only thing holding her back was the color. Some people insisted that only a bride should wear white to a wedding.
The saleslady knocked on the door frame. “Any luck?”
Nikki held back the curtain. “I love this, but I don’t know if I can wear it to a wedding. You know, because of the color.”
The woman tilted her head and studied Nikki. “It fits you like a dream. And I don’t think most people care anymore. Besides, it’s a deep, rich ivory, not white. What if you add a pop of color? Hold on.”
When the woman returned moments later, Nikki nodded. “That might work.” She took the proffered scarf and draped it around her shoulders. It was soft, watered silk in pale, pale pink. When Nikki looked in the mirror, she smiled. “Thank you. I’ll take it.”
As the clerk rang up the purchases, Nikki battled her conscience. Any extra money she made over and above her household expenses went to doing things with her daughter and her mother. Movies. Meals out. This self-indulgence was hard to justify.
The saleswoman excused herself for a moment to deal with a call on the store’s landline. While Nikki waited perched on the edge of a chair, her cell phone dinged. Her heart gave a funny little jump. It was a text from Jake...
Dinner tomorrow night? Just us? Let me know...
There was no reason to get flustered. Jake wasn’t making a romantic overture. He clearly wanted to speak with Nikki about the future and how he would be a part of Emma’s life. Or how he might not. Nikki knew it was an important conversation. One she needed to have with Jake alone. She would have to act like a mature thirtysomething single mother and not the giddy cocktail waitress who had still adored Jake Lowell and let him coax her into bed.
Even more importantly, she absolutely had to decide what it was she wanted from him. She needed his body, his intense lovemaking. His rakish charm. But common sense said she couldn’t sleep with him and still make smart decisions about Emma.
What happened if Nikki didn’t make the right choice?
If she agreed to this dinner, she had little more than twenty-four hours to figure it out.
Other customers entered the store, and Nikki got up, rattled by the unexpected text. When the employee handed over two lilac-and-navy shopping bags, Nikki winced inwardly. On the other hand, a little part of her was already thinking about how perfect her new sweater and skirt would be for a night out with her daughter’s father.
Elegant. Not too fussy. Nothing that would suggest Nikki misunderstood Jake’s motives. But definitely flattering.
Outside, the wind had picked up, and the sky was gray. The pleasant temperatures were gone, replaced by a bone-chilling cold. Nikki leaned against the building only long enough to answer the text.
She dithered over what to say, even as her fingers began to freeze. Finally, she pecked out a response...
Dinner is fine. Can we do seven?
Her phone dinged again...
Works for me. I’ll pick you up then.
She gnawed her lip. But decided to add one more note...
Have fun at Joshua’s bachelor party!
After a long silence, all she got was the thumbs-up emoji. Jake could be busy. Or he wasn’t interested in a long text exchange.
No need to feel rejected.
When she glanced at her watch, she saw that she had a little time to kill before she caught the train. Too bad the Rockefeller Center tree wasn’t up yet. Maybe she could bring Emma in a few weeks. At four, her precocious daughter was more than old enough to enjoy the treat.
Since Nikki’s shopping errand had been accomplished with time to spare, she decided to walk despite the gloomy weather. She could definitely use more exercise. Everywhere she looked, retail establishments were beginning to deck the halls for the holiday season.
Thanksgiving was the weekend after Joshua’s wedding. Barely two weeks away. Nikki and Roberta never made a big deal about the holiday. Nikki often baked a pumpkin pie. And sometimes they cooked a small turkey breast. But the celebration was low-key.
When Nikki was in high school, she remembered huge Thanksgiving spreads, mostly put together by the Lowell cook and housekeeper. As a kid, Nikki had never really thought about the work it took to pull off something like that. Or the expense.
Vernon Lowell had loved hosting lavish celebrations and inviting fifteen or twenty of his friends and business associates. The enormous cherry dining-room table could seat two dozen. The chandelier was actual