“It was,” Bette admitted. “And you’re right. I can’t cook at all. Sometimes when nothing is open I have a salad or boil some eggs or something. Or I eat fruit. I’m on a budget, you know.”

Tina grinned. “Thought so. I didn’t really know how to cook until I moved out here. I learned how to do a lot of things for myself.”

Bette nodded, then said, “I didn’t know that you recognized me from that day. You know, when I saw you out here. You didn’t mention it.”

“It didn’t register until later who you were,” Tina said.

“You looked pretty upset that day.”

Tina felt her face flush. How embarrassing to be caught at her worst moment. A lot of people in town must have seen her. She hoped there wasn’t a lot of gossip flying around. “I was.”

“The reason you were upset that day… did it have anything to do with that guy this morning with the flowers?”

“Yes…”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Tina weighed her options and then plunged in. “Well… I guess it would help to talk about it. If you don’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t mind. I asked, didn’t I?” Bette looked at her curiously.

“Sorry. I’m not good at opening up to people. Anyway, if you really want to know…” Tina proceeded to fill Bette in on all the details as they ate. How she met Grant just as she was getting settled in here. How kind and thoughtful he was in the beginning of their relationship. How he drew her out of her shell. All the little things he had done to show her that he cared. The day Tina realized she loved him. And how a few months later, he had proposed.

“It was like a dream come true. I didn’t think I could be happier.”

“Until that day?”

Tina nodded, ducking her head to avoid eye contact. “Until that day.” Tina explained the situation as it stood. Grant had cheated on her and gotten some other woman pregnant.