A New Forever by Carolyn Faulkner, Alta Hensley Page B

married to the original stodgy guy—to want anything for him but whatever happiness he could carve out of his life. If she wasn't going to be able to be there to drive him crazy, she would be ecstatic if he found someone else to do so.
    In fact, she'd probably be tickled pink that the only woman he'd shown any interest in—emotionally, intellectually, and very definitely physically—was Elodie. April had always been selfless and loving. Would she want this? If he were able to ask April for her permission, would she say yes?
    Slamming the glass down after draining it, he winked lasciviously at April and hauled himself out of his chair, intent on making it to bed before he collapsed. He accomplished his goal, but barely, falling asleep with a belly full of scotch and a heart full to bursting with Elodie. April. Elodie.
     
     
     

Chapter 9
     
    They each plunged back into their respective lives as if nothing at all unusual had happened that weekend—Clay was busy with the ranch, she assumed, since she hadn't heard from him, and Elodie buried herself in work and painting.
    One night Elodie came home and there was a light on in her apartment. She checked the parking lot and spotted a little red Mini, and knew that Joshua had dropped by. Despite the fact that she'd just worked a double to try to afford the coat she didn't want but which Clay wanted her to have, Elodie sprinted up the stairs and into her apartment, only to be crushed in a bear hug the moment she opened the door.
    "Elodie!"
    Joshua was a thin, small man, but he gave huge, wonderful, all out hugs, and she felt herself let go and relax against him. It was the first time she'd felt relaxed since things had started to develop with Clay.
    "Joshua! It's so good to see you!" She hugged him back, but she knew that her hugs weren't nearly as fantastic as his were.
    He leaned back and kissed her, then returned to the small galley kitchen where he began stirring a pot. "I was just going to leave a contribution to the 'feed a starving artiste' fund. I thought you worked mornings on Tuesdays?"
    Elodie crowded into the kitchen with him and took a deep breath of the fragrant steam from the pot of whatever it was he had on the burner. It smelled like pure heaven to her. The restaurant where she worked didn't have the usual policy towards employees; that they could eat there free of charge. Instead, they gave a small discount on the price of a meal, and since Elodie could eat more cheaply at home, she almost never ate what she served all day long.
    The truth was, she didn't eat much at all. Once she got home, food didn't even enter the picture; all she wanted to do was either sleep or paint. Nine times out of ten, painting won out over sleep.
    "Yeah, I do, but today I did a double."
    Joshua stopped stirring long enough to give her a glare that reminded her uncomfortably of Clay. "Is the Bill Fairy going to have to pay you a visit again?" he asked, pulling his gold, wire-rimmed glasses down his nose and giving her his best schoolmarm imitation.
    "No, he is not! I still owe the Bill Fairy from the last bailout!" She watched as he began to ladle his famous Not French Onion soup into four of the oven proof bowls he'd accidentally left at her place. That soup in particular was a favorite of Elodie's, Joshua knew. It was unlike French Onion soup because it was nowhere near as salty. The base wasn't beef broth, as was the norm, but rather a lighter vegetable broth, chock full of all sorts of onions—not just the usual Spanish, but Vidalia and red and shallots and scallions, along with just a hint of garlic and white wine.
    There was no chunk of soggy bread in the middle of Joshua's soup, either. Both he and Elodie detested that, so instead he had made some homemade garlic bread that was crisp and hot from the oven. After topping the soup bowls with mounds of cheese, he set them under the broiler long enough to melt it and grabbed two large soup spoons from the drawer, giving her