fork.
“She called twice after that, but I didn’t answer. What more was there to say? I don’t have that kind of money, and even if I did, I’m not going to give it to her.”
“Did she leave a message?”
Her eyes shadowed, Natalie nodded. “She said she’d contacted an attorney.”
“Did you see Brian?”
“Yes, he drew up papers for me to sign. He’s been swamped with all the stuff here.” She held his gaze. “Lisa said she might go after money from you.”
“She won’t get it,” he said. “Tell me you don’t still believe her.”
She poked at her Mexican rice with her fork and didn’t look at him. “She’s just like our mother. Easily deceived by men and always making the same mistakes.”
“I wasn’t a mistake she made. I never even knew her outside of high school glee club, Natalie.” He put down his fork. “I thought you knew me better now. Recognized the kind of man I am.”
She looked up then, and her eyes were haunted. “What kind of woman would accuse a man of something so bad if it were all a lie? And why would she contact a lawyer if she weren’t sure of her proof?”
“You think all men are deceivers and hiding who they really are?”
She put down her fork. “I don’t know. Maybe there are good men out there. And it’s just not in my genes to weed them out.”
He should have been offended, but he found himself intrigued by experiences that had affected her so dramatically. “Your mom died when?”
“I was ten. My aunts took in the three of us.” Her brother, Paul, had left town for college and gone on to be a top architect.
“What do you remember about your mom that affected you so much?”
She looked down at her hands. “The front door was a revolving one of man after man. She was married five times before she died.”
“And Lisa is just like her?”
She nodded. “I don’t want to be like them. Every day I ask God to help me see things more clearly than Mom and Lisa.
To open the eyes of my heart.”
“Yet you fail to trust him to do just that,” he said softly.
Her cheeks reddened as though she’d been slapped. She said nothing as she rose and turned back to her paint pan.
“Prove you trust him and go out to dinner with me this weekend,” Carson said. “Give me the benefit of the doubt.”
He’d moved from the thought of “someday” going on a date to actually asking her out this weekend. Roller in hand, she stared at him, biting her lip ferociously.
“I’ll pick you up Friday at seven.”
“You’re on.” She turned back to her work.
He picked up a paint roller and joined her. Maybe he’d given her food for thought.
C HAPTER E IGHT
N atalie watched Julia lean on the counter and stare at the pastries on display. “Try the peanut butter cookies. They’re fabulous.”
Julia straightened and shook her head. “I need to lose three pounds.”
Natalie knew better than to object. Julia maintained her weight like a drill sergeant. “I have a date with Carson,” she announced. She’d been dying to tell her friends.
Shelby nearly choked on her latte. “A real date?”
Natalie nodded. “Dinner and everything.”
“What about Mia?” Julia asked. “Who’s watching her?”
“I thought I’d ask Zoe.”
Julia shook her head. “Let me. I’d like to do it.”
“You’re sure?”
“Mia and I are buds. I’m in the mood to watch Finding Nemo again.”
“I need help with what to wear.”
“That’s Julia’s forte too,” Reese said. “You don’t believe Carson’s Mia’s father anymore?” Her voice rose over the sound of the beans Natalie was grinding.
Natalie’s elation faded. “I still don’t know what to think about that. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt as I get to know him.” Zoe came in from the back room then, and Natalie froze. Surely she hadn’t heard them talking. While her cousin wasn’t a gossip, she was blunt and often said things without thinking of the consequences. “I’ll let you take
“She called twice after that, but I didn’t answer. What more was there to say? I don’t have that kind of money, and even if I did, I’m not going to give it to her.”
“Did she leave a message?”
Her eyes shadowed, Natalie nodded. “She said she’d contacted an attorney.”
“Did you see Brian?”
“Yes, he drew up papers for me to sign. He’s been swamped with all the stuff here.” She held his gaze. “Lisa said she might go after money from you.”
“She won’t get it,” he said. “Tell me you don’t still believe her.”
She poked at her Mexican rice with her fork and didn’t look at him. “She’s just like our mother. Easily deceived by men and always making the same mistakes.”
“I wasn’t a mistake she made. I never even knew her outside of high school glee club, Natalie.” He put down his fork. “I thought you knew me better now. Recognized the kind of man I am.”
She looked up then, and her eyes were haunted. “What kind of woman would accuse a man of something so bad if it were all a lie? And why would she contact a lawyer if she weren’t sure of her proof?”
“You think all men are deceivers and hiding who they really are?”
She put down her fork. “I don’t know. Maybe there are good men out there. And it’s just not in my genes to weed them out.”
He should have been offended, but he found himself intrigued by experiences that had affected her so dramatically. “Your mom died when?”
“I was ten. My aunts took in the three of us.” Her brother, Paul, had left town for college and gone on to be a top architect.
“What do you remember about your mom that affected you so much?”
She looked down at her hands. “The front door was a revolving one of man after man. She was married five times before she died.”
“And Lisa is just like her?”
She nodded. “I don’t want to be like them. Every day I ask God to help me see things more clearly than Mom and Lisa.
To open the eyes of my heart.”
“Yet you fail to trust him to do just that,” he said softly.
Her cheeks reddened as though she’d been slapped. She said nothing as she rose and turned back to her paint pan.
“Prove you trust him and go out to dinner with me this weekend,” Carson said. “Give me the benefit of the doubt.”
He’d moved from the thought of “someday” going on a date to actually asking her out this weekend. Roller in hand, she stared at him, biting her lip ferociously.
“I’ll pick you up Friday at seven.”
“You’re on.” She turned back to her work.
He picked up a paint roller and joined her. Maybe he’d given her food for thought.
C HAPTER E IGHT
N atalie watched Julia lean on the counter and stare at the pastries on display. “Try the peanut butter cookies. They’re fabulous.”
Julia straightened and shook her head. “I need to lose three pounds.”
Natalie knew better than to object. Julia maintained her weight like a drill sergeant. “I have a date with Carson,” she announced. She’d been dying to tell her friends.
Shelby nearly choked on her latte. “A real date?”
Natalie nodded. “Dinner and everything.”
“What about Mia?” Julia asked. “Who’s watching her?”
“I thought I’d ask Zoe.”
Julia shook her head. “Let me. I’d like to do it.”
“You’re sure?”
“Mia and I are buds. I’m in the mood to watch Finding Nemo again.”
“I need help with what to wear.”
“That’s Julia’s forte too,” Reese said. “You don’t believe Carson’s Mia’s father anymore?” Her voice rose over the sound of the beans Natalie was grinding.
Natalie’s elation faded. “I still don’t know what to think about that. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt as I get to know him.” Zoe came in from the back room then, and Natalie froze. Surely she hadn’t heard them talking. While her cousin wasn’t a gossip, she was blunt and often said things without thinking of the consequences. “I’ll let you take
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