LITMIR.BIZ

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development in earnest a short time earlier. Yesterday, he’d been so put off by the notion of nesting that he’d ignored a sign at the manager’s office advertising a unit for rent. He hadn’t forgotten about it, though.

      By comparison to everything else he’d seen, he’d found the empty town house to his liking. Located halfway across the complex from Heather’s, it featured a similar layout and came furnished. The only vegetation on its patio was a ficus tree watered through an automatic system.

      Jason had signed up immediately. The month-to-month lease meant that if he found something he liked better, he was free to move. Because of the location, there was no reason for him and Heather to get in each other’s way, and he appreciated the peace and quiet.

      The one drawback was that renters weren’t allowed to have pets. The manager had explained that owner-occupants could keep animals as long as they didn’t allow them to run loose. The boys’ family must be owners, Jason thought.

      “That’s Frodo. He’s my favorite.” The younger boy indicated the black-and-tan pup, whose tail was wagging so hard that Jason half expected it to propel its owner into the air.

      “I can’t have a dog because I’m renting,” he said.

      The older boy’s face scrunched. “What’s the use of being a grown-up if you can’t have a dog?”

      “Good point.” Jason got to his feet. “I hope you find homes for them.”

      “Thanks,” they chorused.

      What was the use of being a grown-up if you couldn’t have a puppy or roses or any other reasonable thing that you wanted? he mused. It was an internal discussion that would have surprised Heather Rourke, Jason supposed.

      He’d certainly bristled when she’d showed him her flower garden. Its blooming lushness had filled his senses with perfume and his soul with an intense yearning. For what, he wasn’t sure, but he’d yanked himself back to reality in a big hurry.

      As he strolled around the complex to check out its amenities, Jason wondered if he would ever feel ready to settle down in one place or with one woman. He didn’t believe in love sweeping people off their feet, though, especially not a scientist like him. Some guys weren’t cut out to be husbands, and he was one of them.

      He tried to remember what impulse had prompted him to get engaged during his residency. He’d met Eileen, a law student at Boston University, through family friends. They’d had a lot in common, including busy schedules, a taste for Greek food and a love of jazz. Eileen had understood about Jason’s long hours and seemed to share his vision of a future devoted to becoming among the best in their fields.

      Somewhere along the line, the subject of marriage had come up. Knowing that he needed a wife with similar goals and attitudes, Jason had fallen in with the idea. Both of them agreed that they wanted to work the long hours required by their professions, with children postponed indefinitely.

      He tensed as he recalled his last year of residency. During a difficult period, he’d driven himself harder and, he knew, become snappish to those around him. Perversely, Eileen had chosen that time to press him to set a date for their wedding.

      He’d told her frankly that he couldn’t handle getting married right then and needed the freedom to relocate if necessary. Her response had been tears and nagging. Jason knew he should have tried to understand, but he hadn’t possessed the energy to deal with her. When a prominent institution in England invited him to pursue his work there after completing his residency, he’d ended his engagement and removed himself from the situation.

      Later, through friends, he’d learned that Eileen had planned to drop out of law school and didn’t want a demanding career. She wasn’t crazy about Greek food or jazz, either. Their relationship had been built on her molding herself to suit him, without his realizing it. Perhaps she hadn’t been honest with herself about what she was doing, either.

      Although Jason regretted having disappointed her, marriage would have been a huge mistake. Perhaps that was why he’d reacted so strongly to the flowers yesterday. Subconsciously, he’d pegged Heather as being dedicated to her work, and it disturbed him to discover that at heart what she wanted was the whole picket-fence, rose-trellis scenario. Just like Eileen.

      Seeing the playpen and toys in her living room had given him a start, too. Oddly, Jason had found them kind of appealing, although he was relieved to know they belonged to Heather’s niece.

      Babies were cute. So were little boys like the pair with the puppies. Their dad probably loved taking them to ball games and playing on the beach with them. Someday, Jason supposed, he might want kids of his own. Someday, like in another ten years.

      Lost in thought, he didn’t realize he was passing Heather’s unit until he saw her standing in front, trimming dead blossoms from an azalea. In a tan T-shirt and beige jeans, she was shapely enough to catch any man’s eye.

      When she caught sight of Jason, her hand jerked and she mangled a branch. “What are you doing here?”

      “I’m glad to see you, too,” he said.

      Heather ducked her head, acknowledging the veiled complaint. “You’re right. It’s nice to see you again, Dr. Carmichael. Did you have some questions about the care and feeding of rose bushes?”

      “I’m afraid not,” he said. “If you see me traipsing by later with my arms full, you can lend a hand if you care to.”

      Her half smile shaded into a frown. “You rented a place?”

      He shrugged. “Serene Beach turns out not to have a very big supply of available housing.”

      “You swore you’d decided against renting a town house.”

      “That was before I looked all over town,” Jason said. “I honestly tried to find a place somewhere else. I combed the newspaper and an Internet referral service.”

      “You haven’t been looking very long,” Heather retorted mercilessly.

      “I’m sick of the hotel and I’ve got a busy week ahead.” He knew it was a low blow, to use work as an excuse for encroaching on her territory, but it truly was part of the reason for his rush. “There’s no reason for us to see each other except in passing.”

      “We’ll run into each other at the pool,” she countered.

      The image that came to mind, of Heather’s full breasts and slim waist displayed in a bikini, almost broke down Jason’s determination to regard her purely as a colleague. His voice catching, he choked out, “I don’t plan to do much swimming.”

      “Good.” Returning her attention to the azalea, she cut the broken branch and tossed it into a plastic bucket. “I trust you won’t be running over to borrow a cup of sugar or a pair of pruning shears.”

      “Scout’s honor.” She hadn’t mentioned laundry detergent, he thought. He might run out of that.

      “And don’t you dare go anywhere near my health club!”

      “Which health club is that?” he asked, his interest perking.

      “Never mind.” Heather appeared fascinated by a weed near the base of the bush. “I’ll see you around.”

      “You bet.” Although he would have enjoyed lingering, Jason knew he had a lot to accomplish this evening.

      With a wave, he strode away, his thoughts flying ahead to the process of moving. The heated buzz in his nervous system abated too slowly for comfort.

      A health club, eh? He’d make a point of finding it. A man needed exercise, after all.

      “OH, COME ON, Mom,” Olive said. “You can’t tell me his moving here doesn’t mean he likes you. I can’t wait to meet this guy!”

      “Jason Carmichael is my boss and an annoying one, at that.” Heather glowered. The last thing she wanted was for her daughter to start trying

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