Summer Secrets - Barbara Freethy [14]
"Thanks for sharing," Caroline said with an annoyed look in Erica's direction.
"Who is this guy?" Ashley asked, her brows knitting into a frown. "Does he have a name?"
It was only then that Caroline realized she didn't know his name. Had he said it? She tended to think of her clients by their appointment time or what they were having done. But he must have said his name. What was it?
"You don't know his name?" Ashley asked when she didn't reply. "And you're having dinner with him? How can you go out with him, if you don't know his name?" Ashley's lips tightened. "I don't like the sound of this at all."
"I know his name. I just don't remember it. For heaven's sake, Ashley, I'm not sixteen. It's just dinner in a public place."
"But he's a stranger."
"You worry too much."
"And you don't worry enough. It's raining out there, too."
Caroline realized her sister's agitation had more to do with the storm than with her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Ashley said evasively. "I came to check on you."
"Fine here, too."
"Well, good. Why don't you cancel your date and have dinner with Kate and me instead?"
"Kate has Dad on her couch."
"Oh."
"Don't say anything," Caroline warned her.
"I wasn't going to. What could I say, anyway?" Silence fell between them as they both avoided a subject neither wanted to cover. "Did you want anything else?" Caroline prodded.
"Yes. Rumor has it you're dating Mike Stanaway."
"So what if I am?"
"He's too old for you. And isn't he still married?"
"He's separated."
"Caroline --"
"Ashley, I have work to finish. You don't have anything to worry about. Mike and I are just friends. Trust me."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. Now, I really need to finish Peggy's hair."
"I guess I'll see you later," Ashley said after a moment. "But I think you should be careful about meeting this strange guy."
"He's not strange. He's just a stranger."
Ashley didn't look convinced as she said good-bye to her sister and dashed out of the salon into the rain.
"He's not a stranger, exactly. I have his name written right here," Erica said triumphantly, holding up the appointment book. "Tyler Jamison. Now you know who he is."
Caroline's stomach flipped over. Tyler Jamison? Wasn't that the name of the reporter Kate had warned her about? Don't let yourself get taken in. Kate's voice rang through her head. Caroline frowned. She hated it when her sister was right.
"Yeah, now I know who he is," she said heavily. And she also knew exactly what she had to do.
Chapter Three
"So what was it about me that made you think I was the most gullible? Because I'm the youngest? Because I have a reputation of being an airhead? What was it exactly?" Caroline set her purple purse on the table in front of Tyler, then sat down across from him in the lounge of the Castaway.
"You've spoken to your sister." Tyler took a drink from his frosted beer glass. He'd had a feeling Caroline would catch on to him sooner rather than later. But he'd taken a shot, and in the end he'd gotten what he wanted. She was sitting across from him. Mad as hell, maybe, but definitely within conversational distance. "Can I get you a drink?"
"No."
"Are you sure?" he asked as a waiter came up to take her drink order. "Our table won't be ready for a few minutes."
"Fine. I'll have a mineral water," Caroline said, forcing a tight smile as she said hello to the waiter. "Hi, Bobby. How are you?"
"Great," Bobby said. "No wine for you, tonight?"
"Just the mineral water." She turned back to Tyler. "And I won't be staying for dinner."
Tyler hoped he could change her mind. "Why don't we start over? I'm Tyler Jamison."
"What do you want?" Caroline asked. "And why didn't you just tell me who you were when you came into the salon? I knew your hair didn't really need cutting, but I thought you