Page 16 of If We Never Met

"I was surprised to see you at the inn. You didn't tell me you were going out last night."

"Mark called late in the day on the off chance I might be free, and I was. You were on a date. I didn't want to bother you."

"But if I’d come home, and you weren't here, I would have been worried."

"I left you a note on the fridge. It's still there." She tipped her head to the refrigerator, where they often left notes for each other.

She had actually seen the note when she'd gotten home. "I did see it," she muttered. "But I still think you should have texted me."

"Keira, what is wrong with me seeing an old friend?"

"This man came out of nowhere. He seems to be very pushy. I think you should be careful."

"Careful…that's a funny word. I was being careful when a car ran a red light and smashed into me. I wasn't even moving. I wasn't going over the speed limit. I had my seat belt on, and I still almost died. But I didn't die, and it has taken me a long time to feel even marginally like myself again." She paused. "You are the reason I'm doing as well as I am. I can never thank you enough for taking care of me the way you have."

"The way I always will. It's been the two of us against the world forever."

"I know. And I love you so much, honey, but I am doing better. You don't have to watch me every second. I may not feel comfortable driving, and I don't always remember every little thing, but I feel like I have most of my wits about me."

"You didn't remember Mark until he showed you the picture in the yearbook."

"Well, goodness, it's been forty-five years. And his hair was brown when I knew him. But the memories came back quickly when we started talking."

"So, what do you know about him? Give me some details."

"Let's see. He was married for thirteen years. He and his wife, Valerie, had a son, Richard. They got divorced when Richard was nine. He's twenty-four now, so Mark has been single for about fifteen years. His son lives in Los Angeles. Mark has moved around for his job. He was most recently in Las Vegas working for a hospital when he decided to trade the desert for the mountains." Her mom smiled. "He's not a criminal, Keira. He's just a man I used to know…I used to like, actually."

Her stomach curled at the new light in her mother's eyes. Her mother had dated a few men over the years, but not a lot. She didn't have a great track record when it came to relationships. The men she had picked to date had never seemed that great to Keira. In fact, the one she'd been seeing when she got in the accident had vanished before she was out of the hospital.

"Did you date Mark in high school?" she asked.

"Yes. We went out for about four months my senior year."

"What happened?"

"Oh, nothing really." She waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Just kid stuff. I think I saw him at a party with another girl and jumped to conclusions."

"He cheated on you?"

"We weren't serious, Keira. We were teenagers."

"And you haven't seen him since high school?"

"Actually, I saw him at our ten-year reunion. I had forgotten about that until he reminded me. That was the last reunion I went to." Shadows filled her eyes. "I was upset that weekend. I wanted your father to go with me, but he refused. He didn't want to stand around while I caught up with my friends. It really bothered me, because we spent most of our life with his friends. Anyway, Mark was very nice to me that night. He made me feel a lot better."

She frowned, wondering if anything else had happened that night when Mark was being sonice, but there were some things she didn't discuss with her mother and one of those things was sex.

"Once you get to know Mark, you'll like him," her mom added. "Will you have a chance to look at some listings today, or should we get Brenda involved? I know Mark is eager to find a more permanent place to live."

"I'll do it. In fact, I'll talk to Mark today and find out exactly what he's looking for."

Her mother gave her a sharp look. "All right, but be polite, Keira. I don't have that many friends. I don't want to lose a new one."

"You have lots of friends."

"Not from my high school years. Just give him a chance. Now, let's change the subject. Let's talk about that very attractive man you were speaking to at the inn last night."

"There's nothing to say about him."

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