“Okay,” I reply as she disappears once more. Walking across the room, I take a seat in one of the chairs that are set up in front of the fireplace, with Aiden still clinging to me. As soon as I’m down, he stands on the tops of my thighs and takes hold of my hands.
“Watch what I can do.”
I grin right before he jumps and doubles back, flipping over. Narrowly missing getting kicked in the face by his tiny bare feet, I laugh at him as he stands, tossing his hands in the air. “Wow, that was awesome.”
“Wanna see me do it again?” he asks with a bright smile as he starts to climb back up onto my lap.
“Aiden, how about we don’t give Kim a concussion,” Elizabeth suggests as she walks out of the bathroom, putting on her heels. She is beautiful, with long brown hair that flows past her shoulders, skin that subtly announces her Spanish heritage, and hazel eyes that change to green when she’s happy, or brown when she’s frustrated with her boys.
“What’s a concussion?” Aiden asks, climbing up onto the arm of the chair to stand there.
“A head injury, honey,” she mutters before looking at me. “So what do you think?” She holds out her hands, spinning in a circle.
“I think you and Jelikai are going to be late getting home,” I say truthfully. Jelikai, Elizabeth’s husband, is obsessed with her, and I have no doubt that as soon as he sees her, his jaw is going to hit the floor. She looks beautiful in the black heels and red wrap dress she’s wearing right now.
“That’s exactly the look I was going for.”
She grins at me and Aiden laughs, saying, “Mom, you’re funny,” before jumping off the arm of the chair, landing on the floor with a loud thud, and taking off out of the room.
“I swear one of these days he is going to give me a heart attack,” I admit, watching him go.
“I think the three boys before him got all the fear out of me.” She laughs, picking up a black clutch that is resting on the bed before turning to look at me. “You okay?”
“Totally, and I already told the boys we are having pizza for dinner, so I will be filling them with lots and lots of processed foods while you’re gone.”
“Fill them with whatever you like. You can make it up to me by staying late. I’m going to try to convince Jelikai to get us a hotel room in the city.”
“I’m thinking that as soon as he sees you in that dress, there won’t be much convincing needed,” I say, standing. “You guys should stay out. I don’t have a client until eleven tomorrow, so I can stay the night if you want.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she tells me, walking over and giving me a hug then leaning back. “Are you sure you’re okay? How was your appointment yesterday?”
“I swear I’m okay, and my appointment went great. I feel really good about my new plan.”
“Good.” She touches my cheek before dropping her hand away. “You know where the petty cash is. Use whatever you need, and I’ll call you as soon as I know what we’re doing.”
“Okay.” I give her a smile then follow her out of the room and down the hall to where the boys are hanging out. Standing in the doorway, I watch her give each of the boys a kiss goodbye, even the ones that fight her on it. Walking fully into the room, I take a seat on the couch then watch her leave with a wave and a wink in my direction.
After that, the rest of the night goes by in a flash. The boys and I order pizza, watch a movie, and then go to bed after Elizabeth calls to say she and Jelikai won’t be back until morning, which means I go to bed with a happy smile on my face for my friend.
Chapter 3
Kim
“WHAT THE HELL?” I glance around before looking back at the briefcase sitting on the passenger seat of my car. The large metal case wasn’t there when I went into work this morning, and I know I locked up my car, so I have no idea who it belongs to or how it got in my car.
Feeling my heart pound, I reach over and touch the smooth metal. It looks like something out of a spy movie, like the kind of briefcase someone would deliver money in. “No,” I breathe. “No fricking way.” With the way this last week has been going, I forgot all about telling Sage I would go out with him for a million dollars. Not that I have forgotten about Sage. He’s come into the salon everyday, either bringing me flowers or demanding I talk to him. The flowers I took to the nursing home in town, and I’ve been working hard at denying his demands. But this—this is something else.
Letting out a breath, I put the keys in the ignition and start up my car. I don’t want to open the case where people could see, because if it is a million dollars—which I have no idea how Sage could get—someone could see it and then… I don’t know… track me down and kill me for it or something.
Reversing out of my parking spot, I head to my house, and as soon as I get there, I head up the stairs with the briefcase held tightly in my grasp. Locking the door behind me, I place the case on the couch and get down on my knees in front of it. I inspect the latches, noticing a button on either side of the handle. Pressing down on them at the same time, the locks click open, sounding horrifically loud in my quiet apartment.
I bite my lip, slowly open the lid, and my heart starts to go wild inside my chest when I see what’s inside. Monopoly money, lots of it. Stacks and stacks of it. Some old, and some new and still wrapped in plastic. Picking up a piece of paper that is folded on top of it, I fall to my bottom, unfold it carefully, and then start to read.
Kim,
It’s all here, a million dollars that you can count if you want.
It took me a little longer than I thought it would to get all the money together, and some I will have to return to friends and family, since they let me borrow it.
I laugh at that then pull in a sharp breath when I read the next line.
In the twenty-four hours we spent together, you gave me a taste of something beautiful, and the memories of those moments have haunted me since I walked away from you. It’s something I have regretted doing since then, something I know I will always regret, because even if by some chance you forgive me, I will never be able to get back the time with you that I missed out on.
If you accept my apology, meet me at my place tonight at seven for dinner.
Xx Sage
Seeing the address to his house scrolled along the bottom, I close my eyes and fall to my back, holding the piece of paper to my chest. I don’t know if I’m brave enough to do this with him. I don’t know if I’m courageous enough to put myself out there with everything I have going on. Sage doesn’t know about my illness, and I don’t know what he will do when he finds out. Will he take off on me the same way Kelly did? Will it be too much for him to handle?
The what-ifs are enough to keep me from going to meet him, but it’s the idea of regretting something that has me opening my eyes to look at the clock on the stove. If I’m going to do this, I need to get up and get ready to leave now. The urge to call Chris to ask him what he thinks I should do filters through my mind, but I know what he’d say. He’d tell me that I’m an idiot for not already being in my car after seeing the money and reading the letter.