“I want you to help me find that. I want to work with you again—like we did before…”
I faltered at the reminder of our time together. It had been amazing, but it couldn’t happen again. It shouldn’t have happened in the first place. And if Ian ever found out…
“Before.” She nodded slowly, and I knew she understood everything I wasn’t saying. “You mean before you started avoiding me?”
My eyes darted to the open door, where I imagined Cody was sitting just outside. I walked over quickly and closed it.
“Don’t act like you weren’t avoiding me too.”
I knew it was immature, and she wisely ignored the jab. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Have you defined success on your own terms yet?”
I frowned, meeting her eyes once more. “No, but—”
She turned and walked to the door, hand poised on the knob. “Come see me when you have. Then, maybe we can talk.” And then she walked out.
Damn.Why was she so adamant about this? Iwassuccessful; did I really need to define it? Apparently so, at least if I wanted her to coach me.
So, I sat down behind my desk with a pad of paper and a pen. I opened her email with the prompts and proceeded to stare at it. My ideal day.My ideal day.A vision of Sumner in bed flashed before me. A memory? A fantasy? I wasn’t sure whether it was something that had happened or something I wanted to. Maybe both.
Sumner’s words from all those weeks ago floated back to me. “Have you ever felt torn between what you think you should want and your true desires?” All. The. Time.
She’d told me to decide if I could live without what I wanted. And if I couldn’t, to find a way. To do whatever it took. I wanted her.
I shook my head.Be realistic.
I reread her prompt, wrote a few things. Struck through them. Crumpled up the paper and tossed it in the trash. Tried again. And again. Until finally, with a huff, I stood from my desk and grabbed my suit jacket.
I wasn’t getting anything done. I was wasting my time in every sense of the word. I needed to clear my mind. I needed to do something with my hands. So, I headed over to the latest house I was working on with Alexis.
On the drive over, my phone rang through my car speakers, and I pressed the button to connect the call. “Wolfe.”
“Jonathan?” Ian asked. “Have you seen Sumner?”
“No.” I frowned, tightening my grip on the steering wheel. “Why?”
“I just thought she’d be home by now. We were supposed to have dinner. Oh—” He paused, and I could hear a door open and shut in the background. “Here she is now. Never mind. Hey, kiddo,” he called.
“Ian…”
“She’s been so secretive lately,” he whispered with a laugh. “I think maybe she’s seeing someone.”
I clenched my jaw so hard I was surprised I didn’t crack a tooth. “Seeing someone?”
Was that why she’d brushed me off for coaching?
“Anyway, sorry to worry you.” He chuckled. “I guess it doesn’t matter how old she is, she’ll always be my baby.”
I cringed, chest tightening as if there were a band around it.Fuck.
She was his baby, and I’d wanted to call her “baby.” God, I was a shitty friend.
The following afternoon, I called Sumner into my office again. My visit to the jobsite yesterday had given me an idea. I’d realized that perhaps part of the reason I couldn’t envision my future was because I was stuck in the past.
“Are you busy?” I asked her.
“Jack is expecting—”
“Right now? Do you have any meetings this afternoon?” I asked, unable to hide the impatience from my tone.
