Page 39 of Fierce-Dane

He wasn’t going to harp on it anymore either. He made sure he paid for everything for the kids. Their daycare, the medical bills. He gave her money for school clothes on top of buying them too.

She always said thank you but never asked for more.

She had a good job and didn’t need it, but he knew her life would have been different had they still been married and her divorce lawyer had made a point of saying that and trying to go for the jugular.

His parents and sister worried he’d get taken and had been stunned when it didn’t happen.

As upset as he was over the end of his marriage, Mel was good about it all.

They handled it in the best and most mature way possible and maybe that was why they were able to co-parent as well as they did.

And now he was going on a second date with the first woman since his ex-wife that he hoped he could actually look forward to more than a few dates with.

His last few first dates ended after one shot and he was fine with it. He didn’t want things with Sloane to end.

He got out of his SUV and walked to the front porch and up the stairs. He was glad he’d gotten out of work on time and could go home and shower and change.

They’d decided on just a casual pub so he put on jeans and a black and gray polo shirt with sneakers that looked a bit like shoes. Ones he liked to wear to work, as they were more comfortable on his feet.

Her door opened before he got to the last step.

“You’re early,” she said.

“I want to say it’s a bad habit, but it doesn’t happen often. I always feel like I’m running late, but luck was on my side.”

And it sure was when he looked at her in a pair of tan jeans that stopped at her calves and were fitted to her body. Not skin tight, but they didn’t leave much to the imagination either and seemed to have some stretch to them.

Her top was peach with white trim around the sleeves and neck. Nothing fancy other than the material looked soft and fit her well but not clingy. It was tucked into her waist and he got a better idea of just how thin she was.

But he knew there was strength behind her. There had to be with her job. He’d felt it on top of it.

“You look different,” she said. “More relaxed.”

“Thanks,” he said. “Not everyone wears suits anymore, but I don’t feel right going to my office in jeans.”

She laughed. “Do doctors wear jeans?”

“Some,” he said. He’d seen different departments where doctors were in jeans. In his mind, if he was going to dress down that much he might as well wear scrubs, which were more comfortable.

He had plenty in his closet and had worn them before. He would again.

Most times he didn’t need them though and tried to finda happy medium. He even gave up on a tie unless he was in meetings. Kids tended to pull on them anyway.

“That might be my type of doctor,” she said.

“I’ll have to remember that. And you look nice.”

“I figured I should put something more colorful on than my black wardrobe. I find it’s easier to wear that because I tend to get lotion or oils on my clothing.”

He’d noticed that not everyone wore black. “Do you have a dress code?”

“Not really. I’ve asked that they wear solid toned-down colors. Blacks, blues, browns. We are supposed to be soothing there. Most don’t want to get their clothes dirty anyway and do the same thing. I don’t care so much at the desk though. But I’d like them to be presentable. No jeans or shorts or T-shirts.”

“You’ve got an image,” he said.

“I do. I don’t want to be so fancy that people are intimidated but not so casual we aren’t taken seriously either.”

“You have managed it well,” he said.

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