masculinity and she was woman enough not to be immune to it.
“So the yard sale next week...” Her voice wasn’t as steady as it should have been, so she cleared her throat. “We can use all the donations we can get.”
“Yeah, everybody in the family is gathering things to send. But after seeing this place and the Bronsons’, I’m thinking that it would probably be better if I get the stuff over here Saturday morning right before your yard sale starts, because I don’t know where you would store it all.”
He was right—space was at a minimum.
“What we’ve collected so far is at the church,” Gia said. “The pastor is going to bring it over on Friday night so I can price it all. So far the weather is supposed to be good, and I’m counting on that because I figure I’ll keep everything under our paint tarps in the backyard until Saturday morning, then bring it out front.”
“Aah, that’s why you wanted to keep the paint tarps. Do you want me to bring everything over on Friday night, too?”
She did. But only so she could see him again a day sooner than she might otherwise.
Which was another urge she was determined to resist, so she said, “No, Saturday morning is fine....” Plus, if they happened to send anything more valuable than the bric-a-brac she had already accumulated, she didn’t want to worry about it being outside overnight. “I can price your things then.”
“I can help with that, and then I’ll stick around to help run the sale with you.”
“Okay...that would be nice....”
Better than nice—it suddenly made the yard sale something she was looking forward to for reasons other than the money it would raise for the Bronsons.
“But you don’t have to,” she added. “It doesn’t take the kind of manpower the yard work and the fixes today took. I figured I could just do it myself rather than ask anybody to give up another Saturday.”
“You and the minister?”
The church pastor had mentioned that he could help out. “Actually, I told him no, that just bringing the stuff over Friday night was all I needed. I didn’t really want it to be just the two of us all day next Saturday—he’s being kind of persistent with that going-out-with-him thing....”
And there wasn’t a single thought that went through her mind in regards to the minister that even resembled what had just gone through her mind over Derek. So even if she had been willing to start dating again, it wouldn’t be Pastor Brian.
Not that it would be Derek Camden, either. But still, she wished the minister would stop asking.
Derek smiled a small, knowing smile. “You sound surprised that he’s so determined....”
“I just don’t know why he won’t give up.”
“Really? You don’t know why?”
“No. He must have a quota to fill for new recruits.”
Derek laughed outright and furrowed his brow at her at the same time. “How long were you married?”
“Seven years.”
He nodded as if that explained something. “And losing sight of your own appeal is the result of being married for seven years to a guy who didn’t want to kiss you anymore....”
“I was speaking in generalities when I said that—I wasn’t talking about myself,” she claimed.
But it wasn’t true, and she could tell by Derek’s expression that he knew it.
He had the good grace not to push it, though.
He jammed his hands into his jean pockets and nodded his oh-so-handsome head in the direction of the front of her house. “I should take off—you’ve got to be beat, too.”
“I’ll walk out with you. I just realized I didn’t have time to bring in the mail today.”
They headed out through the archway that connected the kitchen to the living room and went to the front door.
Gia opened it and Derek held the screen door for her to go out onto the big porch with him.
“Where did you have to park?” she asked.
“A couple of doors down,” he said without taking his blue eyes off her. “But don’t worry about
“So the yard sale next week...” Her voice wasn’t as steady as it should have been, so she cleared her throat. “We can use all the donations we can get.”
“Yeah, everybody in the family is gathering things to send. But after seeing this place and the Bronsons’, I’m thinking that it would probably be better if I get the stuff over here Saturday morning right before your yard sale starts, because I don’t know where you would store it all.”
He was right—space was at a minimum.
“What we’ve collected so far is at the church,” Gia said. “The pastor is going to bring it over on Friday night so I can price it all. So far the weather is supposed to be good, and I’m counting on that because I figure I’ll keep everything under our paint tarps in the backyard until Saturday morning, then bring it out front.”
“Aah, that’s why you wanted to keep the paint tarps. Do you want me to bring everything over on Friday night, too?”
She did. But only so she could see him again a day sooner than she might otherwise.
Which was another urge she was determined to resist, so she said, “No, Saturday morning is fine....” Plus, if they happened to send anything more valuable than the bric-a-brac she had already accumulated, she didn’t want to worry about it being outside overnight. “I can price your things then.”
“I can help with that, and then I’ll stick around to help run the sale with you.”
“Okay...that would be nice....”
Better than nice—it suddenly made the yard sale something she was looking forward to for reasons other than the money it would raise for the Bronsons.
“But you don’t have to,” she added. “It doesn’t take the kind of manpower the yard work and the fixes today took. I figured I could just do it myself rather than ask anybody to give up another Saturday.”
“You and the minister?”
The church pastor had mentioned that he could help out. “Actually, I told him no, that just bringing the stuff over Friday night was all I needed. I didn’t really want it to be just the two of us all day next Saturday—he’s being kind of persistent with that going-out-with-him thing....”
And there wasn’t a single thought that went through her mind in regards to the minister that even resembled what had just gone through her mind over Derek. So even if she had been willing to start dating again, it wouldn’t be Pastor Brian.
Not that it would be Derek Camden, either. But still, she wished the minister would stop asking.
Derek smiled a small, knowing smile. “You sound surprised that he’s so determined....”
“I just don’t know why he won’t give up.”
“Really? You don’t know why?”
“No. He must have a quota to fill for new recruits.”
Derek laughed outright and furrowed his brow at her at the same time. “How long were you married?”
“Seven years.”
He nodded as if that explained something. “And losing sight of your own appeal is the result of being married for seven years to a guy who didn’t want to kiss you anymore....”
“I was speaking in generalities when I said that—I wasn’t talking about myself,” she claimed.
But it wasn’t true, and she could tell by Derek’s expression that he knew it.
He had the good grace not to push it, though.
He jammed his hands into his jean pockets and nodded his oh-so-handsome head in the direction of the front of her house. “I should take off—you’ve got to be beat, too.”
“I’ll walk out with you. I just realized I didn’t have time to bring in the mail today.”
They headed out through the archway that connected the kitchen to the living room and went to the front door.
Gia opened it and Derek held the screen door for her to go out onto the big porch with him.
“Where did you have to park?” she asked.
“A couple of doors down,” he said without taking his blue eyes off her. “But don’t worry about
Similar Books
