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“I’ll try to bear up under the strain of not being nasty, Will.”
“Are you at least going to give me your address and the phone number of the place you’re staying?”
She’d asked herself what she should do about that but decided to be completely off the radar. “No, I’m not. There won’t be any need to reach me. If the townhouse catches fire, call 911 and then the insurance company.” She handed him a packet of papers. “All the insurance papers and the numbers of the maintenance companies I use are in there. That’s all you need.”
Will seemed truly bewildered and hurt that she would give him no information.
***
It had been agreed upon at the work meeting that she would have a new email of course, and a new phone and number that only Allie would know. If there were truly an emergency, Allie could reach her plus they might need to converse about any number of things in the course of six months. This entire little adventure was so unlike her. It was definitely not her style but she convinced herself it might be a blessing in disguise. With no love interest, no spouse, no children and basically, no parents, she worked way too many hours. Even her friends were somehow work-related so when she did have dinner with them, it was always work topics that were discussed. She chastised herself that she didn’t even have a hobby or any outside interests.
When she was honest and doing self-evaluation exercises, she knew her lifestyle wasn’t healthy. She took the time to stay in great shape physically but not mentally or emotionally or spiritually. With that frame of mind, she packed what she thought were the essentials. She would purchase anything else she needed when she arrived. After all, her tailored work suits were probably not the haute couture of the typical Bozeman resident.
“Can I at least drive you to the airport?”
“I’ve already made arrangements for a cab. But thank you for the offer. By the way, I forgot to ask, how did your date with Allie work out?”
She was interested in his take on the dinner date. She already knew Allie’s opinion.
“It was all good. She’s an interesting conversationalist, she has a sense of humor, and she doesn’t seem stuck on herself like some of the women I’ve dated. It doesn’t hurt that she’s also quite attractive but not in an over-the-top kind of way. She seemed very natural.”
“Yes, that’s Allie. She is the best. She was impressed with you, too, Will. I’m happy it went well.”
She didn’t tell him that Allie thought he was a gorgeous specimen of manhood with an infectious smile, good manners and was a truly fun date. Camille didn’t want his head to get too big.
She packed and unpacked and packed again over the next few days. Would she need any heavy clothing or jackets? Would she need some western-type garb? What about dressy outfits in case one of her ‘dates’ wanted to go dancing or to a fancy restaurant? She made a final decision…whatever she needed beyond normal clothing, she would purchase when she got there. At the last minute, she grabbed her favorite red stilettos and squeezed them into the bag. They were her ‘comfort’ shoes and maybe she would have a chance to wear them.
Finally it was the day of her flight and although she was a bit apprehensive, she was ready for this journey into the unknown.
Will carried her few bags to the cab. Then he encircled her in his arms, pulled her close and kissed her…long and hard. “I don’t want you to forget me, Camille. You know I love you…always have and always will. Nothing will ever change that. Maybe in six months, you will remember how you felt about me, too, once upon a time.”
She thought about his words as the driver made his way through traffic to the airport. Her thoughts took an unexpected turn. ‘Maybe I should revisit my relationship with Will when I return. The two of us had some good times and we know each other so well.’
Camille ran her tongue over her lips…one thing was certain…Will’s kisses still drove her to distraction. There was no denying that.
CHAPTER 11
“GOOD MORNIN’ BOSS,” Maggie greeted Jace when he walked out of the back office. She paused for a minute, then continued, “You look terrible. What happened? Did you sleep here all night?”
“Thanks, Maggie. Who needs a mirror when they have you around to assess their looks? No, I didn’t sleep here last night. I went home.”
She pursed her lips and cocked her head to one side. “A bit testy this morning, aren’t we? I keep tellin’ you to check out some of the women on the dating site. I think a good roll in the hay would be just what the doctor ordered for you.”
Jace wasn’t smiling at her remarks. “That’s the problem. I did check out some of the ones who contacted me. I was up most of the night, doing just that. Do you have any idea how many females advertise themselves on those sites?”
Mitch joined the conversation. “They’re not all bad, Jace. My friend in Nebraska met his wife on a dating site and they’ve been happily married for 6 years. You have to weed out the scammers and the crazies and then contact some of the ones that are left.”
Jace shook his head in disbelief and frustration. “I can’t believe there are that many individuals out there who are looking for someone. I’m not sure having a date is worth this much trouble.”
“You don’t expect us to feel sorry for you, do you?” asked Ken from the front table. “There’s a who
le slew of lonely women right here in Bozeman. You need to get out of this bar and out of your barn and go looking for them.”
“Is that the voice of experience talking, Ken? How many dates have you had in the last five years?” Jace countered.
Everyone joined in and gave Ken a hard time. In the middle of their exchanges, the door to The Branding Iron opened and a stout man in a perfectly tailored suit walked in.
The room became eerily quiet. Even the regulars didn’t have anything to say.
