up. Out.” He closed the phone with a snap, knowing Trav would be pissed, but wouldn’t call back.
It couldn’t be. There was no way. No way in hell that something that random could possibly match up.
Of course it did. Look at Trav and Ariel. A freak wrong number turned into an engagement.
But Sarah was such a common name. There were hundreds of thousands of Sarahs across the country. And Cassidy wasn’t that abnormal either. It was all one big mistake. One misunderstanding. He would call, she’d set it straight and they could laugh about it later.
He dialed her number, the one she’d given him before he left, and then remembered she should be at work. He almost hung up when he heard her breathless, “Hello?”
“Hey. Sorry, forgot you should already be at work.”
“I am, but it’s dead right now. I ducked back into the storage to answer when I saw it was you.”
Pete’s stomach clenched with dread, but he soothed it by repeating his for-the-moment mantra. It’s not her. It’s not her. “I won’t keep you long. I just had a question.”
“Okay, what is it?”
Pete could hear a pot clang in the background, someone yelling something. She must be near the kitchen. He started to say he would call her later, but that would make him chickenshit. “I was just curious. Is Cassidy your maiden name?”
“Uh, no. No it’s Donovan. I wanted to change it but I didn’t have the time and then it just sort of slipped my mind. Wait, why?”
Pete opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
“Is this about my divorce? I told you, that was years ago. I haven’t even talked to the jackass in forever.”
Sarah droned on, but the buzzing sound was back. Pete forced his voice to remain calm, something he didn’t feel. “I was just curious. I’ll let you get back to work.”
“Pete. What’s going on? Why the sudden curiosity in my marriage? It’s over. Do you believe me?”
Pete paused. He shouldn’t. But he had to figure out what to do. It might not be a bad idea to feel the situation out.
“Yeah. I do.”
* * * * *
Sarah wasn’t sure what to expect that night, waiting for Pete to come over. The phone call she took during work had shaken her confidence. He’d sounded so quiet, so reserved. So not the Pete she’d met in the last week. But he had agreed to come over.
Sarah pushed the milk back, inching it over just a little in the fridge. After working her butt off at the bar, she still hadn’t relieved the stress from his call. So she did what always soothed her. She cleaned. Deep cleaning the small kitchen gave her a sense of accomplishment, a sense of control. This, at least, she knew would stay nice and neat.
The knock sounded just as she finished washing her hands. Perfect. She wiped her hands on the towel and walked to the door. She was determined to get them back to the same high they ended the morning on. And she knew how to do it.
She smiled—one she didn’t have to fight for—when she saw Pete standing on the porch. Hands in his pockets, he looked uncertain. Maybe he was just not sure how she would react after their evening together.
Sarah threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. After a moment, he returned her embrace. He nuzzled into her neck, breathing deep, as if he were trying to keep her scent with him.
“Hey,” she said. “What’s going on?”
He didn’t answer, just stepped over the threshold still holding on and closed the door behind them with his foot. Sarah didn’t say another word. For who knew what reason, he needed this comfort, and she would give it.
Finally he pulled away and sighed. “One of those days.”
Sarah could have questioned him, but his clenched jaw, the weary look in his eye told her he was on lockdown. So she would do the next best thing. She took his hand and led him to the bed. They sat together and she rubbed a hand down his arm. Taking a chance, she said, “I missed you today.”
He gave her a side glance, surprise edging out the
It couldn’t be. There was no way. No way in hell that something that random could possibly match up.
Of course it did. Look at Trav and Ariel. A freak wrong number turned into an engagement.
But Sarah was such a common name. There were hundreds of thousands of Sarahs across the country. And Cassidy wasn’t that abnormal either. It was all one big mistake. One misunderstanding. He would call, she’d set it straight and they could laugh about it later.
He dialed her number, the one she’d given him before he left, and then remembered she should be at work. He almost hung up when he heard her breathless, “Hello?”
“Hey. Sorry, forgot you should already be at work.”
“I am, but it’s dead right now. I ducked back into the storage to answer when I saw it was you.”
Pete’s stomach clenched with dread, but he soothed it by repeating his for-the-moment mantra. It’s not her. It’s not her. “I won’t keep you long. I just had a question.”
“Okay, what is it?”
Pete could hear a pot clang in the background, someone yelling something. She must be near the kitchen. He started to say he would call her later, but that would make him chickenshit. “I was just curious. Is Cassidy your maiden name?”
“Uh, no. No it’s Donovan. I wanted to change it but I didn’t have the time and then it just sort of slipped my mind. Wait, why?”
Pete opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
“Is this about my divorce? I told you, that was years ago. I haven’t even talked to the jackass in forever.”
Sarah droned on, but the buzzing sound was back. Pete forced his voice to remain calm, something he didn’t feel. “I was just curious. I’ll let you get back to work.”
“Pete. What’s going on? Why the sudden curiosity in my marriage? It’s over. Do you believe me?”
Pete paused. He shouldn’t. But he had to figure out what to do. It might not be a bad idea to feel the situation out.
“Yeah. I do.”
* * * * *
Sarah wasn’t sure what to expect that night, waiting for Pete to come over. The phone call she took during work had shaken her confidence. He’d sounded so quiet, so reserved. So not the Pete she’d met in the last week. But he had agreed to come over.
Sarah pushed the milk back, inching it over just a little in the fridge. After working her butt off at the bar, she still hadn’t relieved the stress from his call. So she did what always soothed her. She cleaned. Deep cleaning the small kitchen gave her a sense of accomplishment, a sense of control. This, at least, she knew would stay nice and neat.
The knock sounded just as she finished washing her hands. Perfect. She wiped her hands on the towel and walked to the door. She was determined to get them back to the same high they ended the morning on. And she knew how to do it.
She smiled—one she didn’t have to fight for—when she saw Pete standing on the porch. Hands in his pockets, he looked uncertain. Maybe he was just not sure how she would react after their evening together.
Sarah threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. After a moment, he returned her embrace. He nuzzled into her neck, breathing deep, as if he were trying to keep her scent with him.
“Hey,” she said. “What’s going on?”
He didn’t answer, just stepped over the threshold still holding on and closed the door behind them with his foot. Sarah didn’t say another word. For who knew what reason, he needed this comfort, and she would give it.
Finally he pulled away and sighed. “One of those days.”
Sarah could have questioned him, but his clenched jaw, the weary look in his eye told her he was on lockdown. So she would do the next best thing. She took his hand and led him to the bed. They sat together and she rubbed a hand down his arm. Taking a chance, she said, “I missed you today.”
He gave her a side glance, surprise edging out the
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