I Can Make You Love Me. Karen White-Owens

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СКАЧАТЬ kids? What do you do for a living?”

      “No middle ground for you. Just the facts.”

      She laughed.

      The sound filled his heart and head with wonderful memories of the times she had spent with him, reading stories before putting him to bed.

      “You know me. I always want to know how things tick.”

      Adam added mustard and ketchup to his hot dog before biting into it, chewing slowly as he considered her questions. “Not married. No kids. I’m a real estate attorney and VP of Legal Services for Gautier International Motors.” He wiped his mouth with a paper napkin and took a sip from his Pepsi. “What about you? Married? Kids?” His gaze rested on Wynn’s ringless fingers. “I heard you say something about shifts when you were on the phone. What’s that all about?”

      “Divorced,” Wynn stated and then shrugged a little sheepishly.

      Adam let out a relieved sigh. Good, he thought. That’s what I wanted to hear. “I’m sorry.”

      She smiled sadly, tearing a piece of lettuce from her chicken salad sandwich and nibbling on it. “Don’t be. It happens. Besides, things worked out for the best. My only regret is my sons don’t have a full-time dad.”

      “Sons?”

      “Mmm-hmm.” She wiggled two fingers at him. A loving expression replaced the sorrow of a moment earlier. “Two. Eight and six.”

      “You were always good with kids.” Adam tossed his hands in the air, grinning. “Look at me. I’m a prime example of your skills and know-how.”

      “Babysitting you came easy. You were always sweet.”

      “Thank you,” he answered, with a slight bow of his head. “What do you do for a living? I remember you were going to be a nurse. Did that happen?”

      “Yes, it did,” Wynn answered, picking up her sandwich and taking a bite. “I finished my degree at Michigan State. After I got my license, I decided to go back to school and get my master’s and I became a nurse practitioner.”

      “Nice. Where do you work?” Adam asked, then polished off the last of his hot dog and reached for his soda.

      “I worked for Harper Hospital for a while. When my husband and I separated, I needed a regular schedule. I wanted to spend more time with my sons. So I kind of changed careers. Now I run my own nursing and home health care agency. I provide pool nurses to the hospitals and CNAs to seniors.”

      “CNA?” Adam questioned.

      “Certified nursing assistant,” Wynn explained.

      He smiled approvingly. “Entrepreneur. Very impressive.”

      A hint of red crept into Wynn’s cheeks as she muttered modestly, “Something like that. What about you? Are you still in the Detroit area?”

      “No. I moved to West Bloomfield. Bought a house and I commute downtown to work.”

      “How about your mom and dad? What’s going on with them?” she asked before taking a bite out of her sandwich.

      “They split up a few years ago.”

      Wynn gasped. “No way!”

      “Way,” he responded. “Believe me, it shocked the hell out of me, too. It was hard for me to keep my mouth shut. They sold the house, split the profits, and Dad moved to South Carolina. Mom lives in Farmington Hills.”

      She leaned back in her chair. “Really! I would never have thought your parents would separate. They seemed so happy together. I can still remember how your family and mine celebrated birthdays together. And they were always going places with my parents.”

      “I remember that,” Adam admitted, still feeling a twinge of betrayal at his parents’ separation and divorce. It didn’t seem possible that the two people he loved the most couldn’t find the common ground to live together and had instead chose to call it quits. “Yeah, they did. Like you said earlier, things happen. People change. What about your parents?”

      “They sold their house on Outer Drive and moved to Beverly Hills. They live a few blocks from my place.”

      His eyebrows rose and nodded approvingly. “That’s handy.”

      “Yes, it is. Mom’s a lifesaver. She picks my boys up from school and stays with them until I get home from work.”

      “Hey! What about your sister? Where is she these days?”

      “California.”

      Adam sighed. “Don’t tell me she’s pursuing an acting career.”

      She laughed. “Oh, come on. You were way too young to remember how goofy Kayla was.”

      “I remember,” he replied.

      “Originally she moved west to act. But, she met her true love and soul mate and got married. She has five girls and they own a horse ranch.”

      Laughing heartily, Adam shook his head. “She was always the one doing her own thing.”

      “Yeah, you got her. Let’s talk about you for a minute. I mean, look at you. You’re a grown man with a great career and a life of your own. You’re not my little Adam anymore.”

      No. I’m not, he thought, deciding to get to the point. “We have to get together.”

      “That would be nice,” Wynn answered. “Why don’t you come to my place for a barbecue? Bring your girlfriend and I’ll cook for you guys.”

      “No girlfriend right now,” Adam responded quickly as the image of Vivian Manning, his colleague and dinner companion, entered his head. Taking Vivian anywhere constituted a problem. Her jealousy and demanding ways had caused Adam to put an end to their blossoming relationship before it got too intense. Shaking off those thoughts, he returned to the present. Vivian was the last person he wanted Wynn to meet.

      “A barbecue would be great.” Adam opened the briefcase at his side and removed a business card and fountain pen. He turned the card over and scribbled a note. “Here’s my home number. When you decide on a date and time, give me a call.”

      She smiled, finishing the last of her tea. “Will do.”

      “How about you? Can I get one of your cards?”

      “Sure,” Wynn muttered, putting down the styrofoam cup and wiping her hands on a napkin before reaching for her purse. She extracted a card, using two fingers to keep from smearing it with mustard from her sandwich, and handed it across the table to Adam. “My office and cell phone are listed.”

      Adam accepted the card, glanced at the numbers, and slid the card into the breast pocket of his suit jacket.

      They finished their meal with a minimum of conversation. Leaning back in his chair, Adam watched her, enjoying spending time with her.

      After a few minutes, Wynn checked her watch, stood, and took СКАЧАТЬ