narrowed as he inched further into the kitchen. “You’re sorry? What did you do?”
“I made us late. I didn’t help because I overslept and then she forgot items that had been my responsibility.” Bethany ran her hands over her pant leg. “I dropped a serving tray full of food,” she said as the tears began and wouldn’t stop.
“Hey,” he pulled her into him and held her. “Now things go wrong once in a while. It’s okay.”
He pulled back and looked her over.
“Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale and skinny.”
That caused her to snort a laugh. “I’m fine. Pale and skinny are normal where I come from.”
“They’re not normal here,” he said taking her hands and looking at them. “You’re shaking.”
“I haven’t eaten today.”
“You eat. I’m going to go check on her.”
“I’m going with Kent to dinner. I’ll eat soon.”
Eric nodded and started for the stairs.
She called after him and he turned back. “Tell her I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt her. I understand why she had to let me go.”
He walked back toward her. “She said that?”
Bethany bit down hard on her bottom lip as she nodded. “She has no choice. I understand that.”
He touched her cheek. “I’ll talk to her.”
She watched him walk away and knew that she deserved to be fired. How could she blame Susan?
A glance at the clock told her if she didn’t get her ass in gear she was going to be making Kent wait for her too. It was a trait she wasn’t too keen to have. Her mother was always late. She lost countless jobs over it too. No, Bethany wasn’t going down that road.
~*~
“I like the blue shirt. No tie,” Kent’s nephew said.
“Ties are nice.”
“Nope.”
He laughed as he removed the tie and looked back at his computer. “Better?”
His nephew shrugged and ran off in another direction.
His sister laughed. “I liked the tie.”
“I’ll think about it.” He picked up the computer from the dresser top and walked toward the window, setting it on the small table. “Do you believe in love at first sight?”
“I believe in being alone so long you think it’s love at first sight,” she said.
Kent sat down and thought about that for a moment. “I don’t want that to be the case.”
“You don’t get to decide that.”
“Sure I do,” he said putting the tie back on. “She makes me feel like I’ve never felt before.”
“And that’s why you’re dating. You go out in public a few times and see what you think about each other and then you spend some time alone. Kent, there’s no need to rush anything. You just met this woman.”
He nodded as he finished the knot. “She doesn’t like people to recognize her.”
“Then don’t take her anywhere where they will. Keep it low key.”
“I want to bring her home.”
“Mom will think that’s pretty serious.”
Kent clucked his tongue. “I know. Maybe it will be.”
His sister picked up a wandering toddler that happened by. “Tell Uncle Kent to have fun on his date.”
Instead he was blown a kiss and that was even better, he thought.
“I’ll let you know how it goes.”
“If it ends early enough, they’d love a bedtime story. But if it goes well, don’t call too late.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it. Bye, sis.”
“Bye,” she said as he closed his laptop and stood to examine himself in the mirror.
He wouldn’t consider himself a catch by any means, but Bethany seemed interested. How that happened, he had no idea, but damn it felt good.
Tonight would be a big one, he figured. They’d already kissed. Really that should have waited, but hey, they were adults. Date number two could have a lot more kissing.
He let out a long steady breath to calm his nerves. Closing his eyes, he sent up a little prayer for the night to go well, because he really—really—wanted it to go well.
As he turned down her street, Kent looked at his watch. It was seven-fifteen. He hated to be late, but he’d taken
“I made us late. I didn’t help because I overslept and then she forgot items that had been my responsibility.” Bethany ran her hands over her pant leg. “I dropped a serving tray full of food,” she said as the tears began and wouldn’t stop.
“Hey,” he pulled her into him and held her. “Now things go wrong once in a while. It’s okay.”
He pulled back and looked her over.
“Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale and skinny.”
That caused her to snort a laugh. “I’m fine. Pale and skinny are normal where I come from.”
“They’re not normal here,” he said taking her hands and looking at them. “You’re shaking.”
“I haven’t eaten today.”
“You eat. I’m going to go check on her.”
“I’m going with Kent to dinner. I’ll eat soon.”
Eric nodded and started for the stairs.
She called after him and he turned back. “Tell her I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt her. I understand why she had to let me go.”
He walked back toward her. “She said that?”
Bethany bit down hard on her bottom lip as she nodded. “She has no choice. I understand that.”
He touched her cheek. “I’ll talk to her.”
She watched him walk away and knew that she deserved to be fired. How could she blame Susan?
A glance at the clock told her if she didn’t get her ass in gear she was going to be making Kent wait for her too. It was a trait she wasn’t too keen to have. Her mother was always late. She lost countless jobs over it too. No, Bethany wasn’t going down that road.
~*~
“I like the blue shirt. No tie,” Kent’s nephew said.
“Ties are nice.”
“Nope.”
He laughed as he removed the tie and looked back at his computer. “Better?”
His nephew shrugged and ran off in another direction.
His sister laughed. “I liked the tie.”
“I’ll think about it.” He picked up the computer from the dresser top and walked toward the window, setting it on the small table. “Do you believe in love at first sight?”
“I believe in being alone so long you think it’s love at first sight,” she said.
Kent sat down and thought about that for a moment. “I don’t want that to be the case.”
“You don’t get to decide that.”
“Sure I do,” he said putting the tie back on. “She makes me feel like I’ve never felt before.”
“And that’s why you’re dating. You go out in public a few times and see what you think about each other and then you spend some time alone. Kent, there’s no need to rush anything. You just met this woman.”
He nodded as he finished the knot. “She doesn’t like people to recognize her.”
“Then don’t take her anywhere where they will. Keep it low key.”
“I want to bring her home.”
“Mom will think that’s pretty serious.”
Kent clucked his tongue. “I know. Maybe it will be.”
His sister picked up a wandering toddler that happened by. “Tell Uncle Kent to have fun on his date.”
Instead he was blown a kiss and that was even better, he thought.
“I’ll let you know how it goes.”
“If it ends early enough, they’d love a bedtime story. But if it goes well, don’t call too late.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it. Bye, sis.”
“Bye,” she said as he closed his laptop and stood to examine himself in the mirror.
He wouldn’t consider himself a catch by any means, but Bethany seemed interested. How that happened, he had no idea, but damn it felt good.
Tonight would be a big one, he figured. They’d already kissed. Really that should have waited, but hey, they were adults. Date number two could have a lot more kissing.
He let out a long steady breath to calm his nerves. Closing his eyes, he sent up a little prayer for the night to go well, because he really—really—wanted it to go well.
As he turned down her street, Kent looked at his watch. It was seven-fifteen. He hated to be late, but he’d taken
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