Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 540(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 540(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
The first thing I did when I got inside was call her.
She picked up right away. “Hey…”
“I can’t believe you came by.”
“Where were you?”
I let out a long breath. “I was at Sierra—tried to see you one last time.”
“Are you kidding?”
“I wish I was.” Pulling my hair, I paced.
“I assumed you not being home was a sign, since it would’ve only made me sadder to say goodbye again, but now I feel even worse knowing you came to see me.”
“I picked you up some snacks for the road, but honestly, Red, that was just an excuse to see you one last time.”
“Aw, man. Snacks? I got a few things myself, but I could’ve used more. What did you get me?”
“I didn’t know what you liked, so it was a little of everything: chips, candy…Big Red gum because of your nickname. I gave the whole bag of stuff to Morgan, but I kept the gum.”
“You’re so thoughtful. If I wasn’t thirty miles down the highway now, I’d turn around just for the Big Red. And maybe a kiss, too.”
“It was all just a ruse to taste your lips anyway.”
“Well, I wasn’t even gonna use an excuse. I tried to come to you for the very same thing. I heard Oak behind the door. He kept barking at me. I felt bad because I would’ve loved to give him a hug goodbye, but I couldn’t get to him.”
“He knew about my plan, so he was probably trying to warn you that I was looking for you.”
“What?”
“Never mind.” I chuckled. “Anyway, I’m sorry we missed each other.”
“What did Morgan say?” she asked.
“She showed me the video interview she did with you this morning. It sucked to see you looking so sad. But I have to say, you in my shirt really did it for me.”
“I’m still wearing it now. I love smelling you on my ride. Sweet torture.”
I groaned. “Damn.”
“Why didn’t you call me earlier and tell me you planned to come by?”
“I thought I’d surprise you. But I did try to call when I got to Sierra. Went straight to voicemail.”
She sighed. “Yeah. Service has been patchy out here. That’s why.”
“I figured it was something like that.”
“Thank you again for the bracelet. It means a lot. I want you to know I’ll always cherish it.”
I plopped down on my couch and rubbed my eyes. “Don’t be afraid to use it, you know?”
After a few seconds of silence, she said, “What if I come to my senses, years down the line, use the bracelet to come find you…and you’re married? What then?”
I scratched my chin. “Well, then I might have to go on a very long trip to the store for some milk.”
She giggled. “You’re bad.” She sighed. “You’re never gonna believe what song came on the radio as I was leaving Meadowbrook.”
“What?”
“‘Wild Horses’ by the Rolling Stones. If you listen to the words, it kind of reminds me of us.”
“Well, I don’t think I’ve ever paid attention before, but I’ll definitely listen to it.”
The line went silent, and I realized the call had dropped.
Shit.
I tried to call her back, but it went straight to voicemail.
My phone rang about a minute later, and I immediately answered. “Everything okay?”
“I’m sorry. That was on my end. Damn patchy service again.”
“No worries, Red.” When she started breaking up, I added, “Be careful driving, okay? Text me when you get home.”
“I will.”
After we hung up, I sat there in a daze.
Oak came over and placed his chin on my leg.
I rubbed between his ears. “You tried to warn her that I was looking for her, didn’t you?”
He whimpered.
“I know,” I muttered. “We tried.”
***
That evening, Tim Weaver, who owned one of the local convenience stores, sat at my bar.
“Rang up that ginger beauty, February, this morning,” he told me. “She grabbed a few things for the road. Told me she was headed out of town, back to New York City.”
“Yeah. She left this morning.”
“Not sure if I should be telling you this, but…”
My eyes darted toward him. “What?”
“Her eyes were red. Looked like she’d been crying.”
Fuck. I stopped wiping the counter. “Yeah?”
“You do something to upset her?”
“None of your damn business, but no.” I gritted my teeth.
I never wanted to see February hurt, certainly not at my expense. While I hadn’t intentionally hurt her, I’d let things go too far with us the other night, and the aftermath had made things even more painful today. Making love to her was worth all of it, though. But it was no wonder both of us felt broken.
Later that night, “Wild Horses” came on the music streaming service I used at the bar. I just shook my head, powerless against the universe. Anxious to know why it reminded her of me, I tried to listen to the words through the noise in the bar. But I couldn’t figure out their exact meaning—something about a failing relationship and some kind of heartache. Still, this song would always remind me of her.