Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77904 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77904 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“Oh, no.”
“Yeah.” She pressed her hands against her eyelids, trying in vain to keep the tears at bay. “I should’ve known better. I knew he wasn’t over her when we started talking. I should’ve never gone out with him.”
“This isn’t your fault.”
“But it is.” A single tear trickled down her face as she explained, “I always go for the wrong guy and end up getting my heart broken.”
“That’s because you have a big heart and always see the best in people.”
“I’m an idiot who thinks an issue isn’t really an issue until it smacks me right in the face—just like with Brandon.” She wiped the tear from her cheek and shook her head. “He was so handsome, and he had his life together, so I didn’t think it mattered that he’d just broken up with someone he’d been dating for six years.”
I didn’t respond.
I just sat there and listened as she continued to vent, “The six years part should’ve been enough to make me walk away. I mean, seriously. Who dates someone that long? Brandon, that’s who. What a stupid jerk!”
“I know it hurts, but it sounds like you are better off without him.”
“Yeah, tell my heart that. For some reason, it’s not getting the memo.”
“It will. You’re just gonna have to give it some time.” I reached over and gave her a quick hug. “Why don’t you go across the street and get yourself a cup of coffee?”
“I have a client coming.”
“I’ll cover until you get back.” I stood, then offered her my hand and helped Keeley to her feet. “Now, get and grab me a mocha while you’re there.”
“Sure thing.” A soft smile slipped across her lips. “Thanks, Mags.”
“Anytime.”
I waited until Keeley walked out of the shop before going over to her station and prepping it for her client. I’d pulled her foils when the door flew back open, and Ryan burst into the shop. As usual, she was dressed to the nines. She had on a fitted black dress with knee-high boots, and her sun-kissed blonde hair was swooped up in a messy bun.
Her oversized hoop earrings started to swing when she made an abrupt stop and announced, “It’s official. Men are assholes.”
“So, you heard about Keeley and Brandon.”
“What?”
“She just found out that he’s messing around with his ex.”
“See!” She threw her arms up in the air. “Assholes!”
“Okay. What’s going on with you?”
“Remember how I thought Tony was going to propose last night?” She tossed her bag on the table and grumbled, “Well, it turns out that he had zero plans to ask me to marry him. Like, the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. How could it not have crossed his mind? We’ve been together for two years. What the hell is that?”
“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s my fault for getting my hopes up.” She let out a defeated breath. “I just thought we were in a different place, and it’s disappointing to find out that I was wrong.”
“I’m really sorry.”
“It’s all good. Some people just aren’t destined to be happy.” There was no missing the disappointment in her voice when she said, “Apparently, I’m one of those people.”
“No, you’re not. You just gotta give it time. I’m sure Tony will wise up and realize that he has a good thing with you.”
“If he hasn’t figured it out by now, I doubt he ever will.”
I understood her doubt. I’d felt it many times, before and after my divorce. That’s what being cheated on does to a person. It fills them with doubt. I doubted myself, my marriage, my entire life, and it killed my self-esteem. It was one of the many reasons why I hadn’t gone on any dates since. I simply wasn’t ready for another reason to doubt myself, so I steered clear of men.
Except for one night when I let myself get swept away—a night I would not soon forget.
I’d gone to the movies to watch a Star Wars marathon. I didn’t like Star Wars all that much, but it was Chad’s weekend with the kids, and I needed something to distract me.
And I found quite the distraction.
I was standing at the concession counter, waiting on my popcorn order, when a man came up next to me. I glanced up at him, and my heart leaped to my throat. He was unusually handsome—the kind of handsome that made me feel immediately insecure in my own appearance. He was rugged, big, and broad in that sexy grab-me-and-throw-me-over-your-shoulder kind of way.
I felt an indescribable urge to run my hands through his reddish-brown hair and down across his thick beard. I was hit with an unexpected flush of desire, which only grew worse when he cocked his head and raked his teeth over the corner of his bottom lip. He was checking me out, and that was something I wasn’t used to. In fact, I hadn’t had a man look at me like that in quite some time.