Free A Trusting Heart by Shannon Guymon

We’ll double date. What do you say?”
    While she was waiting for Cora to speak, Megan looked down at her plate and realized she had eaten everything in sight. She was ready for seconds. But when Cora said nothing, Megan looked at her curiously.
    “Cora?”
    The older woman was speechless. She had been beaten at her own game, and she couldn’t do a thing about it. Her? Go on a date? The last man she had dated had been her husband, and he had died more than twenty-eight years ago. She had been so busy working and raising her son that she had never had the time or the desire to date. Sure, she could have dated after Trevor had moved out, but by then, who cared? She was forty-seven-years old. Who would want to go out with her? Just the thought had her face turning red. She couldn’t do that to Jack! Her Jack was probably in heaven right now, looking down at her shaking his head. She was sealed to Jack for eternity. No way could she go out on a date with some stranger. But what would Trevor say if she told him she had failed? Her grandchildren! They were waiting for her! What should she do?
    Megan tilted her head, waiting for a response from Cora.
    For such a verbal person, two minutes without saying a word seemed an eternity.
    “Cora? Did I say something to offend you? We can drop this dating stuff if you’d like. There are many more interesting things to talk about. Like a zillion.”
    Cora rubbed her hands over her face and tried to smile up at Megan, who stood up by their table with her plate in her hand.
    “Don’t worry about me, honey. You just go fill up your plate again. I’m still working on mine.”
    Megan walked towards the dessert table wondering what in the world had floored Cora. A little of her own medicine had evidently gone a long way.

Nine
    CORA DROVE UP TO her house and, by the lights on, knew immediately that Trevor was inside waiting for her. Waiting to hear good news. And all she could do was disappoint him. She sighed as she expertly pulled into her garage and took much longer than needed to find the front door. What could she say? She knew what she wanted to say. She wanted to tell him that everything was set, all he needed to do was show up and the girl of his dreams was his. Or there was the truth. Cora put her hand on the doorknob and took an extra breath of courage. Before she could exhale, Trevor was swinging the door wide open for her.
    “Mom! I’ve been waiting forever. How’d it go?”
    Cora closed her eyes, knowing what she was going to say and knowing that he wasn’t going to like it. Cora laid her purse and keys down on the hallway table and walked wearily towards her rocking chair.
    “I’m sorry, Trevor, but I don’t think I can set you up. You’re a big boy now. I’m sure if you try really hard you can do this all by yourself. All it takes is a little effort.”
    Trevor stood over his mom, who was now sitting down. She looked . . . intimidated?
    “What happened tonight, Mom? Why the sudden change? You were all gung ho about setting me up this afternoon. Tell me, did Megan do something to upset you?”
    Cora looked up at her son and burst into tears. Forget the lot, the house, the grandkids, everything. She just couldn’t go on a date. She’d never be able to look at Jack’s picture hanging on her bedroom wall again.
    “She won’t go on a blind date unless I go on a blind date, too. She wants to double date.”
    Trevor hadn’t seen his mother cry since he graduated from college. What was this? Trevor knelt down by his mom’s side and put his arm around her. As he patted his mom’s knee and told her it was all right, it came to him. His dad. That was what this was all about. Trevor shook his head and frowned. He wasn’t sure he wanted his mom to go on a blind date with some strange guy either, but if it meant seeing Megan again . . . .
    “What about going on a date scares you, Mom? I’ve been around a lot of men, so I can fill you in. There’s no reason to