sweet, sweet romance
kelli a. wilkins
“But Mom, why do I have to go to a girl’s birthday party?” Billy complained as he walked toward the house.
“Because Katie invited you,” Joanne replied as she handed him the present wrapped in pink paper. “The party will be fun. You’ll see.”
Billy rolled his eyes at the gift. “Do I have to carry this? People will think I’m in love with her. I don’t even know Katie. She just moved here.”
“Then this is a perfect way to make friends with her.” She took the present from Billy. “I’ll go inside with you and say hello to Katie’s mother,” she said, mounting the porch steps.
“Katie lives with her dad. Her parents are divorced, too.”
Joanne was about to ring the doorbell when the front door flew open. A husky bounded out of the house and down the driveway, a sandy-haired man in pursuit.
“Shadow, come back!” he shouted.
“There’s Tommy. Bye Mom!” Billy dashed into the house, leaving her holding the present.
She turned as the man walked up to the porch escorting the dog by the collar. This was Katie’s father? He was handsome, with a square jaw and chocolate-brown eyes. His tight-fitting jeans and beige polo shirt gave him a rugged, outdoorsy look.
Inwardly, she was glad she had taken a few extra minutes applying her makeup this afternoon. She hadn’t expected to meet an attractive, single man who had just moved into the neighborhood.
She smiled. “Hi! I’m Joanne Miller.”
“Hello. I’m Mark Blackwell. It’s nice to meet you.” The dog wagged its tail. “This is Shadow.” Mark grinned and looked at the present. “I guess you’re here for the party.”
“Yes. I dropped my son Billy off, and—”
“Would you like to stay for a cup of coffee?”
Her heart fluttered at his offer. Although she had planned on running errands this afternoon, her chores could wait. Obviously fate had brought her and Mark together for a reason. Why not welcome the opportunity?
“I’d love to. Thanks.”
They entered the house and stepped into the living room decorated with pink balloons and streamers. Two children chased each other around the couch. She spotted Billy playing a board game in the corner with Tommy. Shadow broke free from Mark’s grasp and started chasing the children, adding to the chaos.
She followed Mark into the blue and white checkered kitchen. He pulled out a chair for her and she sat down at the oak table.
“So, how many kids do you have here today?” she asked, handing him the present.
“It seems like a hundred, but it’s only ten.” He laughed, then poured them each a cup of coffee.
She spotted an unfrosted chocolate cake sitting on the counter and gestured toward it.
“Shouldn’t that be pink, too?”
He nodded. “Yeah, but I haven’t had time to decorate it.”
As she glanced into Mark’s eyes, she couldn’t help but notice how frazzled and worn out he looked. Poor guy. His schedule was probably just as hectic as hers. Their gazes lingered for a few seconds, and her heart went out to him.
“Would you like some help with the cake? I’m an expert at throwing birthday parties by myself.”
“Thanks. I need all the advice I can get,” he joked, and took a container of frosting out of the refrigerator. “I got a little behind schedule today,” he admitted with a shrug as he carried the cake and two knives to the table.
As Joanne took the frosting from Mark, his fingers brushed against hers. An electric spark flashed between them, making her skin tingle. She opened the frosting and the sweet aroma filled the kitchen, mingling with the scent of Mark’s woodsy cologne.
“I know it’s not easy raising a child by yourself,” she commented as she stirred the frosting.
“I’ll admit, I’m out of my league here. But Katie wanted a party, so I agreed.” He paused as he applied frosting to the side of the cake. “Tell me it gets easier. I’m new at doing this on my own.”
She swallowed hard as Mark’s deep, rumbling voice sent quivers up her spine. Was he flirting or merely acting friendly? It had been months since she’d had an adult conversation with an attractive man. Despite the well-meaning friends and coworkers who offered to set her up on dates, she just never found the time for it. She hadn’t given any thought to bringing a new man into her life—until about five minutes ago.
“It will. Just give it some time while you learn to adjust.” she answered. “My sister says the worst is yet to come—teenage angst,” she joked and dipped her knife into the frosting.
“Great, that’s something to look forward to,” Mark teased, then accidentally dropped a glob of pink frosting onto the back of her hand. “Oh, I’m sorry. Let me get that.”
Her pulse soared as Mark clasped her hand in his and gently wiped the frosting away with a napkin. She stared into his eyes as he gave her hand a light squeeze. Obviously, the attraction between them was mutual. Could this be the start of a fresh new beginning?
Mark released her hand and leaned back in his chair. “Joanne, I was wondering… I know we just met… but would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?” He flashed her a shy smile. “I’m new in town and I don’t know any good restaurants, but I’d like to get to know you better—if you’re interested.”
A warm rush flooded over her as she gazed into Mark’s brown eyes. Katie wasn’t the only one who had a reason to celebrate today. Her racing heart told her that this was the start of something special.
Just as she was about to answer, the loud pop of a balloon snapped them from their intimate moment. Shadow ran into the kitchen with a deflated pink balloon clenched in his mouth. Three shrieking girls chased after him.
She caught Shadow by the collar as he raced around the table. “I’d love to,” she replied, laughing. “And I even know a good baby-sitter who likes dogs.”
About the Author: Kelli A. Wilkins
Multi-published author Kelli A. Wilkins writes in several genres, including romance. Her love stories have appeared in The Sun, Romance Rag, and True Romance. She is the author of five romance novellas (A Most Unusual Princess, Dalton’s Temptation, The Pauper Prince, The Dark Lord, and The Sexy Stranger) published by Amber Quill Press.
Kelli invites readers to visit her website at www.KelliWilkins.com to read excerpts from her books, reviews, interviews, and to catch up on her latest publishing news via her newsletter, Kelli’s Quill.