Page 21 of Love Rescheduled

“This is assuming Dr. Kristoff and you don’t fall madly in love at first sight.”

“That’s not going to happen,” I said skeptically, despite being pretty sure I had fallen in love with Josh on our first date. I’d never admitted that out loud. It was very unlike me. Regardless, I don’t think you get that magic more than once. Hopefully, I would get some new magic. Like the non-famous kind.

Hal shrugged. “You never can tell about these things. I fell in love with Anna the first time I saw her in the audience at an old smoky bar.”

“I remember that night,” Stu reminisced fondly. “You left the stage before our set was done.”

“I couldn’t let her get away.” Hal grinned.

“That’s sweet.”

“Looks like you had a bit of that over the weekend.” Stu winked.

I cringed, thinking about it. “I’m sure Hal didn’t announce Anna was a thief to a crowd of people.” I had been lucky enough to meet Hal’s wife not long before she passed. She was sassy as could be. I adored her. Sadly, I didn’t have the opportunity to be acquainted with Stu’s wife, Ruth. But I felt like I knew the women for as much as their husbands fondly spoke of them.

“Sometimes a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do to get the girl.” Hal chuckled.

“I thought you were on my side.”

“Honey, we are always on your side, but I can understand the desperation and stupidity of a man,” Hal replied.

Josh was stupid. Cute, but stupid.

“So, who’s the new guy?” I thought it best to change the subject.

“He’s a hometown boy who just recently moved back. He’s an actuary now.”

That detail perked me up. Actuaries had been voted the most boring well-paid job in a recent business article I’d read doing research for one of my client’s books. I liked it.

“Kyle is a good man, never been married, but he was engaged last year.”

“Who broke it off?” I had to know.

“It was mutual,” Stu responded.

“Huh. Do you know why?”

“Sure, sure,” Hal said. “We wanted to be thorough. Kyle said she wanted more of a big-city life, and he likes small-town life.”

Ooh. That was good. “How old is he?”

“Thirty-three. And he loves to run, has a credit score of 840, and he goes to church every Sunday,” Stu bragged about the man.

He sounded better and better. “Let’s set a date,” I said as chipperly as possible, praying neither Kyle nor Seth had seen the video.

“Great.” Hal clapped.

“I really appreciate all your help with my, uh … goal.” That was a good word for it.

“Sure, sure. We’re happy to help,” Hal said. “We have a few more candidates to interview this week.”

They had no idea how much that meant to me. “You guys really are the best.” I got a little emotional.

“We just want to see you happy,” Stu beamed. “You’re like a daughter to us, Hepburn.”

My eyes stung with tears. No one but Nana had treated me like a daughter before. Well, I guess Josh’s parents were an exception, but I couldn’t think about it. I wrapped my thin arms around both of them as best I could. “Thank you,” my voice cracked.

They each gave me a squeeze.

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