Scene of the Brine Read Online Free Page B

dinner.”
    â€œWow! How do you do it?” Piper asked. “Read my mind, I mean. Sugar Heywood was just here and she had me drooling over the menu she’s fixing, which happens to be filet mignon.”
    â€œPure serendipity,” Will said, laughing. “Or credit an old friend of mine who’d just called. He’s passing through and wants to get together for dinner. With him, dinner out means only one thing: a huge steak. I suggested Chandler’s. They have seafood, too, in case you or his wife would prefer that.”
    â€œThat sounds great.” Piper had heard good things about Chandler’s, which was several miles out of town but considered to be well worth the drive. She asked about the couple she’d be meeting and learned that Matt Fleming was a former college classmate of Will’s and that he and his wife, Jen, lived in Albany. Since Piper had lived in Albany for a few years until very recently, she felt sure she’d find things in common to chat about with Jen if Will and Matt got carried away reminiscing, which was likely.
    They settled on the time and Piper hung up with a smile, looking forward to the evening. Though they’d been seeing each other for a few months, she and Will had been taking things slowly, particularly after Piper’s ex-fiancé, Scott, had taken it into his head to move to Cloverdale. Though Piper had done her best to remain distant from her former fiancé—both emotionally and physically—circumstances kept defeating her efforts. Will had been amazingly patient, which Piper appreciated tremendously.
    The rest of the afternoon kept her busy with customers—despite Dirk Unger’s skepticism about her “niche” market—but she managed to work in a few pleasant thoughts about Will, speculations on what to wear that evening, and the taste of filet mignon.
    . . .
    W ill picked her up at seven, looking great in “dress” denims topped with a dark tee and sports jacket. Will’s summer tan had faded over the winter but would no doubt reappear as the weather continued to warm and he became active again in his fields. Piper looked forward to that, since it was the tan highlighting his amazing blue eyes last August that had first caught her attention. She had decided on a red sweater with a few sparkly threads running through, along with a black skirt and heels. She’d pulled her dark hair back loosely, adding a few twists secured by pretty barrettes. The appreciative look in Will’s eyes told Piper she’d done better than okay.
    On the ride to Chandler’s, Will filled Piper in a little more about his friend. “We both started out in plant sciences,” he said, “but Matt switched to a business major. He took a job as a market analyst, which means he travels a lot. I haven’t seen him for, oh, I guess about five years.”
    Piper had friends she hadn’t seen in quite a while, but with whom she’d managed to stay in touch through e-mail and social media. Will, she knew, was more of a face-to-face person than an online chatter, so she said, “You’ll have a lot to catch up on.”
    When they drew near the restaurant, a couple about their age—he in a dark suit and tie and she in a dress and stylish shawl—were walking toward the entrance. “That’s them,” he said, and tooted his horn lightly. The two looked over, their faces lighting up as they recognized Will. They waited as Will parked and within minutes the four were exchanging greetings and introductions. Will had a few inches on Matt, Piper noticed, but Matt probably had several pounds on Will, possibly due to the difference in their occupations. Though Will ate like a horse, he also worked like one, and the balance of calories showed. Jen was blond, pretty, and, like her husband, very friendly. Piper looked forward to a very enjoyable evening. All four headed into the dark, wood-paneled