Because right here, right now, with the incredible energy surging between them, July knew if she had it to do all over again, she wouldn’t hesitate. The way Dr. David Wahl made her feel defied logic.
That’s exactly why staying away from him was simply not an option.
Chapter Ten
At six-thirty the doorbell rang. Mary Karen dropped her piece of pizza and hurried to the front door.
July sat back in her chair. She carefully wiped her lips with a paper napkin, feeling full and very content.
“Don’t tell me you’re only going to eat one piece,” David teased. “We have another whole pizza that hasn’t been touched.”
“I don’t know what to tell you other than pizza for breakfast can be quite tasty.” July wondered if it was wrong to feel so relaxed. Though earlier in the week she’d had concerns about spending more time with David, dinner had been fun.
Travis had regaled them with high school pranks he and David had pulled. Mary Karen had chimed in with some memories of her own. July had been content to simply listen.
Voices sounded in the foyer. July had barely turned in her seat when Kayla and her husband John, with baby Emma in his arms, strolled into the room.
“I’m sorry,” Kayla said with an apologetic smile. “I told John tonight is a woman’s event.”
“I’m not staying,” John said. “But I saw David and Trav’s vehicles out front and thought I’d say hello.”
“Stay and have pizza,” David urged. “We’ve got plenty.”
John hesitated but Mary Karen was already pushing him toward a chair. “Sit down.”
Mary Karen had barely brought out extra plates when Lexi arrived with Addie in tow. She, too, was easily persuaded to enjoy some pizza.
July sipped her cola and marveled at how different this was from the parties her mother used to throw. Those events had always had an abundance of alcohol and drugs and kinky sex. When she knew about them ahead of time, she’d crash at a friend’s house. For the impromptu parties, she locked and barricaded her bedroom door.#p#分页标题#e#
There had never been parties like this…unless she counted the time she’d spent with the Kozac family. The older couple—at the time they must have been in their early fifties—hosted card parties the first Saturday of the month. The atmosphere at those events had been much like this—warm and inviting.
July resisted the urge to sigh. What would it have been like to grow up in such surroundings? To have that security? To be embraced by family and friends?
After downing a third piece of pizza, John glanced at his watch. “Looks like it’s time for Emma and me to hit the road.”
The patter of rain, which had began shortly after Lexi’s arrival, now beat against the roof.
“We should go, too,” David said, making no move to get up.
July didn’t blame him for being in no hurry. But she also knew Mary Karen wouldn’t allow a mere cloudburst to impact the first meeting of her book club.
“You guys can stay if you want,” Mary Karen said. “I thought we’d meet in the kitchen, which means you can have the living room. We’ve got lots of DVDs. Perhaps Addie, since she’s the oldest, could choose the movie.”
Addie’s pretty hazel eyes lit up. “Could I, Mommy?”
Lexi hesitated. “I know you guys didn’t plan on watching my daughter—”
“What’s one more?” David smiled. “In fact, we can take Adam, too. That way you ladies can talk uninterrupted.”
July was about to politely turn down the offer when she saw Lexi’s face. If she refused to let David watch Adam, Lexi wouldn’t allow him to watch Addie, either.
“Sure.” July rose and handed her son over to David. “Uh, thank you.”
David shot her a wink. “Uh, you’re welcome.”
“We’ll clean up in here.” Travis put a hand on Mary Karen’s arm. “You get ready for your book club.”
July glanced at David, rounding up the children, Adam asleep against his chest.
Yesterday or even earlier today, she’d have found the scene troubling, but tonight, for whatever reason, it felt…right.
David turned back for a second and their eyes locked.
“I’ll take good care of him,” he mouthed.
July smiled. Of that she had no doubt.
“That went quicker than I thought,” Mary Karen said as the last man left the kitchen and the four women took their places at the table.
“This arrangement works out great for me,” Kayla said. “Because of Emma’s cardiac problems, I know John will feel more comfortable with me in the next room.”