Hazel placed a hand on his arm.
Her mother stared at the two of them and gave them a nod of approval.
When it came time for Mike to leave, Hazel said, “I’ll walk you out.”
Mike said goodbye to her mother and Elliott, and as they started to walk away, he wrapped an arm around Hazel’s shoulder.
“What are you doing?”whispered Hazel as they went to the front door.
“I’m playing my part,” Mike said, giving her a sexy grin.
“But …
“It’s okay,” said Mike, stepping outside with her.“I like that we’re becoming friends.You once thought I was a playboy.I hope you now realize I’m not really like that.”
She studied his earnest expression, seeing vulnerability in his green eyes.
“I know,” she said, reaching up on her toes and giving him a quick kiss on his cheek.“Thanks for being a friend.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
During the night, she’d lain awake thinking about Mike.Between his doing her a favor and his attachment to Jed, she’d come to understand a man far different from the one she’d thought she’d known.It was true that women fell all over themselves for his attention at the Sports Center.But while he was polite, Mike was never rude or overtly sexual with his responses.Knowing about his background made it easier to understand what he covered up with his easy-going manner—the basic insecurity of living without a family of his own.
The next morning, Hazel said goodbye to her mother, who was sitting on the deck sipping a cup of coffee, and left for her tennis match.Her mother planned to wander through town, and this evening, Hazel would take her to Jake’s.
She thought about Jed.In a few weeks, she’d come to love that kind, sweet boy.She’d do anything to keep him from getting hurt.
She parked her car and went to the tennis courts,and saw both Jed and Mike ready to play.
“Hi,” she said, noticing they remained seated with glum expressions.“What’s up?”
Mike shot Hazel a look of concern.“Jed overheard Lisa and her husband talk about moving.I promised him I’d ask Lisa about it.”
“I’ll go with you,” said Hazel.She placed a hand on Jed’s shoulders.“Don’t worry, we won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
Mike stood.“Okay, time for some tennis.Jed, I want to watch you do an outstanding job with your serve.”
“You serve and I’ll return it,” Hazel said, teasing Jed with a smile he returned.She got out her racket from the carrier and took a swing with it.
“I’ve got a bucket of balls for you to use,” said Mike.
They walked onto the court, and time was lost as Jed and Hazel competed.
“Okay, that’s enough,” said Mike.“We’ll stop a few minutes early, so Hazel and I can talk to Lisa.”
Jed gave them a solemn nod.“Okay.”
The three of them headed down the street.
Mike and Hazel waited on the porch while Jed went inside to get Lisa.
Lisa came to the door holding baby Simon.“Hi, there,” she said cheerfully.“What can I do for you?”
“Jed overheard you and your husband discuss moving.I promised him we’d speak to you about it,” said Mike.
“We want to make sure he’ll be fine,” Hazel said.
“I see,” said Lisa.“At this point, it’s just talk.My husband has applied for a much better job in Pennsylvania.We don’t know if he’ll get it.”
