The Best for Last by Maria Geraci

might not love her. And he’d definitely lied to her. But he wouldn’t cheat on her. Somehow, she knew that. The same way she knew the sun would come up tomorrow morning. To think otherwise was to be wrong.
    â€œWho is she, Steve?”
    â€œNo one important. You have to trust me on this.”
    â€œIf she’s no one important, then tell me who she is.”
    â€œI’ll tell you everything. But not here. Let’s go back to my place,” he pleaded.
    There was a time in a woman’s life when she had a choice to make. She could buckle down and scream and rant and make a scene or she could walk away with her head held high. Or…she could jump in the ocean and swim far, far away. Choices one and three were tempting. But neither one felt right to her.
    They walked back to The Harbor House in silence. In less than twelve hours, she was supposed to stand by her father’s side on what would hopefully be the happiest day of his life. How was she supposed to do that when her own life was falling apart right in front of her?
    She couldn’t do this tonight. She just couldn’t.
    â€œI don’t think it’s a good idea to talk right now. Can we do it tomorrow? After dad’s wedding?” When I can fall apart in private with no one to see me?
    He looked like he was going to be sick.
    She knew the feeling.
    â€œIf that’s what you want. The limo will take you home. I’ll…wait here for it to come back and get me.”
    She nodded.
    â€œKitty,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. “Please. Say something.”
    â€œWhy do I feel like we just had good-bye sex?” she whispered.
    â€œAre you crazy ? This isn’t good-bye anything,” he said gruffly. “Listen, baby, you know me. Don’t you?”
    The limo circled to the front of the parking lot and one of the restaurant’s valets came forward to open the door for her. She wished she could say something, but her throat felt too tight to allow her to speak. So she got inside the limo before he could see her cry.
    #
    Steve took one of the empty stools at The Harbor House bar and waved the bartender over. “I’ll have a Scotch. Neat.” He had just put in a call to the limo driver requesting that he come back to pick him up in an hour. Maybe if he got drunk enough he could forget the look on Kitty’s face tonight when she’d said good-bye.
    What the hell was wrong with him? Why was it so hard for him to give her the words she needed to hear? He thought he’d have more time, but now there was no choice. He’d have to do it tomorrow. He’d have to lay it all on the line or lose her forever.
    But what if what he had to say wasn’t enough for her? What then? The sick feeling in his chest came back again. He’d thought those times before that it was indigestion, but now he knew what it really was. The heavy acidic burning was his own body telling him what an idiot he was. There wasn’t enough Maalox in the world to cure the mess he’d made of his own love life.
    The bartender handed him his drink and went off to take another order.
    â€œHey, boss.” Steve glanced up to see Tom Donalan take the stool next to him. “Mind if I join you?”
    Steve shrugged. “Sure, why not?” He took a long slow sip of the Scotch. “What are you doing here?”
    â€œI was having dinner with my ex and her family. I was just about to leave when I saw you.” He hesitated. “It looked like you could use a friend.”
    â€œIt’s that obvious?” Steve signaled the bartender back. “Get this man whatever he wants on me.”
    Donalan quietly ordered a beer.
    â€œDinner with your ex, huh?” Steve said. “You must be pretty evolved.”
    â€œYou could say that. We have a son, and we were lucky enough to stay friends.”
    â€œAh. Well, good for you.”
    â€œIt works.” The beer came and Donalan