by Maria Geraci
In the end, she reluctantly agreed to go on the cruise, but Nate suspected that deep down she was secretly counting the minutes until she got on the plane. She deserved a nice vacation and he didn’t want anything, including “Hector” to spoil it for her.
“Oh my God! Is that a puppy?” someone shrieked.
“He’s sooooo cute!” came another cry.
Nate turned around to see Bianca and Janie scurrying out the back door. They practically knocked him over in their rush to get to the puppy.
“He’s my brother’s new dog,” Lanie said. “Isn’t he adorable?”
“Can I hold him?” Bianca asked. Without waiting for permission she whisked the puppy away from Lanie. She turned to Nate. “Are you going to keep him in the office? Can I walk him?”
“Isn’t that a bit, um, unsanitary?” Nate asked.
“A cute little thing like this?” Janie said. “Absolutely not. You can get one those crates and put it right next to your desk. She’ll love it!”
“It’s a he,” Nate said. “His name is Hector.” He glanced over to see Lanie looking extremely pleased with herself. Two more members of the office staff came out to the parking lot to “see the new puppy.” They all fought over who was going to hold him next. Hector in turn, had that drugged puppy look in his eyes, tail wagging furiously, like he knew he was nectar and none of the bees could resist him.
Nate leaned back against his sister’s car, crossed his arms over his chest and watched the show in progress. The office staff barely tolerated him. If he turned away this puppy, they’d think he was Hannibal Lector.
“Oh, you’re good,” he said to Lanie.
His sister smiled. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Can I have a dog?” Henry asked. He was sitting at the kitchen table doing his homework while Lauren was making dinner and daydreaming about the dress that had popped into her head this afternoon. It was a simple design, a straight shift dress with a slightly flared skirt. She’d run into Kitty Pappas today at the Piggly Wiggly, and now that the news was out about Kitty’s pregnancy, she was happily flaunting it to the entire world by wearing her first maternity top.
Kitty had complained about the lack of “cute original” styles for pregnant women. That’s when the seed for the dress had begun to grow in Lauren’s mind. She’d already sketched out a pattern. The trick was finding the right fabric…
“Cameron says his dad is getting him a dog.”
Ha. Lauren wondered if Mimi knew about that. She tossed some fresh basil into the spaghetti sauce and stirred. “Oh, hon, dogs are a lot of work. Why don’t we get a cat?”
Henry made a face. “Cats are no fun.”
“I had a cat when I was growing up and she was a lot of fun. Her name was Dinah, you know, after the cat in Alice in Wonderland. I used to dress her up and make her play dolls with me.”
Henry didn’t look impressed. Maybe she shouldn’t have mentioned the dolls. “My birthday’s next week. It could be my present,” he added hopefully.
Lauren had already gotten Henry’s gift—a new X-Box. It was wrapped and hidden away in her bedroom closet. It had cost more than what she wanted to spend, but Henry was turning twelve, and he was such a good kid. She sighed. “I’ll think about the dog, okay?”
“That always means no.” He bent his head and went back to his pre-algebra.
Lauren was about to protest when her front bell rang. It was almost seven and she wasn’t expecting anyone. She opened the door to find Nate Miller standing on her front porch. “Sorry to bother you, but I was walking Hector and we found ourselves on your street and I forgot to bring a baggy.” Nate motioned to the sidewalk in front of the house. “He did his business and I need to scoop it up. Neighborhood rules.”
Lauren glanced down to see a puppy on a leash. “Hector?”
“My new dog. Courtesy of my sister.” He raised the puppy off the ground—it was small and brown and completely adorable, its tiny paws clawing the air.
“Oh my God…that’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“That’s what all the women at the office said, too.”
Lauren laughed. Then she realized Nate Miller was standing at her front door and it was the longest conversation they’d had since The Kiss. He was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt and he looked slightly embarrassed, like he wasn’t quite sure how he ended up at her house. He also looked completely sexy with those glasses and his tousled hair and just the barest beginning of a five o’clock shadow.
“Do you want to come in? I’m making spaghetti.” Ack! Had she just invited him to dinner? What if he said no? What if he said he was back with Jessica? What if—
“Is that what smells so good?” He smiled and those dimples came popping out like weapons of mass destruction aimed straight for her girl parts.
Oh God. It was official. She had a crush on Nate Miller. How on earth had that happened? She was thirty years old. Way too old to have a crush on anybody. More than likely it was simply that he was the last person to have carnal knowledge of her. Or rather, her lips, that is. The girls were right. She was a grown woman with needs. It was only natural that she would feel this…tingly thing in her stomach.
“It’s the garlic. It makes everything better. Or at least, smell better. Hector can come, too,” she added.
“Are you sure?” But he was already inside the house. He set the puppy down on the living room floor. Hector took a few wobbly steps then picked up momentum and began doing a jig in and around Nate’s legs before settling down to chew the hem of his jeans. “He’s pretty good inside. So far.” Nate bent down and shooed Hector away from making a meal out of his pants. The action made them both seem unbearably adorable. A good looking man with a puppy. It was a killer combo. So. Not. Fair.
“How long have you had him?”
Nate glanced at his watch. “Six hours, twenty-eight minutes and fourteen seconds. But who’s counting?”
“Who was at the door?” Henry asked from the hallway. He came into the living room, took one look at Nate and Hector, then paused. He looked to Lauren for guidance.
“Henry, this is Dr. Miller. We went to high school together.”
Henry extended his hand and Nate came forward and shook it. “Call me Nate. And this is Hector.”
Henry dropped to his knees. “Hey, boy.” Hector lanced himself at Henry’s chest and began licking his jaw.
“Nate is going to join us for dinner.”
“Hector, too?” Henry asked.
“Sure, the more the merrier, but no spaghetti for him,” Lauren said.
“Definitely no spaghetti for him,” Nate agreed. He glanced around and took in her living room. It wasn’t fancy, but she liked the look she’d achieved with her matching dark leather sofa and chairs and the colorful area rug and pillows. Tonight was chilly, so she’d taken advantage and built a fire in the old stone fireplace. The walls were painted a soft yellow and family pictures hung on the walls. It was cozy and warm and she could see from the look of appreciation on Nate’s face that he liked it, too. “Great place you have here.”
“Thanks. Hold on, I’ll be right back.” She went to the kitchen and returned with a disposable plastic bag and handed it to Nate, who then went outside to take care of, as he called it, Hector’s “business.”
“This is a cute dog,” Henry said, scratching Hector behind the ears. “Kind of little, though.”
“I suppose you have something bigger in mind?”
“Josh Simmons has a lab. They’re pretty cool dogs.”
“Don’t they shed?” Lauren asked.
Henry shrugged, like he didn’t know the answer, which meant that, yes, they probably did shed.
Nate came back in through the front door. “I found your garbage bin in the backyard and took the liberty of disposing the baggy in there.”
“Great.” They all looked at one another for a second like no one was quite sure what to do next, so they drifted into the kitchen.
<
br /> Nate washed his hands in the kitchen sink. “Can I help with dinner?”
“Dinner’s pretty much done, but you can keep me company while we wait for the pasta to cook.” Lauren opened a bottle of wine and offered Nate a glass. She sipped hers and they played with Hector while Henry finished his math homework.
He noticed her sketch pad lying on the counter and he picked it up. “Is this another one of your designs?” He pointed to the sketch for Kitty’s dress.
“It’s just something I’m playing around with right now. It’s actually a retro maternity look.”
“Maternity, huh?”
She told him about running into Kitty Pappas and how she’d come up with the idea for a dress that was both comfortable, but slightly funky at the same time. “The retro look is for fun. Sometimes pregnancy can be hard on a woman’s self-esteem. You want to feel good and be comfortable of course, but the way we dress is one way that we tell the world who we are.”
“So you did it. You’re a fashion designer now,” he said. There was a hint of pride in his voice that made her feel all funny inside.
“I suppose you could say that.”
“I did just say that. You should think about selling these.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I mean, designing a dress is one thing. Making and selling them is another thing entirely.”
“I don’t know about fashion, especially women’s wear, but it seems to me you have a lot of talent. But more than that, if it’s something you like doing then you should seriously consider it. Not many people get to do the thing they really love.”
It was the second time now that he’d encouraged her to pursue her love for design into something more practical. It all seemed so easy when he said it. The kitchen timer went off, signaling that the pasta was ready.
“So, how do you know my mom, again?” Henry asked, once they were all eating. He seemed polite enough, but Lauren noticed a tiny kernel of suspicion, perhaps, in his otherwise friendly demeanor. Hector had fallen asleep on Henry’s lap and no one had the heart to move him.
“We went to high school together,” Nate said. He took a bite of the spaghetti and nodded in approval. “Good sauce. This is a nice treat from my usual take out.”
“Thanks,” Lauren said. Tonight’s menu also included a green salad and garlic bread. She and Henry usually didn’t do dessert during the week. She didn’t have any ice-cream in the freezer and it was obviously too late to whip anything up. She hoped Nate wouldn’t mind.
Relax, she told herself. It was just a weekday dinner. But she couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous, just the same. His dropping by her place had seemed spontaneous, but he had to have thought about that kiss they’d shared. At least, she hoped he had. She’d hate to think she was alone in thinking it had been something special.
“Did you like, date my mom or anything?” Henry asked.
“No. But we had a couple of classes together,” Nate said, smiling at Henry.
“Did you want to date her?” Henry persisted.
Lauren nearly spit out her pasta.
But Nate didn’t seem fazed by Henry’s questioning. It was almost as if she was back in high school and Henry had taken on a paternal role, interrogating a would-be-suitor.
“Your mom dated your dad in high school. I don’t think anybody else stood a chance with her,” Nate said easily.
This seemed to mollify Henry. For about ten seconds. “Do you want to date her now?”
“Henry!” Lauren faked a laugh. “That’s enough with the questions! Nate is our guest.”
Thankfully, Henry didn’t press the question. Conversation resumed, and soon they were all talking about Hector and how big he’d be when he was fully grown, and Henry’s soccer team, as well as his upcoming birthday.
“So your birthday’s on February fourteenth, huh?” Nate said.
Henry rolled his eyes like he was embarrassed that he shared his birthday with a holiday as cheesy as Valentine’s Day. “Yeah. I want a dog, but Mom says she’ll have to think about it.”
“A dog is a big commitment,” Nate said. “As a matter of fact, I’m going to need some help. Maybe you can walk Hector? I would pay you.”
Henry perked up. “Really?” He turned to Lauren. “Could I, Mom?”
“Well, that’s awful nice of Nate to offer to pay you, but—”
“I wouldn’t expect him to do it for free, and only when it wouldn’t interfere with school or his other activities. I foresee that little guy needing a lot of attention, and frankly, I’m not sure I’ll be able to provide it all.”
“I suppose we could come to some…arrangement,” Lauren said.
“Cool!” Henry quickly finished his dinner and scooped up a sleepy Hector. “I’m going to take him for a walk now. So that he’ll get used to me.”
“Not too far,” Lauren said. “And don’t forget to bring a baggie. Just in case.”
Henry made a face. “Yeah, okay.” He clipped the leash on Hector’s collar and half dragged, half ran with him out the back door.
“Coffee?” Lauren asked once they were alone.
Nate leaned back in his chair. “No, thanks. I never drink coffee in the evening.”
“Is that part of your training?” she asked. “I notice you’re a pretty avid runner.” Then she felt her face go warm. She hoped he wouldn’t think she was stalking him or anything. But the truth was, ever since she’d seen him run by her house that one morning, somehow, she always found herself standing by her living room window between the hours of six and six-fifteen a.m., drinking her morning coffee, and just “looking” outside. She’d gotten a peek at him a total of three times now. Oh, God. Yes. It was official. She was a stalker.
“Training? Nah. I became a caffeine junkie during my residency and I’m still trying to break the habit. I sleep better if I avoid caffeine in the evening.”
He helped her clear the dishes. Twice, they bumped into each other (on purpose?) and Lauren got a whiff of his cologne. Her pulse skyrocketed and her brain turned to mush. She was dying here. She really was. Henry should be back any second. But she wanted to know the answer to that last question of his. Did Nate want to date her? What was he really doing here? It was now or never.
“I’m sorry about Henry and his…questions.”
“He’s a great kid. It’s natural he’d be territorial about his mom.”
“Territorial?”
“Sure. He’s sees me sniffing around and he’s suspicious.”
She tried for a light tone. “So that’s what you’re doing. Sniffing?”
His expression turned serious. “Absolutely. The dog was just a pretense. Well, it was also convenient that he chose the sidewalk in front of your house.” He hesitated. “May I ask you a question? What were you doing on a date with Ted Ferguson?”
She couldn’t help but cringe. “My mother set it up.”
“I hear she’s good at that sort of thing.”
They both smiled. Then he cleared his throat. “I know the evening didn’t end well, but I’m not one to make assumptions. You’re not dating him now, are you?”
“That would be a big fat no.”
“Are you seeing anyone else?”
“I’ve had two dates since my divorce. Ted. And…you.” An image of that last perfect moment on the beach flashed through her mind. “Nate, what are we doing? I mean, that kiss was…”
“Spectacular? Earth-shattering? At least, I hope that’s what you were going to say. As for what we’re doing, I think that’s obvious. I know we got off to a rocky start, but I’m attracted to you. And I pretty sure you’re attracted to me, as well.”
He thought their kiss had been Earth-shattering! She felt a moment’s relief to discover that it hadn’t been just her.
“But you just got out of a serious relationship. Are you sure you’re over Jessica? Because I don’t want to be anyone’s rebound.”
“You wouldn’t be a rebound,” he said.
“What would I be then?”<
br />
“A beautiful, fascinating woman that I want to get to know better.”
Yikes! No one had ever been interested in her as a woman. As a girl, she’d had plenty of admirers in high school. Then, she’d gotten pregnant. And married. But her marriage had been a ticking time bomb. It hadn’t been either of their faults. She and Tom had been young and they’d tried, but their love hadn’t been deep enough to sustain them into adulthood. She wasn’t a narcissist, but she knew men found her attractive. No one, however, had ever called her fascinating before. Was it a line? Nate certainly didn’t seem like a player. But less than a month ago she’d seen him get down one knee and propose to another woman. What if Jessica wanted him back? It could happen. And once again she’d find herself with a man who deep down, really wanted someone else.
She couldn’t go through that. Not again. As much as she was attracted to Nate, she was going to have to pass.
“I like you. I really do. But I’m not at a place in my life where I’m looking for a relationship. And I think, and please don’t take this the wrong way, but I think it’s too early for you, too. Maybe we can be friends? At least, for now?”
“Of course. I understand completely. In your eyes, I’m not a good risk. I get that.” He seemed disappointed, but like a good sport he smiled anyway. “Friends it is. For now.”
This week’s Bunco was being held at Mimi’s house. Shea Masterson stood in front of the group, looking like a she-warrior ready to take on the world. “I think we should call the governor. Bruce Bailey and his minions shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this!”
The rest of the Babes murmured in approval. All except Mimi and Pilar, who stood to the side with resigned looks on their faces. “Believe me, as the city’s attorney I’ve already looked into it, and unfortunately it’s legal,” Pilar said. “It sucks, but there it is.”
The mayoral election, traditionally always held at the beginning of April, had been postponed until November. The city council suddenly deemed it “a waste of good tax payer money” to hold a lone election in an off month and voted to combine the race with the rest of the state elections. A move that, on the surface, seemed to make fiscal sense, but everyone knew that Bruce Bailey was running scared and hoping to turn things around after the Spring Into Summer festival. According to Pilar, he’d gotten Billy Brenton, county music’s newest “it” celebrity to perform at this year’s festival. It would be hard for Mimi to defeat Bruce with that sort of coup under his belt.