by Diane Craver
“Well, she’ll still be impressed that your grandmother did such beautiful work. I feel like I’m getting off cheap here and should’ve given you more, so to make it up to you, I’ll pick up something for us to eat.” When she didn’t say anything, he continued, “I’ll even bring the vase and jar, so you can wrap them.”
“Hey, I offered to gift wrap last night.”
“So I’m a guy and realize now I can’t wrap.”
She walked to the doorway so she could see Josh. Good, he was still sleeping. “That’s sweet of you but probably not a good idea right now. We saw Toby today with his girlfriend when we stopped to eat after church, and it upset Josh. I’m afraid that Josh doesn’t like it that Toby’s with someone other than us. It might be too much for him to have you visit.”
“I’m sorry that happened but I can—”
“No, I think Josh might get upset if he saw me with another guy. I’ve never dated since the divorce.” She cleared her throat. “I know it’s not the same thing with us as it is with Toby and Samantha, but Josh won’t understand that.”
“I liked my birthday kiss.”
She was afraid he’d bring up her kiss. She’d play it casual and blow it off as not being a big deal. “I’m impulsive sometimes. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea that the kiss meant something. It won’t happen again.”
“I like impulsive women.”
“Once I accidentally kissed Josh’s pediatrician. I leaned down to kiss my baby on his cheek, and at the same moment, the doctor leaned closer to Josh. Instead of kissing Josh, I planted a kiss on the doctor’s face. I was so embarrassed.”
“But it wasn’t an accident you kissing me. I think you enjoyed it as much as I did.”
He was right. The kiss was wonderful, but had left her feeling weak and confused. It reminded her of the dream where she’d kissed Seth while on the operating table. Dreaming of kissing Seth was one thing, but now that it had actually happened, socializing with him had to stop. “I’m glad you came last night, but it’s best we don’t see each other again until the surgery. I have a lot to focus on right now… the end of school is coming up soon, Josh’s leaving for the lake, I need to make arrangements for Las Vegas, and of course, my surgery.”
“How many students do you have?”
“Seventy-five. I teach sixth through eighth grade.”
“They’re lucky to have such a dedicated teacher. If you think of any questions about the surgery, please call me. Or if you decide not to have the surgery, let me know. I respect your wish to have it, but if you decide not to, that’s fine too.” He gave a little laugh. “Definitely call me if you want to talk about kissing.”
She sighed. “You aren’t making this easy on me. After the surgery, maybe we can have coffee again.”
After they said good-bye, she leaned against the wall for support. She didn’t feel good about her decision. Wasn’t it for the best not to see Seth before the surgery? If it was, then why did she feel sad?
Chapter Fourteen
The following Friday evening, Mallory joined Elizabeth and Heather at Olive Garden.
Mallory looked directly at her friends eating their salads, and then saw a basket of breadsticks on the table. “Don’t let me eat more than one breadstick. I’m going to eat it as slowly as possible to savor each morsel of bread.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Oh please. You look great.”
Mallory grinned. “I think you want to tempt me by picking my favorite place.”
“Hey, I love their food too. Derek never wants to eat here. He says it’s too expensive for just pasta.”
“We also pick it frequently because you’re always running late, and Olive Garden happens to be the closest to your house.” Heather patted Mallory’s arm.
“I’m sorry I’m late. Thanks for going ahead and ordering for me.” She had called Elizabeth on her cell phone, asking her to order the low fat Capellini Pomodoro. “I’d been on time if Toby hadn’t been late in picking up Josh for the weekend. But I have some news. He’s not going to leave for Vegas for another couple of weeks.”
“So does that mean Toby will be away by Memorial Day weekend?” Elizabeth asked.
Mallory nodded. “I’m looking forward to having Josh the whole weekend before he leaves with Toby’s parents to go to the lake house.”
“My parents are going away, so if you two don’t have plans, how about we have a picnic and go swimming?” Elizabeth sipped her water.
“Is it okay if I invite Jeremy?” Heather asked.
Elizabeth rubbed her chin. “Geez, I don’t know—”
Heather laughed. “Thanks. I’ll invite him. Nice try though acting like you had to think about it.”
Elizabeth turned her face to Mallory. “Seth seemed to enjoy the barbecue a lot, so you should ask him too.”
Great, Seth had to be mentioned, she thought. She hadn’t told Elizabeth about their kiss. She frowned. “I don’t think that’s a good idea…”
Elizabeth sighed. “I know. You have this crazy notion in your head that you can’t see anyone because you got divorced. I hate to be blunt but Seth’s a great guy. Don’t waste time avoiding him. You deserve to be happy and have a guy in your life.”
She folded her napkin, not wanting to look at her friends. Seth was a wonderful man and yes, she’d admit her heart fluttered whenever she heard his voice. But she was a mature woman with a child and a job. She couldn’t afford to see Seth again on a personal level. Not just because he was her surgeon, but because she knew in her heart it might develop into a relationship that she couldn’t handle. It scared her to be thinking so much about him when they’d just met. Should she mention the kiss to Elizabeth? “Okay, I might as well tell you. When Seth went to leave last Saturday, he kissed me on the cheek and—”
“That was sweet he gave you a little kiss,” Elizabeth said.
Mallory shrugged. “It didn’t stop there. I kissed him right on his lips, and told him that it was a birthday kiss.”
Elizabeth’s eyebrows rose. “I can’t believe you didn’t mention it when I called you the other day.”
“Probably because I’ve been rushed this past week. This last month of school has been crazy with trying to cover the remainder chapters in their literature books. We got behind this year with all the snow and late arrival days because of the weather.”
“What was Seth’s reaction when you kissed him?” Elizabeth nibbled on a breadstick.
“He looked happy and pleased. Fortunately, Heather called right after I kissed him, so I told him good-bye and answered the phone. But he called me on Sunday and wanted to bring food and meet Josh. I told him no because Josh had already been upset when he saw Toby with Samantha at the restaurant after church.”
Heather wiped her lips with a napkin after eating the last bite of salad. “Seth can meet Josh if you invite him for our Memorial Day picnic.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to encourage him. I’ll admit I’m attracted to Seth. I mean it’d be hard not to be. He’s fun to be with and very good-looking.”
“And he’s available,” Elizabeth added.
Mallory took a bite of salad. “But I don’t feel like I am. Toby and I pledged our love to each other in the Lord’s house. Marriage’s sacred and even though we both wanted the divorce, I still feel I should’ve done more to keep Toby interested in me. And maybe then he wouldn’t have had an affair.” She had to convince Elizabeth because she was starting to doubt herself. She hadn’t talked to Seth since Sunday, and she missed their conversations. She even went to his website so she could see his face. “I know this won’t happen but suppose after you and Derek are married, he decides to divorce you. Wouldn’t you have a hard time seeing someone else?”
Elizabeth waited a long moment before answering. “You’re right. I wouldn’t be happy if Derek decided to divorce me. I’d feel like a failure and I never like to fail at anything. I suppose that I wouldn’t want to rush into another relationship immediately.
”
“There’s another reason you might take time to think about dating Seth.” Heather fingered her silver necklace. “If you two continue to see each other before the surgery, it might be hard on him to operate on you. I think you’re wise to get back on a professional level…until after your surgery anyhow.”
“I think it’s too late to worry about that.” Elizabeth grinned at Mallory. “Dr. Whitman already has a thing for his patient. Just think he took you out for coffee after he’d just met you in his office. Then he came to your house and wanted to again on Sunday. Plus you two have been calling, emailing and texting each other.”
“You both are right, but I’m sure he’ll still feel comfortable doing my nose job. I can’t switch to another surgeon. Seth’s the best in our area. Ella raves how happy she is with the surgery he did on her nose.” She grinned. “Plus I already paid half the fee.”
She had a small savings account which eventually was to be used for a new roof. Fortunately, the twenty-year-old roof didn’t need to be replaced yet. She still needed to come up with another three thousand. The business manager said that the balance had to be paid a week before her surgery.
“I can still drive you,” Heather said. “Just let me know for sure soon, so I can take the day off.”
“Thanks,” she said, “but I’ll see first if Mom can take me. I’ll try to find out this weekend if Mom’s able to take a vacation day.”
“Does your mom think you’re doing the right thing?” Elizabeth asked.
Mallory nodded. “She’s okay with me having the surgery, but she’s worried that I’ll be disappointed with the outcome. She reminded me to be realistic in my expectations.”
Elizabeth winked at her. “By the way, there’s a definite glow in your eyes. I wonder if kissing Seth has something to do with your radiance.”
“I do feel happier than I have in a long time. I’m glad that Seth wants to spend time with me.” She sighed. “I’ve regretted not seeing him on Sunday.”
They had texted a few times, so she knew he’d been thinking about her too. She missed talking with Seth a lot, and even thought about calling him. Actually she wouldn’t mind another kiss from Seth right now. And not one in a dream but the real thing.
***
Seth wiped the sweat off his forehead. Man, Henry’s creaming me again. This is getting embarrassing. “Either you’ve improved or I’ve gotten worse.”
Henry shook his head. “You just aren’t concentrating. What’s on your mind?”
He waved his hand around, looking at the court. “Not racquetball. That’s for sure. I’ve missed Mallory.”
“I thought things were going well between you two.”
“It was. She kissed me before I left her place last Saturday. I called her Sunday and told her I could pick up some food and drive to her place.”
“I take it the lovely Mallory said no.”
Seth nodded. “She’s pretty concerned about Josh and the impact of him seeing me with her. I guess he’d gotten upset when he saw his dad with his girlfriend. Also she said that we shouldn’t see each other again until her surgery. She has to focus on all kinds of things. I guess her excuses could be valid.”
After Henry hit the rubber ball a few times with his racquet, he looked up at Seth. “I know how you can date Mallory and get her to stop worrying about Josh’s reaction.”
“I know what you’re going to say because I’ve thought of it too.”
Henry grinned. “Hope her ex marries his girlfriend. Right?”
“He might marry her in Las Vegas. Then she won’t be the first one to upset Josh with a new marriage.”
Henry gave Seth a thoughtful look. “I’m glad you met Mallory. You were in a bad way after Leanne left.”
Remembering Leanne wasn’t painful any longer. Meeting Mallory had changed his life in a remarkable and unexpected way. “You got that right. I don’t miss Leanne the way I did at first. The funny thing is Mallory came to me to improve her appearance, but when I invited her for coffee—”
“I was proud of you to make a move so quickly, and it paid off since she asked you to be a guest at her party.”
“I know she’s interested in me. Hey, she’s the one who kissed me on the mouth.”
“When the time’s right, I’m sure you can convince her that it’s okay for her to date you. Toby committed adultery. She’s in the clear with God.”
“I hope the time’s right soon for us. I’m crazy about Mallory Harrington. I want her to meet my family.” Hopefully, his mom wouldn’t disapprove of Mallory. She might not like it that Mallory was divorced and had a child. It was important to him that they liked Mallory.
Henry frowned. “What about me and Rebecca? Don’t you want us to meet Mallory?”
“Of course, I do.” He grinned. “And if you don’t approve, I’ll listen this time.”
Henry had warned him that Leanne was too controlling which had been true.
Henry nudged Seth with his racquet. “Come on, let’s see what you got.”
***
At the sound of her phone, Mallory slid her stack of graded tests into a folder, and then grabbed the phone.
“Hello, peanut,” her mom said.
She chuckled. “Mom, I’m thirty-two years old, but I love it when you call me peanut again.”
“Aren’t you going to say what you used to?”
“Okay, but I only did that in high school. What’s up, walnut?”
“Alan proposed last night. We’re getting married the Saturday after Memorial Day weekend. I’d like you to be my matron of honor.”
She knew that Alan had made her mom happy, and thought they might get married, but not already. “Congratulations, Mom. I want to be your matron of honor. I really like Alan, but what’s the rush?”
“We want to get married before Alan’s son, Michael, leaves for Afghanistan in June. With so little time, I’m only going to invite a few close friends and relatives.”
“I’ll help with everything. It’ll be fun working together on your wedding.” Her mom had done so much for her through the years. She wanted to help with the wedding plans. It was a shame Grandma wasn’t alive to watch her daughter get married to a wonderful guy.
“Thanks, honey. I’m so happy. I thought about telling you tomorrow, but couldn’t wait and had to call you.”
“I’m glad you didn’t wait. We have to get busy. If you aren’t doing anything this afternoon, we could go and get the invitations. We can get the kind you put the date and etc. in yourself. There’s not enough time to order them. You should get them sent out on Monday.”
“I don’t have any plans for this afternoon. We can have lunch together, and then get the invitations. My treat.”
“That sounds perfect. I’ll pick you up since you’re buying lunch.” She just had a thought and wondered if her mom had forgotten about her surgery. She assumed Alan and Mom would go on a honeymoon. She hated to be selfish but after her surgery, she’d wanted her mom to be with her. I better ask their plans because I might need Heather, after all, to drive me for my surgery. “Are you going on a honeymoon right after the wedding?”
“Yes, but we won’t leave until Wednesday morning. We want to spend time with Michael and his family before we leave, and I want to stay with you on Tuesday after your surgery. We’ll spend the night at your place, and go to the airport on Wednesday morning. But only if Heather and Elizabeth can stop in the first few days.”
Her rhinoplasty wasn’t on Tuesday but on Wednesday. She hated to make her mom stick around for her surgery before going on their honeymoon. Should she ask Seth if she could move it to Tuesday? She had a teacher’s work day on Monday. It was getting so close now though. She doubted it could be changed unless someone scheduled canceled. “Mom, when’s Michael leaving?”
“He has to leave Monday morning.”
“Go ahead and leave on your honeymoon on Monday then. My surgery isn’t on Tuesday anyhow and—”
“I was sure you sa
id Tuesday. What day is your surgery?”
“Wednesday. But go ahead and leave after you visit with Michael. You and Alan shouldn’t wait around. And Mom, I’m so happy for you.”
“But you can’t drive yourself home after surgery and you need someone to stay with you.”
“Heather’s offered to take off work to take me. I’ll be fine.” She’d just have Heather drive her to Seth’s medical facility and back home after her surgery. Really, Heather wouldn’t need to take the whole day off work. She knew a person was supposed to be with her for the first twenty-four hours after surgery, but she was in good health. What could go wrong?
And if something did, she should be able to call Seth.
Chapter Fifteen
“Okay, pour water into this hole,” Mallory said to Josh, pointing to the spot where she wanted to put the next flower.
“Do you like my present?” Josh asked.
She looked up from the flowerbed and smiled at her son. “I love the impatiens you gave me. That’s exactly what I wanted for Mother’s Day.”
“I picked red because I know you like red flowers.” Josh carefully tipped the watering can. “Last night I prayed for another gift for you.”
“It must be special then. What did you pray for?” She stuck the flower in the water and pushed dirt around it.
“I asked God for Daddy to come home and live with us again. I don’t want him to marry Samantha.”
Poor Josh. They’d tried to make sure their son never felt abandoned and always felt loved by both of them. She never argued with Toby in front of Josh or on the phone. She had an amicable relationship with her ex. But it was normal for him to want his parents to live together. “Well, I love your dad and he loves me, but we weren’t meant to stay married. Unfortunately, it happens to a lot of couples.”
He frowned. “Daddy kisses Samantha a lot. He loves her more than us.”
She rubbed her dirty hands on her old jeans and stood. After taking the watering can out of Josh’s hands, she put it on the ground and hugged him. Tears filled her eyes. She hated to see her son heartbroken. Toby had told her that his relationship with Samantha wasn’t serious. Had he lied to her? Was he planning on marrying Samantha? Why did Toby have to kiss Samantha in front of Josh?