Summer on Blossom Street (Blossom Street #6)(67)

“There’s a wonderful Italian restaurant not far from Blossom Street,” he was saying. “Their eggplant parmesan is out of this world.”

“You like eggplant?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.

“Love it.”

Anne Marie cringed.

“Would you rather eat somewhere else?”

“Oh, no, they’ll have something other than eggplant on the menu. I’m a pasta girl myself.”

Tim grinned. “Then Italian it is.”

Apparently the girls were f inished playing because they ran back to the booth, laughing as they did.

“You ready to go?” Anne Marie asked.

Ellen and Hallie both nodded.

As Tim slid out of the booth, Ellen turned to him, an odd look on her face. “You can kiss my mom if you want,” she whispered loudly.

“Ellen!” Anne Marie said, shocked. She could see that Tim was trying to hide a grin.

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about doing exactly that,” he announced. Leaning forward, he planted a loud kiss on Anne Marie’s cheek.

Ellen frowned. “That’s not a real kiss, not like in the movies.”

“That’s ’cause adults do it in the dark,” Hallie said. “They don’t like kids watching.”

“Oh.” Apparently this made everything clear to Ellen. Anne Marie, Ellen and her friend parted company with Tim in the parking lot, although he insisted on following them back to Blossom Street. By the time she dropped Hallie off and drove home, it was almost seven-thirty. Ellen was struggling to keep her eyes open.

“Come on, sleepyhead,” Anne Marie said.

Ellen trailed her sluggishly up the stairs, dragging her beach towel behind her. Baxter greeted them enthusiastically, no doubt ready for his supper, his walk and some intensive cuddling. Anne Marie fed the dog, then threw their towels and swimsuits in the washing machine. Tim volunteered to take Baxter for a short walk and she accepted his offer. When he returned with the Yorkie, they found Ellen fast asleep on the sofa. Tim kissed her forehead, then lingered only a moment, declining coffee or tea. Anne Marie had to admit she was disappointed that he didn’t take the opportunity to kiss her.

After seeing him out, she carried her daughter to the bedroom. Without bothering to change Ellen’s clothes, Anne Marie put her to bed, tucked under a crisp, cool sheet. It’d been a long, exhausting day. An exhilarating day…

The phone rang as Anne Marie was putting their wet clothes in the dryer. The tiny laundry room adjoined the kitchen, and she dashed out, lunging for the phone on the second ring for fear it would wake Ellen.

“Hello,” she said softly.

“Anne Marie?” her friend Barbie asked. “Is everything okay?

It doesn’t sound like you.”

“I just spent an entire afternoon at a water park with Ellen and Tim. Ellen’s asleep and I’m exhausted. Who would’ve guessed swimming could be so draining?”

Barbie laughed. “It can be a lot of fun, too.”

Anne Marie knew how much Barbie and Mark enjoyed the hours they spent in her swimming pool. Mark was bound to a wheelchair and loved the freedom water afforded him. “It was. We had a blast.”

“So everything’s going well with Tim?”

“Yes…” Anne Marie had been skeptical when Tim f irst ap proached her, but her reaction to him had moved into a whole new stage. The way she felt about his invitation proved that. It was time they got to know each other, she decided, time they tested this growing awareness between them.

“You’re attracted to him, aren’t you?”

“I am,” Anne Marie admitted. “He’s been wonderful with Ellen and he’s respectful of my place in her life.” Because she’d needed someone to conf ide in, Anne Marie had shared her concerns with Barbie when Tim made his initial overtures.

“There’s more, right?”

Barbie seemed to have some kind of intuition when it came to relationships—romance radar, she called it. “Tim asked me out to dinner,” she confessed.

“Just you?”

“Just me. On Friday night.”

“Why don’t you bring Ellen here?” Barbie said. “Actually, I was phoning to invite both of you to come over on Friday night for a pool party. Mom and Hector are coming.”

“I wouldn’t want Ellen to intrude.”

“You’re kidding, right? She wouldn’t be any bother. Hector can bring one of his great-nieces and the two of them will entertain each other.”

“Oh, Barbie, that would be great.”

Never one to hold back, Barbie asked, “Has Tim kissed you yet?”

Anne Marie didn’t think she could include that peck on her cheek.

“He has, hasn’t he?” Barbie burst out.

“Technically, yes—but it was just for show.”

Barbie laughed. “Don’t kid yourself. This is ideal, you know.”

“What is?” she asked, although she was beginning to feel the same way. She was falling for this guy, who happened to be her adopted daughter’s biological father.

“It’s a perfect scenario for Ellen,” Barbie was saying.

“Maybe…” Anne Marie hated to seem so tentative. She’d begun to hope that a relationship between her and Tim was possible, but she wasn’t quite ready to believe it. “Do you think so?”