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My job had taken me out of town today. Far out, to some remote properties I was scouting for a client. This deep into the mountains little pockets of cell service were few and far between, so it wasn’t a surprise I’d missed something. But the unfamiliar number had me stumped.
A text message dated four hours ago came through as I was staring at the screen. Its number matched the calls.
When I opened it and read, my breath caught in my chest.
Hey, it’s Baker. I got your number from Brooks. When you get a minute, can we talk about last night?
The strange number belonged to Baker?
My heart raced in my chest realizing he’d tried to reach me. And not just once.Four times.
My fingers were already tapping to call before my brain knew what I was doing. And when he answered, I had to swallow before I could speak.
“Hey,” I managed, when his low timbre sent chills all over my skin. “It’s Andi.”
“I know. I’ve been calling, so your number’s saved in my phone.”
“I just saw your message,” I told him. “I’ve been in and out of service areas all day. The missed calls didn’t come through until Konner hung up on me.”
“He hung up on you?”
“Yeah, well… I might’ve screeched an expletive or two when he told me you were on your way.”
The call got quiet and I had to check to make sure Baker was still on the line.
“I didn’t stand you up last night,” he said.
An ironic laugh rattled my chest. “Funny, ‘cause I was there. And, you did.”
“Right. I mean… if I’d had a choice, I wouldn’t have. I would’ve met you for ice cream even though we were both soaking wet, and I would’ve asked you all the questions I’ve been wondering about for weeks.”
For weeks.
I couldn’t get Kimmie’s theory out of my head. The idea that he’d been watching and biding his time, waiting for the right time to get my attention.You slipped first. I just made sure the situation worked to our advantage.
“Why didn’t you then?” The question left my lips as a whisper, and I could hear him sigh through the phone.
“I had a call come in. A woman with kids, in a flood zone. My guys don’t work nights, so I was the only one available to help.”
Well, damn.
Was Baker saying he’d skipped out on our ice cream date because he needed to go be a knight in shining armor?
“There was no time to let you know what was happening, and by the time I got done, it was too late to call Brooks and get your number.”
And going by the time of the first missed call, he’d gotten my info first thing this morning.
Baker was real. Everything I felt with him in the rain, was real.
I hadn’t misread him.
Relief slammed me so hard, I wanted to cry from it. I didn’t even realize it mattered so much until a sob rose in my throat.
“Andi? You there?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m here. I just…” I chewed my lip, trying to hold it in. “When you didn’t show up, I thought I had it all wrong. Everything that you said. That I only heard what I wanted to hear.” Did I just say that out loud? Did I just admit I’d wanted him?
“Nah, baby. You had it all right.” His voice rumbled through the phone, the intensity of it shocking me. “I’ve been lost for you since that first time we passed in the gym. If you had evenblinkedtwice at me, we would’ve been having this conversation weeks ago.”
