Page 26 of When You Were Mine

Groggy, she inhaled, expecting the soothing scents of lavender from the sheets in her suite at the Sweetwater. Instead, she got a hint of must in the air.

Wait, what?

She jerked over to flick on the lamp.

Where am I?

Am I late?

Shit, what am I supposed to be doing right now?

She traveled so much for work, and she lived in a hotel. It was often disorienting to wake up in a strange bed.

But then, she remembered.Iceland. And the pieces fell into place.

The design job.

And that was when it smacked her in the face like a slimy, wet fish.

With Trevor Montgomery.

She rolled back onto her side, burying her face in the pillow.

Helping him getmarried.

How is this my life?

She groaned. The jet lag and strange lack of sunlight didn’t help.

Well, she was a professional, and she wasn’t blowing up the reputation it took decades to establish for an old high school boyfriend. And really, that was all he was to her.

She’d do her work and get her butt back home.

Should be easy enough. It’s only three more days.

Besides, it all happened so long ago. She was over it. Over him.

Liar.Moving to Calamity had pried open the box where she’d stored the pain and hurt. And now, seeing him all cozy and happy with his fiancée… It brought it all to the surface. And drove home the fact that, where she’d never been able to trust another man again, he’d come out of their breakup unscathed.

I resent him.I just do.

The experience was different for him. He’d gone off on his wild adventure, and she’d stayed behind, surrounded by memories in her hometown. Her high school friends would say things like, “Oh, no. I thought you guys would be together forever” and “I can’t believe what a star he’s become. Don’t you wish you’d gone with him?” She’d had to see his parents pull up to the loading dock at the feedstore and make small talk with them at church.

None of that nonsense mattered anymore.Just get your work done.

Bunching pillows behind her, she reached for her phone to catch up on messages.

She smiled when she saw the photo her niece sent of her wedding gown.

Bri: Picking this beauty up tomorrow! So excited!

Jessica: You have to FaceTime me when you try it on!

Nothing from Amber. Hmm. It didn’t seem possible that nothing had gone wrong in the last eight hours or so. She hoped her sister wasn’t trying to protect her.

I’m not on vacation here.

Jessica: Let me know how things are going. I’ll be out most of the day but will be checking my messages. I’m here if you need anything.

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