Free Husband Under Construction by Karen Templeton

fun! A lot of fun! As much fun as you like! It’s just…”
    â€œYou think this is a rebound.”
    â€œI think I should check for the empty love potion bottle. This zero-to-sixty business is a little unnerving.” When he shot her another mulish look—albeit of a much spunkier variety than the one he’d given her in the tile aisle—she said, “Charley, I know how down you’ve been since Mae’s death, which wasn’t all that long ago—”
    â€œMore than a year, Rox. And at my age, there are worse things than a rebound relationship.” He shrugged. “Should it even come to that.” Then his eyes found hers. “This isn’t the same situation as yours, because I’m not looking for the same things. At this point, whatever happens from now on…” Another shrug. “Gravy.”
    One arm across her ribs, Roxie ducked her head to stare at a mystery splotch on the disgusting floor. “Maybe you’re not in the same place I was…back then. But still. Acting on an attraction when you’re still in love with someone else—”
    â€œIt’s a date, Rox. That’s all. Now can we drop this?”
    â€œNo. The dating scene…it’s changed since you dated Mae. A lot.”
    â€œAnd you think I’d have a problem with having sex on the third date?” At her apparently appalled expression, Charley chuckled. “Your aunt and I got cozy on the second. Betcha didn’t expect that, didja?”
    â€œGeez, Charley—”
    â€œIt was the sixties. What can I say? Sex happened.”
    â€œThis is supposed to be reassuring?”
    â€œAlthough,” he said on a sigh, “now that I’m in my sixties, sex probably isn’t going to happen quite so much. Listen, you don’t think I’m shocked, too? That one minute, I’m a lonely old man, the next, here’s this pretty woman, asking if she can sit with me, and suddenly we’re talking like we’ve known each other forever. Her dead husband, he also worked at Los Alamos. Although in a completely different department. And get this—”
    â€œShe was a teacher, too?”
    â€œYeah. How’d you know? Only she taught little kids, first grade. Not high school. So can I borrow your car tomorrow?”
    Roxie had to admit, as the initial shock began to fade, Charley excited about going on a date with someone he barely knew was far preferable to Charley still mourning someone he’d known and loved his entire adult life. And of course he was perfectly capable of looking out for himself. No point putting her own issues on the poor man.
    â€œYes, Charley. You can borrow the car.” Her mouthtwitched. “But put gas in it. And if you’re not home by midnight your car privileges are revoked.”
    â€œNo problem, we’re going to the afternoon show, it’s cheaper that way. So how’d you and Noah get on with the selections?”
    And, apparently, that was the end to that conversation.
    Her issues, no. The conversation, yes.
    â€œFine,” she said, which was the end of that conversation. After Charley bustled off—she assumed to confirm plans with his new “friend”—Roxie returned to the dining room to continue her unpacking, cataloguing, repacking, since everything had to be shoved back into the garage until after the reno. The better pieces she’d decided to sell on eBay, but she’d have to hold a yard sale or something for the rest of it. Although, between their being out in the boonies and winter breathing down their necks, how she was going to pull that off she had no idea.
    That, however, was a worry for another day. Because today she had worries enough, between her uncle’s finding love over a Whopper and fries and her insane attraction to Noah and her near heart attack when she’d seen Jeff’s number on her cell phone earlier.
    What on earth he wanted to