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then set her book down on the arm of the chair.
    “What’s your excuse, Steele?” she asked almost defensively, “Short hair, square jaw, a strong brow above some beautiful blue eyes. Does everyone who can get married get married?”
    He stared at her, unsure what she was getting at. Her expression was unreadable.
    “I’m sorry if I offended you. I was just wondering why you were alone,” he said.
    “Does being alone hurt?” she asked.
    “I thought you were a biologist,” he said, leaning back, “Not a psychologist.”
    “No, I was asking you, Steele. Does it hurt to be alone? Why were you concerned just now about my loneliness?”
    “Look, I’m sorry. I was just trying to be polite and strike up some conversation.”
    “So am I, Steele,” she said, “I truly want to know – does being alone hurt?”
    He situated himself into the corner of the sofa, then drew his aching legs up beside him. He pondered her question for a moment, then released the breath he realized he’d been holding in.
    “Yes it does, Dr. Crossway,” he replied rather bitterly, “If I had someone to come home to every night – someone to love and someone who loved me in return – then you’re darn right I would. How about you?”
    She nodded, then rested her chin in her hand as she looked at him.
    “Yes, I agree a hundred percent. I just wanted to hear someone else say it first,” she said, “Now to answer the question you seemed to be headed toward, I’m a forty-seven year old mother of two grown boys. Both have their own lives now – one is married and the other is in jail for drunk driving. How’s that for you?”
    “Sounds pretty intense. Must have been hard for a single mom. I’ve never been married myself, unless you want to count the SEAL Teams. Always been the type to marry my job,” Conner said, “No children either. I just turned forty last Tuesday. All I got for my birthday was a few punches in the face followed by a punch in the gut.”
    She laughed, then covered her mouth.
    “Sorry, that wasn’t funny. It’s just the way you said it as though it were nothing major,” she said, “I wasn’t a single mom the whole time. I was married for almost seven years. I was as much to blame for the divorce as he was.”
    “Wow, a woman who doesn’t instantly blame the man,” he grinned, “Though I’ll g rant you that it’s usually the man’s fault anyway.”
    “Well, that’s why I prefer my men now to stay between the pages,” she said, lifting the book so he could see the cover.
    The shirtless, longhaired man on the cover was holding a woman who was just a summer breeze away from falling out of her renaissance era dress. The title of the book was simply “Deadly Affair.” He laughed and shook his head.
    “Hey, these guys will never let me down and they’re always hot,” she said, “Yeah, it’s romantic smut, but I’ll take it.”
    “I completely understand, Doctor. No judgment here,” he replied with a smile.
    “What about you, Steele? Where do you go to search for that perfect woman?” she asked.
    “I don’t, believe it or not,” he said, looking down at the arm of the couch, “I stopped looking about four years ago. A heart can only take so much breaking before it can’t be repaired anymore.”
    “Who was-”
    “No, I really don’t want to talk about that,” he said, holding up a hand to stop her, “Truly, she stays in the past or I’ll just hurt again.”
    She nodded, then looked down at her book.
    “You can’t let someone ruin you for the rest of the women out there,” she said, “Otherwise she has all the power in the world over you.”
    “She does, Doctor. I gave her all the power when I told her that I loved her . She still had that power when she died.”
    “Oh…” she said, covering her mouth again, “I’m sorry.”
    “Like I said, I try to not remember. It’s easier for me that way,” he said , glancing at his watch, “Well, I think I’d better head for bed