Page 27 of Never In My Wildest Dreams

“Yeah. Exactly.” Although, this time, it had been a big mistake. He never should’ve left the city before talking to Ginty. Christmas or not, his boss wouldn’t let this one go.

Shit. Fuck.

He needed to get into town.

“I get that more than you know. I travel a lot for my job, and every town or city I’m in, I look at real estate. I try to picture myself living there.”

“Have you found a place?”

“Nope. Mostly, I knew there wasn’t an escape from my life. It was just a fantasy.”

That was an odd thing to say. Even someone like Marcus, who ran a global agency with more than three thousand clients, spent time at his cottage on Martha’s Vineyard. Who wouldn’t be able to get away for short breaks here and there? It didn’t make sense, and it made him more curious than ever.

“I don’t know. Maybe I just haven’t found a place that wowed me. In any event, this is the first time I’ve had nothing to do. And it’s been fun. I’ve watched all kinds of tutorials on wreath-making and gardening…flower arranging. I even took French for beginners.”

“Everything except cooking?”

She laughed. “That’s exactly right. Hey, it’s a rental. I didn’t want to burn the place down or buy equipment I’d never use again.”

“And out of all those classes, what did you like doing?”

“Literally nothing.” Again, she laughed, but he could see the frustration in the way her fingers gripped the counter.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, let’s see. I’ve tried writing a book.” She shook her head. “That was a whole lot of staring into space. I’ve learned how to knit.” She tipped her head to the dining room where he noticed a wicker basket filled with yarn.

“Hated that, too, huh?”

“Hatedit. But I’ve binge-watched all the shows people talk about. I’ve read probably a hundred books and?—”

“What kind?”

“Of books?” She smiled, letting him know she liked the question. “Oh, everything under the sun. And that’s another thing. I used to read all the time as a kid, but the busier my life got, the harder it was to concentrate. I can’t tell you how many times I’d pick up a book, but I was so distracted I couldn’t see the words on the page.” She shook her head. “I found success in my career but lost any sense of myself outside of it.”

He could relate. “Three months is a long time to live alone. You’re not bored yet?”

“I’ve been enjoying the solitude. And bored isn’t the right word. I’m restless. I’m itching to do something, but I haven’t defined what it is I want to be doing. Like…this next step feels important.”

“And you can’t go back out there until you’ve figured it out?

“When I think about going ‘home,’ I get this weird feeling. Like someone’s holding the back of my shirt. I think I have some more hibernating to do.”

Why did she put the word home in quotation marks? Did the people who betrayed her sabotage her career somehow? But as much as he wanted to wear his lawyer hat and figure it out, he also had to respect her request for privacy.

The toast popped up, and he handed her a knife. “If you go back, are you afraid you’ll get caught up in the same bullshit?”

She skipped the butter and slathered only the raspberry jam. “You know, I hadn’t thought about it like that. But yes, I think you’re right. As soon as I go back, I’ll be swept into my old life, and I’ll go back to being so busy I’ll forget everything I got out of my time here.”

“Unless you swerve. Stay in the same business but change lanes. But trust me, I get it. It’s hard to reinvent yourself when everyone sees you a certain way.”Are you giving yourself advice? Or her?He should be careful not to blur the lines.

“That’s so true.”

He scraped butter over his toast and then served the eggs. “Grab your bacon, and let’s sit by the fire.” Shoving napkin-wrapped cutlery into his back pocket, he took his plate to the hearth.

“Thank you.” She eyed her food like a child would a giant slab of cake. “This looks amazing.” After a big bite, she closed her eyes and chewed. “Oh, my God. I haven’t had real food in months. I can’t believe how good it is.”

“Everything tastes better when you’re starving.”

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