hesitated. “Well, not exactly.”
Okay, then. “Listen, it’s not a good idea for us to talk about your uncle Adam right now.” When she saw him next, she’d have plenty to say, though.
“You don’t want to talk about him?”
“Nope.” The kid was catching on fast.
“You don’t want to talk about Brad, either.”
Right again. “You could say men aren’t my favorite topic at the moment.”
“I guess not,” Jazmine said pensively. “I won’t mention either of them if that’s what you want.”
“I want.” Her serenity gone, Shana gave up the idea of resting and joined Jazmine in the kitchen. Her niece’s backpack was propped against the kitchen chair; she seemed to keep it close at all times.
Despite her intentions to the contrary, Shana gave the sexy lieutenant commander plenty of thought. What she had to do was keep her distance. She would be polite and accommodating if he wanted to spend time with Jazmine, but other than that, she’d be cool and remote. Never again would she allow him the opportunity to suggest that she needed a man—least of all him.
Jazmine stirred the chili with her back to Shana. “I probably shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Shana was eager to drop the subject.
“You’re not mad, are you?”
“Not anymore,” Shana assured her.
“You look mad.”
“I’m not,” she said.
“Are too.”
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
“Am not.”
They both broke out laughing. Obviously Jazz remembered that this childish interchange had amused her earlier, and she wasn’t above repeating it.
Shana had to admit it felt good to laugh with her niece; it was almost like having her sister there. Jazmine was a petite version of Ali and after she’d lowered her guard, they got along well.
Shana wondered if she should clarify her position in case Adam asked Jazmine about her again or made some other ridiculous statement. No, she decided. She’d enlighten him herself.
“You know you’re not getting any younger,” Jazmine said out of the blue.
Once Shana got over her shock, she had to acknowledge that the kid was ruthless in achieving her goals. She went directly for the jugular. But Shana kept her response light. “After a day like this one, that’s certainly true.”
On Saturday morning, Jazmine agreed to come down to the ice-cream parlor with her. In fact, Shana had no choice but to bring her. Catherine, her employee, wouldn’t be in until that afternoon.
At this point Catherine was only part-time, but with the summer traffic, business was picking up and she’d need a second part-time employee. As the season progressed and the parlor was open later in the evening, she’d add more staff. The Olsens had told her that her biggest expense would be the staff payroll and warned her not to hire more people than she needed. Shana had taken their words to heart, doing as much as she could herself.
“Can I bring my Rollerblades?” Jazmine asked, standing in the doorway of her bedroom.
“Sure.” Shana hated the thought of Jazmine hanging around the restaurant all day with nothing to do. Since Lincoln Park was directly across the street, there’d be plenty of paved sidewalks for her to skate. It would be a good opportunity to meet other girls her age, too.
By noon the parlor was crowded. Shana worked the pizza side and Catherine, a grandmotherly woman in her early sixties, dealt with the ice-cream orders. Catherine had been recommended by the Olsens and was great with kids. Shana had already learned a lot from her.
A young red-haired man with two children about three and five came in and ordered a vegetarian pizza and sodas. While Shana assembled the pizza, she watched the man with his kids, admiring the way he entertained them with inventive games.
Jazmine rolled into the parlor, stopped to take off her skates and before long was deep in conversation with the father and his two kids. Shana couldn’t hear what was being said, but she saw the man glance in her direction and nod.
A couple of minutes later, Jazmine joined Shana in the kitchen, which was open to the main part of the restaurant.
“Hi,” Shana said, sliding the hot pizza from the oven onto the metal pan. As she sliced it, the scent of the tomato sauce and cheese and oregano wafted toward her.
“He’s single.”
“Who?” Shana asked distractedly as she set the pizza on the counter. “Do you want to take this out to the guy with the kids?” she asked.
“Can I?” Jazmine beamed at being asked to help out.
Her niece carefully carried the pizza to the table and brought extra napkins. She chatted with the man and his children for a few more minutes, then hurried back to Shana, who was busy preparing additional pizzas. “He asked me to introduce you.”
“What?”
Jazmine’s eyes widened with impatience. “I was telling you earlier. He’s divorced and he wants to meet you.”
“Who? The guy over there with the kids?”
“Do you see any other guy in here?”
The restaurant had any number of patrons at the moment, but the young father was the only man—and the only customer looking in her direction. He saluted her with a pizza slice.
Flustered, Shana whirled around and glared at Jazmine. “Exactly what did you say to him?”
“Me? I didn’t say anything—well, I did mention that you broke up with Brad, but that was only because he asked. He said he’s been in here before.”
Shana didn’t remember him.
“I told him that my uncle Adam said you’re the kind of woman who needs a man in your life.”
Shana’s heart stopped. “You didn’t!”
“No.” Jazmine hooted with laughter. “But I thought it would get a rise out of you.”
The kid seemed to think she was being funny, but Shana wasn’t laughing.
“Are you interested? Because if you are, let’s go say hello to him. If you’re not, it’s no big deal.”
Shana needed to think about this. “Promise me you didn’t tell him I’m single.”
“I did, and I said you were looking for a husband,” Jazmine said gleefully. “You don’t mind, do you?”
Shana
