“I think it says something for you that you can look back and see where the trouble was.”

“Too bad I didn’t realize how bad the trouble was before it was too late.”

“You knew.”

“I did?”

She nodded. “You said it took effort, that it wasn’t easy the way it once had been. You had to be aware of that at the time.”

“I was, but I never expected her to actually leave me for another guy. And what she said on the way out the door…”

“What did she say?”

“That life was too short to spend it with me.”

“Ah,” she said, shaking her head. “That was unnecessary. It’s her loss. You know that, don’t you?”

“You think she’s saying that when she’s getting busy with her young stud?”

“Is that the part that pisses you off the most? That he’s younger?”

“Nah.”

“You sure?”

“Kinda.”

Her husky laugh warmed him on the inside the way a shot of whisky would. A low hum of desire took him by surprise. It’d been a long time since he’d felt anything resembling desire. “You’re easy to talk to, Ms. Rose.”

“Thank you, Dr. McCarthy.”

“How do you know I’m a doctor anyway?”

“I asked your brother.”

“Which one?”

“Mac. I saw him in the grocery store earlier today.”

“And you asked him about me.”

“I might’ve.”

He was so out of practice with such things that Kevin wasn’t sure he was reading this correctly. Was she flirting with him? “How come?”

“I thought you seemed troubled the other night. I asked if you were okay. We got to talking.” She shrugged.

“And that’s all it was? Some bartenderly concern?”

“Is that a word?”

“Answer the question.”

“It might’ve been more than that.”

Definitely flirting. He cocked his head to take a closer look at her pretty face. She never blinked.

“I’m sorry for what you’ve been through, but I’m not sorry you’re single.”

“Separated.”

“Permanently and legally?”

“Heading that way.”

“Are you planning to go back to her?”

“No.”

“What if she shows up here and says it was all a big mistake?”

Kevin thought about that for a minute. “Even then.” Permanent damage had been done, and there was no undoing that.

“Then that counts as single in my book.”

“Does it now?”

“Yep.” She gave him that look again, the one that couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than interest. “I slept with your niece’s husband once.”

“Joe or Owen?

“Joe.”

“Before he was her husband?”

“Yes! Years before.”

“Okay.”

“So that doesn’t appall you?”

“Why should it? I assume you were both single and consenting.”

“We were.”

Kevin shrugged. “Sex happens.”

“Does it?”

“That’s been my experience.”

“What do you think about it maybe happening tonight?”

For a moment, Kevin was rendered speechless. But then he recovered. “I’m fifty-two.”

“Are you incapable?”