"I do sometimes. I would've liked to have had two kids. A girl would've been nice. But lucky me, I'll have one, with Blossom coming into our lives."
I could see she was pleased by my comment, which I sincerely meant. I was looking forward to having her daughter as a member of our family. Over the past few weeks, I hadgotten to know her, and she truly was a special young woman. I understood why my son was attracted to her. Not only because of her outer appearance, but she also had an inner beauty. She was kind and smart and loved Manuel.
Despite what I thought about her job prospects initially, she was hunting for a job on a regular basis, determined to find a career in her field. They would be fine on a personal level, as well as financially, which had been a major concern of mine. She would be a good partner for him.
What more could a parent ask for in their child's future spouse?
Chapter 19
Tallulah
Isat down at the table, impressed with the spread before me. Jamison had outdone himself. I popped one of the prawns in my mouth when his back was turned, and it was grilled to perfection and very flavorful with his cilantro sauce. I'd have to find a way to get the recipe out of him.
We ate outside on the balcony. Below us, the city of Ellington was quiet yet busy. Quieter than a place like New York, but alive with the sounds of the night—a siren wailing in the distance, the low rush of passing cars, and laughter drifting up from the sidewalk.
Jamison was dressed in jeans and a soft gray Henley, both of which looked fantastic on him, the shirt molding to his muscular torso and the denim hugging his firm legs. He drank beer while I had water to accompany my second glass of wine. We ate in silence for a few minutes before he finally looked at me.
"Well?"
I finished chewing a grilled baby corn. "I'm sorry, I was enjoying the food so much I forgot to tell you how good it is. Absolutely delicious!" I said enthusiastically.
He grinned. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Did you cook like this when you were married?"
"I've been cooking like this since high school. I was the second oldest, so I helped take care of the younger ones. My older sister Lori, by the way, ended up not having children of her own. She said she had raised seven kids already and was done."
"Is Lori married?" I took a sip of water.
He nodded as he chewed a piece of steak. "She found someone she was compatible with. Her husband is a great guy and didn't want kids either."
"Smart Lori."
"Very."
"So what finally ended your marriage, if you don't mind my asking? Was it the financial incompatibility?"
He stopped eating, a pained expression crossing his face. "I wish. If our problems had remained financial, we could have worked through them. Maria had an affair."
I involuntarily gasped, hoping I hadn't dredged up painful memories. "I'm sorry."
He shrugged. "We were having problems, but cheating certainly didn't help. We couldn't come back from that."
He saidwe, but he probably really meanthecouldn't forgive her for that final betrayal.
"They didn't last. She had several more relationships before marrying an accountant and having two kids."
"You ever thought about getting married again?"
"It has crossed my mind. What about you?"
I paused, not because I didn't know the answer but because I had never said my thoughts out loud to another person. "I would like to get married again. I like having a partner and someone to do activities with. Someone to talk to." I pushed the broccolini around on my plate. "But next time, I'm going to make sure we're compatible. I'm not making the same mistake twice."
Slowly, he nodded, studying me in silence. "Why did you and your husband end up getting divorced?"
"How much time do you have?"
"As much as you need to tell the story."
