Slow No Wake - By Dakota Madison Page 0,13

gave me a chance and hired me. It helped that I told them I was planning on earning a Master’s degree. I applied for a graduate program as soon as I got the job here.”

“And I was fortunate that my boss in Illinois is good friends with Tom,” I said. “He hired me by phone. I’m not sure how brave I would have been to move here without a job lined up.”

Daniel looked into my eyes and I could feel my heart flutter a bit. It wasn’t a feeling I was used to. It wasn’t the panty-wetting kind of lust I felt with guys like Eddie (or my ex-fiancé); it was a softer but much deeper feeling, like we were connecting mentally and emotionally, not just physically.

“So, what do you like to do for fun?” Daniel asked.

It had been so long since I remembered having fun. I was always so driven, with school and then with trying to establish my career. It was one of the excuses Jeff used when I found out he had cheated on me. I could still hear his cruel words burned in my memory banks. “You don’t know how to have fun like your sister does.”

“I’m sorry,” Daniel said. “I didn’t mean to upset you.

I tried to smile but the act felt hollow. I heaved a sigh. If I saw myself having any kind of relationship with Daniel, I would have to tell him the truth about what brought me to Florida. “It’s not you, Daniel,” I said. “When I lived in Illinois, I was engaged for several years to Jeff, who was doing his residency to be a surgeon. I thought things were great between us even though we were both busy trying to establish our careers. I had just finished graduate school and I was working long hours as a new therapist. Jeff told me that I wasn’t any fun. So he found his fun with another woman. Unfortunately, the other woman he found so exciting was my sister.”

I could see Daniel’s jaw literally drop. “Oh, my God,” he said. “I’m so sorry.”

“Not only did I lose my fiancé, I lost my relationship with my only sibling.”

“That’s the kind of thing you think only happens in movies,” he said.

“Or reality television,” I added.

Daniel had so much warmth in his eyes when he looked at me. “I realize a guy has to have brains to be a surgeon but he’s obviously stupid to do something like that to you.”

“Thanks,” I said. “We’d better get back to work.”

As we stood up, Daniel touched my elbow. Even though he was barely making contact with me, I could still feel the heat from his hand on my arm and it warned the rest of my body.

“Wait,” he said softly. “The reason I asked about what you like to do for fun is because I wanted to know if you’d like to do something with me this weekend.”

It had only been a few months since I broke off my engagement and I wasn’t sure I was ready to date but I also didn’t have the heart to say no to Daniel, especially when I looked into his eyes and saw so much hope laced with apprehension.

“I’d love to,” I said.

He exhaled. “Great. Maybe we can meet for dinner on Saturday. I know a wonderful Mexican place on the beach. We can watch the sun set. How does that sound?”

“Sounds perfect.”

“If you give me your cell number, I can text you the address. It’s easy to find.”

I reached into my purse and grabbed my cell. “What’s your number?” I asked.

He gave me his number and I typed it into my phone. I typed a short text and hit the send button. “Now you have my number.”

I could hear his cell phone in his pocket bling. He removed it and looked at the text. He grinned then looked up at me. “I can’t wait for Saturday either,” he said.

***

By the time I got home, I was even more exhausted than the day before. The twins spent the afternoon in my office ‘training me’ in the computer filing system, which should have taken about ten minutes, but took three hours because of all of the banter between the two and the non-stop gossip they just had to tell me about everyone who worked there.

My thoughts returned to Daniel and how much I was growing to like him. He seemed so sincere and kind, a guy you’d call a real sweetheart. I