“I thought I’d get some crackers and cheese. Maybe veggies and hummus.”
“I thought you didn’t like hummus.”
“I like anything you like.”
She seized his olive branch with a rush of gratitude. “Well, I like dressing up and going out,” she hinted heavily. “I haven’t gone out in forever.”
“Then why don’t I pick you up at eighteen hundred hours tomorrow, and we’ll go to the party together?”
She would prefer to go anywhere else in the world than to a party where his teammates were bound to regard her with contempt. Still, beggars could not be choosers. “Okay,” she agreed.
“See you tomorrow then. Bye.”
The phone clicked in her ear making her wonder if Vinny was as eager to get together as she’d initially perceived. Perhaps she’d projected her desire onto him? Either way, the dark cloud that had been hanging over her head just minutes earlier had disappeared. Suddenly, the future looked worth living.
*
Vinny frowned at his reflection in the bathroom mirror as he wrestled with his necktie. The gaunt, narrow face of the man looking back at him testified to how miserable he’d been without Lia in his life. Not feeling like he had the right to call her, not hearing the sound of her voice for weeks on end had nearly killed him. Sure, he’d been away from her plenty of times before for work, but he’d always managed to do sporadic video conferencing and the occasional phone call. The knowledge that she was waiting for him had made separation bearable.
Remembering her phone call yesterday, he marveled at his restraint. He’d wanted to sob with relief that she’d finally called him. Instead, he’d held it together long enough to secure a date with her the next night and then he’d quickly hung up before his emotions betrayed him. His patience had finally paid off! Christ, giving her the space to grieve their baby and to realize how much their marriage meant to her had been the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life. And Vinny had faced some enormous challenges.
I’ve got her now, though, he assured his harried reflection. “Fucking tie.” He tugged it apart and started over.
Tonight was the turning point in their present situation. Nervousness fizzed in his belly. He hoped to God he’d gotten the details right, or she might yet slip from his grasp again. To bolster his confidence, he considered the news he had to share with her, confident that it would help to bring her home. She’d soon be back in his life, back in his bed, right where she belonged.
*
“Won’t we be late for the party?” Ophelia asked as Vinny pointed his Civic away from the beachfront toward Norfolk.
“Nah, they’re starting later this year. I wanted to take you somewhere else first.” His dark gaze trekked in her direction, lingering with appreciation on her figure-hugging, fire-engine red velvet dress.
She was glad now that she’d dressed to kill. Looking like a million bucks, as her sister said, gave her the confidence she needed to portray herself as the changed woman that she was, a woman worthy of her husband.
For his part, Vinny didn’t seem to have too much to say. She studied him surreptitiously as they screamed down Highway 264. Looking debonair in his black suit and bright red Christmas tie, it was nonetheless apparent that he’d lost some weight. Did that mean he’d been as miserable as she’d been?
Ten minutes later, he drove his car onto a ramp exiting toward the Norfolk Waterfront. “Just where are you taking me?” she inquired, her curiosity growing.
“Can’t tell you. It’s a surprise.”
Anticipation bubbled in her breast. “Something tells me we’re not going to the XO’s party,” she wagered, admiring the pretty Christmas lights twinkling on the boardwalk. Even on Christmas Eve, Town Point Park and Waterside Mall attracted a healthy crowd of visitors.
“What makes you say that?” He swung into a parking lot near the marina and killed the engine. “I thought we’d just take a walk first.”
He popped out of the car and was opening her door before she could question him further. “Button up,” he said, taking it upon himself to fasten the top two buttons of her coat. The brush of his knuckles against her chin made her heart melt. Penny and Joe tolerated her company, but only Vinny ever coddled her. When he reached for her hand, it was all she could do not to hang onto him like a teenager in her first crush.
He drew her past a row of brightly lit specialty boutiques and a restaurant emitting a delicious aroma, but he didn’t slow his pace until they neared the marina where sailboats rocked gently at their moorings. Their masts, strung with festive Christmas lights, swayed back and forth. The Spirit of Norfolk cruise ship gleamed like a porcelain gravy dish floating on the dark river. “Let’s go on board,” Vinny suggested, stepping up to the ticket kiosk.