I’m disappointed, but there’s nothing I can do. I might as well answer it. “Hi Chad, what’s up?”
Chad says he has good news. Says he already told Angie, but she wanted me to hear it from him. Hold on. What the hell is he talking about? Am I crazy or did Chad just say he talked to Angie? On the phone.
“Hold on, Chad. You’re saying you talked to Angie? When?”
“Last night. She called about the community service or whatever.”
Oh shit. I know she’s mad. Did she rat me out? “What did she say?”
There’s a pause on the phone. “I guess I did most of the talking. She sounds great, though. A keeper. Hang onto that one. Anyway, I got you an audition with the Eagles. They need a tight end like yesterday. Could be long term. This is it, your last chance. I have no idea why, but the last few years you’ve been nothing but suck. But that last workout was primo high dollar, Jake. Whatever you had going for you, and I don’t want to know what it is so don’t tell me, bring it with you to the Eagles or else. Your plane leaves at four, so don’t be late. Hey, and Jake?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t fuck this up.” Click.
Chad hangs up leaving me alone with my thoughts.
Chapter 43
Angie
I wake up and decide its time to make some changes in my life. I have to learn to live without Jake. Okay, that’s true but it’s very vague.
I need a way to make positive change in my life right now. This minute. Suddenly, I know exactly what to do. I march right into my kitchen, unplug that old broken coffee maker, and throw it away.
It feels like a tangible if small victory. Tomorrow when I wake up at least it won’t be there taunting me. That also clears me to head over to Ocean Wave and get my favorite drink again.
That puts me in a better mood and before you know it, I’m at the cute, hipster coffee shop.
The barista gives me a sly smile as he looks behind me. “Where’s your other half?”
I blink. It takes me a second to realize that he is talking about Jake.
“You know,” he continues, “really tall, deliciously handsome, and when you’re around a big, goofy smile?”
I lean forward. “I’m sorry, what?”
“He came in yesterday afternoon and got a coffee. Looked like he lost his best friend or something.”
“I wouldn’t know anything about that,” I answer. I grit my teeth. This is the universe testing me. I will not think about Jake. I will not worry about Jake. He can take care of himself. In fact, it’s what he’s best at.
I get my coffee and continue on to work. Hopefully, I passed the universe’s test for today. I don’t feel like I’m about to burst into tears anymore, so hooray for that. What I have now is just a sad, hopeful feeling that a Jake-less future might be waiting for me somewhere out there after all.
I decide to count my blessings. My vet practice is finally thriving. After Jake gave me the boost I needed, we switched all of our marketing focus to small-town, extra special one-on-one care that your pet deserves.
I believe Cara’s exact words were your pet is not a chicken nugget, so don’t treat it like one. Get the expert, personalized care that your furry friend deserves. Or something like that. Whatever it was, it worked wonders, and now the Animal Universe Incorporated clinics are squabbling with each other and trying to keep up with me.
I pull into the strip mall and as usual, park far away. From my vantage point, I spot both Fi and Kaylee in Kaylee’s car, a brand new bright blue Cadillac Ecalade. It makes me smile. I can also be thankful that I have such great friends.
I sneak up on them and knock on the window. It rolls down.
Kaylee wears a sheepish smile. “Shit, Angie. You scared me almost to death.”
I raise an eyebrow at her.
“Fine, you caught us.”
“Rule number one for blending in,” I chide, “don’t show up in a brand-new bright blue eighty-thousand-dollar vehicle.”
“I told you,” Fi says.
Kaylee laughs. “Hey, don’t give me that look, Angie. You know damn well we’re here on the lookout for any giant NFL tight ends that might try to sneak in and ruin your day. We’ve got you, girl. You can go to work without worrying about getting emotionally waylaid.”
That sounds amazing. An opportunity to concentrate without having to worry about Jake. I have the best friends in the history of the world. “Thanks, guys. That really helps.”
Chapter 44
Jake
I pace a hole in my living room carpet trying to figure out what to do. This is it, my last chance. Honestly, I’m surprised I even get a last chance. I probably don’t deserve it, but it’s there just waiting for me all the same.
Shit, shit, shit. The only one I want to share this excitement with is Angie. And I’ve screwed it up again.
What am I going to do? If I don’t get on that plane, I’m done. But if I get on that plane without talking to Angie, then I know I’ll never get another chance. Maybe I didn’t even deserve this one.
That thought hits me hard. I don’t deserve her. I know that it’s true. I also know I don’t want anybody else. Ever. Trying to live without her was hell. I can’t go through that again. But what do I do?
I look at my watch. It’s two-thirty in the afternoon. She probably won’t listen to me, but I have to try. It’s time to finally be honest with myself about my feelings.
My feelings. I remember the talk with Bill. And suddenly I know exactly what I have to say. The truth. I could kick myself for taking this long to figure it out.
But now that I know what I have to do, I’m a man on a mission.
A minute
