Page 24 of Hold Me Tight

Instead, all I can think about is whether River figured out that Nora insists on reading Goodnight Moon twice. Or if she made him do the voices. Or if she talked him into letting her eat chocolate chips straight from the bag by batting her big brown eyes at him. Will that affect him the same way it does me?

I blink and realize Beau asked me a question.

“So, you and River… What’s the story there?”

My fingers tighten on the base of my wine glass as our steaks are set down in front of us. “River?”

Beau tilts his head, smirking like he already knows the answer. “You two seem close.”

“We’re not,” I say a little too quickly, cutting into the steak and then smearing butter on the potato.

His smile widens. “Good. Although, it wouldn’t matter if you were. I’ve never been afraid of a little competition.”

My stomach twists at that pronouncement.

The rest of our meal is filled with talk. And what I mean by that is Beau does most of it. He tells me about his restaurants, his investments, and plans for future expansion. I nod, murmuring at appropriate intervals, all the while waiting for him to ask a few questions about me or even the bakery. Maybe the kinds of desserts I specialize in.

He doesn’t.

Not even once.

I carefully check my phone under the table for any missed messages, but there aren’t any. Which is a good thing. It means Nora isn’t giving River any problems.

I refocus my attention on Beau’s face. On the words coming out of his mouth. On the candle that flickers between us.

It’s no use.

In my head, all I see is River crouching down to talk with my little girl. And the bag of toys he brought for her. The way she handed over her stuffy, as if she’d known him forever. Then there’s the sound of River’s quiet, steady voice when he said I could trust him with Nora.

We’re midway through dinner when my phone buzzes, and I pounce on it as if it’s a lifeline.

River: Just wanted you to know that Nora has tied me up and is running wild through the townhouse. JK. We’re fine. She colored a masterpiece for you, and we hung it on the fridge. Now she’s watching a show. Then we’ll read a few books, and it’s lights out for this girl.

A sharp pang cuts through me.

Not at the part where he says he’s been tied up, but that he’s so good with her.

“Callie?”

My head jerks up, and I reluctantly set the phone on the white-clothed table. “Sorry.”

He takes a sip of his wine. “Is there an issue?”

I force a smile as our plates are cleared away. “Not at all.”

“Good. So, I was telling you about my restaurants.”

“Yes. It’s really interesting.”

He launches into how his parents owned a few and then he built upon their empire. And that’s certainly impressive. I’m sure it takes a lot of work to oversee so many different ventures. But he didn’t start from nothing or build his business from the ground up. It’s a lot harder when sweat equity is the only thing you have to invest.

Beau continues to drone on, and it takes a moment to realize I’ve tuned him out again.

“Wow,” I say, hoping he didn’t notice my lapse.

“You have no idea.”

I hum in agreement as a man in his late forties stops by the table. With a grin, Beau rises to his feet before they shake hands and talk about their golf game.