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“Did Conrad ever say anything to you about the kiss?”
I shake my head. “I don’t think Caroline told him.”
“I’m glad for your sake. My daughter teased me mercilessly all weekend.” His face brightens, as though a thought has just occurred to him. “Hey! Would you consider going on a proper date with me next Saturday? We’ll leave the kids at home, and I’ll take you out for a nice dinner.”
“I’d like that very much. But I have no idea where to find a babysitter.”
“Hmm.” He strokes his chin. “I haven’t thought of that. I can see if Mia’s available, and she can keep all three kids here.”
I smile at him. “That sounds wonderful if we can work it out.”
“So, how’s the writing coming?”
“Great! I finished my first draft yesterday.”
He offers me a high five. “Excellent. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. I’m excited. My editor is lined up, and the cover design is in the works. If all goes as planned, my novel will be on bookshelves in January.”
His face scrunches up as though confused. “I thought this was your first novel, but you sound like a professional author.”
Careful, Julia, I warn myself. You almost gave yourself away.
I chuckle with feigned indifference. “I could be a professional considering all the webinars I’ve attended. I’ve been planning for this moment for a long time.”
Someone in the party crowd catches Will’s attention, and he seems to tune me out as I ramble on about online courses and Facebook groups.
“Excuse me a minute,” Will says, his fingers grazing my arm. “I need to speak with someone. I’ll call you later in the week to work out our dinner plans.”
An emptiness fills me when he leaves me standing alone. How can this man I hardly know have such an impact on my emotions? He asked me out on a date. He must sense the connection between us. Dinner will allow us to get better acquainted.
I watch Will approach an older couple, whom I assume are his parents. He shakes the man’s hand and hugs the woman with the gray braid. Even from afar, I sense tension between Will and his father.
Rejoining the crowd, I accept a glass of sweet tea from Mia and mingle with the other preschool moms. But Will is never far from my line of sight, and I’m more than a little jealous at the way Ellie flirts with him. Conrad says Ellie’s daughter, Zoe, is a show-off. Based on the few times I’ve met her mother, I’d say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Ellie is overdressed in a peasant frock with her hair and makeup styled like a beauty queen. I glance down at my attire, my flat chest, and slim hips. Compared to her, I do look like a man. Ellie flashes Will a bright smile that makes me want to pull all the brilliant white teeth out of her mouth.
I’m so busy watching Ellie and Will, I miss the commotion at the scarecrow-making contest.
Ashton taps me on the shoulder. “We’ve got trouble. You’d better come,” she says and I follow her through the crowd to where a group of children are gathered around Conrad and Zoe.
“You pushed me,” Zoe screams.
“Because you deserved it,” Conrad yells back.
I shove my way through to them. “Conrad! You know you’re not supposed to hit girls.”
“I didn’t hit her,” he says, his face red with anger. “I pushed her, because she called you a slut. She said you were making a fool of yourself by going after Caroline’s dad.”
Ellie appears on the scene. “My daughter would never say such a thing.”
“She did! I heard her!” Caroline shouts angrily.
Tears fill Zoe’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Mommy. But that’s what you said about Miss Julia.”
An audible gasp spreads throughout the crowd.
I place a hand on my son’s head. “Consider the source, son.”
