carols to wash over me as I tried to decide whether I preferred a single or a double bed.
Daniel hadn’t even been dead for four months, and buying a new double bed seemed inappropriate and somehow optimistic. Of course I was going to need a bed when I moved into the beach house, but the mere thought that I might one day share it with another man made me feel guilty all over again, as if I were cheating on Daniel.
But a single bed? It seemed too much like a prison cot or a kid’s bunk bed. At least it would be great for my conscience, because nobody my age still sleeping in a single bed would invite a gentleman over to spend the night. I pulled a face.
On the other hand, I was going to have a baby soon, significantly reducing my chances of picking up someone I flirted with at a bar—and I would probably prefer to spend my weekends in bed with my child than with some random lover. Especially since no other man could ever live up to Daniel anyway.
Yes, the idea of snuggling up in bed with the baby on weekends seemed like a good argument for a double bed. My little pumpkin and I would be nice and comfy in a big bed, and any future pillow fights would be a hell of a lot more fun, too.
I continued browsing. I spotted a white double bed with a lovely headboard and artfully carved legs. Decorated with dozens of throw pillows, it looked awfully inviting. In front of it stood a man with his head tilted as if he were imagining how well it would go with the rest of his furniture.
“Ewan!” I called out in surprise as he turned.
He seemed pleased to see me and smiled. “Hi! What a nice surprise. How nice to see you again after ou r . . . little mix-up.”
I could feel the blood rush into my cheeks, even though I had—after hours of deliberation—come to the conclusion that things like our first embarrassing meeting sometimes just happened.
I extended my hand and sheepishly stared at the floor.
“Yes, that was very embarrassing indeed.”
“Oh no, no! I thought it was funny. I don’t know why I didn’t tell you right away that I wasn’t the repairman—I guess I was a little surprised.”
He ran his hand through his hair, but our past encounter didn’t seem to bother him. He gave me another mischievous once-over.
“Yes, I was reall y . . . surprised,” he repeated, and it sounded like some kind of a come-on.
Shit, what was happening? The way he was looking at me confused the hell out of me, but if he was being generous enough to throw me a line, then I’d be damned if I refused to take it.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying! You should have explained yourself! I mean, you’re the one who turned up on my doorstep.”
He laughed, and I enjoyed the lighthearted sound.
“Oh, I see, so it’s my fault that you were bossing me around, ordering me into your furnace room without allowing me to get a word in edgewise?”
“Bossing you around? Well, I think you’re exaggerating a little.” I tried to fight back, but the challenging sparkle in his bright-blue eyes knocked the wind out of my sails. “All right, all right. I think we can agree that it was both our faults.”
He nodded. “But in exchange you must allow me to buy you a cup of coffee. I only wanted to introduce myself to you the other day. We’re going to be living next door to one another, and I wanted to meet you in person.”
He smiled and again ran his hand through his hair in a nonchalant gesture. “And now that I’ve met you, I want to get to know you even more.”
I couldn’t stop fiddling with my scarf because suddenly the store was very hot. Jeez, that guy really poured it on, or was it just my imagination? Couldn’t he see that I was pregnant? Was I reading too much into this? And, most importantly, how should I react?
I hesitated a little, because in truth I really wanted Ewan to buy me a cup of coffee. But what would Daniel have thought? Wouldn’t Daniel have wanted to meet the new neighbor, too? Was it morally
Daniel hadn’t even been dead for four months, and buying a new double bed seemed inappropriate and somehow optimistic. Of course I was going to need a bed when I moved into the beach house, but the mere thought that I might one day share it with another man made me feel guilty all over again, as if I were cheating on Daniel.
But a single bed? It seemed too much like a prison cot or a kid’s bunk bed. At least it would be great for my conscience, because nobody my age still sleeping in a single bed would invite a gentleman over to spend the night. I pulled a face.
On the other hand, I was going to have a baby soon, significantly reducing my chances of picking up someone I flirted with at a bar—and I would probably prefer to spend my weekends in bed with my child than with some random lover. Especially since no other man could ever live up to Daniel anyway.
Yes, the idea of snuggling up in bed with the baby on weekends seemed like a good argument for a double bed. My little pumpkin and I would be nice and comfy in a big bed, and any future pillow fights would be a hell of a lot more fun, too.
I continued browsing. I spotted a white double bed with a lovely headboard and artfully carved legs. Decorated with dozens of throw pillows, it looked awfully inviting. In front of it stood a man with his head tilted as if he were imagining how well it would go with the rest of his furniture.
“Ewan!” I called out in surprise as he turned.
He seemed pleased to see me and smiled. “Hi! What a nice surprise. How nice to see you again after ou r . . . little mix-up.”
I could feel the blood rush into my cheeks, even though I had—after hours of deliberation—come to the conclusion that things like our first embarrassing meeting sometimes just happened.
I extended my hand and sheepishly stared at the floor.
“Yes, that was very embarrassing indeed.”
“Oh no, no! I thought it was funny. I don’t know why I didn’t tell you right away that I wasn’t the repairman—I guess I was a little surprised.”
He ran his hand through his hair, but our past encounter didn’t seem to bother him. He gave me another mischievous once-over.
“Yes, I was reall y . . . surprised,” he repeated, and it sounded like some kind of a come-on.
Shit, what was happening? The way he was looking at me confused the hell out of me, but if he was being generous enough to throw me a line, then I’d be damned if I refused to take it.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying! You should have explained yourself! I mean, you’re the one who turned up on my doorstep.”
He laughed, and I enjoyed the lighthearted sound.
“Oh, I see, so it’s my fault that you were bossing me around, ordering me into your furnace room without allowing me to get a word in edgewise?”
“Bossing you around? Well, I think you’re exaggerating a little.” I tried to fight back, but the challenging sparkle in his bright-blue eyes knocked the wind out of my sails. “All right, all right. I think we can agree that it was both our faults.”
He nodded. “But in exchange you must allow me to buy you a cup of coffee. I only wanted to introduce myself to you the other day. We’re going to be living next door to one another, and I wanted to meet you in person.”
He smiled and again ran his hand through his hair in a nonchalant gesture. “And now that I’ve met you, I want to get to know you even more.”
I couldn’t stop fiddling with my scarf because suddenly the store was very hot. Jeez, that guy really poured it on, or was it just my imagination? Couldn’t he see that I was pregnant? Was I reading too much into this? And, most importantly, how should I react?
I hesitated a little, because in truth I really wanted Ewan to buy me a cup of coffee. But what would Daniel have thought? Wouldn’t Daniel have wanted to meet the new neighbor, too? Was it morally
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