exaggerated stare around the kitchen. “Is he still here?”
“ No! ” Then, softer, with a glance toward the girls, Arden said, “No. Of course not.”
Bev chuckled. “Oh honey, your cheeks are bright red. Did he at least give you a good-night kiss?”
A flashback of Philip’s tongue in her mouth and his hand on her breast made Arden get up to refresh her still-full mug. “Yes.”
“Are you going to see him again?”
“If he asks.” Arden looked at Bev. “It was fun to get out. I’d forgotten how much fun it was.”
She gave another glance to her sweet angel-monsters. A guilty glance, this time. “It was nice to get out without the girls.”
Bev nodded. “I know. Those girls are your life. Anyone who knows you can see that. Don’t let it upset you that you went out and had a good time without them.”
Arden sighed. “I’m all they have left.”
“Oh honey.” Bev reached around to hug her. “Even if Jason were still alive, you’d want to have some time to yourself once in a while. Being a single parent isn’t easy.”
“At least I have you and Dad. The girls love going with you.”
“And we love having them.” Bev patted Arden’s shoulder before pulling away. “Don’t you ever worry about that. You need to take time for yourself, Arden, or you won’t be good to anyone. You’re a good mom, honey. Your daughters love you. Don’t feel bad because you went out on a date.”
“It’s a lot to think about, Bev. Dating. A boyfriend. Maybe getting married again. How’d you do it?”
“When I met your dad, I had no choice.” Bev grinned. “Fell in love. It happens.”
Arden looked to her girls again. “I’m not sure if I’m ready for anything like that.”
“Don’t worry,” Bev said. “If it happens for you, you will be.”
“So, are you going to go out with him?”
“Lida, I don’t know.” Arden bit off the thread and shook out the skirt she’d been working on. The silky material fell in soft silver folds to the floor. “This fabric costs twenty-five dollars a yard. I can’t afford to mess up.”
“You’re avoiding the subject.” Lida plucked a dress off the rack and held it up in front of her. “Your talent is wasted with stuff like this, you know.”
“My talent, as you put it, is in taking the jobs I’m offered.” Arden looked at the ruffled and sequined monstrosity Lida was now hanging back on the rack. “Even if it’s a fashion nightmare, that’s what the girl wanted for her Homecoming dress. She wanted to be the only one wearing it.”
“She will be.”
Arden laughed and rolled her neck on her shoulders, then scrubbed at her eyes. She’d been up late again, working on the computer. Fooling around on the computer, she amended mentally. Waiting for a message that never came.
“So are you going to go out with him or not?”
Arden sighed and looked up. “He asked me out again. I said I was busy. He said he’d call back. He hasn’t. He probably won’t. Does that make you happy?”
“No! Why’d you do that?” Lida’s level stare made Arden squirm. “He goes out with other women. I saw him last night at The Fenwick with Babs Stanley.”
“He was?” Realizing she sounded jealous, Arden modified her tone. “He’s allowed.”
Lida put her hands on her hips. “Babs Peanut-butter-legs Stanley, Arden!”
“Peanut butter legs?”
“They’re easy to spread,” Lida explained and made a crude gesture. “He’s not dating her. He’s—”
“That’s Philip’s business, not mine.” She couldn’t very well say anything, could she? Not after what she’d done with Shane. Okay, so computer sex wasn’t real, but it was close enough.
“And that doesn’t bother you?” Lida sounded so affronted, Arden got up from the sewing machine to sit next to her friend.
“Philip really was everything you promised me he’d be. We did hit it off. And I almost did it. I almost slept with him. I wanted to. Just not bad enough.”
“Damn
“ No! ” Then, softer, with a glance toward the girls, Arden said, “No. Of course not.”
Bev chuckled. “Oh honey, your cheeks are bright red. Did he at least give you a good-night kiss?”
A flashback of Philip’s tongue in her mouth and his hand on her breast made Arden get up to refresh her still-full mug. “Yes.”
“Are you going to see him again?”
“If he asks.” Arden looked at Bev. “It was fun to get out. I’d forgotten how much fun it was.”
She gave another glance to her sweet angel-monsters. A guilty glance, this time. “It was nice to get out without the girls.”
Bev nodded. “I know. Those girls are your life. Anyone who knows you can see that. Don’t let it upset you that you went out and had a good time without them.”
Arden sighed. “I’m all they have left.”
“Oh honey.” Bev reached around to hug her. “Even if Jason were still alive, you’d want to have some time to yourself once in a while. Being a single parent isn’t easy.”
“At least I have you and Dad. The girls love going with you.”
“And we love having them.” Bev patted Arden’s shoulder before pulling away. “Don’t you ever worry about that. You need to take time for yourself, Arden, or you won’t be good to anyone. You’re a good mom, honey. Your daughters love you. Don’t feel bad because you went out on a date.”
“It’s a lot to think about, Bev. Dating. A boyfriend. Maybe getting married again. How’d you do it?”
“When I met your dad, I had no choice.” Bev grinned. “Fell in love. It happens.”
Arden looked to her girls again. “I’m not sure if I’m ready for anything like that.”
“Don’t worry,” Bev said. “If it happens for you, you will be.”
“So, are you going to go out with him?”
“Lida, I don’t know.” Arden bit off the thread and shook out the skirt she’d been working on. The silky material fell in soft silver folds to the floor. “This fabric costs twenty-five dollars a yard. I can’t afford to mess up.”
“You’re avoiding the subject.” Lida plucked a dress off the rack and held it up in front of her. “Your talent is wasted with stuff like this, you know.”
“My talent, as you put it, is in taking the jobs I’m offered.” Arden looked at the ruffled and sequined monstrosity Lida was now hanging back on the rack. “Even if it’s a fashion nightmare, that’s what the girl wanted for her Homecoming dress. She wanted to be the only one wearing it.”
“She will be.”
Arden laughed and rolled her neck on her shoulders, then scrubbed at her eyes. She’d been up late again, working on the computer. Fooling around on the computer, she amended mentally. Waiting for a message that never came.
“So are you going to go out with him or not?”
Arden sighed and looked up. “He asked me out again. I said I was busy. He said he’d call back. He hasn’t. He probably won’t. Does that make you happy?”
“No! Why’d you do that?” Lida’s level stare made Arden squirm. “He goes out with other women. I saw him last night at The Fenwick with Babs Stanley.”
“He was?” Realizing she sounded jealous, Arden modified her tone. “He’s allowed.”
Lida put her hands on her hips. “Babs Peanut-butter-legs Stanley, Arden!”
“Peanut butter legs?”
“They’re easy to spread,” Lida explained and made a crude gesture. “He’s not dating her. He’s—”
“That’s Philip’s business, not mine.” She couldn’t very well say anything, could she? Not after what she’d done with Shane. Okay, so computer sex wasn’t real, but it was close enough.
“And that doesn’t bother you?” Lida sounded so affronted, Arden got up from the sewing machine to sit next to her friend.
“Philip really was everything you promised me he’d be. We did hit it off. And I almost did it. I almost slept with him. I wanted to. Just not bad enough.”
“Damn
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