick said with a smile. “But Vanessa is a lady who won’t be rushed, no matter how much I try.” He winked.
    “How true,” Vanessa said smoothly, ignoring the gesture.
    To her relief, the waiter appeared with their meals and the conversation turned to food.
     
    T HEY HAD MOVED ON TO COFFEE and dessert when Rick noticed something different about the evening. This was the part of the meal where Sharon would have been flirting either with him or with John, making their conversation impossible. Instead, Vanessa sat through story after story about Hillary’s children, even endured their baby pictures, all the time looking interested.
    Just as he was counting his blessings, he caught some movement over Hillary’s shoulder.
    It couldn’t be.
    It was.
    Sharon was talking to the maître d’ and pointing at their table.
    He leaned in close to Vanessa, inhaling the smell of her perfume, and whispered,