What Happiness Looks Like excerpt:
Dalton moved a little closer. “Would it help if I shared one of my dirty little secrets with you? I’m sure I look like Superman to you right now, but I’m really more like Clark Kent.” He pulled a pair of round glasses out of his shirt pocket and slid them on his nose. “See?”
He was like Superman with his strong dimpled chin and protective nature. But was she Lois Lane? No, Lois Lane had a job, she had spunk. She didn’t live with her sister.
He sat down next to her and hooked the heel of his cowboy boot over the bottom rung of the kitchen barstool. “I know it’s hard to believe, but I used to be shy—not the sexy, ladies’ man you see before you today.” His lips curled into a smile as he tucked his glasses back inside his pocket. “I married the first woman I slept with.” Glancing down, he furrowed his brow. “I loved her. After five years, she bailed. Said she fell in love with someone else. She dumped me and dumped our son, too.”
Joely shook her head. “That’s terrible.”
He rubbed the tan line on his ring finger. “Every time we ate dinner, I’d notice her empty chair. When I took Ryan to the rodeo, I’d miss holding her hand. Everything reminded me of the family that we used to be. That’s why I left Oklahoma. To start over.”
She noticed the regretful look in his eyes as he talked about his failed marriage.
A few minutes later, he sighed, as if to let it go. “Now your turn.”
“Brace yourself. I mean you already know that Anna’s dad has suddenly reappeared. But. . . .” She didn’t want to say it. She didn’t like to tell people because she still couldn’t accept that a medical condition controlled her life.
He studied her face. “Tell me. I can handle it.”
Probably not, but that would save them both heartache later. She took a cleansing breath like she’d learned in meditation class. “I have. . . lupus.”
His eyes widened, shock flashed across his face. “Isn’t that. . .”
“Fatal? It can be, but not so much anymore. To be honest, there isn’t a cure.”
Staring at his clasped hands in his lap, he looked solemn. “Damn. You win.”
She blinked a few times. Didn’t he mean to say, ‘I’m sorry.’ That’s what people usually said. That and ‘But you look healthy.’ She tilted her head. “Excuse me?”
He glanced up at her. “You win. Your baggage is heavier than mine.”
She burst out laughing as if her body desperately needed it. She had never laughed about her diagnosis before. It felt good.
He propped his elbow on the counter. “What can I do to make you feel better?”
“Nothing. I mean it was sweet of you to come over and make me breakfast.” She lifted her strawberry smoothie in acknowledgment, hoping she wouldn’t lose her grip. “But I understand that this is more than you bargained for.”
“Hey, I’m not going to run out on you like my wife did to me.”
“But I’m not your wife. We just met and you just got divorced. I think you should go date other women and not latch on so quickly.” How ironic that she was giving someone advice on how to move on.
“Joely, I like you. Why don’t you let down your guard so we can get to know each other?”
“Because it’s not only about me. I’m a mom and dating involves too much risk.”
He waited a beat then stood. “Maybe I should go. I can show myself out.” He headed toward the foyer where he’d left his hat. “But I’m not giving up on you yet.”
She dared to smile at his back.
He was like Superman with his strong dimpled chin and protective nature. But was she Lois Lane? No, Lois Lane had a job, she had spunk. She didn’t live with her sister.
He sat down next to her and hooked the heel of his cowboy boot over the bottom rung of the kitchen barstool. “I know it’s hard to believe, but I used to be shy—not the sexy, ladies’ man you see before you today.” His lips curled into a smile as he tucked his glasses back inside his pocket. “I married the first woman I slept with.” Glancing down, he furrowed his brow. “I loved her. After five years, she bailed. Said she fell in love with someone else. She dumped me and dumped our son, too.”
Joely shook her head. “That’s terrible.”
He rubbed the tan line on his ring finger. “Every time we ate dinner, I’d notice her empty chair. When I took Ryan to the rodeo, I’d miss holding her hand. Everything reminded me of the family that we used to be. That’s why I left Oklahoma. To start over.”
She noticed the regretful look in his eyes as he talked about his failed marriage.
A few minutes later, he sighed, as if to let it go. “Now your turn.”
“Brace yourself. I mean you already know that Anna’s dad has suddenly reappeared. But. . . .” She didn’t want to say it. She didn’t like to tell people because she still couldn’t accept that a medical condition controlled her life.
He studied her face. “Tell me. I can handle it.”
Probably not, but that would save them both heartache later. She took a cleansing breath like she’d learned in meditation class. “I have. . . lupus.”
His eyes widened, shock flashed across his face. “Isn’t that. . .”
“Fatal? It can be, but not so much anymore. To be honest, there isn’t a cure.”
Staring at his clasped hands in his lap, he looked solemn. “Damn. You win.”
She blinked a few times. Didn’t he mean to say, ‘I’m sorry.’ That’s what people usually said. That and ‘But you look healthy.’ She tilted her head. “Excuse me?”
He glanced up at her. “You win. Your baggage is heavier than mine.”
She burst out laughing as if her body desperately needed it. She had never laughed about her diagnosis before. It felt good.
He propped his elbow on the counter. “What can I do to make you feel better?”
“Nothing. I mean it was sweet of you to come over and make me breakfast.” She lifted her strawberry smoothie in acknowledgment, hoping she wouldn’t lose her grip. “But I understand that this is more than you bargained for.”
“Hey, I’m not going to run out on you like my wife did to me.”
“But I’m not your wife. We just met and you just got divorced. I think you should go date other women and not latch on so quickly.” How ironic that she was giving someone advice on how to move on.
“Joely, I like you. Why don’t you let down your guard so we can get to know each other?”
“Because it’s not only about me. I’m a mom and dating involves too much risk.”
He waited a beat then stood. “Maybe I should go. I can show myself out.” He headed toward the foyer where he’d left his hat. “But I’m not giving up on you yet.”
She dared to smile at his back.
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