Read Online Faithful to a Fault by K. J. Reed - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: K. J. Reed
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was Sarah Cassidy, right?”
“Yeah. I did.” Trav’s voice was tight, like he was forcing the words.
“Then I think I’ve got her. Shorter, dark blonde hair. Sarah Donovan Cassidy. Though she’s divorced now. About twenty-four, twenty-five years old. Works as a bartender at the same restaurant Miller’s sister works at. Buffalo’s.” He paused, then said, “I haven’t asked her yet. I probably should have. I can confirm—”
“No!” Trav shouted. “No. Don’t. Not yet. I’m too close. I don’t want her to bolt. I’m still not positive why she cut me out of her life in the first place. I don’t want to risk it.”
“Trav, I can’t do that.” Oh God. Now he knew what it felt like to be drawn, medieval-torture style. Strapped to horses, pulled in different directions… “Honestly, I have to tell her. I can’t let her be shocked by this. I’d feel like an ass and she doesn’t deserve that.”
“Give me a head start. Don’t tell her until tomorrow. I’ll work things out and head out there ASAP. Until then…”
“Until then, what?” Pete asked with dread.
“Keep an eye on her?” Trav sighed. “If you can’t hold off on telling her—and I get it, I do—then just try to see if she runs? And if so, let me know?”
The horses were pulling harder. “Yeah. Sure.”
Pete hung up the phone and battled back the urge to be sick. Not only was he going to have to wait another day to tell Sarah, but he was basically asked to babysit her until Trav got there.
So whose side was he on? His best friend—a man who was more or less his family—or the first woman he ever saw a future with?
* * * * *
Sarah wiped her hands on her bar apron and stared at the clock. Another hour before her shift was over. Another hour before she could find out why Pete had gone completely missing since he slipped out of her bed that morning. She knew the Millers were having some family fun, but she had at least expected a phone call or a text of some kind.
And for him to not leave her in the morning without a goodbye.
She’d had nice morning sex plans for that boy.
Sarah ran a few beers to a table and when she came back, the object of her thoughts was sitting at the bar. She told herself to remain cool, aloof. Play the part of the unaffected lover. Which would have been a hell of a lot easier if her body didn’t respond to just the sight of him. Thank God for thick sweaters that hid her tightening nipples.
She walked over and set a cocktail napkin in front of him. “Need a menu?”
“Sarah.” He spoke quietly, looking at his hands folded on the bar. “When is your shift over?”
This was not the enthusiastic man ready to grab a vacation fling. He was quiet, reserved. Reluctant.
“Little less than an hour. Why?”
His long fingers folded the napkin, smoothed it back out again. “We need to talk.”
Sarah glanced around the restaurant. Nobody else at the bar, only two tables full, neither who would need a refill any time soon. She felt better about taking news if she didn’t have time to wallow about it. “Here’s good.”
He looked up then, eyes full of regret. “I talked to Trav.”
Sarah’s breath caught in her chest until it burned. “Who?” she croaked out.
“Trav Donovan is my best friend. We met in boot over ten years ago, and we’ve been friends ever since.” Pete’s voice was neutral, almost mechanical now. Like he’d wiped his inner slate clear of all emotion. “He’d mentioned his sister once or twice, nothing major. I knew she wasn’t in his life, and that he regretted it.”
Sarah felt tears well up in her throat, but she swallowed them down. “Regretted?”
Pete glanced away. “That’s for him to explain. He’s been looking for you, on and off for, well, a long time. But with life in the Corps, your time is always split between deployments, moving, all that. He’s out now, and hired a PI to find you. Learned you got married and found out your married
“Yeah. I did.” Trav’s voice was tight, like he was forcing the words.
“Then I think I’ve got her. Shorter, dark blonde hair. Sarah Donovan Cassidy. Though she’s divorced now. About twenty-four, twenty-five years old. Works as a bartender at the same restaurant Miller’s sister works at. Buffalo’s.” He paused, then said, “I haven’t asked her yet. I probably should have. I can confirm—”
“No!” Trav shouted. “No. Don’t. Not yet. I’m too close. I don’t want her to bolt. I’m still not positive why she cut me out of her life in the first place. I don’t want to risk it.”
“Trav, I can’t do that.” Oh God. Now he knew what it felt like to be drawn, medieval-torture style. Strapped to horses, pulled in different directions… “Honestly, I have to tell her. I can’t let her be shocked by this. I’d feel like an ass and she doesn’t deserve that.”
“Give me a head start. Don’t tell her until tomorrow. I’ll work things out and head out there ASAP. Until then…”
“Until then, what?” Pete asked with dread.
“Keep an eye on her?” Trav sighed. “If you can’t hold off on telling her—and I get it, I do—then just try to see if she runs? And if so, let me know?”
The horses were pulling harder. “Yeah. Sure.”
Pete hung up the phone and battled back the urge to be sick. Not only was he going to have to wait another day to tell Sarah, but he was basically asked to babysit her until Trav got there.
So whose side was he on? His best friend—a man who was more or less his family—or the first woman he ever saw a future with?
* * * * *
Sarah wiped her hands on her bar apron and stared at the clock. Another hour before her shift was over. Another hour before she could find out why Pete had gone completely missing since he slipped out of her bed that morning. She knew the Millers were having some family fun, but she had at least expected a phone call or a text of some kind.
And for him to not leave her in the morning without a goodbye.
She’d had nice morning sex plans for that boy.
Sarah ran a few beers to a table and when she came back, the object of her thoughts was sitting at the bar. She told herself to remain cool, aloof. Play the part of the unaffected lover. Which would have been a hell of a lot easier if her body didn’t respond to just the sight of him. Thank God for thick sweaters that hid her tightening nipples.
She walked over and set a cocktail napkin in front of him. “Need a menu?”
“Sarah.” He spoke quietly, looking at his hands folded on the bar. “When is your shift over?”
This was not the enthusiastic man ready to grab a vacation fling. He was quiet, reserved. Reluctant.
“Little less than an hour. Why?”
His long fingers folded the napkin, smoothed it back out again. “We need to talk.”
Sarah glanced around the restaurant. Nobody else at the bar, only two tables full, neither who would need a refill any time soon. She felt better about taking news if she didn’t have time to wallow about it. “Here’s good.”
He looked up then, eyes full of regret. “I talked to Trav.”
Sarah’s breath caught in her chest until it burned. “Who?” she croaked out.
“Trav Donovan is my best friend. We met in boot over ten years ago, and we’ve been friends ever since.” Pete’s voice was neutral, almost mechanical now. Like he’d wiped his inner slate clear of all emotion. “He’d mentioned his sister once or twice, nothing major. I knew she wasn’t in his life, and that he regretted it.”
Sarah felt tears well up in her throat, but she swallowed them down. “Regretted?”
Pete glanced away. “That’s for him to explain. He’s been looking for you, on and off for, well, a long time. But with life in the Corps, your time is always split between deployments, moving, all that. He’s out now, and hired a PI to find you. Learned you got married and found out your married
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