New Year, New Love

by Sherry Lewis

  Christa kicked her under the table.

  Emilee refrained from returning the favor. “I won’t go, either. Not unless we can make sure Mom’s not alone.”

  “And just how do you plan to explain why we’re both staying home?”

  “I’ll think of something,” Emilee assured her.

  “She’s not going to care if she’s home alone,” Christa insisted. “She hates Valentine’s Day.”

  Sometimes Christa could be so dense. “She hates it because she’s alone. And because Dad never did anything special for Valentine’s Day when they were married.”

  Christa flopped backward against the booth. “Well, then, let’s just find somebody romantic. Somebody who’ll make a fuss over her, bring her flowers, take her out for a candlelight dinner…” Her eyes got all dreamy.

  Emilee brought her back from her fantasy. “Somebody just the opposite of Dad?”

  “Exactly.”

  Matt propped up his chin with one hand. “Where are you going to find somebody like that?”

  “We could hang out at flower shops,” Christa said as she took another fry.

  “Bad idea,” Emilee said with a firm shake of her head. “All we’d find are guys who already have wives and girlfriends.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Christa rested her chin in her hand. “I still think Gabe would be perfect for her.”

  “Wrong. You heard what she said today. He’s the contractor who’s working on the basement. Nothing more. She’s not interested in him, Christa.”

  “Then why was she in such a good mood before she went outside to talk to him and in such a rotten mood afterward?”

  “Probably because she doesn’t like him.” Emilee enunciated carefully to make sure Christa understood.

  Christa still didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t argue. “So, what do we do? I don’t know where else to look—not before Valentine’s Day.”

  “Neither do I,” Emilee admitted. They all fell silent, and she tried desperately to think. Aretha Franklin belted out a song on the jukebox. Someone in another booth let out a high-pitched squeal.

  Matt scratched the side of his neck slowly. “So, if your mom had a date for Valentine’s Day, Christa could go to the dance?”

  “Sure.”

  He shifted in his seat to look at Christa. “If I find your mom a date, would you go to the dance with me?”

  Christa sat up a little straighter and sent Emilee a triumphant smile. “I’d love to. But who are you going to find?”

  “I don’t know yet. But one of my friends is bound to know somebody single.”

  “Oh, no,” Emilee said, holding up both hands. “We’re not announcing this to the whole school.”

  “Not the whole school,” Matt promised. “I’ll just ask a few friends, that’s all. Somebody’s bound to have a neighbor or an uncle or a cousin or a friend who’d be right for your mom.”

  “Somebody she won’t get into an argument with five minutes after she meets him,” Christa muttered.

  Emilee didn’t like the sound of this at all. Too many things could go wrong. “I don’t know—”

  “Well, what do you suggest?” Christa demanded. “Unless you have some single men stashed away that I don’t know about, we’re at the end of our list.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Emilee conceded reluctantly. “But the more people we tell, the greater the chance Mom will find out what we’re doing.”

  Matt put his arm around Christa again. “She won’t find out. Trust me.”

  “He won’t tell everyone,” Christa promised for him. “Just guys he can trust—like Adam and Jason, and maybe Byron and Derek.”

  “It won’t work,” Emilee insisted.

  “Sure it will,” Christa said with a scowl. “Especially if Matt swears them to secrecy.” She turned her most persuasive smile on Matt. “You will swear them to secrecy, won’t you?”

  “Sure. The guys all like your mom, you know.”

  Emilee still wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know… I have a bad feeling about this.”

  The jukebox changed to a softer song. Christa ticked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Do you want to find a guy for Mom, or not?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “Well then?”

  Emilee hesitated another minute. “I guess it would be okay,” she said slowly.

  Christa shared a satisfied grin with Matt and settled into the crook of his arm. “Okay, Matt. You’re on.”

  He grinned like a kid with a new toy, and Emilee allowed herself a tiny smile. Maybe they were right. Maybe this was the solution to their problem. After all, if they only told people they could trust, what could possibly go wrong?

  CHAPTER NINE

  “ALL RIGHT, spit it out,” Adelle demanded.

  Sharon stopped with a mouthful of salad halfway to her mouth and glanced across the table at her friend. “Spit what out?”

  Adelle waited to answer until their server had refilled their water glasses. She dabbed her mouth with a napkin and scooted her chair a bit closer. “Whatever it is that’s been bothering you for the past two weeks. You look as if you’ve lost your best friend.”

  Sharon cursed herself silently for being so transparent, but she didn’t want to discuss Gabe with Adelle. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re my best friend.”

  Adelle didn’t let that distract her. “Is there something wrong with one of the kids?”

  “No.” At least she didn’t have to lie. They’d been behaving normally recently, and she’d been able to put her concerns about Emilee on the back burner.

  “Is it work?”

  “No.”

  “A man?”

  Sharon tried to laugh, but she had trouble sounding convincing around the mouthful of salad.

  “It’s a man, isn’t it?” Adelle demanded. “You’ve got that look on your face.”

  “What look?”

  Adelle frowned at her. “That I’ve-met-a-man look.” She wagged her finger in front of Sharon’s face. “Don’t lie to me. I know that look when I see it. So, who is he?”

  Sharon hesitated another minute. But Adelle was her best friend. Maybe talking about it would help. “All right,” she conceded. “There is someone.”

  Adelle nearly jumped out of her seat. “I knew it. This is perfect. Just in time for Valentine’s Day. Who is he?” Without giving Sharon a chance to answer, she started guessing. “The school nurse?”

  “Heavens, no.”

  “That guy you met when you went tubing?”

  She shuddered just thinking about Bob. “Of course not. And before you ask, it’s not that poor man who owns the office-supply store, either.”

  “Then who?”

  In spite of herself, Sharon laughed. “If you’ll let me get a word in, I’ll tell you.”

  Adelle sat back in her chair and made a visible effort to curb her excitement.

  “It’s Gabe Malone, that contractor you met at my house on New Year’s Eve.”

  Adelle’s eyes rounded and her mouth dropped open. “Are you kidding? He’s gorgeous.”

  Even that made Sharon’s heart contract. She tried to joke so Adelle wouldn’t see how much it hurt. “Does that mean he’s too gorgeous for me?”

  “No. Of course not.” Adelle grinned and slanted forward in her seat. “So, tell me everything.”

  Sharon sipped ice water and dredged up her flagging courage. “There’s not that much to tell. Sometime during the past six weeks, we became friendly.”

  Slowly, hesitantly at first, Sharon told her everything. The little things he’d done to help her, their growing friendship and, finally, the kiss that had ended it all. Adelle interrupted constantly, laughing, exclaiming with delight and growing increasingly sober as Sharon told her about the last time she saw Gabe.

  “So, that’s why I’m here today instead of home,” Sharon said, pushing away her nearly untouched plate of pasta. “It’s just not the same with Gabe’s re
placement banging around in my basement.”

  “That’s why you agreed to meet me for lunch? So you don’t have to listen to this other guy working?”

  “When you put it that way, it does sound silly.”

  “Silly? It sounds pathetic.” Adelle’s face tightened in disapproval. “Forget him.”

  “I wish it were that simple.”

  “It is that simple.” Adelle waved the pink-tipped nails that matched her suit jacket. “This guy obviously doesn’t care for you, so don’t waste your time mooning over him.”

  Hearing Adelle voice her own thoughts and doubts made them even more real. She blinked back a sudden flood of tears.

  Adelle looked at her with concern. “The first guy you show any interest in in five years, and he does this to you. I could just kill him.”

  “He didn’t really do anything,” Sharon reminded her. “It was just one kiss. He doesn’t want a serious, committed relationship. He was honest about that right up front. And may I remind you, neither do I.”

  Adelle made a noise of disbelief. “That’s what you keep saying, but I’ve never believed you. You want a good relationship, you just don’t believe they exist.”

  “Of course I do,” Sharon said with a frown. “Look at you and Doug. You have a wonderful marriage. And now, with the baby on the way…” She let her voice trail away wistfully and took a moment to pull herself together. “This is more my fault than his, anyway. Pauline told me he was a playboy, but I convinced myself she was wrong and I let down my guard.”

  “Another good reason to forget him.”

  “I suppose you’re right. But some good will come from this.”

  “In what way?”

  “It did start me thinking about what I want and what’s best for the girls. And I’m seriously considering making a few changes in my life.”

  Adelle’s blue eyes glittered. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time. Don’t let Don Juan stop you. Take that decision and apply it to the next man who comes along—the next decent man, that is.”

  “I don’t want to date just so I can have a social life. I’m talking about getting out more. Maybe I’ll buy season tickets to the symphony, or take a class. I’ve always wanted to learn about antiques.”

  Adelle waved her hand again, clearly agitated. “Maybe you’ve forgotten, but dating is how you figure out if someone’s Mr. Right or not. You go out. You have conversations. You spend time together. Maybe you hit it off and maybe you don’t, but you don’t hang around the house waiting for some guy to come knocking on your door and sweep you off your feet.”

  Sharon nodded slowly. Much as she hated to admit it, Adelle was right. Still, she couldn’t completely ignore the unwelcome suspicion that she’d spend the rest of her life comparing every man she met to Gabe. Or the horrible realization that the lifetime alone she’d once thought wouldn’t be so bad now filled her with unbelievable loneliness.

  AFTERNOON SHADOWS stretched across Sharon’s office, warning her she couldn’t put off going home indefinitely. Even after two weeks, she hated returning home to find Derry in her basement. But the girls would be there, waiting for her. She couldn’t hide behind her work forever.

  Maybe she should take her daughters shopping this evening. Or take them out to dinner. Or both. Anything to avoid going home.

  A soft knock sounded on her office door, allowing her to put off reality for a few minutes longer. One of her students, a young woman named Liberty Young, opened the door and peered inside. “Can I talk to you for a minute, Mrs. Lawrence?”

  “Of course.” Sharon motioned for her to come in. “What can I do for you?”

  Liberty sashayed into the room and tossed her mane of curly red hair. “I need to talk to you about the final exam last semester.”

  “We’ve already discussed it,” Sharon reminded her gently. “Several times.”

  “But it’s not fair. If you don’t let me make up the final, you’ll ruin my grade point average.”

  Sharon shook her head slowly. “I’m sorry, Liberty, but my answer has to be the same as it was before. You’re one of my best students, but you still should have made arrangements to make up the final before you left town.”

  “But—” Liberty slipped her hands into the pockets of her baggy jeans and tossed her hair again. “But that’s not fair,” she repeated. “I got married at the end of last semester, and I was on my honeymoon during the final. I didn’t have time to think about tests and things.”

  Sharon laced her hands together on her desk and prayed for patience. “I understand how difficult it must have been to have a wedding at the same time as finals, but you knew the schedule when the semester started. Maybe you should have planned the wedding for another time.”

  Liberty corkscrewed a lock of hair around one finger and pursed her lips again. “Have a heart, Mrs. Lawrence. Willis and I are in love. We wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. Put yourself in my place.”

  Sharon’s heart twisted painfully. She didn’t want to imagine herself in Liberty’s place. “It’s not up to me. I don’t make the rules. I couldn’t let you make up the final this semester, even if I wanted to. The only thing I can do is urge you to go through the course again and take the final this time.”

  “But that throws off my whole schedule.”

  Sharon chewed her lip for a moment, wondering how she could make Liberty understand. Before she could think of a convincing argument, Emilee bounded through the door of her office, with Christa a step or two behind her.

  “Guess what, Mom—” Emilee broke off, stepped backward and mumbled, “Sorry. I didn’t know you were busy.”

  “We’re through here,” Sharon said quickly, hoping it wasn’t obvious that she welcomed the interruption. She turned back to Liberty. “If you’d like to discuss it with administration—”

  But Liberty cut her off. “I have. They won’t do anything about it.”

  “I was afraid of that.” Sharon stood and guided the young woman toward the door. “Unfortunately, life isn’t fair. I know it’s a cliché, but it’s true.” Before Liberty could offer another argument, she turned her attention to Emilee and Christa. “What brings you here?”

  Christa waited for Liberty to leave. “Adam gave us a ride home, and we heard your message so we asked him to bring us over here.”

  Christa’s friend Adam peered around the door, grinned and ran his fingers through his short, blond hair. “Hey, Mrs. L. How’s it goin’?”

  His smile was infectious. “Well, Adam, I haven’t seen much of you lately.”

  “I’m on the basketball team this year. I’ve been practicing a lot.” He straightened his shoulders and looked for all the world like a small boy who’d just found a way into the cookie jar.

  Sharon tried not to let him see her smile. “Emilee told me you’d made the team. I’ve been meaning to get to one of your games.”

  He hooked his thumbs through his belt loops. “Yeah, you should come!” Then he glanced over his shoulder again and motioned someone else forward. A tall, dark-haired man wearing a three-piece pin-striped suit stepped into the doorway behind him. “Have you met my uncle Ed?”

  Sharon shook her head quickly and turned a smile in Ed’s direction. “No, I haven’t.”

  “Well, here he is. And this is Mrs. Lawrence.”

  Ed let his gaze travel slowly down the length of her. “Mrs. Lawrence.”

  “Sharon. Please.” She stepped behind her desk again and tried not to let him see that he’d disconcerted her.

  He stepped into the office and offered a huge hand for her to shake. “Ed Dubois.”

  “Are you in town visiting?” She looked to Adam for the answer, only to discover that he, Emilee and Christa had wandered out the door and now studied a display case full of trophies.

  Ed made himself comfortable in one of her visitor’s chairs. “No. I live in Englewood.”

  “Not far, then.”

  “Close enough.” He raised his eye
brows and widened his smile.

  Sharon silently willed the kids to rejoin them. Instead, they moved even farther away. “Are you related to Adam’s mother or father?”

  “His mother.”

  “And do you see Adam often?”

  “Fairly.” Ed cocked an ankle across his knee. “But I think I may come around more often in the future.”

  She turned her attention to her pencil holder, but she could still see him out of the corner of her eye. He was a nice-looking man, she supposed. And certainly well dressed.

  “Well,” she said with a polite smile. “I’m sure he’ll like that.”

  Ed tilted his head to one side and gave her another slow, assessing look. “I’m supposed to drop Adam at practice in a few minutes, so I won’t waste time beating around the bush. Would you like to get together sometime?”

  Shock froze Sharon in her seat. “Together?”

  “Sure. For drinks, or maybe even dinner.”

  “You mean a date?” The words slipped out before she could stop them.

  Ed grinned as if she’d said something utterly charming. “Yes. How about Friday?”

  Stalling for time, Sharon glanced at the calendar on her desk blotter. “The twelfth?”

  “The twelfth.”

  It had been twenty years since anyone had asked her on a date, and she didn’t know how to respond or even what to think. She let out a stiff laugh. “Well, I…I…” She took another deep breath, managed to stop stammering and ignored the sudden image of Gabe that floated in front of her. Instead she reminded herself of Adelle’s advice at lunch. “Yes, thank you. I’d like that.”

  Ed’s grin grew even wider. “Perfect. Can I call you?”

  She jotted down her home number on the back of a business card and passed it across the desk to him.

  He tucked it into his pocket and flashed another smile. “Until Friday.”

  Stunned, she watched him lead Adam away while Emilee and Christa hurried into her office and shut the door behind them.

  “What happened?” Christa demanded.

  Still reeling, Sharon gripped the edge of the desk for support and whispered, “He asked me on a date.”