said. "He wasn't looking for long term commitment. He wanted a trophy wife, someone to show off, to stroke his ego, not a real companion."
"Not someone to have dinner and watch movies with."
"Exactly," Mark answered. They rounded the track for the sixth time and Mark stopped, his shirt soaked with sweat. "So, have you really found someone you're seriously interested in?"
Zack ran in place for several seconds, then they walked the track to cool down. "I don't know, man. Sort of. But I have this strange reaction every time I think about committing to her." He shrugged. "My stomach hurts and I start to shake."
Mark gave him a sympathetic look. "Listen, Zack, I know you were younger than me when our folks split, and I can see it's affected you. But if you've met someone you like, don't be afraid to give a relationship a try just because our old man screwed up. A good marriage is like having a best friend for life."
Zack's stomach knotted.
"Now, who is she?" Mark asked. "What kind of woman finally snagged you? Is she someone you met at a club, a singles bar, a topless dancer, who?"
"It's Jenna," Zack said, his throat rough.
"Jenna?" Mark's shorter height seemed to diminish as he squared his shoulders. "What the hell have you done, Zack?"
Anger surged through Zack. "I haven't done anything, Mark."
"Did you seduce her?"
"That's none of your business," Zack said through gritted teeth.
"The hell it's not. I warned you not to mess with her." He poked Zack in the chest. "I told you she was a nice girl and to leave her alone."
"And I told you it's none of your business," Zack countered. "She doesn't need your protection, bro."
Mark lowered his voice, his eyes questioning. "What happened?"
"We've been working together," Zack snapped.
"You know she has a hearing impairment?"
"What difference does that make?"
Mark shoved his hand through his dark curly hair. "It doesn't to me, but you've never stuck with any woman. How will you handle problems if they come up? "
Zack glared at him. "You really think I'm that shallow?"
"No. But Colleen cares a lot about Jenna, man." Mark's anger seemed to fade. "Just think long and hard about it, Zack. Her hearing loss was inherited. If she has kids, she might pass it on."
Zack swallowed, remembering Jenna's abbreviated version of her childhood. A relationship was one thing, but marriage was yet another.
And kids—he hadn't thought about the implications of having children. Children meant more responsibility, a lifetime commitment.
Kids meant chewing gum on your shoes, dog poop on the lawn, a house, trading his sports car in for a mini-van, and dirty diapers. He could handle the house and the dog, but he staggered backwards at the idea of selling his Triumph.
And the thought of messy diapers made him so dizzy he had to find a park bench and sit down.
Chapter 8
Jenna listened to the cheery Christmas music while she served hot cider and Christmas cookies to her customers, yet her heart wasn't in it.
She'd decided to have an open house to mark the beginning of the holiday shopping season. But, in spite of the gaiety of the atmosphere and the constant ringing of the cash register, she was so depressed that she wanted to crawl into one of the big gift bags, yank the red and white tissue paper over her head, and hide.
She'd always thought falling in love was supposed to be exhilarating, dreamy, leaving one aglow with happiness. But falling in love with the wrong man had brought her heartache that wouldn't go away, no matter how hard she tried to distract herself with holiday festivities.
Maybe this soul-filled hurt was the reason Zack had sworn off love.
He was the smart one. She'd jumped in without thinking and her heart felt like one of the crumbled leftover cookies on the tray.
"Wow," Angel said, as the last customer left the store. "You're going to have to order more merchandise if business continues like this."
Jenna nodded, remembering Zack's clever new slogan. "I can
"Not someone to have dinner and watch movies with."
"Exactly," Mark answered. They rounded the track for the sixth time and Mark stopped, his shirt soaked with sweat. "So, have you really found someone you're seriously interested in?"
Zack ran in place for several seconds, then they walked the track to cool down. "I don't know, man. Sort of. But I have this strange reaction every time I think about committing to her." He shrugged. "My stomach hurts and I start to shake."
Mark gave him a sympathetic look. "Listen, Zack, I know you were younger than me when our folks split, and I can see it's affected you. But if you've met someone you like, don't be afraid to give a relationship a try just because our old man screwed up. A good marriage is like having a best friend for life."
Zack's stomach knotted.
"Now, who is she?" Mark asked. "What kind of woman finally snagged you? Is she someone you met at a club, a singles bar, a topless dancer, who?"
"It's Jenna," Zack said, his throat rough.
"Jenna?" Mark's shorter height seemed to diminish as he squared his shoulders. "What the hell have you done, Zack?"
Anger surged through Zack. "I haven't done anything, Mark."
"Did you seduce her?"
"That's none of your business," Zack said through gritted teeth.
"The hell it's not. I warned you not to mess with her." He poked Zack in the chest. "I told you she was a nice girl and to leave her alone."
"And I told you it's none of your business," Zack countered. "She doesn't need your protection, bro."
Mark lowered his voice, his eyes questioning. "What happened?"
"We've been working together," Zack snapped.
"You know she has a hearing impairment?"
"What difference does that make?"
Mark shoved his hand through his dark curly hair. "It doesn't to me, but you've never stuck with any woman. How will you handle problems if they come up? "
Zack glared at him. "You really think I'm that shallow?"
"No. But Colleen cares a lot about Jenna, man." Mark's anger seemed to fade. "Just think long and hard about it, Zack. Her hearing loss was inherited. If she has kids, she might pass it on."
Zack swallowed, remembering Jenna's abbreviated version of her childhood. A relationship was one thing, but marriage was yet another.
And kids—he hadn't thought about the implications of having children. Children meant more responsibility, a lifetime commitment.
Kids meant chewing gum on your shoes, dog poop on the lawn, a house, trading his sports car in for a mini-van, and dirty diapers. He could handle the house and the dog, but he staggered backwards at the idea of selling his Triumph.
And the thought of messy diapers made him so dizzy he had to find a park bench and sit down.
Chapter 8
Jenna listened to the cheery Christmas music while she served hot cider and Christmas cookies to her customers, yet her heart wasn't in it.
She'd decided to have an open house to mark the beginning of the holiday shopping season. But, in spite of the gaiety of the atmosphere and the constant ringing of the cash register, she was so depressed that she wanted to crawl into one of the big gift bags, yank the red and white tissue paper over her head, and hide.
She'd always thought falling in love was supposed to be exhilarating, dreamy, leaving one aglow with happiness. But falling in love with the wrong man had brought her heartache that wouldn't go away, no matter how hard she tried to distract herself with holiday festivities.
Maybe this soul-filled hurt was the reason Zack had sworn off love.
He was the smart one. She'd jumped in without thinking and her heart felt like one of the crumbled leftover cookies on the tray.
"Wow," Angel said, as the last customer left the store. "You're going to have to order more merchandise if business continues like this."
Jenna nodded, remembering Zack's clever new slogan. "I can
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