“Beth?”
“My new golden retriever.”
“Oh.”
“I’ll be picking her up Thursday. She’s a pup. Would you like to see a picture?”
“Of course I would.”
He pulled out his wallet and showed her a truly adorable puppy that she could tell from the snap was all bounce and bubble.
“But I’d like to have a family and someone to come home to. I don’t think I’m meant to live alone.”
“I can understand that.”
He crossed his ankles neatly in front of him and frowned down at them. The light from a table lamp glimmered on his glasses. “I was never the guy all the girls went crazy over. I suppose I keep hoping that someday I’ll meet a nice woman who doesn’t need to be dazzled, but is willing to settle down with a very average, reliable man. I realized years ago that I was never going to set the world on fire. But I’m a good accountant and I think I’d be a good husband and father.”
She found herself warming to his honesty. “I think you’d make a wonderful husband.”
“What about you?”
She made a face. “I found my soul mate. Didn’t work out quite the way I planned.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Oh, well. At least I found out while I’m still young enough to try again. But I seem to keep meeting the most horrible men.”
“I’m sure the women are worse.”
She reviewed her brief dating history. “Couldn’t be.”
“I had a kleptomaniac who stole all the cutlery off the table when we had dinner, and then lifted the tip off the table. It wasn’t until I realized my credit card was missing and went back to the restaurant that I found out what she was like.”
“Oh, no,” she cried in ready sympathy. “Did you get your card back?”
“Yes. Fortunately I cancelled the card before she could do much damage.” He sent her a wry grin. “But I can never show my face in that restaurant again.”
While they chatted companionably over coffee, and shared dating disasters, she discovered what she’d begun to suspect, that apart from his years away at college, he’d lived with his widowed mother until she died and still occupied his childhood home.
“Have you thought of moving?”
“Why would I? It’s a nice solid home in a good area of town. No, I plan to stay.”
“I think we’re both stuck in the past a little bit. Maybe we simply need to shake things up a bit. We could move.” She placed her empty coffee cup on the table in front of the couch.
“But I don’t want to move.”
She glanced around her town house. “I don’t want to move, either.”
He put down his own cup. “I should go.” But the way he said it she felt that he didn’t relish going home to an empty house just yet.
“I was going to watch the late show, do you want to join me?”
“Yes.” He took off his jacket and settled beside her on the couch. It was nice to have the company, she realized. Nice to relax and not have to talk after the stress of the past few days. She’d been knocking herself out putting on back-to-back weddings and then trying to get ready for an upcoming bridal show, plus there was the whole Dexter situation. He either kept her awake all night in passion or in trying to figure out what she was going to do about him.
She yawned, hugely, tried to concentrate on what Jimmy Fallon was saying. After the commercial break he was going to interview a young actress about an upcoming movie.
But she never saw the interview. Before the opening monologue was over, she was sound asleep.
SUN STREAMING IN HER WINDOW woke Karen. She blinked, slowly, wondering where she was and what was different from most mornings.
With a start, she realized she was dressed in last night’s clothes and the warm weight resting against her wasn’t Dexter.
It was Ron.
Sound asleep and looking rather forlorn, he had an arm thrown around her while her head rested on his shoulder.
“Ow,” she said, raising her head and trying to rub the stiffness from her neck.
Either her speaking or moving woke Ron, who blinked owlishly a few times and glanced around.
“Oh,” he said, when his puzzled gaze encountered hers. “I guess we fell asleep.”
“I guess so.”
She didn’t know which of them was more embarrassed, as they moved to opposite sides of the couch. She rose, pulling her skirt into place as she did so. “Would you like some coffee?”
“Oh, uh.” He cleared his throat, put on the glasses that had fallen onto the floor, glanced at his watch. “No, thank you. I’ve got to get back to my place and get ready for the day. I’d better be going.”
“All right. Well.” She had no idea what to say. “Thanks for last night.”
He stood up and seeing him so rumpled made her realize what a meticulous dresser he usually was. He looked exactly like a man who’d slept in his clothes. His hair was up on one side and his sweater askew. “I had a nice time, too. I’m sorry that I fell asleep.”
This was the most ridiculous situation. In spite of herself she laughed. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”
He smiled perfunctorily, slipping his feet into his loafers. “No. I won’t be telling anyone.” He rubbed at his stubbled face. “Sometimes, it gets lonely. Living alone.”
“I know. Look, I’m putting on coffee anyway. You should at least have coffee.”
He shook his head. “Perhaps I could use the bathroom before I leave?”
“Of course.”
She started coffee and then he appeared in the kitchen. He’d obviously washed his face since the hair above his forehead was damp. A droplet of water clung to one eyelash. He looked oddly adorable and she felt more like his mother than a date as she led him to the front door once he’d refused once more to stay for coffee.
“Why don’t you come to my office tomorrow? I could show you around and then show you my books which are, I admit, a bit of a mess.”
“Certainly. I could do that.”
“I’ll even buy you lunch. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried Chelsea Hammond’s lasagna.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”
She
