Free The First Man You Meet by Debbie Macomber Page A

Then she realized why he’d asked the question. ‘‘You must feel overwhelmed by all of this. All of a sudden I’ve been thrust into your life. There’s no escaping me, is there?’’ she said wryly. ‘‘Every time you turn around, there I am.’’
    ‘‘Are you going to stand up and announce to everyone in the restaurant that you refuse to marry me?’’
    ‘‘No.’’ Shelly was appalled at his remark until she remembered that she’d done exactly that the first time they met.
    ‘‘If you can resist doing that, then I think I can bear up under pressure.’’
    Shelly ignored his mild sarcasm. ‘‘I’m not interested in marriage yet,’’ she told him seriously—just in case he’d forgotten. ‘‘I’m content with my life. And I’m too busy for a husband and family.’’
    She hadn’t noticed how forcefully she was speaking until she saw several of the people at other tables glancing in her direction. Instantly she lowered her voice. ‘‘Sorry, my views on marriage seem to be more fervent than I realized. But I’m not about to let either my mother or my dear aunt Milly determine when I decide to settle down and marry.’’
    ‘‘Personally, I can’t see you ever settling down,’’ Mark said with a small grin. ‘‘You don’t have to worry. When you’re ready, you’ll know it.’’
    ‘‘Did you?’’ She hadn’t meant to bring up Janice, but now seemed as good a time as any to remind him—and her—that there was someone else in his life.
    Mark shrugged casually. ‘‘More or less. I took a good, long look at my life and discovered I’d already achieved several of my professional goals. It was time to invest my energy in developing the personal aspects of my life. Marriage, children and the like.’’
    Mark made marriage sound as if it were the next chapter in a book he was reading or a connect-the-dots picture. Shelly couldn’t stop herself from frowning.
    ‘‘You have a problem with that?’’
    ‘‘Not a problem, exactly. I happen to think of marriage a bit differently, that’s all.’’
    ‘‘In what way?’’
    He seemed genuinely interested, otherwise she would have kept her opinions to herself. ‘‘People should fall in love,’’ she said slowly. ‘‘I don’t think it’s necessary or even possible to plan for that to happen. Love can be unexpected—it can take a couple by surprise, knock them both off their feet.’’
    ‘‘You make falling in love sound like a bad case of the flu.’’
    Shelly smiled. ‘‘In some ways, I think that’s exactly how it should be. Marriage is one of the most important decisions in anyone’s life, so it should be a deeply felt decision. It should feel inevitable. It’s the union of two lives, after all. So you can’t simply check your watch and announce ‘it’s time.’’’ She was suddenly concerned that she’d spoken out of turn and might have offended him, but one quick glance assured her that wasn’t the case.
    ‘‘You surprise me,’’ Mark said, leaning forward. ‘‘I would never have guessed it.’’
    ‘‘Guessed what?’’ She was beginning to feel a little foolish now.
    ‘‘That a woman who gives the impression of being a scatterbrain is really quite reflective. Beneath those glow-in-the-dark sweatshirts lies a very romantic heart.’’
    ‘‘I seem to have a tendency to get emotional about certain things,’’ she answered, studying the menu, eager to change the subject. ‘‘I’ve heard hot-and-sour soup is wonderful. Have you ever tried it?’’
    Their conversation over dinner remained light and amusing. Shelly noticed that Mark avoided any more discussion of a personal nature, as did she.
    After they’d finished their dinner and Mark had paid the bill, they leisurely strolled back toward the theater. Mark offered to drive her home when they reached his parked car, but Shelly declined. Her apartment was only a couple of blocks north and she preferred to walk.
    Walk and think. Their