Knowing I’ll never survive the day sitting around, waiting on a call from Mark, I make a split decision and reach for my phone and dial the number I’ve had memorized my entire life.
Three rings later, I rush out, “Want to meet up for breakfast?” before they can even say hello.
A deep chuckle comes through the phone. “Good morning to you, too, sweet girl.”
“Sorry, Dad. Too much coffee… Obviously. But you’re the only one I know who’s up this early. Want to meet me at the diner?”
“Hmmm… Your mom’s still sleeping…” Dad pretends to mull over my proposition.
“Got a better offer?” I tease, knowing he’s got nothing planned today. He’s been told to take it easy and has been going stir-crazy for quite some time.
“I suppose we could meet up… if you keep your mouth quiet about my hankering for bacon.”
“Deal. See you in twenty?” I quickly agree.
“Ha. What’s the rush, Faye?”
“Can’t a girl be hungry?” I counter, not wanting to get into it with him. Besides, there’s not much to say. What would I tell him? I ran into Mark. We spoke for what… five minutes? Oh, and Dad, Mark’s got me so worked up, I’m jumping at every sound in my house, I can’t concentrate for shit, and I need to get the hell out of Dodge just to stop thinking about him.
Yeah, I’m not going there with Dad. He always liked Mark, but as far as he’s concerned, that ship sailed years ago.
But a morning with Dad could distract me.
“While we’re out, want to run some errands with me?”
“What type of errands?” he counters hesitantly. “I’m not up for aimlessly traipsing from shop to shop, like you and your mother enjoy.”
“I won’t torture you like that,” I promise. “But I know you never miss going to the hardware store. I need a bracket for that shelf in the bathroom, and Mom asked me to pick up some things for her at the grocery store.”
“Okay, kiddo,” Dad muses. “You’ve twisted my arm. I’ll see you in twenty.”
Before I can say another word, he disconnects the call.
Shaking my head, I rush to my room with one hope in mind: Will this distraction be enough to keep me from thinking about the man next door?
Three days.
It’s been three days since bumping into Faye.
Three days of itching to reach out, knowing I couldn’t afford the distraction.
Mission first, always.
Lives were at stake, and thankfully, I’ve mastered the art of compartmentalization.
The extraction was gnarly and put my skills to the test. Riggs was right to request my assistance, and I’m glad I could help. Being back on his team gives me a sense of purpose, even if I’m no longer the one calling the shots. I not only exfilled our team safely but also made good time getting us back to PDX once the mission was complete.
I’m still flying high from our team’s success as I touch down in Seaside. I routinely go through my post-flight checks, and the next thing I know, I’m heading down the highway toward home.
I’ve always prided myself on being direct, but as I close the distance between Faye and me, I fear I’m heading into uncharted territory. I haven’t truly spoken to her since we were kids. Now that we’re neighbors, she’ll know the second I arrive home. I need a game plan, or I’ll be up shit’s creek without a paddle before I even have the chance to hop out of my truck.
She was always quick to see right through me.
She’s likely the only woman who ever has.
The way her eyes heated as she rattled off her digits as a challenge made my heart race and my mind work overtime. My visceral response was unexpected.
How can just one little smile take me back thirty years?
