friend’s past as well. “I wasn’t always. I just had to learn to live my life instead of going through the motions. Give Richard a chance to move from friend to something more.”
“Are you going to give Lance a chance?” Naomi countered.
“Not my type,” Fallon responded, eating more ice cream. “Besides, I’m leaving in five weeks.”
“Don’t remind me. We’ll miss you,” Naomi told her, ready to drop the conversation. She didn’t like being reminded of another inadequacy.
“I’ll miss you and Kayla as well.” Fallon smiled. “For the first time in a long time, I’ll be sad to move on. You’re a good friend and mother. So give yourself and Richard a break.”
The prospect of intimacy made her stomach roll. She capped her pint of ice cream. “Thanks for coming over and for the ice cream.”
Fallon wrinkled her nose and replaced the top on her own pint. “I think you’ve made up your mind, and it’s not in Richard’s favor.”
“Some things are just not meant to be.” Naomi placed both pints in the fridge.
“I’d argue if I thought it would do any good.” Fallon came gracefully to her feet and went to the back door. “Just remember, it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind. ’Night.”
“’Night,” Naomi said, then watched until Fallon let herself inside her apartment. Quickly stepping back inside, she closed and locked the back door, painfully aware that she wasn’t brave enough to risk her daughter’s happiness or her own fragile self-esteem if she were less than what Richard expected.
No matter how much Richard had done for her and Kayla, Naomi didn’t want to be that vulnerable again. It wasn’t fair to Richard to keep taking up his time when she knew she couldn’t be the woman he deserved. She never knew how to act when he looked at her as if he wanted more than friendship, more than she was capable of giving him. She wasn’t a whole woman.
Flicking off the light, she went to her bedroom to get undressed. The phone rang just as she stepped out of her shoes. Thinking it was Fallon, she reached for the receiver. “Hello.”
Expecting to hear Fallon’s voice, she frowned, then stiffened, her gaze going to the caller ID. She heard the dial tone the instant her gaze saw the blank readout. The caller had hung up. Her hand gripped the phone, then eased. She replaced the receiver and continued to undress.
Her ex had made her life miserable enough. He was not going to control her future. He might have had friends in the police department to uphold him in his wrongdoing, but she had friends now as well. Luke was checking on Gordon, and Luke was the best. Until she knew something differently, she was living her life the way she wanted. With one exception.
Richard wasn’t going to be a part of her life any longer.
Chapter 7
The next day at work should have been one of the best ever for Naomi. Instead she was just as restless and as on edge as she’d been the night before. Kayla was the star, not only of the kindergarten wing, but of the entire school. She had the biggest grin on her face when they turned the corner Monday morning into their hallway and saw a giant poster of the cover of The Guardian.
However, instead of the little girl standing with her back to you and the wolf by her side as depicted on the cover illustration, they both faced forward. The art teacher had expertly captured Kayla’s happy face. There was even a morning announcement on the PA system about her characterization in The Guardian . The unnerving part had come shortly before lunch when a reporter from the local newspaper had arrived to do a story on Kayla.
Naomi hadn’t known anything about the school principal’s “surprise.” She’d actually thought of refusing to let Kayla be interviewed despite Principal Crenshaw’s enthusiasm. Naomi might have if Catherine and Luke hadn’t shown up moments later.
Despite Naomi’s talk of conquering her fear, she didn’t want any
“Are you going to give Lance a chance?” Naomi countered.
“Not my type,” Fallon responded, eating more ice cream. “Besides, I’m leaving in five weeks.”
“Don’t remind me. We’ll miss you,” Naomi told her, ready to drop the conversation. She didn’t like being reminded of another inadequacy.
“I’ll miss you and Kayla as well.” Fallon smiled. “For the first time in a long time, I’ll be sad to move on. You’re a good friend and mother. So give yourself and Richard a break.”
The prospect of intimacy made her stomach roll. She capped her pint of ice cream. “Thanks for coming over and for the ice cream.”
Fallon wrinkled her nose and replaced the top on her own pint. “I think you’ve made up your mind, and it’s not in Richard’s favor.”
“Some things are just not meant to be.” Naomi placed both pints in the fridge.
“I’d argue if I thought it would do any good.” Fallon came gracefully to her feet and went to the back door. “Just remember, it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind. ’Night.”
“’Night,” Naomi said, then watched until Fallon let herself inside her apartment. Quickly stepping back inside, she closed and locked the back door, painfully aware that she wasn’t brave enough to risk her daughter’s happiness or her own fragile self-esteem if she were less than what Richard expected.
No matter how much Richard had done for her and Kayla, Naomi didn’t want to be that vulnerable again. It wasn’t fair to Richard to keep taking up his time when she knew she couldn’t be the woman he deserved. She never knew how to act when he looked at her as if he wanted more than friendship, more than she was capable of giving him. She wasn’t a whole woman.
Flicking off the light, she went to her bedroom to get undressed. The phone rang just as she stepped out of her shoes. Thinking it was Fallon, she reached for the receiver. “Hello.”
Expecting to hear Fallon’s voice, she frowned, then stiffened, her gaze going to the caller ID. She heard the dial tone the instant her gaze saw the blank readout. The caller had hung up. Her hand gripped the phone, then eased. She replaced the receiver and continued to undress.
Her ex had made her life miserable enough. He was not going to control her future. He might have had friends in the police department to uphold him in his wrongdoing, but she had friends now as well. Luke was checking on Gordon, and Luke was the best. Until she knew something differently, she was living her life the way she wanted. With one exception.
Richard wasn’t going to be a part of her life any longer.
Chapter 7
The next day at work should have been one of the best ever for Naomi. Instead she was just as restless and as on edge as she’d been the night before. Kayla was the star, not only of the kindergarten wing, but of the entire school. She had the biggest grin on her face when they turned the corner Monday morning into their hallway and saw a giant poster of the cover of The Guardian.
However, instead of the little girl standing with her back to you and the wolf by her side as depicted on the cover illustration, they both faced forward. The art teacher had expertly captured Kayla’s happy face. There was even a morning announcement on the PA system about her characterization in The Guardian . The unnerving part had come shortly before lunch when a reporter from the local newspaper had arrived to do a story on Kayla.
Naomi hadn’t known anything about the school principal’s “surprise.” She’d actually thought of refusing to let Kayla be interviewed despite Principal Crenshaw’s enthusiasm. Naomi might have if Catherine and Luke hadn’t shown up moments later.
Despite Naomi’s talk of conquering her fear, she didn’t want any
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