nice.”
“And the job?”
She didn’t know why he sounded so diffident, but it was making
her feel rather flustered. “It sounds like the kind of job I’m looking for. But
they might not hire me, you know.”
“But they might.”
“Yeah. I suppose.” She swallowed hard, wanting to look down
and hide her expression but compelled to keep gazing up at Micah’s handsome, hesitant
face.
“Why do you sound like you don’t think they will? Didn’t the
interview go okay?”
“Yeah. Of course. But things haven’t exactly been falling in
my lap lately, so I’ve gotten so I don’t expect good things to happen.”
His odd hesitance transformed into a frown. “Why wouldn’t
good things happen for you?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I know theoretically they could. But
it just feels like…” She felt too vulnerable admitting such a thing, so she
trailed off and looked down at the ground again.
He lifted her chin with one hand so she was meeting his
eyes. “It feels like what?”
“I don’t know. It sounds silly, I’m sure, but it just sometimes
feels like the world is taunting me with…with…” She thought for a moment for an
appropriate analogy. “…with a big basket of beautiful flowers, making me think
they could be mine. But then, when I reach out for them, all I get is a broken
dandelion.”
Micah was frowning again. “Why would you think that? Because
you lost your job and those fiancés proved themselves to be ass—” He broke off,
glancing down guiltily at Cara. “Jerks.”
“Not just that. It’s just…everything.” She couldn’t really
explain, not without admitting too much. You could hardly to admit to the man
in question that the big basket of flowers you really wanted was him and his
daughter.
“I’m sure there will be flowers for you, Alice.” His voice
had changed, gotten soft, almost rough.
She felt shaky and emotional, and she was afraid to look at
his face. For some reason, she instead focused on his broad shoulders, the way
his shirt stretched over the lines of his chest and abdomen.
Suddenly, she wanted to touch him. So powerfully the feeling
swept through her. She couldn’t remember ever feeling that way before.
Then she realized she was touching him. She’d reached without realizing it and put a hand lightly on his
chest.
“All kinds of flowers,” he went on, thicker than before. He
raised a hand to cover the one she rested on his chest. “And much better ones
than dandelions. You deserve so much more than that.”
She couldn’t resist the urge to look up then, and her breath
hitched when she saw his expression. He looked like he meant what he said. Like
there was rich feeling almost tangible in his expression.
She drifted toward him unconsciously, wanting to be close to
him in every way, wanting to feel his body, his lips, his heart, in a way she’d
never wanted to feel a man before.
Even more than she’d ever wanted to feel the boy she’d known
in summer camp.
Then Cara made a funny little sound as she started to wake
up, and Micah released a strange shuddering breath. He lowered her hand from
his chest and pulled his own hand away.
“I better get her in,” he said, his tone still strangely
thick but very different now. He’d turned away from her as he leaned to pick
the baby up.
“Yeah,” she said to his back. “Thanks for driving me.”
“No problem. Have a good night.”
And then he was walking into the house, carrying the carrier
and the baby bag, leaving Alice alone with a lot of lingering feelings—some
physical and some emotional—and nothing at all to do with them.
She gave a silent, bitter laugh as she walked up the stairs
to her apartment. What else would she have expected?
Another broken dandelion.
Six
The dinner at Daniel and Jessica’s had
been rescheduled from last Friday to the next Friday because Daniel had to do a
funeral the previous week.
Alice arrived at their lovely old house at exactly
“And the job?”
She didn’t know why he sounded so diffident, but it was making
her feel rather flustered. “It sounds like the kind of job I’m looking for. But
they might not hire me, you know.”
“But they might.”
“Yeah. I suppose.” She swallowed hard, wanting to look down
and hide her expression but compelled to keep gazing up at Micah’s handsome, hesitant
face.
“Why do you sound like you don’t think they will? Didn’t the
interview go okay?”
“Yeah. Of course. But things haven’t exactly been falling in
my lap lately, so I’ve gotten so I don’t expect good things to happen.”
His odd hesitance transformed into a frown. “Why wouldn’t
good things happen for you?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I know theoretically they could. But
it just feels like…” She felt too vulnerable admitting such a thing, so she
trailed off and looked down at the ground again.
He lifted her chin with one hand so she was meeting his
eyes. “It feels like what?”
“I don’t know. It sounds silly, I’m sure, but it just sometimes
feels like the world is taunting me with…with…” She thought for a moment for an
appropriate analogy. “…with a big basket of beautiful flowers, making me think
they could be mine. But then, when I reach out for them, all I get is a broken
dandelion.”
Micah was frowning again. “Why would you think that? Because
you lost your job and those fiancés proved themselves to be ass—” He broke off,
glancing down guiltily at Cara. “Jerks.”
“Not just that. It’s just…everything.” She couldn’t really
explain, not without admitting too much. You could hardly to admit to the man
in question that the big basket of flowers you really wanted was him and his
daughter.
“I’m sure there will be flowers for you, Alice.” His voice
had changed, gotten soft, almost rough.
She felt shaky and emotional, and she was afraid to look at
his face. For some reason, she instead focused on his broad shoulders, the way
his shirt stretched over the lines of his chest and abdomen.
Suddenly, she wanted to touch him. So powerfully the feeling
swept through her. She couldn’t remember ever feeling that way before.
Then she realized she was touching him. She’d reached without realizing it and put a hand lightly on his
chest.
“All kinds of flowers,” he went on, thicker than before. He
raised a hand to cover the one she rested on his chest. “And much better ones
than dandelions. You deserve so much more than that.”
She couldn’t resist the urge to look up then, and her breath
hitched when she saw his expression. He looked like he meant what he said. Like
there was rich feeling almost tangible in his expression.
She drifted toward him unconsciously, wanting to be close to
him in every way, wanting to feel his body, his lips, his heart, in a way she’d
never wanted to feel a man before.
Even more than she’d ever wanted to feel the boy she’d known
in summer camp.
Then Cara made a funny little sound as she started to wake
up, and Micah released a strange shuddering breath. He lowered her hand from
his chest and pulled his own hand away.
“I better get her in,” he said, his tone still strangely
thick but very different now. He’d turned away from her as he leaned to pick
the baby up.
“Yeah,” she said to his back. “Thanks for driving me.”
“No problem. Have a good night.”
And then he was walking into the house, carrying the carrier
and the baby bag, leaving Alice alone with a lot of lingering feelings—some
physical and some emotional—and nothing at all to do with them.
She gave a silent, bitter laugh as she walked up the stairs
to her apartment. What else would she have expected?
Another broken dandelion.
Six
The dinner at Daniel and Jessica’s had
been rescheduled from last Friday to the next Friday because Daniel had to do a
funeral the previous week.
Alice arrived at their lovely old house at exactly
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