Lacey hesitated, confusion glazing her eyes. “Yes.”
Mick nodded. “Well, I do. And because I do, I can’t help feeling like you deserve a lot better than me. A life with me is just filled with a lot of instability. And your life is here, in Annapolis, right?”
“I guess. I mean, my career is here. My friends are here. But I never really thought I’d stay here forever, if that’s what you mean.”
Mick brightened. “Really?” The ring box in his pocket was suddenly burning a hole in the side of his pants.
“Right now, it’s just the only choice I really have,” she continued.
Mick’s palms were sweating like faucets. He hadn’t been this nervous on his last SEAL mission. Almost laughing, he wiped them on his napkin. “Well, maybe you do have some other choices.” He stopped again and shook his head, frustrated. “It’s just that, Lacey—”
“Lacey?”
Mick stopped abruptly as a woman approached their table.
Lacey’s expression immediately changed as she glanced up at the woman. Her game face was on, Mick noticed. It must be a client.
“Mrs. Templeman.” Lacey extended her hand. “It’s so good to see you. Mick, this is Mrs. Templeman. I listed her property in Harbor’s Edge community.”
“Of course.” Mick had already risen from his chair to shake her hand. “Lacey’s talked about your property. It sounds stunning.”
“Only because Lacey staged it that way. Almost makes me want to stay in the house, except that I’m so anxious to move to Hawaii.” The woman beamed. “Meeting Lacey at my mother’s funeral was the only good thing that happened that day.”
Mick watched all expression fall from Lacey’s face. She swayed a little in her chair, as though chugging that glass of Chardonnay had been a huge mistake.
Mick tilted his head in Lacey’s direction. “You knew her mother?”
Barreling on, the older woman touched Lacey’s shoulder in a maternal gesture. “It was so good of her to come that day. You know, not many people were even there. Mom didn’t have many friends toward the end since she had outlived them all. And we really are a small family.”
Lacey’s smile strained. “I was glad to be there.”
“Well, I don’t want to take up any more of your evening together,” Mrs. Templeman said with a brief nod to the waiter as he started to place their dinner entrees in front of them. “I just thought I’d say hello. Have a lovely evening. And you take good care of her,” she finished pointedly at Mick. “She’s a peach.”
Looking nauseous, Lacey stared at the salmon in front of her.
“Are you okay?” Taking her hand, Mick made a mental note to remind Lacey not to drink on an empty stomach. Her face was ashen and her hands clammy.
“Fine.” She pulled her hand away and grabbed her water glass.
“She owns that new waterfront listing you have, right? The gated one?”
Lacey nodded.
“When did her mother die?”
Lacey shrugged. “Oh, a few months ago.”
“I didn’t know that someone you knew had died. I’m sorry, Lacey. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Still staring at her plate, Lacey’s whisper was barely audible. “I didn’t actually know her, Mick.” Mick could see her throat caught in a long, hard swallow. “Back when I was really desperate for some good listings, I’d sort of go to funerals to meet people.”
Mick was mystified. “To meet people? At funerals?”
“Well, um, yes. People at funerals sometimes end up at a place in their lives where they want to sell their property. You know, to find something smaller. Or cash in on their inheritance.”
“Oh.” Mick scooped some potatoes au gratin onto his fork. Something clicked in his brain. Loudly. More like a bomb going off than a click, actually. “You mean, to meet the widows?”
“Or widowers. Or remaining family members.” Lacey wary eyes finally met his. “Like Mrs. Templeman. She had been living with her elderly mother when she died and was anxious to finally move on with her life.”
Realization dawning, a burning sensation sizzled in Mick’s throat. “Or like Mrs. B?”
Lacey just stared at him.
“Lacey, did you know Doc?”
She looked out the window. “I knew of him.”
Pulse racing, Mick slammed his fist on the table causing heads to turn. “Don’t give me that bullshit.”
Lacey’s eyes flared. “Let me finish. I did know of him. I read about him. That’s the truth. But that’s it. No, I never met him.” She took a deep breath. “And yes, I crashed his funeral hoping that maybe Edith might be interested in selling her property down the line.”