I laughed again.
Which made me smile.
Which made me forget my legs and their gelatinous muscles.
Theomade me smile.
The thought felt like a meteor striking Earth . . . except my head was Earth and the meteor . . . hell, I didn’t know. Theo just . . . did something to me . . . to my insides . . . my innards . . . to whatever the parts were that got excited about meeting a boy.
God, why was I so stupid sometimes?
How was I going to do this? I needed a plan.
I could try timing my deliveries to the library to coincide with his lunch break, but that felt stalker-ish. I could show up at the school with some made-up excuse, but that seemed even more invasive—the man was trying to work, not deal with delivery guys with unresolved feelings.
But showing up at his house felt even creepier than those “how to kill your husband” shows on Lifetime.
Every option I considered made me sound more desperate.
Then a voice I knew far too well, one I’d heard since I was old enough to speak, whispered in my head.You should just accept that it wasn’t meant to be,it said.He’s far too smart for an idiot like you.
I winced. The damn voice always struck too close to the mark.
Maybe those two brief encounters were all the universe intended to give you. You’re being an idiot trying to force something more.
“Stop it!” I shouted, earning a confused look from a woman in an old Fiat.
I squeezed my eyes shut and focused on Theo’s eyes. They were so kind, so sincere, so open. They made my breathing still and heart calm. They made me smile. By the time the light released us, the voice was gone.
When I pulled into my driveway, I sat for a moment, staring at my hands on the steering wheel. This was ridiculous. There was no good answer to this mess I’d created in my head. I didn’t want to give up, but—
I was halfway to the front door when it hit me. I nearly tripped up my steps.
Of course!
Why hadn’t I thought of that before?
I grinned, suddenly energized in a way I hadn’t felt all week. This was perfect. It was natural. Nothing about it felt weird or pushy or stalker-adjacent at all.
It was cute, even.
And if it worked . . .
Chapter 6
Theo
My poor kitchen was a disaster.
Flour dusted the countertop like fresh snow, despite the fact that I wasn’t making anything that required flour. An angry pot of water boiled aggressively on the stove, sending steam billowing toward the ceiling while I frantically searched through the pantry for the box of macaroni that I could have sworn I’d bought yesterday.
The dulcet tones of “Come Sail Away” by Styx echoed off the linoleum floor and tiled backsplash. It was one of my favorites, and despite the mess I was making, I couldn’t help but hum along and shimmy when the chorus kicked in. God, I loved classic rock. Was I born in the wrong decade? Possibly the wrong century? Some days, it sure felt that way.
“Daddy! Daddy! Dance with me!”
I shook free of the hazy daydream of Victorian men and sweaty horses, suddenly aware that sweaty men would’ve been much more appealing.No offense, Bessie. I’m just not a horse guy.Check with your gal Catherine the Great if you need special attention.
Like the mischievous nymph she was, Debbie magically appeared at my elbow, tugging on my cardigan with sticky fingers that smelled like the strawberry jam I’d specifically told her not to touch before dinner.
