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herself for not
being faithful to Brent or being the fiancée she thought he
deserved.”
    “So you decided
to give up and move on with your life. Is that why you went to the
dating service?”
    “No, not
really. Brent’s fiancée, Ava, owns the dating service. I was kind
of curious about her. They’d just started seeing each other when I
went to Lasting Connections . She and I developed a
friendship after Brent beat the hell out of me that night at
Jimmy’s.” Eli smiled when his sister giggled. Time had healed his
wounds, and he and Brent had finally found a way to tolerate each
other. It was easier since they were no longer in love with the
same woman.
    “So Ava
suggested you give her service a try?”
    “I made the
decision.” He tipped his head back and looked at the cloudless sky.
When he was a kid, he used to waste summer days looking up at the
clouds and daydreaming about how different his life would be when
he became a professional hockey player. He’d have everything: fame,
respect, money, and a job he loved more than anything. His dream of
being a professional athlete came true, but it wasn’t enough.
Without someone to share his success, something was still
missing.
    “Have you met
anyone other than Belinda through the service?”
    His sister was
trying to be diplomatic, but Eli knew exactly what she was
thinking. “I like Belinda. I know she’s different than the women I
usually go for, but I think she’s different in a good way.” He’d
never brought any of his dates home for Sunday dinner, but they’d
often hook up with Adam and Casey at Jimmy’s, so she knew his
type.
    “I’m not
arguing that you need to step out of your comfort zone.” She
laughed when Eli frowned. “Come on, you know you’ve just been
biding your time with those girls.”
    “I guess.”
    They were
silent for a few minutes, watching two squirrels chase each other
up and down one of many old oaks in the front yard.
    “Trying to find
the polar opposite of Jamie won’t help you get over her.”
    He wondered if
that’s what he was doing. “They’re not that different. They’re both
successful professionals--”
    “They’re as
different as night and day, and you know it. Belinda backed away as
soon as poor old Shep got within a few feet of her. She said she
had allergies.”
    Shep was the
old Border collie his parents got the year Eli moved away. His
mother had been missing him like crazy, so Eli’s dad brought the
puppy home. He said one of the neighbors was trying to place some
puppies he’d found. Since his mother couldn’t turn away a stray,
she took him in and showered him with love. Shep had been a part of
their family ever since.
    “When Caroline
invited her upstairs to see her doll collection, she said, maybe
later .”
    Eli sighed. “I
don’t want to be alone forever, sis.” He wanted what Casey and Adam
had, what his parents had: a partner he could count on.
    “You won’t be.”
She moved the swing with her foot and twisted the plain gold band
on her finger. “But you’ll be sorry if you rush into something just
because it’s easier to be part of a couple than it is to be
alone.”
    Something in
her voice troubled him. “Are things okay with you and Adam? You
guys aren’t having trouble, are you?”
    She shrugged.
“Every couple has trouble from time to time, little brother. But
don’t worry, we’ll get through it.”
    “You want to
talk about it?”
    “If I do, I
know where to come.” She smiled as she covered his hand with hers.
“The important thing to remember is that you’ll get through the
tough times if and only if you’re married to your best friend.”
    Eli thought
about that. “What if your best friend doesn’t want to marry
you?”
    “Don’t give up
on Jamie just yet. Maybe she just needs a little more time to
figure things out. It would be a damn shame if you quit on her
before she was ready to quit on you.”
    “What’s that
supposed to mean?”
    Casey squeezed
his