uncover a lot of lies and manipulation? Or, let me ask you this—how would it feel to not have Jake, your closest friend, in your life anymore?”
“That would be a terrible loss,” she said. “But I’m not sure I really love him.”
“Has there ever been a time in your relationship when you were uncomfortable with him?”
“No,” Adele said. “But what do I know? In spite of the agony of loss, I still thought I was in love with Hadley. He broke my heart, but I probably would have taken him back if he’d said all the right words.”
“You still haven’t decided what you really want your life to look like. Maybe you’re more like me and you just want your independence. I don’t really want to be married again. I don’t want some man’s rowing machine under my bed. I get my oil changed at the station on the corner, and I can install a ceiling fan just fine.”
“Thanks for the chat, Ross,” Adele said. One thing was sure—Ross always made Adele smile. And think.
* * *
Justine had asked her daughters if they were planning to be home for dinner. Both said yes. When they got home from school at nearly five, she was in the kitchen slicing and dicing vegetables. She had a skirt steak marinating in soy sauce, white wine and ginger. It was Friday. She had left work just a little early and was preparing a special dinner.
And the table was set for five.
“I’ve invited a friend for dinner so please, don’t throw your stuff around the living room and kitchen.”
“Who’s coming?” Amber asked, tossing her backpack and coat on the sofa.
Justine scowled at the backpack and coat, and Amber reluctantly picked them up. “Who?”
“Well, a friend. A man I know. I went to dinner with him a few times and talked to him on the phone several times, and I thought you might like to meet him. In the interest of transparency,” she added in her best lawyer tone.
“You’ve been dating him? Without saying a word?”
“Here’s the deal. I met him through a colleague in the San Jose office, and I had a drink with him. I wasn’t about to trot him home to my daughters after one drink. I wanted to get to know him first. I thought if we dated a little and I liked him, I’d introduce you. I’m not good at secrets, but this isn’t necessarily serious. For right now, we’ve had a good time and seem to have plenty in common. He’s nice.”
“You’re dating?” Olivia asked.
“I guess that’s what I’m doing,” she admitted.
“Without saying anything to us first?” Amber asked.
Justine went back to the island in the kitchen and resumed her chopping. “I was a little torn about that. The thing is, I have never done this before. I met your dad in college and was with him and only him from that moment on. This is a whole new experience for me—going on a date after a divorce. A divorce I didn’t want, at that. His name is Logan, he’s very interesting, he has a good sense of humor and is respectful. He not only has a good reputation, he’s a former police officer and a licensed private investigator, so you can be relatively sure he’s up to scrutiny.
“I like him,” she went on. “But let’s be clear—I’m not looking for a new husband. I have no intention of getting married again or even living with a guy. The only people I’m interested in living with are you two and Addie. And with Addie for as long as it works for her. Some days I get the impression we’re crowding her.”
“It’s just the remodel,” Livvie said. “You know how long it takes Addie to make some decisions. And you make them fast.”
“Not this time,” she said. “I talked to Logan on the phone for weeks, maybe a couple of months, before I agreed to meet him for dinner.”
The doorbell rang. Justine felt a jab of panic.
“Okay, look—I just want to introduce him to you so you are completely aware of who I’m going out