After All - Romancing Manhattan

“It is. Keep thinking that. It’s awful. Horrible. And something you do when you’re thirty.”

She giggles now. “You’re weird. I don’t care if you date. I don’t think. Unless it’s someone dumb. I mean, you can’t date someone that I hate.”

“Obviously.”

“Because my friend Sara’s mom starting dating this total douche nozzle. No douche nozzles.”

“I think we can manage that. In fact”—I clear my throat—“I would like to start dating Nora.”

Her whole face breaks out into a big smile. “It’s about time! Dad, Nora’s awesome.”

“I know.”

“I told her the other day that she should date you, but she said it’s complicated.”

“Well, it is a little complicated,” I concede. “But I like her very much, and I’d like to spend more time with her outside of work.”

“I can spend more time with Grandma,” my sweet daughter offers, and I tug her into my arms for a hug.

“I think we’ll invite you to come with us most of the time, Gabs. You’re my daughter, my family, and if I’m dating any woman, she’ll need to get to know you, too.”

“But you’re going to want to do romantic stuff, and that’s not my idea of a good time.”

“Yes, I hope to have some romantic times, but we’ll have lots of times when we’re just hanging out, and there’s no reason that you can’t be with us.”

“Yeah, I guess that could be fun,” she says. “I’m happy for you, Dad.”

I stare at my daughter. She’s growing up so fast. Way quicker than I’m comfortable with. And she looks just like her mother.

Darcy loved her, and it makes me sad that Gabby is missing out on having her mother as she grows up.

“Are you okay, Gabs?”

“I told you, I like Nora.”

“I don’t just mean that. I mean, are you generally okay?”

She sighs and sits back against the cushions. “Yeah. I’d be better if I could watch Netflix tonight with my new dog—”

“Don’t push it.”

“I’m good. Thanks for asking me if I’m okay with the gross dating.”

“We’re a team, baby girl. We need to be on the same page or this doesn’t work.”

“Like last year, when I was such a royal brat.”

“You were just a little brat.”

She laughs. “Hormones.”

“What, exactly, do you know about hormones?”

Gabby groans as she shoves her face in a pillow and says, “Daaaaad.”

“What? I need to know these things.”

“I love you, Dad.”

“I love you, too, Gabs.”

“So about Netflix.”

“Nope.”

“I had to try.”

Chapter Five

~Nora~

“Good morning, Nora,” Carter says in greeting as he walks into the office Friday morning. He’s wearing those navy blue slacks I told him I like, and that left dimple is firmly in place as he grins and places a manila folder on my desk. “I have some notes for the Dickinson case I need you to look over right away.”

I frown up at him. He never asks me to look over case notes. Well, unless he’s asking me to fetch them or file them away.

But read them? No.

“Uh, okay.”

“Great. Have a good day, Nora.”

And with that, he walks into his office and shuts the door, just like any other normal day.

Confused, I open the folder and find a handwritten note from Carter.

N—

We said to act normal at work, so this is the only way I could come up with to send personal messages back and forth. I’m looking forward to our date this evening. And if I haven’t told you yet today, you look fantastic.

He wrote this before he even saw what I was wearing today. Carter Shaw is a charmer.

I hope you have a great day. The hours will creep by for me.

—C

I did not expect this. Flirty notes that we pass back and forth in this folder seems a bit childish, but exciting at the same time.

We can’t email back and forth because that leaves a trail. We could just text—that would be easier—but this is sort of old-fashioned and tantalizing. And the fact that Carter was creative enough to come up with it sets the butterflies in my belly into full flutter.

I tuck the note in my purse and pull out a blank piece of paper.

C—

Thank you for coming up with such a fun way to communicate during the day. It’s kind of sexy that you thought of it. I see you’re wearing my favorite slacks today.

I’m also excited for our date. What time should I be ready to go for the day?

TGIF!

—N

I tuck the note into the folder and walk into Carter’s office.

“I read over your notes and added my own, for you to read at your convenience.”

I pass him the folder and immediately turn to walk back to my desk.

On my way out the door, I whisper to myself, “I hope you know what you’re doing, Nora.

“Hey, Sienna,” I say when I see the attorney standing at my desk. “What can I do for you?”

“I need a full-time assistant,” she says with a sigh. “I thought I could get through a couple of weeks without one, but my plate is already full, and I don’t feel comfortable calling on you all the time. You have your own full-time job.”