“Love you, Brittany.”
As always, after he said those words, there was hesitation. “Talk to you later,” she finally said.
He hung up, not blaming her for holding back from him. Hopefully one day he would hear those words from his daughter. Until then, he knew he’d have to earn them.
Daniel slipped his phone into his short’s pocket and pulled out of the parking space. He couldn’t resist driving around the lot to see if the Mercedes was still there. It was gone. Another wave of jealousy hit, but he brushed it away. He didn’t know about his ex-wife’s personal life, other than she hadn’t remarried. That had surprised him, and he wondered if he’d soured her on marriage. He’d put her through the wringer, and he would never forgive himself for that.
Amy deserved to have a good life. If Mr. Mercedes made her happy, then he wouldn’t stand in the way. Not that he had the chance to anyway. He’d blown that years ago.
Chapter 15
Amy walked inside her house, unable to stop smiling. Tonight had been fun, more than she’d anticipated. The movie was great, but the company was even better. It turned out Max liked to whisper comments during movies, which didn’t bother Amy a bit, since she was inclined to do the same thing. She’d learned over the years to keep quiet, although sometimes she couldn’t help herself when something ridiculous or wonderful happened on screen. Britt was tolerant of her habit, but it drove Laura to near madness, and one time she’d showed her the duct tape in her purse as a warning. Amy wasn’t sure if her friend had been joking or not.
Daniel had never minded comments during movies, though.
She whisked her ex out of her mind and thought about Max again. When they were leaving the theater, she’d felt him touch her lower back as they threaded through the crowd. But he quickly dropped his hand and didn’t touch her again as they walked back to their cars. They’d stopped by his Mercedes first—she wanted to get a better look at his fancy car—before they said their good nights and parted ways.
As she passed by the kitchen, she remembered what she felt when he pressed his fingers against her back.Nothing. Nada. Zip.Which confused her a little. While she was firm in her decision not to date, if she did change her mind, Max would be the perfectcandidate. There was no doubt she found him handsome. He was polite. A true gentleman, actually. Smart, successful, and funny.
But she wasn’t attracted to him. Not one iota.
She walked to her room, took off her makeup, changed into her lemon-yellow silk pajama set, and went to the kitchen to get a drink. It was barely past nine, and she wasn’t tired yet. Maybe she’d read in the living room or watch another movie until she was ready for bed.
When she entered the kitchen, she saw Britt standing in front of the sink. “Hey, sweetie,” Amy said, giving her a hug. “How was your day?”
Britt turned off the water and dried her hands. “Good. I was just about to make a snack. Crackers and cheese. Want any?”
She was still pretty full from the popcorn and Junior Mints, but she nodded. “Sure. I’ll get the drinks.”
A few minutes later they were seated at the table with a plate of sliced cheddar cheese and buttery crackers between them, glasses of iced tea at the ready. “So how’s your project going with Maude and X?”
Britt froze, a cheese-laden cracker halfway to her mouth. Her eyes widened. “M-my project?”
“Yeah.” Amy picked up a cracker. “Has Maude finally decided to do that mural on the back wall of the shop? She’s been talking about it for years.”
Her daughter paused, then quickly nodded. “It’s in the planning stages.” She shoved the cracker in her mouth.
“I should stop by soon. It’s been too long since I’ve visited Plano’s quirkiest couple.”
“Uh... sure. Just not on Mondays.”
“But that’s when you’re there,” she said. “I figured I’d bring pizza and we can hang out in the art room.”
“Education room,” Britt corrected, snatching another cracker. Instead of eating it she was breaking it into crumbs. “It’s closed on Monday for... a special project. But I’m not involved with that one.” She let out an awkward noise. “Besides, X is gluten and dairy free, and Maude is allergic to, um, oregano.”
“I could bring Chinese—”
“Perfect!” Her smile was too wide. “How about on Wednesday?”
“Okay.” She tilted her head as she took a big gulp of tea. Her daughter was acting a little odd. “Everything all right?”
Britt set down her glass and smiled. “Yes.”
Amy’s concern evaporated. She hadn’t seen such a bright smile on Britt in... months? A year?
“I’m planning Savannah’s shower,” she said. “Would you like to help?”
“Of course.” Now it was Amy’s turn to beam. “I talked to her mother at church last Sunday. Dawn said the whole family is excited, but a little sad that Savannah and Justin are moving away.”
