Debra & Regan Webb & Black - Her Undercover Defender

“Pardon?”

Good Lord, had he really just said that? Casey wanted him to get close to her, not adopt her. “I’m serious.” He had to be. It was too late to back down. “We’re crazy, sure, but we’re fun. You’ll have a blast.”

“Your sisters will really ramp up the matchmaking attempts if you bring a woman home.”

“Let’s burn that bridge when we get there.” He wasn’t about to let this go, but he waited while the waitress delivered Terri’s choice of steak and bleu cheese and his bowl of lobster mac and cheese in front of him.

“Oh, wow.” She picked up her fork and assembled a bite of cheesy pasta and sliced beef. “This smells delicious.”

“I second that.” He scooped up lobster mac and cheese from his wide bowl. “This is amazing. How’s yours?”

“Fabulous,” she said. “Try a bite.” She nudged her bowl his way.

He indulged her before returning to the previous topic. “What would you tell a patient facing the holidays alone?”

She shook her head. “I’ve never worked the psych ward.”

“No, but you’ve worked every other ward.”

“Almost.”

“Just answer the question.”

“Eat your dinner,” she countered, leading by example and closing her lips around a bite of her cheesy pasta. She pointed to his plate when he hesitated. “Eat.”

He did as she said, and all thought of conversation halted while they enjoyed the excellent food. “This has ruined me for normal mac and cheese,” he said after a few minutes.

“Definitely.” She ate a few more bites of her food, then leaned back and blotted her lips with the napkin. “I’d tell a patient to go be with friends,” she said abruptly. “That doesn’t mean I’ll go to Georgia with you. It’s not the same thing. But I do appreciate the invitation.”

“It’s exactly the same thing.”

She rolled her eyes. “What if your sisters think I’m more than your friend?”

He exaggerated a contemplative expression. “That could have some happy side effects. Think of all the blind dates I wouldn’t have to endure.”

She laughed. “I’m thinking of all the heartbroken women who were looking forward to an evening out with you.”

“Well, you can write up a report of our evening and my sisters can distribute it. Those heartbroken women can live vicariously.” He signaled for the check. “We have a band to catch.”

She reached for her purse to help with the check, but he took care of it. “Chivalry may be dead in some places, but my mama would kill me if I let you pay.”

She held up her hands, surrendering. “I don’t want to be the cause of your demise,” she said, chuckling.

After he’d paid the bill, they headed down the street toward the bar. One of his favorite things about this part of the country was the reliable weather. They had a clear night, with a moon just past full hanging in the sky and an interesting woman at his side. Life was good.

“Thanks for a fantastic dinner,” she said as they walked down King Street toward the bar.

“My pleasure. I’m glad you came with me. It bugs me to eat alone in public,” he confessed.

She glanced up at him. “You must do a lot of cooking, then.”

“I’ve learned a few skills. A guy’s gotta eat.”

“A girl, too,” she said with a grin. “Cooking for one can get old in a hurry, though.”

They joined the line of music fans waiting to enter Benny’s. “Is that a subtle way of inviting me to dinner at your place?”

Her smile stretched wide. “Maybe.”

“Thought so. I eat anything and everything except Brussels sprouts.”

“Even if I roast them in coconut oil?”

“Veggies scented with suntan lotion.” He winced. “That doesn’t sound like a good plan.”

“Then I’ll come up with something better, I promise.”

“Thanks,” he said as they entered the bar and joined the fans eager for Battery Lane to get started. He caught her watching him and asked about it.

“Sorry. I pegged you for more Beach Boys and less Garth Brooks.”

“You think you’re the only one allowed to have eclectic tastes? I like a lot of things,” he teased as he smiled into her pretty face.

The comment brought a warm blush to her cheeks, or maybe that was just the crowd packed tightly all around them. Regardless, it looked good on her. The band took the stage to an enthusiastic roar from the crowd. David was able to relax and enjoy the music and the woman beside him.

Knowing she had an early shift, he kept an eye on the time. He paid their tab and led her outside after the second set. “Want to take a walk down by the water?”

“I’d like that,” she said, turning with him toward the Battery. “It’s a nice evening.”

They strolled past historic mansions glowing with holiday lights until they reached the park at the peninsula. The sound of the water and the gentle breeze coming in off the harbor put a nice cap on what amounted to a perfect evening.

“Did you have fun?”

“I must not have shown it well if you have to ask.” She paused, leaning back against the rail and gazing up into the sky. “I’ve had the best time, David. Thank you. Next time, dinner is on me.”

“That depends,” he hedged.

“On what?”

“On whether the next time we go out it’s a date.”

“Oh.”

He waited for more of a reaction, but she walked on in silence, her face turned away from him, looking at something out in the harbor.

“Did I make you uncomfortable?”

“No. It’s just me,” she said quietly. “Between work and Trey, I haven’t taken much time to socialize.”

“You and I have socialized quite a bit,” he pointed out.

“As friends,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed it.”

“Fair enough.” He let it go, for now. “We don’t have to decide anything tonight.”

Her footsteps slowed, and she pulled her jacket tight across her body. He suddenly wanted to wrap her in his arms and shelter her from the cool breeze and anything else taking aim at her. He shook off the feeling. Friendship was one thing. If he started believing the role he was playing, he was doomed to fail the mission and the woman.

Except this wasn’t just a role, this was his new life. “It should be a date,” he blurted. They stopped again and he studied her face in the moonlight, wishing for some insight.

“It can’t be,” she said.

The depth of his disappointment surprised him. “Why not?”

“Because if this was a date, I’d be nervous and that would ruin it. It’s been ages since I was on a date. Out with a friend is better.”

“All right.” They walked on in silence as he contemplated her logic. “Would you agree that we’re two unattached people taking a stroll that might be interpreted as romantic?”

“By whom?” She glanced around, and the wind caught her hair. She shook it back from her face. “Stop teasing. Let’s just enjoy the moment.”

“I don’t know if I can.” He liked teasing her, liked the sparkle it put in her soft green eyes. “Not having a precise definition for tonight might ruin the evening for me .”

She laughed, giving him a light elbow jab to his side. “That ballad in the last set warped your brain.”

He denied the accusation and changed the subject. “Would you like to go out with me on the boat sometime?”

“As friends?”

That definition was better than pushing for something more that appeared to be destined to backfire. Having spent so much time avoiding serious relationships, he’d never had a girlfriend on his boat. Only guys and family had joined him for fishing or diving. “Friends bring the bait,” he warned as they turned back toward the garage on King Street where he’d parked his car. “That’s my rule.”