AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His smile this time was more genuine. “We’re not going to worry about what might have been. Keep your eyes on the road ahead, right?”
“Right. I should go,” she said, standing up and looking at the sky for half a second. Still no rain.
Jason stood as well. “Me, too. Will you give me your new address when you have one?”
“Of course.” She went up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the mouth, just to see if she was wrong about Harry. Nope. She wasn’t. “Goodbye, Jason.”
When he turned and walked away, she watched him. They had avoided disaster. They were doing the right thing.
Now, all she had to worry about was Harry...
Twenty-Eight
Cate finished her errands. As the afternoon wound to a close, she realized that she felt lighter, happier. The burden of failure she had carried all summer was gone. Jason was going to be okay, and so was she.
Even without Harry, she knew she was strong enough to face the future. There would be someone else for her. Someone more her type, someone who wanted the same things she wanted.
All she needed was patience and time...
At Harry’s building, she stood on the street for a moment and decided that her time was up. She needed to make a choice. Either a bland condo or a frumpy little house. Either one would do.
Nothing was permanent.
In the meantime, she was determined that these last days with Harry would be pleasant and laid-back and at night—sex, pure and simple.
He had been texting her for the last half hour. Getting her dinner order for Chinese delivery. When she opened the door and let herself in, the wonderful smells led her to the dining room.
Harry was leaning over the table setting out plates and silverware and opening containers. “Right on time,” he said.
She hugged him from behind. “Thanks for feeding me.”
He turned around and pulled her in for a lazy kiss. “Who else would I feed?” Suddenly, he cocked his head. “You’re in a good mood. I might go so far as to say you’re glowing.”
“It was a good day,” she said. “I ran into Jason.”
Harry went still. He released her casually as if nothing was amiss, but the air in the room was different. Stilted. Charged.
“I see. How did that happen?”
“In the park. I had a sandwich. He saw me and asked if we could talk.”
“And?”
“We talked. It was nice. I’d been dreading it. Running into him, I mean. But it turned out okay. I think we cleared the air. I told him I forgave him. Which is why I feel better now.”
Harry rounded the table and took a seat, pouring wine into two glasses, sliding one in her direction, and then focusing his gaze on his food. “You forgave him?”
Cate heard the note of incredulity. “I know. I should still be mad. But holding a grudge requires too much energy.”
“I see.”
She changed the subject awkwardly, unable to read Harry’s mood other than to knowhethought her easy forgiveness was bogus.
There was no choice but to bring up another sore subject. “I think I found a place to live. I’ve narrowed it down to two. I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”
Finally, he lifted his head. His eyes were carefully blank. She hadn’t seen that look in days or weeks. She hated it just as much now as she had before.
“I’ve told you you’re welcome here,” he said quietly. “But I have some good news.” He pulled a business card from his shirt pocket. “A friend of mine has renovated an industrial space into artsy condos—exposed brick, that kind of thing. She’d like to have a few tenants in place before she begins advertising. I suggested you, and she jumped at it. It’s a fabulous spot. You won’t do any better. She’s even offering a cut rate for the first six months, if you want to rent instead of buy until you make up your mind.”
