“What do you mean?”

 “I’m in a barely populated restaurant at a somewhat isolated table on a Sunday so you can give me some bad news.”

 She sighed heavily. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s have a glass of wine. Let’s talk. Let’s have lunch.”

 “I’ll join you for the wine but I reserve judgment on the lunch.” The waiter was there immediately, taking his order. “You don’t have to wait for the wine. Go ahead. Lay it on me.”

 “What exactly do you think is going to happen here?” she asked.

 “I think you’re going to break up with me.”

 “First of all, I hadn’t considered us steadies,” Riley said. “And second, I know I’ve been hard to reach the past couple of weeks—since Maddie’s accident—but that’s exactly the sort of thing I hate about dating. Just because we have a few nice dates and fun conversations you have this expectation of some priority when I have a daughter, a business—”

 “And an elderly mother?” he asked. “Don’t spoil it, Riley. Men are clumsy assholes who just don’t call when it doesn’t work out the way they wanted. Women are completely different. They feel the need to be honest, to explain, to iron out all the details and make sure everything is smooth. Fixed.” His wine was delivered and he took a sip. Then he tapped her glass. “Do it. Do what you came here to do.”

 “Wow, you make it seem horrible. I think from now on I’m going with the not-calling route.”

 “Nah, this is classier. I’m ready to hear it. I think I know but I’m ready to hear.”

 “What do you think you know?”

 He shook his head. “No way. It’s your show.”

 “I’m sorry. I’m going to put our dating adventure on hold. Maybe for a while, maybe forever, time will tell. It seems I have some old issues to sort through. Some baggage. I’m as surprised as you are.”

 “The ex,” he said.

 “You shouldn’t really call him that. He’s Maddie’s father.”

 “And the accident made you realize how much you care about him,” Logan said. It was not a question.

 “Not exactly, but close. We all spent Christmas dinner at my mother’s, which is pretty typical unless Jock could convince me to let him take Maddie to his mother’s house. And afterward I dropped by his house to talk about Maddie. Nothing urgent, just the fact that we’re moving into a new phase in this co-parenting. She’s growing up and we’ll be visiting colleges next year! I realized I had never seen the inside of his house. I didn’t know Maddie had a perfectly lovely room there that she hardly ever uses. I was a little shocked to realize how difficult and distant I’d been where Maddie and Jock are concerned and... Well, the next thing you know, there’s an accident and he’s seriously injured.”

 “And you realized you nearly lost your chance?”

 She shook her head. “No, it was Maddie. She verged on hysterical. She was so shaken and terrified—her father means a lot more to her than I realized. How could I have been so dumb? So I’m trying to help out a little—visiting him in the hospital, with Maddie of course, taking him some meals while he’s recovering and most of all just talking to him.”

 Logan looked down.

 “My daughter is almost sixteen years old, Logan. And I’ve spent the last sixteen years being mad at Jock for being the idiot to screw up everything. More than once! And he’s the first to admit he made some incredibly immature mistakes. I’ve been very pigheaded. I thought maybe it’s time to know the guy now that he’s grown up. I don’t have any expectations—you’d think if we were meant to be a couple it would’ve happened long before now. But I want to explore the idea of us being friends, if you can understand that. One day we’ll be grandparents to the same grandchildren.”

 “And we can’t date while you’re working on getting along with your ex for the sake of the grandchildren?” he asked. “You’re not fooling me, Riley. You want to be open to something more than friendship. Deny it, go ahead. Because I already know you don’t lie.”

 “Then you also know I don’t move very fast,” she said. “And you’re moving a little fast.”

 “I don’t have fifteen years.”

 “I certainly wouldn’t suggest you wait that long for someone like me,” she said. “Will you still have lunch with me?”

 “Why? Is there more?” he asked.

 “Please, Logan. I like you. I like you very much. I think our timing is a bit off and I’m being completely honest when I say that I’m not sure where this thing with Jock is headed. Is it possible you and I can remain friends?”

 “Let’s order lunch,” he said, opening his menu.

 “Yes, let’s,” she said, opening her menu. They made their choices, ordered and she said, “Thank you.”

 “Don’t thank me yet,” he said. “We’re going to have lunch. And then I’m going to tell you—I don’t really want to be friends. I was falling in love with you and I think you know it. And I also think maybe you’re afraid of that. I was willing to wait, to put up with being third or fourth on your list. I was willing to take chances for you. So we’re going to have lunch, talk a little then say goodbye. And if you’re ever ready to pick this up where we left it, which was pretty close to the next level in the man-woman equation, you have my number. But I’m not waiting around while you check out your ex.”

 “I don’t think you understand at all,” she said.