“She did it, though.”
He sighed, and this time, his expression was sympathetic. “Yeah. And that sucks elephant balls. I know it hurts. I’m sorry about that.”
“Me too.”
“But I stand by my assessment that you were operating without all the details. So, I repeat: You didn’t do anything wrong. And letting that selfish cow make you question your worth is not okay.”
Sawyer cleared her throat. “I know. You’re right. And I don’t feel as stuck. I was for a long time, as you know, but I don’t feel bound to her anymore. And I just…” She trailed off, not sure exactly how to put things into words.
“And you’re just surprised by this Jenna thing.”
She stared at him for a moment. “Yes. You’re stupidly wise. It’s frightening.”
He shrugged. “I know.”
“So, yeah, I’m surprised by this Jenna thing, as you put it.” That was pretty much it in a nutshell, wasn’t it? She’d chosen to relocate, start fresh, clean slate, all that business, andbam!There’s Jenna.
“The best things happen when you least expect them,” Colton said, chewing the last bite of his sandwich. “I mean, I wasn’t expecting the hedge fund guy.”
“You were at a gay dance club.”
“Still. I expected a guy, but notthatguy.” Colton prided himself on his perpetually single lifestyle and his wide variety of dates, but Hedge Fund Guy had stuck around longer than the rest.
“You still see him?”
“Here and there,” Colton said, and the smile he tried to smother told her it was more than here and there. “Anyway, my point is, you weren’t actively looking, and she appeared. That’s usually a good sign.” He dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin. “Why don’t you ask her out? Take her on a real date?”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.”
“Why not?”
She didn’t have a good answer to that. Not one acceptable to Colton, anyway. She knew she felt out of practice. Rusty. A little silly. And, yes, kind of damaged. But she also knew she felt calm around Jenna. Relaxed. Easy.
That was something, right?
The rest of the day went by with her being slightly more focused, and she actually got some work done. She was driving home, several blocks from the house, when a blink of brown and white caught her eye as she passed. A glance in the rearview mirror made her narrow her eyes.
“What the hell?”
She pulled over, jammed the car into park, got out, and hurried back the way she’d come.
“Arnold?” As she called his name, she realized if it was in fact him, he wasn’t going to hear her. He was trotting down the sidewalk heading for the intersection that was way too busy, especially at rush hour, for a deaf dog. She broke into a run, not easy to do in her low heels and dress slacks, but she finally passed him and cut to her right to get in front of him.
He was clearly confused and scared, his brown eyes wide enough for her to see the whites. He met her gaze and recognized her immediately, and the relief in those eyes was shockingly clear.
“Buddy, what are you doing way over here?” She squatted down and he put his front paws right up on her knee so he had access to her face. His entire body vibrated as he shook, and she realized he was terrified. With him in her arms, she walked back to her car, got in, and sat with him until he calmed down.
What the hell had happened? Why in the world was he hurrying down a street alone a good half a mile or more from his home?
Suddenly, a sickening dread for Jenna blossomed in the pit of her stomach. Seat belt clipped, she put the car in gear and headed home.
Jenna’s car was in the driveway. Sawyer got out of her own with Arnold still in her arms and headed up the front steps, where she knocked on Jenna’s door.
It was pulled open in a matter of seconds, and Jenna stood there. Frazzled and completely panicked was the most accurate way to describe her. Eyes wide and fearful, hair disheveled, hands shaking. The second she saw Arnold, she gasped loudly and snagged him out of Sawyer’s arms.
“Oh, God, there you are! Where have you been? Where? You had me so worried!” She kissed all over his face, hugging him tightly to her body.
Sawyer followed her inside and shut the door behind her, then simply stood and watched as the wave of relief washed over Jenna. She turned to Sawyer, her eyes filled with tears. She set Arnold on the couch, turned to her, and wrapped her arms around Sawyer’s neck in a firm, grateful hug.
