Elise nor her parents knew anything about those things in connection to him.
In their minds, he was just a guy—a guy with a very low-paying job, asking to marry their daughter.
He wondered how Bobby would ever find the courage to ask Sandy’s parents. James was having difficulty with it, even though it was only a pretense.
Elise had suggested she meet him at her parents’, but he’d vetoed that idea. He wasn’t about to arrive alone. When he knocked on her apartment door, she opened it, and he took a deep breath.
She was wearing green again.
Without thinking, he reached for her, eager to greet her with a kiss.
She backed away.
“Ready?” he asked, his voice husky. At least when they got to her parents’, she couldn’t refuse to let him touch her.
“Yes.” She reached for a small handbag on thelamp table. Then she led the way out of her apartment.
She kept a determined silence, only answering in monosyllables any question he asked.
Finally, he gave up talking about their relationship and switched to Daisy’s. A topic she couldn’t resist. “How are things going with Dave and Daisy?”
“I don’t know. She doesn’t seem enthusiastic, but she hasn’t said there’s anything wrong with him.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, for the dentist, she had a list of his faults. She hasn’t done that with Dave. All she’s said is there’s no spark.”
Like there was between them. A spark he’d never felt before. A flame that burned inside him, unnoticed until he got near Elise, when it became a bonfire.
“Don’t you think that’s a problem?”
“Of course, it’s a problem!” Elise snapped. “But I don’t know what to do about it. How can you predict when—when that spark will appear? It’s not rational!”
“I know what you mean,” he agreed. Sometimes it was damn inconvenient.
“So, are you still looking for someone else?” he finally asked.
“Of course. We want Daisy to be happy.”
“What does that book say?”
“Keep your eyes open.”
The advice sounded cryptic to James. “What does that mean?”
“Daisy’s having a showing this evening at her shop. An artist who’s become very popular is going to be there with some of his new paintings. Phoebe’sgoing. She figures there might be some men there alone.”
“So she’ll walk up to them and ask if they want to be a daddy?” he asked, smiling as he imagined that scenario.
“No, of course not!”
“Good, because looking at Phoebe, they might volunteer before she can point out Daisy.”
“You think Phoebe’s beautiful?”
Uh-oh. He heard something in Elise’s voice that told him he’d made a mistake. She couldn’t be jealous, could she? “No more than you or Daisy,” he said, trying to keep his voice casual.
“Then why—”
“Sweetheart, if any of you come on to a man, he’s not going to start looking around for another woman. He’s going to thank his lucky stars and grab you.” His imagination was going crazy. He cleared his throat. “So don’t go asking any other men to be a daddy, okay?”
“I don’t intend to. But you’re wrong. A mention of future children tends to make a man back away. At least, that’s what I’ve heard.” She stared straight ahead.
She was right. Talk about children had always had that effect on him, come to think of it. Not because he didn’t want children, but because he hadn’t wanted commitment to any woman after Sylvia.
Until now.
No, he hurriedly assured himself, that wasn’t true. Because Elise wasn’t wanting commitment. That’s why he was so relaxed. Not because he wanted to commit to her. No, it wasn’t that.
“So, what’s Phoebe going to say to them?”
“She’s planning on being subtle, James,” Elise said, her voice dry. “She’ll start up a conversation about the art on display. We both think a man interested in art might be exactly what Daisy needs.”
Somehow, James didn’t have much faith in Phoebe’s plan. But as long as it
In their minds, he was just a guy—a guy with a very low-paying job, asking to marry their daughter.
He wondered how Bobby would ever find the courage to ask Sandy’s parents. James was having difficulty with it, even though it was only a pretense.
Elise had suggested she meet him at her parents’, but he’d vetoed that idea. He wasn’t about to arrive alone. When he knocked on her apartment door, she opened it, and he took a deep breath.
She was wearing green again.
Without thinking, he reached for her, eager to greet her with a kiss.
She backed away.
“Ready?” he asked, his voice husky. At least when they got to her parents’, she couldn’t refuse to let him touch her.
“Yes.” She reached for a small handbag on thelamp table. Then she led the way out of her apartment.
She kept a determined silence, only answering in monosyllables any question he asked.
Finally, he gave up talking about their relationship and switched to Daisy’s. A topic she couldn’t resist. “How are things going with Dave and Daisy?”
“I don’t know. She doesn’t seem enthusiastic, but she hasn’t said there’s anything wrong with him.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, for the dentist, she had a list of his faults. She hasn’t done that with Dave. All she’s said is there’s no spark.”
Like there was between them. A spark he’d never felt before. A flame that burned inside him, unnoticed until he got near Elise, when it became a bonfire.
“Don’t you think that’s a problem?”
“Of course, it’s a problem!” Elise snapped. “But I don’t know what to do about it. How can you predict when—when that spark will appear? It’s not rational!”
“I know what you mean,” he agreed. Sometimes it was damn inconvenient.
“So, are you still looking for someone else?” he finally asked.
“Of course. We want Daisy to be happy.”
“What does that book say?”
“Keep your eyes open.”
The advice sounded cryptic to James. “What does that mean?”
“Daisy’s having a showing this evening at her shop. An artist who’s become very popular is going to be there with some of his new paintings. Phoebe’sgoing. She figures there might be some men there alone.”
“So she’ll walk up to them and ask if they want to be a daddy?” he asked, smiling as he imagined that scenario.
“No, of course not!”
“Good, because looking at Phoebe, they might volunteer before she can point out Daisy.”
“You think Phoebe’s beautiful?”
Uh-oh. He heard something in Elise’s voice that told him he’d made a mistake. She couldn’t be jealous, could she? “No more than you or Daisy,” he said, trying to keep his voice casual.
“Then why—”
“Sweetheart, if any of you come on to a man, he’s not going to start looking around for another woman. He’s going to thank his lucky stars and grab you.” His imagination was going crazy. He cleared his throat. “So don’t go asking any other men to be a daddy, okay?”
“I don’t intend to. But you’re wrong. A mention of future children tends to make a man back away. At least, that’s what I’ve heard.” She stared straight ahead.
She was right. Talk about children had always had that effect on him, come to think of it. Not because he didn’t want children, but because he hadn’t wanted commitment to any woman after Sylvia.
Until now.
No, he hurriedly assured himself, that wasn’t true. Because Elise wasn’t wanting commitment. That’s why he was so relaxed. Not because he wanted to commit to her. No, it wasn’t that.
“So, what’s Phoebe going to say to them?”
“She’s planning on being subtle, James,” Elise said, her voice dry. “She’ll start up a conversation about the art on display. We both think a man interested in art might be exactly what Daisy needs.”
Somehow, James didn’t have much faith in Phoebe’s plan. But as long as it
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