Whirlwind Romance: 10 Short Love Stories
Page 66
Poppy had pointed out that I trusted my daughter with Gary.
She was right. I absolutely trusted Gary with my daughter. He, like I, treated the girls equally with love and tenderness. Our parenting techniques complimented each other, and the girls had come to respond to both of us as authority figures in their lives. But, as for any kind of romantic feelings for Gary … I banished those thoughts immediately. My need to rely on Gary was too important for me—and the girls—to go down some sort of foolish romantic road.
Although … there were a few times when he’d given me that intent look—like just before I left him at the house tonight. His expression had turned soft, almost sympathetic, with his brows up and his jaw muscle flexed. A little flutter had tickled my throat; it wasn’t quite unease, but something close to it. I’d caught him examining me like this maybe a half dozen times in the past few months. It seemed as though something burned in his brain and he was trying to figure out how to tell me. I couldn’t decide if the look was good or bad, but there seemed to be a bit of wariness in his expression, which led to my discomfort. I never dared to say anything, instead waited patiently for him to speak. Invariably, one of the girls would interrupt or Gary would give his head a shake, and the moment would be lost.
I pulled to a halt at the red light and sighed. Poppy was married, Sophie engaged and planning a wedding. The thought of getting remarried was an enigma to me. I hadn’t even reached thirty, yet it seemed as though I was destined to remain single. The years of loneliness suddenly stretched ahead like the empty road in front of me.