Dan blinked. He hadn’t expected Regan to kick him out of the house quite so quickly. But why wouldn’t she? He was being a lousy guest.
“Regan,” Mason began, but Dan cut him off.
“It’s okay. Thank you, Regan. I’d better go and pack.”
Chapter Eleven
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“Are you angry at me?” Sarah asked when Regan came upstairs and informed her the cab would arrive soon to take her to the airport.
“I think you’re being an idiot.”
Sarah suppressed a smile, despite the awkwardness of the situation. “I probably am, but I can’t stay with Dan here. Not now. We—” She couldn’t tell Regan what they’d gotten up to last night, and she struggled to express her feelings. “I should have held back, but I didn’t. Now it’s just too uncomfortable.”
“I hope you aren’t making a huge mistake.”
“I’m not.” But she wasn’t at all sure about that. Maybe she was making a colossal mistake. After all, what other man had ever made her feel like Dan had? For a few short hours she’d felt closer to someone than she ever had in her adult life. She’d thought Dan understood her through and through.
She’d been wrong.
Now the future stretched before her empty of all meaning. She already knew the military couldn’t give her what she truly wanted; the chance to be a part of an elite group. The chance to lead. She’d have to find a new career where she could shine. She hadn’t the faintest idea what that might look like.
The honk of a horn had them both moving toward the door.
“I’ll miss you,” Regan said as they went downstairs. “I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you.”
A pang of regret pierced Sarah’s heart as the smell of a delicious breakfast wafted over her. She’d miss the boisterous meals here at the ranch. She was being an idiot, just like Regan had said. She was sabotaging a wonderful vacation with a friend to avoid the embarrassment of being near Dan. “We’ll have to get together again soon.”
She knew that wasn’t likely, though. She doubted she’d get another invitation to the Hall, and she had no home to welcome guests to.
She nearly collided with Dan in the front hall and frowned when she took in the duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He was obviously leaving too.
“That’s my cab,” he said. “I’m going to the airport.”
“That’s my cab,” she retorted. “I’m flying out on the next plane.”
They only hesitated a second before they both dashed for the front door.
“Oh, for God’s sake!” Sarah heard Regan exclaim behind them, but she was too engulfed by the need to win this final race to care. They both hit the doorway at the same time, struggled through it while doing their best to slow the other down and then Sarah pounded down the front steps and dashed through the snow toward the yellow cab. She got a flash of the driver’s face as he took in their headlong race to reach him. The man’s eyes widened and he flinched back as both of them crashed into the vehicle at top speed.
“I won!” Sarah cried. “I won! Get away from my cab.”
“Your cab? Bullshit—it’s mine!”
The cab’s engine roared to life beneath them. When it started to move, Sarah jumped back in shock. “What the hell?”
It executed a tight U-turn and took off down the lane, bouncing and shuddering over potholes until it reached the country road.
“I guess neither of you won.” Regan’s caustic words sliced through the ensuing silence. “Maybe it’s time to stop competing so damn much and think about something else for a change.”
Sarah hung her head as she slowly turned around. “Guess we’ll have to call another one.”
“Why are you in such a hurry to leave?” Dan said suddenly, his tone betraying his frustration.
She shook her head. She couldn’t explain—not with an audience.
“Come on, Mason, let’s go inside and give these two a chance to talk.” Regan took her husband’s arm and led him back up the porch steps.
“Well?” Dan threw his duffle bag down in the snow and circled around to face her. “Do you think I can’t handle being your holiday fling? I’ve had worse thrown at me than that.”
“My holiday fling?” Her voice rose. “You’re the one looking for a fling. I was looking for a partnership.”
He cocked his head. “A partnership? That’s what I offered you. I told you I wanted to figure out if we were right for each other for the long haul.”
“Not that kind of partnership. A business partnership!” Was he playing dumb? “You said you were looking for investors—for partners. Mason thought I might be a good fit. I thought you might actually consider me for one of your trainer positions. But no—not Mr. SEALs-Are-So-Damn-Special. Far be it from you to sully your little naval brotherhood with a lowly female soldier.” She looked from the Hall’s closed front door to the empty street behind them. “Fucking hell.” How was she supposed to get to the airport now?