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"Is he handsome?"

Summer had to smile "You know, I don’t actually remember"

"You don’t remember?" Julie was incredulous "I realize you were upset, but surely you noticed"

"He has very nice brown eyes and brown hair with soray in it" She raised her hand to her own hair and wove a strand around her finger "I’d say he’sthan handso on between the two of you?"

Summer did care for Jah theto him and cried on his shoulder, but he’d stayed with her until the early hours of theher

"We have a lot in common," was all she’d say to Julie’s question about a ro about you and the mysterious James," Julie said, her forehead creased in a frown "I think you’re falling in love"

Love? Not Summer She’d decided last New Year’s Eve that she was finished with love It sounded melodramatic and a bit ridiculous to be so confident that she’d never love again, but she’d coirlfriend Her feelings hadn’t changed in the past eleven months

Although he’d never said asChristy It’d been six years, and from what she knew about him, there wasn’t a woman in his life even now There wouldn’t be a man in hers, either

This didn’t oing out with other men alinning Later, she wanted to be able to write Jas He’d applauded her efforts and recounted his own endeavors in that area after Christy had broken off the engagement As she read his account of various disastrous dates, she’d laughed, truly laughed, for the first ti to e," Julie said with a knowing se?"

"You won’t see hiht be surprised to discover there’s ot to be forty years old"

"You’re sure of this?"

"No," she said reluctantly "But…I don’t know I picture Ja a pipe, with his faithful dog sprawled at his side"

"A basset hound, no doubt"

"No doubt," Suu for him Nor would he be interested in souished attorney, while she starred in ain the theater wasn’t an easy way to e and the exciteain The tone of her voice suggested that great things were going to happen for her friend this New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve

Summer freely adot to the gazebo nearly fifteen minutes early and was astonished to find hi on the bench, the one they’d shared a year earlier In that moment Summer had a chance to study hi that struck her was that Julie was right

He was nothing like she renified and proper to the very back of his teeth, but there was so about him She recalled how Julie had wanted to know if James was handsoive an unequivocal yes But he wasn’t handsoood-looking like Brett, with his sun-streaked blond hair But Ja in a way that spoke directly to her heart She knew from his letters that this was a rity, a en had flown fros

He saw her then and slowly stood "Summer?" He sounded equally surprised His eyes widened briefly

"Hello, Jaht staring so blatantly "I’rinned "Usually early, Ifor weeks There was so much she wanted to say, so much she had to tell hi "The streets are crazy," she said in a hurried effort tolate"

"Me, neither," he said "I hope you don’t mind, but I made dinner reservations"

"Thank you" She stepped into the gazebo and sat down next to him

"So," he said, as if he wasn’t sure where to start "How are you?"

Suhtly "A lot better than I was last year at this tiot married, didn’t I?"

"You wrote about it"

Summer rarely felt shy, but she did now She owed Jaodsend," she said, "especially during the first few months I don’t knohat I would’ve done without you"

"You would’ve done just fine" How confident he sounded, as if there was never a doubt that she’d get over her fiancé’s betrayal

"The first of every ular as clockwork and I counted on them" It had become a ritual for her, an important part of her recovery

"I enjoyed your letters, too," he said Fireworks splashed across the night sky,their attention "Do you want to join in the festivities?" he asked