“Uh-huh.”
“I did have another reason for coming over here that had nothing to do with cookies or checking out Angela.”
“Good to hear,” I replied dryly.
Jason winked. “Did the adjuster for the insurance company get out here yet?”
I shook my head. “One is coming out tomorrow.”
“They should’ve gotten here quicker or had you get the appraisal. You should let me look at your stuff. I bet I can get you better rates and better service.”
“I do need to update my insurance.” I continued to eye the plate of cookies. “I can get you the stuff later.”
“Great. Give me your email address and I can send you the list.” He smiled. “Eat a cookie.”
“A cookie is the last thing my ass needs,” I told him as I grabbed a pen and a Post-it note from the counter. I scribbled my email address down and handed it over.
Jason chuckled. “So how are you getting out to Cole’s then?”
“I’m using Mom’s truck.” I really did want a cookie.
“Sounds good.” He pushed away from the island. “Don’t forget if you need any help with the insurance claim to ask and to get me that info.”
“Will do.” I smiled at him. “Thanks for the cookies.”
“No problem.” Jason started to turn but stopped. His shoulders tensed. “I am glad you’re back, Sasha.”
“Me too,” I admitted softly.
“I just hope you don’t regret it.”
My gaze flew to his. “What?”
“I . . . I keeping thinking about that woman and what the mayor had said,” he explained. “I don’t want it all to stress you out, because it had to be hard for you to come back here, and for this to happen? It’s messed up.”
I relaxed a little. “It won’t stress me out. I’m not going to regret coming back here, Jason.”
He smiled, but something about it didn’t feel right—didn’t seem real—and I knew right then, he didn’t believe me.
Getting ready for dinner with Cole felt like I was getting ready for a date. Half my clothes were strewn across my bed. I’d changed no less than three times, finally settling on a pair of questionably slimming dark denim jeans I wasn’t sure I could sit comfortably in and a sheer black sweater that required a camisole underneath. I paired the outfit with my knee-high gray boots, which were my absolute favorite.
I went for the whole natural, not-trying-too-hard look, which equated to thirty minutes of applying a face full of natural makeup and about forty minutes of waving my hair.
My heart raced the entire time I was getting ready, and I couldn’t recall feeling this way before the dates I had in the last couple of years. Sure, I’d been fairly excited about them, but this was different. I felt like my heart was trying to throw itself out of my chest.
Luckily Mom was busy with the couple that was checking in, and I was able to slip out without having to witness her happy dance. Mom didn’t necessarily trust me with backing the truck up and not taking out a family of four in the process.
Grinning at that thought, I unlocked the door and climbed in, dropping my purse on the seat next to me. I turned on the car and doubt seized me with blunt, heavy claws, digging in and locking up every muscle.
Was I doing the right thing?
“Crap,” I whispered and then reached over, rooting around in my bag until I found my phone. I called Miranda.
She answered on the second ring. “Yo.”
“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice sounding strained to my own ears.
“Leaving the school, and I’m either going to go to the gym or Burger King,” she said, and I smiled. “And you should be on your way to Cole’s.”
“Well . . .”
“Sasha!” she shouted. “You better be on the way to his house or I’m seriously going to kick your ass.”
A laugh burst out of me, but I quickly sobered. “Am I doing the right thing?”
There was a pause. “Oh, honey, I think you are, but only you can answer that.”
I exhaled heavily as I stared out the windshield, watching the blue hues of the sky deepen. “I think I am.”
“Let me ask you three questions,” she said. “Are you excited?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want to see him?”
I didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“And do you think you’re going to regret it if you don’t see him tonight?” she asked.
I knew I would, and I also knew that there was a great chance that Cole wouldn’t be as forgiving this time. The fact that he was so forgiving over the way I left last time still blew me away. “I would regret it.”
“Then I think you know the answer, babe.”
I did. I was just being a big freak. “Okay. I’m going.”
“Good,” she replied. “This is good. Trust me. You don’t want to look back on this moment and regret you didn’t go to him.”
Something in the way she spoke said she had personal experience with that kind of regret. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
I nibbled on my lip. “I don’t know. Anyway, you should go to the gym and then go to Burger King. Best of both worlds.”
Miranda laughed. “I love the way you think. Now go have fun.”
As soon as I hung up the phone, I got on the road so I didn’t give myself any more time to freak out. Cole hadn’t stayed long yesterday, but he’d given me his address before leaving.
Taking the interstate, it took about fifteen minutes to get to the other side of the county, and the directions for the exit took me about five minutes down the road and into a newish-looking subdivision that overlooked the Potomac River.
I clenched the steering wheel as I crept down the street, peering at the houses. He’d said it was the seventh from the entrance, on the left. There was a lot of green space between each home, at least an acre and maybe more. Squinting, I emitted a low squeak when I spotted what had to be his home.
Cole had a ranch-style house that sat a decent distance from the road. Focusing on each breath, I pulled into the driveway that led up to a two-car garage and killed the engine. I couldn’t sit out in the car for an eternity like I had when I first arrived back in town. I got my hopefully slimmed-down ass out of the front seat.
A motion detector kicked on, lighting up the grounds. The front of his house was nicely landscaped with trimmed bushes and a dark reedy plant I was unfamiliar with.
Reaching the front porch, I inhaled the earthy wet scent of the nearby river and stepped up. The porch light snapped on and the front door opened.
Cole was suddenly in the doorway, a red-and-white checkered dishtowel in one hand and a soft grin on his striking face. “Come on in.”
I smiled as he stepped aside and did as he requested. The door opened up into an entry with a vaulted ceiling.
“How was traffic on the way up?” he asked.