Hope Smolders

by Jaci Burton

  Her waist was indented, her hips swelled out nicely, and--what do you know about that? Chelsea was right, she thought, as she turned this way and that. She was tall, so she had long legs. Long, still shapely legs. She still thought her thighs were a little on the thick side, but screw it. She turned to the side and decided her butt was nicely rounded. And bigger butts were the in thing now, weren't they?

  If a man couldn't appreciate her body, he could shove it. It wasn't as bad as she'd thought, and maybe she needed to start dressing better to appreciate it. It was time to do a little shopping--at Goodwill, which often had killer clothes at bargain prices. People threw out awesome clothes that they barely wore. She might not have a lot of money, but she knew how to shop.

  Determined to get a haircut, a wax, and find clothes that actually fit, she felt a lot better as she climbed into bed.

  But there was something she needed to do first. She grabbed her phone and dialed Will's number.

  "Hey," he said when he answered on the second ring. "What are you doing?"

  "Sitting in bed. I wanted to thank you for mowing my lawn. Why did you do that?"

  "Because it needed mowing and your current schedule doesn't seem to allow enough time to fit that in. I have a lot more spare time than you do."

  "I was going to get around to doing the yard work."

  "I'm sure you were. But now it's done, and that was my outdoor sweaty exercise for the day so, actually, you were doing me a favor."

  She smiled. "In that case, you're welcome."

  "Did you have a good day today?" he asked.

  She loved that he cared enough to ask. "It was all right. As exciting as math can be."

  "I never had math teachers as pretty as you. Mine were all old, with gray hair and pinched expressions on their faces, like their shoes were too tight."

  "I'm certain you're exaggerating. Most math teachers are gorgeous and sexy."

  He laughed. "Clearly I went to the wrong school."

  "Clearly."

  "So did you think about that date?"

  All she'd been thinking about was that kiss. And she wanted more. "A little."

  "How about Saturday night?"

  That would give her plenty of time to take care of her hair and eyebrows and...other areas, and do some shopping and beg her parents to watch the kids. "Uh, okay. Sure. Thank you. Are you sure you want to go out with me?"

  "Jane. I really want to go out with you. How about I pick you up at six thirty?"

  "All right. I'll see you at six thirty Saturday."

  "You'll probably see me before then, but we have a date Saturday night."

  Her heart did a ridiculous flutter in her chest. "Okay. Good night."

  "Good night, Jane. Try to dream about me tonight."

  She hung up and laid her phone on the nightstand, feeling a little dizzy and giddy and utterly too old to feel like this.

  She slid down in the bed and pulled the sheet up, then wiggled her toes and stared up at the ceiling.

  He made her smile. No man had done that in a very long time.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Tabitha and Ryan were thrilled to be spending the night at their grandparents'. Since Jane rarely leaned on her parents, the kids didn't get to stay over all that often, something her parents complained about, and so did the kids. But she felt like she needed to take responsibility for her children and not dump them on someone else. It was bad enough their father left them. The last thing they needed was to feel abandoned by their mother.

  "You know you're being ridiculous about this," her mother said. "We love having the kids."

  "I know you do. But they're also my responsibility, Mom."

  Ignoring the inevitable argument, her mom said, "So...a date?"

  Another reason she hadn't wanted her parents to watch the kids tonight. She'd known this discussion was going to come up, and she didn't want to talk to her mother about Will. Jane had originally wanted to tell her mother she just needed a night out on her own, but if anyone saw them together, by Monday her mother would know and then Jane would be in trouble for the lie of omission, so she came clean.

  Then she'd planned to pick up the kids after her date, but her mother had thought it a better idea that the kids spend the night.

  "Are you certain this is okay?" Jane asked.

  "Of course. We love spending time with the kids. Besides, you might see some action," her mother said with a wink.

  "Mom. Honestly." Jane had blushed ten shades of crimson, even though she'd thought of nothing but seeing Will naked for the past three days. Not that she'd admit that to her mother.

  "What?" her mother asked. "You've been living like a nun since Vic left you. It's high time you have some fun. And some sex. Will Griffin is a great guy. And hot. If the opportunity presents itself, jump his bones."

  "I am not having this conversation with you, Mom," Jane said, then ran outside where her father was entertaining the kids in the pool. She kissed them all good-bye and dashed out the door so she could go home and get ready for her date.

  She'd dropped the kids off plenty early so she'd have time to decide what to wear. She'd had the waxing thing done a couple days ago. Today she'd gone to get her hair cut and Phoebe had insisted her hair was drab and she needed highlights. She'd argued that brown hair was brown hair and there wasn't much one could do to make it better. Besides, she couldn't afford a fancy new hairstyle, but Phoebe had given her a discount and she relented. The highlights were subtle and gorgeous and really made a difference, brightening her face. Or maybe that was the eyebrow wax, which made her eyes seem rounder and made her green eyes brighter. She had no idea. She only knew she felt better.

  But now she had to decide what to wear. She'd chosen three dresses, but she needed Chelsea's help. She called, and Chelsea had told her she'd been prepared for the phone call and had known Jane was going to need her. She came right over and perused the outfits Jane had selected.

  "Seriously, Jane?" Chelsea asked. "These are the dresses you bought?"

  Jane looked at the bed where she'd laid out the dresses. "Well, yes. What's wrong with them?"

  Chelsea sighed. "Girl, when was the last time you dated?"

  She wrinkled her nose and did the math. "Thirteen years ago?"

  "Ugh. I thought this might be a problem. You've forgotten how to be sexy. I brought a few things."

  "Chelsea, wait," Jane said, but Chelsea had already left the room. She came back a few minutes later with an armload of skirts and tops and stuff that Jane could already tell wouldn't fit her and were going to be way too short.

  "I can't wear those."

  "Sure you can." Chelsea looked at Jane, then at the pile she'd tossed on the bed. She picked up a sinfully short champagne-colored skirt adorned with sequins and feathery thingies. "Try this one."

  Jane backed away like the skirt had a communicable disease. "I don't think so. I mean, yes, I'm single, but not the same type of single as you, Chelsea. I do not have your slender legs or your fantastic ass."

  Chelsea grinned. "You think I have a fantastic ass?"

  Jane rolled her eyes. "Is this really 'admire Chelsea' night?"

  Chelsea shoved the skirt at her. "You're right. We'll sing my praises another night. Put the skirt on, Jane."

  She grabbed the skirt. "Fine. But if you laugh at how ridiculous I look in it, we're no longer friends."

  "And take this top and put it on, too. And these shoes."

  Horrified, Jane rolled her eyes. "I really hate you."

  "You won't when you see how rockin' hot you are in this outfit."

  Dubious that she'd even be able to get the skirt on over her hips, she dropped her robe and pulled the skirt up. Surprisingly, it fit. So did the superslinky peach silk sleeveless top that fell over her skin like a waterfall.

  "Don't forget the shoes."

  "I can't walk in those."

  "Will can help you walk."

  Jane laughed, but climbed into the ridiculously high heels. "I feel si
x feet tall in these things."

  "But your legs are amazing. Now turn and look at yourself in the mirror."

  She did, gasping at the transformation.

  She looked stunning. She had to hold on to Chelsea to twist and turn to see her body, but she had to admit, she was a sex goddess in this outfit. Her legs did indeed look amazing. The skirt brushed the tops of her thighs, and the draping of the top made her look superskinny. It also revealed a ton of cleavage.

  "Wow."

  "I know, right?" Chelsea said, grinning.

  "This is a gorgeous outfit, Chelse," Jane said, turning to her. She slid off the heels. "But it's so not me."

  "Ah, well. I figured that. But I wanted you to realize how utterly gorgeous you are."

  "Point taken." She grabbed Chelsea and hugged her. "Thank you for that."

  She ended up choosing a black and white striped skirt that rested on her hips and hit just above the knee, along with a black tank with a cutout in the back. Slightly subdued, but also sexy. She also decided on the new black wedge heels she'd bought that weren't going to give her a nosebleed.

  She was pleased with how she looked and Chelsea pronounced her drop-dead gorgeous, fresh, and sexy, which was good enough for her.

  Chelsea hightailed it out of there about fifteen minutes before Will was due to arrive, leaving Jane enough time to ponder jewelry and touch up her makeup, which she'd left minimal, but she did add some lip gloss just before he rang the doorbell.

  Her stomach tightened and she took a deep breath, smoothed her skirt, and went to the door.

  He took her breath away in dark jeans and a button-down, long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

  "Hi," she said.

  He was staring at her, and when she spoke, he jerked his head up. "Hey. You look gorgeous."

  She smiled. "Thank you. I wasn't sure where we were going."

  "You're perfect for where we're going. Unless you just want to stay in."

  Her smile died. "You want to stay in?"

  He laughed. "No. I was joking." He held his arm out for her. "Let's go, Cinderella. Time for your night out."

  She felt like Cinderella. She was going out on a date tonight.

  "Do you like Asian food?" he asked after they were in the car.

  "I like any food that doesn't come with a dressed-up character and Skee-Ball afterward."

  He laughed. "You're in luck, then, because none of that tonight."

  He hopped on the highway and they headed into Tulsa. She didn't get to Tulsa all that often, unless for some reason she needed to go to the mall, which was typically only to do Christmas shopping. So when he took her to Utica Square and pulled in front of P.F. Chang's, she figured this was going to be the best date she'd had in a very long time.

  Okay, so it was the only date she'd had in a very long time.

  "Will this work?" he asked.

  "It totally works. Thank you."

  He laid his hand on the small of her back and led her inside. She'd forgotten what that felt like--to have a man put his hand on her. It was just a light touch, really, but what it signified meant so much. It was a stamp, a "hey, we're together" kind of thing.

  She was being silly. It meant nothing. They were having dinner. He felt sorry for her because she'd lived like a nun for the past two years. She should stop reading anything into this.

  Except there'd been that kiss.

  The dark atmosphere inside was nice, but there was nothing romantic about P.F. Chang's. On a Saturday night, the place was bustling with activity. Will, being a smart guy, had made reservations, so they were quickly shown to their table, a booth against the wall.

  Their waitress appeared right away with their menus and said she'd be back in a few to take their drink order.

  Will perused the menu, while she stole glances at him. When he peeked at her over the top of his menu, she quickly looked down.

  "What are you thinking about in terms of a drink?"

  She had no idea. Normally when she went out, it was Chuck E. Cheese's or Incredible Pizza, where there'd be a buffet or games for the kids to run and play. Drinks consisted of soda. This was a grown-up menu, and she didn't take her kids to grown-up restaurants. One, because they cost too much and it was a waste of money she didn't have, and, two, because those kinds of restaurants weren't fun for her kids.

  "Uh, I have no idea. As you can imagine, I don't get out much."

  He gave her a lopsided smile, and her stomach tightened. Really, all she wanted was to kiss him again. Nothing like a one-track mind.

  "How about some sake?"

  "Sure. That sounds great."

  When their waitress came back, he ordered for both of them.

  "Are you hungry?" he asked.

  "Starving, actually." She'd been so focused on getting ready for the date, she might have forgotten to eat much today.

  "Good. How about an appetizer? Their lettuce wraps are good."

  "Sounds fantastic." At the mention of food, her stomach grumbled. Yeah, she definitely needed to eat, especially if she was going to be drinking. She was a lightweight in the alcohol department, so getting food into her was paramount if she was going to stay sober.

  The waitress brought their sake and Will ordered the appetizer.

  "Would you like to order dinner now, or wait a bit?" the waitress asked.

  Will looked to Jane. "Oh, I didn't look at that yet. Sorry."

  "We'll wait," he said to the waitress, who left.

  "I guess I should figure out what I want to eat."

  "There's no hurry, Jane. We're not on a schedule here. Just sit back and enjoy your drink."

  "Right. I'm so used to my life being scheduled. Eating out with the kids typically means arguments and me wanting to get home as soon as humanly possible."

  He laid his hand over hers. "Not tonight. Relax."

  The contact was electric, the zing from his hand over hers shooting through her nerve endings and hitting all those sweet spots that hadn't been touched in a very long time. She took a hard swallow of sake, her eyes watering.

  "Wow," she said, glad she had a glass of water at the table to wash it down with.

  "It's kind of strong," he said. "You might want to sip it."

  "Now you tell me." But she did sip after that, and she liked the flavor. "I've never had sake before. It's interesting."

  "Sake and beer are good together, too. Some night when we have a designated driver, I'll get you toasted on it."

  "Hey, I'm not the one who's driving."

  He signaled the waitress and ordered an Asian beer and another round of sake.

  Her eyes widened. "I was joking, you know."

  "I'm dead serious."

  She arched a brow. "You would get me drunk?"

  "In a heartbeat. Easier to take advantage of you that way."

  As if the sake hadn't already made her sweat, his words sent her up in flames. "I...see. You're going to have to go a little slower, Will. I'm out of practice."

  He smiled at the waitress as she brought the beer and sake along with their lettuce wraps, then he turned his attention back to Jane. "I don't know about that. Seems to me you're doing just fine."

  She took a sip of the beer, also surprisingly good. Probably a little too good, because she started to feel the buzz. "Just stop me if I start to strip off my clothes and climb up on the table to dance."

  "Duly noted. Here, have some food." He scooped some chicken onto a piece of lettuce, rolled it up, and slid a plate across the table in front of her.

  She didn't want to eat. She wanted this nice, relaxed feeling to continue and didn't want the food to ruin it. She hadn't felt this way for a long time. And she had no kids around, no responsibilities, didn't have to worry about Ryan and Tabby arguing or throwing things and talking too loud or wanting to go play a game. She could sit back and have an adult conversation. When was the last time that had happened?

  Chelsea was right. She deserved this. But she also didn't want to end up on
the floor after the first half hour, so she took a bite of the wrap, which was oh so good.

  "I'll bet you do this a lot," she said, trying not to devour the wrap in two bites once she realized how hungry she really was.

  "Do what?"

  "Go out. Eat. On dates."

  He'd fixed one of the wraps for himself and had taken a bite. He chewed thoughtfully, took a drink of water, then leaned back in the chair. "Well, I do eat."

  She pinned him with a look. "You know what I mean."

  "I do know what you mean. And no, I don't date a lot. For the past several years I've been on the night shift. There aren't a lot of women to date during daylight hours."

  "You had weekends, though."

  "I had night shift on a lot of the weekends, too. I wasn't exactly high man on the totem pole. You get the shit shifts when you're working your way up."

  "Oh. I hadn't thought about that. Must have really screwed with your social life."

  "What social life?"

  "Okay. Point taken. So what have you been doing?"

  He shrugged. "Sleeping. Going to the gym. Hanging out at home or going out for a beer with my friends when I do get some time off."

  "Sounds about as exciting as my life."

  He shot her a smile. "Minus the kids, but yeah, it's hard to have a relationship when you know you're not going to be able to take a woman out on a Friday or Saturday night, or when you know your schedule is going to be the kiss of death before you can ever get anything started."

  She lifted her sake. "Welcome back to regular working hours, then, Will."

  He clinked his glass of water against her sake. "Thanks. It's good to be in the land of the living again. And the same to you."

  He had a point. "Thanks. It's nice to be out without the kids. I don't get adult conversation all that often."

  "You should have been out well before now."

  She took a deep breath. "It was important the kids had me around."

  "For a while at the beginning, yeah. For two years? Come on. You don't need to sacrifice your entire life just because Vic took a hike."

  She lifted her beer and took a long swallow. "Oh, how about we don't talk about Vic tonight?" Or...ever.

  "Sure. Okay, sorry."

  "No. I'm sorry." She'd snapped at him. Wasn't she turning out to be a fun date?

  "You don't have to be sorry. You have a right to not want to talk about...that."

  "No, I need to stop pretending he doesn't exist. I just wanted a nice night out tonight without thinking about my kids or my ex-husband. Is that selfish of me?"