Page 32 of For Love or Money
‘Maybe I’ve had enough excitement in my life,’ Stella said quietly.
‘Yeah.’ Dan’s expression softened. ‘I guess you have. I just don’t think you should sell yourself short.’
‘I’m not “selling myself” at all.’
‘Hey, that’s not what I meant.’ He gave an exasperated sigh. ‘I just think you’re settling for so much less than you deserve.’
‘This is already way more than I ever thought I’d have, Dan.’
‘I know,’ he said, throwing her a look that was at once apologetic and frustrated. She knew he only wanted the best for her.
‘Peter’s just what I need,’ she said, anxious to convince him. ‘I never thought I’d find a man I could be with like that – a man I could marry. I’m tired of being alone all the time. With Peter I can have a real family, someone to come home to at the end of the day.’
‘And you’re in love?’
She picked up the pot and poured them both more tea, not looking at him as she spoke. ‘I think we can be really happy together.’
‘That’s not what I asked.’
Stella turned to face him. ‘No, I’m not in love. But I like him a lot, and we get on great. I think we’re good together.’
Dan shot her a pitying look. ‘That’d all be great if you were looking for someone to keep you company in your twilight years. But you’re twenty-six. It’s not as if this is your last shot.’
‘But maybe it is. Who can say?’ She shrugged. ‘Why does everyone think that’s such a great basis for marriage anyway? I mean, look at all the arranged marriages that work out really well – and all the people who start out madly in love and wind up hating each other’s guts after a few years.’
Dan sighed. ‘I guess you’re right.’
‘Peter and I are already ahead of the game. We don’t have any unrealistic expectations to live up to. And we won’t have the disappointment of falling out of love because we’ve never been in love in the first place.’
‘So he’s not in love with you either?’
Stella gave a wry smile. ‘If he’s in love with anyone, I think it’s his ex-wife.’
Dan’s eyes widened in shock. ‘Bloody hell! And you still want to marry him knowing that?’
‘It just proves my point. So what if he’s in love with her? It didn’t make any difference, did it? He still couldn’t make his marriage work. They still ended up getting divorced.’
‘When did you get so mature?’ he said, his expression softening.
‘School of hard knocks, baby. I wouldn’t recommend it.’
‘And you’re happy?’
She considered before answering. It wasn’t a casual question. He really wanted to know.
‘Yes, I am. Peter’s a good man. I think we’re going to have a great life together.’
‘Well, that’s all that matters,’ Dan said.
11
‘What’s this?’ Al asked, nodding to the whiteboard in the corner of Lesley’s study. At the top she’d taped a photo of Stella and Peter that she’d printed off the internet, and she’d written Stella’s name in large capitals with a big question mark beside it. Underneath there was a list of the information she had gathered so far –
West of Ireland (seaside town?)
No social media??
It was a very short list.
