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She hadn’t had an actual date in… she didn’t want to think about it. Why the hell not?
“I’m free Monday night.”
“Seven o’clock at Luigi’s?”
“Sure. Sounds good.”
“Okay with you if we exchange phone numbers? I’m hoping you don’t change your mind, but in case you do…”
She pulled her phone out of her pocket, took his so they could add their contacts.
“If you’re planning on staying awhile and want a seat, the couple three and four stools down should be leaving after they finish their drinks and nachos.”
“Thanks. I’ll hover.”
She shot him a smile, went back to work.
He grabbed a stool, had his two beers, and left just after midnight.
“Monday night,” he said. “Enjoy the weekend.”
“You, too.”
“That is one fine specimen.” Gracie the waitress looked after him. “And he’s got his eyes on you, cutie.”
“Maybe. He seems nice, steady—and he’s only in the area for a few months.”
“Strike while the iron’s sizzling.”
“Maybe,” she said again.
Chapter Two
She spent her Saturday morning on the house. Laundry, cleaning, dreaming of opening walls, fresh paint, new counters. She did the weekly marketing, including Nina’s list, left the receipt on the kitchen board for their monthly accounting.
When Nina got home from work that afternoon with a flat of pansies, bags of soil and peat, they hauled their pots out of storage. One day, Morgan thought, she wanted window boxes. But she also wanted new shutters, and a cute little front porch.
By her calculations, she could afford all that the following spring. And for now, pots of pansies filled the bill.
“Tell me more about this Luke.”
With her hoodie zipped against the not-quite-April breeze, Morgan tamped down soil around happy-faced pansies.
“Not much to tell really. He’s an IT guy, and must be good at it or his company wouldn’t send him out for weeks and months at a time to take on a territory. Or whatever they’d call it. Plus, he dresses well. Not snotty well, just well.”
“You said he was gorgeous.”
“I did, because true. Good manners, friendly. Two-beer limit. It’s a pizza date with a traveling man, Nina. We’re not picking out china.”
Nina pushed up her sun hat. “When was your last pizza date, or date of any kind?”
“Don’t go there.”
“You don’t go there because you always smile and say no. Why did you say yes? Because gorgeous?”
Morgan shrugged, a little sheepishly. “It doesn’t hurt. I can be shallow. But he’s interesting, and he doesn’t just talk. He listens. It’s nice. I think he’s nice.”
“And temporary.”
