Sharon couldn't help but stare. She'd been doing a lot of that, but in her defense, he was leaving soon. Two weeks had gone by quickly, too quickly, and she hated that they would have to wait over two months to see each other again. Life didn't seem fair sometimes, but as a police captain, she had seen that in her job almost on a daily basis. Here, it was happening to her, life seeming to not be fair, but she knew there was no promise that life would be fair for anyone. She'd had her share of disappointments in life, Jack to be a big one, but she hated that finally when she was happy and had defined things with Andy, things weren't fair.

As Sharon continued to stare at Andy, she couldn't help but smile. Their two weeks together had been so nice. She'd even had to work several days, but that hadn't caused any problems. If anything, it gave Sharon the extra spring in her step to get through the day at work. Andy had met her for lunch one of the days she was working, her idea, and he'd gladly accepted. Things with them were good; they, together a couple, were good, but the situation was about to get frustrating again. Andy had to leave after the weekend, and Sharon couldn't stand to think about it. When he was here, the world seemed t stop, and it was easy to forget the situation in which she and Rusty were living. She could enjoy Andy a few more days. So, she turned her attention back to the table where she and Andy had been sitting with her friends, well, she was hoping he was starting to think of them as their friends. They were at the festival at the church. It was now Saturday late afternoon, and she and Andy had been there for a couple hours now. They were having a good time. It felt nice to be around others, around couples, as a couple. She reached up and squeezed Andy's hand, which was draped across the back of her chair.

"Are you having a nice time?" Sharon checked with him as she gave him a soft smile.

"The best," he leaned in closer to her and whispered softly. "Your friends are really good people. I'm glad we've had some time to sit and talk to them." They had been talking with Sharon's friends for the last half hour. The group had taken a small break to refresh their plates and refill their drinks. Sharon leaned in closer to Andy, and he squeezed her shoulder when she did.

"Would you like more apple cider?" Andy asked as he glanced into her mostly empty cup. She paused a moment and nodded.

"Actually, that does sound good. Thank you," she nodded to him as he stood to refill their drinks. Sharon watched him walk across the room and didn't realize her friend, Kathy, had been trying to get her attention.

"Earth to Sandra," Sharon heard and turned toward her friend who had just arrived back at the table. Sharon had a bright smile on her face and still had eyes on Andy across the room.

"I'm sorry," Sharon said. "I didn't hear what you said."

"Hmm, I'm well aware of that. You had eyes on a very handsome gentleman the church is buzzing about as we speak," Kathy grinned. Sharon felt the blush creeping up her neck and turned away quickly, noting Andy was now talking to Mike and Eric across the room. They were all laughing, and she continued to smile as she turned her attention back to Kathy.

"Andy?" she asked. "The church is talking about Andy?"

"Do you see any other handsome strangers here? I might be happily married, but I'm not blind, to both a good looking gentleman and a smitten friend."

"Ahh, well, I would have no comment on that," Sharon shrugged. "I also have not heard anyone talking about Andy here. That seems to be your imagination."

Kathy chuckled, "Deny it all you want. We are all talking, that's for sure. A visit here a few months ago was one thing. We all were curious, and then, we didn't hear much about your friend, Andy, for quite some time. We noticed how comfortable the two of you were with each other, the casual looks, even the holding hands when we ran into you at the track, but after he left, nothing. I was worried you'd let him down. Then, low and behold, today, he appears with you. You haven't looked this happy since, well, probably his last visit. You told us then you were friends, but watching you two today, you seem much more involved than that. So, tell me, what's going on?"

Sharon smiled, "It's been complicated, very complicated." She sighed as she shook her head, "Andy lives almost two thousand miles away, while Chris and I live here. Neither situation can change due to work and a multitude of other things. We are doing our best. I can say we enjoy being together rather than apart, but we are dealing with the cards we have been dealt."

Kathy held back a bigger smile, "Well, that's a start. Tell me where this friend of yours is staying while he's visiting? I know you have a two-bedroom home. I can't imagine Chris has been moved to the couch for the two weeks Andy has been here, which by the way, a guy doesn't just visit for two weeks without being more than a friend."

Sharon's smile grew as she felt the blush creep up her neck again, "Andy is more than a friend, yes," she nodded. "As for my guest's lodging arrangements, we are currently in a church, and I will not go into specifics here." As much as Sharon tried to hold back her smile, she couldn't, and her eyes sparkled too.

"Yes, just the confirmation I needed. Wow, you are in deeper than Becky or I even suspected, but good for you, Sandra. We both feel you need some happiness in your life, and our little chat here confirms why you haven't shown interest in the many single men from church who have tried to hit on you."

"Men here have tried to hit on me?" Sharon asked, now horrified, as she sat up and looked around the church expecting to find the men standing behind her.

Kathy reached out and patted Sharon's hand as she started to laugh, "Oh, there have been many, none today, Sandra, but yes, you have been the topic of many conversations here at the church. When you brought Andy around before, we all wondered about him, wondered if we would see more of him or hear you talk about him. That didn't happen, so people started talking again, debating on which eligible bachelor might interest you. I dare to say that now I should make it known you are officially off the market?" She asked.

Sharon let out a nervous laugh, as she glanced around again. She met Andy's gaze and felt the blush creeping up her neck as he smiled at her. She smiled back and turned her attention back to Kathy.

"Yes," she smiled warmly and continued, "Andy and I are together. As I said, it's complicated, and our lives keep us apart more than we would like, but we are doing everything we can together. I love him."

"Oh, Sandra," Kathy sighed as she saw the tears in Sharon's eyes. "I feel like you are making this harder than it needs to be. Does he not love you? I can't imagine that, not from a man who flies to the middle of nowhere Ohio to visit you."

Sharon let out a half laugh, half cry as she nodded, "Oh, he loves me very much. That's not it. As I said, it's just complicated. His work, my work, Chris, his kids, all of it is a mess. We can't untangle it right now. I miss him deeply when he's gone."

"You should tell him that, then," Kathy encouraged.

"He knows," Sharon smiled softly. "We've talked and talked. He even wants to marry me."

"Marry you!" Kathy exclaimed as her eyes immediately went to Sharon's ring finger. "Did he propose?"

Sharon shook her head, "No, it's also complicated. We just discussed the idea of it. We've both had rotten marriages in the past, but I just don't think marriage is, well," she sighed. "I am worried that our complicated lives will ruin a marriage. We can't live together for reasons right now, but the stress of living apart would ruin a marriage too. I don't want that. I mean, I would love to be married to him, but I'm not willing to sacrifice the wonderful relationship we have with the strain of a cross-country marriage. The consequences are too great."

Kathy listened, "I think if you want it to work, it could. I'm really shocked, Sandra. Here, I wasn't sure you'd admit to anything, but it sounds like you two are much closer than I thought."

"We have known each other for years, as I told you. Sometimes friendships turn into something more," she shrugged. "Ours has grown over the years, to a very deep love and respect for each other. A lot of my hesitation is due to our current complicated situation, but I believe on some level, I'm worried we'll fail at this. We've both been married before, and both marriages failed. I love him so much, but I'm worried I'll ruin it."

Sharon's mind drifted momentarily back to the conversation she and Andy had in her bedroom after they'd gotten back from their trip with Rusty. They'd talked it through, the idea of marriage, and while nothing had been decided on the topic, Sharon was worried she'd ruin it. She was worried she would tie down Andy, to a life that he didn't deserve. She couldn't ask Andy to continue living this lie, even if now, he was certain he would. Sharon just wanted Andy to have options, mainly the option to walk away in the future. She knew she couldn't promise him a future, not with Stroh lingering, and she didn't think it was fair to ask Andy to wait for her.

"I still think it could work. I'm sure you've both learned from earlier marriages, and I'm telling you that if he's willing to travel across the country to see you, while you have blinders on for every man in town, you two are certainly made for each other. And, you're not worried about him out there in California all on his own? You trust him completely?" Kathy asked.

"With my life," Sharon said firmly and quickly. "I trust him with my life, so yes, I have no concerns about Andy. I just don't want to ruin what we already have."