CHERYL DIAZ MEYER /DMN

Wayne Fuller came close to missing his Internet introduction to Sharon Watts.

Wayne Fuller came close to missing one of the best things in his life.

But before giving up on online matchmaking, he decided to check one more profile on Yahoo Personals. Ironically, Sharon Watts was just getting started that day in November 2002.

"I found him on the first try," says Sharon, who liked Wayne's response because it wasn't too pushy or forward. Their first phone call wound up being a two-hour conversation.

"He did all the talking," she says. "I've since learned that, when he's nervous, he talks a lot."

Wayne, 56, told her about his three grown children and four grandkids. He'd been divorced five years; Sharon for two.

At the end of the call, Wayne suggested that they meet. He even suggested that she bring a friend if it would make her more comfortable. Sharon says this kind suggestion won her heart right then and there.

Wayne and Sharon met the next Sunday at Pappasito's Cantina. He thought she was a good listener, "incredibly smart and really cute." They parted with a hug and a promise to talk soon.

"I no more walked in the door of my house and my phone was ringing, and it was him," says Sharon, also 56. "And I just thought that was so sweet. I didn't have to sit around and wonder when he was going to call."

Wayne wanted to see Sharon again before she left town for Thanksgiving. He agreed to drive from his home in Waxahachie, a good hour away, in morning rush-hour traffic to meet for breakfast in Richardson.

While Wayne's life was very full, Sharon was growing tired of constant business travel. "I hated coming home to a cold house with two cats," says Sharon, who works in pharmaceutical sales. "I love my cats, but it's not the same as having a warm body and the lights on when you come home."

Wayne was convinced after their first meeting that he'd be the one to welcome her home from then on.

"I don't want to say it was the day I met her, but that's probably true," he says. "It was love at first sight. I'm smart enough and old enough to know that you've got to wait to make sure everything's OK. And I've never lied to her about anything. What she saw was what she got. I made sure that's what she wanted before I committed. But it was truly love at first sight."

Sharon says she fell in love with Wayne's character quickly. A trip to a bowling alley in early December 2002 indicated that their relationship had potential. Although they hadn't bowled in years and weren't very good, they had a great time.

"He's such an upright man," she says. "It's amazing. It's absolutely what I needed and what I wanted. This relationship is the right thing."

In time, they met each other's families. Everything seemed so easy as they dated and got to know each other over the next few years.

"He just kept doing these things that showed he was a considerate, nice man. He liked me, and I was liking him," she says. "I love his kids and grandkids, and my family really loves him."

Wayne eventually tired of the long drive and moved to Plano to be near Sharon in September 2006. He's since put a thriving garden in her back yard, which they tend together.

Wayne sold his electronics repair business, then opened a handyman business, HoneyDoToday.com. Sharon says all of her friends are jealous that her soul mate is so handy. But Sharon tells them, "The cobbler's kids have no shoes."

"I work long hours and never have time to do work in my house," Wayne says. "She's threatened a couple of times to call a handyman."

Sharon and Wayne found such joy in being together that marriage discussions came up fairly soon. When Wayne discovered that one of his customers was in the jewelry business, he gave Sharon his card. After meeting with the jeweler, Sharon brought home a piece of paper with the ring sketch on it. Wayne got busy taking care of the ring and a few other things.

"She kept setting these goals, these requirements, and I kept meeting them," he says.

Sharon was impressed that Wayne was getting everything in order, including his new business. She wanted to make sure that the marriage would stick. On Aug. 22, Wayne jumped through the last hoop when he proposed.

"It didn't dawn on me where we were going until we were halfway there," Sharon says of their drive back to Pappasito's. "He said all of the sweet things you would expect. He told me how much he loves me and that he wants to protect me, be my best friend and take care of me. It was perfect. I'm so happy I don't know what to do."

Wayne and Sharon were married Sept. 2 on an Alaskan cruise. They'll have a reception with friends and family in Dallas in October.

Kathleen Green is a Plano freelance writer. If you have a True Romance story, e-mail her at DMNGreen@sbcglobal.net.

If you have a True Romance story, e-mail Kathleen Green at DMNGreen@sbcglobal.net.