afternoon sun highlighting one side of her face. The urge to kiss her almost overwhelmed him. He’d like to prove that they weren’t different in the areas that mattered. He had to say something to get rid of her until he regained his equilibrium. “Cabinet below the plates.”
Laura Jo disappeared into the house again. A few minutes later she came out and stood beside him. Her head reached his shoulders. Shewas close enough that he smelled a hint of her floral shampoo but not near enough that they touched. He was aware of the fact that all he had to do was take a half step and her body would be next to his.
“You might want to turn those. They look like they’re burning.”
Great. He had been so focussed on her that he wasn’t thinking about what he was doing. “So now you’re going to come out here and start telling me how to cook my hot dogs. Do you like to be bossed?”
She took a step back. Her eyes turned serious. “No. I don’t. I’m sorry.” She moved to leave.
He caught her wrist. “Hey, I was just kidding. They’re just hot dogs.”
Laura Jo pulled her arm out of his grip. “I know. But I need to get us some drinks. I saw the glasses when I was looking for a bowl.” With that she was gone.
This was a woman better left alone. She had more hang-ups than he did and, heaven knew, he had plenty.
Twenty minutes later, Allie and Jeremy were picnicking, as they called it, in front of the TV so they could watch another parade. Mark had persuaded Laura Jo to join him on the deck. This was what he remembered it being like when he’d been a kid. He liked having peoplearound. Being part of a family. Could he ever have that again?
He and Laura Jo ate in silence for a while, but not a comfortable one. Mark worked to come up with a subject they could discuss. Finally, he asked, “So you remembered me from years ago, so why don’t I remember you?”
She grinned. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because the only person you saw was Ann Maria Clark.”
He had the good grace to turn red. “Yeah, we were a hot item back then.”
“That you were. There was no reason you’d see a simple lady-in-waiting.”
His gaze met hers. Something about her tone made him think she might have liked him to notice her. “You were in her court?”
She nodded. “I was.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“Well, it’s true.”
“We were that close all those years ago and it took a skinned knee at a parade for us to get to know each other.”
She fingered the hot dog. “Life can be strange like that.”
“That it can.”
“I thought you two would get married,” Laura Jo said, more as a statement of fact than someone fishing for information.
“That had been the plan but things changed.”
“That happens. Especially where people are concerned.” She sounded as if she was speaking about herself more than him.
It was time to change the subject. “Have you and Jeremy’s mom been friends for a long time?”
“No. We only met a few years ago.”
Well, at least he was getting more than a one-word answer.
“She works at the hospital?”
Laura Jo gave him a speculative look. “Are you interested in her?”
“I’m just trying to make conversation. Maybe learn a little more about you.”
Laura Jo placed her half-eaten hot dog on the plate in front of her. She looked at him from across the table for a second before saying, “We met at a group for mothers without partners. Her husband had died. We became friends, at first because we needed each other, then we found we liked each other.”
“So she was there when you needed someone.” He knew well what it was like to be alone and need someone to talk to. There had been no one when he’d arrived in LA. He had been lonely then and, come to think of it, he’d been lonely in Mobile at least up until the last week.
“Your parents weren’t around?”
“No. Hers had died. Mine…well, that’s another story. That’s why Marsha and I are trying to open a house
Laura Jo disappeared into the house again. A few minutes later she came out and stood beside him. Her head reached his shoulders. Shewas close enough that he smelled a hint of her floral shampoo but not near enough that they touched. He was aware of the fact that all he had to do was take a half step and her body would be next to his.
“You might want to turn those. They look like they’re burning.”
Great. He had been so focussed on her that he wasn’t thinking about what he was doing. “So now you’re going to come out here and start telling me how to cook my hot dogs. Do you like to be bossed?”
She took a step back. Her eyes turned serious. “No. I don’t. I’m sorry.” She moved to leave.
He caught her wrist. “Hey, I was just kidding. They’re just hot dogs.”
Laura Jo pulled her arm out of his grip. “I know. But I need to get us some drinks. I saw the glasses when I was looking for a bowl.” With that she was gone.
This was a woman better left alone. She had more hang-ups than he did and, heaven knew, he had plenty.
Twenty minutes later, Allie and Jeremy were picnicking, as they called it, in front of the TV so they could watch another parade. Mark had persuaded Laura Jo to join him on the deck. This was what he remembered it being like when he’d been a kid. He liked having peoplearound. Being part of a family. Could he ever have that again?
He and Laura Jo ate in silence for a while, but not a comfortable one. Mark worked to come up with a subject they could discuss. Finally, he asked, “So you remembered me from years ago, so why don’t I remember you?”
She grinned. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because the only person you saw was Ann Maria Clark.”
He had the good grace to turn red. “Yeah, we were a hot item back then.”
“That you were. There was no reason you’d see a simple lady-in-waiting.”
His gaze met hers. Something about her tone made him think she might have liked him to notice her. “You were in her court?”
She nodded. “I was.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“Well, it’s true.”
“We were that close all those years ago and it took a skinned knee at a parade for us to get to know each other.”
She fingered the hot dog. “Life can be strange like that.”
“That it can.”
“I thought you two would get married,” Laura Jo said, more as a statement of fact than someone fishing for information.
“That had been the plan but things changed.”
“That happens. Especially where people are concerned.” She sounded as if she was speaking about herself more than him.
It was time to change the subject. “Have you and Jeremy’s mom been friends for a long time?”
“No. We only met a few years ago.”
Well, at least he was getting more than a one-word answer.
“She works at the hospital?”
Laura Jo gave him a speculative look. “Are you interested in her?”
“I’m just trying to make conversation. Maybe learn a little more about you.”
Laura Jo placed her half-eaten hot dog on the plate in front of her. She looked at him from across the table for a second before saying, “We met at a group for mothers without partners. Her husband had died. We became friends, at first because we needed each other, then we found we liked each other.”
“So she was there when you needed someone.” He knew well what it was like to be alone and need someone to talk to. There had been no one when he’d arrived in LA. He had been lonely then and, come to think of it, he’d been lonely in Mobile at least up until the last week.
“Your parents weren’t around?”
“No. Hers had died. Mine…well, that’s another story. That’s why Marsha and I are trying to open a house
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