“You mean, like, now?” Her eyes widened.
“Take it from me, you’ll feel better once you get this resolved.”
Rysa hadn’t steered her wrong yet, so she took her advice. The phone shook in her unsteady hands. When Rysa tried to excuse herself from the room, Sybil stopped her with a silent plea for emotional support.
The call went to voicemail, and she hung up dejected. As much as she didn’t want the confrontation, she wanted to move forward. “He didn’t answer.”
“Why didn’t you leave—” The phone’s ringing cut off Rysa.
“It’s him.”
“Well, answer it.”
She took a calming breath and braced herself before answering. “Hi.”
“Hey, I heard the phone ringing but couldn’t get to it in time.” Hope and hesitation shook his voice, despite his obvious attempt to sound calm.
“Are you home?”
“Yes. Do you need something?”
“I, uh, was wondering if we could talk.” She bit her lips, waiting for his answer.
“I’d like that. Want me to come there?”
“I can come to your house.” She swallowed the lump of apprehension lurking in her throat.
“That’s fine. Can you give me a half hour to clean up? I just got home from the gym.”
“Okay. I’ll see you soon.” She hung up, emotionally spent before they’d even had the conversation.
“Well?” Rysa stood with her hands on her hips, waiting for details.
“I’m going over in a half hour.”
“Good for you.” Lowering her hands to her side, Rysa offered a look of approval. “Do you want me to stay here and wait for you?”
Tempted to say yes, she decided to enact her boldness. “Thanks, but I’ll be okay. Keep your phone nearby, though. I might talk myself into another mess and need your help to untangle it.”
Rysa laughed. “You’ll be fine, but my phone will stay with me all night. Call anytime, girlfriend.”
“Thank you.” She walked Rysa to the door. “I’ll let you know how it goes.”
“I’ll be waiting.” Rysa leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “And you might want to change your outfit. I’m not saying you need to impress him, but you have pizza sauce down your shirt.”
Her hand flew to her cheek. “Oh my word and soul! Thank you for always being straight with me.”
“No problem. Good luck.”
After Rysa left, Sybil went to change her shirt. She had to stop with the junk food, but she’d wanted pizza in the worst way this evening. Her only consolation was that she’d made it at home with lighter, healthier options than what she’d find at the pizza parlor. That, and five months into her pregnancy, she’d only gained eleven pounds which was right on track.
She slipped on a long-sleeved knit shirt and put an open front sweater on over it. Her reflection in the mirror caught her eye, and she groaned. She’d pulled her hair into a messy bun earlier, and now it looked like spiders hung in her hair. She undid the bun and pulled out the hair tie, then brushed her hair and put it in a neat ponytail.
If she walked to his house, she could work in the exercise she’d been neglecting. A quarter mile was nothing to brag about, but it would benefit her more than driving. Plus, she loved the cool air and the smell of wood burning in a nearby chimney. She’d caught whiffs of it through her open windows all evening. In another month or so, the scent would come more frequently as fall turned to winter.
Decision made, she put on a pair of slide-in sneakers, closed the windows, and went on her way. Each step closer to his house added to her nerves. They had a lot to discuss that went beyond what had happened on their date.
Jared stood at the door waiting for her. He wore jeans and a henley. His wet hair clung to his head, and she noticed he’d gotten his hair trimmed. He gave her a genuine smile. “I’m glad you called.”
