He sighed and started popping lids off the trays. "I might have gotten a call from your mother, asking me how long we'd been dating."
I dropped a handful of soy sauce packets all over the kitchen floor. "What?"
"Apparently, when I came by to apologize last Sunday, a group of people from your parents' church saw us together here and witnessed you waving at me as you drove by."
"So that means we'redating?" I knew Farley was a small town, but this was insane. A wave and a conversation now meant we had a relationship?
"I guess so," he replied.
I shook my head. "That's just great. Now, I'll be even more undateable."
"That's the second time you've mentioned that."
"Mentioned what?" I asked, crouching down to pick up all the sauce packets that scattered all over the floor.
"Your, uh, love life."
"Or lack thereof?" I straightened and piled the soy sauce on the counter. "Sorry, it's been...a while since I dated anyone."
I rummaged around in the bottom of the bag, looking for chopsticks.
"How long is a while?" Brody asked.
I glanced up and saw that he was studying me closely. My eyes narrowed. "A while."
He leaned back against the sink and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll show you mine."
I mimicked his posture. "If I show you mine?"
He nodded.
"You've only been divorced for, what, six months?"
"Eight, but we were separated for a lot longer than that."
"How long?" I asked, skeptical.
"You first."
Was I really going to do this? Was I going to share with him how pathetic I was? I stared at Brody. I always hated to be vulnerable in front of him.
But things were different now. Weren't they?
So I inhaled deeply and took the risk.
"Eighteen months," I admitted. "He lived near Dallas, worked there, and he asked me to move in with him but—"
"You would have had to give up the shop," Brody said.
I nodded.
"Damn, that sucks. I'm sorry."
I shrugged. "It is what it is."
"I've noticed people always say that when it's something they really don't want to discuss."
I couldn't help the huff of laughter that escaped me. "Yeah, it's not my favorite subject. I really cared about him."
