“You’ve looked at it at least ten times during this movie, and you’re not responding to text messages, so what’s going on?”
When Colette had contacted Sarah from the airport in Denver, she had vaguely mentioned running into an old college friend, but Drew’s name had never come up. She craved advice. “Drew. College Drew. He’s the one I ran into in Denver.”
“Whoa, you spent all that time with hunky Drew? And you didn’t mention it before?” She set the remote on the table beside her. “How was it?”
Colette slumped further into her comfy chair. “So good. Better than I remembered from college; better than any relationship I’ve ever had. Of course, it was like a day, not really long enough to know anything, but still.”
“What’s he up to?”
Starting at the beginning of their encounter, Colette filled her sister in on the salient details of her time at the airport and about Drew’s life.
“So, you two swapped phone numbers, and what’s going to happen now?”
Their kiss before she’d left should have answered that question, but there were still a lot of questions. Distance and busy, fairly rigid schedules were not their friends. Even if they ended up making it work and decided they needed to live closer, who would move? Would he be willing to move to Crystal Creek so they could really get serious, or would she have to quit her job and move closer to him? “I don’t know what’s going to happen next. We decided to take some time to get to know each other. Wichita is pretty far away.”
“I always thought you should have chosen him instead of the jerk.” Sarah had never been reticent about her feelings for Nick.
Colette smiled, though it wasn’t really funny. “I wish I had figured that out a lot sooner.”
“So is Drew going to call you?”
“We have a date Saturday, but I hoped he’d find time to text me this evening. He’s probably busy with the wedding stuff.”
Colette leaned back in her seat and looked at Sarah. She was pale and tired easily these days, and it was probably past her bedtime, but she hadn’t said anything about needing to turn in. “So what’s your plan?”
“We’ll date, we’ll call and message and see where things go. I really want things to work.”
“It probably wouldn’t hurt to figure out if leaving your job would be a deal breaker— if your relationship reaches that point. Knowing your deal breakers up front can help you both figure out what you can work around, and what you can’t.”
That was a good idea. “I knew you were the wise sister.”
“Being married can be really fantastic, but it can also be really hard. If you know what you can and can’t live with, it will make it easier to work out the rest.”
Colette was tempted to say that there were no deal breakers, because spending time with Drew had been great. But until she gave herself a little time to breathe and figure out how she really felt when the first flush of love wasn’t tainting every thought, she wouldn’t be able to make a real evaluation. Maybe a little distance wouldn’t be a horrible thing after all.
Chapter Eight
Drew: Happy V-day. How was your movie and junk food at Sarah’s?
Colette: It was fun, and thought provoking. She told me to think about my deal-breakers and what would stop this relationship from being viable. I’ve never thought about it that way before.
Drew: She’s a wise woman.
He hadn’t been thinking about it that way, either. In addition to her figuring out what she wanted, it would probably be good for him to do the same. What would he not be willing to give up to be with her? His brain was fuzzy from lack of sleep the past few days. He had left the wedding reception early, with Keith’s blessing, to return to his hotel room. The party had been great, and he’d enjoyed seeing cousins and friends who had made the long trip into Portland, but he had reached the end of his reserves.
Colette: It seems odd to me that I could spend so little time with you— just a weekend— and miss you anyway, but I do.
Drew: Me too. Everything I used to feel seemed to flood back when I saw you.
Colette: Same here. I could chat for hours, but you’re probably exhausted.
Drew: Unfortunately, yes. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. My eyes are already drifting closed.
Colette: Sweet dreams!
Drew: You too.
He ended the texts, already thinking about talking to her in the morning.
Chapter Nine
“Great work, Colette.” Colette’s boss stopped her Wednesday on the way out of the day’s training. She had ten students from across the country in town for the week, learning about the company’s software.
“Thanks, Bob.” It had been a long few days. She’d been able to stay on task at work, but during breaks and every evening, she had been thinking about Drew, IMing him, chatting with him on the phone or via text. She thought about their time together, a possible future, and what she really wanted. She couldn’t wait until Saturday, when she’d have another chance to see him.
Then they would have to figure out how the heck to make a relationship work.
“I’ve been talking about you to the higher ups,” Bob continued. “There’s an opening in the Chicago office. More travel overseas, higher pay, and more room for advancement.”
It was what she had been working for only a week earlier, but looking at it now, she wasn’t sure she wanted it anymore. Well, part of her wanted it, but the rest of her… not if it meant that she couldn’t have Drew. “That’s great. Thanks for letting me know.”
Sarah referred to it as realizing what her deal breakers were, but the only thing Colette could think was that if she took the promotion she wouldn’t be able to see Drew— pretty much ever— and she wasn’t ready to make that decision yet.
Colette made some polite social talk with her boss, then set things up for the next day’s class— it was a four-day training, so she could cut out of the office early Friday to go see Drew.
Chapter Ten
Drew told his lacrosse team to clean up and hit the showers. It had been a crazy few days of tryouts, but he had his team picked out and would send the emails notifying the girls after he got home that night. Then he could put it all aside to focus on his Saturday date with Colette.
Jason, his assistant coach caught his eye and nodded toward the door. “Anyone you know? She’s definitely too young to be one of their moms.”
He turned to find Colette at the door to the gym. She was half in, half out of the room, as though she wasn’t sure if she would be welcome. “Yeah, I know her. Talk to you later.” She was almost a whole day early— and in the wrong city— did that mean she had decided to let him down in person?
Colette started to speak before he reached her. “I know I changed our plans, but I hit my forty hours for the week at noon, so I cut out early to come down. I know you probably have things going on, but I hoped we could grab dinner together. And if you intended a quiet evening with your lesson plans, there’s no reason we can't work in the same room. I have lesson plans to make, too.” She bit her lip, as though nervous he would turn her away.
He was only partially relieved. He had been saving up his nerves for seeing her the next day, so they all seemed to attack him at once. “I’d love that. Come see my room. I need to pick up a couple things from my desk anyway.” He held out a hand to her, and she slid hers into it. Utter perfection.
Drew asked about her class that week and how Sarah was doing as he turned through the empty halls to his classroom. He unlocked the door and ushered her in. “This is my other domain.”
Colette stepped into the classroom, looking around her at the equipment in the adjacent lab and the huge poster of the periodic table of elements. “You’re really a chemistry teacher.” She said this as if she hadn’t believed it before.
“Yeah. Did you think I was making that up?”
“No, it just seems odd, even though I know it shouldn’t. You always did want to be a teacher. You’re prob
ably great at it.” Colette walked over, her no-nonsense, navy blue business suit ending in a skirt that fell an inch or two above her knees.
Her legs were something he hadn’t seen the previous weekend thanks to her long pants. She had great legs— always had. He tore his gaze away and focused again on her face, the curiosity playing over her features. Though he hadn’t expected her, and did have things to work on, he was really glad to see her. “I didn’t realize I was so irresistible that you’d have to drive down a day early to see me.”
She grinned. “Well, you are. I figured if you were busy, I’d spend a little time driving around the city to get a feel for it, to decide how I would feel about being here a lot more if things go well for us.”
“Oh?” He set his clipboard on the desk and crossed to her, sliding his hands onto her waist. “I really hope you start spending a lot more time here.”
Colette brushed her hands along his arms and up to his shoulders. “I’ve been thinking this over all week, considering my deal breakers, and what I didn’t think I could live with before, but know now that I can. I told you about Sarah’s cancer.”
“Yes.”
“Well, she needs me now. A lot.”
“Right, of course.” But that wouldn’t last forever, right? “So you need to stay in Crystal Creek.”
“No, wait.” She set a hand on his arm when he turned away, drawing his attention back to herself. “You and I talked about figuring out our deal breakers. For the next little while, I need to be there for her. That doesn’t mean that we can’t date, but it does means that her needs are going to have to be considered if we decide we need to move this relationship into a single city anytime soon, instead of us living hours apart. I know you have work here, and I’m not sure what my boss will say if I ask to work from here instead of Kansas City. But I might have to change jobs.”
“Is that also a deal breaker?” Drew studied her face while his insides tossed and turned with each sentence. He had thought about moving to the Kansas City area. Seeing her again, he knew he would do it if she wanted him to.
“Nope. It’s the funniest thing, because I thought I would have a long list of things I wanted, that I needed if we were going to make this work. But I realized last night that I really don’t. Other than being near Sarah for as long as she needs me, I’m all open to explore this. Whatever this is between us, even if it eventually means changing careers. How about you?”
Drew smiled, peace settling inside him. He brushed a lock of hair back from her cheek. How did she get such soft skin? He ran his thumb over her bottom lip— he had once obsessed over this mouth. He thought it would be very easy to start obsessing again. “Colette, when it comes to being with you, there are no deal breakers for me. If you want me to move, I can do it. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do or change to grab another chance of having you be mine.” He nuzzled her cheek, before finding her mouth with his.
Rockets went off.
Or maybe that was something in his lab. He’d check that later.
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Heather Tullis has been reading romance for as long as she can remember and has been publishing in the genre since 2009. She has written more than two dozen books. When she’s not dreaming up new stories to write, or helping out with her community garden, she enjoys playing with her dogs and cat, cake decorating, trying new jewelry designs, and hanging out with her husband.
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Chapter One
Hey, Helen!
My landlord says that I shouldn’t be grilling chicken in the hallway, something about a “fire hazard.” What do you think? — Chicken Chet
Was this truly what passed for advice-column questions these days? Helen Blakely had been in the syndicated column business for three years, and she’d spent more time rolling her eyes than answering inquiries.
She zipped up her hoodie against the late January breeze— working at the table on her balcony in the dead of winter without freezing to death was one of the joys of living in Arizona— and typed a reply.
Hey, Chicken Chet, What do I think? I think you should have the fire department on speed dial.
She hit the backspace key until the reply disappeared one letter at a time. The question would not be featured in this week’s “Hey, Helen!” column, no matter how tempted she was to answer it. She opened the next email in her inbox.
Hey, Helen!
The lady in the next cubicle wears the same perfume as my ex-wife. How do I ask her to stop wearing it without sounding demanding? — Getting a Noseful
Hey, Noseful, You can’t avoid sounding demanding while actually being demanding. Stop it.
Again, the backspace got a workout. Helen wasn’t usually this snarky, but she’d had a long day. First, the comments section for her last column had turned into a bloodbath, and she, like an idiot, had actually read the carnage. Then, her computer had decided to install an update in the middle of the day, locking her out for over an hour. When she had finally logged back on, the ad bar on her browser had been filled with click-bait links to articles she knew were getting more hits than hers. And, to top it all off, Valentine’s Day was just around the corner.
She was not a fan of Valentine’s Day. Her objections weren’t the usual garden-variety, “It’s too much pressure to have someone in your life,” or, “Why is there no day celebrating being single?” objections. She simply thought it was ridiculous to guilt trip people into buying things to prove how much they loved their special someone, and then jack up the prices on the exact things required as evidence of devotion on that one day a year.
Yet for a full month before every February 14th, Valentine's Day dilemmas and drama consumed her inbox. Add to that the fact that her Valentine’s Day themed columns got more traction than any of the others, and she couldn’t get out of writing about it, though she had originally kept it to just one of her weekly columns. Last year she had made the mistake of answering Valentine’s Day specific questions for the two weeks leading up to the holiday. Both posts had gone viral. This year, the papers that carried her column wanted three weeks of Valentine’s content. Three.
What she wouldn’t give to chew out Chicken Chet instead. But he didn’t have bills to pay; at least not her bills. For the next few weeks, making a living meant focusing on the emails about the one day a year when the depth of a person’s feelings could be proven beyond a doubt.
She opened one with the subject “Valentine’s Day dilemma” and hoped for the best.
Hey, Helen!
I am training for a marathon. I run every morning and every night. The marathon is really important to me. My girlfriend is supportive and encourages me. Except, she says I have to skip my nightly run on Valentine’s Day. I told her I can just run after we get back from whatever we end up doing, and she got mad. Am I so wrong to think that my goals shouldn’t have to come in second to Valentine’s Day? — Love on the Run
She could make that one work for the column. “V-Day junk” sat just below that one in her inbox.
Hey, Helen!
Every year for Valentine’s Day I go all out, but my wife is always disappointed. This year, should I add one of those cards that plays music to the cheese and sausage gift basket? Women like that junk, right? — Cheese Louie
Cheese Louie? The guy was going to have to come up with a different fake name, but his question was right on target. She just needed one more.
Neil, who lived next door and shared a divided balcony with her, looked up from his textbook. “How’s the column coming?”
“Better than studying for an accounting final.”
“Hey, don’t talk smack about accelerated depreciation.”
Helen eyed the next email in the queue. “What do you think of ‘Valentine’s Day Fruit Basket’? Does that sound promising?”
“Are you sh
opping or reading submissions?”
She opened the email. “I am not buying myself a fruit basket for Valentine’s Day.”
“Fair enough.” He closed his book and settled his attention on her. “What does ‘Fruit Basket’ have to say?”
Neil had been a lifeline the past year. He joked with her over the more ridiculous questions she received. He offered insights when she wasn’t completely sure how to answer some of the things she was asked. They often ordered pizza and hung out while she worked to make her deadlines and he studied for tests and did assignments.
Hey, Helen! I asked my girlfriend if she wanted a fruit basket for Valentine’s Day. She said she didn’t need a fruit basket, she already had one. Then she threw me out. So, fruit basket? Yes or no? — Not a Fruit Basket
Helen rubbed at her face. “Surely some of these questions answer themselves.”
“Then that’s a no on the fruit basket?” Neil asked.
She eyed him doubtfully. “You sent the email?”
“No.” He pulled a face that was confident to a ridiculous extreme. “I am an expert at Valentine’s gift giving. Beef jerky, for example, is always a safe choice.”
“I think Cheese Louie would agree with you.” She closed her laptop. “Seriously, do these people think I’m a personal shopper?”
“Who is Cheese Louie?”
A personal shopper? That idea actually had merit. “That could make a good column, I think.”
“Cheese Louie?”
“Rather than go through all of these emails, since I know most of them are questions about gifts on Valentine’s Day, I could just do a ‘Hey, Helen! Guide to Valentine’s Day Gift Giving.’ It’s the right balance of click-bait and actually helpful advice for it to get some traction without me having to sell my soul to the page-view gods.”
Valentine's Day Collection (A Timeless Romance Anthology Book 19) Page 24