Ian's Ultimate Gamble - Brenda Jackson [38]
Brooke sighed as she glanced around. The golf course was a lush green, and the open architecture of the massive clubhouse was breathtaking. The redesigned course had been nominated in Golf Digest as one of the best new resort courses, and she could see why. Measuring over eight thousand yards from the back tees, the fairways that wound through large moss-covered hardwoods, oak and pine trees weren't narrow and didn't appear to be squeezed in by the villas.
Ian had told her last night that the first and last holes played along Lake Tahoe and one of the tee boxes was set on a bluff overlooking the water. Nothing detracted from the ambience of the course. Except for the man she was waiting for. Ian.
Goose bumps suddenly appeared on her body when she thought of how wonderful it was waking up in his arms that morning. Being the Perfect Beginning that he was, they had made love again and she had fallen asleep, only to awaken an hour or so later to find him dressed and leaning against the bedroom door frame watching her.
They had stared across the room at each other for what seemed like an eternity before he finally moved forward, slowly removing his jacket and tossing it aside. Then he reached for her and pulled her up into his arms and kissed her as if his life depended on it. Alter a long, deep kiss; he'd left, promising to meet her on the walkway in front of the clubhouse at eleven.
Because Ian had also mentioned that the Rolling Cascade's golf club adhered to a dress code, she had visited one of the golf shops earlier to purchase what would be considered the proper attire. From what the salesmen had told her, golf clothes were often bright and colorful, so she had purchased a black top and a lime-green pair of shorts with belt loops, which the salesman claimed was a must. Shorts with cuffs weren't practical because they had a tendency to trap dirt. The salesman had suggested that she purchase a hat with a visor to keep the sun off her face. And arriving at the clubhouse early, she had gone inside to rent a pair of golf shoes.
Brooke turned and recognized the woman walking down the walkway in her direction. She was the person Brooke had bumped into while out shopping yesterday, knocking the shopping bags out of the woman's hands. Brooke, in one of her rare clumsy moments, hadn't been looking where she was going. She'd been captivated by that black lace dress on a mannequin; the one she'd purchased and worn last night.
"Well, hello again," Brooke greeted, smiling when the woman moved to pass her.
The woman eyed Brooke with surprise and to Brooke's way of thinking acted as if they'd never seen each other before. She decided to jog the woman's memory. "Remember me from yesterday?" Brooke said. "I accidentally bumped into you at one of the shops and knocked your packages out of your hand and— "
"Oh, yeah, that's right. I remember now. Sorry about that. My mind was elsewhere," the attractive thirty-something blonde with a British accent said, grasping for a friendlier tone. "Hello to you, too. Sorry, I didn't recognize you," she quickly added, and plastered what Brooke perceived as a fake smile on her face.
Brooke shrugged. "No problem." She then noticed her outfit and the golf shoes she was wearing and asked, "You're about to play a game of golf?"
"Yes. I'm supposed to be meeting my husband in the lobby, and as usual I'm late." Brooke nodded. "Well, don't let me keep you. Enjoy your game." "Thanks." And the woman rushed inside the building.
Brooke frowned as she watched the woman walk away. It was as if the woman had no recollection of their earlier collision.
"Hey, beautiful. What's the frown for? You been waiting long?"
Brooke turned and smiled when she saw that Ian had driven up beside her in a golf cart. "No, I haven't," she said, sliding into the cart to sit beside him.
"Then why the frown?"
"No reason, I guess, other than a lady