girl."
"Thanks.” Red spots dotted his cheeks, the
same ones that had appeared last night on the porch. “I feel better today.
Still nervous, but better."
"I stay nervous. It's tough raising a child.
Especially alone." She imagined him in the bookstore, befuddled by the
volumes of choices, no one to talk to, but loving his child enough to plow
through his embarrassment. She knew James would’ve never been able to handle
it. Even being a doctor, he would have crumbled at the thought of dealing with
such a personal issue.
Brett’s serious gray eyes peering over the vase of
flowers reminded her...all men weren’t like James.
"Maybe we can help each other out sometimes."
He leaned in, kissing her lips lightly. "Share war stories and all."
She stood very still, surprised at how flowers and
a small kiss made her light headed. No, it was more. It was the man, the
father, the caring person that was making her melt. "Sounds like a
plan."
"Dad, I didn't know you were here."
"Just got here a few minutes ago, Caro."
He turned to his daughter. "Ready to go?"
"Let me get my stuff." She ran toward
the back of the house. "Kelly, my dad's here. I gotta go."
"Talk to you later." He touched the side
of Allison’s face with his fingertip. “Think about me.”
CHAPTER TEN
Brett’s e-mail message was the first of twenty
waiting for Allison Monday morning.
"Good morning. There’s a new movie Caroline
wants to see Saturday afternoon. I suggest we drop the girls at the theater and
then stop by the closest house for a few hours of uninterrupted time together.
Check your calendar. Brett."
Allison reached over to adjust the vase of flowers
she’d brought from home. She had almost left them behind this morning, not sure
she was ready for the stream of questions from Susie. Even Mr. Carson had
whistled as he strolled by her office a few minutes earlier. If she was worried
about comments on flowers, was she ready for two hours alone with Brett.
Flashes of Friday night’s passion on the porch
sent her mind reeling...and her fingers racing over the keyboard.
She was more than ready.
"I do have an opening this Saturday
afternoon. Let me know the time. Have a nice day. Allison."
She sent the message and sighed. It was going to
be a long week.
#
“All right, tell me what’s going on,” Joan Bennett
whispered the second she crossed the threshold of Allison’s office door.
Allison grabbed the padded cloth visitor’s chair
across from her desk and tapped the back with her fingers. “Sit down before you
fall.”
Joan ambled over and sank slowly, carefully
holding on to the chair arms. She laughed as she rested her hands on her
bulging belly. “Let’s hope I don’t fall, it would take a crane to lift me back
up.”
Sitting on the edge of the matching chair across
from her friend, Allison reached out to pat her arm. “You aren’t that large.
Besides, what do you expect when you’re eight months pregnant with twins?”
“I didn’t know what to expect, but it sure wasn’t
this.” Joan slipped her swollen feet out of her low-heeled pumps. “Ahhh. That’s
better.” She rubbed one foot over the other. “Of course I may never get them
back on.”
She paused to look at Allison. “I must be crazy
getting pregnant at thirty-five. I should’ve left this to the younger set.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Leaning back in her chair,
Allison looked toward the picture of Kelly on her credenza and smiled. “I don’t
remember it being so easy in my twenties..” She glanced back at Joan to find
her staring, her mouth in a thin line. That determined look she’d learned to
recognize so well over the last ten years. Something was on her mind.
Allison and Joan had started at the bank around
the same time. Both single with similar career aspirations. They completed the
year-long management-training program together and remained close friends as
they rose through the ranks at the financial institution. Joan was now an
"Thanks.” Red spots dotted his cheeks, the
same ones that had appeared last night on the porch. “I feel better today.
Still nervous, but better."
"I stay nervous. It's tough raising a child.
Especially alone." She imagined him in the bookstore, befuddled by the
volumes of choices, no one to talk to, but loving his child enough to plow
through his embarrassment. She knew James would’ve never been able to handle
it. Even being a doctor, he would have crumbled at the thought of dealing with
such a personal issue.
Brett’s serious gray eyes peering over the vase of
flowers reminded her...all men weren’t like James.
"Maybe we can help each other out sometimes."
He leaned in, kissing her lips lightly. "Share war stories and all."
She stood very still, surprised at how flowers and
a small kiss made her light headed. No, it was more. It was the man, the
father, the caring person that was making her melt. "Sounds like a
plan."
"Dad, I didn't know you were here."
"Just got here a few minutes ago, Caro."
He turned to his daughter. "Ready to go?"
"Let me get my stuff." She ran toward
the back of the house. "Kelly, my dad's here. I gotta go."
"Talk to you later." He touched the side
of Allison’s face with his fingertip. “Think about me.”
CHAPTER TEN
Brett’s e-mail message was the first of twenty
waiting for Allison Monday morning.
"Good morning. There’s a new movie Caroline
wants to see Saturday afternoon. I suggest we drop the girls at the theater and
then stop by the closest house for a few hours of uninterrupted time together.
Check your calendar. Brett."
Allison reached over to adjust the vase of flowers
she’d brought from home. She had almost left them behind this morning, not sure
she was ready for the stream of questions from Susie. Even Mr. Carson had
whistled as he strolled by her office a few minutes earlier. If she was worried
about comments on flowers, was she ready for two hours alone with Brett.
Flashes of Friday night’s passion on the porch
sent her mind reeling...and her fingers racing over the keyboard.
She was more than ready.
"I do have an opening this Saturday
afternoon. Let me know the time. Have a nice day. Allison."
She sent the message and sighed. It was going to
be a long week.
#
“All right, tell me what’s going on,” Joan Bennett
whispered the second she crossed the threshold of Allison’s office door.
Allison grabbed the padded cloth visitor’s chair
across from her desk and tapped the back with her fingers. “Sit down before you
fall.”
Joan ambled over and sank slowly, carefully
holding on to the chair arms. She laughed as she rested her hands on her
bulging belly. “Let’s hope I don’t fall, it would take a crane to lift me back
up.”
Sitting on the edge of the matching chair across
from her friend, Allison reached out to pat her arm. “You aren’t that large.
Besides, what do you expect when you’re eight months pregnant with twins?”
“I didn’t know what to expect, but it sure wasn’t
this.” Joan slipped her swollen feet out of her low-heeled pumps. “Ahhh. That’s
better.” She rubbed one foot over the other. “Of course I may never get them
back on.”
She paused to look at Allison. “I must be crazy
getting pregnant at thirty-five. I should’ve left this to the younger set.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Leaning back in her chair,
Allison looked toward the picture of Kelly on her credenza and smiled. “I don’t
remember it being so easy in my twenties..” She glanced back at Joan to find
her staring, her mouth in a thin line. That determined look she’d learned to
recognize so well over the last ten years. Something was on her mind.
Allison and Joan had started at the bank around
the same time. Both single with similar career aspirations. They completed the
year-long management-training program together and remained close friends as
they rose through the ranks at the financial institution. Joan was now an
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