alone. I always figured if I met the right person, great. If I didn’t, I was okay with that too. I made a good living, had my own house. I was doing a pretty good job looking after myself, so I didn’t need someone to take care of me.” I realized that probably made me sound averse to a relationship, which I wasn’t. I was open to the possibility—when my life was more stable and my time was my own again. Not that I was looking forward to that day if it meant losing my uncle.
“But things don’t always work out the way we plan, right?” He regarded me carefully, leaning back in his seat. “I mean, what if you met the right person when you least expected it?”
I thought of Seb. The timing couldn’t have been any worse, but that didn’t diminish my attraction to him. “I guess I’d have to deal with it. I’d just hope that he understood I have other commitments. Family comes first with me, and my uncle needs me right now.”
He smiled. “I get that. I felt the same way about my mom. In fact, my ex actually threw that in my face when she walked out on me if you can believe it. She said if I hadn’t been so wrapped up in my mother’s illness, she wouldn’t have turned to another man.”
I winced. “Ouch, that’s just nasty.”
“I know, right?” He shook his head, his broad shoulders tense. “Damn it, I did it again, didn’t I?”
“Have you dated much since your divorce?”
“My friend’s wife talked me into using one of those online dating services,” he said, rolling his eyes.
“I assume it didn’t go well?”
“I only tried it a couple of times to be honest. Both girls were nice enough, but there was just no spark, ya know what I mean?”
“I do.” It was the difference between the way I’d felt with Seb last night and the way I felt with Jarod today. “Without a spark, there’s no point in pursuing it, unless you agree you’re not expecting anything to come from it.”
“Like us, you mean?” he asked, grinning.
“Uh, yeah, like us.” I didn’t want to offend him. I genuinely enjoyed his company and would have been open to seeing him again, but I couldn’t afford any misunderstandings, especially now that Seb was in the picture. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s fine,” he said, reaching across the table to grab my hand. “You didn’t offend me. I just like hanging out with you, Sky. You seem like a great girl, and I’d much rather go out to dinner or a movie with you than waste an evening with someone who’s planning our future by the time they serve the entrée.”
I giggled, wondering how many times he’d had an experience like that.
“I’m serious,” he said, leaning back. “There’s nothing worse than going out for a casual dinner with a girl you just met and having her grill you about how many kids you want to have and whether you would consider converting to a different religion if you met the right woman.”
“That does sound pretty bad,” I admitted. It was kind of sad I’d never been serious enough with a guy to want to plan our future. “I don’t blame you for not wanting to date.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to date,” he said. “I wouldn’t hesitate if I found someone who interested me. That’s why I asked you out, because I was intrigued. I got the feeling you’re different than most of the girls I’ve been out with.”
“How so?” I asked before draining my cup.
“I don’t know. I guess it’s like you said. You’re not looking for anything serious and could take or leave a relationship. I’m not gonna lie—that’s a real turn-on for most guys.”
I wondered if Seb felt the same way, not that I was interested in playing games with him. “I guess I’ve always thought most people put way too much pressure on themselves to find that one special person. We don’t give ourselves enough time to figure things out. When I was in college, most of my girlfriends were talking about marrying their
“But things don’t always work out the way we plan, right?” He regarded me carefully, leaning back in his seat. “I mean, what if you met the right person when you least expected it?”
I thought of Seb. The timing couldn’t have been any worse, but that didn’t diminish my attraction to him. “I guess I’d have to deal with it. I’d just hope that he understood I have other commitments. Family comes first with me, and my uncle needs me right now.”
He smiled. “I get that. I felt the same way about my mom. In fact, my ex actually threw that in my face when she walked out on me if you can believe it. She said if I hadn’t been so wrapped up in my mother’s illness, she wouldn’t have turned to another man.”
I winced. “Ouch, that’s just nasty.”
“I know, right?” He shook his head, his broad shoulders tense. “Damn it, I did it again, didn’t I?”
“Have you dated much since your divorce?”
“My friend’s wife talked me into using one of those online dating services,” he said, rolling his eyes.
“I assume it didn’t go well?”
“I only tried it a couple of times to be honest. Both girls were nice enough, but there was just no spark, ya know what I mean?”
“I do.” It was the difference between the way I’d felt with Seb last night and the way I felt with Jarod today. “Without a spark, there’s no point in pursuing it, unless you agree you’re not expecting anything to come from it.”
“Like us, you mean?” he asked, grinning.
“Uh, yeah, like us.” I didn’t want to offend him. I genuinely enjoyed his company and would have been open to seeing him again, but I couldn’t afford any misunderstandings, especially now that Seb was in the picture. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s fine,” he said, reaching across the table to grab my hand. “You didn’t offend me. I just like hanging out with you, Sky. You seem like a great girl, and I’d much rather go out to dinner or a movie with you than waste an evening with someone who’s planning our future by the time they serve the entrée.”
I giggled, wondering how many times he’d had an experience like that.
“I’m serious,” he said, leaning back. “There’s nothing worse than going out for a casual dinner with a girl you just met and having her grill you about how many kids you want to have and whether you would consider converting to a different religion if you met the right woman.”
“That does sound pretty bad,” I admitted. It was kind of sad I’d never been serious enough with a guy to want to plan our future. “I don’t blame you for not wanting to date.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to date,” he said. “I wouldn’t hesitate if I found someone who interested me. That’s why I asked you out, because I was intrigued. I got the feeling you’re different than most of the girls I’ve been out with.”
“How so?” I asked before draining my cup.
“I don’t know. I guess it’s like you said. You’re not looking for anything serious and could take or leave a relationship. I’m not gonna lie—that’s a real turn-on for most guys.”
I wondered if Seb felt the same way, not that I was interested in playing games with him. “I guess I’ve always thought most people put way too much pressure on themselves to find that one special person. We don’t give ourselves enough time to figure things out. When I was in college, most of my girlfriends were talking about marrying their
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