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Mya tested the limits of her still-angry ribs with a big breath, smiling to herself when the movement felt better than it had for days. She hadn’t had to reschedule any of her clinic appointments, but it had been a near thing in those first days post-accident. Her headache was still hanging around, not surprising given the mild concussion gained when she’d fallen to the top of the car. Even that was easing day by day, and she expected it to be gone within the next couple of days.
She’d spent the time before Kade returned her car on the phone with Karen for two hours. Her friend had to be talked off the ledge when she realized the crash that had been on the news was their rideshare. Only after promising to come over for dinner the next day had Mya been able to close out the call. She smiled at the memory.
Good friends are a blessing, even if they’re a little bossy.
When Kade had come back, he’d been standoffish and brusque, barely crossing the threshold and only softening his stance when she’d opened her arms for a goodbye hug. A battered pickup had been idling at the curb, and she’d watched Kade stride down the walk and swing into the passenger side of the cab. The vehicle had pulled away smoothly, and her last sight of Kade had been the back of one tattooed hand raised in goodbye.
There’d been nothing since, which shouldn’t be surprising given they were grown adults with lives that had been lived separately for years, but Mya kept trying to push away the persistent compulsion to evaluate her emotions. So what if she was feeling a little hurt? They’d gone decades without talking. Now that each knew the other was near, a brief break in the reconnection wasn’t abnormal.
He’s got his own life, silly woman. Probably has a boyfriend or maybe a…partner.
She didn’t remember a band on his finger, but given he’d been working, that really didn’t tell her anything. And the feelings stirred by the thought of Kade having a significant other were something else she was going to ignore.
Movement on the bookshelf opposite where she sat caught her eye as the display for a discretely placed security camera showed a tall woman walking down the hallway leading to the offices. Standing from her comfortable armchair, she smoothed down the back of her slacks and waited for the chime of the office entrance alarm to ring before striding to the door. This next client was punctual to a fault, and Mya always felt she could set a watch to the arrival.
“Evan, hello,” she said, pulling the door open. “Come in.”
“I’m early, I know,” the woman said apologetically.
“It’s never a problem.” She stepped back and allowed the woman to pick a seat without prompting. As usual, the least comfortable chair was her selection.
“How have the past couple of weeks been?” Angling the armchair to give her a view of her client, Mya smiled softly. “When we last spoke, you had a couple of goals in mind. Why don’t you tell me how those have gone?”
The next forty-five minutes passed quickly, and they closed out the session on a good note, with Evan leaving and holding notes Mya had passed over about her goals. Not every client needed a to-do list, but if it was what would help them move past their own insecurities, Mya would use any tool to give them success. Success was what was needed to build on, after all.
Closing the door behind Evan, Mya checked the clock on the wall. Nearly seven, and time to pack up for home. Ten minutes later, she’d set the clinic’s alarm and exited to the parking garage. She slowed her pace when she saw someone leaning against her car, only regaining speed once she recognized Kade.
“Hey,” she offered, coming to a stop a few feet away. “Imagine running into you here.”
“Hey,” he responded softly, shifting to stand upright. “Wondered if you were going home soon. Thought maybe I could talk you into dinner.”
“With you?” The instant the words were out of her mouth, Mya cringed. “Sorry, that was thoughtless. I just…how did you know where my office was?”
“Yes, with me.” He smirked, one corner of his mouth curling up slightly. “And you’re listed on the interwebs. Never let it be said I can’t operate a search engine.”
“Oh. Yeah, that makes sense.” Mya swallowed hard, making an instant decision. “Dinner sounds good. Want me to follow you somewhere, or…”
When she trailed off, his smirk transformed into a wide smile. “Or something, yeah. Thought you could ride with me. If you aren’t put off someone else’s driving, that is?”
Gaze glued to his smile, focused on attractive lines framing his mouth that advertised how often his face wore that expression, all Mya could do was nod.
“I’m over here.” He angled his chin over her shoulder, and she turned to see a pickup parked nearby. It was different from the one that had picked him up from her house. “My ride isn’t new, but it’s reliable.”
“Reliable is good,” she agreed. “Let me just put my stuff in the trunk.”
Before she could do more than click the button on her fob, he’d taken her bags and tucked them inside the opened trunk, looking up at her. “You won’t need your purse, unless you feel naked without it?”
“Let me just get my phone.” Most restaurants accepted digital wallet payments, so even without her purse, she’d be okay.
“Here you go.” He handed her back the small shoulder bag, and she grabbed her phone out.
Walking to the truck, she felt the briefest brush of heat against the small of her back, a guiding touch of his hand. That was a gesture she associated with a lover, and Mya straightened, moving away from Kade slightly. The heat dropped away as he reached for the door handle, dragging it open for her. He waited there for her to climb awkwardly into the taller-than-expected vehicle, then closed it as she settled into the seat and smoothed her pants legs. Her phone made an uncomfortable bulge in the tiny pocket, and she wasn’t sure why she’d insisted on bringing it but not her purse.
“You sure you’re good with this?” Kade was seated in the driver’s seat, arm farthest away from her dangling from the wrist propped on the steering wheel. His other hand was spread over the back of her seat, fingers grazing gently and rhythmically against the hot skin of her neck. “Riding with me?”
“Yes.” She shook her head. “I mean, of course. You were the teacher’s pet of driver’s ed, after all.”
Kade snorted and twisted to face forwards. She immediately missed the heat from his touch and scolded herself.
