“I’m still thinking about it.”
“Take your time,” I say gently. But I know how much she loved it, so I hope she’ll want to go again.
She looks away briefly, then nods, resolute. “I will. And I’ll let you know. Promise.”
“Love you, little bear.”
“Love you too.”
I say goodbye, humming “Nine to Five” as I make my way across the city to a bowling alley to meet my buds.
For the next few hours, I have a blast throwing strikes and gutter balls alike with my friends until, one by one, they peel off. As the clock ticks closer to ten, it’s just Cooper—my quarterback—andme, and we chat as we make our way out, passing the bar inside the bowling alley where my gaze catches on a woman in a formal white dress.
That’s odd enough to rate a look, but something about her feels achingly familiar.
Possibilities nag at me all the way to the exit, then won’t let me leave.
At the door, I tell Cooper I’ll see him at training camp. “I swore I saw someone who looked familiar. I’ll catch you later. I need to go check on something.”
He lifts his chin in a goodbye. “See you at camp.”
I turn around, the blond profile triggering a memory that tugs me back to the bar.
Could it be?
Is that…her?
A tingle of excitement coasts over my skin at the mere possibility.
When I reach the bar, I take a deep breath and look in, then I shake my head in amazement.
The woman in white is none other than someone who, seven years ago, I desperately wanted to see again.
And she’s wearing a wedding dress as she orders another shot of tequila.
Chapter 10
Katie
A Few Hours Earlier
No.
This is not happening.
This is a nightmare.
I’m seeing things.
As my stomach crawls up my throat, my brain tries to rearrange the picture in front of me.
They’re hugging? They’re planning a gift for me?
But I don’t want a gift.
I want my almost-husband.
Who is sucking another woman’s face.
