She instantly felt guilty for giving Jonas such a hard time for getting Wade’s approval before asking her out. “He basically asked Wade for permission to ... you know.”
Her mother smiled and pride lit her eyes. “I imagine he did. Jonas might not have much experience with family, but he understands honor.”
“I wonder, though, what if Wade had said no.” That question had nagged at her mercilessly.
Her mother winked and placed her hand on top of hers. “Jonas doesn’t strike me as the type of guy to give up so easily, sweetie.”
A zing of pleasure ran through her as she thought of how incredibly persistent Jonas had been. “Definitely not.”
“So, next weekend when you’re off having fun with that big cutie, just remember one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“There are no do-overs in life. You have to grab it while you can and enjoy every second of it, because you never know when it’ll be snatched away.”
Deanna heard the little catch in her mom’s voice and knew she missed her husband. They’d been so in love; it broke Deanna’s heart to see her sad. “I’ll remember, Mom. I promise.”
“Good.” She stood and said, “Now, how about you show me what you’ve been working on for that new client.”
That quickly, Deanna’s mind switched into designer mode, but then she remembered there was something else she’d wanted to discuss with her mom. “Before I do that, I wanted to ask you something.”
“Anything, dear.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with me quitting nursing?” Deanna bit her lip, afraid she’d disappointed her mother when she’d quit her day job in favor of the design work.
“Of course I am. I want my kids happy, and nursing wasn’t doing that for you.” She frowned. “Why do you ask?”
Deanna shrugged. “Because you were a nurse and, I don’t know, I thought maybe you’d be a little upset that I wasn’t following in your footsteps.”
“Oh, don’t be silly. It’s true I enjoyed being a nurse. I found it quite rewarding. I want my kids to get the same sort of pleasure from their jobs, no matter what that is. Interior design has always been your passion, Deanna. I’m proud to see you turning that passion into a successful business.”
Deanna’s throat closed with emotion. “Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, kissing her on the cheek.
They spent the rest of the day talking about various types of material and the Asian-inspired design her client had in mind for his home. It wasn’t until she lay in bed later that night that Deanna let herself think of Jonas. His mouth. His hands. It was crazy to want a man as badly as she wanted Jonas. Friday seemed light-years away.
6
“I only came here to talk to my brother. To tell him about the trip. Go away, Jonas.”
Jonas had been heading to his car when he’d spotted Deanna’s little red coupe pulling up to Phoenix-Wade Investigations. When she’d parked and gotten out, he’d all but swallowed his damn tongue. Today she was wearing a tight pair of dark blue jeans, knee-high leather boots, a black leather jacket, and her hair was up in a high ponytail. She looked like a kick-ass chick in an action movie.
It’d taken him only a few seconds to alter his course.
As he cupped her cheek now, Jonas decided to taunt her a little. “Wade and I are business partners. You knew I’d tell him I was going away this weekend. So why are you really at our office, Deanna?”
“There are other things I wanted to discuss with him too.”
“It’s Wednesday and we haven’t spoken since I called on Saturday about our flight time.” He winked and cocked his head to the side. “You sure you weren’t missing me?”
“I-I’m sure.”
The little stammer in her voice belied her words. Taking hold of her shoulders, Jonas maneuvered their bodies so that she was pinned between him and her car. It was already dark out, even though it was only six-thirty in the evening, and the street was all but deserted. Jonas put his hands on the roof of the car, caging her in and effectively keeping her from escaping. “I told you once not t
o lie to me, kitten.”
He noted the way Deanna took in their surroundings, as if to confirm that they were alone. Apparently satisfied, her attention landed back on him once more. “It’s not a lie,” she murmured.