Chapter 10

Early the next morning, Theresa was sleeping soundly when the sound of a ringing phone jarred her awake. Fumbling for the phone, she recognized Garrett’s voice instantly.

“Did you make it home okay?”

“Yeah, I did,” she replied groggily. “What time is it?”

“A little after six. Did I wake you?”

“Yes. I stayed up late last night waiting for your call. I started to wonder if you’d forgotten your promise.”

“I didn’t forget. I just figured you needed a little time to settle in.”

“But you were confident I’d be up at the crack of dawn, right?”

garrett laughed. “Sorry about that. How was the flight? How are you?”

“Good. Tired, but good.”

“So I take it that the pace of the big city has already worn you out again.”

She laughed, and Garrett’s voice turned serious. “Hey, I want you to know something.”

“What?”

“I miss you.”

“You do?”

“Yeah—I went in to do work yesterday even though the shop was closed, hoping to get some paperwork done, but I couldn’t do much because I kept thinking about you.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“It’s the truth. I don’t know how I’m going to get any work done over the next couple of weeks.”

“Oh, you’ll manage.”

“I might not be able to sleep, either.”

She laughed, knowing he was teasing. “Now, don’t go that far. I’m not into those superdependent guys, you know. I like my men to be men.”

“I’ll try to keep it in check, then.”

She paused. “Where are you now?”

“I’m sitting on the back deck, watching the sun come up. Why?”

Theresa thought about the view she was missing. “Is it beautiful?”

“It always is, but this morning, I’m not enjoying it as much as I usually do.”

“Why not?”

“because you’re not here with me to enjoy it.”

She lay back on the bed, making herself comfortable. “Hey—I miss you, too.”

“I hope so. I’d hate to think I was the only one who felt this way.”

She smiled, holding the phone to her ear with one hand and absently twirling a strand of her hair with the other, until they finally said a reluctant good-bye twenty minutes later and hung up the phone.

*  *  *

Entering the office later than usual, Theresa felt the effects of her whirlwind adventure finally catching up with her. She hadn’t slept much, and when she’d looked in the mirror after talking to Garrett on the phone, she’d felt sure that she looked at least a decade older than she was. As usual, the first place she went once she got to work was the break room for a cup of coffee, and on this morning she added a second packet of sugar to give her an extra jolt.

“Well, hello, Theresa,” Deanna said happily, striding in behind her. “I thought you’d never get here. I’ve been dying to hear everything that happened.”

“Good morning,” Theresa mumbled, stirring her coffee. “Sorry I’m late.”

“I’m just glad you made it at all. I almost ran over to your apartment last night to talk to you, but I didn’t know what time you got in.”

“I’m sorry for not calling, but I was a little worn out from my week,” she said.

Deanna leaned against the counter. “Well, that’s not a surprise. I’ve already put two and two together.”

“what do you mean?”

Deanna’s eyes were bright. “I take it you haven’t seen your desk yet.”

“No, I just walked in. Why?”

“Well,” she said, raising her eyebrows, “I guess you must have made a good impression.”

“What are you talking about, Deanna?”

“Come with me,” Deanna said with a conspiratorial grin as she led her back into the newsroom. When Theresa saw her desk, she gasped. Next to the mail that had accumulated while she was gone stood a dozen roses, beautifully arranged in a large clear vase.

“They arrived first thing this morning. I think the delivery man was a little shocked that you weren’t there to receive them, but I went ahead and said I was you. Then he really looked shocked.”

Barely listening to what Deanna had said, Theresa reached for the card leaning against the vase and opened it immediately. Deanna stood behind her, craning over her shoulder. It read:

To the most beautiful woman I know—Now that I’m alone again, nothing is as it once was. The sky is grayer, the ocean is more forbidding. Will you make it right? The only way is to see me again.

I miss you,

Garrett

theresa smiled at the note and slipped it back inside the envelope, bending to smell the bouquet.

“You must have had a memorable week,” Deanna said.

“Yeah, I did,” Theresa answered simply.

“I can’t wait to hear about it—every spicy detail.”

“I think,” Theresa said, glancing around the newsroom at all the people watching her discreetly, “that I’d rather talk to you about it later, when we’re alone. I don’t need the whole office gossiping about it.”

“They already are, Theresa. It’s been a long time since flowers have been delivered here. But all right—we’ll talk about it later.”

“Did you tell them who they were from?”

“Of course not. To be honest, I kind of like leaving them in suspense.” She gave a small wink after looking around the newsroom. “Listen, Theresa, I’ve got some work to do. Do you think we could have lunch today? Then we can talk.”

“Sure. Where?”

“How about Mikuni’s? I bet you didn’t find much sushi down in Wilmington.”

“That sounds great. And Deanna . . . thanks for keeping it a secret.”

“No problem.”

Deanna patted Theresa’s shoulder gently and headed back to her office. Theresa leaned over her desk and smelled the roses again before moving the vase to the corner of her desk. She began to sort through her mail for a couple of minutes, pretending not to notice the flowers until the newsroom resumed its chaotic patterns. Making sure that no one was paying attention, she picked up the phone and dialed Garrett at work.

ian answered the phone. “Hold on, I think he’s in his office. Who’s calling, please?”

“Tell him it’s someone who wants to schedule some dive lessons in a couple of weeks.” She tried to sound as distant as she could, not sure if Ian knew about them.

Ian put her on hold, and there was silence for a short moment. Then the line clicked and Garrett came on.

“Can I help you?” he asked, sounding a little frazzled.

She said simply: “You shouldn’t have, but I’m glad you did.”

He recognized her voice, and his tone brightened. “Hey, it’s you. I’m glad they arrived. Do they look okay?”

“They’re beautiful. How did you know I loved roses?”

“I didn’t, but I’ve never heard of a woman who didn’t, so I took a chance.”

She smiled. “So you send lots of women roses?”

“Millions. I have a lot of fans. Dive instructors are almost like movie stars, you know.”

“They are, huh?”

“You mean you didn’t know? And here I thought you were just another groupie.”

She laughed. “Thanks a lot.”

“Sure. Did anyone ask who they were from?”

She smiled. “Of course.”

“I hope you said good things.”

“I did. I told them you were sixty-eight and fat, with a horrible lisp that made it impossible to understand you. But since you were so pitiful, I went ahead and had lunch with you. And now, unfortunately, you’re stalking me.”

“Hey, that hurts,” he said. He paused. “So . . . I hope the roses will remind you that I’m thinking about you.”

“they might,” she said coyly.

“Well, I am thinking about you and I don’t want you to forget it.”

She glanced at the roses. “Ditto,” she said quietly.

After they had hung up, Theresa sat quietly for a moment, reaching for the card again. She read it once more, and this time, instead of putting it back with the flowers, she placed it in her purse for safekeeping. Knowing this crowd, she was sure someone would read it when she wasn’t looking.