Secret Attraction

“What would you call it?” Rafe asked while he walked them to the front door.

“Hmm, the power of positive persuasion,” she said.

“Riiight,” Spence and Rafe chorused.

Dominique tossed her head and sashayed out. “See you tonight, Rafe.” She finger waved.

“Later, man,” Spence said, shaking Rafe’s hand. “I’m gonna hold you to coming down next month.”

Rafe bobbed his head. “We’ll work it out. Take care of my crazy sister.”

“Always.”

“See you in a few.”

Desiree had been trained well by her mother, Louisa, and her sister, Lee Ann, on how to put a dinner party together, from small gatherings to full-out banquets, but it never got easier. Like her mother and sister, Desiree was a perfectionist.

After putting the jambalaya on to simmer, she prepared the ingredients for dirty rice and fixed a huge tossed salad. She chilled the only bottle of wine in the house, and cut up exotic cheeses and mixed a bowl of spinach dip that her brother Rafe loved.

With all the preparations done, she went out back to check on the seating by the pool and to stock the ice chest with water, beer and soda. Since the dinner would be totally buffet style, she set out the dishes, cutlery and glasses on the granite counter in the kitchen. Every man for himself, she thought, taking out the linen napkins and placing them on the counter. She took a quick look around at her handiwork. Satisfied, she lowered the flame on the pot and darted upstairs to find something to wear and take a shower.

She didn’t like this whole blind date thing, she thought as she stood beneath the relaxing spray of water. What if he was a real jerk and she was forced to play nice all evening? She groaned. She should have never let Dominique talk her into this. But a deal was a deal. She would have to make the most of it.

“Need some help?” Dominique asked from the other side of the kitchen door.

Desiree was taking the citronella candles down from the cabinet. “You think you can manage to light these?”

As usual, Dominique had made herself scarce the instant she’d returned home, leaving everything up to Desiree to handle.

“Fine, but you get the door. It’s probably Chris and his friend Max. I can’t be in two places at once.” She took the tray that held the six glass-enclosed candles and went out back.

Desiree forced herself not to scream and went to the front door. She put on her best smile, took a breath and opened the door.

“Spence!” She looked from Spence to Michelle. Her heart thundered.

“You look surprised,” said Spence.

“No … not at all. I. Come in. Michelle, it’s good to see you again.”

“We brought dessert.” Michelle held up a bag that contained a gallon tub of raspberry sorbet.

“I’ll take that. Thanks so much. We’re out back. Spence, you know the way.”

Desiree swallowed over the dry knot in her throat as she watched them walk toward the backyard, still held in place by shock.

“Something sure smells good.”

She turned back toward the opened door and felt a brief moment of calm when she saw her brother Rafe. For an instant she wanted to simply rest her head on his chest. She opened her arms instead. “Hey, sweetie.” She hugged him tight, then stepped back.

“Desiree, this is Crystal. Crystal, my sister Desiree.”

Crystal stuck out her hand, which Desiree shook. “Nice to meet you.”

“You, too. Please come in.” She shut the door and slid her arm around her brother’s waist. “How ya doing?”

“Good. Better,” he said quietly.

Mere weeks before Lee Ann’s wedding to Preston, Rafe had taken a real dive. He’d gone on a drinking binge and got himself pretty banged up riding his motorcycle. They’d all been worried about him. Rafe was always so carefree and invincible, for lack of a better word, and to see him the way he had been gave them all pause. The volatile relationship between Rafe and their father, Branford, had been at the root of it. It had taken a lot of years to get to where it was and it was going to take time to mend it.