and rehashing a relationship that would never be was a waste of time.
But now...
She shook the astounding idea from her head before it could formulate. His separation didn’t matter. The last time she let her heart get wrapped up so completely in Cole Brooks, she got burned. Divorces were messy, and the complication didn’t interest her. She had a friend at the television network who fell in love with a man separated from his wife. When he went back to her, Jaden’s friend was left heartbroken. Jaden talked her down from some very stalkerish ideas—calling in the middle of the night and breathing heavy into the phone was never a good plan.
No. She let the word echo in her mind. Their worlds were light years apart, and her dreams resided elsewhere. Six years ago, when she was a wanderer, bartending to pay her way around the world to any place she wanted, the idea of pursuing a childhood love—no, a childhood crush—was conceivable. Now, she was a woman with a career, a purpose, and an almost-home in Seattle. She hadn’t yet settled into her new apartment. The place still lacked a personal touch, and the décor had more of a hotel feel to it. It was hers, though, and thousands of miles from this town, and Cole.
Still, she couldn’t help but wonder...
“When is his divorce?” She gave a mental groan.
“Next month is the final hearing.
“Oh.” What she needed was a nap. Or maybe she’d sleep until tomorrow and pretend the awkward car ride with Cole never happened.
“Oh, as in you like him. You want to marry him,” Mia sing-songed and nudged Jaden in the side.
Jaden closed her eyes and smiled. “Knock it off. You sound like a ten-year-old.”
“Cole isn’t seeing anyone at all. He hasn’t dated since Kensie left.”
There were so many more questions she wanted to ask, like why Kensie left, and was Cole still in love with her. Not your business! She needed to write it on a sticky note and superglue it to her forehead.
“Are you trying to set us up?” It was a pointless question, because she already knew the answer, and it was a very Mia thing to do.
“Yes, I think I am.”
She peeked an eye open. “I just came to check on you, not hook up with your brother.” Then she closed her eye and added. “Which will never happen, by the way.”
“Anything is possible if you just believe.”
Jaden laughed. “Okay, Tinkerbell.”
“I’m just saying, I wouldn’t mind if my two favorite people in the world hooked up, got married, and made a million babies.”
Jaden sniffed. “Have you been doing drugs since the last time I saw you?”
“Not drugs, but I’ve been binge watching romantic comedies.”
Jaden nudged Mia’s ankle with her toe. “Those are bad for your health. I’m going to take a nap and when I wake up, we’re not going to discuss you pushing me at your brother. Got it?”
Mia rolled out of the bed and walked to the door. With a hand on the knob, she said, “I make no promises. See you when you wake up, Jay.”
When Mia shut the door behind her, Jaden rolled onto her back to stare at the ceiling. Whether she planned to avoid him for the rest of her visit or not, she owed Cole an apology.
Tossing his keys on the kitchen counter, the quiet of the house hit him as it always did when he returned home. Empty. He pulled a glass out of the cabinet then crossed the kitchen to fill it at the sink.
Even with all the yelling between him and Kensie, the house had felt more like a home. He didn’t miss her; he missed the idea of their family. He missed Micky.
Thinking of his son made it hard to swallow. Life was so damn hard. He missed out on too many firsts.
His old man once told him marriage was a work in progress; with the right woman it was all worth it. Kensie hadn’t been the right woman. He had a feeling she never wanted to be. She used to scream he ruined her life, which was something he couldn’t understand—together they made the perfect little boy. Maybe their
But now...
She shook the astounding idea from her head before it could formulate. His separation didn’t matter. The last time she let her heart get wrapped up so completely in Cole Brooks, she got burned. Divorces were messy, and the complication didn’t interest her. She had a friend at the television network who fell in love with a man separated from his wife. When he went back to her, Jaden’s friend was left heartbroken. Jaden talked her down from some very stalkerish ideas—calling in the middle of the night and breathing heavy into the phone was never a good plan.
No. She let the word echo in her mind. Their worlds were light years apart, and her dreams resided elsewhere. Six years ago, when she was a wanderer, bartending to pay her way around the world to any place she wanted, the idea of pursuing a childhood love—no, a childhood crush—was conceivable. Now, she was a woman with a career, a purpose, and an almost-home in Seattle. She hadn’t yet settled into her new apartment. The place still lacked a personal touch, and the décor had more of a hotel feel to it. It was hers, though, and thousands of miles from this town, and Cole.
Still, she couldn’t help but wonder...
“When is his divorce?” She gave a mental groan.
“Next month is the final hearing.
“Oh.” What she needed was a nap. Or maybe she’d sleep until tomorrow and pretend the awkward car ride with Cole never happened.
“Oh, as in you like him. You want to marry him,” Mia sing-songed and nudged Jaden in the side.
Jaden closed her eyes and smiled. “Knock it off. You sound like a ten-year-old.”
“Cole isn’t seeing anyone at all. He hasn’t dated since Kensie left.”
There were so many more questions she wanted to ask, like why Kensie left, and was Cole still in love with her. Not your business! She needed to write it on a sticky note and superglue it to her forehead.
“Are you trying to set us up?” It was a pointless question, because she already knew the answer, and it was a very Mia thing to do.
“Yes, I think I am.”
She peeked an eye open. “I just came to check on you, not hook up with your brother.” Then she closed her eye and added. “Which will never happen, by the way.”
“Anything is possible if you just believe.”
Jaden laughed. “Okay, Tinkerbell.”
“I’m just saying, I wouldn’t mind if my two favorite people in the world hooked up, got married, and made a million babies.”
Jaden sniffed. “Have you been doing drugs since the last time I saw you?”
“Not drugs, but I’ve been binge watching romantic comedies.”
Jaden nudged Mia’s ankle with her toe. “Those are bad for your health. I’m going to take a nap and when I wake up, we’re not going to discuss you pushing me at your brother. Got it?”
Mia rolled out of the bed and walked to the door. With a hand on the knob, she said, “I make no promises. See you when you wake up, Jay.”
When Mia shut the door behind her, Jaden rolled onto her back to stare at the ceiling. Whether she planned to avoid him for the rest of her visit or not, she owed Cole an apology.
Tossing his keys on the kitchen counter, the quiet of the house hit him as it always did when he returned home. Empty. He pulled a glass out of the cabinet then crossed the kitchen to fill it at the sink.
Even with all the yelling between him and Kensie, the house had felt more like a home. He didn’t miss her; he missed the idea of their family. He missed Micky.
Thinking of his son made it hard to swallow. Life was so damn hard. He missed out on too many firsts.
His old man once told him marriage was a work in progress; with the right woman it was all worth it. Kensie hadn’t been the right woman. He had a feeling she never wanted to be. She used to scream he ruined her life, which was something he couldn’t understand—together they made the perfect little boy. Maybe their
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