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“Millerstown?” I repeated, and he nodded. “That’s kind of far away.”
“It’s only about two hours from here.”
Two hours wasn’t that bad, was it? I mean, I could probably take a trip out there and scope out what they were already planning and then do most of the footwork by phone or email. But that would require a car, and hadn’t my father said that my car was totaled? How was I going to find the time to get a new car while I was recovering?
“Well?” he asked softly, and I startled, lost in my twirling thoughts.
“Are you sure they really want the help? You didn’t threaten them or anything, did you?”
He grinned and put his hand over mine on my leg. “No threats. I asked if they were interested, and they said yes, no twisted arms or threats of any kind. He also said that he didn’t care how much it cost; he was just happy to have someone to help get all the details taken off their shoulders.”
They didn’t care what it cost? “And I don’t have to give them any free tickets to some faraway island?”
He laughed and squeezed my hand. “No. If you’d like, you can come with me to Millerstown this weekend and meet them. We have a party for my mom, and I’ll be going out early Saturday morning and coming back Sunday evening. You could come with me.”
“Come with you, like as in, come with you?” He nodded. “You want me to spend the weekend with your family?”
He shrugged. “Yeah, why not? They might be able to help you find some more leads for clients.”
“Are any of your other siblings getting married?”
“Actually, yes. Huntley got engaged before Christmas. We can totally hit him and his fiancée up at the party.”
Holy cow! Was it possible that I might have two clients? What if he wanted his wedding in another city too? “Do you know where he plans to get married?”
“As far as I know, he’s going to get married in Millerstown. That’s where both he and his fiancée live. I haven’t met her yet, but I think she will be at the party this weekend.”
Oh, the thought of maybe finding a couple of clients had me happier than I had been in days. “And you wouldn’t mind me coming? What about your parents? Would they mind?”
“Are you kidding? They have been begging me to bring a woman home for ages.”
I stared at him. “A woman home? You mean you want me to come as a date, not just for business?”
The smile on his face faded a bit, but his eyes were still bright as he continued to watch me. “You can come in any manner that you’d like. I’m not sure if you realize this or not, but I kind of like you, Roxanne. I’d be happy to have you as my date, or just have you as my guest. Whatever you are more comfortable with.”
“I like you, too,” I blurted, and his smile returned.
“I kind of hoped you did. I mean, you did call me a sexy man earlier.”
I cocked my head, confused. “When did I say that?”
He began to stand and let go of my hand. “If I’m not mistaken, you said I was an incredibly sexy man who was in your kitchen cooking, and then you said something about pasta from a box.”
I felt my cheeks begin to warm. “I guess I did say that. The pain medications are making my head a mess.”
“Well, you think about it over dinner, then let me know.”
“Okay,” I replied as he returned to the kitchen. He might not know this, but I’d already made my decision. I mean, how could I say no to going to see two possible clients, while spending a weekend with a very handsome and funny man? I’d be crazy to say no.
While he finished cooking the meal, we talked about his job, and he shared little stories about some of the things he had seen. None of them were too gruesome or sad, and I welcomed that. Not that I couldn’t take it, but he was careful to keep things upbeat and enjoyable. From time to time, I would laugh, and my face would hurt again. He would always apologize for making me laugh, and even though he didn’t need to, I appreciated it. He was a very kind and caring man, and I found myself liking him more and more as the minutes passed.
It was just as he was putting everything on the table that the front door opened. Lee and I turned to one another, and I sighed internally. The last thing I needed was my brother walking in on this and ruining the enjoyable evening that we were having.
“Hey, what smells so good?” He stepped into the kitchen and froze. “Young, what the fuck are you doing here?”
“He came over to cook me dinner,” I replied before Lee could. “What are you doing here, Roman?”
“I told you I would check on you later.”
