Three Little Words by Susan Mallery Page B

were throwing out the letters and what did you care if you got a couple more?”
    “I didn’t throw them out.”
    “It can’t have been interesting. I was such a girl.”
    “The paragraphs about nail polish colors were kind of long.”
    She grimaced. “I feel like I have to keep apologizing.”
    “Don’t.” He shook his head. “Things happened while I was gone. I had to go to hard places and deal with tough situations. You kept me grounded. You made me laugh and sometimes you got me through very long nights. You have nothing to feel bad about, Isabel.”
    His voice was so gentle, she thought, swaying toward him. “Do you ever talk about it? What you did and saw, I mean?”
    “No. I was debriefed. It’s enough.”
    How could it be? “Do you have a group or something? A place where you talk?”
    “Do I look like a guy who talks about his feelings?”
    “You probably should. Or you could get a therapy dog. I’ve read about them. Oh! Your sister raises them.”
    He leaned his head back and laughed. A full-throated belly laugh that made her both smile and want to punch him.
    “I’m being serious,” she told him, when he’d stopped chuckling.
    “I know.” He kissed her on the tip of her nose. “I don’t need a therapy dog.”
    “I’m just saying if you need support, you should get it.”
    “I already did.”
    She wasn’t sure what that meant, but before she could ask, they were walking again.
    “You really going to be able to leave all this?” he asked, motioning to everything going on around them.
    “Yes, I’m sure.” She drew in a breath. “Don’t tell anyone, but I sort of am liking living here. I’m not staying, of course. My new business is going to be in New York. Sonia and I have plans. But this has been nice. I’d forgotten what it was like to be this integrated into a community.”
    “You won’t be here when Lauren gets married. You won’t get to see her in her dress.”
    “I know.”
    Her voice was wistful as she thought about the “memory wall” in the office. Another tradition of her grandmother’s. Each bride brought back a picture. Some were of just her on her wedding day; some were the bride and groom or the whole wedding party. The photographs filled one entire wall and were now creeping onto another. She wouldn’t be adding to them, nor could she be sure the new owner would continue the tradition.
    “I’ll make new memories in my new store. What about you? Except for your mother’s desire to get you paired up, how is it being back?”
    “Good. I like being around my family.” He shrugged. “Mostly. My sisters can be intense. Except for Kent and me, everyone’s married. Mom’s with Max.”
    “That’s right. The new guy. Have you met him?”
    “A couple times. He’s crazy about her and seems like a good guy. I’m glad she’s happy. She’s bugging me for grandchildren.”
    Isabel came to a stop and the cup nearly slipped from her hands. “You’re not expecting us to—”
    His mouth twitched. “Didn’t I mention the kids?”
    She shoved away his arm. “You’re horrible. Don’t tease about that. I lie awake nights thinking how much harder my divorce would have been if Eric and I had had a child.”
    He removed his glasses again and took the cup from her. After tossing it in a trash can, he squeezed her fingers. “I’m sorry. I won’t joke about having babies with you.”
    She was going to snap at him again, but suddenly she couldn’t speak. Because the second he said “babies” she found herself enveloped in a longing so deep and profound it nearly brought tears to her eyes.
    She was divorced. Not that she regretted the breakup of a marriage that had been a mistake from the beginning, but here she was. Twenty-eight and single. Starting over. While she’d never thought much about having kids, she’d always assumed they were in her future. She was traditional enough to want a husband in the picture. She’d worked hard, thought she’d done