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in a semi-conscious state, but you saw how gorgeous he was and you’re afraid.”
    “Afraid? Afraid of what?” Breezy scoffed.
    “Afraid he does care about you, afraid you’ll learn to care for him, afraid you’ll fall for him, and afraid to trust him. You’re afraid of love, Breezy, afraid to let anyone close to you, or to lean on anyone, ever again. You’re afraid that, if you do, he’ll use you, laugh at you and only pretend to care for you. You’re afraid he’ll turn out to be abusive, either verbally or physically. You’re afraid he’ll strip you of your pride and dignity, your self-esteem, and your independence, just like Frank did. And, on top of all of that, you’re afraid that, as soon as he gets all he can from you, or as soon as someone else comes along, he’ll be out the door so fast, your head will swim. So, you’re being all grouchy and defensive to protect yourself. You’ve built a castle wall around your heart that’s way too high for any man to climb. Oh, your lifelong friends can get in, but no man ever could. Well, let me tell you, sweetie. Frank was a mean spirited, evil, spiteful, lowlife son-of-a-bitch with more mental problems than I can count on my fingers and toes combined. He was the lowest kind of low and that was his one good point. There are a lot of jerks out there, but not all men are like Frank.
    “This man, who has been nothing but kind to you, is in no way, shape, or form like Frank. They are, if anything, exact opposites. So, before you go popping your top again, getting all bent out of shape and prepared to run this guy off, I suggest you take a long hard look at yourself and examine your true feelings. If you keep being hateful to every man who walks into your life, you’re going to be one lonely, bitter old lady with no one to share your twilight years with. Now, that would be a real shame, Breezy…a real damn shame.”
    Susan picked up her things and walked toward the front door. With the door knob in her hand, she paused. “I’m sorry, Breezy,” she sighed heavily. “I know I promised never to mention his name again and I broke that promise. I’m so sorry.” Having nothing else to say, Susan walked out the door and went home, leaving Breezy alone with her thoughts.
    Stunned at Susan’s outburst and abrupt departure, Breezy sat for the longest time, her unseeing eyes fixed on the scattered balloons, thinking of all the bad memories of her time with Frank Dupree. Even the few good memories hurt to remember because when he was at his sweetest, kindest, and most charming was when he wanted something from her the most. The man was incredibly devious, manipulating her shamelessly to get what he wanted, and she’d been too blind to see. That she’d fallen for it time and time again was humiliating, even now.
    When she thought of all that had transpired in the last twenty-four hours, she realized Susan had been right about everything. She had built a wall around herself. She was shooting this man down every chance she got. She did push every man away with both hands, and she was afraid. Other than her closest friends, she trusted no man. She would not let any man close to her, ever again. For all she knew, this man wanted nothing but friendship from her and, so far, she hadn’t given him a single chance. Even a criminal was innocent until proven guilty and she’d been acting as his judge and jury, not allowing him a fair trial. She just found him guilty of being a man; therefore, he was trouble and needed to be completely vanquished from her life.
    The main thing that bothered her, though, was that she didn’t even know his name. He was a complete stranger to her. Maybe, if he’d stayed at the hospital long enough to talk to her, or if he’d phoned her after she got home, she could have had him pretty well figured out by now. At least she would have been able to tell if he was trustworthy, or not.
    Breezy sat forward with her elbows on her knees, running her