“It’s my heart to break, Sara. I want it all, the whole package—the rapid pulse, the swoony kisses, the feeling that you know when he’s in the room because your whole body reacts to his presence. That’s how I feel around Rafe.”
Sara disguised her horror because Kaitlyn looked so…passionate. “Are you going to tell him?”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do. Because right now we are friends. We hang out sometimes.”
“I heard you’ve been to Nonna’s for dinner.”
“A couple of times. Her lasagna is amazing.” She rubbed her stomach. “One day, your brother is going to wake up and discover he’s in love with me too. I just know it.”
Kaitlyn got up from the table before Sara could roll her eyes. “Where are you going?” Sara asked, holding back her panic.
“I have leftover muffins for Rafe to bring to the guys at the station.”
“No. Do not give my brother your muffins!”
“He can have my muffins if he wants them.”
Oh God, were they really talking about muffins? “You’re too kind and generous. He will stomp all over your muffins and break your heart, because that’s what Rafe does, without even knowing it.”
“Someone’s going to get through to him, Sara. Maybe it could be me.”
“I just care about you. I want you to be happy.”
“And I appreciate it. Not to change the subject, but…Gabby and I want you to be happy too. So we’ve, um…found you a date.”
“No, Kaitlyn.” This was going from bad to worse. “I’m not ready yet.”
“You said yourself you’re sick of everyone talking about last year. People will forget all about it if you get back on the horse. Besides, the guy is a doctor, and he’s cute. My aunt Millie tried to set him up with me, but he’s not my type.”
“Of course not. Because you think Rafe is your type.”
Kaitlyn shrugged. Then she looked up, a huge grin spreading across her face. Sara turned around to see that Rafe had entered through the back way, carrying a big pizza box. Geez, she had it bad.
“I haven’t been on a first date for thirteen years,” Sara mumbled, mostly to herself because Kaitlyn was so preoccupied.
Kaitlyn tore her gaze from Rafe long enough to flash Sara a smile. “Well, that’s going to change on Friday. And Gabby and I are going to help you.”
Chapter 7
The next Friday night, Sara walked into Lou’s Pizza only to find Hannah working the hostess stand. She hadn’t been to Lou’s in ages, but it felt the same—crowded red booths with people talking and laughing, black-and-white photos all over the walls of Lou’s family making pizzas in Italy in the very old days, and the smell of the best pizza this side of Cleveland. The smack of pool balls resonated from the pool and Ping-Pong tables in the back, where the teenagers usually hung out. Not the most romantic place to meet a blind date, but definitely a popular one.
“Hi, sweetie,” Sara said, giving Hannah a hug. “You look pretty tonight.” Since their grandmothers were friends, she’d known Hannah since she was a baby. And she’d been Hannah’s counselor at the local day camp during her summers in college. Hannah had been one of her favorite campers, notwithstanding the fact that Colton was her brother.
“Hi, Sara,” Hannah said, pulling out a menu from behind a wooden stand. “Your sister and Kaitlyn are already here.”
Sara scanned the restaurant until she caught sight of Gabby and Kaitlyn sitting together in a booth near the windows.
Hannah looked her over, no doubt noticing that she was dressed up and had makeup on. “You look really nice. Do you have a date?”
“Actually yeah, I do.” She held out her hands. “I even got my nails done.” Gabby’s idea. It had taken a whole hour, but it had been kind of fun. Sara fingered a blue stone Hannah wore on a leather cord around her neck. “Cute.”
“I made it in a jewelry-making class at the community center. Want me to make you one? Better yet, you should come to class with me. It’s on Monday nights.”
Sara tried hard to imagine herself taking a Monday night off to make jewelry. Yet this was her new life, and she was determined to make an effort to do normal things, for Nonna’s sake and, tonight, thanks to Gabby, for her own sake. Hence the blind date. And the nails. And the fact that she was wearing Gabby’s top. It was part of the new Sara. Open to new experiences, not working all the time. Moving on from Tagg, which in this town was a feat, as her patients mentioned her breakup multiple times a day. “That sounds like fun,” Sara said.
Hannah seemed to genuinely brighten at that. She had the same striking eyes as Colton, only hers were hazel, not blue. Dark-brown hair like his too, but hers was straight and shiny and pulled back in a ponytail. “Hey, congrats on OSU,” Sara said. “Is your summer going OK?”
“It would be better if my brother didn’t hang out here.” She gestured toward the back. “He’s lurking over there.”
Oh no. Colton was here? Sure enough, there he was in the back, holding a pool cue and leaning his long frame against the wall, talking to a couple of guys she hadn’t seen since high school. As Hannah led her to the table, she made certain not to look in his direction, focusing on not tripping in her high-heeled sandals (also Gabby’s).
“I don’t think this is a good place to meet a date,” Sara said to Gabby and Kaitlyn as she sat down. “Too noisy,” she added, nodding toward the back. And too close to Colton.
“Wow,” Kaitlyn said. “Is that you?”
“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence,” Sara said.
“No, I mean—wow. You look different. Kind of…hot.” Easy for Kaitlyn to say. She was blonde and blue-eyed, with a sweet smile and all kinds of guys drooling at her feet.
“OK, that’s it. I’m leaving,” Sara said, moving to escape the booth.
“Don’t let the fact that Colton’s here bother you,” Gabby said, reaching out to pull her back. “Besides, you said he was really good about everything last Sunday when Nonna got lost.”
“Yes, he was. Like a normal compassionate human.” She knew she wasn’t exactly being fair. He’d seemed genuinely concerned and…kind.
“You’re just meeting Ken here for a drink,” Kaitlyn said. “He’s a nice guy, a microbiologist, and really smart, according to my aunt Millie.” Yes, it had taken Kaitlyn’s aunt Millie, a medical technologist, to find her a date in this town. That should’ve said it all. “Then you’re going to a nice restaurant.”
Sara rolled her eyes. “I’m really grateful to you both for setting this up and supporting me, but I don’t need date coaching. I’m thirty years old!” They’d insisted she meet them here so they could help her relax before her date.
“You’ve been with the same guy for a hundred years,” Gabby said. “Trust me, you need date coaching.”
Why had she agreed to this? The sound of pool balls breaking made her turn. Colton had just made a shot and happened to glance up at the same time she happened to be looking at him. He did a double take. Oh God. She looked quickly away and nervously pulled up the halter part of her blouse. It was cute, but her boobs just didn’t fill it out like Gabby’s.
“Stop fidgeting,” Gabby said. “Your boobs look great.”
Sara took a sip of Gabby’s drink. What was he even doing here on a Friday night? Shouldn’t he be out revolving some poor unsuspecting female? Oh, why hadn’t she insisted on meeting her date anywhere but in Angel Falls?
“You’re out of practice,” Gabby said. “We just want to go over a few things.” She pulled out a list.
“You have a list?” How pathetic was she?
“Yes. First, you look very nice.” She was wearing the outfit Gabby had told her to wear, a black V-neck sleeveless top that had a halter back and showed some skin and a little black skirt and heels.
“You look terrific,” Kaitlyn said. “Girly.”
She didn’t want to look girly. She wanted to be curled up with a good book on Nonna’s couch in her flannel pj’s.
> “We should be fixing you up, Kaitlyn,” Sara said. If only to get Kaitlyn’s mind off Rafe.
“Don’t try to distract us,” Gabby said. “Rule number one. Don’t talk about work.”
Sara frowned. “This guy is a doctor too, right? Maybe he won’t mind that.”
“Don’t do it,” Kaitlyn said. “Show him you’ve got other interests.” She paused. “You do have interests outside of work, don’t you?”
Sara swallowed hard. She used to—but lately? Hmmm.
“What shows have you binge watched lately?” Gabby asked.
“Seen any movies?” Kaitlyn asked.
“What’s the last book you’ve read?”
“Volunteer work. Done any of that?”
Sara bit down on her lip. “Um, I’ve been busy?” she said.
Her friends stared at her.
“All right, I haven’t been that busy. I guess I mostly did what Tagg wanted. And this past year…was hard. I was a little off balance.” She had managed to watch all ten seasons of Friends. Did that count?
“OK,” Gabby said. “You’re going to have to make some stuff up until you get a life.”
“At least she got her nails done today,” Kaitlyn said. “That’s a start.”
Sara looked at her nails. They were a shiny dark maroon. She had to admit they were pretty. “Look, you guys,” she said. “I just want you to know how much I appreciate this. I really want to start over with a fresh slate. Give people other things to talk about than my sad past, you know what I mean?”
“That’s exactly what we’re going to help you to do. Don’t forget to sit up straight. Good posture. Think sexy.” Gabby rattled off more items from her list.
Sara missed her comfy scrubs and beloved Danskos. She was worried that her skirt was too short and her heels were a little on the slutty side. But when Gabby telegraphed her the evil eye, she threw her shoulders back and sat up straight just to get her off her case.
“The important thing is to be relaxed. And show him you’ve got a great sense of humor,” Kaitlyn said. “Don’t forget to smile. And let’s order you a glass of wine while you’re waiting. We’ll celebrate your making it through your first week.” Kaitlyn signaled the waiter while Sara racked her brain to think of a humorous anecdote she could relay in a relaxed, smiling way.
The last funny thing had happened today in the office when her father got down on the floor of the waiting room to read a story to a toddler while his mom was with Sara for her annual gynecologic exam. Sara walked past the waiting room to see her dad and the toddler eating cookies and leafing through a picture book. Her dad was unconventional and sometimes old-fashioned, but he was a great doctor. But that didn’t seem like the kind of story that would exactly have a new date rolling on the floor.
Oh God, she was out of practice and in trouble. Panic welled up to lodge in her throat. Her hands felt cold and clammy. She choked down a few sips of wine. Not much help. She hadn’t had a new boyfriend since she was eighteen. That was almost thirteen years ago! She didn’t even remember what to say on a first date—the last time it had been things like “Algebra sucks” and “I hope I pass my driver’s test.”
Gabby glanced at her watch. “Rachel’s picking Nonna up from the senior center, so I’ve got to go. I’ve got Nonna covered tonight. Just have fun. Let loose a little. Everything will be fine.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Kaitlyn said, squeezing Sara’s arm.
Gabby kissed her cheek. “See ya later,” she said with a wink.
OK, there was no reason to panic. Sara fiddled with the stem of her wineglass. It was just a date. She could handle it. And she would get herself a life. Her friends were right, she spent too much time working. Now that she was out of residency, she’d have time to do the things she used to enjoy. Funny she couldn’t quite remember what those were. When she was dating Tagg, they used to see artsy films, go to lacrosse games, have dinner at expensive restaurants. She’d gone along with what he wanted. Where had she lost herself in the process?
She must’ve been deep in thought, because she looked up to suddenly find Colton standing next to her booth. “Hey, Red. What brings you here tonight?” he asked, leaning casually on his pool stick. He took in her sexy black top, her nails, her makeup.
Sara felt a hot blush creep into her cheeks.
“I have a date,” she said.
“Is that right?” The corner of his mouth twitched a little. “Funny, because this restaurant is only rated four stars, not five.”
“I’m sure it’ll be just fine.”
“Well, I’m glad to see you can let your hair down. A bit of advice—just be sure not to scare the guy with a bunch of talk about work. I know you probably think it’s a turn-on, but…not so much.”
He was still needling her, just like back in the day, when he’d teased her mercilessly. What was his deal, anyway? “Colton, why don’t you just go back there and play pool like you’ve been doing every Friday night since high school? Geez.” Apparently the nice cop who’d been kind to her grandmother had left town.
Suddenly a teenager with a crew cut barreled into Colton, wrapping his arms around him. It was Stevie Cox, one of her Down syndrome patients, whom she’d just seen in the office that morning. “Hi, Chief!” he said exuberantly. “Are you ready to play Ping-Pong with us? I’m going to win tonight.” Stevie looked around and saw Sara. Pointing at her, he said, “She’s my doctor. Hi, Dr. Sara.”
Before she could respond, he engulfed her in a Stevie-size hug too. Looking over his shoulders, she saw a group of gangly teenage boys gathering near the pool tables.
“I didn’t know you played Ping-Pong,” she said to Stevie.
“I’m really good at it too. I’m going to beat Chief. Right, Colton?”
“Oh, I don’t know about that, Steve. I feel pretty lucky tonight.” Colton rotated his arm at the shoulder like he was seriously warming it up and smiled.
And that smile. Sincere, not laced with sarcasm—just a simple, honest smile. And you know what? Seeing it wrecked her, down to her toes. It showed the countenance of a decent man. A man capable of spending time hanging out with teenage boys who probably needed a good influence, and it was in sharp contrast to the smart-mouthed wise guy he seemed to reserve only for her.
“The guys are waiting,” Stevie said, pointing a thumb toward the back.
“Why don’t you start warming up?” Colton said. “I’ll be right over.”
“OK. I’ll tell everybody you’re coming.” Stevie turned to Sara before taking off. “Bye, Dr. Sara!”
“Bye, Stevie,” she said. “Have fun.”
“See ya around, Red,” Colton said to Sara, turning to go himself. “Gotta get back to my lame Friday night. Enjoy your date.”
That was it? Before she knew what she was doing, she got up from the booth and followed him a few feet. “Look. I—I’m sorry I made fun of you.” He stopped in his tracks. “But you don’t always have to be so insulting.”
He turned back to her slowly. “How am I insulting?” His stare burned a hole through her.
She swallowed. “You treat me like I’m…a snob. Unable to let loose. Like I’m…frigid. And you seem to thrive on making me think you’re a jerk until I suddenly find out you’re…not. I was wrong about you. Maybe you’re wrong about me too.” Oh, why had she even bothered going after him? What was the point?
His gaze drifted downward, to the hem of her short skirt, to her bare legs and heels, then swept back up to her face. The intensity of the look he shot her made her suck in a quick breath. A memory, jogged into the present, suddenly hit her full force. He’d kissed her once, long ago. Back in college, during the one and only time she and Tagg had broken up.
She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to remember, but the memory surfaced anyway.
Spring of freshman year, they’d shared a ride home from school—he’d driven, and for the first time things had been…different. For one thing, Tagg wasn’t with them, an
d his absence seemed to have unleashed a completely different Colton.
They’d laughed and joked and actually talked for the first time. She’d ended up going with him that evening to his sister’s dance recital, where she’d sat between him and Cookie. It was odd to see him act fun and teasing to Cookie, and be a loving and supportive brother to seven-year-old Hannah. And it was clear by Hannah’s adoring looks that he was the moon and the stars to her.
Sara begged off before the family pictures. She was glad to leave the stuffy auditorium and clear her head of thoughts she shouldn’t be having. With that dark, too-long hair hanging over his collar and falling adorably over his forehead, Colton was handsome in a dangerous way. Too handsome.
Besides, she was still upset over the breakup with Tagg. After over a year of dating, she still hadn’t slept with him. Oh, they’d done plenty of other stuff, but as for sex—real sex—she’d held off. And he was getting upset with her. She didn’t know why she was so hesitant—she loved him. She’d known him a long time. But something held her back. Maybe it was that falling-in-love feeling that she missed, which had faded since the time he’d first noticed her, the first boy who thought she was pretty and appreciated her smarts and ambition.
But those feelings weren’t supposed to last, were they? What was important was the fact that they had similar interests, similar goals and backgrounds. That was the stuff that made for a lasting relationship, right?
But Tagg was getting irritated, frustrated. Looking at other girls. And they’d broken up. Fine, she’d said. Go date someone else.
She’d gotten a quarter of a block away from the high school auditorium when she heard steps beating on the pavement.
“Hey,” Colton said, catching up with her, barely out of breath, “how about some company?”
Her pulse skipped again at the sight of him. Tall, just as recklessly teen-idol handsome, yet…different. Edgier. And very, very appealing.
It was a gorgeous spring evening, unseasonably warm. It had rained earlier, so the smell of rain on top of growing things and spring blossoms was heady and fresh. Tiny pink petals and helicopters from the maple trees were stuck to the pavement as they walked along the old uneven sidewalks. The clouds were clearing, revealing a big yellow three-quarters-full moon, like a big peach with a bite out of it.
Then There Was You Page 8