“He’ll be back in town later this week, he said—for all the events around the big reunion. I’ll corner him then,” Baxtersaid.
Declan’s phone pinged with a text notification, and he dragged it out of his jeans pocket. It wasn’t fromLeslie.
Well, whywouldit be from her? Just because they’d done a little blow-your-mind tongue-tangling on Friday night didn’t mean he expected to hear from her every day. She was a client, after all. He was only her hiredhand.
Hell…
The thought struck him with an unpleasant, ugly force. What if she’d just been sort of going along with him because she didn’t want to piss off one of her workers? Maybe she thought if she declined his advances he’d walk away from the job and leave herhanging.
After all, there were contractors who would do that. He’d known a few, as a matter offact.
No, that was silly. Leslie Nakano was a ball-buster. She wouldn’t take that crap from anyone, and she sure as hell wouldn’t do anything she didn’t want todo.
Still…it was an unsettling feeling knowing that the woman he’d been really getting into seemed to be…not so much interested. After all, he hadn’t heard from her at all yesterday or today, and it was Sundaynight.
He glanced at the text and actually read it this time. It was from Emily Delton.Stephanie said tomorrow’s good for lasagna. 6:00? I’ll bring it over with a nice bottle of red so you don’t have to stop work early.She ended with asmiley.
He shoved the phone back in his pocket withoutreplying.
Because apparently Emily Delton’s car had gotten fixedalready.
Even on aSunday.
Thirteen
“Ireally appreciate it, Ms. Nakano,”said Stephanie as she buckled herseatbelt.
“Well, I wasn’t going to have you bike home in this downpour,” Leslie said as she started the car. “Besides, I’ve got a few errands to run in town, so I don’t mind at all. Thanks for helping me get Rufus into the cat carrier. I’m hoping Doc Horner will fix him up—at least his tail. And check if he hasfleas.”
“I’m sure he will. He takes good care of Genny’s cat—that’s why I thought he’d be a good person to call.” She patted the cat carrier, which she’d insisted on holding on her lap, as if Rufus could feel it. “He’s a sweetie, and I bet he’ll be a really goodpet.”
Pet? Leslie’s brows lifted. Well, she guessed that was the obvious next step—as long as the beast was de-flea-ed. She glanced over at Rufus, who was watching her with green eyes not unlike Declan’s. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem too unhappy about being in thecarrier.
“Anyway, I really appreciate the ride,” Stephanie chattered on, “because we’re having some friends over for dinner tonight, and I’m sure Dad’s busy getting ready. Otherwise I’d call him to pick me up. Though there’s lots of times he doesn’t hear the phone when he’s working in hisworkshop.”
“It’s probably pretty loud in there,” Leslie said, immediately shoving away the image of a shirtless Declan, sweaty and muscular, pounding away on an iron rod. Muscles bulging and sliding, smooth and slick and shiny. It made her mouth water just to think about it—which was not a goodidea.
There’d been silence from him since he left Friday night, and in light of what she’d seen at Trib’s Saturday evening, Leslie hadn’t been moved to contact him. She didn’t have the time or mental energy for drama or uncertainty or any sort of games right now. It was Monday, and Wednesday the 15th loomed like an ugly green ogre in the center of herweek.
I’ll be glad when I’m past thatday.
It’ll have to get easier then—a whole year would have gone by. All the “firsts” would be overwith.
But even now, already, she was finding it difficult to keep from falling back into the memory of where she’d been a year ago as the leaves were falling and Halloween was on deck. She’d just been starting to wear maternity clothes. And thinking about and planning for a nursery. Pinterest had been her friend, and she’d toted around a copy ofWhat to Expect When You’re Expectingin herbriefcase.
She’d been carrying a blessed burden of a baby, along with a less pleasant one: the truth about itsparentage.
In a distorted way, perhaps one could consider it a blessing that she hadn’t carried Ella to full term. Looking back, Leslie wondered how she could have gone on with her life, holding the secret from Eric that he was afather.
Had it been her punishment—that the baby had been taken from her? Was that why things had worked out that way? Her eyes stung and her throatburned.
“Ms. Nakano? Are you allright?”
Leslie realized she’d been sitting at a four-way stop far longer than necessary, especially since there weren’t any other cars in the vicinity. “Oh, yes, goodness. I was just distracted for a minute looking at—I thought I saw a hawk up there. I love hawks,” she saidlamely.
But Stephanie didn’t seem to notice the oddness of her excuse—fortunately, for how many hawks would be flying in a downpour anyway?—and once Leslie asked about it, the teen kept up a monologue about the Homecoming Dance for the rest of the short drive to herhouse.
“It looks like Dad’s still working. I’d better let him know I’m home and the Deltons will be here soon. He’s probably lost track of time by now, knowing him. You should check out his workshop. He’s been working on your railing a lot lately. Come on.” She muscled the cat carrier onto the passenger seat, then shut thedoor.
