I couldn’t move Parker. Being in a familiar school with teachers he knew was important to a kid who had lost his dad. The VA counselor had stressed that upending him would only cause more trauma. More trauma. As in, he was already experiencing trauma—which made me feel like a horrible mother.
The VA counselor had said feelings of inadequacy as a newly single parent were normal. As was the anger I felt at him for pointing that out.
“I may have an option,” Lilly said slowly.
My eyes widened as I stared at her. “Don’t hold out on me—spill,” I said as I grabbed her upper arms.
Lilly laughed and raised her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. I heard that a neighbor is looking to rent the apartment over their garage. I think it’s still available.”
I sighed as I folded my arms and leaned against the counter. “Great. In your neighborhood? There’s no way I can afford that.”
Sure, when Adam died, I got his insurance money, but I’d put most of it away for Parker’s college fund and was frugally living off the rest. I needed to stretch that money out for as long as I could until I had that nursing degree firmly in my grasp.
“I think they’re motivated. Gran told me five hundred a month?”
I almost choked on my spit. “What? Are you serious?” I grabbed ahold of her shoulders so that she had to look at me. “Sold. Get me the number so I can move in tonight.”
Lilly nodded as she saluted me. “Done. I’ll text her right now.”
I ran out the two orders that came up and then jogged back to the computer to print out the check for my third table. The bussers were on it tonight, and I’d have another table set in less than five minutes. Bella e Buona was a trendy place—more upscale than Olive Garden and semi-exclusive. Our private dining rooms often catered to wealthy and famous people who wanted to order off-menu. They paid the price and didn’t seem to mind the expense, while our larger dining room hosted couples out for a date and even family gatherings.
I kept attempting to meet Lilly’s gaze, but every time I caught her eye, she just shook her head. Picky table’s order was up, so I braced myself for our encounter. I grabbed their dishes and headed out to the dining room to drop them off using my waitress smile and good humor. As I set her salad down, I noticed the chef hadn’t halved the amount of cheese. I was about to apologize when she grabbed both sides of the plate and grinned. “This looks perfect.”
“Great.” I topped off their glasses with the pitcher on my tray and then headed back to the kitchen.
A sound from a nearby table made me stop dead in my tracks.
I knew that laugh.
I turned my head to find the whole McKnight family grinning and chatting.
The football stars, Jaxson and Liam, were in town, causing the family to sit elbow to elbow. But it wasn’t the celebrities that had me mentally stumbling. It was Mason. Adam’s best friend. His brother at arms. The man who had eyes like the sky, open and telling.
I glanced quickly away, turning to ask the table nearest me if they wanted their waters topped off. They looked confused for a moment as I wasn’t their server, but they nodded.
I felt Mason’s gaze on me, but I didn’t look up. Instead, I tucked my hair behind my ear and scurried past. My entire body heated from his presence and his gaze.
Mason and Adam had been best friends since high school. Mason was always the quiet, brooding one while Adam was the charismatic, best-friends-with-anyone kind of guy. After graduation, they’d enlisted together.
I kept my distance from Mason just like I kept my distance from the military. Especially since Mason was honorably discharged after the incident. I’d gotten bits and pieces of what happened, and even though it felt like a hazy attempt at an explanation, the one thing I knew was Mason had something to do with Adam’s death. And from the way Mason avoided me, I’d determined it wasn’t something good.
I disappeared into the safety of the kitchen to find Lilly pacing in front of the soda machine. She was tapping her phone in the palm of her hand as she walked. I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and turned to face her.
“Get the number?”
Lilly nodded. Then she paused. “Are you sure?”
I furrowed my brow as I pulled out my phone and readied my fingers over the screen. “Of course I’m sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Lilly hesitated and then sighed. “You’re right. It’s just a place to live. It’s not like you’re getting married.”
Confused about her weird response, I straightened to ask her what she meant. Before I could get the words out, she started to rattle off the number. My fingers flew across the screen as I typed it in. Then I composed a short and to the point text stating that I would like to rent the apartment and I could move in ASAP.
After I sent it, I held my breath as I waited for a reply.
It came a few seconds later.
Landlord: I’m sorry, who is this?
Me: Sadie Miller. My son Parker and I would like to rent your apartment.
I chewed my lip as I waited for a response.
Landlord: And you want to move in tomorrow?
Why were they asking so many questions? I had been very specific in my first text.
Me: Yes. If that is okay.
Seconds ticked by which felt like hours. Finally my phone dinged. I hurriedly glanced down, and relief flooded my body as I read the message.
Landlord: Sure. I guess that’s okay.
I squealed as I jumped up and down and then threw my arms around Lilly. “They said yes!”
“Yay!” she responded, jumping up and down along with me.
Mikey, the sous chef, rounded the corner and shushed us. We weren’t supposed to be heard out in the dining room.
Lilly and I apologized as we broke apart. I felt so light, having solved a problem in such a short amount of time. As a single mom, everything seemed to weigh me down, and I wasn’t going to lie, I struggled. So the fact that I’d gone from homeless to having an apartment in under an hour was a miracle.
I laughed. When Lilly glanced over at me, I gave her a wide grin. “I think I was wrong.”
She furrowed her brow.
“When I said fate hated me. I think that this”—I shook my phone in her direction for emphasis—“is proof that my luck just might be turning around.”
Lilly wandered over to the window and grabbed the tray of food that had just been called. She slipped it onto her shoulder and walked by, pausing next to me. “Well, see the place before you decide.”
I nodded as I watched her push through the doors. Just as they began to close, I caught a glimpse of Mason. He sat next to Liam with his arms folded and his eyebrows drawn together.
A sense of satisfaction surged through me as I straightened and began to fill water glasses for a table that had just been seated in my area.
One thing was for sure, fate may be smiling on me now, but I couldn’t say the same for Mason. And I was okay with that.
I was moving on, no matter what. I was going to be better for myself and for Parker.
This was the start of the rest of my life.
Chapter 2
Mason
I paced in front of my garage.
Sadie Miller.
The very name left me speechless and made my head feel light. I scrubbed my face, trying to determine if I was crazy for allowing her to move in above the garage.