For the first time since I moved to New York, I’m free to do what I want with friends, or at least with Jason’s female relatives, who feel like they could be my friends. The day brings me face-to-face with what I’ve been missing in my life, and I promise myself that when Colton is caught, I will build a full life for myself.
We’ve finished our shopping, loaded the bags into the trunk of Izzy’s SUV, and are now sitting around a table in a restaurant in Midtown.
Because Sienna is breastfeeding, she has a club soda in front of her, but Izzy and I have mimosas. We all order Oriental salads, and while waiting, we talk.
“To a successful day,” Sienna says, raising her alcohol-free glass.
“Hear, hear.” Izzy touches her glass to Sienna’s and the three of us each do the same.
“Izzy, I can’t thank you enough for letting me put my business card on the table at Noah’s party. I have been inundated with calls. Even moms whose kids’ birthdays aren’t until the summer wanted me to schedule them on my calendar.”
The pretty blonde smiles and raised her glass again. “To growing your business.”
“Thank you.”
“So,” Sienna says. “What’s really going on between you and my brother? And don’t tell me you’re just friends.” Her eyes glitter with mischief.
I choke on my drink. After coughing, I dab at my wet eyes.
“She’s blunt,” Izzy says needlessly. “And much younger, so we’ll have to forgive her.”
A twenty-three-year-old Sienna wrinkles her nose. “Hey. I have enough older brothers meddling in my life that I can do the same in theirs if I want. But I apologize if I’m being too nosy,” the pretty blonde says.
I smile, feeling my cheeks burn as I answer. “Oh, there’s a lot going on,” I admit. “But it has an expiration date. When my brother is finally caught and we get him out of my life and I move out of Jason’s apartment, we’ll go our separate ways.” My stomach lurches, and though I want to blame the alcohol, I know for a fact it is the thought of leaving Jason that upsets me.
Sienna sighs. “My father’s behavior made all of us wary of relationships, but I really hoped that Jason would find the right woman and settle down.”
I place my drink down on the table. “I think it’s more than just your father.” I won’t betray any confidences Jason gave me about his past.
“Oh, I know. Losing Levi devastated him.” Sienna’s face crumbles, her pain for her brother clear. “All those guys were destroyed, really. But instead of shutting people out, Jason should embrace the good in life and live it to the fullest.” She clearly wants the best for her brother, but she doesn’t want to accept his choices.
I can’t help but feel protective of Jason and his feelings, even if they aren’t in my best interest. “Jason really is entitled to react his own way, and if he doesn’t want the kind of future I do, that’s okay.” I force the words out, because in my heart, I mean them, no matter how painful the thought.
Do I want everything with the man? Hell, yes. But I won’t force or judge his choices. “Can we talk about something else?” I don’t want to get more upset and cry when there is nothing I can do about the situation I find myself in.
“Let’s talk about candy,” Izzy says. “Faith is a master.”
“Sure. I’m sorry,” Sienna murmurs. “So tell me about your business. I love sweets and I’m sorry I haven’t come by before, but now that I have Mom to help out, I’m going to visit you.”
“That would be lovely. How is your mom?” I ask.
With a sigh, Sienna sips her club soda before answering. “She’s stronger than I knew. And she has the entire family’s support, even my half-siblings. Everyone’s come around and embraced her. I’m so glad.”
“Savannah’s a sweet woman. I’m glad the family is a whole unit at last.”
The waitress walks over and places our salads in front of us, ending conversation, leaving me alone with my thoughts while we eat in relative silence. Instead of dragging myself through a sad rehashing of losing Jason sometime soon, I think about the dress I bought for the concert. I went overboard, choosing a red garment that comes to above the knee and dips low in the front with a slit up one thigh.
I surpassed my budget, but I have a feeling this is my final chance to make a lasting impression on Jason Dare, and I decided the splurge was worth it. He might let me go in the end but I’ll give him a sexy, stunning vision to remember me by.
CHAPTER TEN
Jason
The morning ofthe big event, I sit with my partners in the main office, a bottle of bourbon just opened for a toast before we make our way downstairs and get to work. Despite none of us being major drinkers, a toast to our success is something to be savored. And we know Levi would approve.
“Jason, we owe this night to you.” Tanner raises a glass. “It’s your idea come to life.”
“And I owe it to Faith for planting the initial germ of an idea.” Who would have thought the night I saw the sexy blonde on the side of the road would change my life as much as it has?
