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Leah.”
    “Is that how we’ve made you feel?”
    “No, hell, now I’m screwing this up badly.” It was time to
be honest, and leave it to him and Mark to do so over the phone. “You and Leah
got me through the worst that could happen. I needed to feel needed after Julie
died. I feel like we raised her together.”
    “We did. No question, Craig, we did.”
    “But she’s half grown already, and she needs a woman in her
life. The three of you are going to have an adjustment period when you get
back, and I’d already planned on making myself scarce. It’s for the best.”
    “I never could have gotten through any of it without you,
Craig. All of it—losing Becca, raising Leah. Carolyn and I wouldn’t even
have had a chance if you hadn’t watched Leah every other weekend so we could
get to know one another.”
    Enough, Craig thought. Listening to this was worse than
giving the best man speech at the wedding. “Yeah, yeah, I’m a regular saint.”
    “When was the last time you went on a date?” Mark asked.
    “Don’t go trying to fix me up now that you’re happily
married.”
    “I’m not going to fix you up; I’m just worried about you.”
    “No, you’re not. You don’t want to be the only one yanked
around by the ball and chain. I’m perfectly happy on my own.” And matrimony
held less than zero appeal after his first marriage.
    “I never said anything about marriage. I said date.”
    Craig had to think back. His last date was a fix up, and a
terrible one at that. “I let Jimmy talk me into taking his wife’s best friend
to dinner. I’ll never do that again.”
    “I think it’s time for you to let someone in. I know it’s
hard, especially after what happened to Julie, but I want you to be happy.”
    Who said he and Julie had been happy? he wanted to ask his
brother, but he knew better than to speak ill of the dead. If he hadn’t told
Mark the truth before, he sure as hell wasn’t going to tell him now. “I am
happy, so just keep your ideas to yourself.”
    “Fine. Tell Leah I’ll call her tomorrow.”
    “She won’t care,” Craig teased.
    “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

 
    Chapter 6
      “You should have
seen him,” Allie huffed, “all smug and self-righteous. I had half a mind to
punch him in the face.”
    Melissa reached over and tugged on Allie’s sleeve. “Can we
slow down a little? You forget I’m pushing thirty extra pounds.”
    Allie slowed from a run to a jog. “Sorry. Do you need a
water break?”
    Melissa pointed ahead to where the jog path forked and a
pretty bench sat by the river. “No, not yet. Let’s stop by the bench and cool
down. If we stop now, I’ll probably cramp, and Henry likes to look at the
ducks.”
    Allie glanced at the baby, happily chewing on a
multi-colored rattle, his angelic face red from the brisk air. “Do you think he’s
warm enough?”
    “He’s in head to toe fleece. He’s probably sweating.”
    “His cheeks are red.”
    Melissa pulled back the retractable cover of the jog
stroller and peered over at her son. “His ears are covered. Trust me, if he
were uncomfortable, he’d let us know.”
    They slowed to a stop by the river and Allie stretched her
quads while Melissa sat on the bench and gulped down water. “I know this is
good for me, but damn, I hate it.”
    Allie sat down beside her, her breathing back to normal. “Do
you want me to push him back? I don’t mind, and I think you need a break.”
    “Maybe,” Melissa said. “Let me rest for a minute and I’ll
let you know.”
    “So what am I supposed to do?” Allie asked.
    “About the guy? What can you do?”
    “I have to see him again this Thursday at the lesson. What
am I going to say?”
    “Why do you have to say anything?” Melissa glanced at Allie
and lifted her brows. “Sounds to me like you’re interested.”
    “What? No.” She thought of Craig, looking down his crooked
nose at her. “He’s arrogant and not all that attractive.”
    “Not all that