acknowledged. “I’ve never been in the position of having to introduce my daughter to a woman I was dating, because I haven’t had more than one date with anyone since Nina died.”
He sounded sincere, but she wasn’t going to let herself get sucked in. “So what is the magic number? How many dates did we need to have before you decided to tell me that you had a child?”
“I wanted to tell you. I tried to tell you.”
“When? Because I’m pretty sure if you’d said anything that even remotely hinted at the existence of a child, I would have remembered.”
“Monday,” he said. “The reason I wanted to have lunch with you on Monday was to tell you about Maura. But then you couldn’t get away from the shop, and I didn’t want to dump that kind of news on you when you were obviously distracted by other things.”
Thinking back, she did remember that he’d started to say something before Holly had interrupted him. But how could she really know what he’d intended to say? How could she know he wasn’t just making an excuse after the fact? And why hadn’t he made any other attempt since?
“That was five days ago,” she pointed out. “And we’ve talked on the phone every day.”
“I wanted to tell you in person.”
She was wavering, and she didn’t want to waver. She wanted to stand firm and righteous and protect her heart. The more time she’d spent with Andrew, the more she’d realized that she could easily fall for the man, but that was a risk she was willing to take. Now she knew there was a lot more at stake.
The sexy man was a father and his little girl was too adorable to resist, and falling for both of them would definitely lead to heartache. And she’d been there and done that once before.
“Will you still have lunch with me tomorrow and give me a chance to grovel?”
She wasn’t sure that was a good idea. She didn’t want to get drawn deeper into his world and start to care for him, only to find out that he was just like Eric.
“Please,” he added, when she didn’t immediately respond.
The single word—or maybe it was the sincerity in his tone—tugged at her heartstrings.
“I’m only asking for an hour of your time,” he continued. “If, after that hour, you don’t want to see me again, I promise to respect your decision.”
She wasn’t worried about him—she was worried about herself. That she would be willing to take whatever crumbs he was offering her. When would she learn her lesson? When would she realize that she deserved to be with someone who was willing to make her a priority in his life?
“Will Maura be there?” she asked.
“No, she’s going to a birthday party tomorrow.”
If he’d said yes, she might have given him the benefit of the doubt. But it seemed more than convenient that he’d made plans with her when Maura would be somewhere else—it seemed contrived. He hadn’t intended for her to know his daughter—that part of his life was off-limits. And no way was she going there again.
But she would have lunch with him tomorrow—so that she could tell him, face-to-face, that she wasn’t going to get involved with him. She was going to end their relationship before it really had a chance to begin, before she fell for him more completely than she’d already done.
“Where did you want to go for lunch?”
“Why don’t we decide after I pick you up?” he suggested.
“I’d rather meet you.” That way, she could walk out when she was ready.
“Okay,” he relented. “How about noon at Chez Henri?”
She frowned at the unfamiliar name. “Where’s that?”
He rattled off an address on Evergreen Trail, which she realized could only be in Forrest Hill. No wonder she didn’t recognize the name of the restaurant—she didn’t spend a lot of time in that part of town. If Chez Henri had prices to fit its location, lunch was going to be an expensive meal.
She experienced a slight twinge of guilt that she was going to let him buy her
He sounded sincere, but she wasn’t going to let herself get sucked in. “So what is the magic number? How many dates did we need to have before you decided to tell me that you had a child?”
“I wanted to tell you. I tried to tell you.”
“When? Because I’m pretty sure if you’d said anything that even remotely hinted at the existence of a child, I would have remembered.”
“Monday,” he said. “The reason I wanted to have lunch with you on Monday was to tell you about Maura. But then you couldn’t get away from the shop, and I didn’t want to dump that kind of news on you when you were obviously distracted by other things.”
Thinking back, she did remember that he’d started to say something before Holly had interrupted him. But how could she really know what he’d intended to say? How could she know he wasn’t just making an excuse after the fact? And why hadn’t he made any other attempt since?
“That was five days ago,” she pointed out. “And we’ve talked on the phone every day.”
“I wanted to tell you in person.”
She was wavering, and she didn’t want to waver. She wanted to stand firm and righteous and protect her heart. The more time she’d spent with Andrew, the more she’d realized that she could easily fall for the man, but that was a risk she was willing to take. Now she knew there was a lot more at stake.
The sexy man was a father and his little girl was too adorable to resist, and falling for both of them would definitely lead to heartache. And she’d been there and done that once before.
“Will you still have lunch with me tomorrow and give me a chance to grovel?”
She wasn’t sure that was a good idea. She didn’t want to get drawn deeper into his world and start to care for him, only to find out that he was just like Eric.
“Please,” he added, when she didn’t immediately respond.
The single word—or maybe it was the sincerity in his tone—tugged at her heartstrings.
“I’m only asking for an hour of your time,” he continued. “If, after that hour, you don’t want to see me again, I promise to respect your decision.”
She wasn’t worried about him—she was worried about herself. That she would be willing to take whatever crumbs he was offering her. When would she learn her lesson? When would she realize that she deserved to be with someone who was willing to make her a priority in his life?
“Will Maura be there?” she asked.
“No, she’s going to a birthday party tomorrow.”
If he’d said yes, she might have given him the benefit of the doubt. But it seemed more than convenient that he’d made plans with her when Maura would be somewhere else—it seemed contrived. He hadn’t intended for her to know his daughter—that part of his life was off-limits. And no way was she going there again.
But she would have lunch with him tomorrow—so that she could tell him, face-to-face, that she wasn’t going to get involved with him. She was going to end their relationship before it really had a chance to begin, before she fell for him more completely than she’d already done.
“Where did you want to go for lunch?”
“Why don’t we decide after I pick you up?” he suggested.
“I’d rather meet you.” That way, she could walk out when she was ready.
“Okay,” he relented. “How about noon at Chez Henri?”
She frowned at the unfamiliar name. “Where’s that?”
He rattled off an address on Evergreen Trail, which she realized could only be in Forrest Hill. No wonder she didn’t recognize the name of the restaurant—she didn’t spend a lot of time in that part of town. If Chez Henri had prices to fit its location, lunch was going to be an expensive meal.
She experienced a slight twinge of guilt that she was going to let him buy her
Similar Books
