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little buffing with a nail file. Joe’s nose buries itself in his newspaper. Upside down.
    So much for acting natural.
    Lola awards me a toothy smile. “Now that I have you and Jack together, I have good news for you. I found you a wedding planner. She comes with great recommendations. You are very lucky she has a spot available right now.”
    With that, Lola places a small card in my hand. “Call her. You’ll love her.”
    As she turns, she adds, “Her name is Trixie Tryhard.” She grins. “I think it’s her professional name. I hope.” And she scampers off.
    Everyone gets up all at once and begins moving away, excuses given on the run.
    Evvie says, “Joe, come on. We have to check on your calf’s liver.” She pulls him along.
    Sophie drags Bella with her. “We have to go, too. We’re cooking together tonight. Salmon croquettes.”
    Bella embellishes, “She cooks. I wash up.”
    Ida just gathers up her things and tosses a casual wave over her shoulder as she leaves.
    After they scamper off, Jack says, “Let me guess. I was the prime subject of the conversation.”
    “You got it.”
    He sits down next to me and pours some lemonade for both of us. “I have to apologize for mybehavior back there. I was so taken by surprise—I mean I never thought I’d see Michelle again and suddenly, there she was.” He shrugs, and smiles wryly. “I’m afraid I didn’t handle it well. I suppose you want a full report.”
    I smile back at him, amused. I reach out and touch his cheek. “Honey, I would expect that you knew other women in your life before me. Granted I was a little taken aback that there was someone so much younger.”
    “I was pretty amazed myself at the time. That’s why it didn’t work out for me—the age difference.”
    “Did it matter to her?”
    “She said not.” He shakes his head. “All I kept thinking at the time was that twenty-five years’ difference would matter fairly quickly.”
    I want to say reassuring things like, To me you’re not old, and other well-meaning comments, but I know it’s better to let him talk. I try to imagine myself in such a situation, being much older than someone I loved. I suppose it would have bothered me, too. But to give up happiness for that reason?
    It’s as if he hears my question. “It was wonderful while I was thousands of miles away. But what would happen when I came home? I played all the scenarios in my head. Being embarrassed to introduce her to my children. Or my friends. They might have laughed at me or thought me a doddering oldfool. So I took the coward’s way out. Took her to an expensive restaurant and then I broke the news to her. That I was leaving without her.”
    “Before dessert, I’ll bet,” I blurt and immediately wish I could take the words back. I think of the little scene I played for myself last night about men dumping their girlfriends at expensive restaurants. Then it hits me all at once. Was that Jack’s unconscious mind at work? Having a “French” evening to become engaged because it would be romantic? Oh, my!
    He stares at me, startled. “How did you know?”
    I cover quickly. “Saw it in a movie once.”
Don’t pry
, I tell myself.
You don’t want to know too much. The less to worry about
.
    He takes my hand in his. “But that was in the past. You know I’m totally devoted to you.”
    Tessie and Sol walk by, towels in hands, having just come from the pool. They start toward us, I suppose to chat. But I shake my head and Tessie gets the message. Private stuff. She steers Sol away.
    I want to change the conversation, hopefully from personal to … what? Something less emotionally charged? “So you found her when you went back to the hotel?” I say. Do I want those details or not? I don’t know which is worse, knowing or not knowing.
    He’s relieved. “Yes. She told me she was headingtoward a small shopping area and invited me to walk with her.”
    Good. At least she didn’t invite him to her hotel room.