Brenda Novak - The Other Woman

“And?”

“Angela wanted him to take her on a bike ride, so he showed up two hours late.”

“Sounds to me like he’s dragging his feet.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Maybe he’d rather not see you open this business.”

Liz changed the phone to her other ear. “Why would he care?”

“Didn’t you tell me he wants another chance?” Dave asked.

“That’s what he says.”

“The more independent you are, the less likely you’ll be to give him that chance.”

Liz had never thought of the situation in quite that way. She hadn’t considered Keith’s take on her actions at all. She’d simply wanted to start her own business and stop punching a time card and collecting a small wage from someone else. “The more I make, the more secure Mica and Christopher will be. Which will mean less pressure on Keith to help support them.”

“Doesn’t he need to find a better job, anyway?” Dave asked. “He can’t work at that hardware store indefinitely.”

“He’s looking, and doing some projects on the side. But it isn’t easy to find a software development company that will let him telecommute from Idaho. That’s why he can’t go back to Softscape. They’ve moved their offices from Boise to L.A. and want him to live there. But he won’t move.”

There’s got to be other opportunities in Boise.”

“Even that’s too far to go.”

“Why?”

“I think it’s because he’s afraid he’ll lose his Number One Dad status with Jennifer, Angela and Isabella. The competition he feels toward Isaac has made him even more determined to remain a central figure in their lives.”

“Aren’t divorces fun?” Dave said. “Suddenly parents are competing for their children’s affection and admiration, instead of acting like adults.”

She knew he’d grown up in a broken home. She could tell by the conviction in his words how much he’d hated it. His mother had packed up and moved out of state almost as soon as the divorce was final, and left him with his father. Liz sometimes wondered if he liked older women because he was searching for a mother figure to replace the one he’d lost when he was young. She wanted to ask but was positive it wouldn’t go over very well. “You’re speaking from experience.”

“I am. My father tried to become my best friend, instead of just being my parent. It was pretty damn embarrassing to see him dressing like a kid my own age.”

“It’s tough to keep what’s really important in mind when you’re reeling emotionally,” she said, trying to be fair.

“I know. That’s why I admire you.”

Liz wasn’t sure how to respond. She didn’t expect any praise for trying to hold up her end, but the compliment felt good. “Thanks,” she said softly.

“What do you need in order to finish the store?” he asked.

“Someone who knows what he’s doing,” she replied with a laugh. “And a few more hours in each day. I’ve been checking out chocolate suppliers, experimenting with ideas, buying the pots and equipment I need, and getting the proper licenses. I haven’t had enough time to focus on the actual improvements. Now I know it won’t happen unless I push a little harder.”

“I wish I was there to help you.”

“Do you know much about carpentry?”

“No. But I’m good at other things.”

“Like…”

His voice turned as thick as honey. “Rubbing the tension from your shoulders.”

Liz covered her eyes and imagined him bending toward her, brushing his lips softly across hers.

Pushing herself upright, she redirected her thoughts. It was that kind of reverie that made her realize she had no business remaining in contact with Dave.

“You won’t even miss me as soon as you get another woman out on the court who has a better pair of legs,” she said.

“Are you kidding?” he replied. “There is no one with a better pair of legs.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls.”

There was a slight pause.

“Dave?”

“What?”

She could tell by his tone that she’d upset him and regretted going so far. “I was only joking.”

“Very funny. You say stuff like that almost every time we talk.”

It was true. She supposed she was trying to remind herself of the risks involved in letting this relationship grow. “I’m sorry. Maybe if you were older, I could take you more seriously.”

“Here we go again.”

Liz rubbed her left temple. “It’s just—”

“Who cares about the difference in our ages?” he interrupted. “It’s only seven years. If I was older than you, no one would think twice about it.”

Liz turned off the lamp overhead. She preferred to sit in the dark when talking to Dave. “It’s not only that,” she said. “It’s the fact that I have two children.”

“So? I’m good with kids. Do I have to be thirty before you’ll introduce me?”

“Of course not. If we lived closer, you could meet Mica and Chris.” She wasn’t sure that was really the case. Setting herself up for disappointment was one thing; doing it to her children was another. But she didn’t want to argue.

“I bet if I was there, I could make you forget about the age difference.”

“No, you couldn’t.”

“I proved you wrong once. Should I come for a visit? See if I can do it again?”

Liz blinked in surprise. They often talked about their trip to Vegas and the possibility of another meeting. He’d been pressuring her to return to L.A. for a few days. But even though Dave had a cousin in Boise, this was the first time he’d ever mentioned venturing into her world.

She guessed that would be a little too much reality for both of them.

Knowing if she could just put him off now they’d probably never address the issue again, she said, “It’d be better to come in the winter when you’re not so busy at the club, wouldn’t it?”

“Winter is pretty far away.”

“Mommy?”

Liz spun around as if she’d just been caught doing something wrong. Christopher was standing in the doorway, rubbing his eyes. “What’s the matter, honey?”

“I can’t sleep,” he complained. “Will you lie down with me?”

Liz bit her lip. She wasn’t ready to end the conversation. But as she looked at her son’s sleepy face and thought of how quickly he was growing up, she knew what she needed to do. “I’ve gotta go,” she said into the receiver.

“Call me later?” Dave asked.

“Tomorrow,” she said and hung up.

CARTER HUDSON WAITED impatiently beneath the old-fashioned sign that identified Liz’s new store as a chocolaterie. He’d never heard of a chocolaterie, but she was the one who had to worry about making this business a success. His only problem was that he had to spend a whole day with her, which wasn’t going to be easy because she reminded him so much of Laurel.

He remembered the feel of Liz’s slim fingers, the flutter of the pulse at her wrist. When he’d touched her hand at the restaurant, he’d wanted to close his eyes, block out the restaurant and everyone else in it, and simply count the steady beat of her heart. How he craved just one more moment with Laurel, the chance to say goodbye…

He’d been too aggressive with Liz. But he didn’t care. The whole encounter had been illogical. Besides, he wasn’t planning on getting to know her in any meaningful way, so it didn’t matter. Which was good, because they weren’t off to a better start this morning. After dragging him out of bed at the crack of dawn, she was late. The only shops open this early were those that catered to the ranchers—the diner, the feed store, the hardware store and the old-fashioned doughnut shop.

Wishing he’d stopped for a cup of coffee, Carter wandered over to Belinda’s Bagels two doors down, then frowned at the sign in the window. The place didn’t open until eight. Evidently bagels, at least in Dundee, were a tourist item, and tourists typically didn’t venture into town until later in the morning.