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A low meow announced Lincoln’s presence as he slunk around the door that was left open.
“You can say that again, buddy.”
Megan cleaned the kitchen and sat down to check her emails, making a note of the upcoming interview with the vet school. It hadn’t been that difficult to fit core college classes around her schedule earlier, when they were more general entry level, but the vet classes were very specific even in Bozeman’s virtual program. Buzz had given her an ideal schedule to get what she needed in the fall, but running to and from class had been…a lot.
In fact, she had been sleeping so little in between work and labs that she had been irritable, tense, and so tired she had almost gotten in an accident when she swerved into another lane coming back from the station. Since then she had taken a semester off. It wasn’t that she didn’t want the job—she loved animals so much and wanted to do more with them in that field, but she just needed time. Still, taking more time away from school made her anxious and nervous. If she had gone straight through, she could’ve been in vet school by… Megan checked her math and groaned. She would’ve been one year from graduating.
She had enrolled right out of high school at Montana State University in Bozeman, but needed time off after her grandmother had passed away in her third year.
Now she was finally ready to revisit her dream, and after she had finished her four-year degree with a virtual program, was ready to apply for vet school.
“Hey, nice shower,” Troy said, coming around the corner and planting a kiss right under her ear, making her giggle and sending a shiver of anticipation down her spine. He was dressed in jeans and a gray long-sleeve T-shirt that he pulled up to his elbows, which looked like a million dollars.
“Thanks. Ready to go?”
“Sure thing,” he said as she shut her computer and grabbed her purse.
“Want to drive separate?”
Troy shook his head. “I can swing back around. What were you working on?”
Megan blew out a breath as she walked down the stairs with him behind her. “Grad school application for vet school. I just got an interview in a couple of weeks.”
“Hey, that’s great. You’ll blow them away.”
“Thanks. I have wanted to work with animals as long as I can remember, but it’s complicated, you know? I always get nervous about interviews and if I’m saying the right thing. Plus, I’d hate to leave the fire station.”
“Yeah, I get it.”
If only he did. She smiled over her shoulder as he checked the lock again, a move that made him give her a sheepish smile.
“Sometimes our lives change without our control. We just have to hang on,” he said with a shrug.
Megan nodded and got in the truck when he opened the door for her. Troy leaned down and tucked her coat in the cab before shutting the door. It was such a gentle, thoughtful act that showed genuine concern.
“How about The Perfect Cup?”
“Sounds perfect,” she said with a laugh, which he echoed as he reached over to hold her hand in his own before driving the short distance to one of her favorite places.
It all felt so easy, natural, and comfortable until she remembered he was leaving. The crack inside her was small, but she could feel the dark wave of disappointment sweep through her chest.
CHAPTER25
Troy and Megan hadn’t lingered at The Perfect Cup long. Neither of them was hungry, but the quiche and croissant breakfast sandwich were too good to pass up. They sat in Megan’s favorite corner table while making quick work of the pastry and drinks, tea for her and coffee for him.
At one point, she wanted to ask him about the nightmare they still hadn’t discussed but thought better about it. He would tell her when he was ready. He had started to open his mouth like he might say something, but then looked nervous, coughed, and started talking about the house remodel again.
She couldn’t blame him. Whatever he had gone through had clearly been painful, and to have it thrust in front of someone else on a date would make her feel vulnerable enough to dive headfirst into an open grave.
Afterward, he had dropped her back at her apartment and pulled her to him for a long kiss that made her toes curl just thinking about it. Megan was no expert, but when he pulled back and looked at her through long dark lashes, she would’ve bet everything she had he didn’t want to leave any more than she did. Of course, she had melted a little more when he winked, waved, and then texted that he missed her after driving away.
In his absence, the apartment which had been cozy now was cavernous and too quiet despite Salt and Pepper taking turns clacking their toys against the cage and ringing the bell she had gotten them.
“I know, I know. Maybe he’ll come back,” she said to Lincoln and Popsicle, who sat in stony silence in the kitchen.
Not wanting to dwell on his absence, Megan checked her phone to find a dozen missed texts from Ash and Laura. She answered giving them the proof of life they so desperately craved and laughed when the emojis came flying through begging for details.
Rather than text the whole thing, they arranged for a coffee date later in the afternoon that lined up with Ash’s break.
