Four Kicks - Stephanie Brother Page 0,10

conversation starts to flow pretty well. The flutters in my belly calm down by the time we reach our destination and I feel like I’m out with an old friend.

The host at the Italian restaurant leads us to a table in the back corner. After we order I ask David about something that’s been on my mind since he called. “Did you say that your mom suggested you call me?”

The tops of his cheeks turn red. “Yeah. You know she’s always liked you.”

“Is that right?”

“She’s been nagging me to start going out. I guess I’ve been moping, according to her.” He laughs, looking uncomfortable, so I put my hand on his.

“Well, thanks for calling me. This is nice.”

He smiles and flips his hand over to clasp mine. “Lacy, I’ve always felt bad about how things ended with us. I should have handled things differently.”

“It was hard.” I notice that he isn’t saying he regrets breaking up with me. He just regrets how he did it.

“I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”

I lift a shoulder and let it fall. “Time heals.”

“That’s good.” He gives my hand a squeeze before releasing it.

Both the food and company are good, and the evening passes quickly. After dinner, I wait for David to suggest we go to a bar, or for a walk, or something to extend our date, but he heads straight back to the island. When he pulls into my driveway, he turns off the engine.

“Can I walk you up to your door?”

“You don’t have to do that.”

He puts a hand on my bare knee. “I thought I might come up for a while.”

“Oh.” I stiffen. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’re still married.”

His hand slides a few inches higher on my leg. “I’m separated and I’ve been separated for three months.”

I push his hand away. “Legally, you’re married. I’m sorry to get technical about it, but I dated a man who was separated once before. Eventually, he got back together with his wife.”

“I’m not going to do that.”

“And I’m not rushing into anything.”

David lets out a sigh. “Did you know that our state requires a married couple to be separated for a year before we can file for divorce? I’m not going to put my life on hold for an entire year.”

“I’m not saying you need to, but I think we should take things slow.”

He leans closer and softens his voice. “I can do slow.”

“All right. You can walk me up, but you’re not coming in. Not yet.”

At my door, David hesitates but decides to go in for a kiss as we say goodnight. Our contact is brief, his hand gently resting on my arm, our mouths closed, our lips brushing together for only a few seconds. Even being so chaste, the kiss feels familiar and brings back memories of many others that we shared. It’s comfortable and warm.

But I can do slow, too.

7

That deep, sexy rumble

Immediate opening: Administrative assistant for growing construction company. Four Points Island. Must have good communication skills, attention to detail, organizational skills, computer experience.

The word “immediate” jumps out as I scan the local job listings. The sooner I can get a job, the sooner I can help my parents. I happen to think I have excellent communication and organizational skills. I can fake it until I make it on the other requirements.

I respond to the ad on Sunday and am invited to come in for an interview early the next day, before our store even opens. Bianca says she can cover for me if I’m late.

The company is located in the back of a small office park I never had reason to notice before. The sign on the door reads Diamond Construction, and the small lobby area is vacant when I enter.

“Hello?”

A woman in her mid-30s appears from around the corner looking much too harried for the early time of day. “Are you here for the job?”

“Yes, I’m meeting with Derek.”

She consults her watch. “Derek should be in soon. Nathan’s here, though. I’m sure he’ll want to meet with you, too.”

Nathan. That name stirs up physical memories that have no business surfacing during a job interview. My body may never forget Nathan and Ash and our amazing outdoor encounter at the bar.

I ignore the muscles that clench between my legs as the woman leads me past one small open office, a conference room, and four closed doors on the way to an open doorway at the end of the hall. “Nathan, someone’s here –”