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Chapter 3
“How are the renovations coming along?”Dina asked.
“Good,” Natalie said, focusing on the fresh batch of vanilla cupcakes she had just sat on the marbled counter to add frosting. The less they spoke to each other, the better. Vincent had been at her house for the past four days, and they’d only exchanged a handful of words. A part of her resented what he’d said in Sally’s motel room. Then again, he’d fixed her AC the next day, so she couldn’t afford to hold a grudge.
If only she still had the scorching temperature to blame for the internal fever whenever she remembered their short-lived hook-up.
“I told you his coming was a good idea,” Dina said.
Natalie clenched the icing tube, and squirted too much blue frosting on the cupcake. Vincent. Coming.
Guilt wrapped around her heart for a long beat, then squeezed it. Dina had no idea about what had happened, and Natalie would rather die than tell her. From what she knew about Vincent, she doubted he’d spill the beans to his ex-wife. “Yes,” she said simply, and faked a smile. Sure, Dina had been intrusive when she’d invited Vincent, but she meant well.
“And you know what else is a good idea? The pot roast I’m cooking. You’re coming over for dinner tonight.”
“Dinner? Who else will be there?” she asked, to make sure Dina hadn’t invited Vincent along.
“I invited Josh from across the street.”
Josh Anthony? The mechanic who worked in his father’s repair shop? He’d invited her on a date a few months ago but she’d politely declined. Josh had a kind smile and wasn’t bad to look at, even though his tall frame was rather too slim to her taste. “Are you playing cupid? Because it won’t work, Miss Dina.”
Dina shrugged her off. “Natalie. You’re young and have so much life in you. You need to date again. Josh is a wonderful young man.”
“What if I’m not into him?”
“Give him a chance.”
What chance? Josh didn’t evoke in her the type of sinful fantasies Vincent had. But Josh is nice and won’t tell you off like Vincent. “If I don’t like him, I don’t want you to ever set me up with anyone again. Deal?”
Dina grinned. “Deal.”
“Since you’re cooking pot roast… I’ll be there.” Natalie had to put her newfound desire for Vincent on a leash. Indulging in a different kind of meat was the least she could do to keep her sanity until he finished remodeling her home.
* * *
Hours later,Natalie fixed the stubborn thin strap of her flowery dress that kept sliding off. She’d run home and showered after Dina’s dinner invitation. Maybe it was a good thing to stay away from Vincent for a night.
Dina had a point.
Natalie had been a widow for four years, and lonelier for longer. She owed it to herself to have a good time and give Josh a shot. What if he turned out to be more fun than she expected? Or maybe he’d just be a congenial good guy—a nice change from Clint and certainly not as much of a threat as Vincent.
“Natalie,” Dina said with flair when she opened the door for her enthusiastically, as if they hadn’t seen each other in a while. “I’m so glad you made it,” she continued, ushering her inside. “You remember Josh from across the street, right?”
Josh stood up, all nervous energy, with a smile denting both cheeks. “Hi, Natalie,” he said, and even she detected the eagerness in his voice. Either he’d shown up early and Dina had drilled him with questions, or Josh was indeed happy to see her.
“Hey Josh. How’s it going?”
For the next thirty minutes, Natalie sat next to him and allowed herself to wonder. What would be like to date a guy like him? He came with no baggage and no complications. Sure, her stomach didn’t dive to the floor when he spoke and her skin showed no goose bumps so far. Maybe those things really didn’t matter.
“And then I told Dad I’d never shoot a hog again,” Josh finished telling another hunting story he’d shoved down her throat even though she didn’t necessarily enjoy them. She grew up with family members who hunted and fished. Though she was no vegetarian, she didn’t find pleasure in hearing tales involving animals getting hurt in the wild.
Josh snickered, and she flashed him a neutral smile.
Keep your mind open.
She looked down at her beer bottle, and clenched it, hoping if she’d rub it she would magically disappear far away from Dina’s.
Dina kept setting the table, though the cute round table didn’t need much fussing. But she imagined her boss did so to give them one-on-one time, which only made it more awkward.
