of clothes and a towel and followed Maureen to the women’s “locker room,” a box with cement floors, one shower with a trickle of cold water, and a large metal mirror. Five of us took our turns in the shower and then crowded around the mirror to brush hair and touch up makeup.
Maureen pulled a ring out of her makeup bag and put it on her finger. “There!” She held out her hand and a large diamond flashed. “I’m afraid to wear it during the game, but I feel naked without it.”
“You just want to show it off,” one of the women said with an envious glance.
“Is that an engagement ring?” I asked.
“Yes! Jerry gave it to me two weeks ago. Isn’t he the sweetest thing?”
“Mmm.” I thought the ring a bit ostentatious, but Jerry obviously understood what Maureen liked.
“He’s going to make a wonderful father.”
I couldn’t help shooting a look at Maureen’s flat belly.
She laughed. “Oh no, honey, I’m not pregnant—yet! Jerry says he has to finish paying off the ring, and then we can get married, and we’ll buy a house. Something big enough for us and three or four children. I just love children!”
One of the women turned on a hair dryer, which didn’t stop the chatter, but it gave me an excuse to back out of the way and make room at the mirror. I wondered if Jerry knew what he was in for. Of course, on a park ranger’s salary, it could take him a couple of years to pay off that ring. Maybe he’d gotten such a big one in order to buy himself time.
Finally we left the bathroom and went to join the men. Maureen linked her arm through mine as we walked toward the bleachers. “That Danny is such a sweetie pie! I’m glad he’s finally found someone nice.”
That was too much. “There’s nothing between Danesh and me.”
She shot me a sly look. “Maybe not yet....”
“Look, he’s really not my type.”
One of the other women gave a husky laugh. “Honey, he’s every woman’s type. Just look at him!”
“Looks aren’t everything.” But I couldn’t deny the tug in my belly as I gazed at him. He was leaning back on the bleachers, relaxed and laughing, the muscles in his arms set off by a black T-shirt, his dark hair loose and damp. I tried not to imagine what his butt would look like in those jeans. Our eyes met as I got closer, and he held my gaze with a smile that made my knees weak. I reminded myself I’d only just decided he was tolerable, but at the moment I couldn’t remember why I’d ever disliked him.
Grace gave me a shy glance from her big brown eyes and whispered, “He’s nice. I like him.”
Everyone seemed to, for one reason or another. I thought of my ex, how I’d sometimes had to defend him to people, excusing his poor social skills as the typical male inability to read others’ emotions. But not all men were the same. Why had I settled?
If the attack and losing Jonathan had one silver lining, it was giving me a chance to see what I’d really had before and what I really wanted now. I hoped I wouldn’t have to cry often, but I wanted a man who would hold me when I did. Someone who’d stand by me, no matter what our future held.
Danesh rode with me to the bar, smiling and tapping his fingers to the music I had playing. I’d never seen him so relaxed. But I’d only seen him a few times, and some of those under unusual circumstances. Maybe he was like this most of the time. He smelled good, kind of spicy, and I found myself leaning toward him slightly as I inhaled. I pulled myself back. Ignoring his total hotness had been a lot easier when I didn’t like him.
We pulled up to the bar, a sprawling wooden building with beer signs in the windows. I slipped my ID and a twenty into my pocket as Danesh got out. I took a deep breath, trying to gather my wits, but it didn’t help that his scent lingered.
I frowned at myself. I had to get a grip. I wasn’t about to get googly-eyed over someone just because he smelled good and looked like sin. I was in
Maureen pulled a ring out of her makeup bag and put it on her finger. “There!” She held out her hand and a large diamond flashed. “I’m afraid to wear it during the game, but I feel naked without it.”
“You just want to show it off,” one of the women said with an envious glance.
“Is that an engagement ring?” I asked.
“Yes! Jerry gave it to me two weeks ago. Isn’t he the sweetest thing?”
“Mmm.” I thought the ring a bit ostentatious, but Jerry obviously understood what Maureen liked.
“He’s going to make a wonderful father.”
I couldn’t help shooting a look at Maureen’s flat belly.
She laughed. “Oh no, honey, I’m not pregnant—yet! Jerry says he has to finish paying off the ring, and then we can get married, and we’ll buy a house. Something big enough for us and three or four children. I just love children!”
One of the women turned on a hair dryer, which didn’t stop the chatter, but it gave me an excuse to back out of the way and make room at the mirror. I wondered if Jerry knew what he was in for. Of course, on a park ranger’s salary, it could take him a couple of years to pay off that ring. Maybe he’d gotten such a big one in order to buy himself time.
Finally we left the bathroom and went to join the men. Maureen linked her arm through mine as we walked toward the bleachers. “That Danny is such a sweetie pie! I’m glad he’s finally found someone nice.”
That was too much. “There’s nothing between Danesh and me.”
She shot me a sly look. “Maybe not yet....”
“Look, he’s really not my type.”
One of the other women gave a husky laugh. “Honey, he’s every woman’s type. Just look at him!”
“Looks aren’t everything.” But I couldn’t deny the tug in my belly as I gazed at him. He was leaning back on the bleachers, relaxed and laughing, the muscles in his arms set off by a black T-shirt, his dark hair loose and damp. I tried not to imagine what his butt would look like in those jeans. Our eyes met as I got closer, and he held my gaze with a smile that made my knees weak. I reminded myself I’d only just decided he was tolerable, but at the moment I couldn’t remember why I’d ever disliked him.
Grace gave me a shy glance from her big brown eyes and whispered, “He’s nice. I like him.”
Everyone seemed to, for one reason or another. I thought of my ex, how I’d sometimes had to defend him to people, excusing his poor social skills as the typical male inability to read others’ emotions. But not all men were the same. Why had I settled?
If the attack and losing Jonathan had one silver lining, it was giving me a chance to see what I’d really had before and what I really wanted now. I hoped I wouldn’t have to cry often, but I wanted a man who would hold me when I did. Someone who’d stand by me, no matter what our future held.
Danesh rode with me to the bar, smiling and tapping his fingers to the music I had playing. I’d never seen him so relaxed. But I’d only seen him a few times, and some of those under unusual circumstances. Maybe he was like this most of the time. He smelled good, kind of spicy, and I found myself leaning toward him slightly as I inhaled. I pulled myself back. Ignoring his total hotness had been a lot easier when I didn’t like him.
We pulled up to the bar, a sprawling wooden building with beer signs in the windows. I slipped my ID and a twenty into my pocket as Danesh got out. I took a deep breath, trying to gather my wits, but it didn’t help that his scent lingered.
I frowned at myself. I had to get a grip. I wasn’t about to get googly-eyed over someone just because he smelled good and looked like sin. I was in
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