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Mike and Gina’s house was in a subdivision in Foothill Ranch. The houses were big, but rooms were small. The neighborhoods were laid out in curving, twisting streets and the houses sat practically on the curb. No room for a front yard or a driveway. The backyards were small, too, but the streets were crowded with herds of children. Which was really why her brother and his wife were still in the house they were outgrowing.
Still, every time she turned onto their street, with the cookie-cutter houses lined up like pale beige soldiers, Sadie thought of the opening shots of the old movie Poltergeist.
“Hey! Nice surprise!” Gina opened the front door, reached out to hug her, then dragged Sadie into the house. “How did you escape your captor?”
Sadie laughed. Mike and Gina were not big fans of Ethan. “There’ve been a lot of surprises today. That’s why I’m here. Had to talk to you about it.”
“Oh, now I’m intrigued.” Gina grinned and tucked her shoulder-length black hair behind her ears. She wore faded jeans, one of Mike’s long-sleeved white shirts that, on Gina, hung down past her thighs, and she was barefoot. Her daughter was only three weeks old and already Gina looked fabulous. “Come on in, sit by the fire and spill your guts.”
“Lovely invitation.” Sadie glanced at the stairs. “The kids in bed already?”
“Don’t jinx me,” Gina warned, holding up one finger to her lips. “I wore the boys out at the park today and the baby’s in one of her four-hour sleep jags. So let’s take advantage of it. You want some wine?”
“So much.” Sadie dropped her purse on the dining room table and followed Gina into the kitchen. Through the wall of windows behind the sink, Sadie looked out at the greenbelt and the yellow lab, Einstein, who was sprawled across the grass, taking a nap.
The house, this place, was cozy. There were toys on the patio, a trampoline in one corner of the yard and tiny sneakers kicked off beside the back door. It was family. It was exactly what Sadie wanted for herself. And finally, she’d set herself on the path toward getting it.
“What’s going on?” Gina handed her a glass of wine, took one for herself, then led the way to the couch lined up in front of a gas fireplace that was hissing merrily.
Sadie told her. All of it. As she talked, she watched Gina’s reactions and was glad to see that most of them matched what she’d been feeling herself.
“I don’t know what to comment on first,” Gina finally said, when Sadie ran down.
“Dealer’s choice.” Sadie took a long sip, then got up to grab a bag of chips from the pantry.
“Okay, wow on the money front. I mean, whether he knows it or not, Ethan just helped you quit.”
“I know.” Sadie plopped down beside her friend. “I don’t think he realizes that yet.”
“Eventually he will and he won’t be happy.” Gina reached out and patted Sadie’s hand. “But honey, this is great. You’ll be able to take some time before you jump back into another job. And get a new car before the one you have breaks down around you and you’re left sitting on the street clutching a steering wheel.”
Sad, but true. “That’s what I was thinking.”
“Plus you won’t be held hostage at a chocolate factory anymore, so maybe we could set you up with Mike’s friend Josh.” Gina grinned and winked at her. “He’s really great. Gorgeous. Beautiful eyes, fantastic butt.”
“Aren’t you married to my brother?”
“Please. Was I struck blind lately?” Gina rolled her eyes. “Anyway, Josh joined the fire department a month ago and Mike really likes him.”
Mike was a firefighter, which meant he was gone for four days, then home for four days. Since they all spent so much time together, Mike got to know the guys at his station really well. But this was the first time he and Gina had tried to set Sadie up with one of them.
“Wow. A setup. That’s a first.”
“Well, come on, what would have been the point before?” Gina shook her head slowly. “You were always working. Why bother setting you up? Heck, you walked out of Megan’s wedding for your job.”
