“I still can’t believe it. Maybe I’m just that naïve.”
“You’re not. You are one of the most level-headed people I know. And I still think Dan was having a midlife crisis.”
Natalie knew that didn’t make it any better. “And you haven’t really moved on from that.”
“I have to.”
“When was the last time you went on a date?”
“Who needs to date? I’m perfectly fine alone,” Sheila said.
“Better off than me. I guess I should talk.” Natalie shrugged.
“Don’t do that to yourself. It could’ve just as easily been me or any of our friends. I watched that documentary about the Tinder Swindler. Those guys are very manipulative, charming and good-looking to boot.”
“Marc was all of those things. The charming and good-looking part, I mean. I never once felt manipulated.”
“That’s what makes them good at it. Let’s talk about something else. We’ve settled where you’ll be staying. With me. So, the trip was good?” Sheila asked.
“Amazing.” Natalie rolled her eyes. “Until I got back. The whole time in Cancún was magnificent. I even sketched a whole series of note cards.”
“That’s wonderful. See, so something good came out of it, besides the island time. Well, two if you count Marc convincing you to concentrate on the cards and not worry about going back into nursing. You’ve really found your gift. I can’t believe you didn’t know you had such a talent for drawing all these years.”
“I’m not sure I did have it before. Cancún was really inspiring. We released baby turtles, danced under the moonlight, took morning walks on the whitest sand.”
“Morning walks? He turned you into a morning person too?” Sheila laughed.
“He did, and I didn’t even complain.” She leaned in. “Our time together was easy. He showered me with gifts and moments I’ll never be able to forget, or regret, even if it all turns out to be a lie.”
“You were in love with Marc?”
“Yeah, I guess I did fall for him, but not love.” Spending two weeks in the most beautiful resort in Cancún, personal butler and all, had given her a unique taste of how the other half lived. Marc had definitely been a blessing, and she enjoyed his company, but it wasn’t love. “It’s not love like I had with Jeremy. It was different.”
“Every love is different,” Sheila said.
“I can’t believe he’d steal from me, Sheila.” She shook her head, still struggling to wrap her head around the possibility. “It’s got to all be a big misunderstanding. He’s a good man. He’s charitable.”
“I don’t know.” Sheila shrugged. “It all happened so fast. He always made me a little nervous.”
“You just didn’t get to know him like I did.”
“Because he didn’t allow you to spend time with me. He kept you on the go all the time.”
“It wasn’t like that.” Natalie fidgeted with the sheet. “Did you know when he had to leave early that he scheduled the rest of the trip for me to keep me busy? He arranged spa treatments and excursions. Seriously, how many men would even think of that?”
“Not many. That’s true.” Sheila crossed her legs. “I’m just glad you’re back and okay. I’m kind of excited to have my bestie in the house for a while. I’ve missed you.”
“All I have are the things I brought back from Cancún. Vacation clothes. Some gifts, jewelry, and makeup.”
“Well, you’d been talking about cleaning out your closet.”
“This is a little extreme.”
They both laughed.
“Maybe we’ve stumbled upon a new television series.Extreme Life Makeovers.”
“I hope it has a happy ending.”
