There was shuffling in the background then the sharp sound of a smacking kiss filled my ears. Great. The last thing I needed was for her to tell my friend I was going on adatewith asingle mom.
This was a business dinner.
Then why am I so nervous?
“Goodbye,” I mumbled.
I didn’t know if she was still listening. She and Liam had the tendency to space out and ignore their surroundings when they were together. Nevertheless, hanging up without a proper greeting was rude.
With my phone tucked in my pocket, I stared at the selection in front of me. It should have been easy. Grab the first purple toy, and I was done. But I didn’t want to give her just anything.
And I didn’t want to get her something purple. It felt like cheating.
That was why it took me thirty minutes to finally pick the plush toy that looked like two pancakes stacked on top of each other.
I was happy with my choice until I climbed the stairs to Kate’s third-floor apartment. Maybe I should have gone with something purple after all?
Too late now.I stopped in front of Kate’s door.
I lifted my hand to knock but paused when music and singing came from inside. It wasn’t Kate’s voice, and from what I could tell, the music wasn’t English. Or at least it didn’t sound like it.
“A little bold to be creeping in the middle of the day.”
I jerked. It took everything I had in me not to slap my hand over my racing heart.
“Bold and deaf, huh?” A tiny old lady stood a few feet from me, pinning me with a mighty glare.
“Ma’am?”
“Hmf.” She looked me up and down. “You don’t look like a rapist, but then again what do I know?”
My eyes bugged out of my head. “A...a... I’m sorry, what now?”
“You’re standing there ogling that door like there’s something delicious on the other side.” She crossed her bony arms in front of her chest. “So either you’re too chicken to knock or maybe you’re planning something sinister.”
For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, heat crept into my cheeks. “It might be the firstone.”
The huge smile that spread across her face freaked me the hell out. And when she unfolded her arms and stalked toward me, I had to fight the urge to run. Who knew sweet little old ladies were actually scary as fuck?
“It’s about damn time,” she said when she reached me. “Katie has been alone for far too long.” She patted my upper arm then curled her fingers around my bicep. Since I stared at where she felt me up, I missed it when she lifted her free hand and knocked on Kate’s door.
“Big and strong,” the old lady cooed. “Exactly what these two girls need.”
I opened my mouth but before a single sound could escape, the door flew open.
My jaw hit the floor.
Gorgeous. Beautiful. Stunning. Those were the words flashing through my brain but none of them accurately described the woman in front of me.
The silky strands I’d been fixated on the previous night hung loose over one shoulder. She’d traded in her normal office attire—usually some sort of dress—for faded jeans and a white sweater. And like the previous night, the neckline was wide enough to slide off a shoulder.
“This one was too scared to knock, so I helped him out.”
The old lady’s voice knocked me out of my stupor.
I gave her a quick sideways glance then shifted my attention to where it belonged. On Kate.
Lifting my shoulder in a shrug, I confessed, “I heard music.”
