Sarah snapped her
head up and threw her daughter a startled look. It wasn’t necessarily the
words but the volume that unsettled her. After narrowing her eyes at Abby
she glanced to her left through the white picket fence that separated her
property from the neighbor. Said neighbor, Neil Ramsey, was at his shed,
certainly close enough to hear Abby’s statement. He must’ve because Sarah
could see his lips turn up in a smile even though he appeared to have his
attention on his paintbrush.
Sarah Callahan
attacked the tender tiger lily stem with the clippers and added the length
to the long basket at her side but then looked back up at Abby.
"Gee honey," she
remarked dryly, "why don’t you say it a little louder. I don’t think the
neighbor heard."
Abby bestowed her
best "you’re totally clueless" roll of the eyes reserved almost exclusively
for her little brother. "Hello, that’s the point. I can say it louder if you
like, though."
“Don’t you dare.”
Sarah glanced up at
Neil Ramsey again. He’d gone back to painting the old shed that stood
halfway between his new house and her property line. Shirtless, the sultry
July sun gleamed against his tanned shoulders and back. His brown hair stood
on end as if he’d raked his hand through it many times.
"He’s too young for
me," Sarah muttered lamely. She cut another tiger lily and scooted down
towards the pale pink roses.
"You can’t be that
much older than him," Abby continued.
Sarah turned and
looked at her relentless daughter. Her little matchmaker who was only
thirteen.
"I think you should
invite him over to dinner on Friday."
"What makes you
think he has any interest in an old woman like me?" Sarah winked at her
daughter, but only got the rolling of the eyes again.
"Because he’s
always outside when you’re cutting flowers. Listen, Mom, I know boys, and I
can tell when one is interested."
Sarah nearly
laughed over that statement but figured it would probably only hurt Abby’s
feelings, so she rolled her eyes back.
"Well, my little
Yenta why don’t you leave my love life alone for now. The poor man hasn’t
been in town more than two months. He probably wonders who the crazy
neighbor in the straw hat who cuts flowers all day is."
Abby stood up
quickly and tucked a pink rose behind her ear. "No, he likes you. We’ll get
you a date with him, leave it to me."
Before Sarah could
respond, Abby turned and dashed off to the house.
"Abby, you better
not try it!" Sarah yelled before she realized the attention she drew. She
glanced back over at Neil. Again his dark eyes were pinned on hers, and
underneath the moustache that framed his upper lip he smiled broadly.
Regardless of
whatever evil little matchmaking plans Abby was cooking up, a distinct
increase of her heartbeat took Sarah by surprise. She smiled back at him and
shrugged. It would be a struggle to keep it cool now.
***
It had become a
ritual in the Callahan house, from the time Sarah and her husband divorced
four years ago. Abby and her younger brother Seth would cook dinner for
Sarah every Sunday night. It gave Sarah an opportunity to soak in a hot bath
after a hard weekend of catering. Abby had become quite proficient in the
kitchen and after a few years Sarah stopped worrying that her kitchen would
burn down.
“Mom, dinner will
be ready in fifteen minutes!” Abby called from the other side of the door.
Sarah sunk lower
into the lilac scented bubbles, soaking the hot water into her body. Enya
drifted from the CD player in the corner and the wide edge around the tub
held half a dozen lit candles.
“Mom!” Abby’s
voice was closer to the door this time. “Did you hear me? Dinner is pretty
soon. You have to get ready.”
“Yes, I heard you.
Since when do I have to get ready? I can get ready in less than five
minutes. Robe, fuzzy slippers, ta da.”
Abby gasped. “No,
not tonight. Tonight we made you something special. Please Mom. You need
to be dressed.”
Sarah picked up on
the panic in her daughter’s voice. “All right, all right. I’m getting
out.”
With more
reluctance than energy, Sarah pushed herself out of the tub and released the
water. She snuffed out each of the candles and switched off Enya.
In her bedroom a
deep ruby red dress had been laid out on her bed, a dress she hadn’t worn
but twice since her divorce.
“What the heck are
you up to?” Sarah muttered to herself, but took the dress up anyway and held
it up to herself. Facing the mirror she wondered if she’d even fit into
it. When she’d worn it in the past it made her feel like a million dollars.
“Can only try,” she
told her image in the mirror and with firm resolve got ready for her dinner
with the kids.
***
Soft music drifted
up the stairs to meet Sarah as she walked down, securing a gold and ruby
earring. When she reached the bottom she stopped. Something was up. Her
little dears had done something and as she paused at the entrance to the
living room, she wasn’t too sure she’d be happy about it.
Sarah stepped into
the softly lit living room and before she could stop, gasped. Neil Ramsey
swung around and faced her, his dark eyes wide. He gaped at her for a long
moment then smiled.
“Hi, I’m sorry I’m
early,” he said. “The kids let me in.”
Sarah took another
step into the room, quite aware that she looked stunned. She pushed the
look away, and smiled more naturally. “No, it’s all right. I hope you’ve
made yourself comfortable.”
Neil nodded. Sarah
couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was, an inch or two over six feet,
a trim, athletic build clothed in a dark blue oxford shirt and black
slacks. He even wore a tie.
“And where did
those kids get to?” but as Sarah glanced into the dining room and saw the
table set for two, complete with beautiful pink roses and candles, she knew
the two had long gone.
Leaving her alone
for a romantic dinner for two with her new neighbor. She opened her mouth to
speak, then shut it again, turning back to look at him. What the heck must
he think of her? But he only smiled, a dimple cut into each cheek.
“They said they’d
be back in a few hours,” Neil replied.
“Oh, that’s right,”
Sarah said with forced cheer. “Can I get you a drink?”
Neil laughed.
“Sure, I’d love one. But I’ll say it if you won’t. I think we’ve been set
up.”
Halfway to the
dining room, Sarah turned and looked back at him, with an embarrassed grin.
Heat crept into her cheeks. He stood a pace behind her. How much more
humiliating could this be? The romantic music, the candlelit table, her
dress that bordered on sexy.
“May I apologize
right now for my children? And I’ll give you the opportunity to back out of
this evening with no hard feelings at all.”
Neil gazed down at
her, a small smile playing on his lips. Apparently he enjoyed this. There
wasn’t an ounce of discomfort in his dark eyes. Sarah’s heart rate climbed
to a new level.
“And disappoint
them? If you’d have me, I’d love to stay for dinner,” he replied in a low
voice.
A flutter of motion
at the French doors off the living room caught Sarah’s eyes. In the dim
evening light she could see Abby and Seth dashing across the lawn towards
their tree house at the back of the property.
She shifted her
eyes back to Neil. “It would be my pleasure to have you stay.”
