“You must be pretty special to him. I can only imagine how busy he must be.”
“It’s not like that,” I said, not wanting to lead her to believe we were a couple. “I’m going to be helping out at his shop to pay for it. But Uncle Charlie can’t know anything about it. I want it to be a surprise. If he asks, I’m going to tell him we had the car moved to the underground lot to make more room in the visitor’s lot, okay?”
She shrugged. “Sure. But won’t this restoration cost a lot of money? I’ve watched a few of those shows with Charlie, and it seems those restorations cost a small fortune. You’ll be working for this young man for a long time to repay your debt.”
I thought of Seb’s refusal to charge me for labor and smiled. He really was a great guy.
“What?” Mrs. Ryan asked. “Why are you smiling? There’s something you aren’t telling me. Is there something between you and Mr. Steele?”
Trying to keep the details from her was pointless, so I said, “I met him a few days ago. I went to the shop to ask him if he would consider working on Uncle Charlie’s car, and last night I made dinner for him to thank him.”
“And tonight you’re having dinner with him again?” she asked, her lips curling.
“ We’re having dinner with him,” I corrected. “You will come, won’t you?”
“Are you kidding?” She laughed. “I wouldn’t miss it. With the way you blush every time you mention this man’s name, I need to know whether he’s as smitten as you are.”
I covered the opening in my chambray shirt when I realized the heat was moving down my neck. “It’s not like that.”
“It’s exactly like that, and don’t you try to deny it.” She winked at me. “I may be a lot older than you, missy, but I haven’t forgotten what it’s like to get those butterflies in your tummy when you see your man.”
Seb wasn’t my man, and I wasn’t sure I wanted him to be. “He’s sworn off women. I don’t know why, but I get the feeling he was burned pretty badly.”
“He’ll tell you all about it when the time is right.”
I nodded, thinking about how much we’d opened up to each other last night. If that pattern continued, within a couple of weeks, I’d know Seb better than any other man I’d dated. “The timing sucks, meeting someone I’m interested in now. My focus should be on Uncle Charlie, not—”
“Nonsense.” Mrs. Ryan gave me a look that dared me to contradict her. “A distraction is exactly what you need right now. It’s not healthy for a vibrant young woman like you to be so fixated on doctors and medication, disease and death.”
I shuddered at the mention of death. That was the last thing I wanted to think about today, when I was feeling more alive and excited than I had in a long time. I checked my watch. “I should go. I have to meet a friend for coffee.”
“This friend wouldn’t happen to be—”
“It’s not Seb,” I said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “Actually, he was one of the first responders when you called for help the other day. He’s a police officer.”
“Two men?” She grinned. “My, my, aren’t we a lucky lady?”
“It’s not like that,” I said, rolling my eyes at her teasing. “I told him I’m only interested in being friends. I figure it can’t hurt me to get out a little more.”
“Amen to that,” Mrs. Ryan said, walking me to the door. “Do you want to take my van to dinner tonight?”
“Let’s see how Uncle Charlie is feeling. If he feels he can get away with the walker, we’ll use my car. If he needs the wheelchair, we can use your van.”
“Sounds good.”
“Thanks for the coffee and tea biscuit. You don’t need anything at the store?”
“No, I’m good, honey. Thanks for the offer though, and the dinner invitation. I’m looking forward to it.”
“My pleasure,” I said, walking toward the elevator with a wave over my shoulder. Truth be told, the pleasure would be in seeing Seb again. I was
“It’s not like that,” I said, not wanting to lead her to believe we were a couple. “I’m going to be helping out at his shop to pay for it. But Uncle Charlie can’t know anything about it. I want it to be a surprise. If he asks, I’m going to tell him we had the car moved to the underground lot to make more room in the visitor’s lot, okay?”
She shrugged. “Sure. But won’t this restoration cost a lot of money? I’ve watched a few of those shows with Charlie, and it seems those restorations cost a small fortune. You’ll be working for this young man for a long time to repay your debt.”
I thought of Seb’s refusal to charge me for labor and smiled. He really was a great guy.
“What?” Mrs. Ryan asked. “Why are you smiling? There’s something you aren’t telling me. Is there something between you and Mr. Steele?”
Trying to keep the details from her was pointless, so I said, “I met him a few days ago. I went to the shop to ask him if he would consider working on Uncle Charlie’s car, and last night I made dinner for him to thank him.”
“And tonight you’re having dinner with him again?” she asked, her lips curling.
“ We’re having dinner with him,” I corrected. “You will come, won’t you?”
“Are you kidding?” She laughed. “I wouldn’t miss it. With the way you blush every time you mention this man’s name, I need to know whether he’s as smitten as you are.”
I covered the opening in my chambray shirt when I realized the heat was moving down my neck. “It’s not like that.”
“It’s exactly like that, and don’t you try to deny it.” She winked at me. “I may be a lot older than you, missy, but I haven’t forgotten what it’s like to get those butterflies in your tummy when you see your man.”
Seb wasn’t my man, and I wasn’t sure I wanted him to be. “He’s sworn off women. I don’t know why, but I get the feeling he was burned pretty badly.”
“He’ll tell you all about it when the time is right.”
I nodded, thinking about how much we’d opened up to each other last night. If that pattern continued, within a couple of weeks, I’d know Seb better than any other man I’d dated. “The timing sucks, meeting someone I’m interested in now. My focus should be on Uncle Charlie, not—”
“Nonsense.” Mrs. Ryan gave me a look that dared me to contradict her. “A distraction is exactly what you need right now. It’s not healthy for a vibrant young woman like you to be so fixated on doctors and medication, disease and death.”
I shuddered at the mention of death. That was the last thing I wanted to think about today, when I was feeling more alive and excited than I had in a long time. I checked my watch. “I should go. I have to meet a friend for coffee.”
“This friend wouldn’t happen to be—”
“It’s not Seb,” I said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “Actually, he was one of the first responders when you called for help the other day. He’s a police officer.”
“Two men?” She grinned. “My, my, aren’t we a lucky lady?”
“It’s not like that,” I said, rolling my eyes at her teasing. “I told him I’m only interested in being friends. I figure it can’t hurt me to get out a little more.”
“Amen to that,” Mrs. Ryan said, walking me to the door. “Do you want to take my van to dinner tonight?”
“Let’s see how Uncle Charlie is feeling. If he feels he can get away with the walker, we’ll use my car. If he needs the wheelchair, we can use your van.”
“Sounds good.”
“Thanks for the coffee and tea biscuit. You don’t need anything at the store?”
“No, I’m good, honey. Thanks for the offer though, and the dinner invitation. I’m looking forward to it.”
“My pleasure,” I said, walking toward the elevator with a wave over my shoulder. Truth be told, the pleasure would be in seeing Seb again. I was
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