The Last Time

Lynn Smith appeared to be content; at least that’s what she let her friends and family believe. Behind closed doors, though, loneliness filled her days. Her life had settled into a predictable routine, one she clung to for safety after a string of disastrous, one-sided relationships. At fifty, she had convinced herself that love and happiness were things meant for other people—not her.
Cordell Jackson, a retired pro football player, was navigating the aftermath of a divorce from his much younger wife. The only bright spots in the failed marriage were his two children. Otherwise, his life was still full—he coached a semi-pro football team, worked as an engineer, and, at fifty, had plenty to boast about. Yet, despite it all, he longed for something more: the true love of a good woman.