Page 29 of Postmarked December
The car stopped and let them out.
“What do I owe you for the ride?” she asked.
Nick shrugged her off. “Don’t worry about it. It’s easier if I just pay.”
The restaurant occupied a narrow corner of one of the city’s historic districts, its tall windows glowing warmly against the dark stone of the building, trimmed with garlands of fresh pine and oversized red velvet ribbons. Inside, a towering Christmas tree stood near the bar, with understated gold ornaments and trimming that echoed the marble-topped tables and dark-wood chairs.
Nick held the door open for her. The air carried the rich fragrances of garlic, truffle oil, and fresh basil.
Nick gave his name to the hostess, who took them past the open kitchen, where chefs in crisp white coats worked at a stainless-steel counter in front of wood-fired ovens. One of them slid a pizza onto the silver pass, where the waiters retrieved it. It steamed, arranged with a sprig of basil and rosemary like carefully composed art—charred at the edges, lavishly topped with various meats and vegetables. The waitstaff hustled around amid the quiet warmth of the holiday season.
Nick pulled out her chair, and she took a seat. He was a perfect gentleman. He’d been in the lobby waiting for her, he’d planned lunch, and he’d taken care of the ride over. She hadn’t done a thing to deserve his attention. She’d been quiet, not forthcoming—skittish, really. Yet he never offered anything other than genuine kindness. She should stop tiptoeing around and get to know him more.
Once they were settled, before her nerves got the better of her, Heather dove right in. “You never told me your last name. What is it?”
He placed his cloth napkin in his lap as a waiter filled their glasses with water. “Monroe.”
The man took their drink orders. They both got a soda.
When they were alone again, Nick picked up his menu. “What looks good to you?”
She suddenly worried that she’d overstepped, even though she’d only asked his last name. But once she knew that, she could find him and vice versa. “You don’t want to know my last name?”
He peered over his menu. “I figured you’d offer it if you wanted to tell me.” He set down his menu and made eye contact. “At dinner last night, you didn’t seem super excited to talk about yourself, so I figured you were a private person.”
“It’s Hart,” she said. “Heather Hart.” She mentally braced herself for the recognition that happened whenever she gave Toby’s last name.
He gazed at her, a small smile playing at the edges of his lips. She’d made him happy by sharing something so basic. And, to her delight, he didn’t show any signs of knowing who she was. If he wasn’t terribly versed in Toby’s personal life, which from all accounts he probably wasn’t, he wouldn’t know that Toby had a wife named Heather. So the connection had been lost on him. Perfect.
“What were you like as a kid?” she asked.
His grin widened. “You’re talkative today.”
“If I’m going to have a third meal with someone, I want to get to know who I’m eating with. One meal is a fluke. The second, a product of good timing. But the third… That changes things.”
He lit up with interest.
“So, what were you like as a child?”
“As a kid, I talked a lot.”
She laughed. “I could see that.”
“I grew up at Old Hickory Lake, though, which taught me how to pause and listen, how to notice when someone needed quiet instead of noise.” He sobered, some unknown thought coming to him. “I learned that even the smallest splash I made in that water could reach farther than expected. I never tossed a stone without considering how far the ripples would travel.”
“Are you talking about the lake or something else?” she asked.
His gaze met hers, an undisclosed answer hanging on his lips, as if he wanted to tell her a deep, dark secret.
Two sodas appeared in front of them. “Are you all ready to order?”
The question tore through the conversation, and they both rushed to find a suitable option in their menus.
“I’ll do the spinach and feta personal-size pizza,” she said, choosing the first thing she landed on.
“That sounds delicious,” Nick agreed. “I’ll have the same.”
“I’ll get those in for you.”
