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“What about you? Aren’t you looking?”
“No. No. Not me. Not really.” She laughed awkwardly. “I mean if Mr. Perfect came along, okay. But no, I’ve got my hands full—”
“Deciding all your friends need love, but you don’t.”
“Why are you so concerned with me finding love?”
“Ha. Threw that right back at me, huh.”
She returned his smile. “You had it coming.”
“I’ll let you in on a personal secret.” He leaned toward her, pitching his voice to low intimacy. “It’s a hot-button issue for me when women take care of everyone around them and not themselves.”
“I see.” She kept her therapist hat on firmly so she wouldn’t break out in goose bumps. “Where did this come from? Your mother? Ex-wife?”
“Mother. And my sister, too, who followed in Mom’s footsteps by marrying a man who expects everything and gives nothing.”
“And you? What was your ex like?”
He grimaced. “I was so determined not to marry a doormat that I married the opposite, which is just as bad.”
“Being aware of the patterns is half the battle. Sounds like you’ve worked it all out, though.” Oh, he was perfect. Darcy 136
needed someone on solid emotional ground to support her while she struggled onto hers. “You must have a good idea of the type of woman you’re looking for.”
“Somewhat.” He quirked an eyebrow humorously. “But then life is full of surprises, isn’t it?”
For some reason she started feeling nervous. “Well, I think Darcy is your type, at least judging by—”
“You know what, Marie?” He shoved his chair back and arranged himself comfortably. “I’m sure your friend is great, but—”
“You want me to mind my own business?”
“Nope.” He held his coffee up to the waiter for a refill. “I’d rather talk about you.”
“Me?” She couldn’t hide her surprise, and couldn’t stop the rush of pleasure. “What do you want to know about me?”
“Let’s see.” He added a creamer to his cup and stirred. “I admitted to some of my baggage. What about yours?”
She started playing with the handle of her cup, wondering how he’d react if she told him that men hitting on younger women was her hot-button issue. Probably too much intimacy this early in their…friendship? Was that what they were starting? Or did he only need someone today to watch him eat his sandwich? “I was married for ten years until my husband found someone else. I started my dream career, it’s done well, and I’m happier now than I’ve been in a long time. That’s about it.”
“Good story. Love, betrayal, pain and a happy ending.” His grin contained empathy. “To play you in the movie I’d cast…
Julianne Moore.”
“Oh, come on.”
“I’m serious. Now who should play your ex?”
“How about…” She frowned thoughtfully. “The pig from the movie Babe? ”
He cracked up, throwing back his head, legs long and loose to one side of their table. She imagined curling up on his lap—imagined Darcy curling up on his lap. “Well, Marie, I guess it’s good to get to a place where you can laugh about the bad stuff.”
“Finally. Yes. Was divorce your idea?”
“Nope.” His face shut down; he pulled his chair back in to the table. “I’m not laughing now, am I? Still need work.”
Her heart ached for him. “Another man?”
“She married him, then cheated on him and married the third one. Probably only a matter of time before she does it again.” He pulled his wallet out of his sweats and slid the check toward himself.
“People like that…” She shook her head, wishing she hadn’t brought up his divorce if it made him want to cut their meal short. Or maybe he’d been ready to go anyway. “Sometimes I think therapy should be a requirement for graduating high school.”
“A whole country of well-adjusted people?” He extracted cash and stood. “I can’t even begin to picture it.”
