crazy all day to hang out at night? I never hear wild parties. Isn’t there a movie star staying in that house with you?”
All the air vanished from Holly’s lungs. That’s why you can’t kiss him . She stared at him, stricken. “Um…”
“I know, you can’t say anything bad about them. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, it’s okay…” Her voice was weak and ragged. It wasn’t okay, at all. But she was lonely and he was lovely and she’d just wanted to escape for a little bit. “I should go.”
“Stay.” He held out his hand, then put it down on the step between them. If she hadn’t moved over, it would have been on her knee. She felt the burning loss of that touch that she had no right to want, and wanted to cry.
Instead, she told herself to stop being a baby.
So she didn’t get everything she wanted in life. She still had more than most—even if she didn’t have anything that felt as valuable as what this man had, or what he had lost.
“Help me out here,” he said quietly, his gaze pinned on hers. “I’m out of practice. What should two new friends talk about?”
She had no idea. When was the last time she’d made a friend? Probably Liana, and that was years back. “I had cauliflower-crust pizza for dinner last night.”
He laughed at her so-so face. “My kids love pizza—with regular crust, I mean.”
“And you?”
“I like steak.”
“Let me guess—your kids do not?”
“Nope.” He sighed and took a few more sips of his tea. “This isn’t that bad.”
“Yeah.” But that was her life. A string of compromised choices, all because her biggest choice of all—her career—made everything else complicated.
“What would your last meal be?”
“Pasta,” she said without even taking a second to think about it. “Like, ten bowls of it, until I had a belly ache.”
He made an amused face. She wanted to twist around again and sit side-by-side. Wanted to stay late and talk about everything under the sun, but if she did that, she’d also want to kiss him.
Instead, she’d go home and dream about what his lips would feel like on hers. Yet another thing that Holly Cresinski would never taste.
“Speaking of the tea, I’m getting sleepy.” She smiled at him. “Thank you for the company.”
“Anytime.”
She stood up, and he stood as well, his arm brushing her shoulder as they walked down the steps and out to the lane.
“I mean that, Holly. I’ve got great friends, but they don’t come and visit me at night. I’m lonely, too.”
“I’m not—” But she was lonely. She just didn’t think she had any other choice.
“Then come back and keep me company, for my sake?”
She nodded. “I’d like that.”
“I have to work tomorrow night, but I’ll be home Thursday. Come over, if you can.”
She hugged the thermos close to her body. “What time do your kids go to bed?”
“Eight, usually. Knock on the door if I’m not out here.”
— —
Two nights later, there was no excuse, no pre-text. Holly just walked up the lane and sat on Ryan’s porch with him, talking about nothing and everything for more than an hour.
“I can’t believe you’re surprised I like country music,” she said, laughing as he blushed a little.
“You just seem so…urban.”
“I like all music, actually. But I became a die-hard country fan when I spent a few months in Nashville a few years ago.”
“Working on a movie there?”
“No, I was between jobs at the time.” She’d been prepping for a role in a movie that got canned. “I was only supposed to be there for a few weeks, but I met my best friend there. We bonded like sisters right away, and when the job I was supposed to do fell through, I ended up staying with her for a while.”
“I never did that couch surfing thing.”
Holly hadn’t exactly slept on Liana’s couch—the singer had a six bedroom house and a separate pool house, too. “Well, I’ve never done the settled down thing, so there you
All the air vanished from Holly’s lungs. That’s why you can’t kiss him . She stared at him, stricken. “Um…”
“I know, you can’t say anything bad about them. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, it’s okay…” Her voice was weak and ragged. It wasn’t okay, at all. But she was lonely and he was lovely and she’d just wanted to escape for a little bit. “I should go.”
“Stay.” He held out his hand, then put it down on the step between them. If she hadn’t moved over, it would have been on her knee. She felt the burning loss of that touch that she had no right to want, and wanted to cry.
Instead, she told herself to stop being a baby.
So she didn’t get everything she wanted in life. She still had more than most—even if she didn’t have anything that felt as valuable as what this man had, or what he had lost.
“Help me out here,” he said quietly, his gaze pinned on hers. “I’m out of practice. What should two new friends talk about?”
She had no idea. When was the last time she’d made a friend? Probably Liana, and that was years back. “I had cauliflower-crust pizza for dinner last night.”
He laughed at her so-so face. “My kids love pizza—with regular crust, I mean.”
“And you?”
“I like steak.”
“Let me guess—your kids do not?”
“Nope.” He sighed and took a few more sips of his tea. “This isn’t that bad.”
“Yeah.” But that was her life. A string of compromised choices, all because her biggest choice of all—her career—made everything else complicated.
“What would your last meal be?”
“Pasta,” she said without even taking a second to think about it. “Like, ten bowls of it, until I had a belly ache.”
He made an amused face. She wanted to twist around again and sit side-by-side. Wanted to stay late and talk about everything under the sun, but if she did that, she’d also want to kiss him.
Instead, she’d go home and dream about what his lips would feel like on hers. Yet another thing that Holly Cresinski would never taste.
“Speaking of the tea, I’m getting sleepy.” She smiled at him. “Thank you for the company.”
“Anytime.”
She stood up, and he stood as well, his arm brushing her shoulder as they walked down the steps and out to the lane.
“I mean that, Holly. I’ve got great friends, but they don’t come and visit me at night. I’m lonely, too.”
“I’m not—” But she was lonely. She just didn’t think she had any other choice.
“Then come back and keep me company, for my sake?”
She nodded. “I’d like that.”
“I have to work tomorrow night, but I’ll be home Thursday. Come over, if you can.”
She hugged the thermos close to her body. “What time do your kids go to bed?”
“Eight, usually. Knock on the door if I’m not out here.”
— —
Two nights later, there was no excuse, no pre-text. Holly just walked up the lane and sat on Ryan’s porch with him, talking about nothing and everything for more than an hour.
“I can’t believe you’re surprised I like country music,” she said, laughing as he blushed a little.
“You just seem so…urban.”
“I like all music, actually. But I became a die-hard country fan when I spent a few months in Nashville a few years ago.”
“Working on a movie there?”
“No, I was between jobs at the time.” She’d been prepping for a role in a movie that got canned. “I was only supposed to be there for a few weeks, but I met my best friend there. We bonded like sisters right away, and when the job I was supposed to do fell through, I ended up staying with her for a while.”
“I never did that couch surfing thing.”
Holly hadn’t exactly slept on Liana’s couch—the singer had a six bedroom house and a separate pool house, too. “Well, I’ve never done the settled down thing, so there you
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