He was tall and tanned, with light brown hair that was thick and full. He had stunning blue eyes. He wasn’t embarrassed about kissing his kids goodbye, yet he walked with enough of a swagger to proclaim his healthy male ego. He was charming and witty, he listened, he had interesting things to say. He was intelligent. He was successful. He wasn’t Doug. Andrea knew five minutes after she’d gotten into Mark’s Explorer that he was everything she could have hoped for. More than that, she liked him. But it still wasn’t going to work. He didn’t take her mind off Doug. And she needed that more than ever now. Seeing Scotty had been as painful as it had been wonderful. It had been a powerful reminder to her of why she was alone, why she had to stay alone. She tended to lose perspective when she loved. And she’d caused enough pain, been hurt enough, for one lifetime. * * * “THE ONLY TWO ROOMS they had left were adjoining, but I want it understood right from the beginning that I don’t expect you to unlock the connecting door—not unless you want to, that is,”
