1105 Yakima Street - Debbie Macomber [76]
Miranda reviewed their short conversation earlier that afternoon. Will had called her at home around noon and, despite everything, she’d been excited to hear from him. He’d asked if it was possible to work on her day off for a few hours. She’d said yes and even been eager to do so. She’d overreacted just now because…because she needed to keep her distance, emotionally and otherwise.
“You aren’t going to tell me off?” he asked, sounding half amused and half surprised.
“No, I guess not.”
“You’re not coming down with a fever, are you?”
“No,” she replied tersely. “Like you’d care.”
He immediately sighed. “Oh, good. You’re back to normal.”
He was right; snapping at him was her normal reaction—especially since their kiss…or rather, kisses. Until that very moment, she hadn’t really understood what she was doing or why. She wondered if Will had reached the same conclusion. Probably not. After the incident on Halloween she’d redoubled her efforts to hide her attraction, from him if not herself.
“Keep your appointments,” she insisted. “I’ve already rearranged my schedule to accommodate yours, so there’s no need to cancel now.” She hurried out of his office and avoided him until he left. They exchanged a curt goodbye and that was it.
Will was away from the gallery for two and a half hours, arriving back at quarter to four, but he might as well have been invisible. He went directly into his office and shut himself in. After closing the gallery a few minutes early, she knocked at his door, hoping to at least clear the air before their next encounter.
“Come in,” Will called.
“I’m getting ready to go.” She wanted to escape as soon as Shirley arrived, sparing them both an awkward moment. Maybe they should just have met at the restaurant….
He glanced at his watch, apparently surprised at the time, then nodded. “Thank you for coming in this afternoon,” he said formally.
She hesitated. “I, uh, wanted to be sure everything is okay between us.”
“Why shouldn’t it be?” Will asked in congenial tones.
“No reason, I guess.”
He stood, leveled another of those killer smiles directly at her and held out his hand.
“What’s that for?” she asked, leaning forward to extend her own.
Will’s handshake was firm and solid. His smile didn’t waver as his eyes connected with hers. “Friends?”
“Friends,” she echoed, but her voice sounded odd.
“I promise not to call you into work on your days off. I apologize again. I should’ve talked to you much earlier. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Miranda knew very well what he was thinking. Will was thinking of himself, the same way he had most of his adult life. No, she admitted to herself, that wasn’t entirely true. He was capable of very generous behavior. Only it was dangerous—to her sanity and well-being—to view Will as anything but self-centered and self-absorbed. Somehow she managed to nod and smile.
Before she could leave his office and shut the door, Shirley arrived at the gallery. Will brightened the instant he saw her, becoming animated and happy. “Shirley, it’s good to see you.” He clasped her hand in both of his and couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her.
Miranda had to look away for fear he’d notice her reaction.
“I’m here for Miranda,” Shirley said as she withdrew her hand.
“Where’s Larry?” Will asked, ignoring the comment.
“London.”
“Without you?” The sympathy in his voice made Miranda grit her teeth.
“Tanni’s still in high school,” Shirley reminded him. “And I have work to complete here.”
Will nodded with that same unctuous sympathy.
“Larry often travels to England. Hopefully I’ll be able to join him next time,” Shirley went on to say.
“I thought we could walk down to D.D.’s on the Cove for dinner,” Miranda suggested, purposely turning the subject away from Larry’s absence. “It’s close, and that way we won’t need to worry about finding a parking spot.”
“Sounds good.”
“You’re