been like over the years. You said you’ve never been married, but there had to be someone serious. Maybe a few women you were serious with?”
Glenn sips his coffee. “You don’t really want to talk about this, do you?”
“I do. At first I thought I didn’t want to know, but I realize now that I was lying to myself.”
“All right. There was someone serious. Only one since you and I have been apart. A couple quasi-serious relationships, but the last one was the most intense.”
My gut tightens. Can you believe I’m jealous? “How long ago?” I ask. “And how serious?”
“How long ago?” He thinks for a moment. “I guess about fourteen months.”
“Wow. That’s pretty recent.”
“I know.”
“Don’t leave me hanging. Tell me what happened.”
“We dated for about two years. Yeah, two years,” he says, seeing my surprised look. “I’d popped the question, and we were going to get married.”
“Really?” I’m stunned. I know I didn’t ask before now, but isn’t this information Glenn should have volunteered? Or am I being too sensitive over the matter?
“Yeah.” He rolls his eyes slightly. “But it didn’t work out.”
“Oh, no no no. You don’t just tell me you asked a woman to marry you—barely over a year ago—then tell me it didn’t work out. What happened—and do I have to worry that she’s going to come back into your life at any moment?”
“No chance of that, since she decided to get back together with her ex-husband. She broke down and told me that my proposal made her realize she had unresolved issues with her ex—you really want to hear this?”
I nod.
“I proposed to her. She didn’t answer, said she needed time. Three days later, she gave me some lame story about the sacredness of marital vows and how she shouldn’t promise the same thing to another man that she’d promised to her husband. She said she wanted to give him another chance.” Glenn shrugs. “As far as I know, they got back together, and they’re married again.”
I am feeling much, much better. Well, maybe not that much better. “So she broke your heart.”
“I’m not still hung up on her, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Are you sure? You were going to marry the woman.”
“Yeah, I’m sure. Because I’m hung up on someone else.” He gives me a pointed look. “Always was, if you want to know the truth, even though we’d gone our separate ways. Plus, I don’t think things were really meant to be with Tess. She had a couple kids—”
“Tess?”
“—and she didn’t want more. I’d be forcing it with her to make it work. I know that now. Believe me, everything’s worked out for the best. Especially now that I have you back in my life.”
I search Glenn’s eyes. They seem sincere. Truthful. There’s really no reason for me to be making an issue out of this.
But still I ask, “How did you two connect in bed?”
“Nowhere near the way we do,” Glenn answers without hesitation. Then he reaches across the table and strokes his thumb across my palm.
“So I don’t need to spend the rest of my life hating her?” I joke.
“It’d be a waste of energy.”
“I know. You’re right. What matters is here and now. Us.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Glenn reaches for his wallet in the back of his pants and pulls out some money. He drops it onto the table on top of the bill. Then he asks, “Ready for your surprise?”
“I can’t wait.”
My excitement mounts when Glenn and I arrive in Duluth, one of Atlanta’s upscale and beautiful suburbs. The houses are large here, with sprawling, well-manicured lawns, neatly trimmed shrubs, colorful flowers and winding driveways that stretch for at least a couple hundred feet.
My heart is beating a mile a minute. What on earth could Glenn be doing taking me to a spot like this?
He’s holding my hand, something that feels so comfortable. It makes me smile. It’s nice to know that despite how well Glenn and I connect in the bedroom, there’s more to our relationship than that.
“I’m dying here, babe. When are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“You’ll see…”
I continue to survey the area as Glenn makes a series of turns. At last, we pull into the driveway of a gray stucco house with a For Sale sign on the lawn. The interlocking brick driveway veers to the right, where there’s enough space for eight or so cars.
My eyes whip to Glenn’s. He doesn’t say a word. Simply grins at me like a fool as he pulls his cell phone out of the holder on his belt.
He dials a number. Then I hear him say, “Hey, Sandra. It’s Glenn Baxter. I’m in front of the house. Great, see you shortly.”
“Who was that?” I ask Glenn, although I know who it had to be. At least I think I know who it had to be.
“That was the real estate agent.”
“Glenn! What are you doing? And when did you arrange to meet a real estate agent here? We’ve been together the whole time.”
“I called her when you went to use the restroom. And don’t get too excited. You don’t know if you’ll like it.”
“Not like it? Glenn!” I look out at the line of trees dividing this property from the next one. In the distance, I can see the glistening waters of Lake Lanier. I want to throw my arms around him and squeeze the life out of him.
“I’ve always wanted a house on the water. And look at this place. I love the stucco. All the trees for privacy. The size of the land. What is it, an acre?”
“A little larger than that.”
“Glenn!”
“Don’t get excited…”
“How can I not get excited? It’ll be a longer drive to get to work, yes, but this is the kind of house…” My voice trails off when I look at it.
“The kind of house you raise a family in,” he supplies for me.
I could become an emotional mess right about now. I’m seeing my dreams come to fruition at a time I didn’t expect it. When I’d convinced myself the dream no longer mattered to me.
“What are you doing, Glenn?”
“I want to see if you like the place.
