Free With a Little T.L.C. by Teresa Southwick

know. I wouldn’t call our parting of the ways a dump.”
    â€œShe found you with another woman.”
    â€œWhat?” He stood up and jammed his hands on his hips. Even in the dim light she could read anger, betrayal, and self-righteous indignation on his face. If he was acting, it was an academy award caliber performance. What was going on?
    She stood up, too. “Trish said she broke it off when she dropped by your condo and found you with another woman. She admitted that you’d never actually agreed to an exclusive relationship, but she was hurt just the same,” Liz finished doubtfully.
    He shook his head and there was a bitter twist to his mouth. “Interesting interpretation. And a complete fabrication. But why would you believe a guy who doesn’t know the meaning of the word longevity or sincerity?”
    â€œTry me.”
    Surprise flashed into his eyes. Then he nodded. “I took her out a few times. She was getting serious and possessive. I didn’t feel the same way. I prefer to bestraightforward and told her that. I said I’d like it if we could remain friends. End of story.”
    Maybe it was the way he said the words, completely without embellishment, but she knew he was telling the truth. “Now I feel like a jerk, times three,” she said.
    â€œYou believe me?” he asked, obviously surprised.
    â€œYeah,” she said nodding. “I do. Trish the dish has been caught in a couple of lies—calling in sick to go away for a long weekend, having someone else punch her in when she’d taken a longer lunch. Stuff like that.” She shook her head. “Even knowing that about her, I was quick to take her word over yours. Joe, I can’t even begin to tell you how very sorry I am. Can you forgive me?”
    He paced on the pool deck for a few moments, then stopped in front of her and looked down. The scent of his aftershave drifted to her, making her insides quiver. He was so close, she could feel the warmth of his body. God help her, she wanted him to touch her, hold her. Kiss her? Yeah, that too. Especially that, even though it was not the brightest thing to do.
    Finally he said, “Yeah. I forgive you.”
    His words made her relax, even though she didn’t understand how he could so easily let her off the hook. “Just like that?” she asked.
    â€œWhat can I say? I’m a great guy.”
    â€œI’m beginning to see that. Anyone else would have seen that from the beginning. Anyone but me.”
    â€œWhy is that, Liz?”
    His tone—warm, welcoming—invited confidences. If nothing else, he deserved an explanation.
    She sighed and sat on the chaise lounge next to the pool. He sat on the matching one next to her and theirbare knees brushed, sending a jolt of electricity through her. She pushed the sensation aside. After misjudging him so badly, she owed him an explanation.
    â€œI already told you I’m an only child. As far as I know.”
    â€œWhat does that mean?”
    â€œYou remind me of my father, Joe.”
    â€œWith a lead-in like that, I’m not sure I want to hear this.” He laughed without humor. “Not to mention that when a guy is sitting under the stars with a girl, he doesn’t especially want to hear that he reminds her of her father.”
    Her heart pounded. Did that mean he wanted to kiss her, too? If that was true, she was even more humbled. After the way she’d treated him, that he could still be nice to her was amazing.
    She met his gaze. “What I meant to say was that I was attributing behaviors to you that you didn’t deserve based on what my father did.”
    â€œAnd what was that?”
    â€œHe was handsome as sin. He was an unfaithful playboy who broke my mother’s heart on a painfully regular basis. I don’t ever remember a time when he wasn’t cheating on her. From the time I was a little girl I would wake up and find her waiting for