Page 20 of Agent of the Heart (Hearts in Hawthorne #3)

Chapter

Thirteen

D arby was having the time of her life. Not just because of what they were doing.

Because she was doing it with Jace.

They drove to nearby White Rock Lake, which they had been able to see from the DeGolyer House.

Jace parked, and they went to the trail which encircled the lake.

Though it was afternoon and mid-week, there were several people out enjoying the fine weather, with joggers, walkers, and moms pushing strollers. Even a few rollerbladers passed them.

Jace threaded his fingers through hers, and Darby felt a blanket of calm envelop her. She wanted to keep things light between them, but these small gestures of his continued to steal pieces of her heart.

As they strolled along the path, he said, “We can walk part of this if you’d like, but I know we’ve already done our fair share of walking at the arboretum.”

“I never mind walking,” she said. “I enjoy it, especially walking outdoors. Besides, we’re both in great shape.” She deliberately pushed away thoughts of just how great his shape was.

“We do have two other options available to us,” he explained. “We can rent bikes and ride them around the lake if you’d like that.”

“Ooh, I haven’t been on a bike in ages. That sounds like a lot of fun.”

“Duly noted. Or we could rent kayaks and take them out on the water.”

She beamed at him. “Now, you’re talking, Tanner. I love to kayak. I haven’t been in over a year. Are you up for that?”

“I want to do whatever makes you happy, Darby,” Jace said quietly, causing a tingle to dance along her spine.

He consulted his phone and told her they had a few minutes’ walk to get to the kayak rental stand.

“I suppose I have Elena to thank as much as you for today,” she said.

“She did help arrange a few things. Making the reservations for the kayak and bikes. Helping to arrange the private tour at the DeGolyer House.”

“And don’t forget the heavenly basket of food and wine for our picnic,” she reminded. “You have a real gem in Elena.”

“I saw tremendous potential in her when we worked together at a different sports agency. Put my time in a few places, learning the ropes. I thought she was being underused and undervalued, so when I started TTM, I asked her to come along for the ride. She understood it would be a drop in pay at the beginning, until I signed enough clients. With her help, though, we got off to a quick start. Elena has a very warm, welcoming presence which puts the clients at ease. She’s probably the smartest person I know, and I’m including myself when I say that.

Frankly, I don’t know how much longer she’ll want to work for me.

I can see her branching out on her own, and I would support her one hundred percent if she did. ”

Darby liked hearing that. Many men were jealous of the success of women or held them down, preventing them from progressing up the ladder. The fact that Jace was so supportive of Elena spokes volumes about his character. The more she got to know him, the more she liked him.

And liking him too much wasn’t an option.

She reminded herself that she was taking things a day at a time. That the goal was to enjoy this one, perfect day with him and cherish whatever memories came from it.

At the kayak stand, he gave the clerk his name, and they were led to a group of kayaks. She chose once which was sky blue, while Jace went for a fire engine red one. They were provided with life jackets and slipped into them, buckling them up before taking their oars and kayaks to the water’s edge.

Once they had both pushed off and had paddled away from the shore, they floated side by side for a few minutes, with Jace pointing out a few things to her. Darby was itching for more of a workout, though, and began paddling, with Jace following, his strokes long and even.

They were out on the water for two hours, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying being out in nature on a beautiful day.

She would have to think about buying a kayak and using it on Lake Hawthorne once she moved to Texas.

It would be easy to talk Kelby into going with her since her friend loved the water so much.

Maybe even Sawyer would enjoy kayaking with her.

As a former college athlete, her brother was adept at every sport he tried.

Jace checked his watch. “We need to head back,” he informed her. “I have something planned after this, and we can’t be late for it.”

She smiled at him. “I don’t see how today could get any better.”

“Hold that thought.”

They reached the shoreline and stepped from their kayaks. Jace whipped out his phone and took a selfie of them by the water before they dragged the kayaks back to the rental stand. They removed their life jackets and handed them over, thanking the worker for the use of the kayaks.

“Anytime,” he said cheerfully. “We’re here seven days a week.”

Darby walked with Jace back to his car, saying, “I’m tired but in a good way. That was a good workout. I’m sure my shoulders and arms will be a little sore tomorrow.”

“The next thing we’ll do will relax you,” he promised. “And help with the soreness.”

Though she was curious about that activity, she decided to go with the flow and be surprised.

Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to a building surrounded by lush landscaping. No signs adorned it, so Darby had no idea what the place was.

Once inside, she quickly figured out that it was a spa from the décor and the Zen vibe. Jace was warmly greeted by the receptionist.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Tanner. We have everything waiting for your couples massage.”

Darby now knew she was definitely in a world much different from her own. She had only had one massage in her life, using a gift certificate she had received years ago. While she had thoroughly enjoyed the experience, splurges such as massages and facials were beyond her modest salary.

They were escorted to an area and into a private room, where they were given fluffy robes and asked to disrobe.

Darby suddenly felt shy around Jace. She appreciated when he turned his back to her and pulled his T-shirt over his head.

She turned and did the same, hurriedly removing her clothing, slipping into the plush robe which felt luxurious against her bare skin.

The room had two chairs and a small table between them. Soft instrumental music was being piped in. Jace took a seat, and Darby followed suit, supposing they would be called soon by the massage therapist.

Instead, the door opened, and a woman rolled in a cart which held a platter of strawberries dipped in chocolate.

It also contained a bucket filled with ice.

In the bucket stood a bottle of champagne.

Jace thanked the woman. She left, and he skillfully opened the champagne without spilling any.

He poured the liquid into the two accompanying flutes and returned the bottle to its bucket, scooping up the flutes and handing one to her.

His gaze warm, he clinked his glass against hers. “Here’s to us—and the perfect day.”

She merely nodded, sipping from the flute, the bubbles tickling her nose as she did so.

“I hope you like strawberries and chocolate,” he said.

“Chocolate—especially dark chocolate—is my biggest vice,” she admitted. “Actually, dark chocolate is very heart healthy. I usually keep a bag in the freezer and indulge in a piece after dinner when I’m home.”

They finished the strawberries, with Jace pouring her a second glass of champagne. Darby felt a little lightheaded after drinking it. She didn’t know if it was simply the champagne or the euphoria of being in Jace’s company.

The same woman who had brought the champagne opened the door and asked, “Are you ready for your massage now?”

“We are,” Jace replied for them both.

“I’ll let your masseuses know. They’ll be here shortly.” She looked to Darby. “We see Mr. Tanner on a regular basis, Ms. Montgomery, but you’ll need to let your therapist know the type of massage you wish to have today, as well as discussing any specific points which are bothering you.”

“Thank you,” she said, not having a clue as to what she should ask for.

Jace must have picked up on her distress because he said, “There are different kinds of massages you can have.”

He walked her through the difference between several, explaining Swedish, deep tissue, sports, and hot stone massages.

“I think I’ll go Swedish,” she said.

Two women arrived, and Darby spoke with her masseuse, asking for a Swedish massage and telling the woman that she sometimes carried a little tension in her lower back.

“We’ll get that taken care of, Ms. Montgomery. Please follow me.”

Jace linked their fingers together again as they moved along a long corridor and entered a room. Two long tables sat side by side. The room was dim, lit by scented candles, with soft music playing in the background.

“We’ll return in a couple of minutes,” her therapist told them. “Please disrobe and slide beneath the sheet, lying face down. We’ll start from there.”

Again, Jace turned away from her, shedding his robe, allowing Darby to remove her robe and slip under the sheet unseen by him. She had gotten a glimpse of his muscular back, and her fingers longed to stroke the sleek muscles.

“Oh, it’s heated,” she said, feeling warmth rising from the table. “Even though it’s hot outside, this feels wonderful.” She turned her head so that she faced him. “This was really thoughtful of you, Jace.”

“I get a massage once a week. My job is pretty stressful. Working out and having a massage are ways that I alleviate that stress.”

She smiled and rested her head so that her face was lying against the opening in the table. Once more, she thought about how this was considered a luxury to someone like her. To Jace, however, being pampered in this manner was a necessity. Just a part of his weekly routine.