The petite brunette turned around and rolled her eyes. “Got two at home puking up their guts with the flu. Then my mom was late to sit with them. I was just trying to decide what’s worse, science fairs or visits to the gynecologist. At least at the gyno, I can lie down for a bit and get some rest.”
Lori loved her friend’s sense of humor. “Did you see Asher’s display? I don’t think I could have come up with that, much less Emily.”
Shanan laughed. “Asher got his father’s smarts, but really? I told Deek he’s making us all look bad. He actually made the cupcakes for the winter party from scratch. Who does that anymore?”
“I know, right?” Lori’s cupcakes had been sort of homemade, though. Her friend Jo had made them. Jo’s café was still under construction from a fire, so she’d offered to help Lori out. “But Deek is sweet to the kids, so I guess I’ll give him a pass. Has he ever asked you out?”
“No.” Shanan finished signing her daughter up and then stepped to the side. “He’s so damned cute, I asked him out, but he said he’s tired of pointless dating. Maybe he just wasn’t interested in me, but in case you’re interested in him, he’s off the market. He’s going to try to work things out with Asher’s mom. She’s some archeologist who never comes home. She uses the computer screen to visit with Asher now and then, I guess.”
How sad is that?
Lori stepped forward and greeted the volunteer, then got busy signing up Em. “I’m on Deek’s team. I’m not interested in dating right now either.” She wasn’t ready to move on from her husband.
That, and learn to trust again. Having a father and a husband who cheated made it hard to think about putting her heart out there again. She’d found out Joe had cheated on her—with her former best friend—right before he’d been deployed, so they’d never worked their feelings out fully. Then he was killed, so they never would.
Never was a long time.
“It’s been two years, Lori. You could be like me and just date for fun. It doesn’t have to be a long-term thing that messes with your heart.” Shanan studied the number card in her hand. “Do you think 666 is a bad sign?”
Lori laughed. “It’s just a number. But speaking of numbers, when are you going to start letting me give your number out to some of the nice guys I have all picked out for you? Those men you’re dating are just using you for sex.”
“You’ve got it backward. I’m using them. I’m basically going to act like a player until I get it out of my system, then we’ll talk. But you’re not wired like me, so it’s time to use your matchmaker skills on yourself and get back out there. We’re not getting any younger, you know.”
“True.” Lori sighed. Thirty-three wasn’t that old. Was it? “I’ll think about it. But back to you and Deek. Maybe things won’t work out with his ex, and you’ll finally be ready to settle down by then, so it could be a win-win. Don’t rule him out. Friends fall in love all the time.”
Shanan shook her head. “Deek probably just isn’t attracted to short, big-boobed, brown-haired women with three kids, but was too nice to say so.”
“You’re a doll. So I know that’s not it. And it’s been almost two years for you too. It’d be the ultimate revenge on your cheating ex to be in a happy relationship.”
Lori felt a little hypocritical saying that when she wasn’t moving on, but she believed in the truth of her words…for everyone else. She had bad choices in men running in her gene pool. Look at her poor mom. She’d picked the wrong guy too.
“I suppose.” Shanan shrugged. “But for now, I’m happy to just look at Deek when we volunteer together. The dreams later that night aren’t too shabby either. See you after for yucky punch and stale cookies?”
“Can’t wait.” Lori made her way back to Em with her number in hand, dreading the judging that was about to come. Pizza at their favorite place for a consolation dinner probably loomed in their near future.
When she got back to the table, Deek was busy using a glue stick and fixing up the poster board for Emily’s project. The rules said parents shouldn’t help, but Deek wasn’t Em’s parent. After he had finished his magic, everything looked tidy and neat and not nearly as sad as when they’d first come in.
“Thanks, Deek.” Now that she knew he was safe and not going to ask her out, she wanted to repay him for his kindness. “Would you and Asher like to grab some dinner at Papa G’s with us after?”