she asked. “You’re gorgeous, smart, sweet. A prize. What’s not to date?”
Nell shrugged, her gaze sliding away. “I don’t know. I’m one of those girls who only gets crushes on unattainable men. Protecting myself by making sure I never have to deal with a real relationship, blah, blah.”
“Who?” Nancy demanded, her voice hard. “Unattainable how?”
“It doesn’t matter. You don’t know him.”
“Is he married?” Vivi demanded.
“No!” Nell snapped. “I mean, that is to say, I have no idea. He doesn’t talk to me. But he doesn’t wear a ring, so I guess probably he…oh, hell. Never mind. It couldn’t be more irrelevant.”
But the damage was done. Nancy dug in her teeth. “Who is he?”
Nell threw up her hands. “No one! Just a random guy who comes into the Sunset Grill for lunch every day. I have a monster crush on a guy I serve lunch to. Believe me, it’s as stupid and pathetic as that.”
“Did you write your number on the check?” Vivi asked archly.
Nell rolled her eyes. “If I’d ever established eye contact with him, that would make sense. But he’s never even looked at me. And I mean that literally. He just looks into his laptop. It looks like code.”
Vivi flopped back and put a pillow over her face. “Oh, God. A techno-geek. You poor, poor thing.”
“Well, how about you, Viv?” Nancy demanded. “Romantic prospects? Any news? ’Fess up.”
Vivi looked pained. “Hell, no. I’m making celibacy into a high art. After what happened with Brian, I still don’t have the nerve to.”
“That was six years ago!” Nancy snapped. “Get over it already!”
Vivi’s soft mouth tightened at her sister’s sharp tone. “Believe me,” she said flatly, “I have tried.”
Something in her Vivi’s voice made Nancy back off. She studied her sister’s tight, averted face, suddenly.
But Vivi just waved her hand, brushing the subject away. “Forget Brian,” she said briskly. “He’s a putz. Nancy’s carpenter with the proportional ass is way more interesting. I can hardly wait to check him out.”
“Me, neither,” Nell said, with relish.
Moxie rose to her feet and started kneading Nancy’s thigh. Nancy popped the top off another beer. “God help me now,” she muttered.
Nell nudged her sister’s arm. “We don’t mean to torture you,” she said gently. “Well, actually we do, but it’s so nice to have something frivolous to smile about, you know? Bear with us. We’ve been so sad and confused lately. Your proportional-assed carpenter is hard to resist.”
Nancy squeezed Nell’s hand. It was true. It was nice to hear her sisters laugh. To chatter and bicker about men, dating, stupid crushes, nice asses. Silly, nonessential things. Nothing earthshaking.
Although the earth had definitely shaken during that kiss in the rain. Nor would she characterize that kiss as frivolous, or lighthearted.
Oh, no. Calling that earthshaking was putting it mildly.
She wouldn’t show. He was sure of it, but like an idiot, he kept checking his watch every half minute or so since he’d walked into Malloy’s and took his fiddle, flutes, and whistles out of their various bags and cases. He took a swallow of Guinness and wondered why he tortured himself. After all, the woman’s cell phone alone would drive him insane.
He could hardly believe his idiocy. Offering himself as an unpaid bodyguard? Getting all up on his high horse when she called him on his bullshit. Oh, sure, he’d keep her safe. Nobody would mess with her while she was snug and warm in his bed, pinned to the mattress beneath his heaving body. No problem. He’d keep her plenty safe.
But his eyes kept drifting to the entry door. He wanted to see her again. Hear her voice. He liked the way her mind worked, the way her brow furrowed when she was thinking. Those big leaves-under-the-water eyes. The way she wrinkled her nose when she was disgusted, which appeared to be fairly often. And when he kissed her,
Nell shrugged, her gaze sliding away. “I don’t know. I’m one of those girls who only gets crushes on unattainable men. Protecting myself by making sure I never have to deal with a real relationship, blah, blah.”
“Who?” Nancy demanded, her voice hard. “Unattainable how?”
“It doesn’t matter. You don’t know him.”
“Is he married?” Vivi demanded.
“No!” Nell snapped. “I mean, that is to say, I have no idea. He doesn’t talk to me. But he doesn’t wear a ring, so I guess probably he…oh, hell. Never mind. It couldn’t be more irrelevant.”
But the damage was done. Nancy dug in her teeth. “Who is he?”
Nell threw up her hands. “No one! Just a random guy who comes into the Sunset Grill for lunch every day. I have a monster crush on a guy I serve lunch to. Believe me, it’s as stupid and pathetic as that.”
“Did you write your number on the check?” Vivi asked archly.
Nell rolled her eyes. “If I’d ever established eye contact with him, that would make sense. But he’s never even looked at me. And I mean that literally. He just looks into his laptop. It looks like code.”
Vivi flopped back and put a pillow over her face. “Oh, God. A techno-geek. You poor, poor thing.”
“Well, how about you, Viv?” Nancy demanded. “Romantic prospects? Any news? ’Fess up.”
Vivi looked pained. “Hell, no. I’m making celibacy into a high art. After what happened with Brian, I still don’t have the nerve to.”
“That was six years ago!” Nancy snapped. “Get over it already!”
Vivi’s soft mouth tightened at her sister’s sharp tone. “Believe me,” she said flatly, “I have tried.”
Something in her Vivi’s voice made Nancy back off. She studied her sister’s tight, averted face, suddenly.
But Vivi just waved her hand, brushing the subject away. “Forget Brian,” she said briskly. “He’s a putz. Nancy’s carpenter with the proportional ass is way more interesting. I can hardly wait to check him out.”
“Me, neither,” Nell said, with relish.
Moxie rose to her feet and started kneading Nancy’s thigh. Nancy popped the top off another beer. “God help me now,” she muttered.
Nell nudged her sister’s arm. “We don’t mean to torture you,” she said gently. “Well, actually we do, but it’s so nice to have something frivolous to smile about, you know? Bear with us. We’ve been so sad and confused lately. Your proportional-assed carpenter is hard to resist.”
Nancy squeezed Nell’s hand. It was true. It was nice to hear her sisters laugh. To chatter and bicker about men, dating, stupid crushes, nice asses. Silly, nonessential things. Nothing earthshaking.
Although the earth had definitely shaken during that kiss in the rain. Nor would she characterize that kiss as frivolous, or lighthearted.
Oh, no. Calling that earthshaking was putting it mildly.
She wouldn’t show. He was sure of it, but like an idiot, he kept checking his watch every half minute or so since he’d walked into Malloy’s and took his fiddle, flutes, and whistles out of their various bags and cases. He took a swallow of Guinness and wondered why he tortured himself. After all, the woman’s cell phone alone would drive him insane.
He could hardly believe his idiocy. Offering himself as an unpaid bodyguard? Getting all up on his high horse when she called him on his bullshit. Oh, sure, he’d keep her safe. Nobody would mess with her while she was snug and warm in his bed, pinned to the mattress beneath his heaving body. No problem. He’d keep her plenty safe.
But his eyes kept drifting to the entry door. He wanted to see her again. Hear her voice. He liked the way her mind worked, the way her brow furrowed when she was thinking. Those big leaves-under-the-water eyes. The way she wrinkled her nose when she was disgusted, which appeared to be fairly often. And when he kissed her,
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