Myers family sooner rather than never.
A shopping trip was clearly required at this point. She might tell herself that she was old enough, mature enough, now that his opinion didn’t count, but there was no way in hell that she was going to show up looking anything less than spectacular for dinner with Ryan Myers. The high school girl that lived inside would accept nothing less.
***
When Lindy reached the front door of the two-story traditional home at the end of the cul-de-sac about half a mile from the school, she closed her eyes and tried to reason with the panicky voice in her head that yelled loudly she should scram before anyone knew she was there.
She looked good and that gave her the confidence to shove the high school girl back inside her box. It was hard to figure out what to wear for dinner with a man and his teenage daughter. Thank goodness this was not about seduction.
As she’d shopped, she’d picked up and discarded several choices that would make Ryan’s eyes spin. But they might make Maddie’s head spin. So she’d gone safe and stylish with slim black jeans, high-heeled boots, and a nice gray sweater. Bor-r-ring but solid armor anyway. The boots alone could take out anyone who gave her a hard time. Lindy tossed her hair, squared her shoulders, and pushed the doorbell.
Half a second later, Maddie yanked the door open. “Welcome, welcome! Come in, come in, Principal Mason.”
Lindy raised an eyebrow but didn’t address the whole “saying everything twice” or the title. At some point, “Principal Mason” was going to get old but a good alternative stumped her.
“Thanks, Maddie.” Lindy stepped around her and followed the beautiful dark wood floor into a large family room.
Just as she’d figured out the right way to compliment the cavernous and almost empty room, Ryan stuck his head around the corner. “Hey.”
Lindy stopped in her tracks and thought she heard Maddie scrambling to stop without bumping her. “Hey.”
He waved an oven mitt. “Come into the kitchen. Dinner’s almost ready.”
Lindy glanced behind her to see Maddie doing a poor job of holding back a smile. She frowned down at the girl, but Maddie just patted her on the shoulder. “I’m glad I didn’t know how bad you are at it when I was listening to you about how to talk to boys.” She shook her head sadly and grabbed her hand. “Come on. Something smells great.”
Maddie was right. The kitchen didn’t smell like charred meat or wood smoke. Instead, she picked up warm bread, garlic, and a hint of chocolate. There was a gorgeous chocolate layer cake cooling on the counter, so her eyes might have been sending chocolate signals to her brain.
“I thought we’d eat in here in the kitchen, if that’s all right.”
Maddie snorted. “Uh, Dad, unless we’re eating on the living room furniture, we don’t have much of a choice.” She shook her head. “We don’t have a dining room table yet.”
Ryan pointed an oven mitt at her. “You don’t have to tell everything you know. Sometimes you can just smile. Maybe nod. It’s called being polite.”
Lindy cleared her throat. “Something smells delicious.”
Maddie smiled and then disappeared. Ryan laughed. “So, instead of steaks, I went pasta. I hope that’s all right. Those are my two choices. Well, that and whatever we can order for delivery or carryout.”
Lindy slid into one of the chairs at the island and hung her purse on the back. “Pasta is fabulous, especially if that’s garlic bread I smell.”
Ryan clapped an oven mitt to his forehead and spun to yank open the oven door. He was wearing jeans and a button-down flannel shirt. And it looked good on him. When he bent to pull out the pan of bread, Lindy was glad Maddie had retreated. Watching a man pull out a pan of garlic bread, his butt displayed perfectly in faded denim, was a truly erotic experience. When he set the pan down and did a victory dance in his oven mitts, Lindy’s eyes followed his
A shopping trip was clearly required at this point. She might tell herself that she was old enough, mature enough, now that his opinion didn’t count, but there was no way in hell that she was going to show up looking anything less than spectacular for dinner with Ryan Myers. The high school girl that lived inside would accept nothing less.
***
When Lindy reached the front door of the two-story traditional home at the end of the cul-de-sac about half a mile from the school, she closed her eyes and tried to reason with the panicky voice in her head that yelled loudly she should scram before anyone knew she was there.
She looked good and that gave her the confidence to shove the high school girl back inside her box. It was hard to figure out what to wear for dinner with a man and his teenage daughter. Thank goodness this was not about seduction.
As she’d shopped, she’d picked up and discarded several choices that would make Ryan’s eyes spin. But they might make Maddie’s head spin. So she’d gone safe and stylish with slim black jeans, high-heeled boots, and a nice gray sweater. Bor-r-ring but solid armor anyway. The boots alone could take out anyone who gave her a hard time. Lindy tossed her hair, squared her shoulders, and pushed the doorbell.
Half a second later, Maddie yanked the door open. “Welcome, welcome! Come in, come in, Principal Mason.”
Lindy raised an eyebrow but didn’t address the whole “saying everything twice” or the title. At some point, “Principal Mason” was going to get old but a good alternative stumped her.
“Thanks, Maddie.” Lindy stepped around her and followed the beautiful dark wood floor into a large family room.
Just as she’d figured out the right way to compliment the cavernous and almost empty room, Ryan stuck his head around the corner. “Hey.”
Lindy stopped in her tracks and thought she heard Maddie scrambling to stop without bumping her. “Hey.”
He waved an oven mitt. “Come into the kitchen. Dinner’s almost ready.”
Lindy glanced behind her to see Maddie doing a poor job of holding back a smile. She frowned down at the girl, but Maddie just patted her on the shoulder. “I’m glad I didn’t know how bad you are at it when I was listening to you about how to talk to boys.” She shook her head sadly and grabbed her hand. “Come on. Something smells great.”
Maddie was right. The kitchen didn’t smell like charred meat or wood smoke. Instead, she picked up warm bread, garlic, and a hint of chocolate. There was a gorgeous chocolate layer cake cooling on the counter, so her eyes might have been sending chocolate signals to her brain.
“I thought we’d eat in here in the kitchen, if that’s all right.”
Maddie snorted. “Uh, Dad, unless we’re eating on the living room furniture, we don’t have much of a choice.” She shook her head. “We don’t have a dining room table yet.”
Ryan pointed an oven mitt at her. “You don’t have to tell everything you know. Sometimes you can just smile. Maybe nod. It’s called being polite.”
Lindy cleared her throat. “Something smells delicious.”
Maddie smiled and then disappeared. Ryan laughed. “So, instead of steaks, I went pasta. I hope that’s all right. Those are my two choices. Well, that and whatever we can order for delivery or carryout.”
Lindy slid into one of the chairs at the island and hung her purse on the back. “Pasta is fabulous, especially if that’s garlic bread I smell.”
Ryan clapped an oven mitt to his forehead and spun to yank open the oven door. He was wearing jeans and a button-down flannel shirt. And it looked good on him. When he bent to pull out the pan of bread, Lindy was glad Maddie had retreated. Watching a man pull out a pan of garlic bread, his butt displayed perfectly in faded denim, was a truly erotic experience. When he set the pan down and did a victory dance in his oven mitts, Lindy’s eyes followed his
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