khaki shorts that accentuated her legs.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi,” he replied, his heart picking up speed. “Come in, dinner will be ready in a bit.”
She paused halfway through the entry. “Oh, you don’t have to feed me, I just wanted to pop by, maybe meet Shaun properly.”
“Come in, it’s fine. I have to c ook for us anyway.”
Evan waved toward the kitchen and Selena smiled, stepping inside.
“Shaun, this is Selena, do you remember her from the other day?” Evan said, turning Shaun in his chair so that he could face her in the doorway.
“Hi , Shaun, how are you?” Selena said, putting her hand out as she knelt before him.
Shaun looked at her for a moment , and then smiled and placed his hand in her own.
“Nice to meet you,” she said , pumping his arm up and down.
Selena turned her eyes to Evan’s, and he caught himself smiling at her. Hearing the sizzle of the stove, he made his way to the browning hamburger. After adding some salt and pepper, he stirred the meat until he thought of something to say.
“So the lake calmed down, huh?”
Selena gave Shaun one last smile and then stood, framing herself in the doorway. “Yeah, turned out to be great. I was disappointed this morning when I looked outside, I didn’t think I’d be able to get out on the lake today.”
“Yeah , we went into town when it was rough this morning. Even in the pontoon, it bounced us around. Would you like a glass of wine?” Evan said.
“That would be great.” Selena pulled out a chair from the table and sat. “So, are you two getting settled in here?”
He opened a bottle and poured two glasses. “I think so. It’s a little more of a commute into town than we’re used to, but yeah, it’s a good fit for us.”
He moved to the table and handed Selena her glass. As he did, their fingers brushed and a flutter of pleasure flitted in his stomach.
“To the evening,” she said, tilting her glass toward him.
“To the evening.”
He clinked her glass and took a sip, hoping the wine would calm the nervous energy inside him.
They ate spaghetti at the table, their conversation comfortable and easy. Every so often Selena would ask Shaun a question, and he would either respond with a waving of one hand or an excited noise. Evan watched Selena, examining her interactions with his son. She didn’t talk baby talk to him, like some other people that knew them, and he was grateful for that. There was nothing more infuriating or frustrating than watching people degrade Shaun’s intelligence through pity.
He anticipated that Selena would look uncomfortable with Shaun’s movements or lack of proper articulation, but if she was, she didn’t show the slightest hint.
After a quick cleaning of the kitchen, the three of them settled into the furniture on the porch. The sun hung above the tree line that marked the boundary of Mill River, its light rippling with gentle waves that rolled in colors of cobalt and amber.
“God, it’s pretty out,” Selena said, gazing at the lake.
“Yes, it is,” Evan said, placing his wineglass on the patio table. “I’m curious, though.”
She looked at him, tilting her head.
“How did you find t he phone number for the house?”
S he blushed and licked her lips, casting her gaze at the floor. “I asked my secretary to find out who owns house, and after she told me, I looked up the name online and found a listing.”
Eva n laughed. “Wow.”
Selena placed a hand over her face. “I know, right? I wasn’t even sure if it was correct or not, but since I didn’t have your cell phone, I worked with what I had.”
“Industrious .”
“More like creepy.”
“Industrious sounds better.”
S he laughed, and Shaun giggled too.
“Now everyone’s laughing at me,” Selena said, shaking her head.
“It’s fine, I’m glad you called.”
She glanced his way, and their eyes met, holding for less than a second, but something connected and then released as he looked down into
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi,” he replied, his heart picking up speed. “Come in, dinner will be ready in a bit.”
She paused halfway through the entry. “Oh, you don’t have to feed me, I just wanted to pop by, maybe meet Shaun properly.”
“Come in, it’s fine. I have to c ook for us anyway.”
Evan waved toward the kitchen and Selena smiled, stepping inside.
“Shaun, this is Selena, do you remember her from the other day?” Evan said, turning Shaun in his chair so that he could face her in the doorway.
“Hi , Shaun, how are you?” Selena said, putting her hand out as she knelt before him.
Shaun looked at her for a moment , and then smiled and placed his hand in her own.
“Nice to meet you,” she said , pumping his arm up and down.
Selena turned her eyes to Evan’s, and he caught himself smiling at her. Hearing the sizzle of the stove, he made his way to the browning hamburger. After adding some salt and pepper, he stirred the meat until he thought of something to say.
“So the lake calmed down, huh?”
Selena gave Shaun one last smile and then stood, framing herself in the doorway. “Yeah, turned out to be great. I was disappointed this morning when I looked outside, I didn’t think I’d be able to get out on the lake today.”
“Yeah , we went into town when it was rough this morning. Even in the pontoon, it bounced us around. Would you like a glass of wine?” Evan said.
“That would be great.” Selena pulled out a chair from the table and sat. “So, are you two getting settled in here?”
He opened a bottle and poured two glasses. “I think so. It’s a little more of a commute into town than we’re used to, but yeah, it’s a good fit for us.”
He moved to the table and handed Selena her glass. As he did, their fingers brushed and a flutter of pleasure flitted in his stomach.
“To the evening,” she said, tilting her glass toward him.
“To the evening.”
He clinked her glass and took a sip, hoping the wine would calm the nervous energy inside him.
They ate spaghetti at the table, their conversation comfortable and easy. Every so often Selena would ask Shaun a question, and he would either respond with a waving of one hand or an excited noise. Evan watched Selena, examining her interactions with his son. She didn’t talk baby talk to him, like some other people that knew them, and he was grateful for that. There was nothing more infuriating or frustrating than watching people degrade Shaun’s intelligence through pity.
He anticipated that Selena would look uncomfortable with Shaun’s movements or lack of proper articulation, but if she was, she didn’t show the slightest hint.
After a quick cleaning of the kitchen, the three of them settled into the furniture on the porch. The sun hung above the tree line that marked the boundary of Mill River, its light rippling with gentle waves that rolled in colors of cobalt and amber.
“God, it’s pretty out,” Selena said, gazing at the lake.
“Yes, it is,” Evan said, placing his wineglass on the patio table. “I’m curious, though.”
She looked at him, tilting her head.
“How did you find t he phone number for the house?”
S he blushed and licked her lips, casting her gaze at the floor. “I asked my secretary to find out who owns house, and after she told me, I looked up the name online and found a listing.”
Eva n laughed. “Wow.”
Selena placed a hand over her face. “I know, right? I wasn’t even sure if it was correct or not, but since I didn’t have your cell phone, I worked with what I had.”
“Industrious .”
“More like creepy.”
“Industrious sounds better.”
S he laughed, and Shaun giggled too.
“Now everyone’s laughing at me,” Selena said, shaking her head.
“It’s fine, I’m glad you called.”
She glanced his way, and their eyes met, holding for less than a second, but something connected and then released as he looked down into
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