Page 51 of Then Came You

“What about a side dish?” Savannah gazed at him with her large hazel eyes, acting like this conversation was the most riveting one she’d had all day.

“You can’t really go wrong with a baked potato or french fries.”

“Sounds enticing, but that’s a lot of carbs, and I have to watch my figure.”

The waiter’s eyes flicked down, pausing on her impressive chest. Savannah was wearing a snug pink sweater, and even though she was slender, she was also well-endowed.

He gave a nervous laugh. “You could pair it with a vegetable or side salad instead.”

“Great idea! I’ll have the strip steak with a side of broccoli.”

“How would you like your steak cooked?”

“I want it pink and juicy.”

He swallowed hard and scribbled her order on his pad. Sweat beads glistened on his forehead when he turned to take Lauren’s and Gillian’s orders.

“You’re terrible!” Lauren scolded Savannah after he’d walked away.

“I was just giving him my order.”

“He probably wishes you were giving him something else too.”

They were all laughing when Gillian’s gaze drifted toward the entrance of the restaurant. The laughter died on her lips when she saw who’d just walked in.

Lauren and Savannah followed the direction of her stare, and the whole table fell silent.

“Who’s he with?” Lauren whispered.

Gillian shrugged since she was temporarily unable to speak. She watched Sam and some woman follow the hostess to a table. Then Sam gallantly pulled out the woman’s chair for her. The woman gazed up at him and smiled through long, dark lashes as she took her seat. Then Sam went around the table and sat across from her with his back to Gillian and her friends.

Even though the fire was still burning nearby, Gillian felt a chill. Sam was on a date. The way the woman looked at him said it all. She was enamored with him, and who wouldn’t be? He looked gorgeous even from this distance.

Tonight he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, but that didn’t hide the definition of his broad shoulders and muscled arms. He brought his hand up to scratch the back of his neck, and Gillian remembered when those hands had caressed her, soothed her. They were large, strong hands yet surprisingly gentle. She’d missed him before, but now she felt the loss like a knife to the gut.

Lauren placed a hand on Gillian’s arm, and Savannah did so on the other.

“What happened between you two?” Lauren asked gently.

“I can’t…”

“You’ll feel better if you talk about it,” Savannah said.

Then the waiter came back over. “Does anybody need another drink?”

All three women responded with a resounding, “Yes!”

He chuckled. “Two light beers and a glass of wine, right?”

Savannah nodded, forgoing flirting with him that time.

After he walked away, Gillian downed the rest of her beer and pushed aside the empty glass. “Sam knew Owen,” she blurted out.

Lauren’s and Savannah’s eyes went wide.

“Sam was at the funeral, but I don’t remember seeing him there.”

“Oh, sweetie.” Lauren squeezed her arm.