his gaze darting to the newspaper on the table.
Mimi’s stomach did a flip-flop. “You obviously saw the picture.”
He chewed thoughtfully. “You know, I never put the two of you together, but I can see it now. Seth’s a fine man.”
“What?”
“Sure.” His dark eyes rested on her. “Seth’s a fine man. I always liked him when he was dating Hannah.”
Mimi winced.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring that up, but I wondered if you’d had a thing for him while they were dating.”
Mimi’s cup clattered on the saucer. “Of course not.”
Wiley shrugged. “Doesn’t matter now, sweetheart. Hannah’s happily married. And I wanted you to know I approve.”
“You approve?”
“Of course. You’re a special girl, Mimi. Seth Broadhurst would be a lucky man to have a woman like you in his life. You can teach him how to relax.” Mimi swallowed.
“Dad, Seth and I are not together. We … uh, we simply got stranded together on the way back from Hannah’s wedding. The snowstorm and all, the roads were shut down—we had to stop and stay over.”
Wiley’s eyes narrowed. “You mean the two of you didn’t…” He waved his fork in a vague gesture.
Mimi crossed her fingers beneath the table. She hated to lie to her dad, but how could she confess the truth? “No, Dad, of course not. Seth’s a nice guy, and we danced and made the best of a rotten situation, but he’s not my type.” She faked a laugh for emphasis. “You know me, I want someone exciting. Not some boring, stodgy man in a suit who’s glued to his pocket calendar. Why, he’s not even that attractive.”
“Then there was nothing between you. I mean, in the picture, it looked as if—”
“No way, Dad. Seth Broadhurst doesn’t float my boat.”
Her father cleared his throat, and Mimi turned and saw Seth standing behind her. He looked so handsome in his suit with snowflakes lingering in his hair that he nearly took her breath away.
But he wasn’t smiling, she realized in horror. And from the hurt look on his face, he’d obviously overheard every word she’d said.
----
Chapter 7
« ^ »
S eth put on his detached, unemotional face, the one he normally reserved for his patients, in a feeble attempt to pretend he hadn’t overheard Mimi chop his self-esteem into tiny slivers like minced almonds.
Too late.
He saw the stunned look of regret that instantly clouded her bright blue eyes. “Seth, I’m—”
“It’s nice to see you again, Mimi, Mr. Hartwell.” Seth forced his gaze on Mimi’s father, uncomfortable with the way Wiley squirmed and jumped up to pump his hand.
“Good to see you, too, Seth. Wish I could stay, but I gotta run. Business has been booming lately.”
Mimi yanked at her father’s arm. “Dad, don’t…”
“Mr. Hartwell, please…”
Before either could finish, Wiley pecked Mimi on the cheek and bustled out, his white shoes clicking on the shiny black and white tiles of the coffee shop. Mimi stood, her hands clasped, her eyes wide and luminous. “Seth, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“You don’t have to explain. I think you made yourself perfectly clear.”
Mimi sighed. “You don’t understand. Dad saw that picture in the newspaper and—”
“So did my parents.” And he had defended her.
“Well, Alison saw it, too, and Dad got the wrong idea and thought we’d—” Mimi paused and lowered her voice to a whisper “—you know … slept together.”
“We did sleep together.”
“I know!” Mimi threw up her hands in exasperation. “But he really misinterpreted things and thought we were serious, as in a couple. Can you imagine that?”
No, he couldn’t, could he?
“He’s just so old-fashioned,” she continued without waiting for his reply.
Maybe he was old-fashioned, too, Seth thought. Boring and old-fashioned.
“Before I could him tell how ridiculous the idea of us together was, he told me how great we’d be together—”
“Wiley said we’d be great
Mimi’s stomach did a flip-flop. “You obviously saw the picture.”
He chewed thoughtfully. “You know, I never put the two of you together, but I can see it now. Seth’s a fine man.”
“What?”
“Sure.” His dark eyes rested on her. “Seth’s a fine man. I always liked him when he was dating Hannah.”
Mimi winced.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring that up, but I wondered if you’d had a thing for him while they were dating.”
Mimi’s cup clattered on the saucer. “Of course not.”
Wiley shrugged. “Doesn’t matter now, sweetheart. Hannah’s happily married. And I wanted you to know I approve.”
“You approve?”
“Of course. You’re a special girl, Mimi. Seth Broadhurst would be a lucky man to have a woman like you in his life. You can teach him how to relax.” Mimi swallowed.
“Dad, Seth and I are not together. We … uh, we simply got stranded together on the way back from Hannah’s wedding. The snowstorm and all, the roads were shut down—we had to stop and stay over.”
Wiley’s eyes narrowed. “You mean the two of you didn’t…” He waved his fork in a vague gesture.
Mimi crossed her fingers beneath the table. She hated to lie to her dad, but how could she confess the truth? “No, Dad, of course not. Seth’s a nice guy, and we danced and made the best of a rotten situation, but he’s not my type.” She faked a laugh for emphasis. “You know me, I want someone exciting. Not some boring, stodgy man in a suit who’s glued to his pocket calendar. Why, he’s not even that attractive.”
“Then there was nothing between you. I mean, in the picture, it looked as if—”
“No way, Dad. Seth Broadhurst doesn’t float my boat.”
Her father cleared his throat, and Mimi turned and saw Seth standing behind her. He looked so handsome in his suit with snowflakes lingering in his hair that he nearly took her breath away.
But he wasn’t smiling, she realized in horror. And from the hurt look on his face, he’d obviously overheard every word she’d said.
----
Chapter 7
« ^ »
S eth put on his detached, unemotional face, the one he normally reserved for his patients, in a feeble attempt to pretend he hadn’t overheard Mimi chop his self-esteem into tiny slivers like minced almonds.
Too late.
He saw the stunned look of regret that instantly clouded her bright blue eyes. “Seth, I’m—”
“It’s nice to see you again, Mimi, Mr. Hartwell.” Seth forced his gaze on Mimi’s father, uncomfortable with the way Wiley squirmed and jumped up to pump his hand.
“Good to see you, too, Seth. Wish I could stay, but I gotta run. Business has been booming lately.”
Mimi yanked at her father’s arm. “Dad, don’t…”
“Mr. Hartwell, please…”
Before either could finish, Wiley pecked Mimi on the cheek and bustled out, his white shoes clicking on the shiny black and white tiles of the coffee shop. Mimi stood, her hands clasped, her eyes wide and luminous. “Seth, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“You don’t have to explain. I think you made yourself perfectly clear.”
Mimi sighed. “You don’t understand. Dad saw that picture in the newspaper and—”
“So did my parents.” And he had defended her.
“Well, Alison saw it, too, and Dad got the wrong idea and thought we’d—” Mimi paused and lowered her voice to a whisper “—you know … slept together.”
“We did sleep together.”
“I know!” Mimi threw up her hands in exasperation. “But he really misinterpreted things and thought we were serious, as in a couple. Can you imagine that?”
No, he couldn’t, could he?
“He’s just so old-fashioned,” she continued without waiting for his reply.
Maybe he was old-fashioned, too, Seth thought. Boring and old-fashioned.
“Before I could him tell how ridiculous the idea of us together was, he told me how great we’d be together—”
“Wiley said we’d be great
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