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look…unsure.”
    â€œNot at all. I’d love to have dinner. Most definitely.”
    â€œThen what is it?” she asked.
    Thomas smiled sheepishly. “Just that I was supposed to ask you on the next date. Now you’ve beat me two for two.”
    Nicole laughed. “I told you I was forward. Sorry about that.”
    â€œI like it. At least I know exactly where you stand. The next question is, where? There’s not a lot of choice in Marshdale and since I’d have to drive anyway, I don’t mind coming into the city again.”
    â€œOkay. That works for me. Were you thinking of bringing the kids?”
    Thomas glanced over at the girls. They were buried to the waist in plastic balls, pretending to swim through them. He looked back at Nicole. “How about no kids this time? Ryder can stay with Whisper. He hasn’t done much babysitting lately and since he’ll be moving out of the house after graduation, I better get some use out of him before it’s too late.” He grinned.
    â€œSounds like a plan. I’ll arrange a sitter for Maggie, too.”
    Maggie and Whisper both came running to the table and grabbed their drinks, taking long swallows before running back into the fray of clamoring children. Thomas watched them, a feeling of contentment like he hadn’t experienced recently overtaking every other emotion. This felt so comfortable. So right. He let his mind wander to the possibilities.
    ****
    For the rest of the week, Thomas and Nicole settled into a routine of nightly calls, usually after nine when the girls had gone to bed. The weekend rolled around again, and Thomas pulled up to Nicole’s house at seven-thirty on Friday night. She lived in an older neighborhood of Regina near the legislative buildings. Nicole’s home was not as large as some but it still had character, with a steeply pitched roof, shutters, and a quaint facade reminiscent of a gingerbread house.
    He parked on the narrow street and walked up the cement path to the front door. He adjusted his tie as he rang the bell, hoping he hadn’t overdressed. He wore a white shirt, which contrasted with his dark hair and complexion, and a pair of casual dress slacks in a dark gray color. He often wore button-up shirts, but jeans were his standard and he definitely wasn’t used to the tie. He only wore those for business meetings.
    Thomas heard the deadbolt unlatch and then the front door swung open. Nicole stood there in a strapless black cocktail dress, her hair piled on her head and silver earrings twinkling at her lobes. He blinked, shutting his mouth on purpose. She was nothing less than stunning. “Come on in. I’m just giving the sitter some last-minute instructions.”
    Thomas stepped inside and shut the door behind him. He waved at Maggie, who was sitting on the hardwood floor in front of a small TV. “Hi.”
    â€œHi.” Her eyes didn’t stray from the set.
    Thomas found his way to a nearby settee and perched on it, hands clasped between his knees as he waited. The room was small but cozy. There was a fireplace against one wall with bookshelves on either side. Nicole had retreated to the kitchen and was giving the babysitter a rundown of expectations. When she was through, she emerged in the doorway between the two rooms. “Well, I guess we’re ready.”
    Thomas stood up. Nicole walked toward him and grabbed a shawl that had been tossed across the back of the settee and placed it around her shoulders. Her shoulders were slim and shapely, her neck long and smooth. He cleared his throat and focused his attention on the fireplace across the room. Much safer.
    â€œCome give me a kiss,” Nicole instructed her daughter. Maggie jumped up and ran to her mother. Nicole barely had time to place a peck on the child’s cheek before the little girl was back in her spot on the floor, absorbed in her TV program. “Doesn’t look like she’s