Page 79 of Designs on You

“Everywhere. Oh, Hazel, you would love it. People are outside walking their dogs all over the place.”

“Now that I would love. Show me.”

She transferred the call to FaceTime and threw away her trash, then got up and took her sister for a walk, mentioning a few areas she’d stopped at that she really liked. And, of course, since it was Hazel, she made sure to show her a few dogs that walked past.

“So adorable. Nothing better than a happy dog.”

“Speaking of dogs, how’s Grizelda?”

“One of the pack. She loves hanging out with the other kids.” Hazel turned the phone around to show her Grizelda happilysnoozing in the backyard with Penny the golden retriever. “They’ve been running amok all morning.”

“Aww. Thank you so much for taking care of her.”

“It’s no problem. She’s a very good dog, Natalie. She’s warm and affectionate and so playful. I can see why you had instalove for her.”

Yeah, she definitely had a problem with instalove. And not just the dog. “She has my heart for sure. So what’s going on at home?”

“Not much. Mom is going to drop Cammie and Christopher off after school. Linc and I are going to take them to a kids’ festival with face painting and rides and such, then after dinner we’ll take them to Sean’s. I already talked to him about keeping the kids through dinner and he was fine with that.”

“I’m glad he didn’t balk at it. He’s such a stickler for a schedule.”

“Yeah, I was surprised, too. Anyway, we’ll have some fun with the kids and then they can go to their dad’s.”

“Thanks, Hazel. The kids will love it.”

“Linc and I will love it, too. Now tell me everything you’ve been up to.”

Natalie gave her sister every detail of her escapades so far, leaving out the intimate times she’d shared with Eugene, of course.

“Sounds like you’ve had so much fun. How are you and Eugene getting along?”

She’d entered the park, so she found a nice shady spot by a pond and took a seat. “Oh, we’re fine.”

Hazel arched a brow. “Fine? Really? That’s all you have to say?You get a fun getaway without kids or responsibilities, and you’re with a hot man, and all you can say is that it’s fine?”

She inhaled a deep breath, exhaled, and said, “Okay, actually, it’s amazing. He’s amazing. And that’s a problem.”

Hazel leaned back in her chair and took a sip of her coffee before asking, “Why is it a problem?”

“Because I’ve got my life in order. The kids are settled and have adjusted to the divorce, and I don’t want to rock the boat.”

Hazel didn’t speak for a few seconds, and Natalie prepared herself for what was coming.

“So, what? You’re supposed to just be alone and miserable for the rest of your life?”

“No, of course not. I just think that now might not be the best time.”

“Okay. And when do you think the best time would be?”

She opened her mouth to pop out an answer, realizing immediately that she didn’t have one. “I don’t know.”

“Could it be that you’re just afraid of your feelings for Eugene, that maybe everything between you is happening so fast that you feel like your head is spinning, and you want the world to stop for just a minute so you can think?”

Natalie blinked. “Okay, wow. Where did that come from?”

“I had the same knock-me-out feelings for Linc. It was like they came at me out of nowhere, and I didn’t know what to do with all these emotions, the wow-ness of it all. You know how I felt after the divorce. I wanted nothing to do with men or relationships. Look at me now.”

“Well, that’s different. I have children to consider.”

---