Before she could attack a passing waiter and grab a couple of slices of rosemary bread off the tray he carried, she spotted Robert sitting at a table near the opposite wall.
“Go right in,” the hostess said with a smile. “Enjoy your dinner.”
“Thanks.”
Robert rose as she approached.
There were several other diners already in the restaurant. Maybe she was imagining things, but Charity had the sense she was being watched by those already seated.
“Are they keeping tabs on me or you?” Robert asked quietly as he held out her chair.
She laughed. “I noticed that, too.” She sat down. “I can’t decide if it’s because I’m the new girl or if it’s because you’re out on a date. What with you being a single man and therefore precious and rare.”
He settled across from her. “You think the lack of men in town is funny.”
“I don’t think it’s a great hardship for you. Poor Robert. Too many women want to be with you.”
His brown eyes brightened with amusement. “Fame can be difficult. There’s a lot of responsibility.”
She wished he hadn’t said the word fame. For some reason, it made her think of Josh, and she’d been determined he wouldn’t intrude on her evening out, even in spirit.
“You can handle it,” she said as she picked up her napkin and put it on her lap.
Their server, an older woman with dark hair pulled up in a bun, brought them menus.
“I thought we’d talk a bit before ordering,” Robert said. “Would you like a glass of wine?”
“Thank you, yes.” She grinned. “I’m walking tonight, so I can even have two.”
“Wild.”
“I have my moments.”
They both ordered a glass of the house Chianti. A few minutes later the busboy brought over a basket of bread and a saucer of olive oil for dipping.
“The bread is excellent,” Robert said, offering her the basket.
“I was afraid of that,” Charity said. “I’ll wait and try it later.” Closer to when they would get their meal, so she wouldn’t have a chance to inhale every slice. “How was your weekend with your friends?”
“Good. We went to a Giants game. They won. My friend Dan is getting married next month, so the trip was kind of a bachelor celebration.”
“I’m impressed you went with baseball and not a strip club.”
He chuckled. “We’re getting too old for that. Now if we were still in college…”
“Front row seats?”
“In our dreams.”
The server appeared with the wine. When she was gone, Robert picked up his glass. “To a great evening.”
She raised her glass, as well.
“Dan and his girlfriend already have a kid,” Robert continued. “A little girl. She’s eighteen months old. It seems like a lot of people are doing that. Have a baby, then figuring out if they want to stay together. I guess I’m old-fashioned. I thought it was supposed to go the other way.”
“I agree,” she said. “But pregnancy happens. I guess a generation ago, people got married when they found out. Now they aren’t in such a big hurry.”
He leaned toward her. “It’s been a couple of weeks. How are you settling in? Enjoying small-town life?”
“I love it. I’m meeting lots of people. I like that I can walk pretty much everywhere. You’re right. There aren’t any secrets, but then I don’t have anything to hide.”
“Then you’ll be fine. Have you started looking for a house?”
“Not really. I’m still getting to know the different areas.”
“I live on the golf course. Great views. The houses are well-built and a nice size. You should come see my place sometime.”
“Sure.” She wondered how he afforded one of those homes. She’d seen them on her drive around town and had even picked up a flyer for one. But unless the mayor had a secret plan to double her salary in the next week, Charity couldn’t begin to pay for something like that. Prices were great in Fool’s Gold, but even here a home on the golf course was pricey.
“You said you grew up in small towns,” she said. “In California?”
“Oregon. I went to school in Eugene, which is a good-sized town. Got my degree in accounting and went to work for a midsized accounting firm. Then I went into the government side of the business. After about five years, I transferred to the private sector. One of my first jobs was auditing one of Josh Golden’s companies. That brought me here.”
“Josh has companies?”
Robert raised his eyebrows. “You didn’t know?”
“No. It’s not as if we’ve spent much time together.” The tour of the city had barely been an hour. “I know he used to be some famous bike rider guy.”
Robert laughed. “There’s a description to make him proud.”
“You know what I mean. I don’t follow many sports. I’d heard about him, but nothing specific.”
“He owns several companies. The sporting goods store. He’s a partner at the ski resort, the hotel.”
She reached for her wine and nearly knocked it over. “He owns the hotel where I’m staying?”
Robert nodded.