other…”
Mel’s voice faltered to a stop. Danny reached one hand for Pam to shake while he kept scratching Piper with the other. Pam hesitated a moment, still confused by her jumbled thoughts of Kevin and Danny, the past and the present.
“Hi,” she said, finally stepping toward him. Danny’s handshake was firm. Mel must be so proud as she watched the boy growing into a man. How proud Pam would have been to watch Kevin go through this awkward transition from childhood to adulthood. How painful to be reminded of what she had lost—not just her past with Kevin, but also the future they had been denied.
“Nice to meet you,” he said. “You told me about her last night, Mom, so I kind of figured out who she was when she walked in the kitchen. But you didn’t say she had a dog.”
“Didn’t I? I thought I did.” Mel turned back to the counter. She looked and sounded a little flustered. Was she embarrassed to have another woman in the house? Worried about what conclusions Danny might reach about their relationship? She had no reason to be, since the only indiscretions had taken place in Pam’s mind. Of course, Mel had shown up at her bedroom door wearing nothing but a robe, but that didn’t count since Mel had seemed to have no clue how sexy she had looked.
“Will you join us for breakfast?” Mel asked Pam without looking at her. “I made pumpkin muffins.”
“They’re pretty good,” Danny said. He sat in his chair again, and Piper planted herself under the table at his feet.
“I’d like that,” Pam lied. “But I really need to head to my house this morning. The contractor is coming today.”
He wasn’t scheduled to arrive until eleven, but Pam had to get out of Mel’s house. She called Piper, but her dog had apparently decided she would rather stay with Danny, and she refused to budge.
Mel handed Pam a bag of muffins to take with her. “Piper will be fine with us today,” she said. Pam looked concerned, and Mel wanted to reassure her even though she had a feeling the animal wasn’t the cause of Pam’s deep frown. She had seemed upset since she’d walked in the kitchen. Mel was used to Pam’s nervous energy when they were together, as if Pam was long unaccustomed to being in close quarters with another person. But this was different. Pam looked at Danny with the same expression of pain she had whenever she saw one of her own paintings or whenever Mel talked about Pam’s art.
“Okay, I guess,” Pam said. “I’ll be back a little after five.”
“See ya,” Danny said.
“Yeah. ’Bye,” Pam said. She bumped into Mel as she backed out of the kitchen. “Sorry.”
Mel reached out a hand to steady Pam, but she edged away and left the room without another word.
Mel had put out her hand as a reflex. To help Pam rebalance. To try and absorb some of Pam’s tension. To reassure her Piper would be okay with them, even though she really didn’t think Pam was worried about leaving her dog for the day, unless she’d be lonely without her.
Mel felt a mix of hurt and relief at Pam’s avoidance of her touch, but she was too focused on her own emotions to be able to decipher Pam’s. She had felt unaccountably awkward introducing Danny to her, even though Pam was simply a friend staying in the house. Not a lover. Occasionally in Mel’s mind, perhaps, but not in reality.
“Let’s get started on the flooring, Danny,” Mel said, employing her regular answer to the confusing feelings Pam roused in her. Work.
Mel didn’t know what she’d do when work on the inn was finally complete, and she’d have to face some of her tumultuous reactions to Pam. Maybe by then she’d have a steady stream of guests, and she’d be too busy keeping up with their laundry and demands to acknowledge her ever-increasing arousal in Pam’s presence. Or her interest would be transferred to one of her guests, and her attraction to Pam would be proved temporary and meaningless. And easier to forget. Or
Mel’s voice faltered to a stop. Danny reached one hand for Pam to shake while he kept scratching Piper with the other. Pam hesitated a moment, still confused by her jumbled thoughts of Kevin and Danny, the past and the present.
“Hi,” she said, finally stepping toward him. Danny’s handshake was firm. Mel must be so proud as she watched the boy growing into a man. How proud Pam would have been to watch Kevin go through this awkward transition from childhood to adulthood. How painful to be reminded of what she had lost—not just her past with Kevin, but also the future they had been denied.
“Nice to meet you,” he said. “You told me about her last night, Mom, so I kind of figured out who she was when she walked in the kitchen. But you didn’t say she had a dog.”
“Didn’t I? I thought I did.” Mel turned back to the counter. She looked and sounded a little flustered. Was she embarrassed to have another woman in the house? Worried about what conclusions Danny might reach about their relationship? She had no reason to be, since the only indiscretions had taken place in Pam’s mind. Of course, Mel had shown up at her bedroom door wearing nothing but a robe, but that didn’t count since Mel had seemed to have no clue how sexy she had looked.
“Will you join us for breakfast?” Mel asked Pam without looking at her. “I made pumpkin muffins.”
“They’re pretty good,” Danny said. He sat in his chair again, and Piper planted herself under the table at his feet.
“I’d like that,” Pam lied. “But I really need to head to my house this morning. The contractor is coming today.”
He wasn’t scheduled to arrive until eleven, but Pam had to get out of Mel’s house. She called Piper, but her dog had apparently decided she would rather stay with Danny, and she refused to budge.
Mel handed Pam a bag of muffins to take with her. “Piper will be fine with us today,” she said. Pam looked concerned, and Mel wanted to reassure her even though she had a feeling the animal wasn’t the cause of Pam’s deep frown. She had seemed upset since she’d walked in the kitchen. Mel was used to Pam’s nervous energy when they were together, as if Pam was long unaccustomed to being in close quarters with another person. But this was different. Pam looked at Danny with the same expression of pain she had whenever she saw one of her own paintings or whenever Mel talked about Pam’s art.
“Okay, I guess,” Pam said. “I’ll be back a little after five.”
“See ya,” Danny said.
“Yeah. ’Bye,” Pam said. She bumped into Mel as she backed out of the kitchen. “Sorry.”
Mel reached out a hand to steady Pam, but she edged away and left the room without another word.
Mel had put out her hand as a reflex. To help Pam rebalance. To try and absorb some of Pam’s tension. To reassure her Piper would be okay with them, even though she really didn’t think Pam was worried about leaving her dog for the day, unless she’d be lonely without her.
Mel felt a mix of hurt and relief at Pam’s avoidance of her touch, but she was too focused on her own emotions to be able to decipher Pam’s. She had felt unaccountably awkward introducing Danny to her, even though Pam was simply a friend staying in the house. Not a lover. Occasionally in Mel’s mind, perhaps, but not in reality.
“Let’s get started on the flooring, Danny,” Mel said, employing her regular answer to the confusing feelings Pam roused in her. Work.
Mel didn’t know what she’d do when work on the inn was finally complete, and she’d have to face some of her tumultuous reactions to Pam. Maybe by then she’d have a steady stream of guests, and she’d be too busy keeping up with their laundry and demands to acknowledge her ever-increasing arousal in Pam’s presence. Or her interest would be transferred to one of her guests, and her attraction to Pam would be proved temporary and meaningless. And easier to forget. Or
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