spent years locking away. All of these were forever entwined with her childhood.
“I guess it was, but it was normal to me.” The raw pain of letting go a piece of her past didn’t hurt as much as she thought it would.
David’s hand moved across the table and grasped hers gently. “So what changed then?”
“I met James.” She smiled and her heart filled with joy and pain at the same time. “I was in my senior year of high school, and this big, burly guy came and sat beside me one day, out of the blue. I never said a word, just stared at him like an idiot, because no one ever talked to me much.”
David’s thumb moved gently back and forth across her knuckles. Tiny sparks ignited across her hand at his touch, but the sensation reassured her too, a comfort for the soul baring she was attempting.
“James did this for a week, me still never saying a word. Then, finally, he asked me out on a date. I couldn’t believe someone thought I was worth taking out somewhere. Neither could my mother when I told her. Despite that, I accepted, and my life changed forever.”
David smiled and continued to rub her hand. Even though the glass of wine had warmed her body, his touch warmed her even more. He so easily made her believe she was safe while revealing so much about herself.
His long fingers squeezed her hand gently. “You still really miss him, don’t you?”
Her eyes focused on his fingers wrapped around her hand. It was right, her hand in his. Warm, comfortable, and exciting all at once.
Kristin raised her gaze to his once again. “I do miss him.”
Missing James would always be a part of her life, but she also knew it was time to find a way to move on. That man she loved had even made her promise, not that she kept that vow. Until now.
“I would have liked to meet him.”
“He would have liked to meet you, too. You have a lot in common.” Her lips curled into a smile tinged with sadness. They would have argued over beer, football, and the cultural impact of British humor on television.
Peering around, she noticed that most of the patrons had gone, which left only them and two other people. She stared at their joined hands on the table again, but this time, she glanced over at her watch. She pulled her hands away, maybe a little too quickly. Remember, they were only friends.
“Oh, my, it’s past one in the morning!” The time had flown. “I have to get home so I can get some sleep before work tomorrow.”
David let go of her hand and glanced at his watch as well. “Blimey, where has the time gone? I have to be at the theater tomorrow morning.”
Kristin headed out the door with David close behind her. It was another lovely spring night, a soft wind curled around her like a favorite blanket. The inky, black sky was speckled with stars, just as the glow from the street lights dotted the sides of the street. The fresh air was a welcome change from the smoky interior of the dark pub.
“Can I take you home?” David stuffed his hands into his pockets again.
Kristin grinned at his boyish mannerism. “Actually, I don’t live far from here, so I’m going to walk.”
“Then, I, being the gentleman that I am, will see you to your door, milady.”
He bowed a little at the waist and offered Kristin his arm, which she gladly entwined with hers. They walked again in silence, but this time it was the comfortable silence that friends often share, not the awkward silence of strangers.
“Well, here we are.” Kristin stopped abruptly in front of her townhouse and removed her arm from David’s.
He gazed around, confusion clouding his handsome face. “I don’t understand. We’re back at the gallery.”
Kristin motioned with her hand toward a door on the left side of the gallery entrance. “That leads up the stairs to my place, which is over the gallery.”
“That’s probably very convenient for you.” He nodded his approval.
“It is, and cheaper, I might add.” Kristin flashed him a
“I guess it was, but it was normal to me.” The raw pain of letting go a piece of her past didn’t hurt as much as she thought it would.
David’s hand moved across the table and grasped hers gently. “So what changed then?”
“I met James.” She smiled and her heart filled with joy and pain at the same time. “I was in my senior year of high school, and this big, burly guy came and sat beside me one day, out of the blue. I never said a word, just stared at him like an idiot, because no one ever talked to me much.”
David’s thumb moved gently back and forth across her knuckles. Tiny sparks ignited across her hand at his touch, but the sensation reassured her too, a comfort for the soul baring she was attempting.
“James did this for a week, me still never saying a word. Then, finally, he asked me out on a date. I couldn’t believe someone thought I was worth taking out somewhere. Neither could my mother when I told her. Despite that, I accepted, and my life changed forever.”
David smiled and continued to rub her hand. Even though the glass of wine had warmed her body, his touch warmed her even more. He so easily made her believe she was safe while revealing so much about herself.
His long fingers squeezed her hand gently. “You still really miss him, don’t you?”
Her eyes focused on his fingers wrapped around her hand. It was right, her hand in his. Warm, comfortable, and exciting all at once.
Kristin raised her gaze to his once again. “I do miss him.”
Missing James would always be a part of her life, but she also knew it was time to find a way to move on. That man she loved had even made her promise, not that she kept that vow. Until now.
“I would have liked to meet him.”
“He would have liked to meet you, too. You have a lot in common.” Her lips curled into a smile tinged with sadness. They would have argued over beer, football, and the cultural impact of British humor on television.
Peering around, she noticed that most of the patrons had gone, which left only them and two other people. She stared at their joined hands on the table again, but this time, she glanced over at her watch. She pulled her hands away, maybe a little too quickly. Remember, they were only friends.
“Oh, my, it’s past one in the morning!” The time had flown. “I have to get home so I can get some sleep before work tomorrow.”
David let go of her hand and glanced at his watch as well. “Blimey, where has the time gone? I have to be at the theater tomorrow morning.”
Kristin headed out the door with David close behind her. It was another lovely spring night, a soft wind curled around her like a favorite blanket. The inky, black sky was speckled with stars, just as the glow from the street lights dotted the sides of the street. The fresh air was a welcome change from the smoky interior of the dark pub.
“Can I take you home?” David stuffed his hands into his pockets again.
Kristin grinned at his boyish mannerism. “Actually, I don’t live far from here, so I’m going to walk.”
“Then, I, being the gentleman that I am, will see you to your door, milady.”
He bowed a little at the waist and offered Kristin his arm, which she gladly entwined with hers. They walked again in silence, but this time it was the comfortable silence that friends often share, not the awkward silence of strangers.
“Well, here we are.” Kristin stopped abruptly in front of her townhouse and removed her arm from David’s.
He gazed around, confusion clouding his handsome face. “I don’t understand. We’re back at the gallery.”
Kristin motioned with her hand toward a door on the left side of the gallery entrance. “That leads up the stairs to my place, which is over the gallery.”
“That’s probably very convenient for you.” He nodded his approval.
“It is, and cheaper, I might add.” Kristin flashed him a
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