“Later,” his friend replied with the obvious intent to see her again.
Bryan watched Laura drive away, then got into the van and slammed the door. “Hands off, Kevin!”
“I never touched her,” Kevin claimed, raising his hands, pleading innocence.
“You know what I mean.”
“Thought you weren’t interested.”
“My wife just died!”
“Andrea’s been out of your life for over a year. You’re free to start dating again, and Laura seems like as good a place to start if you ask me.”
“I didn’t ask you, but that hasn’t stopped you from throwing interference, has it? We have a professional working relationship. Nothing more.”
“Right. That’s why she brought you Thanksgiving dinner. Did she take any of the other families dinner?”
“Just admit that your stunt didn’t work. You know as well as I do, that if any of the other families had been in the shape I was, she would have done the same. Laura takes care of everyone. That’s as far as her feelings for me go.”
“The question is, for how long?”
Bryan stared straight ahead, simmering with jealousy. She was a wonderful woman, possibly one who could blow Kevin’s chauvinistic attitudes all to pieces, but in the end, it came down to the fact that he had no right to stop Kevin, and no intentions of exploring his own feelings for Laura.
He was about as interested in a wife and three more children as he was in eating quiche. Though if given a choice of kids, T.J., Carrie and Chad wouldn’t be so bad. In fact, they were just what he’d hoped for so many years ago.
The next weekend he overheard Kevin on the phone. “Afternoon Laura, what do you say we take in a movie?”
Bryan stopped to listen.
“You never know, I could be the man of your dreams.”
After a pause, Kevin cleared his throat.
“Well, when you change your mind, let me know. Goodbye, Mrs. Bates.” Kevin hung up, mumbling to himself, “Imagine that woman trying to develop a conscience in me!” Kevin walked into the kitchen, obviously surprised to find Bryan was cleaning out the refrigerator.
“What are you doing now?” Kevin growled. “Next thing you know, you’ll be cleaning closets and washing windows!”
“Laura is quite a lady, and she rattled you. I haven’t seen a woman do that to you in a long time.” Bryan razzed his friend, hoping he’d give up the matchmaking attempts.
Kevin had been the first one scheduled to make the trip to the altar, and the scars of being jilted still hadn’t healed. Yet, as sour as Kevin was about marriage, he seemed to think a family would take care of all Bryan’s problems.
“Don’t worry. No woman’s going to get to me.” Kevin turned to leave and called back over his shoulder, “But Laura Bates has gotten under your skin, friend, and it has nothing to do with ‘professionalism.’ May as well admit it.”
“Not on my life.” Bryan insisted. “We’re down to two weeks.”
“Fool,” Kevin muttered as he closed the door to the den.
It had been a long day, and an even longer week. Bryan had left the office early to work out before picking Jacob up from Laura’s. She looked up from the picture book she and Jacob were reading.
“Rough day, huh?”
Rough is losing a major account, this goes way beyond that. He grunted something in response and looked at his son.
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