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It was so hard to meet people. It was so hard to talk to them. The only real option was bars, which were dangerous, or dating apps, which were horrifying.
She slid between the sheets feeling more at peace than she’d felt in months. She was sober. She wasn’t afraid of anything. She had a new friend. And she might be getting Brent back. This last thought sent a thrill all the way through her body to her toes. She giggled, and the sound of it felt foreign. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d giggled, and she didn’t know if she’devergiggled sober.
Brent. Maybe she should call him, put him out of his misery, say, “Yes, of course I’ll take you back! Let’s go to Vegas right now and get married again!” But then she thought that maybe it would be more fun to see what else he had in store.
The poem was fourteen lines long. Each gift had come with two lines. Did that mean that she still had four more gifts coming? That was exciting! She almost giggled again but managed to control herself.
She got out of bed, retrieved her laptop from the living room, and set it up on her nightstand. Maybe she was going to have to buy a CD player if Brent was going to keep giving her gifts straight out of the nineties. She pressed play and then climbed back into bed.
Then she drifted off to their wedding song, a small smile on her lips.
Chapter 19
Samantha had managedto pay close enough attention to her work that she, for once,wasn’tthinking about Brent. And then a woman walked through the firm’s front door and announced that she had a delivery for Samantha Gallant.
Samantha’s heart skipped, and she stood up to identify herself.
The woman smiled and handed her a square red box tied in a silver bow.
“Thank you,” Samantha managed as she took the elegant box into her hands.
“You’re welcome. Enjoy.”
Samantha looked down at the box.
“Whoa!” Miranda said slowly, dramatically, suddenly standing way too close to Samantha. How had she gotten out of her cubicle so fast?
Samantha hurried back behind the counter, sat, and gently pulled the card out from beneath the ribbon. She had a pretty good idea what the card would say, and she was right. As she tried to read the now-familiar words, Miranda leaned on the counter. Samantha could hear her breathing.
It is the star to every wand’ring bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
And there it was. The wandering bark. And she still didn’t know what that meant. She tried to hide the smile that was forming on her lips. She didn’t need to provoke more commentary from the peanut gallery.
“Oh,” Miranda said slowly. “Dean’s Sweets!” She was paying no attention to Samantha or her secret smile. She was focused solely on the chocolates. “Wow. Whoisthis guy?” She leaned on the counter, and Samantha could smell the coffee and cigarettes on her breath. “Do you know how much Dean’s Sweetscosts? Your sugar daddy must be loaded.” She scrunched up her face. “So why’s he after you? Is there something we don’t know about you, Sammy-poo?”
