Starting Now (Blossom Street #9)(71)

He looked away. His gaze bounced around the room, landing here and there and everywhere—except on her. “I don’t know what I did wrong on Friday night …”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” she rushed to tell him. She stopped just short of saying she couldn’t be Sally. He’d come to her and she needed to listen and not leap to conclusions or make rash judgments.

“I didn’t do anything wrong … but,” he hesitated, looking her way for the first time.

“But what?” she asked softly, her heart rate accelerating rapidly.

“But you grew so quiet and then you wanted to leave and I was sure I must have said or done something to offend you.”

“You didn’t, Roy, it’s just that …”

“What?” he urged, taking one step closer.

She looked down, wondering how best to address the subject.

He moved slightly closer. “I like you, Robin.” He twisted his head to one side and briefly squeezed his eyes shut.

“I … like you, too,” she rushed to tell him.

“You do?” He sounded shocked.

She nodded.

“I mean, I really like you; I have for a long time, but I didn’t know how to let you know and then I saw you at the fund-raiser and we talked and …”

“Roy,” she breathed, hardly able to believe what he said. “Are you telling me … are you saying you’re interested in me romantically?”

He didn’t answer right away, and then he exhaled slowly. “Would it be all right if I sat down?”

“Of course.”

He claimed the chair Libby had recently vacated.

Robin sat on the sofa across from him, the folded blanket still pressed against her stomach like a security shield.

“I married Sally when we were barely out of high school.”

Sally again. Robin forced back a groan.

“I’ve only been with one woman my entire adult life. When she died I assumed that I’d live alone until I died, too.”

Robin wasn’t sure any comment was required of her.

“But I’ve been lonely. I’m over fifty …”

“That’s not old,” she blurted out.

“Some days it feels like it.”

“It shouldn’t,” she added with a shy smile.

He offered her one in return and it felt as if her heart was melting inside her chest.

He exhaled again. “What I’m trying to say and doing a terrible job of … is that I realized I don’t want to be alone for the rest of my life. I didn’t think it was possible to fall in love again, but since being with you … I think it’s a possibility.” He looked down at his hands. “I’d like to date you, Robin. I …”

“Okay,” she said, laughing at herself. He was talking about her now, not Sally.

“We can start slow …”

“Okay, whatever you want.” It probably wasn’t in good taste to show how eager she was.

“Do you play bridge?” he asked.

“No, but I can learn.”

“I’ll teach you,” he said, grinning.

She nodded.

He smiled and she smiled back.

“How about Wednesday night? We can have dinner and then we’ll have our first bridge lesson. I’ll invite the Wainwrights over and …”

“The Wainwrights?”

“Yes, they were friends of Sally’s and mine and …”

Robin stopped him. “Roy,” she said, “I do think there’s something I should say: I’m not Sally. If you’re looking for a replacement for her, then it’s not me.” It amazed her that her spirits could rise and fall so swiftly. She supposed she should be honored that he’d chosen her as a replacement for his dead wife, but Robin wanted … needed to be loved for herself.

“Sally and I used to play bridge as often as three times a week.”

“I’m honored that you have such confidence in my card-playing ability,” she murmured.

“We used to dance, too. Do you dance?”

She shook her head. He’d talked at length about his and Sally’s love of dancing.

Everything he said confirmed her worst suspicions.

“I believe I might have spoken too soon,” she whispered. “The thing is, Roy, we really don’t have that much in common.”

“But you said you’d be willing to learn,” he reminded her.

“Yes, I did, but at the time I didn’t realize that you were looking for me to just play the role of Sally. You must have loved her a great deal.”

“I did.”

“There’s probably someone out there who plays bridge and likes to dance and do all the things you did with Sally. I’m honored that you want to do those same things with me, but I can see right now, this relationship won’t work. I’m sorry, Roy, so very sorry.”

His eyes widened and it looked for a moment as if he was about to argue with her. “Okay, I can accept that.”

He stretched his arm toward her as if to shake her hand. Robin smiled and walked toward him. She slipped her arms around him. Slowly his arms came around her, his touch gentle, tentative.

After a few moments he slowly released her. “I blew this, didn’t I? I said all the wrong things.”