204 Rosewood Lane by Debbie Macomber Page A

walked into the hallway, she saw that the message light on her answering machine was flashing. She stared down at it for a few hopeful seconds. Pressing the button, she waited and was rewarded by the craggy sound of Jack’s voice.
    â€œOlivia, hi. Sorry I haven’t been in touch lately, but I’ve had my hands full with Eric. I was hoping you’d be home so we could talk. You’re not out with some other guy, are you?” There was a forced laugh. “Listen, I’m really sorry about lastweek, but I hope to make it up to you. Phone me back, all right? I’ve got a special birthday gift for you. Can we get together soon?”
    Olivia checked her watch. It was close to eleven and too late to return his call. Anyway, he’d kept her waiting all week; she’d keep him guessing until morning. As she readied for bed, Olivia was smiling.
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    Maryellen wanted to kick herself for coming up with this ridiculous “swap meet for men” idea. It’d all started out innocently enough with her mentioning the article she’d read about that town in Ireland. Next thing she knew, she was part of the party-planning. By her following nail appointment, this Halloween get-together had gathered momentum to the point that she’d lost count of how many people were attending.
    â€œYou’re still bringing that chef friend of yours, aren’t you?” Teri asked. Maryellen had barely sat down when Teri started grilling her with questions she couldn’t answer about Jon.
    â€œLike I said, he’s just a friend—no,” she amended. “Jon’s more of a business acquaintance. And he hasn’t given me an answer yet.”
    â€œOh.” Teri sounded disappointed. “So you don’t know if he’s coming or not?”
    â€œI can’t say for sure.” She hadn’t talked to him since that initial conversation a week ago. “If he’s not there, I’ll make sure you get introduced some other time.”
    Teri’s dark eyes lit up. “Great.”
    The following evening—Halloween night—Maryellen stood in the darkest, creepiest corner of the decorated bar with a fake spider dangling from the ceiling directly above her. More than ever, she felt convinced that this had all been amistake. The room was crowded with maybe a hundred men and women, some in costume, some not.
    Then without warning, without her seeing him arrive, Jon was standing next to her. He held a frosty mug of beer. “Hi,” he said, looking out over the crowded room.
    â€œYou came.” Now that was brilliant. Nothing like stating the obvious. “I mean…you didn’t call me back and when I didn’t hear, I assumed you wouldn’t show up.”
    â€œI should’ve phoned, but I wanted to make sure I could get the evening off first.”
    â€œIt’s all right—don’t apologize.” He hadn’t but…
    â€œBetween the restaurant and my photography, I’ve been working a lot of hours. Sometimes I lose track of time.”
    An artist’s working habits weren’t new to Maryellen. “I understand.”
    He took a sip of beer. “Can I get you anything?”
    â€œI’m fine, thanks.” Then, glancing around the room, she saw Teri, who’d dressed as Cleopatra complete with heavy eye makeup and black wig. “There’s the woman I wanted you to meet.”
    â€œAll right,” Jon said, following as she wove her way through the crowd.
    â€œTeri,” Maryellen said, interrupting the other woman’s conversation with someone—male or female?—dressed as a wizard in voluminous robes. “This is Jon, the man I was telling you about.”
    â€œHello, Jon, ” Teri returned, as though she’d waited her entire life for precisely this moment. The wizard, having lost her attention, drifted off.
    â€œPleased to meet you, Teri,” Jon said.
    â€œI hear you’re