This Matter Of Marriage (20 page)

“Not really. Besides, letting you fall off the bike when Mary Lynn arrived wasn't one of my finer moments. You had every right to be upset.”

“Let's put it behind us.”

“Fair enough.” He handed her the wine, the chocolates and the rose.

“Thank you,” she said, and stepped forward to kiss his lips. It was a feathery kiss, a light kiss, a kiss without passion.

It was just like the other times they'd kissed.

Which made the heat soaring through his blood difficult to explain. He resisted the urge to reach for her shoulders and pull her back into his arms. Resisted the urge to kiss her again. He longed to feel the pressure of her mouth on his, and the soft and feminine imprint of her body.

Something was definitely very wrong.

Steve could feel his pulse pounding in his temple and was grateful when she suggested they drink the wine on her patio. The evening was lovely, with a cloudless blue sky and the gentlest of breezes.

Hallie sat back on her folding chair gazing up at the sky, her legs stretched out in front of her.

Steve relaxed, too. “You dating Bill Gates these days?” he asked, thinking about the man with the fancy car.

“Bill Gates is married.”

Clearly she wasn't going to be forthcoming with the information he wanted. “Who drives the Z3, then?”

“Oh, you mean Arnold. Arnold Vance, Dateline's latest offering.” She glanced at him. “You two met?”

“No, I went out for a jog a couple of nights ago and saw him parked outside your house.” He hated to reveal how curious he'd been, but there wasn't much point in hiding it now. “He looked like the perfect candidate for a husband.”

“You think so?” She sounded surprised. “Arnold's polite and sensitive, a very nineties kind of man, but I didn't feel we hit it off the way we should have.”

“Are you seeing him again?”

She nodded but without a lot of enthusiasm. “Next Wednesday. You know what irritates me? This guy is everything a woman could ask for, and all I can manage is token interest. He leaves me yawning.”

Steve put a concerned expression on his face, but inside he was grinning widely. So, the car didn't make the man.

“Donnalee's experiencing the same thing,” Hallie was saying. “She's dating this real-estate broker she's known for years. A catch with a capital
C,
and for the life of her she can't dredge up any excitement.”

“Why?” Steve asked.

“If I knew that, I wouldn't be sitting here drinking wine with you.” He smiled, remembering a similar smart-ass remark the night she'd looked after her baby niece.

This felt good, sitting out on a warm summer evening with his friend. “So,” he said, “did you miss me?”

“I did,” she said without elaborating. “It surprised me, too. You worked hard at avoiding me all week, I noticed.”

“I didn't. I thought you were avoiding me.”

“No, but my schedule was crazy,” she said. “I left early and got home late.” The smile was back in place, and Steve noticed, not for the first time, how pretty she was when she smiled. “In case you're interested, I not only missed you, I felt miserable and guilty. I hope you're satisfied.”

“So did I,” he said, figuring that if she was willing to be open and honest, he wouldn't be anything less.

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, then chatted about this and that—the kids, the neighborhood, movies they'd seen. Eventually the subject of vacations arose.

“I'll be gone a couple of days at the beginning of next week,” she told him. “Would it be too much trouble for you to pick up my mail?”

“I'd be happy to.” He'd get her mail, water her plants and miss her, too. Sipping his wine, Steve found himself studying Hallie with fresh eyes. He remembered what Todd had said earlier in the day.

Lovers? He and Hallie?

She
was
attractive. Tonight she wore shorts and a blouse with a V neckline. By lifting his head just a bit, he could see the swell of her breasts. His gaze lingered there far longer than it should have. He caught himself thinking about her breasts and how he'd like to see them and—

For heaven's sake, this was Hallie! Steve frowned as he reminded himself. His friend and neighbor. He resisted the impulse to shake his head to clear it.

She continued chatting, and Steve listened with half an ear while she told him about the short business trip she'd planned—to attend a trade fair in San Francisco. He noticed small things about her that he hadn't paid attention to in the past.

Her mouth was incredible; her lips were perhaps the most perfectly shaped he'd ever seen. He studied them as she spoke, noticing the way she moistened them with the tip of her tongue. It was a purely innocent movement, not intended to be seductive at all. Furthermore, he'd seen her do it a thousand times and it'd never affected him like this.

“Mary Lynn's getting married this weekend.” Steve wasn't sure what prompted his sudden statement.

“You okay?” she asked with a gentleness that was like salve to his battered soul.

He shrugged. “I don't have any choice but to accept it.”

“What about the kids?”

“They aren't happy, but they're young and they'll adjust. I told them to give Lard Butt a chance to prove himself.”

“Steve!”

“What?”

“You didn't actually call Kip Lard Butt, did you?”

He chuckled. “Not out loud.”

“I should hope not.” She threw him a schoolmarm's disapproving glare.

He sighed and gazed up at the heavens. “So Mary Lynn's getting married.” He said it again. “Can you imagine her and Lard Butt in the sack together?”

“Steve!”

“I hate to tell you how long I've been without sex,” he muttered, downing the last of his wine in one gulp.

Hallie glanced his way. “I'd hate to tell you how long it's been for me.”

“Really?” That surprised him, seeing that she'd been dating a long line of men practically from the moment he'd met her.

“Don't act so shocked.”

“What about Mark and Larry and the others?”

She pressed her lips together in annoyance, and Steve decided she'd missed her calling. Hallie really should've been in a class room; she had looks some teachers couldn't imitate.

“I don't sleep with every man I date.”

“Don't get all bent out of shape. How was I supposed to know that? A lot of women do.”

“That's the most ridiculous thing you've ever said to me, Steve Marris.”

“Sorry,” he said, meaning it. He reached for the wine bottle and replenished their glasses. “I certainly didn't want to offend you.”

“I'm not offended…just, I don't know. You sometimes say stupid things.”

The wine was affecting her, he observed. Her cheeks were flushed with color and a sheen of perspiration had moistened her brow. He could see the outline of her breasts and her nipples, pearl-hard, through her thin cotton blouse. She probably wasn't wearing a bra, which was a thought he'd rather not entertain in his present deprived—or was that depraved?—state of mind.

“Well, how about this?” He paused, grinning. “Are you interested?” Hell, it didn't do any harm to ask, and she might surprise him.

“Interested in what?”

“Sex, the two of us,” he suggested nonchalantly. Maybe it was time to test Todd's theory about friends making the best lovers.

“You're joking!”

“Am I?” His brows rose.

If her face was flushed earlier, it bloomed a deep shade of scarlet now.

He gave a lazy indulgent sigh. “Hey, I didn't think it'd do any harm to ask.”

“That's not exactly a turn-on, you know.” She wrinkled her face and gave him a goofy look. “‘Duh, come on, baby, let's do it'? No wonder you haven't had sex since God knows when.”

Since he'd only been joking, Steve didn't take offense. “How else does a guy ask a woman to go to bed?”

“Not like that!”

“If I got down on one knee and said pretty please, would you reconsider?”

“No!”

He laughed. “Yeah,” he said. “That's what I thought.”

S
teve Marris hadn't the foggiest idea how to seduce a woman, Hallie decided, sitting at her desk. Furthermore he had no interest in making love to her. His invitation, if one could use that term for something so crude, was based wholly on his insecurities. His ex-wife had remarried, and Steve was feeling needy and unloved. He longed for a warm body beside him to ease the ache in his heart. Any warm body would do.

Hallie tore the pages—for Monday and Tuesday—off her calendar, since she'd been in San Francisco attending the trade fair those two days. She was about to toss them in the garbage when she paused. Mary Lynn was married to Kip now and Steve would have his hands full with the kids for the next two weeks. Maybe she—

That thought was interrupted by her phone ringing. It was Arnold Vance, calling to break tonight's date. He was going out of town on business. Hallie couldn't scrape up any feelings of regret. On paper Arnold was a perfect match; she should be thrilled to be dating him.

Only she wasn't.

She couldn't even claim he was dull. Arnold was thoughtful, successful and generous, with one prior marriage and no kids. Like her, he was looking for someone special to settle down with and raise a family. Yet they didn't
click,
and she was sick to death of analyzing why he bored her and, she thought fatalistically, why
she
seemed to bore him. What distressed her most was the feeling that she was the one at fault.

By the time Hallie arrived home from work, she was tired and irritable. Her mood lightened when she saw Steve with his kids on the patio. Apparently he'd decided to barbecue hamburgers. Kenny wore a chef's apron that hung to the tops of his tennis shoes. The sliding glass door off the kitchen was open, and Meagan was traipsing back and forth, carting their dinner out to the small picnic table set up on the grass.

“Care to join us?” Steve called out when he saw her. “Kenny's cooking.”

“Kenny?” Hallie tried to sound delighted.

The nine-year-old grinned from ear to ear and held up a spatula with an extra-long handle.

“I wouldn't be so eager if I were you,” Meagan warned. “Kenny doesn't know how to cook meat any way but well-done.
Real
well-done.”

“Meagan made the salad,” Steve boasted, patting his daughter on the head. “It looks fabulous.”

Meagan shrugged one shoulder as if to say it wasn't any big deal, but Hallie could see she was pleased by her father's praise.

“I'll just get changed and come right over,” Hallie promised. Actually she was glad Arnold had canceled their dinner date. She'd much rather spend time with Steve and the kids than in some fancy restaurant making small talk. An evening with Arnold would be spent trying to dredge up enthusiasm for a perfectly acceptable marriage candidate, and wondering why she couldn't.

Meagan followed her into the house. “Mom's married to Kip now,” she announced as Hallie sorted through her mail and tossed the majority of it in the garbage.

“So I understand.”

The girl lounged on the end of Hallie's bed while Hallie changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and a red-checkered sleeveless blouse.

“The wedding was nice. Lots of people came.”

Steve had mysteriously disappeared over the weekend. Hallie had later learned that he'd made a trek to the mountains and gone camping with a good friend from work. It was just as well he hadn't been home. He'd have moped around and been miserable the entire weekend.

“Mom and Kip are in Hawaii,” Meagan continued. “She hasn't phoned, not even once.”

Hallie heard the hurt in the girl's voice. “That doesn't mean she isn't thinking of you, sweetheart. You're with your father, and there's really nothing for her to worry about, is there?”

Meagan shook her head. “I guess not.”

Hallie placed an arm around the girl's shoulders, and they went out to join Steve and Kenny. It soon became obvious that the two males were desperately in need of help. One burger had fallen into the fire, and a frazzled Kenny was trying to lift it out with the spatula, dumping the remaining hamburgers directly into the fire. In his attempt to help, Steve burned two fingers. While Meagan got ice for Steve, Hallie rescued the burgers.

They laughed at the incident as they ate; in fact, the entire meal was spent laughing, teasing and talking. Hallie realized again that this was much more fun than any dinner date with Arnold would have been.

“Will you come to my baseball game tonight?” Kenny asked when they'd finished their food, which surprisingly had been delicious, charred burgers and all.

“Please, please come,” Meagan added, folding her hands prayerlike.

Steve's gaze caught hers. “You're welcome if you don't have other plans.”

“Arnold canceled.”

“Then come. You'll be surprised how much fun it is.”

“Don't believe him,” Meagan muttered.

Kids' baseball couldn't possibly be more entertaining than watching Steve and his son barbecue, but she left that unsaid.

Cleanup following dinner was a snap. Paper plates went into the garbage and leftovers were stuffed in Steve's refrigerator. While Hallie and Meagan wiped down the counters and Steve cleaned the grill, Kenny changed into his team uniform.

“You're coming, aren't you, Hallie?” Meagan asked again, her eyes expectant, hopeful.

“I sure am.”

“Yippee!”

The Little League baseball field was across the street from Kent Commons, the community center where Hallie had taken her cooking classes. They parked there and crossed the busy intersection to the enormous grassy field. Eight baseball diamonds were located on several acres, all with portable bleachers.

Steve seemed to be assisting the coach, because he promptly positioned himself at home plate and hit fly balls to the boys. Meagan and Hallie were left to their own devices.

“Your dad's a coach?” Hallie asked, watching Steve interact with the youngsters and admiring his knack with them. She could tell that Kenny's friends liked Steve.

“Not officially, but Dad always attends Kenny's games and started helping out. Now Coach Hawley relies on him,” Meagan explained.

Hallie got the impression that her presence had generated a number of curious stares. In the beginning she'd assumed it was because she was an unfamiliar face, but then she realized that the people staring at her were whispering back and forth.

Meagan gestured surreptitiously at one of them. “That's Mrs. Larson,” she whispered. “She's got the hots for Dad.”

“The lady in the short pink pants?”

“Yup. She introduced herself as divorced and available.”

One look assured Hallie that Mrs. Larson more than fulfilled Steve's criteria for the perfect woman. Her breasts threatened to spill out of her top, and she wore tight shorts and high heels. Hallie couldn't help wondering if Mrs. Larson had managed to pique Steve's interest—but somehow she couldn't imagine Steve interested in someone so…obvious.

It didn't take long for the bleachers to fill up with family and friends. A couple of women quizzed Meagan about her mother's wedding; while she answered their questions, the women studied Hallie.

“I'm Steve's next-door neighbor,” she told them. “Kenny asked me along to watch him play.”

“How nice of you to come,” one woman cooed.

“Pleased to meet you,” Mrs. Larson said, sounding anything but. The woman had daggers for eyes and they were aimed directly at Hallie, shamelessly assessing her and finding her lacking. Hallie wished she'd thought to wear her enhancer bra.

“This is the first time Dad's brought anyone with him to Kenny's games,” Meagan whispered now. “Everyone must think you're dating.”

“Oh, so
that's
it.” Hallie pretended to be enlightened.

The game started and Steve joined them in the bleachers. Soon everyone's attention—even Mrs. Larson's—was riveted on the playing field.

When it was Kenny's turn at bat, Hallie bit her lip tensely, wanting him to do well. He swung at the first pitch, connected and raced headlong toward first base. The player on second base tried to throw him out, but the umpire raised both arms, declaring him safe. Only then did Kenny glance at the bleachers; Steve who was watching closely, gave his son a thumbs-up.

Hallie whistled and cheered and, in her excitement, stumbled and nearly fell off the bleachers. Would have, in fact, if Steve hadn't caught her. His laughing eyes met hers, and he slipped an arm around her waist. For protection, Hallie told herself. To keep her from losing her balance again.

The next time Kenny was up at bat, Hallie persuaded Meagan and Steve to form their own family cheering wave. In rapid succession they took turns standing with their arms above their heads, moving them slowly back and forth to create the effect of a cresting wave. Soon the entire section was involved in the cheer.

Kenny's team won the game, with a final score of six to three. He raced off the field, beaming. “We're in first place now,” he shouted, holding his index finger high above his head.

“Congratulations, sport,” Steve said, grabbing the bill of Kenny's cap and pulling it down over the boy's face. He momentarily left them to congratulate the coach and help assemble the equipment.

Another team member strolled over to Kenny's side. “Is this your dad's girlfriend?” the boy asked, looking at Hallie with unabashed curiosity.

“Sort of,” Kenny answered. “But I don't think he's going to marry her.”

Hallie noticed how the Larson woman's eyes lit up at this tidbit of news.

“You played a good game, Ronnie,” Steve said, mussing the other boy's hair when he returned.

“Thanks, Mr. Marris.” Ronnie grinned, then glanced over his shoulder at his mother, who'd moved back toward the bleachers. “My mom wants to know about your lady friend. Kenny said you aren't going to marry her.”

“Ronnie.” His name was faintly heard from the other side of the bleachers. “It's time to go.”

“Does Ronnie belong to Mrs. Hot and Pink?” Hallie asked Meagan under her breath.

“You got it.”

“Tell your mother, Ronnie, that Hallie and I are very
close
friends.” Steve sidled over to Hallie and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, squeezing hard. He gazed down at her, looking lovelorn and deeply infatuated.

“Steve,” she hissed, and elbowed him in the ribs.

Steve's infatuated gaze didn't waver. “I'm crazy about this woman.”

“You're overdoing it, Marris,” she muttered. But she smiled benignly and went along with his stunt. What troubled her, though, was the excited way her body reacted to having Steve this close.

“Head over heels crazy,” he elaborated.

If he didn't cut it out soon, Hallie was going to do him physical harm.

Ronnie took off running and Steve dropped his arm.

“What was that all about?” Hallie demanded.

“Loretta Larson,” he admitted. “She always considered me fair game, but now that Mary Lynn's remarried, it's open season. Frankly, I'm not interested.”

Now that Mary Lynn's remarried.
Of course! She didn't know why she hadn't realized it earlier. She had an idea, one that made perfect sense. With his ex-wife out of the picture, Steve had no choice but to move forward in his life. Date again, possibly even marry. That meant meeting someone new—and Hallie thought she knew just the right woman.

“We need to talk,” she said as the four of them walked toward the parking lot. “Privately.”

“We do?” They stood at the curb waiting for the light to change. “About what?”

“Dad, are we going for ice cream?” Kenny interrupted, tugging at his father's sleeve.

“You bet, sport.”

“Great.” Kenny tucked his mitt under his arm and, when the light changed, raced across the intersection toward the car.

“You can't say what you want with the kids around?”

“I'd rather not.”

“All right, all right.” But he didn't sound too happy.

It was dark by the time they arrived home. While the kids flopped down in front of the television, Hallie and Steve sat in her patio chairs and gazed up at the stars. “What's so important you have to drag me out in the middle of the night?”

“Donnalee!” Hallie said excitedly.

“What about her?”

“She's my best friend and I want you to meet her.”

“Why?” he asked, sounding suspicious.

“Why?” she repeated. “Isn't it obvious?”

“No.”

The man was dense, but then she had been, too. “I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier.”