Page 13 of Summer Affair

She shook her head, pasted on a fake smile, and opened her mouth to say something pleasant, but Heather chimed in first, after looking her up and down. “Still rocking the tattoos, I see. So edgy.”

Andrea’s lips twitched slightly as she forced a polite smile. “Tiffany, Heather. How have you two been?”

“Oh, you know, busy with the kids and all,” Tiffany replied, adjusting her stroller. “It’s a lot of work, but so rewarding. You wouldn’t know about that, would you?”

Heather laughed, a sharp, unpleasant sound. “Yeah, Andrea’s always been the free spirit type. No time for settling down or having a family of her own. Then again, there were rumors about you dating women. Maybe you don’t want a family?”

Andrea felt a pang in her chest but kept her expression neutral. “Everyone has their own path in life.”

“You were always into that new age mumbo-jumbo,” Heather added.

“She sure was,” Tiffany said, her eyes glinting. “Don’t you ever feel like you’re missing out? I mean, you’re still living that wild and crazy lifestyle while we’re building families.”

“Yeah,” Heather added, “I mean, don’t you ever think about the future? Like, what happens when you’re old and alone?”

Andrea’s grip tightened on the handle of her basket. She had thought about it—many times. She had always dreamed of having children, of creating a family of her own. But life hadn’t worked out that way, and she had learned to find joy in other things.

Before Andrea could respond, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

“There you are, babe. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Andrea turned to see Dean walking towards her, his expression calm but purposeful. He slid an arm around her shoulders and looked at Tiffany and Heather with a warm, confident smile.

“Hey,” he said, “they didn’t need me at work tonight so I figured we’d spend the evening together.”

Tiffany and Heather’s eyes widened in surprise. “The two of you are seeing each other?”

Of course they knew who Dean was. He’d been in the class above them. The one boy at school that Heather and Tiffany had always wanted to sink their teeth into and never had a chance to. At least not that she knew about.

Both of the women’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Andrea was just telling us about her…interesting lifestyle,” Heather said, her tone a little less sharp now.

Dean chuckled, squeezing Andrea’s shoulder gently. “Yeah, she’s amazing, isn’t she? I love her free spirit. It’s what makes her unique. What makes our relationship so”—he glanced down at her and winked—“exciting.”

Andrea felt a rush of gratitude and relief wash over her. “Thanks, babe,” she said, playing along. “We should probably finish up here. This dinner won’t make itself.”

“Absolutely,” Dean replied. “Nice seeing both of you again.” He glanced at the kids. “Cute kids. Take care.”

As they walked away, Andrea felt the tension drain from her body. Once they were out of earshot, she looked up at Dean with a grateful smile. “Thank you for that. You didn’t have to do it, but I appreciate it.”

Dean shrugged, smiling back at her. “No problem. Like I said, they didn’t need me this evening. I’m just thankful I stopped off to get something to eat and saw you in trouble. Those girls needed to be put in their place. If I remember correctly, they always bullied you back in school.”

“Yeah, I think it was their favorite pastime.”

“I would have thought they’d grown out of it by now, seeing as they both have children of their own,” he pointed out as she put a few other items into her cart.

“Well, you did a great job. I think they’re going to have to pick their jaws off the floor before finishing their shopping.”

Dean’s expression softened. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that. But for what it’s worth, you’re pretty incredible just the way you are. You always have been.”

Andrea felt a warmth spread through her chest. “Thanks. You’re pretty incredible yourself.”

“Now, you mentioned something about dinner?” He smiled. “I was here to grab a frozen dinner for one.” He glanced at her cart. “Your food looks so much better than what I had planned.”

She laughed. “I owe you, so I’ll cook us up some dinner.”

“Thanks.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders again. “They’re still watching us,” he said softly.