A Mother For His Adopted Son. Lynne Marshall

I’ve already had lunch. Just finished.”

      She tipped her head, a suspicious gaze, clueing him in that he needed to do something. After all this big buildup about the great Thai food, the almost-but-not-quite invitation, he’d better make his move beyond the theoretical. And as his foster father used to say, there was no time like the present.

      “Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night, then? I’m thinking Thai food. Hollywood. Beer or iced tea, but definitely fried bananas for dessert.” He’d just asked out the first woman after his breakup with Katie and becoming a father, and it felt damn good. He was ready for this. Except maybe he should hold off on the triumph part until he got her answer.

      A why-not expression brightened her rich mocha eyes, but only after a long moment’s hesitation. This one wasn’t looking for a date or a boyfriend—a good thing in general, but right this moment a little unnerving. “Sure,” she said finally. “I’d like that.”

      Both surprised and happy, he grinned and rapped his knuckles twice on the cafeteria tabletop. “Great. It’s a date, then.”

      “I’m sorry, Mom,” Andrea said over the phone after lunch. “I’ve just made plans for tomorrow night.” Why she’d agreed to have dinner with Sam Marcus was beyond her, but he’d lured her with a great-sounding meal, and to be honest the thought of spending a few hours with him hadn’t seemed like such a bad idea at the time. Not even fifteen minutes later she doubted her decision.