“Good. Carter and Charlotte are so adorable. I wish I were there. She offered to come down for a few days but I said no.”

They both knew there was more, that Lisa was scratching the surface.

“What else did she say?”

Lisa took a moment as she ate. “She told me not to let my fear run my life, that I should take control.”

“Sounds like good advice.”

“I knew you’d say that.”

The next course was warm creamy egg and sea urchin on a salt bed.

“Lisa, you have to take things one step at a time. But Joy’s right. Get out there. Meet the neighbors, join the groups, get connected. Live your life.”

“But I—I…”

“What?”

“I miss my life in Cleveland, Jeff—my family, my friends, my job. I’m sorry, but that’s the truth.”

Jeff’s face went taut as he topped his wineglass, gulped some.

“What about you?” she asked.

“What about me?”

“Don’t you miss Cleveland, too?”

“Not really. I needed to get out of there.”

“That’s an understatement. Our move was so fast we must’ve set a record. I know things weren’t great in your office, but why did we have to move so fast?”

“You know why. There were problems there. I was busting my behind, doing the best I could. I was covering for people, carrying people, and I was going nowhere. I needed to make something happen, if I was ever going to get someplace.” Jeff swallowed more wine. “You know most of this.”

“Not all the details.”

“I worked hard, came up with new concepts, and I was secretly talking to top people in the marketing divisions at Google and Apple about positions in California.”

“California? I didn’t know that.”

“Only early-stage discussions. Anyway, that’s when Leland Slaughter saw my work. He loved it. He made the fantastic offer to come here. It meant more money, and God knows we need it with our debts. I couldn’t refuse. He needed me right away for the South American proposal. I told you, there’s a twenty-million-dollar account on the line. The stakes in this are huge, not only for me or the Miami office but for Asgaard-T-Chace.”

“You never told me about California. Why did you keep that from me?” Sadness washed over her face.

“It was just some preliminary stuff, nothing concrete. Honey?”

Lisa looked at him, the candlelight reflecting in her glistening eyes.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I have a bad feeling about being here. I can’t explain it.”

“It’s understandable, after what’s happened.”

“We’re supposed to start a family.”

“We will.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Just give me a little time.”