“Not too long. We were friends.” He felt his cheeks heat. “Friends with, uh … well, anyway, Nora was a surprise. I haven’t dated much since then. I was away, then figuring out what was next, and being a dad…” He raised an eyebrow. “You?”
She laughed. “Are you kidding? I had med school and then crazy, crazy hours. Hard on relationships.”
“And there’s been no one here in Jewell Cove? I find that hard to believe.”
She shrugged. “It’s a small town. There’s not always a huge selection on the dating market. And then there’s the fact that everyone is a potential patient. Awkward…”
She looked at him earnestly. “I spent most of my childhood studying or practicing violin. I had friends, sure, but social skills didn’t come naturally to me. I swear, if it wasn’t for my college roommate, I’d be a hermit.”
“You’re no hermit,” he confirmed, and he slid over closer to her. “Hermits are old and wrinkly and hairy.”
“I think you’re confusing them with trolls.”
He laughed, then kissed her quickly. “Maybe.”
“So if I make a confession, you won’t laugh at me?”
“Cross my heart.” He made the motion across his chest and she smiled sweetly.
“I’m not good at the fling thing. I’m more of a slow mover. Just so you know…”
“Hey,” he offered gently, realizing that the more he got to know her, the more he liked her. “We only just met. There’s no hurry. Besides, last night was the most unusual first date I’ve ever had. There’s something different about you, Charlie.”
“Um, is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
It took all his willpower not to kiss her again. “I like being with you,” he said. “And I’d like to see you again. Let’s start there.”
“Like living in the moment? Keeping it simple?”
“Yeah. Like that.” He halted, considered before he spoke again. “I’m not really the jump-in-headfirst kind of guy when it comes to relationships either.”
She looked up and her lips curved the slightest bit. “I wouldn’t be opposed to getting to know you a little better too.”
The attraction hummed between them again and Dave considered whether or not he wanted to start over … or pick up where they’d left off. He looked over his shoulder, saw the baby still sleeping, and debated. Finally he decided to wait. Charlie needed to nap when she could, and he shouldn’t get in the way of that. “I should probably go,” he decided. “You really do need some sleep. I’ll call you?”
“I’d like that.”
She walked him to the door and waited while he shoved on his boots and put on his jacket. “Drive safe,” she advised, and he nodded.
“I’m only a couple more miles up the road. But I will. Don’t worry.”
“And thanks for the drive home.”
“You’re welcome.”
There was an awkward pause where he had his hand on the doorknob, not quite out the door, but almost. He wanted to kiss her. Finally he leaned in a bit and dropped a small kiss on her lips. Not too much. Just enough to let her know that he was interested.
“I’ll call you,” he repeated, and went out the door into the snow and ice.
*
Charlie was already at work the next morning when her cell phone vibrated with a new text. Her heart gave a little thump when she saw the short message.
It’s Dave. Do you need a lift to pick up your car? I can pick you up on my way to work.
She’d deliberately set the alarm for a half hour earlier than normal and called one of the two taxis that Jewell Cove offered. With the added time required to get the baby ready, the last thing she wanted was to be late to work. She knew everything would take her longer and was still trying to figure out how she was going to manage appointments. By seven fifteen she’d been on her way to the waterfront where she’d warmed up her car and scraped the ice and snow from the windows, and by seven thirty she was in her office tackling her e-mail as best she could.
She’d had a lot of time to think since yesterday morning and had decided to take a step back from whatever had been developing between her and Dave. Looking back at the last few days, she realized she’d been dealing with two different situations, neither of which was conducive to clear thinking. First, there’d been the whole fantasy-in-the-flesh thing when he’d shown up at the church and then at the tree lighting. She’d been, as Thumper said in Bambi, “twitterpated.”
And then there was the whole baby-in-the-manger thing. It had been an extreme situation, and at the end of it she’d been exhausted.
She put down her coffee and quickly tapped a reply.
I’m already here. But thanks for the offer. I appreciate it.
There was a long pause before he answered again.
Okay. Talk soon.