Tell Me a Secret by Ann Everett

than lust. She was falling in love and had to put a stop to it. She chided herself. Because after years of being unloved and unwanted, she’d fallen for a man who’d never commit.
    The crazy part was she believed he cared for her and wanted to help find her dad, but he had no idea how that affected her. She glanced in the rear-view mirror at the cat’s crate. “I’m his project. He’s taken me as his own personal mission. Well, I don’t need to be saved. Not by Jace Sloan. Do I?”
    Dydee cocked her head to one side as if she understood.
    “That’s right. Until now, I’ve done just fine without him and as soon as I’m finished tutoring, I’ll still be fine again.”  
    Another idea came to mind. If there was a boyfriend in the picture, Jace might see things differently. The plan could be twofold. She could get over him and he could stop feeling responsible for her.
    A few weeks before the study sessions, Zach Roberts asked her out. She considered it, but decided dating a co-worker would be awkward and he was ten years older, too much of a gap in her opinion. But now, she needed to rethink his offer. And besides, a doctor wasn’t a bad catch.
    “Dydee, don’t go to sleep. You need to advise me about dating a man from the hospital. He’s handsome enough, even though I’m not attracted to blond, brown-eyed men. He doesn’t have much personality, but we have medicine in common. Should I?”
    The cat stretched and settled back.
    Maggie switched her eyes back to the road. “Well, you’re no help.”
    Her brain worked overtime. She didn’t remember passing through Snyder. Of course, the town didn’t offer much other than a small museum and golf course. When she reached the Post city limit sign, in forty-five more minutes she’d be home.
    She should text Jace and say she wanted to stop when they got to Slaton. Their bakery was one of the best in West Texas. The thought of their fried pies made her mouth water. No, the less interaction, the better.
    A car whizzed past and almost sideswiped her. Stupid driver . She fiddled with the radio, found a country station and thought of Dr. Roberts again. He was stable, focused on his career and future, on the fast track to Chief of Staff. She sighed. He was boring and didn’t have an ounce of passion for anything but work. Well, you can’t have everything.
    She twirled a lock of hair around her finger. If she could fall in love with the doctor, she’d have a big house, fancy car, plenty of money. A country club membership would be necessary. He’d insist on a house with a pool, because swimming provided the best form of exercise. He’d be faithful. She’d have no worries in that department. A definite plus. A smile played at the corners of her lips when she considered what color Corvette she’d choose. Red .  
    But in the bedroom, she imagined he’d fold his clothes before he got down to business.
    A song on the radio got her attention. My Last Day . Damn, that’s what she wanted. Jace to change and love her until his last day, like the lyrics said. She shook her head. It’s just a song. A four minute fairy tale set to music. Funny, four minutes were about as long as his relationships lasted.
    Pushing the joke from her mind she summarized the points concerning Zach. On the plus side: Doctor, stable, faithful. On the minus: boring. She made her decision. She’d go out with him. You can’t judge a book by its cover. Perhaps, under that professionalism beat a heart so hot with passion he could set her world on fire. Jace could do it with a look.
    Of course, right now, career came first, but she wanted a family more than anything. Besides, how many girls her age were still virgins? It was time she changed that status. She tried to imagine sex with Zach, but couldn’t do it. Each time, Jace’s face appeared. Damn.
    For the remainder of the trip she continued to consider the reasons why she should or shouldn’t date Zack. Regardless of the lack of attraction,