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To say things had gone really wrong when she found out the truth would have been the world’s biggest understatement. He’d had to pull out all the stops to win her back, fortunately it worked. Now they were married, living the good life, and had a chubby little kiddo who ran them ragged.
“This isn’t the same.”
“You sure about that? Known you a long time, brother, and this is the first time a woman’s ever gotten under your skin to the point I have to think of reassigning you, and you sound like you want to rip my head off with your bare hands for even suggesting it. You might not see it yet because this feeling is foreign to you, but I’ve lived it already, so I know. Answer a question for me. Job aside, if this woman wasn’t who she is and you didn’t know what you know, would you be willing step in front of a bullet for her?”
I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t. The lump that had formed in my throat at just the thought of that happening made it impossible to breathe, let alone talk.
“Thought so,” he grunted. “You’re in the thick of it, man. My advice, figure out a way to tell her the truth without exploding her world. And do it fast, before it gets so far she can’t bring herself to forgive you.”
I finally managed to pull in a stuttered breath. “You finished?” I croaked.
“For now. Like always, keep me posted. And if you need anything, Trent, I’m just a phone call away. Whether it pertains to the job or not. Just remember that.”
With that, he hung up before I could get another word in.
Chapter Thirteen
Sawyer
My hands werefull of shopping bags stuffed full of what felt like every single item in the party supply store. Renee was turning three in a few days, and I was pulling out all the stops, throwing her a huge birthday party. Sure, I might have gone a little overboard, but it was my right as the mother of the most incredible toddler in existence. Seeing as I birthed her—painfully and for averylong time—I didn’t care if my friends made fun of me.
“Thanks, Marie,” I called back to the woman who’d rung up my purchase as I headed toward the exit.
“No problem. You sure you don’t need any help with all that?” Her forehead crinkled as she lifted her brows. “You sure did get a lot of stuff.”
“I got it. My car’s right outside, but thanks. We’ll see you at the party this weekend, right?”
“You kidding? Hank and I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Great. See you there.”
She gave me a wave as I shouldered my way through the door and spilled out onto the sidewalk.
Shuffling across the cement, I struggled to rummage through my purse for my keys with my arms loaded down, finding the key fob and pushing the button to lift the back hatch just as one of the handles snapped and rolls of crepe paper streamers and paper plates tumbled to the ground. It was like a domino effect after that, handles snapping and party supplies falling. “Crap, crap, crap.”
“Let me help.” A husky, velvety voice came from behind me, making goose bumps prickle across my skin as a forearm came into my line of sight, stopping the tube of pink plastic cups from rolling off the sidewalk.
It had been a little over a week since that kiss, and this was the first time I’d seen him since that embarrassing night.
I’d almost completely recovered from my humiliation. The only people who knew anything about it, the biggest busybodies in town, Monica, Luna, and Georgia, somehow managed to keep their traps shut, so news of my failed date-not-date hadn’t made it through the grapevine, and in time the memory of that night could die with us.
All and all, life had gone back to normal, and, with no one really gossiping about the new guy anymore, I figured he must have finally gone back home. A thought that I was trying my hardest not to acknowledge made me feel just the teensiest bit miserable.
But apparently, I’d figured wrong.
“Hi,” I managed to squeak out as he gathered up a package of balloons and a banner that spelled out “Happy Birthday” in his big hands.
He looked at me, a small grin on his face, but it was still enough to make those dimples pop. Damn him. “Hey.”
“You’re still here.” The words fell from my mouth without any thought.
“Yeah. Still here. You sound surprised.”
“I just—I didn’t know how long you were planning to stay in town. Thought you might have headed home by now.”
“It’s kind of an open-ended trip. Guess you could call it a mental health break. Just needed to get away, you know?”
“Yeah,” I said in a quiet voice, grabbing the boxes of plastic utensils that had spilled from the bags. “I get that.”
