my life, but if anything ever happened between us, I’d want to try again, you know, to find another person to share my life with. There are all kinds of ways to love a person. You should never give up on finding love.”
I looked at her in surprise. “That’s a very wise thing to say.” I decided to take a chance. “And a really funny thing has happened. The man who was the love of my life—back in college, I mean—is on the same dating site I am. And he wants to get together.”
Her jaw dropped. “Oh, Kate, how romantic. Did you answer him? Have you seen him?”
“I haven’t decided what to do yet. He broke up with me. I was pretty crushed.”
She leaned forward. “Kate, aren’t you dying to know what he wants to say to you?”
I shrugged. “Yes, I guess, but he can’t say anything to me until I wave back at him.”
“So, do you know what he’s been doing all these years?”
I shook my head. “Just what’s on his dating profile.”
Alisa jumped up. “Let’s Google him,” she said, and ran off.
I stared after her. Google him? Why hadn’t I thought of that?
She was back in the kitchen, laptop open.
“Okay. Spell his name?”
I did, and went around to look over her shoulder. My mouth felt dry. My heart was starting to beat a little faster.
What would the Google gods reveal?
It appeared that Jake Windom was a fairly important guy. He was, for one thing, the CEO of a very successful company, Nesco, with corporate headquarters down on Wall Street. There was mention of his divorce. One bio said that he met his ex-wife at Penn State. It looked like he’d married the woman he left me for. Was I grateful that, at least, he had broken my heart for something akin to truelove, instead of some casual fling? No, I don’t think I felt grateful at all. After all, he had divorced her in the end.
He also had a charity that he was involved with, was on the board of directors of a handful of nonprofit organizations, and had recently bid thirty-five thousand dollars on a Dalí sketch at Sotheby’s.
Alisa sighed. “You have to talk to him, Kate. He’s reached out to you, even though he must know how much he hurt you. Maybe he’s regretted it every single day of his life. Maybe he tried to find you again, right after it happened, to beg you to take him back, but couldn’t. How do you know that he hasn’t been searching for you all these years, just to beg your forgiveness?”
I stared at her. “I know because I don’t live in a Nora Roberts trilogy,” I said. I couldn’t believe I’d found another believer in fairy tales. I was surrounded by happily-ever-after groupies. I needed to change the subject, and fast. “Have any idea what you’ll be doing all summer?”
She closed the laptop and shrugged. “I’d like to get a job somewhere. I know it’s a little late to be applying anywhere. And other than neuroscience, I have very limited job skills.”
I gave up on the tea, got up, and cleared the table. Anything to create a cool breeze. “I’ll be looking for a job as well. Maybe we can tag-team. We’re both pretty much only qualified to do only one thing, so that narrows our options quite a bit, but still.”
“Maybe we should go into business together. We could sell your pies.”
I laughed. “Good idea. Maybe have one of those cupcake shops that are opening up everywhere.”
“Kate’s Cakes,” she offered. “But we’d put a K in ‘Kakes.’ So it would look really cute.”
I wanted to gag a little but didn’t. “I hate to break it to you, Alisa, but the middle-aged widow and the wildly popular cupcake shop only works in cozy romance novels. In real life, it’s a hard, long battle for success that usually ends in failure, and if I fail, I’ll have to start charging you and Sam more rent.” I smiled at her. “Besides, aren’t you going to be doing something brilliant in the next few months?”
She smiled shyly. “I hope it’s brilliant. That’s the only way I’ll get
I looked at her in surprise. “That’s a very wise thing to say.” I decided to take a chance. “And a really funny thing has happened. The man who was the love of my life—back in college, I mean—is on the same dating site I am. And he wants to get together.”
Her jaw dropped. “Oh, Kate, how romantic. Did you answer him? Have you seen him?”
“I haven’t decided what to do yet. He broke up with me. I was pretty crushed.”
She leaned forward. “Kate, aren’t you dying to know what he wants to say to you?”
I shrugged. “Yes, I guess, but he can’t say anything to me until I wave back at him.”
“So, do you know what he’s been doing all these years?”
I shook my head. “Just what’s on his dating profile.”
Alisa jumped up. “Let’s Google him,” she said, and ran off.
I stared after her. Google him? Why hadn’t I thought of that?
She was back in the kitchen, laptop open.
“Okay. Spell his name?”
I did, and went around to look over her shoulder. My mouth felt dry. My heart was starting to beat a little faster.
What would the Google gods reveal?
It appeared that Jake Windom was a fairly important guy. He was, for one thing, the CEO of a very successful company, Nesco, with corporate headquarters down on Wall Street. There was mention of his divorce. One bio said that he met his ex-wife at Penn State. It looked like he’d married the woman he left me for. Was I grateful that, at least, he had broken my heart for something akin to truelove, instead of some casual fling? No, I don’t think I felt grateful at all. After all, he had divorced her in the end.
He also had a charity that he was involved with, was on the board of directors of a handful of nonprofit organizations, and had recently bid thirty-five thousand dollars on a Dalí sketch at Sotheby’s.
Alisa sighed. “You have to talk to him, Kate. He’s reached out to you, even though he must know how much he hurt you. Maybe he’s regretted it every single day of his life. Maybe he tried to find you again, right after it happened, to beg you to take him back, but couldn’t. How do you know that he hasn’t been searching for you all these years, just to beg your forgiveness?”
I stared at her. “I know because I don’t live in a Nora Roberts trilogy,” I said. I couldn’t believe I’d found another believer in fairy tales. I was surrounded by happily-ever-after groupies. I needed to change the subject, and fast. “Have any idea what you’ll be doing all summer?”
She closed the laptop and shrugged. “I’d like to get a job somewhere. I know it’s a little late to be applying anywhere. And other than neuroscience, I have very limited job skills.”
I gave up on the tea, got up, and cleared the table. Anything to create a cool breeze. “I’ll be looking for a job as well. Maybe we can tag-team. We’re both pretty much only qualified to do only one thing, so that narrows our options quite a bit, but still.”
“Maybe we should go into business together. We could sell your pies.”
I laughed. “Good idea. Maybe have one of those cupcake shops that are opening up everywhere.”
“Kate’s Cakes,” she offered. “But we’d put a K in ‘Kakes.’ So it would look really cute.”
I wanted to gag a little but didn’t. “I hate to break it to you, Alisa, but the middle-aged widow and the wildly popular cupcake shop only works in cozy romance novels. In real life, it’s a hard, long battle for success that usually ends in failure, and if I fail, I’ll have to start charging you and Sam more rent.” I smiled at her. “Besides, aren’t you going to be doing something brilliant in the next few months?”
She smiled shyly. “I hope it’s brilliant. That’s the only way I’ll get
Similar Books
