Chapter One
Strolling down the grocery aisle, Brooke Janson
spotted a familiar man dressed in black. Garrett Sawyer was the one person in
the world, she didn’t expect to meet, see, or run into in a huge superstore.
Memories flooded through her mind, and she adjusted
the spaghetti strap of her shirt. Unable to pull her gaze from his lean,
muscular frame encased in a black T-shirt and jeans, she silently wished she’d
worn something sexier than an old pair of jeans and a tank top. She glanced
down and remembered what she looked like in high school when they met.
As an overweight teen, she’d worked hard to get his
attention, had even helped him pass a few classes. They had become friends,
and she’d decided he was everything she ever wanted in a man.
At the end of the school year, he’d left for college.
After graduating, he’d returned. They had reconnected at a party where she
introduced him to her best friend, Janet. They started dating and married not
long after her first year of community college. Sadly, less than a year later,
it ended in a divorce because she cheated on him with one of her classmates.
Suddenly unsure how to handle the situation, she choked
out his name. To her ultimate horror, he turned.
His forehead wrinkled into a frown before he smiled
and pushed his cart down the aisle. “Hello, Brooke.”
Ignoring the sudden butterflies in her stomach, she
waved a casual hand. “Hi, Garrett. It’s been awhile.”
“I believe it was just a few weeks before Janet moved
out. It’s been almost a year.” He stepped forward.
“Janet told me about the divorce. I debated whether to
call, but, well...I didn’t know what to say.” To cover her awkwardness, Brooke allowed
the words to flow from her mouth as if she had vocal diarrhea. “I always
considered you, my friend, too. We had such fun together. I wanted to see if I
could do anything for you, but I...”
Embarrassed by her rambling, she stared at the stuff
in her cart; lettuce, fruit, protein bars, each one good for her.
Man, I need to pick up a box of cookies.
Forcing back the urge to binge on any tasty treat
available, she recalled how his face lit up when he was excited, his deep belly
laughter, and his willingness to listen when she had a problem.
Damn it , she
didn’t blame him for the breakup. Well, maybe for not listening to her warning.
She had told him that her friend had a natural tendency to throw responsibility
to the wind. Still, Brook hadn’t wanted to take sides. Because it was
incredibly hard to choose between two people she cared about, one a friend
since kindergarten and the other the man of her dreams. Guilt sparked inside
her.
Why? Did she still want more than just to be his
friend? Was this her chance?
“Don’t worry, I’m over it now. I bought a house, which
requires most of my time. I spent last weekend putting in a new hot-water
heater. The old one leaked.” Garrett brushed a hand through his dark, curly
hair. The silky strands fell back into place without distracting from the
perfect picture he represented.
Sexy, hot, and totally off limits.
Brooke gripped the handle of her cart
and fought the overwhelming urge to touch him. Instead, she asked about the
house and listened with interest to the changes he’d made. Janet had hated the
way he’d helped his friends and family with their home improvement projects.
“Excuse me.” A woman with two small
children edged passed them.
“It looks like we’re holding up traffic.” Brooke
pushed her cart to one side and allowed them room to pass. “I’m sure you also have
other shopping to do.”
He nodded and hesitated a moment. “Maybe we can get
together and do something fun?”
Thrilled with the idea of pursuing a relationship with
him, Brooke tempered her enthusiasm with a breezy reply. “Sure, call me.”
Fighting not to look back, she made her way across the
store to the pharmacy area. She needed to pick up toothpaste and
Strolling down the grocery aisle, Brooke Janson
spotted a familiar man dressed in black. Garrett Sawyer was the one person in
the world, she didn’t expect to meet, see, or run into in a huge superstore.
Memories flooded through her mind, and she adjusted
the spaghetti strap of her shirt. Unable to pull her gaze from his lean,
muscular frame encased in a black T-shirt and jeans, she silently wished she’d
worn something sexier than an old pair of jeans and a tank top. She glanced
down and remembered what she looked like in high school when they met.
As an overweight teen, she’d worked hard to get his
attention, had even helped him pass a few classes. They had become friends,
and she’d decided he was everything she ever wanted in a man.
At the end of the school year, he’d left for college.
After graduating, he’d returned. They had reconnected at a party where she
introduced him to her best friend, Janet. They started dating and married not
long after her first year of community college. Sadly, less than a year later,
it ended in a divorce because she cheated on him with one of her classmates.
Suddenly unsure how to handle the situation, she choked
out his name. To her ultimate horror, he turned.
His forehead wrinkled into a frown before he smiled
and pushed his cart down the aisle. “Hello, Brooke.”
Ignoring the sudden butterflies in her stomach, she
waved a casual hand. “Hi, Garrett. It’s been awhile.”
“I believe it was just a few weeks before Janet moved
out. It’s been almost a year.” He stepped forward.
“Janet told me about the divorce. I debated whether to
call, but, well...I didn’t know what to say.” To cover her awkwardness, Brooke allowed
the words to flow from her mouth as if she had vocal diarrhea. “I always
considered you, my friend, too. We had such fun together. I wanted to see if I
could do anything for you, but I...”
Embarrassed by her rambling, she stared at the stuff
in her cart; lettuce, fruit, protein bars, each one good for her.
Man, I need to pick up a box of cookies.
Forcing back the urge to binge on any tasty treat
available, she recalled how his face lit up when he was excited, his deep belly
laughter, and his willingness to listen when she had a problem.
Damn it , she
didn’t blame him for the breakup. Well, maybe for not listening to her warning.
She had told him that her friend had a natural tendency to throw responsibility
to the wind. Still, Brook hadn’t wanted to take sides. Because it was
incredibly hard to choose between two people she cared about, one a friend
since kindergarten and the other the man of her dreams. Guilt sparked inside
her.
Why? Did she still want more than just to be his
friend? Was this her chance?
“Don’t worry, I’m over it now. I bought a house, which
requires most of my time. I spent last weekend putting in a new hot-water
heater. The old one leaked.” Garrett brushed a hand through his dark, curly
hair. The silky strands fell back into place without distracting from the
perfect picture he represented.
Sexy, hot, and totally off limits.
Brooke gripped the handle of her cart
and fought the overwhelming urge to touch him. Instead, she asked about the
house and listened with interest to the changes he’d made. Janet had hated the
way he’d helped his friends and family with their home improvement projects.
“Excuse me.” A woman with two small
children edged passed them.
“It looks like we’re holding up traffic.” Brooke
pushed her cart to one side and allowed them room to pass. “I’m sure you also have
other shopping to do.”
He nodded and hesitated a moment. “Maybe we can get
together and do something fun?”
Thrilled with the idea of pursuing a relationship with
him, Brooke tempered her enthusiasm with a breezy reply. “Sure, call me.”
Fighting not to look back, she made her way across the
store to the pharmacy area. She needed to pick up toothpaste and
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