Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Lorelei usually kept herself so busy she didn’t have time to miss what she’d had with Mark.
During the days, she worked as a checker at the local grocery store to make ends meet.
At night, when Lucy was in bed, she tried to create new recipes or promote her cookbook, which had come out in April.
But now that summer was here and Lucy was out of school, Mark and Francine were taking her every other week, which left Lorelei alone during those evenings.
She tried to make good use of the time. She was still incredibly excited about her cookbook—loved seeing it in Barnes she’d given too much away. “Right. Sorry.”
“Lorelei, I know you care about him,” Serenity said.
“We all care about him,” she responded.
“Not in the same way you do. Reagan and I have never slept with him,” Serenity said with a laugh. “Call him.”
After Serenity disconnected, Lorelei navigated to the last text exchange she’d had with Finn—four months ago, at Christmas. They’d checked in, wished each other a happy holiday.
Should she reach out to him? See if even a flicker of what he’d felt the summer they met was still there?
She didn’t want to bother him if he’d moved on. And chances were he had moved on. A man as handsome, intelligent and kind as Finn could take his pick of women. Why would he want her?
She opened the photos on her phone and scrolled through the pictures they’d taken at the lake two years ago, and felt a smile tug at her lips.
She’d been married and dealing with her husband’s infidelity.
It was Finn who’d helped her through that terrible, dark period.
He’d built her self-esteem by listening to her and befriending her and making her feel desirable at a time when she’d felt like an old cast-off sweater.
But when the summer ended, he hadn’t pushed for anything more. She’d told herself she wasn’t in a position to get involved with anyone; she was on the rebound. They didn’t live in the same state. He was five years younger and not ready for marriage. And she had a daughter to think about.
She’d assumed she’d go home, file for divorce and eventually forget about Finn.
She’d been right about two of those things. She’d gone home and filed for divorce. But here she was two years later. Her divorce was final and she’d survived the emotional rapids that’d tossed her around for so long.
Yet she hadn’t forgotten a single moment she’d spent with Finn.