The Manning Grooms: Bride on the Loose / Same Time, Next Year

Since it was her duty to defend womankind, and because she’d been fortified with a beer, Charlotte jumped to her feet. “Don’t get haughty with me, Jason Manning!” she said.

Trying to recover her dignity, she sat back down, tucking one leg beneath her. “You think just because you happen to know a few sports rules, men are superior to women.”

“We are,” he returned wholeheartedly, without the least bit of reservation.

Charlotte laughed. “At least you’re honest. I’m sick of men who pay lip service to women, then go into the men’s room and snicker behind our backs.”

“I’m honest to a fault,” Jason agreed. “I’m willing to snicker right in front of you.”

“Somehow I don’t find that much of a compliment.”

“Hey, admit it. Men are superior, and if you haven’t owned up to it by now, you should. Don’t forget, God created us first.”

“Give me a break,” Charlotte said, rolling her eyes.

“All right. If you can, name one thing a woman does better than a man, other than having babies, which is a given.”

“I’ll improve on that. I’ll name … several.”

“Several? You won’t be able to come up with one.”

“Okay, then,” Charlotte said, accepting his challenge. “Women are more sensitive than men. Really,” she added when he snorted in response.

“Sure, you cry in movies. That negates your whole argument.”

“I’m not talking about crying.” She frowned at him. “I’m referring to feelings! Women aren’t afraid to face their feelings. Men are so terrified of emotion they hold it inside until they’re totally bent out of shape.”

Jason laughed, although grudgingly. “I suppose you think women are smarter than men, too.”

“No,” she said sincerely. “I’d say we’re about even in that department.”

“Go on,” he urged, as though he suspected she’d depleted her list.

“Another thing. Women are better at multitasking than men. We’re used to juggling all kinds of responsibilities.”

Jason snickered.

“I’m serious,” she returned. “If you think about it, you’ll realize it’s true. Women are expected to help support the family financially. Not only that, we’re also expected to assume the role of emotional caretaker. Responsibility for the family falls on the woman’s shoulders, not the man’s. Have you ever noticed how rarely men put the needs of others before their own?”

“‘Needs,’” Jason echoed. “Good grief, what’s that? Some pop-psych buzzword.”

Charlotte ignored him. “Frankly, I feel sorry for you guys. You’ve been allowed to remain children most of your lives. You’ve never been given the chance to grow up.”

Jason looked as though he wanted to argue with her, but couldn’t come up with an adequate rebuttal.

“Women handle pain better than men, too.” Charlotte was on a roll. “I’ve never seen a bigger baby in my life than a man who’s got a minor case of the flu. Most of them act as though we should call in the World Health Organization.”

“I suppose you’re going to drag the horrors of giving birth into this now—which, I’ll remind you, is completely unfair.”

“I don’t need to. Men have a hard time just dealing with a simple cold. If God had left procreation up to the male of the species, humanity would’ve died out with Adam.”

“That’s three,” Jason muttered ungraciously. “Three is not several. Three is a few.”

Charlotte shook her head. “It’s enough. You don’t have a leg to stand on, but you’re too proud to admit it, which is something else a woman’s more capable of doing.”

“What? Standing on one leg?”

“No, admitting she’s wrong. Don’t get me started on that one. It happens to be a personal peeve of mine.”

“You mean the others weren’t?”

“Not particularly. I was just listing a few of the more obvious facts, waiting for you to come up with even one logical defense—which you failed to do.”

He didn’t seem willing to agree, but it was apparent from the smile he ineffectively struggled to hide that he was aware of his dilemma. He had no option, no argument.

“You realize you’ve backed me into a corner, don’t you? I don’t have any choice but to agree with you, otherwise you’ll brand me as being smug and insensitive, unaware of my feelings and too childish to accept the truth.”

“I suppose you’re right.” If anyone was wearing a smug look, it was Charlotte. She felt triumphant, better than she had all day. All week. Come to think of it, she couldn’t remember when she’d enjoyed herself more.

Conceding defeat, Jason moved into the kitchen and returned with a second cold beer for each of them. Charlotte hesitated. She’d never intended to stay this long, and Carrie might be concerned. After all the lectures she’d delivered about being gone longer than expected, Charlotte felt she should go home now. But, to her amazement, she discovered she didn’t want to leave. Watching the rest of the Lakers game with Jason appealed to her a lot more.

“Thanks, anyway, but I should get back to Carrie,” she said.

Although she smiled brightly, some of her reluctance must have shown because Jason said, “So soon?”

“I stayed much longer than I’d planned to.”

“But the game’s only half over.”

“I know, but …”

“Why don’t you call her?” Jason suggested, pointing toward the counter where he kept his phone.

It seemed like a reasonable idea. Charlotte smiled and headed for the kitchen. She punched out her number and waited. Carrie answered on the third ring.

“Oh, hi, Mom,” she said in an unconcerned voice.

“I’m watching the Lakers game with Jason.”

“Okay. We’re not going to move, are we?”

“No, Jason was kind enough to let me withdraw my two-weeks’ notice.”

“Oh, good. He’s a great guy, isn’t he?”

“Yeah.” Charlotte was surprised by how much she meant it. Jason was a great guy. She hadn’t stumbled on many in the past few—or was that several?—years. It was a treat to encounter a man who was candid, sincere and fun. But Charlotte had been fooled by men before, so she wasn’t taking anything for granted.

“Well?” Jason asked when she replaced the receiver.