“That skinny bitch,” Chloe snorted. “She’s just jealous and you know it. She can’t stand the thought of anyone getting more attention than she does.”
Sara smiled, secretly agreeing. Nicole certainly liked the spotlight. She often thought it was one reason she didn’t connect well with her own daughter. She saw her as competition for Chris’s attention, which was absurd. “Anyway, you know men. Chris just said he hadn’t noticed. Then he told her he’d tried to talk some sense into me, but he was still worried I’d take off and he didn’t know what they’d do if that happened.”
“That should scare the hell out of them,” Chloe said as she popped a chip into her mouth.
“Nicole giggled,” Sara murmured, unable to hide the hurt that she felt. “Then it turned into hysterical laughter. I should have walked away then, but I was kind of rooted in place. Chris asked her what she found so funny. When she could breathe, she said, ‘Losing your sister is the last thing I’d worry about. She isn’t going anywhere. She’s far too comfortable here, and why wouldn’t she be? She’s got it made. Kaylee practically takes care of herself now, so what’s there to do? Sit around and watch television all day?’”
“I’m so going to kick her bony ass when she gets back,” Chloe hissed. “I swear I’ve never liked that self-absorbed airhead. What did Chris say?”
Sara’s finger drew circles in the moisture left behind on the table by her glass as she said, “He pointed out that I do a lot of things for them outside of Kaylee. He also mentioned them doing more with her so that I could have more time off. Nicole said if they did, then my salary should be cut. After all, I don’t have any living expenses, so I really shouldn’t even be drawing a paycheck.” Knowing that your sister-in-law thinks even more lowly of you than you thought possible is extremely painful. Yet they’re happy for me to raise their daughter.
When Sara looked up, Chloe’s eyes were so wide, they were almost crossing, and her fingers were attacking a napkin so intently that the poor thing was in shreds in seconds. “Oh no, she did not say that,” she retorted. “I don’t know why I’m surprised, but that was a low blow even for her. After all you’ve done for them, how could she think that, much less say it? You’ve given them years of your life to help with their daughter, and it sounds as if she doesn’t appreciate any of it. Swear to God, I’d have packed my shit right then and ruined her fancy little vacation. She’d have been wearing her tiny bikini to the public pool instead of a five-star resort. Please tell me you went in there and slapped her around. A left hook to that Botoxed forehead would have been a great starting point.”
She was so hopeful that Sara hated disappointing her. “Chris changed the subject and I got out of there before they saw me. I was so overwhelmed from what happened with Gabe that I couldn’t deal with anything else. I did toss her makeup bag in the kitchen trash, though, so that’s something.”
“Oh, Sara,” Chloe said in a voice full of sympathy. “You’ve been through hell, haven’t you? Why didn’t you call me last night? I’d have come right over. I’ve never been in your particular position, but I certainly know what it’s like to be all messed up over some guy. And heartbreak is heartbreak, no matter what the cause. Although at least your man didn’t screw around on you, so this can still be saved. You said you’ve texted him, right?”
“Yeah, but he hasn’t responded. Although he did read it,” she added glumly. “He’s not going to reply. He told me he would cut contact and that’s what he’s done. I can’t blame him after everything that’s happened. Any sane person would do the same.”
Chloe appeared deep in thought as she settled back against the padded booth seat. Finally she said, “I can see both sides to some degree. He blindsided you by showing up unannounced. That would have freaked me out a bit, regardless of how long you’d been talking. He’s still a stranger, so—yeah, definitely enough to rattle you. But . . . if what he said is true, and I have no reason to believe otherwise, then he had good intentions. I’d say he’s certainly thought better of it since then. It was beyond thoughtful of him to want to meet your family and set their minds at ease. As well as keep you from stressing over his visit by not telling you ahead of time.”
Sara could almost see Chloe making one of the lists she was so fond of creating for everything. “He has far more checks in the positive category of your imaginary paper than I do, doesn’t he? Trust me, I’ve come to the same conclusion myself.”
“Then why are you asking me for advice? It seems to me that you should know what to do next. You’ve put your family first for the last three years that I know of, and probably longer than that. You’ve now seen this man in person, actually had a conversation with him face-to-face. Was he everything you’d built him up to be in your head?”
Sara smiled, although she knew it was filled with sadness and not happiness. “Even angry, he was better than my dreams, Chloe. And not just because he was impossibly handsome. It was the whole package. So tall and muscular—but not bulky. Lean, like a runner. His eyes are mesmerizing and so expressive. Which wasn’t necessarily a good thing yesterday when I could so easily see how angry, hurt, and disappointed he was with me. Oh, and dear Lord, he smelled delicious. I wanted to keep my face buried against him and never let go.”
Chloe leaned forward eagerly. “Wait, you were in his arms? You should have led with that. How did it happen?”
Sara sighed. “I started crying, and he held me for a moment. It felt so good—so right somehow. As if we’d embraced like that countless times before. You know how awkward it usually is when someone touches you for the first time? Well, he didn’t seem like a stranger. That must sound insane.”
Chloe shook her head. “Not at all. I’ve had that reaction to people. It’s rare, but it happens. And when it does, it’s amazing, that connection.”
“He meant what he said,” Sara said dejectedly. “He’s ended contact with me. He might have read my text, but that’s as far as it’ll go. He’ll probably change his number or block me. He was very clear. We learned a lot about each other while he was deployed, and when he sets his mind to something, he sees it through. I just never thought that focus would be turned on me—in a negative way. And so quickly. It was as if I was given only one chance and in his eyes, I failed, and therefore he’s done.”
“But didn’t you say he told you that the ball was in your court?” When Sara nodded, she said, “That implies that he hasn’t entirely written you off yet. Let me see if I have this right: If you take the flight he booked for you, then he’ll give you another chance?”
“I—guess so,” Sara mumbled. “I mean, he said he’d done his part, and if I wanted to give it a go, then I’d be on that plane.”