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Early-morning surliness, high-decibel temper tantrums and boneheaded stubbornness were all things she knew how to deal with.
    â€œI just thought you might have changed your mind,” she said honestly. “I wouldn’t have blamed you. Because—well, I goaded you into this, didn’t I?”
    He gave her a puzzled frown. “I’ve had rather a difficult afternoon,” he said by way of explanation, if not apology, for his rudeness.
    Wearing a beautifully cut and obviously expensive suit in almost the same charcoal shade as Hope’s dress, he looked downright elegant. Except for the pearls, Hope hadn’t dressed with any special care, which was just as well, because she could have spent a week getting ready and still not have attained that level of gorgeousness.
    No, not gorgeousness. Charles Hartman wasn’t actually handsome. He was…classy. Yes, that was it. Well, if she had tons of money, she’d look classy, too. Who wouldn’t?
    Forgetting her semishoeless state, Hope took a lopsided step away from Charles and promptly lost her balance. As her arms flailed uselessly, he lunged for her, his alert reflexes preventing her from hitting the floor.
    An instant later it occurred to Hope that leaning sideways in this virtual stranger’s arms was probably as close as she would ever come to dancing the tango. She giggled, stammering an apology as Charles righted and released her.
    He stared at her feet for a moment, then raised startled eyes to her face. Hope calmly met his gaze, chewing her tongue while she waited for him to ask.
    He cleared his throat. “Is that a new fashion or are you just eccentric?” he queried.
    Hope tilted her head to one side. “I’m going to need some more choices.”
    He nodded, his eyes drifting away from hers as he thought. “Your other shoe’s being repaired? You have an ingrown toenail? The store had only one shoe in your size but you couldn’t pass up the bargain?”
    Hope grinned and waited. He was good.
    â€œPerhaps we should skip multiple-choice and try fill-in-the-blank,” he suggested.
    For a man who was so reluctant to smile, he had a great sense of humor. Hope rewarded him with the correct answer. “Bob plays with my shoes. I was looking for the mate to this one when you arrived. I’ll continue the search now, if you don’t mind. I’m guessing you want to go to one of those swanky places where they pretty much insist on their patrons being fully shod.”
    â€œIt’s what I had in mind. Definitely one of those fashionable two-shoe establishments. You have a son?”
    â€œN-no, I’ve never been married,” she replied in confusion.
    â€œWell, that wouldn’t preclude your having children. I knew that one even before medical school.”
    She didn’t care for his casual attitude. “Yes, itwould,” she stated firmly. “I believe the biblical teaching that sex outside of marriage is a sin.”
    He gave her a noncommittal shrug. “Then who’s Bob?”
    â€œOh!” she said, finally understanding. Looking Charles in the eye, she put two fingers to her mouth and whistled, watching with satisfaction as he cringed. Hope was proud of her whistle. It was exquisitely loud and nerve-shatteringly shrill.
    â€œHope! You might have warned me,” he chided, twisting his fingers in his ears.
    She bent to caress the cocker spaniel that had just bounded in from the kitchen. “That was nothing. I can do it much louder,” she declared. “I have four older brothers, and I can whistle and spit and belch with the best of ’em. My curveball isn’t bad, either.”
    â€œI can imagine,” he said admiringly. “But are you about ready to go? I haven’t had a thing to eat all day, unless black coffee counts.”
    She removed her solitary shoe and handed it to him. “Check under the sofa and see if you can find something