Page 6 of The Perfect Distraction

“Well…” Colton began.

“Thank you, but…” she started to say.

“Do you already have plans?” Colton asked.

“No. It’s just that I already ate dinner.”

Colton glanced at his rugged wristwatch with all its dials and said, “It’s only five thirty.”

Shrugging, she said, “I like to eat early.”

“She could come for dessert,” Joey inserted, seemingly determined to have her over one way or another.

It was kind of cute, really, even though she couldn’t understand why. Was he missing his mom? Did he want a woman around to offset his dad’s sternness?

Colton looked between Joey and Beth and said, “Sure. Why don’t you come over and join us for dessert?”

Beth glanced down at her clothes, the same ones she’d been wearing all day: khaki shorts, a plain red tank top, and flip-flops. She wasn’t exactly dressed for dinner in a stranger’s home. Never mind that it was a certain hot stranger with an adorable kid.

Colton laughed as if he could read her mind.

God, I hope not.

“It’s okay. We’re not formal at our house.”

Joey nodded enthusiastically.

“Okay, then,” she said, feeling like she didn’t have much choice in the matter. She didn’t want to seem rude, and they were her neighbors, after all. It’d be nice to get to know the people she was living next door to for the next two months. One never knew when one might need to borrow an egg or something…if one cooked.

Having convinced herself, she stood up and said, “Lead the way.”

“Do you want to put your book inside in case it rains?” Colton asked.

Thinking how sweet it was of him to ask, she said, “Good idea. I got caught in a downpour earlier today.”

Colton and Joey waited while she ran inside and deposited her book in the sunroom before rejoining them in the backyard. Then she followed them across the driveway, up the steps of their back deck, and into a cozy kitchen.

The first thing she noticed was the wide-planked wood flooring that looked identical to the kitchen floor in Aunt Jenny’s house. “Aunt Jenny has the same floor,” she said conversationally.

“I know. I installed it for her,” Colton replied. Joey had already sat down at the table, and Colton was standing at the stove, dishing out spaghetti.

“Really? Wow! You did a great job.”

“I hope so since that is my job,” Colton said, walking over to the table with two steaming plates of spaghetti.

“Dad’s a carpenter,” Joey said proudly while twirling his fork in the spaghetti and coming up with a huge bite.

“Uh-uh,” Colton scolded. “We have company.”

“Sorry,” Joey said, and he unraveled some of the noodles.

“Have a seat,” Colton said, noticing that she still stood there.

His kitchen was much smaller than Aunt Jenny’s, and a square table filled much of the space. Beth had been contemplating where to sit. She was standing nearest to where Colton had set down his plate, but there was also an empty chair next to Joey.

Colton patted the seat beside his, making the decision for her.

She eased into it, wondering when she had become so inept at interacting with men. Oh, right. Ever since Christopher…