summer, and that conversation had been brief. During the planning session, Amanda's smile had made his pulse race crazily. But ever since his parents had announced their plans for a change in life style, he'd decided to cool things off with Amanda and think. Something about his parents leaving had opened old wounds. He didn't know why he was equating his parents' departure for Florida with Rhonda walking out of his life. But he was. Life could change faster than the sun could rise, and he wasn't sure he wanted to get involved more deeply with Amanda. Yet that's where they were headed if they kept seeing each other.
As he raised his gaze to find her in the throng of people, he mentally prepared himself for the sight of her. But he wasn't prepared to see her engaged in a animated conversation with...Ted Livingston! His former high school classmate was pointing to something in the distance, and Amanda was smiling and nodding. Heather sat on a blanket beside them, looking none too happy.
So Livingston had made his move! And it looked as if Amanda was glad of it.
Why shouldn't she be? a taunting voice in his head asked. She tried to be friendly before, during and after the meeting at your house, and you were coolly polite.
So polite, he thought, that she'd looked a little hurt when she'd left. He'd told himself that they'd merely shared a few kisses, and it was his right to call a halt if that was what he wanted. Apparently she'd gotten the message clearly.
Capping his daughter's shoulder, he said, "I think Mrs. Carson's busy this evening. Why don't we just sit here and enjoy the fireworks on our own?"
Kristy looked terribly disappointed, but this time there was nothing he could do about it. As he settled on the blanket and urged his daughter to do the same, he purposefully kept his gaze away from Amanda's direction. He was here to enjoy the fireworks, and that was exactly what he was going to do.
***
When the phone rang the night after the fireworks, Amanda and Heather were watching a DVD and dipping into a bowl of freshly-made popcorn. Heather stopped the movie as Amanda went to the kitchen to answer the phone. Part of her still hoped it was Alex every time it rang. But when she picked up the receiver and said hello, the masculine voice didn't belong to the man down the street. It belonged to Ted Livingston.
"Hi, Amanda, it's Ted. I just thought I'd call to see if you'd like to go out to a movie this weekend. We could get dinner someplace first--"
She had run into Ted at the fireworks, and he had sat with them to watch the display. During the bursts of light, she couldn't help but imagine sitting there with Alex rather than Ted. Although Kristy was still in and out of the house in the evenings, Amanda hadn't seen Alex since the Career Day meeting, and then he had acted like a polite neighbor, not like the man who had kissed her senseless. He had been sending her the message that whatever they'd shared hadn't meant anything to him. Maybe he'd been friendly to her, more than friendly, to make sure she kept taking care of Kristy while his parents were gone.
She didn't know what to think any more. She felt confused by his attitude, and more than a little hurt. But she'd get over it. Ted didn't make Amanda's heart beat any faster, but he was a nice man. Still, she didn't want to lead him on. "This is a bad week, Ted. I'm taking Heather to summer camp on Sunday, and we're busy getting things organized and just spending time together."
"How long will she be gone?"
"A week."
"Then why don't we do something while she's gone? How about next Friday night? We can go to dinner, catch a movie. What do you think?"
Since her divorce, Amanda hadn't dated at all, and with Alex, they'd hardly even had a real date...alone, just the two of them. She could sit around, moping over Alex's change in attitude, hoping he'd call, but that would be futile. And she would
As he raised his gaze to find her in the throng of people, he mentally prepared himself for the sight of her. But he wasn't prepared to see her engaged in a animated conversation with...Ted Livingston! His former high school classmate was pointing to something in the distance, and Amanda was smiling and nodding. Heather sat on a blanket beside them, looking none too happy.
So Livingston had made his move! And it looked as if Amanda was glad of it.
Why shouldn't she be? a taunting voice in his head asked. She tried to be friendly before, during and after the meeting at your house, and you were coolly polite.
So polite, he thought, that she'd looked a little hurt when she'd left. He'd told himself that they'd merely shared a few kisses, and it was his right to call a halt if that was what he wanted. Apparently she'd gotten the message clearly.
Capping his daughter's shoulder, he said, "I think Mrs. Carson's busy this evening. Why don't we just sit here and enjoy the fireworks on our own?"
Kristy looked terribly disappointed, but this time there was nothing he could do about it. As he settled on the blanket and urged his daughter to do the same, he purposefully kept his gaze away from Amanda's direction. He was here to enjoy the fireworks, and that was exactly what he was going to do.
***
When the phone rang the night after the fireworks, Amanda and Heather were watching a DVD and dipping into a bowl of freshly-made popcorn. Heather stopped the movie as Amanda went to the kitchen to answer the phone. Part of her still hoped it was Alex every time it rang. But when she picked up the receiver and said hello, the masculine voice didn't belong to the man down the street. It belonged to Ted Livingston.
"Hi, Amanda, it's Ted. I just thought I'd call to see if you'd like to go out to a movie this weekend. We could get dinner someplace first--"
She had run into Ted at the fireworks, and he had sat with them to watch the display. During the bursts of light, she couldn't help but imagine sitting there with Alex rather than Ted. Although Kristy was still in and out of the house in the evenings, Amanda hadn't seen Alex since the Career Day meeting, and then he had acted like a polite neighbor, not like the man who had kissed her senseless. He had been sending her the message that whatever they'd shared hadn't meant anything to him. Maybe he'd been friendly to her, more than friendly, to make sure she kept taking care of Kristy while his parents were gone.
She didn't know what to think any more. She felt confused by his attitude, and more than a little hurt. But she'd get over it. Ted didn't make Amanda's heart beat any faster, but he was a nice man. Still, she didn't want to lead him on. "This is a bad week, Ted. I'm taking Heather to summer camp on Sunday, and we're busy getting things organized and just spending time together."
"How long will she be gone?"
"A week."
"Then why don't we do something while she's gone? How about next Friday night? We can go to dinner, catch a movie. What do you think?"
Since her divorce, Amanda hadn't dated at all, and with Alex, they'd hardly even had a real date...alone, just the two of them. She could sit around, moping over Alex's change in attitude, hoping he'd call, but that would be futile. And she would
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