Page 49 of Signed, SEALed, Delivered

“No, we are in complete agreement. He wants to see other women and I won’t stand in his way.” I move again, sidestepping around her. “I’m sorry, Miss Ella, if you would excuse me.” She could find her nephew and get all the juicy details from him.

Walking until I was a good distance from the barn, I chanced a look around, recalling the first time I set foot on this property. It was my dream to work here, to learn from the best of the best. Now, I wanted to rewind time and never send that letter, staying ignorant of the skills Ella has shown me. As I scrolled through my contacts, trying to find the number of the stables, I passed a number I hadn't had to call in ages. Glancing over my shoulder, I made sure Zach hadn't followed me out. Leaning against the edge of the fence, I pressed the green circle beside her name.

“Hello, Kennedy. How are you?”

Hearing her voice brings the sting of tears to my eyes and I fight the sob bubbling in my chest. “Hey, Sabrina, I’m fine. Missing you, but fine.” Glancing up, I notice Zach is standing at the edge of the yard, his eyes in my direction.

“You don’t sound fine, my love. Want to tell me what’s going on?” I don’t. I don’t want to admit to anyone I allowed yet another man to pull the wool over my eyes. “Sabrina, you were married to a military man for a number of years. Tell me, how did you handle him going off and not being able to tell you where he was?” Zach walked over to lean against the edge of his truck , even from this distance; I could see the exhaustion in his eyes.

“Honestly, it wasn’t always easy. There were a few times he was called to work and I didn’t see him for a few days. I’d question if he was out catting around. But when he walked through that door, looking tired and happy to be home, I tossed those thoughts away.”

“So you chose to believe him?”

“No, I chose to love him. The rest seemed to fall into place.”

I changed the subject to a technique I’d been working on with Ella. I watched as Zach waited for a few minutes, but seemed to surrender to his body's need for rest. As I was finishing up my call with Sabrina, he climbed into his car, not saying a word as he passed me on the road.

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