serve the men and women who put their lives on the line for our freedom.
But she hadn’t heard him. She hadn’t understood. He had always suspected that it was because she hadn’t wanted to. She wanted her way. He wanted everything with her. That is, until he saw the real Sarah Alpert. The woman who hadn’t loved him enough to wait. She hadn’t even bothered to come see him off. To say goodbye.
Pain cut through him. He winced and set down his half-eaten slice of pizza onto the plate in front of him. That was something he couldn’t deny or ignore. Bitterness spilled across his tongue, sour and relentless. She hadn’t cared about him, not down deep. It had nearly killed him to board that bird and leave her behind.
She obviously hadn’t felt the same way.
“Mike, are you all right?”
He blinked, bringing the room back into focus. He was in the present again with the agony of that tough day. Somehow he had to get his defenses up and his heart walled off or he would be vulnerable to that sweet concern on her face. The most beautiful face he had ever seen.
“Sure. You know how I feel about pizza.” It was an old joke between them.
She turned her attention to him, sitting there with her perfect posture. When their gazes met, his heart flat lined.
It was the wrong thing to say.
Seconds passed, and he didn’t know how to break the silence. If he knew what to say, then he could make light of how he always used to say that pizza was his favorite thing on earth, next to Sarah’s smile.
“I need more.” Ali picked up his plate and presented it. “Please.”
“More?” It was easier to joke. He shook his head. “Nope. No more for you, mister.”
“But I’m hungry.” Ali grinned, stifling a giggle. “And there’s lots left.”
“Sure, but it’s all for me.”
“No.” Ali giggled. “It’s for me and Sarah, too. You’re supposed to share, Dr. Mike. Sarah says so.”
“Well, if Sarah says.” He rolled his eyes, earning another laugh from his favorite buddy and grabbed the pie server. “What piece do you want?”
“The biggest!” Ali leaned against the table and studied the pizza tray. “Wait. The biggest one with the most pepperonis.”
“That would be this one.” He served it. “There you go. Sarah? How about you?”
“I’ll take that small one, if you don’t mind.” She scooted her plate toward him, and he kept his gaze down. Maybe if he could avoid looking at her, he could keep the memories down where they belonged and all the unwanted feelings with them.
The trouble was, as he slid the smallest piece onto her plate, she was still in his field of sight. The delicate line of her hands, the splash of her reflection in the window beside him and the dulcet lull of her voice as she spoke with Ali.
“Thanks, Mike.”
“Sure.” He took another piece for himself. Whatever happened, he could not start letting himself think of what might have been. What he had to focus on was why he was here. He had to let Ali go, and he needed Sarah’s help to do it.
“Mike?”
He blinked, realizing too late that she had asked him a question. “Sorry, I missed that.”
“I asked if you were settled in to your new place.”
“Getting there.” He took a sip of root beer. He was no longer hungry. He didn’t want to make small talk with Sarah. No, that’s not what he wanted at all.
“Dr. Mike?” Ali was working on that big piece of pizza and making good progress. “What are we gonna do now?”
“Now?” He put down his glass. “You think there’s more to do?”
“You said lots. Remember?” Ali bounced up onto his knees on the booth cushion. “You said football. You said I could come see you at work. You said about a Christmas tree. You said I would have a room, too.”
“You remember all that?”
“Yep. I remember really good.”
“I’ll say.” He shook his head, a smile tugging the corners of his mouth. “I promised to do all that with you?”
“No.” Ali pulled a
But she hadn’t heard him. She hadn’t understood. He had always suspected that it was because she hadn’t wanted to. She wanted her way. He wanted everything with her. That is, until he saw the real Sarah Alpert. The woman who hadn’t loved him enough to wait. She hadn’t even bothered to come see him off. To say goodbye.
Pain cut through him. He winced and set down his half-eaten slice of pizza onto the plate in front of him. That was something he couldn’t deny or ignore. Bitterness spilled across his tongue, sour and relentless. She hadn’t cared about him, not down deep. It had nearly killed him to board that bird and leave her behind.
She obviously hadn’t felt the same way.
“Mike, are you all right?”
He blinked, bringing the room back into focus. He was in the present again with the agony of that tough day. Somehow he had to get his defenses up and his heart walled off or he would be vulnerable to that sweet concern on her face. The most beautiful face he had ever seen.
“Sure. You know how I feel about pizza.” It was an old joke between them.
She turned her attention to him, sitting there with her perfect posture. When their gazes met, his heart flat lined.
It was the wrong thing to say.
Seconds passed, and he didn’t know how to break the silence. If he knew what to say, then he could make light of how he always used to say that pizza was his favorite thing on earth, next to Sarah’s smile.
“I need more.” Ali picked up his plate and presented it. “Please.”
“More?” It was easier to joke. He shook his head. “Nope. No more for you, mister.”
“But I’m hungry.” Ali grinned, stifling a giggle. “And there’s lots left.”
“Sure, but it’s all for me.”
“No.” Ali giggled. “It’s for me and Sarah, too. You’re supposed to share, Dr. Mike. Sarah says so.”
“Well, if Sarah says.” He rolled his eyes, earning another laugh from his favorite buddy and grabbed the pie server. “What piece do you want?”
“The biggest!” Ali leaned against the table and studied the pizza tray. “Wait. The biggest one with the most pepperonis.”
“That would be this one.” He served it. “There you go. Sarah? How about you?”
“I’ll take that small one, if you don’t mind.” She scooted her plate toward him, and he kept his gaze down. Maybe if he could avoid looking at her, he could keep the memories down where they belonged and all the unwanted feelings with them.
The trouble was, as he slid the smallest piece onto her plate, she was still in his field of sight. The delicate line of her hands, the splash of her reflection in the window beside him and the dulcet lull of her voice as she spoke with Ali.
“Thanks, Mike.”
“Sure.” He took another piece for himself. Whatever happened, he could not start letting himself think of what might have been. What he had to focus on was why he was here. He had to let Ali go, and he needed Sarah’s help to do it.
“Mike?”
He blinked, realizing too late that she had asked him a question. “Sorry, I missed that.”
“I asked if you were settled in to your new place.”
“Getting there.” He took a sip of root beer. He was no longer hungry. He didn’t want to make small talk with Sarah. No, that’s not what he wanted at all.
“Dr. Mike?” Ali was working on that big piece of pizza and making good progress. “What are we gonna do now?”
“Now?” He put down his glass. “You think there’s more to do?”
“You said lots. Remember?” Ali bounced up onto his knees on the booth cushion. “You said football. You said I could come see you at work. You said about a Christmas tree. You said I would have a room, too.”
“You remember all that?”
“Yep. I remember really good.”
“I’ll say.” He shook his head, a smile tugging the corners of his mouth. “I promised to do all that with you?”
“No.” Ali pulled a
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