in the first place. With his light brown hair, hazel eyes, and lean, fit body, he was a very good-looking man. And Barry could be very charming when he wanted to be.
He looked up just then and saw her. His eyes widened and he smiled. “Looking good tonight, Gail. Hot date?”
“As a matter of fact, yes,” she said, pleased when the smile turned to a frown.
“Mommy.” Roxy tugged insistently on her skirt. “Daddy said you could come with us tonight. We’re going to eat pizza and then Daddy said he’d take us to a movie.”
Gail ruffled Roxy’s hair. “Thanks sweetie, but I have a date.” She’d told the girls about it, seeing no reason to keep them in the dark. Especially not if she intended to keep seeing Jay for a while.
“You can come on a date with us. Can’t she, Daddy?” she persisted. “You don’t need to go out with Jay. Daddy can be your date.”
Mel picked that moment to interrupt with a chant of “Mommy’s got a da-ate,” repeating it until Roxy pulled her hair. Mel started to cry, but her tears dried magically when Barry promised her ice cream on the way home from the movie.
“Sounds like your mom’s busy, Rox,” Barry said, with a smile for Gail. “Maybe next time. Why don’t you two go get your bags. We need to get moving if we’re going to catch the movie.”
Still looking mutinous, Roxy left the room with her younger sister in tow. Disturbed, Gail stared after them. She didn’t date often but it wasn’t as if she never went out. What had gotten into Roxy?
“Who’s the lucky guy?” Barry asked, taking a seat on the sofa. “Anyone I know?”
Knowing her girls and how long they took to gather their things, she sat in a chair to wait for them. “I doubt it. Jay Kincaid.”
“Kincaid? Any relation to your brother-in-law?”
She nodded. “His brother. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Whoa, a little defensive, aren’t you?”
He was right. Roxy’s reaction must have bothered her more than she realized. But she wouldn’t let onto Barry. “I don’t happen to like my ex-husband grilling me.”
Barry lifted his hands, palms up, then leaned closer to her. “Roxy’s right, you know,” he said, his voice dropping to an intimate tone. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
Confused, Gail stared at him. “What wouldn’t be a bad idea?”
“You and me. Dating.” He smiled at her, leaned even closer and skimmed his hand down her bare arm. “In fact, I think it’s a great idea.”
Dumbfounded, Gail couldn’t speak for a moment. She jumped up, away from that caressing hand. “Well, think again. It’s not going to happen. Not ever.”
“Why not?”
He was smiling indulgently, as if he knew she’d fall into his hands like the proverbial ripe plum. And the pitiful thing was, she’d done it once. She’d taken one look at that handsome face and fallen for him head over heels. But she’d been young then, and stupid. And what about those years of marriage you endured when you suspected he didn’t love you anymore? You weren’t so young then, were you?
No, she hadn’t been young, but she’d felt trapped all the same. She’d wanted the marriage to work, for the children’s sake. It still galled her that Barry had been the one to leave, and not her. She brushed aside those thoughts, as she brushed aside their past.
“We’re divorced, remember?”
“So? Lots of people who are divorced date.”
She parked her hands on her hips and gave him a good, long stare. “You’re crazy. I wouldn’t date you if you were the last man on earth.”
His assurance finally cracked and he frowned. “How long are you going to punish me for one lousy mistake?”
“It wasn’t one mistake. It was a series of them, and the last was the mother of all mistakes,” she said.
Thank God, the doorbell rang. “This conversation is over. And in case you decide to bring it up again, don’t.” She turned her back and stalked to the door, yanking it open more forcefully
He looked up just then and saw her. His eyes widened and he smiled. “Looking good tonight, Gail. Hot date?”
“As a matter of fact, yes,” she said, pleased when the smile turned to a frown.
“Mommy.” Roxy tugged insistently on her skirt. “Daddy said you could come with us tonight. We’re going to eat pizza and then Daddy said he’d take us to a movie.”
Gail ruffled Roxy’s hair. “Thanks sweetie, but I have a date.” She’d told the girls about it, seeing no reason to keep them in the dark. Especially not if she intended to keep seeing Jay for a while.
“You can come on a date with us. Can’t she, Daddy?” she persisted. “You don’t need to go out with Jay. Daddy can be your date.”
Mel picked that moment to interrupt with a chant of “Mommy’s got a da-ate,” repeating it until Roxy pulled her hair. Mel started to cry, but her tears dried magically when Barry promised her ice cream on the way home from the movie.
“Sounds like your mom’s busy, Rox,” Barry said, with a smile for Gail. “Maybe next time. Why don’t you two go get your bags. We need to get moving if we’re going to catch the movie.”
Still looking mutinous, Roxy left the room with her younger sister in tow. Disturbed, Gail stared after them. She didn’t date often but it wasn’t as if she never went out. What had gotten into Roxy?
“Who’s the lucky guy?” Barry asked, taking a seat on the sofa. “Anyone I know?”
Knowing her girls and how long they took to gather their things, she sat in a chair to wait for them. “I doubt it. Jay Kincaid.”
“Kincaid? Any relation to your brother-in-law?”
She nodded. “His brother. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Whoa, a little defensive, aren’t you?”
He was right. Roxy’s reaction must have bothered her more than she realized. But she wouldn’t let onto Barry. “I don’t happen to like my ex-husband grilling me.”
Barry lifted his hands, palms up, then leaned closer to her. “Roxy’s right, you know,” he said, his voice dropping to an intimate tone. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
Confused, Gail stared at him. “What wouldn’t be a bad idea?”
“You and me. Dating.” He smiled at her, leaned even closer and skimmed his hand down her bare arm. “In fact, I think it’s a great idea.”
Dumbfounded, Gail couldn’t speak for a moment. She jumped up, away from that caressing hand. “Well, think again. It’s not going to happen. Not ever.”
“Why not?”
He was smiling indulgently, as if he knew she’d fall into his hands like the proverbial ripe plum. And the pitiful thing was, she’d done it once. She’d taken one look at that handsome face and fallen for him head over heels. But she’d been young then, and stupid. And what about those years of marriage you endured when you suspected he didn’t love you anymore? You weren’t so young then, were you?
No, she hadn’t been young, but she’d felt trapped all the same. She’d wanted the marriage to work, for the children’s sake. It still galled her that Barry had been the one to leave, and not her. She brushed aside those thoughts, as she brushed aside their past.
“We’re divorced, remember?”
“So? Lots of people who are divorced date.”
She parked her hands on her hips and gave him a good, long stare. “You’re crazy. I wouldn’t date you if you were the last man on earth.”
His assurance finally cracked and he frowned. “How long are you going to punish me for one lousy mistake?”
“It wasn’t one mistake. It was a series of them, and the last was the mother of all mistakes,” she said.
Thank God, the doorbell rang. “This conversation is over. And in case you decide to bring it up again, don’t.” She turned her back and stalked to the door, yanking it open more forcefully
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