Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91357 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91357 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Something she’d been deliberately suppressing all week. Something she wasn’t going to let herself revisit now. She curled her fingers into his shoulders and pushed back. “I’m going to be late.”
Disappointment flickered in his eyes, and after the week of no communication, no matter how legitimate, she took satisfaction in that. “See you later.”
She stashed her work clothes in the bag she’d brought and gathered her purse. “Ready? I need to lock up after us.”
He nodded, eyeing her as if trying to understand what was going on in her mind. Good luck, she thought. She was still trying to understand it herself.
Chapter Fourteen
Somehow Nicole and Macy snagged a private table in a corner of Joe’s. Music played on the jukebox, but the murmur of the Saturday night crowd was loud, and Nicole found it hard to process the music over the din.
“I should have eaten something more substantial than a couple of french fries for dinner. I’m buzzed from half a beer,” Macy said, eyeing the bottle.
“Good thing I’m driving home then.” Nicole took a sip of her soda. “I didn’t eat much either. I had a leftover sandwich in the fridge, but I didn’t take more than a few bites.” She’d paused to change clothes and then Sam had interrupted.
“What’s with the sour face?” Macy asked her.
Nicole sighed. “Not sour. Just confused.”
“Let me guess. It’s about a man. Or should I say the man?”
Leave it to Macy to cut right to the point, Nicole thought wryly. “It is.” Why bother lying? She needed a friend, and she finally had a real one.
Macy shifted in her seat. “No confusion allowed,” she said, waving a hand in dismissal. “He’s into you. I’ve never seen Sam so into a woman before.”
Sara had said something similar. Nicole warmed at the thought and wished things were that simple. “But that doesn’t mean it’ll change the outcome.”
Macy took a long pull of her beer. “You never know. I’ve seen harder nuts than Sam crack. Just ask Cara. And Erin.” She grinned.
“I can’t control it, so I’m trying not to worry about it. It’s just not easy.”
Macy’s expression turned sympathetic. “I understand, which is why I have to talk to you about something.” Her gaze darted away . . . an unusual occurrence for a very direct woman.
Nicole leaned in close. “What’s up?”
Macy drew a deep breath, then let it out again. “What’s the story with you and Tyler? The real story.”
Nicole blinked, surprised at the subject. Although she shouldn’t have been. Macy’s interest in Tyler had been all too obvious.
“That was real subtle of me.” Macy let out a shaky laugh. “I know there are things you can’t tell me, and that’s okay. I just have to know . . . you and Tyler—”
“There is no me and Tyler.” Nicole reached out and grasped Macy’s hand, wanting to reassure her in every way possible. “Not in the romantic sense. I’m . . .” She looked Macy in the eye and prepared to bare her soul. “I’m totally and completely in love with Sam.” She shook her head at herself. “And that wasn’t hard to say out loud. The point is, I have no hold on Tyler.”
Macy closed her eyes, her obvious embarrassment showing. She sat up suddenly, her gaze focused on Nicole. “So you don’t mind if I . . . if we . . .”
Admiring her ability to be direct, Nicole smiled and shook her head. “I’d be thrilled if he found someone to make him happy. It’d be even better for him if it was you.”
Macy exhaled hard and laughed. “Well, that was as awkward and as difficult as I thought it would be.”
“I can imagine.” Nicole leaned back in her seat, suddenly exhausted. “Aren’t we a pair?”
Macy nodded and treated herself to another long swallow of beer. “Is he coming back?” she asked.
“Tyler?”
She nodded.
“He’ll be back,” Nicole assured her.
“How do you know? Have you spoken with him?”
“No.” But they needed to have a private talk when all this was over. One that put things between them to rest, once and for all.
Macy propped her chin on her hands. “Then how do you know for sure?”
At that, Nicole couldn’t help but grin, thoughts of Tyler’s time in Serendipity flashing through her mind. “He went shopping. He wore shorts. And he followed you around town. He’ll be back.”
Macy grinned. “Here’s to getting our men.” She raised her glass, and Nicole tipped hers, clinking them together, toasting as much to Macy’s words as to her new friend and her life here in Serendipity.
They spent another half hour talking, then made their way over to a group of people, some Nicole knew, others Macy introduced her to. As much as she enjoyed herself, she couldn’t help thinking that she would rather be with Sam. But she needed to make friends, and she was Macy’s ride home, so she didn’t say anything.