prodded. He took another sip of his coffee.
“Getting married.” Her answer was short and terse.
“Ah.” David sat back and sipped his coffee. He waited for her to speak again.
“But I’m not now, my divorce was final months ago,” she said with a dismissive hand gesture. She didn’t want him to think for a moment she was still hung up on Jake.
“I figured with the lack of a wedding ring and no manly presence around here that was the case,” David replied.
“Hey!” There was an exclamation from behind the counter.
David and Ellie turned. Kevin was standing there with his hands on his hips. His expression was so ridiculous that Ellie couldn’t help but laugh, and David joined in.
“Sorry, man.” David chuckled and held up his hands. “No offense. Present company excluded, of course.”
“Well, in that case, you are forgiven.” Kevin smiled and batted his eyes at David.
Ellie rolled her eyes. “Don’t you have some work to do, Kevin?” she said a bit too sweetly.
They had been friends long enough that Kevin knew he was in trouble. Kevin’s cheeks turned red. He grabbed a towel and headed over to the other side of the room, cleaning tables that he had cleaned fifteen minutes ago.
“Kids?”
David’s question caught her off guard and felt like a punch in the stomach. “No,” she said, looking down at her hands. “I wanted them. Pretty bad. But looking back on things, having kids with Jake would have made the situation even worse.”
“I’m sorry. About the divorce.” David’s voice was gentle.
“That’s okay.” She started straightening her papers again so that she didn’t need to look him in the eye. “I’m really not. I got married for the wrong reasons and that didn’t work out well. My life is better now.”
“Is it?” he asked.
He reached across the table and rested his hand on her forearm, stilling her hands. She looked down at it in shock. She could feel the warmth of it radiating through her sleeve. She gulped and finally looked up. He was watching her reaction closely.
“What do you mean? Of course it is.”
“I mentioned it this morning, but it seems like you haven’t been all that happy whenever I’ve been here,” he said.
“Who are you now? My therapist?” Ellie’s voice rose a notch. “I don’t know how any of this is your business.” His touch completely unnerved her, and she was having a hard time processing the strong emotions he was awakening within her.
David pulled his hand away, and instantly Ellie regretted her words. For just a moment she had felt a connection with David, and if he had pressed she thought that she would have spilled everything.
Linda appeared beside her and put her hand on Ellie’s shoulder. Ellie instantly felt calmer. It was amazing how Linda had that effect on her.
“Shhh, dear. You’ll scare the customers,” she said as she smiled a “forgive her” smile in David’s direction. “I have a wonderful idea. It has been a long time since I’ve had a dinner party. Ever since Lloyd passed away it’s really just me puttering around in that big house. It would be delightful to have some company. How does an intimate little get-together sound?”
“That sounds great, Linda.” David grinned.
Ellie was amazed at how comfortable and confident he was, as though he got dinner party invitations all the time from random people on the street. But then again Ellie found that men often agreed to whatever Linda said. It was a fascinating study sometimes, and she felt a bit disappointed that David didn’t seem to be immune.
“What do you think, Ellie?” Linda looked at her.
“You know that I’d be there, Linda. Of course.” Ellie’s tone was sulky.
“Wonderful! Would Saturday night work for you, David? I know you have a busy schedule there at the hospital.”
Ellie knew that if necessary Linda would rearrange the entire event to accommodate David’s schedule, and she frowned again.
“I’m sure I can manage
“Getting married.” Her answer was short and terse.
“Ah.” David sat back and sipped his coffee. He waited for her to speak again.
“But I’m not now, my divorce was final months ago,” she said with a dismissive hand gesture. She didn’t want him to think for a moment she was still hung up on Jake.
“I figured with the lack of a wedding ring and no manly presence around here that was the case,” David replied.
“Hey!” There was an exclamation from behind the counter.
David and Ellie turned. Kevin was standing there with his hands on his hips. His expression was so ridiculous that Ellie couldn’t help but laugh, and David joined in.
“Sorry, man.” David chuckled and held up his hands. “No offense. Present company excluded, of course.”
“Well, in that case, you are forgiven.” Kevin smiled and batted his eyes at David.
Ellie rolled her eyes. “Don’t you have some work to do, Kevin?” she said a bit too sweetly.
They had been friends long enough that Kevin knew he was in trouble. Kevin’s cheeks turned red. He grabbed a towel and headed over to the other side of the room, cleaning tables that he had cleaned fifteen minutes ago.
“Kids?”
David’s question caught her off guard and felt like a punch in the stomach. “No,” she said, looking down at her hands. “I wanted them. Pretty bad. But looking back on things, having kids with Jake would have made the situation even worse.”
“I’m sorry. About the divorce.” David’s voice was gentle.
“That’s okay.” She started straightening her papers again so that she didn’t need to look him in the eye. “I’m really not. I got married for the wrong reasons and that didn’t work out well. My life is better now.”
“Is it?” he asked.
He reached across the table and rested his hand on her forearm, stilling her hands. She looked down at it in shock. She could feel the warmth of it radiating through her sleeve. She gulped and finally looked up. He was watching her reaction closely.
“What do you mean? Of course it is.”
“I mentioned it this morning, but it seems like you haven’t been all that happy whenever I’ve been here,” he said.
“Who are you now? My therapist?” Ellie’s voice rose a notch. “I don’t know how any of this is your business.” His touch completely unnerved her, and she was having a hard time processing the strong emotions he was awakening within her.
David pulled his hand away, and instantly Ellie regretted her words. For just a moment she had felt a connection with David, and if he had pressed she thought that she would have spilled everything.
Linda appeared beside her and put her hand on Ellie’s shoulder. Ellie instantly felt calmer. It was amazing how Linda had that effect on her.
“Shhh, dear. You’ll scare the customers,” she said as she smiled a “forgive her” smile in David’s direction. “I have a wonderful idea. It has been a long time since I’ve had a dinner party. Ever since Lloyd passed away it’s really just me puttering around in that big house. It would be delightful to have some company. How does an intimate little get-together sound?”
“That sounds great, Linda.” David grinned.
Ellie was amazed at how comfortable and confident he was, as though he got dinner party invitations all the time from random people on the street. But then again Ellie found that men often agreed to whatever Linda said. It was a fascinating study sometimes, and she felt a bit disappointed that David didn’t seem to be immune.
“What do you think, Ellie?” Linda looked at her.
“You know that I’d be there, Linda. Of course.” Ellie’s tone was sulky.
“Wonderful! Would Saturday night work for you, David? I know you have a busy schedule there at the hospital.”
Ellie knew that if necessary Linda would rearrange the entire event to accommodate David’s schedule, and she frowned again.
“I’m sure I can manage
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