Stella: Lady of the House and we have a reservation at 11.
Me: See you there.
I went back into my bedroom and plugged my phone in to charge. As soon as I climbed onto the bed, Dallas opened his eyes. “Morning,” I said, sitting on my heels beside him.
“Morning.”
“Did you sleep okay?”
His brow furrowed. “My head was bothering me for a while. I don’t think I slept much.”
“It probably didn’t help that I woke up screaming. Sorry about that.”
He reached out and put a hand on one knee. “It wasn’t that. Did you sleep okay afterward?”
I nodded. “I did. Fell back asleep really easily and slept all the way through until about ten minutes ago.”
“Good.” His eyes closed again.
“So I have a question to ask you, and you can say no, but I hope you say yes.”
“What’s up?”
“Every Sunday I have brunch with my sisters at eleven. I won’t drag you along, but do you want to wait here for me?”
He opened his eyes. “What time is it?”
“It’s only nine fifteen. I’d much rather hang out with you, but I sort of have to go to brunch or else they’ll harass me.”
“Of course.” He sat up, but he seemed a little groggy still. “I’ll get out of your way.”
“No, no. You stay here and sleep. I’ll even bring you something back.”
“No. That’s okay.” He looked around and scratched his head. “Where are my pants?”
I giggled. “I think I saw them in the hallway.”
“Oh. Right.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed and paused.
“Are you dizzy again?”
“I’m fine.” But he took another moment before he stood up, and then he moved slowly toward the door.
Watching him, a warning bell pealed in my head. Something was not right. “Can I get you some ibuprofen?”
“Sure.” He began pulling on his underwear and jeans with lethargic movements. “Thanks.”
I went into the bathroom and took the bottle from a drawer. “How many?” I called out.
“Four.”
I shook out four pills and went back into the bedroom, where he sat on the bed wearing only his jeans. “Here,” I said, holding out my hand. I was growing more concerned by the minute. “I’ll get you some water.”
He took the pills from me and I hurried to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, brought it back, and watched warily as he swallowed the pills. His color didn’t look good.
“Maybe I shouldn’t go to brunch today,” I said, chewing on a thumbnail. “You don’t look like you feel right. I don’t think you should drive.”
“I’m fine,” he said, standing up. “I’m just tired. I can drive.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” But he still seemed to be moving sluggishly as he got dressed.
“I’m worried about you,” I told him as I followed him to the living room.
“Don’t be.” He sat down on the couch to tug on his boots. “I’m gonna go back to the hotel and take a nap. Then I need to book my ticket to Boston.”
My heart plummeted. “When will you leave?”
“Not sure yet.”
“Can I convince you to leave tomorrow? Spend one more night with me?”
He stood up and smiled at me, but it struck me as a sad kind of smile. “Very tempting.”
I went to him and slipped my arms around his solid middle. Pressed my cheek to his chest. “We can stay in. I’ll cook dinner. We’ll just be lazy and hang out, you and me. How does that sound?”
“Like heaven.”
I tilted my head back. “Then say yes. Maybe I’ll even clear your chakras again.”
He shook his head. “You’re too good to me.”
“Well, I was without you all those years. I’m trying to make up for lost time.”
He exhaled and put his arms around me, pulling me close. “Okay. One more night.”
I bounced on my toes. “Yay! Thank you.”
A moment later, I walked him to the door and pulled it open. Torrential rain poured from an angry pewter sky. “Yikes. Want an umbrella?”
“Nah. I’m okay. See you tonight.”
I smiled as he kissed my cheek. “I’ll make something nice and healthy and delicious. I bet your diet is part of your problem with your headaches. So much of how we feel is related to what we put in our bodies. You probably don’t even realize all the chemicals and additives and preservatives that lurk in everyday foods.”
“Probably not.”
“I’ll text you as soon as I’m home.” I realized something. “You know what? I don’t have your number.”
He pulled out his phone. “What’s yours?”
I gave it to him, and he put me in his contacts.
“There. I just called you.”
“Thanks. See you later.”
He dropped another quick kiss on my lips and took off into the rain.
After he’d gone, I jumped in the shower, grinning like crazy as I imagined the stunned expressions on my sisters’ faces when I told them about my weekend. Usually it was Emme who had the dramatic stories about her love life, although since she’d been with Nate, mostly she just rhapsodized about how happy she was.
Today it was my turn.
“What’s with you?” Emme asked as soon as I dropped into the chair across from her. She and Stella were seated next to each other on the emerald green banquette.
“What do you mean?” I smiled up at the server who poured me some water.
“You look different.” Emme eyed me curiously.
“I do?”
“Yes. Doesn’t she, Stella?”
Our older sister studied me. “More rested, that’s for sure. Are you sleeping better?”
“A little.”
“It’s more than that,” Emme insisted. “I know that look.” She leaned closer to me. “You had sex.”
I laughed and picked up my water. “Good guess.”
My sisters gasped.
“I knew it!” Emme clapped her hands. “With who?”
“You’re not going to believe it.”
“Tell us anyway,” Stella said, wide-eyed.
“Dallas Shepherd.”
Two jaws dropped simultaneously.
“Dallas I’m-totally-over-him Shepherd?” Emme blinked at me.
“Dallas don’t-be-ridiculous-that-was-twelve-years-ago Shepherd?” added Stella.
I grinned ruefully. “That’s the one.”
“Oh my God, Maren.” Emme shook her head. “How did this happen?”
“It was the craziest thing,” I said. “He showed up on my doorstep out of the blue on Friday afternoon.”
Emme gasped again and held up her arm. “I just got goose bumps. Look.”
“And said what?” Stella prompted.
“That he wanted to apologize.”
“After all that time? Why now?” Her therapist face appeared.
“I don’t really know exactly why now.” I lifted my shoulders. “I’m a little fuzzy on that, too. I asked him, and he just said he felt like it was time.”
“Huh.” Stella picked up her coffee and sipped. “Okay, go on.”
“He spent a few minutes saying he was sorry and explaining why he left like he did, and—”
Emme held up her hands. “Wait, what was the reason?”
“He was young. Immature. Didn’t know how to say goodbye and didn’t want to.”
“Why not?”
“He said he didn’t want to spend our last night being sad. He’d only found out that morning he was being sent away. And he was ashamed.”
“Still,” Emme said. “Totally shitty. And why not return your messages?”
“He said he’d convinced himself I was better off without him. He thought he was doing me a favor.”
Emme huffed. “He should have said that to your face.”
Me: See you there.
I went back into my bedroom and plugged my phone in to charge. As soon as I climbed onto the bed, Dallas opened his eyes. “Morning,” I said, sitting on my heels beside him.
“Morning.”
“Did you sleep okay?”
His brow furrowed. “My head was bothering me for a while. I don’t think I slept much.”
“It probably didn’t help that I woke up screaming. Sorry about that.”
He reached out and put a hand on one knee. “It wasn’t that. Did you sleep okay afterward?”
I nodded. “I did. Fell back asleep really easily and slept all the way through until about ten minutes ago.”
“Good.” His eyes closed again.
“So I have a question to ask you, and you can say no, but I hope you say yes.”
“What’s up?”
“Every Sunday I have brunch with my sisters at eleven. I won’t drag you along, but do you want to wait here for me?”
He opened his eyes. “What time is it?”
“It’s only nine fifteen. I’d much rather hang out with you, but I sort of have to go to brunch or else they’ll harass me.”
“Of course.” He sat up, but he seemed a little groggy still. “I’ll get out of your way.”
“No, no. You stay here and sleep. I’ll even bring you something back.”
“No. That’s okay.” He looked around and scratched his head. “Where are my pants?”
I giggled. “I think I saw them in the hallway.”
“Oh. Right.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed and paused.
“Are you dizzy again?”
“I’m fine.” But he took another moment before he stood up, and then he moved slowly toward the door.
Watching him, a warning bell pealed in my head. Something was not right. “Can I get you some ibuprofen?”
“Sure.” He began pulling on his underwear and jeans with lethargic movements. “Thanks.”
I went into the bathroom and took the bottle from a drawer. “How many?” I called out.
“Four.”
I shook out four pills and went back into the bedroom, where he sat on the bed wearing only his jeans. “Here,” I said, holding out my hand. I was growing more concerned by the minute. “I’ll get you some water.”
He took the pills from me and I hurried to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, brought it back, and watched warily as he swallowed the pills. His color didn’t look good.
“Maybe I shouldn’t go to brunch today,” I said, chewing on a thumbnail. “You don’t look like you feel right. I don’t think you should drive.”
“I’m fine,” he said, standing up. “I’m just tired. I can drive.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” But he still seemed to be moving sluggishly as he got dressed.
“I’m worried about you,” I told him as I followed him to the living room.
“Don’t be.” He sat down on the couch to tug on his boots. “I’m gonna go back to the hotel and take a nap. Then I need to book my ticket to Boston.”
My heart plummeted. “When will you leave?”
“Not sure yet.”
“Can I convince you to leave tomorrow? Spend one more night with me?”
He stood up and smiled at me, but it struck me as a sad kind of smile. “Very tempting.”
I went to him and slipped my arms around his solid middle. Pressed my cheek to his chest. “We can stay in. I’ll cook dinner. We’ll just be lazy and hang out, you and me. How does that sound?”
“Like heaven.”
I tilted my head back. “Then say yes. Maybe I’ll even clear your chakras again.”
He shook his head. “You’re too good to me.”
“Well, I was without you all those years. I’m trying to make up for lost time.”
He exhaled and put his arms around me, pulling me close. “Okay. One more night.”
I bounced on my toes. “Yay! Thank you.”
A moment later, I walked him to the door and pulled it open. Torrential rain poured from an angry pewter sky. “Yikes. Want an umbrella?”
“Nah. I’m okay. See you tonight.”
I smiled as he kissed my cheek. “I’ll make something nice and healthy and delicious. I bet your diet is part of your problem with your headaches. So much of how we feel is related to what we put in our bodies. You probably don’t even realize all the chemicals and additives and preservatives that lurk in everyday foods.”
“Probably not.”
“I’ll text you as soon as I’m home.” I realized something. “You know what? I don’t have your number.”
He pulled out his phone. “What’s yours?”
I gave it to him, and he put me in his contacts.
“There. I just called you.”
“Thanks. See you later.”
He dropped another quick kiss on my lips and took off into the rain.
After he’d gone, I jumped in the shower, grinning like crazy as I imagined the stunned expressions on my sisters’ faces when I told them about my weekend. Usually it was Emme who had the dramatic stories about her love life, although since she’d been with Nate, mostly she just rhapsodized about how happy she was.
Today it was my turn.
“What’s with you?” Emme asked as soon as I dropped into the chair across from her. She and Stella were seated next to each other on the emerald green banquette.
“What do you mean?” I smiled up at the server who poured me some water.
“You look different.” Emme eyed me curiously.
“I do?”
“Yes. Doesn’t she, Stella?”
Our older sister studied me. “More rested, that’s for sure. Are you sleeping better?”
“A little.”
“It’s more than that,” Emme insisted. “I know that look.” She leaned closer to me. “You had sex.”
I laughed and picked up my water. “Good guess.”
My sisters gasped.
“I knew it!” Emme clapped her hands. “With who?”
“You’re not going to believe it.”
“Tell us anyway,” Stella said, wide-eyed.
“Dallas Shepherd.”
Two jaws dropped simultaneously.
“Dallas I’m-totally-over-him Shepherd?” Emme blinked at me.
“Dallas don’t-be-ridiculous-that-was-twelve-years-ago Shepherd?” added Stella.
I grinned ruefully. “That’s the one.”
“Oh my God, Maren.” Emme shook her head. “How did this happen?”
“It was the craziest thing,” I said. “He showed up on my doorstep out of the blue on Friday afternoon.”
Emme gasped again and held up her arm. “I just got goose bumps. Look.”
“And said what?” Stella prompted.
“That he wanted to apologize.”
“After all that time? Why now?” Her therapist face appeared.
“I don’t really know exactly why now.” I lifted my shoulders. “I’m a little fuzzy on that, too. I asked him, and he just said he felt like it was time.”
“Huh.” Stella picked up her coffee and sipped. “Okay, go on.”
“He spent a few minutes saying he was sorry and explaining why he left like he did, and—”
Emme held up her hands. “Wait, what was the reason?”
“He was young. Immature. Didn’t know how to say goodbye and didn’t want to.”
“Why not?”
“He said he didn’t want to spend our last night being sad. He’d only found out that morning he was being sent away. And he was ashamed.”
“Still,” Emme said. “Totally shitty. And why not return your messages?”
“He said he’d convinced himself I was better off without him. He thought he was doing me a favor.”
Emme huffed. “He should have said that to your face.”
