She agreed. He had a few more moments to try to decide what to say. They stopped on the front step. Ada watched him expectantly. Despite having rehearsed this moment over and over, his mind turned completely blank. He’d have to wing it.
“I— I’m kind of an idiot.”
She didn’t disagree.
“I’ve been thinking about how things went that afternoon at the beach, and I owe you an apology.”
“I’m listening.”
Time to explain what he didn’t entirely understand himself. “Jack likes you. And understandably— you’re a great person.”
She smiled ruefully. “Thanks.”
“I saw Jack getting hopeful, and I panicked.” He still got a little anxious when he thought about it. “His mom walked out on us when he was four. She decided that being a wife and a mom wasn’t really her thing. I have primary custody, and seeing him every other weekend is enough for her. But it’s not enough for him. He hides it well, but I know it hurts.”
And seeing that hurt every other Sunday when Carol brought Jack back home broke Craig’s heart.
“I can understand why you’re cautious,” Ada said.
“But you were right. A city-league basketball game isn’t really the huge risk I made it out to be. And Jack was so disappointed.” Sometimes Craig felt like a complete failure as a parent. Seeing Jack’s face at Tuesday’s game when he realized that Ada hadn’t come qualified as one of those moments. Craig had been disappointed at not seeing her again too. “If I haven’t completely pushed you away, I— well, there’s a— Jack has a game on Tuesday, and it’d be great if you came.”
He held his breath. That was about as on the line as he could lay it.
A smile spread slowly over her lips. “Tuesday would be great. I’m also free tomorrow night. I know Jack will be at his mom’s. You know, in case you want to go do something.”
Was she asking him out? He’d been hoping she’d simply listen to his apology. A date was more than he’d bargained for. Not that he was complaining. “Well, we’ve done coffee and hot dogs.I think the natural next step is a meal requiring utensils. Maybe a movie or something too.”
“Sounds good.” Her smile turned laughing. “Should we ask the book club what they think?” She motioned toward the front window.
The entire book club was watching them, faces pressed to the glass. Some of the ladies had to have been standing on furniture.
He waved at them, and the group scattered.
“So, pick you up at like six?” he said.
“I’ll text you my address.”
“Perfect.” He didn’t know if he was relieved or scared out of his mind. He didn’t want to blow another chance to get to know her better. “See you tomorrow.”
The Awkward Avenger had a date.
***
The next evening, Craig pulled into a low-key condo community a little before six o’clock. Somehow he’d pictured Ada living in a flashy, high-end house, maybe on the beach. Yet the sensibleness of it fit her.
As he climbed the stairs, his heart leaped around a little. He hesitated a minute before knocking.
When she answered the door, she was on the phone. She waved him in and silently mouthed, “Sorry.”
He wasn’t upset at all. The extra minute to catch his breath was welcome. The prospect of spending an entire evening with Ada had him tied in knots.
“I can get you two of your three requests, but not all of them,” she said into the phone. “Finding that size home in that neighborhood for that price just isn’t possible.”
She looked amazing. Craig had always been a sucker for brunettes. But the way her blue sweater made her eyes lookeven bluer than usual pulled him in that much deeper. She was definitely out of his league.
“I’m a realtor, not a fairy godmother,” she said.
Craig bit back a laugh. She didn’t put up with a lot of drama. He liked that about her. He liked it a lot.
