Honor's Destiny Excerpt
Nic closed the door and looked to the heavens. He hadn’t meant to ask her out. No matter. It wasn’t like he’d see her again after tonight.
He strolled around the front of the car and, opening the door, slid behind the wheel.
Honor smiled at him before closing her eyes. Even now she looked vibrant.
“Do you want anything special to eat?”
“Nothing too heavy. How about clam chowder?”
“Okay, I know a place.” He started the car and backed out. “It won’t take long to get there.”
Her lips curved in a sweet smile, her eyes still closed.
The streets were quiet tonight. It had rained every day that week, but not even Mother Nature would deny Honor her one last night to shine.
He pulled into the graveled lot of a small mom and pop restaurant and parked in a spot near the front. He switched off the engine and turned to Honor. “Ready?”
In response, she reached for the handle.
“I’ll get that,” he said, getting out.
He opened the door for Honor, and taking her outstretched hand, helped her out.
“Thank you, kind sir.”
“You’re welcome.” He closed the door and leaned against it. Just keep your cool, Nic. Honor quit AAC, but you know better than anyone how the consuming need to be in the spotlight can destroy lives, families. You’ve seen it before.
Turning, he followed her inside.
“Table for two?” the hostess said. “Follow me.”
She led them to a small table and Nic waited for Honor to sit before claiming his chair.
The hostess offered Honor a menu.
“Thanks, but I know what I want. A small bowl of clam chowder.”
“Me too,” Nic said. “And cheddar biscuits. They have the best in town,” he said to Honor.
“Anything to drink?”
“Water,” Honor said.
“Coke,” Nic said.
Nodding, the hostess scurried away.
“I’m not sure if it’s good form for a head exec and the star to sneak away early,” Honor said with a chuckle. “But this is much more to my taste.”
“I didn’t think you were interested in a big affair. In fact, I was starting to wonder if you were going to show. You said you were in Ohio?”
“My family is there. Sorta,” she said with a grimace. “Mia lives in Alabama now and Cai hangs her hat there when she’s not on a case.”
“A case? What is she? A cop?”
“Child finder. The best, too. She’s found every child she’s looked for. Except the one that matters the most—hers.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, his heart heavy at the prospect of such suffering.
A ghost of a smile lifted her lips for a moment. “Thanks.”
The hostess returned with their drinks and a basket of biscuits. Nic uncovered the hot bread and steam rose in long curls before evaporating.
He offered one to Honor and she shook her head. “I’ll wait until the soup comes.”
A sadness he understood too well radiated from her eyes. “So what are your plans for the future?” he said, hoping to distract her. “Getting a lot of offers?”
“A few. I’ve made it very clear I’m not interested. I have a volunteer project I promised to start. That’ll keep me busy.”
“Volunteer? Like what?”
“Construction work.”
“Like Habitat for Humanity?”
She took a sip of her water. “Would you be surprised?”
“No. I mean, I’ve heard you’re a very generous supporter of causes. I wasn’t asking,” he tacked on quickly. “I just…heard.”
A slow smile spread across her lips. “Well, it’s not as grand as that. I’m helping a friend enlarge her office. I just hope there’s a How to Tear Down a Wall for Dummies book out there.”
She chuckled and he watched her eyes dance in the dim light. “I could help you,” he found himself offering.
Her brows arched. “Would you?”
“Now you sound surprised.”
“It’s an unexpected but pleasant offer. I even promise to be on my best behavior. Despite evidence to the contrary, I really don’t have a quick temper.”
He laughed outright at that. “There is definitely plenty of evidence to the contrary.”
“Those are false accusations. It wasn’t me. It was this tyrannical boss I had. An ogre, he was, really.”
“Is that right?” Nic said, laughing.
“Yep. See?” she said, touching his left cheek with her finger. “Here’s a green spot.” She touched his nose. “And here. The thing is…” She paused and leaned forward. “I’m the only one who can see them.”
Nic laughed. “Maybe I should change my name to Shrek. Of course, he was a good guy underneath all that green.”
“You saw Shrek?”
“I took my nephew. He’s only eight months, so I probably enjoyed it more than he did.”
The food arrived and the aroma of clams, potatoes, onions, and green peppers teased his senses. “This smells great,” he told her, hoping to distract himself this time. He didn’t want to think about his nephew, because then he’d think about Savannah and he didn’t want to think about her right now. She was being too good and that usually meant she was setting him up.
Honor scooped up a spoonful of the hot chowder and blew. “I like tomatoes, cooked or raw, but sometimes I break out. Now it doesn’t matter. I don’t have someone in makeup grumbling over my complexion.”
“Modeling is tougher than most people realize. You have to be flawless when there’s really no such thing. Although, I’d be hard pressed to find anything wrong with you.”
She blushed and he laughed. “This is impossible.”
“What?”
“A model who blushes at compliments. I thought you’d be taking it all in stride by now.”
“It is silly, huh?”
“Not silly. Beautiful. Like you.”
So much for playing it cool, Nic thought, digging into his food. Maybe if he burned his tongue, he could stop babbling like an idiot.