Page 47 of Endurance

“No. I don’t think that. I just think you and Dean weren’t meant to be. Everybody around you knew it. You just had to figure it out for yourself. Go on,” she prompted with an impatient twirl of her finger.

“After I left his place, I knew I never would’ve let that happen if I was truly in love with Dean. Later that same day, I called Dean to break it off. You know all about that part.”

“Yeah—and he was a complete dick about it, in my opinion. Not buying the ring because he was worried about losing interest in his bank account? I mean, really,” she scoffed. “I still can’t believe he admitted that to you.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I brushed off, refusing to disclose how much it stung. I’d made my choice and felt confident it was the right one, but it was hard knowing the person I’d been with for over two years appreciated his money more than me.

“So, on day one, Sloan kissed you. Where did it go from there?” Gabby prompted.

I tossed her a meaningful look, unable to contain my smile.

“Well, we may or may not have had a super-steamy hookup in a public restroom…” I trailed off as her big brown eyes went wide. Her jaw dropped open, and she began mouthing words that wouldn’t come out. For once, I’d made her speechless, and her disbelieving stare made me laugh.

“You did not!” she exclaimed after finding her voice.

“We did—but I immediately regretted it,” I hurriedly added. “He’s my client, after all, and getting romantically involved is so unprofessional. My father will kill me when or if he ever finds out. Not to mention, if things go south with Sloan, I risk forfeiting a bonus payout that I could really use. With all of that in mind, I avoided being anywhere alone with him for weeks afterward. It wasn’t until last night when we finally made it… official, I guess you could say.”

“Had sex?”

I rolled my eyes.

“Yes, Captain Obvious.”

“So, how was it?”

I gave her a pointed stare, then made a zipper motion across my lips.

“Nope. I never kiss and tell.”

“Aww, come on, Kallie! I haven’t had sex in months. Just one little detail?”

I laughed.

“He was still here this morning. If it was bad, do you think I would have let him spend the night? But I will tell you this.” I paused, looking for the right words. “With Sloan, there’s this inexplicable connection. It’s like I can physically and mentally feel my destiny shifting by cosmic force. The pull is so strong, I can’t deny him—can’t deny us. It’s like we were meant to happen. I never felt that way with Dean.”

“Oh, shit. This is serious, Kals.”

“I know.”

“So, now what?”

“Well, now that I gave in to it, there’s nothing I can do but let the Fates take the reins and enjoy the ride.”

Gabby smiled and cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. After a moment, she set her coffee mug on the table and came over to wrap me in a hug that warmed my soul.

“I’ve missed you so much. And I’m happy for you—really, I am. You seem content—relaxed even. I can see it in your face and your posture. And, more importantly, this is the first time I’ve heard yousoundlike you in a long time. You’ve always had this energy about you that people could feel before you even uttered a single word. It was like Dean was suppressing that and all of the little quirks I love about you. I’m so happy you’re back.”

I squeezed her tight and blinked back tears of joy. I was grateful for her friendship, knowing I could count on her to always see me for who I was. Her presence brought balance to my world, and it felt so good to have her there.

* * *

Four hours later,Gabby and I were lounging outside on the patio, drinking piña coladas, and poring over the twenty-seven tabs we had opened between both of our laptops. She was only here for a long weekend, and I’d decided to dip into my limited savings and plan a short trip north to Napa Valley to make the most of my time with her. As she hemmed and hawed over which bed and breakfast we should stay at, I sipped on the coconut rum cocktail and mapped out wineries.

“I know this is super last minute. Are you sure you can get away?” she asked.

“It’s not a problem. I don’t have anything booked for Sloan until Monday afternoon. It’s just over a six-hour drive to Napa Valley, not accounting for any traffic we’re likely to encounter. If we leave tomorrow morning, that will give us Friday evening, all day Saturday, and the first half of Sunday. It’s too bad there aren’t any last-minute flights into Sacramento.”

“A drive is fine with me. I hate flying—and even more so after the flight out here. The turbulence was brutal. Besides, I have to get back on a plane on Monday. The fewer flights I have to take, the better.” She paused, clicked a few keys on the keyboard, then put her feet up on the empty chair next to her, showing off her perfectly manicured red toenails. “Okay. The B&B is all booked. We check in tomorrow at three. Checkout is Sunday at one in the afternoon.”

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