Page 45 of Incurably Cupid

I was starving.

And I missed the sun like a pixie on a sugar-free diet misses soda.

We stoppedat a little deli for lunch, ordering sandwiches on ciabatta bread, potato salad, and fruit cups with water. Then we took a taxi to the riverfront rental shop, where we rented a golf cart to take us along the winding river bike path. I was assured the path was wide enough, and I wouldn’t be running over any little old ladies trying to get their steps in.

I helped Mesmer get in the cart, handed him our sack of food, then glanced at Lance. “You want to roll with us or get stowed in the back?”

“I’d prefer to stretch my wheels, if you don’t mind.”

I patted his backrest. “No problem.”

Mesmer looked at me and said in a deadpan tone, “Our cart has blue flames painted on the sides.”

I laughed and turned the key. “Yeah, those are some big promises that it has to live up to.”

He dug through the bag; the smell of the food wafting from it made my stomach snarl in unhappiness. “You got two of the ham and cheddar, right?”

I nodded as I maneuvered the cart onto the bike path. “Yep. Just hand one over. I can eat and drive at the same time.”

He gave me a look, and I grinned and gave him a gimme motion. “Need. Food.”

He laughed at my antics and handed over one of my sandwiches. “You realize I may have to feed you your potato salad.” He pulled out his loaded ham, turkey, and bacon with provolone cheese, took a big bite, and sighed in bliss.

“I’m okay with that.”

“What if I accidentally poke you with the spork?” His sidelong glance was mischievous.

“They gave us a spork!”

“They gave us a spork.”

“The gall.”

He chuckled and glanced around us. The river path was wide, at least two golf carts wide, and people of all ages were using it. Some were riding bikes or rollerblading, others were in carts like us, many were walking or running the path, and some were just lounging by the river, soaking up the sunshine. It was still chilly outside, but the bright sun and lack of clouds made it feel warm and pleasant.

Everything here was really green, even during the cold months—a fact that all of my fellow bike path enthusiasts seemed to enjoy as much as we did.

“It’s a pretty place,” Mesmer said wistfully, finishing off his sandwich and digging into the bag for another.

We traveled the entire length of the path, several miles, at a leisurely pace, just enjoying being outside and basking in nature, then turned around and started back.

When we found a good spot to pull over and sit by the wide river, I did. I turned the golf cart off, and we sat in silence for a while.

It was a few minutes before I gathered the nerve to ask him something that had been weighing heavily on my mind.

“Mesmer?”

He turned, his expression soft but wary. As if he knew already what I was going to say. “Yes?”

“What if I can’t find her?” I clutched the golf cart key tightly in my fist, swallowed hard, and looked him in the eye. “Your soulmate.”

Emotions flickered in his eyes and across his face, then he smiled gently at me. “Then you don’t find her. I have a good life, Indie. It won’t destroy me not to have love be a part of it.”

“Would you... consider dating someone else, someone who isn’t a soulmate match for you?”

He stilled. The background noises faded around us. Then he smiled a small, pained smile, his gray eyes grave. “If you had asked me that question a month ago, I would have said no.”

“And now?”

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