“It just made me realize how empty my own life is, and I felt so alone,” Erin confessed. “And hopeless. I wish I could meet someone wonderful, and the only guy I really, really like won’t give me the time of day.”

Julie reached for a chocolate kiss and popped it into her mouth. “It’s my opinion that your job as a deputy intimidates men. Most of the time when you meet guys, you’re in uniform with a loaded gun, a Taser, and handcuffs on your belt. Definitely not a sexy look. Well, maybe if a guy is into kinky stuff.”

“My job again,” Erin said with a huff. “I wish I’d never listened to my father. I should have chased my own dream to become a speech therapist. But if I start over fresh in that field, I’ll have to go back to school. I’ll be paying off student loans until I’m old enough to draw Social Security benefits.”

“Oh, you won’t be that old.”

“I’ll be over forty,” Erin interjected. “And the thought is daunting. How will I ever afford to buy a small house and get a new car if I spend half my life either in the wrong profession or paying for college tuition? And what about having babies? My thirty-fifth birthday is three years away. I can’t seem to get a guy to give me a second look.”

“Namely Wyatt Fitzgerald?” Julie twisted onto her knees in the recliner and poured each of them more wine. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Nothing about him adds up for me. He’s young, handsome, and physically fit. Yet as far as I know, he never dates. In my opinion there’s only one explanation for that, Erin. Women don’t do it for him.” She held up a staying hand. “Don’t say that I think every man I meet may be gay because of my ex. That isn’t true. Take Blackie, for instance. He’s attractive and doesn’t seem to keep company with women, but I don’t think he’s gay.”

Erin squinted at her friend to read her expression. Then she gasped. “Oh, my God, you’re crushing on Fred Black! What are you thinking? Blackie’s fifty if he’s a day.”

Julie’s cheeks turned pink. “It’s just—well, he comes into the Morning Grind almost daily for pastry and coffee. He sits at one of the inside tables, and we chat. He’s a really nice guy. And so what if I have a crush on him? The age difference is irrelevant. I’m no longer all soft in the head about having babies. I’m more interested in finding a mature and stable man whose company I enjoy. Blackie is mature and thoughtful and interesting.”

Erin held her tongue and sipped her wine, because until this moment, she had never heard Julie sing any man’s praises. Something was up, and even though Erin was tipsy, she realized that teasing Julie wasn’t appropriate. She finally said, “I really like Blackie. Practically everyone does. I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about him. If you’re into him, I can’t think of a single reason you shouldn’t act on it.”