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you’d wind up wanting to come back here.”
    She ground her teeth in frustration. “I want to be with
you,
Stephen.”
    â€œThis town is in your blood. It’s your life, the center of your world. You own a chocolate company for crying out loud.”
    â€œI don’t own it. My father owns it.”
    â€œYou’ll run it. It’s your inheritance.”
    She didn’t want an inheritance. She wanted Stephen.
    â€œAnd a good one at that. You’re lucky, Muriel. You have a place where you belong, family and friends who love you. Don’t give that up on a whim.”
    â€œDo you think all you are to me is a whim? I’ll be packed in half an hour.”
    He closed his eyes. Then he kissed her. It wasn’t a kiss filled with promise. “Goodbye, Muriel,” he said and turned and started walking.
    She chased after him, catching his arm. “Stephen, don’t do this. We belong together.”
    â€œAh, Muriel, you’re so naive. Everybody isn’t equal in America. I’m just a guy from the wrong side of the tracks and that’s all I’ll ever be to your dad.”
    â€œThat’s not true,” she insisted, even though she knew it was.
    He gave a disbelieving grunt. “People judge you no matter what. Never mind that I put my ass on the line in ’Nam. You know what happened to me when I first came home? I was at the airport, still in my uniform, and some kid spat on me. I got rid of the uniform and grew my hair and people are still spitting on me. I’m gonna keep riding till I find someplace where they won’t.”
    â€œNo one’s spitting on you here,” Muriel said. He had such a big chip on his shoulder he couldn’t see past it.
    â€œI don’t belong.”
    â€œYes, you do. You belong with me!”
    His only response was to remove her hand from his arm. “I’m done,” he said, and walked away.
    Stephen had been right, Muriel thought bitterly. He was no hero. And he wasn’t the man of her dreams, either. That man wouldn’t give up, wouldn’t walk away. The dream was over. She stood for a moment, watching him, then buried her face in her hands and wept.
    * * *
    News spreads fast in a small town. By the sixth of July all her friends knew Stephen was gone. Her father had taken the car in to Swede’s for servicing, so he knew, too. She was grateful he didn’t say anything. Instead he gave her a hug and a kiss and told her he loved her before he left for the Sweet Dreams office.
    How sad that it was her father’s love that drove Stephen away. And how sad that the two most important men in her life had been such a huge disappointment to her.
“What to Do When the Men in Your Life Disappoint You.”
She wished she knew.
    Later that day, when she was working in the gift shop, Pat stepped inside.
    â€œDid you come to buy chocolate?” Muriel greeted her stiffly.
    Pat shrugged. “I’m looking for my friend. I think I’ve lost her, but I’m hoping...” She stopped and bit her lip. “Oh, Muriel, I’m sorry. I’m sorry he’s gone and I’m sorry we fought.”
    That was all it took to bring Muriel around the counter for a hug and a good cry.
    As they dried their tears, Pat said, “Fighting over Stephen was stupid.”
    Muriel nodded. “It was.”
    Pat stood there for a moment, running a hand along the counter. “You know, if you’d gotten engaged I’d have come to the wedding.”
    â€œCome to the wedding? You would’ve been a bridesmaid.”
    That made Pat cry all over again, which called for another hug. Finally she said, “Let’s never fight over a man again. Promise?”
    Muriel nodded. “Promise.”
    â€œNext time we’ll flip a coin, okay?”
    Muriel managed a smile. “Okay.” Would there ever be a next time? She thought she knew the answer to that, and it was all she