The Summer of Sunshine and Margot(48)

“Okay, no.” He half came to his feet, then dropped back in his chair. “No. Just no. Why on earth would you try to set me up?”

“I can’t help it. I’m nurturing. If there’s a problem in the house, I try to fix it. You mentioned that you wanted to—”

He winced. “Can we not talk about it? Or repeat what I said?”

“I was just explaining why I thought you might want to call Phoebe. She’s a successful woman with a son Connor knows. I’m pretty sure she would be interested.” How could she not be? “You have a lot in common and you wouldn’t have to worry about where you were going to meet someone. She’s local.”

He groaned. “You have to let this go. Sunshine, I beg you. I can find my own women.”

“Or not.”

He laughed. “Point taken, and stop. However nice or smart this Phoebe woman is, I’m going to pass.”

“Your loss. She seemed really fun.”

He pointed at the door. “You should be going now.”

She grinned as she rose. “All right. I’ll stop. No more comments about Phoebe’s availability. If you’d tell me your type I can be on the lookout for other women.”

She paused by the door, expecting him to tell her to mind her own business or make a crack about her not giving up. What she didn’t expect was the fiery hunger that flashed in his eyes. It was the heat of a man who wants a woman. A specific woman.

Her.

She’d wondered if Declan found her attractive or sexy or both, but she’d never considered it was more than that. In the nanosecond before the fire was extinguished, she felt an answering tug low in her belly. A need that shocked her with its existence as much as its intensity.

No, she told herself. No, no and no. Not Declan. She loved her job, loved the dynamic the three of them had. Getting involved with him would ruin everything. She wasn’t that girl anymore—she refused to be. She wanted more than a quick hump while Connor was sleeping. She wanted something real and lasting and important.

She forced her attention back to the present moment. Declan looked as shocked and concerned as she felt.

“I have Phoebe’s number if you change your mind,” she said, hoping her fake good humor could pass for the real thing.

“I’m ignoring you.”

She waved and left. She hurried toward her bedroom and firmly shut the door behind her. She sat on the edge of the bed and told herself nothing had happened. Absolutely nada. And even if that wasn’t true, she was going to pretend it was. Fake it until you make it was a time-honored tradition for her. It had worked in the past and she was determined it would work now. It had to. There was just too much on the line.

  “I haven’t seen you in a couple of days.”

Margot looked up and saw Alec coming into the kitchen. It was dinnertime, two days after her uncomfortable revelation.

“I’ve been in hiding,” she admitted with a shrug. “Licking my wounds, so to speak.”

His expression of concern sharpened. “What did my mother do?”

“Nothing but be gracious and forgive me. I was totally wrong about that dinner. Instead of helping her, I turned her into a spectacle. The whole idea was a colossal mistake and it’s all on me. We’re back on track now, though, and things are going well.”

Which was a relief, but didn’t erase the previous mistake.

“Maybe you’re being a little hard on yourself,” he offered.

“No, I’m not, but don’t worry. I won’t wallow. We’re moving forward. In a way, I wonder if messing up the way I did has made your mother trust me more. I don’t know. I hope so.” She smiled. “And that, I promise, is the end of the emotional dump. I was about to take the casserole Edna defrosted out of the oven. Want to join me for dinner?”

“I’d like that.” He grinned. “I’ll admit I was drawn to the kitchen by the delicious smell. What are we having?”

“Something with chicken and pasta and a cheese sauce. I’ve already made a big salad to counteract the richness.”

While he opened a bottle of wine, she set the kitchen table, then pulled out the casserole and set it on a trivet. They sat across from each other and she passed him a serving spoon.

It was nearly seven and dark outside. The fog had stuck around all day and caused the temperature to drop into the fifties, which was practically an arctic blast for Los Angeles. Bianca was out, the staff had gone home. It was just the two of them in the huge house.

“I’m impressed my mother stayed to talk to you,” Alec said as he slid the casserole dish toward her. “Usually she cuts and runs. I didn’t expect to see her for a week.”

“I’m glad she did stay so I could figure out what went wrong and my part in it.” Margot thought about how she’d changed the lesson plans and what was going to be different going forward. “She’s challenging. Such an unexpected combination of competence and insecurity.” She pushed the casserole dish in his direction. “How is it having her living in your house?”

He shrugged. “Easier than I thought it was going to be. We’re mostly on separate floors and she’s gone most evenings.” He smiled. “I will admit I was worried about having her here. It’s been a long time since we were roommates.”