Cast Iron Conviction (The Cast Iron Cooking Mysteries Book 2) (12 page)

Chapter 15: Annie

T
hank goodness Pat hadn’t asked me about my plans for the evening. I’d been prepared to share it with him if he asked me directly, but I was happy that I could tell him all about it the next day, after the fact. I’d offered to meet Timothy on neutral ground, but he’d insisted on picking me up at the cabin. His suspension could handle it; I knew that he’d driven his truck on rougher roads than my driveway presented, but not by much. Pat called it the great equalizer. If a man wasn’t willing to brave the road to see me, then they were somehow unworthy. What did that say about him, living near a paved parking lot?

I got home and decided to stretch out on the couch before I got ready. It had been a trying twenty-four hours including my class, and then the discovery of Albert Yeats’s body, and it all was finally starting to catch up with me.

I awoke with a start when I heard someone knocking on the front door! I’d fallen asleep! This was disastrous. Trying to rub a little life into my eyes, I answered the door to find Timothy standing there, dressed handsomely in a dark suit and carrying a lovely bouquet of flowers. He looked a little surprised at my appearance, since I was still wearing the jeans and T-shirt that I’d worked in all day. Hiding his immediate reaction as quickly as he could manage, he said, “Apparently I’m overdressed for our date.”

“Come in. I’m so sorry. I fell asleep on the couch.”

“Wow, the anticipation of our date must have been killing you,” he said, and then he realized what he’d just said. “I’m the one who’s sorry, Annie. You’re still in shock over finding Albert’s body, aren’t you? Why don’t we do this some other time?”

“No. I can be ready in five minutes.” I thought about all that I had to do. “Maybe ten at the outside. Would you mind sitting on the sofa while I get ready?”

“Why don’t I sit out on the porch instead? It’s a lovely evening, and that way you can have some privacy while you’re getting ready.”

“Thanks. Usually I love living in this cabin, but sometimes it’s tough to entertain in, it’s so small.”

“Don’t worry; I’m a big boy. I can occupy myself.”

Timothy started to leave when I stopped him. “Are those for me, by any chance?”

It appeared that he’d forgotten all about them. Looking a little flustered, he handed the bouquet to me. “Some entrance I made.”

“Hey, I was asleep. That’s a pretty low bar to beat.” I breathed them in, enjoying the variety of flowers he’d given me. “I love these. They’re all my favorites.”

“Trust me, that wasn’t by accident,” he said with a smile.

“I’ll put them in water, and then I’ll get myself presentable.”

“I’m not saying that you’re not beautiful exactly as you are right now, but they might appreciate it if you wore a dress. The Pines is funny that way.”

“Is that where we’re going?” I asked. Two towns over, the Pines restaurant was the nicest place in seven counties. I’d been planning on wearing a simple dress before, but I was going to have to step up my game.

“Is that okay with you?” he asked me hesitantly.

“Are you kidding? It’s perfect.”

“Good. I’ll be outside.”

After he was gone, I took a quick shower, put on more makeup than I usually wear in a week, and then picked out my nicest dress, a little black number that I reserved for special occasions. If a date with a great guy wasn’t special, then I didn’t know what event would qualify.

I still managed to get ready with thirty seconds to spare.

Timothy whistled softly under his breath when he saw me. “Wow. Just wow. You look absolutely stunning, Annie.”

I felt my cheeks redden slightly from his open admiration. “Thanks. Are you ready to go? Suddenly I’m starving.” So it might not have been the most ladylike response, but it was true. After cooking for other folks all day, it was going to be nice being waited on for a change.

The Pines was just as elegant as I’d remembered, and I was glad that I’d gone the extra mile to dress up. There hadn’t been any awkward lulls on the drive over, something I’d been afraid of. Though we were good friends, there was an underlying tension between us, one of possibilities and promise. It didn’t inhibit our conversation, though.

“Table for two. Roberts,” Timothy told the hostess.

“It will be one moment,” she said. “Feel free to have a seat.”

I was about to turn to do as she’d suggested when I ran into the last person I’d been expecting to see. “Pat, what are you doing here?” My twin brother was wearing his best suit, so he looked good, but Jenna Lance looked absolutely amazing. The old hound dog had a reason of his own for slipping away from Maple Crest for the night.

I couldn’t have been happier about it, especially seeing the expression on my twin brother’s face when he knew that he’d been caught!

Chapter 16: Pat

“A
nnie, what are you doing here?” I asked, incredulous that she was there, tonight of all nights.

“Having dinner, the same as you,” my twin sister said to me, and then she turned to Jenna. “I’ve got to say, you look absolutely incredible.”

She smiled at the compliment. “I think we both clean up rather nicely, don’t you?”

Annie nodded in agreement, and then she turned back to me. “Great minds think alike, don’t they?”

I had to laugh. Leave it to the pair of us to try to keep a secret from each other! “Timothy, how are you doing?”

“I’m fine. You two wouldn’t like to sit with us, would you?”

It was the most insincere offer I’d ever received in my life, and I knew how painful it had been for Timothy to make it. “Thanks, but I see plenty of Annie during the day.” I turned to her and said, “No offense intended.”

“None taken,” she said, and then she stuck her tongue out at me.

I had to laugh, which was awkward, since neither Jenna nor Timothy had seen her do it.

I stepped past them and told the hostess, “Marsh, party of two.”

“As I told them earlier, it will be just a minute,” she said.

“Fine.” I turned to Jenna and said softly, “You really do look spectacular tonight.”

“Stop saying that,” she said with a giggle that told me she wasn’t all that unhappy about hearing it again. “You’re going to make me think it’s true.”

Didn’t the woman own a mirror? I was about to say something when Timothy spoke up. “I think you look great, too.” The moment he said it, I looked at Annie to see how she would react. I prepared myself for the blast, but she just nodded in agreement. I doubt anyone else even saw her bite her lower lip for a moment. Timothy had better do some digging, and soon, if he was going to get himself out of that hole. At least he realized it as well. “I have to say, you’re the second prettiest woman here tonight, and I’m lucky enough to be taking the winner out myself.”

Annie frowned for a moment, and then she laughed. “Relax, Timothy. You’re doing just fine.”

The relief on her date’s face was obvious.

The hostess summoned them, and after a set of hasty good-byes, they were on their way. “That was a little awkward, wasn’t it?” I asked Jenna.

She studied me closely before she answered. “It was obviously a surprise to your sister to find us out together. I’m curious about why you didn’t tell her we were going out on a date, Patrick.”

It was rarely good when someone used my full first name. I said the only thing I could think of, the complete and unvarnished truth. “I didn’t want to take a chance on jinxing my good fortune by telling anyone about it,” I said. “Plus, I’ve been so excited about our date that I wanted to keep it just for me.”

Jenna’s expression softened instantly. “I believe that’s one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me.”

It appeared that I’d dodged a bullet, at least for now.

But the evening was still young.

The food was delicious, enhanced by the company and the surroundings. I found myself warming to Jenna with each passing moment, and by the time the bill arrived, I had a feeling that my life was about to take an extremely interesting turn.

And then, on our way out, things got complicated.

“Pat? Hello. How are you? You look nice.”

It was Molly Fennel, the past love of my life who had broken my heart one too many times. What was she doing here?

“Hi, Molly,” I said. “Do you know Jenna Lance?”

“Of course,” she said. “How are you, Jenna?”

“I’m fine,” she said.

Molly had been there alone, but two other women from town soon joined her. All of them were dressed nicely, out for a ladies’ night, no doubt.

“Well, we’d better get going,” I said as I put a hand instinctively on Jenna’s waist to lead her past. It did not go unnoticed, though that hadn’t been my intent.

We gave the valet our ticket for my car, and while we were waiting, Jenna looked at me a moment before she spoke. “This seems to be an evening of unexpected surprises, doesn’t it?”

I nodded, not really knowing what else to say.

Jenna looked as though she was going to try again, but then she must have decided not to. The car came in due time, and soon we were driving back to Maple Crest.

“It’s not fair, you know,” Jenna said softly after we’d been on the road for a few minutes.

“What’s that?”

“She had her chance with you, and she threw it away.”

“Jenna, I’m over her. That part of my life is finished.”

“Pat, you should have seen the way you looked at her. I might as well not have even been there. You still have feelings for her. It’s okay. You can admit it. I don’t mind.”

I frowned before I trusted myself to speak. It had been a jolt seeing Molly, I couldn’t deny it, but she’d made it clear that we were through. Though her cousin had tried to convince me otherwise, it was apparent when nothing else happened that he’d been wrong. I couldn’t be the one always pursuing her.

“At least be an adult and talk to me,” Jenna said. “Do you still love her?”

I spotted a place to pull over, so I did. Once I had the engine off, I unsnapped my seatbelt, leaned over, and kissed her soundly.

Wow. After a moment’s hesitation, she threw herself into it, and in less than a minute, I’d forgotten all about Molly Fennel and our history together.

When we finally broke apart, Jenna giggled before she said, “Okay, that’s one way to answer my question.”

“Is it a way you approve of?” I asked.

“Absolutely. I have to admit that I was feeling pretty vulnerable before you kissed me.”

“And now?”

She smiled brightly. “What do you think?”

“Should I start driving again, or should we try it again to make sure that the first one wasn’t a fluke?” I asked her, returning her smile with one of my own.

“You’d better. I’d hate for you to get a ticket on my account.”

As I pulled back out onto the highway, I said, “If I did, it would be worth every penny the fine cost me.”

The goodnight kiss at her door was even better, and when I finally left Jenna’s front porch, I was starting to feel like a new man again.

That lasted until I got back to the Iron, when I found someone unexpected waiting for me there.