He looked up from the food he normally enjoyed but tonight tasted like ashes. “Yes.” He saw no reason to deny the obvious.
“There’s no need to. I’m not going back to him if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Do you still love him?” Yeah, he’d asked her, even though he knew he might regret it.
“He broke my heart.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
“No, I don’t love him. Not after what he did.”
“Does he know that?”
“We hardly talked before you got there. He obviously knows I’m with you. After that kiss he could hardly help knowing it.”
That wasn’t exactly the answer he wanted but it was apparently all he was going to get.
*
The next morningConnor was off. He hadn’t managed to put Sierra’s damn ex-husband out of his mind so he sat on his couch drinking a beer, hoping that would help. So far it hadn’t. Unfortunately, he had plenty of time to stew about it since he wasn’t working that day. Sierra was filling in for another flight nurse so she was out of touch.
She had said she didn’t want her ex-husband back, but Connor still wasn’t sure of that. The worst of it was, Connor couldn’t forget what Sierra had told him the first time he met her. That she still cared about her ex and might even take him back. And if Phil wanted Sierra back, Connor couldn’t blame him. He couldn’t believe the fool had left her in the first place. Yeah, he’d screwed up by having an affair and divorcing Sierra, but women had forgiven men for a lot worse. And she had definitely loved the man.
Of course, that was before he and Sierra had gotten involved. Well, he was involved, but he wasn’t sure about Sierra. Damn it, he’d fallen crazy in love with her and while he knew she liked him, knew she cared about him, he still had no idea if she loved him. Someone pounded on his door. He ignored it just like he’d ignored the calls that had been blowing up his phone. He didn’t want to talk to anyone but Sierra, and she was working. Besides, he wasn’t at all sure he wanted to talk to her.
“Damn it, Connor, I know you’re in there. Let me in!” Logan yelled through the door.
Crap, he’d forgotten about Logan. Marietta had recently gotten a racquetball court and Logan had been hot to try it out, so Connor had agreed to play with him since they were both off today. “Go away,” he yelled.
“No. Answer the door. You were supposed to meet me half an hour ago to play racquetball.”
Connor sighed and got up, knowing Logan wouldn’t leave until he got a response. Cracking open the door, he repeated, “Go away.”
Naturally, Logan ignored him, pushing open the door and coming inside. “What is going on?” He glanced at the beer in Connor’s hand. “Beer? At eleven o’clock in the morning when you’re supposed to be playing racquetball?”
He shrugged. “I felt like having a beer. Sue me. Leave me alone.”
“What’s wrong, Connor?”
He sat on the couch. “Help yourself to a beer. And bring me another one while you’re at it.”
Logan sat beside him. “I don’t need a beer and neither do you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I need several beers.” Not that he really expected drinking to help.
“Why? You never do shit like this.”
He drained his beer, crumpled the can, and tossed it in the general direction of his kitchen. “I can’t believe this is happening again. I knew better but I did it anyway.”
“What’s happening again?”
“Me being the rebound. Or maybe substitute’s a better word for it.”
“Substitute for what?”
“The guy she’s still in love with.”
“Are you talking about Sierra?”
