than she’d intended.
“Hi. Sorry I’m late, I got held up at the office. You look great,” Jay said appreciatively. He wore a lightweight summer suit that stretched elegantly across his broad shoulders, and tailored slacks covering long legs. She’d seen him in dress clothes before, at Cat’s wedding. If possible, he looked even better now than he had then. Perhaps it was the added maturity that five years had given him. There was nothing boyish about Jay now. No, nothing boyish at all.
Realizing she’d been all but drooling, Gail stepped aside, motioning him to come in. “Thanks. And you’re not late. The girls haven’t left yet. Let me introduce you to their father.”
She made the introductions. Roxy and Mel came in as the two men shook hands. Jay turned to them and smiled. “Hi, Roxy. Hi, Mel. How’s it going?”
Mel ran to him, bombarding him with questions about the puppies. He laughed. “Yes, they’re still digging holes,” he said in answer to one of her questions. “I’m not sure when I’ll be able to break them of that.”
Roxy, standing beside her father, broke into the conversation. “Mommy, are you sure you can’t come with us? Please?”
Gail’s gaze met her ex-husband’s. He shrugged, apparently as perplexed as Gail. “Your mom already said no, Rox. Come on, let’s go.”
Roxy looked at Jay, a clear challenge in her eye. “Daddy’s taking us for pizza. And a movie,” she added, her manner implying that whatever Jay’s plans were, they ran a clear second to her father’s.
Jay’s lips twitched but he spoke to her solemnly. “That sounds like fun. Have a good time.”
“We will. We always have fun with Daddy.” She glanced at her father, then back to Jay. “Mommy would have lots more fun with us than with you. Except she already told you she’d go with you.”
“Roxy, that’s enough,” Gail said, wanting to sink into the floor with embarrassment. Thank God, Jay looked more amused than offended.
“Roxy’s being a poop-head,” Mel confided in Jay.
“Am not!” Roxy said, starting toward her sister.
“Are too!”
Gail broke in before they could erupt into full battle. “Stop it, girls. Give me a kiss and go get in the car.”
She opened the door for them and kissed each in turn. Barry said goodbye to Jay, then paused on his way out, putting his hand on her arm. “A little young for you, isn’t he?” he murmured. “Have fun.”
“Don’t worry, I plan to,” she said, giving him her brightest smile instead of shoving him out the door as she wanted to do.
After Barry left, she breathed a sigh of relief. That had been a lot more uncomfortable than she’d imagined it would be. She wasn’t sure whether to apologize for Roxy or ignore the whole thing.
“That was interesting,” Jay said. “I seem to have graduated to the top of Roxy’s shit list. Any idea why?”
Gail started to deny it, then shrugged. “No, but I don’t intend to worry about it. Whatever it is, it will blow over.”
But she knew exactly why. Roxy wanted her parents to get back together. She couldn’t have made it clearer if she’d held up a neon sign, and Gail didn’t doubt Jay knew it as well. Obviously, Gail was going to have to have a talk with her eldest daughter. Tonight, though, it was out of her hands.
“Let me get my purse and we can go.”
“Did I mention you look fantastic?”
Her lips curved upward. “Thanks. I think you said great earlier.”
“Yeah. That too.” His gaze caressed her like a warm breeze. He looked at her as if he wanted to start at the top and lick his way down her body.
Heat climbed into her cheeks at the image that brought to mind. But she had a plan, and she intended to follow it.
“Are you sure you want to go to this party?” Jay asked. “I can think of a lot of—” his gaze lingeredon her mouth, dropped to her decolletage, then slid back up to her eyes “—intriguing things we could do.”
Gail laughed. “I’ll bet. But my
“Hi. Sorry I’m late, I got held up at the office. You look great,” Jay said appreciatively. He wore a lightweight summer suit that stretched elegantly across his broad shoulders, and tailored slacks covering long legs. She’d seen him in dress clothes before, at Cat’s wedding. If possible, he looked even better now than he had then. Perhaps it was the added maturity that five years had given him. There was nothing boyish about Jay now. No, nothing boyish at all.
Realizing she’d been all but drooling, Gail stepped aside, motioning him to come in. “Thanks. And you’re not late. The girls haven’t left yet. Let me introduce you to their father.”
She made the introductions. Roxy and Mel came in as the two men shook hands. Jay turned to them and smiled. “Hi, Roxy. Hi, Mel. How’s it going?”
Mel ran to him, bombarding him with questions about the puppies. He laughed. “Yes, they’re still digging holes,” he said in answer to one of her questions. “I’m not sure when I’ll be able to break them of that.”
Roxy, standing beside her father, broke into the conversation. “Mommy, are you sure you can’t come with us? Please?”
Gail’s gaze met her ex-husband’s. He shrugged, apparently as perplexed as Gail. “Your mom already said no, Rox. Come on, let’s go.”
Roxy looked at Jay, a clear challenge in her eye. “Daddy’s taking us for pizza. And a movie,” she added, her manner implying that whatever Jay’s plans were, they ran a clear second to her father’s.
Jay’s lips twitched but he spoke to her solemnly. “That sounds like fun. Have a good time.”
“We will. We always have fun with Daddy.” She glanced at her father, then back to Jay. “Mommy would have lots more fun with us than with you. Except she already told you she’d go with you.”
“Roxy, that’s enough,” Gail said, wanting to sink into the floor with embarrassment. Thank God, Jay looked more amused than offended.
“Roxy’s being a poop-head,” Mel confided in Jay.
“Am not!” Roxy said, starting toward her sister.
“Are too!”
Gail broke in before they could erupt into full battle. “Stop it, girls. Give me a kiss and go get in the car.”
She opened the door for them and kissed each in turn. Barry said goodbye to Jay, then paused on his way out, putting his hand on her arm. “A little young for you, isn’t he?” he murmured. “Have fun.”
“Don’t worry, I plan to,” she said, giving him her brightest smile instead of shoving him out the door as she wanted to do.
After Barry left, she breathed a sigh of relief. That had been a lot more uncomfortable than she’d imagined it would be. She wasn’t sure whether to apologize for Roxy or ignore the whole thing.
“That was interesting,” Jay said. “I seem to have graduated to the top of Roxy’s shit list. Any idea why?”
Gail started to deny it, then shrugged. “No, but I don’t intend to worry about it. Whatever it is, it will blow over.”
But she knew exactly why. Roxy wanted her parents to get back together. She couldn’t have made it clearer if she’d held up a neon sign, and Gail didn’t doubt Jay knew it as well. Obviously, Gail was going to have to have a talk with her eldest daughter. Tonight, though, it was out of her hands.
“Let me get my purse and we can go.”
“Did I mention you look fantastic?”
Her lips curved upward. “Thanks. I think you said great earlier.”
“Yeah. That too.” His gaze caressed her like a warm breeze. He looked at her as if he wanted to start at the top and lick his way down her body.
Heat climbed into her cheeks at the image that brought to mind. But she had a plan, and she intended to follow it.
“Are you sure you want to go to this party?” Jay asked. “I can think of a lot of—” his gaze lingeredon her mouth, dropped to her decolletage, then slid back up to her eyes “—intriguing things we could do.”
Gail laughed. “I’ll bet. But my
Similar Books
