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“Honestly, Faith,” he continued, as though she weren’t having a conniption, “You’re every bit as gorgeous as she is—and younger, which I’m certain annoys her to no end—but this isn’t about looks, and I hope you realize that. You’re infinitely more likable than Diana. Besides, it isn’t a competition. She’s in my past, and I’d very much like you to be my future.”
Faith melted faster than an ice cream in the midsummer heat, realizing how silly she’d been to indulge her insecurities. Normally, she was better than that, and if the circumstances were different, Diana’s appearance wouldn’t matter to her in the least. But because of her celebrity status and the fact she’d left Shane rather than the other way around, Faith had let herself travel down a path she wouldn’t usually.
“It means a lot to hear that, and I’m sorry for asking. I just needed to be sure of your feelings where she’s concerned.”
“My feelings for her are nonexistent, except when it comes to the boys. On that front, I’m frustrated because she stirs everything up and then doesn’t deal with the fallout. I’m also furious because whether it’s intentional or not, she’s toying with their emotions.”
“Okay.” Faith swallowed. “I appreciate the clarification. Now, shall we talk about something more pleasant?”
His shoulders sagged with relief, and it struck her that this was probably the first time he’d had to have this conversation since he’d gotten divorced. As far as she knew, he hadn’t dated, and people around town made a point not to mention his ex-wife to him—or to anyone, as a matter of fact. There was a determined wall of silence as far as Diana Monroe was concerned.
“Such as?” he asked.
She allowed her lips to curve into a seductive smile. “What about how hot you looked in a suit last weekend?”
“Me?” He ran a hand through his hair and gave her an aw-shucks look. “You were the one who stole the show. That dress?” He closed his eyes, and his jaw tightened. “I wanted to rip it off you all night.”
She shivered. “You did?”
“Yeah.” He leaned across the table. “None of that touching was pretend. Those kisses were me trying to tell you how I felt. I just wasn’t brave enough to say it yet. I mean, what would a woman like you want with me?”
Seriously, she was done for. “I’m getting the impression we’ve both wanted this for a long time and have been afraid the attraction was one-sided. What a shame, when we could have been enacting babysitter/single dad role-play fantasies.”
He snorted. “That’s a thing?”
God, he was clueless. Totally adorable.
“Yes, and for good reason. Surely you know by now that there’s nothing sexier to many women than a man who’s good with kids.”
“Huh.” He frowned. “Who knew?”
At that moment, the waitress interrupted. They each ordered, and Faith requested a fruity cocktail. When they were alone again, some of the tension from their previous conversation had dissipated.
“Tell me more about your family,” he said. “There are your parents and Charity. Anyone else?”
“No, just us. There’s not a lot to say, really. Dad’s a minister. Mum’s a busybody, but she means well.”
“And Charity? What does she do?”
“She’s a barista in Auckland.”
He nodded, his expression thoughtful. “She’s younger than you, right?”
Faith twisted her hair around her finger, wondering where this was going. “Yep, she’s the baby of the family.”
“She struck me as being an old soul.”
Faith stopped twisting her hair and studied him warily. “She is. Not surprising considering what happened with her ex.” The waitress returned with the cocktail, and Faith took a healthy drink from it. “How much do you know about the Hagley Investment scandal?”
“I remember that Samuel Hagley’s investment firm defrauded a lot of people, and when it went south, he took their money and ran.”
Faith took a deep breath. She always felt bad sharing Charity’s history with anyone, even though it was hardly a secret. “The first Charity knew anything was amiss was when they arrested her.”
“Oh.” The word was full of meaning, but then his brows knotted together. “That poor girl. She must have been young at the time.”
“Early twenties. Samuel was nearly twice her age, but she was in love with him, and nothing could change her mind. Mum and Dad tried to talk her out of marrying him, but there’s no telling a girl that age anything when it comes to the man she’s crazy about. She was legally old enough to marry him, so she did. Then everything fell apart.”
“Wow.”
