“And you’re a boring, washed-up writer who only cares about himself. So, enjoy your little shack house without your dog while I live the good life with Ross, who, by the way, knows how to make me happy.”

  Heart pounding, Avery pulled out his wallet, dropped a fifty on the table, and stood. “Enjoy your lunch, Cruella. The next time you hear from me will be through my lawyer, suing you for custody of my dog.” He walked away quickly, but not fast enough to outrun her laughter before he made it out the door.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lisa was beat by the time she came home late Monday afternoon. Several children in school had been sent home with fevers and many were already absent with colds and the flu. When she picked Abby up from day care, the little girl was sniffling. Lisa was worried that Abby might get sick too, and then what would she do? The school only allowed five personal days a year for a sick child, unless it was a major illness; after that, she could use her own sick leave. Lisa couldn’t afford to miss work without pay, so she silently prayed that all Abby had was a runny nose.

  She changed into comfy clothes and gave Abby a snack. Then she set Abby on the living room floor to play with Bailey. As Lisa was wondering what to make for dinner, she walked over to the picture window and stared across the street at Avery’s house. There was a light on in his front bedroom, but that was all she saw. She supposed he was working and didn’t want to bother him, but she really wanted to invite him over for dinner.

  After less than a week it felt strange not to have him here.

  She decided to call and ask him how his day was. She hoped he’d had a better one than hers. He answered on the third ring. “Hey there.”

  She smiled. She liked how in such a short time his voice sounded comforting to her. “Hi. I was just going to ask how your day was. Hopefully better than mine.”

  “I’ve had better,” he said gruffly.

  Lisa hesitated. She’d obviously interrupted him. “Would it help to talk about it or would you rather not?” she asked.

  There was a long pause that made her nervous. Was she butting in where she didn’t belong? She’d thought they were at a point in their friendship where she could call for no reason, but maybe not. Yet, hadn’t he asked for permission to romance her? She began second-guessing everything until he answered.

  “I’d rather hear about your day,” he said in a friendlier tone. “Are you okay?”

  She sighed so loudly with relief that it made Avery laugh.

  “That bad, huh?”

  “Yes and no. It’s the fourth week of school and kids are passing around all kinds of illnesses. It’s to be expected, but it’s worrisome. Now Abby has the sniffles and I’m scared she’ll get sick too.”

  “Maybe she just has allergies. The leaves are turning, and the weather is cooling down. It could be something as simple as that,” he suggested.

  “I know. I’m just around sick kids all day so I worry. What about you? Did you go walking with Bailey today?”

  “No. Not today. I may tomorrow, though. To be honest, I met up with my ex, Melissa, for lunch and asked for Maddie back.”

  Now she understood why he sounded like his old hermit self when he’d answered the phone. “What happened?”

  “She said no. And she flaunted the fact that she’s selling the house with everything in it. Everything! She said a few other things that made me mad, but I won’t bother you with those. It doesn’t matter anyway. I can’t do anything about the house being sold or about Maddie. But I did, stupidly, threaten to sue her for my dog. She only laughed at me.”

  Lisa’s heart went out to Avery. He didn’t deserve the way his ex treated him. “Do you want to come over for dinner and we can talk?” she asked. She wasn’t sure what she’d make, but she could figure out something. “It sounds like you could use a friend to rant to.”

  “Thanks, but I think I’d be terrible company. It would be better if I stayed home and kept writing.”

  Something about the tone of his voice made Lisa sad. “Avery? You’re not going back into your dark little hermit cave, are you? You were having such a good time with the rest of us out here in the world.”

  He chuckled. “Honestly, I do want to crawl back into my dark space, but I’ll try not to. I’ll take a raincheck on that dinner, and I’ll take Bailey out for a long walk tomorrow.”

  “Okay.”

  “Oh, and does Friday night at six sound good to you?” he asked.

  “For what?”

  “For our first official date. Remember? I’m trying to romance you.” His voice sounded lighter than it had earlier.

  “Sure. That sounds fine. I’ll see if Kristen can babysit.”

  “Great. Wear something dressy. I’m going to wine and dine you.”

  She laughed. “This should be interesting.”

  “And tell Abby I said hi. I’m sure I’ll see her tomorrow,” he said.

  “I will. Happy writing.”

  “Thanks. I need all the good karma I can get.”

  Lisa hung up, thinking about Friday night. Dressy. What was she going to wear that was dressy? She hadn’t dressed up for a dinner date in years.

  The rest of the week, Abby’s sniffles continued but except for a little sneezing, she seemed fine. She had a good appetite and was playing normally. Lisa figured Avery was right—she probably had allergies.

  Kristen agreed to babysit Abby on Friday night, and when she heard that Lisa needed a nice dress, she invited her over to dig through her closet.

  “I have a bunch of fancy dresses,” she told her. “I used to go to formal dinners and parties with the surgeon I was dating before I met Ryan. I’m sure there’s one in the bunch that would fit you.”

  Lisa had a ball going through Kristen’s dresses and little Abby and Marie also played dress-up with some old beads and hats that Kristen had found in the back of the closet. After trying a few dresses on, Lisa settled on a royal blue sheath that accented her long waist and brought out the color of her eyes.

  “That dress never fit me right,” Kristen said. “And now I know why. It was made for you.”

  Lisa loved how the dress felt on her, how it shimmered as she moved in the light. It was sleeveless, so they dug through the closet some more and came up with a black, bolero sweater that had silver threading through it that made it sparkle. “I have black pumps at home that will work well with this,” Lisa said.

  After changing back into her jeans and sweater, Lisa hugged Kristen. “Thanks so much for letting me borrow this. And for babysitting. I haven’t done anything like this in a long time.”

  “Borrow it? The way that dress looks on you, it’s yours. I’ll never wear it. Maybe you’ll get some use out of it,” Kristen said. “And you’re welcome. I’m always happy to help a budding love affair.”

  “Love affair?” Lisa laughed. “I’m not sure about that.”

  “I am,” Kristen said with a wink. “Avery turned out not to be so bad after all. And now he’s going to wine and dine you? You don’t find men like that every day.”

  Lisa had to agree with Kristen. Avery was unique. She was excited, and a little anxious about officially going out with him. She hadn’t been with a man other than Andrew in years. And she hadn’t exactly been a player before meeting her ex-husband. As much as she wanted to get to know Avery better, there was a little bit of trepidation there too.

  Avery had avoided her again on Tuesday, although he’d called and said he’d walked Bailey that day and they’d had a good time. He’d told her he was still trying to get past his nasty conversation with Melissa but promised he was staying out of the dark place. On Wednesday, he came over to see her and they ordered pizza to be delivered. He stayed a while after dinner then left before she put Abby down for bed.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked him as they stood at the door.

  He leaned over and kissed her sweetly on the cheek. “I’m fine. I’m just trying to figure out how to get my dog back. Don’t worry. I’ll be my charming self by Friday.”

  Lisa waved goodbye as he walked across the street. She wished she could do something to help him get Maddie back. But there was nothing she could do.

  Thursday night, Abby was crabby and didn’t want to eat much or play with Bailey. She felt warm to the touch, and the thermometer showed her temperature as 102 degrees. Lisa gave her a dose of children’s Tylenol and her fever went down. By Friday morning, she seemed fine again, so Lisa brought her in to the day care.

  That evening, Lisa was more careful than usual applying her makeup and styling her hair. Her blond hair was naturally straight, so she used a curling iron to add some waves and let it hang down her back. Then came the dress, the sweater, and her heels.

  “Mama pretty,” Abby said from the middle of the bed where she’d been playing. So far, her fever hadn’t returned, and she seemed fine. Lisa gave her a hug. “I hope Avery will think that, too,” she said.

  Five minutes to six, Kristen showed up. “You look great! Avery’s going to be blown away.”

  Lisa felt a blush rise to her cheeks. She wasn’t used to this type of attention. “Thanks. And thanks again for watching Abby. She’s eaten dinner already and can have a snack before bed. She usually goes down by seven.”

  “Sounds good.” Kristen lifted Abby from the bed and twirled her around. “We’re going to have fun, aren’t we?”

  Lisa watched her as she made Abby giggle. Kristen was four months pregnant, yet only had a slight bump that you wouldn’t even notice if you didn’t know. She was thankful for neighbors like Kristen and Ryan. She didn’t know what she’d have done after Andrew left her if she hadn’t had the support of the many women in the neighborhood.

  Right at six, the doorbell rang. Bailey was at the door first, and Lisa had to move him away before answering it. “Hi.”

  Avery’s eyes lit up when he saw her. “Hi, yourself. You look gorgeous.”

  “Thanks.” She nervously ran her hand over her dress to smooth non-existent wrinkles. She didn’t understand why she felt jittery. It was just Avery after all. He was wearing a blue-gray suit with a tie and looked like a completely different guy. “You look nice too.”

  He grinned. “Well. As good as a hermit can look.”

  “You two go along and have fun,” Kristen said from behind them. “Don’t waste your time together standing in the doorway.”

  Lisa and Avery both laughed. She picked up her purse from the table in the entryway and waved goodbye to Abby and Kristen, then they were off.

  Avery drove on the highway toward town. She caught him glancing over at her, which made her self-conscious.

  “You do look incredible,” he said. “Is that a new dress?”

  “No. Not on my budget, unfortunately. Kristen loaned it to me. I guess she used to have a pretty active social life before she met Ryan.”

  “Really?” He looked surprised. “I mean, she’s a pretty woman and all, but I got the impression she was more into her career as a nurse than socializing.”

  “I think she was serious about her work. But she dated an older guy who was very social and then she met Ryan and they clicked. She loved working but she loves being home with Marie, too. And soon, she’ll have another little one to take care of.”

  “She’s expecting?” Avery asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Wow. I didn’t know. Good for them.”

  Lisa studied Avery. He was so good with Abby, she wondered if he’d ever wanted children. “Did you and Melissa ever talk about having kids?”

  “God, no,” he said quickly. “I wouldn’t have minded having one or two children, but it would never have even crossed Melissa’s mind. So, we didn’t discuss it.”

  “Oh.” Lisa decided she should change the subject. Technically, this was their first real date and asking about children probably wasn’t a smart idea. Avery might get a sense she was already feeling him out as husband material.

  Which was amusing because the last thing she needed was a husband.

  They arrived downtown and Avery pulled up to a very expensive hotel that had valet parking. “There’s a wonderful restaurant on the top floor with a beautiful view of the city,” Avery said. He got out and ran around to open her door, then helped her out of the car. The valet took the keys, gave him a ticket, and drove off.

  Avery and Lisa walked inside the hotel. The lobby was decorated in a very modern style with shiny silver, mirrors, and a waterfall on one wall. Going directly to the elevators, he pushed the number fifteen, and up they went.

  Lisa stood in the elevator, unsure of what to say. It was funny. When they were in jeans and T-shirts eating pizza at her table, the conversation flowed easily. But now, dressed up and going to an expensive restaurant, it felt like any familiarity had disappeared.

  The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Spread out in front of her was a huge restaurant seemingly made of glass. Beyond, she saw Minneapolis’s skyscape. Her eyes widened in awe.

  “Gorgeous, isn’t it?” Avery whispered, his breath tickling her ear. “Wait until sunset.”

  The hostess, in a sleek, black dress, stood at a glass podium a few steps from the elevator. She checked off his name and said they would come get him when their table was ready. She showed them to a table in the bar where they could wait, then left.

  “I’m impressed already,” Lisa said, sitting close to him at the small table.

  “Wait until you sit by the window. It’s amazing. And the food is incredible.”

  A waiter took their drink order. Lisa ordered wine and Avery had a scotch and soda. As they waited for their drinks, Lisa shifted in her seat. This was beyond any place she’d ever been to. Andrew liked to eat at nice places for special occasions, but nothing had ever compared to this.

  “How did you find this restaurant?” she asked.

  “My agent brought me here the one and only time he came to see me. He stayed at this hotel. I have to admit I was blown away. So, I saved coming back for a very special occasion.” His eyes twinkled.

  “This is the first time you’ve been back?” This surprised her. She figured he must have always come to places like this. He seemed comfortable here.

  “Yes. It was the first place I thought of when I asked you out. I wanted our first date to be perfect.”

  The waiter brought their drinks. Avery lifted his glass. “To first dates.”

  “To first dates,” she repeated and clinked her glass to his. After taking a sip, she gazed at him and shook her head.

  “What?” he looked concerned.

  “When you say you’re going to wine and dine a woman, you really mean it.”

  A warm chuckle erupted from Avery. “You deserve the very best. So just relax and enjoy.” He moved in closer to her. “I know I’m going to enjoy tonight.”

  A sweet chill ran through her. Avery was so handsome tonight, so absolutely sexy. She hadn’t thought this way about a man in so long that it surprised her. But it was a nice surprise.

  They were shown to their table which was right next to one of the large, floor-to-ceiling windows that allowed a generous view. The sun was just setting, painting the city in a red and orange glaze. The Mississippi River in the distance sparkled in the fading light, and soon the lights on bridges and buildings began to glow. It was spectacular, and Lisa watched in complete amazement.

  “Not a bad choice for a hermit, huh?” Avery said, a mischievous grin on his face.

  “No. Not bad at all.”

  The menus showed no prices for meals. She knew only the most expensive restaurants did that. Obviously, Avery must be able to afford such a place, but it still made her nervous. Avery must have seen her apprehension about the menu because he reached over and placed his hand over hers.

  “Order anything you’d like. Please. This is a special night. Anything goes.”

  She smiled and nodded, enjoying the feel of his hand over hers.

  They ordered dinner—he ordered the steak and lobster and she decided on chicken Kiev. Avery moved his chair closer to hers and held her hand as they stared out at the darkening skyline, the lights twinkling like diamonds in the sky. It felt magical. Enchanting.

  “You know, you could have taken me to Red Lobster, and I would have thought that was extravagant,” she said, grinning.

  Avery laughed. “I’ll remember that next time. But for now, this will have to do.”

  “It will more than just ‘do,’” she said. “It’s amazing. Thank you.”

  He leaned toward her and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “You deserve it. Enjoy.”

  She knew the real Avery was just as content with pizza and beer. But this was the first time she’d seen the successful side of Avery. The bestselling author who lived in a mansion across from Lake Harriet and who was used to having his own in-house gym. He probably had a pool, too, and she knew he’d traveled on expensive vacations without even blinking about the price. But from what she could see, both sides of him were the same. He was still the guy who teased her, who’d dug up her yard to fix her fence, and who’d offered to take her dog on walks. She liked that Avery, and this one.

  Their food came. Lisa’s meal melted in her mouth; it was that delicious. Avery had switched from alcohol to water, and again, she was thankful for that. They talked about things other than their work or her everyday life. Instead, Avery asked her about places she’d been or would like to travel to. He told her about trips he’d taken, and places he still wanted to see.

  “If I could take a year off and travel around the world, I would,” he said. “By plane, ship, and train. Something different for a change.”

  “I’ve always wanted to take a ship from New York to England,” Lisa confessed. “A fancy ship, like the Titanic, except one that wouldn’t sink.”

  He laughed. “Yes. Not sinking is a must. It sounds amazing, but what makes you want to do that?”

  “My great-grandparents came over from England on a ship. I’m sure it wasn’t luxurious for them, because they were poor. But I always thought it would be wonderful to stand on the deck and see the ocean all around. An adventure.”

  They sat there in a little bubble of their own making, unaware of anyone else around them as they told each other their dreams and goals. Avery had led an interesting life already, and still had so much more he wanted to do. Lisa hadn’t been as fortunate but dreamed of a time when she could also do things she’d always hoped to.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19