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CHAPTER19
Annabella
Keeping busy was the best thing I could do to stop thinking about Colton. That’s why I grabbed this extra shift instead of having the day off, like I was supposed to. Nothing exciting happened on Tuesdays anyway. Normally I’d do laundry, clean the apartment and…text Colton.
Even doing a third trip to the airport wasn’t enough of a distraction today. Thankfully, this was the last one for the day. Then I was going to go home, open a bottle of wine, and cry myself to sleep again.
I’d have thought two nights of that was enough, but evidently, I was a crier. I’d never been emotional like this before. Then again, I’d never been in love.
Why do I have to love someone I can’t ever be with?
I pulled up in front of the hotel and a tall, bearded man in jeans and a t-shirt approached the limo. He looked slightly familiar, but from where? It was sad that after driving for so many years, most men looked like someone I knew.Not Colton. I’d even recognize his ass in a pair of jeans.
Even though I knew he’d flown back to South Dakota, my eyes were always searching the crowds hoping to spot Colton.
The passenger I’d come to pick up didn’t even let me get out of the limo. He opened the door and tossed his bag onto the seat before climbing inside.
“My flight’s in thirty minutes. We’ve got to get a move on,” he said.
His familiar accent sent chills through me. I turned and looked at him more closely. “Jack?”
He looked up at me and asked, “Annabella! What are you doing here?”
“My job. I drive for my father’s company. But what are you doing in Boston?”And are you alone?
“I was here on business,” he replied.
“Oh.” I don’t know why I was disappointed, but I had hoped he was here with Colton. Not that it would matter. He hadn’t reached out to me to see how I was.Maybe he doesn’t even care that my heart is broken.
“Do you think you can get me to the airport in time?” he asked.
I looked at the clock and said, “At this time of day, no. You might want to call your airline and see if they have another flight for you.”
He pulled out his cell phone and I listened as he argued with a customer service rep. At the end of the call, he didn’t look happy.
“Damn it. I already checked out of my hotel. Any suggestions as to where I could stay for a few hours until my flight at midnight?”
It would be easy for me to drop him off at another hotel. There were several closer to the airport that would even shuttle him in time for his flight. But I remembered how nice he was when I met him at Colton’s mother’s funeral. It had hit him hard too, and I could tell even then that he and Colton were close.
I hope I’m not going to regret doing this, but I have to follow my gut.
“Jack, you were my last passenger of the day. If you want, we can grab a bite to eat and I’ll drop you off at the airport on my way home.”
He looked as though he wasn’t sure he should accept, but said, “I’m starving, so let’s do this. Where do you want to go?”
“First, to drop off the limo. And for the record, just because I’m not bringing you now doesn’t mean you get a free trip.” I might be doing him a favor, but I didn’t want that money to come out of my father’s pocket. I’d get paid either way.
“No problem.”
When we pulled into the garage, I dropped Jack off by my Mustang. Not that there was anyone there at that time of night, but I didn’t want to risk another employee seeing me return with a customer in the limo. It would cause unnecessary gossip. Once the keys were hung up and everything locked up secure, I headed out to Jack.
He was leaning up against my car and on the phone. Was he calling Colton and telling him that we’re having dinner? I didn’t ask him to make Colton jealous. I don’t play those kinds of games. I was honestly just trying to be nice. Would it bother me if he did know? Not in the least.
If he even remembers my name.
“What do you feel like eating?” I asked as I unlocked the car and got inside.
“Steak,” he replied. “Thick and large.”
