Familiar Stranger

Cara turned away, muttering something beneath her breath as she finished dressing.

David arched an eyebrow as he smiled. “Those are pretty salty words for such a pretty lady.”

She purposefully ignored him, which made him smile even more. This woman was a far cry from the girl he’d left behind. He was falling in love all over again.

“I’ll finish dressing now,” he said.

She almost glared. “Are you making fun of me?”

“No, ma’am.”

She sighed. “Yes, you are.”

“What would it take for you to change the subject?” he asked.

She lifted her chin, refusing to smile. “I’m going to the living room. When you’re ready, I will be waiting.” Then she marched out of the bedroom, leaving him on his own.

David hesitated briefly, then grabbed his wallet and keys before following her exit. This might be new and uncharted territory for him, but damned if he wasn’t looking forward to it.

Tearoom, indeed.

Two hours and a half dozen errands later, they walked into the restaurant. Almost immediately, Cara saw people she knew. They waved a hello, and she could tell by the looks on their faces that their curiosity was raised by the man at her side.

Earlier, she’d almost lost his company when she had gone into the hair salon to pick up a bottle of her favorite shampoo. One of the stylists had flirted, which he’d calmly ignored, but when the shampoo girl came by and pinched his behind, Cara thought he was going to bolt. Cara had calmly told the girl to go molest someone else, which had made everyone laugh, including David. After that, the rest of the morning had been fairly innocuous. But now there was this. She glanced at David, judging his expression. To her surprise, he was looking at her.

“What do you think?” Cara asked.

“It smells good in here,” he said.

She smiled. “The food tastes as good as it smells.”

“Then I think you made the right choice, and I think those people at the table near the window are trying to get your attention.”

Cara sighed. “Yes, I know. What do I do…about you, I mean?”

An eyebrow arched. “What do you want to do…about me, I mean?”

She grinned. “One thing has certainly changed since I first knew you. You have a wicked sense of humor. Now be serious. Is it, uh, safe to introduce you as David or should I—”

David slid his hand along the length of her spine and gave her a gentle push in their direction.

“I am who I am. If it was dangerous for me to surface, I damn sure wouldn’t have brought it to you.”

She looked startled, and he realized she hadn’t considered that aspect of his life having a negative impact on hers.

“Cara! Dear! How wonderful to see you.”

Cara smiled. Obviously they’d stood too long at the door waiting to be seated. Her friend Debra Shay had been too curious to wait.

“Good to see you, too,” Cara said.

“Well…aren’t you going to introduce me?” Debra asked, and then glanced coyly at David.

Cara smiled. “If you promise not to pinch him on the backside, I will.”

Debra giggled and patted David’s arm in commiseration. “Oh, no! You must have been at Ream’s Salon. That Janis female is lethal around good-looking men.”

David smiled. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said smoothly. “I’m David Wilson. It’s a pleasure to meet one of Cara’s friends.”

“David, this is Debra Shay,” Cara said. “Ray worked with her husband, Roy.”

David nodded congenially while thinking that he felt like he was playing a part. Normal chit-chat, ordinary people, having lunch in a tearoom in Chiltingham, New York. It was a far cry from subterfuge and espionage. And then the hostess arrived and the moment ended.

“I’m sorry for the delay,” she said. “Please follow me.”

“Nice to meet you,” Debra gushed, giggling again as David and Cara were shown to their table.

David seated Cara, then took the chair beside her. As soon as the hostess left, he took Cara’s hand.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

She made herself smile. “No.”

“Why do I feel like there’s a but just waiting to come out?”

She sighed. “Because there is.”

“Then what?”

“This doesn’t feel real.”

He started to smile, which was the last thing Cara would have expected him to do.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

“I’d forgotten that we used to think alike.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just a few moments ago I was thinking the very same thing. I feel like I’m acting a part and any minute now someone is going to yell cut and I’m going to turn back into—”

He caught himself before he said the word Jonah and looked away, but the message was clear. Cara put her hands over his and gave them a squeeze.

“It’s all right, darling,” she said quietly. “If you’re uncomfortable, we can go home. I’ll make us some sandwiches and we can—”

“Hell, no. I’m not fragile, just out of practice,” he said, and then handed her a menu. “Now, tell me what’s good.”

The smile on her face was worth every uncomfortable moment he’d had thus far. When she bent her head to study the menu, he watched her changing expression as devoutly as he’d watched the sunrises over the Rockies. He didn’t know how this journey was going to end, but he would never be sorry he’d made it.