“I want all of you, Falco. You should get a head start packing that apple and case of Corona.”
We laughed before her face softened. “I love you, Josh.”
“I love you, too. Now I really want you back home. This is going to be a long two weeks.”
“The worst.” She blew me a kiss and settled on her side.
“Goodnight, beautiful.” I pressed a kiss to my finger and dragged it down the screen before I ended the call.
Maybe she didn’t sign her name as Falco yet, but she belonged to me.
Someday was today.
Josh
“HEY, MR. O’CONNOR!Is school over yet?” I smirked as I peeked into Reid’s office.
He shook his head and went back to the mountain of papers on his desk. “For most of the kids, maybe. Troublemakers cause a lot of paperwork. Give me five minutes.” He motioned to the chair in front of his desk. “Sit in the hot seat until I’m done. Should bring back some memories.” He raised a brow.
“I would have waited at the shop if you still had work to do.” I slid into the chair and leaned back. “How big do you think my file was in senior year?” I chuckled.
Reid snickered. “You probably killed a crap ton of trees. And no worries, I promised I’d keep you occupied while your cupcake was away. I know what a lost soul you are without her.” He folded his hands over his heart and let out an exaggerated sigh.
My lips stretched. “I actually have some news.”
Reid froze. “You actually had the balls to ask her to marry you? Wow, only took you a lifetime. Congrats!”
“No, idiot.” I winced on the inside, remembering my sloppy proposal, but I didn’t want to recant that—ever. “But close. Brianna asked me to move in.”
“Hmph.” He nodded without looking at me. “Still impressive. When?”
“When she gets back in a couple weeks. I don’t have much at my place, and I left a message with the landlord to see how to break the lease.”
“Is that why you’re all ‘cat who ate the canary’ today?”
“Maybe.” I shrugged with my smile still wide. “It feels good. It’s time, you know?” Maybe she put off getting married, but moving in was a huge deal—at least to me. I’d work on the rest when she was ready.
“You think?” Reid laughed as he stuffed the last of the paperwork in a folder.
“Yeah, yeah. Very funny.”
“Mr. O’Connor?” An oddly familiar voice called from behind me. I turned to see a woman in what looked like a waitress uniform. She tucked a chocolate brown wisp of hair sticking out of her ponytail behind her ear as she rushed toward Reid’s desk. “Sorry, I’m late. There was trouble on the train.” Her head jerked with a double take when she met my gaze, the recognition hitting the both of us at the same time.
“Sara?” I blinked a couple of times before I rose from the chair. “Wow, it’s been a long time.” Asking how she’d been sounded ridiculous as I knew her for less that twenty-four hours the first and only time I’d met her.
“Yeah, I guess it has.” She backed away, her already agitated expression kicking up a notch. “Look, I’ll just come back. I missed the appointment time and you seem busy.”
“No, I can meet now.” Reid stood and turned to me. “Sorry, Josh, just give me—”
“No problem. I’ll wait at the bar down the street. Take your time,” I answered with my eyes still on Sara. She was eying the window as if she was about to jump out of it. I hadn’t seen her since that weekend all those years ago. I remembered her as an easygoing girl with an infectious personality. This one was anythingbuteasygoing. She breathed in and out on a huff as her jaw tightened.
“Ah, Ms. Caldwell. I was just about to call you again.” An older woman who I assumed was a teacher knocked on Reid’s door holding a little girl’s hand. “One of the teachers had to go home sick, so we’re closing the after-school program an hour early. We called the parents to see if they could pick up their children. You were the only one we couldn’t reach.”
“That’s because I was on the train with no cell service. Come on, Victoria.” She rushed over to yank the girl’s hand away. She was shielding the girl from my view, blocking her face with her hand and pulling her into her hip.
“Ms. Caldwell, I called you in here to ask you about the junior writer’s program.” Reid made his way toward Sara and handed her a paper. “Victoria is the best writer in her class, and I think she’d do well—”
“With all due respect, Mr. O’Connor, I can’t afford another extracurricular activity.”
