Chapter Twenty-Two
Maisie frowned over at Anna as she pulled a knife and fork out of the drawer and set it on the kitchen table. ‘Why can’t Dan come and have tea here, like he did last time? Why do you have to go out?’
Halfway through pulling the fish fingers and chips out of the oven — yes, she was a terrible mother — Anna paused. How did single mothers do this dating thing? It felt like trying to navigate an obstacle course, in the dark. ‘Sometimes it’s nice for two grown-ups to go out for a meal.’
‘I want to go with you.’
Carefully, Anna slid the fish fingers and chips onto a plate and spooned some peas on the side.
See, a balanced meal. No way did she feel guilty for abandoning her daughter to Captain Birdseye just so she could go out and flirt with a handsome man.
‘We’ll be out too late, sweetie. It’s school tomorrow, remember. ’
‘I guess.’ Maisie picked up the ketchup and squeezed it all over the plate. Probably doubling the nutritional content. ‘Does that mean Dan’s your boyfriend now?’
Anna’s heart jumped. Dear God, she wasn’t equipped for this conversation.
Why hadn’t she thought to cram up on The Single Mother’s Guide to Dating?
‘Dan’s my friend,’ she corrected, feeling a sliver of guilt.
When did a male friend become a boyfriend, rather than just a .
. . what did people call it . . . friend with benefits?
‘Is that because you haven’t kissed him yet?’
Anna started to feel hot and cold all over. Lie to her daughter, or worry her daughter over something that, in a few weeks’ time, wouldn’t be an issue any more? ‘Is that your definition of a boyfriend then? A friend you’ve kissed?’ Yep, she’d gone for the third option. Avoid, avoid, avoid.
‘That’s what Priti says. She wants Taran to be her boyfriend but they haven’t kissed yet.’
Anna had a feeling they never would. Somehow she couldn’t see the extremely shy Taran getting up the nerve to kiss someone as bubbly as Priti. ‘Is there anybody you want to kiss?’
Maisie pulled a face. ‘Yuck, no way.’
Relieved, both that her daughter wasn’t ready to kiss yet, and that she’d successfully diverted the conversation, Anna changed the subject. ‘Only two more weeks until the play. Do you think you’ll be ready?’
‘Easily.’ A grin sparked across her daughter’s face. ‘It’s soooooo funny. I can’t wait for you to see it. Next week we have to bring our costumes. I need to find some glasses, shoes and a handbag. Ms Hammond says she’ll get me a grey wig.’
The doorbell sounded and Anna went to let Val and Bob in, who immediately made a fuss of Maisie, as if they hadn’t seen her yesterday. As she started talking to them about the play, Anna popped upstairs to change.
A few moments later, as she was deciding between the little black dress — too formal? — or the jeans and pretty blouse — too casual? — there was a knock on the door.
‘Definitely the dress.’
Anna smiled at Val. ‘It doesn’t say I’m trying too hard?’
‘Why should it matter if it does? Don’t you want to look nice for him?’
Her heart gave a little thump. ‘I do, yes.’ She bit into her lip.
‘Are you sure you don’t mind me doing this?
It feels weird enough going out to dinner with a man who isn’t Chris.
But having his parents look after our daughter while I swan off out with him.
’ Anna shook her head. ‘That seems all kinds of wrong.’
Val reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. ‘I like to think we’re more than Chris’s parents to you.’
‘Oh God, you are.’ Anna felt a lump in her throat. ‘Having you both round the corner to talk to, to help with Maisie. It’s meant more to me than I can say. I feel you’re my family, too.’
‘And you’re our daughter in everything but DNA.
’ Like Anna, Val’s eyes were tearing up.
‘You have no idea how happy it makes us seeing you happy. Do I wish you were going out with Chris tonight?’ She swallowed, the smile she gave Anna so poignant, so heartbreakingly sad.
‘Of course I do. But that can’t be, and life moves on.
Besides, you know we love spending time with our granddaughter. ’
Anna wiped at the tear sliding down her cheek. ‘I know. And thank you.’
‘Hush, no thanks needed.’ She hesitated, her eyes kind. ‘And we’re happy to look after her overnight, whenever you want. Whenever you’re ready.’
‘Oh God.’ Anna started to laugh. ‘Now you’re making me blush. Dan and I, we’re not . . . I mean it’s nothing serious. Obviously, because he’s a dishy actor who lives in London and flies to Hollywood for auditions.’
‘And you’re a gorgeous head teacher who lives only a few hours away from London and is quite capable of using a phone or Zoom or whatever other means you young folk use to communicate these days.
’ Before Anna could open her mouth to argue, Val added, ‘I’m only saying don’t think too far ahead.
Enjoy living for now for a while, and see where it takes you. ’
Twenty minutes later, the doorbell sounded. Knowing it was Dan, Anna rushed down the stairs, but Maisie had beaten her to it.
‘Mum said I’m not allowed to go with you tonight ’cause you’ll be back too late,’ her daughter gushed as soon as she’d opened the door.
‘But maybe we could go out when it isn’t a school night, like we did at the weekend.
That was like, the best time ever,’ she added, twirling her hair around her finger.
‘Did I tell you Mum let me watch The Lion King on the TV on Sunday night? I mean, the film isn’t as good as at the theatre, that was the most awesome, but it was good. ’
Dan shot Anna a quick smile before focusing all his attention on Maisie. ‘Would you say the film is mildly awesome?’
She considered it. ‘I suppose.’
‘And how about The Play About a Nativity. How would you describe that?’
Maisie bounced up and down. ‘Totally, ginormously, awesome.’
Dan laughed. ‘I think you’re right.’ His eyes caught Anna’s, their bright blue gaze bold and appreciative. ‘And that’s exactly how I’d describe the way your mum looks tonight.’
The butterflies in her stomach started to take flight and Anna felt a giddiness sweep through her. A feeling she’d almost forgotten.
Val appeared in the doorway of the living room. Smiling at Anna, she beckoned to Maisie. ‘Come on, sweetheart. Grandpa’s about to start the film.’
Anna swallowed, knowing Val had given her an out. She didn’t need to introduce her brand-new lover to her mother-in-law.
But suddenly she wanted to. ‘Dan, I’d like you to meet Val. Chris’s mum.’
* * *
Dan had to call on all his acting experience as he forced his face into a polite smile.
‘Daniel Ramsey.’ He held out his hand and clasped that of Val. The mother of the man Anna had been married to. ‘Pleased to meet you.’
To be fair, she didn’t look ready to hang him by the balls and chop him up for shark food. In fact she even smiled back. ‘And you.’ Her eyes rested on Maisie. ‘Come on, poppet.’
Maisie gave him a cute little wave and trotted off into the sitting room. To spend the evening with Chris’s mum and dad.
Shit, he couldn’t get his head around it.
‘You look a little dazed,’ Anna remarked dryly as she picked her coat off the peg. ‘I take it when I spoke about Maisie’s grandparents, you thought I meant my parents.’
He gave her what he knew was a weak smile. ‘Err, yes?’
He was so rattled it took him until they were both in the car before he saw her again for the gorgeous woman he was going out with tonight.
And not someone else’s wife. ‘Sorry. That wrong-footed me for a moment.’ He leant towards her, inhaled a lungful of something fresh and sexy, and kissed her.
Then bent and kissed her again, his hands coming up to cup her face.
When he drew back, she smiled. ‘You seem to be back on the front foot again.’
Laughing, he turned on the engine and pulled onto the road. ‘There isn’t much that would stop me from kissing you.’
‘But meeting my late husband’s mother is one of them.’
‘Looks like it.’ He flicked her a look. ‘Though not for long.’ Pausing while he turned right at the junction, Dan added, ‘You seem to have a much better relationship with them than most people do with their in-laws.’
‘I’m lucky. Chris was an only child, so they see me and Maisie as their family.’ Her hands twisted in her lap. ‘My own family are lovely, but they live in Devon near my sister. I’m not sure what I’d have done without Val and Bob the first year after Chris died.’
It wasn’t quite the romantic start to the date he’d imagined. Then again, part of what he enjoyed about Anna was that she wasn’t like anyone else he’d ever dated. If that meant discussing the parents of her deceased husband, so be it. ‘It’s great that you had each other.’
She glanced sideways at him. ‘It is, but this really isn’t what you want to talk about, is it?’
‘Would I rather talk about how incredible you look in the sexy as sin dress? About how much I missed you last night? About how desperately I want to kiss you. Undress you. Make love to you again?’ He stopped, arousal pulsing through him. ‘You bet I would,’ he added thickly.
Out of the corner of her eye, he saw Anna start to fan herself. ‘Wow.’ She cleared her throat, which made him smile to himself. ‘I’m looking forward to hearing all that.’
Dan noted the junction ahead and sucked in a deep breath.
‘Okay, it’s decision time. Left takes us to an Italian in Hale, recommended by the hotel concierge.
Apparently it’s had rave reviews.’ He glanced sideways at her.
‘Right takes us to my hotel. Where we could eat in the restaurant.’ He paused, feeling his heart thump. ‘Or in my room.’
‘I see.’
The atmosphere in the car seemed to go from warm to electric, and Dan couldn’t believe how nervous he felt.
‘I want to make it clear that either way, I’ll be happy.
If you choose left, and I get to ogle you all night in a candlelight restaurant until it’s time to kiss you goodbye and watch you walk back into your house, I’ll consider it a great evening. ’
‘And if I choose right?’
He felt another throb of arousal. ‘I’ll consider it a ginormously awesome one.’
Her laughter filled the car and as his hands twitched on the indicator, he knew he was holding his breath. ‘Then there’s no real choice, is there?’ She smiled deep into his eyes. ‘Right it is. It’s been years since I’ve eaten a meal in a hotel room.’
Quickly he turned right at the junction. ‘Please tell me your decision isn’t based entirely on trying out the room service.’
Her smile turned wicked. ‘Oh, you can be sure I’m looking forward to the service, in every sense of the word.’
And damn, if his trousers weren’t suddenly feeling far too tight.
* * *
It was later, a long while later, when Dan finally ordered down for room service. Anna sat back in the bed, a sheet covering her naked body, feeling utterly decadent.
In the space of a few hours she’d gone from head teacher, to mum, to a woman having wild, passionate sex in a hotel room. Reaching for the glass of champagne Dan had poured for her, she couldn’t resist a little giggle. God, if Faith and Gabby could see her now.
‘Err, you’re not supposed to laugh.’ Dan glanced down at his impressively ripped, beautifully defined body, encased only in a pair of tight black boxer briefs. ‘You’re supposed to explode with lust.’
‘Oh.’ Studying him, she took another sip of champagne, enjoying the sensation of bubbles on her tongue and the view. ‘Consider me quietly exploding then.’
He shook his head, sitting on the end of the bed and grabbing her feet over the duvet. ‘Room service will be half an hour.’
‘Good. Just enough time for you to—’ His eyebrows shot up and Anna started to laugh. ‘Whatever you’re imagining, take your mind out of the gutter. I was going to say enough time for you to tell me how it went on Monday with Max.’
‘Ah, okay.’ He started to massage her feet with his strong fingers. ‘Wasn’t quite what I was hoping you’d ask, but maybe we can get to that later.’
‘If you carry on doing that, you can be certain we’ll get to wherever you want to go.’
He smiled, the one that lit up his eyes, making them bluer, brighter, even more captivating. ‘Picking up Max was fine. He was shy at first, but I took him out for a pizza and he talked about school.’ Dan grinned. ‘Also asked when he was going to see you and Maisie again.’
Anna’s pulse quickened. Was that Max asking, or Dan asking? And if it was Dan, why suggest it if he was planning on disappearing from her life in a few weeks? Unless of course he saw it as a way to help his relationship with his son. Not as a way to build a relationship with her.
Dan pinched her big toe. ‘Hey, are you still with me?’
‘Sorry, yes.’
‘Can we plan another time for you to come down?’ His hand stilled on her foot. ‘Maybe Friday?’
‘This Friday?’
His smile was smaller, and touchingly less confident.
‘Too soon?’ He heaved out a sigh. ‘You’re probably right.
I don’t want to confuse the kids. But . .
.’ He tugged a hand through his hair, seeming to buy himself time, before meeting her eyes.
‘I’m kind of crazy about you, Anna Dalton.
Only seeing you twice a week isn’t enough for me.
’ The champagne glass almost slipped out of her hands.
‘Damn, now I’ve freaked you out, haven’t I? ’
‘A little,’ she admitted shakily, but when she saw his face fall, she hastily shoved the glass on the bedside table and moved closer to him. ‘But only because I’m not sure what we’re doing. I thought this was just a bit of fun?’
His eyes avoided hers. ‘Sure. Yes.’
Before she could say anything more, tell him how flattered she was. How she was feeling more than a little crazy over him, too, there was a knock on the door.
‘Room service.’ He jumped off the bed, pulled on the dark jeans he’d been wearing and shrugged on the white shirt. The way he studiously did up the buttons as he walked to answer the door had an air of finality about it. She had a miserable feeling the evening would end when they’d eaten the meal.
And it was entirely likely it was her fault.