David forced a welcoming smile. “Good evening, Ron. What brings you out on the course at this time of night?”
“I was just about to ask you the same question.” The burly man’s gaze shifted from David to July.
“July is staying with my sister Mary Karen while she’s in town.” David performed a quick introduction. “Neither of us were interested in watching the fashion show so I offered to give her a quick tour of the course.”
“Well, welcome to Jackson.” Ron smiled at July then fixed his gaze on David. “Next time let someone know you’re taking a cart out.”
“Will do,” David said.
They talked for several minutes about the fundraiser before Ron glanced at his watch. “I better get back. I’ll leave you two to go back to…admiring the stars.”#p#分页标题#e#
The small smile hovering at the edges of the man’s lips told David he hadn’t fooled Ron at all. The man knew exactly what they’d been doing before he arrived. Or, if not exactly, then close enough.
“It was nice to meet you, Mr. Evans,” July said.
“You too, miss.” The warmth in Ron’s tone took David by surprise. He’d always seemed cool around Celeste. Of course, he hadn’t really had the opportunity to know her.
“Ron,” David said when the man turned to go. This wasn’t really the time to speak of it, but their paths rarely crossed. He didn’t want another month to go by without saying what he’d meant to say that day. “I didn’t get a chance to speak with you at Tim’s funeral, but I hope you know how sorry I am for your loss. Tim was a great guy. I know he would have approved of the organ donations.”
“Tim loved people.” The older man’s voice grew thick. “He would have wanted his death to mean something.”
The older man shifted his gaze briefly to July and nodded. Then, without another word, he hit the accelerator and in seconds he was out of sight.
“What happened to his son?” July spoke in a hushed tone though Ron was no longer in earshot.
“The day Adam was born, Tim died in a motorcycle accident.” David exhaled a breath. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to one day have a son…and the next day not.”
July’s eyes filled with tears. “I don’t even want to think what that would be like.”
It was amazing, he thought, that despite a horrible role model, she’d turned out to be a woman who could shed tears over a man she’d never met.
They sat in silence for several more seconds. Then David leaned over and zipped up her dress.
July shifted her gaze from the darkness to his face. “We better get back.”
“I need to do just one thing first.”
Her brows pulled together. “What?”
“This.” He kissed her firmly on the lips, fighting the urge to linger. Instead, he turned the cart in the direction of the clubhouse and hit the accelerator.
The fashion show was coming to a close when they reached the foyer. July sent David back to the table while she made a detour into the rest room. He’d wanted to wait but she insisted he go back to his seat without her.
Thankfully the ladies lounge was empty. July touched up her makeup then turned her attention to her hair. The cute little updo Mary Karen had done was now an up-and-mostly-down do.
July grimaced and pulled the pins from her hair. She fluffed the tangled strands with her fingers then stared into the mirror with a critical eye. Definitely more casual but at least she didn’t look as if she’d been rolling around the backseat of her boyfriend’s car on prom night.
Boyfriend.
What would it be like to have David as a boyfriend? For a moment she let herself imagine all the fun they’d have, all the places they could go, all the—
The door swung open. “I thought I’d find you hiding out in here.”
July smiled. “Mary Karen, it’s not called hiding out. It’s called ‘freshening up.’ David showed me around the golf course and it was a bit humid.”
“Humid?” Mary Karen’s disbelieving look made July smile.
“How was the fashion show?” she asked before Mary Karen could come up with any more questions.
“Fabulous,” Mary Karen gushed with unexpected enthusiasm. “Lots of beautiful outfits.”
“I’m sorry I missed it,” July said.#p#分页标题#e#
“No, you’re not.” The blonde laughed. “You’d much rather have been ‘surveying’ the golf course with my brother.”
“Perhaps.” July tried to play coy, but her smile gave her away.