She was a little startled by that. “Really? You said I was a red flag!”
“We had a situation. Not a good one. I was not in a position to invest—how can I say this?—a great deal of time in someone who was unhappy and angry.”
She tidily packed up that last taco. It was for Wriggly, after all. “I believe you said that just fine. Thanks so much for the glass of wine. It was lovely seeing you and I’m glad you’re looking so well.”
He stood. “Jessie. Will you have dinner with me sometime?”
She put her purse strap over her shoulder. “No. Take care.” She turned and walked away. Her first thought was, How does he dare? But her second thought was, I bet my darling little Wriggly will love this taco.
Michael and Jenn both taught in Richmond, right across the bay from Mill Valley. They were in different schools, of course. He taught and coached high school and Jenn was an elementary school teacher. But he’d been exhaustively searching the area for houses. Jenn wanted a house. He thought it might be the only advantage he had.
It was a Sunday afternoon when he went to her parents’ house. For once it was sunny, a condition they didn’t see that much of in the Bay Area. It was a beautiful, though cold, pre-Christmas day.
Just to be safe, he had talked to Jenn that morning and asked her how she was spending her day and she said she was going to do a little baking while watching her annual viewing of An Affair to Remember followed by Holiday Inn. So, he didn’t feel too badly about interrupting her day. Those movies could be viewed later. She might even invite him to join her.
He rang the bell and she answered. She was so beautiful. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. She was way under his skin. “Hi. Are you too busy for a treat?”
“What kind of treat?” she asked.
“I’d like to show you something,” he said. “I’m not going to tell you what it is. I just want to show you. It’ll take about an hour.”
“I was just getting all my baking stuff out. I was about to start measuring. Can it wait till later?”
“Actually, no. There’s a time limit on it. How about you get a jacket and let’s do it.”
“I hate surprises,” she said, standing firm.
“You just hate them when they don’t work out. Sometimes you love them. I think you’re going to like this one.”
“I think you’re up to something,” she said.
He grinned at her. “Of course I am. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a surprise. Come on, be a sport.”
“All right,” she said. “But this better not be a trick!”
“It’s not a trick, Jenn. It’s a surprise. Those are two entirely different things.”
She grabbed a jean jacket and hollered into the house that she was going with Michael to see something and would be home in about an hour. She hauled herself up into his SUV and buckled up. “How’s everyone at your house?” she asked.
“They all seem to be good. My mom is just about back to normal. Bess is as weird as ever but she’s doing fine. Jess is not around as much, a good thing, but she seems like a whole new person since she got her dog. Wriggly is quite the guy. For a little dog he’s not yappy or annoying—he’s pretty cool.”
“I can’t wait to meet him.”
“I see your dad has the Christmas lights up,” he said.
“Oh, yeah, he’s all over it. They’re going to bring the tree in later today and start getting out some of the decorations. My mom has been shopping like crazy, getting ready to shock and awe the grands. Since my brother-in-law’s parents live kind of close, we’ll have everyone here for most of the time. Christmas morning, for sure. We’ll have to share the kids a little bit. And the in-laws are coming to a big dinner one night. We have lots of lists going, getting ready.”
“You haven’t gotten yourself that second job yet, have you?” he asked.
“No, I’m waiting till after the holidays. A lot of high school and college kids pick up part-time work while they’re on break. There’s no need to compete with that.”
“How’s it going, living with your folks?” he asked.
“Surprisingly well, considering I’m the youngest and they don’t let me forget it for one second. I’m surprised I don’t have a curfew.”
“Oh? Does that mean you’re going out a lot?”
She threw him a look. “I’ve had a couple of wine breaks with the girls but I haven’t gone out with any guys, if that’s what you’re trying so clumsily not to ask me.”