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For some reason, I didn’t appreciate his interest in knowing more about Kimberly.

  “No, Sierra. She works at a vintage record shop. Gina likes this one album, and I think she tuckered herself out.”

  I felt sorry for my snappy tone and brought it back down to a level one. I had been the one to set him up with Kimberly. There was no reason I should feel weird about it. Right?

  “I’m sure the rain didn’t help,” he said. “This dreary weather had me dragging all day.”

  “Me too,” I said. “I took a little snooze myself.”

  “I wished I could have done that,” he said.

  Light snoring from the table grabbed our attention. Gina had fallen asleep in her chair. Her forehead rested on the table next to her plate.

  “I should get her to bed,” Noah said, dropping his briefcase on one of the empty chairs.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow then,” I said. “What time would you like me here?”

  “Would you mind coming by the house around five-thirty tomorrow?” Noah asked. “I have reservations for six.”

  Six? That seemed a little early for a date. Did Noah expect to have a late night with Kimberly? Why did I care? I’d offered my services to watch Gina assuming he’d be out late. Damn Sierra for giving me these crazy thoughts!

  “Are you looking forward to your date tomorrow?” I asked, trying to act like the person who orchestrated this entire date.

  “Yes. But to be honest,” he said, “I’m a little nervous. I haven’t done the dating thing for a while.”

  “You’ll be fine.” An image of Noah and me at a fancy restaurant popped into my mind. I knew together we’d be more at ease with going on a date. We never had any awkward moments between us. What would Kimberly and his date look like? Would they remain on surface topics like the weather or their careers? Or would Kimberly impress him with her killer body and flexible limbs?

  I snapped myself out of those thoughts. Why did I care so much? A sick feeling of jealousy floated around in my stomach. I had no right to feel like that. I wasn’t jealous. I couldn’t be. Maybe it was a protective instinct like I had for Gina. I liked Noah as a friend, and I wanted to see him happy. There was no harm in that.

  “I hope I don’t embarrass myself,” he said. “Any tips?”

  I laughed. “I haven’t been on a date for a while either.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes,” I said.

  “I pictured you going out every weekend on a new date.”

  “Do I seem to be that kind of girl?”

  Noah’s expression softened. “No, that’s not what I meant.”

  I smirked. “I know. I’m just teasing. I don’t go out a lot, so it’s hard to meet people. It’s okay. I have plenty of time to find The One.”

  Noah nodded, and our first awkward silence stretched between us.

  “Well, I should go,” I said and grabbed my bag. As I headed out to my car, I replayed the conversation in my head, wondering if I had made a mistake. Though, Noah seemed like he was looking forward to the date. Who was I to get in the way? Especially after hooking him and Kimberly up. This was for Gina. I had to focus on that. At least I could try.

  CHAPTER 11

  Noah

  “You look handsome, Daddy,” Gina said. She beamed up at me from the bathroom floor where she worked on a puzzle while I prepared for my date.

  I smoothed my gelled hair into the perfect coif. “Are you telling me I don’t look handsome all the time?” I knelt down beside her, careful not to touch my knees to the floor. I’d pulled out a pair of my more casual black suit pants for the occasion paired with a button-down black shirt. I was sure Kimberly already knew I had a daughter, but showing up to a date with blemishes on my clothes wouldn’t give the best first impression.

  Gina giggled. “Tonight you look more handsome.”

  I kissed her forehead. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome!”

  Since having Jess as her nanny, I’d noticed Gina’s manners improving more and more each day. She reminded me of a little lady, and that thought was both exciting and terrifying at the same times.

  “What are you and Jess going to do tonight?” I asked, standing up. I buttoned my top button on the shirt and thought better of it, unbuttoning it again. There was a small tremble in my hands.

  “She got a movie for us,” Gina said.

  “Don’t stay up too late,” I said.

  “I know!” Gina whined.

  I smirked, and Gina went back to her puzzle.

  A few minutes later, I heard Jess’s voice downstairs.

  “Hello?” she called.

  Gina jumped up, and a few puzzle pieces skittered across the floor. She bolted from the room.

  “Gina!” I called after her. “Pick up your—”

  Gina was already halfway downstairs, so I didn’t bother finishing.

  I took one last look at myself and a deep breath. “You can do this.” I knew little about Kimberly, but from what Jess told me about her, it seemed we had a few things in common, and that was enough to get me out the door. But I hoped for a deeper connection or else tonight would not be fun. I didn’t remember the last time I felt so nervous about anything. Even with the sales pitch the other day, I wasn’t bothered by the high-stress situation. But a date was out of my comfort zone. I’d been with my wife for ten years before she passed, so I’d had thirteen years out of the dating scene. From what I saw secondhand from my single friends and employees, it was a much different game than it had been when I was single. And with a kid to boot, forget it. I’d known for a while it was about time to get back into it, but couldn’t make that leap. And I didn’t have the energy for it.

  At least not until Jess came around. She’d arrived into my life at the right time, and now that Gina was in a stable place, it was time for me to do something for myself.

  I tried not to expect much out of tonight as it was only a first date. I tried to channel the confidence I had at work before walking downstairs to meet with Jess.

  Gina had cocooned herself in a bundle of blankets on the living room couch.

  “Jess?” I called.

  “In here,” she called back from the kitchen.

  I walked through there to find her. I had about ten minutes before I had to leave to pick up Kimberly.

  Jess opened the microwave, pulling out a bag of popcorn.

  I watched her for a minute until she turned and flinched. “You scared me. How long were you standing there?”

  I smiled, I couldn’t help it. “Not long. I see you have all of your provisions for tonight.”

  She nodded. “If we start the movie now, I’ll have Gina into bed a little after her bedtime. If that’s okay?”

  “That’s fine with me,” I said.

  “You look lovely,” Jess said, brushing passed me.

  “Thanks.” I followed her into the living room. She looked great too, but I didn’t say as much. Her long legs appeared even longer hidden under her gray leggings. She wore a thick woven pale pink sweater that covered down to her mid-thigh. Her hair was in waves tonight, and when she passed under the hallway lights, a red tint I only saw when the light hit just perfect flickered in the strands of her hair.

  “I’m sure you will have a good time,” she said, sitting on the couch next to Gina, folding her legs underneath her.

  Gina scooted next to Jess. Jess wrapped her arm around Gina’s shoulders, pulling her close. Jess picked up the remote and turned the television on.

  I rounded the couch and sat next to Gina. “All right, honey. Give me a hug. I won’t see you until tomorrow.”

  Gina leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Night, night, Daddy.”

  I ruffled her hair and glanced up at Jess. I had the urge to kiss her cheek too. I blinked that thought away and stood up, distancing myself from the temptation.

  “Have a good time,” Jess said.

  “I will,” I said gruffly, trying to hide what I’d almost done. I left the room and gather
ed my wallet and keys by the door. The more distance I put between myself and Jess, the worse I felt. What had come over me? For one, Jess was my nanny, and that relationship was off limits. And two, I was about to go on a date with another woman. One that Jess set me up with. Kissing her, in any capacity, was a ridiculous thing to do.

  I shoved my arms through my coat sleeves and left the house without another word to the girls. I needed fresh air to clear my head.

  Kimberly lived on the outskirts of town in an apartment complex close to the highway. The GPS directed me into a large parking lot, and I had to squint through the low lighting of the street lamps to make sure I had the right building.

  A woman came out through the entrance, and I did a double-take before getting out of my car. Even in the cooler temperatures, the blonde woman whom I assumed to be Kimberly wore a tight black dress that left little to the imagination. Even from that distance, I could tell her chest didn’t fit well under the fabric.

  “Holy shit,” I said under my breath. Jess had set me up with an amazingly sexy woman. Maybe this date wouldn’t be so bad. I got out and walked over to meet her.

  “Noah, right?” Kimberly said as she approached.

  I opened the passenger door for her. “Yes. How did you know?”

  “I Googled you. And with your net worth, I knew you’d have an expensive car.”

  “Oh,” I said, taken aback by her honesty. I hadn’t thought to Google her. I trusted Jess’s opinion. Though I couldn’t see the two of them hanging out.

  Her thick eyelashes lowered as she checked me out. “So, where are we going?”

  I shuffled over to the passenger side and opened the door for her. “There’s this place downtown I’ve been meaning to try.”

  “As long as it has top shelf booze,” she said with a wink and slithered by me even though there was clearly enough room to pass. She sat in the seat, and I closed the door.

  I stood outside of her door for a minute, gathering my thoughts. By her tone, I could tell she was laying it on thick. I might not have dated in a while, but I knew people. And with her callous mention of my net worth, had she agreed to go on this date because of my money?

  A knock on the window brought me back to reality. I jogged over to my side of the car and got in. There was no reason to judge this woman before getting to know her. She had a fantastic body from being a yoga teacher. There was nothing wrong with her wanting to show it off. And I would have a gorgeous woman sitting next to me at dinner.

  My assessment had been right. Kimberly was the focal point of most people at the restaurant. When we sat at our table, more heads turned in her direction than at their own food. Even though I didn’t mind the attention to us, I hoped that there was more of a connection than just physical attraction. It would suffice for a one night stand, but I was over that stage. I wanted to settle down with someone who loved Gina and me. I couldn’t be selfish and think about myself anymore. At least not when I had Jess waiting at home for me. If I stayed the night with her friend, I’d risk awkwardness in the morning for sure. I doubted Jess would mind, but I also wasn’t that guy. At least I’d never been before.

  The host held out a chair for Kimberly, and she winked at him.

  I couldn’t help but feel taken aback by the gesture. She’d winked at me before when I got her into the car. Was that her thing? Or was she flirting with the host on our date?

  “Your server will be with you shortly,” he said, taking an inappropriate longing look at my date.

  A sour taste filled my mouth as she noticed and slowly licked her lips.

  That I couldn’t ignore. “Do you want wine?” I asked, trying to get her attention back.

  It wasn’t hard. She glanced at the wine list and handed it to me. “I like red wine. Choose the most expensive.”

  I chuckled. “Expensive doesn’t mean good.”

  “I know,” she purred. “But we’d look like a power couple if an expensive label sat on our table.”

  I focused on the wine list. If I looked up, I might see the seriousness in her expression, and I wasn’t ready for that. Was this woman for real? It was one thing to comment on my car, but I felt a little like I was paying for this woman to date me.

  And the night only got worse from there.

  Talking to Kimberly was like trying to get the attention of a puppy. Her attention flitted across the room, focusing on anything shiny or new. Only when I asked about her did she go on several one-sided conversations about her hope for opening her own yoga studio.

  Then she hit me with a big one.

  “I think when we solidify whatever amazing connection we have, then we could go in together on a studio.”

  I gritted my teeth, appalled by this woman’s frankness. If she wasn’t Jess’s friend, then I might have told her I wouldn’t partner up with an airhead like her in a million years. I now knew for a fact she agreed to this date after knowing how much I made. Once again, I wondered how the hell Jess was friends with this girl. Jess had a heart of gold, and this girl appeared not to have one. Or tact either.

  Once the waiter took our empty entrée plates, I signaled him for the check.

  “No dessert?” she asked, leaning against the table. Her breasts swelled over the tablecloth.

  “We should get going,” I said, meeting her eyes. My eyes watered trying to keep them above her neck.

  Kimberly talked the entire ride home. About herself, of course, and then when we got to her place, I idled the car in front of her building.

  She turned and smoothed her hand over my thigh.

  “You should come up,” she said, her eyes sparkling and her speech slurred. She’d drunk most of the wine at dinner.

  “I need to get home and relieve Jess,” I said.

  Kimberly waved her hand. “She’ll be okay. That’s her job.”

  “Maybe another time,” I said, trying to let her down gently.

  She pouted, and I unlocked the doors, giving her a hint.

  “Fine,” she said, flipping from flirty to upset. “Your loss.” Then she got out and slammed my car door closed.

  I sighed. Thank god that was over.

  On the way home, I tried to think of positive things to say about Jess’s friend. Jess would inevitably ask me how the date went. And I didn’t want to burn any bridges.

  When I got home, I went straight to the wine cellar. I wanted to relax with a night cap. I popped open the bottle and grabbed two glasses from the cabinet in case Jess wanted to stay for a little longer. I hoped she would stay.

  Jess was in the kitchen, putting dishes in the dishwasher. She smiled at me then glanced at the clock at frowned.

  “Date didn’t go so well?” she asked, disappointed.

  “Let’s talk about it over a glass of wine,” I said, needing something to take the edge off.

  Jess and I locked eyes. With a single glance, I knew she didn’t want to leave. And I didn’t want her to go either. “Sure.”

  If it were warmer, I would have taken Jess out to the patio, but instead, we settled in on the couch. If this had been the end of our date, I would have made a fire in the fireplace, but this wasn’t a date. Why did I have to keep reminding myself of that?

  Jess made me more comfortable than anyone had since Amelia. Spending time with Jess put my mind and body at ease.

  I poured her a glass and handed it over.

  She sat on the couch, facing me with her legs tucked under her. “So, what happened?”

  “She’s a sweet girl,” I said. “Maybe I jumped into this too quickly.”

  Jess shoved her hair out of her face as she came up from closing the dishwasher. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” I said. “You got me on a date. That was an accomplishment.”

  “I wished you would have had a good time.”

  “Me too,” I said.

  “So, what can I do to make this terrible date up to you?”

  “How about not setting me up again,” I said, sipping from my
glass.

  She tilted her head back and laughed. “Deal.”

  “Do you have any embarrassing first date stories?” I asked. The tension in my shoulders from the date eased until I sunk into the couch.

  “I have a few,” she said and took a long swallow of the wine. “This is really good.”

  Jess went on about a few of her dates that she went on since she arrived in the States. At one point, we were both teary-eyed from laughing. Most of her first dates were a thousand times worse than the one I went on with Kimberly, which made me feel a little better about tonight.

  I loved the carefree attitude that Jess exuded when talking about her previous dates. As they were embarrassing and pathetic at the time, she had brushed them off as life experiences. I loved the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled. Why couldn’t I have hung out here all night with her?

  As I finished the last of my wine glass, I picked up the bottle and realized it was empty. How long had we sat there? I checked my watch. It was close to eleven.

  I put down my glass and rubbed my temples. “I think I’m just too old to date.”

  Jess laughed. “You’re not too old to date.”

  I chuckled. “I know you’re not saying that because you have to.”

  “No, I don’t,” she said. “You have a lot going for you.”

  “Like what?”

  Jess put down her glass and crossed her arms. “You’re kind and decent. And not just because you’re my boss. I see it with how you treat Gina. And being attractive helps.”

  “You think I’m attractive?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Out of all that, that’s what you focus on?”

  “Of course,” I said with a smirk.

  “You know you are. Don’t sell yourself short. There is someone out there for you.”

  I wasn’t sure if it was the wine or the company but a mix of both. Something inside of me took over, and I leaned forward, pressing my lips against hers. Warmth flooded my body as I kissed her. The same feeling I got when I first met her came back. This was right. And I wanted more.

  CHAPTER 12

  Jess