Chapter Two

Sometimes. The word hit Steve like a pile driver to his gut. The only way he'd been able to let Jaime go – to get over her and move on – was to convince himself that she was in good hands and well on her way to a happy life. But...was she? "Sometimes," he said, repeating what Jaime had said. "Is that enough?"

"It has to be," she answered resolutely. "Tell me about the honeymoon."

"It was...nice."

"Well, I'm sure convinced." Jaime shook her head. There had to be more to the story – something Steve wasn't telling her. "Did you have a fight?"

"Nothing like that. Jenn and I...we get along fine. Smooth sailing."

"But you've always been one who prefers the open water, a little wave here and there," Jaime noted.

"Yeah. Someone who's not afraid to tell me when I'm being a jerk. Like....like you used to do."

"Steve, you and Jenn are still new to each other. You have to give things time to settle into place, to learn how the pieces fit together." Jaime blushed, realizing how that might sound. "I – I didn't mean -"

"Relax," Steve chuckled. "I know what you meant. And you're right. She's a good woman, keeps a clean house, an excellent cook – and she loves me. I don't doubt that for a second. I should be happy..."

Jaime understood. She couldn't picture Steve with a woman curled up at his feet like a Persian cat. He needed a challenge, like a spirited horse or like....No! she chided herself, forcing the thought from her mind. "You're bored," she noted softly.

"Exactly."

"Does Jenn know that? Does she even know you're here, talking about it?"

"Of course not. The last thing I want is to hurt her! She knows how I feel – how I felt – about you."

There it was, courtesy of a Freudian slip. They both had to ignore it (there really was no other choice) but it was an elephant in the room - too much to deal with and impossible to ignore.

"I think you should talk to her," Jaime suggested. "She can't fix something she doesn't know is broken."

"It would break her heart....she's been trying so hard."

"She's trying too hard. And maybe that's the problem. She senses that something's wrong, that you're unhappy - and you're shutting her out, denying what's on your mind. I know how you can be. Don't do that to her!"

"How I can be?" Steve laughed. "And how is that....?"

Jaime grinned. "How honest do you want me to be?"

Steve laid both of his open palms on the table. "Hurt me...if it'll help."

"Well....you're a man, so that's strike one right off the bat."

"Oh, really?"

"It's a known fact – testosterone warps the brain, keeps you from thinking logically. Anyhow....you really wanna hear this?"

"I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't."

"Okay. You can be stubborn, single-minded and sometimes kinda pig-headed when you get your mind stuck on something."

"Ouch," Steve responded, chuckling all the same.

"Occasionally, when I know you're just being a gentleman," Jaime said more slowly, "you can seem...well...a little chauvinistic."

"I get the picture," Steve told her. "And I'll work on that."

"And -"

"I think that's all my over-blown male ego can handle, thank you." He smiled at Jaime as he got up from his chair. "I really would like to make it work with Jenn – and I appreciate you taking the time to listen and be so honest."

Jaime got up with him, walking with him down the hall. They stopped in the foyer and Steve gently took her hand. "Thank you," he said simply.

"Any time," she answered, leaning toward him for a quick 'friends-only' hug.

At that exact moment, the front door opened....and Michael stood on the porch, shivering in the cold and glaring in disbelief.

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