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“I lost the love of my life.” She paused as if she needed to collect herself. “Do you know the last thing I said to him before he left for his shift that morning?”
I shook my head, unable to form words at the pain in her voice.
“Nothing.” There was regret in those two syllables only someone who had been through loss could understand. “He left earlier than usual, and I was asleep.”
She dabbed at the corners of her eyes.
“Not only do I get the good memories, but I have to live with the regret of the things we didn’t get to do. You’re both still alive. Believe me, you don’t want to have to live without saying what needs to be said.”
“He’s not the love of my life.” Out of all the wise words she’d just spoken, that was what I’d gotten out of it.Super, JoJo. Just super.
If I hadn’t been looking, I’d have missed the discreet lift of her brow.
Kane polished off his lasagna and leaned back in his chair. “I, for one, am not going to live with any regrets.”
“I’m sorry about your husband,” I said, finally coming to my senses.
Nancy covered my hand with hers. “Me too. But I’m more grateful that we had even one minute together.”
The place inside where that little bit of emptiness resided made itself more aware. What would that be like? To love someone that much?
I supposed some people were lucky—or unlucky—enough to find out... and some of us weren’t.
Despite my better judgment, my gaze drifted to Kane. He was intensely focused on me again. Or maybe he’d never stopped looking at me. I was the one who couldn’t look at him any longer.
It was too much and not enough at the same time.
And I had no idea how Nancy’s words had impacted him.
“Dinner was delicious, as always, but you know what I’m here for.” He stood and picked up his empty plate. “Take your time with that.” He motioned toward my still full plate. “The longer you work on the main course, the longer I can work on dessert.”
“But you haven’t had a second helping,” Nancy protested.
“I’ve been daydreaming about this cake.”
He could be utterly charming when he wanted. Nancy seemed to swoon a bit at his enthusiasm.
That mischievous gleam landed on me once more. “Please tell me you’ve banned sugar from your diet.”
I flashed him a serene smile. “I have not.”
He scowled before he deposited his plate in the sink. “Nancy, do you want a Kane-sized slice?”
“I only made one cake, so you’re going to have to make everyone’s a mini-Kane-sized piece.” She flicked her chin at me. “Eat up. You’re going to need your energy.”
I glanced at my plate warily. Was this an entire pan of lasagna? No way could I finish, but I felt guilty not trying to clear a little more. I didn’t want to insult her.
She made a satisfied noise when I dug back in.
Somehow that encouraged me to keep eating.
Kane smirked when he returned to the table. “You don’t want to miss out on dessert, do you?”
My brow lifted. “Is there any left?”
He had what appeared to be a quarter of a cake on his plate. Not a dessert plate, but a dinner plate. And he’d set an equivalent piece next to Nancy.
He held up his index finger and thumb with practically no space between them. “A JoJo-sized piece.”
