He had yet to knock. He could hear Kori and Kelly up above, laughing. Music played and he imagined the women dancing around while finishing dinner preparations. The thought warmed him even though he was nervous. The deep breathing techniques he often advised his patients to practice weren’t working and he felt an asthma attack coming, which was ridiculous since he didn’t suffer from such an ailment. He could be having a heart attack though, he surmised. His heart was beating rapidly, much faster than normal. One could easily say this was due to the nervousness he felt. Surely, he was in shape and very fit for someone his age. The daily surfing had done wonders for his physique. The evidence was beneath his shirt.
He slapped his hand against his forehead in self-admonishment. The last thing he should be thinking about is his abs when he should be knocking on the door. He raised his fist but couldn’t bring himself to pound against the wood. This time he felt flushed and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what had his blood pressure soaring. Dinner seemed like the logical way to end, what he considered an amazing day. He and Kelly had spent a fair amount of time together, all of it unplanned, and yet today had been one of the best days he’d had in a long time. His hand dropped to his side. He wasn’t sure if it was out of defeat, regret or just plain old anxiety. He definitely didn’t have any regrets. Hadn’t been defeated since she walked away from him, so it had to be anxiety. Deep down he was afraid of messing up with her again.
It was in that moment, standing in front of her door and listening to her and her daughter laugh and carry on that he realized he wanted a second chance, not to make things right, but to start anew.
He felt Rambo’s head under his hand, and his finger automatically started brushing the dog’s fur. He glanced down, watching his dog. He finally realized the cause of his uneasiness. It was Kori. Sure, as a doctor, he was amazing with children, but he’s never dated a single mom before, and the thought scared him.
Dating. Using that word was a bit presumptuous, but it’s what he wanted and hoped Kelly was heading in the same direction. The more he thought about it, the more he missed her. Not only after she left, but in the years that followed as well. They had a connection he hadn’t experienced with anyone else, and they still did. He was sure she felt it when they were together.
He had laughed when she invited him and Rambo over for dinner. She was clear the dog was invited. Maybe she was more interested in Rambo than she was his owner. It wouldn’t be the first-time women flirted with him because of Rambo.
In fact, she hadn’t even asked him if he had plans. He wasn’t sure what that said about him though or her for that matter. Had she known he planned to sit at home eating in front of the television or did she assume he’d change his plans to hang out with her?
Danny adjusted the two bouquets in his hand, squared his shoulders and finally raised his free hand to knock on the door. The sweet sound of Kori’s voice rang out as she yelled, “I’ll get it,” followed by her mother’s reply of, “I’ll go with you.” He had many reasons to smile, least of which were due to the happiness he was feeling. He was excited about getting to know Kori, sharing the evening with the Franklin women, and being in Kelly’s presence.
The door swung open and there stood Kori with her mother behind her. His eyes went from Kelly’s right down to her daughters, where he crouched and handed her one of the bunches of flowers. Her eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped opened. “Are these for me?”
“They are. They’re from Rambo. He wanted to say thank you for having us over for dinner.” Instantly, the little girl’s attention turned toward his dog, who was standing tall.
“May I pet him?”
“Of course. He really likes it behind his ears.” With the newfound knowledge of Rambo’s favorite petting spot, Kori stepped through the doorway and dropped to her knees. Both, Danny and Kelly watched as their two loves got to know each other. When he felt Kelly brush against his hand, he turned toward her. “These are for you.”
“From Rambo?”
He shook his head. “No, definitely from me.”
She brought the flowers to her nose and closed her eyes. He didn’t want to ask when the last time someone had done something as simple as bring her flowers was. He had a feeling the answer would enrage him and the last thing he wanted to do was spend the evening fuming over how poorly her ex had treated her. “These are beautiful.”
“Like you,” he blurted out before he could catch himself. Their eyes met and he shrugged. He wasn’t going to take it back. He spoke the truth. She was beautiful, and he thought she should know.
Kelly tilted her head to the side and motioned him to follow her upstairs. “Dinner’s ready.”
“I helped!” Kori jumped, and Rambo bent to pick up his leash. She started laughing. “He’s a funny dog.”
“Yes, he is.” Danny waited for Rambo and the Franklin women to go ahead of him. “Thank you for having us.”
“You haven’t eaten yet,” she reminded him. “What if we’ve poisoned the food?”
“If you’re the last thing I see before dying, it was all worth it.” He took a chance by leaning in and kissing her on cheek. He didn’t want to hide his feelings or send her any mixed messages. He was clear on how he felt. He felt her brea
the in. He had startled her, and he hoped it was in a good way.
He waited for her to close the door and then he placed his hand on her lower back and walked with her up the stairs. He stepped over the threshold and looked around her quaint apartment. The doors leading to the balcony were open, reminding him of a French Riviera terrace, without the stellar view of course. Kelly fussed with her flowers, setting them in a vase and finally on a small table by her couch, where Rambo and Kori were sitting together.
“Rambo,” he yelled and pointed to the floor. The dog’s head dropped, and he slowly slinked to the ground, where he sat obediently next to Kori. If he expected the girl to complain, she didn’t. She simply slid down and sat next to her new best friend. “I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. I’m sure she invited him up. She’s wanted a dog for so long but living in the city…” Kelly trailed off and turned her attention toward the oven. She pulled open the door and his stomach growled. “Hungry?”
“Apparently, I’m starving.” His hand rested over his abdomen as it continued to grumble. Without asking, he started to set the table. At first, he felt odd, opening her cabinet doors, but once she told him where to find everything, he felt at home, like he belonged here with them.
They moved around her tiny kitchen like a cohesive unit. When she needed to pull their dinner out of the oven, he was there to assist her. He told himself it’s because he didn’t want her to get burnt, but the truth was, he wanted to touch her, to be close to her, and he was willing to use any and every excuse he could think of to do so.
She lifted the lid off the pan and once again, his stomach let out an embarrassing sound. She giggled. He looked at her, caught her staring at him, and thought about kissing her. Now was neither the time nor the place, but maybe in the near future… after Kori went to bed.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said, breaking his mini daydream about being with her.
He tilted his head slightly. “About what?”