Again they all laughed.

“What’s in the box, Peyton?” Carrie asked.

“Oh, right... I was momentarily distracted. My mother packed up some samples of her best offerings for tasting. She left out the more exotic family meals, favorites at my house but I wasn’t sure how daring you would be—so, no tongue or oxtail soup or squid cooked in its own ink this time. But if you aren’t truly impressed with this menu, you’re crazy.” She unpacked the box, named each dish, presented the wine. “From my uncle Sal’s vineyard,” she said. “I’m afraid I couldn’t scare up any of the white. After a weekend of family, they were running low.”

Carrie was immediately on her feet, the chair she had raised her leg on pushed out of the way. “Oh, my gosh, Peyton! This is wonderful! There’s enough here for dinner! We can dip in right now!”

“My mother says to warm the mushrooms, chicken and shrimp in the microwave, but everything else must be warmed on the stove. Especially the soup and stew.”

“Did you eat like this every night, growing up?” Carrie asked.

“Oh, God, no! We always had hearty meals—we worked the farm and needed calories. But we had simple meals—soups and stews and bread and more potatoes and beans than you can possibly imagine. Sundays we had a lot of seafood, lamb and chicken. Except for the shrimp and clams and grains, almost all our food came off the farm, either fresh or from the canned or frozen food we preserved.”

“What a wonderful way to grow up,” Lou said. “I grew a tomato plant once. It didn’t do that well.”

In just moments Carrie had plates on the table, pans on the stove, serving dishes pulled out of cupboards and was opening up the containers. “Have a glass of wine with us, Peyton. We have to start tasting.”

“I didn’t know I was getting dinner tonight,” Ray Anne said. “I have a pizza date with Al later, after he has his Sunday night chores with his boys all finished.”

“What Sunday-night chores?” Lou asked.

“He has to make sure rooms are clean and laundry is done for the week. They have their family meeting, get the schedule straight, work out any issues. Then he gets a hall pass.” She eyed the beautiful food. “I might have to just watch him eat the pizza. This is irresistible.”

Carrie put a wineglass in front of Peyton. “I’m going to pass,” she said. “I have one more stop to make, and then I have to get home and recover from my weekend. Visiting my family involves a lot of people.”

“I’ll take care of these dishes, Peyton. You can take them home with you the next time you go. Or, if your mother needs them, I can arrange to ship them to her.”

“She has lots, Carrie. I’ll take them home next time.”

Peyton was tempted to stay for that glass of wine, at least to see how they responded to her mother’s cooking. They did seem to be having a great time together. She couldn’t help but wonder how Rawley felt about being thrown in with this gaggle of sixty-ish women. But she didn’t stay, she went on to Scott’s house. And while she was driving there she asked herself why she had set this up—going to Carrie’s first and then Scott’s. Was it because she hoped to spend more time with him? How foolish, especially since she was going to see him every day this week. And really, wasn’t this a bad idea, liking him as she did, wanting to be with him whenever she could?

She tried reminding herself she could end up in the same position she had been in with Ted—his forgotten paramour and the manager of his household and family while he was pursuing things he found infinitely more rewarding. It wasn’t quite working. She knew Scott wasn’t that kind of man. But she thought it would be very wise to move as slowly as possible. To that end, she left her car running as she took her box of food containers to the door. It was identical to the box she had left with Carrie, a fine collection of her mother’s best.

Scott opened the door wearing a fitted T-shirt and pair of sweat pants. He’d apparently taken a day off from shaving, and sweet baby Jesus, did he look delicious. “Peyton, hi! Here, let me take that. When you said you had a treat I didn’t expect... Come inside.”

She shifted the box into his arms and said, “I...ah...I really can’t stay....”

And they came running. Yelling. “Peyton! Peyton!” Jenny and Will attached themselves to her legs, hugging her so hard she dropped to one knee to gather them in. “You’re here! You came!”

Oh, God. She hoped Scott wouldn’t see that tears sparked in her eyes. They liked her? They were happy to see her?

“I can show you a movie,” Jenny said.

“We can have one on the TV, all of us,” Will said. “We can have popcorn and ice cream because we ate a good dinner!”

“Or we can have a tent! You can come in it!”

“Do you want popcorn and ice cream?” Will asked.

“We can play Candy Land in the tent!”

She looked up. Scott had put aside the large box and was smiling down on her, hands on his hips. “Your fan club.”

“I have to go,” she said to him, her voice soft.

“Okay, kids, let Peyton out of your mighty little grips. She has to go. Peyton, you have a date or something?”

“No...no, I just...well, I’m a little tired, and I left the car running.” But as she said that she had an arm around each child’s little waist, holding them closer.

“Are you worn out from your weekend away?” Scott asked.

She shook her head forlornly. She was sunk, and she knew it. She kissed a couple of hot little cheeks.

“Why don’t you give me your keys, and I’ll turn off your car?”

She made a small sound, a kind of weak whimper, as she handed over the keys.

“Don’t let them take complete advantage of you. I was just about to make them some popcorn,” Scott said. He went out the door. That’s when she noticed he was wearing worn leather slippers. And she found them incredibly sexy. That wasn’t a good sign. Her sister Ginny called her Fancy Pantsy; designer clothing was supposed to be sexy to her.

By the time Scott came back in the house, perhaps only thirty seconds later, Will had the Candy Land board opened on the living room floor. The kids were literally bouncing on the floor in excitement. Given they were only four and five, Peyton expected it would be a long game, but they’d played it so often they’d become fast. After two games, Will wanted to play War using three decks of cards. On their third game, Scott was hovering again. “I’m making popcorn. You have to let Peyton have a break. Glass of wine, Peyton?”

She had gathered her composure by now. “I wouldn’t mind.”

“Have you eaten?”

“No, actually. I was planning on heating up one of those low-cal frozen dinners. I ate enough over the weekend to keep me for days.”

“I happen to have a box of some of the best Basque takeout there is, and I bet you never get sick of it. I think I’ll start warming it up. White or red?”

“That Rioja is from my uncle’s vineyard, but if you have any cold white I’d love some. If you wait till we’re done here, I can help get everything ready....”

“I got it. I’m an expert at warming. By the time you finish your next game, their popcorn will be ready.”