I stared at him as what he was saying sank in. Maybe I had been too rash. I remembered the look on Robert’s face when he took back the ring. The heartbreak on his face couldn’t be faked. In fact, nothing about our relationship since he came back into my life was fake. He had been urging me from the start to give him a real chance, and I always had one foot out the door, sure that it wouldn’t work between us. Was that what I had just done? Had I found a reason to push him away just so I didn’t have to take the risk?
I ran forward and pressed my lips to Carter’s, then pulled back and smiled. “Thank you.”
He shrugged, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, it’s what I do.”
“You’re a good man, Carter Roy.”
He smirked. “It’s Corduroy.”
I raced over to the office and grinned when I saw Eric leaning against his desk with an angry expression.
“I’m late, I know, but I can’t stay.”
“What? Anna, that makes no sense.”
“I’m sorry, but I have to go get your brother back.”
His brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m saying that I quit.”
“What?” he practically shouted. “You can’t just quit!”
“Watch me.”
I turned to leave, but he grabbed my arm and stopped me. “I’ll buy you donuts every day. I’ll even buy one of those fancy coffee makers for the office.”
“Eric, this has nothing to do with you. I love working here, but I have to get Robert back, and he’s in the city.”
“No, he’s not, Anna.”
“Yes, he is. That’s where he lives. I’m going to go get him back. I ran away from him once, but I won’t do it again.”
“Anna,” he said sadly. “I mean, he’s not there anymore. He called this morning and said that he was selling his apartment.”
My mouth dropped open. “What do you mean? Why would he do that?”
He sighed heavily. “Why do you think? Anna, he really loves you, and without you, he just…he’s moving on.”
I shook my head. I couldn’t believe it. Robert was leaving? “Did he say where he was going?”
Eric shook his head slowly. “I’m sorry.”
“I have to catch him. If he’s selling his apartment, he could still be there. I just have to catch him.”
I raced for the door, ignoring Eric yelling at me to stop. All that mattered was getting to Robert before he walked out of my life forever. I just had to explain to him that this was all a mistake, that we could work this out. I knew we could.
I dialed his number as I drove to the city, but he didn’t answer, no matter how many times I called. Why wasn’t he answering my calls? If he really loved me, he would answer my damn calls!
I drove as fast as I could to the city, parking illegally outside his apartment building because I couldn’t find any parking spots. The doorman yelled at me as I raced through the building. It didn’t matter if they arrested me right now. I had to get to him. I slid into the elevator as the doors were about to close and waved at the doorman running my way. I hit the button for the forty-third floor and begged the doors to close before the doorman could stop me and have me hauled off by the police.
When the doors opened on the top floor, I ran to his door and pounded my fist against the door. “Robert! It’s Anna, let me in!”
Silence.
I pounded harder, sure that he was in there. Maybe he was taking a shower and couldn’t hear me. Maybe he had his earbuds in or was sleeping. “Robert, I’m not leaving until you answer this door!”
The door swung open, but it was a woman in a skirt suit that answered the door. “Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for Robert.”
“He’s not here. He listed the apartment this morning, and he had already moved all his things out so we could stage the apartment.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know, but even if I did, I couldn’t tell a random person.”
“I’m not a random person. I’m his babka!”
“I’m sorry, what?”
I sighed in frustration. “It’s like a latte and babka. They go together. He’s the latte and I’m the babka!”
“Be that as it may, he’s not here and I don’t know where he is. You’ll have to find your latte elsewhere.”
“He had to have left you a way to contact him,” I pleaded.
“He did, but I can’t pass that along to you,” she said, looking over her shoulder into the apartment.
“Is he…he’s in there, isn’t he? Please, this is my last chance. I can’t let him go without telling him how much I love him and want to be with him.”
“I’m sorry-“
“You don’t understand,” I said, raising my voice, hoping he could hear me in the apartment. “We were high school sweethearts and then we were torn apart for thirteen years! We found our way back to each other, but I was too stupid to see that it didn’t matter what our differences were. We belonged together. We still belong together,” I shouted. “I just need to apologize for not seeing that, for not knowing what he knew all along, that we were meant to be together. Please! I know he’s in there.”
“He’s not in there,” she said, trying to get me to calm down.
“Please, do you think I’m stupid? He’s in there and you’re protecting him from me. Just let me in there! Just let me see him.”
I shoved past her, slamming her against the door as I ran into the apartment. I ran through the empty kitchen and checked all the rooms leading up to his bathroom. The door was shut and I took a deep breath, knowing this was my last shot to make things right between us. I swung the door open and stopped in my tracks. There in front of me was a man, but it wasn’t Robert. He was dressed in a plumber’s outfit and he was doing something with the pipes.
“Can I help you?”
Shaking my head, I slowly backed out of the bathroom. He was really gone. He wasn’t here hiding from me. I made my way back out to the living room where the woman stood.
“I’m really sorry about that.”
She pursed her lips. “I told you he wasn’t here. You really need to go now. I have a showing in an hour, and I still have to do some finishing touches.”
I nodded and walked out of the building completely defeated. I had missed him and I had no idea where he was going. Eric hadn’t known either. I only had myself to blame. If only I hadn’t pushed him away. I hurt him, and now he was running from me.
Robert
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Eric asked.
“I have to,” I said as I carried my bags into his house. “I promise, this is only for a few days and then I’ll be out of your hair.”
“You know you always have a place here. What if this doesn’t turn out how you want?”
“It will,” I said confidently. “I’ve worked too hard to fail now.”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Anna’s devastated. You should have seen her face when I told her you were selling your apartment.”
“Yeah, well, she ended it. She shouldn’t be surprised.”
“You have to give her some time. This is a lot for her. You were gone from her life for so long, and then you just reappeared and wanted to pick up where things left off. That’s a hard pill to swallow.”
“You know, the one thing I’ve learned after all this time is that you go big or go home.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean sell your home and quit your job. You just made senior partner at your firm. Are you sure you want to give all that up?”
I sat down at his table and took the beer he offered. “You know, it just didn’t mean anything to me anymore. I was at work, looking at all my stuff and I realized that I needed to change. Maybe Anna doesn’t want the man I am, but staying that man isn’t going to make me happy.”
“So, you just walked away.”
I shrugged. “It was an easy decision in the end. It was her or nothing.”
&nb
sp; “And you don’t have her now,” he concluded.
“Look, this isn’t a bad thing. I’m starting a new chapter in my life, one that might actually make me happy. I hadn’t realized how much I hated my life until she walked out of it. I even sold the car.”
“No shit?”
I nodded. “I’m meeting with the guy tomorrow for the transfer of paperwork. I think I might get myself a pickup truck.”
He shook his head, chuckling slightly. “You’re insane. Where the hell is my brother?”
“He’s been missing for a while, but I think I finally found him.”
“Well, I’m glad he’s back. I like this version of you a lot better.”
“You mean without the suits.”
“I hated those fucking suits.”
“And the cell phone.”
He huffed in irritation. “That fucking cell phone needs to be thrown in the lake.”
“Well, you’ll be happy to know that I currently have no cell phone. That was the company phone, so they took it back when I quit.”
He chuckled slightly. “Talk about going off the grid.”
“I know. I feel a little naked without it.”
“Well, we can always have Joe tattoo a cell phone on you.”
“Right,” I chuckled. “No thank you. Besides, he hasn’t been around much. I doubt he would even have time to give me a tattoo.”
“He’s a prospect for a biker gang now. I doubt he’ll have much time for any of us.”
I sighed. “Who knew our little brother would become a tatted biker?”
“If Andrew joins him, I’ll have a fucking heart attack.”
“No biker gang would take Andrew. Not with his purple shirts.”
Eric’s brows furrowed. “You know, I haven’t seen him wearing any lately.” He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “You know, come to think of it, he got his hair cut too.”
“No shit?”
“Yeah, like a normal haircut. Do you think we should be worried?”
“Nah,” I said, shaking my head slightly, but the more I thought about it, the more I wondered. “I’m sure it’s fine.” But Eric didn’t look convinced either.
“Right,” Eric stood, slapping the table. “I’m off to bed. Do me a favor, don’t do anything rash.”
“You know me, always with a plan.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.”
I smirked and watched as he headed upstairs. My life was definitely changing, but I had a good feeling about this. It was about time I struck out on my own. It was actually Anna’s idea to begin with. It only took her walking away for me to have the courage to try.
Anna
You know what sucks even more than not having a boyfriend on New Year’s Eve? Sitting at home alone with no friends to hang out with. Sure, it was only eight o’clock in the morning, but I knew how this day was going to go. I would sit around my empty house and feel sorry for myself. It was what I did almost every year.
My phone rang and I sighed when I saw Eric’s name on the screen. “Are you calling about a job? Because it’s New Year’s Eve.”
“I’m calling to drag you out of the house. I know you’re sitting there in your pajamas.”
I looked down at my flannel pajamas and frowned. “I am not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“So what if I am. It’s my day off.”
“I need you to come ride the float with me for the parade.”
“Ugh, are you serious? Get RJ to do it.”
“RJ is only interested in picking up women. I need you there.”
“You do not. You just don’t want me sitting at home.”
He sighed heavily. “Fine, you got me. Now get off your couch and come help me.”
“You know, I can still throw a donut at you.”
“And I’ll let you, first thing on January second. I’ll even write it in my calendar.”
“Yeah, like you know how to add anything to your calendar.”
“Just be ready in fifteen minutes.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”
“What? Do you have food stuck in your hair?”
I glanced at some hair that had fallen out of my bun and grimaced. No food, but definitely greasy enough to be a cheeseburger.
“Just give me an hour.”
“Fine, one hour.”
I pushed off my couch and marched upstairs to take a shower and get ready. I would go into town and do my part for the parade, and maybe even enjoy myself a little. Just because Robert was gone didn’t mean that I had to stop living my life. If anything, I should take our relationship for what it was, a wakeup call.
I realized something about myself in the month that I had been with Robert. I was a lot stronger than I thought I was, but I also knew myself and what I could tolerate. It just turned out that I lost the one thing I knew I couldn’t tolerate losing. If that made any sense. I had even done it to myself. Note to self, next time you fall for the man of your dreams, don’t wait until you break things off to realize how much you really need him.
When Eric arrived, I was in a better mood than expected. I even smiled at him when I got in his car.
“You’re chipper this morning,” he said suspiciously.
“Not chipper. Just determined not to have a completely shit day.”
“Well, I’m going to need a coffee if I’m going to make it through this parade. Let’s stop by the bakery and grab something.”
“Fine, but you’re buying.”
“I usually do,” he muttered.
“Only when you’ve screwed up. You haven’t done that in a while.”
I smiled at Mary Anne when I walked into the bakery, determined not to freak her out like the last time I had been in here. “Hey, Mary Anne, is the coffee machine working properly?”
“Yep! I got it fixed by the end of the day yesterday. Do you want babka too?”
I thought about it, but maybe I needed a little less babka in my life. “Just the coffee today.”
“You know, since your meltdown yesterday, the whole town has been in to try my babka. I should hire you and the Cortell brothers for advertising. Every time one of you step in here, I get a ton of sales.”
“Well, I’m proud that I could support a local business.”
“Here’s your latte,” she smiled, sliding it across the counter for me.
I grinned and turned, almost dropping my coffee when I saw Robert walking past the coffee shop. I ran for the door, shoving it open and racing down the sidewalk. “Robert!”
He turned, but I was disappointed. He looked an awful lot like Robert, but it wasn’t him. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”
“No problem,” he grinned.
I shook my head, kicking myself for being so stupid. Of course he wasn’t here. He was moving on, probably to someplace like New York. He had been a senior partner after all. He would want to move up in the world.
“Is everything okay?” Eric asked as he walked up beside me.
“Yeah, I just…”
Eric sighed, draping his arm across my shoulder. “I’ve been there. I know how it feels.”
“Yeah, but you got Kat back. Robert’s gone.”
He nodded, then jerked his head. “Let’s get to the float and make sure everything is ready.”
I walked beside him down to the fire station where all the floats were sitting, ready to head out around town. With the chill in the air, I wrapped my scarf tighter around my neck and burrowed as deep as I could. It would suck being on that float today, having all that wind whip at me, but I could do this for Eric. I needed the distraction.
If I closed my eyes, I could still imagine Robert walking up behind me and wrapping his arms around me. Sighing, I took a sip of my latte as we approached the float. It looked good, professional. I wasn’t sure what Eric needed from me, so I walked around the float, checking everything out. I still had a good half hour before the parade started.
Carte
r and Jack were out doing traffic control in preparation for the parade and I waved as Carter grinned at me. Behind him, a sports car zoomed around a corner and my heart almost stopped. It was Robert’s car.
I stood, stuck in place as I watched the car pull into a parking spot. I waited with bated breath for the door to open and for him to step out. What would I say? Should I run over to him? Should I kiss him right away? I was so nervous, I was practically shaking. Without thinking, I started running down the sidewalk, tossing my coffee in a trash can so I didn’t risk spilling it on myself. All I could think about was getting to Robert before he disappeared. I raced out into the street, ignoring Carter yelling at me to stop. Horns blared and tires squealed. I spun just in time to see a car stop just inches from my legs. My heart hammered in my chest as I quickly realized how close I came to being hit by a car.
Carter came running over to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
I nodded shakily. “Yeah, I just…” I glanced over at the car and saw a man I didn’t recognize step out. It wasn’t him. I let out a deep breath and laughed at myself. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“Come on, let’s get you off the street.”
“I’m really sorry. I thought I saw…”
“You thought you saw what?”
“Nothing. It doesn’t matter.”
He waited for me to continue, but when I didn’t, he just nodded. “If you’re sure you’re okay, I’ve got to get back to my spot.”
“Of course. I’m fine. I promise.”
“Just do me a favor. Stick to sidewalks.”
I let out a laugh. “I promise.”
“Good. I’ll see you after the parade.”
I nodded as he took off and went back to the float where Eric was watching me with Eagle eyes. God, I was such a fool, seeing Robert everywhere I went. He was gone and I needed to accept that. I was the one that had pushed him away. I gave Eric a tight smile. He nodded and turned back to the coordinator of the parade and finished going over the details.
“Okay, I’m going to have you on the float with me. Just remember to smile and wave, and when we stop, you’ll be handing out fliers and talking up the business.”
Collateral Damage: A Small Town Romance Page 32