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Amusement crossed his face. “Believe it or not, we have schools here that teach us to read. I’m reading C.S. Lewis at the moment.” He shrugged. “A book is a great way to unwind after a game.”
Hmm. So maybe her pride had engaged in some prejudice. Dan kept surprising her, proving to be kind, insightful, patient, funny…sweet, even.
Next to the big screen TV she found the DVDs: some comedies, classic movies, TV adventure including theMan vs Wildseries, and wonder of wonders, the complete James Bond collection.
“Someone wants to be a tough guy, huh?”
His eyes crinkled. “Some of us don’t need to try.”
She snickered. “Modest, too.” She examined the box set.
“Don’t tell me you’re a fan?”
“Pierce Brosnan was the best. I like Daniel Craig, but can’t get past the blond hair.”
He looked at her thoughtfully. “You like ’em suave but ruthless, eh? I’m more of a Connery fan myself.”
“He sounds a little too Scottish for me.”
“Picky, picky.”
“Maybe you don’t mind accents.”
A smile hovered on his lips. “Maybe.”
She willed her cheeks not to blush and turned back to the film titles. “Could I borrow one sometime?”
“Sure. Or we could watch it here.”
The doorbell rang, Dan disappeared, and Sarah slowly exhaled. The way he looked at her sometimes was so disconcerting. Fortunately, the pizza’s arrival seemed to signal a return to the casual banter of before, the lightheartedness a welcome change to the heavy conversations of past days.
Afterward, they settled on the leather lounges in front of the window, the gathering twilight bringing forth a glow of lights across the lake. Sarah sank into the soft cowhide, content. Somehow this place made her feel quite at home, the relaxed atmosphere making her at ease to ask the question that’d had her curious for a while now. “So, you’ve heard enough about me. What’s your excuse? Why isn’t there a Mrs. Walton?”
* * *
The frank questiontook Dan by surprise. A whirl of memories flooded through his brain, mixed with the deeply buried guilt. He settled for the safe yet honest answer. “I just haven’t found the right girl.”
“You must meet plenty of women,” she scoffed. “Come on, who wouldn’t want to date you? You’re a single Christian guy! I’ve been in church long enough to know that’s a big deal in itself.” Her head tilted. “You’re nice, you have a job—and you’re not exactly horrible to look at.”
He shrugged. “I just haven’t been that interested in anyone.”
“A little fussy, are we?”
“I’ve dated, but it’s always hard to know who is genuine.” Her raised eyebrows demanded further explanation. “It’s hard to tell if girls like me or the lifestyle.” So hard. And some women were mighty good actresses.
Sarah kicked off her shoes, tucked her legs up on the lounge. “The lifestyle?”
“You do know what being an NHL player involves?”
“What’s the NHL?”
This was different. “The National Hockey League. I play for the Toronto Maple Leafs.”
“Oh.” She blinked. “Oh! So that’s why all those girls were checking you out after church the other day.”
He lifted a shoulder. Fans came with the territory.
Her brow wrinkled as she studied the décor. “Does that mean this place is yours? I thought you’d borrowed it from someone. I didn’t realize…” She bit her lip.
