The One That Got Away Read Online Free PDF Page B

her attention to the baggage claim area, glancing at the nearest display screen of arriving flights. “Do you have any luggage checked?”
    “Nope. I’ve got everything right here,” he said, indicating his laptop bag and carry-on suitcase.
    “Still traveling light,” she said, laughing.
    “Backpacking taught me that.”
    “And what time do you need to pick up your—” She faltered, probably as shocked as he was at the situation. “Your daughter? What’s her name again?”
    “Isabel. I told her I’d be there around noon.”
    “In the Marina District?”
    “That’s right. The house is off Divisidero. I’ve got the address in my pocket.”
    She glanced at the small silver watch on her wrist. “It’s almost eleven. Plenty of time.”
    As they headed for the nearest exit, Marcus resisted the urge to pepper Ginger with questions about her life. He felt bad for not having stayed in touch with her over the years, but he also knew Ginger well enough to realize she probably didn’t hold it against him. She knew he was laid-back—maybe even lazy, he admitted—when it came to relationships, but in college she’d easily accepted his shortcomings.
    When they reached her car, a white Toyota Prius, she opened the trunk for him to stow his bags.
    Once they were in motion, she posed the obvious question as she navigated through the parking garage. “So, how are you feeling about meeting Isabel?”
    Marcus’s mouth went dry. “I’m terrified, of course. What if she doesn’t like me or…”
    “Or you don’t like her.” Ginger filled in the blank.
    That was what he’d always loved about her. She could see straight to his heart.
    “I wasn’t going to say that, but yeah.”
    She shot him a sympathetic glance. “It’s a valid worry, I think.”
    “You don’t have any kids yet, right?”
    Ginger barked out a surprised laugh. “No, none for me. I’m pretty sure I’d have already mentioned them if I had any.”
    “I guess so,” Marcus said, wondering if he should pursue the subject. But he’d never felt the need to hold back with Ginger. “I’m surprised. I always thought you’d make a good mom.”
    “I’m only thirty-five—I’ve got a few eggs left in me,” she joked.
    “So you haven’t even gotten married, huh?”
    “I came close a few years ago, but…” Her voice trailed off uncertainly.
    “Who left? You or him?”
    “It’s hard to say.” She frowned, her eyes focused on the road ahead.
    “Why’d you break up, then?”
    “We were trying to adopt a baby from China, and when we found out we’d have a better chance if we got married, I got cold feet. Then Leo got mad and decided he didn’t want to be with me if I didn’t want to marry him.”
    “Wow,” Marcus said, his thoughts tripping over what different paths their lives had taken. “I’m sorry.”
    “It’s okay. Better off finding out sooner than later that we weren’t right for each other.”
    “And the adoption? Are you still trying to do that?”
    Ginger shrugged. “I’d still like to, but I’m flat broke since buying my house, and foreign adoption is an expensive process.”
    Silence filled the car for a few awkward moments.
    He would have to get to know Ginger all over again, he realized now. She wasn’t the same idealistic girl he’d gone to college with. She had a lifetime of experiences that he didn’t know about.
    “Have you seen any photos of Izzy?” she asked out of the blue.
    “Yeah, she e-mailed me one. She’s pretty. Dark hair, dark eyes, pale skin. She looks exactly like my mom did at that age.”
    “Does she look like you at all?”
    “She does. It freaks me out a little, I’ll admit.”
    “You have every right to feel scared and freaked out and anything else right now. It’s a big deal discovering you have a kid you never knew about, and it’s an awful thing that Lisette never told you.”
    “I guess. I mean, at the time, I’m not sure if…”
    He trailed off, ashamed to say the words