Part 9 (1/2)

”I thought you were the hottest thing since Matt Damon.”

”Now, there's a tough act to follow.”

”In the beginning, you were one of the reasons I went out with Rick.” Remembering the early days of her relations.h.i.+p with two men she'd loved, but in very different ways, she smiled. ”I didn't know Rick would be the one.”

”He was a good man, Alison, and he was crazy about you.”

”I know. G.o.d, Drew, I loved him so much. I still miss him.”

”Me, too.” His gaze met hers with a seriousness that cut. ”I'm sorry I wasn't there for you after...the accident.”

She'd spent the last four years wondering why he'd run away to South Florida, but didn't press him about it. She knew Drew well enough to know he'd had his own demons to slay. From what she'd heard from some of Rick's Navy friends, Drew had spent a lot of months blaming himself. At the time, Alison had been so immersed in her own grief, she hadn't stopped to wonder how the accident had affected the man who'd been looking into Rick's eyes when he'd fallen on that terrible night.

”I wasn't the only one grieving,” she said. ”It took me a while to realize that.”

He looked away. ”I should have been there for you.”

”You did what you had to do. I don't begrudge you that in any way, Drew. Everyone deals with grief differently. That's okay.”

”You know I'm here for you now. Kevin, too.”

”Of course I do.” Reaching across the table, she squeezed his hand. ”And it means a lot to me.”

”Me, too.”

Alison smiled, but it felt sad on her face. And she knew she was only trying to mask the lingering grief that squeezed her heart every time she thought of Rick. She hadn't wanted to think of him tonight, but even after four years sometimes the grief sneaked up on her. Like an early frost on trees not yet ready to shed their leaves.

Drew raised his gla.s.s in a toast. ”It's good to see you smiling, Alison. I've missed that.”

She picked up her gla.s.s. ”Here's to new beginnings.”

”And old friends.h.i.+ps rekindled,” he said and clinked his gla.s.s against hers.

It was after midnight when Drew parked the truck outside Alison's house. He'd told himself a dozen times during the drive from the restaurant that he wasn't going to tempt fate by walking her to the door. They had mutually agreed to maintain their relations.h.i.+p on a friends.h.i.+p-only basis and he d.a.m.n well intended to abide by that.

But Drew knew the feat was easier said than done. He was attracted to Alison whether he liked it or not. Had been since the moment he'd laid eyes on her six years ago. He might want to keep their relations.h.i.+p on a completely platonic level, but his hormones weren't happy about it.

”Would you like to come in for a quick cup of coffee?” Alison asked, swinging open the truck door. ”I've got decaf.”

Drew set his hands on the wheel and tried hard to keep his eyes off her legs as she slid off the seat. ”Ah, well, I've got an early morning tomorrow.”

”Oh. Sure. I understand.” She reached for the door. ”Well, then, good night.”

”I'll walk you halfway up.”

”It's not necessary.”

Feeling like an idiot for not opening her door and helping her out of the high-clearance truck, he unlatched his own door, crossed around the front of the vehicle and met her on the sidewalk.

”What time will you be here tomorrow to pick up Kevin?” she asked.

She was standing so close, he could smell the sweet scent of her perfume. Drew sucked in a breath, keenly aware of her essence filling his lungs. Aware too that his body was on high alert and if he wasn't careful he was going to do exactly what he'd promised himself he wouldn't.

”Seven o'clock too early?” he asked.

”No, that's fine. We're early birds.”

Even though it was dark he could see the hint of moisture on her lips. Her hair shone like luminescent silk beneath the sodium vapor streetlight. He stared at the flyaway wisps, wondering if her hair would be as soft as it looked.

”Mommy! Drew!”

The little voice jerked him from his reverie with all the finesse of a foghorn. Drew and Alison turned simultaneously to see Kimberly and Kevin standing on the front porch, waving. Kevin was wearing his Spider-Man pajamas and an impish grin that stretched from ear to ear.

”What on earth is he doing up?” Alison muttered to herself, glancing down at her watch.

The patter of bare feet punctuated her question. Drew looked up to see Kevin running down the sidewalk like a marathoner about to make the broad jump. ”Drew!”

The little boy was heading straight for him, but Alison intercepted him by grasping his arms and swinging him around to face her. ”My goodness, you're in a hurry,” she said, wrestling him into her arms and giving him a smacking kiss. ”What on earth are you doing out of bed at this hour, young man?”

”I don't know, Mommy. I just woke up, and I was thirsty so Aunt Kimberly brought me some water and then when she was reading that Harry Potter book to me, we saw Drew's truck through the window, and I remembered I didn't get to show him my Zoomer 57 Skyeagle.” He squirmed in Alison's arms and turned to look at Drew. ”You wanna see it now, Drew?”

There was no way Drew could have witnessed the moment and said no. He didn't know a d.a.m.n thing about kids, had never been around them in his life. All he knew was that this child was precious and sweet, and Drew wanted more than anything to make him happy.

Remembering a television commercial he'd seen for the popular toy, he asked, ”You got the Mach II replica or the Screamer?”

Kevin loosened his arms and slid from Alison's grasp. ”I got the Mach II.”

Drew tried to look impressed. ”You put it together yourself?”

”Mostly, but Mommy helped. I mean, she helped a little.”

Alison looked from boy to man as if they were speaking a foreign language. ”I don't know a Screamer from a Mach II.”

Drew grinned. ”It's a guy thing.”

She smiled back, then turned her attention to her son. ”It's late, kiddo, so don't keep him too long, okay? Show him your Zoomer 57 Skyeagle and then I want you in bed.”

”'Kay.” Darting over to Drew, Kevin took his hand and tugged him toward the house. ”C'mon!”

Walking toward them from the porch with her purse slung over her shoulder, Kimberly knelt and reached out to her nephew. ”Kiss for your aunt first, big guy. I've got to go home.”

Without missing a beat, Kevin dropped Drew's hand, dashed over to Kimberly and kissed her in the general vicinity of her mouth. ”Next time we'll stay up late and watch scary movies,” he said.

”Sure we will.” Smiling, Kimberly winked at Alison.