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 Jenna. At that moment, it felt like a whole lot of nothing.

“He asked me last weekend and I said yes.”

“I’m happy for you.”

“Are you?” Jenna’s whisper was shaky. “It’s important to me that you’re OK with this, Theo.”

OK with this?

He had to get a few additional feet between himself and all the sweet-smelling, cool beauty that was Jenna. He turned away and rubbed a dirty hand through his hair and tried to find his balance.

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.

Jenna smiled. “Yes. He’s fifty-one.”

“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 running shorts he’d worn to work in the yard that morning, so his hands just hung there, feeling rubbery and useless when all he really wanted to do was punch a big-ass hole in the stucco side of the house.

“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.” Jenna allowed a little giggle to escape. “We’ve talked about maybe eloping.”

“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 Jenna and wrap her up in his arms. He hugged her, feeling her solid suppleness, the so-familiar shape that perfectly sealed the hole she’d left in him seven months ago. He patted her arm and pulled away.

“Thank you.” Jenna blinked and wiped a little tear from her cheek, and the flare from the megadiamond nearly scorched Theo’s corneas. “I’m so glad you’re taking this well.”

Theo shrugged and bent down to retrieve the pruning shears. “Yeah, Jenna. I take everything well. Just bring it on, babe. That’s my motto.”

Jenna’s hand landed on his shoulder. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot, Theo, and I don’t think there’s a logical way to explain it I don’t think love is logical.”

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 running shoes. “That sounds rather fatalistic for a woman who’s had to fight for everything she’s ever wanted in life.”

“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 Jenna’s anger. He peeked around to see her glaring at him.

“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.”

Jenna gasped. “That is so unfair.”

“No, what is unfair, Jenna, is that my brother’s entire life was altered because of one tiny error in cell division. What’s unfair is that my parents died in the prime of their lives because of a freak accident in a brand-new boat. Those things are unfair. What happened with us was your premeditated decision.”

“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.”

Jenna put a hand on one hip and narrowed her eyes at him. “Bitterness doesn’t look good on you. It almost makes you look ugly.”

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-manner smile, Jenna told Theo to take care. Then she turned, walked back to her car, and drove away.

Buddy opened the front door a few moments later.

“Who are you arguing with out here?” He scanned the street in front of their house.

“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 Granny Smith apple; 1 c skim milk; decaf

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

Dinner: 3 oz sirloin; 1 small baked potato; 1 tbsp light whipped butter; 1 c sauteed spinach

Affirmation for Today:

Just because Theo wants me to meet him at a running

track doesn’t mean I’ll have to do actual running.

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.