Good with His Hands(20)

"Oh, believe it. Although, calling them 'bumps' is kinder than I  deserve." Ross grimaced, putting his arm around Natalie's shoulders.  "Thank God my wife is a forgiving woman."

She snuggled against him. "You were worth forgiving. Besides, what  choice did I have? My only other option was being without you."

The words reverberated through Dani. Even without turning her head, she  could feel Sean's gaze on her, his silent entreaty. He wanted her to  forgive him. And, frankly, it was tempting. Sean was the most  exhilarating man she'd ever known.

But what was the saying? Fool me once, shame on you... Did she want to  risk setting herself up to be made a fool of again? In Dani's opinion,  the key part of Natalie's story wasn't that she'd forgiven her husband.  It was her certainty that he'd been worth it.

Dani was nowhere near the neighborhood of certainty. That neighborhood  hadn't even been zoned for development yet. Was Sean worth  second-guessing herself, going back on what she felt was a wise  decision? There was one absolute way to know for sure, but she didn't  think she could face the consequences of being wrong.

* * *

AFTER WORK FRIDAY, Dani attended an orientation meeting for all the  volunteers in the softball league, then grabbed a late dinner with a few  of the other coaches. It was almost ten when she got home, and it had  been a fairly eventful week. She took a quick shower, planning to curl  up with a good book afterward. She deserved some downtime.

But once she'd shimmied into a pair of comfortable pajamas and scanned  both her e-reader and bedroom shelf for choices, she realized she felt  too manic to concentrate. Restless and edgy. That would be the sexual  frustration.

She rejected the thought as soon as it crossed her mind. Frustrated,  because of a few paltry moments alone with Sean today? Ha! She'd been  celibate for months and had survived just fine. She was not going to  become a needy hostage to her hormones. For crying out loud, it had only  been a week since she'd had sex.

Really, really great sex.

A knock sounded at her front door. Dani was so tightly strung that she  jumped. Who the hell was showing up unannounced at this hour of the  night? Sean.

The unbidden thought made her go liquid inside. There'd been that  moment today when he'd considered going for broke and kissing her-she'd  seen it in his eyes, heard it in the change of his breathing. If he was  rash enough to do it, did she trust herself not to kiss him back? No.

She was honest enough to admit to herself that, if she opened the door  and let him in, they were going to make love. She just didn't know if  that's what she wanted.

Another knock interrupted her mental debate. Down, girl. It's probably  not even him. One of her neighbors had given Dani a spare key for the  times she'd locked herself out of her apartment, which was four and  counting. Dani went into her living room warily, as if Sean's magnetism  might be too much for her to resist even through metal-reinforced wood.

"Who is it?" she called, not yet close enough to look through the peep-hole.

"It's me." Muffled sniffling came from the other side. "Meg."

Dani unfastened the chain and turned the deadbolt. "You're the last  person I expected to see." She knew from their chats earlier this week  that Meg and Nolan had special plans tonight. It was their six-month  anniversary.

"Sorry I didn't call first," Meg said. "I left the house in such a  hurry I forgot that my phone was on the charger instead of in my purse."

"You know you're always welcome, any time day or night. No advance  notice require." She ushered her inside, getting a clearer look at her  friend. Something was obviously wrong.

Meg wore a slinky green dress and killer gold sandals. At some point,  she'd also been wearing suitably dramatic evening makeup. But mascara  that had no doubt started the evening on her lashes now formed rivulets  over blotchy red cheeks. Meg sniffed, and Dani turned to find her a box  of tissues.                       
       
           



       

"Here."

Meg took the box but hardly seemed to register what it was for. She  clutched it against her, staggering numbly toward the sofa, offering no  clue what was wrong.

Dani took a stab in the dark. "Don't tell me he forgot your anniversary."

"No, he asked me to marry him."

And that warranted sobbing? Dani blinked, trying to connect the dots  between a proposal and her friend's current condition. "Are  these...happy tears?" They sure as hell didn't look like it.

Meg made a loud, honking sound midway between a laugh and a sob.  "Hardly! Before I could even think how to answer him, he was outlining  our future. You know how he's a little older than you and me? Well, it  turns out he's in quite a hurry to become a father."

"And this was the first you'd heard about it?"

"I knew he wanted to be a dad someday. I didn't know he wanted to be  one now. I have nieces and nephews. I love them, but I see how much work  they are. There are a lot of things a childless married couple can do  that they might not have the freedom-or disposable income-for after kids  come along. When I tried telling Nolan that, it was like he  misunderstood, that he just thought I was worried I wouldn't be a good  mom, so he kept reassuring me and trying to get me to see things his  way."

Recalling how Meg had come to her rescue post-Sean with mimosas, Dani  asked, "Do we need liquor for this?" She wasn't sure what she had in the  cabinets, but if it would help her friend, she'd find something.

Meg blew her nose. "Can I just have some ice water? I'm feeling a little dehydrated."

"Coming right up." She filled two glasses and returned to the living  room. "For what it's worth, when you decide you are ready for  children-many moons from now-you will make a fantastic mom."

Her friend had an innately nurturing spirit and optimistic outlook. She  was fun, the kind of mother who would finger-paint with her kids and  laugh at the mess, but she was also a successful businesswoman, smart  and savvy. And unlike Dani, she'd never accidentally swear in front of  young ears.

Meg gave her a watery smile, showing appreciation for the support. "If  Nolan had said anything like that, I might still be there now. His  repeated attempts to bring me around to his way of thinking are what  caused the excrement to really hit the fan. He told me he'd known from  the first time he laid eyes on me that I was made to be a mom, that I  had a generous smile and compassionate eyes. And child-bearing hips."

Dani choked on her water.

"Yeah. I took offense, too, but he assured me it was a compliment, not criticism, that he considers me 'pleasingly plump.'"

"He called you plump? Bastard."

"It was so awful. Here was this guy offering me everything I want, but  he ruined it. He kept saying he loves me, but I'm not sure he  understands me at all. Get this-in the imaginary future he has all  mapped out for us, he assumed I'd quit working at the store to be a  stay-at-home mom. He said that remaining a silent partner would bring  welcome income, but that selling corsets and lace panties isn't a  respectable job for a mother. Tell that to my sister who co-owns the  place and has two kids!"

"I'd pay money to see him tell your sister. Marissa would lay him out flat."

"The more he talked, the clearer it became that I've completely wasted  the past six months. And it's not like I can keep living in his house  now that I've broken up with him. Can I stay here tonight?"

"Of course." The sofa folded out into a bed. "Not the poshest of  accommodations, but mi crappy apartment es su crappy apartment.  Seriously, stay as long as you need." As a real-estate agent, she knew  there were dozens of factors that played into choosing a living  arrangement. Desperation shouldn't be one of them. There was no need for  Meg to go from one rash housing situation to another. "For now, all we  have to do is address getting your stuff out of Nolan's place and into  temporary storage. The rest, we'll figure out with time."

Meg's face crumpled. "You were right all along. I never should have  moved in with him so soon. Then I wouldn't be in this mess."

"Don't beat yourself up." Dani squeezed her shoulder. "It doesn't  matter what I thought. You were brave enough to take a chance. I've been  thinking a lot about chances." Second chances, missed chances. "They  offer rewards and pose risks. How are we supposed to know which risks  are worth it if we never take them?"                       
       
           



       

"Thank you." Meg leaned her head back, staring forlornly at the ceiling. "But for the record? I wish I hadn't taken it."