Chapter Five

Norah took the plunge. One lunch with her boss wasn’t going to do any damage. “My stomach says yes.”

“Great. Is O’Malley’s okay?”

“That’s fine.”

The Irish-themed restaurant was located along Shum Creek. After a brief wait, they were shown to a table overlooking the water. Norah studied the menu with interest. She hadn’t been to O’Malley’s in ages.

“Do you know what you’re getting?” she asked after a few minutes.

“Grilled salmon and spinach salad.”

“That sounds good, but I think I’ll try the blue crab cakes.”

He laid his menu aside. “That reminds me of when I took Jody and Logan to the seafood festival in Savannah back in April. You should have seen Logan’s face when he saw the waitress bringing the crab legs to the table. He kept asking if they were alive.”

“I would have done the same thing at his age. I grew up in the middle of the state. The closest town of any size only had about fifteen hundred people. I wasn’t exposed to fresh seafood until I moved to Charleston.”

“What brought you here?”

“College. I’ve bounced back and forth between here and Gable since I graduated.”

“I’m from Georgia originally, but I went to law school in Virginia. One of my professors hooked me up with a huge practice here in Charleston. I stayed there long enough to make a name for myself, and then I talked Hunter into leaving with me.”

“Why did you want to leave?”

“I didn’t like being told what clients I was going to represent based solely on how much money their cases would produce for the firm.”

A waitress walked up to their table. When she saw Lance, her eyes lit up.

“Lance! Oh, my goodness! I was just talking about you yesterday.”

“No wonder my ears were burning.” He stood up and returned her hug. “How are things with you, Taylor?”

“Wonderful. Thanks for asking.”

“Is Brendon still taking guitar lessons?”

Taylor nodded. “He says he’s going to be in a rock band. I keep telling him we’ll see about that. Mallory just started gymnastics. She’s not very good, but she tries hard.”

Lance looked at Norah. “Taylor was my first client when I opened my own practice.”

Taylor smiled. “Lance is my hero. He took my case when no one else would. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t pay him. He helped me get my kids back from social services after some trouble with my ex-husband.”

Given what he’d been willing to do for Jody, Norah wasn’t surprised by this. It was obvious Lance cared about people. “I’m glad things worked out for you.”

Taylor suddenly looked self-conscious. “Here I am going on and on when you two want to be alone.”

Lance sent Norah an apologetic glance. “This isn’t a date. Norah works for me.”

The other woman’s face fell. “That’s too bad. You two make a really cute couple.”

He rolled his eyes. “Why do women always see romance where none exists?”

Taylor plucked the pencil from behind her ear and removed the order pad from the pocket of her uniform. “For the same reason men always try to deny the obvious.”

“This is when a wise man changes the subject.”

Not long after they ordered, Lance’s phone rang. He checked the screen and then looked over at Norah. “It’s my mom. Do you mind if I take it?”

Most of the guys Norah knew wouldn’t even have asked. “Not at all. Go ahead.”

* * * * *

Lance smiled his thanks as he touched the screen. “Hey, Mom. I’m sorry about last night.”

“That’s okay. I called Jody. She told me what I wanted to know. It’s very noisy. Where are you?”

“I’m having lunch with one of my new employees.”

“A female employee?”

He laughed. “How did you guess?”

“I could tell by your voice.”

“That’s not very scientific.”

“Maybe not, but it’s very accurate. Is she pretty?”

“She’s very pretty. Beautiful, in fact.”

The blush that entered Norah’s cheeks told Lance that she’d been following the conversation.

“What’s her name?”

“Norah.”

“What a lovely name.”

“I agree.”

“You better be careful. Taking beautiful female employees to lunch has caused problems for many a boss.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

“I won’t keep you any longer.”

“Love you, Mom.”

“Love you, too, Lance.”

He pocketed his phone. “She missed her calling. She should have been an attorney. She’s as good at interrogating a witness as I am.”

“It’s only natural for her to be curious. You’re her son.”

“Worse than that. I’m her only son, I’m in my thirties, and I’m still single. It’s the trifecta of doom and gloom.”

“You don’t seem to be overly concerned about it.”

“I’m not. That, too, is a problem. I’m unaware of my precarious position. At the moment, I’m enjoying a temporary reprieve because I bought a house. I didn’t know this, but that’s a signal I’m getting ready to settle down and raise a family.”

Norah laughed. “So that wasn’t your reason for buying Wilson-Dawes House?”

He smiled faintly. “No. A few years ago I attended a Christmas party there. It sounds kinda silly to say out loud, but I fell in love with the house. I approached the owners with an offer, but they weren’t interested in selling. So I bought a condo and put my dream on hold. A few weeks ago, I found out from a business associate that Wilson-Dawes House was up for sale. I contacted Mr. Barnett and indicated my interest a second time. The rest you know.”

“I don’t think falling in love with a house is silly at all. Someone who loves a house will always be a better owner than a bunch of strangers only interested in how much profit it makes. For obvious reasons, I’m glad you didn’t shut down the tours. Wilson-Dawes House is a vital part of Charleston’s history. It would be wrong to deprive the public of the opportunity to experience it firsthand.”

“I agree.” He tilted his head to the side. “You love the house, too, don’t you?”

“Guilty as charged,” she teased. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist. I’m as fascinated by its architecture and furnishings as I am by the families who lived there.”

“I picked up on that during the tour you gave me. Are you a history major?”

“You’re close. Art history.”

Taylor arrived with their food. “Here you go, guys and gals. Let me know if something isn’t right.”

“Everything looks great. Thanks, Taylor,” Lance told her. He didn’t miss the wink Taylor gave him in return. She obviously wasn’t buying his explanation for them being there. He shook his head as she walked away. “She’s as bad as my sisters.”

“How many do you have?”

“Four. All younger and very happily married.”

She nodded. “I’m beginning to see the light. No wonder you didn’t move back to Georgia.”

It wasn’t his family that kept him from going back. It was the thing with Holly. “That’s what I tell them when they gang up on me. I actually had another reason for wanting us to have lunch together. I got a call yesterday from the president of Charleston’s historical society. In the course of a long conversation with Mr. Loomis, I found out you used to work for him.”

“Yes, I did. He hired me right out of college with little experience. I was in charge of event planning and fundraising.”

“It just so happens that I need someone with that experience. I’m involved with Fallen Heroes, a charity that supports surviving military spouses and children. This year they decided to raise money by doing a bachelor auction. The lady who normally handles our fundraising events recently moved. I was wondering if you’d be willing to help me put this together. Obviously, I wouldn’t expect you to do it for free. I’ll pay you for your time.”

“Sounds like fun. I’ll do it.”

“That was easy.”

She shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a born organizer. I love this kind of stuff.”

“This might seem like an impertinent question, but why are you giving tours?”

“A little over a year ago, my grandmother had a stroke. I had to quit my job at the historical society to help take care of her. After she passed, my grandfather got pneumonia. He died a few months later. When I returned to Charleston in February, my position at the historical society was no longer available. This job got me close to two things I love: art and history.”

Lance regretted giving in to his curiosity. He should have known she had a good reason for being where she was. “I’m so sorry, Norah. That must have been a difficult time for you.”

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and yet, I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else. There are debts you can never repay. My grandparents raised me from the time I was two months old. That wasn’t easy considering they were already in their sixties.”

“You repaid them by bringing joy to their lives and putting your own life on hold to take care of them when they needed you. That’s the very definition of love; being around for not only the good times, but also the not-so-good times.” 

“My grandmother used to say that life isn’t all sunshine and roses. Sometimes it’s torrential rain and poison ivy.”

Lance laughed. “She’s right.”

“About the bachelor auction, has anything been done so far?”

“Not much. We have the date and the venue. The auction will be held at the civic center on Saturday, December 10th. As you probably know from your past event planning efforts, it’s got a large stage, and we have the flexibility to arrange the viewing area however we choose. What we need is a bachelor who can create some buzz in the community and help spread the word. Carolyn suggested Perry Cabot, the guy who owns that cyber security company. I forget what the name of it is. Along with being a self-made billionaire, he’s apparently every woman’s fantasy. I’d like you to get him for us.”

* * * * *

Norah stared at Lance, paralyzed with shock. For a long moment, she entertained the horrible notion that he knew about her association with Perry. But that wasn’t possible. It had happened too long ago. “You want me to get Perry Cabot?”

“No need to be nervous. Just contact his personal assistant and set up some kind of meeting. The fact that he comes from a military family is an advantage for us. Obviously, the sooner you initiate contact the better. From all accounts, he’s a busy man.”

Just what she needed. More pressure. How was she going to do this? Just the thought of seeing Perry, let alone speaking to him, made her stomach clench.

“I hope you saved room for dessert. The fruit pies here are almost as good as my mom’s.”

Lance’s comment cut into Norah’s troubled thoughts. Dessert? She wouldn’t even be able to finish the food on her plate. Her appetite had disappeared at the mention of Perry’s name. At least the crab cakes wouldn’t go to waste. Oliver would make sure of that.

“I can’t eat another bite.”

“In that case, I’ll get a few slices to go.”

Norah hardly heard him. Her mind was reeling. There were degrees of impossibility and varying levels of discomfort to be considered when faced with picking one’s poison. On the one hand, she didn’t want to appear indecisive (not to mention idiotic) by trying to get out of a commitment she happily agreed to only moments before. On the other, a meeting with Perry would be painful on a level she could hardly contemplate.

* * * * *

Lance collected the take-out box from Taylor and escorted Norah out the door of the restaurant. Getting her assistance with the auction was a major load off his back. If she could get Charleston’s most-talked-about bachelor to participate, the success of the auction was pretty much guaranteed. Word of mouth alone would sell enough tickets to fill the civic center.

A glance to his left brought a faint smile to his face. Norah had subsided into a thoughtful silence he was hesitant to interrupt. Was she thinking about the possibility of meeting Perry Cabot? For whatever reason, that gentleman enjoyed an almost cult following among the female population in town. Carolyn had practically swooned just talking about him.

Laughing inwardly, he reached for his phone to check his messages. There was a text from his sister Leah.

‘Don’t forget Jody’s birthday is Saturday.’

This was the third reminder he’d received in the last twenty-four hours; the other two had been from Summer and Violet. The only one left was April. He’d probably hear from her before the day was over.

‘I won’t. It’s on my phone calendar. And in case you’ve forgotten, she lives with me.’

‘Don’t get snippy. You forgot your own birthday one year.’

There was a good reason for that. He’d just found out Holly was getting married.

When they reached his car, Norah turned to him. “Thanks for lunch and the opportunity to do the bachelor auction. I hope I won’t let you down.”

He smiled at her. “You won’t. I have every confidence in you. It’s twelve-thirty. Where do you want me to take you?”

“To the salon. Gale sometimes finishes early. It’s on Abercorn next to the old theater.”

“How will you get home?”

“I can walk from there.”

“I should have known. I’ve noticed you sometimes walk to work.”

“It depends on the weather and how energetic I feel in the mornings.”

“With traffic the way it is, it’s probably quicker to walk.”

As if to prove his point, Lance couldn’t find a parking space anywhere close to the salon. He stopped in the middle of the road in front of the entrance, uncaring of the traffic piling behind him. “This is the best I can do. Sorry for dropping you off like a package.”

She laughed as she reached for the door handle. “It’s fine. Enjoy the rest of your day off.”

“You, too.”

Lance ignored the honking horns and hand gestures while he waited until Norah disappeared through the glass door.

He’d taken care of two things on his to-do list. That was good.

He’d found at least ten more adorable things about Norah. That was not so good.

He’d very badly wanted a reason to spend more time with her. That was disastrous.