Read Hope Smolders for Free Online

of her could use a waxing, too.
    Ugh. Being single and without a man had definite advantages. Dating required grooming. Making a mental note to call her hairdresser, Phoebe, for an appointment tomorrow, she took a deep breath and continued the self-perusal.
    Breasts—full and not too saggy, yet. In fact, since she frequently lugged around heavy textbooks and Tabby still liked to leap into her arms and be held and carried, she had good shoulders and strong arms and her boobs were still in really good shape. Yay for perky boobs! Though there were stretch marks there, because she’d breast-fed. She was proud of those marks, as well as the ones on her stomach.
    She splayed her hands across her belly, remembering being pregnant with both her kids. She smiled and she defied any man who didn’t appreciate the work she’d gone through bringing her children into the world.
    Her waist was indented, her hips swelled out nicely, and—what do you know about that? Chelsea was right, she thought, as she turned this way and that. She was tall, so she had long legs. Long, still shapely legs. She still thought her thighs were a little on the thick side, but screw it. She turned to the side and decided her butt was nicely rounded. And bigger butts were the in thing now, weren’t they?
    If a man couldn’t appreciate her body, he could shove it. It wasn’t as bad as she’d thought, and maybe she needed to start dressing better to appreciate it. It was time to do a little shopping—at Goodwill, which often had killer clothes at bargain prices. People threw out awesome clothes that they barely wore. She might not have a lot of money, but she knew how to shop.
    Determined to get a haircut, a wax, and find clothes that actually fit, she felt a lot better as she climbed into bed.
    But there was something she needed to do first. She grabbed her phone and dialed Will’s number.
    “Hey,” he said when he answered on the second ring. “What are you doing?”
    “Sitting in bed. I wanted to thank you for mowing my lawn. Why did you do that?”
    “Because it needed mowing and your current schedule doesn’t seem to allow enough time to fit that in. I have a lot more spare time than you do.”
    “I was going to get around to doing the yard work.”
    “I’m sure you were. But now it’s done, and that was my outdoor sweaty exercise for the day so, actually, you were doing me a favor.”
    She smiled. “In that case, you’re welcome.”
    “Did you have a good day today?” he asked.
    She loved that he cared enough to ask. “It was all right. As exciting as math can be.”
    “I never had math teachers as pretty as you. Mine were all old, with gray hair and pinched expressions on their faces, like their shoes were too tight.”
    “I’m certain you’re exaggerating. Most math teachers are gorgeous and sexy.”
    He laughed. “Clearly I went to the wrong school.”
    “Clearly.”
    “So did you think about that date?”
    All she’d been thinking about was that kiss. And she wanted more. “A little.”
    “How about Saturday night?”
    That would give her plenty of time to take care of her hair and eyebrows and…other areas, and do some shopping and beg her parents to watch the kids. “Uh, okay. Sure. Thank you. Are you sure you want to go out with me?”
    “Jane. I really want to go out with you. How about I pick you up at six thirty?”
    “All right. I’ll see you at six thirty Saturday.”
    “You’ll probably see me before then, but we have a date Saturday night.”
    Her heart did a ridiculous flutter in her chest. “Okay. Good night.”
    “Good night, Jane. Try to dream about me tonight.”
    She hung up and laid her phone on the nightstand, feeling a little dizzy and giddy and utterly too old to feel like this.
    She slid down in the bed and pulled the sheet up, then wiggled her toes and stared up at the ceiling.
    He made her smile. No man had done that in a very long time.

CHAPTER FIVE
    T abitha and Ryan were thrilled to be