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be
late picking you up.”
    “Sure. Okay.” I headed outside and down the walk. There was
a Mercedes parked in my driveway. Years ago, when we’d been dating, Drake had
driven a rusty old Ford. “Wow,” I said as he pulled open the door for me.
“Looks like things have been going well for you.”
    “Very well,” he said. He shut the door, circled the car and
folded his beefy frame into the driver’s seat. “I started my own business, have
been living and breathing work since we broke up.” His gaze met mine. “I wasn’t
lying when I said I needed some time to get my life together. I meant it. And I
spent every day working my ass off to do just that.”
    “So, it wasn’t a line,” I said in a joking tone. The fact
was I’d convinced myself it was a lie when he’d said it. An excuse to dump me
for someone else.
    “It was the honest truth,” he said, looking sincere. “When I
contacted you again, a couple of years after we broke up, I was
so...disappointed to hear you were involved with someone else. I figured I’d
lost my chance.”
    He started the car and the engine purred like a big jungle
cat, like Shane’s car. It accelerated smoothly as he steered it down my road
toward the intersection. “What about you? How have things been?”
    “Well, overall okay. Mom died.”
    Driving, he flicked a glance my way. “Oh. I’m sorry.”
    “It’s okay. You know we were never close.” I played with the
strap of my purse.
    “I do remember that. But I’m still sorry. I’m sure you
grieved.”
    “I guess I did in my own way.”
    “Everything else is okay?”
    “Sure,” I lied. It wasn’t the time or place to mention the
fact that I’d just lost my job and was maybe a month or two away from
foreclosure. I’d fallen a little behind on my mortgage before I’d lost my job,
thanks to the added burden of keeping up Mom’s place. The inflow of cash from
Shane had allowed me to get out from under that sinking ship, but hadn’t been
enough to get my payments caught up.
    As we pulled up to a light, he slid his hand under mine and
lifted it. “No ring?”
    “No ring.” I added, “What about you?”
    “No ring here either. It’s been six months since the divorce
was final.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “I’m not. It was an amicable split. Julie and I just weren’t
right for each other.” He smiled, reminding me why I’d fallen so hard for him
years ago. His smile was nearly as arresting as Shane’s. Nearly. “I’m glad we
got in touch,” he said as he wove his fingers between mine.
    “Me too,” I admitted. Unlike him, I was warring with
conflicting feelings. I was glad to see him. He looked great. And I could see
he’d spent our time apart accomplishing something really important. But when he
touched me, I felt a little uncomfortable. Kind of…guilty. Like I was doing
something wrong.
    That irritated me. A lot.
    I wasn’t doing anything wrong.
    There was no commitment between Shane and me. He was having
dinner with other people. I could too.
    Could, yes. But that was one thing I’d never done. I’d never
gone out with one man when I was seeing another. Not for dinner. Not even for
coffee.
    Tightening my hold on Drake’s hand, I studied his profile
while he drove. He was every bit as handsome as Shane. Younger, yes. But just
as sexy. Just as strong. And, from the looks of it, maybe just as successful
too.
    My body did respond to his touch, especially when his thumb
dragged across the top of my hand. But it wasn’t the same as it was with Shane.
Shane could merely look at me, and I was tight and hot and wet.
    Give Drake a chance. What do you have to lose? Not even
Shane is confident the thing with him can work.
    We turned into the parking lot for Delo’s, the same place
I’d gone with Jill. The same place I’d seen Shane with that witch from the
party.
    We held hands as we walked inside. I let go when we stepped
up to the hostess’ stand. And my gaze went right to the table where I’d