Island Expectations - Evangeline Kelly Page 0,3

bones were poking through their skin. Maybe I had particular interests when it came to women, but in my mind, the more curves a woman had, the better.

Eden had thick, shoulder-length red hair and hazel eyes that twinkled when she was excited. A few freckles dotted her nose, but she didn’t seem to have a problem tanning, even with her fair skin. The worst part was that she was fourteen years younger, and believe me, I’d counted every year. I was doing my best to get her out of my head, but it was proving difficult. My date was supposed to distract me from her, but, clearly, it had done just the opposite.

I had to fight these thoughts because I didn’t want to become the creepy older man checking out younger women when there were plenty of available women my age. What was wrong with me? There was no way we could be together. But every time I saw new examples of her empathy and love for the kids, I gave my heart over just a little bit more.

I groaned and shook my head. I had to stop thinking about her.

Not five minutes after I dropped Pamela off, my phone rang, and I answered, knowing it was my friend, Carlson, calling to find out how my date went.

“How’d it go?” he asked eagerly? Pamela was one of his coworkers, and he’d talked about setting us up for some time, although I’d gotten the feeling he had a thing for her and wanted to live vicariously through me.

“It was okay.”

“What? Just okay?” He sounded horrified. “Are you kidding me? She’s amazing! How can you say it was just okay?”

There was silence in the car for several long moments as I contemplated how to explain this to him. “You’re correct. She is but—”

“No. No, no, no, no, no. Don’t say it. She’s not Eden,” he said, disgusted. “That’s what you were about to say, wasn’t it?” He didn’t give me a chance to answer. “This is ridiculous. I set you up with an amazing woman and you’re still stuck on the nanny. That age difference isn’t going to change, you know.”

I could picture him rolling his eyes right now, but what did he expect me to do? I was trying here, but the heart wanted what the heart wanted. “Maybe I’m not ready to move on.”

“That’s baloney. You were ready a year ago. You need to give Pamela another chance before you decide you don’t want to see her again.”

“Not happening. She was nice, but we didn’t have a spark, and I refuse to lead her on when I already know it won’t work.”

He sighed, and I could almost hear the disappointment in the silence that followed. “Well, I tried. No one can say I didn’t make an effort.”

“And I appreciate it, Carlson. It is what it is.”

“I’m not trying to give you a hard time. It’s not like you can’t find your own dates. I just wanted to help Pamela out. Every day in the break room she talks about how there are no good single men out there, and I was hoping to be the hero here.”

I laughed at that. “Maybe you should ask her out.”

All his bravado vanished in a second. “She won’t say yes.”

“You never know unless you try.”

“Whatever, man. I’ve got to get going.”

I had just pulled into the driveway when my mother called. I said goodbye to Carlson and switched over. “Hey, Mom.”

“Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“No, I just got home.”

“How’d it go with…what was her name again?”

“Pamela.”

“Right. How did it go with Pamela?”

“She was nice, but I don’t see taking her out on another date.”

“I’m not surprised,” she said matter-of-factly.

I raised an eyebrow and shut the engine off. Unbuckling my seatbelt, I stared straight ahead and let out a breath. “Why is that?”

“Oh, I don’t know. A mother knows these things. Call it a gut instinct.” She was holding something back, and I wondered if she knew I had feelings for Eden. The thought made my face heat with shame.

I really had to get over that woman or she would be the death of me.

“I tried, but I don’t—”

“You don’t have to explain, sweetheart. I understand. Everything will come together when you’re with the right woman. And speaking of the right woman, I got the ring cleaned, so if you ever need it…”

“You’re referring to the ring?”

She chuckled. “Yep. The one and only. This is just a little nudge, by the way.