Rose’s eyebrows crept up, waiting for the rest. Did she remember the night?
I looked away from her. “I couldn’t walk away. Of all the things she could have been doing at a Christmas party, she was playing with a puppy, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I watched for a minute or two, trying to decide if I should talk to her again or not. Introduce myself again or not. Then a little boy came and took the puppy from her, and she finally came out of the kitchen.” That was where I had to change my story.
“And did you talk to her?” Samantha asked, clearly into it.
“Yes, I did. I told her I wanted us to get married.” Everyone at the table started laughing. My eyes slid to Rose. “She didn’t say yes, of course. I tried everything I could think of, but it didn’t look like she was going to budge.”
Rose’s confusion disappeared and her smile grew. “He really did try, maybe a little too hard, and the entire time he was so serious, so confident, not even a hint of a smile on his face,” she added, joining in telling our made-up story.
I placed my hand on her back and then changed my mind, pulled it back. “She thought I was insane, kept saying it over and over.”
Rose looked around the table. “Who wouldn’t? But I couldn’t walk away, either. As much as I wasn’t taking him seriously, I think anyone would be insane to just walk away from Jack.” She paused. “My husband.”
I took a long sip of the whiskey in front of me. “I wasn’t planning on letting you.” I cleared my throat and avoided her gaze. “I was sure if I came up with the right offer, she’d at least say she’d consider it, but she turned me down each time. Eventually, she agreed to give me her number, but I’m afraid it was just so I would leave her alone. I took out my phone while standing right next to her and called to make sure she wasn’t giving me a fake one. The next day, I called her, and we started talking.”
“He grew on me.” Rose looked at me while she spoke. “He was so different than what I thought he would be. I didn’t know how to act around him.”
“And?” Samantha prompted. “That’s it?”
I turned to Samantha. “If you think I’m going to tell you what happened every day after that—”
“There’s the Jack we know and love.” Samantha shook her head. “God, you got married! I still can’t wrap my mind around it.”
“Be ready to tell this story from the very beginning to Evelyn, too. I’m not going to ruin it for her. You have to finish your sentences as you look into each other’s eyes, too, just like you did now. She lives for this stuff, and she’ll be very pleased to hear that you’re happy, Jack.”
After that, the table slid back into easy conversation as Rose and I mostly stayed silent. Once she had finished her plate, I leaned down to ask if it had been okay just so everyone would think we were having our own private conversation apart from them, like a newly married couple who were very much in love would do, but that was only once. Toward the end of the dinner, after dessert was served and the evening was finally winding down, Samantha spoke up.
“Rose, I’m sorry we ignored you all night. So, tell us more about yourself. Are you working?”
I sent Samantha a warning look, which she completely ignored.
“I’m getting ready to open my own coffee shop,” Rose answered.
“Oh, really? A coffee shop—how cute. Where is it?”
“Madison Avenue.”
“When is the opening?”
“Monday, hopefully. Everything is mostly done, thanks to Jack, of course.”
Surprised, I glanced at Rose, and she gave me a small smile.
“Jack?” Samantha marveled. “What did he do?”
“Apart from handling all the official stuff, he’d been dropping by after work and helping with the things I couldn’t do by myself.”
Giving me a curious look, Samantha propped her head on her hand and leaned forward. “What has he done so far?”
As I turned the whiskey glass on the table, Rose’s eyes slid to me and then back to Samantha. “He painted the walls and helped me move some heavy things around.”
“Wow. Jack painted?”
“Samantha,” I said flatly, giving her a second warning.
“What?” she returned. “I’m making conversation. You can’t have her all to yourself. So, Rose, why didn’t you hire professionals to deal with that stuff?”
“I have a budget, so I’m taking on the things I can do on my own.”
“Jack, why are you not helping your wife with the money rather than offering her actual labor?”
I got as far as opening my mouth to cover for Rose, but she beat me to it. “Because his wife wants to do this on her own. Jack is respecting that, and him offering his help with the manual labor stuff means more to me than if he would have just thrown money at it to get things done. I’m a little old-fashioned like that, I think. It also means we get to spend more time together while working.”
I hid my brief smile by taking a sip of my drink. So she wasn’t afraid to show her claws when she was pushed. That was one of the things I liked about her. Only one of the things. I’d provoked her too many times and had been on the receiving end of her fierceness.
“Jack Hawthorne, the brilliant lawyer painting a coffee shop.” Samantha laughed. “I wish I could’ve seen that. I’m afraid marriage is already not agreeing with you, Jack.”
Surprising me for the second time, Rose looped her arm around mine and rested her chin on my shoulder. This time it was my turn to stiffen, but Rose ignored it and kept her eyes on Samantha. I downed my whiskey.
“You really think so? Please don’t take this the wrong way, Samantha. I’m sure you two had a great time while you were together—I mean, how could you not? Just look at him—but I’m very glad you actually don’t know Jack the way I do. I know he is a private person—that wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, I don’t think—but boy am I relieved he is only like this with me. You’re gorgeous, but I guess I’m the lucky one who got the big prize.”
I started coughing and reached for some water.
George cleared his throat across the table.
“Rose, I hope you’ll join us again another night, when Evelyn will be there, too,” Fred interrupted, trying to cut the tension.
Rose turned to him, her face softening. “I’d love to. I’m looking forward to meeting her.”
While she fell into an easy conversation with Fred, I took the opportunity to focus on Samantha. I didn’t care who could hear us. “Ease off.”
With a smile on her face, she leaned closer. “What are you talking about? I’m just getting to know your wife.”
My lips tightened. “You’re pissing me off, Samantha. That’s all you’re accomplishing here, and I think you already know I’m the last person you want to anger. Don’t play games with me.”
“Oh come on, Jack. Don’t be so touchy. She is adorable, the complete opposite of what I’d expect you would go for, but then again, I wouldn’t expect you to ever get married in the first place. At least it seems like she loves you.”