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She laughed, and her pale gold eyes filled with affection. For a brief moment, Theo thought maybe she still loved him. Maybe she’d come here on a Saturday morning to beg him for another chance. He straightened his back at the thought.
“Actually, I’ve come to ask for your blessing.”
That definitely did not sound like begging.
“I wanted to tell you before you heard it through the grapevine.”
Theo’s eyes flicked to the ring finger of her left hand, and there it was-bam!-the door-slamming end to whatever he’d built in five years with Je
“He asked me last weekend and I said yes.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“Are you?” Je
OK with this?
He had to get a few additional feet between himself and all the sweet-smelling, cool beauty that was Je
That dick got her to commit.
“He’s a lot older than you.” Theo turned to squint at her there in the sun, all pretty and unruffled and everything he’d ever wanted-smart, determined, steady, logical, built, gorgeous.
Je
“Has lover boy had a recent stress test? Have you checked his lipids?”
“Come on, Theo-”
He couldn’t decide what to do with his hands. He had no pockets in the old pair of ru
“Are you going to join his surgery practice when you’re done with your fellowship?”
“We’ve talked about it.”
“The call schedule is going to be hell on your marriage.”
“Theo-”
“When’s the wedding?‘
“We’re not sure yet.” Je
“Oh boy! Won’t that get him in trouble with his wife?”
“His divorce is almost final.”
“Good, because I think the state of Florida frowns on bigamy.”
“Stop it.”
“Look, I’m sorry. Congratulations.” Theo found himself taking the two steps required to reach Je
“Thank you.” Je
Theo shrugged and bent down to retrieve the pruning shears. “Yeah, Je
Je
Theo chortled and kept snipping.
“Seriously. I was trying to decide if I owe you an apology.”
He didn’t look at her when he asked, “So do you?”
“No.” She removed her hand. “I think we love who we love and there’s not a damn thing that can be done about it.”
Theo hung his head and stared at the mulch under his old ru
“I just knew what I wanted, and I wanted him.”
“Yep. You knew what you wanted, all right.”
Though Theo faced the house, he could feel the heat of Je
“We’ve been over this, Theo.”
He turned to face her full-on. “You know, I don’t think we ever really cut through the bullshit and told each other the truth-and the truth is you wanted more than a personal trainer with a retarded little brother. You wanted more than a guy who still works the door at Flawless on weekends because he can’t say no to the money.”
Je
“No, what is unfair, Je
“We’d grown apart and you know it.”
“Nope.” Theo shook his head. “You grew away from me. I’ve always been just who I am.”
Je
He let go with a raucous laugh. “There you go! Yet another reason to marry your attending physician-not only does he have more prestige and money than me, but he’s better-looking, to boot!”
With a forced bedside-ma
Buddy opened the front door a few moments later.
“Who are you arguing with out here?” He sca
“Norton. You know how he is.”
“Yeah.” Buddy laughed. “Need some help raking?”
Theo looked at the mess under the live oak and had a better idea. “Whad’ya say we get medieval on the kickboxing dummies at the gym instead? I could use a good fight right about now.”
Buddy peered around the yard until he located the cat, then frowned at Theo. “I don’t even want to know what Norton said to you.”
Journal Entry April 16
Breakfast: 3/4 c oatmeal; 1 Gra
Lunch: 3 oz chicken breast; 1 cup stir-fried veggies; ‘At c brown rice
Snack: 1 c plain yogurt; 1/2 banana; sprinkle of low-fat granola
Di
Affirmation for Today:
Just because Theo wants me to meet him at a ru
track doesn’t mean I’ll have to do actual ru
Right?
Lucy arrived at the Miami Springs High School parking lot shortly before five, peering in the dark until she could locate the open chain-link gate Theo had described. She grabbed her gym bag, locked her car door, and trudged down the walkway to the track.
She could make out the white lines that glowed under her feet, but not much else. She looked up to see the shadowy outline of Theo’s form, standing next to what appeared to be a large ball.
It was so quiet she could hear her footfalls on the spongy surface as she walked.
“Good morning, Luce.” As soon as Theo spoke, she detected a slight change in his voice. It was like some of the zest was gone from it, and she suddenly wished she could see his face, just to make sure he was all right.
“Come here often?” she asked, setting her bag down in the dewy grass.
Theo laughed and patted her on the shoulder. “I do, as a matter of fact. Maybe it’ll become a hangout for us. Did it take you long to get here?”
Theo wanted to hang out with her? That was news. “Uh, it’s about the same as my place to Miami Beach. Not a problem at all.”
“Good.” Theo shuffled his feet, shoved his hands in his pockets, and looked off into the dark morning.
There was something wrong with him. She could sense it. And she was just about to ask him what it was when he said, “I want to tell you something, Lucy.”
She straightened at how serious he sounded, and all her senses went on alert. The darkness made the few feet between them shrink to nothing. She heard Theo’s even breathing and could smell the soap and shampoo on him and the now-familiar scent of his skin.