Lori’s stomach clenched. “I know. But…”
Shanan lifted a hand. “Let me finish. We’ve been friends for a long time, Lori. And I love you. So I have decided I’ll go first and show you that putting my heart out there is the only way to be happy again. I’m tired of the hate and the inability to trust men I’m hauling around after Mike. It’s making me bitter and cynical at the ripe old age of thirty-two. I don’t want to be that woman anymore.”
That brought tears to Lori’s eyes. She knew exactly how Shanan felt. “I don’t think you’re bitter and cynical. I think you’re protecting a bruised heart.” Lori took a drink of the ice water the waiter had left. “I’ve always had a knack for knowing instinctively when two people are right for each other, but I think it’s been my curse that I can’t do that for myself. My grandmother was a matchmaker too, and she insisted it runs in our blood. But she and my mother had the same problem. All of us chose and married cheaters.”
Shanan frowned. “You never mentioned that before. I’m sorry.”
“It is what it is. But I have the gift of Emily, so I can’t say my marriage was all bad. As a matter of fact, until Joe cheated, I was really happy. But for your information, I went on a date last night and have another on Monday.”
“Good for you!” Shanan’s hand shot out and gave Lori’s a squeeze. “I apologize for the hypocrite remark. And now I can watch and see how you do first, so I withdraw my application. How was the date?”
“Horrible. But he asked me out again anyway.” Lori told Shanan the whole story about running into Mel and even the kissing-Deek experiment later.
“Wow.” A slow grin lit Shanan’s face. “You don’t even have to tell me how the kiss was. I can see it written all over that blushing face of yours. Has Deek changed his mind about Annie?”
“No. He still wants Annie back. He’s made that perfectly clear.” Lori held up both hands. “And no matter how much I enjoy Deek’s company and would love a repeat of that hot kiss, Asher deserves to live with both of his parents like Deek wants. I refuse to get in the way of that.”
“You aren’t the one ignoring your kid. If anyone is doing anything to Asher, it’s Annie, not you. I wouldn’t worry about that at all, but then, I’m not as nice as you.”
“Yes, you are.” Lori shrugged. “For now, I’m having fun being Deek’s friend, and that’s enough.”
“Uh-huh. Sure.” Shanan sipped her water. “So after that kiss, you didn’t have a hot dream about him to keep you warm last night, Miss Pure-as-the-driven-snow?”
She’d had the humdinger of all dreams.
“Shut up.” Lori lifted the menu and debated having a brownie for lunch.
“I knew it!” Shanan laughed. “Your face lit up like a Christmas tree when you talked about Deek just now. I think you have feelings for him. And I also think you two would make the most adorable couple. I’m going to hope Deek finally figures out that Annie is a lost cause and he needs to move on. With you!”
A pang of sadness shot through Lori’s heart. “That all sounds nice, but it’s not going to happen. So let’s forget all the dating talk. How’s your mom doing these days? Is she still thinking of moving to Florida?”
While Lori listened to all the ins and outs of Shanan’s life, she couldn’t quite shake the sadness that had weaved its way back into her heart at the “most adorable couple” remark. Just wasn’t going to ever happen, and that was it.
Deek had left Lori multiple messages on Saturday, but she hadn’t called or texted him back. The more he’d dug into Jason’s life the night before; the more urgent the need had become to talk to Lori. Jason wasn’t the right guy for her.
It was almost five thirty in the evening. Why hadn’t she answered him? Was she mad at him for the kiss?
He’d missed not seeing her every day for the first time in almost two weeks. And now he was worried about her.
He started up the stairs to talk to Asher when a drone zipped by his head in their three-story foyer, then crashed into the wall.
“Why are you flying that thing inside?”
His son appeared at the upstairs loft railing, controller in his hands, working hard to suppress a smile. “Because you said it was too cold for me to go outside and to find something to do inside.”
He wasn’t in the mood to argue semantics. “That’s an outside toy. Do you know what Emily’s cell phone number is?” Hopefully, Emily could ask her mom to call him.