Falling for the Mom-to-Be

Good question. “I thought I’d go over the invoice that lists out the roofing materials with you.”

She tipped her head. “You could have brought it over tomorrow.”

“I was on my way home and thought maybe you’d want to grab dinner.” Showing Annie what she paid for on the roof was reason enough to stop by. But then, maybe it was about spending time with her, too, making sure she was okay. Stopping by her house later wasn’t a good idea, and tomorrow, he’d be busy with the roof, hurried along by Luke.

“Dinner, huh?” She looked wary.

“Are you feeling up to it?”

Then annoyed. “You don’t have to worry about me, you know.”

“I know.” So why was he? He thought about her a lot. Maybe too much. “But we both have to eat.”

She smiled. “I am hungry and cooking doesn’t sound appealing tonight.”

“I’ll even let you pick the place.” He smiled back.

That earned him an evil look of mischief like the old Annie. “There’s a new restaurant down the street that’s good.”

Matthew got nervous considering what Annie thought was good food. “Do they serve real meat?”

“Yes.” She chuckled and sat down to unlace the ribbons of her ivory-colored ballet shoes with the square toes.

“Does it hurt?”

“Does what hurt?” She pulled off a sheer footie sock.

“Standing on your toes like that.”

Annie stretched out bare feet and wiggled her skinny, calloused toes that were taped in places. “I’ve exercised them all my life to make them strong, so I’m used to it. But my feet are ugly.”

He’d never noticed her feet before. They looked work-hardened but not bad. “I’ve seen prettier.”

She clobbered him in the shoulder but laughed. It sounded good hearing her laugh. “Let me throw on a cover-up and we’ll go.”

“I’ll be right here.” He meant it, too. She could lean on him. “Always here for you. I hope you know that.”

She nodded. After scooping up her ballet shoes, she entered her windowed office and slipped on a baggy cotton dress over her dance clothes. Annie turned off the lights and swung a big purse over her shoulder before coming back to stand before him. She’d slipped into cloth-like flats that barely covered her feet.

“After you.” She opened the door for him.

He stepped outside and waited while she locked up. “How far is it?”

Annie shrugged. “About a block away. Do you mind walking?”

“Not at all.” He almost reached for her hand.

This felt a lot like a date. Was he trying to date Annie Marshall? Surely, it was too soon to go there.

He glanced at the woman walking beside him. She was a few years older than him. Not that it mattered. Not to him. The fine lines near her eyes didn’t detract a bit. She’d always been beautiful. And ageless, like one of those models he’d see on infomercials sharing their fountain-of-youth secrets.

Annie caught him staring. “What?”

“Nothing.” He really needed to cover this awkward awareness or they’d have an uncomfortable dinner together. “I was just picturing your feet.”

She rolled her eyes. “Real nice.”

It felt good to tease her. Like they were friends again and nothing had happened to change that. There was no reason to let one kiss change what they were. They were friends. He needed to remember that.

Chapter Three (#ulink_aa0a2748-c319-52ee-a876-9bf5ad524869)

“Thanks for dinner.” Annie snuggled deeper against the passenger seat of Matthew’s truck. She should have stood her ground and walked home like normal. It might have energized her after dinner. The restaurant was only a few blocks from her house, but Matthew wouldn’t hear of it.

Matthew turned onto her street. “No problem.”

After the cold, damp month of April, May had whispered in with warm days, but the evenings still turned cool.

It was still daylight at nine in the evening as the sun hadn’t quite set. One of the many advantages of living in northern Michigan was the long days summer provided.

She let loose a yawn and her eyelids drooped.

“Tired?”

“Yeah. I ate way too much.”

Matthew chuckled. “I’m glad you’ve got your appetite back.”

Tonight, her appetite had returned with a vengeance. She’d eaten everything in sight while Matthew went over the list of materials purchased for her roof. She’d told him not to worry, that she trusted him, but he’d been thorough, anyway. He wanted her to know what he and his brother were doing and why.

He pulled into her driveway and put the truck in park then turned toward her. “I’m worried about you.”

Annie stared straight ahead. “Don’t be. Please? I’m working through this.”

“You don’t have to do it alone. I’m right here.”

Annie looked at Matthew’s earnest face. It’d be easy to depend on him. And too easy to repeat the kiss that had happened in this same truck. She wasn’t going to do that to him. It wasn’t fair to trap him into something that was merely grief-driven, or worse. Maybe this was about hormones.

She forced a smile. “I know you are, and I appreciate it. You don’t owe me anything, Matthew.”

He looked relieved, but troubled. “I know.”

She cupped his cheek and smiled. “I’m okay.”

He leaned toward her, only slightly, and then stopped. His blue eyes searched hers.

Annie pulled her hand back before her overactive hormones kicked her into trouble. Again. “Good night, Matthew.”

“Good night.”