coddled him. No, she’d looked at his scar, invited him to swim with her as if she’d actually wanted him, then thrown her shoe and yelled at him when he’d made her mad. He grinned, feeling almost normal again.
Ridiculous.
When he arrived at the shop, he turned on the lights and headed to his new desk, the one his mother had already fixed with his engraved nameplate, and began to sort through the day’s list of tasks.
Judging by the stack on his desk, he had a full day’s work. Exactly as he’d had the day before.
* * *
“Thomas, I appreciate you meeting me here.” Alison sipped her diet soda to moisten her dry mouth. She’d practiced her speech a dozen times on the way to meet Thomas, but now the words stuck in her throat like glue.
Running into Brady earlier had really rattled her. Then she’d bumped into Vivica, who had pressed her to meet for lunch, wanting to discuss Brady. Alison had been so upset, she’d refused both.
To top that off, when she’d first entered the Hotspot, she’d seen her mother and father sitting in a booth together, talking and laughing. They were actually getting along.
Alison took another sip of soda, missed her mouth and sent cold cola trickling down her chin. Jerking herself back to her senses, she grabbed several napkins and tried to clean up the mess.
Thomas smiled and cradled his coffee between his hands. “What’s going on, Ali? You seem nervous.”
The sugar packets were spilling from the container at an odd angle so she straightened them. Thomas caught her hand and stilled her movements.
“Come on, we’ve been friends for a while now. Something’s bothering you.”
“I can’t marry you right now.” Alison closed her eyes, hating herself for simply blurting it out.
“I know.”
She jerked her eyes open. “What?”
His smile was so understanding she wanted to cry. “I know. It’s that Broussard guy that came back to town, isn’t it?”
She opened her mouth to deny it, but he arched a brow, and she paused. “Yes. No. It’s complicated.”
“Ahh…”
“You really should be a shrink instead of an OB-GYN. You’re such a good listener, Thomas.”
“Most women rattle on when they get nervous. I have to do something while I’m examining them.”
Alison glanced at his face, saw the teasing in his eyes and laughed. She reached up and hugged him. “Oh, Thomas, you’re so understanding. I … just need more time. My life is crazy right now with so many weddings to plan and my mom coming back to town. But I do care about you.”
He traced a finger along her hairline, tucking a strand behind her ear. “It’s all right. There’s no rush, Ali. Take all the time you want. I’ll be here when you decide.”
Alison squeezed his hand and thought about the hope chest, the veil, the annulment papers. Could they be signs suggesting she free herself to be with Thomas?
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Let me know when you work things out, okay?”
“I promise.” She squeezed his hand and watched him go, confusion washing over her. Darn it, why couldn’t Brady be as easy to understand and get along with as Thomas?
She glanced across the bookstore. Maybe Rebecca could help her find a good how-to book on men – how to understand the husband you didn’t realize you still had. Or how to love the man you should love, and forget the ones who’d already broken your heart. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her father rising. Probably going to check on Mimi, who was pregnant and happy and as rosy as a big ripe strawberry.
Instead her dad headed straight for her.
Uh-oh, she was in for it now. From the fierce fatherly expression on her dad’s face, she had a feeling her mother had told him about the divorce.
* * *
Vivica stormed into the print shop and slammed a fist on the counter. “What in the world did you do to Alison?”
Brady dropped the shipment of fliers he’d just completed, sending them scattering all over the floor.
Ridiculous.
When he arrived at the shop, he turned on the lights and headed to his new desk, the one his mother had already fixed with his engraved nameplate, and began to sort through the day’s list of tasks.
Judging by the stack on his desk, he had a full day’s work. Exactly as he’d had the day before.
* * *
“Thomas, I appreciate you meeting me here.” Alison sipped her diet soda to moisten her dry mouth. She’d practiced her speech a dozen times on the way to meet Thomas, but now the words stuck in her throat like glue.
Running into Brady earlier had really rattled her. Then she’d bumped into Vivica, who had pressed her to meet for lunch, wanting to discuss Brady. Alison had been so upset, she’d refused both.
To top that off, when she’d first entered the Hotspot, she’d seen her mother and father sitting in a booth together, talking and laughing. They were actually getting along.
Alison took another sip of soda, missed her mouth and sent cold cola trickling down her chin. Jerking herself back to her senses, she grabbed several napkins and tried to clean up the mess.
Thomas smiled and cradled his coffee between his hands. “What’s going on, Ali? You seem nervous.”
The sugar packets were spilling from the container at an odd angle so she straightened them. Thomas caught her hand and stilled her movements.
“Come on, we’ve been friends for a while now. Something’s bothering you.”
“I can’t marry you right now.” Alison closed her eyes, hating herself for simply blurting it out.
“I know.”
She jerked her eyes open. “What?”
His smile was so understanding she wanted to cry. “I know. It’s that Broussard guy that came back to town, isn’t it?”
She opened her mouth to deny it, but he arched a brow, and she paused. “Yes. No. It’s complicated.”
“Ahh…”
“You really should be a shrink instead of an OB-GYN. You’re such a good listener, Thomas.”
“Most women rattle on when they get nervous. I have to do something while I’m examining them.”
Alison glanced at his face, saw the teasing in his eyes and laughed. She reached up and hugged him. “Oh, Thomas, you’re so understanding. I … just need more time. My life is crazy right now with so many weddings to plan and my mom coming back to town. But I do care about you.”
He traced a finger along her hairline, tucking a strand behind her ear. “It’s all right. There’s no rush, Ali. Take all the time you want. I’ll be here when you decide.”
Alison squeezed his hand and thought about the hope chest, the veil, the annulment papers. Could they be signs suggesting she free herself to be with Thomas?
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Let me know when you work things out, okay?”
“I promise.” She squeezed his hand and watched him go, confusion washing over her. Darn it, why couldn’t Brady be as easy to understand and get along with as Thomas?
She glanced across the bookstore. Maybe Rebecca could help her find a good how-to book on men – how to understand the husband you didn’t realize you still had. Or how to love the man you should love, and forget the ones who’d already broken your heart. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her father rising. Probably going to check on Mimi, who was pregnant and happy and as rosy as a big ripe strawberry.
Instead her dad headed straight for her.
Uh-oh, she was in for it now. From the fierce fatherly expression on her dad’s face, she had a feeling her mother had told him about the divorce.
* * *
Vivica stormed into the print shop and slammed a fist on the counter. “What in the world did you do to Alison?”
Brady dropped the shipment of fliers he’d just completed, sending them scattering all over the floor.
Similar Books
